1 Mother 2 Another

I’m back!

Ok, I’m not really back.  We’re on the tail end of our vacation; a business trip for my husband with a company that thoughtfully allowed families to come along.  So Maddie and I are living it up poolside while Daddy works.   But  I missed you guys, and can’t help myself; I’ve ended up just “jotting down a few notes” several nights this vacation.

I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again; blogging’s a great way to journal your life.  I think I’m doing little pieces on diaper bags or baby registries, but I look back and realize I’m capturing these written snapshots of Maddie’s life in a much more disciplined (read – consistent) and even truthful way than I would if I were consciously trying to keep a diary for myself.  So I found myself all last week itching for a keyboard and a few moments to myself just so I could capture my thoughts  before they escape; I feel like I have so much to tell you!  Throughout every day, I’d think, “The girls will never believe this,” or “I can’t wait to tell the other moms about this.”  Having this website, having a future audience to hear a story in the retelling, has encouraged me to savor every moment of “mundane” life with Madeleine, to be more objective and step back and see the little wonders and miracles as they happen, rather than take them for granted and let them pass, unnoticed and unmentioned.

I’m leaving the current mommy poll up for one more week; Abby’s last entry about starting preschool dovetails nicely with it so I’m going to hang on to it a few more days.

And speaking of Abby – what a great girlfriend she is, to take on this website for me for a week!  I loved her posts and hope she’ll drop in a bit more frequently to keep us updated on Isaiah’s (and his mommy’s!) adjustment to preschool.  But for the next several days you’ll get an inside glimpse of a toddler’s world turned upside down, dragged through several states and even more airports, thrust onto a beach, and dropped poolside at a luxury resort.

Don’t worry; I’ve got some good tips – on how to travel, for example, and how not to – to come out of this that I’ll gladly pass on to you in the coming weeks.  I kept careful notes of what did and didn’t work for us as we dragged Maddie so far out of her comfort zone, pointed her at the nearest beach, and commanded, “Now go enjoy yourself!”

But you’re also going to have lots of reading to catch up on her escapades, new tricks, and new fears.

You won’t believe what this kid’s been up to.