The whole time we played at the park, a quote kept running through my head.

“Well…in Who-ville they say

That the Grinch’s small heart grew three sizes that day.”

That’s how I felt.

With each swing and each squeal, I thought my chest would burst.

She would make even the grinchiest Grinch smile.

 

This week we discovered Jane’s penchant for waving at herself in the mirror. It’s not like we’re over-indulging her on this or anything.

It’s been hectic lately. As my former boss would say, we’re busier than a one-legged cat in a room full of rocking chairs.

I took a walk the other night around the lakes. I walked straight into a swarm of gnats by the water. One flew right up my nose, and in my hypochondriac mind I could just imagine him burrowing his way into my brain. I began to swat and run and yell a little bit. Okay I yelled a lot. Of course there was an entire group of old-lady-power-walkers on the other side of the street who stopped to watch. When I finally emerged from the cloud of tiny bugs, flustered and panting, one of the old women gave me a wave and said, “Girl, I never saw anyone move so fast who wasn’t getting paid.”

I’m still not sure what that means exactly. Whoever got paid for running from gnats? But emerging from that cloud of bugs was a relief. I could stop and breath. And clearing things off our plates feels just like that. I encourage you to think about the unnecessary things that stress you out. Clear them off your plate. Run free from the cloud of gnats. Have a fabulous Friday. And Jane would also like to recommend that everyone wave to themselves in the mirror. It’s good medicine.

 This is what 5 a.m. looks like.

I can hear Jane chirping down the hall.

“Hi, hi, hi, hi.”

I know she’s smiling in the dark, holding onto the crib bars, waiting expectantly for me to come pick her up and hug her, sing “good morning to you” and then change her diaper.

But sometimes it’s so hard to climb out of bed every day at 5 a.m. Especially on the weekend.

So her “hi hi hi” sounds become “heeeyyyy heeeyyy heeeyyyy” sounds.

And then I get up.

But it’s hard to begrudge her an early wake up time.

I mean, who else could be so cheerful before the sun comes up?

It’s just us, the mocking birds in the trees, and some good book reading.

One day I’ll miss these early wake up calls.