I'm baaaack!

It's been a while since my last post -- We have been hunkered down trying to stay cool -- it has not rained at all this month -- our grass is brown, my garden is dying (some parts truly dead), and we rarely dip below 100 degrees each day. So, we have been staying inside and trying to stay cool. The air conditioner for our 2nd floor only turns off for about 2-3 hours each day. In fact, our city water supply is our local river and today the city had to stop drawing water out of the river and instead start buying water. In fact, it's been so hot that Nashville has been having 1/2 days for school b/c the air conditioning can't keep up. This is a picture (not mine) of the city's reservoir.

Anyway -- enough about that. How do you like Erin's castle? :-) She has been putting her extra awake time to good use! She recently dropped her morning nap for good and only takes a 1-2 hour nap in the afternoon so she is busy, busy, busy!!

Erin's walking has taken off, too. She is also talking alot -- and understands absolutely everything. It has been so much fun watching her relationship with Mary Clare turn into a real friendship. They both can't wait for the other one to wake up -- and if Mary Clare wakes up in the morning first (which is typical)- she often begs to wake up Erin. Cute!

Here they are having some fun late in the day when it is down in the 90s! Mary Clare's imagination is on fire lately -- we have to act out elaborate scenes from all the major Disney princesses' lives -- Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Belle (from Beauty and the Beast), etc. Today she told me, "You be old lady" -- luckily I knew what she meant and pulled out a plastic apple to play the part of the witch in Snow White. Mary Clare's school starts after Labor Day so that will be a big adjustment after our summer of fun. Plus, we've joined a new fitness club so Erin is getting used to being left alone in the nursery (Mary Clare is used to it, but still doesn't like it). In any case, lots of new things to get used to this fall. Mainly though, we just need some rain!