August 29

Well, Chris, Caleb, and Lily lasted all night long in the tent! How about that?

Even though it rained on them.

Chris and I specifically checked the weather forecast before deciding to "camp", and it said 0% chance of rain. Somehow, though, the rain still came, and they got a bit damp before Chris got the rain fly back on. I expected Lily to love camping, and all day she asked, "Camp 'gain? Go camp 'gain?"

But when I asked her what her favorite part of sleeping in the tent was, she scowled at me and said, "Not good."

And when Chris asked if she wanted to sleep in the tent again tonight, her answer was an emphatic, "NO."

So I guess maybe it wasn't her favorite thing ever, even if she did get to snuggle Daddy all night long.

Amber dropped her kids off at our house this morning while she photographed our neighbors, so we had a fun little playdate that I somehow managed to not take any pictures of. After Lily went down for her nap (she went down very early and very easily, which is clear proof that she didn't sleep much last night!), Eli and I headed out to do the grocery shopping and stop by a friend's house for her 25-cent garage sale (in her living room).

I asked my friend to hold Eli while I riffled through her things, and while she held him her daughters became interested in him. When I looked up again, Eli was giggling happily at the girls and wearing this lion headband. It was really funny.

Then on to the grocery store! 

Eli discovered my necklace and wholeheartedly approved. He played with and sucked on it the whole time, and didn't touch my hair once.

(Don't mind the weird lump on the side of my wrap; that was Eli's elbow when he tucked his arm back down in the wrap after playing with the necklace.)

Eli fell asleep in the van on the way home from the store, and I miraculously managed to transfer him to his crib. Hooray! (He must have been really tired.)

Chris and Daisy helped me unload the groceries, and then I snuck into bed for a much-too-short rest. When I got up, Lily was awake and fussing, so I wrapped her on my back. Now that Eli is here, I don't wear her that often, so it was a special treat.

She really was happy to be up there. She just didn't want her picture taken.

See? That's her trademark "no pictures!" pose.

Daisy wanted her picture taken, though!

And then at dinner, I got out my camera to take a picture of our whole family.

I am so happy that I moved the furniture on Friday and reclaimed our dining room! Mealtime feels so much more pleasant and peaceful in that room, and I love that we have an open, uncluttered space to eat in. I also love that our dining room table has been with us since our first apartment in college, and before that it was in my parents' (rarely-used) dining room, and before that it belonged to someone else. This table is a workhorse, and now it is working hard for my family. It's funny to think that this table saw the very first meal I prepared for my new husband (spaghetti and mashed potatoes. Really. I've learned a lot since then.), held puzzles we put together, hosted meals for our extended family, and now will be a gathering place for our not-so-little brood. 

I love it, and I am thankful.