It's rough.

I'm enjoying my summer. I like that the weather hasn't been super-hot... it's not SUPPOSED to get that hot because it's the beach. So it's perfect right now. And of course, I enjoy getting to go to bed whenever I want to, because my lack of sleep will not affect my ability to put up with 120 teenagers.

But mostly, what I am enjoying is my time with the Ru-burger. He is old enough that I can take him places that interest me to some degree... mostly, outdoor places. Places that I would not normally go alone, because there would be no one there to hear me go "Oh, look at that bird!" except for some Japanese tourists and then they would think I was crazy. No, I have Ruary! And he actually likes to hear me point out birds. It is really cool to see the world through his spongy little eyes... to watch him pick up river mud, hold out a fistful of it to me as if to say, "Isn't this the most AMAZING thing you have ever seen, Mom?!!" It's divine. I have tried to pack our mornings full of things that will get his wheels turning. We have hung out at Astoria's Port of Play, which is a fabulous place filled with toddler fodder, and sometimes we visit the bookstore where he gets to run Karla around and poke books. But the best parts have been outside. He is my little hiking buddy, even if he is in a stroller sometimes when we hike.

I can't wait until he can point out the birds to me, and maybe even name them.