Sunny, with a chance of sunshine

This weekend was gorgeous in Georgia ("Joe-Juh," AJ says). Seventy degrees or more, and nothing but sun in my neighborhood. Besides that, it was a tantrum-free zone: AJ managed to stay in his happiest mood, three days running. A miracle! He sat with us during dinner. He ran around the house and the yard, singing at the top of his lungs sometimes, playing his heart out. He entertained himself with his letters (fridge magnets), or colors and a coloring book, or Mr. Potato Head. If he did something we asked him not to and we responded, he accepted the "punishments" (No Blue's Clues, no story before bed, no dessert, that kind of thing). He was a dream.

Saturday was a lazy one. We watched two hawks playing in our backyard trees (likely pilfering from other birds' nests). We played a bit of basketball on the driveway. We ate lunch on the back deck, and talk-talk-talked all the way through it. While AJ napped, I played with my wedding china (re-organizing after Christmas), a hobby I adore. AJ had Batman-shaped Chicken Noodle soup for dinner, and slurped it all down. Then Mommy got to go out! A girlfriend and I went to dinner and saw "The Queen." I only fell asleep twice, and thankfully I don't think anyone noticed. Hey, the movie started at 9:50pm. WAY past this little girl's bedtime. The parts I did see were fantastic -- a telescope into the life of the royals. Helen Mirren is a wonder. I have loved everything I've seen her in.

Sunday we took the dog on a lovely walk, and then took a trip to Lowe's. Bought some new shelving for AJ's room (and put it together, whee!), so we could retire the Jenny Lind changing table. My big boy needs room to PLAY in his own space, and now he has it. We're convinced that toys will be dumped OUT of the trendy storage baskets, instead of stored IN -- that's the fun of baskets, I guess, at age 2 -- but maybe it'll be easier to clean up after him. Next steps in this "Growing Up" project: 1) the Potty Training and 2) the crib-to-bed transition. Not that we HAVE to, mind you. I'll keep him in that crib as long as possible. :) And I know, I know, I shouldn't be in a hurry to potty train him necessarily. Three. That's my goal. Poops on the potty by three. I need a strategy, though. He's not responding to our M&Ms offerings anymore. There will probably have to be a pants-free week or weekend in his future.

...sorry, where was I?

Last night we whipped up a quick Shrimp Fra Diavolo with a salad and it was delicious. Refreshing. Filling. Then we made fun of watched Jack Bauer return to glory... for 2 hours. And it's only half finished! More Kiefer Sutherland on tap tonight, and I am *just fine* with that!

I couldn't have asked for a nicer weekend. There was nothing special about it. But it was perfection.