But Enough About Me, Let's Talk About You. What Do You Think About Me?

(NOTE: This post is a recap of the past weekend and a look ahead to the coming one. Yes, I could just insert a copy of my calendar page here and be done with it. Silly readers. Don't you realize just how indulgent it is to have a blog? You must be inundated with the many insignificant details of my past and future plans. It is so good to have a forum.)

I love weekends. I know I am alone in my radical views.

This past one -- great! On Friday, Canetto had to work late on a proposal, so I took the Pants to the Schirmer's house to visit with them and new baby Charles. Avery was such a big girl and so sweet. While I held Charles on my lap, Avery sat right next to me and caressed his legs very softly and talked to him very quietly. (I'm sure she's making her case for siblings...every day I get a request for "lots of brudders and sisters.") (And yes, she does say it just like a mobster.) (Which may be appropriate, considering that they would be "joining da family.")

Saturday, we went to Chris and Jay's house for a barbecue to celebrate Jay being back from Iraq. We brought a gift of a baseball, hot dogs, apple pie and a Chevy matchbox car. There were a million kids there under the age of five. Good for Avery and fun for us, too. It's a lot easier to mingle with people sometimes when you have kids in common.


Sunday, we finally made good on our promise to take Avery to the Water Mine in Reston. (Where do the summer weekends go?) How did I not know this place existed? What a great way to spend a couple of hours on a summer weekend. She laughed and played for three hours straight. We had such a great time. (For those, like me, who were not aware that this place existed --it is near the Reston Zoo and has many water slides and a river rafting pool -- totally cool for the 10-and-under set.)

Hanging out with Avery is getting more and more fun. Mainly because she is beginning to understand why potty humor and the word "butt" are so hysterical. (Wiping sentimental tear from corner of eye.)

On the way to the water park, we all joined in singing one of our favorite family car songs:(sung to the tune of "The Farmer in the Dell")

Avery has a cute butt
Avery has a cute butt
Heigh-ho the derry-o,
Avery has a cute butt

(Which then morphs into Heigh-ho the derriere and then goes into additional rounds with both daddy and mommy having cute butts. We're an easy-to-amuse family.)

This week? Thursday night is our annual Chris-Isaak-at-Wolftrap concert. Canetto got the tickets the moment the ticket sales opened for the season so we have great seats. We have been going to see him for years and he always puts on a great show. Friday night, I'm going to Snore and Roar at the National Zoo. (Oh, what a cute thing to do with Avery, you're thinking. A behind the scenes tour of the zoo and then an overnight in a tent on the zoo grounds? What a cool mom you are. Yes, I am a cool mom, but that is beside the point as this event is adults-only. I'm going with my friend, Hillary and her mom, Nancy. There will be stories, oh yes, there will be stories.)

After a trip to the vet Saturday afternoon in which it will cost me several hundred dollars to traumatize my cats with a car ride and shots and find out that Brooke will need her anal glands expressed again, Tim and I are having (a kid-free) dinner at Bazin's in Vienna with our friends, Julie and Andrew.

Sunday marks Avery's first-ever friend birthday party. (Well, the first one at someone's house -- they've had several in her classroom.) I don't know who's more excited -- us or her. I shopped for Megan's gift yesterday afternoon and felt tremendous pressure for it to be just right. (And also, as a mom of a same-aged kid, I wanted it not to be messy, loud, or have a million small pieces.)