Back to Mark

first day of fifth grade

During the summer my attention is divided among my children and Mark's attention is divided among his neighborhood friends.  When I run errands, I go alone and leave children home.

Yesterday, with everyone gone except Mark, it was back to Mark and mom time.

And I'm glad.  I missed my weird little sidekick.  (And by weird I mean equal parts awesome, entertaining and...weird.) He talks constantly and has wild ideas about everything.  He doesn't like school except when we read together.  He calls it snuggle time and makes sure the blankets are covering us evenly.

snuggle school...I recommend it

Since we don't have to go over any classroom rules or learn where things like the bathroom are located, we dive right into school work.  (As a bonus there is nothing for me to sign...that comes from the sheaves of papers the older kids bring home.)

Mark convinced me we should go out to lunch.  (It took him about ten seconds of convincing.)

It's nice to drown back-to-school-blues in guacamole.

After lunch we ran a few errands.  One stop was Bath and Body Works for fall scented wallflower inserts.  Mark is invaluable at such times because he has a good nose.  I gave him charge to find me some good scents and he didn't disappoint.  While I was paying, the man ringing up my order asked Mark if he'd seen the display of scents for men.  Mark pulled himself up straight and said, "No" with great interest.  The guy walked Mark over to a display and Mark tried a few out.  When Mark found one he liked, the man sprayed it all over Mark.  Mark is sold.  He wants me to use the coupon I got to go back and get him "Paris" which apparently is the good stuff.

Is it wrong for me to want my baby to smell like baby powder?

I took pictures of Adam going back to work too--after about a twelve hour absence.  Where does the time go?  It doesn't seem that long ago that he was... just coming home from work.