Is there a summer camp for two year olds?

Two days into summer break, and I am waving my white flag.  I surrender.  The toddler has won.

I ned to start by making sure it is clear I love Kate intensely.  She is the only child who was allowed to sleep in my bed ever, much less for the first six months of her life.  On my pillow.  Snuggled up against me.  And I'm not a snuggler.  She has more personality than the other four of us combined, and she is the cutest toddler I know.

But:  she is a handful. 

It didn't help that Lindsey was gone for a few days to Tupelo so I did not have my built-in babysitter here to help.  Kate is awake for 12 hours a day, and she talks at least 11 and a half of those.  If she has nothing new to say, she begins repeating. 

Here's a typical scene in our house while I'm cooking supper.  "Inna help.  Inna help.  Inna help!  You have pockets?  Whas in you pockets?  I have pockets? Why I not have pockets?  Inna hold you.  Inna hold you.  Inna hold youuuuuu!!!!  I need you phone.  I wanna play Anbirs (translation: angry birds).  I need my shoes.  Where my shoes?  Inna stroll.  Inna stroll.  I want ICE CREAM!!!!"

Wow.

I can handle sixteen-year-old drama so much better than this.  Bring on whining about unfair grades and stupid boys anyday.

But as someone wise once stated, "The days are long but the years are short."  I know ten weeks from now I will be sitting here lamenting the end of summer and the end of days at home with my constant sidekick.

It should be telling that we have a closet full of princess dress up clothes but Kate insists on dressing like Spider Man every time she gets into the costumes.

On a different note, these two.  Benton and Mimi have been dating for as long as they have known each other.  I'm not a fan of "girlfriends" in preschool, but Benton and Mimi have no clue they are not the same gender.  They are simply best friends.  She reached first base and he informed her (and her dad, the first base coach), "Look.  We will get married one day and she can kiss me all the time.  But not now."

I guess the good thing about being the Ruff who can't play tennis is that David and the kids have a photographer and ball girl.