Seems like I blink and it's time to write another update! In the living of it, life seems to go pretty slow. But looking back it's hard to believe that two months have already gone by. Spring in Chicago has come and gone. Everything was in bloom simultaneously. I love the smells and the sights of spring. I love getting to point out all the blossoming trees to Ethan and to stop and smell the lilacs. And now it's either raining or 80 degrees. Silly Chicago! The upside is that the rose bush in front of my house is loving the hot and the wet weather and is going totally crazy! So I have fresh flowers at my disposal whenever I want them. And roses my very favorite. Lucky me!

I was also fortunate enough to hit spring in Albuquerque as well. I spent two weeks (late April, early May) staying with Joan Zucker and Peggy and Kevin Whitmore. I worked for a week and was on vacation for the other - which included a trip to the spa and a "Devine Head to Toe" treatment which STILL makes me smile! It was a wonderful trip and I got to spend lots of quality time with the people I keep in touch with. Ethan is getting much easier to travel with and was actually able to entertain himself on the plane! He helped in the airport by carrying his own bag for part of the way! Oh what a difference six months makes. Plus we've traveled so much that I'm becoming a pro at how to pack, what is essential and what we can do without. If I had to do this trip over again, I think I would stay for ten days vs. fourteen. The last couple of days were a lot harder than the first and I think we were both ready to get home and sleep in our own beds. Good to know for next time!

Other than that, I've been keeping busy with all kinds of stuff. I finished my Landmark seminar in early May. I really enjoyed "living passionately" and can see the fruits of my labors. Begin intentional about how I am living really makes a huge difference in my life and I'm looking forward to whatever they are doing next in Schaumburg (creativity?). We had Easter, complete with Ethan's annual Easter egg hunt. I also celebrated my third Mother's Day in May. Ethan made me a LOVELY piece of artwork in preschool (yeah school!) and we had a nice brunch with my family. I went to a play with some girlfriends, saw a movie (oh BOY!), had friends come into town, went to Ann Arbor over Memorial Day to visit relatives and about a thousand other things.

Thinking back on it, I've had a couple of really great months. And not because the activities were so wonderful (and not because they weren't either!) but more because I'm just in a really good place. I like every piece of my life. Work is going really well. Being a mom is wonderful! I have a home that I really like and have made my own. I have some romance in my life which is always fun. I get to see or talk to all the people who are important to me on a fairly regular basis and I spend the vast majority of my time involved in activities that make me happy and leave me satisfied. I made a decision a couple years ago that life from that point on was going to be fun and easy. Since that time, amazing amounts of crap that caused me stress or made me miserable seemed to fall away. I can honestly say that I love my life and that the best lies ahead.

Ethan is officially a boy. If I had any doubts, I'm sure of it now. There is just no baby left in him. He even corrects me if I slip and call him a baby. "No, I Ethan!" he says, sometimes with impatience, sometimes with distain. He has had a total language explosion and I understand him about 80% of the time now. And he says a lot of stuff! He can tell me about what he did yesterday, say that the barber shop was closed or that Grandma took him to McDonalds. He got some pajamas with Superman on the front and a Velcro cape on the back. He immediately started showing it to everyone, especially Grandma's dog. "Look Celtie! I have cape!". And, of course, it has all started to make me laugh. He uses some choice phrases to describe what he wants. Grandma Glore had a bowl of ice cream in front of her, complete with whipped cream and a cherry. Ethan looked longingly in her direction. Then he asked "I hold it?". Because, you know, it's not like he wants to shove his face in and eat the whole thing right there or anything. He just wants to "hold it" for her. :) HAHAHA! We were traveling in the car over Memorial Day when I heard an "ouch!" from the back seat. When asked what was wrong, Ethan replied "poke my owie". He'd been back there poking at an old scab and I told him to cut it out. "Okay" he answers. Followed in the not too distant future by "OW!". Once again, he'd been at work and replied "poke my owie" when asked what was hurting. "Ethan, stop doing that or it will keep hurting". "Okay". Then silence for a while... a long while. I should have know it was too long a while. The next thing I heard was "my finger red". Hmmm... my finger red. What could he mean? I thought I must have misheard him until I looked in the rearview mirror and saw BLOOD EVERYWHERE from the picked scab. Although not at the time, I thought it was very funny shortly after. His response to the bloodbath that was the back seat was a calm and collected report that his finger was red. Strange how that little mind works.

Ethan is slowly but surely toilet training himself. He sometimes asks to go by himself, but more often I'll ask if he has to go and he'll tell me yes. He loves to choose a "tika" (sticker) to put on the toilet seat as a sign of accomplishment. We've gotten into the habit of calling someone to help celebrate with us. Usually it's a grandma or granddad, but sometimes we branch out and call Karen Stump in Florida. Only because she understands and is willing to lose her mind when he makes his report. I honestly have no idea how far away from underwear we are. I had a blast picking some out for him - Buzz Lightyear and Bob the Builder - for when he is ready to make the switch. But until then, I'm really in no rush and am quite happy that he's making progress on a subject that seems to be such a source of frustration for so many parents.

One of the coolest things that happened in the last couple of months is that Ethan has started pretending. It really gives me a chance to see what he thinks of the world around him. He and I play a game where he tucks me in for sleep. He's very sweet and will always come back and give me another kiss or read me a book. Then he tucks me in ("tuck tuck tuck, ALL set") and starts to leave the room. He inevitably turns around at the last minute and, with pointer finger raised in an ominous gesture announces "No get up". I'm pleased that he finds me so loving and accommodating for the first part and realizes that there really is a rule about the last part that is not to be toyed with. The other thing that Grandma F witnessed was a mock puppet show where Ethan's hand number one was talking to hand number two. Just chatting mind you. Then, out of the blue, hand one hits number two saying "HIT HIT HIT!!". Hand number two comes back with a stern "Time out!" and hand one falls down and stays there. She says he did this about a half dozen times. I have to say that I am also pleased with this display. I know that Ethan knows there is no hitting, but sometimes the impulse just overwhelms him and he strikes out. I'm glad he knows what happens next and is, in his own way, practicing resisting the urge.

We are having the very best time and I continue to be grateful that I get to experience so much of his growing up while supporting our family at the same time.

was "so do you have a boyfriend or what?". It is with much satisfaction (and a goofy smile on my face) that I'm announcing that yes, in fact, I do. And let me tell you that it is no small thing to announce it to this many people! My brain immediately goes to "oh GREAT! Now you'll have to announce the break up too". But I feel really good about where we are and REALLY... if I am not sharing my life in these updates then what am I doing? So there.

David and I have been dating about three months now. He lives in Florida, so we've been doing the long distance thing with monthly visits. In some ways it's been really tough. We can't just go catch a movie if we feel like it. But in most ways it's been really great! I am not usually a phone person but talk to him just about every day. We've covered topics that I am sure just wouldn't come up in day to day interaction and I feel like I'm getting to know him very well. Plus it really makes me appreciate the time that we do spend together. And we get along famously! I'll admit that I spent weeks upon weeks at the beginning waiting for the other shoe to drop. And waiting. And waiting. Like he must have another head hidden somewhere! Why is this guy still single if there is nothing wrong with him? Sadly, I actually did ask him that question :) I feel like I'm finally over that and am just enjoying being in relationship with a wonderful man who really enriches my life and makes being a good girlfriend a really easy thing to do. Like three month in and still haven't had a fight. We get right up to the brink of one (because of course there are things that we disagree about) and then one or the other will pull back and say "um, what do you think I meant when I said that". HA HA! Fight averted. I haven't spent a whole lot of time being an adult in an adult relationship and I'm enjoying every minute.

Until next time!!