and the band plays some song about forgetting yourself for awhile

Last night the kids were looking through old photos. They were laughing and giggling at themselves as babies and toddlers. I stopped making photo albums about four years ago, when i got my digital SLR and started putting everything online and on my computer.
Parker was a little sad that there were none of him, but i reminded him that there are about a billion photos of him on my computer. The thought of getting all these digital photos into books is a little daunting.
I have had the kids for almost three weeks straight, with a night here and there at their dads. He has been travelling and there have been the birthday parties at my house. I'm a little pooped, running a little short on energy. But, i persevere.
Yesterday we went swimming in the lake after school, then for dinner at my restaurant. Eating at my workplace on my day off is not always my first choice, but the kids love going there. It's a treat for them.
After dinner we went back to the lake and we all swam around and ran along the logs as the sun set. It was really fun. Too often, i sit on the beach and supervise instead of jumping in – brrrrr – and splashing with them. I was so glad i did last night. It perked me up, woke me up and let me laugh and scream as i tried to negotiate the rolling logs.
It also gave me enough energy to give bedtime a good effort. A rousing reading of "Where the Wild Things Are" and then dancing to the song they played in the trailer for the movie. As an aside, the movie looks so good. I am more excited than the kids.
After they were asleep i checked eliza's fairy house as seen in the photo above and read her daily note. "dear juniper, i am so happy. you are my best friend. i love you. eliza." I love her little fairy life. Her "fairy" writes her back teeny tiny notes and gives her little gifts. She is always the first up in the morning and i watch her as she opens the front door, peaks out to see if there is a note. When there is she runs out and grabs it and then spends half an hour writing a new note. This week she even made her fairy a skirt out of lilac leaves and a sparkly ribbon.
Good days. Good days.