Out Like a Lamb

Spring Break is upon us, and though we're only a couple days in, it doesn't feel as hard this year. My little girl is growing up, and has been mostly adorable (did I really say that?) at least until late afternoon. Check back after Wednesday when I'll be in Low-Carb Mode for Passover to see if I'm still so optimistic, unless of course I have been taken into custody by then, in which case you'll have to wait until my first scheduled internet time (do they do that in prison?)

Yesterday was warm, breezy, balmy weather that made me feel like I was on a tropical island (squinting, I could almost see an umbrella drink in my hand instead of an iced coffee) and Jarrah was a dream while I went to the gym and left her in her "other preschool"--you know, the one that inexplicably has "totally different kids" every time she goes! Then we shot up to La Jolla and enjoyed some food court vittles and watched the ice skaters ("Look! She just did another lovely twirl!") while we waited for Mary and Joy.

Then there were three blissful hours of intermittent shopping ("It would be a crime to pass up those purple leggings...and on sale, yet!") and elaborate dinner parties at Pottery Barn Kids ("Here's some coconut soup I made.") combined with train rides and jump-jumps and pink cupcakes (strawberry!) with pink sugar and pink marshmallow bunnies on top (you can bet I didn't even get a taste.) Jarrah and Joy are so respectful and sweet with each other, Mary and I have stopped saying "They're just like sisters!" because, from what I recall, sisters don't treat each other like that until their teen years and maybe not even then.

Today we had a rare playdate with Jini, Leigh and Abby (Jarrah falls between them in age) at the Grossmont Center, which has a pretty cool program in which kids (well, their parents) can "check out" a puppy from the pet store and walk it around the mall for an hour. Leigh chose a completely adorable little orange sheltie, who spent most of his "walk" lying on the grass, but was very cuddly and amenable to petting, so the girls were thrilled. Afterwards, we picked out some slightly hideous "collectibles" at CeramiCafe, and the girls surprised us by painting studiously for the better part of an hour, and not getting bored or spilling anything. And no one can tell me that Jarrah's blue, purple, green and black-spotted puppy figurine is not going to be in a gallery some day. We followed our self-expression with a trip to the candy counter, where Leigh very cleverly thwarted the "three items only" caveat by choosing a gummy snake large enough to swallow a rat.

It was so nice to spend some time with Jini, whom I rarely see outside of book club, and though I was very sleepy by the time we got back, I felt happy, knowing that Spring Break wouldn't be something to dread in future. Instead, school holidays will be a special time to break out of our routine, see old friends, meet new ones, and eat gross, multi-colored treats. Ah, the good life...