"Labor" day weekend

This Labor Day weekend entailed a lot of labor. A far cry from our usual end-of-summer-long-weekends in Cape May. Nate worked most of last weekend and this weekend on the house. I pitched in as much as possible where the baby allowed. We have been painting all of the exterior trim and porches of the house. We replaced all of the drafty old double hung windows a couple of years ago with the new low-e replacement windows. A great energy efficient move, but in the process all of the casements got torn up, so before we could sell the house we had to repaint them. With the zany color scheme we had going on before matching that yellow would have been so difficult we decided just to broaden the scope of the project, paint the whole place, and paint it all white, with grey porch floors. I have to say, it looks fantastic. Clean and neat and bright. I love it.

Saturday I had one of the most surreal experiences in recent memory. I laid on the couch and watched one of the most incredible football games ever (Michigan vs. Appalachian St) for 2 full hours while 5 MEN painted my house. Luke conveniently napped for the bulk of the game, and Becca and I laid around the living room calling out the occasional play by play to the men painting outside. As a woman, and a woman who loves football, I can tell you that it was a role reversal the likes of which may have never been seen before. Usually its me in the kitchen watching on the small flat screen and making vast quantities of food while Nate lays in the living room watching the huge flat screen while prone on his back. Not complaining, simply stating facts. And I like it, I love to cook, and love to feed friends and family, and thanks to the TV in the kitchen am able to incorporate both. However, for one GLORIOUS day, it was all about pure, unadulterated enjoyment of the game. I will never forget both the game, AND the joy of the laying around while the guys worked.

That night Luke did another first. We were over M&D's cooking dinner with Becca and Rich. Luke was crawling all over the living room and standing up on everything (much like how a dog has to urinate on every tree, pole, or bush in the area, my baby has to try out standing up on each and every object when placed on the floor in a different room). Suddenly Nate called me into the living room saying "you have to see this".......There sat Luke, pleased as punch, one step up, about to climb up the next step up into the hallway between the office and the kitchen. HUH???? Of course I started running for the baby (while amazed at his stair climbing talent, as a Mom I knew exactly what would happen next)............Luke turned around to look at us and tumbled off of the stair. Of course. Bang. The good news was that he managed to fall onto the runner, not the hardwood floor, so the damage was mitigated.

I just want a helmet for him. I hate this. It is this impossible biological imperative. Must. Go. Up. I cant stop it. The only hope in sight is that he DOES seem to be getting better at falling. I had no idea that falling was a skill, but I now believe that it is. He is putting that diaper to use, and has become much more adept at the "sit down fall" vs. the kamikaze whirlwind face plant spaz fall. It's something, I guess.

Here is Mr. Personality playing in his Saucer while we painted.