I'm at a place where I really need to start on something or maybe just finish other somethings in order to move forward, but I just can't.
#2 is kicking my booty, and I've been too pooped to be that productive in the evenings after Henry goes to bed, when I have a couple of hours to myself while Andrew sweats it out in the garage building our barnwood dining room table.

So instead of a nice, thought out post about family, friends, summering, babies, life, work, or anything that falls in between, you're getting this.

Relishing in simple bliss.

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Backyard exploring.

What goes up must come down?

Lashes.

An adventure down the street to jump in rain puddles that made this boy's day.

We're only a handful of Monday gatherings in, but I am already dependent on my moms' group.

There is something to be said about getting together with other mom's deep in the trenches and letting it all hang out.  And I say that because this is not your scrub-your-house-from-top-to-bottom, fix-a gourmet-lunch-and-separate-goodies-for-the-kids kind of group.  In fact, one of the prerequisites for joining the group was you must love burnt grilled cheese.  Literally and figuratively. 

Sure, it's nice when it's not burnt and let's just say most times it's not.  Congrats!  You have your life together.  But sometimes, you forget to flip fast enough, there is dog hair piling up in the corners of your house and let's be honest...you are eating grilled cheese again because you haven't been to the store and can't think of anything else to make.  Oh, and you're really not that expert of a cook.

Yep, it's that kind of group.

 Henry and I were missing those that couldn't make it this week.  

I guess doctor's appointments, swimming lessons and having a baby are all good excuses.  

But it was still such a treat. 

If only blackberries were ripe all year long.

Of course, then every week Henry would try to run the opposite direction of the group while the girls sat nicely and ate their pickings.  Or fall into a mud puddle after our picnic was threatened with light sprinkles that quickly turned into an all-out rain.  Or I'd search for my car keys as the rain came down after all other cars had pulled out of the lot only to find them on the dash ten panicky minutes later.

 Yep.  Even on the most picturesque days we may still be dining on burnt grilled cheese.

I was feeling pretty sorry for myself when Andrew came home on Friday afternoon from work with a migraine that cancelled our plans of an early dinner and taking Henry to play in the Old Town fountains.  I just felt like all we we had done for two weeks since returning from Manhattan was routine.  My moms' group had been canceled as most were traveling.  Our usual group was out of town so no normal weekend grill-outs and get-togethers where babies fall asleep in pack-and-plays in all rooms of the house and adults eat, drink and are merry. 
Shoots had been postponed for various reasons. 

I really needed a break from the regular, to get me out of my funk, but more so because if I'm totally transparent here I was getting a little panicky.  Had I hit the six-week mark of staying at home with Henry and was already getting bored with a side dose of summer cabin fever? 

I've come to realize I really let thoughts in my head get carried away, and this too was one of those moments.

I LOVE staying at home with him.  It's a dream come true, and my set up as full-time mom and part-time photographer is perfect for us and our life right now.  Andrew asks me every day when he gets home to tell him the funny things that Henry did that day.  Sometimes I have a hard time remembering due to pregnancy brain.  That, and he makes me smile and laugh all day long.  I beam every time he practices the new words he's learning - bird, duck, Bill, ah ah ah ah for monkey, and my favorite - Franklin.  He sounds like he's talking Chinese all day long, but boy does he get excited when he gets one of those right.  Or how he hides when I say it's time to change his diaper.  When he fake laughs to make Andrew or I laugh, he laughs again, we laugh...repeat, repeat, repeat.  He's finally leaning in for his own kisses now; melt my heart.  And running down the driveway towards the street every time we let him loose in the front yard.  Wanting to push the vacuum on his own.  Throwing his arms up when he squeals and tries to outrun us because he loves being chased.  His dance parties and high-fives with daddy.  

It was nice sharing the funny moments together this weekend. 
Some that were downright funny and some that we just had to laugh at because what else can you do. 

Like when Franklin slipped his collar because he was afraid to walk over the grates in the road at the farmer's market
and ran free through the crowds searching for light poles to pee on.  Really.  I can't make this stuff up.

If weekending is a verb, (and as I typed that, no auto-correct popped up, so it must be legit), we weekended good this time. 

My dry spell is gone, and coincidentally, it's rained the past two days. 
Go out and soak up summer.