Laundry in the spring time

The air was crisp tonight.  Crisp and delicious.  The warmth of midday faded into the cool of the desert, and a slight wind re-circulated the smells of Orem barbeques.  I filled my lungs with salty drafts and completely fell in love with spring nights as I rounded the house and approached my front door.  A pleasant evening of adult company and delicious food was paired perfectly with a long car ride home and stimulating mother-daughter conversation.  While the nature of the conversation was serious, the experience was required.  Every once in a while a girl needs a break from talking about pee-pees and rawrrrrs. (That’s peaches and lions for those who need a translation.)

Andrea got her first molar this week so as you can imagine it’s been. . . super.  Whenever Andrea falls into prolonged fits of grumpiness I never think to look for teeth.  I almost always assume that I’m doing something wrong as a parent and that my happy, sweet Andrea is changing.  When the grumpiness stops, I’m surprised to find a new tooth and relieved that the change wasn’t permanent.

However, I find happy Andrea almost irresistible.  She’s learned to say ‘please,’ and kindly declining such polite requests nearly tears apart my soul.  Dramatic?  Ya.  Accurate?  Most definitely.  Paul is just as susceptible to her charm and far more lax in setting boundaries.  She plays him like a grand piano.  I’ll return from class and ask how his night went, and he’ll tell me how many episodes of “Yo Gabba Gabba” she wrangled out of him (I only let her watch two a day) and how many snacks she gleaned with those big blue eyes of hers.  Forgiveness comes quickly for this kind of transgression because seeing his love for our daughter melts me into a puddle of Kayla goo.

I suppose living with two people who melt me daily isn’t the worst thing that’s ever happened.

Andrea is learning new things every day.  Just two weeks ago all animals said ‘rawr.’  Now cats say ‘maooo,’ dogs say ‘ffffff,’ monkeys say ‘aa aa aa,’ cows say ‘moo,’ lions say ‘raaawr’ and so do all the other animals in world.  She tries to smell pictures of flowers.  She blows her nose on command.  She knows all of her major body parts.  She says ‘no no’ while she does something naughty.  (It’s like a warning siren.)

What. The. Heck.

Wasn’t she a baby just yesterday?

Because she’s growing up so fast, I thought, why not?  Let’s give her some chores.  Please enjoy what I’ve captured of Andrea helping with laundry.

(if you listen closely, you can hear her say dryer.)