I'm Fine, Thanks

That's Benny entering his Grandpa's house after a successful Easter Egg hunt on Sunday. Note how he insists on carrying ALL his little yellow eggs rather than put them in a basket. We all had a great holiday with Ron's father, his brother Steve and family, and his sister Marlene and family.

Today is, of course, Wednesday -- my favorite day of the week. Mondays are a little jagged around here because we're wiped out from the weekend. (There's no such thing as a relaxing weekend with a toddler.) If the weekend was rainy and dull, Benny is sick of us and sick of his toys. Plus Ron works long hours on Mondays, often leaving before Benny and I wake and returning late at night.

Benny is in daycare all day Tuesday, so I can catch up on errands and get a good chunk of writing done. I've found a sweet little cafe in a town called Saline (pronounced sah-LEEN). It's got yummy treats, free wireless access and plenty of electrical outlets. Ann Arbor cafes are wonderful, but can be problematic when you're trying to get real work done. They're often noisy and crowded, and a glass of Coke costs a mint. Then I have to fight rush hour traffic to pick Benny up.

But this Saline cafe works well, since Benny's daycare is halfway between Ann Arbor and this very small town. There's no outside seating and you can't get any decent newspapers, but you can't have everything. I like being only 10 minutes from Benny, too. The mother hen instinct pops up in the oddest places.

Back to Wednesdays -- Wednesdays are the best. I'm generally rested after a Benny-free Tuesday and ready for action. We go on an adventure in the mornings: to the museum, to the farm, to Ann Arbor's wonderfully big Gallup Park. Wiped out, Benny takes a nice long nap and happily plays with his toys all afternoon to make up for a day of neglect.

This morning Benny and I went to Gallup Park, a fine recreational area following the winding Huron River. It's got pretty bridges and fetching trails and little sunlit clearings. People can fish or kayak or paddleboat or rollerblade. The park also hosts flocks of big geese and their little duck cousins.

We brought a ball, some books and a picnic lunch and spent the morning. Benny ran along the trails, wearing his train conductor cap, beside himself with excitement. He would only eat one box of raisins, so I scarfed his goldfish crackers and peanut butter sandwich as well as my own lunch. It takes a lot of energy to keep up with him.