ONE. MORE. WORK. DAY. UNTIL. NINE. WHOLE. PLAY. DAYS.

So sometimes it happens that you've only been back to work for 4 weeks and you feel like it's been AT LEAST four months.  You're dragging yourself out of bed at 4:30 in the morning, keeping your eye on the prize of "THURSDAY" and the one week holiday that follows it.  Progress reports are thrown into the mix, some last-minute visa issues with the nanny are too.  There's the construction noise that woke the little one a few times in the night and the big-old cry session that ensued after waking up at 5:40 a.m., only to find your parents heading out the door at 5:45.  Big bummers all around.  But then you get home from work as soon as that faculty meeting is over, ignore the millions of lab papers you brought home to "mark", and head downstairs to play outside with the people that you love most....

The sandbox and playhouse were all good and fine until soapy water started pouring out of a nearby pipe.  Nory made a run for it.  Or a dive.  And with a smile like this, we decided that this likely-disgusting puddle of dirty water was a swell way to spend the remainder of the evening.  Clothes can be washed.  Shoes can dry.  And this picture - of a child in their truest form - will last FOREVER and EVER!

God bless puddles.  And washing machines.  And these little people that have the power to make life seem completely impossible and 100% manageable all at the very same time.  

(P.S.  Tonight I MAY have let Nory use markers on the tile floor on purpose.  I needed a second and watching her "clean up" the mess with a wet towel was genius on my behalf.  CLEAN GIRLIE, CLEAN!)