It’s actually really hard to write a blog post when you’re in a REALLY BAD MOOD. Just like you wouldn’t want to TALK to someone who’s in a REALLY BAD MOOD, why would you want to READ someone who’s in a REALLY BAD MOOD?

But, we’re old friends now, right? So, I can tell you EVERYTHING. And, you won’t judge me, right? And, you won’t LOATHE ME if I say the wrong thing or bring you down with me? Right?

Anyway, really bad mood. I think it’s because I’m absolutely exhausted. These long weekends are not relaxing like they used to be. And, the weekend plan of trekking out to Centre Island? Big mistake. HUGE.

Mind you, there were a few redeeming things from this weekend. And, me in my big bad mood should hang on to them if I ever want to SNAP OUT OF IT. After all, tomorrow IS the first day of school. HALLELUJAH! Monkey’s only in school from 9-11:30 everyday, but it’s SO much better than the everyday chaos that’s characterized this summer. OY!

One of the redeeming things was Monkey. She had the TIME OF HER LIFE at Centre Island. Makes it ALL worth it. Look at her go!

I can’t say the same for the — still-rashy — Rascal, however…. He was feeling a little closer to what I was (still am) feeling….

I had a really hard time there. I didn’t get to go on any rides. WAH. The monkey and I were GOING to go on this one crazy ride, and we waited in line, and when it was our turn? She threw a hissy-fit. WAH. No rides for me. Just more lines. Lines for the washroom. Lines for fareaking ice cream (that I’m avoiding like the plague these days). Lines for rides. Lines for the ferry. Lines. Lines. Lines. Screaming kids. ANGRY parents: “MEGAN COME. HERE. NOW!” “JACKSON! GET OVER HERE!” “AAAAAAALVIN!” Screaming kids: “MOOOOOMMA! I WANNN ICE CREAM! I NEEDA PEE!”

My only saving grace were the swans….

But, even they wanted something from me. They were CRAZY aggressive for food…. I could BARELY eat my lunch!

But, I loved them so much. In fact, I thrived in the natural beauty of the island, the calm, underlying the chaos of the amusement park….

While Monkey went on rides with her Dadda, I sat down with Rascal in the grass by the pond. He loved picking at the weeds, giggling and messing about in the dirt. It was beautiful.

It made me sad, though, to think of this island as a microcosm of our planet: the noise of humanity usurping (more and more) the Earth’s beautiful natural resources….

It made me want to protect the earth more than ever — if not for us, then for my own children who, thankfully, have no idea yet….

…But, I’ve started to teach her. Find strength in the trees. They’re alive. They’re beautiful. Paper. Water. It’s all sacred. A gift. Not to be taken for granted.

Yes, I told her that in her room this evening. Where I put her to “THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU DID.”

Sighhh….

Another redeeming thing about the weekend? This movie. I loved it. It made me SING. It made me CRY. It made me PINE (James Sturgess? ME?)

I want ice cream….

The Rascal’s fever broke! The Rascal’s fever broke! HALLELUJAH! But, now he has a rash. And, he’s all mommy-itis all the time — breaking out in spontaneous EHHHHHHHH EH EH EH EHHHEEEEEs!

He’s definitely still not himself. Still not eating either — which scares me A LOT because his sister’s the pickiest eater IN THE WORLD, and so I dread the day (should it arrive) that my little Swedish shoveler starts pushing the food away.

This rash is insane, though. Check these cheeks (keeping in mind that camera did not do it any justice):

Yes, I know. As bestie JL says, I “breed children with big cheeks.” I don’t know where the cheeks come from. My cheeks aren’t particularly pudgy, nor are Josh’s. But, it’s true. Both my kids have big cheeks. It’s the best, I have to tell you, because they look like babies longer than other regular-sized-cheek children.

Did I just digress? I did, didn’t I? We were talking about THE RASH. (Boy, that’s an exciting topic! Glurgh!)

Because this rash showed up after several days of HIGH fever, doc determined that Rascal has Roseola.

This is really good news, actually, because a) Roseola’s very typical, and b) because, now that we know what’s going on with him, I didn’t have to do the whole pee sampling thing.

Since I’d planned our day (well, I don’t DO planning, but…, you know…) around the pee sampling, and we no longer had to DO the sampling, we had a WHOLE day of NOTHING before us.

So, thank GOD, it was raining.

Rain. I LOVE THE RAIN. When it rains, I feel SO much less guilty turning the TV on. When it rains, they are SLEEPY. Seriously, who DOESN’T love the rain? Or, better yet, what (stay-at-home) parent doesn’t LOVE the rain?

Yes, today, dark rainy today, I did something wonderful for myself. I gave myself permission to be the CRAPPIEST STAY-AT-HOME-MOM EVAH. I let the kids pretty much do whatever they wanted — as long as I got to do what I wanted. When monkey wanted ONLY almonds for lunch? Sure! No prob. When she wanted to watch Ratatouille for the 57 trillionth time? Sure! No prob.

More apple juice, Monkey? Coming right up! Rascal, want another Mum Mum? Crying? How ’bout a boooooobie (even though I’m WEENING you). Kvetching? Sorry hon. Not picking you up this time. Mama needs to chill!

Really it was pretty good. A pretty good day. I feel relatively relaxed. And, you know what? Deep thought:

I spend SO much time and energy pressuring myself: to eat right, to mother right, to make great dinners, to write worthy blog posts, to look good, exercise, clean house, sell art, teach yoga. Constant pressure. I’m going to BURST from all this constant pressure. Letting go of the mothering pressure today REALLY opened my eyes to all the self-pressuring I do. And, I let it ALL go. So that eating right, for example, was a pleasure rather than a fight today. Gosh, no wonder I’m STILL carrying all this pregnancy weight: It’s all the PRESSURE! I’m literally a BALLOON!

Like this painting? There’s more at my own little business, Kids Deserve Art! Thank you!

Maybe if I deflate a little, in all areas, I’ll lose the weight, too? Hmmmm…. Very. Curious.

And, you know what, Gorgeouses? Even though I slacked off today, Monkey still connected the dots….

…Rascal took THREE naps (that’s a world record in our house, Gorgeouses!), AND cleaned the house….

…And, all the while, nobody judged me….

Permission to slack off, Gorgeouses — it’s a GOOD THING.

Love! xo Haley-O

I’m a total space cadet right now…. Rascal had a 104.2° temperature on this morning of his THIRD day of fevers. For three days, my little blond-haired blue-eyed Swedish boy (Sven!) has had a major fever….

It’s been extremely taxing. My heart. My heart is in my throat. I feel like it’s going to escape and BURST every time I open my mouth to speak. My poor little baby won’t eat and won’t leave my arms without crying.

I took him to the doctor, and doc says he’s fine — that it’s just another baby virus. But, I have to strap him down first thing tomorrow to take a pee sample just to be sure. GOOD. TIMES. Nothing like a pee sampling first thing in the A.M..

That’s about all I have to write today. Isn’t this brillers? Does it not just SCREAM “Pulitzer”?

See, I try to write a little something every day. It’s supposed to be the best writing exercise you can do if you want to be a great writer. So many great writers say that. Natalie Goldberg, Julia Cameron — all the best writing teachers — tell you that. So, even though I’m a total space cadet and afraid to open my mouth lest I lose my fragile heart forever, I still have to sit me down and write.

I’m not even sure what I want with this writing thing. I mean, why write every day? Why do I have to be the best writer I can be? If this blog is in part a record of my writing exercises, maybe I should figure out what kind of writer I want to be.

I went to a psychic once. Everything she told me came true. EVERYTHING. And, she told me “there’s a book in me.” I asked her if it was fiction or non, and she said “fiction, definitely fiction.”

I could MAYBE see myself writing nonfiction…. But fiction? With what characters? What story?

Maybe I could take a lesson from the monkey, who, lately, has been spending hours with her li’l imagination….

Maybe I should start thinking more about this writing stuff and less about the master cleanse I’m debating going on TOMORROW (after the pee sampling) to jump start some weight loss asap. I just don’t know.

So many possibilities in one little speck of a life….

Back to the patient. He smells a wee bit like vomit and/or Cheesies (?), and he may just crap on me again, and still I run to him with kisses and breastmilk (the only thing he’ll eat). And more kisses. And more advil. This DEFINITELY qualifies as one of the myriad “joys of motherhood”….

Two words: mor. ning.

I used to want everyone to think I was perfect. I think you call that perfectionism….

Just ask Erna. We recently figured this whole thing out (recently being, like, 6 years ago): I was busy pretending I was perfect and she was busy thinking I was perfect and, thus, feeling bad about her own “imperfections.” Nice. No. Not a good situation.

She’d end up resenting me. And, all along she was so much closer to “perfection” than I was. I walked around with this mask on, and she was as transparent and authentic as can be. Beautiful.

I’m not perfect. I’m not perfect. I’m not perfect.

Mor. Ning.

Morning. Sounds an awful lot like “mourning.” Curious thing, that….

How to wake up in the morning to HYPER TODDLER CRAZINESS all around you and be that PERFECT MOTHER you expect yourself to be right then and there?

Me in the morning? Me MOTHERING in the morning? Not perfect. Nightmare.

Moody, Grouchy, Irritable, Angry, GROG, Scary….

In the morning I’m WAY closer to HORRIBLE MOTHER than to PERFECT MOTHER — on the scale of horrible-mom-to-perfect-mom.

Maybe my new binge-free diet will help?

Maybe going to bed early will help?

Maybe a full on LOBOTOMY???

Certainly, PINK PINK PINK and PRINCESSES PRINCESSES PRINCESSES does not help….

…certainly not first thing in the morning.

I’ve had this itch since yesterday. Just below my neck and slightly to the left. If I scratch it any more, it’s going to bleed. But, if I don’t scratch it, it’ll fade away, with the other feelings, tastes, sounds, smells of the cottage — Rascal’s little footprints at the shore, the patch of sand we placed on the dock where Monkey left her mark (a big, stinky mark….; yeah, we’ll not go there…).

It’s all still sitting there right now. The lake water’s rippling. The sun glinting off the ripples. The bonfire’s still sitting there. The dock still rocking (I still feel like I’m rocking even as I sit here typing…). The little motor boat’s back at the marina. The canoe, in which Josh-O and I enjoyed some of the most peaceful, real, moments we’ve had together in a long time, is still sitting there beside the dock. Red and faced down. It’s all there. But, we’re not. {Gulp. Fahklempt.}

The bench it’sgrandma fell off of after 2 GLASSES of wine (she’s TEENY)? It’s still there….

It’s a mosquito bite. Darn mosquitoes. I got it yesterday, on my last walk down the cottage lane, before I said goodbye to the trees, the flowers, the, OH, the lily pads…. I never knew lily pads looked so much like lotus flowers. Also, I never knew I was such a country girl. A lake girl. A cottage girl. A nature girl…

I could live there. Even with the mosquitoes, and EVEN with my entire extended family under one little cottage roof. What a gift.

There’s still sand in Monkey’s hair. Still sand on my yoga mat — and possibly a dead bug. Rascal still has blisters from crawling — really crawling! — on the cottage floor. All of us still have kisses of colour on our faces from the warm cottage sun…. I still have this mosquito bite.

And, here I am back in the city. With you. And, with kitties. The city DOES definitely have it’s perks….

But, still this cottage itch, this desire to be back there with everyone in the stillness.

Until next year, then….

Thank you, it’sgrandma and papa’shere for this gift that I’ll remember LONG after this mosquito bite fades, and that I’ll look forward to receiving and enjoying with you for years to come….

That’s the brother-in-law!

We’re taking a week-long bloggy break here at the Cheaty Monkey. We are in need of some relaxation and refueling. Having a GREAT TIME at this magnificent cottage!

It’sgrandma and the bro-in-law roasting marshmallows!

Peace….

See you in a week, Gorgeouses!

Love! xo Haley-O

I thought they abolished slavery in North America a long time ago. Apparently not. Because I’m a slave. To my kids. That’s what I felt like today.

It creeps up on you — this slave thing. One minute you feel all in control and all present and conscious and harmonious, and then suddenly, you realize you’re not breathing, like, at all, and your head is spinning, and you’re picking up after EVERYONE and putting on their shoes and lifting them up on toilets at the MOST INOPPORTUNE TIMES, and wiping bums, and coming running at the sound of “MAMA COME!” Nice, huh?

And, then, after pushing double stroller all the way home from the park in the middle of a HAIL STORM (pellets the size of watch batteries, NO JOKE), you start to crumble. The calm(ish) exterior of kind, easy-going, compassion-teaching mother-earthness starts to disintegrate, and what’s left is chaos.

And, the SLAVE inevitably REBELS.

There’s only so much you can do to stay COMPOSED for your children…. Because they will KEEP TESTING YOU and TESTING YOU and TESTING YOU. Until you snap. This is probably why our children are some of our greatest teachers — bumping our egos all the live long day until we give in, shatter, crumble, fragment, LOSE it, ourselves, in the madness of life…. I REALLY (consciously!) try not to lose it. But, that’s just not always possible….

I never do this.

I sent her to her room, and I shut the door.

And, she screamed and screamed.

While I fed the Rascal (finally) on my bed.

I had to.

She was out of control.

I hated every second of it.

But, I breathed through it.

And, something (some REALLY distant subtle spineless voice) told me it was what I needed to do, even if it meant she had to suffer alone for a bit.

I put Rascal in his crib and returned to the hysterical monkey.

She was finally ready to listen.

To respect me.

And, my own harsh self-criticism — “you’re being a tyrant! how can you do this to her! you’re a terrible mother! so selfish!” — abated.

So, more walls came down.

I stroked her hair. She smiled and told me she loved me. She listened.

We enjoyed some beautiful, calming music together, and she fell asleep at my side….

As the Rascal wailed.

It’s never ending. The constant tests, challenges, obstacles to every-day peace and happiness when you’re a mom to two VERY little monkeys (and I KNOW it’s the same in all areas of life — relationships! work! school!). Some days are great, and everything just jives. But, other days, like today (and yesterday…ahem), are just hellish, but perhaps the most spiritually rewarding and awakening, if your eyes are open to the lessons.

When things get too crazy, though, you must remember to do as I do…. And, JUST DANCE…. C’mon, Gorgeouses, it’s the WEEKEND! Get up get up! Be free! JUST DANCE….

(“Just Dance” REMIX — Lady Gaga, ft. Akon and Colby O’Donis)

Off to a cottage with my extended fam for some much-needed REST and RELAXATION! I’ll blog when I can. But, I want (NEED) the time to regroup and replenish the bloggy juices! We’ll see how it goes. In any case, LOVE LOVE LOVE! xoxo Haley-O

Today was the EXACT antithesis of yesterday, Gorgeouses. Yesterday was plain AWESOME. Today was plain AWFUL. And, so, I give you THIRTEEN THINGS YOU SHOULD JUST NEVER SAY OR DO, GOD HELP YOU, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU’VE WOKEN UP ON WRONG SIDE OF BED. Note to self: TRY to remember which side of the bed is the RIGHT side….

1. Never tell the world you’ve had the best day ever, because YOU KNOWWW the second you realize you’re happy and things are good, it ALL comes tumbling down. Universe comes ’round and kicks you in the butt with more CHALLENGE. Because, apparently, that’s what life’s about, that’s what makes us grow and evolve like….

2. If the monkey happens to get a gift certificate to The Gap for her birthday, DO NOT TAKE HER WITH YOU TO BUY DRESSES. I did it. And, I regret it. You’d think it’d be cute taking your daughter shopping for dresses, right? Maybe. On a GOOD day.

Monkey [dragging pants, shirts, dresses around the store]: Momma pay dis. Pay dis!
Me: Monkey, let me tell you something. Society makes it REALLY hard, but you really don’t need to buy everything you want. We don’t need a lot of STUFF. Society makes us think we NEEEEEED that princess dress, we NEEEEED that “My Little Pony” book. But, we don’t. We have to let these things go and just be happy with what we have, blah blah….

Monkey is 3 years old. I know. She doesn’t understand capitalism, commercialism, or “isms” in general. It’s just…. You get to a point where you just…. You give up on logic and stuff. I think they call it INSANITY…!*&$%@!

Check what we got….

…and DUUUUUDE!!!:

I want THAT one for MYSELF! Love Strawberry Shortcake! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE!

3. Don’t expect to sleep in EVER. Because, if you expect to sleep in, you will be disappointed. Perpetually disappointed. Rascal wakes up with a SCREAM at 6/6:30 EVERY morning. And, it’s not like he goes back to sleep after that. He. Is. Up. Day begins when HE says it does. It’s brutal. I have to start setting my alarm for 5:30am, just so I can ease into the day — instead of being SLAMMED into it. SLAM!!! ARGHHH! WAHH!

4. Don’t go to Starbucks EVER again, or you WILL have that Chai Tea Latte you QUIT for a whole week last week! Dang it! OFF THE WAGON again….

5. Don’t say I didn’t warn you about those chai tea lattes. I get countless emails from people CURSING me for introducing them to that dreaded drink. NOT MY FAULT. I WARNED YOU. My suffering is a CAUTIONARY TALE! CAUTIONARY TALE!

6. Don’t forget to breathe. Whenever you get overwhelmed in any area of your life, be it with kids, work, school, relationships, whatever, use your breath to get yourself back in the moment, to get outside of the mind’s relentless ramblings — the “monkey mind,” as they call it in yoga, which is so PERFECT!  It’s a cheaty little monkey, that mind of ours, and it needs to be tamed and guided….

7. Don’t say “don’t.” In other words…, try to speak more positively to your kids, your friends, strangers, whomever. It’s like, instead of saying “no problem,” when someone says “thank you,” try saying something more positive, like “you’re welcome” or “my pleasure.” We should all speak more positively to others (and to ourselves)…. It’s a good thing….

8. Don’t expect a clean floor after dinner, or you’re in for big disappointment. HUGE.

No, expect instead TO CLEAN FLOOR on HANDS AND KNEES like CINDERELLA CONSTANTLY….

9. Don’t watch Young and the Restless. I missed a week of it last week. So, I’m currently in the midst of a back-to-back Y&R marathon (when I SHOULD be watching the Olympics), and it’s MADNESS, I tell you! MADNESS! Cane canNOT be the father of Chloe’s baby. He simply canNOT! Any theories on that one, Gorgeouses?

10. Don’t let your Monkey play with automatic doors, or her little “fumb” WILL get stuck, and she’ll wail hysterically, and your heart will sink, and you’ll kiss the “fumb” better, and she’ll say, “I REALIZE, MOMMA! I REALIZE!” Huh?

11. Don’t forget to leave the upstairs gate open at night so you-know-who can get out, or he’ll leave a sorry package on the floor for you when you wake up THIS MORNING to fetch your screaming Rascal at 6 IN THE MORNING….

He’s lucky he’s THAT cute….

12. Don’t…forget to floss? (Thirteen things is a LOT to think of! Especially after the kind of day I’ve had! Forgives?) Also, when I send you an invoice? Don’t…forget to PAY IT!?!? Am. Not. Bitter.

Peace, yo…. Do you like this painting? I LOVE IT! The artist is so fab…. There are more HERE!

13. Don’t give up. The day CAN turn around. It did for me. When I finally decided to surrender to the chaos of the day and roll with it. Monkey went to it’sgrandma’s for dinner, and I took my lonely Rascal for a walk to the park. One on one. Exactly what WE BOTH needed….

Awwww, Bliss…!?!

…It might be today (until I came home from my evening walk to screaming, but we’ll just pretend that never happened).

Yes, if I could do any day over again, it might be today. I felt great all day. Woke up with a start. A jump start! Was unable to practice yoga because a certain someone insisted on sitting on my mat and because a certain other someone refused to play in his crib. But, I accepted it and moved on with a promise that I’d fit my practice in some other time of the day. And, I sure did….

…in my tiny piece of heaven — my backyard — on the monkey’s Dora towel, while she and her brother splashed happily about in their kiddie pool. Bliss. Nothing like saluting the sun IN THE SUN. We’re talking serious bliss, Gorgeouses…. Ommmm…. Serious.

But, I’m getting ahead of myself. I did something today…. I did something a little, erm, unexpected. Something that I’ve been thinking about doing for a while now, but that I haven’t mentioned to ANYONE really….

I quit the gym. WHOOOAAAH. I KNOW! Can you believe?

I quit the gym because I’m a full-on practicing yogini now. I’m all about it. I can dance and walk and use my parents’ or sisters’ or friends’ elliptical trainers if I need GYM. But, I CRAVE advanced classes and gurus and master teachers…. Like peanut butter. Like CHAI TEA LATTES. I crave it. CRAVE!?!

So, while monkey went to camp — IN HER PRINCESS DRESS, might. I. add…

…I went to the gym, and I quit. I sat at the manager, my buddy’s, desk, and I quit.

I’d be totally sad right now. Missing my gym peeps. But, I’m teaching yoga there in the Fall. So, not sad. Elated. Excited. New era.

So, I quit the gym, and then I called BFF Erna, who’s in town (from BERMUDA) for the week. And, we hung out with the monkeys all afternoon….

Nothing like sharing hours with an old bestie. Since high school. Erna and I go wayyyy back, Gorgeouses. We became friends when I choreographed our high school musical. She was freaked out about the dancing, so I gave her some private dance lessons, and the rest was HERSTORY! Heh!

Spending hours with her this aft was beyond special. It really is awesome being with someone with whom you can be totally transparent. Totally yourself. Hold nothing back. We talked and talked.

She’s an incredibly unique and creative artist. Look how gorj….

Her stuff will be featured on Kids Deserve Art as soon as the new site is complete.

I went for a walk after dinner. Rascal had gone right to sleep…. The sky was pink. The world was warm. Nice. Perfect day. I want to remember it and this great feeling. “Happiness,” I think they call it? Or, “groovy.” I found the groove. The the balance amid monkey’s tugging me every which way…. Hopefully, it’ll keep till tomorrow…. Love!

Oh, one more thing….

MAAAAAAARRRRGE!!!!!

Get OFF the table, you horribly terrible thing!!! LOVE!

Among the awesome things that happened this weekend, my little monkey conquered a lot of fears. At the country fair, she went on the Dolphin and the Rocket Ship ride and The Train ride (choo chooooo) ALL BY HERSELF!

You don’t understand, Gorgeouses, this is the scaredest scaredy cat in THE WORLD.

Caterpillars
Spiders
Her poop
Worms
Swimming
Fluffs
Slizzers (that’s monkey for slivers…)

And, the list goes on. I’m just too tired right now to think of the many things she’s afraid of. Because it’s exhausting being back in the city after days of country chilling. Totally missing it.

Anyway, when the monkey’s scared, she’s SCARED. We’re talking SCREECHING scared. It’s awful. And, it’s really started to worry me lately. My little girl, it seemed, is afraid of EVERYTHING. Is it MY FAULT? Could it have something to do with my own debilitating anxiety when I was preggers with her (I was PSYCHO afraid of EVERYTHING — we’re talking I WAS CALLING FARMS, PEOPLE, to see if their cheese was REALLY pasteurized…!!!)? You never know, right? And, as a mother, I’m, OF COURSE, going to blame everything that might be “wrong” with my children ON ME. Sigh….

But, this weekend, the monkey went on rides by herself at the country fair — something the “old” monkey would NEVER do. AND, she even went on the terrifying “TILT-A-WHIRL” with me, as I SCREAMED MY ARSE OFF! (Unfortunately batteries died on my camera — so I give you this generic picture I found on that Interweb thingy that gives you NO idea of how scary this ride is…:)

Right, I SCREAMED AT THE TOP OF MY LUNGS, while Brave Monkey sat there smiling (probably nervously) and saying, “I don’t like sad faces, Moooooooomma,” while pointing at the CREEPY SAD CLOWN on the tilting and whirling car beside us….

And, today, while I grimaced miserably under bright light as hygienist scraped away at my teethy teeth teeth, my little monkey lay giggling in the room beside me with her very own hygienist. She was SO BRAVE AT HER FIRST DENTIST APPOINTMENT, Gorgeouses! There was NO FEAR! Not a stitch of it! AND, while I DREADED the appointment all day, she was so excited for it, telling everyone she encountered, “I’m going to my first doctor mappointed!”

And, look at that little smile….

Oh, move that toy phone you picked out of the dentist’s treasure chest (because we all know you need ANOTHER TOY PHONE), and show the Gorgeouses your smile, Monkey!

OH, COME ON! You knowwww you love it! Show us your pretty white teeth!

Weeeeee! Yay, Monkey! Okay, okay, I know, I promised. So, here, Gorgeouses, is a picture of the Monkey’s dress. I promised I’d show you the dress if she’d show her teeth….

Mmmhmmm. It’s the pink dress of the day. Because my daughter loves pink. And, butterflies. And, fairies, princesses and unicorns…. She tells us that all the time. And, anyone she talks to.

But, she’s scared, Gorgeouses? OF NOTHING. Except caterpillars, worms, fluffs, her poop, swimming, did I mention FLUFFS…. That’s ma girl! CONGRATULATIONS MONKEY! Love, Moooomma!