Baby Steps

Big Effing News in Joyberrypieville: HR took his first steps. He didn't even notice he did it, which is probably how he did it without freaking out, but it happened and here we are. It was Friday, on two distinct separate occasions, which is how I know it's for real even though it hasn't taken place but once more since. Time to batten down the hatches.

What a great weekend, sincerely. Beyond the latest milestone, we visited our friends in Maine on Saturday and it was a gorgeous day, a perfect backdrop for celebrating a truly gorgeous person. We didn't get to stay over and we had to leave before the actual memorial (which I think is why I'm still not really processing that Leo's gone, even after going to "his" place) but I'm so happy we got to be part of any of it. Next year--and there will be a next year--we'll do it right. But I warn everyone now all this repressed grief will probably come flooding out. Yeee-ikes.

Incidentally, Saturday turned out to be what was probably the best day of HR's little life because not only was there a dog and a pool at the gathering (two of his favorite things)

but also this bit of heaven.

I did not know that my boy was so into tractors. It's funny how you can just go along raising this kid and being half-assedly gender neutral and he comes out with a raging passion for farm equipment, you know, like boys are supposed to do. Once he spotted that John Deere he did not want to leave its side. Then later in the afternoon, when we got back home, there was a fire truck on our street (luckily not for a fire at our house or any other) and the firefighter waved at the baby as he passed and it was the toddler equivalent of winning the lottery. Life! So crazy good sometimes!

Yesterday we had a baby date with an inflatable pool followed by a cook out and Mike's dad is doing better and we stayed on a pretty blissful roll. I'll take it.

So here's a thing: "Party Rock Anthem" by LMFAO. This whole thing is a joke, right? A band, now, called what it's called and the dudes in it looking like they do (which is cartoonishly awful, like a caricature of a caricature of a hipster ironic wet dream) and the title which might as well be changed to "Generically Generic Radio Hit." And yet, and yet... it's super catchy with the house-y bleep-blurps and it does in fact make me want to lose my mind. Deep down I hope they are subversive geniuses like Andrew WK but even as I know that's not the truth, the song has somehow wormed its way in as my jam of the summer. I'm not proud of it, but it's beyond my control.