This past weekend was one that I’d daydreamed about for probably my whole life. I know I daydreamed about it specifically when we bought the house, but it was just so, so great.

The weather was awesome. Sunshine, mild, no bugs, and everyone crawling out from our winter hidey-holes to celebrate in the return of NICE WEATHER. On Saturday morning, we were actually inside — we met up with friends of friends (more in a minute) for a playdate at the museum, where Ing took a while to warm up (as she always does) but in the end, was playing happily with her new friend Lily. After lunch and a nap, we walked — walked! even Ingrid! — to the park, one of several within a half mile of our house. We walked to my favorite park (and now that she has an opinion, Ingrid’s too), which is bordered on all four sides by these great old houses, and it’s the one place I’d move if I could. Anyway, park park park, and walking there and back and practicing/teaching Ingrid street rules (hold hands if there’s no sidewalk, stop and look for cars, book it across the road) and the whole way there, having a running conversation of what’s that, what’s this, can you jump like me, mama? Can I touch that? (telephone pole: yes) Why? We going to the park mama? I have sunglasses just like you, mama! (Oh, right, imagine Ingie in her orange fleece, and orange pants, and red maryjanes, with her giraffe sunglasses on and a bow barrette in her hair) and now! Now she can climb the ladders and doesn’t need to be caught, but she still likes to swing on the baby swings and go FAST! HIGH! but also likes to try to learn how to pump on the big kid swing.

And on Sunday, Dave bought me a $10 bike at the bike swap, a rusty old 1974 Schwinn, and we spent the afternoon while Ingrid napped (and then after she woke) cleaning it up, and being amazed at how it started to sparkle after some orange clean and elbow grease and steel wool. We spent 1.5 hours at the park in the morning, and Dave rode his bike over to meet us when he got home, and we spent more time in the park in the afternoon, and in between we raked and Ing rode her trike (she can pedal! FAST!) and Ingrid dragged babies and stuffed animals all over the yard and had adventures, and it was just. freaking. great.

Life is good.

(so, the new friend playdate thing: My parents have neighbors that retired to my small hometown after having had a camp there forever, and they live next door. Last summer, we were all at the neighbor’s camp, and the woman mentioned that her daughter and fam were considering moving to my city and would I be able to answer questions, etc, and I said sure, and then I never heard anything till February or so, and they are moving from DC to my city, and were in town this weekend to find a rental house, as they want to rent before deciding where to live. Anyway, I have a guest option on our museum membership, so I offered to let them use it to see the museum, and we all met, and their daughter is just 6 months older than Ingrid, and they had a blast. They are moving here knowing no one but her parents who live 2 hours away, so it was nice to show them some kid friendly stuff.)

Oh, and also, I’m feeling pretty confident that my thyroid is in check following the disarming. I seem to be on track for a 28 day cycle, and had some weird cramping today that took me a minute to remember, oh, wait, OVULATION! Not trying til June (btw, there’s an ipod touch app called OB wheel that is free, and lets you totally play with dates to plan such things — love it) but happy to know that things are in check.

My sister in law watched Ingrid today, so that Dave and I could go see a screening of his friends’ (award-winning, crazy-great) documentary. While we were gone, SIL, BIL and my niece took Ing out to lunch, and had a great time, but she didn’t really want to go to sleep at naptime. Julie checked on her at one point, and she was talking to her baby doll, and as Julie walked away, she heard this:

“Do you know who they are? Yeah? That Julie and Kristi and Woody. Do you like them? No, I don’t like Julie and Kristi, only Woody. You have to take a nap and close your eyes, and when you wake up you can go see Woody, okay? OKAY!”

DYING. See, Woody is the guy that ALLLLLL the kids love, he’s quiet with adults, but he loves the kids. He gets Happy Meals at McDonald’s and saves the prizes for when they visit, he always lets them play his drums. He is just goofy and fun A lot like Dave, in fact, when I met Dave I asked who his favorite relative was, he said “my brother in law.” Dave doesn’t remember him NOT being around, and has been kind of a father figure to him, and he’s just such a good person. Anyway, it was hysterically cute to hear.

Totally UNrelated, while I was in Florida, I went to a Prescriptives counter at Macy’s, and did the thing where you sit in the chair and they do you up. The clerk was AWESOME, totally got that I am NOT A MAKEUP PERSON, and with Amy there to help me, too, it just worked. I ended up buying some foundation, bronzer and mascara (and tried to buy concealer, but they were out!) which used up a store credit I’ve had since Christmas, and then some, and then we went to Target and I got a cheapie concealer and makeup brush, and some lipstick. All week long, I’ve been wearing the concealer/foundation/bronzer/mascara (oh, and the foundation and bronzer are from the mineral line) and on Friday, one of my coworkers mentioned that I had some ‘glow’ going on all week and I confessed to having worn makeup all week and they were like OMG! GRETCHEN WORE MAKEUP! Yes! I did! And apparently this combo works VERY WELL because I look glowy but not so done that people thought I was wearing makeup. SCORE. Of course, it costs a fortune, but um, oh well. Right? Right.

Also, have I mentioned that Ingrid is potty trained? By the end of the first week of new daycare, she was going occasionally, and by the end of the second week, she was in undies all the time (save for nap/night) and she’s only had a few accidents, most related to not wanting to leave the playground to go in and pee, which I can kind of understand. It’s been a long winter. SO WEIRD.