smells like summer

I love the smell outside right now. It just smells like - Richmond summer. and there is absolutely nothing better than a Richmond summer. And the smell makes me reminisce, and wish i was 16 again, 21 again, even 25 again. and all the years in between. BUT it also makes me so happy for where i am now - because the things i once loved to do have morphed into new things that are just as fun and enjoyed with a new set of friends and family along with a lot of old friends and family. very content right now. thank you smelly Richmond. and in case you were wondering - it smells like flowers and grass and the river and hot. yes, hot smells.
and speaking of things to do, i want to do these two things:
tea tour at maymont
agecroft hall
of course, along with all of the other things to -  lebanese food fest, tuckahoe plantation, berry picking...
so much to do and so little time to do it!
i haven't really been in the garden this season. i know! its terrible. that doesn't mean the garden hasn't been tended to - jack is taking care of them. its just so weird to not be out there weeding on the weekends. but the baby gives me a good excuse, and all of the happenings lately i just haven't had the time. but it needs to be done and i will. i swear. no seriously. soon.
and this time of year means I'm itching to have a cookout, but we have a few coming up at other people's houses that means i don't have to cook (aside from angel food cupcakes...) but can just enjoy. so I'll just plan on the annual 4th of July bash and merit's first birthday to satisfy my need to entertain. and yes, i am already planning merit's first birthday. I'm thinking a fairy garden theme with gnomes and toadstools. but then I'm thinking maybe i don't really want to go all out b/c she won't really remember it and then i won't use up all good ideas. so maybe something more low key? she has three cousins with birthdays right around hers, so we've discussed (and I'm sure in the future there will be many) big joint birthdays. but, as we all know, my birthday is very important to me and i like to make a big deal out of it, so i can only give my daughter the same. and these first few years are probably the only ones where i can do what I want and not what she wants (I'm dreading the dora themed party). i guess the bottom line - i will end up making a big deal of it and having some sort of theme that I would want if i were a kid (alice anyone?) ok. so this is still months away. but it will be a hot topic of conversation for me from now until then I'm sure.
 merit has started trying REALLY hard to crawl. she can push herself backwards (and does - all around the house), but gets very upset when her toys and her mom and dad keep getting further and further away. she can scoot too - one minute she's next to me on the floor, the next she's halfway across the room. so this is leading to the inevitable - babyproofing. our house is small and packed with stuff. especially since jack moved the computer to the front room. I'm looking for a gate i can just wrap around the TV - rather than find a way to tie up all the wiring and Wii that now reside under the TV. outlet guards, fragile things up high..ugh. NOT looking forward to it. i found this thing:

and this:

that would work for wire management. so now I'm on a quest for a baby gate and locks for my cabinets. I'm kind of hoping she won't start until we get back from south Africa. but it doesn't look like its going to happen that way.

I've also started to try to give her "real" food. she's totally into yogurt, baby cereal, her pureed fruits and veggies. for cinco de mayo i gave her her own little fajita - tortilla, peppers, and chicken. she ate a little, but wasn't too interested in it. she wasn't very interested in the green beans last night either. mac and cheese though - she liked that. and she likes rice and bread. i think we're just going to have to start concentrating on feeding her bits of our dinner. it just seems like she's used to getting spoon fed, so she doesn't really want to feed herself anything other than crackers and bread. but this would be way easier for us if she could get the hang of it before south Africa.  (so no to crawling, yes to food)

I'm also so ready for her to be OUT OF OUR BED. yes, i said it. i want her in her own bed. she doesn't go to sleep until almost 11 lately and she kicks constantly while she's trying  to settle down. which means she kicks me - in the belly, in the face, in the legs. it sucks. she's still the cutest angel when she's actually asleep and not tossing and turning. but she lately seems to always be tossing and turning. but again, i don't want to try to put her in the crib and change her whole sleep schedule until we're back from south Africa. i think it would just be way too much for her, plus she'll be sleeping with us there so it'd be pointless to try to teach her to go in the crib and then not have her in one for two weeks. so another month or so....I'm so tired.

thanks blair for mentioning me!