Palm trees and soft breezes

Life is good in Florida and we are relaxing like three little bears--three because Seb isn't here. He's in Chicago on a business trip and soon he'll be headed back to France. I wonder what it will be like when things are normal again and we can live as a family, eating dinner together each night and doing things together on the weekends. Someone told us recently that maybe we are addicted to the chaos of our life and I think they may be right. Settling into normal life might seem dull after all we've been through these past few years.

The teething is only slightly better for Charlotte, poor dear little thing. I do wish I could help her out but it's getting hard to bear with the constant crying and fussing. My mom is not very grandmotherly. She has her way of being and I love her for it, but that maternal role was never one she really relished much. She isn't doing well with all the "wahhhhhh" and the fussing and there is no one else to hold the desperately frustrated Charlotte. I run into these grandmothers when we're out in the stores and they really dote on the baby. I feel guilty for thinking this but I so wish I could spend a few days with them, allowing me to do things like have a shower or peruse a book while they hold Charlotte and make "goo-goo" noises. My own mom just seems to be missing that grandmother-gene. Maybe all grandmothers are this way and I just expect more from my mom. Oh probably who knows. I'm probably just really tired and hey, we always blame our mothers for everything don't we.

I'm really missing my creative projects and we haven't drawn or painted in over two weeks ! I have taken lots of pictures and I need to upload them but with all the baby drama who has time to sit around editing photos. I miss it. I don't want to lose all the creative juices I've had flowing for the last few months so I better get back out and start shooting and painting. I have some great project ideas to put into the works and there is so much here in the States to help with these projects (Heat and Bond sold in the Supermarket you lucky dogs you!) I have my eye on a new camera too, a belated birthday gift that I told Seb I'd wanted to wait for our trip to the States for because the price difference. The savings I'd be getting allowed for a lens upgrade and I'm all about having a nice lens. I am completely psyched to own a nice camera and I will have to find a way to get out with or without the baby the day after I buy the camera because you won't be able to keep me inside to save your life.

I did do a little more clothes shopping too but it was mostly just to round out the basics. My wardrobe is so small now that it's easy to choose things and I like that. I don't want to clutter up my life with cheap clothes. My biggest purchase while I'm here will be a new coat, some boots and some moisterizer. You know, the essentials. It's the land of the outlet stores in Florida so I am used to loading up each year but this year it will be harder because our suitcases are already full of our posessions and we have to live out of our suitcases for the next few months, so you may read about me in the newspaper as the woman who wore knee high boots on the plane in late July and survived to tell about it.