tooth fairies, piggy tails, meal time and friends

"mom?" aiden asked from the backseat.

"yes, hon?"

"is the tooth fairy real?"

i looked in the rear view mirror and saw that she was looking at me with pure, yet skeptical eyes.

"why do you ask?"

she replied..."i just really want to know the truth."

we had a very honest conversation after that.  one that made me realize she was no longer sold on the truth of this sort of childhood magic.  one that revealed that although she wanted to know the truth...she also wanted the truth to be that the tooth fairy was, indeed real.  she was old enough to know...but young enough to not want to know.  she wanted to hang on to the magic.

after asking her questions like, "do you really want to know?" and "what are you wanting the answer to be?"  and "what do your friends say?"  i told her.  i told my girl the truth because  she said she wanted the truth.  any by golly...if she put it that way...what choice did i really have?

"yes, aiden.  mommy is the tooth fairy."

i saw the disappointment.  hell...i was disappointed.  i held my breath...hoping that the questions wouldn't keep coming.  hoping for that little bit of truth being enough for now.  hoping that she would hang on to the childhood magic a little bit longer.  but since we had the tooth fairy and the easter bunny meet this year, leaving toothpaste, bunny tracks across the counter...she quickly said,

"so you met the easter bunny????"

damn.

i had not thought this through.

****

the puddin' cup had her very first piggy tails.  she was so excited.  she is still working very hard at growing hair.

aiden talked me into this summer hat.  it wasn't hard.  i mean...look at her.

 

chad took his oldest daughter on a date.

before they left...i whispered, "open the doors for her."

 

and this series of pictures capture meal time with flicka.

she's not an eater.

i told her if she couldn't stay still and eat that she would have to sit in the "baby" seat.

she was fine with that.

 

and lest you think otherwise...

ballerina kitty pirates is a super fun summer game.

 

and if you try this at home...

i have it on good authority that it's better watched while surrounding a fire pit with good friends, family and wine.

****

looking forward to talking to you from wolf creek ranch, colorado.

until then...

i'm wishing you wonderful summer days and nights.