Chloe, Chloe, Chloe

I drove 213 miles to reunite with Chloe in record time - less than 3 1/2 hours. And she ran out of the house to greet me. And I got a really good hug. That was about 9 hours ago. In that time, she basically didn't shut up, and we decorated a table with buttons, played the card game Spit, went to the supermarket so she could buy some bulk candy, went to the park and ate dinner. A great day. Until a little while ago.

Now, she's stomping her feet and crying because I won't play more Spit with her. Mind you, she apparently hasn't had one meltdown the entire week. But now that I'm here, she's starting again. But I've decided that the best way to deal with her mini tantrums is to ignore them. Because when I ignore them, she seems to calm down faster. And if I ignore her, her drama doesn't bother me so much.

I really missed her. And I really enjoyed hearing all about her week, which sounded terrific. But I didn't miss her icky behavior. At all. She just moved to the other couch because she's pissed off at me. I'm still ignoring her. She's wiping her eyes. Calming down. If she senses that I'm looking at her, though, she'll start up again. So I am studiously avoiding her. So far so good.

I love you Chloe, but you drive me crazy!

Sophie, Sophie, Sophie

There is no doubt that Sophie has thrived as the only child this week. She eats up the attention. Happy as a clam not having to compete with her sister to get two words in edgewise. Happy to get lots of hugs and cuddles from her mom and papa. Happy to stay up a little later than usual.

And this weekend, Sophie's going to be even more spoiled. Because while I'm going on a 4-hour car ride to fetch Chloe, she'll be having special Sophie/papa time. What could be better?

Sophie just announced that she wants a snake for a pet. She'd name it after her friend Emily. I hope Emily feels honored. Other than her obsession with the color pink, she certainly doesn't fit stereotype of a little girl. At least she has an interest in reptiles, and likes to run, climb and play in the dirt. That's definitely reassuring and makes the whole pink thing a little easier for me to swallow.

I Don't Think Chloe Wants to Come Home

Chloe is in heaven. Every time I've spoken to her this week, which usually lasts no more than 3 minutes, she sounded so happy and so enthusiastic, it's terrific.

Chloe loves camp. Loves taking two-mile walks with the dogs. Loves spinning on the antiquated spinning wheel at the local park that no recent playgrounds have because they're lawsuits waiting to happen. Loves Zydeco. Loves her handmade wooden biplane. Loves picking wild strawberries.

And to top it all off, she's at the movies tonight, seeing "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" with her great-uncle.

Honestly, I'm afraid she's going to be miserable when she comes home. When I asked her earlier today if she'd like to spend the entirety of next summer with her aunt and uncle, and go to the same camp, the "yes" was resounding. Hard to describe it in words - but it was a happy, emphatic, confident "yes!"

Are you ready for next year, Aunt Barbara and Uncle Brian?

Having Fun or What?

Well, it certainly sounds like Chloe and Sophie had a great time with my mom and aunt and uncle last week. Chloe, who's still up there going to day camp, is having a fantastic time. Apparently, she's been having such a great time that's she's taken to walking the dogs with my uncle every evening - a two mile promenade!

She has NEVER taken a two mile walk with us. OK - the main reason might be that we've never proposed taking a two mile walk with her. Maybe we should start. What a great way to ensure good sleep at the end of a long day at camp.

Among other things, they visited a dairy bar today. When I asked her what the heck a dairy bar was, she responded "ice cream." "Why didn't you say so in the first place," I said. She's even starting to talk like a country bumpkin now. It's pretty funny. She's loving camp. I told my aunt that we may ship Chloe up there next summer for a month! I'm fantasizing about it as I write.

Just kidding. I actually miss my big munchkin. On another note, there's a mystery surrounding their matching outfits in the photo, however. My mom bought them during their vacation and apparently we'll know more about it in a few weeks. Whatever that means. I can't wait.