the one thing about Summer that I don't like

Ryan switched to working second shift a week ago, as he does every summer when it's time to pack fruit.  So, until our new baby girl decides to arrive, Laci and I are flying solo each evening.  As far as the evening routine of dinner and bath time goes, it hasn't been so hard.  That's because I've been at my parents' house every night where they feed us dinner, help with Laci's bath, and send us on our merry way when it's time for bed.  They really do spoil me...and Laci, of course.  But we miss hanging with Ryan in the evenings, and Laci asks for her daddy each night during the car ride home.  Thankfully, we were able to spend a few good evenings together before his shift change.

Evenings like this one where daddy and Laci "discussed" why we don't throw sand at the dog's face.

And she hugged her daddy at the end of their talk.

And evenings like this one where Ryan showed Laci the tastiness of blackberries picked fresh from the vine.

She now refuses to eat store bought berries, especially if they have been refrigerated.

I can't say I blame her.  There's just something about fruit picked fresh and still warm from the sun that makes it taste sooo much better.

I think what I miss most about Ryan's schedule this summer is the opportunity to catch up with each other at the end of the day.  I spend all day storing up things in my brain to tell him when he gets home...things we need to make a decision on, funny things Laci has done, pretty much every detail of our day.  And normally, I unleash my brain on him when he walks in the door.  Yes, I'm one of those women.  Usually he doesn't mind, since he really only has to listen to about half of what I say in order to get the important stuff.  I tend to just let my brain unravel, letting any and every thought I've had all day fall out of my mouth.  But, when he doesn't get home until after I've gone to bed,  that means I have to store all that mumbo jumbo in my sleep and wait until morning to tell him, and it just isn't the same as unloading at the end of the day.  Sometimes, I can't even go to sleep because I feel like I have to remember to tell him something, so I'll try to wait up for him.  Problem with that route is I usually end up falling asleep about 5 minutes before he gets home, then I try to hold a conversation with him while I'm only semi-conscious.  The conversation usually goes something like this:

     Me:  "Blah, blah, blah."  Then I go back to sleep.
     A minute later I wake up.  "Blah, blah, blah."  Smile.  Go back to sleep.

I'm not really sure how his end of these conversations go because I can't stay awake long enough for a response.  I hope he finds these conversations amusing at the very least.

The upside is, Ryan gets to take some time off from work when baby girl is born.  And, with the way I've been feeling lately, I'm thinking we don't have too much longer to wait.

PS:  The random pictures of the pond and plants are what I was doing while they were picking and eating blackberries.