Some times life isn't easy.

Elle had a particularly rough day today. Actually, we've all had a fairly rough last two weeks or so, but the kid totally rose above it today.

Two left shoes are the latest in toddler fashion, right?

She started her day with a flu shot. She watched me get mine a few weeks ago, so we prepared her for "a little pinch and then it's all done." This was the first shot she's gotten in more than a year, though, I think, so she was a little more aware of pain. (But she did get M&Ms to ease her pain.) Then she went to daycare, where the daycare provider realized that she was wearing two left shoes. Elle persevered. She peed on the potty, which was awesome but not as exciting for her as it is for Tim, the daycare provider and I. But after her nap, she was playing outside with the daycare provider's son, and Elle became the star of "When Hula Hoops Attack."  The kids were both trying to do or get something, and the little boy and (his completely accidental use of) the hula hoop won. Elle is fine and doesn't seem to remember that she has a boo boo at all until someone else draws attention to it. Then she's Drama Queen Jr. and mournfully says "It huuurrrttttssss."

When we left the froyo place I couldn't tell
if people were staring at Elle's eye
or the smeared chocolate froyo around her mouth.

Attractive photo, no? And you should see the other guy.

Her day rounded out with another successful trip to the potty, but again, she's not thrilled about this - I think she just slightly prefers emptying her bladder in the appropriate place to peeing in her underwear. I'll take it. (I also got praise today: "Good job not peeing in your underwear, Mommy." Thanks, Elle. I try.)

It's no hula hoop to the eye, but I've been feeling the weight of the world lately, too. I've had a really rough stretch at work and have been waking up in the middle of the night dreaming about the jobs and products that are on my mind all day. I have a hard time remembering that I'm in my bed, trying to sleep peacefully. Then there's the continuing, constant nausea that I'm still waiting to lift (c'mon, kid). Potty training has been no walk in the park, and the first week especially was less than pleasant for me, as I am not the most patient person in the world, and Elle is one of the most stubborn people in the world. The last week or so has finally shown that we're making progress, so it's easier to deal with, but like many parenting challenges and toddler milestones, this has not been easy. Add to all of this some (vague alert) simultaneous uncertainty and potential excitement about our future, and you've got yourself a recipe for a pregnant woman's pending breakdown.

To stave off that breakdown, I had high hopes of going out for a family ice cream night on Wednesday. But a certain toddler of the house didn't eat her dinner and then didn't behave at the mall (where we were getting the shoes that created the "two left shoes of slightly different sizes" issue), so Mommy suffered and went without ice cream. I *might* have whined to Tim about this a few times. But today, even before I found out about the hula hoop injury, I had decided that Elle and I deserved to go out for a special treat while Tim was at work. I think I was more excited about it than she was at first, but she was in heaven as I let her pick out toppings for her froyo and "take big bites" all by herself (against my better judgement).

It was fun. It was necessary. And she more than deserved it. (Baby Bean appreciated it, too.) But hopefully tomorrow is less eventful.