Daddy Daycare, Day 1

6/28/13

I have big shoes to fill today...Laura's back to work and I'm home alone with my 2 girls for the first time!!!

Wednesday was Laura's first day back to work, but I worked for my dad that day and yesterday as well.  My Aunt Kari watched Erica for the day on Wednesday and loved it!  My mom watched her for part of the day yesterday while I finished the job.

Wednesday was a big day for us...not only did Laura go back to work, but our Chevy Equinox, "Elvis" broke down on the side of the road.  My dad was heading back to the office after dropping off his truck and trailer for me at the job site, and Elvis died on him at the end of the entrance ramp onto 35E.  Not that there is a perfect spot for a breakdown, but this was far from it!  After getting the run-around from AAA on the phone, having to add me to the account and ensuring I would be with the vehicle when it was towed, the wrecker was sent our way.  I wrapped up at the job site for the day and pulled in behind my dad.  He took the truck to the shop and I sat for 5 minutes with Elvis while waiting for the tow truck to show up.  It hooked up Elvis and brought us to our auto shop next to my parents' office.  It still sits there today...after having determined it's likely the timing chain that went out on it.  Luckily, this expensive and timely fix  is covered under our extended warranty we purchased with Elvis last fall.  Now, I just hope that's what the problem is just so it will be covered under the warranty.  Regardless, we'll be without Elvis this weekend.  Fortunately, my parents will be dropping off my dad's truck for us to have for the weekend while they are at the lake for the upcoming week on vacation.

So...all of that gets me back to today...my first day as a mom!!!  I woke up around 7:30 while Erica still slept.  I gave Lexi her morning scratches as she lay by her front window.  I started the pot of coffee and was brushing my teeth when my little nugget began crying and letting me know she was awake!  Since then, she's had 2 bottles, 2 wet diapers, endless amounts of drool, lots of smiles...and now...silence!!!  She's taking her first nap in front of me in her bouncer in the sun room!  My goal for the summer is to get her on a napping routine...and get some reading done for myself.  She doesn't seem to like napping in her crib, but loves her bouncer...so I'll take it!

Now, I await my parents' delivery of the truck.  I need to run the warranty papers to the auto shop so they can start the work.  And then, it's off to the laundry mat!  After spending 5 nights in my sleeping bag, that thing needs a good cleaning so it's ready for the hunting season in a few months.  I hope Erica enjoys the endless boredom the laundry mat always offers!  With any luck, we can get a machine right away and let it wash while we run the paperwork to the auto shop.  Until then, I'll enjoy the silence and get some things done around here...currently, Erica's clothes are in the dryer and I'm waiting to fold them up.  I have 2 burp clothes left, so time is of the essence!!!

We have a pretty laid-back weekend planned at the Lemke House.  South St. Paul's "Kaposia Days" kicks off tonight with the parade.  It's a huge festivity around here.  People bring their lawn chairs and put them on the parade route all day to stake out their spot...remarkably, no one steals nor moves the chairs throughout the day during this annual tradition!!!  So we'll take Erica for an evening hike to catch part of the parade tonight.  Perhaps we'll go to the dog adoption at town center on Sunday just to relive our memory of rescuing Lexi last year on this same weekend...on a whim.  It's amazing to think about all of the joy she has brought us over the past year.  It was Lexi who first showed me how receptive I would be to having a daddy's girl when we found out Laura was pregnant just a few weeks after we added Lexi to our family!!!

Thanks so much for reading my Daddy Diary!  I'll try to have more pictures in future entries, but I hope you appreciate the briefness of this update!  Take care...and wish me luck as Daddy Daycare continues!!!