My sister gave birth this morning: a boy, 4 pounds and 4 ounces. Too tiny to imagine. He's doing better than anyone expected, but will probably be in the hospital until at least the first of July. My 3-year-old niece rang me up to ask if I can send her some "boy clothes" for her new baby. Can I ever!

The weather is perfect today. J and I went to the zoo, and then we lolled in the grass in the park, eating snacks and playing "I Spy." His clues are always so funny: "It's black and it has wheels and it's a car." Hee!

I've never been much of a summertime girl, but the sun did feel indescribably good today. I might be coming around to the whole summer-beach-picnic idea. I felt the first stirrings last summer, when I went to Scottsdale. I floated around in a pool for a few days, just gazing up at the palm trees and the clear blue sky. PALM TREES! (I'm from Kansas, remember, and I live in Illinois.) When I wasn't floating and gazing, I was eating Tex-Mex food. Nice.

Right now I wish we lived in a little house with a backyard, where we could cook dinner on the grill and eat on the patio. We would have a colorful garden and some chaise lounges, and we would hang out back there with our friends. I can almost hear the wind-chimes and the sprinkler.

Wait, is that an in-ground POOL? And a Mini Cooper in my garage? Stainless-steel appliances and a Mexican-tile backsplash?

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