As of this morning, we can finally see some bare patches in our still fairly snowy backyard. I can't wait for the first day I can just shoo them out, connie.

It's great to send the kids outside, actually my kids love to go outside so not so much shooing necessary. I'm really hoping I will have time to build some more play equipment for the playard this spring and summer.

It's been sunny more often than not for several weeks running here. It's weird, I tell you. Sun in the winter is supposed to be a rare treasure.

Right now I'm at the laptop in the living room while Annabel plays happily with her toys on the floor and watches the Food Network. I am resolutely not allowing myself to feel guilty for letting her do stuff like this most of the day. If she weren't happy, she'd tell me. And if her development was being neglected, she'd be behind on stuff, and she's not. So I must be doing OK.

I am resolutely not allowing myself to feel guilty for letting her do stuff like this most of the day.

What's the guilt-inducing part of this? What should she be doing instead?

Annabel plays happily with her toys on the floor

That's good developmental stuff right there.

We're not perfect parents, and our daughter is doing extra work in preschool (should be in school, but Missouri won't allow it, stupid cutoff law). Leif is just freaky, the kid is two and already can spell a lot of three and four letter words. Now he's starting to read some words in his books.

Um... sitting on the floor and playing with toys is what a baby's supposed to be doing.

Many people don't realize what enormous amounts of learning a baby does during the first year simply by hanging out.

Slacker mom is me.

And I wouldn't feel guilty at all, Susan. One of the best things I ever taught my kids was how to amuse themselves, at least part of the time. You are definitely doing more than OK.

I don't spend anything like as much time as I imagined I would reading to her, singing to her, and playing with her. Mostly I just do the things I did before I had a baby, only with her in the room, either roaming the living room floor or in her playpen in the computer room.

(xposted--that was in response to ita)

We're not perfect parents, and our daughter is doing extra work in preschool (should be in school, but Missouri won't allow it, stupid cutoff law). Leif is just freaky, the kid is two and already can spell a lot of three and four letter words. Now he's starting to read some words in his books.

Julia was a November baby, so started kindergarten right before she turned 6. When I was a kid, she would have started a year before. Despite the fact she would have been fine if she went last year, I was still glad for the extra year. That's one more year before boys-in-cars become an issue.

Leif sounds like Chris, only earlier. Batten down the hatches, Gud.

I don't spend anything like as much time as I imagined I would reading to her, singing to her, and playing with her.

Just wait, that will all change with toddlerhood.