Midway into a delightful Labor Day weekend

..and we are really having a ball. Rachel and I joined another mom friend of mine, Olivia, and her almost-4-year-old, Elliott, on a jaunt to the Oregon State Fair. We got there later than I had planned -- around 12:30 or so -- and a law professor friend of mine, Susan, spent a few hours with us as well. All I had were bad memories of last year's fair, when Rachel didn't want to go near the animals or the pony ride and Drew and I got into a huge fight and didn't talk to each other for three hours. I was mad that he was going back to Columbia and that I wouldn't see him for 11 weeks, and terrified at the idea of being a single mom with no backup until Thanksgiving.

What a difference a year makes. Drew is back, his sojourn to Columbia in the rear-view mirror and I have almost forgotten what it was like being a solo parent. Rachel and Elliott both wanted to see the "baby animals!" and so we took them to see the chickens, the bunnies (absolutely adorable), and the big livestock -- cows and horses. Then we took in part of a musical show, got some corn dogs (me; Rachel took one bite of Elliott's and decided she didn't like it), took the kids for bathroom breaks and then let them climb all over a display of orange and black tractors -- real ones. Rachel couldn't get enough of them.

Our last stop was the kiddie rides; thankfully Rachel had fallen asleep by then, clutching a little puppy purse I'd bought her. Elliott went on two rides and then became difficult, so Olivia took him home. Then Rachel woke up and decided she wanted to go on the chairlift. We had so much fun! She looked around and said, "We're up high!" and "this is so cool!" Then we got down, took a last swing through the same livestock area she'd seen earlier that day (only this time we noticed the guinea pigs and the baby chicks, which Rachel pronounced "so cuute!") and then got in the car for the drive back. I had to make a stop at Target on the way up, so by the time we got home it was 10 and by the time she got to bed...I don't even want to think about it. But she kept telling me she had a good time. And she was so affectionate! At one point I leaned down into her stroller to ask her how she was doing and she suddenly started kissing me again and again. And at Target, I leaned down and she planted a big one on my lips and wouldn't let go. "Now, THAT'S love!" the lady behind me at the counter said, and I couldn't have been happier.

Today Rachel and Drew went to the farmer's market while I cleaned up the house and got ready for our guests: a professor, Sukh Singh, at the law school; his wife Deep and their baby, Apar (who is not really a baby; she was toddling in that sweet way toddlers have when they're just figuring out how to walk). They bought a gift for Rachel -- some lovely shirts and a dress. I finally found a gazpacho recipe I really liked, and so I served gazpacho, a tomato and cheese tart, salad and berry cobbler with vanilla ice cream. Everyone loved the food and it was so sweet watching Rachel try to engage Apar in playing. At one point Rachel thought Apar wouldn't give her her ball back, so Drew had to explain that she needed to share. Then a short time later she said, "Apar can use my ball but I hope she'll give it back." Drew assured her that would happen, and when I served dessert Rachel looked at me with a smile and said, "thank you for making dessert, Mommy!" They stayed until just before Drew finished reading books to Rachel, and I tackled the cleaning by myself until he put her to bed. We're almost finished washing and polishing the silver, and so I'll head to bed soon. Tomorrow: The coast!