Lotion.

We came back from the Northwest with dry skin. Dry hands, dry legs, dry faces, scratchy fingertips (the worst!)... But sweet Quinn - who already has just a little bit of mild eczema - has been waking up every morning saying, Bites! Bites! & scratching his legs. A true Texan now, his itchy legs are probably reminiscent of the fire ant bites he got this fall. Every morning I tell him that they aren't bites, but that his legs are just dry. So he asks for lotion, & when I'm changing his diaper & getting him dressed, he gets a full-body coating of Mustela.

This morning was the same story. Lotion on his legs, arms, chest & face because he was Itchy! I sing a silly little song about lotion I made up (it's sophisticated - Lotion on your arms! Lotion on your feet! Lotion on your toes! Lotion on your belly! - you get the idea), & he really loves it when I rub his arms all the way down & tickle his still-chubby legs. This morning he said, Itchy! More! so I grabbed the bottle & gave him another thorough coating. He smiled & laughed. More! Itchy! More! Lotion! And repeat. 

It suddenly hit me that my smart little boy has figured out how to get a full-body massage every morning & was milking it for all it was worth.

(I don't really blame him.)

Anyway. We're happy to be back in the humid air of Houston, happy that it finally stopped raining today,  & happy that it isn't freezing like it was last week (the 40's! eek!). I'm wading through Christmas photos, trying my best not to get sick (I'm sort of failing) & dreaming of the days when my babies sleep all night long & my husband isn't traveling. I'm a little exhausted this week.

In the meantime - from the park, last week. It was cold & grey all week long, & Q wouldn't put his hat on until I told him it was his hat from the cabin with Grandma & Grandpa! That got me a huge smile & cooperative toddler.