a first

Making "soup" in his "soup-making machine."

We ran Elan around a lot in San Diego. Even with a few days of rain and some chilly wind, he spent a lot of time outdoors - at the pool, the beach, the zoo, riding bikes and playing with friends. And the result was: no bedtime battles. With all the sleep-related struggles we've had with Elan, and there have been many, going to sleep at night hadn't generally been one of them until recently. Sometimes when it's taking an hour for him to fall asleep at night and I'm coming back for the fifth time to check on him, in order to try to keep him in his bed, I think: Really? We need another sleep issue? Come on. So Mikhail and I were really loving having him fall promptly and soundly asleep after the end of another full day.

Perhaps he was even a little too tired by the end of the week. On our last night in San Diego, we were having dinner with some friends and Elan was playing with their daughter when suddenly he looked up at me and said words that I have never heard before and can't imagine hearing again anytime soon: "Mama, can I go to bed now?"

Let's hear it for sheer exhaustion.