My boy is in that plane!

1. I think I've been thinking about a recurring column called "Lately." Just a collection of latelys. Lately I've been enjoying...lately I've been dreaming about....lately I've been thinking. But I also think it might be a little too much like Five Things. So maybe no Lately. We'll see.

2. I think I'm so restless these days. I just want to get up and...go. I feel this urge with every single bone in my body. It oozes from my very pores. The things I want to do truly aren't possible for us right now, so I'm trying to channel my restlessness in other ways. Bathroom remodel, perhaps? I'm beyond thrilled that my mom's visit this weekend and my dad's next will be the last time guests will use that gnarly guest bathroom. I know you all liked it, but the devil is in the details. As I was cleaning it, it took everything I had not to start chipping away the tile! Neel's aunt and uncle have a gorgeous new condo with a bathroom that was beyond inspiring. Glass enclosed shower AND separate tub, y'all! We took pictures AND measurements. Will this new project cure my restlessness? I don't know. It'll give me something else to think about though.

3. I think I'm anxious to get back in the kitchen. Soups are calling me. Some homemade pizzas for the grill, perhaps. We've been neglecting the cooking portion of the summer to-do list.

4. I think I'm feeling in need of a little treat (I did get a notebook! Moleskine, of course!). Oh, I don't know. Some kind of little something, for my house or for me. Any suggestions? Neel thought maybe I needed a spa day, and that certainly wouldn't go amiss. But I'm open to other ideas if you have them. Diptych? A couple cookbooks (like I need more of those)? Sephora trip? Fling out a ballroom wing?

5. I think I had a parenting epiphany recently. People, I am so imperfect at this. I screw up this gig all the time. But every day I try. Neel and I both. We try as hard as we can to help Callum grow up into a young man who can meet the challenges of the world he inhabits. Those challenges stretch from learning how to navigate the washer and dryer to learning how to navigate challenging people. And here's what I realized: there's a difference between raising your kids and simply watching them grow up. That difference is vast. Don't be afraid to step up to the plate. Structure, routine and boundaries. These are the things that kids need and crave and if they are provided with love, even when you screw up, then you haven't really led them wrong. That's what I'm banking on, at least.