snuggle puppy

I spent the evening quizzing Rivs on Harper-care in preparation for my week-long departure (yes, I took your advice and decided to go). Of course Ol' T-Rivs doesn't need the constant reminders and sporadic "what-not-to-do" pop quizzes, but it satiates my anxious heart to know that Harper will be well cared-for. Rivs has been a good sport about the patronizing and unnecessary nagging. When asked if he would remember to clean the grimy neck crevases created by her ample fat rolls he calmly replied "Yes, Steph. I will care for her as if she were my own child." Point taken. On command, he even sang a beautiful rendition of "Snuggle Puppy" (a story I've created a tune-to and sing to Harper at 5:45 am every morning while Rivers is out running) with the pauses, voice crescendos, kisses and whispers in all the right places. What a good daddy.

To make me feel even more confident about leaving, our next door neighbor Alyssia has been caring for Harper in the mornings for the past 3 weeks while Rivers attends classes with me. Harper absolutely adores her and her soft, snuggly body, and Alyssia (AKA Big Mama or Abuelita)loves her as though she were her own granddaughter. On the days that Harper is home with us, Big Mama comes over around 5pm to feed and say goodnight to Harp Face. They even make tortillas together, which I have to admit makes me a little jealous. How am I supposed to compete with that? "Hey Harp, wanna watch me make Jello? I can even make the Jiggler kind..." Anyways, Big Mama said she would be more than happy to help Rivers while I'm away, which is great so long as Harper doesn't decide that she likes tortillas better than Jello and that she'd rather stay in Costa Rica. Well, too bad, Harp. We went to the US Embassy today and made you officially American. Sorry, Costa Rica.