What's Up

So here's the thing.  We are moving. SOON. We are moving in barely over a month- that's just a few short summer weeks- and have you ever noticed how hourglass sand runs faster at the end? When it's reached the skinny, squeezy part and your heart goes faster too because you're like, "AH!" No time left!
We're at that part.
For the last month or so, I've been eying that sand level, noticing it getting terribly low.  At some point it hit me and I suddenly realized that we are leaving this place we have called home for our entire married life, our entire parenting life.  A place that, let's just be honest here, happens to be one of the best ones in at least the whole country. 
Don't get me wrong.  I'm excited about moving.  We've been here 5 years which is really too long for me to be in one spot.  Maybe this is why I enjoy toddlers so much.  I identify with the restless, instinctive rebellion against staying put and holding still. 
But I'll put it this way; if I had to stay somewhere, I might very well choose here.  I love this area.  Short train ride to the best city ever, short drive to the pastoral hills.  Eclectic diversity, a million things to do.  Clean streets but unlimited resources.  Free museums.  Cultural significance. Natural beauty. 
I might not have been so lovey about it in February.  (Another reason I'm thrilled with heading to Florida before the leaves turn.) 
So J and I started thinking we have to do all the things we never got around to! While we were just whiling away our time here, doing lazy things like working 60 hour weeks and raising small children. 
So I haven't been on the computer much because I haven't been home much.  I've been dragging my poor babies all over the city and tri-state area. Determined to see the sights and take in the events we can't skip because we're tired and can always go next year.  Determined to spend as much time as possible with the dear friends we are going to miss waaaaaaaay too much.
We'll never do it all.  In between the doing of DC Stuff there is also copious doing of laundry.  There are all those regular things to be bothered with- washing floors and chopping vegetables and weeding the garden.  There have been birthdays and mothers and fathers days and visiting guests and trips out of town.  There are gymnastics classes and Spanish classes and dog training classes.  There is the continuing parade of doctors appointments for Little One the medical mystery girl.  Don't even get me started on that.
It's all just been a crazy ride down to that skinny part in the hourglass; racing from one thing to the next trying not to miss anything.  And now we are there and definitely feeling the squeeze.  I'll share some stories of our little adventures as soon as I can.  For you, and for me to remember this precious time; this lovely place.  I'll do it next the time, like today, the kids sleep late and I can type between the gym and breakfast.  I can't say when that will be, exactly, but I can do this:

So at least you know we're having fun.

Or it was just a minor alien abduction

Just so you know, I am not dead. Or anything. It's just that there has been an earthquake, which split my house in three pieces, and my laptop got stuck on the other side of the gaping chasm. So I couldn't type. Or also, it could just be that I have been very busy. Or that I have been caught beneath an avalanche of laundry and had to survive for two weeks on sock lint, and have only just-miraculously- toiled out from under 7 metric tons of onesies. Some of these options are more likely than others. But take your pick. I wiil be back soon with either pictures of my fractured dining room, tales of my harrowing (but 100 per cent cotton) adventure, or stuff more boring than all that. In the meantime, don't worry. Not dead. Ok worry a tiny bit. I like to pretend all 4 of you Peanuts miss me.

3 Month Birthday

While we've been busy planning a move and all that, Little Miss has been busy too.  It's a lot of work growing up, changing from a larval little newborn into a real and actual baby.  Especially when there is so much cuteness to exude every. goshdarn. second. But somehow, She's pulling it off, and Miss's third month was full of new discoveries.

Like, for instance, Her feet.  Well it started with Her hands, really, and then whatever was in them.  That was pretty exciting.  But then the feet! Whoa.  It was love at first sight, Peanuts.  Miss and Her feet have a Thing going on, now.  It's casual.  They don't exactly set up dates or anything. But they meet each other in passing sometimes, run into each other here and there, and it's always like, "Why! Hellooo there.  Tee.  Tee hee.  How ya been?" They hang out.

They're not exclusive, though.  Miss also has interludes with hands, my shoulder, the hem of Her dress.  In addition to any toys or objects bestowed upon Her by Her sister.  She's quite the flirt.

And Peanuts, She is QUITE the flirt.  The teasing kind.   Little Miss has a very good understanding of what is Mommy and what is not.  She is rather partial about who holds Her, most of the time.  But She is more than willing to gurgle, coo, grin and giggle at the whole rest of the world so long as She's doing it from Mommy's lap.

In fact, smiling and giggling is what She does best.  Miss gets a bit fussy in the evenings, but otherwise She continues to be a happy, smiley baby, easy to please and to tote around.  She still sleeps like a champ and is growing like crazy. Her legs look almost as if they have begun to melt, dripping with rolls of chub.  I love it. Love.

The other two major additions this month were the Coo- which She especially loves to regale Little Miss with- and a self-manufactured lubricating and disinfecting compound, with which to coat the entire planet. To facilitate the all-important task of chewing that world.  DROOL.  Beware holdling Miss when She's in a chewing mood.  You WILL get slimed.

But you also will get rewarded with warm, squishy baby snuggles and full body smiles.  Little Miss may occasionally fuss, in the evening a bit or if She reaaaally needs something, but when you average those moments out with all the others, it is just a mathematical fact that She is an absolute joy. 

Happy Belated 3 Month Birthday to you Little Miss!  I may have been late in writing it all down, but it's only because my hands are too busy holding you every chance I get.  We love you!

Happy Father's Day