Radio silence

Each year, as summer turns into fall, I get into a little funk. The timing this year was especially bad as we were still working on getting back into our house, work was busy and I haven't been sleeping so well. So mix all that into a little bowl and out pops lack of blog posts.

Now dear (4) readers, I want to assure you that I haven't abandoned you, just went on a little hiatus. We do have some exciting life updates to share and there is lots to report on Annika.

Because I hate to post something without pictures, I'll keep this brief, but here's a start:

- We moved back into the house! Nothing short of a miracle (and a lot of money and time), but we're home. We were soooo lucky to rely on the generosity of my in-laws, but it was time for them to get rid of us and time for us to have more space for Annika's 7,000 toys. Annika loves the house, loves her room and loves all the furniture she can climb on and stain. We love the space, the look of it - all our choices - and the space. This definitely deserves pictures, and I promise an awesome before & after pictorial in the near future.

- Annika is a little girl - NOT A BABY. Annika delights us every day with something witty or just plain ridiculous. She is insistent on getting in and out of the car herself (it's a tall car), eating what she wants (causes me much consternation) and knows the difference between wrong and right (but doesn't always practice that knowledge). She has a tremendous sense of humor, and knows how to deliver a one-liner. One evening not so long ago, Chris was eating some ice cream for dessert. Having recently discovered Jell-O, Annika had already had dessert, and was denied when she asked to "share Daddy's ice cream." I stood my ground (trying to readjust her awful eating habits) and she just stomped around decrying that it "wasn't fair!" I said, that's irrelevant. I finally relented (DON'T JUDGE ME!) and allowed one bite. She said "Just one bite??? Just one??? NO!" I said, one or none. She said "That's impossible." Finally, she ate it, walked around in circles for a bit, ran up to me and with her hands on her hips said, "MOMMA. I DO WHAT I WANT!" Um, excuse me 3-year old? She got a time-out for that one and later apologized for "being rude" but Chris and I couldn't stop laughing. Where does she get this stuff???

More to come...