back, finally!

Sorry for the extended silence- did you miss us? We have a good excuse, though- Tom, Cupcake, and I *finally* moved into our new house. We just got the internet up just a few days ago. It's been hectic to say the least, but we are SERIOUSLY enjoying our spacious new digs, and Cupcake and I are loving our new pool. I take her swimming every morning either before or after I do my two miles (having my own pool is so blissful, I cannot even begin to describe what it's like!) If only I could find some sort of swimmies or float thing for her- all the ones we've tried don't hold her up or tip her forward. She has a very bad habit of opening her mouth wide and drinking the pool water. Tons of it. So if she goes forward, or her chin is anywhere near water, she gulps it like crazy and winds up inhaling it. The good news is that since we moved we are finally starting to get into a daily routine. Every day it shapes up a little more. Mornings have gotten infinitely better, although I will admit that I desperately miss my old mornings, where I had an hour ALL MY OWN to get up, get ready, read a bit without being tugged on, screamed at, or having food flung at me. But as long as Cupcake gets her cereal and veggies and then gets her Ritz crackers while she watches the Backyardigans (tv show), she's okay and I get about 15 minutes to myself. I guess I'm just not the kind of mom who rushes to see her baby's smiling face right after waking up- I'm always excited if I get a few seconds to myself. I still find being a mom very challenging sometimes... The Backyardigans are like crack to her- no matter what's going on, how she's feeling, what she wants, when she hears that theme song her head snaps around so fast you can hear the wind rush. We didn't have cable for a week or so after we moved, so we wound up watching the two episodes we had on the TiVo about 100 times. To the show's advantage, while we got sick of the two episodes, we were still tolerating them when the cable was installed. So thumbs up for Backyardigans. Sesame Street, Arthur, and The Koala Brothers (is that what it's called, that show where the two Austrlian koalas motor around on their plane, looking for people to help?) also rank high. Cupcake despises Blues Clues (not too sad about that one, since that show creeps me out with its disembodied kids' voices...) and Dora. I'm definitely not trying to make her into a TV junkie, but in the last week we have had a million workmen in and out of the house taking care of the "punchlist", and because of the debris they left behind, the work they were doing, and the fact they propped the doors open, she wasn't allowed to be on the floor. And she doesn't tolerate being out of site. So watching TV helped keep her happy while swinging or stuck in the play yard. She definitely prefers crawling and destruction to sitting still and watching TV. This little girl hates dolls, instead loves plastic toys that light up and play music, with parts that come out. Which she then bangs on anything. Photos soon, as soon as my camera gets unpacked. These are from before we moved...