Time "March"-es on.

I gave up Facebook for Lent. What was I thinking?

Actually, it's been fairly liberating. All these weeks I've been wondering where the time goes in my day... suddenly I've got time to fold laundry, do dishes, read to the kids, make more infernal to-do lists...it's like I have two extra hours every day! And since I'm no longer feverishly refreshing my FB homepage to gobble status updates and peruse photos, leave comments, scrawl on people's "walls," (resist, resist. Go outside and take a deep breath, Manders.), perhaps I'll squeeze in a couple extra blog entries. Not that anyone reads this goop.



As Spring creeps around the corner (I am told it's coming. It'd better hurry up if it knows what's good for it), I find myself waxing nostalgic, knowing my babies are approaching their birthdays. Connor has a smidge more than two months left to be a three-year-old. Soon enough, he'll be waist-deep in big-kid pursuits, anticipating the big troop-off to Kindergarten, whispering to his friends instead of begging me to listen to his jokes. In photos taken just last year, he still had that exquisite toddler pot-belly. Now his legs have gotten lean and his face has lost that cherub roundness. Already this year, we've had some doozy conversations, about outer space, death, God, respect and love. He's already looking forward to four. Not because he's planning a party. He's been told he'll be able to ride a scooter. "And when I'm five," he says, "we're going to Disney World!!" It's nice to have goals.

And my really really baby, the youngest of our household, is buzzing toward "two" with tremendous speed herself. 20 months old yesterday. She's never considered herself "the baby." I'll warrant when she's old enough to express it, she'll demand we never call her that. She is every bit as grown as Brother in her estimation, and entitled to all the rights and privileges thereunto affixed. I absolutely love this age. She is so entertaining. She dances, she sings, she tries so admirably to communicate verbally, and we just never know what she's going to say. I've kept a journal of both the kids' "baby babbles" so I can taunt them in later years. Here's a handful of some of the things we've overheard Miss Mimi say this week:

“Wook! I did it! I buckle!”

“Uh-ohh, fall down *cookie.” (*or insert dropped object here)

“Meeka” Mickey Mouse. As in Meeska Mooska.

“Tickle me. Tickle toes, tickle foot.”

“I'm sticky.”

“Beers, Udder Beers, and Money” = Bear, Other Bear, and Bunny (her loveys! I adore those nicknames!!)

“How do you do, Bubber?”

“Cah gah go?” Where'd Connor go?

“Hi, Daddy! I eatin' seawall (cereal)!”

“Dankoowelcome.” Thank you/welcome. This is one word.

When she's mad, she'll kick her feet and say “keek!.” This is usually accompanied by a prone position, her little nose in the carpet, and a giant wail. She doesn't lose her temper excessively, but it happens. Usually when she's denied a treat.

She's very creative about naming her toys. She received a stuffed dog as a Valentine gift and named it “Silly.” Her favorite baby doll (which she got for Christmas) is named “Circle.” Cracks me up.