Verb: That's What's a'Happenin'!

"When I use my imagination (Verb!)

I think, I plot, I plan, I dream

Turning in towards creation (Verb!)

I make, I write, I dance, I sing

When I'm feeling really active (Verb!)

I run, I ride, I swim, I fly!

Other times when life is easy

(Oh!) I rest, I sleep, I sit, I lie."

--Schoolhouse Rock

FYI: If your two year old decides to draw a masterpiece with two pens

on your cream-colored leather sofa,

perfume takes it right off.

It seems we have officially entered the terrible twos

That's what's a'happenin'!

That Home

"Where the windows are breathing in the light,

Where the rooms are a collection of our lives,

This is a place where I don't feel alone

This is a place that I call my home... "

--The Cinematic Orchestra

Home.

I never thought I'd be okay leaving our other house

Where we brought home our long-awaited baby

Where we were finally a family

Where she stood, walked, laughed, cried, and blossomed.

I made it out by not lingering.

If I spent too long in that empty house, I felt tightness growing in my chest.

So I made a quick departure.

I'm facing forward towards our future

And watching her run, bound, dance, and grow in this new home.

All These Things That I've Done

I apologize.

I have been M.I.A. for too long.

I have never done so many things in one week.

We moved most of our belongings and every large item we own the

weekend before last.

From then on we were simultaneously packing at the old house and

unpacking at the new house.

Let's hear it for procrastinators and the week-long move - hooray!

We were trying to finish projects, put up blinds, and find our toiletries...

We were also sorting through all of our crap awesome stuff to prepare for the yard sale we had this past weekend.

Friday was like the perfect storm of moving:

Packing, sorting, and cleaning led to two rapidly converging piles

of "sell" and "keep."

We decided to clear out the old house and set up our yard sale indoors.

We didn't feel like dragging everything outside just to sit in the heat and get bitten by mosquitoes.

Our customers agreed that it was the best decision - "Now THIS is how to have a yard sale!" they would say as they walked in from the heat and afternoon sprinkling of rain.

We met many interesting people and laughed with the neighbors who come to our yard sale every year - and made money to boot!

That brings us to today...phew!

We're going shopping (the whole reason I sell my stuff every year) with our good friends at one of our favorite places, Ikea!

Then we'll finally get a chance to actually sit down, relax,

and watch a movie.

'Cause you know, we still don't have cable. ugh.

So I thank those of you who have stuck with me through my absence.

I appreciate you and would love to have this place be

a more interactive hang out.

Stop by for five and we'll have a laugh!

I'll post some pictures of our progress as soon as I find my camera.

Hallelujah

Hallelujah

The floor is finally finished

We're moving!

"Baby I have been here before

I know this room, I've walked this floor

I used to live alone before I knew you

Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah"

--Leonard Cohen

Time To Pretend

A little known fact is that we used to be clowns.

I always loved the circus and would have run away with a circus

if I had ever been given the chance.

But they never offered.

(what happened to the days when kids were offered chances like that??)

Luckily, when we moved to Massachusetts

we moved right next door to a clown.

A REAL clown.

He had graduated from clown college and toured with Ringling Bros. He was the town's resident clown but would also put on major corporate events all over New England. His office was magical and he was enchanting (still is.)

He appreciated my passion and took to making me into

his little clown assistant.

I learned how to do my make-up, make balloon animals, paint faces,

and do card tricks.

I was in full clown make-up when I found out my grandfather was dying. He told me, "Laugh and the world laughs with you, cry and your make-up runs. Such is the life of a clown."

I recruited Mark and we set off working birthday parties and large events

put on by our friend.

It was one of the best times of my life. Time to pretend.

I met the clowns who were still on tour. Some had families. They traveled the world and lived in trailers with elephants outside their doors.

They were amazing people.

I should have run away as a kid - offer or not.

"This is our decision, to live fast and die young.

We've got the vision, now let's have some fun.

Yeah, it's overwhelming, but what else can we do.

Get jobs in offices, and wake up for the morning commute.

Forget about our mothers and our friends

We're fated to pretend

To pretend

We're fated to pretend

To pretend

I'll miss the playgrounds and the animals and digging up worms

I'll miss the comfort of my mother and the weight of the world

I'll miss my sister, miss my father, miss my dog and my home

Yeah, I'll miss the boredom and the freedom and the time spent alone"

--MGMT

She Bangs The Drums

Someone is slightly obsessed with sticks.
She is constantly on the lookout for anything that even resembles a stick.
And what do you do with sticks? Bang them on everything, of course!

We knew we'd have to get her a drum at some point.
Mark wanted to get the whole drum set - and a tiny drum set is cute...
but let's start small, I pleaded.

Someone was thrilled.

"I can see her here she comes
She bangs the drums
Have you seen her have you heard
The way she plays there are no words"
--Stone Roses

The Tra La La Song (One Banana, Two Banana)

Rio and I decided to make up a mess of fun by making
chocolate covered bananas.
Rio does not seem to care for chocolate or bananas,
but that's neither here nor there.

Step 1: strip child down to her skivvies - controlled mess is best.
Step 2: attempt to keep child from throwing bananas into the sink or
on the floor.
Step 3: demonstrate proper procedure for dipping bananas into chocolate.
Step 4: try to take pictures swiftly before child can get chocolate on camera.
Step 5: watch in horror as child dips banana and then quickly flings chocolate

all over kitchen.

Step 6: laugh it off - she's having a great time.
Step 7: try to wrestle remaining two bananas out of child's remarkably

strong grip.

Step 8: clean child, amazed that she doesn't want to lick the chocolate off

of herself.

Step 9: clean kitchen which now resembles a crime scene.
Step 10: eat a chocolate covered banana and wonder what I was thinking.