Minutiae

I know it's been forever since I've written an update post, but it's been non-stop here at chez Shiny Happy since late January.

I have some time this morning, though, and thought I'd say hi.

Hi.

Two months of Shiny Happy stuff, in no particular order...

- Lilah's friend, when asked who his best friends are, said, "I think Lilah is a different kind of girl and I really like her. She likes playing in the dirt, she isn't afraid of bugs, and she knows a lot about Star Wars."

- The frog exhibit at the MOS is super cool. The Mythical Creatures exhibit was also pretty cool, but it scared the hell out of the girls. It's been 6 weeks since we went to see it and Aviva is still working through her fear of Medusa.

- Noah's pool party went swimmingly. He also got a new bike from my insanely generous parents. He loves it and, if allowed, would ride around town all day.

- Speaking of swimming, Aviva is becoming more and more fearless in the pool. During her last lesson, she jumped in by herself, surfaced on her own, and wanted to do it again! Lilah loves the water and is getting stronger with every lesson. Noah is a natural swimmer and his strokes are starting to look more polished. He's fast and almost ready to challenge me to a fair race!

- An actual conversation with Aviva, regarding the potty: "Hey, Aviva. Do you want to sit on the potty and wear some pretty butterfly panties today?" "No. I really, totally, totally do not." Sigh.

- Michael and I celebrated our anniversary. We went out for a nice dinner at one of my favorite little places downtown while his mom watched the kids. It was a nice night - no kids, good food, low lighting, and a quiet, happy conversation.

- MG and I recently had a ridiculous conversation that determined our Jewish Porno names and our Scotland Yard names. I am Loxy Brown and Agatha Knickerstarch, respectively.

- Aviva is obsessed with Puff the Magic Dragon and sings it constantly. Most days, I think it's super-duper cute.

- I had a really bad cold a few weeks ago and wanted nothing more than to be warm and cozy. So, I pulled my only pair of proper, flannel pajama pants from my drawer only to find that they had ripped. The crotch seam was completely torn. I raised my eyebrows and confronted Michael, "Did you sabotage my pants?" He laughed and said, "No, but that's some mighty nice Amish lingerie you've got there."

(The flannel pajamas were a gift from my mother-in-law, by the way. Freud would have loved her.)

- Most afternoons and weekends, there is a constant stream of children in and out of my house. I love it.

- Aviva gives herself little pep talks when she is balancing or climbing. "Aviva, you not gon'to fall down. Balance, Aviva. You can do it! You can stay up!" The cuteness overpowers me every single time.

- Noah makes his own playdates now. One down, 2 to go.

- Michael and I both got raises. Given the state of the economy, this may qualify as some sort of miracle.

- Lilah and her friend, Anna, love to play dress-up. Last week, Anna came downstairs dressed like a ninja and said, "Introducing! The Artist! Formerly Known as Prince!" Before I could ask, Lilah appeared, wearing purple and sequins, and began to dance and sing a medley of Purple Rain, When Doves Cry, and Little Red Corvette. A week later, I'm still laughing. Sometimes I think that I would sell my life to reality TV if it meant having moments like that on record.

- My sister's wedding is approaching fast, so as we walked to swim lessons last week, I talked with the kids about what to expect, who will be there, and how fun it will be to dance at the reception. Noah said, "I'm not dancing. Maybe just a slow dance with you, Mom, or maybe if they play YMCA." Lilah looked at me with mischievous grin and said, "I have to tell you something, Mommy. (deep breath, long pause) When I was in preschool, I was a little frightened by the YMCA song." Then she laughed and laughed. And we laughed with her.

- My sister's bridal shower went very well. We had a good turn out, good food, and everyone seemed to have fun. Jo got a lot of stuff from her registry, plus some other lovely things. For her shower and her wedding gifts, I bought her a few of these very cool pieces.

- The kids and I are VERY excited to be part of my sister's wedding. Michael is excited to be a guest...even if it does mean having to be in some of the formal pictures. Our dresses are done, accessories purchased, and Noah's tux will be ready the day before the wedding. There will be lots of family and friends coming in from out of town, some of whom I haven't seen since my own wedding. I can't wait to see everyone, especially my fantastic cousins. My sister is a little stressed out, but is still pretty calm for someone heading down the aisle in 2 weeks.

I promise to post wedding pictures next month!