It feels like forever since I've written, because it has been! There's no time for blogs when you're partying it up in Montreal, then moving into a new house.

Montreal: Anissa and Mariella had a wonderful joint birthday party in the park, the highlight of which was the pinata bashing. Anissa was a maniac, leaping into the air and hacking at the pinatas (on the ground) with firey determination. But it took the Dads and Papas to break through the super-glue paper-mache Natasha had concocted: and they had as much fun doing it as the kids had.

We finally got to meet the precious baby Antonia, Mariella's baby sister. And hanging out with all our Mommy (and Grandma) gang at the baby shower was just like old times. Too much fun, but also a little bittersweet. Natasha, Dan, Mariella and Antonia are moving to Toronto, and Montreal won't be the same without them.

The Big Move: It was less than a year ago we moved from Montreal to New Hampshire, but already I had forgotten just how exhausting moving can be. But it's sooo worth it. We are loving our new place - and will even more when we can walk more than 2 feet without tripping over a box. Anissa still hasn't absorbed the fact that she has her very own playset in the backyard, and keeps asking me if I can take her "to that playground". It's very exciting to be in our first real house. I almost feel like a grownup.

Photos, soon, I promise. Just gotta find the cable to download them with. (Hmmmmm, deja vu!)

Anissa usually wakes up early in the morning, climbs into bed with us and goes back to sleep. This morning she showed up at 5:30 as expected, but had somehow decided in the few steps between her room and ours that it was time for everyone to get up! It was morning time! Time to play! The result was a very overtired Mommy and daughter this afternoon. At one point I decided to attempt to do something productive: cleaning. Anissa did not agree that this was a good idea. In fact, she very loudly protested and went into a huge meltdown. In desperation, I came up with a game plan: I proposed we play "custodian".

Remember that guy we saw sweeping up the mall? I asked her. The job you said you wanted to do when you grow up? How about WE pretend we're custodians, and we have to clean a store! Her face lit up like we were off to buy her a horse (she's been insisting lately that we have room for one at our house). We took out our vacuums - my adult size Red Devil, and her mini toy version. But before we could start our game, she insisted we choose our new names. She announced, in a deep manly voice, that she was Tony, and I decided I would be Bob. For the next 45 minutes, she happily helped me clean up, fully taking on the personality of Tony the custodian. She laughed like a man, and took orders from me (apparently, the boss), responding in her macho manner. Occasionally, she would slip and call me Mommy, then cover up with a quick, "I mean, Bob." We got the vacuuming done, picked up a lot of toys, folded clothes. Every once in awhile the two of us would look at each other and start laughing hysterically - at ourselves.

Thanks, Tony, for a job well done.

GO OILERS GO!

Anissa makes me laugh so many times a day with the things she says, I wish I could record them all. Here are a few recent comments that pop to mind:

In the middle of the night, a loud sneeze comes from her room. A brief silence, then, "Bless me." And back to sleep.

(At the airport on the way home from California, she nibbles on a piece of lettuce for the first time:) I'm not a little girl anymore, Mama. I'm grown up now. I eat salad.

Mama, I got married too, you know.
Oh, really? To who?
Myself!

"Mama, my leg hurts."
"Oh, did you fall down or something?"
"No, I think I ate too much hummus."

(After 10 straight days of rain:) That's OK that it's raining. It's good. We need the rain. Like to wash our car and stuff like that.

I love you so much, Mama. I love you because you are so soft and cozy and squishy.
(How's that for motivation to get to the gym!)

I love Papa so much. I love him because he is so sweet and cozy and...furry.