Oh. yeah.

The problem with infrequent blogging is that one leaves one's readers in such a state of suspense. I'm sure you must all be wondering if my Balls of Responsibility are properly orbiting or if I've fallen off the unicycle. I am, gladly, still upright and still juggling those balls. The important ones are in orbit. Some of them have fallen and there's just nothing I can do about that right now.

Irony: I blog here much less than when I was working. And yet I'm book-blogging much more than when I was working.

Last Saturday I ran my 3rd race. It was another 5K--I've decided I'm sticking to those--3 miles is enough for me, thank you. I had wanted to beat 30 minutes. I came close in my 2nd race with 30:52. But I really really wanted to do it this time. It was wicked cold (although not as cold as it's been today!) and there were unexpected hills and wind in my face, but I did it. I came in at 29:40. Which is not terribly fast, but it's the best that I have done, and when you consider that I started out last March taking roughly 45 minutes to do 3 miles, I'm pretty happy with 29:40.

The Princess and SkyWalker ran in the kids' race before mine. For most of the race they looked like this:

They ran hand in hand until SkyWalker pulled ahead. But the little Princess didn't stop, she kept on running too. It was 3/10 of a mile long, which is pretty long for little legs, but they finished it. The rest of the day she ran around the house telling me that she runs "weally fast" because "I'm a mom." She insisted on showering with me because she ran a race too. It was totally worth the cold.

I'm sure Chewie would have loved to run as well, but she probably would have run right into the pond. So she was strapped in her stroller and could only watch.

We have an appointment tomorrow next week with Early Intervention. She hasn't qualified yet, we're just "exchanging information." She doesn't seem to be all that interested in talking. She'd much rather run and climb on the table or jump on the trampoline or do ANYTHING that doesn't involve sitting and learning. She is starting to babble a lot more and occasionally she'll try to repeat something. I don't think she has a hearing problem (but she'll be tested anyway), I think she has an effort problem. She doesn't give a crap about talking. Why ask for water when she can run and get it or her sister will just give it to her? I have a feeling she probably won't qualify for services, but we'll see.

She is sleeping pacifier-free and has done so for a month. It takes her longer to fall asleep, but once she does she stays there. It really wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be. We're all sleeping well... too well. The girls will sometimes sleep past 8 and without them waking me up, well, I don't get up. It's been HORRIBLE. I remember waking up at 5:30 and starting my day alone and being totally energized and now I am just tired all the time and full of SLOTH. I have little motivation to do anything, which is quite problematic. I stay up late and then get up late and then stay up late. I need a newborn to give me energy!

I remember last winter being the first winter that was tolerable in a long time. I was taking Vitamin D to make up for the lack of sun, I was having the preschool playdates every 2 weeks, gymnastics, we were out and about. We're still busy now, but it's less fun. Lots of grocery shopping and doctor visits. I'm not sure if it's the lack of regular fun playdates or my Vitamin D levels aren't where they should be, but I am feeling the HIBERNATE urge big time. I keep thinking I need to call my friends and set things up and then... another day goes by, another week goes by. Time just zips by and I've done nothing productive. I've gotten the milk and I've done laundry and dishes, but I just have to do those things again. It never feels productive to me. I never feel DONE. We are not even out of December and this winter feels very very long already.