Was that a whole 2 months? Crikey!

What we've been up to for the last 50-some-odd days...

At first, I took a break from the online world just to finally finish my Harry Potter series (yeah, I'm a major HP dork. what.)  But even after I finished that, it felt really good to be more involved in the daily nuances and not have to get my Internet "fix" on multiple times a day, ya know?  I also basically put my camera away, with just a few exceptions.  Usually regret doing that because this is the way I journal our lives, but at the same time it felt so good to break from it.  Didn't mean to stay away that long, though.  I also got started or finished several crafty projects that I had abandoned months ago...procrastination is my enemy.

Dance/gymnastics classes.  Mia and the girls are learning their routine for their upcoming recital and it's too adorable.  Mia loves her dance class, but she really has taken more of a love to her gymnastics class (I knew she would), so we're thinking of putting her in a longer all-gymnastics class after the new year.  We'll let her decide.  Plus, she gets plenty of dancing from Just Dance 2, which is only the coolest game.  She continues to jump off of everything, sommersaults everywhere and goes around the house doing headstands up against any and every fixed object.  She's a mover, that one.

More injuries - yay!  Mia's injuries never cease to amaze and terrify us.  First, she slid from the ladder on a slide and the back of her leg was not only horribly bruised but looked like Wolverine took a swipe at it.  Then, not two weeks after that while swinging on her stomach, she fell off face-first apparently and bit the inside of her lip real good and scratched her chin and lip.  Are you kidding me?  Again?!  Didn't bite all the way through this time (she bit through her lip right after turning 2 and had to get 5 stitches...), but that wasn't the worst part about it.  The WHOLE underside of her chin/jaw was frightening to look at.  It took on every color a bruise can possibly have.  And she was quite ready to tell the tale to anyone who would listen.  (Please be discrete, child!  You're going to make people think we beat you, for cripes sake...).  Honestly, she looks spotted, banged and scratched up all the dang time now that it's hot, lack of clothing/nakey weather.  And she's only 3 - what's to come when she can really go out and get hurt?  What is it with this kid?! 

The everlasting tattoo.  Daddy thought he was funny by sticking a tattoo on my poor baby's pansa.  And it was funny...at first.  But after days of not coming off, it was less funny.  And then after weeks, it had basically lost all humor.  I told him never again.  He's been warned  >:-\

Warm weather = outside fun.  Walks, fishing and parks.  The last time we went fishing, Mia met a little friend Arizona ("Zoe") who came riding up on her bike and right away informed us that she had an ID bracelet, which she showed us.  She then told us, "This is in case anyone trys to take me, so please don't take me because I'm not really one to be taken." OMG!  I DIED!  She's 5.  She had us laughing at all the crazy stuff she was saying (in all seriousness), "This is my helmet.  My mommy says I have to wear it when I'm on my bike in case I get pulled over by the police."  (Yeah, that Barbie hog you're ridin' there just looks like it's beggin' for trouble from the law.  Those training wheels are especially shady looking.  Illegal aftermarkets, no doubt...) And I though Mia was a character!  She let Mia ride her bike and they played and fished and chatted away.

Zoe a.k.a Zo-Zo a.k.a Trouble.  Like we need another problem!  Kidding.  She is sweetest little girl and she's quickly become my new baby and Mia's new sister. 

Zo-Zo loves the feet

She's a Maltipoo.  And she's a nutball.  And not the Ziggy type of nutball where he runs around like a track dog and you can't get him to stop.  She's a little fighter and mighty dog and she doesn't ever stop causing trouble (unless she's sleeping).  Ziggy is more of a prissy boy - he's so dainty and light on his feet, kind of sensative - and I guess that's why Zoe (although a lot smaller) beats him up.  She's Mia's new bud and they get along like two peas in a pod.  She reminds me of my Milo, bless his little soul.  She has that big personality trapped in her little body.  We got her from Donna, our dog animal dealer.  The Z's can get a bit confusing.  When scolding I'm totally lost.  "Ziggy-er-Zoe-er-whoever you are!  Just go!"  :o)

Bunnies!  We honestly need a farm because the animals keep a'comin'.  These little sweethearts were given to us through our animal dealer's sister (lol) and they're so cute. 

Max & Ruby

We're still getting to know each other, but they're becoming more affectionate and trusting each day.  Their names were Ham and Baby, but Mia changed them to - ready for it - Max and Ruby.  Ha!  All by herself.  And I'm sure that's real original, but  it's still cute.  Max is the shy one and Ruby is the social one.  Mia's learning that all animals are different and that rabbits are not like dogs.  "I know they're the cutest things ever Elmyra Duff Mia, but they don't really like to be picked up or chased or poked in the face with hay!"  :o)  But they do love to be gently pet and nuzzled and loved if you're on the ground them.  We *think* they're both girls.  They're only 4-5 months, so we should be able to tell for sure pretty soon.  Here's to hoping!

Reveling in the yummy summer fruits and veggies!  Farmer's markets be busy.  Fresh green beans, squash, peppers, eggplant, avacados, tomatoes...peaches and nectarines as big as our hands, fresh watermelon and cataloupe, loads of strawberries and cherries...the list goes on. 

Can't get enough of them!  One of my favorite things about summer is the fresh fruit and veggie overload.

Swimming/water fun.  I miss the days of teflon-baby.  Mia now gets plenty burned in the sun, so I've resorted to the kids' Banana Boat SPF 70. 

"G'off me Quetzalcoatlus!"

She's been swimming in her little pool here, at Mommy's friends', Grandma & Papa's and everywhere else there's a pool.  The sprinklers/water parks are also a summer staple.  We signed Mia up this past May for discounted swim lessons at our big aquatic center here, but they're not until August...guess that's why they were discounted, eh?

What?  You don't have tea parties in the pool?....and then drink said "tea"?....