i'm still here, but being quiet.

i realize it's been many, many MONTHS since i last posted on this blog. we had a significant family emergency last spring, which put a major damper on my already weak blogging efforts.

i'm happy to report that things are going much, much better. aubrey is doing wonderfully. she is a spunky, smart, happy almost 2 1/2 year old. she is talking in sentences now, and just soaking up the world around her. we have our occaisional challenging moments (i.e. temper tantrums) but, on the whole she makes me laugh and smile and being with her is the highlight of my day.

i am thinking about putting this blog to rest, and starting a new blog, which will focus on some other things i am interested in, namely, designing knitting patterns. i have been knitting for a long time (since i was ten) and making and designing garments since college. recently i've thought it would be fun to actually write up the patterns and maybe - maybe - try to sell them. anyhow, once i get myself organized, i will post again with the new blog address.

yes, i know, it's been a while

what can i say? time flies when you're having fun?

well, not really. we are all healthy at the moment, which is good. and aubrey is doing fabulously. but, i have been dealing with an unhealthy amount of work-related stress. my colleagues at the office are, in large part, difficult people to work with. (i am straining politeness here.) it is hard to tolerate the cattiness, finger-pointing, and constantly shifting standards.

and business has been slow for the past few months (faltering economy, anyone?). for a while it has been questionable whether some of us would continue to work full time. (scary...i really can't afford to work part time right now.) so you can only imagine that this added stress makes everyone even more intolerable. it is hard to put on a sunny face sometimes.

things are on a slight upswing at the moment, thankfully.

pete is in texas for the next two weeks on business, so i am going to try and make an effort to post while he is away.

i can't even begin to write about how much aubrey has changed over the past several months. she is starting to put together words into short sentences. she is starting to show early signs of potty-training readiness (we're not quite there yet, but i think by summertime she'll be ready). she is starting to identify feelings (aubrey sad...aubrey happy...monkey funny). it's really amazing.

this weekend we are headed down to my folks for a visit. my sister had a baby girl two weeks ago, so i'm excited to spend some time snuggling with the baby. will be good to get away, i think.

where did my mojo go?

a quick post to say that we're all alive over here, but life's been kind of hectic. job has been nutty and we've all been battling colds, pink eye, and ear infections.

we're on the mend, though. it's just been hard to keep up with blooging these days.

in fact, i'm feeling a bit at a loss for where the days/weeks are going...i think i've lost my mojo. i hope it returns soon!

i promise a post with pictures and details of miss a's latest tricks soonly.

the house of sicky

hola from la casa del sicky. we've all come down with colds, which is no fun. mine has been particulary bad...i'm thinking it might be evolving into a sinus infection. blerg. i've been so busy with work etc. that it's hard to find down time. hopefully this weekend will be low key.

not much to report on these days...aubrey is her ususal self. saying more words every day. we're getting good at some two word phrases. in addition to "oh boy," we are regularly saying "oh yeah," "all gone," "uh oh" and, on occasion, "love you," "more please" and "more juice." (We have recently introduced aubrey to the joys of watered down juice at breakfast time...she's hooked.)

she's been singing a lot these days, too. she likes to sing a song that goes something like this: "aubreyaubreyaubreyaubrey....aubreeeeeey." : )

will write again when feeling better. and i really do mean to post some pictures. really i do.

"oh booooooy...."

...is aubrey's expression du jour. that and, "let's gooooo!" so cute!

i am AMAZED at how fast aubrey is changing over these past few weeks. her language skills are expanding rapidly. she mimics words and even short phrases. she is getting good at saying a "k" or hard "c" sound now. (she calls my sister kasey "kee kee" now...a big improvement over "tee tee.") and she has graduated from pointing out letters and numbers to starting to say them. if we are reading a story and she recognizes a letter, she points to it and says what the letter is.

she is also becoming quite the little runner and climber. she really is starting to become a toddler and not a baby.

it's happening so fast!!! i am trying to savor these moments of discovery.

its been very cold and snowy up here in the north country. we spent this weekend down at my parent's place. pete left for DC on saturday (he's gone for most of the week...boo) so it's just me, aubrey and the cabmeister. although i'm getting pretty good at managing the routine by myself, it is tough not having pete around. makes me realize how much of a team we are.

i've said this before, but i'll say it again...i am so thankful i'm not a single mother. don't know how they do it day after day.