We don't eat a lot of desert around the Smoochy house. Don't get me wrong, we usually have ice cream in the freezer and I like to bake as much as the next stay at home mom with a sweet tooth, but after dinner we usually move right from the table to bathing the kids. Well, at my parent's house there is USUALLY ice cream for desert. My mom actually hails from a long line of desert eaters. At my grandma's house desert is as much as a given as the vegetable.

Anyway, since we have been visiting with my mom, Normy has become quite the ice cream lover.

Tonight he was given his own small dish... which he quickly and happily ate. When his portion was gone, I scooped out a little of my own and put it in his dish. I wanted to keep him occupied and in his seat. He quickly ate what I gave him and pushed his dish back to me for more. I couldn't refuse him, so shared a little more. This went on until my dish was empty as well. At that point Normy started looking around the table to see who else might be willing to share their ice cream. Aunt Kate was the closest and most likely candidate... so he pushed his dish to her. She still had quite a bit left, and she has a soft spot for him. His dish must have passed between them at least three times before her ice cream was gone too. I know it isn't coming out in this story, but it was so funny at the time. We were all laughing so hard.

Moving is a magical time when everything that you are: your home, habits, routines, and even friendships are torn apart, mixed-up, rearranged, finally reordered and put back together as something entirely new yet made with all the building blocks of your past.

This will be our third move in three years... and we will only be in the Chicago area a year or so before we do it all over again. So, I feel like something of an expert on moving... though the seasoned military wives surely have me beat.

Moving is a great chance to de-clutter. We have a heaping pile of things destined for the Salvation Army. How is it that each time we move we can still have such a large "to-go" pile? How do we accumulate so much STUFF?

It is also a brilliant time to start new and better habits. Smoochy is contemplating a smoke-free life. I think I will start an herb garden and a yoga practice at our new home... and Georgia is on the fast track to sleeping in her own bed, though she is for now blissfully unaware and enjoying her last few nights of co-sleeping. (I'm drinking in her sturdy little body next to mine for the last few nights as well...) And Normy, well it's a toddler bed and potty-training 101 waiting for him. The changes are coming.

But the hardest thing to do is leave behind the wonderful friends we've made here in Omaha. We have had a week of bitter/sweet good-byes. Bitter because we know distance will change our friendships; but sweet recollecting a year and a half of great times and savoring the knowledge that distance can't dull the true ties that have been forged.

Recently a friend of mine sent me a Fwd asking you to choose which desert most appeals to you from a list of yummy treats. Based on your choice the email goes on to give you a peek in to your psychology based on your desert preference. I know, a highly accurate way to analyze you character! Any way, I chose lemon meringue pie. And this is what I was told about myself:

LEMON MERINGUE - Smooth, sexy, & articulate with your hands, you are an excellent caregiver and a good teacher. But don't try to walk and chew gum at the same time. A bit of a diva at times, you set your own style because you do your own thing. You shine when it comes to helping others and have many friends.

Well, I can only tell you that the love and affection my dear friends have shown me this week sure make me feel like, Lemon Meringue. Thank You from the depth of my heart, ladies. The party and the tokens of your friendship you gifted me have touched me and blessed me in a way I just don't have words to describe. I will miss you so much.

They're all so stinking cute!

The Smoochy family has just returned from the poles, an we are all charged up for the day! It feels great to vote; to believe that you have a stake in our democracy. It feels great to believe that you have a modicum of control over the state of the country. Go for it people. The lines are fun. Bring a cup of coffee; meet your neighbors; and participate in our democracy! 

However, instead of seeing adorable pictures of my kids in their costumes, this is all you get. I carelessly left my camera on top of the dining room table within Normy's reach. When I saw him playing with it I calmly approached him to retrieve it. He hollered "No!" and flung it fully opened across the room and into a wall. I'm so upset I can't see straight. It is utterly broken. The following are the last pictures ever recorded with that particular Cannon. 

This post will hopefully get everyone feeling caught up. I have a lot of "baby book" type memories I feel like I need to record before they fade into the bowels of time. (Oops, I mean annals!) ;-)

This first photo here captures the essence of our day-to-day. We have a pretty awesome nighttime routine going on. Every night Smoochy gets home from work and we pretty much immediately sit down to dinner. He usually walks in the door at about 6:15-ish. From dinner, the four of us migrate upstairs for the bath and bed routines. I love that this is a big family event. It gives Smooch and I a chance to talk about our days and the kids a chance to see us all as one big happy family. It is infinitely fun. I love that after a LONG day at work my husband wants to take part in this very basic child-care activity. It makes it tons easier on me, and makes bath time way less mundane. It's also lots nicer now that Georgia can bathe WITH Normy. That just started this month.

You know, growing up in Florida, I have no memories of fall. I can't recollect breaking out the sweaters and the jackets for the first time since spring. I have no childhood memories of piles of fall leaves just waiting to be pounced on or seasonal cooking like chili ad stews when it was brisk outside. Don't get me wrong, I was far from deprived. I never had to suffer the indignity of having to wear a sweater over my Halloween costume. It's impossible to complain about living someplace where you can walk to the beach year round... though I would never dream of going swimming if the water was any cooler than about 82 degrees. Seriously. That's too fricking cold.

You can't see it here. But, her first little tooth has broken through on the bottom. I can't not believe it! Her brother didn't get his first tooth until he was 11 months old. As a nursing mom, I was pretty happy with later teeth. But, this sure makes sense considering Georgie's recent grumpyness and restless nights. Amazing. I keep promising her that I'll introduce her to some solids, but I've been procrastinating... Making baby food, changing real  poopy diapers... I haven't been ready to make the switch. I used to tell her, "Georgia, you don't even have teeth yet, you don't need big-people food." Well crap, I'm out of excuses. It might be time to break out the blender and steam some veggies.