I know, I know. It's been a long time. It's not that I haven't thought about you. It's that I've gotten in that first-of-the-year-we-haven't-been-doing-enough-rush. Now, each week, we have gardening twice a week, aikido twice a week for Ryan, piano and dance once a week each for Mira, water aerobics twice a week for me (while the kids swim with friends), and indoor rock climbing once a week. That's all in addition to "school" and socializing. Oh, and girl scouts once a week. Somehow I found myself the designated "cookie mom" this year, in charge of cookie sales and ordering for Mira's troop.

In case that wasn't enough to keep us busy, we got a new dog. We couldn't help ourselves. She's a one year old miniature daschund named Mimi, and she's turned our world upside-down.

We're busy, but we're having a great time and grateful for the freedom to do all these things we want to do. Mira's piano instructor told her yesterday that she's the best beginning student she's ever had, and Ryan ranked up three levels on his first aikido test.

I really don't know how some families handle jobs and school in addition to all the lessons and sports kids participate in these days.

It seems like there's more, but it will have to wait til later. We're off to aikido, then the garden, then...