The DiPilla Diaries: Kam's on the move and Maddy's flying south! A whole lot is happening in D'town.

I cannot believe it. How did that happen again? I let time just slip past. I kept thinking about updating the blog, but there always seemed to be something better to do -- play with Kam and Maddy, do laundry, visit or talk on the phone with friends/family, clean the house, surf the web, cook meals, play guitar...

So much has happened since the last update. Kam went from butt-bouncing on the floor to speed crawling. She does not sit still, either -- ever, it seems. She fights sleep, twisting and jerking her body in your arms. She needs a gentle bear hug, singing and rocking. Oh yes...she makes you use everything in your bedtime arsenal. She’s also becoming more aware of her surroundings; looking around doorways for you, saying (waving) “hi” when she sees one of us and “bye” when her Daddy leaves for work. It's cool. She’s starting to eat Cheerios for snacks. She loves fruit and yogurt, grilled zucchini (we found this out on a trip with Me-mom to Tierney Farms), pancakes, French toast, eggs, avocados, and she goes CRAZY for Green Goodness drink from Bolthouse Farms. (If you’ve never tried this before, you must. It’s in the produce section of most grocery stores. I only get it on rare occasions, because it’s expensive -- $4 for a small jug -– but so good…for breakfast, as a snack. It tastes like a tropical fruit smoothie.) Kam also has begun to notice (and loves) dogs. But when they bark, she jumps and makes funny, pinched-up faces, blinking her eyes rapidly.

Maddy is learning a lot about being a big sister. She’s learning that babies can’t sit on couches unattended. She’s also learned that even though her baby sister can crawl, she can’t crawl up and down stairs yet. (Yes, you can’t take your eyes off the two of them for even one second!) When she’s not trying to teach her sister new tricks, Maddy is playing school with her lips phone at her new (well…new to us) desk from Mom-mom and Pop-pop Pagnotta. She takes calls from parents who want to enroll their children in her school and sets up interviews with teachers (on the lips phone) and she calls people into the office over the intercom system (lips phone). She’s also training her Siberian Husky dog (stuffed animal), Mia, tricks. She keeps a list of tricks she wants to teach Mia, like sit, down, stay, high-5, bang!, dance. When Mia finally learns the trick, Maddy puts a check mark next to it.

Mike and I are doing well. I’ve contracted with a massage office a couple of miles down the street from our condo. While I’m free to bring in my own clients, she also will set appointments for me. Her schedule is constantly booked so she needed someone to handle new clients and overflow. I let her know that I can commit to every night after 5:30 and anytime on Saturdays. As new clients call in, I’ll get the ones looking to schedule massages during those hours. As for Mike, he's doing great at Teva. He still loves it there. We’re looking forward to going to the company picnic at Dorney Park next month. (UGH!! I can’t believe I just typed that!! I am so not a “company picnic” sort of person…but hey, it's Dorney Park…woo hoo!)

We still love living here, but really miss our friends and family. I had visions of block parties and drinking margaritas in the courtyard with neighbors by now (seriously). But we’re finding that while most people here are very friendly and polite, they aren’t the throw-down type of partiers that we’re used to being around. ;) I’m still hoping to build that compound…sigh.

Anyway…enjoy the month-in-pictures. :)

Friday, June 1, 2007