Update

Just a quick update:

1. The clinic is ours as of Tuesday
2. We're moving on Sunday
3. We're no where near ready to move
4. Instead of getting shorter, our to-do list keeps growing
5. I'm ready for a vacation

Total eclipse

Itchy informed me yesterday that there was going to be a total lunar eclipse tomorrow night. The last one was over 3 years ago. We watched that one on the hood of of car on The Island. We'll probably be watching this one inside. It's a little colder here in MN than it was on The Island.

The article also gave the dates for the next few lunar eclipses. There are two of them next year. Amazingly, one is on Itchy's birthday (the big 3-0) and the second one is on my birthday! What are the odds? It's not like total lunar eclipses happen all the time. So having two in one year is pretty cool. But for them to be on our birthdays? That's gotta be some kind of sign!

Some of her new amazing skills

Stowa is busy being a one year old. She is officially walking all over the place. Running if she has something to hold on to (like her doll stroller or rocking chair). She can say a bunch of words that are easily understood by all (mama, dada, cat, kitty, 'See (cat's real name), moo moo, meow, no, fish, book, night-night, num-num, bye bye, etc). She can say even more words that only I can understand. She tried to say "not that one" (seriously I told her "not that one" and she tried to repeat it, it sounded more like no da on, but whatever). Speaking of the rocking chair, she likes to stand on it. Fun for her, scary for mommy.

Her ability to understand what we tell her surprises me for some reason. It's normal for her age. But if we tell her to go get her pacifier, she goes and gets it. If you ask her to wash her hands, she starts rubbing her hands together. Ask her if she's hungry and she points to her mouth. If you give her a brush (hers or the cat's) she will brush her hair.

Let's see, she also gives hugs and kisses now. It's pretty awesome. She also likes to "get" people. She thinks that she's tickling but it's more slapping. Funny little kid.

She is in love with dolls. She walks around carrying her dolls (or stuffed animals depending on her mood). She covers them with blankies and pats them, rocks them, and dances with them. Freaking adorable. One of the dolls she got for her birthday came with a bottle so she's been feeding her babies too.

Perhaps her most favorite thing in the whole world in Itchy's Iphone. She likes to pretend to talk on it. She must be a very busy person though. She needs both hands free so she holds the phone in place with a good old shoulder shrug and head tilt. Only thing is she then holds her arm out straight to help keep it in place. Then she walks around like that. Carrying on quite the conversation. Her "friends" must be funny because she laughs a lot when she's on the phone.

We've got our troubles too. She's not always sweet and innocent. I can't leave the room without her freaking out. She's very demanding. Hates the word "no". Oh the tantrums she throws when you don't give her the Iphone. She's a beast when she's hungry. She's also a very slow teether. She still only has 4 teeth. She's teething again now. It sucks. I think there are 4 more teeth trying to break through all at the same time.

Itchy has a job (AKA: I'm moving again)

Nothing has been signed and it's not quite official yet, but it looks like Itchy and I are buying a vet clinic. Obviously, Itchy will have a job there. Yay! He finally has a job.

It all happened really fast. We went out there to look at the place and Itchy fell in love. It was his ideal clinic. Everything he wanted. Well, the location isn't, but the clinic itself is. Great staff, great equipment, etc. We talked about it and did some research. Started talking to bankers. Then we made an offer. The seller accepted the offer the same day.

So we have a verbal agreement to buy this place. The papers should be signed by next week and we should close by the end of the month.

This has all taken about one month. It seems really fast. Especially with all the birthday hoopla thrown in there.

It's about 1 hour and 45 minutes from where we live right now. Which means we have to move. Again. You all know how much I hate moving*. We're probably going to look at places next week.

The town is small. Like really small. It has no Target. In fact the closest one is 45 minutes away. Oh the horrors. But it's a lake town. We'll be able to (eventually) have a house on the lake. That's something we've both always wanted. Itchy will die happy if he can fish everyday.

So that's why I haven't been around. That and because I live with a very short and demanding person. Constant attention with that one. If not, she's sticking things in outlets and counting the cat's teeth. It gets ugly.

*Moving: We've moved a lot in the last year and a half. April 2009 we moved off The Island to College Town (international moves should count as double). We half-moved to Itchy's parent's house in January 2010 (we were there for 7 weeks with a newborn, we had to pack a lot of stuff) and then back to College Town. We moved in with FIL in August 2010. We moved to our current apartment in September 2010. Now we're moving again. December 2010: Moving to Super Small Town. The really *great* part is that because we're putting everything into the clinic, we won't be able to buy a house right away. We'll have to rent. I think we all know what that means.

Itchy is dying

He has a sore throat and the sniffles. Someone call the WHAmbulance. I need to start planning the funeral.