At long last

I think I've met a new record for longest time between posts. Sorry about that, although I can proudly say we've been living life to the fullest and not spending too much time (any time) writing about it.

We took a family vacation at the end of June to Westport, which is little fishing community on the coast of Washington. We went with two other families and their daughters, who are both Sasha's age. Here is a great picture of Sasha playing in the sand with Hazel, Stefanie and Mike's daughter. Sasha and Hazel were born only a few days apart.

Spending a few days with two other families was a blast. There were plenty of adults to make dinner AND watch kids AND some adults left over who could (gasp!) relax or go get donuts and coffee for the adults who were doing the heavy lifting. All this communal task sharing made me think more seriously about the benefits of communes, kibbutzes, and polygamy. Well, until I started reading Under the Banner of Heaven, that is. Rosy images of having a few co-wives around the house have forever been banished.

While none of us are headed for communal living, we did all agree that the weekend was a success and we're ready to make another go at it in several months or so. We're thinking about Whistler in the winter maybe.

Sasha continues to grow at astronomical speed. She recently had her 18 month checkup and pretty much has the body and brain of a 2 year old. Yikes! I expect her to start to slow down at some point, but until then, we're running along just trying to keep up. The girl is packed full of energy and spirit and definitely has a strong opinion about most things, as is evident here:

When she's not telling us what's what, she loves to dance and sing and her moves are getting more evolved over time. She does this fantastic little head wobble that makes me think she has a future in Bollywood. She is eclectic in her musical taste, enjoying everything from alt country to dancehall reggae to jazz to gangsta rap.

Sasha also has a friend, Nadia, who she is quite fond of. Tonight, in fact, they had their first phone conversation which consisted of, "Bdasouwlere, Nadia!" "Sasha!" "Saoeruaeldfu, bye Nadia!"

Every one of our days is peppered with the name Nadia. Sasha even calls her Daddy "Nadia" when he walks in the door. Either she is very confused or just pretty sure that one of these days it actually will be Nadia walking through the door.

Here's Sasha and Nadia a month or so ago enjoying some kind of snack.

Billie, Nadia's mom, has a video she needs to edit and post of the two girls post-bath chasing each other around the house wearing nothing but hooded towels. They are pretty darn cute together (and apart).

Sorry to make it so short after not posting for so long, but my evenings are brief these days. I'll try to do another one soon.


In the meantime, I leave you with a final image: