T minus 6 and counting...

So much happens in a week around here these days. The child grows his vocabulary by roughly 75%, we use enough packing tape to secure the Vatican's vast holdings, and the reality of leaving this place I have lovingly complained about for 6 years begins to dawn on us. Since thinking about leaving my church, E. and Beth, the two best real-live toddlermom-friends a girl could ever ask for (one of whom had her THIRD baby yesterday--Sam and Nina's little brother, Milo, a healthful and winsome 7 lbs, 12 oz.) and my many other beloved State Collegians in T-minus-6 days makes me weep, I will simply update you on other not-so-sentimental goings-on here in the Matic household. (and yes, hyphens are a girl's best friend. At least this girl.)

One: Another haircut. I was feeling at one with the clippers this time, so we boldly went for an almost Daddymatically-short hairdo. Behold, the before and after:

Before: What? I do NOT look like a shaggy dog. My eyes are under these bangs somewhere, Mama.
After: Okay, the haircut I get, but the Peter Pan collar? Is this really necessary? Really?

Two: St. Bee-bee has arrived--alas, without the Grampy-matic--and it's every bit as good as advertised to have her here. D delights in his new game, which is to yell "BEE BEE!" and have her yell his name right back at him. Of course, the downside is that we all tire of this game waaay before he does, but whatever. Here he is, naming the other important members of his immediate family, including himself, and at the end, Lambie, whose has been re-christened Ya-ya, by the various twists and turns of toddler phonetics:


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Three: At long last, we proudly announce the advent of MANNERS. Yes, when asked "what do you say?" we now get a "please" (as seen below) and often, even without prompting, are rewarded with a "day-choo" (that's "thank you," for ye of little imagination). Observe the toddler in his usual habitat (smack dab in the middle of the kitchen floor, cracker container in hand.). I was trying to get him to repeat "cracker" but instead was pleasantly rewarded with a "please?"

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Four: And finally, for our final act, those of you who insisted that there is some biologically-based attraction between a boy and his truck, I am sorry for pooh-poohing you. I think you are right, and my mother-in-law crows with delight when I tell her of D's various "all-boy" antics. But just when I think it's nothing but football and testicle-grabbing from here on out, my boy surprises me. Here's a video I call "fancy lady" just for my in-laws:


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So that's it for now. Wish us luck and you may not hear from us until we're ensconced in our new home, but probably, I will not be able to wait that long to blab again. Especially since I am hoping to meet Nancy over the 4th-of-July.