Back Online.

Well, we've been through our periodic screwed-up-the-internet party again, but we're back now. I can't say it was too terrible a thing, since now a) I get to read everything all at once, b) I did some good writing (let me remind myself that I don't know how to write novels, it's all right to trash everything and start over, newly inspired. 'Kay.), and c) a break in the addiction is always a good thing.

Brief:

Ray's still cute. She had a good birthday. I bought an angelfood cake, going against all those years of state-fair angelfood cakes I made for 4-H because I don't have a stationary mixer and, dang it, the thought of making an angelfood cake by hand gave me the willies. I decorated it by hand, though, as Clifford the Dog. I am so Cool. We let Ray, according to Knippling family tradition, have a clear shot at the cake before serving it to the rest of the family. She drew little pictures in the frosting for about three seconds but was not otherwise tempted to eat the stuff. One of her presents was a box of washable crayons. Ha. Wash nothing. Read: edible...and poopable. Man, that was gross.

The big news, though, is that in the last two weeks or so she's decided to start talking. She knows "Daddy," "Kitty," Mamma," "Joe" (DOE!), and "Diaper" (Di-duh), and she learned them roughly in that order.

Four teeth on top, two teeth on bottom. She can run. She thinks naked is better than clothes, showers and baths both have their points, bacon is gooooooood, dogs bark, lions and bears roar, monkeys hoot.

More later