I don’t know how you celebrate this Canadian National Holiday, but basically I just like to place my beaver in a prominent position in the house and make sure he gets the acknowledgment he deserves.

p.s. it’s celebrated on the last Friday in February every year.

It’s been a good year since I’ve experienced this so forgive me if I’m a little clumsy talking about it.

The basics: Dash slept in his own bed last night. By himself. In another room. And only woke for about five minutes before falling back to sleep. And another tooth broke through.

Holy. Crap.

Please please please let this be a sign of things to come. Sweet Jesus, I am ready.

Do you ever wonder what the Bloodhound Gang would investigate if they were still on TV? I do, and I think my subject line is right up their alley. I could totally write for that show.

Some things that have happened since I last wrote:

Dash climbed a stair. And then he climbed about 36,000 more stairs. He will climb your stairs if you will let him.

Went to a Pilates studio open-house and felt both out of shape and totally energized by the possibility of being in shape. I think that’s a good thing.

Took pictures of the lunar eclipse and realized I have totally inadequate photographic equipment for such things. Can you say “tiny white dot on a black screen”?
I think you can. I know I can.

Worked on some freelance proofreading. A thriller this time. It was actually pretty good. A little scary.

Celebrated Valentine’s Day with my sweety by leaving Dash at home with Meme and Bum and heading out to The Wine Bar, a favorite old haunt of ours. Yummy pizzette and salad (and wine, natch) and the entertainment of eavesdropping on the dates happening all around us. Married couples, dating couples, and what looked to be a couple of first or second dates (valentine’s day really turns on the pressure when you’re just dating, doesn’t it?). Home to catch Lost.

Dash learned how to climb out of his Stokke Tripp Trapp (look for an updated product review soon!) and onto the table. It’s both dangerous and funny.

I think lots of other things have happened too, but they’re escaping my memory. My brother, his wife, and their son, Jordan are flying in tonight to stay for the week so we’re pretty busy with preparations. Cleaning, cooking, planning some three-year-old-friendly activities (speaking of which, if you know of a can’t-lose-super-fun activity in the greater Portland area, please comment below. i’ll take any and all suggestions!).

I best get back to the clean up effort. I see the Sunday paper has begun cascading off the table and onto the floor. And that would be fine if only we kept the recycling bucket beneath the table, but in fact, we do not. I have to manually pick up the paper and walk it over to the recycling bucket on the front porch. What an effort!

[Please Note: by “effort,” I mean, practically no effort at all. I’ll be writing more in the coming weeks (perhaps a monthly column) on easy ways to stay green, one of the most obvious and easiest being recycling.]

Later taters.

Did I mention that I will be accepting gifts for Valentine’s Day? That’s right! For a limited time only (it’s just one day) I will be receiving gifts through the mail, online, or in person. To take advantage of this fabulous offer, just keep reading.

I’ve made a simple list of some of the many ways you can participate:

Visit Three Potato Four. Purchase anything. Anything at all. Man I love that shop!

Take me out for a drink at the Top of the East.

Visit the Old Port Candy Co. mmmm… gummy things, chocolate things, things….

(And while we’re talking candy, if anyone can figure out how to get the swedish fish people to start making the grape flavor again, please let me know. Do you miss them too? Let’s band together! We’ll hold a caucus if we have to. I just know we can make a difference.)

So there you have it. Just a few simple ways to say “I Heart Tonya.” And while we’re at it, I heart all of you, too. And I hope you have a divine Valentine’s Day.

Somewhere, in a land where February temperatures average somewhere in the 70’s, a gal’s big brother turns 33. Have a great birthday!