Lately.

First, if this post's title makes you think of Jodeci (as well as Stevie Wonder), then I'm pretty sure we're friends.  It's actually just referring to a long overdue update.

Second, behold Marley and her cousin Riley, poised to enter a wonderland of farm fun nearly a week ago.  Riley looks like a rock star, more specifically, according to my sister Heather, Jon Bon Jovi in the eighties.  Marley is totally into balancing these days: hopping, skipping, and twirling with her hands on her hips the way a "ballet-er" might.  Here are some other things occupying our time these days.

Me:

1.  Watching the Celtics, all of a sudden, especially that Ray Allen.  He seems pretty no nonsense and is out there to get the job done.  But you know what?  He's chewing gum, too.  It's casual athleticism that I admire.  I love it when a team's choreography looks effortless and actually proves hours and hours of practice.  I love a give-and-go, a no-look pass, and especially, a not-in-my-house stuff.  I'm watching the playoffs with my mouth open.  I played basketball in junior high and high school.  I was pretty terrible.  But I liked wearing my tube socks high and growled around as though I could block shots.  At just about 5'7".

2.  Calling Todd T-Money.  (I really only did this once.  And then I said, "Hey?  What if I start calling you T-Money?"  So it's not actually a habit.)

3.  Writing lists of the cleverly named (T)odd Jobs for him to get done.  I think I'm hilarious.

4.  Drinking coffee:  hot in a mug, cold through a straw, in latte form flavored with thick caramel syrup in a white or brown to-go cardboard cup.  I'm planning my next one as I type.

Rudy:

1.  Rolling over.  Almost.  She arches her back and looks over her shoulder and smiles that gummy grin.  But she's got to work on momentum.

2.  Sitting up.  Almost.  When Rudy's not strapped, as usual, in her car seat because of doctor's appointments (Marley's, my mom's), or school and day care drop-offs and pick-ups (Marley's, my mom's), she's balancing for fractions of a second before either folding at the hips or flopping over to the side.

3.  Panting excitedly until she pulls whatever she's got in her hands (including her toes) into her drooly mouth.

4.  Falling asleep with a fuzzy friend (Lamby, Curious George, Super Grover, or Lion L. Richie) touching her face.

Marley:

1.  Coloring.  She sprawls out on the floor on her stomach, kicking her crossed ankles behind her, and works her crayons and markers through coloring books featuring those Princesses I've had it with or Rudolph and the Abominable Snow Monster.

2.  Rejecting pants, even the bright pink ones that we picked out together, because "They're not BEAUTIFUL [boo-ta-foh]!"  Only dresses and skirts are beautiful, apparently.  And then I launch into a speech about beauty being about kindness and, uh, hard work?  (I'm pushing the hard work, people.  Earlier this week at lacrosse practice, several "athletes" protested the running we instructed them to do.  The head coach started pacing and lecturing, and I was like her back-up singer, shouting an exasperated, "One mile?!" over her shoulder at what I thought were effective intervals.  Seriously.)

3.  Watching, reading, and singing about Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Madeline.  And a steady rotation of Hello Kitty and panda puzzles.

Todd:

1.  Watering the lawn in strategic four-minute spurts.

2.  Staring forlornly at the lawn and willing the grass to grow