It's been a long time since my last post, and like Ashlee Simpson, I come bearing excuses. You see, it's not my fault I haven't done anything worth writing about, or that Zoey's kept me so busy I haven't had time to think about anything. Because in order to stop and write something, one has to think something, and lately it's been pretty much all Zoey. She's at a stage now where she won't let me do anything. If I try and pick up a magazine, or even look at the mail, she comes up to me and says, "No more reading." She also makes me sit down and play with her. "Mommy, play with blocks," she'll say, surprisingly clearly. Or we'll have to put on one of her CDs and dance to the music. Fortunately, she's on to some new CDs, so we don't always have to listen to Sesame Street or that lame Tunes for Toddlers.

It's also not my fault that I've been playing Bejeweled every time I have a spare moment.

Zoey's current top 10 songs (in no particular order): "Pig on her Head" by Laurie Berkner, "We are the dinosaurs" Laurie Berkner, "I'm a little Dinosaur" Jonathan Richman, "I'm a little Airplane" Jonathan Richman, "Bumblebee" Laurie Berkner,"This Hat" Laurie Berkner, "Kukenhaken" Jonathan Richman, "The Rules have Changed" New Pornagraphers, "Hey Diddle Diddle" anyone willing to sing it, "Twist Around" from the Bunny Collection CD for her music class.

Ok, so, we're a little heavy on the Laurie Berkner, but fortunately, she's great. Her songs are simple and fun, and she sings easily within my vocal range. I could even pick up her songs on the guitar, except that Zoey doesn't let me play the guitar.

Any second now, she's going to realize I'm not in the living room with her and wander this way, screaming "MaMA" the whole way, in her innocent, yet accusing voice. Of course, having just written that sentence, you might think, "Oh my gosh, is Mari leaving her child unattended?" Well, yes, but just for a moment. Besides, she's reading. ("reading") But yes, it is bad of me. I never leave her alone for long, because I will undoubtedly at some point have a vision in my head of her lying dead on the carpet having picked up some random piece of cat poo or something and choked on it.

Wait, I hear her little footsteps coming toward me now. She's going to come into the room and walk up to me, grab my hand and lead me out of the room. Goodbye.