Why I Haven't Been Musing Much in the Blogosphere Lately...

Because I had 22 people, including 13 children all 3 and under, in my homey yet tiny townhouse for a holiday cookie swap yesterday. (A fun but tiring event to host... Look for more details in a future blog.)

Because Madeline has decided to start boycotting naps...again...and also wake up when Dave gets up for work, usually before the sun has even started to rise and decides to save a little poop to squeeze out after I've put on her pull-ups for the night, tucked her in and left her alone in her bedroom surrounded by a herd of stuffed animals. (Somehow she can poop on the potty all daylong yet still save some to push out as a final nighttime stalling tactic. This shouldn't surprise me, considering that when she was about a year old, she started pooping during nap time, knowing that I'd come change her and she'd be spared at least a few more minutes of sleep. Not sleep! The horror! The horror!)

Because today I woke up feeling like I'd been hit by a mack truck, achy and congested with my fourth cold since September. (No, I don't have an immunity problem. I used to never get sick, but something about getting less than five hours of cumulative sleep since my first trimester of pregnancy with Rachel Marie is wreaking havoc on my immune system. Go figure.)

Because my Christmas card list includes about 100 people and I'm trying to get them all mailed out by next week.

Because Dave was on call on Monday and has to work this whole weekend, too.

Because I can't say no to anything and have taken on three new freelance writing assignments.

Because we have five holiday parties to go to, including a bridal shower I'm hosting for Dave's sister.

Because Rachel Marie spits up on everything, including the carpet (I walk around with Clear Windex and am constantly cleaning up pools of regurgitated breastmilk) as well as the pile of freshly laundered clothes I stupidly had in my arms while I was carrying her, and I have to do about three loads of laundry every day, lest we all want to walk around smelling like eau du breastmilk.

Because I did one freakin' telephone survey and now I get calls to do surveys all of the time. (No, I don't do them, but just racing to answer the phone while a baby's attached to your boob and your preschooler is clinging to your leg requires a lot of effort.)

Because I am a total Type A, as in anal, anxious and antsy, and I have to do everything perfectly.

But most of all, because I am a mommy and when the kiddos beckon, I answer, even if it means I don't have much time to blog about them.