We're BACK!

Miss us? Hope so!

We took a little unplanned break from blogging. For all you loyal readers: thanks for checking back. Truly. We missed us too.

And although you'd think, after more than a month hiatus from blogging we'd have something REALLY big to report. Not so much.

What we do have is a few little tidbits. Most of our bits add up to quite a bit of R&R over the holidays, even more bits of writing during those lovely post-holiday hours when the recycling is finally out and the thank you notes are mailed, and a nice bit of unplugging from student emails and calls among siblings arranging joint-gifts for our parents.

Here's what the last month adds up to:

12: The number of times my (Carol's) children were heard asking "Will we be receiving presents today?"
5: The average number of deep breathes I would take before answering.
7: The number of uncomfortable beds our family endured over a one-week span at various visits to relatives.
3: The number of times I actually paid my 8 year old cash to wear the christmas outfit I painstakingly picked out AND purchased for her. At full price. (Show me some empirical evidence that bribing is bad for your kids and their sense of style).


See? Doesn't she look cute in polka dots? (the hat was her idea)

78: The number of sugar cookies I (just me - Carol) consumed in precisely 2 weeks.
?: The undisclosed number of martinis I personally consumed (think chocolate, pom, dirty, cranberry .. not all at once but always shaken, not stirred).
-1: The number of lbs I gained (yes - hate me for my high metabolism). I can't help it.
6.5: The number of times we've been ice-skating - out doors - in the past 2 weeks! (One outing got cut in half because of a fight that broke out between two kids. Yes. Those were my kids).
3: The number of cheers you should yell out if you live in Minnesota and have learned to embrace the winters too.
99: The number of pages of our forthcoming book we (Anna and I) cranked out in the past month.
286: The approximate number of days until that fabulous new book should be on the shelves of bookstores everywhere.
50+: The number of times we hope you will simultaneously laugh and cry while reading our 3rd in the "Happy series."
Almost 1: The hour at which I'm writing this blog before I finally get to sleep. Yes, I'm the in-bed-at-exactly-10-type. But tonight, "argh" + "yeah" = insomnia. I (Carol) just received some really great news and am stirring with excitement. "What? Do tell?" Not yet. But check back.
9.5: The number of hours of sleep I need to be really happy. I'm in trouble.
2: The number my fingers make when I gesture my ultimate goal for the next year ("Peace.") In my life. And yours. Corny. But true.

Again, to our friends and readers: thanks for hanging in there with us during our temporary break. We promise great news, insights and stories in 2009 and beyond.

Peace. To you and all.