And on this day, July 4th, 2008, two miracles hath occurred:

The first miracle comes in the form of a certain set of in-laws and their miraculous appearance in The Burgh. It has been just shy of 2 1/2 years since Daddy o' Mr. Husband ventured this far North. When I first heard rumors of an appearance, I did not believe. That's right, I was not a believer. But, a big white flying hunk of metal landed in The Burgh, and aboard were Daddy o' Mr. Husband and Stepmommy o' Mr. Husband.

The Toddler, for her part, appears to be so shocked by this miracle that she can't even make eye contact with her visitors. I'll be talking to her in the morning and reminding her that Daddy o' Mr. Husband is far more likely to purchase Dora toys than I am, and that she should kick the butt-kissing into overdrive immediately.

(I plan to continue posting throughout this miraculous appearance, but if you don't see me around, do not worry. I'm somewhere or other, just not here. Or there.)

The other miracle, while not 29 months in the making, is a pretty darn big deal. I finally did it. Finally, six months later than I should have. It only took a few minutes, and today I FINALLY remembered and got it done. So mark your calendars for on July 4, 2008, I finally . . .

. . . took down Alexis' Christmas tree. I was going to just leave it up for next year, but we're are knee deep in looking for a new house, so there's a chance I would have to pack it anyway. Rejoice! All Christmas decorations are finally put away!

Commence mocking in 3 . . . 2 . . . 1 . . . mock away.

I deserve it.