I’m sure it’s happened at least once in everyone’s life.  You reconnect with an old friend you haven’t spoken to in a while and, just then, at that moment, you realise that it’s been an age since you last talked and you should never have let such an amount of time pass.  Well, I now notice that this is also the case with me and my blog.

So apologies to all.  Especially Mitzi, the blog’s biggest fan! But fret not – broadband engineers have finally conquered these heretofore impassable lands and we are online. Huzzah!

Hazel is now 25 months old.  Honestly, it would take an essay, not a blog entry, to cover everything that has happened in her life since I last posted in December.

In that time, she’s had her second birthday, spent two nights in Mayo General Hospital and had an arranged marriage confirmed.  Ok, the last one of those isn’t true.

She can walk, she can run (albeit it’s edge-of-the-seat stuff), she loves bubbles (cool) and spilling drinks (not cool), thinks she can drive the car and use the computer and, much to the delight of my side of the family, seems to have inherited her mother’s singing voice.

And she can talk. Baby’s first steps are a cliched, break out the video camera, moment. But speech development has been more wondrous to follow.  The day-by-day improvements; the mistakes that are funny enough to quote; the “where did that come from?” full sentences. Last week, while playing with her pasta, she asked “How about ice-cream, instead?”. That’s right, instead!  Again, in a discussion over food, she told me “I’m not going to eat it”. That’s two verbs in one sentence.  These are pretty advanced uses of language and, while (of course) I knew she’d be able to talk some day, it’s a pleasant surprise to hear.

Her favourite hobby is hide and seek.  There is no situation that can’t activate a game of hide and seek.  All it takes is Hazel starting to count to ten.  When she gets there she’ll declare “Ready or not, here we come!”  Up to this point, you won’t be sure if you’re supposed to be hiding or seeking, however, as she is prone to hiding in plain sight.  About a fortnight ago, we were outside watching an aeroplane fly over the house when it vanished behind cloud (the plane, not the house).  Sure enough, Hazel proceeded to count to ten. Alas, the clouds and the plane didn’t play along and it never reappeared. She took this rejection in her stride, thankfully!

I intend posting again, telling all about her hospital visit.  For today though, I thought I’d just keep it light and bring everyone up to speed.

‘Til next time…