a: Badgers do not hibernate but they are less active in cold weather and can live underground for days without food.
Sounds about right.
Hungryman tries to tell me that I would warm up if I would only move around a bit more. I’m not buying it.
Maybe this explains why I always seem to shrink during the winter. Though you would never know given the number of layers I require each morning when I am torn away from my two down comforters.
…
After I wrote that sentence, I realized that I was hungry and cold. So I’m back with a bowl of granola and another scarf.
…
January was an icicle. A long, jagged, bitter spear of a month. Jack Frost etched out his winter land icescapes on all our windows and even our screens. Ava and I have been huddled up in our ice house reading eachother books: I, Little House on the Prairie to her, and she, Bob Books to me.
It’s finally beginning to thaw, loosening my fingers on the keyboard. I’ve missed you, my friends on the other side of this screen. I hope you will forgive my frozen retreat.
I’ve been gone so long that I didn’t get to properly say:
Merry Christmas! (Wow, that feels like a long time ago).
& Happy New Year! (So, does that).
I didn’t even give you a proper gift. I apologize. I better do that now before I start rambling and you give up on this post and never get to the bottom to realize there is a gift drawing at bottom waiting for you.
One of Ava’s favorite presents this Christmas was a hot pink tutu.
Last December a group of my girlfriends gathered to twist tulle around some ribbon in hopes of delighting our daughters on Christmas Eve.
It worked! She has been twirling in it nearly every day since. 
My niece was equally pleased with her tutu. Hers is “princess” blue. She is Cinderella, after all.
These two can’t even look up from their tutus to smile at the camera. They are smitten.
Really, doesn’t everyone need more tulle in their life?
So, I am holding a drawing for a tutu made to order for whatever special girl is in your life. Daughter, niece, neighbor, pooch, or maybe you want one for yourself.
You win. You pick. She twirls.
To enter the give-away, subscribe to this blog by e-mail or feedreader, and leave me a comment telling me that you subscribed (or that you already subscribe) and what your tutu preference is.
Yes, I realize that I’m asking you to subscribe to a blog that is updated by the whims of an unpredictable, potentially hibernating creature. But I’m telling you, it’s so much better this way. No more fruitless, frustrating checking for updates. They come right to you. That’s almost a gift in itself.
I will leave the comments open until Wednesday, February 11 and announce the winner on Lincoln’s birthday!
That’s just perfect. We’ve missed the major holidays, but we can celebrate Abe’s birthday together! At least, we’ll have that.
Though groundhog day might have been more fitting.
Thank you for your posts 🙂 i found your blog through a friend (Nikki W) and was interested to know that I also know your friend Shanel through another friend (Shannon T). The drawing sounds like fun!! I would love whatever design you come up with for my older daughter (she’s 2 and prone to break out dancing anytime the music strikes her fancy…). She also just became a big sister as our second daughter was born the end of December. We are firmly entrenched into all things girlie! :-D. Have a (hopefully warm) wonderful day!
Hi Rachel,
I have been a long-time subscriber. I love all the Ava stories; in fact, I miss all the Ava stories. Winter is long, and an Ava story would certainly warm any cold day.
My 5 month old baby girl, Ainsley, could definitely use a tutu in her wardrobe. I’d love to know how you made the tutu’s… unless of course I win the tutu!
Amanda
Hello! I’m not sure how I stumbled on your blog but it’s been in my Google Reader for quite awhile now. I love your writing style!
I don’t have a daughter, but I do have a niece who is turning 5 in a couple of weeks! This would be perfect for her 🙂
Hi Rachel!
I’ve missed you – both in person and here. Even though you may feel cold, your presence is always warm and welcoming – maybe you just need more mirrors? Anyway, there are two 3 year old girls I know that would love to have a tutu, and I can’t choose between them right now.(one of them you know and the other is my cousin) I will have to come up with some sort of logic to help me out if I win, I guess. And I do subscribe!
Love you,
Sarah
Of course I already subscribe to my favorite blog in the whole world! I love this blog so much that we named our recently acquired stray chihuahua “Badger.” And I have many many nieces that would LOVE a gorgeous tutu. So enter me in that drawing baby!
I have been a subscriber since this summer. I really love your style of writing. We have relatives in common and my aunt tipped me off to your blog.
We just welcomed to the world a new baby girl on Sunday, February 1st, so a Tutu would make her big sister (3 years old) feel pretty special during this time of great upheaval in her life. She loves to twirl!! Any color or design would be super. She is truely a princess.
I hope you have come out of hibernation! I have missed your entries and your photos! Hopefully warmer days are ahead!
Cryss from Iowa
Ava has changed in just a few short months! What a princess.
I’ve been a subscriber for awhile…and I was thrilled when a new post from you popped up in my Google Reader this morning.
And a belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you (and any other holidays that have since passed) 🙂
About time, my dear…..spring is on its way! Just look at today; it is already 20 degrees! Let loose the badger!
Too weird…just yesterday (honestly), I was thinking about you & how long it had been since I’d “read from you”. I even searched through my google reader subscription to be sure you were on it!!
It’s good to see you have not succumbed the frozen’ness & are alive & writing.
Having said all that, what a fun giveaway.
1. YES, I’m already a subscriber (confirmed just yesterday!)
2. We’d love any tutu you create. We’re not tutu-picky, any tutu would be tuturific! (ha!)
Happy President’s, Groundhog, Chinese New Year, New Year, Christmas….etc…etc. (however long you’ve been gone)….
Amy
Hi, Rachel! I’ve missed reading your blog! I was about to give up and assume you were no longer blogging it had been so long! I am now a subscriber! Mira would just love a pink or purple tutu! (If I don’t win, please let me know how you made it so I can make her very, very happy!)
Welcome back!
Michelle
Oh, I was so happy to see you pop up again in my reader! I was worried that maybe my badger friends were gone forever. Looking forward to reading about more adventures!
(p.s. don’t enter me for the tutu contest – they are SO cute, but as it were, I just won a tutu for our baby girl through Mckmama’s blog, so I should probably keep my name out of the running for yet another one! There are lots of other little princesses in the world who need something fancy to dance in. :)).
I subscribe to your blog my friend, and it looks like you have many faithful readers. You are a talented writer, so we’re all very glad to have you write a post now and then.
Cosette has no tutu’s since I gave them all away. What kind of mother would I be if I didn’t enter your contest?!
Yay! You’re back! I was so excited to see a new entry in my reader this afternoon. Casting my vote was fun and all but it’s nice to see that entry move on down the road. I was sad that we missed each other while you were here, maybe next time.
As for the tutu. You can count us out of the drawing. We’re good to go in the tutu department at the moment (although yours do look fluffier. I wouldn’t mind knowing how you did that.)
It’s about time for me to subscribe, huh. Lovely pictures of lovely girls. Count us in for a tutu for 4 to share!
Oh how I’ve missed you! And I admire that you can take breaks from this world. Your family picture is lovely. I don’t know what I’d do with a tutu; but please know that I’ve been “subscribed to you” for quite some time now. And I still need to take care of the bloggy tag from you…from…when was it…October? When I get a moment to post more than a sentence and a picture I’ll answer the questions! I’m actually looking forward to it.
I subscribe to your blog, and we would love a tutu, anyone would do. Spring is right around the corner 🙂
jeneva most definitely needs a tutu with that much tule. if we don’t win, i may just need to learn how to make one myself. 🙂
Welcome back! I have been following your blog for quite some time. Subscribed today…never knew that was an option. I found your blog through your friend Jennifer’s blog. However, I don’t know Jennifer IRL either. I love your stories, writing style and your cute pics of Ava. My daughter is turning one this month. She is actually a leap day baby- February 29, 2008. She would LOVE a tutu- and I would love to photograph her in a tutu!
Laura
Nice to see you back, Rachel! I too, with winter hear, have been hybernating. Come spring, come.
I’m glad to hear that Minnesota is beginning to thaw. Thank you for reminding me how much worse it could be (we were freezing here in MA when it dipped down into the 20’s).
I too have you firmly placed in my Google Reader (per your previous instructions) and have a 3 year old who loves to twirl in anything pink!
How fun to see a new post from you pop up in my reader, Rachel. And even more fun that it has a prize attached!
I’m guessing that Anna’s “inner ballerina” will be emerging soon. Any color would be great!
Martha
Yeah. I’m pretty sure I’d need TWO of those. ADORABLE.
Welcome back, I’ve missed you!
WELL. My dear friend! I’ll tell you what. I love not knowing when you blog next; it’s fun for me to go to your page randomly and see if you posted something. Like i did today! What fun.
HOWEVER. I love that tutu you made for Ava. It’s awesome. So awesome that i just subscribed to your blog so i could be added into your drawing. If i am lucky enough to win, i would adore a pale blue tutu…Russel says yellow, and i guess that would be nice too. If it’s not Stryper yellow.
Oh, and i’m 100% serious!
YEah!!! YOur back. Not that my girls actually NEED a Tutu, but Addy is such a little girly girl. Something Emma definitly was not. I think for some reason that my little Addy and your Ava would get along very very well! despite the age difference. Anyway, Your so creative. Welcome back its nice to read you again.
Alright, alright, I am finally a subscriber. I’ve dragged my feet because I like the old-fashioned thrill of typing in the address of one of the few blogs I allow myself the time to read, and hoping there will be a new post (thanks for nothing, by the way!). Oh well, I suppose there will be a small thrill when you arrive in my in-box, but really, it won’t be the same.
Don’t worry about tutus for my girls, we are so set (I still have to make the second one).
BTW, do you know who else has a birthday tomorrow? She’s tall like Abe Lincoln, but very much prettier!