This week (let me just brag)

A couple of things that happened this week, which proves that my kids really ARE exceptional. (Of course, I am not biased, AT ALL.) :)

We went to apply for Ariana's passport at the post office (what do you know, you need an appointment after all). At the end of the 20-minute process (including getting her picture taken - which, by the way, turned out ADORABLE), the clerk says: "I have to commend you; you have great kids. Very well behaved. Usually when the kids come, it's a disaster for everyone." I don't know what he's experienced in the past (feel a little sorry for him), but as a parent, it felt good to hear that.

I went to Barnes and Noble with Caleb and we picked up a Kindergarten-1st Grade workbook for him, which he seemed to really enjoy when I went through the first few pages with him in the store. When checking out, the lady says, "Is he entering first grade?" Me: "Uhm, no... he's 3. But he's been doing Kindergarten level work with no problem, so I thought we'd give this a try." (Yes, I do forget at times that he is Preschool age. But that's what's so great about homeschooling. We do not progress at a pre-determined grade level based on age, but advance based on the child's individual rate of learning. Which far exceeds the public school guidelines, apparently.)

Smiles

These two have a new reason to smile:

we set up the inflatable pool today on our deck.
There was a lot of splashing around

(Ariana would have jumped in head first, had I not prevented it)

and I have a feeling we're going to get good use out of that thing.

(I don't have pictures to share because I took in my camera today to get it repaired. I took a few pictures with my phone - I may upload some of those.)

Together in the crib

Today's spring afternoon photos brought to you by...

a very sleepy mom who still has a few pages of work to get through tonight,

but who is a bit distracted by looking at the photos she took today

and wants to share them with you...

I got to go to the park today with Caleb

while Daddy stayed home with a napping Ariana

Attempting to catch a beautiful yellow butterfly with our bare hand...

I knew those butterfly nets would have come in handy!

Though if we bought one, we would still have to remember to take it with us...

Swinging

Would you believe he totally knows his letters?

He placed all of those stickers at the bottom correctly with the words...

all I said was: "Find the word that starts with a W, P, C..."

Playtime

Her hand somehow always ends up in his mouth...

Yes, I'm trying very hard to make them smile
and it's not working out.

Something's not to her liking

Are you watching that show again? Didn't I tell you, I DON'T LIKE THAT?

Finally, the top right front tooth is out...

But we've still got many more to go...

Yup, many MANY more.

Brother and sister enjoying Friday night on the deck

Standing all the time

Through the gate

A recap of the week

I have some time to write tonight... so I thought I'd recap some of this week and post a few pictures. This was a big week for us - the week began with Ron putting in his two weeks notice at his job, so he has one more week left and he is done with "applework" (as Caleb calls it, haha). What's monumental about it is that he is most likely done with this traditional, working for somebody else type of job for good... We shall see, but it sure looks that way, with the success of my business and Ron's growing ideas of how he can branch out on his own. This has been quite some time coming, and we've been looking for the right timing, but all things seem to point to the conclusion that this is it. We are very excited about having Daddy home all the time and look forward to the next chapter in our lives with anticipation. Thank you, God!

What can I say about my work? It's constant, unrelenting, dependable (as much as freelance work can be), fulfilling, challenging, maddening, amazing all at the same time. I wouldn't change it for the world. This is exactly what I have always wanted to do, and this is how I wanted to do it - (mostly in my pajamas) with my children around me all day. Whether I'm at home, at Disney, at the beach, or in Hungary - I can do my job. I just need a computer and Internet access and I'm in business. This allows me to travel and vacation without leaving my business behind. Which is what I'll be doing this summer when I travel to Hungary for a month... looking forward to that very much. Looking forward to the whole summer, really.

The kids are wonderful. Ariana is a sweetie, she is waving all the time now, crawling with an army crawl and pulling to standing every chance she gets. And Caleb is a little comedian. Let me recount just one story from this week. We have a small invasion of ants in the house right now and we're working to get rid of them. Caleb wakes up in the middle of the night one night and asks for a glass of Perrier (yes, that's my influence). Anyway, there he is standing in the kitchen with sleepy eyes, and he goes: "Mommy, why do we have ants?" "Well, because they are hungry and they are coming to look for food, because we have some." "But Mommy, we have to SHARE, remember?!" he says, with a glint in his eye, ready for a good laugh. This is the joke he tells when he is half asleep. Do I have to tell you, this kid is amazing?

So, a little about these pictures... On Friday, right after my last deadline rolled by, we went outside to sit on the front stairs (this has become sort of a Friday evening tradition) and what did we notice? A little worm of some type crawling by. I had to get my camera, Caleb insisted on it too... and had to take many pictures of the little creature, some with Caleb posing with it. Funny, how such a tiny little thing can become such a source of joy. We have yet to draw it in our nature notebook, but we will one of these days...

Yes, his hair is LONG. We kinda like it that way.

And guess what? Facebook agrees. Or at least, my friends on Facebook do. :)

Do you see it? The little wormy?

(If you don't, click on the picture to bring it up larger.)

Ah, it was so cute the way it moved, scrunching up its body as it propelled itself ahead...

and sticking out its nose (nose?) to sniff out (sniff?)

navigate which way is best to take... we could hardly get enough of it.

In other news, this little girl absolutely adores table food:

mashed potatoes, potato soup, squash, sweet potatoes, pears, apples, cantaloupe, bananas, avocado, chocolate cake...uhm, Perrier (seriously, can't keep it away from her)

And, as I've said, she waves a hundred times a day.

Caleb never really got into waving when he was little, so I'm really enjoying it...

She waves to me when she gets something to eat that she especially likes,

she waves to me when she's nursing,

she'll wave anytime really

to Caleb and Daddy as well,

and to cars parking at the store

and to strangers...

CUTE!

We are blessed!

10!

Happy 10 months to you! Happy 10 months to you!!

Saturday at the Carnival

Awesome three hours spent at a traveling Carnival this past Saturday.

Of course, Ron was working as always (that's changing soon!) and I went alone with the kids. Ariana in the Bjorn, Caleb holding my hand, diaper bag on shoulder, Nikon on neck -

I looked like a Christmas tree

but we must have looked like a happy bunch as we bounced from one ride to another...

I bought Caleb unlimited rides, so often he just stayed on something as long as he wanted, because there were virtually no lines. He loved it.

We even braved the Ferris wheel (he knew what it was called, I wonder where he learned it?)...

and going on that thing was a very brave thing to do... have you ever been on a

traveling Ferris wheel?

Not exactly solid, more like a rickety old thing... as soon as we got on I was questioning my sanity for doing such a thing with two wee little ones...

there were a couple of stops and starts as a couple people got off

(well, there were only a couple people on)

and

we waved precariously up at the very top of the wheel in the wind,

Caleb clutching my hand strong, I clutching his

(but I didn't forget to take pictures)

Once the ride started though, it was smooth sailing, and we relaxed and oohed and aahed

as we went around and around, pointing out landmarks down below.

And the final consensus, voiced by Caleb: "I liked that! I like the Ferris wheel!"