Road trip!

I took the kids on a (200-mile) road trip to Shelby, NC to visit a friend. They did very well and had a great time. I took plenty of photos, too. Click the link to have a look at the album I created on facebook. 

Anna also made a friend, Skyla, who is a year older. She seemed really to enjoy the company of another girl, and did a very good job initiating peer interaction. Go, Anna! This is something that we have been working on for years now, and it was wonderful to see her take the initiative and then to have such a great time with her new playmate. Skyla, for her part, responded beautifully and generously to Anna, which is something we don't always see. So seeing Anna's overtures gracefully received and reciprocated made the weekend even more special.

Thomas and Iain kept busy with Skyla's little brother, Ashton, who is 3.5 years old. Thomas had a blast playing with a boy a little older than his own brother, and the two of them loved going with my friend Pat's husband, Len, to see trains. Iain played with Anna and Skyla while we three women talked over a glass of wine. I have a 1.5 minute clip of the three children pretending to be various animals that was fun. Since I have had no success uploading videos longer than about 20 seconds to Blogspot, I haven't tried with this one. I am happy to email it, though, or you can visit facebook.com, and search for me (Medi Ann Volpe). 

enjoy fall!!

moving right along

Because I loathe the late-summer heat and humidity, as well as the lingering mosquitos, I am glad to see that fall has finally put all that behind us! But I can't believe that the semester is drawing to a close, and Thanksgiving is almost upon us. November here means lots of blue skies and breezes, so those red-orange leaves have the perfect setting for drifting earthward. Although spring here in Georgia is dazzling, fall remains my favorite season, hands down. I enjoy the weather and look forward to the holidays--what could be better?

Anna, Thomas and Iain have participated in various ways in some fall chores. Thomas and Anna help to put leaves we've raked into bags; Iain prefers to scatter them! The weather makes being outdoors especially pleasant, though I know it is bound to give way in a few weeks to the cold, wet days that mean more coloring and play-doh than bike riding and digging in the sand. So we seize these days, and try to make the most of them. I know all too well that next year we will have fewer cool and sunny days!

I have been busy with the camera, though I have yet (a) to get my computer to work with the printer--so there are no prints to be had; or (b) to start learning how to make DVD's with still pictures and video footage. I plan to sort our both of these things in time for lots of creative photo work for the holidays. I hope to have my children smiling out of a TV screen near you!

For the time being, I have posted some photos to my facebook page; click the links to see the albums:

Anna poses; change of seasons; and more fall photos.

fall photos

I have posted some photos of Thomas's birthday party, plus a few "here and there" snapshots. To see the album, click here. 

this and that

The beginning of the transition to England will be putting our house on the market. We cannot imagine what it will be like for Anna, Thomas and Iain to go through the process of getting the house ready, keeping it tidy (!!), and--eventually--moving out. Fortunately, they are all pretty resilient, and I expect that they will find it easier than their parents will. As of now, we expect to list the house after Christmas. I just can't imagine doing it before that; there is too much to do.

Anna has recovered fully from her dental procedure. She is quite curious about the silver crowns on a few of her teeth, and seems more receptive to brushing. So we are making progress on that aspect of self-care. Her progress in potty training is slow, but steady. We plan to focus on it over the Christmas break and see how much farther we can get! In other areas, she is growing by leaps and bounds, talking in complete sentences and expressing more complex ideas. She recognizes more than half of the letters of the alphabet and enjoys doing word puzzles. (We have the Melissa and Doug version, and she has become very good at putting them together!) With all the language, self-help and cognitive development, Anna has also begun to press the boundaries in terms of behavior, and has landed herself in time-out a couple of times this weekend. Insofar as that indicates a new level of awareness of rules and consequences for breaking rules, I am all for it! Anna needs to develop in this area also, and testing the limits is an important step in that process.

Anna isn't the only one moving in that direction. Iain will tell you he's 'big two!'--and has the occasional temper tantrum to prove it. Although he does fall apart sometimes from frustration, or being tired or hungry (just before dinner can be a tough time for him), for the most part he is quite distractible, and so the tears can be dried and we move on quickly. Iain is much less stormy than Thomas and much less stubborn than Anna. He plays happily by himself, and loves for us to join him. He will bring me a book and ask me to read it, or come to me and say, 'sit mommy couch', when he wants to sit on my lap to watch a video. This phase of his life, like his babyhood, is a delight. 

Thomas, the last one to have his birthday and accompanying check-up, has grown to 41 inches and 39 pounds. That puts him below average in terms of size, but what he lacks in that area, he fully makes up for in imagination and speaking ability. For a few minutes after he first wakes up, he will often be quite quiet. Then, his imagination seems to kick in, and he's off--telling us about all the events, places and people in his make-believe world. Thomas loves to draw, and will create all sorts of things on paper, explaining what he's made in detail. That accompanying narrative makes drawing a less suitable occupation for church than it is for most kids. Thomas has begun attending Mass with Lewis and me, and his first Sunday, when asked what he had learned at church, replied, "I learned you don't talk in church." So he has grasped the basic rule, now is it a matter of following it a bit more. Of course, part of the problem is that Thomas is an incredibly curious kid, and so questions like, "What do the bells mean?" just have to be asked! I enjoy having him with us, and look forward to the time when Anna and Iain will join us as well. 

Things are pretty busy: between teaching and writing and spending time with the kids, there isn't a lot of time left. Yesterday was the last of three Saturdays I have been teaching in the Course of Study (part-time seminary education for Methodist pastors who are already serving churches). I love the teaching, but being away from home all days Saturday is tiring for everyone! So I am glad not to have more Saturday teaching until May. 

Thanks to a bout of insomnia, I have been getting a bit done in the middle of the night. I could use the sleep, but I will take advantage of the quiet to do things like keep up with the blog and keep up with friends on the internet. I will post a link in the next couple of days to a new photo album, which I mean to create tomorrow or Monday. So don't give up on me! I am working on it!

m

Anna goes to the dentist

That is, Anna had several teeth that needed fixing, and the only way to do what had to be done was under general anesthesia. Our pediatric dentist is very good, and yet Anna will barely allow him to look at her teeth, let alone take x-rays or fill cavities. So we headed up to the specialist, who sees mainly kids with special needs, and he recommended that the dental procedure (which involved crowns) be done at the children's hospital, where the anesthesia could be administered. Everything went well on Monday, and Anna came home with some silver teeth! Fortunately, these are primary molars; hopefully she will develop more of an interest in taking care of her teeth as she grows up. At the moment, just getting her to let me help her brush can be something of a battle. 

And in the fuss over Anna and her teeth, I almost forgot: Thomas had a great birthday! He enjoyed his party, and was ecstatic over his presents. There will be pictures as soon as I can get new batteries in the camera. Thomas's was the biggest party we've had, and it was fun to finish the birthday season with a big bash. Although I love birthdays, I am glad to be through with the parties for this year. We have a lot going on in the 2008-2009 academic year, and the to-do list seems impossible. 

Still, I hope to update the blog more frequently as we get closer to the move date. Next year at this time, there will be many more people with whom we'll be keeping in touch over the internet!  So I have to get my act together. Look me up on facebook, too, where I comment briefly but often about what we're up to!

Fall photos

To see a few photos of Iain's birthday party, as well as a variety of other late-summer and early-fall photos, click here.

Iain's birthday

Iain thoroughly enjoyed his second birthday. His response to being greeted with 'it's your birthday' was 'chocolate cake!' This is a boy who has clear priorities. Being the center of attention didn't worry him at all--he just took it all in. I should have a whole CD of photos, soon, from our star photographer, Catherine. Here's a teaser: 

Thomas celebrates his birthday this Sunday, for which there has been as much hype as precedes a Disney movie. I have no idea how I am going to pull off a pirate theme birthday party for a dozen pre-kindergarteners during one of the busier weeks of the semester! Somehow it will happen, though, and I hope Thomas can enjoy his day as much as Iain did. 

Anna's birthday

It is difficult for us to believe that Anna is 7! She really enjoyed her birthday party on Sunday, and engaged fully in every aspect of the celebration. We gladly watched her dig in to the cake and tear into presents like never before. Even better, we heard her say thank-you to friends, acknowledging all the givers of her (really great) presents. For the first time, she seemed to like being the center of attention! 

Today she had cupcakes with her class, and her teacher reported that when she was greeted with "Happy Birthday" in the morning, she broke out into a huge grin. Clearly, she appreciated that this was a special day for her. I took her out after school--shopping, of course! I had promised her a new outfit (and it was incredible to see her joyously handing me things she liked) and a turn on the bungee-trampoline jump at the mall. While the shopping was a success, apparently Monday afternoons are not popular times for jumping, so the activity was closed. We'll go back at the weekend. 

Just don't ask her how old she is: she won't tell you. Now, some might say that she hasn't quite grasped the concept of age yet; I prefer to think of it as the early development of the habit of concealing one's true age. Obviously, she just doesn't feel 7 yet! 

In other news, Thomas has begun to plan his birthday party. If he has his way, half the population of Atlanta and quite a few out-of-town guests will be in attendance. We'll keep you posted. 

week 2

School is in full swing, already. Anna loves her new teacher and enjoys spending time with her classmates as well as those in the pre-K class they visit. That pre-K class just happens to be Thomas's class! He is wild about school, although he hasn't come home shouting about any classmates in particular. I hope to spend some time observing their classes this week, so I will have more to report. 

Iain seems happy to be spending some solo time with Mommy, even though he does protest a bit when the bus carries Anna and Thomas off to school in the morning. We have time to read and play, and he is a great help (really) with little chores. Yesterday he thrilled me by putting away his trains when he was done playing. I heard him open and shut the drawer, then say, "all done trains." He came toddling (yes, he still toddles a bit--I will miss it one day!) to me, and when I looked back into the living room--the trains were put away! What an angel! So we had some bright blue playdoh--a brand new can--and a wonderful playtime making stars and moons and snakes. We even went for a Mommy and me swim. Ok, so maybe I am the one doing the lion's share of the enjoying, but he certainly isn't complaining.

Tomorrow, however, Iain will have time to play with somebody else: our long-lost babysitter, who has spent the past year in Germany, is coming to get reaquainted with the littlest one. Next week, he'll start back to 'school' at St Andrews, with the same teacher he had last year. Hopefully he will adjust well. Then again, maybe I am the one who will need to do the adjusting. After lots of time with the kids this summer, I am likely to have more trouble getting back to work than they'll have being back in school! Nevertheless, it must happen: writing projects languish, and students are about to appear! 

Fear not, however: I will get more recent pictures up before too long. I am still getting used to the new computer (an iMac--my first Mac since the 1990's). Eventually I will figure out how to use the cool movie-making software as well, and then I will have lots of fun to share. I wouldn't hold out for a DVD this Christmas, but I am trying!! 

school starts

Yesterday was the first day of school! Anna and Thomas seem to be enjoying the beginning of the school year, although the chaos of the first day wore Anna out completely. I hope to spend some time there in the next few days to observe Anna's class in particular and see how she is adjusting: after two years in inclusion classes, she is back to a self-contained setting. Her new teacher plans to schedule plenty of inclusion time for the four children in Anna's class. I fear that the movement and change involved in making inclusion happen for her in a self-contained setting will be overwhelming, but we will wait and see. Thomas, on the other hand, seems already to be thriving in the pre-K class. His big hurdle so far: adjusting to the new schedule. Because they come home on the bus (and are the end of the bus route), Thomas, who is exhausted by day's end, has a very long nap on the way. This resulted in a later bedtime and a very rough morning. I expect that he will settle into a new routine within a week or two.

Lewis and I have also moved--into the new building that will house the Candler School of Theology at Emory. This does mean that we'll have two office moves in two years! After the super-shiny newness of the not-yet-completed building at Emory, Lewis expects to find the shift to an old, old building (Abbey House at the University of Durham, the home of the department of Theology and Religious Studies) a welcome change of environs. I suppose it comes from all the work on late ancient theology!

And so we begin the academic year that will culminate in our Big Move. As much as we try to keep in it perspective, it looms. For now, though, we are busy enough getting Anna and Thomas ready and to school, keeping Iain amused in their absence (which he hates!) and preparing to teach in September. That--and those writing projects in which we are both engaged--is certainly enough to remind us daily to let each day's trouble be enough for the day!

summer winds down

That is, the summer vacation is coming to an end. The weather, on the other hand, says that summer is still in full swing. It is odd that the kids are going back to school when the highs are in the 90's every day: this is when they should be splashing and then retreating indoors for a break from the heat. So it is in Georgia, though, and school starts August 11. Iain's preschool program (toddler play, really, for a few hours two days a week) begins at the end of August. We'll have some time to play by ourselves before he goes back to 'school'.

Soon, I will have the latest photos linked; my computer has crashed, and I am waiting on the new one to arrive. For now, I am separated from my hard drive and from facebook, both of which I need in order to post those photos! What won't show up in the photos: Iain's rapidly expanding vocabulary, Anna's enthusiasm about the start of school, and Thomas's obsession with all things related to Peter Pan. Lately, that's been their favorite movie--that, and Cars. Iain has learned much younger than his siblings how to follow the plot of a movie, or at least to learn the names of the characters and grasp the smaller chunks: his favorite scene in the Cars movie is the tractor tipping scene. This has inspired his interest in combine harvesters. Yes, he says, 'combine harvester,' though you probably wouldn't catch it if you didn't know in advance that was what he was trying to say.

Our lives have all been touched recently by the loss of a neighbor. His sudden and unexpected passing has left us a little bit unsettled: not to see him out gardening or tending his pool is odd after all the years we have lived here. Several of the houses near us have turned over once or twice since we moved here in 2001, and he and his wife were among the original crowd. We will miss him.

There will be photos soon. Really. Maybe even some of the first day of school, if I don't have a new computer before then!!

new links

The last link I posted seemed not to work--at least, it only connected to one photo, and not the best of the lot. I have tried again:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=5714&l=d859c&id=1029504841


Also, I have posted pictures of our trip to Tybee Island:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=5276&l=26f09&id=1029504841

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=5283&l=c0104&id=1029504841

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=5286&l=1fcf3&id=1029504841

I hope you enjoy them!

more photos from our trip to the UK are available at: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=103678&l=80619&id=1029504841

We have just finished a week of vacation Bible school at our local parish. The kids have had fun, and I served as floater and photographer for the week.

Next week, we begin a two-week stretch of time at home before school starts August 11. It's hard to believe that the summer vacation is nearly over. Iain will be back in mother's morning out this year, starting in late August, and Lewis and I begin teaching just after Labor Day. We will continue to enjoy the pool as long as it is warm enough to splash and play.

Durham

I have started uploading lots of photos into Facebook, mostly because it is much easier than adding photos to the blog. Fortunately, the photos are available via public links. The set of photos I took at Crook Hall and Gardens (which was very lovely, and we'll be going back) are online at: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=5645&l=a3af0&id=1029504841.

The main news following our trip to the UK is that we'll be going back next summer, to stay. Lewis has been offered, and has accepted, the Bede Chair in Catholic Theology at the University of Durham. He will teach courses in the University, help to guide the Centre for Catholic Theology, and serve as theological advisor to the local bishop. Thomas is excited, having enjoyed himself very much staying at the Durham Castle (in rooms used by University students during the academic year), running around the palace green and the cathedral cloisters, and visiting some nearby attractions, including Crook Hall and Hadrian's Wall.

I will add further links to photos of Durham (July 14-20) and of our trip to the beach (July 5-12), but for the moment, this one will have to suffice:

The weather was mostly gorgeous, that is, if you like temperatures in the upper 50's and low 60's, and you don't mind a little rain. I was delighted to wear jeans in July, an unthinkable notion in Atlanta, but perfect for Durham last week. This week, the weather is supposed to be warmer (up into the 80's): I am just as glad to have missed it! We will enjoy a final academic year here in Atlanta before relocating late spring of 2009. And we will keep you posted. Really.

june winds down

I can't believe it is the last day of June already! Where has the summer gone? Thomas has now jumped off the diving board. It cost me $5, and he got to choose where we went for dinner on Saturday night. Fortunately we all enjoy the local Mexican place (the Monterrey), so his choice worked for everyone.

this saturday, we are heading to Tybee Island for our summer beach trip, for the fourth year running. we look forward to playing in the waves, building sand castles, and eating the world's best ice cream at Tradewinds on the main street. I love coconut (odd, I know), and they make the best I've ever had. Even the vanilla is to die for--Thomas's favorite. Iain will surely try the chocolate, and we'll wait to see if Anna deviates from her usual strawberry. We really do have a neapolitan set!

as soon as we return from the beach, we're off to England. we'll spend a week in Durham, checking out neighborhoods and schools. more on that when we return--and, of course, photos.

the week in pictures:

Thursday, June 26:

the last day of Anna & Thomas' summer program at school. (Anna already misses school and wants to go back and see her friends.)

That afternoon, we came in early from the heat outside (while pool maintenance was going on) to paint the tub. A good time was had by all...and I was about to clean it, anyway!

Saturday, June 28:

we had a great time with some of Thomas and Anna's classmates, swimming and splashing--Thomas had plenty of witnesses for his first leap of the season. (It did take some strong encouragement to get him onto the end of the board, however.)




We had so much fun, we'll have to do it again when we get back from England. By then, the pool will be even warmer (as will the air...).

Sunday, June 29:

We spent some more time by the pool--surprise, surprise. Iain is getting very good at propelling himself around the pool in his little swim ring. Anna and Thomas both learned to get around in the same way. Iain enjoys being more independent in the pool, although he still likes to jump to a parent!!

more summer fun

Although we don't get an enormous amount of rain in the summer in Atlanta, we still have to occupy ourselves indoors from time to time. One of the kids' favorite activities is coloring. I buy huge rolls of butcher paper and cover our dining room table--which is about 7 feet long and 3 feet wide, and incredibly sturdy. (I should add that it was handmade by my father-in-law out of English oak for a wedding present.) All three of the children absolutely love to go wild with markers, crayons, or paint (on the rare occasion I am prepared for the mess: that's a third-rainy-day-in-a-row activity).

Thomas, as indicated in the video clip, has grown quite creative and elaborate with his drawing. My favorite is the new breed of spider he's invented, called the eckword spider. Apparently the unit on insects (including spiders, I guess--these are 3- and 4-year-olds, after all) near the end of the school year really stuck. He also draws a pretty good ladybug, with rather a lot of spots. And he is always very careful to draw 6 legs on the insects and 8 on the spiders. The creation in the clip features people rather than bugs, and showcases his developing ability to add narrative to the pictures.

Anna, too, was impressed by the 'bugs' unit, and she has started drawing bugs as well. A couple of days ago, she drew a bug, and when I asked her about it, she told me it was sad. The reason for its sadness remains unclear; the only other thing I could ascertain about the bug was 'it has legs.' Fair enough. Yesterday she was more specific: when Lewis asked whether she'd drawn a bug, she replied that it was an ant. I may include the picture at some future date. Iain still mostly scribbles, but is most keen on writing letters: i and o are particular favorites. Not, of course, that he actually writes those letters in any recognizable fashion. But he says them as he scribbles.

We find other things to do, like playing peek-a-boo (see below: Anna and Iain were having a great time hiding under blankets) and building with legos--a perennial favorite. Still, nearly every day we swim, and Anna and Thomas are gaining strength and confidence in the pool. Before long, we'll see Thomas jump off the diving board, I am sure. Maybe I will catch that on film--one can only hope.

Anna dresses up

Of course, the actual 'dress up' clothes are of no interest: my pajamas are much more fun! She disappeared and went silent, so I thought I'd check to see what sort of mischief she was making. Turns out she was helping herself to my clothes and doing a great job of it, too--tags in the back and everything. I don't usually think of myself as big (nor, I imagine, does anyone else), but those pj-bottoms nearly swallow her up. Maybe we'll keep them and see how long it takes her to grow into them!

poolside fun

Anna and Thomas are busy working on coordinating arms and legs for swimming, while Iain experiments with various swim accessories. He would not be satisfied, for example, until he had Anna's goggles on, just the way she wears them!

Unusually hot days had the pool temperature up well above its usual 75-ish, until an inch of rain fell a couple of nights ago! Still, the sunny afternoons make perfect pool weather, and we are enjoying the pool now in a way we haven't until the beginning of July.

Iain's vocabulary grows rapidly--we can hardly keep up with the words he's learning. My favorite is still 'bulldozer', which he pronounces boo-do-do. Just the sort of toddlerish that Anna and Thomas never really spoke. Thomas spoke not a word at 18 months, and by 22 months could spell his name. Anna, of course, has a language development pattern entirely her own. Thomas' most recent language invention, while I am on the topic, was the word 'mox': it is 'a mommy fox', of course!

June days

This June, we are experiencing record-breaking heat. Good news for swim-time: the pool temperature is already above 80 degrees. But bad news if you have a car with no AC (e.g, our 1991 BMW 325i). It hasn't reached 100 degrees, yet, but today it was just a couple of degrees short. I am looking forward to our trip to the UK in July, and hoping fervently that we avoid Britain's warmest summer days. Temperatures in the 60's (I have no idea what the centigrade equivalent is) would suit me just fine.

Enough about me: here are the pictures (each worth at least a thousand words).

sunny almost-summer days

Sitting in the sun by the pool, it is hard to remember that summer hasn't officially begun! It sure seems like it from out point of view. The kids are enjoying the pool, which is clear but still bracing, daily. Thomas has not, however, actually jumped off the diving board. That is still a few weeks off, judging from his initial attempts at swimming again: he needs a refresher course before he can perform the tricks he did so easily at the end of last summer.

Iain is less inclined toward the big pool. We have set up the small pool next to it, and he quite enjoys jumping in and going headfirst down the little slide. His greatest pleasure, unfortunately, is the 10-yard dash down the pool deck. Nineteen months old is apparently far too young to grasp the 'no running on the pool deck' rule. Also, he is still not able to remember the skinned-knee lesson. So, I repeat myself, and he keeps running. Eventually, we put him back in the little pool, or steer him to some other poolside activity.

Anna has returned to swimming much more quickly than Thomas, who was more proficient at the end of last summer. She still 'swims' with her head up and feet down (yes, it's a real dog-paddle!), but she is gaining confidence, and is much stronger than she was last summer. We hope that she will learn a proper swimming stroke this summer. In any case, she is sure to enjoy herself: she splashes in the small pool with Iain a bit, but spends most of her time in the big pool. By the time we finally coax her out, she's practically blue--but incredibly happy!

This summer will be busy: Anna and Thomas have a special three-week program at school, and then we have trips planned to the beach and to England. I know that the summer will fly by--but we plan to make the most of it!

summer days

So far, the pool remains fairly inhospitable. But we manage to keep busy in the backyard, anyway. The crisp days of early spring have succumbed to the sticky, buggy afternoons that characterize summer in the South. Thomas and I are constantly disagreeing, therefore, about whether it is a "nice" day to play outside. He can take whatever the outdoors can dish out--winter cold, damp mornings, high humidity--but his Southern-California bred mother is not so versatile! Nonetheless, he usually wins, and I grab a cold drink and go out.

summer begins

The last week of school was filled with activities: Thomas and Anna's classes had parties, and even Iain got in on the action!

resurfacing

On Monday, May 12th, 7 of the students in my intro to systematic theology class graduated. Tuesday, I finished grades for the rest of the class, and now I am catching up on everything else! I finished teaching and grading just in time: last night Anna and Thomas performed in their spring program at Coralwood. Thomas proved (once again) to be a natural performer. Anna, on the other hand, demonstrated her innate (and probably inherited) stage fright. She looked cute, but didn't participate much in the song and dance!

caught!

Thomas shares with most four-year-old boys (I assume) an uncontrollable impulse to jump: on the bed, off the bed, from the coffee table onto the couch, on the couch, and just about anywhere else that seems promising. Also like his peer group, falls and bumped heads (or knees) are of no use as a deterrent.

So, here he is, doing what he loves to do. Thank goodness the weather is turning, and we can spend more time outside. Less jumping, more bike riding: at least when he's on the bike, he wears his helmet!

Iain gets a duck

Just watch the video.

where's Iain?

The voice you hear is our practically-professional-photographer-babysitter, Catherine. Iain loves to play hide-and-seek (usually he wants me to hide) and peepo or peek-a-boo (depending on who his playmate is). Winter hasn't let go yet, but the days are more conducive for playing outside more frequently, and that's what the children all love to do. Lewis is already grilling, and wants to open the pool soon. First, however, he has to take down the Christmas lights!

Anna's big potty success this morning was doing the whole procedure on her own: Thomas came running down the hall enthusiastically shouting "Anna peed in the potty!" What an announcement! I can't count the number of times over the past 3 1/2 years that I have answered inquiries about potty training Anna with the remark that when Anna is ready, she'll do it. Not quickly, I am sure. But she's interested, she knows exactly what to do, and she can do it. Eventually we'll move from "training" to "trained"--in Anna's own time!

days in the sun

Not, of course, today or yesterday: though sunny, it has been cold! Three items of note and two photos: (1) Anna continues to have success with the potty, especially at school, where all her classmates cheer her every time; (2) she has a new, smaller bike, which is easier for her to ride (Santa misjudged slightly...); and (3) Thomas has a new hobby, thanks to his Uncle Nick and Aunt Carmen (I see some noisy toys in baby Nicholas's future!). If I were to get started on Iain, he would steal the show, being at that especially cute age when firsts are still the norm and words (when decipherable) are sometimes even better than pictures.

Anna jumps

Anna spotted this activity as we were en route to old navy at the local mall. All the way to the store, Anna pleaded and cried, "I want to jump!!" So on the way back out, she got her wish. I don't know when I have ever spent $5 to such great effect. She loved it, despite getting a slow start. Thomas, on the other hand, wanted nothing to do with it. Maybe when I am 8 or 9, he reflected, I will be 'big enough' to jump. Still, he enjoyed watching Anna, from his safe vantage point on his daddy's shoulders!

Potty training success

Normally, I wouldn't dream of describing such things in the public domain. But one of Anna's areas of most difficulty has been potty training. She just hasn't shown any interest, and when Anna doesn't want to do something, she can be pretty stubborn. So a fight over the potty would never have worked. Tonight, however, we had an opportune moment (obvious signs of an Impending Potty-Event) to put her on the potty. I brought her favorite book on the subject, 'Sara's Potty', and Lewis read it to her. Before too long, she said, 'poot!' (Much cuter than 'poop', I think.) And so it was. Success!! But the best part was actually a few minutes later, when I was getting everyone into the tub. She resisted, and pulled away, heading for the potty. I thought it was a stalling tactic--but no! She needed to 'poot', and went to the potty entirely on her own initiative.



It has also been proved that Anna has heard all I have said about 'when you use the potty': I have promised her virtually anything she asks for. Soon after her Great Success, she looked at me and said, 'I want to watch Grinch.' She loved it more than anything over Christmas, and it took some convincing to get her to give it up in January so we could send it back to Netflix. Fortunately, our neighbors have a copy: Anna got her wish. She and her brothers got to watch 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas' on the eve of St Valentine's day.



This is a big milestone for Anna, and we hope that it signals the beginning of an interest in potty training. We certainly made a Big Deal about it for her, and Thomas was as excited as we were. He is a fantastic (developmentally 'older') brother when he wants to be. Of course we are not holding our breath for a speedy move to big girl underwear: like everything else with Anna, this will take time. Probably lots of time! If only I had a photo of the pleased look she had when everyone was cheering: it was priceless. Maybe next time....

Anna scoots!

Anna and the scooter are getting on famously. Her bike is still a little big, and the scooter (given to us by our friends next door, whose daughter is exactly the same age as Anna--really, born the same day!) has been just the thing. She rides round and round the patio table as Thomas bikes the same circuit.

Unfortunately, I don't have photos of the sponge-painting extravaganza yesterday afternoon. Anna and Thomas made valentines for their classmates, using red paint and heart-shaped sponges. Needless to say, they enjoyed the project, much more than they would have liked a trip to Target for the store-bought version. Thomas did pretty well at keeping clean, but Anna's hands and face were covered with paint by the time she was done. She displayed great iniative, however, when she was ready to move on: she got down from her chair and trotted off down the hall to wash her hands. I know I'll miss certain things about the toddler & preschool years, but a little more self-sufficiency on the part of all three children will come as a great relief!

Iain's days of discovery

Iain is enjoying being outside, now that the weather is more suitable. He has discovered Thomas's cricket bat, and--although he doesn't exactly know what to do with it--would not let it go! He has shown an early interest in any kind of outdoor sport, the best of which is his frisbee-throwing! It is little more than dropping at this point, but he will bring me the frisbee and make it clear he wants to play!
The sandbox has been replenished, much to the little one's delight. Iain must have spent 45 minutes this afternoon just playing with the sand. He endured having it poured down his back--courtesy of Anna--without a complaint. He's happy to leave the trucks to Thomas and Anna (see below). All he needs is a shovel and his two little hands. I suspect that the spring is going to involve a LOT of time outside.
Thomas and Iain played beautifully together for quite a long time. Eventually, of course, Thomas decided to hop back on his bike, and this lured Iain out of the sand. Anna has been a little under the weather--I didn't take a photo of her asleep in front of the Wiggles, though it might have been cute.

Anna's eyes are healing well, and much less bloodshot now. No crossing! So hopefully we'll have smooth sailing for a little while (knock on wood!).

snow, and more

Everybody enjoyed the snow! Iain experienced some frustration with his little mitts--he had such difficulty picking up the small shovel everytime he dropped it! Thomas threw his first snowballs, mostly at me, and was disappointed that there wasn't really enough snow to build a snowman. He announced this morning that he wished we lived in England. We were surprised by this revelation (since Thomas has never been to England); when pressed, he admitted tha the wanted to play in the snow as he had seen his favorite animated English characters (Kipper and Tiger, if these names are familiar to you) do. We'll wait and see.

Anna's eye surgery does seem to have been a success. Her opthamologist was pleased with the result; Anna's eyes are not crossing any more! Anna returns in March for a follow-up, when the doctor will determine whether Anna needs to continue to wear glasses. Again, we'll wait and see!

post-op news

Anna's eye surgery is over! We have to wait until Wednesday, when she is scheduled for a post-op visit to the opthamologist, to find out all the details. But she has recovered significantly this morning, and even asked for her glasses. She's still a bit puffy--the swelling has been made worse by the additional fluid she was given during the procedure. Some children do not need glasses following this type of surgery, but I suspect Anna will still wear them. After all, she has two parents who have worn glasses for many years.

I expect that by the end of the weekend I will have pictures of the kids playing in the snow: it has just begun to fall!

hats

who said people don't wear enough hats? granted, it's the same hat (Lewis's cowboy hat), but they all seem to make it their own. Iain has even tried to say 'hat', just to see if Lewis would give it to him. how could he say no?

all three of the children enjoyed the snow this evening--yes, snow! for a little while, it was really coming down. it settled on the patio furniture and accumulated there and on the grass. Iain stood with Lewis at the big picture-window and slapped the glass enthusiatically; all through dinner, he kept looking over his shoulder to see if it was still coming down. Thomas surmised early on that there wouldn't be enough snow to make a snowman. oh, well. the rain will wash it all away by morning.

Anna is scheduled, finally, for her eye surgery: this Friday noon. it is not supposed to be a big ordeal, but she will not experience it as such. we just hope it all goes smoothly and she recovers as quickly as the doctor says she should.

Ninth day

...of Christmas, that is. and we are still enjoying the things Santa brought. Iain loves to be pushed around on his little tricycle; Anna prefers How Do Dinosaurs Go to School? to her bike, still. Thomas's first ride on the street, on a family walk on the 31st, was a great success! He enjoyed it, despite having an ear infection--which was discovered later that day. Illness after illness has been the story here since just after Thanksgiving. We are hoping to get and stay well in the New Year!

Our next celebration, on the 12th day of Christmas, will be Lewis's birthday. And then we get back to school, Tuesday! Anna and Thomas are looking forward to seeing their friends, and getting back to the usual and ordinary routine.