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.