What a Face!

 This is Claire's expression of choice these days.  The funniest thing is that every time she makes it, she laughs at herself.  Oh, how we love our silly baby girl!

First Day of School 2012

Caleb has been going to school now for 4 years and he handled his first day of First grade like a pro, just as I expected.  With Isaac I was ready for tears, hanging onto my hand for dear life, and a general lack of enthusiasm for all things preK.  But, despite telling me "I'm not so sure about this," as we walked to his classroom, he put his things in his cubby, kissed me goodbye, and sat down on the carpet ready to go without even a glimmer of hesitation.  It was a good first day of school and although we will be switching schools mid-year, I think it's going to be a great year for both of them.

Back to School

School starts Monday, YEA!  We met the boys' teachers last night and they are both really excited about the new year.  We have purchased school supplies and backpacks and new shoes.  We have selected their first day of school outfits (do boys have outfits?) and talked about our goals for the year.  And, we will have a special back to school dinner and FHE on Monday to celebrate.  

In the meantime, we are spending the weekend playing wii and watching movies and savoring the last moments of summer vacation before the boys get back into the swing of things.  We have had a great summer, but are all ready for a bit more structure.  And I am ready for some free time to start working on my own projects.  Best of all for me, however, is I am ready to NOT be going back to school.  I love to look at my Master's degree diploma.  It reminds of what an exceptional graduate school experience I had, but it also reminds me that I'm DONE.  FOREVER.  

HUZZAH!  

That said, there is something about going back to school that always makes me feel a little nostalgic.  I love freshly sharpened pencils and crisp, new notebooks full of blank pages waiting to be filled.  I love brand new boxes of crayons and markers that will be transformed into precious works of art.  I love meeting the teacher and finding their cubbies and learning who sits at their tables.  I love talking about all the things they learn each day and seeing how excited they get by these new discoveries.  I love school, even when it's inconvenient and challenging.  So, this fall I am pursuing a different brand of educational endeavor.

Over at A Bowl Full of Lemons, Toni is hosting a 14-week home organization class.  Each week she will guide her "students" through one room in the house, organizing everything in their paths.  For me, the timing of this class couldn't be better.  With our move to China edging ever closer, this is exactly what I need.  The kitchen is project number one, starting September 1, and I can't wait!  Now, if I could just get this excited about cleaning every room in my house...

Click the button to join in the organizing fun!

Trouble With A Capital "B" and/or "C"

Did you hear about the Bumbo seat recall?  If by some miracle you haven't, you can read about it here.  

We, like 4 million others, have a Bumbo, but in our house there is little danger of Claire falling out since she doesn't much use it for sitting...

but, we might just get rid of the Bumbo anyway.  

Just to be safe.

PS I came into the room on the day of the recall to find her like this -- it's hard to tell from the photos, but she is about 8 inches off the ground with just one foot on the Bumbo and the other floating in mid-air.  I have no idea how she managed to get into this position.   

9 years

The summer is flying by and I have thousands (okay maybe just dozens) of posts to publish to get caught up on all our comings and goings, but they will have to wait for school to start -- which is a mere 12 days away.  In the meantime, we are busy, busy, busy doing summer camp and going to the fair and barbecuing and learning to climb stairs (yes, she is only 7 months old and already climbing stairs!) and starting to get serious about moving a million (actually only 7000, but it might as well be a million) miles away and generally doing all sorts of things that leave no time for blogging.  

But, today is exceptional.  Some days are like that.  Some days force you to stop and think and make an exception, and today is one such day.  9 years ago today I married the best man I know.  Truly.  He is smart and kind and courageous and generous.  He was when I met him, and he is still all those things now.  He is an incredible father, a wonderful husband, and generally just a stellar human being.  Everyone who knows him loves him, and best of all, he loves me.  We have had 9 years of joy together and apart from a recent discovery that he thinks synchronized swimming and rythmic gymnastics are not "sporty" enough to be in the Olympics, he has never disappointed me.

Then

and now, well, last November.

Clearly, we need to take more pictures of the two of us together.

I know people always say it seems like just yesterday was our wedding day, and in some ways I feel that way too.  But, mostly, I feel grateful for and am keenly aware of every single day and hour and minute and moment we have spent together.  I am grateful he is the father of my children.  I am grateful he loves travel and theater and music and literature.  I am grateful he is patient and wise.  I am grateful he doesn't just listen to me, but that he hears me, too.  I am grateful he believes in us and our family and all the possibilities ahead.  I am grateful we get to see and experience the world together, because there is no one else I would rather do that or anything else with.  I am grateful for the man that he is and the person that I am with him.  

Happy Anniversary to us! 

It's been an excellent 9 years, just as I knew it would be.  Here's to many, many more.