Still here

Just got busy.

But two great things all in one day:

1) My grandmother replied to this blog, which means that she has access to a computer again!  She recently went from the transition from her own apartment to an assisted living facility, so HOORAY, everyone in cyberspace cheer her on.  It's not every 90 year-old who's computer-savvy.

2) I downloaded photo editing software onto my new laptop.  Expect long-overdue pictures in the near future.

Lilah tov, goodnight.

Big events

- We had to meet with the boys' teacher to discuss Ari's... temperamental behavior.  She thinks it might be a delayed reaction to Connor's birth, since this week it's been all about Xander and moving on to 1st grade, and Connor and his crawling.  We've made more effort to spend private time with Ari and it's working.  Oy, middle child syndrome already!

- The boys got a bunk bed!  It came in five 70-lb boxes.  Thank goodness Jonathan knows how to use power tools.  It's all put together now, it took three days (one day for the bed, one day for the staircase, a third time for the trundle).  Their room feels new.  They're in love.

- My laptop died a sad little undignified death.  I write this from a new one.  What did I do before technology?!

- Other things of note... Jonathan has been working more hours than usual on computer consulting projects.  We're managing the Ohio house from afar, finding new renters.  And I find myself strangely invested in cooking lately.. I'm made dinner more than a few times, and tonight am branching out to actually cooking meat.  I must be feverish.

Snakes, birds, and the boys who love them

I love talking with my sons.  Just chatting, about nothing.  It gives me such insight into their personalities.

Last week Xander and I were talking about dreams, and he told me that he remembered one of his from the night before.  He and four friends were on a big ship, and there were four steering wheels, operated by three of his friends and Ari.  They asked him if he wanted to be a lookout, and he said yes.  He saw a BIG snake, a sea snake who could breathe underwater, and he shouted "Snake! Snake!" The snake poked its head onto the ship to say hello, and.... then Xander woke up.

Ari at breakfast opened the door to let Osher in, and was shocked by what he saw outside.  "Mommy, Daddy, bird!!  Osher play with bird!"  And yes, apparently Osher had brought us a small present right outside the door.  Ari was upset and followed Osher straight to his food bowl, kneeling down to give him a strict talking to in a very serious tone of voice.  I thought  he was mad because Osher had killed a living creature.  But no... he came up to me after Osher went into the other room, exasperated, and said, "Mommy, you talk Osher!  He not clean bird outside!"  He thought Osher should go on time out since he had made a mess and wasn't cleaning up after himself. :)

And Connor?  He obviously doesn't talk yet, but he IS babbling up a storm, which is fun to hear.  He's also pulling himself up and falling a lot.  But he is one determined child, and just keeps on going.

It's amazing to watch them grow.

Ari is so busted!

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This picture was taken using the front-facing camera on your device.

10 years!!

Today is my tenth wedding anniversary.  We've been together 11 years, and Xander is 5 1/2.  So this is the tipping point, from now on we've been together with kids longer than without.

It's crazy.  Where did the time fly?

10 years ago, when we had talked about this anniversary, we said we would go to Scotland.  Or Hawaii.

But a decade and three children later, what did we do?

We had a masseuse come to our house, and we're going out to dinner. :)

Wow, we were young.

Pictures from Mom's visit

Three of my four boys playing the video game Marvel Superheroes.

 Mom and our cheese puzzle!  To any puzzle lover out there: Springbok is the best brand ever.  Each puzzle piece is unique, and they all snap into place.  You can never accidentally connect two wrong pieces, it's lovely.

A very tired Bubby dancing with Connor, part one.

Very tired Bubby and Connor, part two.

Reading the older kiddos bedtime stories.

 One would think from the lesser amount of pictures we take of him, that we don't like our middle son as much as the others.  Not true!  It's just that he's three years old, and never stands still.  Here is one of his rare moments of repose, admiring the quarter he received from the Tooth Fairy.

Xander took this picture.  I'm impressed!

Xander took this one, too.   He's got a good eye!

 Mega-sandwich.  Man, that puzzle was hard.

And last but not least, how my mom found herself more often than not... putting a baby to sleep.

The Tooth Fairy came to our house!

We had to pull Ari's front tooth in the end, and he was such a trooper.  In case you can't read the words on the envelope, it says, in the Tooth Fairy's writing (which looks amazingly like mine, what a coincidence):

Dear Ari,
You were so BRAVE!
Love,
The Tooth Fairy

He looks so much older with the missing tooth and the haircut...