Happy Birthday Meesh!

To Michelle on her birthday,

I think this may be only the 2nd (maybe 3rd) birthday of yours that I haven't been with you to celebrate. I miss you Meesh. I hope you are having a special day with your husband and boys.

I was just thinking it is interesting how what is "special" changes as our lives change. Years ago it would have involved gifts, dinner, a movie, maybe a weekend away or a party with friends. Today, special would be not making dinner, not cleaning anything up, but relaxing and just being able to enjoy the kids...and then leaving them with someone and spending time with Joseph....and maybe later a bubble bath and a new book. I am sure your idea of "special" has changed now that you have two little ones and are living far away from family and friends. I wish I was more on top of things and had finished assembling your birthday package and sent it already.....but this way we just get to drag your birthday out a bit longer....and in the mean time if you think of anything you want me to stick in let me know.


I miss you being around. I love that you lived here for so long, and spent so much time with us. I love what a big part of the boys lives you were/are and I look forward to you guys moving back someday. I want to know your kids the way you know mine.

Much love to you on your birthday and all the other days. kisses and hugs.

--A

Swing fun

Here are some fun shots I took the other day of Asa, Marlow and Eliot riding recklessly on their tire swing. Tire swings are great, especially if you can find a really high branch to hang them from. Ours hangs from about a 40-foot high branch, so the arc of the swing is very long.


Click on the picture above to open a new window (or tab) which will display the whole tire swing set.

(In case you were wondering where Ezra was, you can see him climbing on the swingset in the background in a couple of these...)

School

Well, school is in full swing now. This is Ezra's third week (first grade) and Asa's first full week (kindergarten). The first two weeks he only went three days total for phase-in. Asa LOVES school. The first two weeks were hard because he wanted to go every day. Ezra seems to be getting into the routine and enjoying it more. I really like both of their teachers. Asa got the teacher that he liked best so I was glad for him. He also has one of his good friends, Aidan, who lives down the street and goes to church with us in his class. Aidan's mom and I worked out a carpool plan for afternoon pick-ups so now I don't have to go to the school every afternoon and wait in line, which is super nice.

Joseph took some pictures of the boys on Asa's first day. They look so grown-up in their uniforms. One cool thing is Asa loves to tell me about his day and what they did and what he liked best. Ezra has never really liked me asking questions about what goes on at school and volunteers very little information. But Asa telling me about his day sparks Ezra to remember things he did so then I get them both talking.


So far I have enjoyed the time with just the two little ones. I have walked some with them, gone to Rembrandts after walking the bridge for muffins and tea, grocery shopped and hung around the house. Marlow gets really excited when I tell her it is time to go get the boys. Unlike Asa who doesn't know what to do with himself when Ezra is away, she plays well by herself.... but not so well with Eliot. She tends to just tell him "No!" a lot and take toys away from him. She was nice to him today though and let him sit in the wagon with her for the walk to Bible Study. She enjoyed handing him animal crackers on the ride over. She really likes feeding him and always wants to feed him his yogurt or whatever he is eating. Thankfully he isn't too opinionated yet and doesn't mind who feeds him just as long as he gets the food.