A Quick Update

I can't believe that I have let so much time pass without an update! I wish I could offer some acceptable excuse, but the truth is I LOVE THE OLYMPICS! I always have. Although my gymnastic skills are about zilch, I have fond memories of pretending to be Mary Lou Retton as a child. (My sister was Bella firing away orders!) So, I have been glued to the television watching the Olympics. I thought I could just share a few pictures of the kids and some of the exciting things that have happened since we moved.  In stream of consciousness form:

• Matthew and Jonathan both became official toddler-waddlers!  I even bought them each a pair of shoes!
• I gave up caffeine, seriously!  No easing into it either, cold-turkey!
• We have bought produce (and the occasional pastry) from the local Farmer's Market every Saturday since we have been here.  An extra plus is that it is within walking distance from our house.  It can be kind of tricky maneuvering the double stroller through the crowds, but the food is so worth it!
• The moving company "lost" one of our bookshelves and the hutch to our desk.  Fortunately, UCI paid for insurance, so we will be compensated for the loss.
• Jonathan figured out how to open doors.  Not only the bathroom door, but the front door.  This is somewhat problematic, since our apartment is located on the second floor.
• Mary and Maggie have become fish!  They are really enjoying the pool.  Mary has turned the water wings over to Maggie who zooms around everywhere with a big smile on her face!  Mary is now perfecting the cannon ball!
• David walks to work every day and finally has office furniture.
• And, he will be interviewed tomorrow for a chemistry journal!
• Mary is officially enrolled with River Springs Charter School!  I will still be homeschooling, just under the umbrella of the school.  We will meet with an Education Specialist (a credentialed teacher) once every 20 days.  Our ES is also a Christian and seems to be tickled with Mary.  She is super-impressed with her reading abilities as well as with her performance on her math assessments.  But, I think Mary made the biggest impression when she did not want to agree to "keep trying, even when the subject is boring or difficult."  
• I went to the optometrist to get glasses.  Contacts just do not work for me in this season of life.  They should be in soon and I'll post a picture.  The girls had a lot of fun helping me choose frames and wanted me to try all the bright colors, even a pair with heart-shaped lenses.
• Matthew and Jonathan have taken to wrestling one another.
• Mary has learned to make brownies (from scratch) all by herself!
• We selected floors, counters and other things for our new house!  This was no small feat given that we are relatively budget-minded people and the first tile I found that I loved was $17 per square foot!  At our second appointment, we opted to start from scratch and change the counter, which opened up an abundance of tile choices for the budget-minded.
• I got a new vacuum because my old one broke!
• We bought our Orange County parks pass.
• I only reorganized the kitchen about three times!

  

  Jonathan

  

  Maggie

  
  

  

  Mary

  

  Matthew