Rainy Daze

The boys on a rainy day watching the cars go by. And yes there are a few unsafe things about this photo. In my defense, the guard rail is there, the window seat is only 1 foot from the floor and the blind cords do have safety cases on them - if not exactly up to code. As for Dylan's runny nose - when you have 4 noses to wipe not including your own, you are bound to occasionally miss one! Sometimes even good intentions aren't always successful when 18 month old boys are involved :-)

Thanks, Jenny!

After a year and a couple weeks in the States, Jenny headed back to Germany and her friends and family. She had quite a year of poopie diapers, temper tantrums and snotty noses. Strangely enough, when asked she said she'd do it all over again! We had a little going away feast with some of her favorite foods - Shawn's blackened catfish, a decadent mexican corn bread with lots of cheese, butter and cream and of course a heavily frosted cake from Acme. I put together a photo book with shots from the year for her just in case she forgets the chaos that is our family. Thanks for all your help, Jenny! Good luck with your next adventure.

Happy Birthday, Ghio!!!

Nicolas and the rest of the pack would like to send Ghio some birthday kisses. Enjoy your day!!!

Tricycle built for 2?

It was a beautiful day today so I took the kids outside in the yard and pulled out the bikes. Nicolas had his first trike ride with Dylan pushing. Nicolas seemed to like steering and bossing his brother around!

Welcome Jessica!

As Jenny's year with us comes to a close, we've hired a new nanny to watch the kids while I work. She is great and the kids love spending time with her. Ellen and Anais helped her make brownies this last week.

Tie-dyed

Jenny made tie-dyed t-shirts with the kids last week. Here's the best shot I could get of the kids with their new threads on.

Swim lessons

Ellen and Anais started swim lessons again. For some reason Ellen insisted on striking this pose for the photo. I guess she's preparing herself for her first beauty contest.

The Mushroom Festival

In case you are not aware, we live in an area highly regarded for it's mushrooms. In fact if the wind is blowing right, we enjoy the sweet stank of the mushroom "farms" - unsightly shacks filled with manure. The annual Mushroom Festival was held over the weekend so we loaded up the car to enjoy a day celebrating one of my favorite pizza toppings. Ellen enjoyed the "Monkey Maze" which had some crazy mirrors. With her hair in braids and her body elongated, she almost looks old enough to listen to Hannah Montana! Anais chose the "boat-ride" for her carnival ride. It was a hoot to watch.

Tropical Storm Hanna

We finally got some rain thanks to Tropical Storm Hanna. The girls decided to go out with their raincoats and umbrellas and work on some "watercolors".

For the politically minded...

The gender card

First day of school

Today was Ellen and Anais's first day back to school. This year they will both be in Miss Marguerite's class. It's a montessori program for 3-5 year olds. Although Ellen is old enough to start Kindergarten, because of her mid-August birthday we decided it was best to give her another year in preschool and be one of the older kids once she started in elementary school. With the montessori program, she will be able to learn as much as she'd like - reading, early math, etc. - so we don't feel that we are "holding her back". It will be a chance for her to build some confidence and be a leader as the older kids are encouraged to help the younger ones in the classroom. Anais enjoyed her first day and seems to love being in class with her sister. I'm hoping it'll be a good experience for the 2 of them. They are close but we think Anais is independent enough to not be overshadowed by Ellen in class. Should be a fun year!!!

A day at the Beach

Shawn and I took the 4 kids to the beach in Lewes on Sunday. All things considered, it went well. Traffic was light, we were able to park close, we didn't have to wait for the shower and there were no "blow-outs". Just small amounts of sand were injested by the boys while the girls had fun making sand castles with Shawn and collecting rocks and seashells. A day at the beach isn't without hassle and lots of schlepping back and forth but it was nice to spend the day as a family!