The Last Month & A Follow Up on Malia

The older the kids get, the more I'm realizing how busy spring is......about as busy as the holiday season.  It's amazing how the days and weeks fly by.  By now though, most things are winding down for summer.  About the only thing that has started is my returning to work.  I went back last week for the first time after being off for nearly 5 months.  I'll be honest - I was anxious about going back and not looking forward to it.  I'm still only part time (20 hours/week) and it's mostly from home, but still, 20 hours a week is A LOT when I try to keep it from impacting my time with the kids and Michael.  And truth be told, I'm ready to move onto the next phase in our life, whatever that might look like, and I feeling that my working is not a part of that.  Still, I'm thankful I have this job for right now and am trying to remember to daily ask God to use it for more than just financial benefits - help it to have more purpose beyond that.

The kids are all doing really good.  Emma has been loving school, soccer and piano and it's been really fun to watch her reading improve, her footwork refine and her piano playing actually sound like music.  She is an INCREDIBLE big sister to her brother & the twins - always a big help to me & Michael and really becoming a big girl.  The conversations we've been having lately have exposed us to just how much her mind and heart are maturing - which is exciting to see.

Jake has been doing soccer as well and BSF with me and is along for the ride with his older sister on almost everything.  He has been getting a lot of one-on-one time with either Michael or myself during the babies' naps throughout the week and it's been SUCH a great time to play, read or explore with him.  He would shoot hoops or dig in the dirt all day if we let him.  And he is the master of asking questions about EVERYTHING and has entered the world of playdates with a few of his best buddies and now asks to have one almost every day.  Oh, how he LOVES to have "boy" time.

And the babies.  They are changing by the minute, it seems.  Both of them are master crawlers, pulling themselves up on everything, starting to take those few scary steps around a table or chair and cracking us up constantly.  This is the first month I can really see a difference in their personalities.  I would have described them as "good" or "happy" babies from the beginning, but it seems like now they truly embody those descriptions.  Zuri, who was much more serious and scared and touchy at times, is such a zainy, giggly and content girl.  It's nuts - she is just completely a different child from the one we brought home.  She is a copy cat - trying to mimic almost everything you say and do.  We get lots of mama, dada, uh-oh, and shaking our head no and yes, waving goodbye, clapping and peek-a-boos.  Zinea is still the happy, laid-back babe she always was, but now seems to have gotten confident and active.  She crawls must faster than her sister and is quick to steal a toy or cracker from Zuri's hand, much to the irritation of Zuri.  She will scream SO loud it will make you deaf if you don't get her food on her tray fast enough.  And she can bounce like a mad woman on your lap or in the jumparoo - almost hard enough to launch into orbit.  She's determined, for sure.  Both of them have gotten into the habit of talking and playing with each other for about 15-20 minutes before going to sleep every time.  It's pretty cute to listen to (and watch, when I can steal a peek).  They are still sleeping good, about 7pm to 6am, without fail and napping nicely too.  Nothing is safe in the house anymore with them crawling and pulling up on everything.  We are quickly confiscating plants, decorations, certain toys, stuff stuck on the fridge, closing the toilets religiously and the list goes on and on.  They are a constant reminder of how dirty my floors are because I swear every dust bunny or carpet fiber finds its way on their clothes or in their mouth.  I tell you - this is a ride!  There are days I'm completely invigorated and others I'm falling flat on my face exhausted.

Well, here I intended just to share a few pictures of our "goings on" and ended up writing a bunch so I'll stop for now.  Onto some pics......

Emma with two of her "bestest" friends.

What's a soccer game without some hairstyling?

Zinea - she will fall asleep like this at times

Zuri - she does this with stuff ALL the time

Our annual family trip to the tulip fields at the end of April.  It was gorgeous, of couse.

Running the Awesome 3000....she did great...coming in at the front of the pack.

Jake did great too.....of course, he darted off and I lost him for most of the race (which was just shy of a lap around the track), and I barely caught up to him when this picture was taken.  I'm writing this to excuse the tougue hanging from mouth. 

Michael planting our garden with the kids.

Michael had the twins in the Jeep while the kids were playing outside...and I had to include this sequence of pictures just to share how silly these two girls can be.

Typical Zinea expression.

Typical Zuri expression.

A sunny morning in the backyard last week - the kids came streaming out the door dressed as superheros.  (thanks to their bathrobes and swimming goggles)

They are ON THEIR FEET!!!!

I also wanted to give an update about my friend Malia who was in Ethiopia, spending much of her time in Korah, by the dump in Addis Ababa, when I posted last.  Some of you have emailed or asked me for an update on her.  She got home safely not long after that post.  She has posted a couple of times about her trip on her blog:  http://thewellbox.blogspot.com/ so check those out there.

And since that time, I found the blog for the group Malia was with while in Korah.  You HAVE to check them out and see the amazing work, in addition to the amazing need you can help with, in the Korah community. 

LOOOOOOOOVE THIS!!!!!!!

http://help4korah.blogspot.com/