Just a couple of days after the last post, we bought a table and chair set from Costco - for ourselves. And it's proved itself totally worth it in the last 10 days alone what with all of the beautiful weather we've been having. The temperature's been just right for every meal outside, so we've taken advantage. This post, I want to focus on what the kids are doing now because it's so easy to just breeze on over it, but they really are growing big time right now. Ada's is mostly gross motor skills: she's a-walkin'! Paul's is all in that big noggin of his.
Ada has really taken off! While she's been toying with the idea of walking for what seems like months now, she's finally started doing it alone, just because, and without prompting. And she's most proud of herself; she gets the widest grin when we catch her just standing there. Helps that Paul will shout out sometimes, "Mama! Ada's standing!!" Then she grins and laughs. She's also begun walking herself along in or on the push-cars we have, so that's neat! Oh, and she's gone girlie-girl on us, requesting headbands and laughing once she gets them:
Paul is also taking off - in his imagination! And I'm relishing it. He said several things I keyed into, and now I'm noticing how often he really has his own train of thoughts - it's awesome. Ok, example 1: Ada was crying in the car on the way home from the store, and he tried calming her (cute, I know) by saying, "It's ok, you'll see Uncle Pete soon. He'll have backhoes for us to play with" What? How? Where did that come from? We had just seen him in Houston, ya know, but still. You better deliver, bro... Ex 2: Reading about what the Three Trees wanted to be when they grew up, he said he wants to be a backhoe because 2 shovels. Later that day, Dylan kind of loaded-questioned him, and it came out he wants to be the driver, but I'm sticking with his first answer. Ex. 3: We were eating out back, and we could see (poor indoor) Lucy in the window. Paul starts telling me she looks like the "Unts-uh" ... wut. You know, "with the green arms at the window" oooooh, the Once-ler, from Dr. Seuss' The Lorax! And she totally did! Because she's black against the black of the window showing just her eyes! Anyone? Google it. Last example: Paul was saying how pretty my Cologne coffee mug is, with the bridge over the Rhine and cathedral. Then he says, "I would like to go there. That bridge. Trains go on that bridge!" I told him we'll go one day and ride trains ... and eat delicious German bread. So he says, "Good bread on trains on big bridges, mmmm! Let's bring all of our boxes. To live. With Nana and Pappy, too. We'll miss Gus and Ben." Baaahaha, I loved the whole 3 or 4 minute exchange.
Dylan's been busying himself with work, yes, but also with helping to organize our neighborhood Movies on the Point monthly event, the first of which was a great success! And he's gotten himself switched into this local chapter of the Knights of Columbus, so our involvement there has increased; and everyone's so happy to have us.
And I have kept busy with the children, duh, as well as the usual cleaning and cooking and entertaining but also sorting through things, trying to simplify here and there. We've received many, many nice kids' clothes in sizes through 5yo boys, so I've had to get my head around what, how, and where to keep things. I've also felt an itch to get Paul (and to a lesser extent, Ada, too) involved in activities where s/he's got to answer to adults besides Mama and Papa; Paul's had 2 toddler soccer classes (the second of which was much more positive than the first ... hoping that's a trend!), and there's a big hope in a local art class for little guys. Check them out here to have a peek at what just joined our neighborhood; we attended an open house, and I think I'm in love! We've joined the nearby community garden, too, and have hopes there to pique interests I'd otherwise be less capable of doing on my own at home.
Now it's Holy Week, and the Triduum starts tomorrow with the Last Supper service - Paul's excited about getting to rip into a giant loaf of bread for dinner, ha. Nana & Pappy are coming in, too, and we're planning on attending the last Fish Fry on Friday after a Way of the Cross, having a crawfish boil on Saturday with Pete, and attending the biggest Mass of the year on Saturday night, the Easter Vigil. Then, come Easter morning, there'll be baskets to get into and a brunch to enjoy.
Ginny & Ryan spent Easter in Omaha, so with those noticeable exceptions, the whole family was together. Mom and Dad joined in our church's Good Friday observance and the last Fish Fry. Then on Saturday, Dad boiled crawfish here for us, and Peter and his gal, Serena, as well as her brother, Peter, joined us for that. Later that evening, we attended the highest Mass of the year for the Easter vigil. That was both lovely and opened up our Easter Sunday morning! We had some basket treats and then headed off to an aaamazing brunch at Katie's in Mid-City. Mom had soft-shell crab eggs benedict, Dylan had oysters benedict, Dad had a crawfish beignet something, Peter a trout and grits ensemble, and I had grillades and grits. Seriously, like I said, amazing.
