Becca started swimming lessons Monday evening. We will be taking her twice a week for four weeks. I chickened out and put her in a Parent and Tot class one last time. I just was not ready to have her go in the pool without one of us with her. Next session she will be in a class with three year olds on her own. Most of the kids in the class she is in now, it is their first time in the pool. Becca is swimming under the water. In fact, her trouble is we cannot keep her above the water long enough for her to listen. I really hope she will listen when I am not there! J comes along to hang out with Ethan while we are swimming then we all rush home to eat dinner. Becca was exhausted and asleep by 7:30 that night! I can hardly wait till Ethan is 6 months old, so I can introduce him to the beauty of swimming too (well the beauty of getting into a pool at his age!)

I am so excited about our little camping trip. We are headed to Bandelier National Park (which is uber close to home in case we have to bail). I just was talking with another mom at the library and got the goods on the trails there. The hiking is suppose to be great for kids, including going into some caves! I will be sure to take a ton of pictures!

We are slowly settling in here. It is so different from California. I miss my friends terribly even though the people I have met are wonderful. It does not truly feel like home, but neither did California.  In the general population there is some close mind-ness that I was shocked to hear. Little comments about “white people” or the lack there of and spanking of our children (something I am firmly against). Living here makes Southern California appear liberal (I am not exaggerating Holly I swear!) By no means am I including the moms I have met and hung out with (Molly!)

A quick update on the cat. Charisma is still alive and annoying lovely. He is not eating well but does not appear to be ill either. We keep trying different foods to entice him into eating. His energy level is good and plays with Becca, so I am trying not to worry. Before winter I think we will adopt another cat to keep him company and give him a break from Becca. She loves him so much and tries to “cuddle”. Before we thought he was sick, we never had to cue her to be gentle. Now she is all over him all the time. I think because she fears he will leave her soon.

Fabulous weekend!

We shopped for some extra camping gear. Ahh yes, we are heading out to the great outdoors next weekend! Becca and I are so excited (really J & Ethan are indifferent hehe). We also hung up the kids’ decorations in their room, finished the basement and tidied up the garage. Phew. Busy. We *may*just get the house settled in before the summer ends.

I also finished a pair of slippers for Ethan. The poor kid doesn’t have any shoes (I am all about the barefoot baby pre-walker)! Since we are heading camping he needed something to keep his toes warm! Once they are dry (felted them) I will take some pics!

I dyed some playsilks. For those of you who do not know what playsilks are (I didn’t until I lived in California, Marina introduced them to me) they are squares/lengths of silk that are used as an open ended toy. They basically can be whatever your child would want to imagine them to be…dress-up, a fort, a carpet and the like. Becca has a couple from Sarah’s Silks that she really enjoys. I purchased some from Dharma Trading before I left California that were undyed. Today I whipped out the kool aid and dyed them. They turned out awesome and unique. Next time I dye I want to try kettle dying (this time I used the microwave which created a marble, not solid effect that I like). All in all I am happy with how they turned out (check out Flickr to see more pics). I can hardly wait to do more dying!

Becca was exceptionally well behaved this weekend. Almost to a creepy degree. Like the calm before the storm? Or is she just settling into the new place? All I know for sure is she was sweet and enduring all weekend. Great listener, compliance almost 100% … so not what I have come to prepare myself for. I am not complaining. Really! Just a little freaked out … hehe! How was your weekend?

In an attempt to be creative in achieving much desired shower time, I have been placing Ethan naked on top of a diaper and blankets on his tummy with some toys to look at. The little stinker rolled over yesterday! From tummy to his back! The babe is not even four months old! So I thought maybe a fluke. This morning little Ethan, rolled onto his back twice while sun bathing in the window. Again this afternoon. Gone are the carefree days of leaving the baby unattended (JOKING).

Our playdate went awesome. Becca enjoyed having company and so did I! Thursday we went to Music and Movement and storytime at the library. It is so cute. Every week the librarians pick a theme to read about. This week it was vegetables. So Becca has been BEGGING me to go buy veggies. Ahh the power of a good book.

Today we joined a group of moms that meet once a week to play and chat. Super great group of women (and one stay at home Dad, don’t want to leave him out). It was so sad, they were saying good bye to a family that was returning to Sweden. I was in tears, not because I am an emotion sap (which I am) but because I was just that person that left. It was so hard to leave. It is the best thing for my family (especially considering our funding was about to run out) but leaving those friends behind was heartbreaking.

I also joined some ladies Thursday night for some knitting. It was nice to click the needles together with others. Even though I am on a mountain in the middle of nowhere, it is slowly starting to feel a little more comfortable, although it will never be home. Speaking of home, I am not sure if I mentioned that J was not offered the job in Toronto. We of course we very disappointed, however we will end up where we are suppose to be. J will be interviewing in Canada again soon

So after having a fun family weekend, I could hardly wait to neglect everyone and read the last of the Harry Potter books. Wow. It was good. Very Harry Potter. I miss the series, but hope to read through from the beginning to end this fall. I look forward to sharing the adventures with Becca when she is a little older.

My children were wonderful being neglected. Becca would entertain Ethan and herself. It was blissful. I actually missed them when the story was done. I am a crazy reader. If the story is good, I enter it completely. I do not zone into it quite like a used to, since the kids still depend on me for survival. J would after be left in awe when I would get a new book and sit and read. Not moving except for nourishment, pee breaks and maybe a little sleep. The sleep truly was optional. Stephen King totally would take me to his world. The Lord of the Rings was also an amazing journey. The best quality of a story for me is the sweeping me away action.

I did take a break long enough to take the kids to the library yesterday morning. We spotted our friends there and enjoyed wasting away the morning surrounded by books and friends. In fact, said friends will be coming over today for a playdate. I am a little nervous as my house is not completely settled in, with boxes still packed and items still homeless. I figured no better time than the present though. Procrastination is something I relished in university and try to avoid in adulthood. So this morning I will be rushing through my home trying to make sure it is kid safe, somewhat clean and tidy.

ugh. Does it happen to you? You have this fun weekend. J is home. We unpack, organize, check out the church and run off to Albuquerque. We enjoy tons of family time. J & I watch theLord of the Rings Trilogy. We relax.

Then Monday comes. ugh. I wish it were Sunday. Laundry has piled up. The sea foam green carpet looks like Rhinos have run through. The kitchen looks like a science lab. ugh.

Becca is enjoying some cool finds we discovered while garage sale shopping (really we must stop). Ethan scored a Jumperoo this weekend. Becca had a hand me down exercersauser that we did not save, this new fandled thing is high tech! I have debating and debating. Ethan’s head control and even leg strength is amazing. His tummy time has helped him out so much. In fact he almost rolled over yesterday! So I did not really want yet another thing to place him in. It gets to easy to put him away and forget about it. Yuck.

However, at Target when we tried out the Jumperoo, Ethan instantly smiled when placed inside. His face light up and he giggled at the motion he could create, the music and lights. In fact, when it was time to go, our decision had been made, poor Ethan let out a squeal of frustration when we took him out!

Ooooo we went to the Apple Store … Swoon … The iMac’s are so pretty. I am trying to hold out until October … Swoon …

Alas, housework is screaming to be done. Four bathrooms. ugh.