Welcome Distractions

This past weekend we went up to Chicago to visit our friends, the Bybees. They fed us, housed us, entertained us, babysat our kids while we went to the temple, let us sleep in their room so Nadia could sleep in their perfectly dark and massive walk-in closet, and in return I told her what curtains I liked and didn't like. Fair trade, no? I think I owe them big time. It was a perfect mini-vacation before finals week and it was so nice to see their gorgeous new digs.

Kidlets enjoying Tom and Jerry. We're playing Bohnanza, a new favorite game, in the background. It's on my "to-get" list along with Settlers of Cattan.

Before we left, they took us to Cici's Pizza, an all-you-can-eat pizza/pasta/salad buffet. We ate all we could eat and then some. There was an adjoining arcade in the restaurant and the kids took full advantage.


Pretending to play car racing games is hard work!


The little kids tried to get in on the action too.

We're back to the daily grind here, with just a few days left of intense work for Steve. He passed his prelim on Tuesday, applied for a grant on Monday that will make our lives a lot easier (if he gets it!), has a massive final on Wednesday, is wrapping up things with the class he teaches of 200+ (!!) students and then he just has a dissertation to write! Easy as pie! Rowan is now signed up for swim lessons and gymnastics(to learn all those crazy Batman moves) in the summer and we are eagerly anticipating the arrival of Grandma D in July. Sadly, Rowan's preschool is entering its last week and so to pass the time until then, we are:

Reading


Writing

I've started a "letter of the day" with Rowan to help him to learn to write the alphabet. He writes the letter and then has to think of three things that start with that letter. When he can write all the letters without any help, he gets a prize, which in this case is a remote control car. Hopefully I can find one at a yard sale before then! He's already started to write some basic words like "cow" and "wow".

Dancing


Enjoying the great outdoors

We'll miss Hazel, Asher, and Daphne Parent! They move this week.

This is what I call the "off-roading in a convertible look." Nadia gets like this just about anytime we go outside.



I think Nadia has found her next milestone to accomplish

And watching movies



Rowanism
"Sometime we should have a naked party. With a naked cake."
Just so my parenting doesn't come into question this tidbit occurred while changing the kids into pajamas.
When I asked him what a naked cake looked like, he said it has bruises on it. Nice.