Work

Papa has been working a ton of hours managing a mechanic shop and at the dealership. Money has been little and time demands have been great, which have been stressors on the family. But the hope is that the work will pan out into greater income and more free time down the road. But work is very close to home (I walk there most days) and we still find time to go out together as a family several evenings per week (that's a great thing!)

Early Head Start

Stephen just got accepted into Early Head Start, which is a government-funded preschool program for broke folks like us. He goes for several hours per day, Monday-Friday. It has been great for Mama, who has had her first break since Sarah was born, although it has been hard for her, too. Stephen cried a lot the first several days he had to go. Mama cried, too. But he has liked the idea of going to school since the beginning and by week 2 he was hardly crying when we dropped him off.

He has fun there, playing with other kids, getting more socialized (if that were possible), and taking baby steps towards independence.

Next month Sarah will go back to her own Head Start preschool in the same building, and then Mama will really have a break - several hours in a row per day with no tiny person demands.

Swimming

The kids love going to the pool to swim. They have been using little plastic "floaties" on each arm and can jump in from the side and swim the length of the pool.

Stephen is able to hold his breath under the water and has no problem dipping his head underwater. In fact, he jumped in to the pool a couple of times without his floaties and had to be retrieved from under the water by nearby Papa, and each time he popped out of the water with a big smile on his face.

Sarah is not as good at holding her breath. She does not like to put her face under the water at all and is a bit more afraid of the water.

But we all have fun splashing around. And Mama is slowly improving her swimming skills as well.

Papa: Stephen, do you want to go to school today?

Stephen (grinning ear-to-ear): No! Pool!

Papa: You want to go swimming in the pool?

Stephen (still grinning): Yeaaahh!

Actually

Sarah: Ac'shuly, I want this one. Ac'shuly, I want the other one. Ac'shuly ... that's a girl in my scowol! Ac'shley!

Electric Company

We have been watching old episodes of The Electric Company with the kids. We all enjoy it and it is good especially for Sarah and for Mama.

Sarah: I like Electric Company because it teaches me how to wead! I want to wead when I grow up and get big.

Congratulations Grandma!

Grandma has finally taken the much-deserved and long-deliberated step of retiring. She worked for several decades cleaning teeth, most recently in an office in our home town for something like 25 years. Her patients and coworkers were like a second family and it was not an easy decision to make, but I was informed that she seems to be happier now than ever before. Now she can do whatever SHE wants to do all day.

(Hope I don't have to wait until I'm years past retirement age in order to do the same).

Love you Grandma!!