Catching up

Well, once again I am behind on updates. We've been busy. Mary started preschool a couple weeks ago. She is doing great! I've been told by the teacher that Mary is "independent" which is not a word I would never use to describe Mary. I've also been told that she is very polite and is very mature for her age. I am so glad it's going well. I was worried about her since we've never left her except with her various grandparents. She didn't cry at all the first day and now runs into the room to go play with her friends while I hang her coat and backpack up on her hook in the hallway. I am so proud of her. The pictures of her in the purple shirt (in the previous post) were taken on the first day of school.

Ellie had a birthday! Yippie! I can't believe my little one isn't a baby anymore. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. She's been walking and climbing for over a month. We had a party on Saturday with almost 20 people here. We started singing Happy Birthday to Ellie, and she loved it. She was smiling the entire time. She doesn't get to see my parents and grandparents very often, but she did great and let them hold her, etc. It was a great day. The weather was perfect for playing out in the yard after lunch so everyone sat out there and talked while the girls and their cousins played on the slide, swing, and sandbox.

Singing to Ellie

Normally I would hate this picture because I'm eating, but I think it's super funny!


We're still working on the basement. John went out of town a couple weekends ago, and when he came home he was sick. Now Mary and I are too. I keep thinking we are getting better, but we just can't seem to kick it. Ellie's fine of course. How funny that there can be three people in the house with a cold all coughing and sneezing like crazy and Miss Ellie is healthy as ever. Thank goodness for breastfeeding!


All primed and ready for paint:



John actually took a long lunch today and got some painting done. We need to get the area behind and around the washer and dryer done ASAP because we'll need to wash diapers in a couple days. After John gets off work, I am going down there to give that area a second coat of paint. I'm hoping we'll be done painting by Friday and we can start on the floor (which has several steps that need to be done before we can paint). I'm so excited!