We're still here!

Zinabu and his buddy from the care center at the Holt Picnic!

Aidan loves his baby brother

He really is this happy most of the time!

A pesto pasta fan . . .

Big 3 year old!

I know I've been terrible about keeping this thing updated but we're still here and doing well. Zinabu has 8 teeth - 6 of which he got in the first 6 weeks we were home! That made for long sleepless nights and zombie-like parents but things got better a few weeks ago. We moved him down into Bridget's room last week and so far he's been sleeping really well there. We loved having him in our room for attachment purposes but he had grown out of the co-sleeper and was able to pull himself to a sit in it, which wasn't safe. Stefan converted part of Bridget's built-in closet to a crib, which I think is really cute, and we should be able to convert the railing to something lower in the future for a toddler bed. Bridget really never used that part of her closet so it was really a better use of the space.

Zinabu is amazingly healthy and happy. He loves being around people and we feel like he's attached well to us so far. When we walk into the room he lights up, and if he's being held by someone else he squirms and cries for us. He is very content unless he's hungry and we constantly have people commenting on how "chill" he is. Bridget and Aidan are huge fans and

Bridget turned three on July 14th and is very proud of it :-) She loves pink, princesses, ballet, and anything else remotely girly. There was a point when Bridget was really young where I made a point of telling people that she was not going to be "girly" - she would be a strong, independent girl with a mind of her own. Somehow Bridgey has managed to be strong (willed), independent, with a mind of her own (that she loves to speak to anyone nearby) and yet a completely girly-girl.

Aidan will be 6 in September and our big focus right now is on getting ourselves ready for homeschooling! I'm using a curriculum called Oak Meadow that uses Waldorf methods, which I'm really excited about. Waldorf is an educational philosophy that emphasizes interdisciplinary teaching, incorporating the natural world into all aspects of education, focusing on the arts rather than just including them, and allowing children to develop as individuals. It's really an ideal curriculum for homeschooling but I'm definitely learning about it as I go, because it's not a "traditional" way of doing things.

Our days will be composed of stories and songs, nature walks, painting and drawing, and cooking, knitting, and playing the recorder. Lots of fun, but right now I'm in the midst of figuring out a basic schedule for our weeks (I'll continue working 2 days a week) and writing some stories that will help teach math concepts. The best part about this is that Aidan is really excited about it and that makes it all worth it. It's also something that Bridget can participate in 90% of the time so that should make things easier. We'll just try to do most things while Zinabu is napping!