2007-02-18 Michelle's update

February 18, 2007

Hi Everyone,

We had another eventful week. Katelyn's birthday was on Monday and her art party was on Tuesday night. We had 5 girls over and ate pizza and cupcakes and orange soda. We decorated crowns with hearts and glue and glitter and markers and we cut and colored pictures. Then we played games and opened presents and made necklaces. It was a lot of crafts and the kids had a great time. It's so nice to have three craft tables:) Enclosed are a bunch of pictures from the party and of the girls painting later in the week with paint supplies from Grandma. It's been great fun. We decorated the house and Katelyn has been saying to me since then, "mom, where did our party house go?" Meaning, why did I take down all the streamers and balloons. Katelyn has mastered the two-wheel bike and tells me she has "awesome pedal power." "Mom, look at this twirly dirly pedal power." It's fun. She got all arts and crafts for her party and so the week has been spent with new stuff. It's been fun for the girls. Sienna gave Katelyn HI ho cherry-o, which has also been great fun. We now have the roll and play, zingo, and hi-ho cherry-o that we play every day. Last night they played by themselves and it was cute to hear the conversations.

It's fun to have Laurie live close by. She's my cousin. Our kids are the same age for the most part and like each other. We are starting to do a weekly playdate. It's nice to have the comfort level of family even though we don't know each other that well. It always amazes me that our husbands both went to dental school and both chose here and now we are living near each other for the first time in our lives. It was fun to have Sienna at the birthday party.

I have been busy doing birthdays and valentine's day and making invitations for a baby shower. Lots of projects. Hans is almost done with the TV stand and it looks great. I'm excited to paint it next weekend while he starts on the radon project. The girls play so well in the basement that it's easy to get stuff done down there. Justin is a little scary down there. He likes to chase the girls around on their bikes, which always makes my heart skip a beat and climb up the stairs.

Justin is 11 months old this week. He has taken 7-10 steps in a row many times. He is getting really close. He is really steady and could walk if he chose to. He's just SO fast crawling. My favorite is when he puts his head down on the ground. I think it means he is crawling really really fast, except he can't see where he is going. It seems a little risky to me, but he thinks he is funny when he is doing it. He is so curious and busy. He never stops moving and has started only taking one nap a day this past week. He does fine and it gives a little more flexibility to my schedule. He loves typing at the computer and playing with the mouse, pushing the TV buttons, opening and closing the x-box, and pounding on the keyboard and pushing all the buttons. He is busy. It wears me out in church. Thankfully Hans has him the second two hours. He is on antibiotics again this week for ear infections. His 4th in the last 3 months. Ugh!!!

There is a picture attached of Ashley with a picture of her fish. She is into coloring fish and making families with them. She'll lay out her dora blanket and put them in dora's tummy and play dora's pregnant and just had lots of fish. She is very creative. She is a wonderful helper with Justin and I have to remind her to relax. She'll come in the kitchen and say, "mom, can you watch Justin so I can go play?" She is over-protective. It's cute. She is a great dancer. Last night we turned up the music and danced. It was great fun. It was good exercise and funny to see Hans try out his ballet.

Hope everything is well with all of you!

Love, Michelle