Catching Up!

What a slacker! Since Halloween, blogging has been about 20th on my priority list and for some reason I usually can't even get past number three! A ton has happened, every time something funny or interesting happens I think, "I'll have to blog that", yet sitting here blogging, none of it comes to mind, lol.

I just returned from Ethiopia. I'm still trying to get my days and nights back on track, but it was a good trip and I feel like I got something accomplished. I was lucky enough to get three days in Paris out of my layovers too, that was fun. Fortunately I was with great company both ways which made it even better. Isaac had spring break so he was able to stay home with the kids (do I not have an EXCEPTIONAL husband??). They did great and the kids didn't even seem to have missed me that much. Ariana is actually a little calmer and is playing a little nicer. I use a lot of time outs with her (she lives in time out more than she is out of it) every time she is taking things away, hurting her sisters or just being disobedient. Isaac tends to only use time out if she is hurting her sisters and he generally just lets them fight-out/work out their sharing issues on their own. I'm an intervener/referee/peace-keeper. After seeing the changes in Ariana, just after two weeks of not using my parenting techniques, I think I've got to admit that maybe Isaac's techniques are better. I'm trying to use less time-outs now. We'll see how it goes...

Rocio had Cochlear Implant surgery in the beginning of March. She had one ear done; they will activate it in a few days. They wait a month for all of the internal swelling to go down. She will be able to hear immediately upon activation but it will take a few months for her brain to make the auditory connections it needs to understand what she is hearing. So while it is exciting that she will hear, I am anticipating a few months of her being a little irritable due to the constant noise that she is not used to and won't know how to interpret.

Maria is a saint. She is just such a great little helper. She shares well (with Rocio, she still struggles sharing with Ariana a little) and she always comes running when Ariana is getting into something she shouldn't. She's affectionate, nurturing and loving. She's very orderly too.  I included a picture of her toys that she organized before getting out of the bathtub.  It always cracks me up how she lays them out before getting out. We are so lucky to have her in our family! She recognizes all of her letter sounds now (Thanks to The Letter Factory, that is such a great tool!) I've been amazed at how quickly she is picking up on her letters and numbers. I'm debating whether to put her in pre-school next year or keep her home with me another year. Having spent her first two years in an orphanage (although a good one with a lot of love and affection) I tend to think it is more beneficial for her to have another year of "family life" before she starts the long road of school. We've now had the girls for a year, I can't believe how time flies!

Ariana is active! And artistic. We've finally (mostly) finished our basement and the girls now have a huge playroom down there. And there is a ton of Ariana's artwork bordering my freshly painted walls right at her level. I decided I would just let her get it out of her system down there, she knows it's a no-no to do it upstairs. I figure that's their space, I can always repaint. She also loves finger painting - with her poop. It's so claylike, who wouldn't? A few weeks ago I put her down for a nap only to hear her knocking on her door 15 minutes later saying “mommy, look!” I open the door to see her flexing her poo covered fingers and saying “look mamma, pretty”. She was pointing to the mirror that was so decoratively painted. And the door. And the wall. I’m just thankful her artistic streak didn’t include the carpet (which she finger painted with a pint of HONEY a few days earlier). I've had to start putting her PJ's and onsies on inside out so she can't undress. Hopefully she will phase out of this one soon...