Looking to the future: April 2011

Where've we been the past month or so?

And what have we been doing?

This post will give you a glimpse of our lives in just about 60 seconds... except one major event, my parents' retirement party, is missing... as I can't seem to find the CD...

I swear that my dad was right (yet again) -- if my head wasn't screwed on, I'd lose it.

Just like the phone I left on the top of my car one day. Geez, I'm a genius, eh?

Anyway, here we go. Let's start with Nicholas in his oh-so-cool, good morning getup.

The same guy painting his mask....

I love the way he puts colors together. I'm not kidding you when I say he worked on this mask for nearly an hour.

Bira and Steen... the former still thinks she's a lapdog, even though she's bigger than one of the children in this house.

Nico indulging in his desire for ice cream on a spring day. (Yes, spring is here -- the tulips in front of the house are actually BLOOMING!)

Nico helping to make spinach mannicotti for dinner -- at the moment he makes dinner with me almost every night. It keeps him busy (i.e., it keeps him from standing there screaming his dissatisfaction with the world while his frazzled mother tries to put a meal on the table.) Sorry there are so many pictures of one child so far -- he's in a stage where he demands a bit more attention (read "terrible threes").

Bira enjoying the spring in her own way... still on a lap. Isn't she a cutie?

Luke practicing for the national chess championships. He's playing himself. How he does that, I'll never know.

Nico sitting with Bira on his lap. He insists that she sit on his lap. If she won't, he sits next to her and slowly puts his legs under her so that, whether she wants to or not, she's sitting on his lap. She doesn't seem to mind -- she loves company and attention as much as he does.

Nico riding his bike. This bike was actually a gift from Matthew's grandma and grandpa to Matthew when he was just a toddler... Nico loves it. He rides it hours on end. And today he learned to brake rather than crash into the wall or curb to stop!

Coloring Easter eggs.

Finished Easter eggs. Nick didn't sleep for hours because he was worried the Easter bunny might come and he'd miss him. He finally went to sleep when Luke told him "The Easter bunny is going to bring you candy, but only if you go to sleep!"