Pause.

This has been a very, very long week.

At work, a teacher and student died a day apart. This is the second time a teacher has passed away this year. Professionally and personally, we're all exhausted.

At home, we still waiting for last minute repairs and for the cleaning company to come through. They may be able to finish everything this week, however we're leaving for vacation in Virginia on Friday. This means that at the earliest, we'll be able to move back the following weekend but then go to work on Monday without any reprieve. Whatever "honeymoon period" existed the weeks following the fire at the hotel have long vanished. The little things that didn't bother us before are increasingly irritating.....the one creaky, narrow couch, the half kitchen and old pots and pans, crazy guests and unruly children, cramped quarters and restless cats. We are, however, very grateful for a hospitable staff, an elevator in place of our long stairs, and for the few conveniences of home.

Every sunny and somewhat warm day, we are at the park or outside on the hotel grounds. It's SO FUN to see the babies learning and growing so rapidly!!!!! They know and understand many things which makes playing, reprimanding, talking and sharing every experience with them new and interesting. We can't believe how different they are. It's so cool.

Pots and pans are AWESOME!

He took my lid!

Yes mom?

I'm not eating my zipper again. Really, I'm not.

I found my NOSE!

Watching Sesame Street

Mom, uppppp!

Outside!

We had such a great day today. We've been weaning them from their morning nap. It's difficult some days, but for the most part things are beginning to settle into a workable routine. They usually wake up around 8:30-9 after occasionally being up once during the night (usually because of a particularly messy diaper).

During the week Steve feeds them breakfast, bathes them and then they play until 12:30 when Steve leaves for work and his mom comes to the hotel. She feeds them lunch, they play and then nap at 2:30-ish. They're usually up when I get home around 4.

BUT on weekends.....it's time that we all have together, interrupted only by our massive loads of laundry and runs to the store for MORE food.

Today we got up and had breakfast, played, did laundry, packed lunches and then headed to the park for several hours. We packed two exhausted kids back in the car and drove to the hotel. After they had their milk, we took a family nap. When they awoke, we had dinner at Chick-fil-et and grabbed a couple items from Target. Then it was pjs, milk, Sesame Street and bed. Steve and I are hanging out and relaxing. A very, VERY good day.

Tuckered out. Playing is hard work.

Dad's hat is SO COOL.

Bed head.