FANNY!!!

Sometimes I sit and watch it happening, and I don't even care. No, more that that even. I'll sit there and think, "How adorable, the two of them working on a little project together! No imminent threat of stitches or concussion or fingers getting squished in a cabinet door. And no yelling. Ah yes, no whining or fussing or wailing. No loud noises at all. This is a happy, happy moment."

Another happy moment was taking the kids to the pool on Tuesday for the first time. Look at The Fiery One all suited up and with a little snork to top it off!

I'd been intimidated by the thought of watching 2 wee non-swimmers at the pool at the same time, but we had such fun! Andrew was inspired by Marjorie Stewart-Baxter (who can swim) and was leaping off the side into deep water with his little water wings before I knew it. Els desperately wanted me to just let her go to it and was very put out that I insisted upon holding her. I'm hoping she'll take a liking to her float soon so I don't have to alligator wrestle the whole time. Funny thing: When I got home, I was rinsing out their bathing suits and saw that Andrew's is size 24 months and Elsbeth's is 3T. What in the world?

In appliance news, The Precious decided recently that it was time our Nibblet was educated in the ways of front-loading washers. He was excitedly telling her all about it (or, in truth, telling me to tell her ... "Mommy, tell Elsbeth this is where the water comes out," etc.). The two of them stood watching the clothes wash for some time before Nib decided she had some other things to check on. Andrew was distraught that she was going to miss the spin cycle. Seriously.

A few Saturdays ago we scooted out of town to Southern Belle Farms to pick strawberries. (Same farm we went in the fall to select a pumpkin and do the corn maze and take a hay ride - love this place!)

Yum.

TFO was annoyed that she was strapped to my back during the actual picking instead of digging around in the plants herself. She punished me by occasionally getting a fist full of my hair and pulling it with all her surprisingly powerful might. Then she'd arch her back and kick her legs and tell me a little more about what she thought of her confinement. But later I let her free-range in the grass and eat homemade strawberry ice cream and all was forgiven.

New Nibblet milestone: She's walking! She took her first step a couple weeks ago, and then did a whopping 8 steps by herself yesterday! She still prefers to hold on to my finger, but I don't think it will be long before she's careening wildly about the house.

And finally, in house news, we're moving in a just a couple weeks a big 3 miles away to a 100-year-old Victorian that I'm madly in love with. I can't believe it! It's my dream house. And it has 4 sets of stairs and a deep koi pond that just might give me a stroke. Everyone go now and buy up stock in baby gates and pond security netting.