Playing Catch Up

It's been a while since I've updated the Anderson Family's activities, but here's a little run down of what's been happening.

**The boys spent four days at home! That, of course, means: Flora. Cole and I always say "home" and the boys FREAK OUT because they want to go to Flora and to them, home is Anytown. Part of this makes me sad because it's true that our lives are in Anytown and have been for almost six years, but I will always consider Flora to be "home." The boys and I were with Nina and Papa (my parents) on Thursday and Friday. It was fantastic! We got to see their aunts and cousin, Cambell. And aside from my mom trying to break into someone's house in order to pick Cambell up from the babysitter (nobody had told my mom that the babysitter moved!!!!) it was a perfect visit.

On Saturday the boys spent time with just Grandpa Marc in the morning. It was the first time Grandpa Marc was on his own with the chums, and they had a great time! They went to the park, they went out for ice cream, and by the time they were done....Eli passed out in the car within three blocks. The rest of the weekend Grandma K-leen was around, and they got to have their cousin Sidney come play too. When Marc and K-leen (this is Cole's stepdad and mom BTW) met us to return the boys, K-leen said that she was starting to be a little freaked out by how quickly the boys are growing up and would like to keep the boys at least one weekend a month over the summer because soon the boys are going to have activities of their own and they aren't going to get to see them as much as they want. Have I mentioned before that I have the greatest in-laws? Because I do! Cole and I joke that if K-leen could file for joint custody of our kids.....she would. Haha. (Don't get any ideas, Grandma.)

So while the boys were with the grandparents, Cole and I spent time by OURSELVES!!!! I thought it was an awesome weekend. Cole, however, was more anxious to get the boys back because he hadn't seen them since early Thursday morning. I didn't get my freedom until Friday evening so I was perfectly content with getting the little dudes back Sunday evening. I will say, our house was not meant to be silent and empty. This house was meant to have little feet running through it and sweet little boys resting snugly in their beds. I don't know what we could have possibly done all the time for the first two years of our marriage. I would say we wasted a LOT of time. I know that our lives are a million times better with babies!!!!

**This Tuesday I observed at Montessori. It was the most astonishing thing I have ever seen. I can't even describe what was going on. There were two through seven-year-old kids in the room. The volume of the classroom, with 20 people in it, was lower than the volume of my house. No joke. There was perfect order in the room. The kids instantly responded to every single request that was made. Everyone worked with such concentration.  I saw a five-year-old teaching a four-year-old how to calculate the square of a number! It was all so amazing. I observed for two full hours and could have stayed longer because I was absolutely mesmerized. I can not wait for Ian to start school there, and for anyone considering a Montessori education, I say: DO IT! It was fantastic. Oh, and I think we are going to do one of the Montessori day camps this summer for both of the boys.

**The boys are finishing "High School Preschool." It has been so fantastic for all of us. The boys adore their helpers and wake up asking about going to preschool. I am a happier mommy since I get a regular break during the day. So far the boys have had farm week, ocean week, jungle week, sports week, zoo week, and bugs and plants week. They have learned songs, made friends, made lots of crafts. It has been wonderful, and I will encourage the program to every single mommy of preschoolers that I meet.

**I have arranged with my sister to let my nephew come and stay with us for a couple of weeks this summer. The local community college offers all kind of great summer programs for kids my nephew's age, and he is going to take a summer class and stay with us! I'm SO excited about this!!!!! He hasn't decided which class he is going to take, but I'm pretty sure it will be one involving Legos, computer programming, or both. I am hoping to enroll the boys in a day camp during one of the weeks he is here so I can have some time with just him this summer. That time is getting harder and harder to come by.

**Cole and I recently had a major talk about my current career path and all of my apprehensions about going back to work, and sending the boys to a babysitter, and what's best for our family, and on and on and on. After a really, really great discussion, we've realized that our current plans are going to change. Before having Ian I was dead set on going into an engineering field. But since having Ian, and the Eli, ALL of my priorities have changed, and whether Cole will admit to it or not, he has the same apprehensions about leaving the boys in someone else's care that I have. So, things are still up in the air, but we are working towards a new plan, and I have felt as though an enormous weight has been lifted. I think Cole is happy too.