Happiness is dying Easter Eggs

Biloxi Egg Hunt 2010

Ocean Springs Egg Hunt 2010

Isaac was not his normal self. He was sick the night before.


Juliet is so proud of her egg!


Running to show Isaac and Mama her egg!

Daddy teaching her the ropes.

Isaac waiting for his hunt to begin...really wanting to be in bed.


Excited to be on the slide!




Too much to write it all down...
We've had serious computer issues so our blog posting has gone by the wayside. AND we don't have picture editing software, so you'll just have to crop the photos mentally!

Our time in Mississippi is winding down and we are making plans for our return to Virginia. In just a few weeks we will be returning to our home for Tim's next rotation. He will not have the same job as before, not even the same office; but since the D.C. area is booming with his kind of work, it worked out that our house will come in handy! Our renters only needed a 6 month lease so it worked out very well.

Isaac and Juliet love each other very much. Neither of them put up with the other when personal preferences are infringed upon. For example, Isaac will try to sneak a toy away from Juliet when she's not looking. When she discovers it, she'll go after him with a scream and aggressive action. Isaac is getting smarter though. The other day, he took a toy from her that he wanted and replaced it with another he knew she would like, and she was so elated to have the new toy, she didn't even miss the first! Smart boy!

Isaac seems to be responding to behavior challenges with money and fun outings. He is rewarded with such things and they are taken away when his behavior suffers. He loves putting his coins in the piggy bank Nana gave him! He is learning quickly what our expectations are of him. He is still a typical 3 year old and has his melt-downs, but generally they are when he is hungry or tired, so we try to keep an eye on those things. He is a loving child. He loves those that are close to him very deeply. He cares for them and thinks of their needs. We are so glad to have him be a part of our family and can't imagine life without him.

Juliet is growing up so quickly. I can't decide if she is meeting her milestones quicker than Isaac or if the time is passing quicker, so it seems like it is going faster. I remember with Isaac's first year, each day seemed like a thousand years.
She has 4 teeth. She loves to walk and climb everywhere. She is very independent and does not hesitate to scream quite loudly when she doesn't get her way. I feel like this is common for second children. Do they want to be sure you don't forget about them? I don't know, but I love her so much it confounds me.

Enjoy the pictures from Juliet's first egg hunt (Ocean Springs, MS). She had a BLAST! and it was so much FUN for Isaac and I to cheer her on when she was going for it! She picked up the concept quickly and didn't want to stop! She was very proud of her eggs! Isaac had a hunt, too, but he was sick the night before and was still not feeling too well when his turn came around. He wasn't himself all morning, but I'm hoping a good nap will help him.

Isaac turns 3!

Since we were stuck in Virginia for 2 weeks, we celebrated Isaac's birthday several times over with different friends. All of those pictures are still on my phone; we are having some difficulty getting them on to the computer. So far, the cake total is up to 5 with at least one more planned. This was today's cake with our nuclear family on his actual birthday. Isaac doesn't like cake, but he likes that there is big fun and celebration due him on this day! He ended up eating a Dora popsicle.

Right now, we are sitting and watching olympic ice skating and Isaac seems to enjoy watching the people spinning, throwing, and flying on the ice.

Isaac is an amazing boy. He astounds us daily with his inquisitive mind, his sentence structure and his heart. Tim said to Isaac at dinner, "Isaac, I'm glad you're my son". Isaac responded, "I'm glad you're my daddy".

His favorite color is blue, but I just asked him and he said green.

His favorite food is chicken and french fries (Tim brought that home for Isaac's lunch today!)

His favorite toys are his Cars characters and trains.

When asked what he wants to do when he grows up, he responds, "drive".

His favorite animal is a giraffe.

His favorite show (currently) is Chuggington.

He is happy in Mississippi.

He prefers to sleep in a room with Juliet rather than by himself.

He doesn't like getting his hair washed in the tub and he is terrified of showers.

He likes to go on adventures, but after a while, he just wants to be home.

He loves to play with Juliet and he is learning to teach her gently what is best for her.

He has funny attachments to things like our blue van, and the versa, the bridge we walk on "our bridge".

His imagination is growing and his wishes are becoming more elaborate. Today he said, he wants to play Hungry Hippos on the train in Disney World.

He just started (today) coloring/painting to the ends of the page and leaving no white space.

He dressed himself today, but it was not without lots of "encouragement". He did finally get the button. His attitude has hindered his progress. It's just so much easier when the parents do it!!

He likes to help cook. He will ask to bring the chair over to the counter to come watch and help.

His memories are far reaching and sometimes we can only vaguely recall what he could possibly be talking about.

Sometimes I look at him and see all the years passing before me like a flash. The sands are slipping through the glass. I do believe I am the luckiest momma in the world.

Isaac, you are the best!

Juliet is 9 months old!

Today marks Juliets 9 month "birthday" and we are thrilled at the progress she has made in one very important area: SLEEP! Since the first of the year, we have informed Juliet that she will no longer be fed or attended to in the middle of the night. She has, more or less, started to understand our new stance and has complied quite nicely. This has been good for everyone. Now, Juliet and Isaac share a room and our cozy little apartment has an official guestroom.


Other things Juliet has started to do are: waving, clapping, drumming on the drum, tapping the keys on the piano, self-feeding, walking behind the push-car, climbing on everything, and she still has 2 teeth!

Juliet loves her family very much. If she is doing something in one room and hears the rest of the family in another, she will fuss until we are all together. She is much more affectionate than Isaac was at her age. She loves to snuggle and just be held. She watches and studies expressions on faces as if she's doing research on human behavior. She loves to watch me cook and so I try to remember to narrate to her what I'm doing and what tools I am using.

She is so amazing to watch! I still can't believe we have a daughter, and that her name is Juliet! I can't believe she is 9 months old and that she is more than we could have asked for! Our lives are truly blessed by her presence and we are so excited that she is a part of our family.

Juliet walking behind the car.

Isaac teaching Juliet how to use the drum.

Isaac and Juliet playing and dancing.

a Visit from Grandma

Well, it was suppose to be a visit from Grandma AND Grandpa but Grandpa was held back by 3 trials that needed his attention this weekend, so he had to stay home. We missed him, but let me tell you, we had an awesome weekend with Grandma.

First, she brought Christmas with her! The whole family was given wonderful gifts of all types. Even gifts from their recent cruise through the Mediterranean! (Seriously jealous).

Grandma also helped Isaac with his piano lesson for the day. We try to do them daily, but it ends up being 3-4 times per week. He's only 2 (I only have one more month to say it, so I'm going to milk it as much as I can)!!

Here, Isaac and Juliet are playing sweetly together with one of the toys Grandma brought for Juliet. They have been playing together every day of late and it is a fairly new and welcomed phenomennon. It brings great joy to see them love each other and get along so well. Soon, I will need to post a video of them dancing together...it is a hoot!

The first night Grandma was here, I stole her for some girl time, but then, for the next two nights, she watched the children so that Tim and I could go on dates! It was a great weekend.

Note to Grandma: Thank you very much. Both nights we were out, we toasted to you! You are awesome and we love you.

Happy New Year!

Well, we are settled back in Mississippi! We left on December 5 and returned on December 28th. On our way back, we spent Christmas with my brother and his family. We took the opportunity to take a few pictures of the cousins while we were together.

Stasiu is 5 and Bohdan is 2.