Here Comes Spring!

After Shane started walking full time on Rock's birthday, he's been such a different kid!  I don't mean that in a bad way, he just behaves differently.  Before he walked, he was very OK taking in the world from my lap and just observing everything in his environment, versus Abby who from just a couple months on had to have a hands-on experience with everything and was constantly exploring the world with her whole body.

Shane now is into everything, he likes to put everything in his mouth (including dirt, mulch, and rocks...is that just a boy thing??), he doesn't really care if he is alone exploring or with us (I can't employ the "bye Shane, we are going this way" trick), and he is just generally a full-blown toddler (tantrums and all!).  It is so funny to think 3 months ago he wasn't like that and now there is no stopping him!

It is so great to have him walking now because he and Abby have so much fun at the park together.  They climb on all the equipment, slide down the slides, play pirate ship, and swing together.  Each stage has its ups and downs, and I am so glad that Shane and Abby are entering this stage of playing together right as the weather is getting warmer so that we can take them out to the park, zoo, or farm and know they'll get to play together there.

My back is feeling much better and I only have to see my chiropractor once a month which is a big difference from 2x/week!  It is nice to have that time back and not have to run to appointments the second Rock comes home from work.  I am not running any more but have found barre which is a mix of ballet and pilates, and I really enjoy it.  I can get a really good isometric workout done in only about 30 minutes and then have the rest of my day to do whatever I need.  That and getting out for daily walks, has been a great way to compromise on the time the kids and I are losing from running outside.

We recently found out that we will be moving to another house on post.  It is a new construction home and is right down the road.  Our current house is in desperate need of a remodeling and since we moved here 8 months ago, we have already had over 50 workorders called in and four of those could have been potentially lethal: black mold, gas leak, window falling out of frame, and carbon monoxide in our utility closet.  It has been a trying couple of months trying to get the housing situation straightened out, but now that it is, we are looking forward to moving into our new house the first week in May.  I will be saying ardent prayers that nothing else happens in the four weeks we have left in the house!!

Next week I am meeting up with some friends who were neighbors of ours the first time we lived in Maryland, and we are all going to the National Zoo!  Abby is so excited to see her friends and the animals and I hope Shane and all the other little kiddos behave so that we can have a nice long visit! AND the weather is supposed to be beautiful: sunny and almost 70!

I will be sure to upload some zoo pictures as soon as we go!