Dancing, cleaning, and crafting

E and I spent the weekend at my parents', while Ben prepares for his 3 upcoming exams this week (please send some good wishes). I am so thankful that my Mom saved my old dance costumes and shoes. I'm happy that Esther will have these as she grows up for play...or (hopefully) when she starts dancing herself!
As mentioned in a previous post, E is enjoying cleaning with me lately. I gave her a towel and asked her to dust all the shelves. After hearing some tumbling, I came to her room to find....well, at least she was thorough!
And, last...some crafting. I made this earring display/holder this week. A thrifted frame, fabric covered cardboard, and sewn on o-rings = functional and artsy display. Love it!

Baby Teagan Laya!

Today we got to meet a sweet, new addition to this world - Teagan Laya. Marley, the new big sis, is 5 days older than Esther. Tisa (Mama) and I were pregnant together with the girls and shared in a lot during these first years. She's ahead of me now, but our second will come in time.
Esther had so much joy loving on Teagan and playing with Marley. As I've mentioned before, she LOVES babies. She often walks around with dolls under her shirts (even sleeping with them 'in her belly'). She always talks about how sweet babies are. E has also told us that she will have a baby sister, named Esther, and a brother, named Frosty. Not kidding here - hilarious!
So here are some pics of the precious Teagan Laya and our first meeting with her.

Introducing Teagan Laya
E couldn't wait to hold her

Helping give Teagan a bathMaking sure she was covered and warm

The Girls!

I love my sweet girl and her baby-love!

DMS - school photos

Esther is enjoying school much more, to the point that we play school almost everyday at home. Here are a couple of pictures her teacher sent last week. Montesorri focuses on 'life-skills', so you will often see the children cleaning, reading, caring for a babydoll, or other real life activities. Her new loves are washing dishes and folding towels. I'm telling you, I love it! She's also doing really well with phonics and reminding us what letter EVERY word starts with.

Flower arranging
Doing dishes at home

Changes....and play at the Land Trust

Sorry for the delay in posting, it has been a rough couple of weeks adjusting to all the changes. Esther and Benjamin both started school and the schedules are quite different. Though Esther had a rough first week, she is now liking Decatur Montessori and has made some sweet friends. Ben also is liking school, though it is already proving itself to be an intense program - as we knew it would be. We also got good news that I have been offered another part-time position. Starting Tuesday, I will be working with the Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center. I will be leading school groups and doing programs. This is coming along right in time, as things always do! Esther is getting settled into school, Ben is busy with his program, and God knows we need the extra income. We are thankful!
As part of our new routine, E and I have been doing yoga in the mornings. Ben and I were at a loss for how to handle her rough transition (she's always loved school), so we thought this time together in the mornings would help. I bought her a children's yoga video and she seems to enjoy it. The instructors are a bit annoying to me, but they capture E's attention, so I endure it :)

Meditating - so sweet

Esther gets out of school at 3:00, so we have been doing little outings before Papa gets home. We met some friends at the local Land Trust this week and had lots of fun and exploration. They have a nice sandpit/play area, lots of community gardens, chickens, an emu, goats, and more.



And, a few things from me...
1. My new haircut - 10inches+ donated 2. A cute bobby pin I made to go with the new do

Esther's new school!

After visiting many schools in Decatur/Atlanta and listening to E beg to go to school for over a month, we decided on Decatur Montessori. It is very similar to Morningstar, her Athens school, but is larger and goes up to 6 years old. Esther is in the 3-6 classroom and has already met a few friends. Today was her first day, but she had already met a little girl in her class through all the Emory shin-digs last week. One of Ben's classmate's daughter, Lily, and Esther hit it off immediately. I'm so glad she has found a new place to grow and learn. They have multiple gardens, classroom pets (fish, lizards, turtles), and lots of outdoor areas to explore - even in the middle of the city. I did not get a picture of her first day at the new school, but will try to get some at the school potluck this Friday. Here is the link to the school for those interested. Decatur Montessori School. And follow this link for a little video they school has put together to introduce DMS.

Around the house

Painting in the backyard....paper had lost its luster, so we moved on to the rock slab

Zouga admiring Esther's work

Little bit of sewing that didn't turn out so great

The new painting that I absolutely LOVE for Esther's room. Got it for $2 at the Bot. Garden flea market. Love it!!!

E's ORANGE nails. While I was in Athens working M-T, Ben and E had some little adventures. One included going to the beauty supply store to buy some kid-friendly finger nail polish....orange, of course!

Decatur Bluegrass, Blues, and BBQ festival

For our last weekend before Ben starts school, we filled our time with fun and relaxation. Saturday, we went to the Decatur Bluegrass festival. It was a great time of music and sunshine. We had a couple hours of dancing before the rain rolled in. We made it home just before the downpour. Happy for the rain and lovely time with the family!

First things first - had to ride the train

...then get arm painted. An ORANGE butterfly, of course.

Lots of dancing with the favorite partners.

A little bit of me...

...and a little bit of him.

and some sweet dancy, cuddle, Eskimo kisses!

Love the look she's giving me, like "Mama, what in the world are you doing?" That's PBJ rice cake all over her face, by the way.

We finished off the weekend with a relaxing Sunday. None of us got out of our jammies today and don't feel one bit of guilt! Pancakes for breakfast, white chicken chili for dinner - delicious! Lots of playing, a little bit of dancing, just enough reading, and the perfect amount of hugs (though you can never have enough)!
I'm off to Athens to work the first half of the week, then Ben starts school on Thursday. Excited, and a bit nervous, about this new chapter of our lives. I'm so proud of Ben already, knowing he will do great as a student and future PA. We will appreciate prayers and words of encouragement as we make our way through this phase. Much love!