Yes we are still alive - has it really been almost a month since I updated the blog? How time has flown - not unlike anyone else - our lives have been crazy busy!! We are so lucky to have this crazy busy life!!! I know we are lucky because I now have a digital frame in my office. This was a Christmas gift from east coast Auntie L -thanks Auntie L. T worked diligently to get pictures on it. He loaded EVERY single picture we have on it - so now through out each day I see all the images our life - all of it - backyard redos, bathroom remodels, living room repainted, carpet redone, dining floor redone, science fair projects involving mold, K's room neat, K's room as a disaster area, a chronology of lunch boxes (the girls were having a difficult time letting go of old lunch boxes, so I took pictures of all 20+ of them and convinced them to give them to Goodwill), picture inventory of our belongings (taken after we were robbed and realized we did not know exactly everything that was missing), the photos of all the figurines in K's room (taken when she was unattended with camera), as well as numerous dance recitals, Christmas programs, Santa Photos, birthdays... Seeing how much we have and how full our life is each day via the pictures, has made me really feel lucky to have the life I have. I get a bit teary eyed as I realize how quickly the girls are growing up. Another bonus of the frame is that when I am talking to someone in my office, I can tell when a picture of a toilet or the muddy back yard pops up - they get a very perplexed look on their face while talking to me - it has become sort of an experiment - to see who asks and who just continues on with the conversation/question!!
To keep our lives as enriching as possible, we have been partaking of some rather diverse cultural events lately. In one weekend we began a Science Fair Project with K to see if we could make beach glass at home, attended the Federal Way Symphony (Kit's violin teacher is in the Symphony and we can get cheap tickets), went to Kent Kids' Arts Day - where K was part of the Irish Dance performance, and topped it off with a Hockey Game (Hooray for the Thunderbirds!).
This last weekend we then went to Great Wolf Lodge -a hotel with an indoor water park. It was awesome - these water parks and water slides are becoming quite addictive. I am now contemplating a family vacation (or perhaps retirement) where we travel around the world seeking the world's best water slide. (Thanks Aunt J for encouraging me to begin this addiction!!) Great Wolf also has this cool game called MagiQuest - you run around the hotel flashing a wand at objects while trying to complete quests in a little book - it is so cool. A great time was had by all. As we were pulling out of the parking lot - Kit asked "When can we come back". I was contemplating when the next time was that we could return!!
In between these crazy weekends T travels all over - I now just confirm if he is in the same time zone as us so that we don't call too late! And really appreciate the days he is home.
I have been busy at work - the stimulus package includes some funding to NIH - finally money for research (including stem cell research)- but it has it's hassles - in true government fashion - there is not a clear dispersal of the funds. Each scientist I support is working through how to get their hands on the money available. This has created and increase in work load for me, although it is exciting times to finally see some funding for research.
The girls have been busy cleaning their rooms, doing their home work in a timely fashion, listening when I ask them to do something, picking up after themselves and keeping the house neat and tidy (oh wait - I am dreaming again!!). Seriously - they have been busy - K made High Honors last trimester - HOORAY FOR K- GOOD JOB! Kit is studying insects in school and is very impressed that a cockroach can live for 2 weeks without it's head and this is due to the fact that their brain is in their butt. (I know some people that I think might have this same thing going on!!) She is anxiously awaiting the arrival of the silkworms for the unit- she envisions making silk for her and K to sew a nice dress. We will see how that goes!!
