A family update

Bart has taken over the blog.  And I won't lie.  I kind of like it.  At least I know there's something useful on here.  Something thought provoking.  Profound.  Then there's my post.  Guess what I'm bringing to the table:

FINALLY.  This dude's tooth has been loose for like a month.  He didn't mess with it or wiggle it hardly at all.  He can't be my child.  But I'll still claim him.

Leah has been having a pretty rough patch.  I think it's some delayed stuff from leaving Venezuela and not having housing for those few months.  She doesn't want to stay in childcare.  Anywhere.  No matter how much she likes it or where it is or who is in it with her.  So we're trying to figure out how to help her.  I think it means giving her a lot of loving right now.  And helping her in whatever ways we can to assure her that she's safe.  We just have to be a little more creative right now.

Who says you need sand to bury children?

Overall, I think we're doing ok.  Not great.  Not terrible.  Still trying to find a groove.  School keeps us busy.  Our schedule keeps us busy.  Trying to figure out community and friends and play dates also keeps us busy.  Then there's Disney.  We can't pass up our year in Orlando and not visit Mickey as much as possible.

Bart & Noah enjoying dinner together at a birthday party

Leah & Heidi having cupcakes together

The weather has been cooler lately.  I'm talking about the weather.  Sad Melissa.  There has to be something more profound to talk about than the weather.  But really, it's kind of a game changer.  We needed pants and long sleeves the past 2 days.  Maybe even a jacket.  And for us Ohioans, it has brought all kinds of new life.  Bart and I were just saying how we feel excited and different and how it feels like fall.  Out of nowhere.  We're loving it.  Sleeping with the windows open (who cares if we let in those cockroaches?), busting out the long sleeves and listening to Christmas music (yes, it's time).  We haven't even carved our pumpkins yet.  Ah, minor details.

Toothless (from How to Train Your Dragon)

Aurora

And I can't forget my eldest...he always
wants to dress up for Halloween too

Bart had to be the life of the party for Halloween.  We went around our neighborhood and there weren't very many people home.  The kids were starting to get a little disappointed.  We were with 2 other families so there were 8 kids all together.  Well, Bart decided to really pull out the pirate act in his best pirate voice:

"Burn down the houses"

"Eat the children"

"Pirates aren't afraid of anything"

And so on and so forth.  This is all while knocking on doors.  This sent the kids in a wild frenzy of screaming and running.  They loved it and would wait for him to follow them and start talking like a pirate.  So even though it could've been bleak, the kids ended up having a lot of fun (and getting a decent amount of candy in the process somehow).

That's all for now.  That's all my brain can process at this point.  It's late and it's November.  How did this happen?!?!  In a few short weeks we'll be off to Ohio to enjoy some turkey and stuffing (and perhaps some people too).  And some legit cold weather.  Til then, we'll enjoy Florida.