Update

Not much time to write, but a quick update on things around our house...

We have been outside a lot more now that the weather is nice(r), and Gene has been getting better at 2-wheeling around the neighborhood. The only problem is he can't start by himself yet, so he gets stuck LONG ways from home (at least, a long way for me to walk before I can start him again). But he's really close to doing it himself.

Lucy is riding her training wheel bike now, and loving it. She has grown independent enough to take it or her scooter out by herself and ride around on the sidewalk (the safe one right by our house, that doesn't cross any driveways).

Jane has learned how to run, and loves it. When it is too cold to go outside, she generally hides all her energy until after her pajamas are on, and then she runs laps back and forth in the upstairs hallway. Seriously, she will announce beforehand that she'll run 20 times, and she'll count each one and do them all. Now that the weather's been warmer, she can run probably a quarter mile without really stopping, but it's all back and forth on the sidewalk. And she rarely falls, but she did a couple days ago and she only noticed the pain of her scraped knee once she got in the bath last night. I had forgotten how much scrapes can hurt if put in warm water...she was howling from the moment she got in, then was ok when she realized she could just bend her knee and keep it out of the water. We cut the bath short, however, when I had run down to get some first aid cream and came back to find her howling again, because the water was getting too deep and she had balanced her leg up on the side of the tub. Poor girlie!

Brendan and I are in the middle of triathlon training central. It's going fairly well, but we'll both be glad when it's warm enough to train outside ALL the time. Right now we split our time indoors and out.

We haven't started the garden yet, but I'm beginning to plan for it. I'm actually excited this year, but that's because I left it in great condition last year. All we have to do is go out there and remove some straw from the plots, and start planting. No digging involved. We'll see if that really is all there is...it sounds way too easy!

Other randomness...

Lucy is already counting down the days till November (her birthday month) and planning to have chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. And Jane just wants a doughnut for her birthday. I think she is ready for Lent to be over, when Brendan will take the kids to Benny's Bakery again for the weekly doughnut-fest on Saturday mornings.

Gene will start baseball soon, and is getting excited. But he still is playing an awful lot of basketball- it is March Madness, after all.

Jane is super excited to wear her Easter dress. Every time she sees it she talks about it. Thanks Grandma H!

Gene is approaching a milestone in swim lessons- maybe by the end of this session he'll be able to swim (freestyle) across the entire width of the pool!

Ok, that's long enough for now. Happy Spring, everyone!