Quick 5

The countdown is on.  Maybe I'll make one of those fancy countdown chain things you see all over Pinterest.  It doesn't matter...all that matters is one week from today our a/c will be completely fixed and fully functioning.  It's worth celebrating.

1.  I love watching the progression of a child's artwork.  It's fun to watch things take recognizable shape over time.  Here is a particularly good one that Alaina did the other day:

"Miss Christina"

Notice the slightly smudged eye in this one...I barely caught Joya the Destroya before she wreaked her havoc.

2.  Thanks to Alaina, Joya has begun to ask "Why?" whenever I tell her to do or not to do something.  The thing is, I'm not sure that Joya understands what the question means, yet I find myself explaining like I do to Alaina.  I thought I had at least six months before she started in on the whys.

3.  The biggest thing that has taken our time and energy these past couple of weeks has been Alaina's swimming lessons.  She's done great, although we'll find out today if she passed the class or not.  I'm not worried about that, though.  There are only four (five?) levels, so if she needs to spend another year on Level I, it's no big deal.  The point is she has had a blast, and has learned a thing or two.

Doing "bobs" (aka putting her face in the water)

High fiving her teacher (I don't know her name)

 4.  What do Joya and I do during the lesson?  The same thing every day.  First I give her the crayons and coloring book, and she tries to get Hayley and Macy to color with her until it's time for them to go to class.  Then she begs for snacks, so I give her a little baggie of whatever I brought.  Then she sits and has a bite, then wanders around with the baggie.  Then she smashes a few crackers or whatever on the cement.  Then she digs in the bag of toys and drags out whatever I brought.  She does not play with any of them; just drags it out.  Then she has another bite of snack.  Then she smashes a few more.  Then she either says hello or fusses at the little girl who sits near us with her mommy.  More munching, more smashing, then the 30 minute lesson is over.

5.  Not only is the a/c being fixed next week, but we're also have the ducts cleaned.  I'm very much looking forward to using the a/c without having to breathe in the remnant second hand smoke that the previous owners left behind.  It'll be a good week.  (But we're still praying that the Lord sends clouds and rain every afternoon to keep things cool.)

Peace out.