Monday, 23 June, 2003

The girls have started their summer library program. Amy always sits front and center, unfortunately for other kids there, she doesn’t have any problem squeezing around them or between them to get the spot she wants. We had started the program with Misha enrolled in the Monday class for 2 to 3 year olds and Amy in the Tuesday class for 4 to 6 year olds. Misha’s attention span lasts for no more than seven minutes, so she is up and down wandering for most of the time. I try to get her to sit just a little bit longer every time. When it was Misha’s class, Amy would still be front and center and participate. So, I decided to minimize our library time and only go for the 2 to 3 year old class on Monday morning.

The other exciting thing for both of them is swimming lessons. We signed them up for lessons at the Rec Center in Frederick for an eight-week course that meets once a week. Their teacher is Heidi. Amy is doing really well and Misha so-so. There are six students in their class and they learn skills one at a time and Misha’s attention lasts only so long. Heidi works with Misha at her skill level which is helpful. Amy is so excited and proud of herself.

About one month ago, we went for a bike ride in the evening. The girls ride in the stroller behind Christopher’s bike and usually have a good time with no complaining. Sometimes they begin to get on each others' nerves in the cramped space they are in. One night we were nearing the end of our ride when Chris started riding fast and kind of crazy. He turned a corner and spun out, and I followed only to watch in horror as he flew off his seat and rolled a couple times and then the girls in the stroller rolled. It was kind of like watching slow motion video. I raced to where they were and helped Chris as he pulled the girls out of the stroller. Luckily they were well buckled, but were still screaming and crying. I think Misha mostly was scared to pieces; she only had a small bruise on her shoulder. Because she is so much shorted than Amy, the seatbelts kept her from any serious injury. Amy on the other hand had a goose egg on her forehead the size of a chicken’s egg! She had scraped the skin off her forehead in the pattern of the fabric on the stroller. Chris was a bit scraped, very bruised and sore. His left shoulder took the brunt of the impact with the road. We were just so grateful that nobody was hurt any worse. Now Chris, Amy, and I wear bike helmets when we ride. We bought one for Misha, but the smallest we could find was still too big for her little head.

As a joke, when I would change the girls or get them out of the shower, I would say, “Oooh baby” and pinch their bottoms. Amy picked up on it and started saying it to me when I would get in the shower or once when we didn’t change the channel quite quickly enough on tv and a lady’s heiney was shown. She said, “That was oooh baby.” Somehow it has morphed into “boo baby” with other variations being “boo babylicious”.

Our new house is progressing. A week and a half ago, they started with the main floor and by last Saturday they had finished framing and putting the roof on. I went by today but I couldn’t really tell that much was being done. The stairs to the basement and to the second floor are not in yet, so we don’t go as often so as to keep the girls from injuring themselves.

We aren’t having much luck selling or even having people come look at our house. It is rather discouraging. We had an open house on the 14th of June and only one couple came during the three-hour time. We are praying and have fasted and have family members doing the same. We try to have faith that everything will work out all right.