Real life random bits

I've been neglectful of the blog lately, I know. Real life has been more busy than interesting, but to fill you in on what has been going on:

Allergy news--Elena gets hives if I eat eggs or pork, despite negative RAST and SPT for them. She had an SPT for some fruits that we hadn't previously tested and was positive for raspberries, which didn't surprise me since she has reacted when I've eaten them. I suspect blackberries, too, but we weren't able to test today. Although the reaction to the test was mild, she also broke out on her face, so I have a hunch that she may be more sensitive than the test suggested. At least we know. And, thank heavens, it isn't something like corn that is easily hidden in things that you would never guess. I love berries, but I can avoid them.

School news: I am getting excited about starting kindergarten with Ariana. Her reading skills are continuing to improve, and I want to make the school year fun and challenging for her. I have no doubts that it will be challenging for me! I am slightly overwhelmed with too many choices and not enough time for me to feel comfortable researching everything. Still, I am starting to get a plan in my head (and need to get more of it on the computer).

I am also trying to pep-talk myself into trusting her and me and the natural curiosity and enthusiasm that God has given us. And to remind myself that she is only five. In many countries, she wouldn't be doing formal schooling at all! And those same countries score higher than we do on many tests when the kids are a little older. Whenever I am unsure of myself, I try to compensate by controlling things even more, so I need reminders to take deep breaths and trust more.

Future posts: I really wanted to do several posts for World Breastfeeding Week. In particular, I wanted to talk about the role of fathers. I also wanted to discuss nursing in public. Well, we still have a few days of this week left, right?

I have lots of Disney pics that weren't posted here (if you are my friend on Facebook, you may have already seen them. Gotta upload them soon.

Kid stuff: They are so much fun! We've continued to spend lots of time at the splash pad. I am amazed at how much Elena loves it. Joel is still pretty cautious about getting wet, but she has a blast trying to catch each stream of water. Ariana made a new friend last night. I was excited to see her developing social skills. We spend little time with other kids her age, and while Hold on to Your Kids by Neufeld and Mate' has helped to shift my perspective (and alleviate some guilt!) about that, I want to be more balanced there.

To do list: Besides the boring and ever-present laundry, cleaning, etc., I need to find more info on classes for the kidlets this fall. I'm awaiting a reply on ice-skating lessons for Ariana, and gymnastics for Joel. I think it would be a great physical activity for them (climate controlled, too, which is a plus when our weather goes from unbearably hot to quite cold with only a week or two of autumn temps). It would also be a good way to work on the social balance I was speaking of earlier.

My own classes will start up soon. To be or not to be... Not sure yet what I will ultimately wind up teaching since so much depends on enrollment, but I'm happy with our textbook and looking forward to a new semester.

I haven't been as caught up on all my fellow bloggers as I would like, but I'm looking forward to reading your posts. I enjoy the window into your lives, and hope to share more of ours soon. Hugs to you!