Tae Kwan Do

We started Christopher in Tae Kwan Do this last week. He was a little nervous at first, but had a lot of fun when he got into it. It's going to be really good for him to have to pay attention and follow directions for a solid half an hour. They are really good at keeping the kids' attention, and keeping them moving. He's gone three times now, and has gotten better each time. It's the first class I've put him in, and it looks like it's going to be good for him. We're still waiting for his gi to come in. When he gets that, then he'll look like a little ninja.

Practicing squats

Getting ready to start

A Naturalized Citizen

After almost nine years of living in the U.S., and five years of being married, David has become an American citizen. We went down to the I.N.S. on the 14th for the ceremony. It was kind of cheesy, actually. They had, "I'm Glad to be an American" playing in the background, with a slide show with soldiers, and babies waving flags. Very patriotic. :) It's really exciting to not ever have to deal with the U.S.C.I.S. (United States Citizens and Immigration Services) ever again for ourselves. Imagine the pain of the D.M.V. times 10. Yuck! So, Dave is no longer a South African citizen, and he can vote in the upcoming elections. Nice. I'm sure it must be mixed feelings to renounce the country of your birth, but the benefits outweigh the negatives. Now we can sponsor his Dad and Mom so that they can get their permanent resident cards. That's one of the big reasons we've decided to go ahead with the naturalization process (he could have just stayed a permanent resident, instead of becoming a citizen). So, all in all, we're pretty stoked. No more trips to Dallas to wait in line for two hours. No more forms that can only be signed in black ink. No more fingerprinting fees, or filing fees. No more pictures that have to be perfect. No more I.N.S.!

Our travels

Well, it appears that Naomi is back in dreamland, so I have a few more uninterrupted minutes, which I will use to update my blog. We had a great time up in the great northwest with my fam. They also had a terrific time with the kids, and we all parted wishing we lived closer together. Unfortunately they are almost to the Canadian border, and we're pretty close to the Mexican border. About as far apart as you can get in the same country. At least we don't live on the East Coast, or something. Not that I have anything against the East Coast. In fact, I would love to live there someday - I think it's gorgeous, there's tons to do, and it would be a great adventure. It would be a whole lot farther to travel, though.
Anyways, we enjoyed the cool weather, and had to wear long pants and jackets pretty much the entire time. The natives were boiling, while I was wishing I'd brought my slippers. Christopher played outside with Lady (the dog) any chance he could. Grandma even made him a tent out there for snacks and stories. We went to a train museum in Bellingham that had a huge track with working models and switches and everything. It even had Thomas toys. Yay for trains! Another day we went and looked around this cute Dutch town that has all sorts of stores - trinkets, toys, kitchen stuff, and yummy food. The kids were good, until we pushed them way past nap time, that is. They both fell asleep on the way home. In many ways it's nice that Christopher still takes a 2 hour nap everyday (and needs it, for sure!), but there are lots of times that I just wish we didn't have to worry about it. I guess that will come. I should count my blessings, right? :)
We roasted marshmallows in the fire pit in the back yard, and learned the "perfect" way to cook a marshmallow (thanks, Dad!). We took a trip to the lake, and made it in all the way to our knees. Christopher was brave and was walking around up to his armpits. He sure does love the water, that kid. Grandma and Grandpa threw him a birthday party, and Grandma made him a Mickey Mouse cake, which was a hit. We went to some parks, and we even got to wash Grandma and Grandpa's cars. This was fun for Christopher, since he hasn't ever done it before. We haven't been able to wash our cars in the driveway because of the water restrictions here.
All in all, it was a terrific trip. I can't say that traveling with two kids is a whole lot of fun, but it was manageable, and worth it. We were sad that Dave couldn't be there, and that he had to work while we were off having fun. I am glad, though, that I didn't stay home while he was in Cali. That wouldn't have been fun!
Here are some pics from our trip.

Todd and Christopher


At the train museum


Roasting Marshmallows


At the lake




The birthday party


The birthday cake

The Sound of Silence

So, I haven't had a chance to blog in a while. It doesn't look like this one is going to be very long, either. Naomi is having a hard time taking a nap right now. She's normally a happy, pretty easy-going girl, but yesterday she had her 6 month check-up, and shots. So, today she's grumpy and slightly feverish. I'm just glad I don't have to get shots every two months! That would make me grumpy too. Well, I will be back posting soon to fill you in on our travels and fun family time. I'm sure you will be waiting on the edge of your seat. :)

Happy Birthday, Holly!

Holly's birthday was yesterday. I am sad that I wasn't there to celebrate with her. I hope you had a great day, Holly. Hopefully you can do something extra fun when Joey gets home to celebrate. Thanks for being such a great friend! I'm lucky to have you as a friend. I'm glad that you were my visiting teacher, and that we've gotten to know each other over the last year. You're such a kind and fun person. Happy birthday!

We made it!

So, I made it all the way to Washington with both kids still intact. :) I got the kids up at 6:00 a.m. to make it to the airport on time. We made it through security and onto the first plane pretty easily. I fed Naomi her breakfast while we were waiting to board, so that was handy to have a minute to do that. Christopher was good on the plane - he did get restless for the last 20 minutes of each flight. I Spy kept him occupied, though. :) Naomi was cranky and very tired. They're both such good kids. It took us a while to get the carseats installed in my mom's car, and they both waited so patiently while we worked on them. I think they were just glad to be off the plane and have some space. It was nice to fly into the Bellingham airport rather than Seattle. We recuperated and got adjusted to the time zone yesterday. Christopher is having a blast with Grandma and Grandpa and Amy. We took the kids in the stroller and went for a good walk up this hills this morning. It was freezing! Kind of crazy to come from our Texas heat (even though it hasn't been too hot)to northern Washington weather. We bundled the kids up, and I had to run out and back to keep myself warm. Good exercise, I guess. We're off to the lake and park this afternoon for a picnic. Should be good fun. Here are some pics from this morning.

Christopher playing outside


















Amy and Naomi