*then and now

I like to look back in the picture files. A year ago today it looks like my mom was visiting. I remember we spent a lot of our time outside getting the garden planted - tried to put Vera in the playpen, but she would not have it. She was literally scaling the walls, about to tip it over before I took her out. Aren't babies supposed to like playpens - like Uncle Jail-bird Joey? [someone please know that reference...]


We've been spending a lot of time outdoors as well - explains my lack of posting here [feels good to be away from the internet and tv!]. We go to the park about 3 times a day to go on the slide [she is a regular-grown-up little kid now - all by herself!] and look for the ducklings and goslings [babies, where arrrre you? we call :)] pick flowers in the backyard, fetch parsley and cilantro for dinner, water the pansies and tomatoes, pick weeds, etc. Vera knows which are the weeds and loves to throw them out to the street or into the lawn. She also loves to blow dandelion seeds.. this slows down our walks considerably as we always have to have a 'new' one in hand. So that's what we're up to lately!

Also in case you're wondering, Ben passed his exams!! He is now a doctoral candidate - done with all the schooling and ready to start researching and writing his dissertation. We're not going anywhere for a while :)