Musical Chairs

I picked Sam up from preschool today and paused quietly in the doorway, as I sometimes like to do, unnoticed, to watch outside-in, a view I rarely get of my children. Sam's class was just beginning a game of musical chairs in the courtyard. A dozen tiny uniformed munchkins springing gaily around a circle of tiny yellow chairs with hearts cut neatly out of their backs. Sam danced and skipped and hopped with more joy than could possibly be contained in just one small boy. As chairs were slowing pulled away while the music played, first one by one, then two by two, more children lost their chairs, as the game goes...some cried, some pouted, sulking slowly toward the teacher, sliding down the wall to meet the other kids on the ground.

Sam danced and danced, never concerned about the moment the music would stop, nor how far he'd be away from a chair. When just four chairs were left, he was meters away from any chair, whirling in circles lost in the music. When he noticed all the chairs had been taken and he was out, he skipped, still laughing, toward the wall for just a moment where paused to see his classmates sulking, then resumed dancing with the remaining kids as their music played.

...and I'll admit, I was nostalgic for a minute as I watched those tiny kids play Musical Chairs and while my heart swelled with the joy Sam radiated, I was the slightest bit sad that as adults we outgrow games like these. Then I learned something from preschool today: We never really outgrow Musical Chairs, in fact it is a game in life that is nearly impossible to outrun, we can really only learn how to continue to dance once we've lost our seat.

The In-Between-Times

We have SO much more to share from Paul's mom's trip, but sometimes the 'Big Times' aren't really the big times. Sure we swam in the puddles of the second largest waterfall in Brazil. Sure we tamed exotic butterflies to perch on our palms and climbed through the Brazilian treetops, but we also did this:

Racer #1: Sam

Racer #2: Celeste

Tiny plastic red Radio Flyer wagon rides down Brazil's tiniest green hill (our backyard) in our pajamas. We sipped coffee and milk, studied the flora and fauna of our backyard, read a lot of books and napped......and these are the REAL big times.

The reason behind every good man is a good mom. I hope I am as good as she and my boys as great as Paul.

The photos other people take:

Because we needed a little hilarity around here today on the day after Nanny left.... I give you the Easter photo (that Sam never told me, go figure) that he had taken at school last week. I would venture to guess (correct me if I am wrong Mom and Dad) that this photo could be identical to any photo taken of me as a child if forced to wear and or hold anything as silly as this.) I can not stop laughing and don't want to today.

Happy Easter!

Hanna family takes to the Ambassador's residence for egg hunting.

Peter Rabbit Fluffy Angel Hair Hanna

She's Here!

We're happy.

What a difference a year makes....

(ok, almost a year, but you get the idea.)

Pete's First (Real) Haircut

Before

After

We think he is so cute we want to put him in our pocket for keeps.