Lazy Saturday

Well, the Gutsy Dad is in class today (for his MA, not his work-related school), so it's just us girls hanging out at home. Maddie was up for all but about 2 hours last night, so we are laying low, and I am pretending I am not tired.

Now the Madster is finally napping, so I am drugging Jillson with TV (Noggin) in order to bring you this post. It's gorgeous outside, which gives me a twinge of guilt for sitting here on the couch, but I have faith that the world will offer me other beautiful days to enjoy, and anyway I cannot leave the house while Maddie is napping.

We have so much to talk about! Every day I observe at least three pithy things to share with you, particularly about living here in the midwest, but I haven't found the time or wit to blog it out. I am getting so, so close to having this house up and running, and the final frontier is my studio. I cannot wait to have it set up. Already I have had cause to send/give at least five cards and I have had to purchase them. Not okay. Further, there is a fire in my belly for writing (fiction and non-fiction), but I want my studio for that, too. Soon, soon, I know.

Okay. Cutting to the chase. I have a ton of pictures to share with you, and they will have to come in multiple installments.

This is Jillsie on her first day of American preschool last week. She did not take Pasta with her, but she did take her very own pencil box with her very own scissors, glue stick, and glue. She had a great first week there (only two days), but was still asking heart-breaking questions about where Nadine and Nicole (her teachers) and all her friends from her German school were. The Gutsy Dad and I are trying to speak German with her as much as possible, so she can retain what little she learned over there. She calls it "speaking the Auerbach way." English is now known as "speaking the Kansas way." Other significant Jillson news is that she no longer wears a pull-up at any time. She had to go to nap and bed without them one day last week because we had run out, so she slept in her underwear and did just fine. Though she is still working on refining some of the technicalities, I believe I can proclaim that Jillson is potty-trained.


Here's a cute little shot from a giant furniture store we toured after church last weekend. We didn't buy anything, but the girls sure had fun "driving" their car. (Please pardon the quality of some of my photos. They were taken with my phone.)


Naptime for Zephie.


Anniversary present from the Gutsy Dad. Hydrangeas are my fave. (LOVE THAT GUY!) I need to tell you that he also gave me/us a Flip, which is super cool, so you can expect some gems from that coming your way as well. What did I get him for our anniversary? Um. An augur. You know, those long snake things you use to de-clog a toilet? Yeah. Am I romantic, or what?


One of my favorite rooms in our new house is the giant playroom downstairs. The kids can play and play and play (and contain their schwee to one main area of the home), and it is right next to my studio, so we can all be down there "playing" together. Playroom also doubles as a workout room. See demonstration below:


More in a minute. Am working on slideshows with the rest of the pics.