A Peek into our lives

Time is marching on. The babies approach their 13 month old birthday. We are the parents of 2 "almost" toddlers. Jonas is able to walk longer and longer stretches. Jember stands up from the sitting position and remains standing, while she continues to look at a toy or a book, with a beautiful sense of balance and presence.

Along with this toddlerhood comes a stronger demand for independence. They insist on feeding themselves. They love finger painting with their food. They are constantly exploring: climbing, crawling, finger-searching, squeezing behind this and under that, pulling, pushing, lifting, lowering, moving, tasting, and endlessly learning.

Frustrations set in. Temper tantrums erupt here and there. So does their sense of humor. They laugh and laugh, they love teasing, playing peek-a-boo, and nothing will get you laughing more then to see them both dancing to music. Books are a growing fascination (we read all the time to them), and they are gaining interest in using pencils, pens and crayons.

(And I discover with these busy, busy little people - it is getting harder and harder to take photos and to blog!)

They are affectionate. When we arrive home at the end of the day they fly out of their play space...happy shrieks and laughter - content only when we have dropped to the floor and gathered them into our arms and laps and buried our faces in curly hair and chubby cheeks.

In such joyful times - clouds darken on our horizon. Rumors of more teachers losing their jobs next year, pay cuts for teachers, loss of program funding, larger classes, and financial worries cause anxiety for me. Mat leaves for Iraq next month (his second tour of duty). Friends and family members face unemployment and the loss of retirement funds. Its a frightening time.

We turn our attentions to each other. We hold on...try and stay positive.

Ross started a chess club at school. I sink into rehearsals for our spring theatre production. And this weekend I fly to Wisconsin to celebrate the 95th birthday of my grandma - a strong woman who has seen the rise and fall of many economies, presidents, and personal sorrows. I like to think that I inherited some of that strength.

I'd like to think that we all have, in some way, inherited the strength and wisdom of our grandparents. I hope so anyway.

In the meantime - we give thanks for the smiles that greet us every day.

Our true wealth.