Malenky's World

Our newest Harrington!

2009-05-12T13:34:00.000-07:00

Dear loved ones, we welcomed our newest little Harrington on this past Saturday Morning. Ephraim Matthew Harrington was born on 5/9/09 @ 8:19 am. He weighed 7lbs and 1 oz and was 20 1/4inches long. He looks a lot like Kyra with all of his dark hair but there are facial expressions that remind me so much of Arsenios when he was first born. We're thrilled to have him finally here. Arseny and Kyra both think he's something wonderful as do we....we're feeling so blessed to have such a full and happy household!

1, 2, 3 look at me!

2009-05-06T17:00:00.001-07:00

Here is Arsenios every April since his first birthday!

Happy Birthday Arsenios!

2009-05-06T16:36:00.000-07:00

This year was Arseny's 3rd birthday! He calls it his "Happy Day" We had a party planned and as can be expected with toddlers we were all suffering from various illnesses on that day. So party was postponed for a week later but all in all we had a great time. Arseny got his beloved starwars Light Saber. It's all he wanted and all he talked about for weeks and weeks. At his party we had Arseny's best buds...Asher, Aidan and Sava come over for some cake and celebration. He got some great gifts that he absolutely loves and had a fun time with the kids! Here are a few pictures and maybe even a little "Happy Day" Song!

Look how we've grown

2009-05-06T16:31:00.000-07:00

Since Arseny's first birthday I have taken his picture in our back yard every year amongst the multitude of grape hyacinth that grows wildly back there at this time of year. Here is one from last year and then one from this year. Amazing how fast they have grown.

Springtime are you here?

2009-05-06T16:07:00.000-07:00

Spring took a long time to get here but once Lent was over and Pascha was on it's way we started to see the green of Springtime break through! Here are a couple from Pascha Day, second two are from Palm Sunday (hence the waving of the palm in the picture from Arseny) The last is the kids on Grandpa's tractor out at Grandma and Grandpa's. Grandpa pulled the tractor up into the back yard so Big boy and sister sue could climb up on it!

Some fun with Dad!

2009-05-06T15:54:00.001-07:00

My kiddos love papa time, here are a recent few. The first is a funny one...Arseny and Kyra think its really funny to get Daddy's glasses and book and pretend to read like he does, I just happened to snap this one recently as Arseny was laying in bed "busy reading" Dad's do fun things like shoot bow and arrows, build forts, wash cars and of course watch you tube clips of the "Wiggles"

Getting through Winter

2009-05-06T15:27:00.000-07:00

For all of you faithful followers of my picture blog...I have sadly let you down by my lack of posts. However, I am trying to get back to it because i do realize how much fun it is just to have the blog and keep it up even if I have fallen in love with facebook a little the Blog is much better just to see what's going on at the Harrington's! Ok so here we are and it's May! So time for a little catch up. Getting through winter was really hard this year. We had one heck of a winter with all the snow and cold weather and it seemed like it lasted forever...maybe that's just because I had two toddlers to entertain or it could have jsut been because it was well... long. Ok so here are some pics from that season We've got lots of bundled up kids, a picture from Christmas and one of Arseny making star shaped cookies for St Nicholas Day.

St. Nicholas Day

2009-01-02T10:50:00.000-08:00

We celebrate St Nicholas day during the Nativity season each year. Our stockings get opened on this day and we tend to make special treats for others. This year we made special star cookies--sugar cookies with sprinkles. You'll see Arseny getting a cookie for breakfast as a real treat on the Morning of St. Nicholas day. We colored and decorated a calendar of St Nicholas (which I didn't get a picture of) On the eve of St. Nicholas day we go to Church and the kids leave their shoes downstairs during the service. The story of Saint Nicholas is read after the service to the children and all the while downstairs the kids shoes are being filled with treats (oranges and gold coins -chocolate). It is a lot of fun and I of course failed to bring my camera to take a picture of the filled little shoes. I did however get some pictures of the morning of St Nicholas Feast day. The kids are sporting their little reindeer antlers and so is daddy on one of them.

Let is Stop, Let it Stop, Let it Stop!

2009-01-02T10:37:00.000-08:00

I must admit. I'm not very thrilled about all the snow that we've been getting. It's been so hard to get around with two toddlers while big and pregnant. We have however explored the snow and the kids got their chance to play. Arseny likes it but could take it or leave it...I think he likes looking at it more but Kyra on the other hand would stay out in it all day if I'd let her. So the snow stuck around through the holidays and then melted away over the course of a couple of days. Yesterday (New Years Day) we got the chance to clean up the yard(our huge pine tree dropped a bunch of heavy branches in our front lawn). Then Matt woke up this morning opened the front curtains only to find that it was....SNOWING AGAIN. So now we have a couple of inches and it hasn't stopped yet. We'll see how long this batch stays...hopefully not long.

Happy Anniversary to us!

2009-01-02T10:26:00.001-08:00

Matthew and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary this December 18th! However, our plans were majorly spoiled by the BAD weather and we ended up staying home...we couldn't even get the car out of the driveway the snow was sooooo bad. Fortunately a couple of days later we had a break in the snow and were able to get around and actually went and saw a movie together and then went out for coffee and desert after! It was fabulous to go somewhere without our kids. You forget how nice it is. Here are some fun pics I found while making an album for Matthew for his anniversary gift. The first pic was our official engagement photo taken in 1997. The second there is a fun one of us while we were dating. The third is our official marriage ceremony 12/18/98. The last is a favorite of us graduating college together at EOU in 2004. So much happened in 10 short years and I can't wait to see what the many more in our future will bring.

ITS A BOY

2009-01-02T08:31:00.000-08:00

Well first and foremost ITS A BOY! I must say we had our ultrasound this last month and discovered we are having another little boy! We're thrilled! I'd have pictures but I forgot the dvd that I was supposed to bring! Ok so here are some other pictures from December...Kyra was not happy that I stuffed her into her new snowsuit to take a picture. Fortunately it was just in time for our record breaking snowfall that happened mid december. Another event was that Arseny got a "big boy" bed and here are the kids LOVING it! Of course now we're having going to bed issues not to mention that naptime has gone out the window with this new found freedom. We're debating about bringing the crib back as a reminder...we'll see. Kyra sporting her lovely hat and Arseny is wearing his "Priest"vestments and practicing censing, with his beloved censor. More to come!

My apologies!

2009-01-02T08:29:00.000-08:00

I'm sad to say I have not been keeping up with my Blog!!! My attentions have been snagged by my recent discovery of facebook. I've been having so much fun I've forgotten to post on the blog!!! I must say the Blog is much nicer to use to let people know what's going on as opposed to the facebook page where you only just get to say tidbits. Ok so here we go...

Saint Arsenios of Cappadocia

2008-11-23T21:17:00.000-08:00

Today as Orthodox Christians we celebrate the feast day for Saint Arsenios of Cappadocia Nov 23/Nov 10 This is Arseny's Patron Saint and...yes, obviously who he was named after- May God Grant him many years! Here is a little bit of information about this amazing Saint's life! There is also a link to a book beautifully written by Elder Paisios of the Holy Mountain if you are interested in reading more about his life.

Arsenios of Cappadocia

Cappadocia (in eastern Turkey) is virtually devoid of Christians now, but in 1840, When St Arsenius was born there, there were still vital Orthodox communities. He became a monk and was sent to his native town, Farasa, to serve the people. He became known as a mighty intercessor before God, praying for all who came to him, Muslims as well as Christians.

His countless miracles of healing became known throughout Cappadocia. Those who could not come to see him would sometimes send articles of clothing for him to pray over. He became known as Hadjiefendis, a Muslim term of honor for pilgrims, because he made pilgrimage to the Holy Land every ten years on foot. He never accepted any gifts in return for his prayers and healings, saying “Our faith is not for sale!”

He concealed his holiness as much as he could beneath a rough and sharp-tempered exterior. If anyone expressed admiration for him, he would reply “So you think I'm a saint? I'm only a sinner worse than you. Don't you see that I even lose my temper? The miracles you see are done by Christ. I do no more than lift up my hands and pray to him.” But as the Scriptures say, the prayers of a righteous man avail much, and when St Arsenios lifted up his hands, wonders often followed. He lived in a small cell with an earthen floor, fasted often and was in the habit of shutting himself in his cell for at least two whole days every week to devote himself entirely to prayer.

Father Arsenios predicted the expulsion of the Greeks from Asia Minor before it happened, and organized his flock for departure. When the expulsion order came in 1924, the aged Saint led his faithful on a 400-mile journey across Turkey on foot. He had foretold that he would only live forty days after reaching Greece, and this came to pass. His last words were “The soul, the soul, take care of it more than the flesh, which will return to earth and be eaten by worms!” Two days later, on November 10, 1924, he died in peace and the age of eighty-three. Since 1970, many apparitions and miracles have occurred near his holy relics, which reside in the Monastery of Souroti near Thessalonica. He was officially glorified by the Patriarchate of Constantinople in 1986.

The life of Saint Arsenios

October Harvest

2008-11-14T15:06:00.000-08:00

I waited a while longer to pull my carrots out of my garden this year and it proved to be a good idea. They all turned out great and I got about 8 quarts freezer bags full of sliced carrots thanks to my handy dandy new food processor. I'm in love with this thing and it has really been useful for harvesting our garden and well slicing up just about anything. Here are a few pics :)

Pumpkins

2008-11-14T14:57:00.000-08:00

I'd better get our pumpkin pictures up before Thanksgiving gets here! Klickers has great pumpkins every year. They also set up a huge hay bale mountain with a big slide for the kids. Anyway here we are this year at Klickers.

Happy Birthday - Your first year!

2008-10-27T11:26:00.000-07:00

I went through and picked out some favorite pictures of Kyra in her first year. You'll see: My FAVORITE picture of all on the day she was born- adorned in pink, three month chubba-she always seems to smile with her eyes, six months- amongst grape hyacinth, nine months- my garden helper growing as fast as the green beans, and finally 1 year old - big smile as always! It went so fast...

More birthday...

2008-10-27T11:05:00.000-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

2008-10-27T10:45:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Kyra's 1st birthday. We had a great party planned in the park with friends and food and the whole spread and then....I got the stomach flu this last week. Oh yes, isn't that great? All of my pie in the sky grandios plans when whizzing out the window when all I could do was shuffle from the bedroom to the couch. It really is not fun to have to deal with being sick when you're already miserable with morning sickness. Ok booo hoo enough of that. I had to cancel my big party and we ended up having a fabulous little family birthday party right here at home to celebrate Kyra's very first birthday. We had ...according to Arseny, party hats, party balloons, a party cake, party presents, and a party dinner. Everything has to begin with "party". He was thrilled it was sister's birthday and even helped me with the cake. Although when we went to put on the frosting he thought I was saying "frosty" (right now frosty the snowman is his favorite little video and if you can remember when frosty gets his hat and comes to life he says "Happy Birthday") ok so in this little two a half year old's mind it all made sense why frosty the snowman would go with a birthday party right? He just couldn't figure out how I was going to put "frosty"on the cake. Well a finger full of yummy sweet stuff was enough to clarify what "frosting" was. So we ended up having a lot of fun yesterday, Kyra was thrilled to get some great new toys (so was brother). I was fortunately feeling much better but the battle continues...Arseny woke up this morning and is...lets say not feeling well. Ok so here are the pictures!

Royalty

2008-10-17T21:21:00.000-07:00

Here is the King and Queen of the roost! In their pajamas :)

The many faces of Kyra

2008-10-17T21:14:00.000-07:00

I can't tell you how funny this girl is! She has so many silly expressions here are a few just crazy ones...the first one is well, scary but there's a nice one at the end to show you she really is a cutie pie!

Harrington baby #3

2008-10-17T21:07:00.000-07:00

Well what can I say...We love babies!!! Yes, we will be expecting another beautiful baby in early May! So that's my excuse for not posting on the blog...I've been sick sick sick and taking care of Arseny and Kyra has been a lot of work when you feel like you have the stomach flu all day. Matt of course has been great and has done more laundry and dishes to last him a lifetime. He's been really picking up the slack. I'm about to that 3 month mark so I'm hoping to be feeling better (crossing fingers) so hopefully things will get a little more back to normal around here. Kyra's 1st birthday is coming up next weekend so I've been busy with invites and pictures and projects which lead me back to the blog so hang on for some pictures of these little sillys...they're headed your way!

A 1st Place Ribbon!

2008-08-31T14:00:00.000-07:00

We entered Arseny in the "kiddie parade" this year. It was a lot of fun. The "kiddie parade" precedes the actual fair parade that happens on Main St the Saturday of the fair weekend. They had categories such as costumes, pets, floats and wheels. We entered the wheels category with his little buckboard wagon my dad made and he wore a cowboy outfit my sister gave him. It was a sight to be seen. It turns out he won a first place certificate and ribbon for his category. He was so excited to see all the people waving at him. He's generally a shy and anxious little boy around strangers and people he doesn't know so we didn't know how it would go but he was so excited about all the other kids and just lived it up while perfecting his parade wave. At the end of the line grandma was waiting with uncle Jonny and cousins. Arseny got free tickets to the fair, cookies and juice for participating. Then we got to watch the rest of the parade go by and Arseny loved it. We can't wait to do it again next year! I must say, Matt and I were pretty excited too and thought it was a lot of fun.

Fair Days!

2008-08-31T13:39:00.000-07:00

So it's that time of year again. The Fair is happening in Walla Walla and this year it was pretty exciting! Arseny is so much more interested in all of the activities and animals. Kyra even loved them...she squealed with delight upon seeing bunnies and ducks and chickens. They both especially loved the little pen of baby chickens. Kyra is reaching over her stroller to get a better look at the babies running about. Of course we had to ride the mini John Deere tractors again this year. Arseny's favorite of all. Of course then there is the Fireman picture...Arseny wouldn't have anything to do with putting his face through the hole so that he could be a Fireman...so mama did and Arseny stood in front and thought it was all pretty funny. All in all it was fun but very HOT on the day that we went. last pic is Kyra walking around in the shade with Auntie Priscilla in the background (who was such a good sport and helped me tote the kids around since daddy was at work) Thanks Auntie! It will be even more fun next year when they're just a little bit bigger.

Helping Momma in the Garden

2008-08-25T09:06:00.000-07:00

Ok more like eating dirt and hanging out while mom works in the garden

An Apple My Pretty?

2008-08-20T12:42:00.000-07:00

...and she's off

2008-08-02T21:38:00.000-07:00

Official 1st Steps!!!

2008-08-02T21:33:00.000-07:00

FOOD

2008-08-02T08:24:00.000-07:00

Did I mention my daughter loves food? I haven't been able to keep up with her. Arseny wasn't even remotely interested in food but his sister on the other hand is a little munch mouth. She can't seem to get enough of it. She also wants everything Arseny eats and has started to fuss about it. I often get this look that says "I can't believe you gave him some and not me". Needless to say she's an avid eater and I've had fun introducing lots of new fresh veggies and fruits --it's the perfect season right now. She also loves yogurt and cottage cheese, beans and blueberries. Her favorite place to hang out is under Arseny's snack table. She often gets a hold of food she's not supposed to have. I've caught her stuffing macaroni and cheese into her mouth and just recently got ahold of a pb&j. I shot across the room to retrieve it. Of course she wasn't letting go of it and as a matter of fact had death grip on it and threw a squealing tantrum. By the time I got it away we were both covered in peanut butter and jelly. She licked her fingers all the way to the sink. With your first baby your so careful, but throw a toddler in the mix and you have a constant battle. So, no reaction to the peanut butter but it did give me a scare. Here's my little munchy monster covered in beans (my own little beanie baby), the second one is Kyra caught red handed devouring and painting the kitchen with Arseny's leftover bowl of cottage cheese and applesauce from snack time.

If she's quiet, theres a good chance she's eating or tasting something she's not supposed to including non food items. Just yesterday I looked over to see a green earring hanging out of her mouth. Of course there was only one so I immediately panicked thinking she had swallowed the other. I was mentally preparing myself for Xrays and a trip to the doctor when Arseny pointed right to where the other one was laying. I tell you what, she keeps me on my toes! Other favorite non food items are paper and carpet fuzz. We also have to keep all shoes out of reach...she loves to lick shoes and chew on flip flops...YUCK!

Cousins

2008-08-02T08:20:00.000-07:00

Here's the crew...well not really there are a lot more cousins but Arseny has been hanging out with his cousins Dominic (far left) and Alexander not shown. My sister is in town this summer and so we've been learning how much fun it is to play with cousins!

Rockin' out with Tigger

2008-08-01T14:56:00.000-07:00

I couldn't resist...we recently just sold this little Tigger rocker in our yard sale this summer. One of our favorite pics of Arseny is him on the Tigger rocker (seen below). So as a tribute to the well loved Tigger rocker before it went to a new home, we got a picture of Kyra on it too. In these pictures Arseny is 10 months, Kyra is 7 months.

A new toy!

2008-08-01T14:49:00.000-07:00

Well I'd say it's a new toy for daddy but we all use it...we got a brand new Mac and it has this really great fun feature of built in camera with a little photo booth program...it has been a lot of fun recording Arseny. Here's a favorite!

Where did we go?

2008-08-01T14:02:00.000-07:00

Well, we didn't really go anywhere I just haven't gotten around to updating the blog. Life got really busy all of the sudden and somehow June and July whipped by! Now here it is August! Well in the mean time the kiddos are getting bigger and bigger. Arseny can't stop trying out new words. He's been such a fun kiddo this summer. He knows his colors and is working on counting to 10 and we've recently been discovering shapes. We've been going to the pool, getting ice cream cones, going to the park, playing in the back yard (we have a new fence!) and trying to keep cool by going to kmart and looking at the bikes. The library has been a lot of fun too! Kyra is changing so quickly. She learned to crawl around 6 months to our surprise and then shortly after pulled herself up and started to learn how to cruise. My life got really complicated. She puts everything in her mouth! She LOVES food. So now we're waiting any day for her official "first steps" and expect them shortly. She's tried but right now only will walk holding onto my skirt or keeping one hand safely on something. However she's gotten pretty good holding onto the little grocery cart or walker. She says "Da Da" and kind of says "all done" she can sign "more" and "all done". These two keep pace with each other playing chase and toys. Its so much fun to see them playing together. Ok so more pictures to follow here...so Arseny looking like a very big boy in his "beesball" hat, the kiddos having a snack, and Kyra asking for more cheerios...big surprise!

Spokane Trip

2008-05-30T22:04:00.000-07:00

We went on a little trip to Spokane. Matt had to go to a class for work so we thought we'd just all go together. I must say that hotel life with babies is not ideal but we made the most of it. Our hotel was right on Riverfront park so while Matt was in class during the day, we went out and explored.

Everybody needs a sidekick

2008-05-30T21:53:00.001-07:00

Little House on the Prairie

2008-05-30T21:39:00.000-07:00

We have a little joke in our house... since we're Little House on the Prairie Junkies--Thank you Netflix! We tend to joke about what Charles Ingalls would do in a certain situation. WWCI "What Would Charles Ingalls do?For instance he could whittle a perfect baseball bat in one day, win the game, save Walnut Grove from doom and gloom, and teach all his children a moral lesson in one episode! In anycase...My dad made this little wagon with the buckboard seat--our own Little House on the Prairie wagon. Made by "PA" which is what Arseny calls his grandpa :)

Pascha Pictures

2008-05-26T13:35:00.001-07:00

I know, I know...it's about a month too late...I'm finally catching up here. More pictures and video clips to come. Kyra is officially crawling. check back soon, I'll download it as soon as I get a chance!

Birthday Boy!

2008-05-12T09:50:00.000-07:00

Oh, where do I begin...I'm way behind in our posts. We've had some busy weeks this last month and I'm just now catching up. Well lets start with the Birthday Boy. Arseny turned 2 the 26th of April. I can't believe he's already two! So we had a small family birthday this year. Arseny's favorite thing in the world right now are tractors so we went to the John Deere dealer here in town and got to sit on some tractors. He loved it! We always drive by but this time we got out and "tested" them out. We had a great lunch together and then went to the park to play. Arseny's Aunt Thea showed up to say happy birthday too! After a long needed nap Arseny's Godparents Justin and Theodora ("Papa J" and "Mama Theodora" to Arseny) came over to bring him a birthday gift. I think this was the best part of the day. He always loves playing with the kids--Thanks Godparents :) Here are some pictures!

Palm Sunday

2008-04-21T13:04:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Palm Sunday! We processed around the Church with our palm crosses and leaves singing…

“By raising Lazarus from the dead before Your Passion, You confirmed the universal resurrection, O Christ God! Like the children with palms of victory, We cry out to You, O Vanquisher of Death; Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord!”

Pascha (Easter) is only one week away and today is the beginning of Holy Week. This is the most Celebrated time of the year for Orthodox Christians. Holy Week and Pascha is the remembrance of Christ’s death and celebration of Christ’s resurrection--Easter. Ok so you’re probably thinking…uh Easter was last month… It’s a little confusing but simply put, the Orthodox Church calendar is not based off of the Gregorian civil Calendar we use regularly in our every day lives but rather off of the Julian Calendar. If you want a deeper more complicated explanation click here. And for more information about Orthodox Christianity you can click here. There are links to the right.

What a difference a year makes!

2008-04-18T14:35:00.001-07:00

This is Arseny last April (almost 1 year old) in our back yard...it's filled with grape hyacinth this time of year. The other picture is Arseny this year (almost 2 years old). They grow before your very eyes!

April 2008

2008-04-18T14:28:00.001-07:00

The "Maunmoa"

2008-04-12T12:21:00.000-07:00

Arseny got a birthday card in the mail yesterday from his Grandma and Grandpa Nicholson (Matt's parents) who are currently in Texas right now. They sent him a great card and some birthday money. So off we went to the K-marche' because I needed to look at some lawn and garden things but while we were in there they had some great little lawnmowers and kiddie wheelbarrows that were soooo cute. Of course the lover of lawnmowers spotted them before I could see them and was in love at first sight. So we left with a few pony packs of flowers and of course the "maunmoa" he even held it in the carseat on the way home. He loves it! We also went to the DQ and got an ice cream cone. You'll see what was left of it on his shirt. Anyway...it was a day well spent we sat in the yard ate our ice cream and "mowed" the lawn. Thank you Grandma and Grandpa from the birthday boy!

This girl is HUNGRY

2008-04-07T21:58:00.001-07:00

Today was the first day that I fed cereal to Kyra. It's still a little early for her to star but lately she has been really hungry...and I can't seem to keep up with her so we gave it a shot. This girl was probably ready for cereal a month ago! I couldn't keep the spoon coming at her fast enough and she cried when I would take it away after each bite and reach out for it. She also tried to guide it in herself as if to say..."here, let me do that" OH...it was funny. No pushing the food out or ugly faces she wanted all of it and MORE please. I couldn't believe it, she certainly knew what to do and loved every bite. Her brother witnessed all of this in complete awe. I could see the wheels turning already, he 's probably going to try and share everything now that he knows she eats "real food" this is going to be pretty funny and interesting.

Silly Willies

2008-04-07T21:53:00.001-07:00

First day of shorts wearin' weather

2008-04-07T21:43:00.000-07:00

Hey...where did all that water go???

2008-04-07T21:38:00.000-07:00

My first piggys--sort of...

2008-03-25T08:30:00.000-07:00

Crunchy munching

2008-03-25T08:15:00.000-07:00

Kyra is teething and so she's putting everything in her mouth! She's also been a water fountain of slobber as you can see in the other picture. I started putting bibs on her so that I don't have to change her clothes 4 or 5 times a day.

Giggles

2008-03-14T15:04:00.000-07:00

Little dolly

2008-03-14T14:56:00.000-07:00

Looks can be deceiving...

2008-02-27T13:47:00.000-08:00

So sure, you can look at my two little munchkins and say, "oh they look so much alike" but when I look at them I see two entirely different babies. Kyra looks so different to me from Arseny and I assumed it was Matt's side of the family. Of course everyone sees something different. I went to visit my mom recently and she took one look at the two baby H's and laughed. "your kids look so much like Matthew" she said. So as I was going through and organizing some old family photos I came across a couple of baby pictures that displayed a familiar face! I was surprised to find that my little Kyra looks a whole heck of a lot like her Grandpa (My dad). The black and white photos you see here are pictures of my dad almost 60yrs ago... (Sorry dad, I think I just revealed your age :) but the COLORED PHOTO IS KYRA and below is Kyra and her Grandpa at Christmas.

Hey...those are my pajamas

2008-02-21T14:43:00.000-08:00

Same PJ's different baby! Arseny got a cute pair of old navy pj's for a baby gift when he was born and they just happened to be pink! Regardless of the color once he got big enough he sported them proudly and they quickly became a favorite. I saved them and guess who's got them on now. The first picture is Arseny almost 5 months old and the second is Kyra 3 and half months.

Dad's Day Off

2008-02-21T14:16:00.000-08:00

It's so nice for Matt to have a job working for the State! All of those great "banker's holidays" also tend to apply to State employees. Needless to say, Matt's had some great three day weekends like this last one--President's Day. So we decided to make a fun day out of it. First we went to the Children's Museum and then out to lunch. After a much needed nap time we headed up the trail toward Bennington Lake in the double jogger. This is a really nice long paved path that runs along the river. It was a glorious afternoon and we had a lot of fun trekking up and back. Here a few pictures.

Star Wars Fan

2008-02-16T10:06:00.001-08:00

Babe pushing babe!

2008-02-16T09:59:00.000-08:00

Valentines Day Pictures

2008-02-16T09:53:00.001-08:00

...were a total disaster! Ok, I thought it would be cute to put them in red and prop them up and snap a few pictures, but as you can see they weren't buying it! Arseny has decided he doesn't like his picture taken. Kyra is wearing her first barrette which Arseny likes to yank out so then she cries. All in all it was just a bad picture day--But I'm posting them anyway!

Tell a story in 6 words

2008-02-07T14:24:00.000-08:00

I was listening to NPR today (yes, I listen to public radio...as a matter of fact I LOVE public radio). So their guests were authors who had collected 6 word stories from people all over. Apparently Ernest Hemingway was once prodded to compose a complete story in six words. He wrote "For sale: baby shoes, never used." Anyway, people used all sorts of different themes. Some gave accounts of their lives, many were spiritual, others were just funny. So I thought I'd write one for each of my babes and here's what I came up with:

For Arseny I wrote two:

"Nose scrunched, eyes squenched, best smile!"
wait...is squenched a word? is now I guess. Arseny is really good at making the funniest smiles--especially cheesy camera ones. ok. and the other is...

"Born intense, still intense...turning two." No explanation needed here :)

For Kyra:

"Eyes open, focus...smile, smile, smile."
I can't tell you how much of a difference it makes when you wake up to this. The first thing Kyra does is smile at you...not just any smile but the biggest gummy grin you've ever seen. It melts my heart.

Ok here's one from me:
"Life is amazing new every morning."

Have some fun and make up your own. you'll get on a roll and won't be able to stop...such fun!

Curly Sue

2008-02-04T23:13:00.001-08:00

Aunties

2008-01-28T14:45:00.000-08:00

I found some great pictures of my sisters I just had to share. I'll bet some of you didn't know that Arseny and Kyra have quite few aunties on my side alone. I have 3 sisters. Anyway we all just celebrated birthdays--HAPPY BIRTHDAY GIRLS!-- We conveniently all have birthdays very close to each other. Two of us have late Dec. b-days and the other 2 have Jan. b-days. So in about a 3wk span all of us have birthdays. This year I turned 30 (I know, I can't believe it either) and for my sisters: Sarah turned 27, Thea 21, and Priscilla 18! Amazing! I hope as old ladies we still get together and celebrate each others birthdays like we do now--it's a lot of fun! The first picture is my sister Sarah and I and the second is the lot of us from left to right is Pris, Thea, Sarah, and of course me.

She likes me, she likes me

2008-01-11T23:06:00.000-08:00

Here are the two troublemakers in their Christmas clothes before Church. Kyranna is wearing a dress that her Godmother got for her. Anyway this pair was hamming it up on the couch and I couldn't resist snapping a few pictures.

What? ...2008 already???

2008-01-11T22:22:00.000-08:00

Well where the heck have we been?
I think in a way we're still recovering from Christmas and Nativity Celebrations. We had a great time on Christmas day with my family there is a picture of Kyra with my mom. We also had friends visit ---Arseny and Kyra's friend Amelia and her mommy (my friend Laura) were in town and came on out for a little visit. There's a picture with "just the girls". Arseny opened packages and it was fun to watch. Matt and I got him an Ambulance that has lights and sirens and goes by itself. Arseny loves all sorts of trucks and rescue vehicles and so we thought he would just love it...and he hates it! He's completely terrified of it and if he even sees it he starts to cry. OK bad idea. But the balls were a hit...big surprise... ball was one of his first words and he loves them loves them. We celebrated the feast day of Nativity with friends and had a wonderful time. There was joy this Christmas season.

Merry Christmas

2007-12-24T08:09:00.000-08:00

Saint Nicholas Day!

2007-12-20T13:10:00.000-08:00

As Eastern Orthodox Christians, we celebrate feast days for particular Saints. So Yesterday we celebrated the Feast of Saint Nicholas December (6/19). Yes, yours truly--the real Saint Nicholas. It is traditional for the children to receive Coins (chocolates) and other treats in their shoes on this day. Our family also opens stockings on this day...so here is a picture of Arseny's shoes filled with his "treats" and one of Matthew with Arseny opening his stocking. On the wall along with his icon, we made a Saint Nicholas calendar (we put on a cotton ball for every day starting on the 1st of December until he had a full beard--December 19) this was fun! Read the life of the historical Saint Nicholas here.

"Do you like my hat?"

2007-12-15T11:09:00.000-08:00

"I do. What a hat! I like it! I like that party hat!"

Hop on Pop

2007-12-15T10:53:00.000-08:00

God Grant You Many Years!

2007-12-12T14:29:00.001-08:00

On this last Sunday December 9th we had Kyra baptised at Church. She was baptised Kyranna (and is also named after) her Patron Saint--Saint Kyranna of Thessaloniki. A baptism is always a beautiful event so here are some pictures to Share! May God Grant her Many Years!

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow...

2007-12-12T14:01:00.000-08:00

So it snowed here recently in Walla Walla and we've had some good fun with a sled recently. It's hard on moms when it's cold outside because little ones get cooped up in the house and can't get outdoors as easily. So the times we do get outside take some prep work. This includes a snowsuit, hat, boots, and gloves. The only problem is... Arseny doesn't want to wear ANY of these items. For some reason he's terrified of his snowsuit and hates his gloves and boots. The only thing he will wear is his hat which he successfully puts on backwards everytime. So When we were going outside for a mommy and Arseny snowday, I calmly explained that if he wanted to go out he had to wear all items. The contemplation on his face was priceless! So began the tantrum and I'm sure you can envision a mom calmly stuffing her toddler into a snowsuit with all limbs flailing about.

We finally got outside and Arseny found that it wasn't so bad but the gloves were still and issue. He didn't like the way they felt when he rode his bike. He'd go to put his hands on the handlebars and inches before he touched them he'd scream and shake his hands because he wanted those darn things off. Everytime I turned around he was trying to get them off and a couple of times he succeeded but we'd go inside if he did take them off, have a "talk" and then he'd come back out with them on and we'd start all over again. It was exhuasting...and this was supposed to be a fun time with mommy to make a snowman and ride the sled. It turned out Mommy made the snowman and Arseny rode his bike on the sidewalk but was mad because the snow made it so the bike wouldn't go. OHHHH as you can guess a nap shortly followed this event. So here are our pictures of our snow day...keep an eye out in the last one...you'll see you know who finally getting those nasty gloves off!

Everyday Fun!

2007-12-12T13:44:00.000-08:00

Wow, time flies when you're having fun! Well--a month has gone by so quickly and Kyra is already 6weeks old. We're starting to get into a routine and I think Arseny realizes that she's here to stay...yep I think we'll keep her. She is an absolutely wonderful baby. She seems to be content 90% of the time which is a blessing from up above. God must have known I needed an easy one considering Arseny cried for the first 6-8 months. So we've been keeping up with the everyday things. We've been trying to take some pics to send to Grandma and Grandpa to show what everyday life was like so here are a few...

Kyra being extremely content...big surprise
Arseny loving his Sister
Arseny brushing his teeth (at all times of day)
Arseny eating (wearing) Spagetti
...and two little munchkins loving a ride in our double stroller (this was before it snowed) so stay tuned for snow pictures.

Adjusting

2007-11-16T17:55:00.000-08:00

Well, week one was a whirlwind and week two was a little harder and now it's the end of week three and Matthew and I are feeling it. We officially are the parents of TWO children. Why is this so hard? People say going from one to two is the hardest thing you'll do...I think they may be right. I've learned this week (my first week at home with Arseny and Kyra alone---Matt went back to work) that you can do absolutely nothing but take care of kids. There is no getting online, cleaning the house, or making some various baked goods (not that I ever did anyway), even going somewhere downtown with the both of them can turn into a disaster--as I found out! If you attempt any of this it usually ends up an unfinished task and usually 2 out of the 3 of us are crying for some reason or another. Instead...we play ball, watch various educational videos, play with toys, read books, go for walks (thank you double stroller!) watch more videos--and try to hook up with other stressed out moms so that our children can play and get tired so they'll take naps. Speaking of naps...you might be thinking that I would somehow have some free time during naps...think again, for some reason these little guys sense that when one is sleeping that they (the other) must wake up. I kid you not...it's happened all week! My rant here is not ill intended...it's actually humorous at times (you have to make yourself laugh) and I think that I'll remember this time years from now and be happy I had the experience---It doesn't last forever.
So this week however, Arseny has...fallen off the couch after being told not to stand or jump on it repeatedly, has learned to climb up on EVERYTHING (he learned to use his step stool), then he stole a fork out of the dishwasher and boogied through the kitchen as fast as he could only to fall with it in hand (I was sure that one was a trip to the ER---although both eyes were intact) he's been confined to the stroller everywhere we go because when given the liberty to hold my hand and walk he pulls the old limp fish trick where he unsuccessfully tries to get away from me. He's been pulling hair, saying NO extra loud, and I could go on but he's basically just doing a very good job at being a one and half year old. However, he's struggling to figure out how to share mama with that little baby. I know all of this is normal with a huge adjustment but it's been a terrorizing week. Needless to say, I have spent the little time I've had thinking, reading, asking other moms and looking into how I can work to smooth over this transition and keep my very strong willed toddler entertained. I know it will get better---hopefully just soon TGIF! Daddy is home for the weekend!

Pretty in Pink

2007-11-01T08:20:00.002-07:00

So early on Friday Morning, we checked into the hospital and knew that in a few short hours we would be meeting our daughter for the first time. It was scary but exciting. Everyone right down to the nurse who just wheels you from one place to another was so warm and caring. I was nervous about having another C-Section and staying at the hospital as I would have preferred to have a more natural and comfortable atmosphere but it turns out that my babies will all be born by C-Section and so I'm becoming more comfortable with the hospital routine. I must say I was pleasantly surprised at the wonderful care we received at St. Mary and felt very taken care of by all the doctors and nurses that assisted us.

Kyra (which is what we'll call her) is doing great! She eats and sleeps and rarely cries...at first I thought something was wrong with her but come to find out this is how most babies are their first weeks of life. Arseny on the other hand cried and rarely ate or slept, GOD IS GRACIOUS! I'm glad I had the hard one first ;) Recovering has been and will be a long process, I'm trying to lay low but it's hard when you're home...you tend to want to pick up the toys or the maccaroni and cheese that's on the kitchen floor but you have to just let it go. It's easy to forget that you had major surgery.

Arseny is doing really well despite all circumstances. He spent a lot of time with daddy while I was staying in the hospital. He was a little afraid the first time they came to visit, I got a little bit of the cold shoulder but he perked up after a little while...he was afraid of the IV's in my hand and would hide his face if the nurses tried to talk to him. Now that we're home he's just a peach. We thought he'd have trouble with me holding the baby but it turns out that he has a major problem if DAD holds the baby...that was funny. Over all he is not jealous at all and shows much love toward his little sister. He's very curious about her and we let him touch her "Gentle" and he gets really excited about this. Whenever he refers to her or sees her he changes the tone of his voice to a really sweet and light sound, points or reaches for her and says "dee da" sister?... baby? we're not sure but it's really cute. We let him play with her blanket and take her hats and socks. We also let him jump in and explore her bassinette. I think all our hard work preparing him with the baby doll and talking about it has really paid off. They're going to be best friends I think ;)

Matthew is off from work, glory to God! So we are lucky to have some great quality family time. Although it's been a little hard getting used to two little ones. We each have one to watch now and it can be a juggling act at times. Over all Matt has been Super Dad and I can't imagine trying to do this without him. We also have such great friends and church family who have helped us with Arseny and brought us meals, prayed for us, visited and just have been supportive through this whole process. I'm so amazed and can't imagine not having this support network of wonderful people. Thankyou to everyone! We're all doing well and we'll keep you posted on what's new. Thanks for stopping by and checking in on Malenky's World. Anna

...SHE'S HERE!

2007-11-01T08:13:00.001-07:00

Well, guess who made her grand entrance into Malenky's World?

Kyranna Magdalene Harrington was born last Friday October 26th at 8:33am. She weighed in at 7lbs 14oz and was 19 1/2 inches long. She is a beautiful and big healthy girl. I think she looks like Matthew. More pictures to come!

...Still Waiting

2007-10-22T16:31:00.000-07:00

So what have we been up to?

Well we're still waiting for our newest little Harrington to arrive...4 days until D-Day but who's counting right? Well aside from the obvious we're just trying to keep our normal schedule around here. Arseny is adding to his vocabulary. Today he said his first "name" (of someone else other than MAMA) He has a friend we often spend a lot of time with who's just a little older than him and just absolutely adores--his name is Asher and today we went and played with Asher and he kept saying it in the car---very cute! Arseny has also been very curious about cats and dogs lately...funny today we went on a walk and a neighborhood cat followed us 4 blocks home and he thought is was the greatest thing. Then later this morning we went to the coffee shop and met up with Asher and they played ball with the next door winery's dog who would fetch the ball and then drop it at their feet. He was in hog (or shall I say dog) heaven....cats and dogs galore today!

Matthew is working away busy with his job...I'm just hanging in there trying to prepare for our little girl and we're all looking forward to the holiday and Nativity season. I'm sure we'll have more pictures than ever to share once we meet our little girl. For now here is a pic of Matthew and Arseny going on their evening run (Matt and Arseny go on a jog after Matt gets home from work) and of course Arseny rides in the Jogger "Arseny's bike" and then the other picture is just one of me 9 months along---we realized that we didn't really take any pictures of me pregnant this time around so we snapped a few.

My Little Pumpkin

2007-10-17T19:34:00.000-07:00

We went to the Pumpkin patch recently. It's a fun Fall outing! Klickers here in Walla Walla always has great holiday and seasonal set ups for families. You can go and get your Pumpkin in the fall, they have wagons for hauling and a huge hay bale mountain with a slide down it for the kids to play on. During Christmas time there are of course trees to choose from and actual Reindeer out at the farm there.

So at the patch Arseny and Matt of course went down the slide and climbed on the hay bales and then explored the Pumpkins. Afterward we went and got Hot Chocolate downtown as a treat. It was a lot of fun! Here are some pictures of our outing.

"Fair Days"--Kiddie Rides!

2007-08-31T15:44:00.000-07:00

How could I forget the Kiddie Rides??? This was the best part. So we totally intended not to put Arseny on any rides thinking that he was too small. However Emma was riding the rides and as we entered "kiddie land" to find Emma and her mom Arseny threw up his hands with glee and just squealed with delight. He saw all the lights and music and kids and of course Emma riding rides. Matt and I looked at each other with a "what do we do" look??? So we searched around and saw that on the Carousel a parent could accompany little ones. We bought our tickets and Matt and Malenky got on. I thought for sure he would cry and want off but boy was I wrong. All I saw going round and round (as I was trying to get pictures) was a big GRIN from dad and smiles ---all smiles from the Malenky. I don't think I've laughed that hard in a long time. It was just precious to see.

"Fair Days"

2007-08-31T15:26:00.001-07:00

So every year around the Labor Day Weekend the SE Washington Fair happens here in Walla Walla. Every year we don't go! People who know Matt pretty well tend to know that he doesn't really like the fair---I know, party pooper---however this year it was a little different. We had Malenky!!! and we wanted to make an outing of it. So earlier in the day Arseny and I went to the fair with our friends Denise, Asher and Selah while dads were at work and checked it out. He rode the John Deere Tractors through the Hay Bale Maze and then of course didn't want to get off. Then we went over and checked out the roping and riding of horses and hay bales. In the picture above our friend Gustavo is trying to rope the hay bale steer but Arseny is in the way taking "the bull by the horns" it was fun but very hot so after a good nap at home we trucked on back in the evening with our friends the Philos to visit Old McDonald's farm and check out the kiddie rides. I thought the dad's complete with strollers in the picture above was quite funny as we were passing the animal barns---OH how things have changed! Then Arseny got to see all the animals at the baby animal farm. Here's Matt and Malenky staring down the Llama...we weren't quite sure if it was going to spit or not so we stood back a little bit. Then Arseny got to pet the baby horse, and he saw goats, pigs, bunnies etc. He LOVED it! So did we, it's amazing how excited you get for your children when they get to experience something for the first time. Amazingly we got in the car to go home and Matt said "that actually wasn't too bad and surprisingly pleasant" I couldn't believe it! We did have a really good time!

So what's going on lately?

2007-08-31T15:04:00.000-07:00

So what have we been up to lately... nothing really exciting, we're just trying to get through the remainder of August and into September and we're almost there! In the mean time we've been doing a lot of playing in the house (too hot and muggy outside this week). Here's Arseny with his bucket--and yes that's pregnant me drinking starbucks (gasp) I tried to crop it but it didn't work... Anyway, Arseny loves his little red bucket we got on vacation and tends to pack it around everywhere. It's fun to look inside it every once in a while to see what's in there---often it will contain everything from goldfish crackers to tennis balls and other trinkets he finds...by the way "KOH" was the mystery word last week. Matt and I couldn't figure out what "KOH" was. We knew it was associated with "want" and "more" and finally Arseny added the "KER" to the end. He's been trying to tell us "Cracker" "KOH KER" So now he officially has a new word and we don't have to play the guessing game anymore when he's asking for goldfish. He's also learning how to eat "big boy" sandwiches which he prefers ---He lets me know if I happen to forget and cut them into bites. He's also is still spending a lot of time hanging out with his baby. He and baby spend quality time in the pic above relaxing in Daddy's big chair. Oh and if I haven't mentioned it before...Arseny loves Balls any kind...it was actually one of his very first words. Anything that remotely looks like a ball gets squeals of excitement and we get to hear all about it "ball, ball, ball". At the same time we're working on what's ok to throw and what's not ok to throw in the house. Trucks are not ok to throw but Nerf balls are ok......so mom won the best mom and wife award one day when at walmart I went looking for nerf balls and I just happened to pick up a 2.99$ over the door nerf ball and hoop set. Now Arseny and Dad play regular games of hoops whenever they can. All for the price of a Happy Meal! Happy Daddy and Happy Malenky = Happy Mommy!

Getting Ready for Little Sister

2007-08-21T14:41:00.000-07:00

We have couple of friends who happen to have newborns. When we've spent time with them Arseny has been both curious and not exactly gentle (which is totally normal for his age). However, this got us thinking...we need to see if we can't better prepare Arseny for little sister to enter Malenky's world. Matt thought it would be a good idea if we let Arseny have his "own" baby. Luckily we had a "baby" that Arseny had inherited from the Chantel girls. So we brought out baby complete with a tiny outfit I had dug out from his newborn days and started to explain how we hold and love the baby. He is absolutely thrilled with his new baby and packs "her" around carefully hugs her and lets Matt and I hold the baby and him at the same time. He loves that we give so much attention to the baby and reinforce how careful we are when holding her. So baby has been going everywhere with us and Arseny has been learning words like "gentle" and "careful" and how to love the baby as opposed to poking it's eyes out which he seems to have down to a perfection. Unfortunately it's one of his greatest skills...

For a while there we were having a problem. Arseny plays with a few boys who have 2 or 3 years on him who started to be really careful around him and say "I don't like that baby" or "that baby hurt me" for a while they would make a wide swath around him when veering into his path. Like I said...we're working on poking eyes. Some kids go through a biting phase...well mine's a eye poker... discipline and working on behavioral skills has literally snuck up on us and bit us the rear. I don't know where I've been (La La Land) ? but apparently I didn't realize that my 16 month old went from baby to little boy. He understands WAY more than I had previously given him credit for. It's such hard work and a never ending task in order to help them learn appropriate behaviors. Ok, I know he's is only 16 months old, however he's fully aware of when he throws things in a tantrum and doing things he knows he's not supposed to like sprinting to the open bathroom shoving his arm into the toilet as fast as he can all while he's looking right at you...oh it's so much fun to see what will make those parents react. Needless to say we've got our work cut out for us and we are constantly asking other parents that we trust and reading parenting material to get new ideas and and to help us learn what we can do. I'm trying not to let my head spin at the thought of having two. It will be an adventure!!!

More Vacation Pictures #2

2007-08-14T09:12:00.000-07:00

More Vacation Pictures

2007-08-14T09:01:00.001-07:00

Cruising along in the San Juans

2007-08-13T14:46:00.000-07:00

We just got back from our vacation in the San Juan Islands. It was BEAUTIFUL there and we came home refreshed and golden brown from the summer sunshine---it was so hard to stay out of it...even on a cloudy day you were wearing sunscreen---or else! The weather was superb, not too hot and not too cool and there always seemed to be a breeze. We stayed on the outskirts of Friday Harbor in a farm house that had plenty of relaxing things to do. Amongst our little party was our dear friends the Sturgills, the Moyers and their little ones Aidan (our Godson) and their newest little one, Blaise and of course Arseny and I (because of Matt's new job he was unable to get the time off...so Matt stayed here in WW and had his own little vacation!) He didn't seem too dissapointed in that though, and I think he really enjoyed the time to himself. Apparently he did a lot of reading and sleeping in which is good because come baby #2 its all over---enjoy while you can!!!

OK, so back to our little vacation spot...There was a pond with a little boat, a small orchard, a big yard and deck, and a badmitten net that always seemed to be in use. We did a lot of relaxing and lounging in chairs, grilling and of course chasing the little ones around. It cooled off in the evening and deer would come up into the small orchard nearby. Some of the other things we got to do that week were, ride the ferry to Orcas Island, hike up trails at Lime Kiln State Park and we had a picnic lunch there, Arseny threw rocks at a little cove at the nearby San Juan park where Mike and Dennis put the Kayak in. Aidan got to go in the Kayak with his dad and Grandpa and saw seals swimming around. He now says Kak kak---which is Kayak! We spent time cruising all the little shops in downtown Friday Harbor and we got to see much of the Island by driving around. It was a ton of fun and definitely a place I would like to go back to. I learned that I depend on my husband more than I realize...he was dearly missed and Arseny learned a lot of new things...like holding mama's hand, how to climb "down" stairs, and how to share toys. He experienced bubbles for the first time, got to see boats and planes, and absolutely loved riding the Ferry boat. It was a great experience all around and we were thrilled we got to spend it with our dear friends and my Godson Aidan. Here are some pictures... The first is Arseny on the Ferry, then we have some pictures of us just kicking back with Dennis and of course there's always room for Ice Cream which Elizabeth treated us to one afternoon down at the harbor. More pics to come...

Sugar 'n Spice and all that's Nice

2007-08-13T14:39:00.000-07:00

Well, I must begin with our most very recent news! Today we had an ultrasound and found out that we are having a girl! So Arseny is going to have a little sister to play with. Matthew was grinning ear to ear...he thought for sure it was boy boy boy but after an unclear picture on the last ultrasound and a gut feeling I had a hunch that it was going to be girl. We're thrilled and will be waiting to see our new little daughter come the end of October!

What else have we been doing?

2007-07-27T14:43:00.000-07:00

So what have we been up to??? It's been a very HOT July this year. We have often had days in the triple digits. Malenky is often in a diaper and that's it in the evenings---it's just been too hot! We've definitely spent some time in the sun and splashing around at the pool. That bleach blonde hair is testament to our summer outings. We also organized a yardsale recently which is a lot of work by the way. We were trying to earn some "fun money" for our vacation coming up real soon. So anyway, in the picture above Arseny discovered his old baby bathtub that I had found in the basement to put in the yardsale...I ended up using the sink quite a bit when he was tiny rather than the tub but I think Arseny thought it was pretty cool when I dragged it out. I have also been working on little projects around our house. I bought a little table and chair set at a yardsale this spring. It was a little beat up but I recently painted it and it turned out pretty cute. Here is Malenky sitting at it after I had finished it in his room. The last picture is one of Arseny and his good pal Aidan George watching Baby McDonald's farm on Baby Einstien. Aidan is our Godson. His parents are Erica and Mike Moyer and we're actually getting ready to go on vacation with them and Erica's parents up to Friday Harbor. We're going to share a house for a week and enjoy some of the fun up there. I think it will be really fun for the boys (Arseny and Aidan) and I'm excited to get away for a little while. More later...I'm sure we'll have lots to share in the weeks to come!

Here comes Peter Cottontail!

2007-07-27T14:33:00.001-07:00

So this year believe it or not, I grew a vegetable garden! I have some wonderful green beans, tomatoes, squash, herbs, and peppers. I also discovered I have a rabbit! Yes, Peter Cottontail lives next door and likes to meander over and nibble my lettuce. In the mean time Arseny is becoming more interested in animals...as opposed to big trucks, balls, matchbox cars, and lawnmowers (which have been the fav up till now). As we learn the animals' names and sounds we are also learning the signs for each. So far we have squirrel , bird, duck, elephant, and recently added Rabbit! Malenky has been witness to me chasing the rabbit away with the broom. I give him the bunny ears sign for rabbit and I wonder if he must just think I'm crazy...and what the neighbors must think. I'm sure I'm a sight to be seen!

From 4th to 4th

2007-07-06T19:23:00.001-07:00

Wow, time flies when you're havin' fun! I was just thinking about where we were last year in comparison to this year. Last year around this time I was headed back to work as my maternity leave came to an end and I was very very sad about it. Arseny would not take a bottle at all and in the end I left my position at my beloved job. I worked until September on a freakish schedule of leaving work on breaks or having my little one brought to work by grandparents just so he could eat and have a little mama time. I must say it was one of the most stressful times I've ever experienced. I'm glad I'm home when I think back on that time, although I do miss my job. I hope I'll be able to resume some sort of work outside the home when little ones get old enough to go to school. Anyway, I found a picture of the last 4th of July that we spent with our good friends the Philos. Arseny was almost 2 and 1/2 months old and now the Philos just added another little baby girl to their family. As a matter of fact she was born on the 3rd. We had to laugh when we shared these pictures with them. Seems like so long ago. It's hard to believe that this year he's walking and talking and playing in the pool with his buddies. Anyway, these are summertime just for fun pics.

PURE TROUBLE

2007-07-02T21:03:00.000-07:00

When Arseny was born, I thought I was going to have this cuddly little snuggle bug that would have a laid back attitude and a sweet disposition and would never think of climbing on tables, throwing himself over the couch, or riding his little bike like Evil Canevil. I somehow ended up with an independent self willed child who has absolutely no fear. He constantly is into more mischief than any other little 14 month old that I know. I honestly don't know what to do with him. So, I bought this little table and chair set a yard sale. Like an obviously inexperienced mom I thought... what a neat little thing...toddler sized and perfect for him to sit at for snacks or puzzles etc... thinking he would actually "sit" at it...boy was I wrong. First we had set it up behind the couch. Arseny quickly learned that he could stand on the chair and then stand on the table and of course then successfully throw himself over the back of the couch and fall on the floor which is his goal in life...a roller coaster ride. He of course does with glee and then gets back up and does it again. So...we moved the table but it didn't matter now he just likes to stand on top of it and yell MAMA...MAMA for me to help him jump down. So much for the bright idea of the table. We're currently working on trying to correlate the words "careful" and "owie" with some of his adventurous excursions but these two words don't seem to register. Here is some of the evidence.

Big Boy Haircut

2007-07-02T20:55:00.000-07:00

Arseny got his first haircut last week...and now he looks like a big boy. As a matter of fact he is becoming more like a big boy with every passing day. Days of my little baby are long gone I fear. Here is a before of the blondy mop and an after nice and trim big boy pic. Note the before picture is a favorite of Matt's. He calls it the "The Fonz" as in Happy Days.

Various Favorties

2007-06-22T21:25:00.001-07:00

These first few are of Arseny when he was first born. It's funny how they look the same. The last two are of his Baptism which was almost just one year ago. Fr. Seraphim (our Priest at St. Silouan's Orthodox Church) is taking Arsenios and he's just about to baptize him here. The other is a picture of Arseny's Godparent Justin and Lindsay Chantel. They are standing in front of an icon of Arseny's Patron Saint (Saint Arsenios of Cappodocia) after whom he was named (Obviously). More pics later...I'll get caught up here sooner or later.

A way to Share.

2007-06-22T16:23:00.000-07:00

Well,

Here it is...I finally am going to do the blog and PROMISE to keep it updated with all the goings on of the notorious Malenky (Arseny). For those of you who aren't familiar with that name...Matt started calling Arseny stinky malenky as a nick name and it just stuck for some reason. Malenky means "little" in Russian and because my husband knows just enough, Russian, Greek, and Spanish to get him in trouble, we tend to have little foreign phrases that float through our home. Malenky being one of them.

Sooooo....since this picture sharing blog is long overdue. You'll get to see various favorite pics throughout the last year or so and why we love them. But first I'll start with the most recent which I title the Mischief Maker. Arseny constantly tries to get into the bathroom. We of course keep it shut MOST of the time but to no avail he sometimes wins and gets his prize---the Q-tip container underneath the bathroom sink. The one after that is funny too. Arseny has the battery pack from Matt's Mac Laptop and he decided he was going to go Green and make his little car an electric one by plugging it into the trunk. This little car has been a wonder. He learned to walk with it. Within a week and a half of having this little car he had the courage to start walking across the room. All I wanted was for him to walk and now I'm busier than ever chasing him! Oh but it's soooo much fun. More pictures to come.

Mama H