What else have we been doing?

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!

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

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

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

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

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.

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