my excuse (it's a good one)

So I've really slowed down here and I know why.  I started reading!  I was a voracious reader before I left the land of libraries and easy book access.  Add a few kiddos and the typical stresses of expat living and I really haven't read consistently in years.  sniff.

But in the past two months I've flown through all 7 Narnia books and a few novels.  A good book can cause me to neglect parenting duties!  I'm serious.  This week I hid in the guest room trying to get though a few more pages.  Isaac found me.  [The book that had me this week was Country Driving by Peter Hessler.  Highly recommend.]

But there is still plenty to document around here and I'm committed to this digital family journal.  I print this blog annually and it's such a treat to have now... I know it's value will multiply as the years pass.  Here goes a photo update of the last five days -

Books have a sightly different affect on John Paul!  This happened one afternoon when Lydia read to him after lunch.  She eventually realized he stopped moving and came to find me to show me what happened :)  

We found out on Monday afternoon that the dean of academics officially excused the girls from final exams.  So we've temporarily quit school - when the exams finish the girls hope to return for the last day or so before summer vacation, to enjoy the end of a school year euphoria with their friends.  On their last 'official' day (Tuesday) Isaac took this picture of the three of us at school pick up.  Lydia is holding a notebook she had her favorite classmates sign with their names and phone numbers.  Both girls are hoping for some summer fun with their school buddies.

We hosted a stomach bug this week that sent several littles into troubled waters.  Isaac took the worst hit and spent the wee hours of Wednesday morning throwing up dinner.  He woke up asking for food but I like to ease back into that kind of thing.  School was out of the question so he nibbled on toast and joined the girls and I on our second jaunt to the international school library.  It's open to families Wednesday mornings in June.  We might be their best customers :)  

I asked Isaac if I could take a picture of him with the books he checked out (as a means of keeping tabs on our family total).  He wasn't interested in my proposal so I propped his selections around him and snapped my picture.  

With the girls out of school the afternoons seem delightfully easy to fill.  I'm loving it!  We hit the local sporting goods supply store and bought new summer shoes for John Paul and Lydia.  

Our family can easily pass an hour here and not realize where the time has gone!  Julianna is in the market for some fins for the pool and Isaac hoping for a new mask.

And last one for this post - my Julianna has lost 4 teeth in the last 3 weeks!

She definitely leads the pack with a total of 12 teeth lost.  Lydia is right behind her, 8 teeth lost.  Isaac is desperate for his first loose tooth and wiggle-checks them weekly.  But nothing yet :)

Today we celebrated a friends wedding.  What a great party!  And our John Paul had his second stint as 'Ring Bear'.  Last fall he never made it down the aisle but this time he knocked it out of the park!  Strutted down the aisle grinning the whole way.  I'll get those pictures up soon.