Resourcefulness

Nelu's being laid off has not been all negative for our family. Although we were kind of depressed and very worried at first, we're finding that we're still alive after one week and that we're definitely enjoying more time together. We've also learned to be more resourceful. I guess necessity does that. We're finding new ways to stretch the budget, getting more exercise by walking and biking to more places, and maybe even becoming more creative in some ways. So there are some positives. I think we'll make it...

Faptul ca Nelu si-a pierdut slujba nu este numai negativ pt. familia noastra. Chiar daca am fost putin deprimati si foarte ingrijorati la inceput, vedem ca inca mai traim--o saptamana dupa ce s-a intamplat--si ca de fapt ne bucuram de timpul nostru impreuna. Si am vazut ca putem sa folosim mai mult lucrurile pe care le-avem deja decat sa cumparam altele. Invatam cum sa facem economie, mergem mai mult pe jos sau cu bicicleta, si poate devenim si putin mai creativi. Se intampla si lucruri pozitive acum. Cred ca o sa fim bine...

In fact, here are three good reasons for us to be happy.

De fapt, aici sunt trei motive bune pt. care sa ne bucuram.

First Meal

Daniel has started eating cereal. He didn't immediately spit it out--we were surprised at that. We were going to wait a little while, but he's hungry all the time, and he grabs at our plates when we're eating lunch and supper. So, might as well.

Daniel a inceput sa manance cereale pt. bebelusi. A fost bine ca nu le-a scuipat cand i le-am bagat in gura prima oara--ne a surprins. Vroiam sa asteptam mai mult sa-i dam mancare, dar se vede ca i-e foame tot timpul, si agata farfuriile noastre in timp ce mancam. Deci, este bine sa inceapa acum.

Culture Night

We went to Spain tonight. We needed something to brighten our day, and Evi's Culture Night at school was just the thing. Every classroom had studied a different country and had some sort of presentation. Evi's class sang a song in English and Spanish and also did a sort of flamenco dance. Evi loved the flamenco dresses and shoes on display in the room.

Am mers in Spania in seara-asta. Aveam nevoie de ceva ca sa ne inveseleasca....programul cultural la scoala la Evi ne-a ajutat. Fiecare clasa a invatat despre o tara specifica, si fiecare a facut un fel de prezentare. Clasa lui Evi a cantat un cantec in engleza si spaniola, si au facut si un dans "flamenco." Lui Evi i-a placut foarte mult rochiile si pantofii din Spania pe care le vedeti sus cu ea.

Bad News

For those of you who haven't heard, Nelu was laid off yesterday. I think I was in denial yesterday. But now I'm starting to feel the worry set in. We're trying to trust God in all of this. And we're trying to figure out a plan of action.

Nelu a fost (intr-un fel) dat afara de la munca ieri. Nu mai este de munca, si au dat pe 11 persoane afara. Incep sa-mi fac griji, pt. ca nu o sa castig de ajuns doar cu slujba mea. Incercam sa ne incredem in Dumnezeu prin asta. Si incercam sa facem un plan sa mergem inainte.

Four Months

Daniel is four months old today! We took a bunch of pictures with all the kids, and here are just a few.

Daniel face patru luni azi! Am facut multe poze cu toti copiii, si urmeaza cateva.






This last one is of Samuel talking to Nelu's mom on the phone. He didn't understand what she was saying, but he kept saying, "uh-huh, uh-huh."

Aici vorbeste Samuel cu Bunica la telefon. N-a inteles ce spunea ea, dar tot timpul facea ca si cum spunea "da, da, da."

Field Trip

This afternoon we got to visit Nelu's second home--the cable factory where he works. They had an open house, so the kids and I got to see what Tati does all night at work--something we'd never had the chance to do before. It was really neat. And even Evi will say now that it was pretty neat, even though she cried almost the whole tour around the factory--because of the smell, the noise, and the cool air circulating around the place.

Azi am avut ocazia sa vizitam fabrica unde Nelu munceste. A fost un timp in care au putut sa vina familiile muncitorilor sa vada ceea ce fac ei acolo. A fost prima oara cand am intrat acolo, si a fost foarte interesant. Nelu ne-a aratat unde a mai muncit si unde munceste acum, si ne-a explicat ce face si cum se fac toate felurile de cablu. Si Evi spune acum ca a fost foarte interesant, chiar daca a plans aproape tot timpul cat am stat acolo--din cauza mirosului, din cauza galagiei, si din cauza ventilatoarelor care faceau mult aer pe acolo.

My Sweet, Sweet, Sweet Boy

This is what Daniel has been up to lately. He is grabbing at everything he sets his eyes on. He doesn't always get it, but he sure tries really hard.

Daniel invata in ultima vreme sa agate lucrurile. Isi intinde mana la orice sa agate. Nu reuseste mere, dar incearca foarte tare.



Although he looks very serious here, this is the smiliest baby. He is so sweet and loves for people to talk to him. He gets the biggest smile on his face and has the smilingest eyes I've ever seen. He's also the loudest of my little ones, if you can imagine that--he screams the loudest and gets the maddest of them all when he does get mad.

Chiar daca arata mai serios aici, el zambeste de obicei foarte mult. Este foarte scump, si ii place ca oamenii sa vorbeasca cu el. Are un zambetmare, si chiar zambesc si ochii lui. Dar este si cel mai galagios dintre copii, daca va vine sa credeti--tipa cel mai tare, si se supara cel mai tare dintre toti.

Beautiful Day

Today has been such a nice day. After Nelu took the boys down to the basketball court while I studied, he and Samuel spent more time outside just reading.

A fost foarte frumos afara azi. Dupa ce Nelu i-a dus pe Samuel si Daniel in parc in timp ce studiam, el si Samuel au mai stat afara sa citeasca.

Sweet Reunion

After spending the weekend with Nelu and then hardly seeing him at all yesterday, this is how Evi greeted her Tati this morning when he woke up.

Dupa ce a petrecut tot weekend-ul cu Nelu si apoi nu l-a vazut aproape deloc ieri, asa l-a salutat Evi azi dimineata dupa ce el s-a trezit.

She even missed me tonight while I was at school, which is pretty rare. I commuted to and from work (my first day) and to and from school for a total of three hours today. At least I won't have many more of these long days. I think the job will be good, as long as I can figure out how to find my way around the hospital.

Chiar ca i-a fost dor si de mine cat eram la scoala in seara-asta--asta nu se intampla prea des. Am mers cu masina trei ore--mergand la munca si inapoi si mergand la scoala si inapoi. Ma bucur ca nu mai am prea multe zile lungi asa. Cred ca o sa-mi placa slujba mea, cel putin daca nu ma ratacesc prea tare in spital!

Little Princess? Nah!

Our house is never lacking for excitement. And controversy? This is how Evi dressed Samuel today--like a princess. He loves dress-up, so why not? We just won't let it happen too often. At least she didn't put her makeup on him.

Mereu se intampla ceva in casa noastra...Asa l-a imbracat Evi pe Samuel azi--ca printesa. Ii place sa se imbrace cu haine de joaca, dupa cum ati vazut deja, si de ce nu ca o printesa acum?=) Nu o sa lasam ca asta sa se intample prea des....Cel putin nu l-a machiat!

Samuel has gotten back into potty-training this past week, too. And he's doing really well! We're keeping our fingers crossed that he keeps going like he is. If so, he'll be out of diapers in no time!

Samuel invata sa foloseasca toaleta in ultima vreme. Si face foarte bine la asta! Speram ca face bine in continuare....asa nu o sa mai aiba nevoie de pamperse in curand!

Weekends Are the Worst

I always look forward to the weekends, but I don't know why. It seems like my workload doubles while everyone else is playing and resting. And my homework, all the while, is not getting itself done. So I'm worn out right now. And I still have a pile of research articles to read through by Tuesday, the day that my new job starts. So to say the least I'm overwhelmed and feel like complaining to somebody.

But this is what I'm looking at to cheer me up...

In fiecare saptamana abia astept sa vina weekend-ul, dar nu stiu de ce....pt. ca se dubleaza munca mea, cat ceilalti au timp sa se joace si sa se odihneasca. Am si teme pt. acasa care nu se fac singure. Deci, sunt foarte obosita acum. Si mai am o gramada de articole pt. scoala pe care trebuie sa le citesc pana marti (ziua in care incepe si slujba mea noua). Deci, sunt epuizata, si ma simt ca trebuie sa ma plang la cineva.

Dar asta ma inveselesti...

Sweet, slobbery baby
Bebelusul meu scump (carui ii curge scuipat din gura =) )

Trying to get out of his seat

Incearca sa iasa din scaunul lui

Meet Strong Man

This is the video I wrote about yesterday. I guess after Samuel put Nelu's shirt on, he turned into a superhero. He just started yelling, and I had to ask him what he was saying. I'm not sure where he came up with this one.

Asta e video-ul despre care am scris ieri. Se pare ca Samuel devine "super-hero" cand se imbraca cu tricoul lui Nelu. A inceput sa strige....trebuia sa-l intreb ce spune. Nu stiu de unde are idea asta. Trebuie sa vedeti.



As you can see, I tried to get all the kids in this one, even if I had to turn the camera so I couldn't see through it.

Dupa cum vedeti, am incercat sa-i arat pe toti copiii aici, chiar daca a trebuit sa intorc aparatul spre mine si sa nu mai vad nimic.

Miscellaneous

Well, we might get our wish of spending more time together. I think Evi has pink eye. So I'll probably be taking her to the doctor tomorrow, and she'll get to stay home to see Nelu more. I hope she doesn't try to get sick to stay home now...

Evi are conjunctiva, si asa s-a rezolvat problema noastra...o sa putem sa petrecem mai mult timp impreuna incepand de maine. Trebuie s-o duc pe Evi la doctorita, si nu are voie sa mearga la scoala asa. Deci ramane acasa si il vede pe Nelu mai mult. Sper sa nu se prefaca ca este bolnava ca sa stea acasa de acum...

I cannot put Daniel anywhere now without him trying to wriggle out of that position. I put him in the swing, and he pulls himself up to where his hands are on the floor. I put him in the bumbo seat, and he turns himself sideways. I put him in the carseat, and he sits himself up to grab the seatbelt and chew on it. I put him on his back on the floor, and he immediately flips over, making himself very mad. I just don't know what to do with this boy anymore! It's not that I don't like to hold him, but it's just that I can't do that the entire day, of course. Anyone want to come and hold a squirmy baby for me for a little while?

Nu pot sa-l pun pe Daniel nicaieri fara sa nu se foiasca si sa ajunga in alta pozitie. Il pun in leaganul lui mic, si se ridica si-si pune mainele pe jos. Il pun in scaunelul lui, si se intoarce sa stea intr-o pozitie ciudata. Il pun in scaunul lui pt. masina, si se ridica sa ia centura s-o puna in gura. Il pun pe jos, si se intoarce pe burta imediat, si se supara tare asa. Nu mai stiu ce sa fac cu el! Nu este ca nu vreau sa-l tin in brate. Este doar ca nu pot sa fac asta toata ziua! Vrea cineva sa vina sa tina un bebelus in brate putin timp sa ma ajute?

And Samuel, sweet Samuel. This is how he tried on his new big-boy underwear tonight...

Iar Samuel, draga de el. Asa si-a probat chilotii lui noi in seara asta...


I have a funny video of him to post, but I'll try to do that tomorrow when I have time.

Am un video comic cu Samuel, dar o sa incerc sa-l pun maine, cand o sa am mai mult timp.

Lost Time

Nelu said today that he's really starting to miss Evi. She's been in school now for at least three weeks, and she and Nelu get to see each other only up to 30 minutes per day Monday through Friday. She really misses her Tati, too. We just don't know how to make things any better but to give them lots of time to spend together on the weekend. It's a hard situation for us.

Nelu a spus azi ca i-e dor de Evi. De cand a inceput scoala acum trei saptamani, Evi si Nelu se vad doar 30 de minute pe zi, de luni pana vineri. I-e dor si ei foarte tare de Nelu. Nu stim cum sa facem ca situatia sa fie mai buna, dar Nelu incearca sa petreaca mai mult timp cu Evi in weekend. Asta e foarte greu pt. noi ca o familie.

Those were the days...

Ce bine era atunci...

Unplugged

As of today we no longer have TV. Well, at least not the satellite version (and of course we don't really get anything else when that's cut off). So I think we might go through withdrawal these next couple weeks. But I think we'll be much better off in the long run. (Evi already spent lots of time reading books tonight for her school reading log.) Who knows how long this will last, though...

Incepand de azi nu mai avem televizor--am inchis satelitul nostru. Deci cred ca o sa fie putin greu sa ne obisnuim la inceput--cel putin primele doua sau trei saptamani. Oricum, cred ca o sa fie mult mai bine pt. familia noastra. (Deja Evi a petrecut mult timp in seara asta citind pt. scoala.) Dar nu stiu cat o sa putem sa ne abtinem...

Too much time in front of the boob tube this past year
Copiii au petrecut prea mult timp in fata televizorului anul trecut

Busy Kids

The kids have had such a good time with their cousin Noel this weekend. He and Evi have been tearing the house up! And now they're fast asleep after a very full day. Here they are reading before bed.

A venit verisorul copiilor in vizita azi, si Evi si Samuel se bucura foarte mult. Noel si Evi s-au jucat mult, si acum dorm foarte bine. Jos arata cum au citit inainte sa se culce. Evi i-a citit o carte lui Noel.


Daniel can turn over onto his belly now! I just wasn't expecting it so soon. He started yesterday, and I thought it was a fluke. But he did it again twice today. And this is what he looks like after he rolls over--very mad.

Daniel stie sa se intoarca de pe spate, pe burta acum! Nu ma asteptam ca sa faca asta asa de devreme--la trei luni. S-a intors o data ieri, si am crezut ca a fost doar de intamplare. Dar s-a intors si azi de doua ori. Asa arata dupa ce se intoarce pe burta...foarte suparat.


And this is what Samuel has been up to lately...goofing around with Evi's tap-dance skirt from her recital last year.

Si asta face Samuel in ultima vreme...se joaca cu fusta lui Evi de la dans--este fusta pe care a purtat-o la spectacolul ei anul trecut.

Moving Up

Our sweet baby is now finding his toes. I'd forgotten about what age babies did that, so I was surprised to see that this age has already come. Here he is, our sweet baby Daniel...

Bebelusul nostru mic si scump si dulce si-a gasit picioarele. Am uitat la ce varsta fac bebelusii asta, si m-a surprins cand el a inceput sa faca asta saptamana asta. Uite-l, scumpul nostru Daniel...

Looking for Library Animals

The last two times I've taken Samuel to our newly-rebuilt public library he has run to the back of the building where the adult sitting area is. It has huge windows through which you can see only huge trees. I never noticed how much like a jungle this looks until Samuel started yelling last time, "Monkeys! Monkeys!" and this time, "Zebras! Alligators!" He thinks that when we go to the library we're also at the zoo. I knew that our trip to the zoo this summer really impressed him, but I didn't think he'd remember the experience that well.

In ultima vreme cand mergem la biblioteca noastra noua, Samuel alearga la partea unde sunt fotolii pt. adulti, unde stau si citesc. Acolo sunt geamuri foarte mari, si vezi numai copaci foarte mari. Nu mi-am dat seama cat de mult seamana cu jungla pana intr-o zi cand Samuel a inceput sa strige "Maimute! Maimute!" si alta data "Zebra! Crocodilul!" Crede ca biblioteca este si gradina zoologica. Stiam ca el a ramas foarte impresionat de calatoria noastra la gradina zoologica asta vara, dar n-am stiut ca si-ar aduce aminte asa de bine de experienta lui acolo.

Work and School

First of all, I have to say that I'm very excited to have been offered the job that I was holding out for. I may start training next week, and then I'll go to very part-time. It's the perfect job for me to have right now--for the experience I need and for our current family schedule. And I'm so, so thankful to have gotten it!

In primul rand, vreau sa spun ca am primit o slujba--slujba pe care-o vroiam foarte mult. Probabil ca o sa incep o perioada de invatat saptamana viitoare, si dupa-aia o sa muncesc doar la fiecare trei weekend-uri. Este o slujba perfecta pt. mine--o sa primesc experiente bune pt. ceea ce invat acum, si este bine pt. programul nostru ca familie. Si ma bucur foarte mult ca am primit-o.

...I read recently that the first two weeks of a child's school year will pretty much set the pace for how the rest of the year goes. Well, I have to say that I was a little worried about Evi when she got so nervous about a new school and all new everything this year. But now I see that she absolutely loves her new school, her teacher and her classmates. She is excited about each new school day. And I'm so glad that her first two weeks went great...

...Am citit in ultima vreme ca primele doua saptamani de scoala pt. un copil arata cam ce fel o sa mearga tot anul scolar. Si vreau sa spun ca m-am ingrijorat putin cand Evi a avut asa de multe emotii despre scoala ei noua si despre tot ce se schimba in acest an pt. ea. Dar acum pot sa vad ca ii place foarte mult la scoala, si ii plac colegii ei si invatatoarea ei. Abia asteapta sa inceapa fiecare zi noua. Si ma bucur mult ca primele doua saptamani au fost foarte bune pt. ea...

This is Evi walking home from the bus.
Aceasta poza este cu Evi cum merge acasa din statia de autobuz.

This is how the boys look as we walk all the way down our street to the bus stop.
Asa arata baietii in timp ce mergem pana in statie.
Here is Daniel working on sitting up in the stroller. (He's also working on grabbing his toes these days.)
Aici Daniel incearca sa stea in sus in carucior.(Si in ultima vreme a inceput sa aghete/agate (?) picioarele lui.)

Adjustment

I love it when babies laugh in their sleep. That's what Daniel was doing just now as I rocked him to sleep. He had a rough night with the babysitter while I was in class. So he was glad to see his mama when I got home. And I was glad to hear him laugh as if nothing bad had even happened.

Imi place foarte mult cand bebelusii rad prin somn. Asta facea Daniel acum cand il tineam in brate. A avut un timp rau in seara asta in timp ce-am fost plecata la scoala si altcineva a avut grija de copii. Deci s-a bucurat sa ma vada cand am ajuns acasa. Si eu m-am bucurat sa-l aud razand ca sa cum nu s-a intamplat nimic rau.

Dor de Romania

This holiday weekend we actually had some plans. Doing anything besides staying home is rare for us, even on the holidays. We went to visit some friends in town and had supper with them. They are the ones with the wife who's Romanian and the husband who's American and interested in all things Romanian. They also have a daughter who is close to Evi's age, so they get together and play a lot. Just being with them and being able to talk about Romanian things, among other things, really made me miss Romania. After I'm done writing, I'm going to do a search of Romanian recipes so we can eat some of our favorite things. I don't know when we'll make it back for a visit to Romania, but we sure hope it's not too much longer!

In acest weekend de sarbatoare la noi am avut planuri--ceva ce nu facem prea des, nici de sarbatori. A fost frumos. Am fost in vizita la niste prieteni ai nostri care stau aici in oras, si am luat cina cu ei. Sotul este american iar sotia este romanca, si au o fetita care este aproape deoseama cu Evi--ele se joaca mult impreuna. De fapt, ea vine la noi azi sa se joace. Cat am vorbit despre lucruri romanesti si alte lucruri mi s-a facut dor de Romania. De fapt, dupa ce scriu asta, vreau sa caut niste retete romanesti ca sa pot sa fac mancaruri pe care nu le-am mancat de mult si care ne plac mult. Nu stiu cand o sa putem sa mai venim in vizita la voi, dar speram sa putem in curand!

Evi and her little friend--who share a lot in common
Evi si prietena ei care este si ea americanca si romanca in acelasi timp