Signing Off for Now

We have been very busy the past couple days. I'd meant to take more pictures of the kids to post before I take my Lenten break. But I just couldn't do it. A huge homework assignment trumped the picture taking.

I hope you all stay well and safe in the next six weeks!

Noi am fost foarte ocupati in ultimile zile. Am vrut sa fac mai multe poze cu copiii inainte sa inceapa Postul Mare. Dar n-am putut. Am avut o tema mare pt. scoala, si asta am facut in loc de poze.

Sper sa fiti bine si sanatosi in continuare in saptamanile care urmeaza.

Quick Pics

Daniel went for his latest well-child checkup today. Here's his latest antic....Open wide!

Daniel a fost la doctorita azi pt. controlul de noua luni. Aici este lucrul nou pe care-l face acum....deschide gura foarte tare!

Fair Warning

Just wanted to say that I'll be taking a break from the blog starting Wednesday of this week. Lent is upon us, and I just need to simplify my life a little, spend more time with God. You probably understand. I will be taking a 40-day break from my blog, all other blogs, and facebook. I will be checking email and answering my phone, though, if you need to contact me! =) As much fun as these things are, I'm really looking forward to this break, too. I'll post as many pictures as I can between now and Wednesday for those who will miss the kids during our break!

Vreau sa spun ca iau o pauza de la blog incepand de miercuri saptamana asta. Incepe Postul Mare la noi, si vreau ca viata mea sa fie mai simpla in perioada asta, si vreau sa stau mai mult in rugaciune. Cred ca intelegeti. Deci, o sa iau o pauza de 40 de zile de la blog-ul meu, de la citit alte blog-uri, si de la folosit facebook. Dar o sa-mi verific adresa mea de email si o sa raspund si la telefon, daca cineva vrea sa vorbeasca cu min! =) Chiar daca imi place sa scriu aici, sa citesc alte blog-uri, si sa verific facebook, abia astept sa inceapa pauza asta. O sa pun cat mai multe poze de acum pana miercuri ca sa nu va fie dor prea tare de copii in timpul pauzei!

A rare moment with the kids all snuggling on the couch this morning
Un moment rar cand toti copiii stateau impreuna pe canapea azi dimineata

Little Danut

Our littlest one has turned nine months old today. Here are pictures of his sweet little face to celebrate.

Cel mai mic ai nostri a facut noua luni azi. Aici sunt poze cu fata lui scumpa si dulce ca sa ne bucuram de el.

Why?

Now, I don't remember Evi asking this question until she was three years old. And then it became a constant through our days. But Samuel has already started. He asked me this yesterday. I don't remember what it was about, but he used it correctly and then used it again today. I just imagine that having an older sibling influences how fast little ones catch on to things.

Cred ca Evi a inceput sa foloseasca intrebarea "de ce?" cand a avut trei ani. Si a folosit-o foarte mult in acel an. Dar Samuel a inceput sa intrebe "de ce?" Mi-a pus intrebarea ieri. Nu stiu despre ce vorbeam, dar a folosit intrebarea corect, si a pus-o iar azi. Cred ca faptul ca are o sora mai mare il influenteaza la lucruri din astea.

Samuel and his tools (looks like he knows what he's doing!)
Samuel munceste (se pare ca stie ce face!)

Cleaning the wall after he drew on it with a marker

Spala peretele unde a desenat cu carioca

Elusive Evi

The harder I try to slow Evi down, the faster she runs from me...in her behavior, in her growing up, in many other ways. This set of pictures I tried to take of her today shows kind of how hard it is for me to get a handle on my growing girl and raise her right.

Cu cat mai mult incerc s-o incetez pe Evi, cu atat mai tare fuge de la mine...se vede asta la comportamentul ei, la cresterea ei, si in multe alte feluri. Pozele de jos arata intr-un fel cat de greu este pt. mine s-o opresc pe fetita mea care creste prea repede ca s-o invat si s-o cresc bine.

Finally, I caught her
In sfarsit, am prins-o

The One Thing I'm Missing

While I was working and commuting over two hours a day, I came across a local radio station that plays Christian music from the 70s, 80s, and 90s--the stuff I grew up with. It also has lots of programs with preaching and teaching--even some of the ones I heard growing up as well. The programs in the morning encouraged me as I prepared to face a new day, and the songs in the afternoon really uplifted me after numerous problems from the workday.

Now that I'm home and not commuting those two-plus hours most days of the week, I really miss my station. I've tried but can't get it in the house. So whenever I run errands, you know what I'm listening to. I think this radio station is the one thing that God used to carry me through some very rough moments.

And while I really miss the commute and my station, I have a great reason to be grateful for these days at home...

Cand trebuia sa conduc mai mult de doua ore la munca si acasa in fiecare zi, am gasit un post la radio care are muzica crestina din anii 70, 80, si 90 pe care o ascultam cand eram mai mica. Are si multe programe cu predici. Programele m-a incurajat dimineata can ma pregateam sa incep o zi noua si dupa-amiaza cand ma intorceam dupa o zi grea.

De cand nu mai merg doua ore-si la in fiecare zi, mi-e dor de postul meu la radio. Nu merge la noi in casa. Il ascult in masina oricand se poate. Cred ca a fost ceva pe care Dumnezeu l-a facut sa ma ajute in fiecare zi sa merg inainte.

Si oricum, am un motiv bun pt. care sa ma bucur si sa fiu recunoscatoare ca pot sa stau acasa...

The Bleak Midwinter

Even though the weather's been frightful outside lately, the boys have been keeping busy at home. Evi is so glad to be back in the swing of things with school. Daniel is starting to eat some table food. And Samuel is dreaming of the day he could either drive a tractor or use real tools to fix something. (He usually carries his toy toolbox around the house all day long filled up with his play tools and his little John Deere tractors.)

Chiar daca vremea a fost mai rea in ultima vreme, baietii mereu gasesc ce sa faca in casa. Evi se bucura sa fie din nou la scoala. Daniel incepe sa manance putina mancare normala. Si Samuel viseaza despre ziua in care o sa poata sa conduca un tractor sau sa foloseasca scule adevarate sa repare ceva. (El are o trusa de scule care este plina de sculele lui si niste tractoare mici si pe care o cara peste tot in casa toata ziua.)

Some pictures of our days at home...
Niste poze cu baietii acasa...

Daniel and his cheerios
Daniel cu cerealele lui

Pulling up
Se ridica in picioare

Peek-a-boo!
Samuel se joaca

Samuel enjoying a snack
Samuel la masa

The book he asked me to read to him before naptime and then wanted to sleep with
Cartea pe care Samuel m-a rugat sa-i o citesc si dupa-aia vroia sa doarma cu ea

Where Is Pointer?

Daniel is doing something new everyday! If I didn't write about it all here, I think I might forget, because sometimes I don't get things in the baby book. At least I'll have something to go back to when I do get a chance to write it down. Anyway, he's started pointing that little pointer finger at things that he wants. It's so sweet, because he's letting his wishes be known in a very specific way--even when that thing is close enough for him to reach on his own.

Samuel is using the potty more. Once I started working a lot more, his potty training kind of got pushed to the side. But now he has a chart on which we draw stars when he goes--he got nine yesterday!

Evi is back at school finally. She's so happy to be back. But she did have fun last week on our adventure at Grandpa's house. She got to play with the toys that he has there for the kids, see his dog Bay, and even watch TV for hours on end (couldn't really go outside in that nasty weather to play).

Daniel face ceva nou in fiecare zi! Daca n-as scrie aici ceea ce face, as uita. El are o carte in care scriu lucrurile pe care le face ca bebelus, dar nu am timp mereu s-o scot si sa scriu. Deci blogul o sa ma ajute in viitor cand o sa am timp sa scot cartea sa scriu acolo toate lucrurile pe care le face si cand le-a facut. Oricum, Daniel a inceput ieri sa arate cu degetul ce vrea. Este scump si interesant, ca ne spune mai specific dorintele lui--chiar daca ceea ce vrea el este aproape de el si poate s-o ia singur.

Samuel foloseste toaleta mai mult acum. Cand am inceput sa muncesc mai mult, n-am mai avut asa de mult timp sa lucrez cu el la asta. Dar ieri i-am facut un tabel si desenez stelute cand foloseste toaleta in loc de pamperse--a primit nous stelute ieri!

Evi a inceput sa mearga la scoala din nou ieri--dupa o saptamana libera. Se bucura foarte mult sa mearga din nou. Dar a avut un timp bun saptamana trecuta cand am stat la tatal meu. S-a jucat cu jucariile pe care le are acolo pt. copii, a putut sa vada cainele lui "Bay," si s-a si uitat foarte mult la televizor (ca nu putea sa iasa afara cand vremea era asa de rea).

A day at home together
O zi acasa impreuna

Daniel's amazing trick
Daniel face ceva uimitor

My sweet boy who's growing too fast that it makes me want to cry!
Baiatul meu scump care creste prea repede--imi vine sa plang!

100

This is my 100th post since I started writing last summer. I've been trying my hardest to keep everyone (especially the family) informed on our daily lives. I hate that our precious family is missing out on our little ones' growing up (and we're missing out on their little ones' growing up, too). And this is so much cheaper than sending actual photos every so often (although that's good sometimes, too). And posting video clips is an added bonus to either help you feel like you're here with us or make you miss the little ones even more--or both!

Speaking of video clips, here's one of Daniel dancing. I couldn't get the best shot of him, but you can see it a little here. I think it's pretty sweet!

Asta este a-100-a oara cand scriu aici de cand am inceput sa scriu asta vara. Incerc sa va arat la toti (mai ales la familie) ce se intampla in viata noastra de zi-cu-zi. Nu-mi place faptul ca familia noastra pierde acest timp cat copiii nostri cresc--adica pierdeti experienta da a-i vedea cum cresc (si noi la fel pt. nepotii nostri). Si este nu costa nimic sa facem asta, deci ne convine sa facem asta mai mult decat sa trimitem poze din cand in cand (chiar daca este bine sa facem si asa uneori). Si este frumos sa pun si video-uri ca sa va simtiti ca sunteti aici cu noi si sper ca nu va face si mai dor de copii!

Vorbind despre video-uri, jos este unu cu Daniel dansand. Nu se vede asa de bine, dar se vede putin. Oricum este dragut!