Moving Forward: A Family Update

So since October, our family has been working on a lot of things - namely "keeping it together." But Michael has also been job hunting (within Dell), and I have been pursuing my massage/bodyworking license. We have been so busy!

Michael has not heard back about his first set of interviews, which he finished up not too long ago, so please send all your positive energy our way. He is really excited about moving up in Dell and has been working really hard over the last year plus to do so.

And I have about 2 more months left in the massage program. I am doing free "homework" massages right now - if anyone is really desperate for some touch, let me know. Starting after May 16th, I will have to complete a 50-hour internship through the school, so I will some victims for full-body relaxation massages. The school charges $30-45 bucks for me to practice on you (instead of $60-80 or more). Since I will be forever indebted to you for forking over some cash to let me rub your bods, I'll give you another massage for the same price after I graduate and am "masseuse extraordinaire." Then you can get two massages for $60ish or less instead of $160ish or more. Oh, I would be so grateful! Any takers? (This is me begging in advance). Keep it in mind! Again my internship starts May 16th.

Stella and Ethan are wonderful as usual. I am so fortunate Michael is so supportive of me staying home right now. The kids are a wonderful and very full-time job. I am so tired!

Stella is babbling and drooling more and more every day. She does not scoot or roll (much to certain people's concern) but she is making teeth right and left and mastering spit-bubble blowing and "dadda." She weighs a ton - or 20+ lbs. and is developing a very female/mildly entertaining and mildly annoying attitude. She will certainly be our little princess! On Thursday she had her first get-together with "the girls." My friends/"the girls" are starting to get married and have babies now, so the next generation is upon us. See the pic, from right to left: Kalyn, daughter of Faith Moore (1 month), Laney, daughter of Melissa Klaus (5 months), Stella, my little star (7 months). Aren't they funny together?!

Ethan has retired, so it seems, most of his super hero gear with the exception of Peter Pan, which he demands everyone pronounce with a British accent. He never leaves home without a "knife-sword" and his Nando and daddy, kind-heartedly, become "Johns Captain Hook" at his demand. We made a weak attempt to go to the Austin Kite Festival today, only to learn that none of us really wanted to wait in the traffic jam badly enough to see the kites, so we ate our picnic in the car in the shade of the AMLI Downtown. Ethan was very good-natured and understanding about the whole thing. We had a good little picnic. (Photograph by Michael, of course).

Ethan is also very gracious. This weekend we had two of his preschool friends' birthday parties to attend, and with very little if any prompting, Ethan thanked his friends and their parents for inviting him to the parties - and of course, giving him gift bags with candy in them. I was very proud. One of his friends Caleb started crying (apparently because Ethan was leaving) when Ethan and I got ready to leave the second party, and with such compassion, Ethan gave Caleb a sweet hug and offered to share his goodie bag - candy and all - to make Caleb feel better. Did I mention how proud I am???