Brief update...

It's not so easy to update these days. It feels like Lily and Lukasz change daily, which I suppose they do, and I cannot keep up! I've been trying to keep our days fairly simple, because I know once summer is over everything is going to be different (again) with Lily in full-time kindergarten, which I'm totally dreading. But I guess it's like all the changes, and I'll get used to it. Dropping her off at her preschool feels pretty normal now, although there are still days when she wants to be hugged until everyone else has gone inside.I try to keep our days on an easy, relaxed schedule, whether the kids want to go outside or inside on a particular day. Some days I feel like I'm not doing as much with them as other parents do, but then I think that I do with them the things that I am good at that I feel that I can competently teach them. One of Lily's classmates brought in some kind of electronic gizmo to explain electrons to the class and I cringed at first, knowing I haven't taught the kids anything about electricity, but then I remembered the kid's parents are scientists... and realized that while my kids don't know about electrons, they sure can create in all different mediums, and they love books, and they know a whole bunch about the solar system. Lily already knows the order of the planets, from the Sun to Pluto and understands that planets orbit around the Sun and moons orbit around planets... even today we were talking about day and night and she told me that it's night time for us when the Sun is shining on the other side of the world. She loves the concept of Mother Nature, too, and I am so pleased to see how well they both understand not to rip leaves off plants, or bark of trees, they are careful not to step on flowers, even ones growing in the grass.

The level of creativity they both express is SO entertaining, and amazing. So many times in a day I sit back and think "wow, I can't believe he/she thought of that". This morning, for example, Lily decided I needed to hide her (newly finished) treasure box and then she, Lukasz and I would be pirates and go searching for the treasure. She decided she needed a magnifying glass and asked me for her badminton racket, which she then used as a magnifying glass totally correctly, holding it up to only one of her eyes.

This afternoon Lukasz was looking at a book about dump trucks and called Lily and I to him for a lesson. He was going to read to us about dump trucks. It was difficult at times because Lily was pointing out everything she saw and she knew about the pictures in the book - I don't want to squash her, but she doesn't quite get it that sometimes Lukasz just needs to be in charge even though there is so much she wants to share at the same time.

Lukasz is a baseball FANATIC. His dedication to practicing is amazing. The two of us went out to the park last Friday while Lily was at school, and he had me pitching to him (his favourite part of baseball) and he hit 39 of 70 pitches. That's over .500!! That was with him swinging at everything, and me counting even my lousy pitches. He's got quite the arm, too. I'm completely amazed at how far he can hit the ball and how far he can throw. Hard to believe he just turned three in January! I found out about the local little league, which he can't join until he is 4, and for the first two years, the kids hit off of tees. He's not going to be impressed with that... I originally bought him a tee, but he rejected it after a few tries and preferred trying to hit a ball that was pitched to him. I'm thinking that was him copying boys in the games we watch during the spring and summer at the park.

Look at his form! Eye on the ball, weight back, he's better now than I ever was!

Lily isn't as keen on baseball as Lukasz is. But she did spy a frisbee in a store one day and had to have it. She has the same determination with it as Lukasz does with baseball. And she's pretty darn good at throwing it already!

I love having such athletic kids, and this phase of no stroller and lots of running around is going to make for one fun summer!