Five Months-ish

Enjoying spring in our yard

A friend spend the night

Happy 41st

Happy Birthday, Dad.  April 8th.  Silly hats to celebrate, per tradition.

Nothing in Particular

Here are some pictures of the boys, just day to day life.

Face painting from a birthday party

Khiva or My Super Sweet Husband

Craig has seen lots more places than I because of work trips.  There was one more city I wanted to see here but had assumed I would miss because, well, travel with four kids is tricky.  So, without asking me, Craig coordinated with a dear friend's husband for my friend and I to do a one-day trip.  We left at 5 a.m. and flew to Khiva, then returned home late in the evening.  Jude was a young but agreeable tourist.  And, the city was great!  Old, interesting, full of stories that our guide revealed to us.  And, I got to spend an entire talking to my friend with only one of our seven kiddos around.  We finished some of our sentences and stories without interruptions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sumalak

Sumalak is a food traditional prepared here around the Navruz holiday.  From my understanding it is made from sprouted wheat and water.  The cooking usually last a full day until the next morning, and it is a very social gathering.  It is cooked outdoors in a very large pot (kazan), with lots and lots of stirring.  When finished it is a brown paste with a very earthy flavor, a little too earthy for me.  A friend had a sumalak cooking at her house, and I was invited over.

A few of the buckets of soaked wheat

This is the lady hired by the group to provide her kazan (seriously huge pot) and her sumalak expertise

The guys stirring under the instruction of the experts.  It appeared to be a hot and splattery job.  This group was mixed male and female, but it is still quite common for this to be a very social gathering of women only.

More of March

Aunt Jeannie calls Max the Ginga' Ninja.  Here he is in costume.

Making good use of old laundry detergent containers

Working on his Pinewood Derby car

Vic's first lost tooth

Jude is such a happy baby (which definitely does not equate to awesome sleeper, yawn).  He has found his fingers, but we are not sure yet which ones he will settle on.  Vic was a thumb sucker and Max is still quite committed to the first two fingers.

Craig is happier when he gets to work in the dirt.  So, though we probably won't be around to see the fruits of labor, the boys are planting the seeds we have left.  (Vic's trying out Dad's yard boots.)

Seth's Art Project

Seth's favorite class is definitely not art, but he was still excited to show off his work.  The parents were invited to the school to see class work and art work that the second graders had done on biomes. 

Seth and one of his best pals

Navruz

There is a very big holiday here to celebrate the beginning of spring.  Vic and Max's school celebrates the holiday with plays for the parents.  The plays are always serious productions with costume changes, songs, speaking parts, and lots of dancing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

February

Boys love dirt

Seth participated in a flag ceremony at the Embassy

 

 

About 3 months old.  This kid is a happy one!

Home Again

Jude, January 10th

Jude, January 17th

It was an almost spring-like day in January.  Yippee!!! 

 

 

 

Seth has decided he wants to grow his hair long.  We are in ongoing discussions, especially in the mornings when we have to tame it.

Together Fun

Jude was tucked away for all the fun.

Vic and Dad on their way out the door for Vic's special but belated birthday lunch with Dad.  Vic insisted that they dress up special.

A picture with 3 of the 4.  Still hoping for the whole group one day.

Exhibit A.  Reality.  Over his left shoulder you can see the white puddle, plus all the wet spots on his suit.  This kid spits up like a volcano.