We are growing again!

Once again, our family is growing!  We are so happy to share the news that Gladis and Julio are expecting a baby in August.  They don't yet know if the baby is a boy or girl.  Gladis and Cassie have had baby names picked out for years.  If the baby is a girl, she will be named "Gabriella."  If the baby is a boy, he will be called, "Anderson."   We are very anxious because we have already dragged two large boxes of  baby clothes into the living room and begun sorting.  I'm afraid that we have very few items that are gender neutral.  Almost everything is very feminine.  Gladis had an ultrasound this week.  But, she reported that the baby wasn't ready to show its "secret parts!"  They will try again next month.  Lacey overheard us planning a baby shower and is now proclaiming that "Cassie is going to throw Gladis a shower in a BIIIG bathtub!"

We enjoyed a beautiful high of 77 degrees today and are anxious for Spring to arrive.  We set out bits of colored yarn for the birds' nests.  Cassie somehow missed the signals and wore fur-lined boots to school today. 

In other news, I was horrified to discover a two-inch, capital "L" carved into the coffee table.  We called Lacey over and asked if she knew what it was.  "L, for Lacey," she chirped.  Of course, she denied doing the carving.  Later, I overheard Cassie telling Lacey in "Changlish" (a rare mixture of Chinese and English) that it was okay if she confessed.  It would just be their little "me me" or secret.  Oh, no they don't!  I am definitely not ready for any kind of conspiracy.  I told the girls that Mommy needed to know what happened to the table so that she could fix it.  And, if Mommy didn't find out soon, NOBODY would be going to the book fair next week.  That announcement quickly left Cassie deflated.  And, Lacey ended up explaining that she had used the plug on her new headphones to do the deed.  She demonstrated true remorse.  And, although the table looks sad, I'm happy that Lacey has a conscience and has learned that it's better to tell the truth than to lie.

We celebrated Lacey's first St. Patrick's Day with corned beef and McDonald's shamrock shakes.  The shakes were much  greener than I remembered - almost looked like they'd been radiated.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!