We found out this spring that we will stay here in Cincinnati for an additional year (finishing in June 2013) for David’s fellowship in clinical neurophysiology. David feels like he will really enjoy the program here, and we are happy to enjoy Cincinnati a little longer. In July he began his final year of neurology residency. He manages to make the time to help out with the boys and enjoys playing with them, even with his busy schedule. Emily has enjoyed keeping the boys busy, as well as making blackberry jam and canning pickles with the cucumbers from the garden.
This summer we’ve tried to make the most of the time before William starts school. We’ve enjoyed swimming frequently at the city pool. We also went to the zoo several times, exploring something a little different each time. Emily and the boys also went on some short hikes and picnics, picked blackberries, and planted a small garden of cucumbers. We have also enjoyed having a couple neighbor families over for dinner this summer.
In July we enjoyed a week-long visit from David’s parents. Building a bunk bed for William and Neil was one of the main activities for David and his dad. It was a big job, but we are very pleased with how it turned out. The boys love the beds and sharing a room now—maybe a little too much. It was extremely hot the week David’s parents visited, so some of our planned activities had to be changed, but we did enjoy going to Jungle Jim’s, a large international grocery store; exploring Loveland Castle, built by a single (crazy) man over the course of fifty years; and going to Sawyer Point, a riverside park downtown. David’s parents were really nice to watch the boys for two days while David and Emily got away to Columbus and then to Hocking Hills state park where we did some hiking. We had a great time, and so did the boys with their grandparents.
William turned five the end of March and had a fun dinosaur-themed party with some of his friends. He finished up another year of preschool in April, which he has really enjoyed. This summer he took swimming lessons for the first time and made some good progress. William is also reading fairly well. He began kindergarten this week at Sands Montessori School and is really enjoying it. It is very different at home with William gone. The rest of us really miss him.
Neil is now 2 ½ and able to play more constructively. William and Neil have increasingly gotten to be great friends. They love to play together with Legos, build train tracks, and otherwise just run around. To our great surprise, Neil made a leap forward in potty training this week. He had four accidents the first day, but none since…. We’ll see how that holds up.
Curtis has turned into a big eater. Although not yet one and only having two teeth, he manages to eat sandwiches, pulled pork, enchiladas, broccoli, and even an unparceled piece of pizza. Curtis really cruises around the house while holding on to furniture and walls, but is not quite walking.
We feel very blessed in many ways, and are enjoying this fun time of life with these energetic, sweet boys.
