This week was our first really warm week, so we tried to spend a lot of time outside. We went for several family walks after dinner and had our first picnic of the year. Leo and I went to a jewelry party on Thursday and I took both kids with me to a Discovery Toys party on Friday. Today Odessa started her second 8 week session of soccer today. We go to a different elementary school in the area, with different kids, and a different coach. So far, I think she’s learned more about soccer here than she did in the previous 8 weeks. Today they practiced skills and every time Odessa kicked the ball into the goal, she was so excited. We all cheered and she just beamed. Her soccer coach is British and uses his whistle. During introductions today, the kids had to say their names and favorite food. Odessa was first and said, “My name is Odessa and my favorite food is broccoli.”

Two children has been exponentially more difficult and time consuming that one child was. I used to feel like I had a bit of a grasp on this parenting thing, but Leo has thrown that all out the window. He is adorable and sweet and we love him to pieces, but he is also quite fussy and demanding and has a penchant for vomiting all over our clothes. Odessa remains enamored with her baby brother but seems to be getting into some “Terrible Threes” in her own right. Bedtimes have become a bit more difficult and often result in a crying three year-old screaming down the stairs that she wants to get up or needs something.

The semester is about half done for me. This is my last semester of coursework. I will start 10 months of clerkship rotations in July and graduate a year from May. It can’t come fast enough for all four of us. Odessa has started soccer on Saturday mornings. The class is composed of 3-4 year-olds, so there really isn’t a lot of soccer going on. Nevertheless, she loves it. At the end of February, we took Odessa to the circus while some friends watched Leo. Her favorite part was riding the elephant. I rode with her and as the elephant stopped and we were supposed to get off Odessa said, “Thank you for the ride, Mr. Elephant.”

We celebrated Scott’s 29th birthday by going out to eat lunch at our favorite Indian restaurant and dinner at the Melting Pot. Odessa picked out a shirt and singing stuffed dog as presents. I think they might be the best presents Scott has ever gotten.

Leo just turned 3 months. He is getting so much bigger. He’s started to show some interest in playing and will occasionally bless us with sweet giggles. He is often transfixed by watching his sister jump and run and dart all over the place.