Latvia Updates

I just wanted to update a little. I don't write much, but I like to take pictures. So we have been home in Latvia for about a month now. We feel much more settled now. We are just waiting for the snow to melt. It is melting a little, but then freezing again, so it gets pretty dangerous to walk around. Last night I went to the gym after Kelly came home from work and was ice skating on the way. I had to hold on to the fence at the American Embassy since it was like a sheet of ice. it was a little better this morning because they put dirt all over the ice. I'm glad because I had to take Lincoln to preschool and I didn't want to fall. We now have a pretty good schedule going on. On Mondays I have a girl from church come and watch the boys while I have my Russian tutor come. I just love speaking Russian with her, she is so funny and it is so nice to be able to use it. I can't wait for the spring when the kids play at the park again. Thats when I used my Russian the most, just talking to other moms or nanny's. Tuesdays my cleaning lady comes. She does a great job and I really don't know how I would get it done if she didn't come. Tuesdays are great. We just stay home now because it is cold, so we are in her way a bit, but the boys are playing so well together it is great. Lincoln and Sawyer are so cute. Lincoln has such an imagination and Sawyer follows him around all day. They don't fight very much anymore. We have a bean system and it they get a certain amount of beans they get rewards. I also have a no TV rule till Saturday. I really didn't think it would work that great in our house, since Sawyer gets so needy sometimes and doesn't want me to take care of Isabel, but it really is great. I think the kids play so much better now that the TV is off. We were watching it way too much when they were sick and we were trying to over jet lag and it seemed like they were fighting too much. But now it is really great. They have their days of course, but it's so fun to see them playing so well together. On Wednesday and Thursday Lincoln goes to preschool. On Thursdays we stay and go to a play group for Sawyer and on Friday's we go to the same place for a play group for Lincoln and Sawyer. It is an International moms play group and it is really fun to get to know all these moms from the different Embassies in Riga.
I am trying to go to the gym at least 3 times maybe 4 times a week. I really want to run the Riga half marathon in May, but I don't know if it is going to happen. I underestimated how long it would take for me to get back in running shape. I am running for 30 min. But it is so slow. It will take me forever to finish the half marathon. I really need 2 more months to be running before I start training. But we will see. i still have 2 1/2 months, I can just take it easy.
So that's pretty much what is going on around here. I am just trying to keep up with the laundry, which is never ending, trying to figure out what to feed us and just trying to keep house, not very well, but Tuesdays the house looks great.
I haven't been taking my camera out since it is hard enough just getting the kids out of the house. I really need to take some more pictures though, so I will try and take my camera out when I pick up Lincoln from preschool. It is great right now, Isabel is sleeping and Kelly took Sawyer to McDonalds because he earned 15 beans. He took Lincoln on Monday. This is why I am able to write so much.
Here is some video of Lincoln sledding. Also, Isabel and Sawyer were sick for a while. Isabel and Sawyer had an ear infection and Isabel had a terrible cough. The doctor put her on a nebulizer. I had to mix the medicine together myself and even had to break open a glass bottle. Very interesting. They also sucked out Isabel's nose with a machine. They didn't want to get her antibiotics, so they did this instead and her ear infection went away. So they did a good job, but sucking out her nose was terrible.

My aunt made that adorable hat and booties for Isabel. I love them, they are so cute. She always wears the booties, they stay on her feet so nicely and keep her warm. Thanks aunt Linda.