...and the search for a house to rent continues! we were supposed to view two homes today, but one of the homeowners was having company today and didn't want to worry about getting her home ready for prospective renters to look at, so we're going on monday to see both homes. today the kids and i are going to play at my friend alison's house instead, and hopefully get some playtime outdoors as the afternoon warms up.

the whole house hunt thing is really frustrating, because we don't have a deposit. so, say we find a house we really like and want to rent. we have to hope like crazy that someone else doesn't come along in the next two months who, unlike us, can just write a check for the deposit right then and there to hold the house, and we're back where we started. the chances of that happening are pretty good, i think. it doesn't really make sense to look until we have a deposit. but our lease us up in 60 days, and we have to give our landlord 30 days' notice if we intend to move. so we have to find something pretty soon! argh. josh should have gotten a second job already, and we should have already saved up a deposit. poor planning.

rowan is feeding himself with a fork or spoon very well lately. he just attempted a cup of applesauce, and did fairly well! his favorite toys right now are the squirt bottle we use to spray the spider's terrarium (he likes spraying himself in the face), and micah's fairy wings and doll stroller. twice yesterday, he could be seen pushing a baby around the house in the stroller, wearing a blue beaded necklace and those beautiful fairy wings. if there were ever a time for the camera's memory card to not be full...

micah has fallen asleep the past two nights without nursing (yay!) and is showing some big changes. she's been listening really well, has been in a really happy, playful mood a lot of the time, and has had hardly any major meltdowns these past few weeks. josh also noticed her appetite has been growing! i've been looking at swing sets online, and we plan to surprise her with one for her 4th birthday. : ) we'll have a nice, big backyard by then.

baby lina had a couple of rough days with us, but her dad said she'd been fussy at home, too. they suspect a tooth. yesterday was much better, and today's going good so far, too.

i'm excited about having some family pictures taken next thursday. josh's sisters are coming into town (except for the one who lives in mckinney; she's already in town) and we're all going to a photography studio in plano. we're going to take some sibling pictures (josh and his sisters), and some "frister" pictures (frister: sisters and friends; that's me and my sisters-in-law). it's going to be fun!