Matt and Becca

So I am having technical difficulties: my computer crashed and i wiped the c drive I haven't managed to fix the initial cause of the problem, and I haven't been able to save any new pictures or reduce any favorites, blah blah blah, so long story short, here we are in December and I've no new pictures for you.
So instead, an actual update.
The children are -- no surprise-- hilarious and cute and challenging. They both have strong minds-- a trait that I figure will be a wonderful asset as an adult, but I found myself saying to Rosie yesterday, "Just say 'yes, mom.'" But no, we have mini lawyers. Even Maile, even though she can only make two vowel sounds (d and m), can renegotiate the terms of any parent-kid contract. Don't underestimate the fury of a 20 month old wielding her arched skeleton and her syllable: NO!!!!!!!!
My time lately has been taken up with 1. tutoring Rosie and some friends in a makeshift homeschool kindergarten group. We've studied food groups, tastes, the scientific method, the senses, reefs, sharks, whales, rainbows, color theory, princesses of the world, continents, horses, classes of animals, types of horses, 4 times tables, the clock, five times tables, 10 times tables, 12 bar blues, 4/4 time, phonics, many sided polygons... It has been fun-- possibly more for me than for the children, who are sometimes unimpressed by the many rows of whale-shark teeth or by heptagons.
And 2. packing. We are heading on an adventure-- we are going to Utah for a semester. In the dead of winter. And for some reason, I am really excited about this. I like that we are going to a new-to-us place. And I get to show my kids snow and cold, and fire places, and we get to spend time with grandpa and great-grandmas and aunties and cazouples... and maybe this will scratch our wanderlust itch for a couple of years. And allow us to return cheerfully to the balmy swaying palm trees and elephant-eye-high-grass without ire.