preparing for school for a change (149/365b)

we spent so much time shopping and organizing... the two older kids both have long specific lists of school stuff they need before monday. lots of it we already have, but that meant specifically figuring out what we needed and going to the places that have those things. (not like the last two years where we got back from trips jetlagged on sunday night, when everything's closed, and winged it monday morning) it's not like we're very fast right now, with felix's foot healing and all. we didn't have to buy very much at all, but it just takes *so* *much* *TIME*. [i hate shopping]

since we were getting ready for school we might as well do haircuts too. they all wanted a haircut and i did the honors outside, and they sat on the broken bench that we keep intending to fix.

manuela visited us in the evening, and played games with us, some old, some new.

the nearly unending game of snakes and ladders between manuela and felix was somewhere close to 40 minutes
here's the put put boat i bought in berlin.
we put some beeswax in for fuel because the parafin stinks so much

theodore showing off his new game: "Border Patrol"
it's kind of cool actually, though, of course, the rules need work (to say the least)

Henry showing off his new pencil sharpener

the day in a nutshell:
school stuff by the ready in the back
lots of laughter
enthusiasm
closeness
lots of floor time