Family Growth

I figured it's time to let the world know, the Bear family of 4 is soon to be a family of 5. I know what you're all thinking - please no, not another one!! I'm sorry to say, it's too late to go back and change things - we're going to have a baby! I don't have any ultrasound pictures to share, I guess they don't do that here until later, but I will say that we heard the tiny little heartbeat and it sounded very strong! Our new bundle of joy will come join our family sometime on or around April 30, 2008. As most of you know, our kids are named for the places we've lived when they were produced. We hare having a VERY hard time coming up with any ideas (other than Ann for a girl) for our new little Michigander - Kalamazoo anyone? - so we would greatly appreciate any help you could give! I think it just might take us the whole 6 months from now until April to come up with something acceptable.

The Addict

"Hi, my name is Mollie and I am an addict."What is my baby addicted to, you ask? I'll tell you - deodorant. That's right, she can't get enough of the stuff. She got her first taste a few months ago when she found my secret in the bathroom, but there was a small problem: it's the kind that comes out of holes so she couldn't get much out. Of course, as soon as I found out what she had done I called poison control and they said that she didn't eat enough to make her sick but she would most likely be thirsty for a while. I thought that was the end of her curiosity about deodorant until this past weekend. We had some San Francisco friends (who now live in Ohio) visiting for the weekend. Mollie was playing in the basement (which just happens to double as the guest room) and when I called her up for dinner I noticed something smeared on her cheek. Upon further inspection we noticed that she smelled a lot like a man's underarm. Remembering the episode a few months back, I smelled her breath - sure enough, deodorant. A quick recon trip to the basement found not only 1 but 2 partly devoured sticks of deodorant! She had eaten at least a teaspoon out of each one, so another call to poison control was in order. This time they said she would have a stomach ache and most likely throw up or have diarrhea. I really hope they don't keep track of who calls and how many times, or I might be turned in for feeding my daughter's addiction. To end this really long story, she woke up a few hours later covered in throw up. She was sick for a while, and then she perked up when it was all out of her system. I guess it's time to keep our deodorant in a locked case from now on, and if you come for a visit don't forget a key to your suitcase!

Preschool Pictures

I don't have a lot of time, but I know I need to post some new pictures of the kids. I'm teaching today, so I have to get ready for my lesson. We went to an apple orchard a few weeks ago for a field trip after learning all about apples. The kids got to ride on a wagon out to the orchard and then pick an apple - all the trees are tiny so they could reach perfectly! Mollie fell asleep in the car on the way home with a sucker in her mouth (can you see the bruise between her eyes? she fell and hit her head - ouch!) and a donut in her hand.