So much to catch up on...

So I'm going to be lazy and do it in bullet format.

Audrey:

• Got baptized. Leo did the honors. It made me cry.
• Now has lost four teeth, and is very gap-toothed on top.
• Had 10 inches of her hair cut off and donated it to Locks of Love. Is it necessary to explain how proud I am of her? She now has a cute little bob.
  
• Had her first piano recital last Sunday. She played a song called "Mysterious Procession" from her performance book that sounded like it should be in a Harry Potter movie.

Aislinn:

• Is getting ready for her first trip to China, just with Daddy this time. We had hoped to do a full family trip, but it wasn't going to work for various reasons, mostly to do with timing. She's got an adorable passport photos (and don't even make me get into what an expensive and time-consuming ordeal getting those passports -- Leo had to get one too, his first American one -- turned out to be)
• Got a spot on her knee that looks suspiciously like a deer tick bite. Yeah, the little Lyme-disease buggers. So she had to suffer through having blood drawn to test for the Lyme titer, which took three attempts at two different locations; she apparently has inherited my impossible-to-locate veins. Results are still pending. If I forget to update on this, you can assume she's in the clear. If she's not, yeah, you'll be hearing about it. (Interestingly, though she cried the second and third time they had to stick her, the first time she made not a peep.)
  
• Is talking, talking, talking, talking, talking all. the. time. Just like her older sister. With lots of words, almost complete sentences, six to seven words long. I swear between the two of them, I'm going to have to wear earplugs to get any peace and quiet.

Arwyn:

• Got two teeth withing a couple of days of each other. She has bitten ME several times already while nursing (OUCH!)
• Is starting solids, barley cereal (because rice has stopped up my other two kids' systems, barley works better, so far so good) and sweet peas.
• Is rolling, rolling, rolling everywhere. This is where cosleeping gets scary for me: not for fear one of us will roll over on her, but that she will roll out of bed, especially if we get up before she's awake. We have purchased a bunk bed for Audrey's room, which will soon become Audrey and Aislinn's room when the bed is put together (after the trip to China). Then we can put the baby in the crib, side-car to our bed (with the mattress a few inches lower) and put away the co-sleeper (mattress at the same level as ours).
  
• She's also almost sitting up alone.
  

Leo:

• Is getting ready to go to China (with Aislinn) for just the second time since he's been here, first time in about six years. He has a high school class reunion...20 years! Which makes me realize my 20-year-reunion will come up in a couple of years as well...ugh.
• Is busy, busy, busy as the high season for real estate is in full swing, and also because we are finishing a few rooms in the basement, including putting in a full bath.
  
• Drove to Chicago and back yesterday (a good 3 - 3 1/2 hours one way) to get the visas stamped in those passports.

I:

• Have made the momentous decision to homeschool Audrey next fall IF...and only IF...Leo's parents can come to stay with us. That will allow me to focus on Audrey (in the new homeschool room in the basement that is almost finished!!!) while they help with the two younger ones. I'm sure this is the year (IF they can come). I've got our curriculum picked out already. It's been ironic to me that I've (for the most part) enjoyed having her home this summer as opposed to having her in school. This may be partly because Leo's sister has been here to help give her attention, but Leo's parents would fulfill that issue too. But I also think her school was driving me nuts, and all the homework she brought home every night...I finally asked myself, why should I spend so much time with her helping and checking her homework, when I could be TEACHING her myself for just a little more time...and it could all be done by lunchtime?
• Am facing the fact I need to get into therapy again. This might make some wonder at the wisdom of the above decision, but I stand by it; logistically all the pieces are falling into place. But my anxiety level has been higher and I've been able to pinpoint what makes me anxious...now I just need to know how to deal with it (since most of it cannot be removed from my life).

Those bullet points were a bit longer than I figured they'd be. But that's a pretty good update on the past few weeks for us.