August Ending

We are slowly inching closer and closer to setting our move date; we are held up waiting to hear back from Michael's company, but hopefully everything will progress soon. Even though we are kind of in limbo, we are making tentative plans for when we get home, to attend baby showers and family Thanksgiving, and that kind of thing.

Otherwise, Sydney is lovely this time of year. It's still cool in the evenings, and most days it warms up into the 60's. We will be celebrating Fathers' Day this weekend, because they like to have it on a different day in the Southern Hemisphere, for some reason. 

I was just watching some videos of Penelope from a few months ago, and it's crazy to think that just in March she couldn't walk on her own. Now she can already do "complex" things with far less effort, like run, climb, use stairs,  go down slides independently, and ride her ladybug. Same with language - at the one year mark, she could say a few words. Now her vocabulary is easily over 60 words, and she can mimic a short word (or approximate, anyway) after hearing it once. She can communicate where she hurts if she falls down, and other actual useful information. She enjoys being helpful and putting things in the laundry hamper when asked, and following other simple instructions. Of course, she just as often chooses to not do what we say, and then run and "hide" because she thinks it's hilarious. She's really developing a sense of humor, an understanding of emotions, and even the beginning of empathy (although it's really hard for toddlers to still understand that other people's point of view and feelings are different than their own). 

I will be working at the same school for the rest of the term, which is good. I have known some of the kids and teachers for about four years now. It's nice to finish out my time working here with familiar faces.

Time to go because Michael and Penelope will be home soon. Happy Wednesday!