back online!

We're finally back online, after 9 days without Internet... what a relief.  (Who knew we were so dependent? Argh!)  I was planning to post some new videos tonight of Will doing sign language, but our camera battery just died, so I can't import the files... ::sigh::  Technology: can't live with it, can't live without it.  

Anyway, we're loving being in this house-- Will has his own room, I have my own kitchen, and we all have a fenced in yard to play in, as well as three parks plus a mall with a grocery store within walking distance!  I've been trying out my new crockpot this week, my Christmas gift from my mother-in-law-- so far I've made "Easy Lasagna" and "Red Curried Chicken & Kumara" (for you Americans out there, kumara is a Kiwi sweet potato).  Yummy!  Both huge hits with my men... truly, the way to a man's heart...

Thank you to those of you who have been thinking of us all throughout this transition.  The end is finally in sight: we are getting back in touch after the holidays with our future co-workers, and hope to move into our new assignment by the end of March or early April.  I'm still working on my New Zealand permanent residency, so we want to log as many days as possible here before we leave.  

Will continues to get cuter all the time, trying out new sign language for "please" and "milk" (a new one tonight), and flashing that irresistible grin of his.  He's also getting more independent, nearly walking, and testing our boundaries more and more.  He goes up to something he's not supposed to touch, grinds to a complete stop, doesn't look at us-- just waits.  One of us will repeat the command not to touch, whereupon he visibly thinks it over, and sometimes turns around with a big grin and comes away, and other times tries touching it anyway-- and experiences the consequences.  :)  Oh, the challenges of toddlerhood.  But on the whole he's very responsive, listens well, and enjoys obeying for the joyful, jubilant response he gets from us both every time.  I'm glad for a responsive first child-- unlike yours truly, who had to get spanked 6-7 times for the same transgression-- in a row.  

Thanks for reading... more coming soon!