Missing the pictures

No, MamaP, you didn't miss the pictures. ;)

I've been posting from one computer and the pictures are on another, so I've having a hard time getting pics posted. And...we're still having issues with our camera. Not the same issue, which is good, but we're having problems with taking video--as in, the video and audio don't match up. If you've ever seen "Singing in the Rain" and the part where they're screening the movie and the audio and video get off, you'll know pretty much what we're seeing. Kodak wants us to send the camera back to them for repairs. Um, no, thank you. We're returning it to Sam's and exchanging it for another one of the same model. I'm not asking for a perfect camera, but I would at least like all of the functions I use to work. There's a whole lot of other functions that could not work and I'd be fine with that, but general pictures and video are critical. ;)

We had a great day yesterday. Dima didn't lose any apples at school (they start the day with three apples and lose them for poor choices) and Zhenya wasn't so incredibly tired and whiny at the end of the day. We had impromptu chili for dinner (seriously, I started browning ground beef with no idea what I was going to do with it, and then threw it together with a can of beans, a can of tomatoes, and some spices) and the boys ate really well. Since it was pretty rainy and cold last night we couldn't go outside, so the boys asked if they could watch a video on the computer. I agreed and suggested they change into their pajamas and bring their blankets out to snuggle up on the couch. They did and Mark got home in time to watch the end of the video with us. It was really nice family time and the boys did a great job going to bed afterwards (with the appropriate warning that if they got out of hand and played around instead of going to sleep it would tell us they weren't ready for things like staying up a few minutes later to watch a video and we wouldn't be able to do that again--we didn't hear a peep out of them. LOL).

Dima's behavior has really been improving at school. I think consistency between his teacher and us in communicating appropriate behavior to him has been crucial, and I'm glad we have such a good relationship with the boys' teachers.