MaMaaaaaa, He's WALKING!!!

Since his birthday a few weeks ago, our little man has been taking 2 or 3 steps here and there.  Of course, he didn't really need to walk by himself since his big sister was always right there to pull him along!  Yesterday, he began to walk all over the house!  He would actually make it from one room to another.  This made Sophia SQUEAL with delight, "MaMaaaaa, he's walking"!  She has been eagerly awaiting this day, since I've been telling her that one day he would be able to walk by himself and play with her more!  So, now that he can walk on his own two feet....he decided he would just start standing in his little push-wagon instead of using it as a walker!

St. Nektarios

Today we commemorate St. Nektarios in the Orthodox Church.  The children and I started our day by attending Divine Liturgy.  In the simplest of terms, I was able to share with Sophia the story of this beloved modern-day Saint.  She prayed with me and helped to light our "candili" this morning.  There are so many AWESOME books and resources about St. Nektarios...I am currently reading Saint Nektarios - The Saint of our Century, by Sotos Chondropoulos.  A wonderful book!

I will share with you the story of the end his life here on earth. The entire article can be found here.

One afternoon of September 20, 1920, a nun by the name of Euphemia brought a little rassa-clad old man, who was convulsed with pain, to the Aretaieion Hospital of Athens, a state hospital for the poor. The intern of the hospital asked the nun for information about the little old man to enter into the hospital register. "He is a monk?"
    "No. A bishop."
    The intern laughed sarcastically. "Leave off the joking, Mother. Tell me his name so I can put it in the register."
    "He is a bishop, my child. He is the Most Reverend Metropolitan of Pentapolis."
    "For the first time in my life I see a bishop," muttered the intern to himself, "without Panagia, gold cross, and -- most significant of all -- without money!" "Indeed he is a bishop," repeated the nun. "The Metropolitan of Pentapolis. This metropoly belongs to the Patriarchate of Alexandria. He is the Most Reverend Nectarios Kephalas. Some time ago he left Egypt and came here, close to you, as a matter of fact, because he directed Rizarios School. For some years now, however, he has lived as a monk in the convent of the Holy Trinity on Aegina. There he became gravely ill and in spite of his protests, we brought him here." She then showed the intern his credentials which proved him to be the Metropolitan.
    The intern of the hospital, amazed by everything he had heard and seen, shrugged his shoulders and told the nurses to place the sick man in a third-class room where there were several beds for the destitute. The doctors diagnosed that the sick little old man was suffering from severe systitis, a disease of the bladder. For two months the Hierarch Nectarios Kephalas lived in the midst of terrible pains, and at ten thirty in the evening of the eighth of November, 1920, in peace and at prayer he gave up his spirit unto God at the age of seventy-four.
    In the final days of his life, the Saint was kept in the ward of the incurable in the midst of many poor, sick people who were about to die. Next to his bed there was a man who had been paralyzed for many years. As soon as the Saint gave up his spirit, a nurse of the hospital and the nun who had accompanied him prepared his sacred tabernacle for the transfer to Aegina for burial. For this purpose they dressed the Saint in clean clothing. When they took off the Saint's sweater, they placed it on the bed of the paralytic to get it out of their way and continued preparing the Saint's body. And O, strange wonder!, the paralytic immediately began to gain strength and arose from his bed healthy, glorifying God.
    The day he reposed, the whole hospital was filled with such a fragrance that all the patients, nurses, and doctors would come out in the halls to ask where such a fragrance was coming from. For some days after, they could not use the room where they placed his relics because of the fragrance, even though they kept the windows opened, so strong was the fragrance. This room is now a chapel dedicated to the Saint.
    They took his relics to Piraeus and put them in the Church of the Holy Trinity while they prepared a small, wooden coffin. From there they took him to Aegina where they gave him a simple burial at the Convent of the Holy Trinity.
    Some years later, as is the custom in Greece, his grave was opened to take the relics out. When they opened the grave, what should they see but that the Saint was whole and fragrant. Not even his vestments had changed in any way. It was just as if he had fallen asleep and been buried that very day. They had not told the people of Aegina, because he had already worked many miracles and become very beloved, and a very large crowd would have gathered -- even from Athens and other places where he was known -- for the opening of his grave. So, early in the morning, as soon as they were finished with the Divine Liturgy, as it was dawning they went and began to open the grave. At the same time there was a taxi coming by on the road below the convent. Inside was a woman who had been to some resort place. She was not a woman of good repute, but of ill repute and many sins. As soon as they approached the Holy Trinity Convent, there was such a fragrance in the air that she told the driver, "Stop. What is that fragrance?" So he stopped and looked around. "Oh," he replied, "here is the convent of the Holy Nectarios. What else could such a fragrance be but that they are opening his grave today, and the fragrance is coming from the grave. For many times a fragrance came from his body before they buried him. And even from the grave it comes sometimes." Immediately she opened the door of the taxi and ran to go and see. She went up to the convent at the moment that they had opened the coffin and found the relics whole. She was very moved by this and by the fragrance, especially. She began to weep and publicly confess her sins. Thus she was corrected and became a prudent and Christian woman in her way of life. His body remained marvellously incorrupt for more than twenty years, continually distilling a delicate, heavenly scent.
   But whether for our sins or some other reasons, some years later the relics of the Saint dissolved, and what we have now are his holy bones. They encased his holy head in a bishop's mitre and opened the top so one can kiss the crown of his head. The other parts of his relics, which have much fragrance, they put in a silver box. This fragrance has continued ever since to rejoice the faithful who come to venerate his precious relics with the assurance that Saint Nectarios has been received by God into the abode of the righteous. His veneration was formally recognized in 1961. The list of his miracles grows longer every day, and his shrine in Aegina has become the most popular place of pilgrimage in Greece.

Most Holy St. Nektarios, pray to God for us! 

Learning to "create" and "pretend"...

I'm not quite sure what I expected.  I think I had somewhat of a vision of my children, neatly sitting at the table and coloring (NOT eating the crayons, tracing her hand on the closet doors or the table that I painstakingly stained for her room).   I thought she would understand that when you paint with the watercolor paints, the cup of water that I gave to her was to rinse the brushes - NOT WASH THE PAPER!   I had no idea that I was supposed to specify that the three different containers/colors of playdough were SUPPOSED to remain three different colors - not end up as three containers of a putrid purplish color blob !

First time Mama - with a lot to learn!

Well, after boxes of crayons (too many to count), tons of water spills and a decision that she could do WITHOUT playdough...our little artist is learning and emerging!  She has shown such an interest in such things now, that I've had to actually start a little supply cabinet !  It's filling up quickly with all things "Arts and Crafts"!  We also bought her a great easel from Ikea for her Nameday gift this year.  I have to admit, I think it is such an awesome thing to watch.  Just watching both of my children grow and learn is something that I never envisioned as being THIS MUCH FUN!  I love doing things with them, teaching her a little bit of something - and then watching her take that and do her own thing.  Come up with new ideas, play make-believe, tell stories, role play, build things...it's all such a wonder to me.  To think....this is just the beginning of the fun!  Motherhood is such a Blessing!  

Our little artist 

Showing off her new finger puppets!  

We started fingerpainting by using Color Wonder paints by Crayola! 

Even Demetri enjoys scribbling on the easel !  He does, however, still eat the chalk if you aren't looking!

"Where's Noni"????

Well, it's been a great two weeks...but Noni and Granddad (my inlaws) have departed to return home.  I was completely prepared for the dreaded question..."Where's Noni?"  I made sure to get up and out of the house early, load us with a list of errands to do and follow that with some fun stuff for the rest of the day.  So far, it's only been somewhat effective!  But we can't complain, we had a wonderful time. Two full weeks of 1st Birthday parties, Nameday celebrations, Church services, sunshine, beaches, pools, restaurants, parks - all quality family time.  Sophia didn't give her grandmother a minute to breathe, as if she is her own personal little playmate!  (Pretty sure Noni didn't mind a bit).  The little princess also got to eat WAY MORE macaroni than any toddler should eat over that period of time, lots of snacks and even the forbidden GUM from Noni.  We will miss you guys and we're already looking forward to our next visit together.  Are we counting the days yet???

Wheeling her own ladybug suitcase....a "traveling gift" from Noni

My two guys...after Divine Liturgy on his Nameday

All ready to hit the beach

Enjoying a meal together

1st Birthday Celebration for my Lil Man!

Well, tomorrow is the little guys 1st birthday!  I can't believe an entire year has passed!  We had a wonderful family celebration today for him.  My inlaws are in town visiting and they brought with them some delicious and nostalgic mini-hot dogs for the family to grill....all the way from Woerhles in Massachusetts!    We had a picnic-style party at the park and the weather was perfect for it!  He was surrounded by the love of his crazy family!   We decided to take a few snapshots as soon as we got there - and I am so glad we did.  Demetri was a typical boy and was filthy, full of dirt, scraped knees, etc. within minutes of arriving at the park!

Yiayia helping with some big steps! (he is not yet walking)

Birthday Boy with is Nouna

My father-in-law took control of the grill (thanks Granddad! ) and everything came out delicious!

Thanks to the Russells (who brought the horseshoes), the men had some fun playing horseshoes!

And of course, no journal entry would be complete without a little picture of the Birthday Boy eating some cake!

A great day overall.  Tomorrow is his actual birthday and we will be attending Divine Liturgy in the morning. After that, we are going away for a few days and will continue to celebrate and enjoy my inlaws visit.

My Slinging Little Girl

Our little girl has started showing more of an interest in playing with her dolls lately.  She feeds them, reads them stories, blesses them with the Sign of the Cross, dresses them...and she even wears them.  She spent much of her little life in a sling, mei tai or wrap - so it seems normal that she would want to wear her own babies too.  Pictured below she is using a sling and a mei tai that her Yiayia made for  her!    Nonetheless, I still find it endearing to see that she is mimicking what she sees me now do with her little brother.  She is really at that fun age of playing make-believe, role-playing, "cooking" for me, playing dollhouse, etc.  I love to watch her play this way.

Dorofy and Dorofy

The box arrived and my little girl was SO excited, the way she normally is when her Noni sends her "presents"!  So, we sat down after lunch and started opening all of her new treasures.  She got excited with each thing she pulled out....cute skorts, new skirt, shirts to match, sweets...and THERE IT WAS!  I thought to myself "well, my mother-in-law has FINALLY managed to send a bad gift"!  I've never had to deal with this before. All of her gifts are always wonderful, fun, thoughtful...perfect, most of the time.  Except for now.  I see a fishbowl.....gravel.....and I'm pulling out the tissue paper.  I see a Petsmart receipt.  Yup, this must be the voucher that I go and pick up her first goldfish. Wonderful.  Toddler + Infant + Goldfish.  You are seeing where this could end, right?
Well, we'd like you to meet "Dorofy and Dorfy" (Dorothy and Dorothy...my little girl couldn't think of 2 names right away, so I think they both got named after Elmo's fish, Dorothy).

My mother-in-law had quite a laugh when I told her what I was thinking while opening her package.  However, I will also add this:  A few days later, our little angel took Dorofy out of the bowl to wash her with papertowels...put her back (still covered in wet papertowels) and proceeded to feed them Cheerios in their bowl!