Spring - ahhh its a good time! The weather FINALLY is above 60 degrees and we are loving it. Darren's been out of town this week in NY for business meetings and then to the Munich American High School reunion in DC. He's having a great time and said he got a sore throat last night from talking so much. Guess the vocal chords are a little rusty: ) The kids and I have been staying extra busy (to lessen the pain of missing him) with trips to the Bean museum, the Zoo, the Aviary, various parks, Jungle Jim's playland, visiting friends and neighbors, and of course a hike in the mountains (picture at left). They are avid climbers and very independent, we have them take turns being the trail leaders for containment purposes. They wanted to climb this huge rock (there is still a couple feet of rock at the bottom of the picture that was cut off) and if I reached up to stabilize their leg, I was met with protest. You know kids, I tried to explain to them that I am just helping "in case" they fall. A bewildered look follows, and then, "but we DIDN'T, so you don't need to do that!" Fearless and a little cause/effect-reasoning-challenged I am afraid. I love their adventuresome spirit however. A couple bullet points my means of update:

• Darren's bank is still doing well. They periodically have hurdles that come up due to accounting policies and procedures, but have been successful in resolving them. They are also very progressive in the things they are doing and have exceeded the standards of other banks in the area. So of course, I am very proud of my man, and he loves his work - long though the hours may be.
  
• Rachel sings her days through, is a second mom to Jared, & reads every waking moment. Even her teachers at school have commented on her love for books. She is a little negotiater though when it comes to the to-dos of home life - she'll be great on a debate team later on in life. We also purchased a "trail-a-bike" that goes on the back of Darren's. It hooks to his seat stem, yet has her own handle bars & pedals. Its great because no training wheels so she has to balance herself. So she loves it better than her little bike becuase she can go faster speeds and definitely gives Darren a work-out. Maybe a picture next time.
  
• Jared's new phrase is "just kidding" and says it when he knows he's said something he shouldn't, then beams a charismatic smile to soften the heart. He's pretty good at charming, that's for sure. He is, always has been, and always will be a kid with a zest for life. He's game for anything and his favorite day of the week is when he goes to his gym-class. He also loves to go biking as a family because he doesn't have to work a bit (sits in a wagon behind my bike) and loves the wind hitting his face. At times he takes off his seatbelt to stand even higher in the wind. He also takes his seatbelt off in the car, which drives me nuts because I am so worried about safety. Last week when this occurred, I decided "desparate times called for desparate measures," so when I asked him to put his seatbelt on and he declined, I said, "Jared, do you want me to spank your bum?" His response: "Yes!" So while driving 45 miles per hour on Highland drive he walks up to me in the driver's seat and turns around. I spanked his little diaper-padded bottom and told him to sit back in his seat. Do you want to know what happened? He and Rachel burst out into un-controllable laughter. Screeech! I pull over and decide we have to have a chat! So much for corporal punishment: )


• My life if pretty much enveloped in the lives of the above, and though there are many moments of frustration or fatigue, I feel so much happiness and validation from my daily lists, to do's, activities, and the people I do them for. When my mind wanders to things I think I would MUCH rather be doing, I look at Darren, Rachel, & Jared and remember that life is short, and where-else would my energies be better spent? (yes, its a mantra I repeat to myself regularly: )

Love to all - The Berrys

p.s. Last Sunday afternoon in the hammock.....