We just finished watching ET for the first time with the kids and Beata's reaction was the cutest thing Andrew and I had ever seen. Basically, about 5 minutes before the movie ended, I came back into the room after putting Augie down to bed and B came up to me and just kept saying, "I'm happy.  I'm happy. And when the movie is over, I'll still be happy."  I thought this was a little odd but shrugged it off.  It wasn't until the movie was over that I noticed a very light mistiness in her eyes.  "B, are you crying?" I asked. "No, " she said, but I could tell something wasn't right.  "Andrew, is she crying?"  I asked.  "I think so, " he said, "and if she is, I think I'm going to cry, " he added.  "B, are you crying?" I asked again.  "No," she insisted, but then she started doing this crazy looking things with her lips where the would purse them, and then smile real big, purse them, and smile real big, purse them, etc., clearly trying to keep the flood gates closed.  "B, it's ok to be sad, " I explained.  "ET is a sad movie.  Which part made you cry?"  It took a good 5 minutes before she finally admitted to us that the part when ET was in a bag and couldn't get out was the part that got to her, at which point you could tell that she was really working hard to hold back the tears.  "B, go ahead and cry, it's ok, " I told her.  And then she responded in a really weak but firm voice, "I won't."  "But B, sometimes it feels good to cry.  Why don't you want to cry?" And her response was one that jolted me.  It was one of those moments where you realize the profound effects that your reactions to your kids, which you think are minor at the time, are having on your children.  She said, "I won't cry because I am a big girl, not a baby."  Ouch.  Ouch ouch ouch.  All this time when Andrew and I have been trying to tell the kids not to cry because we wanted to make them emotionally tougher and stronger than the saps that we were, I hadn't realized that I may be doing some serious psychological damage.  Sure I don't want my kids crying over silly things like not getting the cup that they wanted at lunch time, but I never intended to make them feel like they couldn't express their emotions with their own parents.  I felt...eh em...I FEEL horrible!  And to add insult to injury, immediately after I explained to her that it's ok to cry about sad things or if she gets hurt, she turned to Elek and said excitedly, "hey Buzz, it's ok to cry if we are sad!"  UGH!  From now on, I vow to handle with more care and empathy each incident in which they get upset.  Whether it is a whimper over a harmless fall from their bike or an all out fit about not liking the outfit that I have picked out, I will be more understanding about their reaction and more thoughtful in my response.  Hopefully I haven't taught anything that can't be undone...

Andrew was able to video tape the last half of B's reaction to the movie which we watched when they went to bed.  The footage brought Andrew to tears.  He said he was so proud of her and that, for him, it was a real eye-opener into the emotional beings that our children have become.

Other things:

-  Can't remember if I have mentioned this but every night B likes to stay up in her bed and read books to herself.  Watching her "read" is one of my favorite things to do.  Sometimes she tries (often successfully) to recall the exact wording of a book and sometimes she just makes up the words based on the pictures she sees.  Her voice gets pretty animated and you can tell she really loves reading.  I hope her love for books lasts!

- Earlier this week, on Tuesday, my parents made a surprise visit to Melbourne for the afternoon after a real estate meeting in Orlando. They met us at Panita and after I had already let each of them have half of a large dessert of their choice, my mom bought a giant slice of carrot cake and split it with them.  I said to them, "you guuuys," with a tone implying, "I can't believe this is happening," but Elek decided to finish the sentence for me saying, "are so lucky!!!"  Clever boy :)

- Today while the whole fam was lounging around in the playroom, Elek took out his little Leap Frog laptop.  All of the sudden, B decided to whack the thing with her hand and press a bunch of random buttons.  When he tried to press the buttons, the toy made some weird clicking sounds, like the battery was dying.  But Elek, thinking B had been responsible said, "what the heck did you do to it, Beata?"  What the HECK?!"  Andrew and I burst out in laughter...we are immature parents for sure.

-  My sister ran her second half marathon today!  Inspired by her accomplishment I ran the 4.4 miles to the top of the 192 bridge and back for the first time.  It took me 50 mins and 35 seconds which works out to well over 11 minute miles but I'll take it!  Hoping to do a jog like that once each weekend.  We'll see though...

- We went to Ryckman park last night so that B could practice starting her two-wheeler bike by herself (up to this point she could do everything but start it on her own so every time she would stop, whether by accident or on purpose, she would stand there and wait until somebody came over to help her...it was quite a pain) and she got it!  By the end of our roughly hour and 45 minute park visit, she was able to run and put her feet up to start peddling most of the time on her own.  And with a little more practice biking today around our street and all the way over to Orlando park, she has become a pro!  She can officially ride a bike entirely by herself and she loves it!  So proud of our little Hit Girl!

-  Augie has really just been along for the ride.  Unfortunately when I took him to the doctor last Friday because of fussiness my suspicion was confirmed and the doctor said that, despite his round of Amoxicillin, he still had an ear infection in his right ear.  He is now on Augmentin and both antibiotics have caused some serious diarrhea for the poor little guy.  Can't wait till he gets to feeling better again and is the happy all of the time baby that he was when he was 4 months old.  Did I already report that he can sit up for split seconds at a time?  Still haven't seen him roll from his back to his belly but he is a pro at belly to back.  And he LOVES Andrew and Elek.  Any time they come around he really lights up.  Beata too but not quite to the degree of her older brother.

- We watched Star Wars with the kids for the first time last night.  Just the first movie of course.  B said her favorite part was making the pop corn and watching it pop out of the pan.  Elek liked the movie but we could tell a good portion of it went way over their heads.  Not sure if they will ask to see it again any time soon because of that and because it was a little on the longer side for them.

Over all this was a great weekend.  Amazing weather and a slow-paced, enjoyable time spent with our little family.  I love them all :)