Roots & Wings

Crafty

2012-02-10T13:13:00.000-06:00

I'm addicted to Pinterest, which has turned out to be a great thing!

I've needed a little inspiration in my life, and I've gotten tons of DIY ideas so far.

I spent my morning making this wreath out of rolled curls of sheet music.

It's "Children of the Heavenly Father", which I bought 10 vintage copies of when I was pregnant with Max. I had intended to do something with them then, but that never happened. They were perfect for this project, though, and I love the result!

Positive Reinforcement

2012-02-10T06:43:00.003-06:00

Liam has had a "magnet board" for a year or two that we use to reward good behavior. It used to have quite a few categories for him to earn magnets in, but it took forever to fill the whole thing up. I found myself looking for something with a little faster turn-around on the reward. I decided to include Max in on this since he seems to need a little more positive reinforcement lately. He also understands the idea of the magnet board, so we divided it into two parts. Each boy has four spaces in which to earn a prize. Liam's spaces are: be kind to Max, read a book, make a project and clean your room. We wanted to make his categories an opportunity to exercise his creative side as well as teaching more responsibility. He has taken to it very well, and read 7 books in the last two days to earn his first prize! I'm proud of him.

Max's categories are: be kind to Liam, go potty, eat your food, and pick up your toys. His focus more on responsibility and things he needs to work on. He seems to understand it, but hasn't earned a prize just yet. Almost! But, I can see an improvement in his attitude already just two days after implementing it.

Prizes they can earn are small things (stickers, fruit snacks, mini coloring books, etc.), but they are very excited to have something to work towards.

"Praise your kids ten times more than you correct them." - Michelle Duggar

It's working for us!

Cute

2012-02-09T10:05:00.002-06:00

Liam: "Mommy, you're the cutest mom I ever had."

The Force is Strong with These Two...

2012-02-09T08:29:00.000-06:00

Oh, Liam!

2012-02-03T13:11:00.003-06:00

Liam (while watching a preview for Indiana Jones): "Look, mom. It's 'Eaty on the Jones'!"
AHAHAHAHA. This kid is hilarious.

Bathtime!

2012-02-03T11:00:00.000-06:00

This is what we call "Max's Action Figure Bathtime".
He will stay in the tub for literally an hour, if we let him, and set these guys up
and then knock them down. Repeat. It's pretty cute.

Max is also quite the storyteller lately, and tells us often about his school and his troublemaker friend "Chewbacca". Chewbacca doesn't listen to the teacher and constantly tries to sneak away to play baseball instead. I think "Chewbacca" might just be Max's alter ego...!

House Beautiful

2012-02-02T16:57:00.000-06:00

This is my latest decorating project. Frames from Goodwill spray painted matte black (the little oval one is my favorite!) with generations of wedding pictures going back to our grandparents. Love it!

Also Known As...

2012-02-02T15:59:00.002-06:00

Mom: "Hey, what's your name?"
Max: "I'm Kevin Obi-wan."

Gotcha...!

I'm Sensing a Theme...

2012-01-31T13:18:00.000-06:00

Ah....Maxwell. We love you!

What We've Been Up To...

2012-01-30T22:46:00.000-06:00

Like I said...we've been balancing lots lately:

Yes, these are old, but still good! Maybe I'll take some new ones soon!

Progress

2012-01-28T11:53:00.000-06:00

I apologize to all my fans for the lapse in posting. I have had a difficult last few weeks trying to completely heal my foot and get off the awful crutches. Doing anything other than what was absolutely necessary was tiring, and I found myself a little depressed at the isolation of it all. BUT, the cast is finally off and the crutches have been retired! I have to wear my walking boot for another two weeks and then I should be back to normal! I'm very excited about that, and especially to be able to do more with the boys.

I also have some exciting prospects coming up employment-wise, but nothing is for sure yet. So, in short, things are looking up!

Now we are off to enjoy the new snow in the northwoods and spend some time with my parents. Have a great weekend!

MLK Day

2012-01-16T22:35:00.000-06:00

Liam: "Mom! Today is Martin Luther King Day!"
Mom: "You're right! And what is this day for?"
Liam: "Um, it's where all the brown eyed kids couldn't have snack time with everyone else?"
Mom: "Yeeeeaah...and what else? What did Martin Luther King do?"
Liam: "He had a dream! And he wanted all the kids to be together and be the same!"

He later clarified that it wasn't just brown eyed kids that couldn't have snack time, but brown skinned kids, too. So, I feel that he grasped the meaning of the holiday pretty well! Adorable.

Aunties Can't Say No...

2012-01-16T07:47:00.000-06:00

Auntie Kimmy as Princess Leia

Auntie Sarah plays the PSP

The boys just might have their aunties wrapped around their fingers...!

Short and Sweet

2012-01-11T07:48:00.000-06:00

Sorry for the lapse in posting. I've been reorganizing the house, doing some yoga with the boys, putting my foot up, walking on my foot too much, working, and reading The Hunger Games. It was my birthday last Saturday, so I went to see a movie and did some thrifting. Aaron took me out to dinner and we just wandered around the city for the evening. It was quite nice. The end.

Gamers

2012-01-02T10:25:00.000-06:00

Intense concentration on "Star Wars Lego" for the PSP.

Intense concentration, while wearing headband, on "Star Wars Lego" for the PSP...

My Boys

2012-01-01T07:41:00.000-06:00

I've been dying to post these pictures since I took them, but we had to wait until after Christmas as they were part of gifts! The boys were very good for their "photo shoot" at Wequiock Falls, which is right near our house. I think, out of all the photos I've ever taken, these are some of my favorites!

Action Figure Naptime

2011-12-31T20:34:00.000-06:00

"It's time for your nap, ok guys?"

4K Family Night

2011-12-29T11:12:00.002-06:00

Liam's class had a "family gingerbread night" that Aaron took the boys to. They had a great time making their own gingerbread house to take home! Aaron said that they sat next to each other very nicely debating about what patterns to make and what candies to include!

It turned out so cute!
And of course Max snuck pieces of candy off of it all day long...

From Our Family to Yours...

2011-12-28T11:28:00.002-06:00

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Must be Santa

2011-12-27T11:13:00.001-06:00

Max woke up around 5:30 Christmas morning and must have forgotten it was Christmas. He wandered out into the living room, yelled at us for "taking presents out from under the tree" and proceeded to eat the last of the cookies left by Santa! He finally figured out what was going on and ran to get Liam. "Liam, it's Christmas!" he yelled.

Max got an angry bird!

Liam got the two Lego sets he's been pining over all year - the Wampa Ice Cave and the Ewok Forest!

Max got a Star Wars ABC book that he was pretty happy with!

And Liam got the Star Wars Character Encyclopedia, a copy of which he's checked out of the library at least a dozen times!

They also got one big present for the two of them that turned out to be...

A lego table that mom and dad, I mean Santa and the elves, made all by themselves!

Christmas Unwrapped

2011-12-26T11:09:00.000-06:00

Our family got a Wii from grandma and grandpa for Christmas. The boys love playing at their house so we were excited to see their reaction when they opened it! Here they are...saying "wow" and then ready to open their next present immediately after opening the Wii!

Max got his very own lightsaber from Uncle Copter and took his sweet time opening it! We loved his anti-climactic reaction...

Merry Christmas to All!

2011-12-24T22:28:00.001-06:00

After a whirlwind trip up north and back we spent our Christmas Eve morning ringing bells for the Salvation Army! The boys love to put change in the red kettles, and we try not to pass one without putting at least a few coins in. We really want to teach the boys about charity, compassion and sharing what we have with others. It seems like we don't have enough of a lot of things sometimes, but we are very blessed when compared to so many others.

I have been very frustrated that I can't do the things I love to do at this time of year because of this broken foot. It's slowed me down a lot, but that has been a good thing as well. I'm just trying to appreciate the slower pace and the time we are able to spend together. No, I didn't get everything I wanted to get for the boys, I didn't have everything as picture-perfect as I wanted to...but we are together. We have two sweet boys who had as much fun ringing bells as they will opening presents tomorrow morning. And for that I am content.

Poison

2011-12-21T09:06:00.000-06:00

Mom: "Max, did you eat the soap in the bathroom?"
Max: "Um, yes. It tasted too spicey."
Liam: "MAX. You can't eat soap it is POISON. You could be KILLED."

4K Achievements

2011-12-19T23:17:00.001-06:00

Liam got his first report card today! His teacher says that:

"Liam is an excellent student, and you are to be commended for raising such a fine boy! He is a cheerful, polite, energetic, and friendly student. He is a wonderful role model in the classroom! Liam is doing well academically and socially in the 4k program. During play time he enjoys the dramatic play area, math, and block center. He is able to recognize all uppercase letters except J, recognize all lowercase letters except b and q, recognize most letter sounds, count to 101, count object to 25, recognize some numerals, basic shapes and patterns."

He still says "71" when he sees a number like "17", but I'm pretty sure being able to count to 101 makes up for it...! Especially when the benchmark for rote counting at his age is 20! I was very surprised to see that he got 4's (typical of a child 5 years or more) in all of the math categories. He does like math, and he's been able to count and understand numbers since he was very little, but I guess I notice the creative side of him more. I'm excited to think that he has inherited his father's knack for numbers instead of his mother's stunted touch-point math approach! (yes, this is how I learned math and no, I cannot do math with out it...!)

He also got 4's in the early literacy category and "curiosity, risk-taking and willingness to engage in new experiences" category.

I'm proud of how much he's learned so far this year, and I'm glad that he likes school so much and has made such good friends. I also can't believe that he's halfway to kindergarten...! In some ways he seems light years older than 5, but in others he still seems like my little boy. I keep telling him to stop growing and stay five forever, but so far he's not listening...

Success!

2011-12-19T12:51:00.000-06:00

After three straight years of failure (see "Christmas Cookie Fail" for reference), I have finally succeeded at making cut-out cookies! And that is because I asked my husband to make the dough! I cannot for the life of me get it to turn out and I have no idea why. So, Aaron made the dough for me last night and the boys and I rolled it out, cut and baked it this morning. And they taste like my mom's cookies and they don't look disgusting! Success!

Pre & Post Concert

2011-12-13T13:02:00.000-06:00

Max had a great time going from grandparent to grandparent before the show!

And Liam showed us his "screaming gingerbread man" displayed in the hallway!
Facial expressions to express emotions for a 4K project...I was pretty impressed!
I'm not quite sure WHY the man was screaming, though...

Christmas Concert

2011-12-12T19:02:00.002-06:00

The first of three songs Liam's class sang for his Christmas concert today. His teacher told them that if they forgot the words to "just move their mouths," so keep that in mind when watching!

I love all of the hand gestures and the animated singing. So adorable.

And this is where the "lip synching" gets pretty excessive...and my favorite part of the entire concert - the miniature bows he takes as the audience applauds.

Late Night Thoughts

2011-12-11T00:37:00.000-06:00

It's strange to me when I really stop and think about my life before my children. I look at Liam and can't imagine life without him here. I think about the tiny life he was inside of me and the 5-year-old he is today and I am amazed. I look at Max and remember Liam touching my belly and feeling him move around, and now he is 2! I sometimes think, "what if?" What if I hadn't signed up for that cross-training class in college? What if I hadn't met Amber there? What if she hadn't thought to introduce me to her cousin? What if he hadn't decided to visit me in Madison? What if we never took that drive to Minnesota when we realized we were meant to be together? Etc, etc, etc. It all led to our wonderful life now...and I don't think any of it was just a coincidence.

Liam James Photography

2011-12-08T10:06:00.000-06:00

Liam likes to take pictures with my camera of whatever strikes his fancy. Yesterday it was his Harry Potter legos. We are on a big Harry Potter kick at our house. We've almost finished book one and have been watching the corresponding scenes on DVD after we read them. Max may also have a little crush on Hermione...

Here's Liam's "Still Life with Crutches." I went to the doctor on Tuesday and had another xray to see how my foot is healing. I found out I have a comminuted transverse fracture of my proximal 5th metatarsal. That basically means my bone fractured in more than three places and the break is nearer to my heel than my toe. It is in good alignment, so I shouldn't need surgery, but I need to see an orthopedic doctor just to make sure everything is ok. I'm still on my crutches and can't wait until I don't need them anymore! Everyone is taking good care of me, though, and my grandma is coming to visit today to help out! She was here last week as well, and it was great to have company! The boys are getting stir crazy because I can't drive them anywhere, so any visitor is warmly received by them both!

I am especially grateful for online shopping this Christmas season, as I have thus far avoided driving around Target in a motorized wheelchair...

Misc.

2011-12-07T06:56:00.000-06:00

Liam built a model of the solar system from a science kit he got from Auntie Kimmy!

The boys watched intently as their english muffin pizzas baked.

And Auntie Sarah arrived with a zucchini.

The end.

Jolly Old St. Nick

2011-12-06T07:11:00.000-06:00

St. Nick brought Star Wars and Harry Potter Legos!

Awesome!

Best of Times

2011-11-28T22:50:00.000-06:00

Best. Cocktails. Ever.

Most Adorable Grandmother, ever.
Also, Most Shrimp Ever.

Scariest Spooks Ever.

Grandma and Girls

All of us!

Cafe du Monde!

Overzealous powdered sugar nerd.
I'm just jealous...

Best. Weekend. Ever.

*All photos courtesy of Auntie Da. I couldn't bend that way in my wheelchair...

Sister Cousins

2011-11-28T22:22:00.001-06:00

Wait, that may not be the best choice of title...

RENQUIN

2011-11-28T10:58:00.000-06:00

I love the ideas out there for making name art with unconventional letters. I searched New Orleans for the most interesting letters to spell my last name and these are the ones I came up with. I had lots of help getting the shots from my broken-down wheelchair, and they turned out great! Can't wait to get this printed and framed! Perfect souvenir.

NOLA

2011-11-26T12:57:00.000-06:00

Kelsey bought some adorable new shoes!

Sarah getting ready for dinner at Pierre Maspero's.

Off to dinner...and to break my foot.

Palm trees for Kimberly!

St. Louis Cemetery No. 3

9th Ward Katrina devastation.

Steamboat Natchez and NOLA from the river!

Perspective: New Orleans

2011-11-23T07:46:00.000-06:00

Just a few snapshots from our trip as I sit with my broken foot propped up at home.
I fell in a hole on Bourbon Street...more on that later...!
We had a fabulous girls' weekend!

A Visit from the Aunties

2011-11-09T08:09:00.000-06:00

My sister came to visit for a few day last week and the boys were super excited. They always love with their aunties come for sleepovers! They keep eachother busy, that's for sure!

My sister Sarah also came for a visit, and for Liam's party, and we had a little sister's celebration on Saturday night. Sarah got an internship with Kohl's corporate working in technical design for the summer! We drank some champagne to that, watched Bridesmaids and A League of Their Own and laughed for approximately 8 hours. It was a good night.

Maxwell & Uncle John

2011-11-08T19:07:00.000-06:00

A Party for Liam

2011-11-07T10:36:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday, Liam!

2011-11-02T08:22:00.000-05:00

Liam James was born five years ago today!

He weighed in at a whopping 11lbs. 2oz. but we still thought he was little, and cute.

He was (and still is) a snuggly boy who loved to fall asleep in the rocking chair.

(Well, he still loves to snuggle...but he's way too gangly to rock now...!)

I can't believe this sweet little boy used to fit in my arms like this!

He's still my sweet boy, but he's FIVE years old!

Time has just flown by so quickly!

Happy Birthday, Liam!

All Hallows Eve

2011-10-31T20:46:00.000-05:00

Our little ninja turtle and his brother Woody!

Such goofs! They had a great time trick-or-treating!

And their respective pumpkins...Boba Fett and an Angry Bird!

Star Wars Dress-up

2011-10-28T11:35:00.000-05:00

Here are two Jedis (one in a prairie skirt/cape and one in a vampire cape) and Princess Leia (in a gorgeous floral print) defending the galaxy very early in the morning...

Capes over pajamas...they jumped out of bed ready for some lightsabering!

Max & Taylor

2011-10-27T13:52:00.000-05:00

My friend Kelsey had Taylor about a month after Max was born.

Now we try and get them together to play as often as we can.
After all, their marriage has already been arranged...

They played together for the whole afternoon and were so cute!
I can't believe how big they both are!
Can't wait to see you again Kels!

My Sweet Boy

2011-10-26T13:00:00.000-05:00

I just love this cute little face.
I think right after I took this shot I scooped him up and kissed his cheeks 1,000 times!

We're From Florence, Couldn't Be Prouder!

2011-10-25T13:46:00.000-05:00

Liam wore this vintage Howard Smith football shirt to the Florence playoff game on Saturday!

He was pretty excited!
Nevermind that he kept yelling "Go Wisconsin!" from the bleechers...!

Yawn

2011-10-21T06:21:00.000-05:00

The boys and I are up north for a long weekend! It is now 6:20am and they are playing "Star Wars" with Grandma downstairs. I can hear Max yelling "The rancors! The rancors!" "Come on, Princess Leia (grandma)!" They've been up since 4, so 6:20 seems like noon for me. I think I'll go back to bed now.

Rescue

2011-10-19T22:15:00.000-05:00

I've been thinking of my grandpa a lot lately and just can't believe that he is gone. I'm very peaceful about it for the most part, but sometimes it hits me at odd moments. I was driving home from work tonight and heard this song by Bebo Norman. I always wondered what grandpa was thinking in those last days when he couldn't tell us, and this song I think might be the perfect soundtrack. My favorite part is "not a moment too soon you will be my rescue." I know all he wanted was to be freed from all of it, and it's a great visual to imagine God just reaching down and pulling him gently away from here. Anyway...

Tell me now, when does this start feeling
Like I understand everything I’m dealing with
First I was young, now it’s all just happening
And what about the way I said that
Made you turn around and shake your head
Like I don’t even know what I’m asking for

This could be all about just letting go
This could be all about just holding on

I can’t get my feet off of the ground
I wanna run but I don’t know how
Can you reach me here and pull me out
Can you pull me out, yeah

I wanna scream but there’s no sound
I wanna fly to you somehow
Can you reach me here and pull me out
Can you pull me out

Remember when I was young and hungry,
I could take it in, without much money,
I had nothing at all but dreams and time to kill
And now I feel like I’m treading water
And I’m hardly real – I’m just trying harder
To make my way on the earth by standing still

This could be all about just letting go
This could be all about just holding on

I can’t get my feel off of the ground
I wanna run but I don’t know how
Can you reach me here and pull me out
Can you pull me out, yeah

I wanna scream but there’s no sound
I wanna fly to you somehow
Can you reach down here and pull me out
Can you pull me out

Not a moment too soon You will be my rescue
But tell me how long will it take?

I can’t get my feet off of the ground
I wanna run but I don’t know how
Can you reach me here and pull me out
Can you pull me out

I can’t get my feet off of the ground
I wanna run but I don’t know how
Can you reach me here and pull me out
Can you pull me out, yeah

I wanna scream but there’s no sound
I wanna fly to you somehow
Can you reach me here and pull me out
Can you pull me out

Can you pull me out?
can you reach down and pull me out?

Oh, Liam...!

2011-10-18T13:09:00.000-05:00

Liam: "Mom, doesn't my painting look elegant?"
Mom: "Oh, yes Liam. It's very elegant!"
Liam: "I am a masterpiece at this..."

Max in Translation

2011-10-13T16:43:00.000-05:00

I gave the boys each a small brownie for a dessert the other day. They had to eat their lunch before getting dessert, but the brownies were in view and Max was quite fixated on them.

Max: "Mom...what are those?"
Mom: "Brownies."
Max: "Oh. I love those."

Lunch is consumed rather quickly...

Max: "Can I have one of those chocolate pancakes now?"

Alice P

2011-10-10T13:16:00.000-05:00

Liam found a bear caterpillar in the backyard yesterday.

"Can we put it in a jar and poke holes in it, Mom?"

I told him to just put it in a bucket and we'd let it go later...since the last caterpillar he put in a jar died in about 5 minutes. He found a bucket and went to work finding juicy green leaves to place inside. I asked him what he was going to name the little furry guy.

"Alice P," he replied.

Toddler Genealogy

2011-10-06T08:33:00.000-05:00

Translation:
Grandma Karen and Grandpa Richie
Grandma Pammy and Grandpa Howie
Grandma Arlene and Grandpa Howard
Grandpa Specs and Grandma Lorraine
Grandpa Ron and Grandma Meg
Grandma Pat and Grandpa Earl

Wedding Weekend

2011-10-03T13:18:00.000-05:00

I got to spend the weekend with this hottie for a wedding in Minnesota!
We drove out on Friday with Ron and Meg and spent lots of time with the Bechle family. I was also able to visit with my good friend Amber and see my sister on the way back home. The wedding was beautiful, the weather was perfect and we had a wonderful time.

The boys spent the weekend with my parents and Grandma Karen. They hunted chipmunks and birds, rode the four wheeler, played outside and did crafts. I'll let you decide what activities Grandma was involved in...! Hint: she does not like birds and has not, to my knowledge, ever driven a four wheeler...! They had a great time and were sad to have to leave! We were grateful for a weekend away, but so happy to see the boys yesterday!

Now we're back home and off to work and school. Have a great week!

Andrea & Garrett

2011-10-02T21:12:00.000-05:00

I Do It Myself!

2011-09-28T09:10:00.001-05:00

Both boys have the requisite runny, start of the school year, noses right now.
They're not really sick, just leaky.
Max likes to try and wipe his own nose,
so I told him to go and get some toilet paper to use.

He came back with this!

He wiped his nose quite thoroughly and then put on a little show for me.

This is an entire roll of toilet paper, Mom!

But look how cute I am!

A Friend

2011-09-27T18:51:00.002-05:00

I met Sara through a friend a few years ago and kept up with her via her blog. She was an incredibly strong person who was homebound and living with a chronic illness. She was very artistic and had started her own business called Gitzen Doodles. Sara was a faithful person and she tried to share her faith and her love through her art and her blog. I commissioned a small canvas from her before Maxwell was born and she did an amazing job:

Every time I look at this I imagine how difficult it was for her to make. She walked with a walker and couldn't sit for long periods of time. Her joints were very painful and everything she did was a struggle. Yet each letter on this canvas is perfect.

Sara passed away on Saturday. The internet is filled with blog posts, articles and comments from people who never met her but were touched by her life and mourn her death.

Sara Anne Frankl was born May 13, 1973 (Mother's Day) to Mike and Jane (Grandgenett) Frankl of Algona, IA. Sara was baptized at St. Cecelia parish and attended St. Cecelia grade school. Sara graduated from Bishop Garrigan high school in 1991, and received her English Degree from the University of Northern Iowa in 1996.

Sara used her degree in English working for a magazine in Cedar Falls, but her disability made it difficult for her to work and eventually Sara became homebound. Over time, Sara viewed her disability as a blessing. It allowed her to go from making a living focusing on professional goals, to making a life focusing on personal goals: I will not be ashamed to stand before God; I will fulfill God's plan by living the best life I can with what I am given; I will be aware and present in every moment; I will love what I have and not yearn for what I lack; I will spread the Joy, not the fear; I will be intentional in all things. Sara taught us that there isn't a situation in life that isn't covered by these goals. This is how her friends knew her, and it's how she wants us all to remember her.

One of Sara's favorite quotes is: "Have courage for the great sorrows of life, and patience for the small ones. And when you have finished your daily task, go to sleep in peace. God is awake." ~Victor Hugo

Sara lived her life with a strong belief that God can take care of more than one thing at a time; and God thinks we are worth it. There were great sorrows in Sara's life... and He granted her the courage to face them. Sara was able to hold on to her courage and patience by believing with every fiber of her being that God is awake. Sara's life was about "Choosing Joy." Today, Sara's joy is with her earthly and her heavenly father... singing and dancing. (To learn more about Sara and her faithfulness, go to www.gitzengirl.blogspot.com.)

Wait Staff

2011-09-20T15:37:00.000-05:00

Max just walked up to me with a crayon and a pad of paper.

"Hello today," he said.

"What are you wanting today?"

I ordered spaghetti and he ran to his kitchen and brought back a pile of plastic spaghetti.

Adorable.

Soccer Pro

2011-09-19T12:51:00.000-05:00

Liam is part of a youth soccer team at the Y this fall.

All of these kids are 4 years old...yes, even that giant one!

He loves it so far, and is doing really well!

The kids are adorable to watch as they try to figure out the game!

Liam's favorite position is goalie...he gets very into it!

Soccer is awesome, mom!

Cute.
One of Liam's friends from school is also on his team, so they get excited to see eachother on Saturdays!
His first game is this weekend...we'll see how that goes!

10 Things...

2011-09-13T09:02:00.000-05:00

Ok, so my friend Sarah has tagged me and I am now forced to list ten random things about myself! Here goes:

1. I got engaged 6 weeks after meeting Aaron.

2. I once kept a butterfly as a "pet" in a cage and tried to keep it alive with sugar water. It...didn't work.

3. I used to have a "tail collection" courtesy of my hunter father. It was comprised of squirrel and partridge tails that I kept in our back porch. I brought it to school for show and tell once...my teacher was a little taken aback.

4. I once slid down a huge sand dune on a wooden board during a mission trip to Brazil.

5. My mom french braided my hair every day until 8th grade. Yes, 8TH GRADE.

6. I made my friend cry after a Christmas Sing program by telling him he played the recorder badly.

7. I can't remember the plots of most movies and books. Not like years afterward...hours afterward. I think it's because I get so into the story that it doesn't stick in my long term memory. Or something.

8. I lied every Christmas morning and told my parents I'd seen Santa. They never really seemed to believe me.

9. I have a vivid memory of a huge doll we used to have as kids standing up and walking at the foot of my bed while I tried to go to sleep. I'm still pretty sure that actually happened...!

10. I am a terrible cook. I messed up Hamburger Helper once in college.

Monday

2011-09-12T06:48:00.002-05:00

Aaron was getting dressed this morning just after the boys woke up.

Liam: "Dad, are those your snowpants?"

Dad: "Ummm, no? These are just my regular pants..."

Hahahaha. Kids are hilarious.

10 Years

2011-09-11T18:21:00.000-05:00

The Cyclone Experiment

2011-09-09T11:37:00.000-05:00

Liam's been wanting to do this experiment forever, and we finally had two 2-liter bottles!
We mixed water with blue food coloring and filled one bottle about 3/4 full.
Then we taped the other bottle to the top, turned it upside-down and spun it a little to get the water turning.

Liam thought it was awesome and the experiment was subsequently repeated...
until the bottles started to leak!

Such a little scientist!

2 Ninjas

2011-09-08T19:50:00.000-05:00

My sisters and I love the movie 3 Ninjas. It's a childhood favorite that we still quote today. They will be proud to know that the boys have both seen the movie now. And both of my them were running around the yard yesterday yelling, "Rocky loves. Em-ily. Rocky loves. Em-ily."

Through the Lens

2011-09-07T17:55:00.000-05:00

First Day of 4K

2011-09-01T12:51:00.000-05:00

Today is Liam's first day of 4K!
He was waiting eagerlyoutside for his first bus ride about 20 minutes before the bus was due to arrive!

Awww...he will miss his little brother.

Is it here yet?

Yes!
Bye, Mom!
Bye, Max!

Bye, Brother...

Have a great day at school, Liam.
I'm going to go and cry now...

Grandpa's Boy

2011-08-28T17:34:00.000-05:00

Summer's End...

2011-08-27T20:04:00.000-05:00

Bowl-a-rama

2011-08-25T22:50:00.000-05:00

We took the boys bowling for the first time,
and they looked adorable in their spiffy bowling shoes!

Liam did pretty well on his own,

And Max let Daddy and Mommy take turns helping him.

He was just so excited to roll the ball...

...then watch the ball...

...and then jump, fist pump and yell "SCORE!"
(whether he knocked down pins or not!)

We had a great time (Mom won, by the way) and the boys haven't stopped talking about it since!
We'll have to make another trip to the bowling alley soon!

ER Adventure

2011-08-21T09:52:00.000-05:00

Poor Liam had a bad belly ache last night and had to go to the ER. Aaron called me at work and I was able to run over and meet them at the hospital. Liam was very good, but looked so sad in his little hospital bed. He barely talked and just watched TV and moaned occassionally. They took him down for an x-ray, where he puked on the table, and then the doctor came in and said he was pretty blocked up and would need some help getting cleared out. He was soon remedied and chatting happily with the nurses. "My brother Max and I have bunk beds now!" he told one. "I get to sleep on the bottom bunk tonight because my brother is sleeping at my Grandma Meg's house!" He was a completely different kid! So, long story short, he's fine. And goofier than ever!

Wise Words

2011-08-16T13:02:00.000-05:00

Liam: "Mom, you sing beautifully. But you look more beautiful than you sing!"

Liam: "Mom, we need to say a prayer so God keeps Max safe."
Mom: "Ok, good idea. What should the prayer be?"
Liam: "It should be called God, Please Protect Our Toddler."

Auntie and Boys

2011-08-13T06:48:00.000-05:00

Swimming Lessons

2011-08-11T12:48:00.000-05:00

Grandpa Howie gave Liam some swimming lessons while we were at camp.
He taught me how to swim, and I remember him teaching my sisters the basics, too.
It was fun to watch Liam learn from the master!
Once he figured out how to propel himself forward, he was off paddling around in his life jacket and practicing until he turned pruney!
Such a big kid.

We also have another big kid at our house: Maxwell peed in his little potty chair for the first time last night! He was pretty excited and we all cheered for him. He was especially proud to show Liam that he'd done it. So cute.

Fun and Sun

2011-08-09T18:30:00.000-05:00

Little Finns

2011-08-08T20:09:00.000-05:00

This is "The Little Finn". It is both a cup and a kid. Max must drink out of this cup at all times. If it is dirty, he will wait for it to be washed. He is "The Little Finn" and Grandpa Richie is "The Big Finn"!

Liam is a "Suomalainen Poika" or a "Finnish Boy". He is less obsessed with his special cup, but likes it none the less.

Adorable.

Driftwood Lightsaber

2011-08-07T22:38:00.000-05:00

Here Comes the Sun

2011-08-06T08:58:00.000-05:00

Liam

2011-08-05T16:27:00.000-05:00

Maxwell

2011-08-05T16:22:00.000-05:00

CAMP!

2011-07-29T08:11:00.003-05:00

Finally, finally, finally...it's time for a week at Uncle Dave's camp! Last night of work tonight, and then vacation! See you all when we get back! Here's a little video to get you through the week...

Sleepy Maxwell

2011-07-28T08:40:00.000-05:00

Bay Beach Adventure

2011-07-26T21:08:00.000-05:00

We spent the evening picnicking and riding every ride at Bay Beach tonight!
Grandpa Ron and Grandma Meg met us there and the boys talked them into joining them on quite a few rides!
I'm grateful Liam was too impatient to wait in the long line for the ferris wheel...yes, I get motion sickness from children's ferris wheels.

Liam was obsessed with the airplane ride. What can I say, the kid loves airplanes...and guns!

Grandpa and Maxwell were buddies for the day!

Max was adorable riding the ladybugs. He squealed and laughed every time!
And Liam was a good sport and went on quite a few kiddie rides with his brother!

Grandpa Howie, can we drive your boat now?!

Liam proclaimed these swings were "boring" compared to the swings for the big kids!

Liam talked me into taking him on the big slide. Once.
It was fun, but let's just say I'm glad he's almost tall enough to go on it himself!

And so is Grandma Meg!

Max and I waited in line for quite awhile before finally getting on the train ride.

But it was worth it!

Buddies

Such a fun night! Thanks Grandma and Grandpa!

School Days...

2011-07-26T08:35:00.000-05:00

Liam will start 4K in a little over a month!
He's very excited to go to school again, but a little nervous about being somewhere new.
He will go to the public elementary school just up the road from our house. He may even take the bus...we'll see. Mom is not very willing to let go of her little boy just yet!

Zoo Time

2011-07-24T22:33:00.000-05:00

This was entirely Max's idea.

Sun & Sand

2011-07-21T14:02:00.000-05:00

We took the boys to Neshotah Beach today.

They dug in the sand,

Jumped in the waves,

And splashed to their hearts' content.

We were out of the water,

In the water,

And in the sand all morning long.

Aaron used to spend summer days here with his family.

I think we've got our own summer tradition started!

The Fourth

2011-07-20T08:19:00.000-05:00

We spent the 4th of July up north with my family. The weather was perfect, so we spent a lot of time outside playing, fishing, swimming and going to the parade in Iron Mountain. The boys played hard and slept like rocks at night! We had a great time!

A Perfect Day

2011-07-18T22:23:00.000-05:00

Aaron and I decided to take an impromptu trip to Door County with the boys last week. We visited many of our favorite places and spent the day mostly outside enjoying the beautiful weather. I think visiting Cave Pointe was my favorite stop of the day. It was a little overcast, but the boys were mesmerized by the cliffs and the water. And I just watched them and felt thankful for it all.

My Sweet Boy

2011-07-18T11:24:00.000-05:00

H2OLY

2011-07-17T17:56:00.000-05:00

Soooo...it's been...awhile. I know. We have experienced the slow deaths of both of our laptops over the past few months and have been without a computer for a few weeks now. Not fun! I promise to make up for the lapse in posting! Please accept this post illustrating Liam blessing himself with holy water as consolation.

He received his own bottle of holy water at Children of God, a class he attends at church on Sundays. He learned how to cross himself and say, "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." It is adorable to see him do it, and he is very reverent when he decides he needs to do a blessing.

The Thinker

2011-07-01T12:51:00.000-05:00

Curious George

2011-06-30T06:51:00.001-05:00

Liam and Dad went to a special Curious George program at the library the other night.

"Dad, it's the REAL Curious George!" he whispered.

Dad set him straight and when he got home he told me all about Curious George with a "person under the head."

He got a Curious George tattoo, made and tasted ice cream, read stories, sang songs and hugged his favorite giant monkey.

It was a good Dad and son night!

Summer Days

2011-06-29T17:12:00.000-05:00

We spend most of our days looking a lot like this!

The boys are enjoying the nice weather and the backyard.

Aaron and I are getting lots of yard work done.

And we're just thankful for all the family time we've had these past few weeks!

Hope your summer is going well!

Lacking Creativity

2011-06-28T18:51:00.000-05:00

The boys and I were making nature collages on the deck today when Liam sighed and said, "I'm all out of creative."

Rain, Rain Go Away!

2011-06-24T06:28:00.000-05:00

We are getting a little stir crazy here with all the rain...

Hope the sun makes an appearance soon!

This Sign-O!

2011-06-23T06:59:00.000-05:00

The boys like to sing and the other day Liam asked to sing the "Sign-O" song. I couldn't figure out what song he had in mind until he sang the first part for me.

Liam: "Mom, that one that goes, 'Jesus loves me this SIGN-O!'"

Singing Songs with Liam

2011-06-17T09:39:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite songs from Sunday School when I was little was "Only a Boy Named David," which is a song about the bible story of David and Goliath. I sing it to the boys pretty often, and it's become one of their favorites as well. Here's their rendition:

Cute Child

2011-06-15T10:47:00.000-05:00

Liam: "Max, you are such a cute, cute child!"

All Alone

2011-06-10T06:25:00.000-05:00

Aaron and the boys leave today for a weekend up north. I have to work, so I'll be hanging out at home. Aaron is joining the guys at Uncle Dave's for fishing weekend and the boys are staying with Grammy Pammy. I am not quite sure what I'm going to do with myself here all alone! Maybe clean the house and then sit amidst the clean for awhile!

I will leave you with each boy's new favorite phrase:

Liam: "It's a mystery!"

Maxwell: "Well, hello dair!"

Maxwell-Go-Round

2011-06-06T07:53:00.000-05:00

Beautiful Days

2011-06-03T08:52:00.000-05:00

A Visit with Uncle John

2011-06-02T07:04:00.000-05:00

Uncle John came for a visit on Sunday and we took a trip to the N.E.W. Zoo!

The boys love riding the carousel, and Liam chose the buck to ride on this time!

Uncle John thinks daddy's ten-pointer was definitely bigger, though!

Max was super excited to show John everything, yelling "Uncle John, wook at me!!" every five seconds.

It was so cute.

"Wook at me, Uncle John!"

"Wook at that, Uncle John!"

It was a great day, and we all had fun visiting and catching up.

Of course the boys were sad when John had to leave (Max may or may not have sobbed uncontrollably multiple times during the day when he thought John was leaving), but we'll hopefully see him again soon!

Thanks for coming, Uncle John!

A Party for Max!

2011-05-23T09:17:00.000-05:00

We had a party yesterday to celebrate Maxwell's second birthday!

Maxwell Everett

May 21, 2009

9 lbs. 6 oz. 21"

He was a little overwhelmed by all the presents, but did a good job attempting to open most of them!

The kid loves sports. Especially sports involving a ball. He received many new balls to add to his collection!

He was very cute all day long.

Here I am trying to convince him that birthday candles aren't scary!

But he still isn't so sure!

But without the candles he was all about the cupcakes!

Aaron had the idea to do cupcakes decorated like sports balls. It was incredibly easy and turned out adorable!

Liam was very well behaved also, and was so cute helping Max with things. I love that he gets genuinely excited for his brother. They sure love eachother!

Happy Birthday, Maxwell.

We love our big two year old boy!