August Revisited

August was a busy month, but, looking back, was full of some exciting things:

Like paint projects

Sweet Corn

Happy siblings

Happy Dancers

Home Projects

Back To School

Big Smiles

Happy Brothers

Annoyed Brothers

Rainbows

Self Entertainment

Tree Climbing

Power Naps

Pretend Roller Coasters

Barefoot Bike Riding gone bad ....

What was your August like?

The Things They Say

It is true. We have more than one child, but Aaron has been on a roll lately. Over the weekend, we were hardpressed with several projects around the house. Weeding, rototilling, splitting wood, priming, painting, cleaning .... etc. (I think you get the point, since most of you were there.) Aaron is a workaholic.... as long as he's working with dad. If there's a job to do, and he can work by daddy's side, he'll put in as many hours as necessary. He helped split wood, stack wood, prime walls, paint walls, clean his room, the basement, the garage, the yard. He worked hard. On Sunday, as Aaron and I were painting, I asked him:

"Aaron, you're a great helper. Are you a good worker?"

Response (spoken matter of factly):

"Nope, I'm a fun worker."

Aaron Takes Off

Just when he was starting to outgrow his toddler years, Aaron has discovered that he's faster on two wheels than he is on two legs. Yesterday, Ruth dropped the kids off at some friend's house while she was occupied. When she returned to pick up them up, Aaron was two-wheeling by himself in the driveway. Just up and figured it out, I guess. So, today, with a little encouragement from his brother, Aaron showed us how to do it!

Way to go Buddy!

A Walk in the Park

Do you remember the little things we did as a family?

Sunday lunches at the hospital,

Summer vacations to grandparents in Michigan,

really bad haircuts ...

need I go on?

This Saturday, we decided to enjoy the beautiful humid, mosquito infested summer air and Wisconsin weather with a walk in the park. The plan: summer stroll, bike ride, back to the house for ice cream and baths, off to bed. It was nearly perfect. It began as a quasi-bike ride/short stroll. Daddy recommended a new park in town. One that is fairly secluded, minimal traffic, and perfect for a walk/bike ride. All it is, is an oval around a man made pond ... What could possibly go wrong?

The air was clear

The smiles were abundant

The bikes were fast

Sweetness filled the air

The water was calm

A duck, swims unassumingly

The setting was serene

Ahhhh. We all remember a day of skipping stones ...

.... and little boys?

Ahhhhh yes, a quiet serene evening, cut short by the screaming panic sounds of a two year old boy, dunked completely.

The Things They Say ....

Ahhhh ....
The trend continues:

We spent yesterday afternoon visiting a restaurant in town called B-52's. That fact is fairly irrelevant save for the fact that they have really good gyro sandwiches. Anyway, as we are sitting there, Aaron strikes up a friendly conversation with the girl in the booth next to us because Jonny, clearly enamored by the fact that other people exist, was staring blankly at her.


Aaron: That's my brother. His name is Jonny

Girl in Booth: Oh really?! And what's your name

Aaron: Aaron ... and that's Awaine, and that's mommy, and that's my daddy, and that's my Annie

Girl in Booth: How old are you?

Aaron: I'm dis many ... (holds up a very awkward four fingers, looking at it to ensure that it's really 4)

Girl in Booth: Wow that's a lot!

Aaron: And Jonny is 2, and 'waine is .... (looks at daddy)

Daddy: 8

Aaron: Awaine is 8 ... and Annie's gonna be 1, right mommy?

Mommy: Yes, almost one

Aaron: And my mommy and daddy are old too

Girl in Booth: Really? How old?

Aaron: They have t.v. in their bedroom!

The Things They Say ...

I'm usually conscious of these things in the moment, but, unfortunately as time lapses, I quickly forget the content and context of about 99% of what the kids do and say. However, the other day over dinner, Aaron delighted us with this little nugget that apparently was so adorable, we've as of yet to forget it, and made it a point to post it.

Elaine, ever being the knowledge absorbing 2nd, actually now 3rd, grader that she is, has become quite the little speller. So, the other day at dinner, she began to speak to us in cryptic form.

Elaine:

"Mom. Dad. I have an idea. Do you think that after dinner and everything is all picked up, you can call, and I can go to R-A-C-H-E-L-S ?"

Aaron :

"Yeah! And I can go to Owen's house. T-E-A-F"

Happy Mother's Day, Grandma! II

Happy Mother's Day, Grandma!

We Love You!
Thank You for all you do!

The Hawk family

These are interview questions I borrowed (from the borrower) and altered (somewhat) accordingly to be fitting for Grandma . . .

Code:

The first initial of the kids.
E (Elaine) = 8 yrs.

A (Aaron) = 4 yrs.

J (Jonny) = 2 yrs.

An (Annie) = 7 mo.

R (Ryan)

1. What is something Grandma always says to you?

"I love you." (E)

"She loves me." (A)

"This is something she says all the time that I think is cool. 'I thank the Lord all the time for you kids.'" (R)

2. What makes Grandma happy?

"Things that she can sew with." (E)

"Me!" (A)

"Being in the garden." (R)

3. What makes Grandma sad?

"Grandma is never sad." (E)

"When Grandpa leaves." (A)

"Being away from her family... and dirty kitchen floors." (R)

This is NOT Grandma's kitchen!

4. What makes Grandma laugh?

"When all the parents talk about something funny." (E)

"Me!" (A)

"The grandkids." (R)

5. What was Grandma like as a child?

"Like Aunt Tina when she was little." (E)

"Just be little like me." (A)

"I don't know." (R)

6. How old is Grandma?

"54" (E)

"2" (A)

"2" (J) This is the only time he pipes in by the way!!

"66" (R) Good job Ryan!

7. How tall is your Grandma?

"2 yards and1 inch ." (E) I wonder what she's been learning about?

"Like that." (holding up his arm as high as he could.) (A)

"5 ft. 5 in." (R)

8. What is her favorite thing to do?

"Sew." (E)

"Watch TV." (A)

"Gardening and sewing clothes for her grandkids." (R)

Somewhere in the background are pajamas grandma made for the girls.
Somewhere in the foreground is a little boy still waiting for his.

9. What does your Grandma do when you're not around?

"Sews." (E)

"She wants to be alone and by herself... and watch TV." (A) Guess what he wanted to be doing?

10. If your Grandma becomes famous, what will it be for?

"Sewing!" (E)

"She makes 2 pudding pies really good." (A)

"Her quilts and her dry turkey." (R)

11. What is Grandma really good at?

"Sewing." (E) Do you sense a theme?

"Juggling." (A)

"Sewing, quilting, gardening." (R)

12. What is Grandma not very good at?

"Fishing." (E) Although Ryan would disagree.

"With orange juice." (A)

"Dunking a basketball." (R)

13. What does Grandma do for her job?

"Stay home! - Remember when she retired and got off of work?." (E)

"Making pies." (A)

14. What is Grandma's favorite food?

"Ice cream." (E)

"Dinner!!!" (A)

"Butter-pecan ice cream." (R)

15. What makes you proud of Grandma?

"Sewing." (E)

Blank stare (A)

"Her humility in her recent salvation." (R)

16. If Grandma were a cartoon character, who would she be?

"Fairy God-Mother from Cinderella." (E)

"Mices."(A)

"The grand-mother on Sylvester and Tweety." (R)

17. What do you and Grandma do together?

"Pull weeds." (E)

"I make pies." (A)

"Garden and talk." (R)

18. How are you and Grandma the same?

"We're both girls... and not boys," (E) "I'm not the same." (A) "Gardening." (R)

80% of our garden came from Grandma's garden. What a talent!

19. How are you and Grandma different?

"She's taller then me." (E)

"I am pokey." (A)

"I'm the tallest, she's the shortest." (R)

20. How do you know Grandma loves you?

"She hugs me and kisses me." (E)

"She makes me a cake." (A)

"We always hug and kiss when we leave." (R)

21. Where is Grandma's favorite place to go?

"Our house." (E)

"Aaron's house." (A)

"The garden." (R)


Okay, so Annie didn't say anything, but she was asleep for most of the interview.

Happy Mother' Day! We love you.

More @ the Domes