Christmas Tree Shopping

I was sure a six-foot tree would fit into our Mazda 5, and it did. The top just needed to share Lucas' seat with him.

Lucas had a good time pretending to hide in the forest,and before we got home he had fallen asleep.

Halloween

Lucas (Tigger holding a Darth Vader mask) with my mom in her 1950s prom dress and original jewelry. Isn't she stunning?

Jonathan, race car driver, at the school Halloween parade.

Long overdue

We aren't posting the picture of our Neon, our only car for the past 10 years (and still running), in fears that she might think we were slighting her. We wouldn't want her to be offended. We still need you, Betty.

Thank you, Mr. President

Lucas (with great emotion): I don't want to wash my hands.
Parents (with Peanuts' teacher inflection): Blah, blah, blah, blah
Jonathan: Lucas, President Obama spoke to my class, and he is the president of the United States, so he knows everything, and he said to wash our hands before we eat.
Lucas: Okay.

Six.

Jonathan is six years old today.

His favorite breakfast is oatmeal.
His favorite lunch is tuna fish sandwiches.
His favorite dinner is spaghetti.

His favorite activities are playing legos, playing outside, and playing the Wii.

He likes to read his Star Wars reading books. I have fun playing duets with him on the piano.

He makes us all laugh. He just realized that he could call me "Lucas's dad's wife."

Jonathan's name means "gift from God." That is exactly why we named him that.

We love you, Jonathan!

Ah, to be three...

Every mother tells me I have to write down the funny things or I won't remember which kid said what.

We took the kids to the library Monday evening and then played in the park. When Lucas came hurtling down a very tall slide and landed really hard, both Ryan and I braced ourselves for the screaming tears, but Lucas just jumped up and yelled, "Was that awesome?"

Later in the week we went to Colonial Days. We were watching Irish dancers (very colonial indeed) on stage, and Lucas patted me on the hand and said, "When they get done up there, it will be my turn."

Getaway

Before I started teaching summer term, we went on a fun trip to Brianhead.

Fishing

Trying out fishing at the Utah Lake Festival.

It turns out that I want to be able to fish. It was something about reading The Omnivore's Dilemma that brought me to this point, oddly enough. It did not convince me that I need to hunt wild pigs in Berkeley though. I can live without eating pigs. Nor did it convince me that I need to hunt wild mushrooms. That sounds downright dangerous.

Now, our experience is minimal. Ryan had a fishing pole when he was about eight and the silly thing flew out of his hands on his first fishing attempt. And I know I helped my brother dig worms for his fishing expedition when I was about four.

So do we google "how to fish"?

It is nice that we can learn skills from google, from a book, or even from a paid instructor. But isn't there something to be said about learning something from someone who loves you enough to watch you cast a hundred times until you get it right? I think the knowledge and skills we often value most are those we have learned from a dedicated parent or teacher who stuck with us.

So watch out, kids. You are going to learn how to fish whether you like it or not...

J-E-L-L-O

All of the school's kindergarteners did the Jello dance at the dance festival on the last day of school. Of course, we thought Jonathan was the cutest "J" out there.

Why we haven't posted for a while...

I mean, granted, we aren't the most diligent bloggers, but still.

10. We had to turn in the grades for the classes we are teaching.
9. We have lost several friends and family members to facebook. I mean, is anyone really reading this?
8. A bit of kitchen remodeling. Note that only the "before" picture is available:



7. Jonathan is finishing up kindergarten, and has had a flurry of activities.
6. Did I mention kitchen remodeling?
5. I'm trying to learn the art of sourdough. Why didn't I just get a real pet? (Well, besides the fact that you can't turn a goldfish into waffles?)
4. Sprinklers. (Ah, the days of innocence are over.)
3-1. Before we moved to this house, our gardening experience consisted of a community garden (a.k.a. "feed the gopher") in grad school, so we've been trying to get more of this



than this




Still working on it.

Three.

Has it really been three years?

Disneyland

It was hot at the Newport Beach temple.

Photographic evidence we were there.

Tigger pulled Jonathan's hat over his eyes.

Lucas celebrated his third birthday.

Pi Day

Jacquelyn makes magnificent pies. I was glad to have an excuse to have her make one. (I'm looking forward to 3/14/15.) (That filling was made by my Mom last fall, from the apples in her back yard.)

"But I can't spell hippopotamus..."

The star of the show with his adoring fans.



Jonathan has spent weeks getting ready with his class for the kindergarten program. It was delightful, and we enjoyed him practicing his line all week. He has grown up so much since he started school. He is reading and loving it. He and his friends at school have a continual game going of Star Wars/super heroes/Indiana Jones. I am his mother (so biased), but I'm convinced he is a Lego genius.

Kindergarteners are special--and so are their teachers!

The many faces of a two year old.

When Lucas recently dropped his napping habit, it seems his synapses started firing more furiously. He displays a wider range of emotions. He can tell longer stories (though his brain works faster than his tongue). He can sit through longer books with fewer pictures. On a recent trip home from the library, he sighed and said, "Books are fun."

He is my outside boy--even in cold weather he needs his time outside.

Time to go to church, boys!

It takes a heap of livin'

Six

Ashlie the Amazing had this on her blog, and tagged me:

1. Go to the photo folder in your computer

2. Go to the 6th folder of photos.

3. Go to the sixth picture.

4. Put the picture on your blog and description of it.

5. Invite six friends to join the challenge.

and, my addition:

6. Eat six chocolate chip cookies.



















This is Lucas at 20 months helping me make bread. He was a very enthusiastic helper with cute feet. Let me just brag about those fine chili pepper candles in the windowsill: I won them at a chili cook-off (using, as I just remembered, Ashlie the Amazing's recipe).

If you are reading this, consider yourself tagged. Try it. It's fun.

At last

We bought a house.

We also bought a camera. When the camera comes, we'll post pictures of the house.