(Photos taken 2015-12-25.)
Friday, December 25, 2015
Thursday, December 24, 2015
Melissa recites The Night Before Christmas
To a packed house, on Christmas Eve.
(Photos taken 2015-12-24.)
Wednesday, December 23, 2015
Tuesday, December 15, 2015
Matthew's cube collection
The seven sided cube finally arrived from China after weeks of checking the mail every day.
(Photos taken 2015-12-14.)
Thursday, December 10, 2015
Wednesday, December 09, 2015
Tuesday, December 08, 2015
Monday, December 07, 2015
Monday, November 30, 2015
With Mall Santa
Rachel was aghast that I took the kids to see Santa without coordinated outfits. First I didn't realize that was mandatory and second, I wasn't planning on the Santa visit. It was Isaac's idea.
(Photos taken 2015-11-29.)
Sunday, November 29, 2015
Friday, November 13, 2015
Saturday, November 07, 2015
Friday, November 06, 2015
Tuesday, November 03, 2015
Tuesday, October 20, 2015
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
Sunday, October 11, 2015
September Peanuts
- I sent Corinna to change out of the dress that was two sizes too small for her. She didn't want to change, so she hid. I looked for her and called for her for half an hour. Nothing. I started to worry that she had run off. As a last ditch effort before waking up Rachel and calling the police, I called out, "Corinna! I'm going to McDonald's!" Two minutes later she appeared behind me. "Where were you?" I asked. "In my room." "Where?" She showed me a space in her closet. I had looked there twice.
- It was dark in the kitchen. I didn't need the lights to wash my hands. Then I dried them on whatever piece of cloth was nearby. "Wow," I remarked to Rachel. "I don't know what I just dried my hands on, but it sure was dirty." I washed them again. Then I turned the light on. It was one of Matthew's socks.
- I'm supposed to help Isaac study for his spelling test.
Me: "Confiture."
Isaac: "It's too hard. I can't spell it."
Me: "Sound it out. Con. Fi. Ture."
Isaac: "It's too hard."
Me: "Okay. Study some more and call me when you're ready to try again."
Isaac: breaks down in tears. - Isaac: "We'll start our own clan. You can be the chef." Matthew: "Why would I want to be the chef?" Isaac: "You can be the leader." Nice to see him mixing some French in with his English for a change. Usually it's the other way around.
August Peanuts
- David: "You are starting to look like a weight lifter. I can see muscles under your gut."
- Isaac: "You got me *books* for my birthday?" He was not pleased. Melissa: "Ooh! Can I read that one?" Isaac: "No, it's mine. You can read it tomorrow." He sat down and started reading.
- It's fun seeing Dad get excited about math. Today he showed Matthew how to prove the square root of two is irrational.
- Rachel took Corinna out for a haircut. The salon had Frozen on screen for the kids, so Corinna was willing to sit still. When it was over, she looked in the mirror. "Mom! I wanted BLUE hair!"
- Dad on Matthew, and public schools: "Matthew's a smart kid. But he's not used to thinking hard."
- Tommy (17 months) is amusing himself this morning by opening childproof bottles. That is why our living room carpet smells like Nyquil.
- Tommy's trying to connect his lego-like toy together. "Nee how!" [need help] I help him connect the pieces. "Ta-da!"
- Isaac: there's nothing wrong with my eyes. It's just that the letters were too small. And blurry.
- Homeschool with Grandpa update: Matthew (7th grade) is studying first year college chemistry. Melissa (5th grade) is learning to draw and to use a sewing machine. They are both studying math and history and French as well.
- Grandma and Grandpa are in Nevada for Telitha's new baby. They left assignments for Matthew and Melissa to work on while they are gone this week. Rachel told Matthew and Melissa to do an hour of weeding in the garden first thing before it gets too hot. They started a fight over who got to weed which patch. Melissa broke down completely into an angry shrieking puddle of stubborn. So I put her in the garage where she is yelling loud enough that Rachel, on the phone with me, can hear her. Ladies and gentlemen, the dark side of homeschooling.
July Peanuts
- 3 AM, first night in Washington. Woke up to Tommy crying. Grandma beat me to it and was rocking him. I took him to Rachel and went back to bed. Moments later I heard running, then puking. Wonderful. On the bright side, alone among our kids, Melissa made it to the bathroom. But not to the toilet. I got to clean it up with a hand towel, multipurpose cleaner, and baby wipes because that was all I could find in Grandma's house. Then Rachel made a second pass with paper towels and bleach.
- "Atomic" came on the radio at the gym. Me: Did you realize that Debbie Harry is 70? Chris: Who is Debbie Harry?
- The men are running the nursery in the Sinden ward. Activities include catching the tickle monster and feeding Bob the barfing racoon. The kids love it. Also airplane races: "Everyone put your arms up and make airplane noises!"
- Kirsti scored 8 on her turn in Small World. Next turn, Brian scored 4. Melissa: "Wow, Kirsti. You're really good at this compared to Brian."
- I put my laptop on the floor for about ten seconds while I dragged Corinna to the pantry for time out. When I got back Tommy had both hands on the keyboard and chrome was displaying the spinny beach ball of death. I had to force quit it. I should offer his services to Google's QA team.
- Grandma: "Go change your shirt, Isaac. You've got oatmeal on that one." Isaac starts wiping the oatmeal off his shirt (and onto the carpet). Grandma: "Don't wipe it on the floor!" Isaac, still wiping it on the floor: "I didn't do it!"
- Corinna: "Je veux regarder Frozen!" [I want to watch Frozen!] Me: "Not until Grandma gets back." Corinna, sings to the tune of *Do you wanna build a snowman*: "Je peux regarder Frozen?"
- Tommy's vocabulary at almost 17 months: Bye Ball Dad Shoes Hot Mama Ow Dog.
- Rachel fixed the printer tonight. "That's why you married me: to fix hardware problems."
- My mother showed Melissa our high school graduation photos. She didn't recognize me.
- I told Isaac he needed to eat something else for breakfast besides chocolate chip muffin.
He looked around the fridge for something low-effort. "I'll have an apple." He pulled out one of Grandma Ellis's Red Deliciouses. I cut it up for him. After a few bites, he made a face. "There's something wrong with this apple. It's juicy, but it doesn't taste right." The only thing wrong with it was that it was a Red Delicious. I made him finish it. Rachel says that was harsher than she would have been. - Melissa, to Isaac: "... someday, when you are older, I will sit on your shoulders and fart."
- Isaac hated "Inside Out," and said so half a dozen times during the showing--loudly. He doesn't want his cartoons to teach him anything. I loved it.
- Took Isaac to the optometrist. Turns out he is nearsighted in one eye and farsighted in the other.
Monday, October 05, 2015
Tommy caught his sister's pukes
The vomiting didn't bother him so much. But when I had to launder his blankie he was a sad sad Tommy.
(Photos taken 2015-10-05.)
Saturday, September 26, 2015
Saturday, September 12, 2015
Wednesday, September 09, 2015
Sunday, August 30, 2015
The burger prank
Matthew volunteered to make me a hamburger. I opened it to see if he remembered to put mayonnaise on it and got a surprise.
(Photos taken 2015-08-30.)
Monday, August 24, 2015
Monday, August 17, 2015
June Peanuts
- I pulled something in my lower back. Sitting is painful. Walking is painful. Rachel: "You didn't go to the gym today, did you?" Me: "No. My back hurts." Rachel: "Well, that doesn't mean you can't work on your arms."
- Matthew is at band camp this week. He was supposed to Skype us from his laptop, since he couldn't find his phone. He left a message with a friend's phone that he was sorry but he couldn't get the wifi to work. Today we dropped off a cheap tracfone because Rachel was getting frustrated that he didn't call. Serious nerd points deducted.
- Matthew: "The food at camp was better than I expected. Yesterday I had 2 cinnamon rolls and cheesecake for lunch. And another cheesecake." Me: That was lunch? Matthew: And a coke.
- Matthew: I learned something important at band camp. People are crazy impressed if you can solve a rubix cube. Me: Girls too? Matthew: Sometimes. But the boys were more excited about it honestly.
- Matthew beat me at Carcassone. Playing during church is our new tradition.
- Rachel: "Jonathan would have looked good in the 1920s." David: "Because everyone wore hats."
- Rachel: "Corinna, don't pull your pants down in front of your brother while singing, Butt butt butt butt."
- Tommy threw a tantrum because Mommy wouldn't give him more medicine.
- Isaac (almost 7) had a hot dog, potatoes, and fruit salad... then he ate about 10 ounces of steak. While eating he treated me to an extended discourse on how he likes steak best because of the juices, and how his Mommy makes the best steaks.
- Tommy (15m) brought me a diaper. I put it on my desk. He squatted down and pooped. Then he handed me the diaper again. I got the message. He might be our youngest to potty train by a wide margin.
- Helped Mom and Dad move into Austin. Mom said to leave access to the phone jack in the office. Then she had to explain land lines to Matthew.
Sunday, August 16, 2015
Monday, August 10, 2015
Sunday, August 09, 2015
Isaac's birthday, day two
Pokemon cards from Mom and an Android - enabled camera spy tank from Dad. The pokemon is a huge hit with Isaac. The tank is a huge hit with Matthew.
(Photos taken 2015-08-09.)
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