HILAROUS.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
thankful for...rollerskating oompaloompas
our thanksgiving foray into the roller rink with two toddlers, three big kids and four grownups, was, in a word:
HILAROUS.
HILAROUS.
Monday, November 15, 2010
toothy
big tooth news in the neighborhood!
lincoln lost his first one today! we heard it was loose, oh, about 2 months ago maybe? i think we gave up that it was coming out anytime soon. so lo and behold, they run upstairs to me this afternoon saying he lost it! it was a little bit loose and then he just yanked it out. ok!
in other dental details, neva is going to the orthodontist tomorrow for her second appointment toward braces. tho we are not sure exactly what is going to happen to her mouth tomorrow, it could be well on its way to big changes. so we thought we'd better document these sweet little ever-changing mouths! oh, and just under a small jelly-jar glass half-full of water near his bed, holding that precious little tooth, prepared for the tooth fairy just like his daddy did when he was a little boy-- is another piece of classic linc literature/composition in a message to the tooth fairy [see below]...
[Dear Tooth Fairy,]
WHERE DO YOU KEEP aLL oF THOSE TEETH?
P.S. WILL YOu DROWN GETING MY TooTH?
OR WILL MY MONEY BE SOaKED? LiNCOLN
The second theme of this post is my first embrace-the-camera moment...a good friend [adorable emily] of a good friend of mine [delightful jeanna] is encouraging mamas to "embrace the camera" every thursday, to be sure there is ample evidence of what we look like in real-time, real-life with our kids, since usually moms are on the other side of the lens. emily loves the honest picture, even tho the mom-reality often...pretty-much-absolutely-for-this-here-mama...means unkempt hair/face/fashion/home/etc. i am going to go ahead with my embrace, here and now, as a monday changes into a tuesday, just because. i cannot seem to get my days in order for any big/daily things, let alone a li'l old blog post, and i'm on a bit of a blog "roll" HA. so here goes.
lincoln lost his first one today! we heard it was loose, oh, about 2 months ago maybe? i think we gave up that it was coming out anytime soon. so lo and behold, they run upstairs to me this afternoon saying he lost it! it was a little bit loose and then he just yanked it out. ok!
in other dental details, neva is going to the orthodontist tomorrow for her second appointment toward braces. tho we are not sure exactly what is going to happen to her mouth tomorrow, it could be well on its way to big changes. so we thought we'd better document these sweet little ever-changing mouths! oh, and just under a small jelly-jar glass half-full of water near his bed, holding that precious little tooth, prepared for the tooth fairy just like his daddy did when he was a little boy-- is another piece of classic linc literature/composition in a message to the tooth fairy [see below]...
[Dear Tooth Fairy,]
WHERE DO YOU KEEP aLL oF THOSE TEETH?
P.S. WILL YOu DROWN GETING MY TooTH?
OR WILL MY MONEY BE SOaKED? LiNCOLN
The second theme of this post is my first embrace-the-camera moment...a good friend [adorable emily] of a good friend of mine [delightful jeanna] is encouraging mamas to "embrace the camera" every thursday, to be sure there is ample evidence of what we look like in real-time, real-life with our kids, since usually moms are on the other side of the lens. emily loves the honest picture, even tho the mom-reality often...pretty-much-absolutely-for-this-here-mama...means unkempt hair/face/fashion/home/etc. i am going to go ahead with my embrace, here and now, as a monday changes into a tuesday, just because. i cannot seem to get my days in order for any big/daily things, let alone a li'l old blog post, and i'm on a bit of a blog "roll" HA. so here goes.
a little more october!
--delinquent aunt nan...finally posting this li'l bit of adorable news, which i wrote up in november! catching up!---
just when we thought october was leaving, we discovered...he is here to stay!!! just after our fall festival we got the wonderful news that our new nephew October Sam Herrick Bartelt was born October 30 in Minnesota! Yay! we had been anxiously awaiting his arrival and were THRILLED to get to help welcome him into the world a week later on our much anticipated fall journey north. here are a few highlights. three cousins were on cloud 9 getting (after vigilant handwashing and my stern instructions to not touch his face or hands) to hold this newest sweet li'l addition to the family...
it is wild how MY baby looks a LOT more close in size to his 6 year old brother than the for-real baby boy next to him! whew!!!
i also enjoyed a little photo documentation of the bartelt brothers putting together the crib in its new home
...special times with uncles and aunts all around are always a delight!
just before we all converged in MN, uncle neil and aunt heather came to KC and treated us to a pumpkin patch trip!
just because...
just when we thought october was leaving, we discovered...he is here to stay!!! just after our fall festival we got the wonderful news that our new nephew October Sam Herrick Bartelt was born October 30 in Minnesota! Yay! we had been anxiously awaiting his arrival and were THRILLED to get to help welcome him into the world a week later on our much anticipated fall journey north. here are a few highlights. three cousins were on cloud 9 getting (after vigilant handwashing and my stern instructions to not touch his face or hands) to hold this newest sweet li'l addition to the family...
it is wild how MY baby looks a LOT more close in size to his 6 year old brother than the for-real baby boy next to him! whew!!!
i also enjoyed a little photo documentation of the bartelt brothers putting together the crib in its new home
...special times with uncles and aunts all around are always a delight!
just before we all converged in MN, uncle neil and aunt heather came to KC and treated us to a pumpkin patch trip!
just because...
Halloween
A few Halloween photos!
We had a spring-colored and a mini M&M. And a lego wizard. I had never heard of such a thing when suggested, but sure enough, Amazon sells one about one inch tall.
Daddy's techno-prowess was utilized in enlarging the lego logo for the back of the cape. I must say I enjoyed the use of my new spray can of Elmer's glue...what a concept, & a great crafty discovery. The costumes were pretty easy, thankfully, to put together--wahooo!
We had a spring-colored and a mini M&M. And a lego wizard. I had never heard of such a thing when suggested, but sure enough, Amazon sells one about one inch tall.
Daddy's techno-prowess was utilized in enlarging the lego logo for the back of the cape. I must say I enjoyed the use of my new spray can of Elmer's glue...what a concept, & a great crafty discovery. The costumes were pretty easy, thankfully, to put together--wahooo!
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
fall so far
we have had a lovely, warm fall, both eventful and uneventful in just the right ways...i might call them highlights except that a black eye is included, so perhaps we should refer to these as some of the things that stood out in the last month or two around here instead. :)
we had a great visit from aunt gayle, which included cleaning and reorganizing and making yummy macaroon cookies...
then we began our school year with a few weeks focus on a quick trip around the world: maps, books, songs, art, food, puzzles & the kitchen-ch/air-plane
lincoln had an extended moment of frustration that seems to bear mentioning...
especially since it came just a day before he, while standing next to his Daddy sitting at the table, inadvertently jumped for joy (of ice cream announced) RIGHT smack-dab-as-you-can-get into...Todd's eye, which subsequently swelled up real pretty, with lots of nice bright colors.
our simply music lessons have been going well for all 10 of my students so far. here is a pic of all three kids practicing on their keypads (before heading for the piano itself). simply music is really a wonderful way for ANYONE to learn to play the piano!
aunt jan came just in time to help us transition to this new musical adventure, which wreaks havoc with the dinner hour twice a week (tho still allows all parents to attend the lesson with their child, AND enables the later night routine to be somewhat left intact). during that week we also did another just-between-friends (JBF) sale, bringing in just over $200 for the home in Uganda that Neva is working toward "building."
AND that week we also celebrated the kids having earned 500 points combined, since May, by working each day (give or take a few weeks, yada yada) toward their routine of chore-stuff and school-stuff (we did do some school this summer) without mama-nagging or complaining-arguing-action. we all ate dinner at Fritz's train restaurant (the li'l locomotive brings you your food after you call it in on a real coiled-cord phone) and had some fabulous frozen yogurt at Emily's in Shawnee--YUM!
later in the month, Neva and I were able to attend the Global Orphan Project's "Big Event" -they literally call it that, with the tag line: "go big for the small." which i love. short, sweet, and to the point. there we were able to hear the pastor who works with GOP in Haiti speak, along with a pastor who works in Malawi, Africa with lots of orphans and the GOP. these men and their families are incredible people.
we were able to get a picture with Moise, the pastor from Haiti. we have been reading about him and his work, and his family, especially since the earthquake. we were so devastated to hear about all the destruction and loss in January. but the news that Moise's 8-year-old son Jean-Marc had been killed in the earthquake, gave us a name and a face--not too unlike the faces i treasure seeing around my own kitchen table--to remember and cherish and more clearly imagine the real heartbreak that the people of Haiti are carrying. Moise's humility and faithfulness in the midst of such deep grief have impacted my heart in unforgettable ways.
i pray that my heart will not take for granted the chance to walk with my children through yet another transition of their childhood...
a few weeks ago, Rowan made a big leap: into his new big-boy bed! we tried to document the momentous occasion with lots of pics, and while it is a bit of a sad moment for my mama's (and daddy's!) heart, there is GREAT Gladness right behind it because...we are transporting that crib any day now to be the new slumber-station for our about-to-be-born niece or nephew in MN! this sweet li'l piece of furniture was the first item of furniture that Todd and I painstakingly picked out and paid for -new- after 4 years of marriage. it has been a wonderful dream-haven for our babies and we are thrilled that it shall continue on in the family.
doesn't he look the picture of delight with his new view of the world? (and who wouldn't, with their grandma-ann-made caterpillar quilt providing such a colorful dreamland?)
lastly, and most mundane-ly... we have been enjoying a new system for keeping track of everyone's water glasses throughout the day: color-coded rubber bands. it works out quite nicely as we all have our own color, and can quickly tell which one is our own! also we recently splurged on a few new cloth napkins from etsy, for the kiddos, which are somewhat color-coded as well...
here's to hydration and hygiene!
• • •
and now may we all enjoy the delightful crunch of the leaves for a few more warm-ish weeks...
we had a great visit from aunt gayle, which included cleaning and reorganizing and making yummy macaroon cookies...
then we began our school year with a few weeks focus on a quick trip around the world: maps, books, songs, art, food, puzzles & the kitchen-ch/air-plane
lincoln had an extended moment of frustration that seems to bear mentioning...
especially since it came just a day before he, while standing next to his Daddy sitting at the table, inadvertently jumped for joy (of ice cream announced) RIGHT smack-dab-as-you-can-get into...Todd's eye, which subsequently swelled up real pretty, with lots of nice bright colors.
our simply music lessons have been going well for all 10 of my students so far. here is a pic of all three kids practicing on their keypads (before heading for the piano itself). simply music is really a wonderful way for ANYONE to learn to play the piano!
aunt jan came just in time to help us transition to this new musical adventure, which wreaks havoc with the dinner hour twice a week (tho still allows all parents to attend the lesson with their child, AND enables the later night routine to be somewhat left intact). during that week we also did another just-between-friends (JBF) sale, bringing in just over $200 for the home in Uganda that Neva is working toward "building."
AND that week we also celebrated the kids having earned 500 points combined, since May, by working each day (give or take a few weeks, yada yada) toward their routine of chore-stuff and school-stuff (we did do some school this summer) without mama-nagging or complaining-arguing-action. we all ate dinner at Fritz's train restaurant (the li'l locomotive brings you your food after you call it in on a real coiled-cord phone) and had some fabulous frozen yogurt at Emily's in Shawnee--YUM!
later in the month, Neva and I were able to attend the Global Orphan Project's "Big Event" -they literally call it that, with the tag line: "go big for the small." which i love. short, sweet, and to the point. there we were able to hear the pastor who works with GOP in Haiti speak, along with a pastor who works in Malawi, Africa with lots of orphans and the GOP. these men and their families are incredible people.
we were able to get a picture with Moise, the pastor from Haiti. we have been reading about him and his work, and his family, especially since the earthquake. we were so devastated to hear about all the destruction and loss in January. but the news that Moise's 8-year-old son Jean-Marc had been killed in the earthquake, gave us a name and a face--not too unlike the faces i treasure seeing around my own kitchen table--to remember and cherish and more clearly imagine the real heartbreak that the people of Haiti are carrying. Moise's humility and faithfulness in the midst of such deep grief have impacted my heart in unforgettable ways.
i pray that my heart will not take for granted the chance to walk with my children through yet another transition of their childhood...
a few weeks ago, Rowan made a big leap: into his new big-boy bed! we tried to document the momentous occasion with lots of pics, and while it is a bit of a sad moment for my mama's (and daddy's!) heart, there is GREAT Gladness right behind it because...we are transporting that crib any day now to be the new slumber-station for our about-to-be-born niece or nephew in MN! this sweet li'l piece of furniture was the first item of furniture that Todd and I painstakingly picked out and paid for -new- after 4 years of marriage. it has been a wonderful dream-haven for our babies and we are thrilled that it shall continue on in the family.
doesn't he look the picture of delight with his new view of the world? (and who wouldn't, with their grandma-ann-made caterpillar quilt providing such a colorful dreamland?)
lastly, and most mundane-ly... we have been enjoying a new system for keeping track of everyone's water glasses throughout the day: color-coded rubber bands. it works out quite nicely as we all have our own color, and can quickly tell which one is our own! also we recently splurged on a few new cloth napkins from etsy, for the kiddos, which are somewhat color-coded as well...
here's to hydration and hygiene!
• • •
and now may we all enjoy the delightful crunch of the leaves for a few more warm-ish weeks...
Saturday, September 4, 2010
some summer!
here are a few highlights from summer...
~abundance!!!~
(in no particular order, and without corresponding much to the pictures...)
• a wonderful turnout for neva's talent show in june (over $5000 was raised!) and now she's got her sights on working toward another home for children in Uganda...not a week goes by that we don't remember how so many of you joined us on that journey!
• berry picking, book reading, swim lessons, grandma-uncle-aunt hosting, girls getaway
• a great time at local camps & okoboji family camp
• graduation, wedding, baby shower, reunion
• in iowa virtually every weekend in july, with wonderful family events from all branches, ya-hooo!
• taking out two trees in our backyard, with hopes to turn it back into a grass-land
• touring ronald mcdonald house
• bountiful birthdays
• getting myself licensed to teach simply music (amazing australian piano method) and by just a little word of mouth here and there, i now find myself with 8 students (11 if you count the ones who live here!)
• enjoying a weekend here at home to catch up and gear to a full fall!
~abundance!!!~
(in no particular order, and without corresponding much to the pictures...)
• a wonderful turnout for neva's talent show in june (over $5000 was raised!) and now she's got her sights on working toward another home for children in Uganda...not a week goes by that we don't remember how so many of you joined us on that journey!
• berry picking, book reading, swim lessons, grandma-uncle-aunt hosting, girls getaway
• a great time at local camps & okoboji family camp
• graduation, wedding, baby shower, reunion
• in iowa virtually every weekend in july, with wonderful family events from all branches, ya-hooo!
• taking out two trees in our backyard, with hopes to turn it back into a grass-land
• touring ronald mcdonald house
• bountiful birthdays
• getting myself licensed to teach simply music (amazing australian piano method) and by just a little word of mouth here and there, i now find myself with 8 students (11 if you count the ones who live here!)
• enjoying a weekend here at home to catch up and gear to a full fall!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
