Visitors

We have all been enjoying Janna and her boyfriend Andy. They arrived Friday and will leave for Florida next Tuesday. Nick and I are going on a date this week. We are so excited about that!
Lillian and Samuel, love our visitors the best. At one time or another both Nick and I have made a "Wow, who knew we would be jealous" comment. We really like our children.

Here is a good picture of what is in store for Janna this summer.

Samuel really likes his Aunt Janna.

Lillian really likes her Aunt Janna's girly stuff.



Memorial Day Hair Cut's
My little lamb got his summer sheering.

Andy and Charlie Brown.

We miss everyone a great deal. Warm weather is fantastic but keeps me thinking of home.

May flowers

Here is the music maker. We have all been banging and hoping for divine intervention! Yesterday Lillian said "Samuel is making the sound of the bad wolf and I am up high playing the scared little girl"; see complex composition.


Picnic in the back yard!

This past weekend it actually hit a record breaking 90...ooooo. So the children and I celebrated Friday with Corn dogs, Root bear floats (milkshake for Samuel), and Cherries.

Samuel LOVES cherries!

We laid out on the patio in the sun but eventually made a tent to read in during nap time.

Samuel is playing with a balloon Mama K (KK is what he calls her) sent in the mail.

These are pictures from Daddies morning out at the Arboretum.

Nick says that Lillian was the unofficial guide through the park and always in the direction of the duck pond. She was VERY disappointed the baby ducks would not climb into her hand.

Lillian is also a great documentary photographer.

Nick stopped to sniff some flowers, trying to narrow down the smell of root bear. Lillian gave him a strong rebuke "This is certainly no time to stop and smell the flowers!". Nick says an elderly woman passing by had a good laugh at that.


Nick's Kitchen.

Nick had us in the kitchen last night filling these bottles with the fruit of two weeks yeasty composting of Irish moss and hops. I think it may actually be palatable this time; we'll know in two more weeks.

Leah's Kitchen

Every Sunday, one mile down the road, we have a farmers market. I am so excited about the rest of the summer. In about a month though I will have my own garden full of veggie goodness. I have tomatoes, squash, beans, cucumbers, watermelon, cantaloupe, peas, spinach, and several herbs. I LOVE having a yard! Praise God!

Samuel clip

I have done two movie clips again. So look at the posts for this month, I have a dancing post. Samuel is such a joy! He loves to feed himself, put on his own pants and shoe (yes singular). Anyway, as you can see I am working on table manners. I don't know, look how much fun he is having, why spoil a good smeary, gloopy snack with propriety?

Music

This is from February or March. This is what our chilly days look like. Samuel is warm and happy, that is all I have to say. I put this up because this is a good representation of normal life around here. We dance to stay warm, we dance to keep a smile on our face, we dance and Lillian gallops; this is her Horse trot music. I think we listen to it most days. Samuel is actually pounding the drums as he struts around. We have added to our music around here. I got a piano for my Birthday, Nick got a long day and a sore back for his. What an answer to prayer; it was free. It sounds good enough for my troop to bang on it and make crazy kid music. But it is music to my ears. I loved pretending to be Mozart when I was little and can't imagine childhood with out the hope of loud and passionate piano pounding (I mean composing). Nick and I do have plans for more formal musical education in the near future and a tune up. Maybe I will get my prodigies on video for your listening pleasure; if your lucky.

Sun Day, May 4th

Today was fantastic. In the morning we walked the mile down to the community center which is an indoors mall and huge bookstore. We got pastries and books and then enjoyed a beautiful walk home. Samuel went down for his nap and Lillian Nick and I laid on the lawn and read four chapters in "Little House-By the Shores of Silver Lake". Oh! Nick bought a bat and ball down at the store. Lillian is quite a hitter. Both Nick and I had to flinch, duck, and step out of the way of a rocket ball several times. She thinks it is the best fun; especially when Nick makes a big show of getting out of the way.

Please be sure to view the "Reading" blog. I don't think I can do two video clips at once. Lillian was a good sport for ten seconds and let me record her reading.

Reading...ugh!

I thought of recording her to late. This was the first time she read this story, you can see how long it is. I could have coaxed her to read it again with chocolate; I fall back on this occasionally. She likes to get the lesson over with! I set the timer for 25 min., if she can get the lesson finished in that time we read a chapter book during Samuel's nap. The story is always the last part of the lesson. Her sight words are coming along well and her attitude is improving also.