Programming

Ben & Claire's preschool Christmas program.

off to work

You need one extra piece when heading to work in a 15" deep blizzard.

fall fun

we found the one beautiful day this year to get to the pumpkin patch.

and thanks to grandma for the pumpkins this year.

ran out of gas

Chrissy: Ben, come downstairs - what were you doing up there?

Ben: The laundry ran out of gas. I filled it up with gas.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

At least that load of clothes will be clean after using half a bottle of Tide "gas".

Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater!

They must have learned this at pre-school. We thought it was pretty funny when Ben kept reciting it over & over again at supper last night.

untangled mess

When I started a garden this past year I also planted a grape vine for fun. As that grew to about 3' tall this year (it takes 3 years to produce fruit from a new vine) I noticed it's leaves matching the vine that was taking over my back fence. Further investigation has shown the vine covering the 60' wide and 4' tall fence is one plant.

No fruit this past year, but due to the lack of pruning, they aren't supposed to. We'll see for next year.

is that your final answer?

my final measurement is....

13' 8"

that's a BIG wiener

13 feet even

One of our corn is at 13', the other three are only about 11'. I might need to head to Theisen's to get a corn stretcher.

smooth sailing

we got around to replacing the old, cracked, and sinking driveway that we had intended to replace since we purchased the place. now for a few yard details...

garage sale and a pony ride

the reading of signs posted all across town late last week. word from the kind sherpa noted that they were probably pulling in more from the pony rides.

reach for the sky

only 3,546 more to go

we don't actually start preschool until tomorrow, but the homework assignments have begun.

lemonade, candy bars, and cigarettes, oh my!

sometimes things just come out funny

otters at the zoo

mmm...sunberries

Grandma left us to baby-sit her sunberry plant for a few weeks. when claire walks past it she grabs one or two of the ripe juicy ones for a snack.

they taste a little like a kiwi

extraordinary volunteer squash

this is the volunteer squash that started to grow from my old compost pile. A few weeks ago, the vines would grow a foot or more during the day while I was at work. now the squash grow seemingly by an inch in diameter during the day. this one is 8" diameter and just started growing last week. the leaves are 2' across

sparkles

the water park is open

the inflatable water toys were released from the throngs of their boxes to the joy of Ben and Claire

Ben & Claire Go To the Dentist

Ben & Claire recently took their second trip to the dentist. This time they actually got their teeth cleaned and flossed. They were pretty good and they got surgical glove balloons and a treat out of the treat basket when they were done. (Ben picked a car and Claire picked nail polish!)

quickly - to the man cave

one of this week's projects. Chrissy also got the toyroom disaster area cleaned-up with Ben and Claire at Grandma and Grandpa Breuer's house.

to crazy daisy

does anyone remember what a crazy daisy is? if you need to find one, they have been renamed to dizzy daisy or a wacky wildflower

SUMMER is HERE

the corn looks pretty good

our corn for Iowa's tallest corn contest seems to be doing pretty well. I can't tell you how it compares to everyone else in the state, but one of ours is over 30" tall.

want to see my new trick?

a pair of colors

one of the few times they aren't beating on each other

sugar 'em up and bounce 'em around

ben and claire's party was a hit with the tropical sno, cotton candy and bounce house

it grew

the first fruit (actually vegetable) from our garden.

that Michelle Obama knows what she is talking about

I think we are fighting

Andy: Benjamin, take your sippy upstairs.
Benjamin: No, I don't want to.
Andy: Benjamin, take your sippy upstairs.
Benjamin: I think we are fighting.
Andy: HMMM???

spring sprung

aunt diane and grandma sue came down for the weekend to see some tulips in pella and kites at the festival in grinnell

a day at the circus

the circus came to Des Moines last weekend and we stopped in for a show

dirty, dirty, dirty

grandpa galen came and built a sandbox for ben and claire last weekend - and thanks to grandma jeanne for the idea on the cover. that is going to save us a TON of cleaning up

the boy who holds my heart

...he wanted to "play games" - how could I deny him?

phantom

we had a phantom egg laying in the front-yard overnight. really - it took a few hours before we figured out where they came from

swingin'

junkyard tire = $0
30' polypropylene rope from Theisen's farm and home store = $17.50
papa Joe putting up a tire swing in the backyard for Ben & Claire = priceless

and they're off

4 of the 6 kernels sprouted and grew 1-1/2 inches yesterday! you can see the heirloom tomatoes growing behind the 4 corn in front.

the contest begins

here is our start to the tallest corn stalk contest from the "Our Iowa" magazine.

http://www.ouriowamagazine.com/

..up.....up......up.......

out at the track

some of the cousins stopped by for the weekend - we had a great time

bed time

Ben got a big-boy bed today. now there will be plenty of room when the cousins come.

clean-up, clean-up, everybody clean-up

on days like today, I don't mind cleaning up after breakfast

hard work

ben helped-out putting together claire's new princess bed

I wish I could do that

cartoonage

the cuteness shall always prevail