learning

In this picture Jimmy is modeling what has got to be my most favorite Kindergarten Thanksgiving themed headgear - Turkey Drumsticks. As with most things awesome from Kindergarten, they are constructed out of paper bags. I'm sorry the picture doesn't do them justice. He is also pointing to an exquisite portrait of our family.

The following are a few pieces of vital facts that he has come home from school and shared with me:

1. Culinary school is the worst kind of school ever. You can never see your parents; you sleep there, but only until 3 in the morning when they wake you up; your teacher can never, ever feed you; and you stay there forever.

Jimmy, maybe you mean boarding school? "Um, yeah, I guess. But its the worst kind of school EVER."

2. One of the biggest insults one can receive is being called "Eye Ball Lips." He is still taken aback that someone had the audacity to call him this. The person who offered him this indignity also happens to speak "salty."

3. Mice are good. Rats are EVIL.

4. One can determine the girl one will marry easily. Especially if the girl in question wears her Super Girl shirt on the same day you wear your Super Man shirt.

5. It is important to be diligent about writing your name on your paper each and every time. But it is especially awesome if every once and a while you give yourself a middle name on your paper - a middle name such as "Pherb." (The particular spelling of this name was intentionally done in honor of Phineas and Ferb, he decided to blend the PH and the -erb in honor of the two boys. I like his mini self-lesson in phonics).

what to do

If you find you've nothing to do on the afternoon (and yet you are still in your pajamas)

and your dad is home after hours of hospital stuff (7 day call is no fun for anyone!),

you may discover that "practicing" fishing in the pool can be a fine idea.

(Especially if your dad has promised that he will take you fishing to a real pond.)

So cast your line

and reel your reels!

The pond holds promise of catching real rocks

and real leaves, and real gunk.

And it will be a real good time.

she knows

Last night as we were leaving a football game, Nate was enlightening us on the highlights of the game, discussing the merits of our players vs. their players, and wondering if the arena (note, that's an "arena" and not a "stadium" which is where we just came from to watch the football game) was housing a basketball game. This of course lead to more sports discussion, when finally Grace cut in and said,

"Oh men, and their desires!"

how was your turkey?

thankful people

As the sun dawns on this beautiful Thanksgiving day, I pause for a moment to give thanks to 3 of my favorite peeps:



It is with them that I find myself...

Happy Thanksgiving to you and all of yours!!!

handsome heros

These 3 handsome gentlemen are pretty special to us.

Our Army Man:
Grandpa Beck

And our Navy Men:
Grandpa Chuck


Grandpa Jim

Wishing you a very Happy Veteran's day to you and yours!

12 hours

Ever wonder what we look like after 12 hours of driving in the car through all kinds of weather and terrain (including the three different regions of Arizona which we heard about in detail from our 4th grade geographer) and including a completely different nation (that would be the Navajo Nation))?

I'm sure you have wondered such things. So I'll show you:



Not too shabby I think, all things considered.

For the permanent record (because that's what this is) these pictures were taken as we were dining at the fine establishment of El Azteca. Sadly it was not the original El Azteca (the one Nate and I would eat at multiple Monday nights of the month because of their fine offering of "All You Can Eat Crispy Beef Taco" night), as the original one closed down right around the time we moved to STL (and that, my friends, was a very long time ago). This was the Taco Shop owned by the same people. And it was delicious.

For Fall Break (I LOVE Fall Break), we headed North to show the kids all things Provo, to visit with some family members in SLC, to attempt and pull off a surprise birthday party for my mother in law (yeah, she lives here, but she was up there at the time), and have a quick respite in Park City (we loved PC so much, we actually discussed what it would take to move there - don't worry though, I think it is just a dream).

(More to come (eventually))

the concert

A few weeks ago we had a rare opportunity - a 4th grade Tonette concert!
A Tonette concert?, you ask, is that something like 50 nine year-olds blowing until they are blue in the face into plastic recorders to make "music?"

No. In fact there is a significant difference between a Tonette and a recorder (though I have no idea what it is). The children produced charming songs (sometimes with intentional harmony). It was a fun evening and just the start of many concerts in the future. For the first quarter, band students play the Tonette, from there they are able to choose an instrument to focus on for the rest of the year. Since this particular Tonette night, we have been delighted with the tones of the flute. So far we've heard B flat, A flat, C, D, and G. It's fabulous.

ps the children were asked to wear black and white for the concert. grace chose her black and white striped dress. imagine our surprise to see the other children in white shirts and black pants. are we in agreement grace's choice is the more darling of the ensembles? i thought so.