Tuesday, October 28, 2008




Hey Malia can I come hiking with you?

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Things I don't get to see every day!

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NYC w/the Cubba's


Thanks Chelsea and Chris for making me a part of your Manhattan life!!! Here a a few of our highlights. Although the funniest part of the trip was all 3 of us in a tiny rick-shaw with a tiny man pulling us! (I have to get that pic from you.) We had a blast:) Thanks Chris for your best shoot at talking the Doughnut Plant into letting me make a few doughnuts, you tried. You were the best personal tour guide and on top of all the directions we needed! Thanks Chelsea for bringing us to the doughnut plant...way amazing jelly doughnuts! Also for loving the Phantom as much as I do, you know what I mean! Where to next!!!
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Thursday, October 16, 2008

Dinner w/Malcolm's Family

Have you ever seen Malcolm in the Middle, a tv show? Well if you have and you have seen them eat dinner then you will be able to picture what I am about to write.

There are dinners in this family that I wonder if we will slowly turning into Malcolm's who can burp the loudest, talk the loudest, throw dinner into your brother's mouth the farthest! (It is time to crack down!) Last night was one of those times. I felt like Lois just sitting there quietly trying to eat a peaceful dinner (because I 'm starving) amidst constant outburst from my wild little boys.
Allow me to set the stage for such dinners. For those of you who are saying really not them they are so well behaved when we see them. Or really Michelle they should know their manners by now.
First - Dad has a late meeting which means he will not be home in time to eat with us = bad!
Second - I have just spent the last hour making them one of their favorite soups = good they will gobble it up.
Third - My body is used to shutting down by the time dinner rolls around and Dad walks in the door to take over discipline duty = really bad!
Fourth - the boys have become great friends = good! Except when you want them to sit quietly and eat, only one has to act up a little and the whole crew follows. It's like I want to yell "stop getting along and having fun with each other and be quite!!!" Which I can't do because I will undo all the other time I spend teaching them to get along and be "good brothers".
Fifth - I am HUNGRY!

Dinner - Everyone is in their seats hungry and so excited mom has made potato chowder a family favorite. Cheers coming from the table "yeah chowder...yeah I'm hungry...yeah". I am thinking I just have to serve it and they will return my hard work with quite full mouths and a little thank you as they clear their own plates to the counter...right, this is what I have taught them to do (insert pat on the shoulder). The boys get their chowder, I sit, we pray and they begin to eat. One bite in - silence. Second bite in - is where it all breaks down. Taatjes - slams his hand onto the table; "I can slam my hand harder than yours". I sit quietly thinking one round and it will pass no need to get all parental, take a break and eat. Trey - slam! Teague - slam. Taatjes again - slam. Trey again - slam. Teague again - slam. "Ah ha ah ha ah ha!!!" All 3 - slam, slam, slam. Mom calmly saying "enough". "Ok" from the 3 of them. Trey; "I can eat faster than you". Taatjes; "no you can't I can". Teague plunges in to prove he will eat faster. Taatjes is now chocking because he has tried to swallow so many bites with out taking any breaths in between them and has now had to attempt the full mouth breath resulting in chowder to the lungs! Trey and Teague laughing because they think he is playing around. Mom telling him to calm down take a drink and patting him on the back a little. Also informing his brothers that this is not laughing matter and they are not helping, please stop. Trey (who hates conflict - wonder where he gets that) hides in his arms which are placed around his bowl. Teague who copies everything that Trey does places his head in his arms directly around his bowl. Taatjes now recovered thinks they are hiding from him, places his head in his arms, around his bowl, begins laughing and saying, "you can't see me". Again all 3 join in the laughter of "you can't see me, ha ha ha"! Mom now begins to say more firmly, since she sees the potential in this to end badly, "stop and pick your heads up this is not play time it is dinner". They do not listen they are laughing to much. Again with a slightly deeper tone and a bit more short tempered, "stop it get up now and eat the correct way." 2 manage to sit up 1 remains and is still laughing while he hides. Until he tips his bowl of soup straight into his face and all over the table!!! The ha ha's have turned into the bo ho's of crying with soup all over his face. I do feel for him a bit. All I do is sit there and hand his some paper towels and tell him to clean himself up and the table and add a little I warned you this would not end well. (Ok obviously I helped him he can't actually clean the mess up well enough by himself, but, he did have to do most of it) Really to be honest I had no sympathy for him. I kept thinking I told you so! I know this is so childish of me. But really, all I wanted was a quick QUITE dinner and I was forced to keep parenting and I hate when I have to remind myself that nobody said parenting was going to be easy so buck up and get control of your family! You can't wait until you are having dinners like Malcolm's family!!!

Hey Lisa do you feel me on this one, or, should I put the mother of the year award in the mail right now for you:)

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Fire Men?


More Soccer Mom Photos


Nanna B the middle one is your Hi-5. It happened so fast I didn't get the best shot:(
I am constantly between taking pics and pulling Taatjes and Teague off the soccer field. We play so much at home that they assume they are also on the team. The first one is Teague dribbling an extra ball out onto the field before I snagged him. They only have 2 more games left. So sad.
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Nanna B's Visit

Thanks for coming over our way Nana B! We had a great time w/you! Pumpkins, soccer game, and Wii! (Is your arm still sore from Wii?) Just a few pics from our time together:) The boys said that next time you come they want you to bake them another apple pie:)
To bad I didn't get any pics of your Wii boxing match!!!
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Friday, October 10, 2008

The return of the spitting cobra...

He is back!

Had to share this spitting cobra moment.

The boys and I were playing animals, a favorite. Trey - cheetah, Teague - zebra, Mom - lion, and Taatjesa - cobra. Play, play, play...Ahh it's a cobra attack on the mountain! The cobra (Taatjes) attacks the lion out of no where. Cobra/Taatjes - "ahh I spit venom in your eyes. Your dead and you can't see!"

I was trying to take the death of my lion seriously bad had trouble controlling my laughter. I love it, "your dead! and you can't see!" too funny.

Tuesday, October 07, 2008

Celebrating Alyssa and Ian

Yeah to the beautiful newly weds:) We had so much fun! Tons to eat, tons to drink, loved the night time bon fire. (Jennifer took bon fire pics. I was to busy making smores.) Thanks for the great celebration and congratulations Ian and Alyssa, we love you.
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Teague and HeeHaw


Teague had HeeHaw all to himself!!! What more could a boy ask for!
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Soccer Ninja

Soccer Ninja - self titled


Dad giving out his coaching instructions:)


Go, go, go....