Soccer end of season

Del Dayo Dynamites! Carly played goalie during the last game and saved around 5, she didn't let one get passed her!

Nick playing for the Del Dayo Arsenal!

When Nick went up to get his trophy, his teammates were chanting his name.

Last weekend we had our last soccer games for the season with accompanying soccer pizza/trophy parties. I am really proud of Nick and Carly for their efforts in soccer this year. Both of them made a lot of progress and learned a lot this season.

Oct/Nov

Robots, I think?

Annelise catching butterflies/moths. She would use her bug catcher she got from Grandma Cathy first and then she would round up any bottle or bag she could find to hold her specimens. She could catch a moth in the little opening of a two liter bottle in no time. She loved doing this so much, she could be outside forever doing it.

Halloween

Lots of fun this Halloween! Nick was a clone trooper, Carly was Clifford the big red dog, Annelise was a chicken, and Isaac was a toad. I figured out that Annelise has always been an animal for Halloween (flamingo, ladybug, lion, pig), she just loves animals. We had trunk or treat at the church on Saturday night, and then on Monday the kids had a Halloween parade at school that Annelise and Isaac and I went to also. Fun to see the kids all dressed up with their friends. Monday night we went over to a friends for dinner and then trick or treated around the neighborhood. Isaac picked up on the concept very quickly and learned to say trick or treat. He would also run to keep up with the gang from house to house.

Isaac's birthday

Isaac's birthday was October 9th, Sunday. I took a couple of pictures before church, and then again when we sang to him and he blew out the candles on his "truckt" cake. He blew a candle out on the 2nd try since on the first try his siblings pushed him out of the way to blow them out themselves. I guess they are pretty used to doing things for Isaac.

Carly and British Auto

Today I was looking through everyone's pictures from our time together in New York. I was in the middle of April's pictures when Carly came to look at pictures next to me. We just finished with pictures from where Grandpa Bill is buried and this picture was next.

Carly - "Ugh. Junk."

Then we went through a few more pictures, like these.

Carly - "Grama Cathy suuuure has a messy house."

laughter

I am so happy for little people that make me laugh when these days there is sadness.
I hope this makes you laugh too.

Annelise came up to me, and when she wants to turn on the charm she uses her 'I'm a sweetheart whisper angel voice' and maybe bats her eyes a litte. she said to me,
A- Mom, I'm not going to sit on your belly, I'm not
M- Ok (and I put her on my lap to hold her, she's facing me and she starts rubbing my belly)
A- I love you mom and I love the new baby.
M- What should we name the new baby?
A- Ummmmm, Ummmmmm, I love cats!

Isaac's trip to NY

Isaac loved meeting his Great Grandma Barbara. I think she first won him over by having balloons at her house when he got there. He loves balloons! Thanks Great Grandma Barbara!

There's just nothing like playing with rocks with a cousin. Isaac had a little buddy in New York, his cousin Julia.

Running Grandpa Mark down to get the mail.

If you're happy and you know it then your face will surely show it.

Jake and Isaac with Jake's sister April and daughter Julia. Thanks New York family for taking care of my boys! I know they had a great time.

gum

this morning Annelise told me very excitedly that she had gum last night. Knowing we don't have any gum in the house and also knowing she was hanging out at Grandma's last night I asked her, Where did you have gum? She said, in my mouth.

Uncle Donnie once asked her how old she was. 4! When did you turn 4? After 3!

One last thing, Carly reminded me again this morning how awesome it was that Miles lost a tooth in story time. She also added that they did the Miles cheer and that was great too.

Isaac, Asher, and Annelise

Isaac loves his cousin Asher, only 10 days apart in age. They are good little friends and it is really cute to watch them hug when they greet each other, also watching them communicate in general is amazing. I think it was Carly, our little mother, who felt the need to cover them up.

Great day at the salon! Thanks Annelise!
I wish you could've seen Annelise's face when Jake said I looked gorgeous. Annelise looked so pleased with herself, and rightly so, lots of work in that hair.

this morning

While we were driving kids to school this morning, Isaac had something that belonged to Annelise. I couldn't help sort it out because I was driving. So Annelise decided to try a new tactic. She started to sing to him a lullaby, "Go to sleep Isaac." I wasn't paying attention until she said, mom, he's not going to sleep. I told her he wasn't tired, he just woke up for the day. She was whining and said, i'm tired. i said, then you go to sleep. she said, no i'm tired of isaac being awake.

also about annelise.... someone suggested last night for family home evening that we sing the abc song. i guess it's been awhile since i've sung it with annelise. i wasn't prepared for emmellemmel p, for the lmnop part.

2 good ones

Our first week of school has ended and I've got a couple of short conversations I wanted to post about. First one happened a couple of days ago with Annelise in the van...
A- Mom, is Carly potty trained?
M- Yes, she is
A- and Isaac is potty trained
M- no, Isaac's not potty trained
A- well, is he poop trained?
M- no, he's not
A- well what train is he on?


2nd was earlier tonight with Carly. please imagine Carly's passion as she speaks.
C- Mom, my day at school was UH. MAY. ZING YEAH!!!
M- really? what was the best part about the day?
C- Miles lost a tooth in story time!

First day of school

Annelise was so very cold, we're not used to being outside before 8.

Nick and his good buddy are in the same class.

Carly as she's walking in line to her class.

Today was the first day of school. We've got a third grader now and a first grader. They are getting so big. No tears from the kids, but it's hard for this mom. Bittersweet.

couple of recent pictures

The girls loved getting curlers in their hair.

These kids are growing up so fast. Another school year starts this Monday!

visit from the George family

Thanks to Jake's sister Gretchen and her family for coming to visit us last night. Each visit is better than the last and we are so excited for your possible move out our direction next year! The cousins had a great time getting to know each other. Isaac was especially taken with the idea of a person smaller than him. You've got a great family Brady and Gretchen!

Happy Birthday Grandma Barbara

Dear Great Grandma Barbara,
During the week, each kid has drawn a picture for you, especially for your birthday.





Happy Birthday from all of us! We love getting your letters and wish we lived closer together. We miss you and love you!
Love,
Jake, Robyn, Nick, Carly, Annelise, and Isaac

Excerpt from a scene of an unobserved ultimatum between two sisters from behind a bedroom door:

Aside: Robyn heard this from our two girls as they conversed in the hallway outside her bedroom door on Sunday morning. The sisters are Carly, 6 and Annelise, 4. This is the retelling of the conversation in its original and uncensored form.

Carly: “Annelise, do you want to play PollyPockets, or DIE!?”

Annelise: “Die.”

Carly: “No, Annelise, do you wanna play PollyPockets, or die FOR REAL!?”

Annelise: “For real.”

(Carly growls in frustration and stalks off)

Annelise (falling to the floor, declares): “I’m DEAD.”

Carly (yelling from their bedroom): “Annelise, come in and play PollyPockets, RIGHT NOW!”

Annelise (in a defeated voice): “ok.”

i'll be the mommy, you be the sweetie

the other day i heard annelise say to carly, " let's pretend i'm the mommy and you're the sweetie." i thought that was a cute thing for her to say so the next day, with nick, carly, and annelise around i said to carly, "carly how about i be the mommy and you be the sweetie." c - nah, i don't wanna be the sweetie, how about nick bes the sweetie. and i'm nothing....... and annelise is nothing.........but trouble!

funny carly

tonight nick was fake crying as a joke and carly said,
"dear nick,
stop crying.
love, carly"

April 4 - York

York was a beautiful city with Roman history, like Bath. I didn't know much about York before we arrived but left with an increased appreciation for its history and architecture. We got up and out fairly early to do some recon, intending to take a guided tour of the city mid morning. We strolled through the park and passed the remains of St. Mary's Abbey which was destroyed by Henry VIII when he attacked the monastic establishments in England.

Also in the park, opposite the Yorkshire Museum were the remains of part of the original Roman wall. York was, and still is to some extent, a walled city. The wall is wide enough to allow a person to walk atop the wall around the city.


We crossed the Ouse river and walked some of the wall before heading back up for the tour. Outside of the wall, the earth ramparts were covered in grass and the daffodils were in bloom, it was really beautiful.


Our tour was rather small, us and a pair of Pennsylvanians. The tour led us back through the part and we learned about the Roman founding of the city, the walls, the Abbey, we got up on the wall and walked around half of the city or so.


Down to the Minster, over through the Shambles, then to the center of the city where our tour ended. I enjoyed the tours of both Bath and York. The English, in general, have a wonderful sense of humor in my opinion and our tour guides were no exception. After the tour, we ambled back to the Shambles to visit some more of the twisting, winding alleyways that made this part of the town famous.


We hit the Minster for a mid day tour and learned all about the gorgeous stained glass and this impressive edifice which took 200+ years to complete, spanning 3 different English building styles and surviving the Monastic purge of Henry VIII.


One of my favorite stained/painted glass sections visually described the process of bellfounding, or the casting of a bell. Each in the series showed a different step in the process. What a fantastic way to preserve a manufacturing order.


Outside the building we ran into Constantine, who embraced Christianity and forbade persecution of Christians throughout the Empire. He was crowned Emperor in York in 306.