BFT (boy free time)

Momma gets a night out. So dad says that we dont have to eat vegetables or take a bath! Sweet!

I went with Aunt Sally to the Overture center to see Natalie MacMaster, a great Celtic fiddle player and her band. The music was great I highly recommend seeing her if she comes to your neck of the woods. The Overture center is pretty cool! Below is a 4 story tower of LED lights !

Fort building 101

We had our first lessons in fort building. It was fun crawling in the tunnels...until dad got stuck. He needed a little assistance in getting out.

Cleaning, baking, fashion KING!

Peter is quite the domestic king. He loves cleaning, a man after my own heart!
And is very helpful baking except this one time......we learned what happens when you turn on the kitchen aide to fast!

The cookies lasted 2days......guess we have to make some more!

He also knows how to dress...watch out ladies...he cooks, cleans and likes clothes!!!

"NO pictures please....I am trying to get some quiet story time"

The warm weekend

It is "warm", well warm enough for us to spend a little time outside! So we headed to NewGlarus State park. Who says you cant play on the equip when there is snow on it!

Jamison might be the one in the family that will climb Mt Everest!

Get a set of crampons for that boy!"

"He's a snow eater" (must be sung to the 1980's hit song "Maneater" by Hall and Oats)

They all are!

After playing on the equip, we took to the trails for nature hike. We learned about camouflage and that blue and brown are good colors when hiding in the forest. Red and orange is not, sorry Jamison and Daddy. We also learned that you can easily follow Daddy's tracks when you are trying to find him. I think it is time to head home for a nice warm lunch and a nap, for everyone!

brrrr The things we do to stay warm

So it has been a little chilly here the past week or so. Yes, that says -11°F. If you cant do the math, the next photo is the temerapture in °C. I cant get myself to type it.
So we have been trying to think of new ways to have fun and stay warm. This game is called "try to catch me". The boys would run around the circle of the house and as they pass by I would try to catch a photo of them. If I got them, they would come running to take a look.

A fun game, got us moving and our blood pumping! Next we painted with ooye gooye paints (finger paints) and other assorted media.
It is suppose to get warmer this weekend then we can get out and run!

Packer Game, Sad Loss

I finally came to the acceptance stage of the grieving process. I cant say much more then...it was cold.....and we lost. We will come back strong next year!

Go Pack GO!

Courtesy of the Larson Family, below are pictures from last weeks game at La La La La Lambeau!Thanks Brian! One more to the superbowl!

Night in the workshop

Friday nights are exciting here. Gma and Gpa Cullen gave our first model airplanes for christmas. Here is Jamison painting the fusaloge red and Peter is painting the wings white. The boys did a fab job keeping most of the paint on the plane. Most of the paint. To Jamison's defense the paint was on his hand and then he wiped his brow because he was working so hard.Then we got out tool belts on and started working on the tractor

"you put the what? into the what??" Says Peter. "where is that manual?"
And then off to the soap box derby races. We are getting a head start to the boy scout years of racing. Gpa Van's cars go pretty nice...need a little axel grease.

(and by the way, Pat did a great job getting his shop almost organized. A few more boxes and he should be set. I will start taking bets as to when it looks like a tornado hits the shop again). Now I just need him to set up my work bench and then I will know where a hammer is.

And an weather update.....there were some crazy storms through this area earlier this week. I believe lightening struck really stinking close to the house or barn. You ask how I might know that....we I woke up to thunder and lightening Monday morning, and heard/saw the LOUDEST crack I have ever heard in my like (no exaggerating) and then when I got out to the garage to go to work, both of the garage door openers did not work, half of the lights in the garage are blown and a couple electrical outlets no longer work. There were fire trucks, police cars and town utility trucks investigating. I have not had a chance to talk to the neighbors yet so hopefully someone will know something.

An animal adventure

The boys and I were on an adventure to find a nature center where we could take our field books and journal and learn about animals. The boys were a little confused by the field journals that I made because Diego has a computer. I explained to them that when I was younger and did research I used paper. (I walked to school up hill both ways also.) I learned that there are no nature centers with in an hour drive so we tried the arboretum which sadly did not open until 12:30. So off to the zoo, always a favorite.On another note, Peter thought it would be funny to "dress like Jamison". I have to be honest, it has been a little confusing. I am use to using the color to identify which kid is up to no good. Today I have to pause before I shot a name. (Jamison was very nice letting Peter wear his clothes)

Like father like son

Jill came across some photos that I found very scary! Peter looks like a spitting image of his father, with out the curly hair.Even in behavior, scary