Automatic Prayer

Tara and Hannah were in the office the other night looking at pictures. Hannah was asking questions and Tara was doing her best to answer them and keep up.

At one point, Tara pointed out that the woman in one picture was her grandma Ruth who passed away. Tara said, 'this is my grandma and she's in heaven.'

Hannah followed that up with, 'hallowed be thy name.'

Obviously, Hannah is listening in church because she filled in the gap from a prayer called the 'Our Father'. We say it every week in church and it's amazing what they pick up when you think they are coloring or just plain not paying attention. At this point, Carson and Hannah know most of their prayers and even ask to say night time and before-meals prayers.....pretty wild.

Some Things Remain The Same

On the way home from Hannah's school yesterday, we drove by The Landing which is a retirement community that the kids go to and play games with the retirees. Hannah noticed this and decided to remind me that she goes to The Landing sometimes with her friends.

So, I asked her what she does there..........

'Well, we can't play puzzles,' Hannah says.

'Why not?' I ask.

'They keep forgetting how to play,' Hannah quips.

'Who forgets how to play?'

'The Landing people,' she says. Well, bless their hearts. I would imagine that the elderly living at The Landing appreciate the company but probably do forget a few things.

This reminded me of story Carson told us about a year or so ago when he mentioned going to The Landing too. He said that he played with 'Henry,' one of the retirees. According to Carson, playing at The Landing was fun but Henry was forgetful.

Carson was apparently showing Henry how he could write his name on a piece of paper and at one time asked Henry to do the same.....however, Henry would keep asking Carson if he wanted him to write his name, even after doing so. Carson would have to remind Henry that he already wrote his name and keeps forgetting.

The kids really enjoy The Landing but it's funny listening to them talk about their experiences there.

Ready for Next Season

As you all know, Carson turned 7 this month. One of the gifts he received (from Grandma and Grandpa in Elmwood) was a new baseball mitt. I oiled the mitt up for him under the guidance of Grandpa (who has probably broken in his fair share of mitts over the years) but I really didn't think Carson would take much of an interest in the process. I was wrong.

Starting that evening, he'd put the glove on, toss the ball in the glove several dozen times, stuff a ball in the pocket when he was done, then wrap the rubber band back around the glove and ball combination to keep it formed up. This continued on for the next few days, almost religiously.

A few days after getting the glove, I was talking to a friend of mine that played baseball in college. His trick was to place the glove (with baseball in the pocket) under his mattress when he slept to get the glove broken in. I told Carson about this 'trick' and he started going the same thing.

It's funny. Now Carson digs under his mattress, throws the ball into the glove a few dozen times, plays catch in the air, and stuffs the glove back between the mattresses. Although he's in mourning that the baseball season has come to a close and he can't fall asleep watching the game he loves, it looks like the new birthday present has him turning toward next season already.

The Best Daddy of All

Two days ago, Hannah brings me a book that she's checked out from the local library. She wanted me to read it to her so I take the book and she slides onto the couch next to me ready to listen.

I always start by reading the title of the book so this time isn't any different.....

So I begin, "The Best Daddy of All"

Hannah chimes in, "That's just like you, daddy."

WOW. This about brings me to tears.....Hannah scored BIG points with me. And Tara says that Hannah is wrapping me around her finger.

She's probably right.

Happy Birthday Carson

Carson is the big 7 today. He spent the day playing with his buddy Braedon, rolling around on his motorized scooter, and playing hard. Here is a picture of him in front of his cake. We invited the family down to celebrate and have some treats:

Happy Birthday Carson. The past 7 years have flown by. I'm sure the next 7 will as well.

The Wisdom of Hannah

So, the other night, I was hanging out reading the newspaper and Hannah (for some reason) decides to comment on eyes...........

'Dad, I have brown eyes just like you. They are brown. Carson has the same eyes as Mom. They are blue.'

'They are green but close enough,' I say.

Hannah proceeds to say, 'Does Echo have the same eyes as Ginger? I tried to look but they keep running away from me.'

That's funny. At least from my perspective.....a little glimpse into what runs through Hannah's brain.

At this point, I think that Hannah is in a pretty funny mood so I ask her a question:

'So, Hannah......why do you think the sun shines in the sky?'

'Um......it comes up when the moon goes down' she says. That is correct, but not quite what I was looking for so I ask again.

'Thats right but why do you think it shines so bright?'

Hannah doesn't think about this question long. 'Um, it is bright so we can see and not bump into stuff.' Now that is a good answer.

I tried a few other quesions after this but she started firing off crazy stuff and not really that funny.

Carson's Soccer Team

Carson has soccer practice tonight and a game tomorrow. Hopefully I can take a few pictures of him in action to post in the next few days.

This year, I roped Tara and I into being the 'coaches' for his soccer team which is really just a glorified way of saying 'babysitters.' Tara takes care of the emails to parents and setting up who brings treats for the kids after the games each week. I take care of herding 7 soccer-crazy boys and doing the substitutions during the game.

This year, Carson's team is rolling right along. They are undefeated with a game or two left. It's absolutely amazing to see the difference between when he started and now. He's passing the ball and pulling off some soccer moves that leave me amazed.....like a few games ago when he 'bunny hopped' with the ball around one defender to score a goal. The referee was laughing but said it was legal and was a pretty good move.

Happy Birthday Hannah

Here are some photos from Hannah's 4th birthday.....such as her birthday garb. Note the 'birthday princess' shirt:

And the look on her face when she gets to blow out the candles:

Or the way that her brother finds a way to ruin a good picture:

And, of course, the 'birthday princess' pigging out on the birthday cookie:

Happy birthday Hannah! We hope you had a great one!

The Phone Call

I received a call from Carson's teacher today....Hmmm....not usually a good thing, at least from my experience. Especially, when the call comes in on a Sunday.

She just wanted to check in and tell us that Carson was doing well, especially in Math. In fact, he is helping teach others and has been identified (at least at this point) as strong in Math. She asked if he told us or not......."That would be 'certainly not'." The little guy tells us about how many goals he scored on the 2nd graders at recess, and if the hot dog bun was soggy at lunch. Not so much said about doing well in school.

So, I asked him about it. Really, all I could get out of him is that Math is 'harder than in Kindergarten but it's still pretty easy.'

I had to tell him how proud I was of him because Tara and I always tell him school is sooooo....important. Great job, Carson.

His teacher also told us one little tidbit that was almost verbatim of what his Kindergarten teacher told us.......Carson has a great sense of humor. He apparently gets all of the mature humor that both teachers have thrown out to the class, and it sounds like he is the only one!

I don't quite know what that means. Are we letting him watch too much t.v.? Are we treating him more like a 10 year old than a 6 year old? Is he going to be another 'Larry the Cable Guy'? Who the heck knows, but he sure is a little character.

The Funny Side of Hannah

Wednesday, I picked Hannah up from school (daycare). Hannah seemed to be in a VERY good mood. As I picked her up to put her in the back of the Expedition, she noticed a wrap on my arm from giving blood....so she asked what it was. I told her that it was an 'owey', that I gave blood, and that I was okay....and jumped in the front seat to drive away.

Hannah says, "Are you okay to drive?" To me, this sounds very funny coming from a 3 year old.

So we continue driving towards home. Hannah proceeds to ask if we're going to the 'big school to pick up Carsey.' I tell her, "No, Hannah. Mom already picked him up."

"What for," Hannah asks.

"Well, Mom had to take Carson to church class so he could learn about Jesus."

Hannah retorts, "So, Carson is at CD player?".........Uh, that's CCD little girl.

So we're at home and several hours later, Hannah breaks into a Husker cheer that she apparently learned from someone in her class that goes: "Go Big Red. Sock 'em in the head. Don't give 'em roses, Give 'em bloody noses....." This, of course, makes her mother stop and take notice wondering how her 'little girl' learned a 'big girl' cheer.

I have to tell you. The things that the kids say from time to time just make us shake our heads.

...And a Stop at a New Spot

And before calling it 'quits' in K.C., we decided to tag along with Jake, Clara, and Reva to Worlds of Fun for a day. This was Carson and Hannah's first trip here and they both had totally different interests. Carson's favorite ride was called 'Spinning Dragons' which is a roller coaster where the car spins around as its going around the track. Hannah, however, decided that Camp Snoopy was the place to be (except for the fact that she freaked out each time the guy dressed in the Snoopy suit came around).

Here is Hannah giving the 'thumbs up' in the Red Baron ride:

And Carson on the bumper cars:

The kids version of the 'Detonator' in Camp Snoopy (ask Tara about the big kids Detonator which reaches a speed of 45mph in 1 sec straight up in the air):

Hannah 'driving' a car:

Worlds of Fun was a blast. At the end of the day, both kids were pretty wiped out from all the junk food and constant running around. It was certainly worth the price of admission.

A Quick Trip To A Favorite Place

Before Carson started school, we decided to make a quick trip down to the Great Wolf Lodge in Kansas City. We asked 'Nana' (aka: JoAnn) to tag along as well. Here are 'the girls' during dinner our first night in K.C. :



Carson and his cousin Jake playing a game on a floating snake. I believe the game was 'full contact':

Hannah after going down the slides:

Carson and Jake digging for dinosaurs at T-Rex restaurant:


Hannah and cousin Clara digging as well:

It was really nice that Carson and Hannah could play with their cousins at one of their favorite spots on the planet. It was a good end to the summer and a quick vacation before the start of school.

A Visit From the 'E'

Carson had 'pet day' today as part of his summer camp program. He chose to take his frog (Jumpy) and Echo. Not much work for Carson; More work for his parents.

Last night, we rearranged and cleaned 'Jumpy's' cage and got him ready for his trip to school today. Carson took him in the morning and he stayed there all day. Tara and I were pretty sure that 'Jumpy' would have a nervous breakdown with Carson (and others) trying to take him out of the cage but it appears that he survived with flying colors.

Getting Echo ready was a bit easier....just a quick combing for that pesky loose hair. But Tara had to take off early from work to get him to Carson's class by 3:30pm. It sounds like Echo had a good time and was well behaved. Hannah even got to see him for a short time while at school....which she loved.

Training Our Seals

Okay, you probably had to be there on this one but I have to post it......

Have any of you out there ever been to the Lincoln Zoo when they have the 'seal show?' They basically have two harbor seals that perform different 'tricks' and assorted stuff while the zoo keeper or trainer explains a bit about the animal. Several times during the show, the trainer uses some device that makes a loud 'click click' noise and requires the seal to touch its nose to the trainers fist and, if successful, gets a treat (fish).

I'm walking down the stairs this morning and hear Carson 'click click'ing in the dining room. As I make it downstairs, I see Echo and Ginger taking turns touching their nose to Carson's fist and get rewarded with a treat (not a fish). I asked Carson if he was training the dogs. He said that he was, just like they do with the seals at the zoo.

Observant and creative kid. And he has the dogs listening to him better than they listen to me.

A Week Off

This past week, we pulled the kids from daycare and spent the week doing different things. One of the days, we went to the Omaha Zoo and The Amazing Pizza Machine. Here are a few pictures from that day:

Here is Carson and Tara on the roller coaster inside The Amazing Pizza Machine:

Here Hannah is bowling. The cheer is for hitting at least one pin:
Hannah posing with the lion statue:

Tara and Carson on the Skyfari ride:

Carson posing with the lion statue:

Hannah's Dance Dance Dance Recital

This is a video clip of Hannah's Dance-Dance-Dance recital last month at her daycare. I forgot to upload it.....but here it is now. She is in the middle, back row.

School's Out

Carson finished up Kindergarten this week! We are so proud of him. We sure are going to miss his teacher, Mrs. Zettermen. She did such a great job....now we're curious who he'll end up with next year.

Carson and Hannah are both going to Williamsburg Village this summer. Hannah keeps doing what she's been doing. Carson, on the other hand, is attending 'Camp W.E.B.' which plans a bunch of activities during the week to keep the kids engaged. Stuff like going to a movie, going to the library, field trips to various businesses....he was in Camp W.E.B. last year and had a blast.

Currently, we are keeping busy running Carson around to various activities. He just finished up soccer through the Capital Soccer Association and is playing coach-pitch baseball through the Junior Saltdogs. He is one of only two Kindergartners playing on his team. The rest are 1st and 2nd graders.

AND......I would be remiss if I didn't point out who's birthday it is today.

A big 'Happy Birthday Tara (Mom)' is in order. We love you!!!

On Yellow

We picked Hannah up from 'school' yesterday and were told by her teachers that she was good for most of the day but ended up on 'yellow' at the end for pushing a friend. Of course, we had to address this and asked Hannah about it:

Hannah said that she pushed her friend Emerson when she was on the slide. "Why did you do that Hannah?" we asked. "She wouldn't go down the slide...I pushed her and she cried," was her answer.

We asked the perfect follow-up question, "How do you think that made her feel?"

Hannah's response was priceless...."It didn't hurt that much."

A Little Patience Please

We were getting the kids bathed last night and Carson was his typical self.....if you haven't realized it yet, Carson has two speeds off of the soccer field or the baseball diamond--slow and backwards. So, while I'm not on any time line last night, I tried to get the kids moving along so we can get some things done in the evening. Needless to say, this didn't work very well so I had to keep reminding Carson to hurry up and dry himself off.

Finally, Carson said to me, "Dad, do you know what the word patience means?" I tell him, "Yes Carson. I know what it means. Get dried off."

Carson says, "Jeez, have some patience please."

These kids are too smart for their own good.

New Addition

We welcomed a four-legged friend into our family today! Echo was a surrendered dog from the Capital Humane Society and in desperate need of a loving home so we brought the kids to interact with him and found that he is fond of both Carson and Hannah. He is very gentle and very passive....and he found a buddy in Carson. Actually, the two of them are practically inseparable. Here are a few photos of the two of them when we first brought Echo into the house:

I Call it What I Want to Call It

I just got back from a training class held in a suburb of Kansas City, MO and as soon as I walk in the door tonight, the kids are in rare form. Carson's messing with Hannah by taking her seat at the counter....Hannah's messing with Carson by taking some toy that belongs to him. Basically, same story, different day.

Carson mentions something about a mole on his arm and asks me if that is what it is. Hannah says, "No it isn't. It's an owey." Not one to be outsmarted by anyone, Carson corrects her and tells her again, "Its a mole." Hannah....."Owey." Carson....."Mole." I'm thinking, "Who cares?"

Hannah then tells her older brother this one thing: "I call it what I want to call it....It's an owey." The end. The boss has spoken.

Happy Easter

Happy Easter everyone!

Carson and Hannah woke up to an Easter bunny visit downstairs. They spent the morning locating Easter eggs and devouring the candy inside. The interesting thing is that Carson is old enough to make attempts at swindling his sister trying to talk her out of her 'good' candy and make trades. Also interesting is that Hannah is now old enough--and enough of a chocolate connoisseur--to know she is getting swindled by Carson and deny his requests for a trade. Its funny listening to the two of them go back and forth.

We hope everyone has a safe and happy Easter holiday season and doesn't put on too many chocolate pounds....

Swimming Lesson(s)

We recently signed Carson and Hannah up for swimming lessons with the local YMCA. Carson said he wanted to do it....and didn't say much else. Hannah has been asking to go to swimming lessons for a little bit and seems genuinely excited.

Today, I picked the kids up from school and the first thing out of Hannah's mouth was, "Can we go to swim lessons now?" I thought we were doing pretty good.

The kids ate dinner, got ready for the trip to the YMCA and Hannah couldn't stop talking about the lessons. We arrived and went into the pool area....Hannah couldn't wait to get her swimming suit on. I knew we were doing good.

When 6:00 p.m. rolled around and Hannah's teacher was introduced....and it was time to go with him, Hannah decided that swimming lessons weren't for her. Couldn't get her in the water. Carson, on the other hand, ran up to his teacher, jumped in the water, and listened well. He said he had a great time.

Maybe, Hannah goes in next time. Or maybe she doesn't and we wait until next year.

Hannah's Pics

Okay, Hannah didn't take this picture....I did. It's Hannah with her cousins Clara and Reva.

Here is a picture of Carson and Jake doing something.....probably playing with the snakes. Notice how this isn't a very good picture. It was probably taken as the girls were 'retreating.'

This is a picture of Jake sitting outside the cabin.

A photo of the outside of the cabin as seen from the road.

This must be a photo from Hannah's view on the porch. This is what the world looks like to a 3 year old.

A Weekend at Mahoney

This past weekend, we needed to do something besides sit around the house. Carson was the 'Star of the Week' two weeks ago and at the end of that week, he was given the task of taking 'Buddy Bear' home for the weekend. Everyone in his class gets their turn to take Buddy Bear home and then write in Buddy's journal about what they did. Tara figured that 'sitting around the house' or 'fighting with my sister' wouldn't be a very interesting thing to write in the journal. Initially, we had planned to go back to Columbus and visit Grandpa Steve but they were sick that weekend and we needed to make other plans ASAP. That is when Tara came up with the idea of renting a cabin at Mahoney State Park.

We were able to check in Saturday afternoon, after the kids played at the outside playground area, and invited their cousins from Omaha to join as well. Needless to say, we had a full house Saturday night with Carson, Hannah, and their three cousins Jake, Clara and Reva partying until late.

The kids had a great time. Jake and Carson rode their bikes, walked in the woods and found deer, played with snakes.....scared the girls with the snakes. Hannah, Clara, and Reva liked playing at the outdoor play center, watching movies, and playing with babies......and the snacks, not the snakes.

So during that weekend, Carson was able to spend the night at Nana and Papa's, party in a cabin, and see his cousins. And write a bunch in Buddy Bear's journal.

Another WINGS Award

Carson 'won' his second WINGS award this past week in computer class....for being a great student. We are so proud of him.

We had parent-teacher conferences again a few days ago. As we expected, Carson is still doing very well in class. His reading, writing, and math skills are way ahead so she keeps challenging him. He still wants to lead everything and sometimes tries to challenge his teacher's authority, which lands him in the 'safe seat'....something like a 're-set button' for kids.

Yesterday, we learned that Caron will be the STAR OF THE WEEK all of next week. Basically, it's an opportunity for him to bring show-and-tell items to school, make a poster and bring photos of our family, and lead the class wherever they travel to during the day (i.e. recess, lunch room, computer class, P.E.) He sure is excited about it.

Keep up the good work Carson. We are proud of you.

It Just Falls Out

As I was driving to work today, Tara called me on the cell phone and told me about a conversation she was having with the kids on their way to daycare. Somehow the conversation turned to Aunt Lindsay and her pregnancy.

Tara said an innocent comment like, "Lindsay's tummy is getting bigger."

Hannah has things figured out considering she has about 30 'babies' scattered between her room, the toy room, and the basement. Without missing a beat, she says "and when it gets too big, it just falls out."

Sorry Lindsay. The gig is up. We don't want to hear about how tough or long the labor was. We know the true story.....it just falls out.

Band Director Carson

Here is a clip of Carson being Carson at the Band Supper in Elmwood last night. I believe it may be the first time he's paid attention to the band director and was trying out his moves.....

Is it Halloween Already?

Tara and I went to a marriage retreat this past weekend and left the kids among the grandparents from Friday evening until Sunday afternoon. We told the kids that we were going on a 'retreat.' During the weekend, Tara and I were to focus on our marriage and each other rather than worry about the kids, the house, our jobs, etc.

Nevertheless, we broke the rules and called to check on Carson and Hannah sometime Saturday evening. Hannah apparently went up to Joann, Tara's mom, and told her that we went 'trick-o-treating'. That's pretty close to 'retreat.'

We were worried that Hannah would want to see a giant bag of candy when we walked through the door.....but she didn't. She just wanted a bunch of hugs.

In Loving Memory

This post is in loving memory of Sidney. He had a short life but lived it to the fullest and brought us a bunch of memories. His departure leaves a big void in our family; one that we'll feel for some time.

We adopted Sidney when our Golden Retriever, Bailey, died three years ago. Sidney was from a breeder (read: puppy mill) and ended up with a birth defect; kidneys that didn't work very well. Our vet thought that, given similar situations he's witnessed in the past, Sidney wouldn't live more than a few months. He managed to prove everyone wrong living three years.

Sidney and Bailey were fantastic dogs however both died early in their young lives and both were from breeders who turned dogs over as quickly as they could. Starting with Ginger, we now adopt all of our animals from the Capital Humane Society as well as donate to this organization....and urge the rest of you to consider this as well.

Rest in peace Sidney. We'll miss you.

What we're up to

This week, I discovered that it's time to register Carson for summer baseball. He has a choice this year. He can either play one more year of T-ball or he can play coach-pitch. I would prefer him play coach-pitch since he has been hitting pitched balls for the last 4 years but I decided to give him the choice.

I asked him the other night to choose between the two or even choose not to play baseball anymore. He asked a few questions and then decided to play coach-pitch. I'm certain that this will challenge him more than T-ball.

Baseball still seems to be Carson's favorite. He asked to play catch the other day--when the weather was about 20 degrees and our hands were frozen. He still asks to go down in the basement and hit balls when its cold outside too. I'm sure before too long, Tara and I will have to schedule off on weekends to go to tournaments if he plays select ball also.

Hannah is in 'Dance Dance Dance' at school and likes that type of activity. While both kids are very 'music oriented,' Hannah is very much so. She claps and dances to the beat when catchy songs are playing on the radio. She even sings the words to some songs.....I will never forget being at Grandma and Grandpa's house over the holidays and she began singing a 'Christmas carol":
"Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer
Had a very shiny nose.
And if you ever saw him
You would have to call him names.....
Womanizer, womanizer, womanizer, izer, izer"

Her current favorite song is "Mona Lisa" by the All American Rejects. In addition to her dancing and singing, her new interests are putting on make-up with her mother and getting her nails painted. I'm in trouble with this one.

In the nuts....

Carson was telling us about his day yesterday at the dinner table:

"I was playing soccer and then Gwenny kicked the ball and hit me in the nuts."

"Excuse me?" Tara asks.

Carson repeats himself. Tara asks him, "What are nuts?" Obviously baiting him along.

"They're right here," and points at his crotch.

Tara gives me a look that's priceless. It sure is interesting what kids learn at school these days and how fast they grow up.

Community Playhouse

Last night, Tara and I took the kids to see Willy Wonka at the Lincoln Community Playhouse. Tara was able to get tickets from her work as they are a sponsor of the playhouse. Let me tell you, this was a great show and one that Carson and Hannah both enjoyed. I was extremely surprised to see Hannah sitting attentively through the entire show, clapping at the closing of acts, and laughing at appropriate directed humor. Carson watched the movie sometime prior to this play so he absolutely had an idea what was going on.....he even mentioned at certain points that the play was just like the movie. Tara and I thought the play was awesome--certainly something I would go see again....and it was great to get the kids out of the their normal routine. It exposes Carson and Hannah to something different then they are used to and lets their imaginations run wild.

Quick Update

Okay, I know already.

It has been a while since we've posted anything. It was pretty hectic around the house since Carson was on Christmas break and both kids were kept home quite a bit around the holidays. We've been up to the same 'ol stuff though. Getting up early, trying to tempt the kids into getting dressed for the day, Hannah throwing fits, arguing over where they were going to sit at the dinner table and who gets to sit by who, Carson tormenting his sister, more 'Hannah Fits', then bedtime.....only to do it all again the next day. Whew.

We had a pretty good new year; a good couple of days off where we stored Christmas decorations and tacked a few other odd projects around the house.....and Tara and I got to spend some time together by ourselves doing what we used to do b.k. (before kids) like walking around the mall, going to out-of-the-way shops, and having margaritas at the local Mexican restaurant.

We want to wish everyone a very happy and above all, HEALTHY 2009 and we will try to keep the stories coming......between 'Hannah Fits' that is.