Ama Playing and Singing 12-09

Here is Ama (age 3 1/2) playing in her room at the apartment in Bismarck. She has always had that distinctive giggle - what a beautiful girl!

Ama Jib Jabbering

Here is Ama talking at age 3 1/2. About halfway through she spotted a little fan that was up on a shelf in the closet, and she decided that she wanted it...

Cook Playing DSi

Cook's in 3rd Grade 09

Cook's new blue highlights. They were pretty dark at first, but they kind of faded out (or bled out onto his pillowcase is maybe more accurate) over the first couple of weeks. Cool, though, huh?
First day of 3rd grade! I can't believe how big he is getting - but he's still so cute~~~ we didn't miss the teddy roosevelt impersonator this year. Or the flag raising ceremony. Or the pledge of allegiance. Maybe next year.

Paddleboating at McDowell

So, Cook had a heart attack when I waffled about renting a paddleboat one day when we were swimming at McDowell Dam. I gave in but told him he had to help me paddle (or pedal, or whatever).
I rented it for the shortest amount of time possible, I think it was thirty minutes. Anyway, about 2 minutes into our ride, Cook said, "You know mom, maybe I should steer and you should be the engine." Yup. I knew it.
Then a few minutes later he said, "Wow. A paddleboat is way harder to steer than a pirate ship." So I got to steer, too.
Ama kept leaning over the side trying to touch the water. When she caught sight of the beach, she wanted to go swimming REALLY bad and then it was even harder to keep her in the boat. So 30 minutes ended up being pretty close to right...

Exploring at Kimball Bottoms 8-09

Seven Supermans

Cook was in a Shade Tree show called Seven Supermans in July 2009 (at age 8). It was based on the old Seven Samurai movie. He played a character named Carl, and he had quite a few lines. He memorized them all before I even got around to helping him...
Cook did a good job staying focused through a zillion rehearsals and what? 4 or 5 performances? After the final performance, which was a Sunday matinee, I was waiting for him in the lobby while (I thought) he was changing out of his costume. Turned out he was "doing tricks" on the stage and busted his head open. So we had an emergency room visit where they put some neosporin on the cut and wrapped him up...like this?!? It started falling off by the time we got back to the car. Crazy kid!

Ama Singing 7-09

Here is Ama, age 3, singing Once I Saw A Monster. In her underpants.

Painting!!!

I don't know exactly what we were doing. Was it group art? Art therapy? Maybe more like art therapy...anyway, the good news is that you CAN scrape acrylic paint off of linoleum.
FLOWER POWER!
There are only two rules: 1) take off anything that's not paint clothes 2) no judging anything ever - not yours, not other people's. Every piece is a masterpiece. Easy. and so fun!!

I Love You Nork

Got the kids hats in New York and they wouldn't leave the house without them for a while. Ama can read hers: it says I Love You Nork.

First Swim of the Summer!

Ama's 3rd Birthday

I call this one: Two Uniquas

Backyardigans and a pink cake - what else could a three-year-old girl ask for?

Cook's 8th Birthday

For Cook's birthday we got a poolside room at the Ramkota and he had a swimming party - there was a lot to watch, so I didn't get very good pictures. Nothing like 800 kids and a whole bunch of water to complicate my life...no, it was fun. It was. He had fun.

Watching the Ice Break

We went out to Fort Lincoln and got to watch the aftermath of the ice jam letting go on the Heart River - it was pretty crazy. The ice chunks were so gigantic. Some were blue and some were brown or clear. When they got to the confluence with the Missouri, they got stuck in this huge swirling icy eddy. We didn't stay long - it was deceptively cold out. We weren't dressed for it, and Ama had to get carried.

The Indoor Waterpark 4-09

We've gone to the waterpark at the Seven Seas a couple times this winter (to avoid cabin fever mostly). It's good exercise for the kids and they have fun, but we'd all rather be swimming in the river.
Ama pretending to take a bath. Why that's fun, I'm not sure.
What Cook did when I told him to hold still for a picture.

Old Urban Harvest Video

Here is a video that Dan Wanek took at Urban Harvest 2007, so Ama was one year old. She could really move. I can't believe how much she's grown - this wasn't even two years ago, and she was just this little tiny thing. Look at those delicious cheeks!

Ama Dance

Full On Family Singalong

So here are two videos from the holidays - we went up to Sawyer to visit grandma while everyone was here, and it ended up...well, you can just about imagine how it ended up.

Eric's up first...



Then it was grandma's turn...she plays like the piano is part of her body. I love it...

Ama's Story 2-09

This story starts out as the spooky old tree, then there's a flyswatter, and then I'm not sure what happens. Just like her mother. Only way cuter. And I guess we were listening to Tom Jones that day, so there you go.

Funnies 1/09

Ama quote (watching me put on lipstick in the bathroom):

"Are you putting chocolate lips on your face?"

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Cook describing a sphinx:

"It has a face like a mask, a tail like a devil, a body like a leprechaun, and wings like a beautiful white peacock, only they work."


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We've been reading lots of Winnie the Pooh lately, and Ama calls Christopher Robin "Christian and a robin." I remember Cook used to say "Christmas for robin." This might only be interesting to me...

Daniel's Birthday Bowling Party

video



If you have birthday boy gutter ball sensitivity you might not want to watch this video - it's pretty intense...

4 Kids Photo Shoot

It would be hard for any photo to capture the complete insanity and chaos of this photo shoot. And these don't. So there you go.

Winter Camping at Cross Ranch

We were invited to spend the night in a cabin with the Waneks out at Cross Ranch State Park last weekend. We had a loft, a wood-burning stove, deer, and lots and lots of snow...the kids had a great time exploring, staying up late, and roasting marshmallows. Then Dan, Tracy, and I started playing games and making margaritas out of snow. In the morning we realized that the snow we'd been using wasn't really very clean. But it was delicious!

The next day when we tried to get out of the park, icy roads and monster snow drifts on the big hill slowed us down (to say the least - the kids all seemed to enjoy watching the grown-ups pushing the minivans and screaming obscenities). Anyway, we ended up needing lunch by the time we got to Washburn. Lewis and Clark Cafe to the rescue!

Here's video of a little good-natured child labor:

Ama plays Whack-a-Mole 1-09

Here is Ama playing a miniature Whack-a-Mole game at the bowling alley during Daniel's 30th birthday party. She is 2 1/2 years old.