Haul Out The Holly
Because I had extra vacation this year, I decided to take off the entire week of Thanksgiving. We wrapped up the week by resuming our annual pilgrimage to Meert Tree Farm because we need a little Christmas NOW!
Tagged: Josie
Haunted Garage 2021
It had been several years since I last set up the haunted garage. Since the kids weren’t trick-or-treating this year, they asked if we could set it up. We didn’t get a lot of visitors this time around, but it was still fun constructing everything and making the house look spooky.
Christmas Morning 2020
That’s the look. That’s why parents enjoy Christmas morning so much. On its initial release date Aug 1, the new Lego Grand Piano set sold out within minutes. It took me several weeks of monitoring Lego’s web site and two trips to the Lego store to get one, but it was all worth it to see that look. Can’t wait...
Minecraft Beckons
We bought Minecraft for Noah in 2013, not knowing what an impact it would have on our lives. That first Christmas, I remember we spent an entire day playing it, and that eventually became an annual tradition that all four of us engaged in. Yesterday, we continued the tradition – although not for the entire day – with Josie, Noah...
Great Conjunction 2020
It’s not the greatest photo, but I wanted some proof that we saw it, and all I had was my cell phone. It’s somewhat surprising I could get any image at all. If you have a telescope, you already know how unusual it is to be able to see two planets in the same field of view, but to have...
The Sound of Music
Two weeks ago we braved the pandemic to visit Jackson Pianos downtown and let the kids try out some of their refurbished instruments. Coincidentally, they had a 1988 Yamaha upright there that the kids both liked and it was big enough that Noah could actually fit under it. I wrote them a check and we headed home. A few days...
Merry Christmas 2019
Foul weather prevented us from going to cut a tree this year, for the first time in a long time. But the kids put up the artificial tree and they did a great job decorating it, so it didn’t really matter that much. We also didn’t go to the symphony this year, which I now regret, so I’ll plan on...
Our Entrepreneurs
The kids wanted to make some extra money, so they asked me if they could go around asking the neighbors if they could rake their leaves. I said sure. I even drove them up to Ace Hardware to buy some equipment (a new rake and bear claws) and the paper bags for yard waste. They spent the day walking the...
Branson 2019
There are a lot of reason why I love that we homeschool. Here’s another. I gave the kids a project this year – to plan our fall vacation. I drew a circle on the map around St. Louis that represented how far we could drive in 4-5 hours. I told them we could go anywhere inside that circle (which included...
Josie Turns 11
Our little girl had another birthday, and now she is officially a “tween.” She helped make her birthday cake this year, and I’m so proud of the young lady she has become.
Happy Birthday, Little Girl!
The first quarter of this year has been a complete blur, but I'm glad that winter is almost over. Today we celebrated Josie's 10th birthday. Talk about a blur. How has it been a decade already? She's really into greek mythology right now and so that was the theme for her birthday. I also promised her I would get her...
Merry Christmas 2017
Hey y’all, it was another great year, and here is our video Christmas card for 2017! I hope you enjoy it.
Piano Recital
The kids started with a new piano teacher this year, because our old one got married and moved away (without even asking us first!). They had their first recital tonight and they did so well! Especially their duet – I was so proud of both of them. Josie played We Three Kings, Noah played Carol of the Bells and then...
The Great American Eclipse
Today we witnessed quite a spectacle, along with millions of other Americans. I’ve been waiting since 1979 to see a total solar eclipse, and my opportunity to see one in 1999 was thwarted by overcast skies, so I was overjoyed to actually see the awe-inspiring show in the sky. Dixie was pretty excited to see it too, as were the...
Merry Christmas 2016
I missed a couple of years, so I’m not sure if I can still call this an annual event, but here is our video Christmas card for 2016. I hope you enjoy it.
Playing Hooky
Wednesday seemed like a good day to take off work and go to the zoo. The weather was cool, but not uncomfortably so, and we were about the only people there, so there were no lines for the train. We got to see some of the critters more active than usual – like the new polar bear – and Josie...
