The Dukes of Lawrence

These Boys...

2012-01-29T21:43:00.000-06:00

...are in for a very big surprise at the end of the week. I can't wait to share it with them!!

Morning

2012-01-28T21:29:00.000-06:00

There is nothing like a good morning streeeeeeeeeetch...

...to get you ready to face the day.

Drill Press

2012-01-27T10:04:00.000-06:00

Ian got to operate the drill press last night instead of just watch. He is hooked! Our evening routine lately has included the boys spending time with Joe in the garage while I clean up the kitchen from dinner in peace. Win-Win!

Joy

2012-01-25T22:10:00.000-06:00

On my way to find the picture I was going to post tonight I came across these videos. I can't help but share. Joe and I were asked recently what the first 6 months with twins was like. I said it was joyful and that's no lie.

Good Sleep

2012-01-25T06:58:00.000-06:00

I always tell the boys when I tuck them in that I hope they have a good sleep. Sweet dreams, warm, comfy bed, lots of rest. They have always been such wonderful sleepers. Ian always strikes some angelic pose. Usually on his side with his hands together between his pillow and his face. I love glimpsing them asleep each night. That's when I get my best sleep- when I've seen them in theirs.

Space Station

2012-01-23T21:49:00.000-06:00

I never know where I'll find one in the house.

Pinewood Derby

2012-01-22T16:39:00.000-06:00

Joe helped some people with Pinewood Derby cars in the garage last weekend. As he was helping them his old derby cars came out for reference and Ian and Henry quickly became obsessed with making their own.

I found official Boy Scout kits at Michael's, dug out acrylic paint I used for the letters on the wall in the boys' rooms years ago and we were on our way.

One of Joe's old cars had a really sharp point on the front and back so Ian decided he wanted one of those.

Predictably he picked a fire decal.

Henry wanted his to be slug-bug-like. He also really wanted to be #15 but made sure we all knew that his car once beat a car with the number 100. Just so we know. Lest we think a low number like 15 indicated his car was slow.

These boys drew their own designs on the wood blocks (Joe cut them out with the band saw), sanded, painted, stickered and numbered their own cars. From experience, Joe suggested they try to pick just one color for the car- it helps them look so much less sloppy when you're still in preschool. They both held their ground at 2 colors so we painted one color and let them dry overnight and then painted with the second color. Thank goodness for Daddy because I would have laid out a pallet for each of them with every color I had and both cars would have been brown!

Whether or not we dive into the world of scouts down the road, I think this will be fun to do each January and be able to compare how their designs change and progress as they become more skillful.

They love playing with these cars and of course they went to school Friday for Show & Tell!

Photo Session

2012-01-19T21:01:00.000-06:00

I realized that I don't think I ever shared with you our favorites from a photo session we had in November with the very talented Susan Wolfe here in Lawrence:

Trying to wrap my head around it!

2012-01-17T14:58:00.000-06:00

How in the world...

...are they about to turn 5?

FIVE!

Sheesh.

Rhythm

2012-01-14T22:30:00.000-06:00

One of our customers brought in these awesome drum sticks for Ian yesterday. They are so cool!!!

Little Man

2012-01-11T22:01:00.000-06:00

Ian is so much like his father.

It's a wonderful thing and I hope he stays that way.

Lucky will be the girl who steals his heart...

Feeling Good

2012-01-11T21:50:00.000-06:00

Finally!

Holy Cough, Batman

2012-01-09T20:48:00.000-06:00

Mr. H has been through a lot in the last 36 hours! Fever, runny nose, watery eyes, loss of appetite, general feelbadness and a very wicked cough the likes of which Joe and I have never seen before.

He managed to crack jokes right through a terrible spell at 4am and astounded us with his great attitude through the medication, breathing treatments and long process of nothing helping! (These pictures are not from yesterday!)

Finally we got him into a steam room and that finally, finally, calmed things down and he was able to rest well last night.

We are thankful for our great doctor and his caring, sensitive wife. How lucky are we to have found such a wonderful, supportive friendship with them. I still prefer knowing that we can count on them to actually having to count on them but my goodness what a comfort it is and what a lifesaver it was this weekend.

"Mom, is it not winter anymore?"

2012-01-06T15:24:00.000-06:00

"Unseasonable" became one of our vocab words this week! Lucky us.

Hot Chocolate

2012-01-02T21:24:00.000-06:00

Ian can't get enough and he requests it every time The Polar Express soundtrack comes on. Not too hot. Marshmallows. Good to the last drop.

Someone is learning how to work the camera...

...and I love it!

Ian and Henry Speak

2012-01-02T17:12:00.000-06:00

Me: "How do you like them apples?"
Henry: "No thanks, I don't want an apple... I'm good."
(So typical of my picky eaters!)

Ian: "I swept! I sweeped! I used a broom!"
(When he said 'swept' it didn't sound right to him so he just keep trying. So funny.)

Ian (turning on the mixer, watching wet & dry ingredients swirling together): "I bet those ingredients are havin' a lot of fun! I bet they would love to see the inside of my belly!"

Buddha Board

2012-01-02T08:45:00.002-06:00

Henry got this great board for painting with water from Gran and Grandad.

He loves it and while it's out we all seem to take a turn at it. It's very relaxing!

Sometimes we still get out the shaving cream and get messy!

Bring it, 2012, we're ready!

2012-01-01T22:31:00.002-06:00

Happy New Year!!

2011-12-31T22:15:00.000-06:00

May 2012 bring you happy days...

...and may rainy days be few and far between!

*We still have yet to see a snow that counts here! Just rain. So very much rain.

Eggs & Flower

2011-12-30T21:25:00.001-06:00

Ian's farm people set up a stand the other day and he made a sign for them. I didn't know what he was doing- all I heard was him call out to me: "Hey Mom, how do you spell 'flour'?"

Oops. I got it wrong. It was a Saturday morning, he had pancake ingredients on his mind!

Like Father, Like Son

2011-12-29T21:35:00.000-06:00

These two look more and more alike as time goes on.

Breathe Easy

2011-12-28T21:16:00.001-06:00

Henry and I were re-organizing some things in his room the other night. As part of the process, we went through a huge stack of his art and I held up each sheet and he said "keep" or "throw away." In the end, the keep pile was about 35 deep and the pile to be thrown away had about 9 in it. It was a start at least! I tossed the throw away pile somewhere along the way as we worked on the rest of the room. Just as I finished emptying the vacuum into the trash can Henry runs in the kitchen panicked- he suddenly realized he wasn't really ready to part with those drawings after all and he wanted them back and where were they? Under a pile of vacuum nastiness in the kitchen trash. I was not about to let him take those filthy papers back in his room, or breathe in all that dust and dirt trying to clean them off.

Daddy to the rescue:

I cannot believe we have a mask like that in our garage and I didn't even know it. The things Joe has accumulated could save a small village, I swear.

He looked up at me and said "I am smiling under here, can you see it in my eyes?"

Okay, see that paper? There's nothing on the back. The marks you see are what he wanted to save. Really, Henry?!!

He sat there in that mask and wiped every last inch of those papers with a microfiber cloth and got them clean. More power to you, little buddy.

On Reading

2011-12-27T21:04:00.001-06:00

I love how this blog keeps everyone who's interested up to date on these boys that mean so much to us. I deeply appreciate everyone's interest in the many ways they grow and change throughout each year (almost 5 of them already!!); it truly is my joy to share the pictures I love to take, the funny things they say and the stories I hope I never forget.

Tonight I want to share with you how proud we are of our 4 year olds that can read! If you have followed this blog for any length of time you know how important books are in our family and you know it has been that way since these boys were born. They have been raised on a steady diet of books (I always say pediatricians should ask parents how many books a day they read to their children along with how much milk they drink/food they eat!!).

It was well over a year ago that Ian and Henry expressed an interest in learning to read. I taught them some high frequency sight words that we see on signs, the names in our family, etc... and they soaked it right up. We talked about the parts of a book (front cover, back cover, binding, title page), what it means to author and to illustrate, what characters and themes are... and we read. And read. They learned about punctuation, inflection, quotation... By the time they turned 4 they were flat out asking me to teach them to read. I couldn't resist and they were ready- there was no reason not to. In January I bought some early readers and we dove in.

Here's Ian, 6 weeks shy of 5, with a picture book we checked out at the library today that he's never seen before:

We are so proud of these boys and how they set this goal and reached it. It has been amazing to watch and the progress is all their own.

Kind of a Big Deal

2011-12-27T11:16:00.000-06:00

Ian can hold and control the hand mixer by himself now.

Around our house that's kind of a big deal!

On Christmas Day in the Morning

2011-12-25T12:18:00.002-06:00

Tomorrow They Will Wake To Find

2011-12-24T22:41:00.002-06:00

Cookies & Milk

2011-12-24T22:40:00.000-06:00

Christmas Jammies

2011-12-24T13:01:00.000-06:00

Thank you for the fun jammies, Gran! We've been wearing them this month and I can't wait to see them in these tomorrow morning. I love how they each have a leg up in this photo while they read Knuffle Bunny Free. Adorable. They'll probably always be more alike than they think they are.

Handsome Christmas Boys/Good Lord Ian is Tall!

2011-12-23T14:43:00.000-06:00

Preschool Christmas Program

2011-12-22T22:24:00.002-06:00

The boys' music teacher, Katie, did a fantastic job with this many kids, from several different classrooms. They have learned all of these songs and the signs that go with them, in less than 2 months.

Take This Light ("I can see you, Mom!")

Henry plays Joseph in this skit:

Joseph Dearest, Joseph Mild

Ian plays Joseph in this skit, I'm sure he loved getting to hold that big stick!:

Away in a Manger (the kids on the end began to overpower everyone else at this point- it was hilarious)

He is Born

T-Minus 3 Days and Counting!

2011-12-22T07:21:00.001-06:00

What do you do after you see Santa?

Well, if you're at Bass Pro Shop you go to the shooting range for a bit:

(Kind of a "You know you're in Kansas if...." moment.)

After we saw Santa, Ian spied a coal train out the window. He was watching it just as it started to move... I love this look of surprise on his face.

This old green truck out front took the cake for Ian. Better than Santa, better than the rifles and only better than the coal train because I let him get in it!

Santa

2011-12-21T22:14:00.000-06:00

Gone Fishin'

2011-12-19T20:42:00.001-06:00

Uncle Ronnie & Aunt Elvena gave the boys fishing poles for Christmas! They will be perfect for our "Water Bug Spot" this summer and we've told the boys we'll get them out on Clinton Lake as well.

For now, casting practice in the house has been wildly popular.

Over the stair rail is the perfect spot... we can pretend that water's real deep.

A Very Farthing Christmas

2011-12-18T21:58:00.000-06:00

We celebrated Christmas this weekend with Grandma & Grandpa Farthing and Great Uncle Ronnie & Great Aunt Elvena.

The boys were SO excited for everyone to arrive Friday. They kept asking over and over if we were going to do gifts Friday night and I kept telling them I wasn't sure what the plan was. Naturally, I assumed they were dying to see what Grandma and Grandpa were gifting them.

It turns out they couldn't wait to give our gifts to Grandma and Grandpa. We picked up this Penny-Farthing bicycle that holds potted plants for their garden at the end of the summer. We've been holding onto it ever since and keeping it a surprise. The boys helped me wrap it in an enormous Christmas bag last week and I'm pretty sure they are the ones that ripped it open- Grandma and Grandpa barely had a chance to make it in the door first! I love that generous spirit in both of them and I hope it endures.

They patiently waited after we handed out all of our gifts for theirs to be distributed.

They got brand-new cowboy boots that are beautiful. I will have to take a picture of the boots by themselves because they are so spiffy. I think they are sized just right to last us a year and they are so soft and comfortable.

Ian loved this camping set from Cabela's. He generally has a love for Cabela's so any toy that has that written on it is a hit with him!

Henry got a Moon in My Room. Joe hung it up last night and it's so cool; it's controlled by a remote and you can move through all the different 'types' of moons, half-moon, crescent moon, full moon, etc... We all love it and Ian has added it to his birthday list!

Grandpa knew how to work the remote so Henry had one lesson and he was good to go.

One of Ian's favorite songs right now is Camouflage by Brad Paisley so Grandma & Grandpa outfitted him head to toe in camo. Ian says his favorite colors are blue and camouflage. ;) He is one happy soldier.

And soldier is what he is when he has his outfit on. The boys are flying an army helicopter here. Ian's the soldier and Henry is a volunteer.

Henry read some night time books.

Grandma read the rest.

Ian found an especially comfy seat.

Henry pretended to fall asleep when he realized Ian was getting attention for looking snuggly...

These boys love, love, love time with their grandparents who never fail to tell them how proud they are of them.

And it was such a special treat to have Ronnie & Elvena along for this visit. They are welcome to join Grandma & Grandpa any time they come!

I believe Ian asked Uncle Ronnie more than once to move in with us. The way Joe cooked for him this weekend, he might just consider it!

This has been such a fun month of holiday celebrations in our home and now the countdown is on until next Saturday night when our anticipation reaches an all time high. Joe and I are no less excited than the boys for Christmas morning.

Ian and Henry Speak

2011-12-15T17:12:00.000-06:00

Ian's teacher tells me that yesterday he told someone in line to e-mail him at ian@jandscoffee.com. I guess he wants an e-mail account!

Last night Henry asks "If there's a tornado and we have to go to the shelter in the basement and if it rips our roof off and we have to build a new roof and if our furniture gets lifted up out of our house in the tornado... can we get bunk beds?!" Hahaha! Reminded me of Vanessa explaining to Cliff Huxtable that Rudy got shampoo in her eyes and might be blinded for life and if she is, can we get a dog?

Henry wanted his brother out of his space this morning so he told Ian that his room was "off-limits real-estate."

‎"Thanksgiving isn't just about hugging. It's about caring and being thankful." {Says Henry to me this morning after my (apparently) excessive hugging.} And, typically, it didn't end there. Henry emerged from getting dressed wearing a nice sweater to go fetch Gran and Grandad at the airport and declared "Thanksgiving is also about lookin' gooood!" Love this kid.

The boys made stockings at school and wrote on the back what they contain. Henry's has "sweet treats." Ian's has "nice people."

Our stockings are hung by the chimney with "air." This is according to Ian. Just like him to try to involve an air compressor in something as simple as hanging stockings.

Ian: "Mom, I think there are probably microbes in my gloves because it's a warm dark place and they can eat the sweat from my hands... I bet they're in my socks, too."

Henry: "Will you sign me up for Cirque du Soleil?"
Me: "Can you just sign up for that? Do you have to try out? Is it even in Kansas?"
Henry: "You have to try out. It's in Las Vegas."
Me: ~silence~ (while I'm thinking about how to answer)
Henry: "I'm not afraid of heights."

Helping

2011-12-12T21:20:00.000-06:00

I had a pile of clean kitchen towels on the table but needed to get dinner going on the stove so I asked Henry to please fold the towels for me. I had no idea what to expect but I knew it would keep him busy and I know it's better to ask them to help and give them a chance to work through it on their own rather than micromanage their effort. To that end, I walked away to make dinner after he sat down and a little while later he says "Okay, Mama, I'm done!" I turned around to see this! Three neat piles of well folded towels. Way to go, buddy!!

He made his bed this morning without being asked, too. He's on a roll!

Shrinky Dinks

2011-12-10T14:21:00.000-06:00

The first time we tried our Shrinky Dinks from the Pollacks the boys weren't quite adept at coloring something so small. We tried again this week and they were a big hit. Especially the part where we put them in the oven and watch them curl up and then uncurl when they're ready.

Projects, projects, projects... that's what the Dukes are so very into right now.

Photos by Ian

2011-12-09T08:15:00.001-06:00

His airport:

Train ornament:

Longhorn:

The Train:

Mom and Henry:

Mom and Dad:

Pretty good for 2 months shy of 5! I think he has a good eye.

Old School

2011-12-09T08:12:00.002-06:00

I love this Chiefs shirt the SIX YEAR OLD Stuber brothers handed down to us.

Keeping Busy

2011-12-07T06:51:00.000-06:00

Markers, syringes, water and coffee filters. Endless entertainment!

Happy St. Nicholas Day!

2011-12-06T14:51:00.003-06:00

The thrill of this day gets better every year. Henry said as I picked him up from school: "That was so fun this morning sitting in a pile of toys and candy!"

Capturing Smiles

2011-12-04T10:23:00.000-06:00

It's not hard to do with Henry...

...but not sending him over the edge into fits of laughter is!

Thank you for a wonderful kick-off to the Christmas season, Gran and Grandad. We loved getting to celebrate it with you in our own home!

Christmas

2011-12-03T09:44:00.000-06:00

Gran and Grandad took the boys up to play at J&S while Joe and I "put the star on the Santa tree." We did get the star on the tree, but we also set out our Christmas gifts for Gran and Grandad and their gifts to us.

Ian and Henry were a little surprised to see this when they came home!

They set to work unwrapping...

... and we loved seeing Gran and Grandad open their gifts from us, too!

The boys proclaimed this the best day ever and Henry said he will never forget it. Sweet words from two boys that were extremely appreciative of some really fun and thoughtful gifts. It is nice (and not easy!) to get to this point where they spontaneously express their gratitude.

It's hard to believe that they'll turn 5 in just two months but we really see how much they've matured this last year on days like these.

Henry's Fijit robot was a HUGE hit with all of us. If this doesn't become the hottest toy of the year, I'll be shocked.

I love this picture of Gran opening her necklace from us. She loved it.

I'm sure Gran and Grandad had to adjust to sitting in chairs again at home- they spend so much time on the floor when they're here!

Thanks for our wonderful gifts, Gran and Grandad, we think of you every time we're playing with them!

Thanksgiving Day

2011-12-02T10:29:00.000-06:00

Ian was anxious to show Grandad the train around our Christmas tree. He's old enough this year to control it himself and it was all he wanted to do Thanksgiving Day!

Gran unearthed from storage a Mickey Mouse calculator that was mine in 1980-something and Henry went to work calculating. Gran taught him to write 100s, 1000s and even some addition and subtraction. He had to grab his calculator before he did anything.

Grandad's friend at work gave him this 2012 calendar with a different tractor pictured for each month. Ian took some breaks from the train to ask people (Grandad in particular) to look at his calendar with him.

He always went right back to his post!

These boys never lack for a playmate when their grandparents are in town.

And story time with Gran is the best!

The Airport Run

2011-12-01T21:39:00.000-06:00

It never gets old.

Fijit

2011-12-01T15:05:00.002-06:00

We had a wonderful Thanksmas celebration with Gran & Grandad and I'm uploading pictures to share with you now. In the meantime, here's a video of Henry enjoying his favorite Christmas gift from them, a Fijit robot:

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-23T21:41:00.000-06:00

I don't have to tell you what I'm most thankful for... if you're reading this, you already know.

Moves Like Jagger

2011-11-21T21:01:00.000-06:00

Henry played around on a Dance Dance Revolution arcade game tonight and I had this song (his new favorite) in my head the whole time I was watching him. Too funny. You go little man, you'll be everyone's favorite wedding date!

Christmas Spirit

2011-11-19T20:56:00.000-06:00

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here! Yes, yes, it's still November.

Thanksgiving hasn't even happened yet.

I don't care.

There are no rules about exactly when it is appropriate to celebrate what's in your heart, you see, especially in your own home!

It's festive, and these decorations generate warm, happy feelings in our family. It makes the nip in the air more tolerable because it's indicative of the joyful season that is upon us rather than Old Man Winter settling in for a long while.

We look at the pictures of Christmas seasons of years past and marvel at how much our boys have grown and changed.

These are wonderful images and if I want them out of storage for two months a year instead of one, it's my prerogative!

Even though our new house features one big main living space, we found plenty of spots to display Christmas cheer.

When decorations go up early in the stores and in houses, there are always people that balk at it being "too early!" for Christmas. I always wonder what Christmas means to them. To me, it's a season of thankfulness, a season of giving and a season of hope. It's a time to pay attention to the joy in our hearts and the good all around us. It's a time to indulge ourselves a little, and the people around us. Can it ever be too early for all that? Really?

I can see how people might not be ready for the retail frenzy of reciprocal gift-giving, the self-imposed deadlines to get cards out, cookies made and parties hosted, etc... but all of that is not at the heart of the season. If that's all Christmas means to someone, then I'm sad for them. And if this is the case...maybe they should start earlier! Hahahaha!!

These decorations make me feel peaceful. They give time and space between "It's Christmas season!" and "Santa's coming!" and I love that for my kids. I love that they will learn to be excited just because it's Christmastime. We have time now to enjoy the stories of Christmas, our travel won't make the season rush past us, we can really take pleasure in selecting some gifts for the people we love and baking special treats. If little white lights, pretty green trees and stuffed snow men make us all feel happy and excited then why would we leave them in a box in the basement even though we're thinking about them and anticipating seeing them all around the house?

I'm not saying this is the way everyone should do Christmas, but it's the way I do Christmas.

And I shouldn't have to defend it, it's Christmas, for Christ sake!

*You've read these words before but the pictures are from this year

School Pictures 2011

2011-11-18T14:58:00.000-06:00

Dad's Day

2011-11-16T22:12:00.000-06:00

Today was Dad's Day at our preschool and the teachers put together some pretty cute things. One was an All About My Dad (According to Ian/Henry) sheet of fill in the blanks.

Here are some of the answers our boys gave...

Ian accurately said that Joe was 37. Henry said he was 50. Ian thinks Joe is 38 feet tall and Henry guessed 50 feet tall. Henry said his Dad had brown hair and brown eyes (false) while Ian listed "bald hair" and blue eyes (true). I love that they both had great answers to what he loves to cook: "pizza & pancakes" and "bread." Ian said Joe always tells him "lots of words" and Henry said his Dad always tells him "that he loves me." It's true. I hear Joe say it to each of them every day of their lives.

They also made little books and here are the best excerpts:

What I Did Last Summer

Henry: "Last summer I played outside but I didn't have to wear long sleeves. I did have to wear sunscreen."

Ian: "Last summer I played outside and went on vacation but that's the only thing I know about."

My Hobbies

Henry: "I like to play computer, playing outside, and going to school."

Ian: "Shooting guns and going to fun places." Nice.....

My Home

Ian: "My home is tan."

And here it is, the tear-jerker....

Henry: "My home is full of love. It is also fun."

What a boost it was to hear that. We were touched that Henry feels that and glad that he expressed it.

I love preschool and now I'm on a search for the largest box of tissues in the world to bring with me to Mom's Day in the spring....

Signs, Signs, Everywhere Signs

2011-11-16T10:31:00.001-06:00

When I talk about our boys having big hearts, this is exactly what I mean...

Henry made this sign the other day for Ian:

{Charles Lindbergh)

{From Henry I thought you would like this because you like C. L. ! }

The spelling got more accurate there at the end when he asked me for help. Then he ran out of room to write Charles Lindbergh again so we had to use his initials, and 'this' had to go up the left side (bottom to top) but he got an exclamation mark in underneath! I hadn't even known he was working on this for Ian. We are so proud of them in these moments when they are so thoughtful.

We are also proud that they are both such good readers and we used it to our advantage for the first time Saturday. I set out two bowls of dry cereal and the travel dvd player on the breakfast bar before we went to bed Friday night. It was en experiment to see if Joe and I could possibly sleep past 7 on a weekend. The last step was taping this sign to our closed bedroom door:

It worked! We slept until 8!!

Brothers

2011-11-14T11:01:00.000-06:00

These boys are both so lucky to have the other as their brother. They are just right for each other and I hope it ends up being that way for most of their lives. They are so different, but in complimentary ways, and they both have such big hearts. Sometimes it feels like we still have so much time with them ahead of us but I know in a flash we'll be looking into the eyes of the men they've become. Alan Jackson sings it well, "We won't be sad, we'll be glad, for all the fun we had."

Happy Veteran's Day!

2011-11-11T08:26:00.000-06:00

Our friend, Captain Stuber. This man has deployed more times than I can remember, honestly, and most recently he left behind his wife with their 3 year old twin boys and 2 year old twin girls. Talk about 'soldiering through;' this family's strength knows no boundaries. Thank you, Stubers. All of you.

Tis the Season

2011-11-09T21:27:00.001-06:00

It's about to turn Christmas around here next week. My absolute favorite time of the year. I cannot wait to get all of our decorations up and enjoy them from now through Christmas.

Joe and I found this video the other night of the boys waking up to our Christmas tree being set up when they were about 3 months shy of turning 2. What you hear Ian saying is "big painting, big painting" because the first difference he noticed was that a huge abstract painting was moved to the wall right outside their bedroom door to make room for the tree. The absolute BEST part of this video is Henry spying Santa on a pillow on the couch. Turn your volume up and wait for the cuteness to hit you:

]

Buckaroo

2011-11-09T09:34:00.000-06:00

Ian is fixated with cowboys now. He wears his hat and boots nearly every time we leave the house. I thought after the firefighter costume and the fighter pilot costumes that we would never get as much use out of an outfit again but I was wrong! He's wearing a brown vest over his t-shirt at school today and pretending he's going to a seminar about cattle branding. Oh this boy!

Growing Up

2011-11-07T14:32:00.000-06:00

Independence...

...is a really good thing:

It's easier to become a contributing member of society when you have been taught how to be a contributing member of a family.

Grandma and Grandpa Farthing

2011-11-02T16:19:00.000-05:00

Grandma and Grandpa Farthing came to visit for Halloween again this year and we loved having them here to enjoy the fun with us. They got to be in the audience of the boys' first real school 'performance' that you saw in the video previously posted.

We were happy they could stay back and pass out candy at our house while we followed our buckaroos around our great neighborhood.

And, boy, were they ready to go!

The boys had fun when Grandpa was an interested audience for their drawings and dry-erase board fun...

...Grandma brought a quilt her mother, the boys' Great Grandma Newsom, made and Henry got comfortable with it.

Of course there were some breaks in the action for iPad games.

Grandma and Grandpa were anxious to hear how well the boys are reading....

...we wowed them with our skillz!

Henry was quick to show off the tile Gran made with him at Sunfire Ceramics last week- he is so proud of it and we had just picked it up. Doesn't it look great?

Thanks for the visit and all your help, Grandma and Grandpa!

Preschool Halloween Performance

2011-10-31T21:24:00.000-05:00

This is the full performance but it's worth hanging in there because at the end Henry seizes his chance to stand next to his friend Cooper and just points to his former spot to let Ian know he's been ousted, hah!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T15:10:00.000-05:00

Airing Our {clean} Laundry

2011-10-26T22:06:00.002-05:00

I was washing the boys' sheets and decided it was about time to wash their quilts and pillow covers too. I guess they haven't really seen the matching decorative pillow covers off before because Ian walked past this scene and said "Whoa, Mom, how'd you shrink our covers like that?!" Two things stood out to me about this: 1) He thought I could get twin size quilts to shrink to 2x3 rectangles and 2) He thought it was so cool!

I told him to have faith, son, I am the laundry queen. He'll see. The real tough stains are just starting to come down the line as we round the corner toward 5...

Playing 'Salon'

2011-10-26T09:42:00.000-05:00

A little wash and rinse.

Blow dry and style.

Love Henry's eyes with that warm air blowing past them.

Gran, Gran, she's our man! (If she can't do it, no one can!)

2011-10-25T10:49:00.002-05:00

We loved our time with Gran recently and now that the boys can read and write we came up with a fabulous (if I do say so myself) plan for our mornings. We had Henry make and post this sign on our bedroom door:

Off he went downstairs to wake up Gran first. Victory!

Then they could build fun houses:

...or work on re-enacting (re-enarting?) all the pages from The Perfect Square library book we just happened to have picked up the week before Gran arrived. She has great ideas. Once a teacher, always a teacher...it's in her blood.

You can see all the projects from the suitcase of fun Gran always brings with her all the way from Denver:

I also got help getting the boys' Halloween costumes together. We think you're going to love it!

Twister

2011-10-19T22:13:00.000-05:00

How Tall This Fall

2011-10-07T22:04:00.001-05:00

Five years of visits to Schaake's Pumpkin Patch!

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

They are going to be so embarrassed when they're in high school and I still make them stand there!

Ian and Henry Speak

2011-10-06T17:52:00.001-05:00

Henry: "THAT IS TOO LOUD!!"
{Ian quits playing his drum}
Ian: "What? I thought we were rocking out!"

Me: "Daddy isn't going to be home tonight, he's doing a presentation at the library."
Ian: "When you say 'presentation' do you mean a coffee tasting?"

Henry: "Star light, star bright..."

Ian: "First star I see tonight."

Henry: "I wish I may, I wish I might..."

Ian: "Have this wish I wish tonight."

Henry: "Amen."

This little song was written by Henry (to the tune of Lollipop):
"Potty talk, potty talk, oh potty, potty talk..."

Flashback

2011-10-06T13:44:00.000-05:00

We're off to get haircuts this afternoon in anticipation of picture day at school on Monday. I will never forget the first time my stylist Angie cut their hair:

Oh my goodness what cuteness!

Ian and Henry Speak

2011-10-05T10:07:00.001-05:00

Ian: "Mommy, the knife Henry was holding was not sharp."
Me: "HENRY WAS HOLDING A KNIFE?!!"
Ian: "No."
Me: "You just said he was."
Ian: "He's not anymore."
Me: "So he WAS holding a knife...."
Ian: "No."

[As Joe heads back to work after lunch one day...]
Joe: "Peace out, Homeslice."
Ian: "Peace out, Workslice!"

Me: "What did everyone in your class say about the fire engine you brought for Show & Tell?"
Ian: "They were speechless. Well, we're supposed to be quiet."
Me: "Oh. Did you have a job today at school?"
Ian: "No. I was on vacation."

Joe: "How did you know that, I'm so impressed!"
Henry: "I'm no fool."

How did my babies get so big?

2011-10-02T21:47:00.000-05:00

Yee-Haw!

2011-09-30T10:36:00.001-05:00

We would be ready to saddle up...

...if only everyone had their pants on.

Surgical House Call

2011-09-27T13:16:00.000-05:00

Henry is a whiz with Trios, these fantastic building blocks that snap together to form everything his imagination dreams up.

Last night he built this "surgical tool." It dispenses anesthesia, has a scalpel to cut open the bodies after the people are asleep, and it has two separate tools, one for "fixing hearts like Cooper's" and one for "fixing lungs like Ian's." (Cooper from Cooper's Cause.)

Daddy volunteered to be the first patient. Looks like the anesthesia works...

Harvest

2011-09-25T08:20:00.001-05:00

Ian has dreamed of riding in a combine for 3 years and yesterday his dream came true.

See him there in the windshield? I was glad Dr. Kelley was there with us because I thought Ian might pass out from all the excitement; his heart was beating wildy.

He's on Joe's lap way out there, driving back towards us.

Can you see all of them? Our friend Koen is in there with Ian and Joe, too.

Henry and I had a chance to ride, too; this is the view out our windshield...

...and this is what we could see behind our seats:

This was really cool to see up close:

Oh my goodness that ended up being as exciting for the adults as it was the kids! A huge thank you to our good friends the Kelleys for giving us this opportunity and to Gantz Farm for the royal treatment!

Fun Run {1/2 Mile}

2011-09-24T11:26:00.000-05:00

Ian and Henry ran in the Cooper's Cause Fun Run this morning. It was a half mile race and they rocked it!

They have been curious about the race t-shirts they see Mommy and Daddy wearing all the time and how they could go about getting one. We told them we would sign them up for a race so they could get their own race t-shirts. They have been looking forward to Sept. 24th for over a month.

After being positioned at the back of the pack before the race started, these guys ran a great little race and finished right up there at the front with the big kids. It was pretty incredible. They were both rewarded with #1 ribbons and we've talked a lot about how real winners are the people that finish what they start, try their best and help others.

Ninja Training

2011-09-23T15:03:00.002-05:00

I've been telling you we have Ninja skillz. Now do you believe me?

You know you had fun at preschool when:

2011-09-23T15:00:00.002-05:00

Scribble & Write

2011-09-20T07:17:00.000-05:00

This toy, the Scribble & Write, by LeapFrog is fantastic. We first discovered it at a friend's house and I'm so glad we did! Lots of letter, shape and tracing practice. If you need a preschooler gift idea, this is it!

Kindness

2011-09-16T23:30:00.000-05:00

The wedding we attended was at the Richwood Plantation in Milton, Kentucky. It was an absolutely beautiful setting!

Ian rode around with Daddy and Grandad one morning and the three of them happened upon a local fire department running some hose tests.

Ian was invited to sit in the driver's seat, wear a helmet and blow the horn (which there was a pedal for on this truck!). When they returned I heard all about his adventures and I was so happy their outing had this unexpected fun in store for Ian.

Fast forward to the next day when my Aunt and Uncle checked out of the Bed & Breakfast and the innkeeper hands my Aunt Mary Colette the top picture and asks if she knows this little boy. It turns out one of the firefighters on the scene that day was snapping pictures and remembered that our family was in town to attend a wedding at the Richwood Plantation. He looked up the innkeeper's e-mail address and forwarded the image. Then the innkeeper was nice enough to print it on nice card stock and give it to my aunt. In fact, he mentioned being so touched that he would receive an image like that on September 11th...

Not everyone that reads this blog knows me well but I think it's easy to conclude that photographs are something I care a lot about. I take over 10,000 pictures a year myself and I probably pour over at least half that many images taken by other people. The images I upload here are just a small fraction of what I edit through on my computer and store on an external hard drive (or two!).

To have these two strangers take the time to upload, shrink, e-mail and print a picture for people whose names they don't even know really touched me. These are not people with time on their hands. The firefighter is also an attorney in town and the innkeeper was dealing with a wedding and a full house at his Bed & Breakfast!

There are several layers of thoughtfulness to what these men both did. You just don't get that kind of altruistic behavior from everyone. I have always felt that the greatest gift someone can give you is their time, their energy and their attention. Even if it was just a little of each, it was offered without expectation and without strings attached...from the heart.

What a wonderful thing.

Photo Wrap Up

2011-09-15T22:15:00.001-05:00

Half of the family. Yes, half!

Henry had some moves on the dance floor...

...some were quite impressive, actually!

Ian had moves too, of course:

Love, love, love my sweet little niece!

Little Leah is lucky to have so many great women behind her (again, this is only about half!):

Our Kentucky visit was a wonderful way to kick off our fall; we came back to cooler temps, school every morning and earlier sunsets. I just love this season!

Toadally Awesome

2011-09-14T10:49:00.000-05:00

At the wedding reception the boys spotted a frog hopping around in the grass.

A number of people worked together to catch it for them:

Then just as I was petting it to demonstrate calm and respectful treatment of animals, Joe lunged at me with it and I instinctively screamed hysterically and ran...

...much to his amusement!

Flying Cousins!

2011-09-12T22:04:00.000-05:00

The Dukes met up with cousin Leah in Chicago last week...

...on our way to the lovely nuptials of my cousin Michelle and my new cousin Travis.

We loved, loved, loved spending time with Granny, Gran and all but one of her siblings (we missed you Aunt Cathy!) plus all the spouses and children that make up this wonderful family. Yes, that's 8 kids! Susan, Cathy, Mike, Ed, Bob, Mary, Julie and Mark. It kind of has a rhythm to it if you say it a lot. You have never met a more loving, kind bunch of people in your life.

And oh my goodness did this little princess charm her way into everyone's heart this weekend!

(My talented Aunt Barbara made that dress!)

I have some more fun pictures to share this week. I just love a big event- nobody bats an eye when you don't put your camera down, it's so fun!

Bright-Eyed

2011-09-06T22:05:00.000-05:00

Movin' on Up

2011-09-05T12:59:00.000-05:00

*Turn your volume down, that Kansas wind is LOUD!*

Henry traded up from his Strider bike to a two wheeler pedal bike this weekend. His instinct for self-preservation is a little bit stronger than Ian's so a good deal of bravery was involved.

He is so proud of himself, as we are, and he loves being able to keep up with the other boys on the block. The amount of energy these kids spend riding for hours everyday amazes me; I don't know how we'll get all that energy out this winter!!

Way to go Henry!

Paint with Water

2011-09-01T21:03:00.000-05:00

They did not believe me that the color was already in the paper. I had to prove it!

I love the new level of concentration that 4 1/2 and a new school year has brought us...

What are you doing today after school?

2011-09-01T06:08:00.000-05:00

Just hanging around...

Simple Machines

2011-08-29T21:09:00.000-05:00

We checked out some books from the library about simple machines, pulleys, levers, etc... and we've been using things around the house to build our own. Ian and Henry have both loved learning about these concepts, and making stuffed animal elevators out of shoe boxes and a see-saw out of a yard stick have been really fun ways to experiment with the information we're reading. Look at Ian's face in this picture- I love how much they love this stuff.

Old School

2011-08-27T13:24:00.000-05:00

Listening to a walkman. I swear the music on the station I picked was much more upbeat than Ian's face looked but maybe he turned the dial to talk radio...

Henry got his air guitar on!

Uncanny

2011-08-24T15:42:00.000-05:00

We were just swinging in the backyard...

...minding our own business..

...when Jack Nicholson showed up:

We've got a pumper!!

2011-08-23T22:05:00.000-05:00

Henry can start and swing all by himself as of yesterday. He is great at it and so proud of himself. (Ian is preoccupied with how fast his heart is beating...)

Speaking of proud, the boys had a fantastic second day at school. Henry got to be the line leader and Ian got to be the door holder. They had recess and went to music and were in great spirits when I arrived to pick them up. I am not used to so many school nights in a row; picking out clothes for the next day, getting to bed over an hour earlier than we have all summer, breakfast and teeth brushing in rapid succession every morning...we'll get the hang of it!

1st Day of School!

2011-08-22T13:12:00.000-05:00

I can't wait for these two personalities to come out to their teachers!

Because one thing we do not lack is personality!

The Magic Tree House room is perfect for us because we are getting into The Magic Tree House book series.

Joe and I got to stay in the room today and I had a chance to take some pictures. Tomorrow they're all on their own! Wish us luck...all of us!

Grandma and Grandpa Farthing Visit!

2011-08-22T12:37:00.000-05:00

Grandma and Grandpa came to visit and spend the last weekend of summer break before school starts with us!

These boys just love the attention that comes with two grandparents in the house!

We took Grandma to the Discovery Center in Topeka to show her one of our new favorite places to hang out.

She helped Ian in the building area.

She helped Henry in the paint area and Grandma took them both to the One Million Acts of Kindness puppet show.

Thank you Grandma for bringing the boys some workbooks to practice with, they were hoping for homework in preschool (I will remind them of this down the road!) and so disappointed that homework really starts in kindergarten, so your timing was perfect! They also love their M&M's and Starburst, as usual. Thanks for a fun visit!

4 1/2

2011-08-22T11:31:00.000-05:00

The Dukes turned 4 1/2 while we were in Colorado! They got to help Gran make 4 1/2 birthday cakes and we cut our plates and napkins in half.

Even though the party goers included only Gran, Grandad, myself and the guests of honor, Henry was thrilled when we sang to him.

Ian still didn't want his candles lit but that didn't stop him from filling his cheeks with air and holding it all the way through Happy Birthday until it was time blow.

Gran let Ian and Henry pick out some fun 1/2 birthday toys and we all got some much needed down time:

Thank you, Gran and Grandad, for such a fun visit. We'll see you in Kentucky soon!

Backyard Fun

2011-08-17T08:03:00.000-05:00

Gran and Grandad have a gorgeous backyard and we take full advantage of it when we visit. This was the first time the boys attempted to climb the apple trees. Success!

Spreading streamers all of the yard was wildy popular as well. I feel like when we arrive, especially in the summer, I am ready to collapse from exhaustion since the last time I had a break and Gran is hyped up and full of fun new ideas.

We all appreciate the infusion of energy, especially her grandsons!

Adventures

2011-08-15T14:04:00.000-05:00

Gran always thinks ahead to plan some fun adventures for our visits. Two of our favorites this trip were our trip to the White Fence Farm and ice skating:

Ian was thrilled with the farm equipment all around and both boys loved the slide, the carriage ride, the playground and everything else that makes this family style restaurant a Colorado tradition.

Gran found the best ice skating instructor for the boys. She was incredible and they learned so much from just a half hour on the ice. Ian even went all the way around the rink by himself after the lesson because he wasn't ready to be done yet!

We also bounced around JumpStreet on trampolines and had a fun time eating at the Cinema Grill while we watched Cars 2. Thank you Gran & Grandad for all the fun activities we get to do on our visits!

Sweet Niece

2011-08-15T07:20:00.000-05:00

We just spent some time in Colorado and we were lucky enough to start our visit out with a few days of playing and visiting with Sally, Matt and Leah! We were all at Gran and Grandad's house together. These times when we all overlap are precious and so fun.

Isn't she just the cutest?!!

Lather

2011-08-04T09:24:00.000-05:00

The boys painted with shaving cream at a friend's house the other day and came home just bursting at the seams to do it again.

We haven't pulled out messy art from our bag of tricks in a long time but it was just right for beating the heat that will not end.

Dedication

2011-08-03T07:52:00.000-05:00

Joe took the boys to Lowe's on one of their Kids Craft Saturdays to do a wood-working project. They earned a patch for their efforts and Ian really wanted his patch on his apron. What's a father to do? Pull out the sewing kit and sew on the patch!

I love that Joe never defaults to me on these things. Not with sewing, not with cleaning, not with cooking...if it needs to be done, he does it, and without cutting corners. I love the way our partnership works...

Admiration

2011-08-02T11:56:00.000-05:00

Ian wanted to wear a shirt in just the same style as Daddy's and exactly the same shorts as Daddy so when I asked Joe to take a knee so he could be closer to Ian's height in the picture I was taking I shouldn't have been surprised that Ian took a knee too...

Cooperation

2011-08-02T11:43:00.000-05:00

Watching them figure out how much more they can do and see and figure out and enjoy when they put their heads together is wonderful.

The Many Faces of Henry

2011-07-28T16:26:00.000-05:00

We never lack for entertainment around here...

Love These Boys

2011-07-24T22:56:00.000-05:00

They are counting down the days to 4 1/2 and me? I've already cried about kindergarten twice and it's still a year away!

The Dukes of Lawrence

These Boys...

Morning

Drill Press

Joy

Good Sleep

Space Station

Pinewood Derby

Photo Session

Trying to wrap my head around it!

Rhythm

Little Man

Feeling Good

Holy Cough, Batman

"Mom, is it not winter anymore?"

Hot Chocolate

Ian and Henry Speak

Buddha Board

Bring it, 2012, we're ready!

Happy New Year!!

Eggs & Flower

Like Father, Like Son

Breathe Easy

On Reading

Kind of a Big Deal

On Christmas Day in the Morning

Tomorrow They Will Wake To Find

Cookies & Milk

Christmas Jammies

Handsome Christmas Boys/Good Lord Ian is Tall!

Preschool Christmas Program

T-Minus 3 Days and Counting!

Santa

Gone Fishin'

A Very Farthing Christmas

Ian and Henry Speak

Helping

Shrinky Dinks

Photos by Ian

Old School

Keeping Busy

Happy St. Nicholas Day!

Capturing Smiles

*Christmas*

Thanksgiving Day

The Airport Run

Fijit

Happy Thanksgiving!

Moves Like Jagger

Christmas Spirit

School Pictures 2011

Dad's Day

Signs, Signs, Everywhere Signs

Brothers

Happy Veteran's Day!

Tis the Season

Buckaroo

Growing Up

Grandma and Grandpa Farthing

Preschool Halloween Performance

Happy Halloween!

Airing Our {clean} Laundry

Playing 'Salon'

Gran, Gran, she's our man! (If she can't do it, no one can!)

Twister

How Tall This Fall

Ian and Henry Speak

Flashback

Ian and Henry Speak

How did my babies get so big?

Yee-Haw!

Surgical House Call

Harvest

Fun Run {1/2 Mile}

Ninja Training

You know you had fun at preschool when:

Scribble & Write

Kindness

Photo Wrap Up

Toadally Awesome

Christmas