News Flash

Sorry, but still no Iowa pics. I AM working on it, though ;)

But this breaking news just came in and I HAD to post....

:)

WHAT is Ethan holding in his hand???

Here is a closer look.....

Still don't know?

Here is an even closer look....

YEP.

Ethan (age 7 years, 3 months and 3 days) has

LOST HIS FIRST TOOTH!

Bless the boy's heart. I didn't even know he had a loose tooth!

So I (Britt) am sitting on the bonus room couch taking a book break when Ethan comes in from the living room where he was playing with a car/helicopter building set.

He walks in and says: "Mom, I lost a tooth". Before I glance up from my book I'm thinking "Yah right. He's pretending and playing a game." Fully prepared to play along for a bit I look up and see that he looks concerned and a bit teary eyed..... and holding something in his hand.

Then I think, "Great. He must have hit his mouth on the wooden rocking chair or something."

Nope. Unbeknownst to me - or anyone else - he had had a loose tooth for a few days!

Ethan told me the first time he noticed he had a loose tooth was on Saturday when he

"was playing a grown up game with Dad (Risk) and we had zucchini casserole."

I guess he had been wiggling it and wiggling it and just yanked it out!

So brave. He hadn't told Dad or I about it and had been worried about it for a couple days. Then he just bravely yanks it out himself!

I informed him he could tell Dad or I next time (that he can tell Dad and I anytime anything is worrying him) .... and that it's OK to let the tooth fall out on its own :)

Kaylin's reaction?

"My big brother is growing up!"

:)

June 2009

Okay. So I know there are several of you anxiously awaiting the Iowa trip pics.

But first, I needed to finish posting some pics that I didn't get before we left on vacation.

So this is one massive post updating you on our lives during June... pre-Iowa trip.

I'll try and post Iowa pics this week.

Stay tuned..... :)

Ethan's last day of 1st grade - Wednesday, June 3rd

All school picnic before the early release

They had baby chics hatch in their classroom.

Last walk home from school

Pseudo-Cousins

These 6 kids have grown up together (granted, that isn't exactly a Loooong time).

Unfortunately Ethan, Kaylin, and Krystin have no cousins living close to us, :( :(

but Emmy, Brooke (formerly Mandy) and Tyler fill in nicely :)

Tyler (3), Krystin (3 1/2), Brooke (almost 5), Kaylin (5), Emmy (6), and Ethan (7)

(note - my girls are slouching a bit)

Watching a Land Before Time video

(They all have a dinosaur in their hand)

A brief still shot.....

.... and they're OFF!

Waiting to try out the Slip-n-Slide

Fudgecicle break

(Kaylin is pointing to some dark clouds, very worried about possible lightning)

Slip-n-Slide Video





MISC PICS

With birthday money, Ethan bought a Nintendo video game, 2 Transformers, and Candyland. (Mom is thrilled.... not really. But fortunately the game isn't quite as bad as I remember it :)

Kaylin bought a bunch of Littlest Pets and these Pop Beads

Mom bought this Curious George game just because.

It's the new favorite!

Papa came out for a few weeks visit while he (finally) finished physical therapy.

He "taught" the kids how to perform back surgery.

(Trey - I don't know what is taking you so long to get through Osteo school?! My kids all 3 became surgeons in a day!) ;)

It is a very detailed process - complete with anesthesia, swabbing with anticeptic, removing a bad spot, swabbing for blood, stitching, taping, and waking the patient.

I may have left out a step or two - but then again, I did not enroll in the course :)

All 3 kids take turns. They each like being the patient and the doctor/assistent/nurse.

Papa was leaving for a weekend camping trip.

The kids didn't want him to go :)

May - Kaylin's End of Year Preschool Picnic

Thursday, May 28th, was Kaylin's last day of Preschool. :(

(She had such a nice class. She already misses her friends)

The last day was celebrated by having a Pirate themed picnic.

Aren't these 2 of the fiercest pirates you've ever seen?!

Well, maybe their leader is a bit more fierce :)

(do you like my pet parrot?)

Walking the plank


Digging for gold.
Pictured is Kaylin's good buddy Carson.

May - Important Dates

Dan had a birthday. Now he's 32.

The above picture was his actual, ON his birthday supper.

Spaghetti.

A huge plate of spaghetti in preparation for his marathon.

We celebrated his brithday the following Friday,

when turkey tenderloins, coleslaw, baked beans, and fries were on the menu :)

I don't have a pic of it handy, but for his main birthday gift I framed his marathon medal and "bib".

Our 11th Anniversary.

The Kropfs watched the kids over night for us.

Friday night, May 29th we went to the water park and then out for burgers and fries.

Saturday we updated our cell phones and ate at Panda Express.

May - The Garden

OK.

I'm not gonna call mine the "grandgarden" ;)

And please don't expect any artistic pics of the produce.

However,

3 friends and myself planted our annual garden at my friend's house on Saturday, May 23rd,

and I thought you might like to see what our garden looks like.

Here is what we planted, plus tomato and green pepper plants and potatoes.

(pink seeds are treated green beans)

Here the kids are helping water the cauliflower and broccoli.

The mound just this side of where they are watering is where Ethan and Mrs. Kelly (pictured) planted the potatoes. Ethan was a trooper!

My friends and me.

Sorry, zoomed in any closer and they might not remain my friends!

(We were all feeling glamorous in our garden gear) :)
Jenny, Me, Kelly, Kim

This aint Iowa, folks!

Kim is giving the corn a good water.
That bottom 1/2 of the garden is pretty much corn and watermellon.
2 rows of tomatoes.
The mounds (3rd row from left) are squash and zuccini.

May - Ethan's School Spring Sing

On Thursday, May 21, the 1st graders had their spring sing. The theme was fishing.

This is Ethan's class.

Ethan also had a surprise guest show up to watch his perfomance.

Can you guess who???

Yep.

Papa came back to town and arrived just a couple hours before Ethan's show!

The following picure was taken a few days later.

Trey and Jesse, do you remember "taste tests"?

Well, Papa was having a taste test with the kids for white, red, or purple potatoes.

Kaylin decided PAPA needed a taste test :)

Here is a video of parts of 2 songs they sang.
(Ethan is 3rd from left in 3rd row)
Once again, I wish I had a tri-pod rather than a squirmy 3 year old for a camera support! :)