Haircut Day

Grace had a haircut this morning. She was very excited about it - and she got her nails done, too!







Holden went along for the ride, too.

Chilling

Just hanging out with the boy who can now crawl onto the couch by himself.

Grace and the Biome Performance

The Brimhall Kindergarten classes have been studying the biomes of Minnesota. (This explains why Grace has been drawing all sorts of pictures set in the prairie grassland, one of Minnesota's biomes.) They gave a performance last week, including songs about the different biomes:

Grace and Andreas (Andreas lives at Seminary and attends Kindergarten in Grace's class.)


Grace amidst the kindergarteners waiting for the show to start.

Grace in a deciduous forest biome, complete with bear.

Nesting

Holden made a nest on our couch and curled up with an upside down book.

Tricycle

Luther held a sale yesterday for all bicycles that have been left by departing students and families. We picked up a couple used ones for Holden. Here he is with his new tricycle:

Wee Care

Holden is doing great in day care at Wee Care. The teachers tell us
he just motors around the room playing, and whenever he looks at them
he smiles - a little smiley book puttering about the room.

First Day of Wee Care

Holden joined Grace at Wee Care this morning. We were certain that
this would be a traumatic, hard morning for Holden. And we were
right. But not because of Wee Care. He didn't shed a tear. He just
played, to everyone's surprise. It was the post-Wee Care trip to the
doctor that was traumatic - he got shots.

Holden's New Trick

Swinging

It finally felt like Spring this afternoon. It was the perfect weather for an afternoon nap in the grass in a sunny spot - or for chasing your children around.

Turn your back for just 5 seconds...

This is not a posed picture - just an example of what happens if I turn your back on the boy for a few seconds. (No little boys were harmed in taking this picture.)

Prairie Grassland

I setup a table in the Customer Room, so the Customer Room is also referred to as the Art Room. Grace drew this picture this morning of the Prairie Grassland with a Red Wing Blackbird holding an egg and looking for her other eggs. The two young girls are Grace and Isabel.

In Love with Electronics

Holden likes electronics and pushing buttons, tapping at keyboards, clicking the mouse, beating the mouse against the table, hiding all our remote controls in shoes and other odd locations. It's very challenging to get homework done with an obsessed little boy in your lap.



It looks like he's sneaking up on the computer. Trust me, as yet there's no sneak in him - it's a nonstop, full frontal assault.

Clothing Exchange

In the Seminary laundry room, we have a clothing exchange. Aimee found a dress yesterday, and a witch hat. Here Grace fashions the ensemble outfit, and adds her own touch: a yellow plastic dog.

Turn your back for just 5 seconds...

and this:



And it doesn't take 5 seconds, either. He's a little tornado whirling through the apartment.

What Will I Be When I Grow Up?

We were watching Curious George. During the scene with the monkey catcher, Grace wondered about her occupational future: "I don't want to be an animal control person. They have to do too much. I don't want to have to do too much. Is there something I can do when I grow up where I don't have to have a job or go to school?"

Saturday Morning Fort-Building

Building a fort in the "Customer Room," as Grace calls it.

Strep

It's been an interesting week here at Appell Headquarters, Minnesota
Division. Aimee, Grace and Holden all tested positive for strep
throat, although Aimee was the only one truly suffering with Strep
symptoms. Nelson remains strep-free. Everyone is on antibiotics and
on the road to recovery.

For Comparison

Curious Holden

Holden seems to have a favorite movie. He goes to the children's DVD
collection we have on our shelf in the living room, looks through
them until he finds what he's looking for, and walks teetering to us
holding Curious George. Then he stands and dances in front of the TV
in anticipation of the opening song.

An original J. Alexander

Another newly framed work of art, by Aimee's cousin, that we've been carrying around with us for a long time and hiding it in closets across America to protect it from damage. Now, we can show it to the world. I call it, "I Know Why the Caged Hamster Digs", since it sits next to one of our hamsters. The artist's original title is: "Nine and a Half Years."

Scrubbing the Floor

"Daddy," said Grace with a whine, as I was making dinner. "I want to do what Holden's doing!"
"What's Holden doing?" Probably something exciting, no?
"He's scrubbing the floor."
Which was true - he was scrubbing the floor with a sponge. So I offered another sponge to Grace and together the scrubbed the floor. I'm not sure what the moral of this story is.

An Original B Frye

Aimee framed her Dad's painting. It's a big improvement over the plastic glass on the golden-edged frame. Notice Bill's use of perspective and how he seems to be making a postmodernist comment on the cubinist movement.

The Many Occupations of Holden

Plumber.




Programmer

Winter Thunderstorm

April 10, we're sitting here enjoying Arrested Development on DVD
while watching a thunder and lightning winter storm, complete with
several inches of snow. As long as there are no tornadoes, all is
good. Grace is terrified of tornadoes.

Lindsey's New Blog

Nelson's Sister has a new blog: http://lindsaka.blogspot.com

Miscellaneous Silliness

We're not sure what she's doing here, and neither is she.

Aimee being attacked by a bear while sunning herself on the couch.


Grace and her friend Flannery at a party after Church on Sunday - they are getting ready to put on a performance of a play written and directed by the two kinderthespians.

Holden inside a huge dollhouse.  

Hot Dog Massacre

Looking Down

I used to look down and see my feet. Now when I look down the view is usually occluded, and not by my stomach.  

Rough Neighborhood

The Seminary neighborhood is getting a bit rough around the edges - you don't want to meet these tough-looking hombres in a dark alley.

Last Snowfall?

Earlier in the week, we had a large snowfall that was threatening to be the largest in the Twin Cities in 20 years. The final total only amounted to 4 inches and a cornucopia of exasperated rush hour drivers. The morning after:

Scientists Fear Collapse of Burntvedt Ice Flow

(AP) Scientists around the world fear the imminent collapse of the Burntvedt Apartments Ice Flow.  These dramatic pictures show this rapidly receding block of ice melting in the Minnesota Spring. Apartment dwellers worry that, should it all melt at once, the SouthWest corner of the parking lot could partially flood.

Aimee's Internship

Aimee was officially assigned her internship site today - she will
serve at Christ Church Lutheran in Minneapolis. Visit their website
for more information - http://www.christchurchluth.org/