Wednesday, February 8, 2017
He could be a vet
Garrett: "I think our cat is going to have kittens really soon. She opened her mouth and I heard a bunch of 'meow, meow, meow' coming out of it."
Monday, January 16, 2017
The Entertainer for four violins and two violas
During the winter we try to do something as a family most evenings. Tuesday evening is normally game night, Thursday evening is Bible Study with a few others, and Friday evening is music night. Monday evening Abigail is teaching Violin at her studio in Effingham and Wednesday evening all of the girls have practice with the Eastern Illinois University Orchestra.
This last Friday the girls found an arrangement of Scott Joplin's The Entertainer for a string quartet. They experimented with it a little during the day Friday and treated Tamara and I to a little concert Friday evening. The boys tried to play along, but the music was a little too advanced for them. So most of the day Saturday the girls worked together to arrange parts for the boys and to smooth out some of the rough places in the original arrangement. Saturday evening they gave us another little concert.
It isn't perfect yet, but they are really enjoying playing it. I love the way they have learned to work together and appreciate the wonderful music teachers they have had. I love our home full of music!
This last Friday the girls found an arrangement of Scott Joplin's The Entertainer for a string quartet. They experimented with it a little during the day Friday and treated Tamara and I to a little concert Friday evening. The boys tried to play along, but the music was a little too advanced for them. So most of the day Saturday the girls worked together to arrange parts for the boys and to smooth out some of the rough places in the original arrangement. Saturday evening they gave us another little concert.
It isn't perfect yet, but they are really enjoying playing it. I love the way they have learned to work together and appreciate the wonderful music teachers they have had. I love our home full of music!
Friday, December 30, 2016
Hot Pepper!
Today at lunch, Garrett was reading the label on our pepper shaker and declared, "We aren't supposed to be using this for pepper!"
The shaker says, "Not for hot products."
The shaker says, "Not for hot products."
Thursday, December 15, 2016
Winter Violin Recital 2016
Garrett - Minuet 1 by J.S. Bach (Accompanied by Charlotte)
Lincoln - Hunters' Chorus by C.M. von Weber (Accompanied by Abigail)
Heidi - Concerto No. 2 - III Allegro Moderato by Frederick Seitz (Accompanied by Abigail)
Emily - Concerto No. 5 - I. Allegro Moderato by Frederick Seitz (Accompanied by Charlotte)
Charlotte - Sonata No. 1 in A major - II. Alegro by G. F. Handel (Accompanied by Abigail)
Abigail - Minuet from Quartet in d minor by W. A. Mozart (Accompanied by Charlotte)
Thursday, December 8, 2016
A Quiet Farm
Last year, we sold all of the cows and decided to rent out our pasture to our neighbor. We will probably get more in a few years, but the girls had gotten too busy with school and other things to be able to spend much time with them and the boys weren't quite old enough to take care of them.
We have had just the horses for a while but decided to sell them before winter because they were getting older and none of the kids rode them very much.
Now that Loyal died, all that we have on the farm is one cat.
-Abigail
We have had just the horses for a while but decided to sell them before winter because they were getting older and none of the kids rode them very much.
Now that Loyal died, all that we have on the farm is one cat.
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| Getting some last minute riding in. |
Thanksgiving
We went over to Roger and Sue's for Thanksgiving this year.
-Abigail
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| Almost ready to eat |
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| The three Musketeers |
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| Putting on a play (Heidi was the uncle in "Caddie Woodlawn". She has an ingenious beard) |
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| Playing the Great Dalmuti |
Magic Show
These three put on a magic show for Grandpa and Grandma when they were here last weekend.
Loyal
-Abigail
Remodeling the Basement
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| The mess |
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| Painting |
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| The storage room |
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| The play area for the girls' daycare children |
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| The train area |
The Lego Room
Our winter project has been the basement. We decided to make a room for the boys' Legos so they could play with them without having to pick them up all the time and without having them scattered all over the place.
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| Getting ready to tile. |
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| Tiled and ready to start the room. |
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| Building the walls. |
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| Finished! |
New and Improved Trash Transportation
Garrett found a better way to bring the trash cans back from the road.
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| Clip the trash can onto the bike with a dog leash. |
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| Bumping along |
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| Made it! |
Wednesday, December 7, 2016
Saturday, November 19, 2016
Saturday, November 12, 2016
Monday, November 7, 2016
Saturday, October 15, 2016
Sweet tooth
Garrett told me the other day that he used to really like sweets. Now he doesn't like them quite as much (although he does like them more than just a little bit). Then came the reason...
He pointed to one of his newly grown in adult teeth and said, "The tooth that fell out here was my sweet tooth."
He pointed to one of his newly grown in adult teeth and said, "The tooth that fell out here was my sweet tooth."
Sunday, October 9, 2016
Sunday, October 2, 2016
Summer Strings in Fall
The kids had a mini concert in the city square on the last day of summer. They played several Summer Strings songs during the lunch break so that people who work on the square could listen while eating lunch.
Monarchs
The kids found a couple of monarch caterpillars in the yard and we watched them turn into butterflies.
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| Just before hatching |
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