One Year Old

In case it's been some time since you had a one year old living in your home.... let me remind you. Take out....pull apart, pull down, rip, tear, get in to!! That pretty much sums it up

Dane Dane the CAndy Cane... turned ONE!

aaahhhh the ritual of turning ONE. The kids were "released early" from school yesterday so we had family and close friends over for a cupcake and coloring to celebrate Dane's first year. He was tired....the kids were hyped to be out of school and he utterly despised his cupcake. He was happy until we put him in his chair to "have at it". He touched it, tasted it and burst into tears! (could it be the influx of young girls wanting to guide him through this right of passage??)
Happy Birthday Baby Dane!

The kids on their last day of school (yesterday) before break. I guess that's going to be Dane's story... hey who wants to celebrate being out of school (AND my birthday by the way?!)

Thanksgiving in New Mexico

Looking at this picture I was surprised at how old the three of these little buggers look...
We had such great weather the kids were able to play outside every minute! And they really did!
They played in the dry creek bed behind Mimi and Poppy's house. Some distance from the house...alone...the 5 older kids. They named themselves the "ditch club". Ahhh the stuff good books are made out of...

The Original Cast

We just came home from a great week in New Mexico spent with Chris' family. We had great weather, great food and lots of fun and good conversation!
Here is the original Carlson Crew and aren't they cute!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

A real Thanksgiving Feast! This "feast" stretched equally as far the other direction. the entire "Great Hall" was filled with 1st graders eating their feast on rolls of brown paper and homemade placemats! Gunnar is second from the bottom on the right.
Gunnar has talked about his little friend Iiro all year .... they talk Star Wars and play on the playground at recess. I ....had in my mind that he was from, well... Japan? So this feast was the first day I got to meet Ihro? He's from Finland!! Gunnar and Iro the Swede and the Finn living in Texas!! That's America!!

11 months today...

Dane is 11 months today....
In all his glory. Teeth, slight runny nose, crawl, stand, walk along the couch, the only word he says is "Auda" every time he sees Audra he lights up and says her name almost clearly!!!!

Soccer Player Wanna-be

A younger brother waits.... waits on the sidelines. Season...after season.... until finally his day will come. The warn shoes of his brother's last season Adidas....he cheers (really echoes the cheers of other fans) "GO FIREBALLS!" At last......soccer season has ended. We hang up the cleats until next season when this little machine will get his turn on the field.

Mother Teresa (a.k.a third grade biography)

Before she fainted....
Yep....she fainted. Turned green, overheated, nervous energy fall to the ground, caught by another mother fainted!!
One for the record books!

Babies be gone...

Look at that smile? Don't you want to get on a plane and kiss those cheeks. It's hard over the course of 12 + years to live away from family. If it wasn't for Lee & Colette living here!! WE love sharing life with them....

My nephew Otto will soon be one and Dane will follow soon behind and most likely these will be the last babies .... the youngest grandchildren and their first year is over.

Fall is here....

10 Months old...

It's hard to say where this child is in his "normal growth" of a 10 month old cause he gets shlepped everywhere with everyone!! He is so smiley and still find his way under the table, now in the drawers and cabinets and is walking around furniture!!

The Next Generation

Michelle and Marissa flew to Texas for their 4 day weekend!! They left snow and came to 100 degree heat index!! We spent our first afternoon running through sprinklers at the boardwalk with sweat dripping down our backs. The next day a "soft cool front" came through and we were able to enjoy the outdoors!! So fun to see Audra and Marissa are friends/cousins just like Michelle and me! We had so much fun although....I think we thoroughly exhausted them to go back from their vacation!

Our "King of All Wild Things"

Here is our soon to be 4 year old and we are celebrating with his favorite book "Where the Wild Things Are!!" This king of all wild things has some very funny one liners lately. We've had so much fun since the kids have gone back to school. He's coming into his own.

On the way home from school a couple of weeks ago Anders asked flatly "what is a swine?" I responded.... it's a pig. Hhhmmmm. Much later he said "Mom, pigs can't fly??" I said "Nope, pigs can't fly". Under his breath I hear him saying.... "the swine flew?? The swine flew??" aaaaaaahhhhh No baby..... The Swine Flu!!!!!!!!!

badabomp!!

He's a keeper

Follies from the field

Audra playing goalie in last weekend's match up against Santa Fe (TX that is!)
Her aggressive run towards the ball in sweltering heat!

Oh we've had some good laughs in observing our childrens' personalities as brought out "on the field". Two weekends ago Chris took Audra to her early morning game with just Anders along as a cheerleader. Chris said she was playing, quite good as goalie when she turned to Chris in the middle of the game, hands on hip and said "where is Anders??" Chris said... what? Audra keep playing..... "Dad! Where is Anders I don't see him!!!" Chris reassured his eldest child "He's on the playground with some other kids.....STAY FOCUSED!" Ah....that's Audra. Worried about her little brother's safety in the middle of the game (or more... aware of his absence?)

Gunnar on the other hand....
Chris and Gunnar headed out to his game later that morning while Dane was still asleep. Chris is the coach! I rounded up the other three and we went to Sonic for a drink before the mid-morning game. It's just too hot!! Still!! as we parked our chairs on the sidelines, the game full steam GUNNAR waves and shouts mid-play!! DID YOU GET ME A SONIC??? I waved him on (Gunnar keep playing.....all parents eyes on me) Gunnar runs over to the sideline (MID PLAY!) What kind did you get me mom??!!!! aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!! Learning.... still learning!

9 months

and still under the table! His favorite place... away, good snacks, safe!

Brady Bunch or Carlson Clan?

Doesn't this look like the Brady Bunch Grand Canyon episode?
Hot....scorching hot, no shade, burning feet!
Absolutely no speed!
Honestly....I was way at the bottom of the hill and wasn't asking him to pose!!

White Sands, NM

No it's not snowing in Houston.... We got some great shots of the kids this summer playing in the zillion degree heat at the White Sands in New Mexico. THey started out with such fervor... more pictures will show you the end result (heat exhaustion!)

PS.. another 8 month old!

This is Anders at 8 months!! I love looking at the kids pictures of when they're the same age....so I went to check. Hhhhhhmmmmm not so much! There is definitely.....no other Anders!!!

8 months

Crawling, standing, eating everything in sight. His favorite place to be is under the kitchen table eating the kids flip-flops. He has four teeth and is getting some more and he loves to bite on the dirty, icky flip flop under the safety of the kitchen table!! aaaahhhh fourth child!

First Day of School 2009

Audra 3rd Grade.....Gunnar 1st Grade

Summer personified!

there are so many "blog entries" going through my head in a days time that just never get written. Mostly because I am too tired at the end of the day and spend the last remaining minutes wiping kitchen counters before I plop into bed. This one....had to be written. This past weekend was our last "summer weekend" as school officially started yesterday. The kids were playing a rousing game of soccer with their dad in the backyard....Dane watching from the baby jogger (getting eaten by mosquitoes I later discovered). I was inside doing some housework, getting dinner ready and doing a little work on the computer when I heard the faint din of "organ music...playing maybe a Disney song"??? huh?? THE ICE CREAM TRUCK!! We have yet to see this spectacle in our new neighborhood but in less than 10 seconds I heard my children yell at the top of their lungs....IIICCCCEEEE CREAAAAAAAAAMMMM TRUCK!!!!!!!! No sooner did it register that they were aware of his passing by than doors were flung open. I walked out of the office door only to discover. Dane in the middle of the house in a baby jogger, back door open, front door open and NOBODY else around!! Were Dane and I "left behind?" Surely not....
Several minutes later Chris comes strolling in with the three stooges. They all proudly showed me their fake colored ice cream on a stick through the back door (as they were asked to eat it OUTSIDE!) Their eyes beaming with glee, their skin stained with the artificial colors and teeth a bright blue. We had actually only one other time in their little lives let them buy ice cream from this sketchy truck so I was a bit surprised by their purchase. It was only later that I learned that Chris had followed them up from the yard only to find this....(see picture). Anders running down driveway, then sidewalk holding his quite large (he asked for it for Christmas) breakable piggy bank!! In those few seconds he had made the connection that the only hope of his getting any ice cream would be to take his own stash of pennies to the truck. As it turns out....Audra and Gunnar also had grabbed their money and were asked to purchase Anders as he had less than the $3 required for this frivolous purchase. None the less......they were all thrilled to end their summer with a well deserved...." Ice cream on a stick!"
Now that's summer!

Happy 40 Jilly!!

Happy 40 Jilly!! I had to call my sister twice on Sunday because I couldn't believe she was really turning 40. I said "isn't this the black balloons, over the hill signs birthday?" She quickly corrected me..... "That's 50 she said...no and really 40 is the NEW 30!!!" And.....she really does look 30....so that works!! Happy Birthday JILL!!

End of summer

Today marks the first day of school (3rd and 1st grade) for my oldest two....this picture was last week at the Houston Childrens' museum. Aaahhhhh the end of summer. I would like to say that the brisk air of Fall hit us as we walked to school this morning but it was more like the drip drop of sweat rolling down my back with a heat index of 104 predicted for today!! Happy end of summer kids!

Happy 18th Birthday JOey

YOu may be an "adult" today Joey but you're still just a kid to your Aunts and Uncles!!

WE LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

August 13th....15 years

August 13, 1994
August 13, 2009 ...... 15 years, four kids and a few wrinkles later.
Happy Anniversary Chris

Boys..boys...boys.....

Rascal and The Thinker
Rascal, thinker and Ninja?
boys...

Buddies.....

Boys by definition are active, playful, full of mischief and altogether full of fun. This summer my boys got to spend quality time with cousin Oskar who by mere observation ....didn't know what hit him!!!!

Back from New Mexico...

Colette and I made it back last night (with Mimi's help) from New Mexico. We drove last Saturday and had a wonderful time in Rio Doso..... more pictures to come

And the list goes on and on and ...

GRANDCHILDREN 2009~ Joey (17) & Greta (13)
Tanyi (10) & Tyra (16)
Audra (8)



Gunnar (clearly 6)
Oskar (4... 5 tomorrow the 30th...HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!)
Anders (3)
Ilsa (3)

and last but most certainly not least.......the bathtime twinkies.....
Otto (7 months & Dane 6 months... of course now older)