David After Another Year

This year David's birthday celebration was very understated and sandwiched between his lecture prep and dissertation work. But we got as much party in as we could. His special birthday dinner was hot dogs, grape juice, and pie. That's right, I offered him the world and he chose processed meat sticks and mustache making beverages.  Really, what do you expect from a man who comes dressed to his 39th birthday party in a Boba Fett Tshirt?

The man who puts the "boy" in "birthday boy" showing off his key lime pie.

"Happy to you!  Happy to you!"

Question: How Does Taran Eat a Little Hot Dog?

Answer:  With a LOT of sauce.

A Corndog Muffin made with little sausages is one of our favorite dinners. It's easy to make and those little sausages are so yummy that sometimes they are plucked out of the cornbread and saved for the very end.

Taran decided to do that the last time we had our muffins.  With one mini wiener on his plate he reached for the ketchup and mustard...

The correct meat to condiment ratio.

Use the dog to swirl the sauce.

Plunge in and make sure to scoop as much fixings as possible.

Any leftovers can be sopped with the fingers.

Wash it down.

Savor.

Calvin's First Pinewood Derby

Calvin has joined the Cub Scouts at his school. He loves it.

 

 

 

Emma Picks Up the Slack

She doesn't even know she's helping to raise her siblings
(in this picture, literally), she just loves them.

 

Accidental Oscar

The camera, it's one of the easiest things to open on an iPhone. Oscar has figured it out pretty good. He still doesn't know to point, then shoot, but he's got the click part down.

Self portrait.

Toes and bottle.

It took me a while to figure what this was when I found it in my pictures:  Extreme Carpet Close Up.

Self Portrait II.

Daddy at church.

Encouraged to mischief by older sister while at church.

Sunbathing, Minnesota Style

Home and inside all day Saturday, I shouted at my boys, "You either go outside, or help clean up inside!" Enoch and Calvin opted for the outside. I found them thus:

Enoch found a sunny patch at the gate.

Calvin cuddled up on a sled.

Do not wake a hibernating boy!

Merry April!

Oscar, early in the week, with just a little snow on the ground.

Willa, Friday morning, with a LOT of snow on the ground.

David and Willa, Friday afternoon, in a winter wonderland.

Emma attacks.

Calvin in my childhood A&W hat without gloves.

The whole family in front of Lake Nokomis.

Enoch over Minnehaha Creek.

Red in the Face

My red faced day in a series of pictures texted to my sister:

Kirsti started it by texting me a picture of her boy with red lipstick all over his face.
So I countered with this one of Oscar after he ate a red crayon:

 

I thought that'd be the end of it, but later Willa woke Oscar early from his nap and he screamed for 20 minutes I sent her a picture of this red face:

 

And then this one:

 

Love Sucks

Oscar adores the vacuum. 

They just want to be together.

Easter, Beginning Anew

Since Easter is about new life, beginning again, and cute new outfits, it seems like a perfect time to restart this blog. I went offline for a while and let record keeping drop from my long list of things to do. Sadly, this means that some important moments went by without documentation. But they still happened and that's real important thing. I do hope to go back and fill in holes, but for now, I look forward.

With that, I give you Easter, the Martin Way...

The Martin Kidlins at church all in their new Easter finery.

 

Willa starts the hunt at Aunt Cheryl's & Uncle Kyle's house.

Elizabeth and Oscar, delighted.

Calvin, on the move.

Taran, Elizabeth, Emma, and Willa.

Oscar spots a trail of chicks.

David and the gang.

Cheryl, Makayla, and Kyle.

David holding Taran back.

Cousins and candy!

Hooray for Easter!

...and we always need a picture of the peep.

Spring Break

I got almost no pictures of our Spring Break Doings.
We had planned themes for each day:  Baking (yummy eats), Movies (a visit to a rental store), Art, and FUN (swimming at the Y and just good times).

The only pictures I got were from our Art Day. We watched Sister Wendy explain masterpieces on YouTube, read art books, and made a mural in the hall.

Willa stands beside a picture of herself holding balloons.

 

Taran's submarine and Jayden's (a neighbor friend) fish.

Calvin's felt beard.

General Conference Blues

It's just not that easy to sit and listen. Over and over.

Taran naps in a comfy chair while we listen from the foyer.

And over, and over, and over!

Willa wants to be done.