Severinghaus family

A lot of work...

2012-02-01T20:36:00.000-08:00

After a long day of school on Wednesday, we headed to the beach with our friends for some exploring. The sun that had shone all day suddenly disappeared behind fog and the temperature dropped more than a few degrees, but it did not stop the exploration.
The boys had in mind to 'help' the rain water run off drain into the ocean, all that was in the way was just a small sand bank - about 20 feet wide and a scant 6 feet tall... no big deal. First they all had to cross the river run off to the other side, and since the easy way is no challenge, they set out to build a bridge across. It was more like a balance beam than a bridge, but most of us got over without any major trouble, only Mamma slid, rolled and got dunked and therefore choose the easy but a bit longer route to the site in mind, with the skirt dripping and the shoes sloshing...

This is the sand bank they were attempting to cut

The immensity of the project did not seem to face the crew who quickly set off to dig with bare hands. Only the setting of the sun, and a cold wet Mamma stood in the way of completing the task. However, they had fun in the process, and that is all that counts.

Science Friday - chemistry part 2

2012-01-23T21:08:00.000-08:00

Friday means science, which means messy... Fortunately, the weather around here is usually good enough that we can be outside while experimenting, mixing, stirring, and extracting. This Friday, it was cold and it rained, so we had to move inside. The foursome had fun exploring properties of liquids, chemical reactions when combining various liquids and the power of vinegar on eggshells.

And then there was a roof

2012-01-23T21:02:00.000-08:00

The tree house work is progressing! Over the Christmas holiday Bob and Lukas had a few opportunities to work on the structure and finish some of the work in order to roof the new abode. This past weekend, they worked diligently from early morning into the late afternoon and the roof is now done. Yes, like any other project, there are a few minor things left to complete the roof, check it off the list; however, by the 80/20 rule it is done!

Lukas is very happy and is secretly plotting his next steps - cameras, surveillance, locks... stay tuned!

The world

2012-01-23T20:57:00.000-08:00

Noah loves to do puzzles and have yet to find a puzzle that stumps him. For Christmas he received a world puzzle where each country is its own piece and in the shape of the country. It is a bit tricky to put together all the little countries in Europe when none of the pieces interlock, since the shape is based on actual country shape; even larger continents were a bit challenging until we learned the inside trick - begin with the oceans.

It did not take long for Noah and his helpers - Dad, Mamma and Lukas - to put this big one together and we learned a bunch of geography in the process! Thank you Grammy and Pappy for a great gift!

Keeping warm

2012-01-23T20:54:00.000-08:00

We had frost this week! Cars had a thin layer of ice on the windshield if parked in the right location, the roofs were slightly white and the air was crisp, cold and my morning Lucky walks were brisk.

Lukas decided that rather than putting on a long sleeve shirt, he would find a place in the sun to do his work. When the sun became a bit of a bother, he pulled out his newly acquired sun glasses and quickly got back to work. He clearly has learned the lesson of adaptations. And yes, we do school in our pjs quite often, one of the many perks of home education!

Beach fire

2012-01-23T20:46:00.000-08:00

We have had a few weeks of really nice weather, sunny, blue sky and some low clouds at night promising gorgeous sunsets. Since Monday was a holiday, it seemed the perfect idea to host a beach fire on Sunday night. Well, the weather that had been so perfect was no longer ... but it did not stop us. Lukas bundled up in his warmest clothes and we lugged tens of pounds of wood to the beach. Surprisingly many of our friends braved the weather for some fire, toasted marshmallows and great fun play - and yes the sun set, but did not give us a show. A great reason to schedule another fire soon!

The head lamp is vital! It gets very dark once the sun sets, and there are no street lights in Carmel. Try finding a shovel on the sand, a pair of brown flip flops or a marshmallow stick without a light and you too will realize the importance of a head lamp.

Perfect breakfast

2012-01-23T20:41:00.001-08:00

Lately, we have been able to get blueberries on sale and we are indulging. Noah took this picture of a picture perfect breakfast - waffle by Dad, blueberry design by Noah.

Hungry squirrel

2012-01-22T22:22:00.000-08:00

We like to head to Lover's Point for some exploring, fun climbing and beach time even if it is only for 30-45 minutes. There is always something to see, something to learn and something new that we have not yet done.
This past week, we met a new friend for some get to know you time at Lover's Point. He brought a bag of snacks along - probably to fortify himself before his bike ride. As always, the squirrels were right on our heals, and this time there was something to be had! It did not take long for the squirrels to finish off the bag - and our new friend? Well, he did not seem too upset that he had to share his snack...

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Are there not any more?

January in Pacific Grove!

What a difference a day make...

2012-01-10T21:07:00.000-08:00

Lukas has a new hairdo!

Christmas is definitely over...

2012-01-10T21:01:00.000-08:00

Saturday's goal was to pack up Christmas, no more early mornings by the Christmas tree, no more smiley 'tomtes' watching us eat, and the Christmas cards are safely tucked away in the 'to be prayed for' basket. Usually there is at least one or two things left behind when the last box is sealed up and stored away and this year was no different, although this item cannot be stored. Our Charlie Brown Christmas tree - which amazingly still looks nice - had to go. The large Christmas tree quickly became fire wood for the fire pit in the backyard and is no more, Charlie Brown's tree is still hanging out on the front patio.. none of us quite ready to let go, there is still some Christmas spirit left in the air. Maybe it is a gentle reminder to enjoy, cherish and hold on to some of the sweetness that comes with Christmas - time with family, leisurely lounging, laughter, sweet treats and fun.

Science Friday

2012-01-06T23:02:00.000-08:00

It is Friday so it must be science! We set out to create a chemistry matrix, mixing various liquids with various solids to understand the chemical reaction, and observe the differences between acids and bases, realize that some combinations creates great reactions, others not so much, some get hot, some get freezing cold, some gel, and some just stay the same.

I had great visions of informative instruction, inquisitive children, careful note taking and complete memory recall of the activity.. The children, all seven of them, had a very different and much more fun idea in mind. Seven against one, I was quickly overruled and we set out to have just fun while hopefully learning some. Lukas created a new compound that a few hours later could qualify as a lethal weapon in a sling shot, and our street has some interesting spots and markings.. otherwise we all survived unscathed. At dinner, Lukas and Noah were able to at least recite some of the major points I had hope to instill in their impressionable brains, so all was not lost.

Welcome back friends!

2012-01-06T22:51:00.000-08:00

Silas and Lydia are back in town! To keep the tradition going, we spent our first play day with Silas and Lydia on the beach! Silas brought a football so the Lukas and Noah got a quick lesson in the very American game of football. A fun afternoon reconnecting with dear friends.

Art

2012-01-06T22:48:00.000-08:00

We are gearing up for full school days again... next week, we start Classical Conversations again and in preparation for tutoring, I enlisted my children's help in doing some artwork. The inspiration was Grandma Moses - but both boys had very specific ideas in their heads of what they wanted to do, so not sure we have an representative art works to show on Monday. I am going to have to resort to and lean on the library books - which of course shows the true work of Grandma Moses.....

Regardless, Lukas and Noah had a lot of fun doing art, using toothpicks, cotton balls and paint brushes, their imagination and creativity certainly is inspiring!

Home economics

2012-01-03T23:14:00.000-08:00

Noah spent this morning making a new pair of pajamas pants - he helped cut out the parts, pinned them and finally sewed all the parts together. He really enjoyed using the sewing machine, one more machine that he has mastered.
Noah found a hand me down t-shirt from his cousin that matched the pants perfectly, so he is now sleeping in style.

Home economics class complete for the day!

Lukas would have been the second student for the day if only the teacher, ie Mamma, did not cut his fabric incorrectly.... maybe Mamma needs to repeat home ec?

Happy New Year!

2012-01-03T23:07:00.001-08:00

Christmas Morning

2012-01-02T14:56:00.000-08:00

In years' past, the boys have helped make Christmas pajamas... and this year the boys picked out new fleece for the pajamas, but black and white checkered or bright yellow with frogs just does not convey Christmas very well, so when things had to fall off the 'to do list' making Christmas pjs fell off quickly. It will become a January project.
Well, Christmas is here with or without new pajamas. Noah woke up very excited and tried his hardest to stay in his room, finding endless ways to amuse himself, yet when the hands on the clock just did not seem to move anymore, he could no longer resist and burst into our bedroom wishing us a "Merry Christmas!"
Lukas and Noah lit our Swedish candle holder, the cinnamon rolls went into the oven, the coffee maker in full swing, we sat down to explore the wonders of stockings. Only the oven timer indicating that the rolls were done could pull us away from the many fun gadgets and toys hidden in the depths of our pretty red stockings. Lukas blew bubbles, Noah worked on setting a new record on his pin ball game and Bob and I got lost in our magazines.
After we were fortified with some warm cinnamon rolls and hot cocoa it was time to open gifts. The squeals of delight, the glimmer in the eyes, the joys - if one could only bottle all this happiness and draw upon it when needed.. It was such a wonderful time watching Lukas and Noah opening gift after gift, each one something they really wanted or wished for and in some cases things they had not even thought of asking for - surprise, delight, joy - just what Christmas is all about.

Christmas Eve

2012-01-02T14:28:00.000-08:00

Bob took charge of our Christmas Eve dinner and prepared a delicious and 'pretty to look at' ham. The boys were excited about their special desserts: White Chocolate Raspberry Trifle and Dark Chocolate Raspberry torte.
After a nice Christmas Eve service at church, a wonderful dinner and fun family time, we ended Christmas Eve with the traditional reading of "It Was The Night Before Christmas." Last year, we received a new copy of this classic, and the book was outfitted with a small chip allowing recording of someone reading the book. So even though Tom/Pappy was back in Missouri, he read the book while Bob turned the pages. Two very excited boys headed to bed but not until they had a quick wrestle with Dad...

Happy Birthday

2011-12-23T10:20:00.000-08:00

Today we sing Happy Birthday to a very special person, a wonderful Dad, fabulous father-in-law, much loved Pappy, great friend, and so much more. We wish we could be there in person to celebrate with you!

Gingerbread houses

2011-12-23T09:57:00.000-08:00

Christmas is a time of traditions - one of ours is Gingerbread houses. I can remember as a little girl how my mother would mix together the gingerbread dough, and my father would roll it out, cut out the parts of the house and how we finally after many hours of waiting were able to decorate it with candy and icing. Now we decorate gingerbread houses with our boys - the only difference is I do not make the dough, Bob does not roll it out - it comes in a pre-baked kit from IKEA, so each boy can have one to decorate and then later to eat.
Lukas and Noah watched as I assembled the houses and then they set out to decorate. Over the years we have seen quite a few designs and decors. This year they both took the task very seriously, making sure the candy 'matched' and expanding out from the house proper onto the tray.
The houses are now on display for a few brief days before the humidity in the air will get the best of these and the roofs will begin to sag indicating it is time to consume these humble abodes. I am not sure what part the boys enjoy the most, decorating, watching/admiring or eating...

Loss at 30,000 ft

2011-12-20T19:56:00.000-08:00

Lukas was happily munching on some semi-nutritious snacks half way across the Pacific Ocean when suddenly one of his teeth fell out. A true 30,000 ft loss which he was only to happy to pose and joke about...

Finally, we had the camera ready!

2011-12-19T23:18:00.000-08:00

We had yet another sweet visit with our 'cousins' the Severinghaus' who live in San Jose, only this time, I did take a picture! Rick hails from the oldest of the Severinghaus' brothers who came over from Germany in the mid 1800s, and the youngest brother is 'our' relative. We look forward to more reunions with our California relatives.

Christmas preparations

2011-12-19T23:14:00.000-08:00

Back home in Monterey, we quickly unpacked our bags so that we could put our focus on Christmas. Bob and the boys brought home the tree and set out to re-arrange our furniture to make room for the tree.
Noah and Lukas proudly put on the first two ornaments, the ones they bought this summer in Frankenmouth symbolizing their musical interests - violin and piano. We only dream of a baby grand piano...settling for a key board which they did not sell as an ornament.

The house smelled of fresh pine, warm saffron bread and the Christmas music was playing in the background - we are ready for Christmas!

Rainbow

2011-12-19T23:05:00.000-08:00

There is a reason there is a rainbow on the Hawaiian license plate - we saw one almost every day! There is always sunshine in Hawaii, sometimes it is just liquid.

Sunsets

2011-12-19T22:43:00.000-08:00

The sunsets in Monterey are gorgeous, breathtaking and amazing - yet the ones in Hawaii are even more beautiful. I could have spent each evening on the beach filling up the SD card with shots of the big, yellow orange sphere that slowly descended into the deep blue ocean. God truly put on a show for us.

Some school

2011-12-19T22:41:00.000-08:00

One of the many benefits of educating at home is the flexibility to go, see and explore. This year we are studying American history, and Dec 7, marked the 70th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. We spent a morning exploring, watching, learning and contemplating this monumental event in history - we even had a chance to talk briefly with a few who were there on that fateful Sunday morning. No amount of history reading can replace that!

One morning we headed to the local Army Museum and walked around exploring - only because it was built so sturdily that not even a wrecking ball could destroy the Battery is it now a museum showcasing Army presence in Hawaii. Lukas and Noah spent a long time studying the various cases showing off weapons, and artifacts from years past.
The somberness of these places, and the destruction of war was not lost on the boys. Our freedom came and still come at a high price - the brave and unselfish men and women in uniform. Thank you for your service!

Cocktail hour

2011-12-19T22:22:00.000-08:00

Having been well groomed in the Severinghaus' tradition of cocktail hours, the boys made sure we sampled the local libations. They made a few price comparisons to make sure we 'got the best deal' and happily settled in with their frozen drinks, playing with the umbrellas from Mamma and Dad's drinks.

Decisions...

2011-12-19T22:15:00.000-08:00

We explored the town at night while searching for places to eat. Sometimes the best meal began with dessert, and other times it began on the beach with a walk - oh the worries of so many decisions...

Simple plan

2011-12-19T22:06:00.000-08:00

The plan for the week in Hawaii was simple: swim, swim, beach play, more swim, a dip in the pool, back to the ocean for more swim, some snorkeling, sand castle building, more swim.

Traveling fun

2011-12-19T21:36:00.000-08:00

Bob was invited to present a scientific paper at a conference, his first published paper. If that was not exciting enough, the conference was being held in Honolulu in December. Lukas, Noah and I quickly offered to help Bob by coming along as luggage bearers, support staff and his personal entourage taking care of his every whim and need.

The four of us set out on our trip early in the morning, when the sky was still dark, and the air cool, almost cold. A car ride, a nice relaxing time in the USO, a few airport bus shuttles and a long plane ride later we arrived in sunny, bright and balmy Honolulu. Unpacking bags had to be left for another moment, there was a balcony for cocktails, and a beach to explore.

Science

2011-12-07T17:46:00.001-08:00

Noah spent a morning measuring and calculating how many cups, pints and quarts are in a gallon. Water, stool and boy - a wonderful combination promising hours of fun if only Mamma would allow him.
The math lesson had to come to an end however, so that the kitchen could be turned into a chemistry lab where the students observe what happens to marshmallows heated on the stove. The purpose of this experiment was to use up a long forgotten remnant of a box of Rice Krispies cereal. The boys searched the internet for the perfect recipe, rejecting many based on the reviews and finally settling on old fashion rice krispies treats. The novelty quickly wore off as the work got harder, and harder. Lukas thought cutting the large marshmallows into smaller pieces would speed up the process and set out with a scissor and the bag of white fluff. Noah continued to labor on the stove until the white mess was smooth and silky. When they poured in the cereal they quickly realized that the pan was too small and that it was not that easy to stir in cups and cups of cereal into the thick white cream which also cooled all too quickly. The end result still tasted yummy and the boys learned several valuable lessons - isn't that what science and for that matter all school is about?

The treats disappeared before I had a chance to capture the end result of this science experiment.

Lighted Boat Parade

2011-12-07T17:33:00.001-08:00

On Sunday night we headed downtown to see the lighted boat parade - boats decked out in their finest lights and Christmas decor. A prime viewing spot is right across the street from MYO, so off we went, bundled up in several layers of clothing yet yearning for frozen yogurt...

It was a fun evening, standing beside the Christmas tree on Cannery Row, munching on MYO and watching the boats go by. Although MYO is ALWAYS good, hot cocoa would have been more appropriate, it does get cold even here, especially by the water and after sun set.
Since we did not bring a tripod, we opted for 'artistic' photos of the boats only - the boys had so much fun trying out various movements with the camera that we almost forgot to watch the parade!

Decorating part 2

2011-12-07T16:46:00.001-08:00

The house is now decorated for Christmas, all that is missing is the tree which we will get after our lovely interlude in the sun this week.
Lukas and Bob took charge of the outside, whereas Noah was in charge of the inside. However, since the inside did not entail much ladder climbing, Noah took shorter breaks to assist outside as well and to lend his artistic eye to the process.
Unpacking Christmas boxes affords a wonderful opportunity for some reminiscing, as most items have some sort of history, story or significance to us.

When all the empty boxes were safely tucked away in the garage again, we headed out for sushi, courtesy of generous friends' gift certificate and enjoyed a leisurely dinner after all the 'hard' work.

Wise Guys

2011-12-03T18:12:00.001-08:00

Every year in conjunction with the City of Carmel's tree lighting ceremony, our church puts on a Live Nativity Scene complete with livestock. The boys have enjoyed participating in this event, and Noah even lay claims to a certain wise man outfit, claiming it is 'his' since he has worn it several years in a row. Lukas has held the role of Joseph in the past but this year joined the ranks of wise guys along with a last minute recruit of a new, good friend who recently moved to town.The solemn look is simply part of the 'role we play, Mamma,' explain Noah and Lukas when I asked.
The live tableau is a beautiful reminder of the reason for the season, Christ leaving His place at the right hand of the Father to come to earth to save us from our sins. Truly the most incredible and amazing gift, one that cannot be topped no matter what. We rejoice and excitedly look forward to his coming again.

Cookies

2011-12-03T17:56:00.001-08:00

Christmas means cookies, lots of cookies. We pulled out the cook books, the recipe binders and set out to make a list of what to make. The list grew, and grew and grew - we now have at least 15 different types of cookies on our want list and only a few days to bake...
On Friday morning, with the CD player stacked with Christmas CDs, we set out to make our first batches of cookies, and enlisted much needed help from Isabel all decked out in her apron. We mixed and sampled, stirred and ate more, rolled balls of dough and placed them on cookie sheets, and ate some more. Miraculously, some dough even made it into the oven before it was consumed. The cooling racks were stacked high with cookies, although the stacks seemed to shrink every time I turned around.. not sure who still had room for more....

At the end we had six different kinds of cookies, and one dough resting in the fridge since we plum ran out of time and energy. A truly sweet morning, which was capped off with Lukas reading Christmas stories out loud for Isabel and anyone within earshot. Now, if I can only find some room in the freezer to keep some of these cookies for Christmas... the containers seem to have a vanishing vapor in them, when sitting out on the counters, the cookies disappear...

Laugh and Giggle

2011-12-03T17:39:00.001-08:00

There is nothing the boys would rather do than wrestle with their Dad. Given the size of our house, our bed is usually the wrestling field. This week while hosting our small group, we moved the coffee table temporarily so that the youngest members of the group could have a place to roll and play, while parents study and pray. Lukas and Noah seized the opportunity for an impromptu wrestling match before the coffee table was put back. There were laughs and giggles long past their bedtime and the table stood on its side in the hall most of the evening, because who would ruined the wrestling field with such a silly object?

Decorating part 1

2011-12-03T17:32:00.001-08:00

Our first Christmas decoration is up: the beautiful, fresh and sweet smelling Christmas wreath courtesy of Barb and Tom who every year so generously gifts us a fresh cut wreath. The arrival of the big brown box is a sure sign it is high time to break out the Christmas music, the boxes and get busy decorating, even though it is sunny, blue sky and 60+ degrees outside... Noah takes this job seriously!

Preparing for Christmas

2011-12-03T17:25:00.001-08:00

Lukas and Noah helped take down all the Christmas boxes for Grammy and Pappy. They had lots of fun carrying and stacking boxes, but the most fun was opening and exploring content of boxes. Lukas found the Charlie Brown Christmas book, which he quickly read, followed by the creation of his very own interpretation of a Charlie Brown Christmas tree.

Left over - no!

2011-11-26T09:21:00.001-08:00

Black Friday usually means shopping and left over dinners - but not for this fortunate family. We were treated to a marvelous spread of appetizers, thick steaks hot off the grill along with Lisa's famous twice baked potatoes, salads, greens and sour dough bread straight from San Francisco. The meal was topped off by chocolate fondue, and Noah took the lead in documenting this sweet treat. Enjoy! It is guilt and calorie free to look :-)

Time for Christmas!

2011-11-26T09:05:00.001-08:00

Black Friday signals the first day of the Christmas season. The boys happily took on the job of getting rid of Thanksgiving - pumpkin tossing is now permissible! Bob took on the task of hanging lights outside and then formed a human chain to take down the many fully loaded Christmas boxes from the attic.

Hunting

2011-11-26T08:59:00.001-08:00

Lukas and Noah spent Black Friday creating in Pappy's garage. Lukas marveled at the many 'new tools' that Pappy had and felt it 'offered great and exciting opportunities to create new things, Mamma.' The fields behind the house supplied all the materials for the weapons.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-26T08:40:00.001-08:00

We celebrated Thanksgiving with our family in Missouri - our first Thanksgiving with family! There were much preparation, planning, cooking and decorating before we all sat down for a delicious and scrumptious feast. Although this has been a year of sudden losses and challenges, we realize we still have so much to be thankful for - such as family, near and far.

Three generations of sweets

Horsing around

2011-11-26T07:21:00.001-08:00

Lukas and Noah are having fun exploring at Grammy and Pappys. I caught them out in the garage, horsing around, and hamming it up for the camera:

Not too tall for fun

2011-11-26T07:15:00.001-08:00

The new TV finally arrived and while Bob and Lukas spent time installing the new device, Noah found the box entertaining and amusing. It will not be long before he will be too tall for even these large size boxes, he is catching up with his brother.

Lego League

2011-11-26T07:08:00.001-08:00

This fall, Bob has coached the GermBuster Lego League team as the team set out to solve Food Safety Issues using Mindstorm and Lego. The league culminated in a Fall Exhibition where each of the team had a chance to show off accomplishments and design. Each team was encouraged to invite their family and friends to come and see the exhibition. Lukas and Noah were fortunate to still have Mormor and Morfar in town, who patiently sat through the set up, exhibition and helped with tear down. A great culmination of a fun fall activity.

Butterflies

2011-11-26T06:58:00.001-08:00

Pacific Grove is known for its Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary, a place where Monarch butterflies come to spend the winter. It is amazing to see the butterflies who gather here at the Central Coast every year. The butterflies who winter here is the fifth generation live longer butterflies, the next four generations will mate and die before the fifth one will find its way back to Pacific Grove next fall. Another of God's many wonders for us here on earth.
Mormor, Morfar, Lukas, Noah and Christina enjoyed a sunny walk through this amazing park almost filling up the memory card on every camera we brought in our attempts to capture these colorful creatures.

Mormor and Morfar

2011-11-26T06:31:00.001-08:00

October ended with a fabulous trip to visit friends and November began with a bang as Lukas, Noah and Mamma arrived back home just in time to pick up Mormor and Morfar who traveled from Sweden to visit. Our kitchen counter looked like a fancy candy store as they unpacked their bags, and it did not take long before Mormor and Morfar began to tackle the 'to do' list. Mormor mended pants, ironed everything in sight, cooked dinners, and mixed up cookie dough for Christmas cookies. Morfar spent his time pulling out thousands of staples in our ones upon a time white dining room chairs, and then recovered them in much more practical blue plaid. Lukas and Noah had special time with their grandparents shopping and watching movies while Bob and Christina took advantage of the built in babysitter and headed out for some adult time as a couple.
We did take advantage of the nice California weather to explore the area a bit - a trip to Monterey is not complete without watching the waves, and drinks on the beach.

Good friends

2011-11-26T05:56:00.001-08:00

T minus 0 is finally here. Combining business and pleasure. Lukas and Noah have been counting down the days to this trip since the day they were told we would go. We headed to dear friends in Tennessee for a week of fun and work at the end of October. Lukas and Noah spent their days exploring the acreage, swinging in the tree swing, hanging out in the tree house, fishing in the pond and investigating the barn. They also had a chance to do some real outside work: raking, feeding chickens, taking care of rabbits, and gathering dead branches to be burnt. Lukas really wanted to mow the lawn so that he could use the ride on mower, but settled for a few trips around the property just for fun. Noah thoroughly enjoyed gathering up eggs for his breakfast. As if the farm was not enough, Lukas and Noah had a chance to visit the Science Museum in Nashville, and get dressed up for Halloween candy gathering in Kentucky. All of these activities were extra ordinary fun, however, nothing trumped spending hours with their best friends doing little but talking, playing and hanging out. While Lukas and Noah had the 'time of their lives' Mamma spent time in Peacemaker training to gain greater experience in biblical conflict resolution. The training would have been perfect, had it not been for it taking me away from all the fun back on the farm.
Our wonderful friends fed us well, treated us to Sonic and Chick'a'File and their best home cooking; we spent hours catching up, talking and sharing; laughing. When we got ready to leave, Lukas and Noah tried every suggestion that would make us stay and little host man offered for us space in the barn so that we could stay. Unfortunately, life was calling us back in Monterey so we had to board a plane, but we certainly left parts of us in Tennessee, already scheming and planning our return.

Great friends are such gems and this family is at the top -we love them all dearly.

Faith in Action

2011-10-24T21:49:00.000-07:00

For the last six weeks we as a church have read "The Hole in Our Gospel." On Sunday, we put our faith in action and headed out in the community to do volunteer and service work during our normal church hours. Bob and Lukas headed out to a charity farm to help put up deer fencing, otherwise this will be a deer charity farm.
Noah wanted to bake cookies, so he and Mamma stayed at church baking up dozens of cookies as part of the cookie patrol. Noah helped place cookie dough on cookie sheets, take them off once they were cooled, keeping track on the ones in the oven, and when every morsel of dough was baked, he helped deliver the cookies. We took four large platters to the local police and fire department as a sign of gratitude for all they do for the people in the area; others drove off with arm loads of cookies for convalescence homes and retirement homes. His most important job however was to sample the cookies and rescue into his mouth those that accidentally fell on the floor.. it was a tough job and everyone appreciated Noah's willingness to do it.
After everyone had completed the service part of the morning, we gathered back at church for a picnic - Lukas got a well deserved hamburger and cold water after spending the morning outside on one of the hottest days in Carmel this year.

Noah and Lukas were both tired but energized by the work they had done for someone else - a great learning experience for both of them.

Costumes

2011-10-23T21:11:00.000-07:00

We have usually trick and treated in our neighborhood, this year the boys will be doing trick and treat Ft Campbell style. A quick stop at Goodwill yielded laughter, squeals of delight, the difficulties of choosing just one, careful searching for matching pieces, and the giggles when we found THE ONE. Lukas and Noah could not wait to come home and model their new get ups - and pull downs in the case of Lukas. Two very cute court jesters are ready for trick and treat!

Field Trip

2011-10-23T21:06:00.000-07:00

The boys participated in a community service project at Asilomar State Park this week. We gathered on the beach and learned about sand dunes, and what and how they are formed and restored. The State Park volunteers spend hours of time gathering seeds, germinating and nurturing these seeds in hot houses, shade houses and in smaller pots before the plants are ready for action on the sand dunes - a pretty harsh climate, salty air, strong winds, lots of moisture, and some heat. Lukas and Noah, along with their friends transplanted seedlings of Monterey Pine to the dunes and helped plant seeds for germination.

It was really interesting to walk the dunes, really observing the colors, vegetation and variety of species that make their homes in the sand dunes.

Our front yard is not too bad either

2011-10-23T20:50:00.000-07:00

The sunsets over the Pacific are something else, but there are times the sunset we see from our front yard is pretty as well.. like this evening. Wonder if I should start a sunset blog...

Sunset

2011-10-23T20:48:00.000-07:00

I really really like sunsets - and the ones over the Pacific are hard to beat. We spent a lovely evening on the beach for the last of the season Carmel Presbyterian Church beach parties. I may have been perceived as rude as I had my back to the party the entire time, capturing the magnificence of the setting sun. It truly takes my breath away and no photo of mine does it justice. You simply have to come and visit and see for yourself!

Science on location

2011-10-23T20:44:00.000-07:00

The summer comes late to Monterey! And the micro climates are really truly micro in area. Last week, we decided to explore another beach for critters, crabs and crawling things. It was sunny, calm and wonderful here in Monterey, so we were a bit surprised to see some incredible huge waves coming crashing in, forcing us to go to plan B - a place where the surf was not quite as strong. Despite that, we witnessed a poor tourist who lulled by the beautiful, blue ocean waded in to her ankles, turned around to pose for a picture and almost got swept out to sea. She made it, but she was wet to her neck. The boys learned a valuable lesson - one we have emphasized, but there is nothing like seeing it in action: Never have your back to the ocean.

Lukas and Noah climbed the dry rocks, to keep away from powerful waves, and with their friends gathered up quite a bounty of living creatures, which we swiftly released after capturing on film.

Writing or Righting Aid?

2011-10-23T20:34:00.000-07:00

Noah found a new use for a long mailing tube, so the question is: A writing aid or righting aid? He did get 100% on his math problems he was doing.... if that is any help in drawing a conclusion for the answer.

Piano Recital

2011-10-16T15:45:00.001-07:00

http://youtu.be/3GCjbvmGb7A
Here is Lukas' performance at his most recent piano recital at the Park Lane, Monterey on Saturday October 15, 2011.

In addition to Lukas playing, Eun Ha, his teacher performed a masterful piece by Liszt, what a joy it was to hear her play, we are truly blessed to have her here in the area and for Lukas' opportunity to learn from someone so talented.

Boys, boys, boys

2011-10-14T17:34:00.000-07:00

Lukas wanted to celebrate his birthday with a few good friends, but no party favors, no party games, no organized activities; just hanging out, building on the tree house, tinker in the garage, black smiting. It was not a hard request, no party planning but shopping for food and cake! The boys dined on steak, potatoes, carrot souffle and salad, washing it down with sherbet punch before heading out to play and run. The most hardest thing for Mamma was to gather all these boys at one point for birthday cake and singing - outside on the run back to the fire, tree house and whatever else was going on. Maybe it was the snacks, or the movies we chosen, but before midnight everyone was snuggled up in sleeping bags, munching, watching and chatting. The last voices overheard by sleepy parents were recorded at 3:30 am and the first chipper good morning was uttered a bit shy of 7 am, and waffle production was in full force by 7:30 am. It was a group of pretty tired boys that were heading home to hopefully catch up on sleep as we our boys set out to do Lego League and program robots for the upcoming challenge. Lukas and Noah spent the afternoon on the couch, napping and reading - and so did the parents - it has been a long time since either one of us pull an almost overnighter....

Lukas was very tired but also very content - he had a good celebration and that is all that matters. We are resting up in anticipation of next year's, as he is already planning and plotting. :-)

Happy Birthday Lukas!

2011-10-14T17:21:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe that it is already ten years since we were blessed by the birth of our first born son, Lukas Johann. He celebrated turning double digits with a fun filled weekend, starting with a Father-Son camping trip, followed by a Saturday filled with gifts and sweets before heading out to dear friends for birthday dinner celebration, and ending the extravagance with a sleep over party for a few of his good friends here in Monterey. Needless to say, he was a bit worn out come Monday afternoon, but the verdict was this was the best birthday ever! That despite having a really bad case of poison oak causing him to itch constantly and popping Benedryl like candy to keep the irritation tolerable. The reflection on how Lukas has changed our lives are many and note worthy but saved for another forum - suffice to say:
We are so grateful for you and we wish you many more joyous birthdays, Happy Birthday Lukas!

Let us see the lettuce

2011-10-14T16:58:00.000-07:00

Lego League Challenge this fall is Food Safety something very appropriate to this area as so much of the US food is produced right here. One of the largest salad producers invited us to a field trip, complete with a walk through on the actual production floor. None of us will ever look at lettuce the same way.
To keep us from reaching out and touching the overflowing bins of greenery, there were large bowls of vegetables for us to munch on while we talked and learned more about food safety and automation in the food industry.

Great pay!

2011-10-07T19:48:00.000-07:00

Lukas and Noah helped out with the Annual Prayer Breakfast here in Monterey. They folded and stuffed the mailings, and helped decorate and set up the room for the event. In incredible generous gratitude, one of the board members, handed the boys a Lego catalog and told them to pick a Lego set! A few short days later this is now grazing their room! Although it had over 1,000 pieces it only took the two a day to complete. Now they are on to making a space movie starring their very own space ship.

The boys are already asking when the work begins for the next breakfast.. and I had hoped to teach them about volunteering :-)

Card carrying member

2011-10-07T19:41:00.000-07:00

Noah was very proud of his newest membership card. Mamma, always looking for a bargain, is wondering if this entitle him to some special discounts around town?

No Sick Days

2011-10-07T19:39:00.000-07:00

There are many great benefits of home education, and both Lukas and Noah are quick to tell anyone that is willing to listen how much they like it, that is usually. One downfall of the short commute to school is that there is no such thing as sick days.. it is pretty hard to be absent from the kitchen table.
Noah endured and grimaced but did complete his work even though his entire body was attacked by poison oak, once again...
Please do not tell the boys that if you attend school outside of the house, you get to stay home and skip school when you are sick....

Edible School Work

2011-10-01T20:12:00.000-07:00

The sour dough starter has a prominent place in our fridge. The instructions says to feed it after discarding some, to keep it going. Well, it seems strange to through out something so delicious so this week we had Home Ec as first subject on the school day calendar. Out came flour, salt, water and starter and the boys happily stirred, mixed and kneaded the dough into shapes and letters, which were then carefully brushed with egg and sprinkled with salt before heading into the oven. While the school work was baking, we managed to quickly go through a few other subjects so that we could have a mid morning pretzel recess as soon as the baking came out of the oven. Lukas and Noah circled through the kitchen many a times that morning, for 'just one more' and generously shared the remaining pretzels with friends on the beach in the afternoon. School really can be both tasty and fun!

Early Birthday Present

2011-10-01T20:02:00.000-07:00

When we moved to Monterey we purchased Lukas a new bike, but the boy is growing and the bike was too small. He has taken to riding Mamma's good ol'bike that is older than Lukas but still going strong. The challenge with this arrangement is that then we cannot go biking as Mamma is a bit too big for the hand me up Lukas bike.
For Lukas' upcoming birthday he wished for his own big bike and last weekend we took the plunge. After some test biking it was clear that the boy is ready for a 26" medium frame bike, yes the same size Mamma rides.

There was no surprising him with this gift as he really had to try out different bikes, and styles to find one that works for him. So, his birthday present came early, and it was not a surprise, but Lukas is happy nevertheless and is thoroughly enjoying riding his new bike around the neighborhood with his brother.

A New Profession?

2011-09-27T17:01:00.000-07:00

For as long as I have known Bob he has cut his own hair. He has worn out a few sets of clippers, but the savings more than make up for an occasional new clipper. Since he cut his own hair, he did not see any reason to not cut his sons' hair. Clipper #2 works well, keeps the heads cool and provides a nice clean cut and neat look.
Recently Lukas has wanted to grow his hair a bit. And does he have hair... It is thick, coarse, and curly. He would happily accept trims around the ears, but not anything else. However, tending to hair takes time, it requires combing, drying, more thorough washing and combing again.. too much time wasted on unnecessary practices when there are robots to be designed, Legos to be built, programs to be written for the computer and tree house construction to be completed.

On Saturday night he decided that enough was enough and asked for a hair cut. Bob set him up and was all set to begin cutting, when Lukas asked to take it over... He calmly handled the clipper, hand mirror and wall mirror and began the cumbersome process of cutting off all that extra hair. He only asked Bob for some final touch up assistance, but he is definitely on course to begin handling his own hair cuts. Our little Lukas is growing up right before our eyes.

So, if the Lego programming, engineering, software developed, tree house construction, security system creator, new weapons designing is not working out, maybe his fall back is Barber?

Happy Noah

2011-09-27T16:51:00.000-07:00

Noah can light up a room, he can make people laugh and he can crack a pretty good joke. Last week, Noah and Lukas were given a bunch of balloons as thank you for their work on a community project. Noah could not resist to pose for a Happy Noah picture. This is a great representation of who he is.

Where was the camera????

2011-09-14T20:15:00.000-07:00

I am usually really good about remembering to capture our daily life on film, eehm I mean digitally. The camera sits by the door on a shelf, ready to spring into action at a moment's notice. I take photos of every day normal activities, special things we do and just for fun photos, simply journaling our daily life in photos, rarely news worthy, just every day stuff. Well, on Sunday the camera remained on its shelf, and it was not just an ordinary Sunday, it was a true camera moment Sunday. What was a I thinking?? No telling, but unfortunately this special extra ordinary Sunday moment was not captured.
On Sunday we met some of our distant relatives, cousins as we were called by this dear couple, Richard and Diane Severinghaus. It turns out that there are some Severinghaus' not far from here, and on Sunday they graciously offered to drive down so we could meet. They came armed with a binder full of genealogy information, photos and old records and we spent a few hours visiting, eating, and talking. Lukas and Noah's great-great-great-grandfather Johann Frederick was the brother of Johann Deitrich ancestor of Richard Severinghaus. We hope to go and visit in their home town in the near future and I know I will take my camera with me this time!

A good man

2011-09-12T21:26:00.000-07:00

It can happen in an instance, the life you knew is no more - and somehow those things that seemed to important and critical are shown for what they are - insignificant, meaningless. But what mattered, and what still matters is the time you had together, the memories you made, the laughter, the tears shed together, the relationships. If I can only remember this lesson when my to do list looms too long for a sheet of paper.... and I rather brush everyone aside to cross something off - in an instance that to do list matters not at all, but the people around me do. Hug your family, and tell each and everyone you love them - we only have today so make it count!

Jeff Knutzen a great man: husband, father, brother, son, in-law, uncle, dentist, friend, elder, neighbor, and so much more was called Home too soon in the eyes of all of us left behind. Please pray for his family as they adjust to life without him.

Shed be gone

2011-09-12T21:09:00.000-07:00

When we first moved into our house, the shed in our backyard served a great purpose! Slowly but shortly we needed the space less and less and it began to fill up with odds and ends. The location of the shed made it a bit of an eye sore. With Bob back in town, the boys itching for some 'man' time, the shed was a natural target. Armed with tools and ladder, the clean out was quick, the tear down more tedious and slower than anticipated. Lukas and Noah lobbied for keeping the metal for shop projects, Mamma and Dad convinced them that there was money to be made by selling the shed with proceeds to boys for future projects - case closed. Shed sold, shed disassembled, shed gone.

New pet?

2011-09-04T17:18:00.000-07:00

We have been inundated with these little critters in the last few weeks. Our neighbor tells us they are called oak worms, although they are really caterpillars. They live in California Oaks all the time, but every five years or so, there are too many. They eat the leaves, apparently not to any detriment to the tree, but our drive way, side walk and patio area is covered in green powder, which I took to be a sort of pollen. In reality it is the left over from the leaves.

This is just one small area.....

Another freebie science experiment right outside our door.

Chocolatiers

2011-09-04T16:36:00.000-07:00

Lukas and Noah really enjoy cooking, baking and creating things in the kitchen. This week, Lukas decided that they would create chocolate sculptures. Out came bowls, foil, spoons and the two of them were ready to melt and create.

The end yielded some good learning: butter scotch is not so tasty when melted; white 'chocolate' melt faster but hardens faster than other chocolate so it is necessary to work quickly; and not all experiments results in greatness although it can still taste good. Maybe they do not have a future as chocolatiers???

Homecoming

2011-09-04T16:25:00.000-07:00

As part of Bob's SMART scholarship, he is required to spend the summer months with his sponsoring agency. Although it is hard to be apart, this separation is so much shorter and far easier to handle than any deployment, yet it is time apart. The sweetest moment is the home coming, and yesterday was our day to welcome Bob back home. Since we were waiting for something great, time seemed to move very slow, fortunately we were invited to birthday party that made time go faster. We arrived at the airport just in time to see the plane land and a few short minutes later Bob appeared through the doors! What joy! Lukas and Noah had each made a nice sign that hung outside our house welcoming Bob home. Saturday September 3 is a red letter day in the Severinghaus family!

Getting ready

2011-08-29T22:15:00.000-07:00

We are now counting down the days until Bob returns home to us! The 'just about to come home' frenzy has begun.. both inside and out. We wanted the car clean, thinking it was a quick project, but since it was a long time since its last wash, it took a few tries, a lot of elbow grease and two different car washes. But, the results are great.

At least the car is ready for home coming :-)

ROV

2011-08-22T22:26:00.000-07:00

Lukas and Noah have been working on their most recent science project for a few days. As part of our science learning, we use Supercharged Science, a fantastic science program. We used the program for our Science Fridays and from the very beginning Lukas had his eyes set on the ROV - remote operated vehicle. This one, an underwater ROV.

On Friday, being Science day, the boys set out to build the ROV. Lukas handled the pre -planning work developing a supply list, finding what he could here at the house and compiling a shopping list. A trip to Home Depot and Radio Shack ensured that all materials were in hand. It was quite humorous walking in to Radio Shack and being asked what I would like to purchase and defer to Lukas. He and the store manager hunted around for a solution to our need as the preferred item was not in stock. It ended with Lukas coming up with a good work around solution and also kindly refusing to purchase more gadgets than were necessary. All the while, I felt quite lost, not being able to contribute to any problem solving while really wishing we could find all the items in one store to bring our shopping and errand trip to an end since we had already tried one other place in town.

Noah and Lukas worked patiently through the many steps, measuring twice, cutting once; having to stop and going out to cut more parts needed but not listed on the original materials list, needing to wait for glue to dry, postponing some assembly until we had returned to Home Depot for a new jar of glue as the first one just was not going to open, learning to work together to solve small mishaps and glitches as they arouse, and realizing this was not a quick get it done project. All great learning for two eager young men ready to conquer the world in a jiffy.

As soon as we got home from CC, all the tiredness from a long day dissolved and Lukas energetically headed to the school room to finish off the ROV. The goal was a maiden journey before dinner. Goal reached, although dinner was a bit delayed, which delayed bed time routine, which delayed... oh well. It was all well worth it seeing the pride and excitement in their eyes, this was theirs and they built it all by themselves - using Supercharged Science great video instructions of course. Their next dilemma.. where to take the ROV for some real testing, the bath tube is just a bit too shallow.... I am sure by the end of the week, this little pesky detail will be solved as well.

Back to School

2011-08-22T22:05:00.000-07:00

Since we have chosen to educate the boys at home, and learning is something that happens every day, every day is pretty much a school day at the Severinghaus'. Some days we do a lot of 'traditional school' other days not so much. This means we do not technically have a back to school day to capture on film. So rather than a Back to School photo we took a Back to CC photo as Classical Conversation started again today. The boys were excited to prepare lunches last night: fruit, yogurt, salami, edamame, and cold drinks, and the happily stuffed their backpacks with folders, binders, pencils and pens.

This morning they posed on our front step before we headed off to our first CC class for the year.

Atlantic Ocean

2011-08-20T19:50:00.000-07:00

Lukas and Noah thoroughly enjoy playing in the water: body surfing, boogie board surfing, splashing in the waves. Here in Monterey, the water is cold, but it does not stop them from getting in, getting wet and looking for the perfect wave. While visiting our friends in Florida, we had a chance to head to the Atlantic coast and the beach. No need for wet suits, no blue lips, just blue sky, great surf and fun with friends.

Chores

2011-08-17T16:38:00.000-07:00

Noah thought there was not enough animals and set out to catch one of the many frogs...

Our friends live in a beautiful house filled with some love, joy and animals. Lukas and Noah got a good taste of what it is like to take care of animals, cleaning out the chicken coop, raking out the stalls for the horses, refreshing water bowls and making sure every animal has food and shade from the strong Florida sun. We even got a chance to see the farrier in action, shoeing one of the horses. Life on a small farm is not all green pastures....so a dip in the pool was a good reward after the work was done.

Visiting Friends

2011-08-17T16:28:00.000-07:00

After a fun long weekend with Bob we headed to Jacksonville, FL to visit friends while Bob headed back to work in Warren. Lukas and Noah had not seen their friends in about 2 years, but it did not long for everyone to get reacquainted and it seemed like it was just yesterday we last spent time together. There was lots of time spent comparing electronics and attempting to reach yet another level in a game - giving the Mammas plenty of time to catch up undisturbed.

Christmas all year long

2011-08-17T16:20:00.000-07:00

Outside Frankenmuth is 'The World's Largest Christmas Store' and we had to stop to see for ourselves if that is indeed true. Well, we are not Christmas shopper experts, but this store definitely is contender for the title if not the legitimate title holder. What looked like a relatively ordinary size store from the outside, surprised us with its expanse once inside. The greeter handed us a map to help us navigate! Anyone looking for a specific Christmas item would surely find it here, or in the store's online shopping area!

It is hot in Detroit

2011-08-17T16:17:00.000-07:00

Summer temperature in Detroit are a bit toasty for these Peninsula dwellers. Fortunately, the town of Warren has set up a really nice water fountain play area right around the corner from Bob's hotel. It did not take much convincing to stop there on our way back from whatever outing we had done, to cool off, and run off some energy.

Lost tooth

2011-08-17T16:11:00.001-07:00

Noah lost his first tooth in Germany while eating fancy chocolate. He lost yet another one on our way home from Frankenmuth, Michigan another German influence. He happily showed off his empty hole.

Frankenmuth

2011-08-17T16:10:00.000-07:00

We visited Frankenmuth Michigan on our trip to see Bob. It is a small quaint town about 1.5 hour north of Detroit. After a quick run through the outlet mall, Sonic lunch we headed down town to walk the main 'drag.' Lukas and Noah had fun with the various photo opportunities, and the biggest challenge was to choose which store to purchase the ice cream from, as there must have been at least 10 we walked by.Frankenmuth showed its very best side with cooler temperatures, and just a hint of rain rather than the promised storms, and the rain made the gorgeous gardens and open areas even more beautiful. It was a fun day in small town America, or maybe more like small town Germany. The boys as they got tired, worn out and ready to head home commented: "We have seen the real deal, we do not need to see anymore make believe Germany." They happily rested in the car on our way home to the hotel and got a second wind when there was an opportunity to swim with Dad.

Visiting Dad

2011-08-17T15:54:00.000-07:00

Noah look so grown up sitting in the Lazy Boy, remote in hand, watching TV

Noah and Bob doing art together

Lukas getting the radios to 'talk' to the computer

Bob is doing an internship in Detroit as part of his PhD program as a SMART scholar. This means he spends the summers in Detroit, while we are here in Monterey holding down the home front. Thanks to United frequent flyer miles we headed to Detroit to visit earlier this month. The boys were so happy to see Bob and immediately set out to do projects with Dad, and wrestle. While one of the boys were occupying Bob's time the other one happily watched TV, a novelty for us since there is no TV in our home. And yes, I too missed Bob immensely and was ecstatic to see him!

Car shopping.... and Back to the Future

2011-08-17T15:30:00.000-07:00

One of the original Delorean cars used in the movies Back to the Future is in town in connection with the Concours d'Elegance at Pebble Beach. After completing chores and school in record time, we headed to the Museum to see it. Walking around the museum we met the owner of the car who was here to display his private collection of Back to the Future memorabilia. As an extra bonus, we were able to have a clear and unobstructed view of fancy cars in display for a car auction, without having to pay the admission to the auction. We had a hard time deciding which one to buy.... so we picked three :-) Cars were not on the shopping list for this week.... Now we need to watch the movies!

Down under the sea, I mean pool

2011-08-07T15:31:00.000-07:00

We are spending the weekend with Bob in Detroit. The hotel has a pool, and Lukas has a water proof camera.... Noah and Lukas had fun swimming, jumping, rough housing, diving and hanging on Dad. We all laughed when the rash guard shirts filled up with the water from the jets in the hot tub - meet Lukas the Michelin man and Noah the live water fountain.

Tough choice?

2011-08-02T22:35:00.000-07:00

We are getting ready to go and visit Bob in Detroit, and as always right before a trip it seems like there is just a lot to do, laundry, cleaning, errands, and so on. The to do list is a mile long and whenever I cross off one item, I find myself adding just one more... Well, today I was resolved I would make a dent on that list, but then the weather got really nice, the sky was so blue, the breeze so gentle and 'would it not be fun to show our new friends the beach?' suggestions sprinkled through the conversation. So on the one hand was to dos and on the other was beach time with friends...... it did not take long for that decision to be made and no sooner was it made and the boys were packed and in the car.

Jumping in the waves

The water is still cold....

Digging, what else to do on the beach?

The hole is really this deep

My to do list? Well it is still here, but I got to cross off a few things: have fun, being outdoors enjoying the weather - how I wish these were the items on my list. While watching the boys having fun, I was able to get through some of the back to school reading that has been put on the back burner, so it really was a win -win; although now cleaning the car is back on the list :-)

Tree house update

2011-08-02T22:08:00.000-07:00

Lukas and Noah spend a lot of their free time right now continuing the work on the tree house. When Bob left, the roof rafters were all in place along with most of the actual roof. This week the tree house got its ladder so that one can know get up to the roof and attack the enemy with rocks.... I am wondering if the assessed value of our house should not include the value of the tree house, considering the amount of labor and materials so far... but then again, who would want a higher tax bill?

The tree house got a rope swing

or maybe it is more of a trapeze rope?

working on his pirouette..

very fancy and sturdy ladder, it held Mamma!

Makeover

2011-08-02T21:59:00.000-07:00

The boys along with their new friends decided that our living room needed a make over. What in my eyes was a comfortable, practical and usable area was just not cutting it any longer. In a few quick maneuvers we had a new look... and a new purpose for the room as well. Lukas and Noah slept in the fort - more fun than their comfortable, cozy beds I am sure.
So what is the verdict.... is this a keeper look?

A new twist

2011-07-31T21:23:00.000-07:00

At the local flea market the often sell fresh fruit and vegetables at great prices and this week was no different. We came home loaded with mangoes, strawberries and yes, a yellow watermelon. Lukas could not wait to cut it open and exclaimed: It is the best one ever! Come and visit and try it for yourself if you do not believe Lukas!

Language art

2011-07-31T21:21:00.000-07:00

Noah got a bit creative while helping make salad the other night. The cucumber just begged to be a C and then the rest followed to spell out the name of Noah's best friend: Coby.
C cucumber,
O colander
B bumpy red pepper
Y a nice thick stalk of broccoli - in Noah's opinion this is the best use of broccoli... to spell his friend's name.

Mistletoe

2011-07-31T21:17:00.000-07:00

A summer missile toe

Babysitting?? or just plain old fun play time??

2011-07-31T21:15:00.000-07:00

The occasion: friends who needed some baby sitting care for the day which then gave us the perfect reason to do some fun and messy stuff outside and in. Lukas and Noah acted like junior teachers and worked with the little ones and a few extra friends that tagged along while we shot marshmallows over the street, made gigantic bubbles, sent off rockets over the roof line, watched vacuum cause and effect and messy paint experiments. All in the name of science as the boys are so fond of saying...

Exploratorium

2011-07-31T21:10:00.000-07:00

San Francisco is not that far from where we are, and well worth the trip for a visit to the Exploratorium. Lukas and Noah along with their friend Harry got front row seats for the cow's eye dissection, and had a blast pushing, pulling, connecting, dragging, swinging and constructing while exploring and learning. A great and fun day and having a friend come along made even the long car ride palatable.

Two boys and spare time...

2011-07-31T21:05:00.000-07:00

Lukas and Noah have an entire garage full of this and thats, which to most normal people appear to be just a bunch of junk. Mamma cringes each time she had to enter this space of unknowns since it does not lend itself to neat and tidy organization, nor is she allowed to de-clutter. As much as it pushes her out of the comfort zone, it is well worth keeping for the enjoyment, exploration and invention of boys.
This past Sunday, the boys re-purposed wheels and wood from the go-cart and made themselves a dolly. Taken for a test drive it was clear it was missing something, but what? Well, it clearly became obvious that it was missing a comfortable chair, which quickly was added to the contraption. The boys very proud of their work to Mamma for a drive on the road before settling down with a cold Diet Coke. Just another Sunday at the Severinghaus'

Santa Barbara part 2

2011-07-26T20:15:00.000-07:00

Outdoor bookstore, where we could have spent days browsing

Drawing competitions

Boogie Boarding

Body surfer, all suited up, bell bottoms courtesy of the Pacific

Searching for the Frisbee in the ocean, no luck finding it..

Surfer dudes

We spent the last week of June in the Santa Barbara area with the Severinghaus' family. Almost everyone was able to make it and we had a fun week of sun, sand, cloud, sight seeing, ice cream eating, yogurt sampling, shopping, eating, napping, playing with relatives, chatting and visiting, sipping fine wine, hot tubing, staying warm by the outside fire place, did I mention eating? and for some of us surfing... It was a week filled with joy and memorable moments that we will long cherish.

Santa Barbara with family

2011-07-26T19:47:00.000-07:00

Sunset

Another sunset

Hot tub on the patio overlooking the Pacific

Five o'clock cocktails

Hiking

Climbing, observing, exploring

Staying warm around the fire pit

History lesson at the Santa Barbara Mission

Playground playing

Ice cream, what else????

Like father, like son. The electronics were everywhere in the house... lost count of the phones, pads and pc's

Sand castle building

Rome..

2011-07-23T14:54:00.000-07:00

Yes, a month later the blog is still not completely updated.. almost 2,000 pictures to edit from the trip takes a bit of time. Every time I sat down to edit, I got lost in the memories, the smells, the sounds, the air - and before I knew it, out of time, again. Lukas, Noah and I had three hectic, whirlwind days in Rome, trying to see it 'all,' while making sure we taste tested as many gelato stores as we could - Rick Steves' favorite certainly was worth the walk, but the one right around the corner form our hotel could easily hold its own and the price was significantly less...Thank you for joining us for a quick tour of some of the highlights.

Great friends

2011-07-18T21:40:00.000-07:00

Looking out of Vietri, where we shopped and swam!

Gelato, the best kind of lunch!

The water is much warmer than in Monterey

Pompei - young ones on ancient grounds

Yes, we are still catching up on our early summer travel......

It is still holding up, 2000 years later, to a bunch of boys!

Boys having fun

We left Sweden and headed to Italy to visit great and dear friends who currently live in Naples. The weather was great, and it did not take long before all four were submerged in the pool to cool off.
They were gracious hosts, taking us around, showing us great sights, and feeding us delicious food. But best of all was time spent together, hanging out, catching up and having fun in the orchard.

Mid air catch on the streets of Pompei

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Inside the bathhouse

This is how they communicated, although right next to each other, they 'talked' through the DS'

Saturday fun

2011-07-16T21:06:00.000-07:00


An all star day!

A perfect day? Is there such a day? Yes, today came close to perfection! The only thing missing was Bob and the day would have been a perfect 10.
The sun was shining, the breeze was light, and we were invited to lunch and beach play at dear friends' house.
Lukas, Noah and I enjoyed a scrumptious lunch while looking out over the unusually calm Pacific Ocean, while deer pranced on the greens of a Pebble golf course. The lunch was capped off with piping hot cocoa, fresh coffee and chocolate mousse in a chocolate cup with raspberries..... it could have ended there and been a fabulous day.
Although the food was amazing, the company was even greater, these friends are becoming so dear to us. They are truly blessing us in more ways than we can ever recount.
Having enjoyed such a meal - which Noah called breakfast, lunch and dinner - we headed down to the ocean to look for crabs, anemones, urchins and other critters. We climbed up and down on the rocks, peeking into crevices, small pools of water and under rocks. The hunt was successful, we saw lots of crabs, more rock flower anemones than I could count, two large gorgeous purple star fish and even some small fish!
We would have still been there, had we not had another engagement to attend to in the late afternoon, so our visit came to a abrupt and speedy end. Since we were still satiated from our lunch, not even the waiting pizza was a consolation to Lukas and Noah who really wanted to stay and play more. Thank you for a great afternoon and for the memories we made today!

Brothers

2011-07-16T20:49:00.000-07:00

Yes, there is no denying it, these two are brothers...

Yard work

2011-07-16T20:42:00.000-07:00

The yard is finally getting some attention. A trailer full of wood chips dropped in our drive way was the perfect impetus for getting it all done. Hours of weeding, sifting out rocks from the dirt and laying down weed fabric preceded the final, but hard work of moving the wood chips from the drive way to the back yard and spread it all out. Lukas and Noah devised a great plan and system for filling the yard waste can quickly, wheeling it around the house and having Dad dump it.
The result of all our hard work? A beautiful, clean back yard, filled with lovely scented roses, jasmine, Lily of the Nile and other colorful flowers and bushes, a wonderful oasis for lazy afternoons.