Pure Genius

Obviously Isaac is the smartest 2.5 year old on the block. Here's more proof:

Isaac: "Daddy do you know where chicken comes from?"

Daddy: "Where Isaac?"

Isaac: FROM CHICKENS!

OBSESSED!

Thanks to Mema and Bepa who brought the movie Cars along on vacation in JUNE, Isaac is completely obsessed with Lightning McQueen.




He spends many hours each day "being Lightning" during that time if you mistakingly refer to him as Isaac, he will instantly correct you"oh, no, you mean Lightning"





I, by the way am Mater, Kaylee is Sally and Matt is Chick Hicks.





The other day during story time at the library the kids were all hopping like bunnies (it was part of a song). Isaac said, I can't hop, Lightning McQueen doesn't hop! This is when I informed him that he would not be allowed to be Lightning outside of the house. That, and I don't like him calling me Mater in public.





His slippers are referred to as tires, his bed is Mack (that is were Lightning sleeps in the movie) and the most ridiculus one of all- he refers to getting his diaper changed as "getting an oil change"





I think he has taken this thing a little too far....





He hasn't even seen the movie in months, we were going to rent it for him to watch on the trip home at Christmas, but I am beginning to reconsider!

(all his cars lined up on the blinds...)

I want the butter!

That is what Isaac kept screaming when Matt sent him inside with this wrench stuck on his finger. (Matt had told him not to worry, mommy would be able to get it off with butter)

My response, just a minute honey, mommy wants to take your picture first.

(by the way, it did come off, rather easily, but we used vegetable oil instead of butter....)

Dirt Cake!

As if we hadn't eaten enough yummy food, Mema just HAD to make dirt cake for Isaac on Friday after Thanksgiving. He LOVED the worms!!

Such a helper!

Kaylee loved it too

" They're not real worms, we don't eat the worms outside"
Thanks Isaac, glad you know the difference

I promised Matt I wouldn't post this picture.... I lied

Thanksgiving 2007

Psalm 136:26: "Give thanks to the God of heaven. His love endures forever."

Yesterday was a great day to celebrate with family and to remember the many things we have to be thankful for.

We enjoyed a special day with Mema and Bepa; we are thankful for them, and thankful that they made the long drive out to Maine to spend the weekend with us!

Kaylee loves giving hugs! (so does Mema)

Bepa was in charge of turkey quality control

Let's eat!

"More sparkly please" (sparkling white grape juice that is)

" Mashed potatoes are my favorite!"

Mine too!

Happy Thanksgiving Uncle Jon, Aunt Jodi, Nathan & Katie!

Happy Thanksgiving Dutchie!


And now for the clean up...

Basement Update Update

29 (out of 30) sheets of 12 foot sheet rock resting nicely in the basement. Matt and I hauled it all in on Tuesday night. It took a couple of hours (with an icecream break and some timeouts to watch the Michigan State game) We finished around 11:00 p.m. Let me tell you, it was no easy task. After we cracked the first sheet it half we thought there was no way we could get this stuff into the basement, but we figured it out, there it is, ready to be hung.

Sidenote: if you are ever carrying sheet rock I do not reccommend resting it on your thigh; that it was I was doing and the next day I noticed my upper leg was all black and blue...

I figure I will be able to use this for several years if I ever want Matt to do something for me. "Honey, do you remember that night I helped you with that dyrwall...."

Basement Update

Slow and steady...progress is being made in the basement.

We just had a load of sheet rock delivered this morning- Isaac was sooo excited. They drove the forklift around the side of the house to drop it off near the basement door. When we came back inside Isaac was loading up his trailer and dropping off pretend fruit snacks to various locations in the bonus room. Pretty cute...

The basement is completely framed now

All the electrical is done and Matt passed the inspection with flying colors!

Time to put up the insulation

more framing... soffits...

it looks like a room,, sort of...

LL Bean wicked good scuffs, and you thought they were only good for lounging around in...

Matt's little "helper"

Saturday's project- installing the lights next to the stairs





More updates soon (hopefully!)

Isaac's quote of they day

(Referring to a stuffed animal) "I think we will need to share this, but I will call it mine." (By the way, the stuffed animal in question is one that Matt bought for Kaylee when he was in
Albuquerque)

How many days until Christmas?

check this out: http://www.auburn.edu/~vestmon/xmas_cnt.htm

Who's counting?

Isaac is....

He knows he will be getting lots of toys (his words) at Christmas. We were talking about it yesterday and I said, yes, you will be getting some presents because Christmas is when we are celebrating Jesus' birthday. He said, yeah, but I will be getting lots of toys.

It's kind of cute and kind of worrisome all at the same time..

A Very Mickey and Minnie Halloween

Matt and the mice walk to the parade.

Minnie and the glow stick

Mickey loves Tiggers (Alexa)

The group photo, or at least most of the group...

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We also continued in our traditional pumpkin carving to match the costume event. It mostly consisted of Matt carving two pretty cool looking pumpkins while the kids played.

Isaac was upset because he couldn't find his pumpkin...

Ahh, Isaac it's the big orange one.. (he wouldn't believe us, he said that was daddy's, but he did agree to share it with Matt)

Let the carving begin!
markers are safer than knives..

2 hours later...


They looked really cool for 2 days and then Dutch took a big bite out of Mickey's face. Matt put it back together with toothpicks, but Mickey was never quite the same...

click here for more Halloween pictures

And now for the rest of the trip... just a lot of pics...

Jon & Jodi's 10/6 - 10/8

The weather was sooo warm so we spent lots of time at the beach (in their neighborhood and Tunnel Park) and playing outside.

Isaac (with Nathan right behind) jumps into the puddle they created

Little girl, big shovel (Kaylee)

Little girl, big shovel (Katie)

That is so disgusting!!!!

The two boys in Lake Michigan, I can only imagine what they are talking about...

Lots of swimming+ playing in the sandbox = 4 dirty kids in need of a bath

This one will be coming out at high school graduation...


Grandpa & Grandma Sternberg
10/8-10/10

Again, we had a lot of fun hanging out in Hamilton. Isaac and Grandpa spent a good amount of time playing "farm" in the basement.

We spent some time on Tuesday at John Ball Park Zoo

Grandpa, Isaac, and the bear (John Ball )

Push me too much high Grandpa!

Kaylee is, as usual, happy just hanging out


Pull us again Grandpa!

The Great Granparents

Wow- we really made the rounds. We even got to see both Great Grandparents!

Isaac seemed very concerned when we told him that there would be no toys at when we visited Great Grandma Sprick. It turned out toys were not necessary; Isaac put on a show anyway...

Mommy & Isaac, Grandma, Daddy &Kaylee

Isaac was very interested in Grandma's braclet

What a helper

Great Grandpa & Grandma Sternberg

When Isaac sees this picture he immediately asks to see a picture

of Grandpa's trucks. Oops didn't take one. Maybe next time...

Kaylee's Birthday Bash

Date: Saturday, October 6

Place: Holland, MI

Temp: 90 degrees!

We spent the morning at Post Family Farm

Kaylee's First Hayride

Nathan, Katie, and Isaac on the pumpkin train

Kaylee and Mema outside the straw maze


In the pumpkin patch

In the evening we celebrated with the whole family at Jon and Jodi's

pizza!

All for me?

Good thing I have 3 cousins who are willing to help me unwrap

5 min later...

All I see are pink clothes and dolls, where are the trucks?

The cake (part 1)

The cake (part 2)

The cake (part 3)

It's fun being one!