The high for today is -4 here in Nebraska. This photo makes me feel a little cozier! :) This is Elliot, 2 months old.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Warm fuzzies
The high for today is -4 here in Nebraska. This photo makes me feel a little cozier! :) This is Elliot, 2 months old.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Elliot
We welcomed Elliot Jonas to our family on October 20th at 8:42pm. He was 8lbs 15ozs and 21" in length. We are all doing great, although very busy!! Here are some photos I took this morning: http://picasaweb.google.com/kabanta/ElliotJonas#
More 'soon'! :)
More 'soon'! :)
Sunday, August 16, 2009
I was so excited last night. Haven't I said 'it's the little things'? We cleaned out the garage, wall to wall, and it looks so much better. It was totally a spur-of-the moment decision on my part - I started while Oly was taking Max for a bike ride to the coffee store, because I was completely sick and tired of stepping over everything and having to weave through things to get through the garage. And also, never being able to find anything!!
When Oly came home, he said two things: "whoa" to all the stuff in the driveway, and "it rained on my bikes" to the three bikes I had put out, and the 4 minute rain shower we had. He didn't even change out of his cycling clothes before he jumped in to help, though, and it went pretty quickly from there! We had several people slow down while driving by, or ask if we were having a garage sale. It did look like a completely unorganized "I threw all this crap on the driveway" sale, I guess. Someone even tried in earnest to buy Oly's motorcycle.
I will take photos when we are completely done, but one stall is completely his bike storage/work shop, which is what he has wanted for a couple of years. The other side is inevitable storage (you know, that stuff that gets shoved out to the garage when you don't have a dedicated storage castle), various non-bicycle tools, and the kids' bikes and other play stuff. Yeah, we haven't been able to park in there for a while, so I've kind of given up on that idea. Plus, our new van (when we finally get it) won't fit in there anyway.
We also moved several things out to the tool shed in the back yard, which, for 4 years has been the home of the lawnmower and the occasional rake/shovel. We put two plastic shelving units (that used to be in the garage) in the shed, and made use of a lot of space that had been wasted. We also moved the snowblower and the seed spreader out there, and even IT looks nice.
After we did most of the work, we took a break and sat in the hot tub for awhile while Sam slept and the kids played. We did a bit more off and on (mostly me putting away some of the stuff I'd brought in to be placed elsewhere, like our DVD collection and some baby stuff), and when Sam, Gus and Max went to bed, I cleaned out the wall units and finished up most of what I needed to do. When we had to move the wall units, it became apparent that there was no way I'd be able to help lift them, so I suggested we use an upside down rug on my side, and I'd drag it while Oly manuvered the other side. He said "I don't think that's going to work" and I said "can we just try it?" I'm so smart.
My van is packed with stuff to take to a friend's house for her garage sale next weekend, and we have filled our trash tote and two additional garbage cans, not including the 20some cans of latex paint that need to be dealt with. Hopefully Oly will get his bike storage stuff assembled today, too. Gotta keep the productivity flowing!
When Oly came home, he said two things: "whoa" to all the stuff in the driveway, and "it rained on my bikes" to the three bikes I had put out, and the 4 minute rain shower we had. He didn't even change out of his cycling clothes before he jumped in to help, though, and it went pretty quickly from there! We had several people slow down while driving by, or ask if we were having a garage sale. It did look like a completely unorganized "I threw all this crap on the driveway" sale, I guess. Someone even tried in earnest to buy Oly's motorcycle.
I will take photos when we are completely done, but one stall is completely his bike storage/work shop, which is what he has wanted for a couple of years. The other side is inevitable storage (you know, that stuff that gets shoved out to the garage when you don't have a dedicated storage castle), various non-bicycle tools, and the kids' bikes and other play stuff. Yeah, we haven't been able to park in there for a while, so I've kind of given up on that idea. Plus, our new van (when we finally get it) won't fit in there anyway.
We also moved several things out to the tool shed in the back yard, which, for 4 years has been the home of the lawnmower and the occasional rake/shovel. We put two plastic shelving units (that used to be in the garage) in the shed, and made use of a lot of space that had been wasted. We also moved the snowblower and the seed spreader out there, and even IT looks nice.
After we did most of the work, we took a break and sat in the hot tub for awhile while Sam slept and the kids played. We did a bit more off and on (mostly me putting away some of the stuff I'd brought in to be placed elsewhere, like our DVD collection and some baby stuff), and when Sam, Gus and Max went to bed, I cleaned out the wall units and finished up most of what I needed to do. When we had to move the wall units, it became apparent that there was no way I'd be able to help lift them, so I suggested we use an upside down rug on my side, and I'd drag it while Oly manuvered the other side. He said "I don't think that's going to work" and I said "can we just try it?" I'm so smart.
My van is packed with stuff to take to a friend's house for her garage sale next weekend, and we have filled our trash tote and two additional garbage cans, not including the 20some cans of latex paint that need to be dealt with. Hopefully Oly will get his bike storage stuff assembled today, too. Gotta keep the productivity flowing!
Friday, August 7, 2009
OCM
New photos are up! :) These are from today's field trip.
http://picasaweb.google.com/kabanta/ChildrenSMuseumAugust2009#
http://picasaweb.google.com/kabanta/ChildrenSMuseumAugust2009#
Our first week of homeschooling!
Wow. I can hardly believe how much fun I'm having, and how great Emma and Simon are doing. I was really worried that I'd have trouble getting them to accomplish things without a negative attitude. Not that either of them are particularly negative by any means, but the "aww, do I have to?" stuff I'd get, or putting it off, instead of the just sucking it up and doing it, which they'd do for a teacher.
We jumped into the first week with very eager attitudes and vigor! We (I) decided to take a 'unit studies' approach at first, to determine how organized (or not) we could be. Unit studies just seemed like the easiest way to figure things out, for me. So this week's topic was the human body (intentionally a ridiculously broad topic). I should mention that, a few weeks ago, I had them make a list of topics they'd like to focus on, as well as a list of things they want to learn about that might not be deep enough for a whole week (at grade school level). Simon's list of the latter consisted of: how bikes are made, how mocha machines are made, and how video games are made/written. Do you think he has much of an interest in his father? :)
So all week we've been doing various lessons/activites pertaining to various body parts/systems. We also checked out some Bill Nye videos (and tons of books) from the library, and they watched a few of those. We did a taste bud experiment, and a circulatory system experiment (learned to take their own pulses, and did resting heart rate, moderate exercise heart rate, and heavy exercise heart rate, and analyzed our findings). We did an experiment in the dark to see how much light affected how wide our pupils got, and how quickly they changed. They also had to write a report on any body part/system, and have me proofread it, and then re-copy it in their best handwriting. They both did an awesome job. Can you tell I'm so happy with our decision to homeschool? I know every week won't be this amazing, but I have to gush while I've got the steam. :)
We wrapped up this morning with a spelling test, and are going to take a field trip to the Omaha Children's Museum this afternoon, as they have an exhibit on how the body works. The spelling test was interesting to me, because they picked their own words, based on books they were reading on Monday, and the words were all difficult, especially for a 7 and 8 year old. They each made a list of 10-15 words and we scaled it down to a combined list of 16 (6 from each and 4 from me) and practiced them each day. On Wednesday we looked up definitions and made up sentences to go with them, and I quizzed them periodically throughout the week. Emma got 100% on the test today and Simon got 9/16. I thought he did a great job trying, and most of the words he missed were inverted letters or leaving one out, so really, not any worse than the average adult. :) Emma just has that ingrained desire and need to conquer (she totally gets that from Oliver), and Simon is like "eh, I did as good as I thought I should", which may or may not be from me. :)
Our list:
focus
biology
virus
available
immunity
energy
bacteria
fetus
tongue
process
progress
disease
infectious
development
substances
behavior
So, for those of you who have been asking, things are going great. And they're only getting better. (Sorry, couldn't resist!) I think, selfishly, one of my favorite parts about it is that I'm learning things again. I have to constantly look things up that I don't remember or I'm not sure about, and it feels really good to be gaining that knowledge back.
So anyway - happy weekend everyone! :)
We jumped into the first week with very eager attitudes and vigor! We (I) decided to take a 'unit studies' approach at first, to determine how organized (or not) we could be. Unit studies just seemed like the easiest way to figure things out, for me. So this week's topic was the human body (intentionally a ridiculously broad topic). I should mention that, a few weeks ago, I had them make a list of topics they'd like to focus on, as well as a list of things they want to learn about that might not be deep enough for a whole week (at grade school level). Simon's list of the latter consisted of: how bikes are made, how mocha machines are made, and how video games are made/written. Do you think he has much of an interest in his father? :)
So all week we've been doing various lessons/activites pertaining to various body parts/systems. We also checked out some Bill Nye videos (and tons of books) from the library, and they watched a few of those. We did a taste bud experiment, and a circulatory system experiment (learned to take their own pulses, and did resting heart rate, moderate exercise heart rate, and heavy exercise heart rate, and analyzed our findings). We did an experiment in the dark to see how much light affected how wide our pupils got, and how quickly they changed. They also had to write a report on any body part/system, and have me proofread it, and then re-copy it in their best handwriting. They both did an awesome job. Can you tell I'm so happy with our decision to homeschool? I know every week won't be this amazing, but I have to gush while I've got the steam. :)
We wrapped up this morning with a spelling test, and are going to take a field trip to the Omaha Children's Museum this afternoon, as they have an exhibit on how the body works. The spelling test was interesting to me, because they picked their own words, based on books they were reading on Monday, and the words were all difficult, especially for a 7 and 8 year old. They each made a list of 10-15 words and we scaled it down to a combined list of 16 (6 from each and 4 from me) and practiced them each day. On Wednesday we looked up definitions and made up sentences to go with them, and I quizzed them periodically throughout the week. Emma got 100% on the test today and Simon got 9/16. I thought he did a great job trying, and most of the words he missed were inverted letters or leaving one out, so really, not any worse than the average adult. :) Emma just has that ingrained desire and need to conquer (she totally gets that from Oliver), and Simon is like "eh, I did as good as I thought I should", which may or may not be from me. :)
Our list:
focus
biology
virus
available
immunity
energy
bacteria
fetus
tongue
process
progress
disease
infectious
development
substances
behavior
So, for those of you who have been asking, things are going great. And they're only getting better. (Sorry, couldn't resist!) I think, selfishly, one of my favorite parts about it is that I'm learning things again. I have to constantly look things up that I don't remember or I'm not sure about, and it feels really good to be gaining that knowledge back.
So anyway - happy weekend everyone! :)
Thursday, July 9, 2009
A brief catch-up post
It has come to my attention that I need to stop slacking and update the blog!
The pregnancy is going well. I am retaining a ridiculous amount of water, and need to wear wrist braces every night to keep my hands from falling asleep, which somehow causes numbness and pain all at the same time. I had the same problem when pregnant with Gus. I'm not to the point of needing to wear them during the day, though, so that's a plus! The baby is due on October 25th, so about 3.5 months to go. We're in the home stretch, almost!
Our search for a new vehicle (a larger van) is not as fruitful as I'd hoped, but we do still have a few months, so I'm not panicking yet. We looked into getting a Suburban or something along those lines, but even those aren't big enough for the Bantas (4 car seats take up a lot of room!), so we carry on.
Emma and Simon finished up school on June 4th and are enjoying the summer. We made the decision, after a few years of thought and research, to start homeschooling. Their school is moving to a temporary location all the way across town for a year, and rather than bus them or spend an hour in traffic each way every day, we decided to make the leap of faith and give it a go. They're both pretty excited, and we have already started a bit, with mandatory reading every day for two hours each. They each have a list of chores they have to do every day, so I don't hear "I'm boooored" too often. :) I filed our paperwork with the state of Nebraska, so we're official! In August we'll start an actual curriculum. Emma wants to join 4-H and raise a rabbit, and Simon is eager to try a couple of classes that he has options for, so it should be an interesting year, to be sure.
Max turned 4 in April and is quite the card. He has a fun little temper (I'm being sarcastic), and keeps us laughing with his antics (that's true). His most recent funny was when he told Oly that no, there aren't 2 bosses in our house (Mom and Dad), there are 3 - Mom, Dad, and Max.
Gus is still on a Thomas the Train roll. He loves all things Thomas and asks daily if we can go to Target to see Thomas. It's pretty cute - I'm starting to wonder if he loves Target more than I do! He is 2.5 and is potty training himself. I like waiting until they're 3, because it's been much easier that way, but I couldn't ignore the signs any longer, so here we go!
Sam is 15 months old (almost) and is enamored with his siblings. He loves anything messy (which is the opposite of Max) and is my early riser of the bunch. We frequently have a few hours of alone time until someone else wakes up, which is (mostly) okay with me. They don't stay this little for long, so I need to enjoy it while I can!
Our 9 year anniversary is this month. I know it's a drop in the bucket, and I'm glad for that. I feel very fortunate to have married someone who makes me laugh all the time, keeps my interest, challenges me, and sparks my intellect. It doesn't hurt that he's easy on the eyes, either! :)
That's about all the news I have! I have uploaded some photos here: http://picasaweb.google.com/kabanta/Summer2009# from the past couple of months, for your viewing pleasure. :)
The pregnancy is going well. I am retaining a ridiculous amount of water, and need to wear wrist braces every night to keep my hands from falling asleep, which somehow causes numbness and pain all at the same time. I had the same problem when pregnant with Gus. I'm not to the point of needing to wear them during the day, though, so that's a plus! The baby is due on October 25th, so about 3.5 months to go. We're in the home stretch, almost!
Our search for a new vehicle (a larger van) is not as fruitful as I'd hoped, but we do still have a few months, so I'm not panicking yet. We looked into getting a Suburban or something along those lines, but even those aren't big enough for the Bantas (4 car seats take up a lot of room!), so we carry on.
Emma and Simon finished up school on June 4th and are enjoying the summer. We made the decision, after a few years of thought and research, to start homeschooling. Their school is moving to a temporary location all the way across town for a year, and rather than bus them or spend an hour in traffic each way every day, we decided to make the leap of faith and give it a go. They're both pretty excited, and we have already started a bit, with mandatory reading every day for two hours each. They each have a list of chores they have to do every day, so I don't hear "I'm boooored" too often. :) I filed our paperwork with the state of Nebraska, so we're official! In August we'll start an actual curriculum. Emma wants to join 4-H and raise a rabbit, and Simon is eager to try a couple of classes that he has options for, so it should be an interesting year, to be sure.
Max turned 4 in April and is quite the card. He has a fun little temper (I'm being sarcastic), and keeps us laughing with his antics (that's true). His most recent funny was when he told Oly that no, there aren't 2 bosses in our house (Mom and Dad), there are 3 - Mom, Dad, and Max.
Gus is still on a Thomas the Train roll. He loves all things Thomas and asks daily if we can go to Target to see Thomas. It's pretty cute - I'm starting to wonder if he loves Target more than I do! He is 2.5 and is potty training himself. I like waiting until they're 3, because it's been much easier that way, but I couldn't ignore the signs any longer, so here we go!
Sam is 15 months old (almost) and is enamored with his siblings. He loves anything messy (which is the opposite of Max) and is my early riser of the bunch. We frequently have a few hours of alone time until someone else wakes up, which is (mostly) okay with me. They don't stay this little for long, so I need to enjoy it while I can!
Our 9 year anniversary is this month. I know it's a drop in the bucket, and I'm glad for that. I feel very fortunate to have married someone who makes me laugh all the time, keeps my interest, challenges me, and sparks my intellect. It doesn't hurt that he's easy on the eyes, either! :)
That's about all the news I have! I have uploaded some photos here: http://picasaweb.google.com/kabanta/Summer2009# from the past couple of months, for your viewing pleasure. :)
Monday, April 27, 2009
New photos
Lots to update, but no time right now - finally got some new photos up. They can be seen here: http://picasaweb.google.com/kabanta
Enjoy! :)
Enjoy! :)
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