Falk Family Weblog

I do not like them, Sam I am!

lynnfalk — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 20:10:02 +0000

Isaac’s class celebrated Dr. Seuss’ birthday. A handful of dads came to read a favorite Dr. Seuss book to the class. The kids were treated to a birthday party complete with green eggs and ham and cupcakes. Isaac was not a fan of the green eggs and ham…

But, he did love having his daddy in his class!

Warren did a great job reading to the class. He had different voices for the characters and made it very fun for the kids…Isaac’s teacher even had good time listening!

The kids wore their jammies and brought pillows for a day of comfort and stories.

Mommy’s Lil’ Romeo

lynnfalk — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 20:00:16 +0000

Valentine’s Day!

Bowling

lynnfalk — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 18:32:13 +0000

We went bowling recently for the second time in two weeks. I didn’t blog the first time because I forgot my camera… of course, that’s when I bowled a 212, which is about 60 pins better than my previous best. Both times we went with our friends, Naveen and Ajitha. Naveen, Warren, and a few guys from work bowl occasionally over lunch. Ajitha just came from India to the states with Naveen a few months ago right after their wedding there, and we both met her for the first time on our first bowling trip. She’s very sweet (and won the boys over quite quickly by bringing chocolates for them).

I’m just getting to know them. They’re a sweet couple and we look forward to bowling with them some more.

Ethan and Isaac have enjoyed the bowling experience. It’s fun for them for about one game and they’re happy to be finished after that. The balls are still quite heavy for Isaac and they tire him out. After several struggles to get the eight pound ball down the lane, he managed to develop his own system of running and “throwing” which is quite cute and hard to describe.

Little Mat Rat

lynnfalk — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 19:54:14 +0000

Lincoln started his very first class at the YMCA. He’s officially a mat rat and loves it! He especially enjoyed jumping into the pit full of foam blocks. He has always been so agile and good on his feet, I thought this would be a great outlet for his climbing/swinging needs during the snowy, cold weather we have been having.

I’m pretty sure we’ll have snow until June!

lynnfalk — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 21:11:54 +0000

We got our big snow of the season! Warren and the boys shoveled the driveway and put each shovel load into one big pile creating a snow mountain. It has provided lots of entertainment for our boys and some of the neighbor kids too. I’m sure we will be the last house in the cul-de-sac with snow in our yard.

Soon, Warren won’t need to be shoveling at all!

Austin, Halle, and Isaac

Silly boys!

“Weee!!!”

King of the mountain!

The boys were thrilled with their snow days! Ethan got two days off and Isaac got three days off due to a 2-hour delay with no AM Kindergarten. School tomorrow and then a 3-day-weekend!

Sweet Treat

lynnfalk — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 20:16:05 +0000

Baking and decorating Valentine cupcakes was the perfect after-lunch activity during the boys snow day.

Neighbor Halle joined in the fun!

100 Days of School!

lynnfalk — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 17:38:45 +0000

In honor of the 100th day of school I made Ethan and Isaac a special brownie dessert. While I was asking the boys about their 100th school day, Isaac said, “I like school now!” It only took 100 days…

I’m Famous! (Sort of)

lynnfalk — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 17:34:15 +0000

My name is proudly hanging on the wall in Qdoba! We made the top 25 most loyal costumer list for 2009. Our family was invited to celebrate during the top-loyalty costumer celebration. We all ate for free, received a water bottle full of candy, got our picture taken, and had candles burning on our table! We love our Qdoba and eat there every Sunday afternoon.

Random

lynnfalk — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 17:16:15 +0000

Warren and I double dated with Dan and Kari. We went to the Olive Garden and a movie.

Ethan and Isaac at the “tree house.”

Lincoln loves playing the DS and is getting quite good at Super Mario!

Ethan and Isaac spent hours drawing on these huge pieces of paper.

Having lunch together…

Enjoying a Mild Jaunuary Day

lynnfalk — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 19:04:41 +0000

The boys were thrilled to play outside! Isaac couldn’t wait to ride his bike for the first time in a couple of months. Ethan was at school when I took these pictures, but he got his chance to enjoy the weather as well.

Isaac was so sweet and patient as he tried to teach Lincoln how to use his peddles.

Happy 100000th!

lynnfalk — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 14:37:16 +0000

You might not think a 32nd birthday is as significant as, say, a 30th, or a 40th, because it doesn’t end in a zero, but if so, then you’re not thinking like a programmer. You see the old “base 10″ (“decimal”) numbering system might work well for humans who are used to it, but computers use “base 2″ a.k.a. “binary”. This makes 32, which in binary has a magnificent 5 zeros (100000), a very significant birthday if you happen to be a giant geek.

If you grew up with Warren, you might recognize the cake’s likeness to a very old computer made by Mattel, called an “Aquarius”. Warren remembers this computer (plus a “200 in 1 Electronic Project Lab” from radio shack) as marking the beginning of his inner geek. So this seemed an appropriately geeky cake for a geek’s 100000th. And it turned out pretty well.

Here are the boys, ages 111, 101, and 10, admiring their dad’s great antiquity. Also another cake can be seen below, which was both more tasty and also better suited to the more decimally oriented.

Dan, Kari, and their boys came over to celebrate. Dan, Warren, and the boys played some vintage Nintendo games with some nostalgic value.

Isaac and Owen enjoy the best part of any birthday party.

Alex and Kari.

One of Warren’s gifts was this miniature remote controlled helicopter which Warren can be seen here struggling to keep airborne.

Welcome 2010!

lynnfalk — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 03:23:34 +0000

Warren 31, Lynn 29, Ethan 7, Isaac 5, Lincoln 2

Birthday Party

lynnfalk — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 02:28:47 +0000

We had Lincoln’s 2nd birthday party at home. Dan and Kari’s family and the Mabry family joined us. Lincoln was happy to see Josie and his cousins! He ran to the door each time he heard someone come.

The birthday boy and his big brothers.

Party Time!

He loved his big boy bed! But seemed concerned the crib wasn’t there anymore. He went out into the hallway looking for it. I told him, “The crib is in the basement,” and asked if he wanted me to go get it. He said “yes.” I told him cribs are for babies and beds are for big boys. He seemed OK with that statement and even told several people at the party that cribs are for babies!

Yea! Presents!

He was a little afraid of the candles on his cake. When it came time to blow them out, he tried once or twice and then said, “Mommy do it.”

Annie and Ethan

Owen (sporting a very cute hair-do) and Josiah

Alex and Isaac

Josie and (silly!) Lincoln

He had such a great time! Even with all the commotion I was able to focus on Lincoln and enjoy him at his party.

We allowed Isaac to sleepover with Lincoln for his first night in the big boy bed. They stayed together until morning. So very sweet.

Birthday Lunch at McDonald’s Play Place

lynnfalk — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 20:40:21 +0000

Here, Lincoln is both saying the number 2 and showing 2 with his fingers.

He wanted “Monster” to have lunch at McDonald’s with him.

Lincoln seemed to understand that he was important on his birthday. He ate up all the special attention and was such a good boy all throughout the day. First thing in the morning I got his birthday picture done at Portrait Innovations. I’ll post them later. We then went home to get the rest of the family and headed to McDonald’s. He took a nap in Mommy’s and Daddy’s bed while we worked on finishing up his big boy bed surprise. Then, at 6:00 some friends (and family) came over to help us celebrate with a party fit for a 2-year-old little boy who loves cars and trucks!

The Crib Comes Down

lynnfalk — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 20:26:38 +0000

Just this week after 8 years of (pretty much) constant use the time came to take the baby crib down. I admit to shedding a few tears. It just seems strange there isn’t a need for it anymore.

We replaced it with a big boy bed for Lincoln. It was our gift to him on his 2nd birthday.

Look Who’s 2!

lynnfalk — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 20:18:50 +0000

Good morning to our favorite 2-year-old!

Further Developing His Hidden Talent

lynnfalk — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 20:16:31 +0000

Warren made a semi-truck cake for Lincoln’s 2nd birthday. It turned out great! Lincoln’s face lit up when he saw it the morning of his birthday. He wanted to eat it right then and there!

Keep on truckin’! Almost finished.

The masterpiece! Well done, Warren!

Christmas Morning!

lynnfalk — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 00:54:55 +0000

Get comfortable…lots of pictures!

Lincoln was the first to wake up. At 6:15 I heard him open his bedroom door and run into the boys room. He climbed in bed with Ethan and I listened for a moment as they talked and cuddled. Soon, (we had to wake Daddy) we headed downstairs with three very anxious, bright-eyed, smiling boys! The stockings were opened first.

“Forget the pictures, Mom! Lets open the presents!”

Our tree-shaped cinnamon rolls were very tasty. They are a lot of work without a bread machine. Warren really likes them. The boys would probably like the Pillsbury cinnamon rolls just as much and it sure would be a lot easier! Hmmm…very tempting.

Isaac enjoyed exploring with his new binoculars. While we were testing the binoculars out, Lincoln had some plans of his own…

Caught you red-handed!

I have been wanting a new blender for some time. Now I can make smoothies again! Thanks, Hun, for listening to all of my hints.

Little Critter books for our little critter.

Three rubber band guns…what have I done? (Turns out they don’t work that well and the boys are much more interested in the Nerf guns)

Lincoln needed Daddy’s help to open his gigantic gift!

Oh how fun!

I love this picture because Lincoln looks so small. :)

Ethan lost his pocket knife and was very happy to get a new one!

Here’s a picture of Lincoln’s “Are you sure this isn’t real?” face. Lincoln thinks spiders are fascinating, especially if they aren’t real. So when I saw this remote-controlled tarantula I thought it would be perfect for him. He was really excited when he first saw it – we gave him the remote and he pushed the button a couple times and the spider moved and he seemed to enjoy it from a distance… that is until he approached it, squatted down, and just as he stuck out his little hand to pet it, accidentally squished the remote between his leg and belly, which pushed the “go” button. You’d have thought it bared its fangs and hissed as fast as his hand snapped back and he darted away in reverse. He hasn’t played with it since…

Wait! I need a picture!

My Willow Tree family. Perfect for our family. :)

Ethan and Isaac agree that their Gogo’s Crazybones was the best present! Most people have never heard of these, they are just starting to catch on in the United States.

So tired after a long (fun!) day.

Here Ethan and Isaac are playing with their Gogos. Each of these is just a hard plastic character. They can trade them and play several different games with them – it’s a little like marbles with faces and feet. They have books that rate each one for its speed, bounce and balance of all eighty different gogo characters.

Just a few more hours!

lynnfalk — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 02:54:15 +0000

What a good feeling to be finished with all the preparations! My back hurt more at the end of Christmas Eve than it’s ever hurt before. I was on my feet in the kitchen for more than 12 hours! Not to mention all the other things that needed to be done in order to have a relaxing (lazy!) Christmas day. So much work, but so worth it to give the boys a memorable Christmas.

Christmas Eve

lynnfalk — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 02:31:26 +0000

On Christmas Eve we allow the boys to each open one gift.

While watching “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer,” Lincoln became fascinated with the Abominable Snow Monster. He asked over and over, “where he go?” if he wasn’t in a particular scene. I happened to find this at CVS and knew I had to get it for Lincoln! It roars like a monster and then sings a nice Christmas song. Lincoln slept with it the first night and carries it all around. I think it’s at the top of his favorite Christmas gifts list! Don’t you just love finding the perfect gift?!

Isaac liked his micro remote-controlled car. But, I’m not so sure it’s still up and running.

Don’t be deceived…he may LOOK like he’s patiently waiting his turn to open a present. It’s tough being the oldest!

He opened his Nerf key chain, a gift from Isaac.

Twas’ the Night Before Christmas

Christmas Time is Near!

lynnfalk — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 21:48:05 +0000

Sunday before Christmas Day.

Kindergarten Fun Day!

lynnfalk — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 21:47:20 +0000

The Kindergarten classes at Isaac’s school went to the Beach Water Park for the afternoon. It was nice to have to whole place to ourselves!

They started the day off with singing Christmas carols to the parents. The lightly falling snow was a nice touch!

Such a big boy! He seemed to be more comfortable on his ice skates this time around.

It was nice to have some one on one time together. We enjoyed a toboggan ride down the huge slide, ice-skating, hot cocoa, petting the animals, chatting with friends, and a warm lunch.

Snowman Update:

lynnfalk — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 21:45:50 +0000

Let it Snow-Man!

lynnfalk — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 20:35:00 +0000

We were fortunate to get just enough snow for playing on a Saturday morning.

We only had baby carrots, but lots of bananas!

Lincoln enjoyed his hot cocoa from the warmth of the house as the snowman was being put together.

Watch out, Daddy!

Isaac and his “Ice-ball!”

Isaac gave Lincoln a little push down the hill on his very first sled ride.

I think he liked it!

Isaac’s turn.

Aren’t they angelic?

Monster Lincoln had fun running around trying to scare us.

Winter Fun Night

lynnfalk — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 20:18:46 +0000

We went to the Beach Water Park’s winter festivities.

Lincoln really enjoyed the animals. It was his highlight for sure, along with the pony ride.

I have a picture of Ethan with this same horse from two years ago.

This is Isaac’s very first time ice-skating and about my third time. He loved it and impressed us with his determination!

Cozy Cousins

lynnfalk — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 03:56:23 +0000

They were supposed to be going to sleep, but Owen and Lincoln kept chatting and laughing. The were told to stay on the bed. An hour and a half later, they were still there! At 10:15 I decided I had better put Lincoln in his own bed so he could get some sleep. He was so sad to leave his cousin! These two play great and were especially adorable this night.

Handsome Guys

lynnfalk — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 03:49:21 +0000

Pockets, Mommy.

Homemade Ornaments

lynnfalk — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 03:31:04 +0000

Kari and I made these cinnamon ornaments. After they finished drying I let the boys decorate them with glitter glue. Ethan and Isaac each made one for their teacher. They turned out cute and smell so good! We had a small amount of dough left and instead of rolling it for one more cut-out I decided to see if I could get Lincoln’s hand print. If you are interested, here is the recipe:
2/3 C. of Cinnamon
1 C. applesauce
1/3 C. of glue
Mix it all together and let it sit for 30 minutes. Roll and cut into whatever shapes you like.
It takes a long time for them to dry out. It was about two days or so if I remember correctly.

Oh, and don’t forget to poke the hole at the top for the ribbon while they are still wet.

Holiday baking (and sampling!)

lynnfalk — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 03:20:59 +0000

Cut-outs are always fun with the boys. They look forward to it each year and despite the mess, I do too!

Here is some of the sampling I was talking about…

Ethan is getting very good at decorating!

What a mess! But, worth it, I guess.

They taste even better than they look! :) Really, I keep them in the freezer and eat one (sometimes two!) before bed every night!

again more sampling…

Lincoln helped me make the oreo truffles.

I woke up at 5:00 AM to make fresh chocolate chip cookies for Warren to take to work. (Major “wife points” for me!)

Cookie trays that I made for a couple of families.

What a relief to be finished with so much of my baking! Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy baking, but I like to space it out a bit more!

Ethan’s Christmas Concert

lynnfalk — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 03:02:24 +0000

What I will remember most from this night is how Ethan kept looking at us and smiling so big during the concert. He didn’t have a solo or a speaking part, but said he would like to next year. He looked so handsome and did a great job.