Hardly looks like the same child as the Dr. Seuss shot. Ahh - so peaceful. I realize that there are a disproportionate number of pictures of the child in the highchair. My only explaination is that it is just about the only time she holds still long enough. In fact, she holds still and she falls asleep. Busy busy busy.

Straight out of Dr. Suess, I'd say.

Hi John!

Sedona and I are sitting here in the office doing a little bit of Tupperware updating, listening to a little bit of iTunes when she picks up the "The John Lennon Collection" CD case that was on the edge of the desk (on the cover of which John sits and looks calmly, however directly at the camera). Without pause, Sedona smiles, waves and says "Hi!" then proceeds to kiss John Lennon. She handed it to me and turned the picture to show me he was there. I waved. She laughed.

This just in

Jordan lost his first tooth!!!!

As some of you might know, for the last few months he has been sporting an ever stylish (if however orthodontically incorrect) shark grin. He had two rows of teeth. 2 new teeth came completely in behind the two front bottom baby teeth. And I am happy to announce that the first of these ornery little baby teeth has left us at long last.

The flash on my camera wouldn't work so I couldn't provide a pictorial presentation but I did manage to get the video camera on just before he pulled it out. I gotta tell ya - we may have a star on our hands. He is too funny - my words can hardly do it justice so please demand that I show you the video next time we see you. It is definitely worth it.

well I guess I'll call it a night after having posted a record setting number of things today. Hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

And finally. . . in Grandma and Grandpa's sink just playing around under the ruse of doing dishes.

All together now.. . . . awwwww.

Could I have made the grass a little greener or my daughter a little cuter? It's a pretty hardcore smile. When she means it she really means it.

Bayley and Sedona

I am not spam

I've been called a great many things - some of them may well have been true but this I know for certain is not truth. I am not spam. The photo publishing thingy wouldn't let me post any more pictures without first blogging a "regular" post. So here you go. About as regular as I can be. They said it was for my own protection but I can't help but wonder if perhaps there is actually an annoyance clause somewhere deep in the red tape of blogging that is designed to protect you, the viewer, from obnoxious numbers of photos. I guess we'll never know for sure. Plus, I don't even know if there is any real tape involved in these silly little websites.

trying again

i can't get this to work. fourth try now. here goes nothin

"Who me?"

And away he went.

Sedona insisted on wearing the backpack. It got so bad in subsequent days that we actually had to bring out one for her. It was a bit smaller than his and she seemed pleased.

Psyched about the first day of first grade. So psyched.

I can't get this darn thing turned around. So turn yourselves and there we are. I'm the tall one.

Having read the "NO SWIMMING" signs. . .Jordan and Joey waded into the murky waters trying to catch fish the "Tarzan" way. So we stripped them.

Grandma Pam is behind the camera capturing this. . . the maiden voyage of their then new canoe. Sedona was a bit put out that she couldn't climb INTO the water. More of a swimmer than a boater, I guess.

OH!!!! I love to swing.

Kids in swings. How my six year old's butt still fits down in that baby swing we'll never know.

Umm well you see I . . .

don't really have any good excuse as to why I haven't written in so long. Has life been painfully uninteresting the last 2 months? Well, no. Have I suffered a debilitating disease or accident that rendered me incapable of typing? Well, not exactly. Has our internet connection been compromised leaving us entirely disconnected? 'Fraid not. So - like I said . . . I don't really have any good excuse as to why I haven't written in so long.
So here we go . . . I'll try to do better. I'll be diligent and witty and silly at least once a week. There I did it. Committed. (laugh laugh - I know some of you have been thinking that's what I've needed for years - to be committed (and I won't say where ha ha))

For this Sunday morning however, I will share a brief medical drama/trauma that occurred about 2 weeks ago while Dr. Jordan was on call.
I was sprawled out on Grandma's floor when Jordan took to doctoring me up. Mind you - we were watching a movie and I was in impeccable health. So he took a toy periscope and, used as a multi-functional instrument, he was able to check my heart, ears, throat, nose, eyes etc. It wasn't until he took a second look in my right ear that he smacked tongue to teeth and sighed, "Just as I suspected. . . . . . . . . .your brain is all messed up." Hardly newsworthy, I know. I asked,"Oh Doctor, will I be okay? Can you fix me up?" but he didn't hear me. Periscope having already turned telephone, he was calling 911.
"Yes, 911? We have Jana Last name-last name here and we're going to need an ambulance. Yes, her brain is all messed up."
I was taken away, miraculously healed, and here I sit today.

Now here is my concern - this isn't the first time Jordan has returned a somewhat disturbing, however hilarious, report on my mental health. Last year he performed a similar inspection of my head and when he looked deep into my eyes said, "hm-hmm. Yep - squirrels in your brain."

Could it be that my little darling has a prophetic gift? Or is it simply clarity afforded only to the very young. I don't know but at least he is consistent.

In other news - Sedona is recovering nicely from a reaction to her MMR vaccination and 103`+ club. She rests quietly while I type and realize that we are going to be late for church if I don't things rolling. So away I go -- promising or maybe threatening to return in the very near future. And I might even have new pictures.

Oh and some funny kids stuff

Jordan was making completely unreasonable requests in Walmart the other day (as most requests in Walmart are) when I said that "we most certainly do not need $20 plastic hands". To which he replied without hesitation and full of conviction - - -

"Well I smerkaly DO!"


(and in translation that is my darling son trying so hard to talk back to his momma but simply unable to figure out what in the heck she just said. So what does he do? Throws whatever it was back at me. most certainly = smerkaly. Not quite sure how you'd spell that but I did my best.)


Another real doozie (though I can't say that I know how to spell that either) -

being told that he can't do something simply "infurnerates" him.
As in -
"Jordan, I'm sory but we'll just have to wait until Dad gets home and we have carseats."

"Ugh (and an exasperated sigh) it just infurnerates me when you say that!"

translation: infuriates. The child is infuriated.

The maniacal laundry basket

I've come to the conclusion that my one true nemesis is the laundry basket. Once something goes into the basket it might never come out again. This isn't to say that I don't do laundry constantly or even to say that I don't fold the freshly laundered clothes. It is, however, an admission that at any given time you are sure to find at least one sad little laundry basket in my house full of abandoned items (I won't say where you might find this basket since it travels from closets to offices, always one step ahead of company). Now- these items might include widowed socks, half of a set of pajamas, a fitted sheet (because I do not like to fold them), and occasionally a skirt that requires hanging. These garments are all too soon forgotten and usually joined by others in similar situations. It doesn't take long for a single basket of renegade articles to give way to two baskets and so on. My only guess is that as the first basket holds tightly to that first stray sock, its mate ends up in another basket to be forgotten. It seems at first to be a rather sad state of affairs. Pathetic almost that so many socks and outfits go unworn simply because they are separated. Sad, lonely little socks. And yet. . . I am not entirely convinced that there isn't some degree of deviance, of malice, of conspiracy. Perhaps it is not us who abandon these items but rather that the laundry basket holds hostage and never returns so many things that go into it.

There are some baskets that are too far beyond hope. The one with close to 100 stray socks. . . too far gone. The one with a strange combination of clothes for kids to grow into and clothes they have grown out of . . . probably too late for it too. But I've stopped the cycle. The clothes get folded coming out of the dryer and the piles are carried directly to closets and drawers. Thus, eliminating any interaction with the abhorred baskets at all. See - I'm smart. Always gotta be thinking.


Oh and ummm . . . . should I mention that I think laundry baskets are some of my very favorite things in the whole wide world. Where else can you put the things you don't know what to do with? I have close to a dozen. They match the decor. I like the colors. I like the versatility. Its a love hate relationship I suppose. Nevertheless. . . . . be wary.

Filling in the gaps

So without any pictures I can add that we had a great vacation. The kids had a blast - went swimming out at the lake, Jordan went to a cosmic bowling birthday party and Sedona started saying "All done".

We went all the places pictured and mentioned plus Santa Fe, the Turqoise Trail and all the little artist colonies along the way. We went to the aquarium and botanical gardens, Nickel City Arcade and even saw a few movies. Now, I can't say I didn't get sunburned or have bronchitis but they didn't really get in the way.

So . . . I guess I'm done here.

Sedona Jane - 13 months
Jordan Michael - 75 months

Meanwhile back in Missouri . . . the kids had their pictures taken. Sedona Jane - 13 months.

Despite the absence of our dino-freak we found ourselves nevertheless roaming the halls of the Museum of Natural History wondering "Triceratops or Pentaceratops?".

Ah the Mighty Missi- oops I forgot. . . New Mexico not Missouri. Make that the Rio Grande and a very thoughtful Jeremy. This was near the Bosque Recreation are that functions as a sort of community biking and walking arena while simultaneously acting as a nature preserve.

Here I stand, having cut the Johnny on the Spots out of the picture, near the Jemez Pueblo north of Albuquerque. We hiked up to the hot springs and spent the afternoon squishing algae between our toes.

And here we are at the top of Sandia Peak in Albuquerque, NM. We rode this terrifying cable-suspended-tram-thingy (at least I think that's the official name) the two miles to the top.

So when you are deathly afraid of flying and about to set out on a cross country flight what should you do? Of course - have a photo taken of all of you together so when your plane goes crashing down your kids will have one last picture of you. Do I look a little worried? Oh, because I was. So last Thursday we all took a vacation. Jordan and Sedona vacationed with Grandma and Jeremy and I went to New Mexico for our anniversary. A splendid time was had by all.

Now this backyard might not look like much to some but if you had seen the overgrown mess that we started out with you might be able to appreciate the progress. Under that lovely gazebo sits a pool. Yes a pool wiht concrete all around and a liner still down in it but the old lady that lived here before us decided one summer that her kids only visited her so they could use her pool and she filled it in. $3,000 worth of dirt. Then she slapped that gazebo up and away we go with only one of the mnay very bizarre things about our house and yard. The garden is just beyond the gazebo on the left - you can only kind of see it. The yard has been our biggest project this spring/summer as last years weeding, planting and clean up was interrupted by a baby.

Nothing to say except the kid loves to ride his bike. He's pretty good at it too. Ask him about how he can ramp sometime - I guarantee a good story.

Another with the stand in. Should've tried to get one without the goofy smile. Oh well. The kids are cute anyway. And Jordan is showing the small brachiosaurus that he had lost almost a year ago and then stumbled across Saturday. It had been inside a dino egg the entire time. His many hours of weeping and wailing over its loss were all in vain afterall. Needless to say (though i am saying it anyway) he was a little bit excited to have found it. And anyone who has ever spent any amount of time with Jordan knows that Jordan never gets " a little bit excited" - he goes whole hog when it comes to excitement. This occasion was no exception.

He's not impressed. And Sedona might want to reconsider her approach to that whole drinking out of a cup thing. I don't see that working out too well. Actually, she loves the microphone on Jordan's tape recorder and ever since she figured out how to work it and can sing into it, she sings into the bottoms of things. Bottles, cups, toys - whatever. I can't say I totally understand it but it is pretty entertaining.

She cracks me up. Don't know what else to say except that she is such a riot. I'm looking a little spacy though. Displeased? I really don't know. I swear that isn't the person who looks back at me from the mirror every morning. IMPOSTER! ever notice how you look nothing like you thought looked when you get to see yourself in a photo? Kind of depressing really. I've been living in a flase reality, one where I don't really look like this but apparently - - I've been deceived. Or else someone has stolen my family and is posing as me. Or could it be like a stunt double? Maybe one who just stands in for me when it comes time to take silly little pictures because I am much too busy for such things. I guess we'll have to go on wondering.

A budding musician. She climbs up there and plays just as much as Jordan does. I've been privileged with some lovely duets. If I ever get any more organized than I currently am some of you might even get a tape in the mail someday. I wouldn't hold my breath, though.

What was that Mom? Don't splash the what? Yup. That's me mid yell, water already in the air. A friends of ours has a great big pool in her yard and loves to play dinosaurs. What a perfect match. Sedona loved the water - kept diving to put her face down in it.

So Jordan went to a Cardinals game last Saturday with Rod and Colby and couldn't quite understand why he couldn't cheer for the "National Cubs". The initial explaination that there simply was no such team didn't quite satisfy him. And while actually seeing the Yankees on the field helped it didn't really matter. Chicago may be in his heart but around these parts it is probably best if he only wears the shirt around in the house. They don't take too kindly to Cubs fans here in the Cardinal territory.

Alright, alright

So I haven't been doing much with this other than slapping pictures on but I'm back now to say - I've got some more pictures. But first I'll do a quick state of the union summary and then we'll get back to looking at how cute the kids are -

Jeremy's new job at the golf course is going well. We are even getting used to him being around every afternoon. A luxury it seems, but one we won't give up without a fight. He's getting one hell of a farmer's tan and enjoying the work outside. He also started classes this week at a local university and in approximately one year will have earned a Master's in Teaching and be ready to shape the young and all too malleable minds of Missouri teenagers. He has class almost every night of the week plus all the homework that comes with it - needless to say he is already resembling a decapitated fowl though I have no doubt he'll come out not only on top but ahead (no murky pun intended).

As for the kids and I - we are just settling into summer and the strangely long, uninterrupted days of summer. It turns out we rather like not having anyone else around until we invite someone to be around. I think it had been so long that there various children around (and the parents that tend to come with them) that we forget how simple things can be. So we work in the garden a lot. Sedona eats all sorts of things and reports back whether or not she will eat them again in the future - so far a favorite has been the little helicopter seeds that blanket our backyard. I can't say that I see the appeal but who am I to squelch her curiosity? * Note to those alarmed by the seeming nonchalance of these statements: The opinions and statements herein are in no way representative of the management or owners of this particular family. Rather, be assured that the child will not, has not and probably could not eat anything entirely hazardous to her health or the health of those around her. In other words. . . . A little dirt, a leaf here and there never hurt anybody so take a deep breath and think about how cute she looks with mud on her face.

Thursday is our 2 year anniversary and we will be sneaking out of town (and out of the Midwest completely) for a few days in hopes of securing some sanity for ourselves. We are gearing up for a pretty tough year but one that will be well worth the trials.

And now without further adieu -

the kids, our yard and maybe a picture evidencing my lack of hair (yes, that's right folks - I finally cut it off. Just above the shoulders and I must say, I rather like it. Probably should have done it sooner.)

Oh man that is a thick milkshake!

And her birthday morning with the presents Grammy overnighted so the kids would have something to open that morning.

CAUGHT IN THE ACT! This is the exact moment when Sedona filled Jordan's eye with icing. Rumor has it Grandpa Rod caught the whole thing on video with his digital camera and was able to download it onto a cd for me. If only there were some way to describe the look on jordan's face.

Jordan got to eat the first strawberry out of our garden. Reports are it was "like THE best strawberry in the universe".

A newsbrief of sorts

Due to unforeseen circumstances and the luck that is mine alone - I will no longer be watching Bayley. Monday was her last day. You can imagine the void this leaves in our life.

Nevertheless we soldier on and I am now seeking other employment. The idea is to try and work as many part time hours as I can while Jeremy's mom keeps the kids and spend as much time still home with them as humanly possible. Whether this means working evenings/nights or every other day or what we still don't know. I just thought that as we have invited you all into our lives via this silly little blog you should be informed of such an enormous upset. So there you have it. You've been briefed.

Strange that when you pour your heart into a child it is more often the adults involved who are able to break it.

Last but not least (for today anyway) - Bayley and Jordan atop an elephant at the Shriner's Circus. That and the motorcycles in the steel cage were definitely the top sellers of the evening.
More amazing still was that one of the motorcyclists was a woman!! Shock of all shocks. Jordan was floored when she took off her helmet and this mass of hair fell out. An excellent lesson in gender politics though, I must say. He is now convinced that instead of pursuing this dream of super-mega cool motorcycle stunt riding - Sedona should. "Umm cuz she's like a girl and girls can ride motorcycles too, Mom." Why yes they can my darling.

Last Friday was cowboy/farmer day at school - hence the get up. I can't really say much about climbing the mailbox, though. I'm gonna have to go with "we like to encourage his creativity". That sounds good, right?

BUT I REALLY LOVE THIS TURTLE!!!!!!!

At the Nulik home in Arkansas City, KS last weekend. That biscuit was quite the accomplishment. Any piece of bread handed to her previously just hung out of her mouth. She wouldn't bite off a piece but rather but a bite sized amount in her mouth and let the rest hang out. The biscuit, though . . the biscuit was good enough to bite.

This is Jordan's long "hair". Funny part is - he went nearly a week with that pair of pajama pants on his head. Took them off only to go to school and ride his bike. He is adamant that he wants to let his hair grow long but the jury returned a verdict of postponement. The final decision was that once he is entirely responsible for his own personal hygiene then he is more than welcome to do whatever he pleases with his hair. Until then, however, it will be kept short for simplicity's sake.

This was supposeed to be a picture of her crazy hair. Not sure how clearly you can make it out though. She woke up completely bug-eyed, hair standing on end and with pretty bad breath. So babies are humans afterall. Not even the tiny and cute are spared such realities.

Rest assured he was adequetely reprimanded after the picture was taken. Cribs are made to hold the weight of babies, not a play place, etc etc ad nauseum.

The official caption reads "Some kids on a slide".

So the silly face idea really only looks good on kids between the ages of 2 and 7. Sedona refused completely while I just look a little special.

When he isn't reading Darwin, watching forbidden shows or eating grapes, Jordan enjoys a good romp in the pool. This was taken on his last day of swimming lessons. He may be part fish. We're looking into it.

Sedona on a picnic. She only stayed on the blanket for about 2 minutes before she was crawling through the woodchips and trying to chase the big kids around.

too good to not include. Jeremy told them to try and look tough. This was their first rendering. In the other picture Jordan kinda got the hang of it but Bayley . . well I don't really know what to say but "isn't she darling?" These two are easily the greatest comedy team in recent history.

couple of tough guys, ay?

yes that is my son on top of the dog house. he was try to gain perspective on the life of a dog - specifically Uncle Larry's dogs.

And the kids on the way home from Delaware. Only 13 hours in the car - -no big deal. That juice there in Jordan's hand is the very same juice that was later "spilled" all over the Hardee's parking lot in Effingham IL. and when I say spilled I mostly mean barfed - which he proceeded to do 5 more times in the car in those last two hours. At least Sedona did all her puking before we got on the road. Why do we all get deathly ill whenever we travel outside of Missouri? sinister state government plot? could be.

The kids in Delaware for Tiffany's wedding in February.