Ben and Abby

Here's the Snow

2012-01-15T13:43:00.000-08:00

Who says you can't make snow angels in less than an inch of snow. Bennett shows Abby how.

Trying to catch snowflakes on his tongue.

Making it Snow

2012-01-15T13:39:00.000-08:00

Bennett's kindergarten teacher told him if he wore his PJ's inside out and slept with a spoon under his pillow, it would snow. It didn't work the first night, so Ben figured he needed to wear his underwear inside out as well. Apparently that did the trick, as we woke up this morning with the first (perhaps only) snow of the season.

Abby's Two!

2012-01-15T13:35:00.000-08:00

Here are a few pictures from Abby's birthday. We celebrated as a family on her actual birthday, then had friends over the following Saturday.

homemade"silly putty"

2011-12-16T18:22:00.000-08:00

I saw a pin on pinterest.com that had two intriguing features--homemade silly putty and a DIY lightbox. I found the recipe for the glow in the dark silly putty at http://playathomemom3.blogspot.com/2011/07/glow-in-dark-silly-putty.html. This is my first batch and here are some things I noticed: 1. the texture isn't exactly like store bought silly putty (it's kind of clammy) 2. I'm not super sure about the glow in the dark paint--I used the rustoleum version, and it has some of the latext smell (and therefore chemicals). Sofar, no ill effects, but I am making sure the kids wash their hands after they play with it.

The kids deem it a success, and it was a sure thing for the "I'm bored,can we watch TV blues."

As far as the lightbox,I'm not really thrilled with it, but it's what we have a budget for at this point.

Holidays

2011-12-04T10:34:00.000-08:00

Ok, so this shot is totally blurry, but Abby noticed I was taking pictures and that was the end of that. This is one of her favorite hang out spots.

This year Bennett helped me put the ornaments on the tree. Last year we invested in an artificial tree because my and the kids' allergies were acting up. Have to say, it is SO much easier, even with me minutely adjusting every branch.

Halloween 2011

2011-11-07T21:35:00.000-08:00

Ben is young Anakin Skywalker and Abby is Little Red Riding Hood.

Not to Leave Abby Out

2011-09-01T21:21:00.000-07:00

Here's Abby helping us wait for Ben's school day to start.

Kindergarten!

2011-09-01T21:14:00.000-07:00

According to Ben, the first day of kindergarten was "awesome!"

Legos Legos Legos

2011-08-24T17:38:00.000-07:00

Ben's interest in Legos has exponentially increased since we visited Lego Land down in SD. He pretty much spent the whole day today setting up his space station. Because of the small pieces, we have to keep him "gated" so Abby can't get them.

Box House

2011-07-21T10:24:00.000-07:00

So Grandma sent us some of Oma's paintings and they were packed in these HUGE boxes.

Today, we decided to make a big play house with the boxes. The added bonus is that half the house (one box) can also be used as a puppet theater. Let the fun commence.

symbiotic relationship

2011-07-21T10:21:00.000-07:00

Abby LOVES Lily. And Lily . . . well, she seems to understand that Abby is where scrounged food comes from and lets Abby do pretty much whatever she wants. Abby loves to lean against Lily and use her as a pillow seat.

Craig and Kids

2011-07-01T09:47:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pics of Craig and the kids before we headed off to a luau themed wedding last weekend. While the pigtails were super cute, they only lasted about 10 minutes before Abby pulled them out. She is not a huge fan of having her hair "done."

Sunny Day . . . Finally

2011-06-06T14:33:00.000-07:00

Here are the latest photos of Ben and Abby playing outside.

2011-04-30T10:23:00.000-07:00

Photo from last weekend's ferry trip to Vashon Island. Ben wanted to go on a boat.

Taking some time to dye Easter eggs.

This morning. Being goofy. And yes, Dad, I know he needs a haircut.

Art Morning

2011-04-17T09:52:00.000-07:00

Abby seems to intuitively know how to hold her crayon. She enjoys drawing as much as Ben.

Bennett's 5th Birthday Party!

2011-03-20T11:54:00.000-07:00

Bennett's 5th birthday party was yesterday, just a few days off from his actual birthday. He is so into super heroes, so it was pretty easy to pick a theme. His cake is Captain America's shield. The acitvities included finding clues from a super villian who "stole" their super capes. Once found, they decorated the capes with felt. I created them from t-shirts from Goodwill. He says it was his best birthday ever. All in all, a good day.

Candids

2011-02-24T10:42:00.000-08:00

Some random photos of the kids. Enjoy.

Belated Birthday Photos

2011-02-24T10:39:00.000-08:00

So Abby's birthday was in January, but I forgot to post these. It was just a small immediate family affair. I made carrot cake cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. They were a big hit.

February Snow

2011-02-24T10:36:00.000-08:00

Superman New Year's Photos

2011-01-02T13:48:00.000-08:00

New Pj's are a hit.

Abby checking out what her brother is up to.

More Lego Play

2010-11-28T14:47:00.000-08:00

Notice the new teeth?

Ben and Abby Play with Legos

2010-11-28T14:45:00.000-08:00

Photo Shoot

2010-11-11T11:07:00.000-08:00

Abby in November

2010-11-04T18:14:00.000-07:00

Abby is fascinated with books. I wonder where she gets that from?

She's getting to be a pro at crawling, too.

Happy Halloween

2010-11-02T15:02:00.000-07:00

Can't tell from this pic, but I painted a glow in the dark skeleton on the costume I made for Ben.

Abby seemed to genuinely enjoy looking at all the costumes at the Proctor District Halloween fest. She's wearing Ben's hand-me-down dragon costume.

Abby checks out Ben's costume.

Abby and Kyran Hang Out

2010-10-24T18:14:00.000-07:00

Pictures from September

2010-09-29T16:23:00.000-07:00

Ben an Abby at Lake Tapps

2010-08-25T17:40:00.000-07:00

Getting brave.

Kyran and Abby hang-out

Abby Eating

2010-08-25T17:36:00.001-07:00

August Photos of Abby

2010-08-25T17:33:00.000-07:00

video of Abby rolling

2010-07-22T17:03:00.000-07:00

And sitting

2010-07-22T16:35:00.000-07:00

still pretty wobbly.

Rolling, rolling, rolling

2010-07-22T16:30:00.000-07:00

The look of pure joy.

Sprinkler

2010-07-22T14:34:00.000-07:00

On one of the few hot days this summer . . .

2010-06-30T17:53:00.000-07:00

We travelled over to the east side of WA for Jacob (Craig's brother) and Sandy's wedding. Congrats Jacob and Sandy!! We went over Chinook Pass to get there. These are coming back, as Ben wanted to play in the snow.

On top of the world . . .

And crashed after a long weekend of festivities.

More Abby Photos! June

2010-06-23T17:10:00.000-07:00

She loves sticking her tongue out at us.

Abby and Kyran

2010-06-15T15:20:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of pics of Abby with Kyran, my friend Sheryl's daughter. The girls are a month apart, with Abby being the oldest. Our boys are good buddies, so hopefully these two will be friends as well.

Ben Biking

2010-06-13T12:10:00.000-07:00

The rain has stopped (temporarily at least) which gave Ben the perfect opportunity to practice riding the bike we gave him for his birthday. Click on image to see video. Enjoy.

2010-05-22T20:30:00.000-07:00

Abby and Ben Video

2010-05-15T18:29:00.000-07:00

Click on the image to go to the video.

New Doll

2010-04-28T13:04:00.000-07:00

Here's more evidence that Mama is a craft nerd. I've taken up doll-making.

Abby Closeups

2010-04-28T13:01:00.000-07:00

No, the curl isn't intentional. It just does that :)

Grandma Betty Visits

2010-04-28T12:46:00.000-07:00

2010-04-12T16:18:00.000-07:00

2010-04-12T16:05:00.000-07:00

Chillin' on a Monday.

2010-04-11T21:22:00.000-07:00

Thoughtful Ben.

2010-04-11T14:58:00.000-07:00

More Abby photos.

2010-04-11T14:27:00.000-07:00

Photo taken today

Photo taken 3/20/10

Like father, like son. The boys play Beatles Rock Band.

2010-03-17T18:34:00.000-07:00

Bliss.

Camera ham strikes again.

Big brother makes me laugh.

Really, Mom?

Grandparent Visit March 2010

2010-03-17T18:29:00.000-07:00

Abby is 5 weeks old

2010-02-18T11:42:00.000-08:00

Ben Holding Abby

2010-01-29T13:42:00.000-08:00

2010-01-15T16:05:00.000-08:00

another set. click on the images to see full image.

2010-01-15T15:58:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately for Ben, we may need to update the name of this blog. Presenting Abigail Sabine Tyler, born 8:30 a.m., January 12, 2010. 7 lbs, 8.3 oz., 17 & 3/4" long.

More of Halloween Costume

2009-10-09T15:32:00.001-07:00

Just Finished!

2009-10-09T15:32:00.000-07:00

I just finished making Ben's Halloween costume. He decided he wanted to be a turtle. I spent about $8 on materials and way too much time putting it together. He asked to wear it to nap, but then decided that was not quite comfortable.

Pickathon Continued

2009-08-12T15:34:00.000-07:00

So here is Ben watching the pirate band up close.

Shaking hooks with Captain Bogg

Learning how to walk on stilts at the circus camp area

And, although we don't have pics of it, we want to send a special thank you to Mindy, Andy and Colton for watching Lily for us. We had fun visiting, too!

Pickathon 2009

2009-08-12T15:28:00.000-07:00

So here are some pictures from Pickathon 2009.
Ben was super excited to see the pirate rock band Captain Bogg and Salty. It was almost as much fun as playing for hours in the dirt while listening to Mom and Dad's music.

Ben's Easter Egg

2009-04-17T16:06:00.000-07:00

Here's kind of a random pic of Ben studying his easter egg before eating as a snack the other day. He can crack and peel it by himself :)

Ben's Birthday

2009-04-15T14:31:00.000-07:00

Yeah, yeah, I know I'm a bit behind, as Ben's birthday was in March. Better late than never.

Feeling blue?

2009-03-11T21:31:00.000-07:00

If you need something to cheer you up, just look at that smile!

At the zoo with Alex

2009-02-20T13:55:00.000-08:00

We took advantage of a nice day to head to the zoo during our mid-winter break. As usual, the boys had a blast.

It was their idea to hold hands. Very cute!

Working with his fingers

2009-02-18T15:36:00.000-08:00

So, while I've watched Ben play with the giant wood beads and string at his daycare, I didn't anticipate he would be able to so easily do the real thing. I had my jewelry supplies out the other day, and Ben really wanted to play with some glass beads and silk thread I had. Before too long, he had strung a whole line of beads without any help from me. He had a blast and was very proud of his creation.

Visiting Grandparents in Dec. 2008

2009-01-15T15:47:00.000-08:00

I was told I was being remiss in my duties for not posting photos from our trip to Colorado to visit my parents, so I'm taking a break from all the grading I have to do (it's end of the semester/finals) to post a few.

Ben LOVED the giraffes. He still asks if he can go feed them. Alas, as cool as our zoo is, there are no giraffes.
Here's a cute pic of Ben and Grandma Mary at the zoo.

Grandpa Juergen enjoyed showing Ben how to use binoculars . . .

. . not to mention the landscaper's Bobcat.

more snow

2008-12-22T12:17:00.000-08:00

Did I mention Ben loves the snow?

We used Lily's treats for the snowman's eyes, which explains her apparent fascination.

2008-12-22T11:46:00.000-08:00

It turns out daddy is a master snowman builder. Ben looks to follow in his tracks, and was rather reluctant to come in out of the snow.

Winter Blast

2008-12-22T09:56:00.000-08:00

So, we had a little bit of snow fall--about 8 inches at this point. Unlike other parts of the country that have the equipment to handle this kind of weather, everything here has pretty much shut down. It is gorgeous, though.

Day After Thanksgiving

2008-11-28T12:40:00.000-08:00

Here are a few pics from the day after Thanksgiving.

We haven't quite found the perfect shot for our holiday cards yet, but it's nice to at least have one or two photos of all of us.

Bennett was so excited to have Grandpa Jim visit.

Halloween Costume Spoiler!

2008-10-20T16:06:00.000-07:00

This was a photo I took late last summer but didn't get a chance to download from the camera until just recently. The boys are wearing their Pickathon shirts. Bennett gets a kick whenever he sees something that make us "match" him.

Here Bennett tried on his pirate costume I got off of Craigslist for $8. He wore it at CJ Herndandez's (son of college friends) birthday party. He had a blast at the party and got to feed goats, go on a hay ride and hit a piñata.

Craft Nerd

2008-10-05T14:01:00.000-07:00

Yep, Ben's mama is a craft nerd. Last spring I purchased a gift from etsy.com that was needle felted. It was for a friend's daughter, and it was very cute--a little strawberry "baby" from the Rosemary for Remembrance shop. It seemed like a very cool medium to work with. So, when I earned a little bit of money from an art commission this fall, I spent some of the money to buy some basic felting supplies. The little witch was my third try at this. It was surprisingly easy and more than just a little addictive. She is made out of 100% wool with नो sewing involved. The only thing you really have to watch out for is to not try to needle your fingers.

So these little monsters are not needle felted except for their faces. I have been playing around with making "plushies" for about a year now and often give them away as birthday gifts. I think I really like the look the needle felting gives them. The eyes are buggy, and the 3-Dness of it really adds to their "charming" quality.

Pony Ride!

2008-10-05T13:43:00.000-07:00

Here's Ben and Craig at the Steilacoom Apple Press Festival. As you can see, they had a pony ride. Ben couldn't wait to try it. We went originally because we heard you could press your own apple cider. You could, but it looked like it was going to take more time than Ben had patience for. Conveniently, fresh cider was also available for purchase.

Day at the Lake

2008-07-25T19:29:00.000-07:00

Bennett had a play date with his friend Alex, whose parents have beach rights to a section of Lake Tapps. What's not to like about water and sand and some trucks to move it all around?

Here Ben was seeing what it looked like when he plopped wet sand into the wave.

Getting dirty.

These little guys get so excited to see each other and play. Ben tells me " I make Ben happy." I'm happy to oblige.

Ben's New Friend Arrives!

2008-06-21T19:04:00.000-07:00

So Ben's one of a kind "friend" showed up in the mail today. It was a bit of a wait because it was custom made, but well worth it. We figured that if we were to get Ben a doll, it should be a very special one, and Christina of Bamboletta Dolls (http://bamboletta.com/) certainly delivered. It was just what we envisioned, and Ben absolutely loves him.

More Father's Day . . .

2008-06-18T20:26:00.000-07:00

Father's Day

2008-06-18T14:08:00.000-07:00

So Grandpa Jim came to visit us this Father's Day weekend. We totally lucked out with the weather and took advantage of such a beautiful Sunday by visiting a neighborhood playground.

It's Almost June!

2008-05-23T18:05:00.000-07:00

Ok, so the first shot is just a goofy photo of Ben eating breakfast. Craig was being thoughtful and took some photos of Ben so that I could show him off down at Sara's baby shower.

The 2nd and 3rd shot are closeup cute shots of Ben. We actually took them because, if you look close enough, Ben has a rash and we wanted to document it. We are still not sure what he had a reaction to--the pediatric nurse thinks it's probably a combo of sun and something he's sensitive to. We will have to keep an eye out as summer progresses.

This last shot of Ben needs a little explaining. He very consciously arranged the objects below. He obviously had some preconceived idea of what he wanted to do. Maybe he'll be a sculptor :)

More of the same

2008-04-16T14:21:00.000-07:00

I wish I could send these all at the same time. Here's another shot of Ben and Alex drawing. The 2nd shot was just a cute one of Ben. The last is of "my boys" hanging out on the only sunny warm day we have had so far during this rather bleak and frigid spring

Last week in Ben's Life ...

2008-04-16T14:20:00.000-07:00

First shot is of Ben playing at my art table. He gets a kick at sitting on Momma's tall chair and checking out all the cool, messy supplies.

Second photo is Ben and Alex reading a book together--not the first time they've been caught doing this--Alex came to Ben's daycare for a week and did this there too--Ben was quite sad to see Alex go back to his regular daycare.

The third photo is Alex and Ben playing--pretty self explanatory.

The next shot is Ben showing Alex the ropes of drawing on an easel.

'After' Nap Time

2008-04-03T17:07:00.000-07:00

Yep, so these are photos of Ben after his nap yesterday. He didn't want to go down for a nap, but apparently once asleep, he didn't want to wake up. We tried everything to get him up--finally we turned on the TV--always an attention getter for him. It did the trick :)

More Birthday Photos

2008-03-23T21:58:00.000-07:00

Ben Turns 2!

2008-03-23T21:52:00.000-07:00

Ben's birthday was this last Friday, and we celebrated it on Saturday with a little birthday party. We invited a few friends and let the insanity ensue:) Ben had a blast and seemed to enjoy every minute of it. The first picture is after the tornado of present opening had finally relented. In the second picture, Ben and his friend Alex enjoy playing in a Thomas the Train playhut from Grandma Betty. It was a big hit, as was the kaleidoscope from our friend Matt. Matt also gave Ben a Gumby, which we had to coax Ben to put down when it was time for bed. The last picture is of Ben and his friend Hunter as they eat the birthday cupcakes. I found a cool bundt cake pan in the shape of classic cars. The cake is chocolate beet--a recipe I adapted from one found online. Everyone loved it and didn't seem to mind that it might be good for them.

Lazy Saturday...

2008-03-01T15:18:00.000-08:00

Just a few closeup shots I took today.

Our Trip to Hawaii

2008-02-27T20:49:00.000-08:00

We had a blast in Hawaii. It was sooo wonderful to be in the warm sun and to visit with my parents. Ben couldn't get enough of the pool, which he still calls "bath."

Ben Being Creative

2008-02-16T14:25:00.000-08:00

Leave us a message

2008-01-19T10:04:00.001-08:00

If you are visiting, leave us a message. We'd love to hear from you!

Chalk!

2008-01-16T17:26:00.000-08:00

Chalkcloth rules! I saw some posts about it elsewhere and thought it would be cool to make a portable chalkboard for traveling. Then I got the idea to use it as a "tablecloth" on his activity table. He's enjoying it, to say the least.

Tuckered . . .

2008-01-10T16:42:00.000-08:00

More Fort

2008-01-10T16:40:00.000-08:00

Playing Fort

2008-01-10T16:39:00.000-08:00

Bennett in November

2007-11-17T20:26:00.001-08:00

IMG_4230
Originally uploaded by smschleicher

After a nasty bout of rotavirus, Ben is finally back to normal. :)

Ben and Mom

2007-11-17T14:43:00.000-08:00

More photos from Oct--Halloween etc.

2007-11-04T20:56:00.000-08:00

First Haircut 10/27/07

2007-10-27T16:31:00.000-07:00

At the Pumpkin Patch

2007-10-14T13:13:00.000-07:00

October 13, 2007. Here we are at a local pumkin patch. We thought it would be a small stand, but it turns out to be a huge venue, with a corn maze, pig races and lots of other cool stuff. Unfortunately, we only had about a half an hour to pick out our pumpkins because we needed to head back to Sheryl, Lee, and Alex's place for a pumpkin carving party.

It was a beautiful day to be out. Despite the fact that both Ben and Alex had missed their afternoon naps, they enjoyed themselves, particularly when they got to ride in the wheelbarrow. We are considering going back to check out the animals and other activities.

Ben In His Box

2007-08-17T14:37:00.000-07:00

2007-08-17T12:44:00.000-07:00

Another classic look.

2007-08-17T12:43:00.000-07:00

A little blurry, but the expression was worth keeping.

2007-08-17T12:10:00.000-07:00

I love this shot of Ben. Even though it looks posed, it really wasn't--Ben is now climbing everything. He was looking at me to see if he was going to get into trouble.

2007-08-17T12:06:00.000-07:00

Ben playing in the water at Alex's place.

Radio Flyer Wagon

2007-08-17T11:51:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, we visited Sheryl and Alex, and Alex has a very cool radio flyer wagon. Ben had fun riding around in it, even though the sun was a bit bright.