the schoon's

Happy 2010!

Happy 2010!

Hard to believe that this year marks 3 years we have been in our current home, 3 years that Jeff has been in his new job, 3 years of good things....

We have been making plans for the year... (when am I not planning?)

Our family command center... planning what projects we want to do this winter, things to do, places to go....  already starting to fill it up with ideas.  We did this for summer last year, then again over Christmas break.  The boys are now expecting it and always wanting to add more to the list.

Erik's new interest:

Erik loves making comics.  He started doing this earlier in the school year, when he was learning powerpoint.  Pulling in clipart, writing his stories...  Well, I had this software and figured it was time to install for him to play with.  I haven't even had to show him anything.. he has figured it all on his own and now is thinking of more places and stories to take pictures of for his creations...

365:

Have you heard of this project?  a picture a day...every day... for a year.

I tried last year... I had a good start... but fizzled out mid february.  Sure, I still took pictures often, but I stopped picking that one picture for the day.

This year, I'm trying again. 

I got inspired by all those who made it through the year. 

And... as I'm reminding myself, I always have a camera with me., even if it is a crackberry. (PS. rumor has it verizon will have the iPhone mid-year! so I will too :) )

And... this is helping inspire me and give me ideas of pictures.

Here's what we have so far for week 1 of 2010:

2010 365 Project

Trim in 2010:

Isn't losing weight and getting fit always a resolution?  I've decided I'm not making a new year's resolution.. just continuing with plans already in motion.

This last year I decreased significantly my time at boot camp.  Took a break.  Realized I missed it and have been getting back into it this past fall.  I even signed up to do the bootcamp challenge again this spring like I did 2 years ago.  

Erik has found that he LOVES boot camp too.  He went with me a few times last summer and we have now found him a class that he goes to for kids once a week.  Combined with swimming, fall soccer &tennis, and lots of playing outside, he's enjoying building those muscles.  

Our family fitness plans have been added to our command center tracker:

Erik - Triathlon in april

Jeff & Kari - Mini-marathon (Jeff-running/Kari-walking) again in May

Kari - SLAM BAM - intense bootcamps from Feb through end of May

Kristin - being the crazy 4 yr old that he is...

Crafting and Scrapping

Along with work, volunteering, family life, and fitness plans, still trying to keep up with my family scrapbooking and I have even pulled my sewing machine back out with plans to use it :) Before Christmas I cranked out 3 homemade snuggies, and I have 4 other projects waiting in the wings.  Now when I find that extra time after that, my beading supplies have multiplied and are waiting to be worked with and there are 11 unread books in my Kindle. Oh, and the canvases and painting supplies are waiting in the garage for me as well.

A good start to 2010

Plan, tasks, goals...  everything is lined up to set this year in good motion.  Now, can I keep it up?

Erik - get back to school work!



Love you, MOM

Me on Wizard 101 (it rocks)

If you see someone on Wizard 101 named ********* (edited by mom - contact us if you play and want to add Erik)  that is me. I will usually be in haunted cave battling Lord Nightshade. I am wearing black and white with a funny hat. I wish I had a pic. If you don't  have a account you should get one. ( You seriously need one. The game rocks ) 

My Day at School

FROM ERIK:

My school day was probably just like everyone else's day but only if they had to write a biography and finish their first draft and graphic organizer for it  and had music and is in fifth grade with a awesome teacher. But, when I put it that way my day sounds pretty good.

new author....

Erik discovered at school last week that we had a family blog...

He wants to be a guest author and why not?

So watch for some posts from a 5th grade point of view....

fun times on halloween

Halloween this year was so much fun.  Falling on a Saturday, we had a whole day to find stuff to do.  In the morning, we walked over to the grand opening of the new Harvest Fresh Market & Delicatessen. It is so nice now to have a grocery store in our own neighborhood.   

In the afternoon, we gathered with neighbors and had a pumpkin carving party.  Erik had fun digging out all the goop and Kristian went more refined with his Pirate face. 

Trick or treating started early at 5pm.  We headed out and got a start on that.  We trick or treated with some of Erik’s friends from school.  The boys were all scary creatures and Kristian felt compelled to shoot them whenever possible with his clone trooper gun.  Kristian tired out earlier so we headed home while Jeff and Erik kept on going. 

After trick or treating we all met up at a neighbors house for some good chili, soup, and fun conversation.  Jeff and I even dressed up for the occasion.  Yes, Buzz and Jesse made their appearance that night.  It was so cute that a little 2 year old at the party actually thought Jeff was Buzz. 

This Halloween had to be one of our most fun yet...  Carving pumpkins, watching the boys enjoy trick or treating, and fun times with neighbors that are not just neighbors, but friends too.

 

View Credits here

Another conversation with Kristian....

Last night at dinner, we were chatting ...

Mom:  "Kristian, what did you have for lunch today?"

Kristian: "I had a pretzel, cheese, pineapple and broccoli"

Mom: "You ate broccoli?"

Kristian: "No"

Mom: "Why not?"

Kristan: "Because it is green"

Although he looks like a clone of Jeff, he truly is my kid...

how times change...

....I've been sitting here pondering, thinking how fast time is flying by...

Here it is, October already and my last post on my blog was... well, too long ago.

Facebook has seemed to take over updates and sharing pictures... it has been fun to connect with past and present friends but, I've missed blogging, and keeping track of the stories and events happening in the Schoon house.  Even if no one reads them, I have at least documented and recorded those moments that otherwise may have become forgotten. 

So once again, I'm going to try to remember to write this stuff down.  Erik and Kristian are growing up way too fast.  Kristian turned 4 this summer and Erik just turned 10.  

Kristian has just exploded with his vocabulary and language skills.  He was a slow to start talker, and then one that I knew what he was saying, but not everyone else would.  I'm loving the stories and the continual repeat of those stories that I am getting from him.  I love this year for him, as it is a big year of changes... going from starting pre-school to hopefully being ready to start Kindergarten next summer.  The emotional, physical and social changes that I see in him are more noticeable now.

Erik is in 5th grade, and is looking more like a young man than kid everyday.  Getting taller every day.  I no longer have to bend over to give him a kiss goodbye in the morning... Before I know it I'll be looking up to him.  He and I had so much fun on his birthday.  I took him away in the afternoon to have time just with him.  We headed to the art festival and decided this would be a birthday tradition.  Just Erik and I, having a little hang out time.  I told him that I was having so much fun with him and that I had to get this in now while I could, as there would come a day that he might not want to go out and spend time with just his mom.  He told me how could I think such a thing, he would always want to spend time with me.

And now that is documented...    :)

Erik turns 10 - and requests Lemon Cupcakes and all his family in to visit.

Kristian playing soccer.. or thinking he is playing soccer...

 

Weekend visitors... special friends from the DesignerDigitals team that live within driving distance...

How lucky am I that a hobby I love, has allowed me to meet so many wonderful people.  

hello??????

Ok - I'm still here, are you????

FAMILY UPDATE
Summer is here and we are enjoying it so much so far!

We built a list...

.. and are checking things off and kids aren't getting a chance yet to be bored....

So we are trying our best to keep busy, have fun, remember the things we want to do and then just some hanging out.... and with all the fun we are trying to do, I'm trying to be much better at taking the picture and documenting it :)

Erik finished school a week ago, hard to believe he is now a 5th grader... HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?  And Kristian will be 4 this summer and start Pre-Kindergarten in the fall.

WANT A CANDLE?

There's no hiding it... I love a good scented candle... and these have to be my absolute favorite!  They are starting something new on Friday's this summer and will be giving a candle away each week through their blog...so add them to your RSS reader, become a fan on Facebook or follow them on twitter to find out about their giveaways... it's worth it!  These candles are too good!

and... I'm definitely going to try to be better at this blogging so if you are still out there reading this, leave me a note and let me know you are still out there as well! :)

Kristian comment of the day....

"I need a new tongue!"

Said with a slight lisp, after chewing a cinnamon bomb hard candy at the bank. 

Ok, guess you had to be there... but it had all the bank employees trying to hold back their laughter.