Wednesday, January 30, 2008

All aboard the potty train!


Potties!
Originally uploaded by davemayp
Okay guys - I am looking for any advice you can offer on potty-training - P Day is this Saturday in the Vogler house! I've loaded up little containers of fun doo-dads like car magazines and toy cell phones and . . . well, you get the point . . . for the boys' enjoyment while they sit on their potties. I've got the prize bin of stickers ready for the big reward when "It" finally happens. Any tips you can spare? Thanks!

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Long time no blog


I had to pick between Noah's serious face and the giggly one, and I guess giggly won out. He finally sat still long enough for me to get a few shots in yesterday. It doesn't happen very often. Noah is walking; perhaps I should say running. His feet only go in fast-forward, even though the rest of his body has a hard time keeping up.

Not too much is going on here in Buffalo. It's cold. We've had snow. Neither is a surprise. I'm already getting anxious for spring to come.

Noah and I started to go to a music class a few weeks ago. I was expecting a hippie with a guitar, but it was one of these fancy "method classes". I occasionally want to gag, but there are kids, and music, and the teacher is really cool about letting the smallest kids wonder a bit, so it's all good. Noah really likes it. I've been surprised at how quickly he's caught on to the order of things, and how much he participates. It's good to get out a bit.

The big news here is that I've picked up a small freelance job, my first in years. I was almost scared to take it, which really proved that I had to say yes and get my confidence back. I'll be working in InDesign for the first time, and while I'm not thrilled about learning new software on a job, I also think it's the best way to learn new software. It should be a fairly uncomplicated project, and I already know how to do everything I need to do. I just worry (as always) about setting up the file without printing problems. I should be fine. I hope it goes well.

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Blackberry Grunties

On the Food Network, Alton Brown hosts a great program called Good Eats. Well, last night I happened to catch an episode all about cobblers. In particular, I fell in love with a recipe for blackberry grunt. It's essentially stewed blackberries cooked with dumplings.

Well, I made it less than 24 hours later, and it's delicious. Thought I'd share the recipe.

Blackberry Grunt

Enjoy!

Matt
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Friday, January 11, 2008

Oh My!

Ok here is one thing you hope your child never does in Kindergarten. Especially at a Christian school. Everyday after school we parents let the kids run around outside to "blow some steam off". Well yesterday one of the girls came up to a mom, said something and then the mom took off. She came back with her daughter saying, "I know you did it your shoes are wet." I'm thinking to myself what? She must have run through some of the flower beds or something. She then looks at us and said, "My daughter just peed over there in the flowers." I smirked (I could do this of course because it wasn't my kid doing it). So I though all had blown over until I get an email from their teacher asking me if I had seen or heard anything about this girl dropping trousers and peeing on the school grounds. Ugh! I explained to hear that yes, I had heard it happened. But I also heard the little girl say, "but daddy does it in the woods." Oh my!

Tuesday, January 08, 2008

Tinsley doings and brave deeds

Hey there! The Tinsleys are still alive! We have only slowed down a tad bit since Christmas/ Wedding/ Etc. It is nice to be back to the school schedule. Mom and Fath are here till Thursday. They fly back that night, on their way to Russia until who knows when. We're all trying to get things settled for the next six months at least. In a couple of weeks they will be attending a "winter camp" that will be cold cold cold. Their apartment over there has very warm radiators so they are cozy enough inside but Russian camps are very primitive. Please pray the toilets are working!

Naty is doing well. His projects for East Light are done for a while so he has a little breather. Maybe he'll be able to talk to his college buddies some night! Anna is doing wonderful, daring new things. She walked backwards down a ramp today, loves walking in deep snow, is trying to walk down stairs by herself (yikes!) and is getting up from the floor by herself. She is very proud! Jane did a daring new thing today- used a public toilet for the first time! That's quite a triumph for my timid little girl.

Ok. One more thing, a Jane Austen Update. PBS is showing all new productions of all her works starting Sunday, January 13th on Masterpiece Theater. The first is Persuasion. Also, the movie Becoming Jane comes out on DVD in February I believe. It is worth seeing.

I miss you guys. Thanks for writing and keeping in touch!

Saturday, January 05, 2008

Have you ever...?

Have you guys ever watched the movie A Night at the Museum? It is HILARIOUS. I'd have to say it's a family favorite. If you haven't seen it it's a must rent this weekend.

Hope all is well. Caleb heads back to school on Monday and Emily to preschool on Tues. I'm looking forward to it. I always thought I'd dread winter vacation, but over all it went really well. Towards the end the kids fought more, but I enjoyed not having to run back and forth to both of their schools. But I am looking forward to getting back into our routine, but not getting up so early. :) I am not a morning person and getting up so early stinks.

Well hope all is well. Go out and rent that movie, you'll enjoy it.

jenn