let the festivities begin

We finally have a tree and Genevieve is so excited about helping with the decorations.
It's a little late this year due to final exams, but now we are relaxing a bit next to a roaring fire and sipping our hot chocolate....

December

It's December.
Things are very busy in the Tascian house this season as you can see from our lack of posting.
Better photos can be seen on facebook and abcgarden.blogspot.com which are updated more frequently.
Vahe is finishing his business degree.
Jennifer is now in school working on Psychology, Art, Anthropology, and English Literature studies.
Apple Blossom Preschool is an early childhood program that we run in our home with 9 children now enrolled.
Jerrod is a senior in highschool, taking college classes, piano lessons, sword fighting, playing in A Bedtime Story band and plays locally once a week.
Jackson is in 6th grade, getting all A's, playing basketball, drawing, and writing eloquent speeches.
Luke is in 3rd grade, playing basketball, and dissecting all kinds of creatures in preparation for his surgical work in the future.
Genevieve is 2 and loves to go to the park with daddy and anywhere that anybody is going away from this crazy house.
Lots of love and peace to all

OUR BEANS ARE GROWING!

Our beans are growing. She helps water them every morning.
First Shakespeare play at Jordan Valley Park. Water play, picnic, then Much Ado About Nothing.
Discovers bugs. Sings Shoo Fly Don't Bother Me.
Get together for b-b-que at Per, Stephanie, and Elias's house....wonderful time.
Wearing hair in ponytail...for longer stretches.
Says "Nobody", "Mamy" for Amy, "Mommy", knows all her favorite book titles and asks for them by name, insists on saying goodnight to the moon outside every night before bed, and enjoying summer nights in the backyard around the bonfire, listening to crickets, watching fireflies with all the boys...and mommy.
My best friend....

May flowers.....and feet

Genevieve was excited about all the flowers in the garden today and walked along her favorite paths. She brings a magical sense of wonder to all our daily pursuits and discoveries.

Confused as to the whereabouts of daddy's beard, she has been touching his chin and thinking.

Her words for the boys are:

oo (Luke)

aa (Jackson)

aw (Jerrod)



Other words this week are:

Kitty Cat

More soup please

granola bar

birdie
baw baw(for dog - sounds like barking)

swing
num-nums

thankyou ma-ma
thankyou da - da

oh my cup fell

More art from Luke

It's spring break and the boys are busily writing stories, making puppets, sketching new flowers in the yard, building forts, and creating endless art.
Luke wanted to put these up today.
Cleaning out the garage for our soon-to-be preschool playroom/art studio/secret loft hideaway....

Happy Spring

Spring is here.
Genevieve is excited about all the new blooms. She wants to smell everything.
She asks for a "Mee - mee" when it's time to go to sleep. It's her word for blanket.
Luke's history banquet was Friday night where he portrayed Hannibal the Conqueror...it was his first speech and he was great. We especially liked the ending when he drank his suicidal poison and fell down dead on the stage. Dinner was complete with barley soup, Greek salad, bread, figs, cheese and grapes.
Peaceful weekend filled with gardening plans....

WEEKEND IN ST. LOUIS

Great weekend in St. Louis.
Zoo, Missouri Botanical Gardens, City Museum, & picnic by the arch.
Boys were especially amazed by the city museum....best place to play.
Genevieve became quite attached to the elephants and penguins at the zoo.

Thankyou for the cookies Big YaYa

Despite the drastic daily changes in the weather here, we strive to be outside every day. T-shirts one day, coats, mittens, and beanies the next...
Genevieve enjoyed cookies sent from Big YaYa in San Francisco, playing with her friends, going with Jerrod in the mornings to take daddy to work, talking to DADA on the phone, singing with the birds, laughing at all the squirrels scampering through the yard, riding in the wagon, and wearing hair clips...sometimes. Mostly she just pulls them out and says "Oww".
She has especially shown an interest in taking baths, wearing shoes, brushing her teeth, playing with bubbles, and helping us cook in the kitchen. Pouring and stirring are her strong points.
This weekend was quietly busy. Errands on Saturday, books and coffee at Barnes & Noble, garage cleaning, and outside play with many picnics and drawing in sketch books....she has one of her own now like the big boys. 20 more days until St. Louis to visit the zoo, botanical garden, and city museum.

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

Thankyou Vahe for a perfect day.
Heart shaped pancakes with chocolate covered strawberries, Valentine's, reading our favorite stories about love & kindness, football in the backyard with the boys, Springfield Symphony Orchestra, and sushi at Ocean Zen...

First Friday Art Walk

Her first First Friday Art Walk was a success. Genevieve's favorite gallery was Randy Bacon's photography where she pointed and talked intently about the interesting subjects. Jerrod played drums in the Jordan Valley Jazz Band at the Creamery Arts Center where Jackson and Luke admired the paintings, ate too many heart shaped cookies, and were inspired to start working harder on their own ideas. Saturday included time for a self portrait (Luke) and Jackson's own interpretation of a Starry Night with oils on canvas.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Watching the Moon, Jupiter, and Venus line up for the best light show just after sunset.
She likes wearing everyone's shoes, reading The Children of the Forest, eating curry rice and raisins, and playing Jerrod's drums.