HOUSE OF SEVEN

Seven more days

2010-07-30T20:43:00.000-07:00

Seven more days until the little girl is 3.
"I am having a blue birthday with cupcakes and chocolate ice cream!"

vagina denial

2010-07-25T20:58:00.000-07:00

Genevieve: "Mommy, I don't have a vagina. I have a penis"
Me: "Actually you have a vagina, Genevieve, because you are a girl"
G: "No I not, I'm a boy"

I am now determined to elevate the girl factor around here and show Genevieve just how fun it is to be one.....

Happy Mama, Girl with braids

2010-07-19T10:59:00.000-07:00

Happy Mama is she whose little girl lets her hair be

Happy Saturday

2010-03-06T07:27:00.000-08:00

Saturdays are Genevieve's favorite day!!
We get to snuggle in bed and read books and play together.
Today is sunny and warm so Luke, Jennifer, and Genevieve will head out to the nature center for a picnic, hike, and birdwatching.
Jerrod is working today and playing drums for Realife 6.8 tomorrow.
Next week he is modeling for Greystone Graphics.
Daddy is away in California visiting family and Jackson is in the wild woods somewhere.....at youth camp.
Spring break has arrived for Jennifer...no classes for the next week!!
We hope to visit the monastery in Ava, find some new trails, and stay in the treehouse cabins by Eureka Springs.
Spring is coming and garden plans are in the making as well.

December 09 and January 10

2010-02-01T18:47:00.000-08:00

Here are some photos taken in the last two months.

Snow

2010-01-30T20:40:00.000-08:00

We are shoveling lots of snow here this weekend and the children are having snowball fights, sledding, and making snowmen. School semester has started and the joys of running a preschool, household, work, and homework keep us thoroughly occupied. Everyone is doing well, staying healthy, and reading lots of great books. Upcoming plans include starting a garden, painting the inside of our house, basketball games, visiting Mark Twain's hometown, Springfield Little Theater, History Speech Banquets, and a trip to New York.
Peaceful, warm blessings to all our family and friends.

let the festivities begin

2009-12-20T15:16:00.001-08:00

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

2009-12-01T16:24:00.000-08:00

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!

2009-06-12T17:20:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-07T20:01:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-27T12:39:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-23T15:25:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-18T21:11:00.000-07:00

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

2009-02-22T19:28:00.000-08:00

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!

2009-02-16T19:16:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-07T17:01:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-02T21:32:00.000-08:00

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.

STARS

2008-12-27T20:43:00.000-08:00

I stood beside a hill
Smooth with new laid snow
A single star looked out
From the cold evening glow
There was no other creature
That saw what I could see
I stood and watched the evening star
As long as it watched me

Sara Teasdale

Enjoyed the warm temperatures today while they lasted. We played in the grass, pulled the wagon, and ran around in the rain. Watched the first stars, drank ginger tea with honey, and snuggled in bed for stories and poems while chilly drops iced the windows.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

2008-12-26T12:35:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to all our family and friends!
Participating in the candlelight service at Wesley United Methodist church was followed by dinner at Celito Lindo's. Genevieve watched intently as hundreds of candles glowed across the sanctuary and spent most of the time looking at her books, clapping with the carols, and eventually being led out by daddy to play in the lobby. She enthusiastically dipped her tortilla chips into the salsa and ate lots of spanish rice.
The smaller boys were up by 6 a.m. Christmas morning after sleeping in the living room by the tree waiting as long as they could for Santa to arrive. Another year goes by without catching him though.
Big breakfast, Christmas stories, poems, songs, gifts, preparing dinner, outside walks, more stories, more sleeping, playing games, dinner, dessert, phone calls, egg nog, sparkling cider, hot chocolate, sweet potato casserole leftovers, special treats for Luna, big fire in the fireplace, and very affectionate goodnights. Everyone was happy.
Genevieve is quite excited now about clothing and plays among all the hung up dresses, skirts, and shoes in her closet and in stores.
She says daddy, mommy, kitty cat, gaw (for dog), diapers, please, more, baby, and knows sign language for please, more, thankyou, all done, eat, drink, milk, baby, dog, cat, elephant (her favorite), monkey, apple, banana, hurt, duck, bird, mommy, daddy, bath, and I love you.

LITTLE BIRDIE

2008-11-15T22:21:00.000-08:00

Our little birdie wanted to fly, however, her angel wouldn't let her go and helped her land safely on the ground. We are again reminded of the miracle this little life holds.
Her new words lately are "MOM" as she hears her big brothers calling me throughout the house, "Da Da", "Na na", "Waw" as she brings her hand to her mouth for water. She dances whenever music is played. Her favorite tunes these days are Latin Lullabies and she loves to play peek-a-boo, pat-a-cake, and read books about animals with Eric Carle and Elsa Beskow being her current picks.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

2008-10-10T21:51:00.000-07:00

Luke is now EIGHT and mommy is officially one year older today!!
We have had spectacular birthday celebrations, hikes in the woods, and a full week of tree house building in the backyard. Thankyou to Sierra's daddy, Shane, for helping to start our backyard dreams....

NEW KITTEN

2008-09-27T15:46:00.000-07:00

We have a new kitten named Luna.
She has a very sweet personality and tolerates Genevieve following after her and picking her up constantly. Seeming to enjoy company, Luna is always curling up to sit next to all of us whenever we have small moments to relax. Our days have been quite full lately, but very fun with a house full of little ones and never ending adventures.
Jerrod had a surprise birthday party last weekend at Busiek Creek State Park which was a success. Rock skipping contests, guitar playing, singing, delicious cake, bonfires, smores, and stargazing.
Luke will be eight on Monday which is also St. George and the Dragon day according to the ancient festival of Michaelmas. This explains a lot about Luke's attraction to wild stories, battles, and living life on the edge. It's always fun to bring in these elements to Luke's special day.

Goodbye hugs

2008-07-30T16:40:00.000-07:00

Luke and Ian

2008-07-30T16:38:00.000-07:00

I'm ready

2008-07-30T16:37:00.000-07:00

Cousins

2008-07-30T16:36:00.000-07:00

Walkies

2008-07-30T16:33:00.000-07:00

Pilaf, Jackson, Luke and Ian

2008-07-30T16:31:00.000-07:00

Genevieve, Cousin Ian and Big Yaya

2008-07-30T16:28:00.000-07:00

BLACKBIRD

2008-07-07T08:00:00.000-07:00

Daddy sings to his little bird over the phone and she is quite entertained.
Genevieve quickly crawls over to Jerrod whenever he sits down to play his guitar. She pats his guitar, shakes her one leg, and bounces up and down. Music is very important to her and she is practicing for something lately as she squeals, sings, and screams.
Thursday afternoon she spoke her first words "Hi Guy". We have witnesses. Just ask Asher, Aubrey, and Sarah Dillon. They were here and we all laughed with amazement.

Haircuts

2008-07-05T17:09:00.000-07:00

Today was haircut day for the boys. Promises to be cheerful lasted only until the cutting was complete and then it was scowls, weeping, and tantrums from two out of the three whose identities will remain covered for now.

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY FROM GENEVIEVE

2008-07-04T23:00:00.000-07:00

Today she got lots of attention from everyone. Riding in the red wagon brought many gleeful cheers of excitement. We had a neighborhood walk and then went to the fireworks show. Genevieve was in awe and then fell asleep with Rick Cordoza. I think he is getting attached to her...
The boys played football, cheered at the sky, and ran all over the grass with their friends until midnight.

SMOOTHIES, DANCING, AND MUSTACHES

2008-06-28T12:01:00.000-07:00

Relaxing after a hard day's work of lessons and childcare with delicious homemade smoothies, Jackson and Luke decided to imitate Genevieve's mustache with a bit of extra craziness added.

We had grilled chicken, salmon, asparagus, and rice for dinner tonight, thanks to Jerrod's cooking expertise, and little Genevieve seemed to especially enjoy the salmon and rice.

Contra dancing is one of our favorite activities and we finally found a group that gathers once a month for dinner and dancing. The boys were at it until 11 p.m. with many of their friends. Katelyn told Luke that she was going to marry him when she grows up, but Luke had to ruin her plans by responding that he was never going to get married.
Genevieve was captivated by Rick Cordoza's mustache and spent much of her time patting everyone's back while being held.

DISCOVERY MUSEUM, CHICKENS, FIRST SCRAPES

2008-06-25T22:33:00.000-07:00

Genevieve seemed to enjoy the Discovery Museum in new ways today. Jackson and Luke showed her all the best spots to play and she spent the most time in the various culture spaces, Japan being her favorite. She cleared the table and reset all the dishes and food in a more appropriate way.
While playing outside at home, she had her first real injury that involved a miscalculated move off the deck step, face first into a rock pile, and a real bloody scrape on the chin. Not happy about this, she was quickly distracted by checking on the chickens and hearing them cluck.

FIRST DAY OF SUMMER

2008-06-22T20:53:00.000-07:00

This past week brought some tearful goodbyes, bear crawling, camping, fireflies, thunderstorms, crickets, visits to art museum, library story time, and a beautiful summer solstice celebration.
Today we spent the afternoon with great grandma Botts. She is 86. Happy Birthday Grandma!
Genevieve is now patting my back when I hold her, saying "gung gung gung gung", grabbing and pulling hair (very forcefully)...especially Luke's, eating sweet potatoes, butternut squash, avocado, mango, raisins, oatmeal, smoothies, bananas, lentils, rice, broccoli, carrots, red bell peppers, and more, and she likes to walk around the room holding on to chairs, benches, tables, and anything else available. Looking like a little bear cub, she crawls around on her hands and feet with her rear end up in the air. It is a joy to watch.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY

2008-06-15T16:31:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day daddy!!
We didn't quite know what to do with our day without Vahe around.
Having a picnic in honor of Dad and talking about all the great things that make him special gave the boys some important qualities for which to be thankful.
"Thanks for the stories you read to us in the perfect voices, the comics you send to us, and for remembering to call and see how we are doing every day.
We love you!"

CELEBRATING TEN MONTHS

2008-06-13T22:29:00.000-07:00

Big thunderstorms today kept us in the house until about 4 when the little people ran out as fast as they could. Jackson pulled the stroller up to the front door for his sister when we realized it was covered in b-b-que ashes from a thrilling swordfight that took place in the garage....I didn't really want to know any more. It was quickly brushed off and we were on our way to the park where we found big floodwaters half way up some tree trunks and waist high on the boys...yes they had to get in to fully experience the event.
Genevieve gleefully cheered her support and then had her first swing time. She enjoyed it and clapped her hands and clicked her tongue.
Her amazing trick of the week was remembering the "one two, buckle my shoe" song we sing while playing with the abacus. I began singing the song without the abacus in my hands and she looked around the room, found it on the bookshelf, crawled over to it, pulled it off the shelf and brought it back to me. Quite impressive. What else can we teach her to do with a song? We are on a mission to find out.

warm days, cozy spaces, and outdoor adventures

2008-05-24T15:53:00.000-07:00

We hung a hammock between two giant trees in the backyard and it has proven to be a wise investment. Spending hours out there, the boys love to lounge around, swing, and read stories cuddled together in this warm, green spot.
Genevieve likes to fall asleep here with me while we gaze up at the trees, sky, and birds flying over our heads.
Thunderstorms this morning changed our hiking plans and we spent the afternoon at the Springfield Discovery Museum.
Tomorrow we will head to church and then the Finley River.
58 more days until we see daddy again....

SINGING WITH THE BIRDS

2008-04-27T19:49:00.000-07:00

Singing with the birds, Genevieve has been chirping and squealing these last three days. Perhaps it has something to do with her new standing achievement. She enjoys crawling around on the grass, watching the robins, cardinals, and squirrels play in the yard, listening to the wind chimes on the front porch, and eating avocados.....one of mama's favorites. Nothing but happy, content, and amazed at life, the princess continues to be God's most passionate kiss upon my soul.

Her name is Genevieve

2007-12-28T20:41:00.000-08:00

Our baby daughter finally has a name.