Tag Archives: Grandma

Spooktacular 2018

October 27, 2018 shreffler

After pa’s retirement breakfast, the kids are over the moon with their balloons

Exploring the terrain outside of the Joslyn

Desmond’s portraits lean more abstract than purely technical

These digital art easels are really engaging, especially with the virtual viscosity of the paint, where you can manipulate and smudge around globs of paint

More “stop(ped working)” than “stop motion,” mom takes a single snapshot

Magnetic doll activity Ella seemed to enjoy (and spark a Christmas gift idea- though a magnetic woman with various career uniforms)

Des saw some train tracks and got to work straight away

The many expressions of Eleanor- all attitude and silly goose

Got to position the new cat friend just right…

Ok, perfect

About sums it up- Des and mom look at the video installation, Ella goofing around towards brother

Stop #2 at family friend Bill Hoover’s gallery open house. These two do a surprisingly good job of avoiding touching any work, though snacks help

Des modeling all the Halloween rings from yesterday’s grab bag

Slime!

Heading to the zoo in costume for Spooktacular has been a fun family tradition, ever since Des’ first trip to the zoo.

Not sure why Des posed with the whistle, was he going for “here dinosaur, dinosaur!?”

The cousin squad in full regalia

Snuggling with grandma

Unlike her brother’s trepidation at this age of all non-human characters, Eleanor was all about the new faces. Also clearly long past her issues with stranger danger, she has absolutely no problem giving a stormtrooper a high-five

Negotiating holding a hand, holding her bucket and having a spare hand to grab candy was an ongoing challenge

The key to Spooktacular is to go right on time and start with the trick-or-treating

Of course you’ve got to stop for the various entertainment along the way (drum line)

Ella was also enamored by large costumes, like this high school mascot

Buckets full of candy, it’s time to enjoy the zoo in reverse- the desert basement is lit and the jungle is dark.

Up close and personal with one of the bats

Des nervously checks his gear after entering a massive bubble pit

Dinosaur Scientist at the Disco

Des and Cal fraternizing with the dark side of force

Eleanor has apparently been sufficiently immersed in Star Wars recently that she felt so compelled as to run up to Darth Vader and give him a hug. For weeks following, she would tell anyone that would listen, “I hug Darth Vader!”

And then there was this for months to come-

Dad: “So what did you dream about last night, Eleanor?”

Eleanor: “I dream about Darth Vader!”

Mom and dad are only mildly worried, though think now she’s playing everyone for the response 🙂

October 21st, 2018

October 21, 2018 shreffler

Not sure what to make of ma and pa’s skeleton decoration

Building the birthday Millennium Falcon

Piloted by the coolest Chewbacca minifig ever

Go strap yourself in, Des is going to make the jump to light speed

Eleanor proudly showing off her artwork

Poke bowls!

May Des’ Fourth Be With You

October 14, 2018 shreffler

What was certain to be a good omen, Desmond starts his birthday party day with the season’s first snowfall. On a trip with dad to nab folding chairs, Des also gets a special birthday hot chocolate

All warm

A young Jedi recreating a scene in Star Wars

Eleanor is in a phase where any material, regardless of how small, is either spread out as a blanket to lay on or cover something that is “going sleepy”

Ella is as surprised as everyone else that the snow is sticking and begins to accumulate

What dad thought would be just a nice background (while Beatles played on the speakers) ended up being an early focal point of the birthday party

Getting pigtails with aunt Megan, who is significantly more skilled than mom and dad

Snack picnic

When originally prompted for birthday theme ideas, Des, almost without thinking, replied “Star Wars and Rainbows.” Safe to say, mom and dad’s baker friend nailed it. Mom took to the next level with action figures.

Ella and pa negotiating terms for sharing chips

One can only assume he’s wishing to watch Empire Strikes Back. Or for real-life dinosaurs…

Ella showing off her fork skills for great-grandma Jan

Action figures rivaling cake and ice cream for attention

When you’re so cute, everyone offers you a bite of cake

Desmond solicits help from Liam reading cards

Making the rounds

Mom demonstrating how the R2-D2 candy dispenser works

Hug pile with ma

And the party inevitably ends in some sort of balloon-oriented mayhem

(Mom gets award for best birthday installation)

September 8th, 2018

September 8, 2018 shreffler

The boys scheming after a reasonably restful sleepover

Puzzle time- Calvin was awfully proud of completing the barn puzzle himself

Eleanor, puzzle master

Clearly ignoring brother’s antics

Picking up campaign signs for some excellent women candidates, Eleanor fearlessly tries the scooter

Morning trip to the library, to color (of course)

Des signs his coloring before posting to the wall

No stairs too big for her ambitions

New library card holder

Dad spends the afternoon practicing indoor flash photography before the restaurant’s soft opening. The result? A new series, Indoor Llamas:

Amidst all the new faces, Eleanor beelines for grandma

Grandpa reads to Des and Julian in the kids corner

Yummy indeed

Uncle Mike brings out the inaugural dinner order

The kids point to what they want first (hummus)

A brief moment before the food is inhaled

Sitting in the “east wing”

Congratulations Aunt Kellie and Uncle Mike on a successful soft opening of Oasis Falafel of Omaha

Labor Day 2018

September 3, 2018 shreffler

Running off some excess energy on a rainy Labor Day morning

Let’s all sit on the couch!

Cal: “Yeah, I know- I got this.”

Duck: “Is our pumpkin on top of the stump, Goose?”
Goose: “No!”

Eleanor’s first “head of the table” honors

August 12th, 2018

August 12, 2018 shreffler

On Sunday’s, we eat quiche (or occasionally at Culprit anyway)

Beautiful morning for a trip to the zoo

Ten minutes. These two watched those two, without moving much, for ten minutes. Dad just kinda waited to see how it played out

Mom successfully wooed a budgie and Ella was enthralled

Walking in water is tricky, best to hold a hand

The zoo gang.

SPLASH PARK!

Eleanor was a bit timid around the water spouts, but quickly acclimated to running through it all

Slapping sprayed water, as you do

The family that shucks corn together…

Going through the car wash with the buddy system

The world’s longest game of “Shoots and Ladders”

Fourth of July 2018

July 4, 2018 shreffler

The Field Club neighborhood has a reputation for a great Independence Day parade and it did not disappoint

Friends with the Omaha Jitterbugs performed as well

Special post-nap ice cream field trip

The sugar appears to be setting in…

Aunt Kellie identifying aloud each object Eleanor points to in 100 First Words, a household favorite (apparently)

Thinking something profound, or just recalling what was on the moss-covered log down by the pond (a little green frog)?

Dance party with grandma

Eleanor displaying her trademark persistence trying to get the snaps to “snap”

Celebrating with a few low-noise, mostly ground-dwellng fireworks, Des holds his first “sparkler” at a safe and cautious distance

Ok, a few parachutes went up

A bit more arm motion with his sophomore effort

His curiosity grew however as the evening wore on

With both children in bed, clearly up later than recent memory, the urban warfare across midtown came to an abrupt finale as the perfectly-timed rainstorm fell. A summer miracle.