Frederick Family

Grandma Debbie and Randy come to visit

2011-07-06T23:48:00.000-07:00

We had a lot of fun with my ma visiting us. We went to the market, went clamming, hiking, and tired them out... The kids really liked having visitors!!

Visiting Milwaukkee

2011-06-22T07:17:00.000-07:00

We've been having a great visit so far in Milwaukee! We did the Sprecher tour yesterday. Danny and I caught toads yesterday also!!

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Winter 2010/2011

2011-05-02T21:07:00.002-07:00

Botanical Gardens

JANUARY 14, 2011

by lyssafrederick

It was a beautiful “winter” day in Bellevue, WA. -raining and in the mid 40s. We got all set and wandered the gardens.

It was so beautiful when Dorothy visited before Christmas. The gardens had so many lights shaped like flowers, but they were all gone for our visit today.

I love the grafted trees. My favorite is in the pic behind the two kids. You can also see what the kids call “the troll door.”

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Sledding in Washingon

JANUARY 13, 2011

by lyssafrederick

This was Ben and Kylie’s first attempt at sledding in Washington. We had since found a great place to the east of us. They did had fun taking turns pulling each other around.

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Ben Fairy

JANUARY 13, 2011

by lyssafrederick

Ben has been running around as a little fairy. I’m enjoying his crazy running around.

I had a couple of odd periods and decided to scan myself at work. It looked a little abnormal, but didn’t think much of it. The next week I scanned myself again. It looked like I had an abnormal early pregnancy right on top of my IUD. I thought that I might be crazy, so I called Danny and asked him to please pick up a pregnancy test. It came back possitive immediately. This lead to a series of attempts trying to pass my misscarriage with medcation. (cytotec)
I’m ok now. I think the statistics are far off on the accuracy pregnancy rates for IUDs. Once I started sharing what I was going through, many people spoke up about knowing someone, or having the same issue. The rate of pregnancy was listed at .3%. The same as surgical serilization.

Beware the IUD.

Guinea Pig surprise

JANUARY 13, 2011

by lyssafrederick

“The guinea pig puked on me.”-Kylie

Our new “F” wall

JANUARY 13, 2011

by lyssafrederick

I had a great time this morning hanging our Fs.

Change out of you church clothes.

JANUARY 2, 2011

by lyssafrederick

“Why, I look good like this.” -Ian

Washington updates

DECEMBER 30, 2010

by lyssafrederick

So, to try to catch up on our way to sledding….
I moved to Washington to stay with Sandy in July to work at Overlake hospital and start our families move west. Kylie joined me in August. Then we moved into our new home to rent in Bellevue. The boys all drove out in late August to get ready for the school year, but Danny only stayed one week before returning to Minnesota to stay with Matt and Brittany Manning, friends we met at church. Danny stayed with them, continuing to work, through October. We were apart for four months, with the exception of a few mini vacations.
One wonderful vacation was a trip for me back to Minnesota to go canoeing on the St. Croix river. My flight was inexpensive, about $320, because my connection was in Phoenix. We stayed in a cute little cabin. Danny and I both loved it, and have had fun trying to plan a home after it’s simplicity.
Our canoe trip was very peaceful, down river for about an hour or so. The sun was wonderful. We brought snacks and drifted.
…

Sledding

DECEMBER 30, 2010

by lyssafrederick

I hope we’re not going to the rockey mountains…because they are not soft. They are made out of rocks.
-Ian on going sledding today.

I love playing in the kitchen

NOVEMBER 16, 2010

by lyssafrederick

Today was rolls, donuts, and shrimp sushi rolls. I’m so glad to be home playing

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Rhino

2011-05-02T21:06:00.002-07:00

OCTOBER 3, 2010

by lyssafrederick

Here he is. Ian’s little baby. He likes baths and being brushed.

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Aug 2010

2011-05-02T21:05:00.000-07:00

Couch

AUGUST 28, 2010

by lyssafrederick

You should of heard all the noise when I tipped over the couch!
New Message
Too funny!

Text updates

AUGUST 13, 2010

by lyssafrederick

I sent Stephanie this pic, and this was the reply:
What a cutie! i showed ben the pic and he smiles and says “thats kylie” then he says “i want to give her a kiss”

I’m just glad Ben misses her.

I also got this message:
Tad talking about muscles “ian gots a little bit of a hump. I dont have my hump yet. I need to eat some more meat.”

Bus

AUGUST 13, 2010

by lyssafrederick

We are discovering how easy it is to take the bus to and from grandma’s and our house. Kylie’s free, and I have a bus pass from work. Great solution for no car. Yeah bus 281.

Pet Shop

AUGUST 10, 2010

by lyssafrederick

Ian and Tad were playing petshop with the stuffed animals and Ben wanted to play too so they let him come in the fort they had made for all the animals and Ben walks over to this puppy and looks at it so intensely and says after 3o seconds of silence “look Stephnie the puppys really dead”.

…from Stephanie, our wonderful nanny

2011-05-02T21:03:00.000-07:00

Visiting
JULY 30, 2010
by lyssafrederick
Don and Sandy are with us…on the way to 98lbs Buffet. We spent time at como zoo. We’re looking forward to seeing more of our family tomorrow.

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Visiting
JULY 30, 2010
by lyssafrederick
Don and Sandy are with us…on the way to 98lbs Buffet. We spent time at como zoo. We’re looking forward to seeing more of our family tomorrow.

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Legos in Chicago
JULY 19, 2010
by lyssafrederick
Well we are here and having a great time. We watched a short movie and learned how bricks are made. Now the boys are building cars and eating pizza. We have about two more hours here. That should be enough.
Kylie is visiting with grandma.

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2010 07 19 10 58 06

Seattle update
JULY 14, 2010
by lyssafrederick
Time is passing so strangely. I want my family close, but that just doesn’t seem possible. I don’t know how to get Danny and the kids here. We need to get a job for Danny, and there just aren’t any around. I’m not sure how long this is gonna take. How long is too long?? What would happen when we hit that point? Would danny and the kids come anyway? Would I be forced to return to Minnesota? I’m sure that Danny is the most qualified applicant for a pediatric echo job in the area…but what about no jobs. Should we hook him up with a traveling recruiter so he could travel to peds jobs? That doesn’t sound too bad. Yes we’d miss him, but he’d only do that until he was able to find something in the area, and it would be great for him I think…

More little momma

JULY 14, 2010

by lyssafrederick

Kylie was pregnant with “t-rexa” early this morning, she then announced she had her baby and has been carrying it around EVERYWHERE since then! We are at
the park she pushed it on the swing, down the slide and gave it a piggy back ride on the way over here. She fed it changed its imaginary diaper and has asked me to “babysit” for a minute while she went to the bathroom! It is so funny and cute!

Posted by Stephanie Reik

June 2010

2011-05-02T21:00:00.002-07:00

Go Danny Go!!!!!

JUNE 29, 2010

by lyssafrederick

I love this finishing picture of this race. Skater verses bike racer. This race was about a 75yrd sprint for the finish!! Danny won by a wheel. Awesome!!

Private

JUNE 26, 2010

by lyssafrederick

So we’ve been working on controlling the nudity in our home. We all got back from the pool and were stripping down in various places. I’m in my bath room and hear Kylie in the hall. “Ben’s got a little penis, Dad’s got a big one.”
I yell for Danny to get dressed. Then Ian rushes in our bedroom. I do the best to cover myself. Danny kicks him out. As Ian’s leaving he says “I’d shave that thing.” Yep…talking about my “mom fur” Ha

I was out tonight saying bye to my friends from church. We had lots of laughs, and food at Chilli’s. Lots of fun!

Kylie and Lincoln

JUNE 24, 2010

by lyssafrederick

Here is a message I got from our nanny today.

Lincoln told kylie he liked her dress. Then Kylie paused and asked him “will you marry me? for pretend? And you can go to the bank and get more money, LOTS of money and then we can get married and have flowers and kiss!” it was hilarious!

Our move to Seattle

JUNE 22, 2010

by lyssafrederick

As a family we’ve lived in Milwaukee, the twin cities, and now we are headed to Seattle.
I found a great job in Bellevue that will allow me to work (I really enjoy my career) and stay home with the kids during the day. (Saving us about two thousand dollars a month) It will be new to have family near by to help out, to have over for dinner, and spend lots of time with. Kylie will be great with five girl cousins. I am a little in shock about how quickly this is all happening. I leave already next Thursday. I’m not feeling ready yet.

Kylie’s playmate

JUNE 19, 2010

by lyssafrederick

Kylie’s little buddy is moving away today. Her family is moving to Plymouth, MN. Bye Bye Eshda Roy.

Chores

JUNE 18, 2010

by lyssafrederick

We are really excited about our chore project. I have been working on this for a while. We will send more updates on how it is going soon. We have mason jars that the kids have decorated to keep track of their progress. Today is our first day.

Chore Lists.doc

Updates

JUNE 15, 2010

by lyssafrederick

Here are a few more pictures from Baxter, Mn. We had tried to fish, but had no luck.
Tonight we had the missionaries over for dinner. We ate up our salmon and had chocolate cake for desert with whipped cream and blue berries. Ben got really dirty. The missionaries taught a cute lesson on the holy ghost using water in a bowl and pepper as sin, a dish soap covered finger as being protected by the spirit. The kids liked it.

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Ian’s BD

JUNE 13, 2010

by lyssafrederick

Ian had requested a dirt cake for his birthday. It was served in a sand pail with gummy worms in it. He got many Legos and was very happy. He decided to use some of his birthday money for a new hair do, anf product to keep it spiky.

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Tad’s BD

JUNE 6, 2010

by lyssafrederick

Tad loved everything lego for his birthday. We later went on a walk down the street. It is a beautiful day.

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Tad’s cake request results

JUNE 5, 2010

by lyssafrederick

I make my kid’s birthday cakes per their request, and we eat it for breakfast on their big day.

Tad requested: chocolate cake, white frosting, Darth Vader(who couldn’t be found anywhere, so Hans Solo and storm troopers filled in) also pink jelly beans, gummy worms and gummy bears.

It’s a strange cake. The troopers attacked the gummy bears….see the injured bears Thanks for the tip Dad.

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May 31 2010

2011-05-02T20:58:00.002-07:00

Our additional trip expence

MAY 31, 2010

by lyssafrederick

So Danny looked to the left and saw the biker cop, then he waved. He knew we were gonna be pulled over after he looked down at the speedometer….opps. The officer was very nice and laughed about Danny’s facial expression and wave. We got the least expensive ticket. Yea!! The kids weren’t phased…movie watching. You can see the officer in the back.

May 29 2010

2011-05-02T20:57:00.004-07:00

Stonefire Pizza

MAY 29, 2010

by lyssafrederick

We had lots of fun playing tonight with aunt Jessie and Poppy Grandma.
I loved watching Kylie help Ben get up the staggered ladder to the big boy slide.
I’m just glad everyone had just enough patients for me to do the Big Game shooter game…..I love that game

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May 22 2010

2011-05-02T20:57:00.001-07:00

A normal Saturday

MAY 22, 2010

by lyssafrederick

We have been having lunch or dinner at Baja Sol. Kids eat for 99c and we love it!
Tad looked cute with his hat today, so Danny joined him in his look.
We almost alway take a nice walk at Central Park. The kids did lots of tree climbing, and spent lots time watching the goose families.

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May 18 2010

2011-05-02T20:56:00.002-07:00

Bye bye stink foot.

MAY 18, 2010

by lyssafrederick

I can clean my foot again! It was really gross to have so much dry skin collected under there… It was hard work to look back to norm.

I thought there was going to be a guard on the blade. There wasn’t one. It was a very strange feeling getting it removed.

I will be wearing a boot for the next six weeks. My doctor said it is fine to take it off at home, but to baby my foot until the end of June. Sounds OK to me. I can’t wait to sleep tonight! I’ve had a hard time the last month.

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May 16 2010

2011-05-02T20:55:00.002-07:00

Sunday stroll

MAY 16, 2010

by lyssafrederick

The weather was beautiful this morning. We took a family walk around the pond at Central Park. We spotted 22 turtles, fish, frogs, and many goose families. One family had 25 gosslings. We wondered if this was the same family that had 21 at the park last year._yeiks.
When the kids walked onto the pier there was a loud splash. I thought that someone fell in, but no. It was something large, but we didn’t see it. We have seen large snapping turtles…this was our best bet.
It was a wonderful morning.

May 15 2010. cont

2011-05-02T20:54:00.002-07:00

Crystal Cave

MAY 15, 2010

by lyssafrederick

It was a great day at crystal cave in Wisconsin. We did the hour tour at 48°F, seven stories below the surface. We saw fossils, bats, crystals, and glowing rocks. Ben got pretty tired, so Danny had an extra workout. We all had a great time.

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Go Wednesday Summer Inline Series

MAY 15, 2010

by lyssafrederick

Everyone had to try on the winner’s jerseys. Looks great!!

Sharks

MAY 15, 2010

by lyssafrederick

We go to the mall of america quite a bit to visit the shark aquarium. Here they are with the aquarium mascot "Sharky"

Avatar

MAY 15, 2010

by lyssafrederick

The kids wanted to paint their faces like avatar warriors. Danny had a great time prepping them.

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May 15 2010

2011-05-02T20:30:00.000-07:00

Catch up spring 2010

MAY 15, 2010

by lyssafrederick

Here are some pictures of what we’ve been up to this spring.

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Family workouts

MAY 15, 2010

by lyssafrederick

The kids love going to our gym with Danny. Kylie may need to bulk up a little.

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My first broken bone

MAY 15, 2010

by lyssafrederick

I broke my foot about a month ago while throwing the football around with Danny. I went for the ball and tripped on some bags in the driveway. It’s feeling better, but sleeping and showering have been a challenge.

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Holy Ian

MAY 15, 2010

by lyssafrederick

We love how Ian looks with his missing teeth.

Easter 2010

MAY 15, 2010

by lyssafrederick

We spent Easter at grandmas house. The kids loved finding all the candy filled eggs and hidden baskets. Grandma had help with the shamtort.

The end of this blog

2010-05-19T09:06:00.000-07:00

Hello all. We have moved our blog. This blog has not been working properly. Our new blog is at: http://www.onefootingtheloonybin.wordpress.com/

Shower

2010-04-01T05:46:00.001-07:00

Tad was is the shower last night. All of a sudden I noticed that it was starting to smell like a farm. So, as I pulled back the curtain I see Tad trying to squish his poo down the drain. AAHHHH! I guess he got a little too relaxed. He was quite embarrassed.

Watch your cholesterol

2010-03-25T15:08:00.001-07:00

Kylie got back from her doctor's check up. We aren't sure how this is even possible for a girl that weighs 30 lbs, but her cholesterol is a whopping 214. Her doctor asked her to go back for more testing after fasting. Darn genetics :).

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

My chef

2010-03-22T17:49:00.000-07:00

Ian is a great help in the kitchen. This was his first time doing cresants solo.

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Haircut

2010-03-22T17:40:00.001-07:00

Sweet Ben let me cut his hair yesterday. I love it. It's amazing how much he and Ian look alike at this age.

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Bowling

2010-03-20T17:58:00.000-07:00

Ben won at bumper bowling today with a score of 91. Everyone had a great time. We then went to eat mexican food.

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

2010-03-19T18:31:00.001-07:00

"I wanna cut off all my hair and make a wig for Dad." -Tad

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

2010-03-19T16:18:00.001-07:00

"I like car washes....and birthdays."-Kylie

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

2010-03-18T18:17:00.000-07:00

Danny found some cute masks at a rummage sale. They're having a great time.

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

St Patrick's day

2010-03-17T15:36:00.000-07:00

Kylie was told to pick green clothes today. So as you can see her pants and shirt are green, but you can't see her green undies. Nice job Ky!

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Beautiful spring

2010-03-17T15:19:00.000-07:00

It has been a beautiful few days. I'm so excited about the possibility of spring. I can't wait for the green grass, but for now the warn fresh air is perfect.
These are some pictures of the kids in the back yard. Ian and Kylie were trying to get one more sledding run on the hill.

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Quarter

2010-03-16T16:11:00.000-07:00

Kylie is on her way to the emergency room for swallowing a quarter. I don't know how that is physically possible for her. She weighs 30lbs. She said that it was in her mouth, then it went down. She's wimpering and says that her throat hurts. Her story changed when we were interigating her about it, and she said that she spit it out. But when I asked where it was, she didn't know. So to the ER for Kylie.- I'll continue to look for a quarter.

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Family tree

2010-03-16T13:16:00.001-07:00

I love this picture. This was taken last summner while visiting with "Poppy Grandma"

2010-03-14T09:58:00.001-07:00

This is Dork. He was one of Ian's science fair projects last month. His hair is now mostly dead. Ian really enyoyed making him.

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

2010-03-14T08:08:00.000-07:00

"Daddy, I like your lines (forehead wrinkles), they're so symetrical."- Ian

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

#2

2010-03-06T17:04:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure how many of you know about Tad's strange bathroom habits. This all started, I think, last summer. Tad has a little ritual when going #2. He takes a long time and talks and sings to himself. He takes off all his clothes and squats with his feet on the toilet seat. I wonder how this all goes down when he's at school... For now we really enjoy it, and so does our nanny. I love the updates she gives me during the day about his bathroom talk.-ha

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Daddy daughter dance

2010-03-06T08:29:00.000-08:00

Danny took Ky to a dance last night. There were princesses, and they made finger food for their Dads. Danny said there were about forty little girls all dressed up for the party.
After they went out for rootbeer and did some winter camping in the back yard. Danny had to come in with Ky a little after five because he had to use the rest room. Ky kept asking about when they would be able to go back to the fort.

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Holy Ian

2010-03-06T07:15:00.000-08:00

After Danny attempted to yank out Ian's tooth two times, I used my master mommy skills and tied it on right. Danny did the yanking, and all was well. Ian is so happy. He did a little dance. There was no crying. Yeah Ian!!!

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Chores

2010-03-01T20:15:00.000-08:00

This is what happens when Kylie's chore is bathroom sinks. She cleared absolutely everything. -he is so cute....or as Danny likes to say "She's a keeper."

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

2010-03-01T18:45:00.001-08:00

Here's goofy Ben with Danny's hockey gloves.

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

2010-02-23T19:51:00.000-08:00

Kylie drew her first stick person yesterday while getting ready for St Patty's day.

Today Kylie ran out of the bathroom yelling that the pee water was coming to get her. The toilet had over flowed. Our maintenance man had to come over with a wet vac. Even though the water was turned off ASAP. AAHHH look out for the pee water!

Lately Ky has stated in a very matter of fact manner..."I know where the hole in my privates is." She isn't looking for a response. I think she's proud. -yeiks....

Ben is working on potty training. I let everyone know that we would have a big celebration when we no longer need diapers. Ben has a star chart in the bathroom, his helpers will be rewarded.

Ian has been having a hard time with losing his front left tooth. He really wants it to fall out. It's just not happening fast enough for him. Poor guy. We also had an Orthodontist consult for Ian today. We had found out last month that Ian was missing a set of adult molars on his bottom jaw. The ortho thought that he may need to pull a few baby teeth to help Ian's adult teeth have more room.

Tad had a late night at the bar. It was his time to play hockey with Danny helping his team, then head out for rootbeer...and watch hockey on TV. They go to Grumpy's on Snelling and CR C. -not far from home.

-- Sent from my Palm Prē

Tad and Danny

2010-01-31T07:43:00.001-08:00

Here is Danny and Tad after a practice. Tad's still in his gear. His little ears were so red after a couple of times flying around the oval.

-- Sent from my Palm Prē

Hair

2010-01-31T07:38:00.001-08:00

I curled my hair yesterday and asked Kylie if she'd let me play with her hair. I was so glad the she let me. I'm sure I had most fun...

-- Sent from my Palm Prē

Races

2010-01-31T07:33:00.001-08:00

Danny set a national record yesterday in the 1500 meter pack style race for his age group. The national competition was here in Roseville. Go Danny!

-- Sent from my Palm Prē

Little girls

2010-01-31T06:56:00.001-08:00

This morning Kylie put her little foot by my face and told me to smell it, then said, "smells like watermellon and butterflies, right"-ha

-- Sent from my Palm Prē

Winter

2010-01-30T08:59:00.001-08:00

"Mom, how do we clean the snow?" Kylie

-- Sent from my Palm Prē

Pretty pretty Princess

2009-12-07T19:09:00.000-08:00

Kylie got this game as a gift from Stephanie. Here she is playing with Ian and Tad. Ian was the first winner. "Isn't she lovely...isn't she wonderful...."

Tad the rocker

2009-11-04T07:45:00.001-08:00

"If I was in a band I'd have a mohock and play the guitar, and sing, and wear one those pokey things that's like a leash." (studded coller)- said as doing air guitar to "Summer of '69" in the van.

Halloween Party

2009-10-28T19:01:00.000-07:00

The kids had a Halloween party to go to at our townhome office. They were so happy watching the magician. Kylie and Tad helped with the show. It was so fun watching their faces!!
Kylie is Sleeping Beauty. Ian is Optimus Prime. Tad is Bumble Bee, and Ben is a knight. Ben thought that he had some extra powers with his suit on and went around running into us for a while.

Waterslide accident

2009-10-27T07:52:00.001-07:00

Danny had an accident when shooting out of a water slide. His feet were dragged behind him. It was really gross, but has gotten much better.

Death of a Beanie

2009-10-18T18:21:00.000-07:00

This was one of Tad's favorite Beanie Babies. "Baby Juaguar" It had been missing for some time. Tad and Kylie resently found it in the front yard under a bush. It looked like it was near a bunny's home. The beanie has little nibble holes all over it. It's guts were pulled out in places and little beads are falling out. I'm not sure if I really want to attempt saving this one.

Acorn planing in St. Paul

2009-10-18T18:13:00.000-07:00

We had a very busy day volunteering some of our time to help a state park in the area. Ian, Kylie, Ben and I went out to help plant acorns and prarie grasses. It could have been warmer, and a little dryer...but Ben lasted over an hour. By the time we were done he had wiped his drippy nose with his muddy little fingers a few times. It wasn't pretty. Ian did great on his own. We shared a bucket of acorns, but we all had our own trowels. Ben didn't use his, but didn't want anyone to touch it. Kylie needed help finding soft ground to dig, but would do the work on her own. I would dig for Ben. He would go get the acorns from the bucket, place it in the hole, then jump on it. It was a fun time.

battle for the republic

2009-10-13T19:51:00.000-07:00

There has been a lot of Lego action in our home. I am just so glad that they are getting put away. I was really starting to hate them...stepping on them, picking them up, grounding playing with them, listening to the sharing problems and Ben's destructive actions. Yeah...they still aren't my favorite thing. The boys do make some fun ships. They were planning a battle. It's funny to see what Danny can make in one evening.

Pumpkins!

2009-10-13T19:29:00.002-07:00

We had fun with pumpkins this past week. Ben just kept moving his guts back and forth between the pumpkin and his bowl. Danny helped Ian with the starwars pumpkin. Tad designed his own "triangle" face, and Kylie made a little smile. I had some fun of my own with the tooth pick pumpkin.

National Eagle Center

2009-10-06T19:18:00.000-07:00

The kids had off of school, and I was feeling adventurous. We drove down to the National Eagle Center to enjoy our day. There were about six disabled eagles to see. Ian also spotted a bald eagle about twenty feet in front of him as we left the center. It was diving for lunch in the river, but was unsuccessful. The drive there was beautiful.

Tad's Hockey Practice

2009-10-06T12:40:00.000-07:00

Tad spent a lot of time on his bottom, but always got up. Wait, he did stay down a couple of times to pretend to make snow angels. After the hour long practice was over, he asked to go out again.

Beautiful Fall

2009-10-03T21:16:00.002-07:00

Tad wanted to go on a hike where we had seen a snake earlier in the year while biking. This is about a mile and a half up the road from where we live. Earlier in the day we talked about all the things that we should keep in out hiking backpack. Tad wore it the whole hike. There unfortunately was some arguing over the binoculars.I love the strange fungus that looks like a carnation. We've never seen one like this before.

Duluth Marathon

2009-09-24T18:52:00.000-07:00

We were in Duluth this past weekend with Don. We had a great time, and the weather was wonderful. We stayed at a hotel with a waterpark. Kylie loved being in "the toilet". (bottom pic) The pool pushes the water in a constant circle. She spent a lot of time here.

Hockey Time

2009-09-24T18:46:00.000-07:00

We have the boys signed up for hockey this year!!! We are so excited! I couldn't believe how affordable it was in Roseville. It ended up being $30 for each boy-lots of ice time, and free new gear to use for the season.-Wow! We love Roseville. I will soon be a hockey mom.

More bugs

2009-09-02T06:23:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple bugs we was at the fair. Please let us know if you know the strange one...He was dead. A volunteer for the DNR was curious to know what it was also.

Grandma's dresser

2009-09-01T16:17:00.000-07:00

I finished painting the dresser that is now Kylie's. She picked the colors.

Crazy slide

2009-08-31T14:24:00.000-07:00

Here are the kids having fun at the park by the skating oval.

Another day at the Como Zoo

2009-08-29T17:55:00.001-07:00

We thought that we would try to avoid some crowds by going to the zoo on a rainy day. Too bad the rain stopped shortly before our arrival. We saw three very healthy groundhogs on the way to the zoo. As usual we spent our time in the butterfly tent. I really like the green ones. Here are a couple that we saw.

City bird

2009-08-29T17:51:00.001-07:00

We saw this tom turkey on the way home from play group Thursday. It was in the median. I wonder where he lives?? The kids got a kick out of it.

Danny's fall

2009-08-29T16:25:00.001-07:00

Danny raced Thursday night at the velodrome doing track racing. I watched him for the first two races with the kids, but when it got too late we decided to leave. Danny still had two races to go. What a night it must have been. One guy we saw fall while we were there. Danny ended up falling on his last race, but still finished second. Four more guys fell near the end of the same race, someone worse that Danny. He got home at 10:45. We started removing splinters at 11:15 and finished at midnight. There were over twenty. One was very large, and required the majority of our time.

Central park

2009-08-27T14:44:00.001-07:00

Tad was busy today at his fish class at the nature center. The rest os us went on a walk in the rain. We only say one toad and four ducks, but playing in the water fountain was the most enjoyed.

Andrew Zimmerman look out...

2009-08-27T14:43:00.002-07:00

I wanted us to remember how well Ian does at trying new foods. This is a picture of Ian eating hand rolled sushi at one of our favorite resturants in the area. 98 Pounds. Ian has no problem taking on octopus, muscles, crawfish, sushi...or anything else you'd like to pass his way. It makes going out a little more fun. Thank you Ian.

Saint Michaels,MN

2009-08-27T14:41:00.001-07:00

This past Saturday was full of excitement for our family. We started our day early in St. Michaels for a half marathon inline race. Danny finished in third place, leading the pack.

Next we tried to get some things done around the house. We worked on the garage and cleaned carpets. Then we finished our day at Tony's river house. The river was cold, but we all went in. Kylie is enjoying floating and swimming with her snoopy life vest on.

Joint hyper mobility syndrome

2009-08-25T20:11:00.002-07:00

This is one of the many extreme abilities that our kids have. Tad's joints are the most lax. It's pretty gross. There are other traits that our kids have that label them with this syndrome, but this will not limit them in their lives. We just need to really watch out for our joints.

So, I guess we can always fall back on being a circus family....ha

Como Zoo

2009-08-14T15:52:00.000-07:00

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Alyssa Frederick <lyssa.frederick@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, Aug 11, 2009 at 4:41 PM
Subject: Como Zoo
To: lyssa.frederick.blue54@blogspot.com

The kids decided that the best part of the zoo this morning was going through the butterfly house. It was very full of butterflies-much more than last year. We had never seen the butterfly with the green. One landed on my pants for a short visit.

toads

2009-08-13T12:56:00.000-07:00

What a day filled with animals. We were exploring at the oval when we found five baby toads stuck in a hole. They were pretty skinny, so Ian relocated then near the pond a short walk away. We are finishing up our day at the park. The kids like to throw the little rocks down the slide as they go. They seem to shoot down much faster.

The big bug...

2009-08-13T12:53:00.000-07:00

This is the bug that we found on our front walk. I was able to find it on the computer.

YUCK

Scientific name: Lethocerus americanus
Common name: Giant Water Bug

October's "creature" is the amazing Giant Water Bug! This bug is the biggest bug in Minnesota -- a full 2-inches long and about 1-inch wide.

This creature is in the insect order known as Hemiptera, or the "true" bugs. The family is Belostomatidae, which consists of bugs commonly known as Giant Water Bugs (not beetles). The species in the genus Lethocerus, as this one is, are our largest belostomatids. So, the Giant Water Bug is as large an insect as you will find in the United States.

Giant Water Bugs are common in ponds and lakes, and less common in rivers. The tend to hang out in the vegetation on the fringes of lakes and wetlands. It is in the vegetation that they look and wait for potential prey.

These bugs frequently leave the water and fly about -- you'll often find them in parking lots around large lights. When people see these bugs they think they're seeing huge cockroaches or beetles. But cockroaches and beetles don't get this big and aren't common around lights.

This particular creature is a predator. It eats small fish, tadpoles, snails, insects and other invertebrates (creatures that don't have a backbone). They feed by catching organisms with their large, powerful, front legs, followed by injecting the prey with a toxin to immobilize and/or kill it. Then they suck the juices out of whatever it is. They are not scavengers -- they like fresh meat.

Giant Water Bugs serve an important role as being the top invertebrate predator, especially in wetlands that don't have fish to control insect populations. Much like lions, tigers and humans, Giant Water Bugs are at the top of their food chain and keep populations of smaller invertebrate from exploding and taking over.

These bugs swim very fast, so you probably won't ever see one in the water. But if you happen to get a hold of a live one, either by catching it in a net or finding one that has left the water and is on land, be VERY CAREFUL to keep your fingers away from its piercing mouth part or "beak" as it can inflict a very painful bite. It's mouth is actually not so much a "beak" as it is a sort of syringe -- like a mosquito, but larger and nastier.

Class: Insecta
Order: Hemiptera
Family: Belostomatidae
Genus: Lethocerus
Species: americanus

squirrel

2009-08-10T12:55:00.001-07:00

We just saw two cute white squirrels on the way home from Lauren's house. We spent two hours catching fish with bread and nets at the beach. The kids mush have caught about 8 fish.

Frog find

2009-08-10T12:53:00.001-07:00

Tad and Ian were really excited to find this little green frog outside the YMCA this morning. It was on the window. They took it across the parking lot to safety.

The berries are gone

2009-08-09T19:23:00.001-07:00

We've had fun picking berries in our backyard. The kids were pretty upset that they were no longer there.

The summer is going by so quickly. We spent this last weekend in Hayward, Wisconsin. Danny raced the thirty mile inline race and finished third. It was a fun race for us to watch. Danny went by a few times, but there was enough of a gap between laps to run in the hotel and enjoy more of the continental breakfast. Danny's award was a metal skater attached to a brick. He is happy to have it.

Seattle 3

2009-06-28T19:05:00.000-07:00

A view from off the Washington interstate.

Kylie was so excited that Grandma's gear was pink...with princesses.

Here is Nana and Ben. Our families oldest and youngest. 94 and 1.

Seattle 2

2009-06-28T17:35:00.000-07:00

Ian has a crayon that was interesting.

Seattle Trip -Drive

2009-06-28T17:15:00.001-07:00

The kid's and I took a drive to Seattle to spend some time with Paddy Grandma(Sandy, Danny's mom) and Nana. I was worried about being alone, but ended up having a good time. I would do it again, and am excited to plan trips with the kids in the future. It was three day's worth of driving. Day one to Dickenson, ND/ day two to Missoula, MT/ and on the thir
d day we arrived to Seattle at dinner time.

This was a beautiful flower that was at a rest stop in Montana.

Every rest stop required wiggle time.

This was in Montana. I liked how smooth the rocks looked.

The prairie dogs were very friendly. I think they were begging. They seemed to be the most curious about Kylie. This was at a rest stop in western Montana.

Freckles

2009-05-20T20:03:00.002-07:00

We realized today that Ben has four new freckles on his little face. Ian was excited to share something in common with him.

Our first Hot day

2009-05-20T12:52:00.000-07:00

Yesterday got up to 89 degrees. So, on went the AC. We were out playing in the sprinklers eating watermelon. We didin't have much luck with our giant squid kite. The wind was too gusty. Today we had no power for about an hour and a half. The wind knocked over a tree, taking down a transformer.

Tad's big day!!

2009-05-20T12:44:00.002-07:00

Tad can ride his two wheeler now!! He has been riding it since last year without any pedals. (Ian learned this way also.) We put the pedals on Monday, and away he went.

Ben's bath time

2009-05-17T20:55:00.002-07:00

Ben is the craziest water bug that we've had. He wants to be in the water all of the time. This ranges from needing to keep his hand in the bubbler to wanting to walk into the lake while we're trying to fish. He's very entertaining.

This week's wildlife

2009-05-17T20:52:00.001-07:00

We spent some time at our near by park "Central park" this week. The kids did feed some of the ducks and geese. Then the parents got a little too close. We also found a large dead snapping turtle. Ian got really upset by it and almost started to cry. We had to talk about how it might have died.--Maybe it was just an old turtle.-He was OK.
We see many water birds in the area. When we were on a walk last Monday Ben was dive bombed by a red-winged blackbird. He can now recognize the bird and knows it's call. It's pretty funny. He'll put his hand on his head and look very sad, then he says "owie". It's been almost a week since the incident, and he did it again today.

This is a fat groundhog. I love their little faces!!

Big things

2009-05-10T21:14:00.000-07:00

We are starting to take some family pictures next to significant odd large things!!! Here are some that we ran into in Wisconsin Black River Crossing. I like the large orange moose.

May updates

2009-05-10T21:11:00.000-07:00

This beautiful rainbow was in out to enjoy!

The kid's went to Tad's school for pizza and a fire safety night, complete with truck and firefighters.

Ben really likes babies. He takes care of the baby dolls and often fights with Kylie over who gets to play with them.

This was taken shorly after Danny returned home from work.

Charitable act

2009-05-10T21:04:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of our dinner outting to Olive Garden. (Thank you aunt Jessie and Ken) Our kids do realy well going out most of the time. This past month we stopped at a chinese resturant for dinner. The kids were doing a really good job. Danny stayed behind to pay the check. When he joined us out at the van he looked quite stunned. When he was at the counter he was told that he didn't have to pay. Soomeone else had paid our bill and said that our children were very well behaved. What a great day!! I hope that we can return a somewhat random favor in the future. The kids were really excited that something good came out of just being good!

Ian's first grade concert

2009-05-10T20:54:00.001-07:00

The first picture is Ian with his teacher Mrs. Frye. The second is a moment after the concert was over. We all went out for ice cream after. It may not look like Ian had a good time, but he did.

Spring is here!!

2009-05-10T20:51:00.000-07:00

This was at our little park near our home. It has finally been nice enough to pack away the winter jackets, and it feels soooooo good. Spring is a really exciting time for me. I love seening everyone come out of their winter dungeons to come out and enjoy the beautiful nature around. We have seen swans, and mustrats around. I've also seen the fattest ground hog I have ever seen...I can't wait to enjoy more of the season.
Ian has finished his fencing lessons. He ended up favoring the saber (the slashing weapon) He looked really cute with his gear on. I'm glad that he had a good time. Ian is currently taking lacross lessons at the YMCA.
Tad and Kylie are taking soccer classes. Kylie likes her pink shoes from paddy gramma. There is a lot of chasing after the ball in the gym-Now that the weather is nicer, they'll be able to play outside on the field.
Ben is in a gymnastics class with me. He likes rolling like a log across the floor, and jumping. He can now do forward rolls on his own down a ramp.

Easter visit

2009-05-10T20:39:00.000-07:00

These are pictures from our Easter visit at Grandma Ebert's house. We woke up to find eggs filled with little treasures around the house. They quickly found the eggs that I thought that I had hid so well.-Oh well, I guess I thought I was better...We always have a great time at Grandma's house.

Worm Hunters

2009-04-30T07:43:00.000-07:00

As Kylie was getting ready for the day, I asked her if she wanted to join Tad outside collecting worms for fishing. She was stll in her PJs and said "I can't go outside nude. I'd look like a worm standing up....with nipples." Everyone had fun collecting. Ben enjoyed the puddles, and Tad liked going after the fast ones. Kylie liked being the worm spotter for Tad and carried the bucket.

Bath Crayons

2009-04-04T19:43:00.002-07:00

This is what happened after I gave the kids the bath crayons. The first thing that happened was the happy Tad behind :) They had fun. Thank you Gramma Cheryl :)

March pics

2009-04-01T21:34:00.000-07:00

Kylie and Cheryl on our visit.

Ian shortly before his tooth was removed.

Kylie and Bailey

March 2009 pics

2009-04-01T21:24:00.001-07:00

We were out on a hike at the near by nature center.

Ian and Tad in the snow pushed off our parking area.

Playing at the science museum

Silly Kylie on our hike

Entry

2009-03-31T08:36:00.001-07:00

Ian is adjusting wonderfully in school. We've already met with his teacher for conferences. I was worried about where he would compare with his reading level. He is fine. -Even if he was being evaluated for the end of the year assessment; he is reading at an appropriate pace.

Ian lost his first tooth two weeks ago. I thought it was pretty gross. He let Danny pull it out, yuck!! Ian has another loose tooth. More grossness to come.

Kylie and Tad are enjoying tumbling class at the YMCA. They work on the balance beam, and floor. They have a very active class of 3-5 year-olds. Ian is taking more swimming lessons. We've also signed him up for a sword play class for 6-8 year-olds through the school district. (fencing introduction)

Ben and Kylie were both being treated for chest/sinus infections. Ben's infection also spread to his eye. Everyone is doing much better.

Danny raced in the Minneapolis metrodome inline marathon last Saturday. His team finished second. This is the second time Danny has done the race. It's one of the few races that is fun for us to watch. Danny goes around the inside of the dome...I think 75ish times.

We learned that Danny's grandma Nanna Frederick passed away in her sleep Sunday night. She lived in Pennesylvania. We had the chance to visit with her when Kylie was first born. She was a spunky landy. I really enjoyed her. The only other time that I got to meet with her was at our wedding reception.

Deep thoughts

2009-03-01T20:42:00.003-08:00

I was in the car with the kids today when Tad started reflecting. He said that it was like Jesus was playing wii. We were all "the little guys". He makes us play in the snow. (I'm guessing that he was referring to His control over our environment. He really made me smile. It seemed deep for a four year old.

Ian's new school

2009-02-27T07:22:00.002-08:00

Ian is looking forward to meeting his new class at ED Williams Elementary School in Roseville on Monday. This is the email I included to his new teacher. I'm very excited for Ian!!

Hello Mrs. Frye,

My name is Alyssa Frederick. Ian will be joining your class on Monday, so I wanted to share a little about him. Our family moved to Roseville from Wauwatosa, WI in July for my husband's work. Ian had been in full time kindergarten in Wisconsin. At that time I was working full time. Given our situation we thought it would be best to teach Ian at home for this school year. This was because 1.We really weren't sure if it was going to be a long term move, 2. Ian had some emotional growth to work on. He wasn't showing much empathy towards others, and was often a follower-even when being bullied by others. I was very glad to be able to give Ian the extra dose of mothering that he needed. He has grown. But, school time has progressively become something that he now dreads doing with me. He feels bad about the groans he shares with me and realizes the need for homeschooling to stop. We don't have any hard feelings towards each other. Ian is excited for the change. He wants to meet the kids in his class, have gym, recess, and play.

Here are some concerns that Danny and I have:

I have been working on a kindergarten phonics and language arts classes in the Minnesota Virtual Academy. I felt that this was below Ian's level and am concerned about his ability to "catch up" to the first grade level. He is now started to be surprised at his ability to read, but I'm unsure how this compares to your other students.

He really hasn't enjoyed writing much. We do sit him down for writing time...but this is a little painful for him. He commonly reverses the letters N, J, and Z.

Ian really likes history and science, but math was more challenging for teaching. We needed to make it interesting to keep his attention.

I was excited to be able to go through the school tonight. (We have a four year old looking forward to kindergarten next year.) I also was able to meet with Mrs. Smith, who let us look at your room. Ian is excited to join your class. We look forward to meeting you.

Alyssa Frederick

Snow pics

2009-02-22T20:34:00.000-08:00

Water Fun

2009-02-22T20:32:00.000-08:00

Fun at the Bemidji hotel pool:)

Go IAN

2009-02-22T20:31:00.000-08:00

Ian after his race.

This is how Ian dressed for his race

Go IAN!!!

Frederick Family

Grandma Debbie and Randy come to visit

Visiting Milwaukkee

Winter 2010/2011

Rhino

Aug 2010

June 2010

May 31 2010

May 29 2010

May 22 2010

May 18 2010

May 16 2010

May 15 2010. cont

May 15 2010

The end of this blog

Shower

Watch your cholesterol

My chef

Haircut

Bowling

St Patrick's day

Beautiful spring

Quarter

Family tree

#2

Daddy daughter dance

Holy Ian

Chores

Tad and Danny

Hair

Races

Little girls

Winter

Pretty pretty Princess

Tad the rocker

Halloween Party

Waterslide accident

Death of a Beanie

Acorn planing in St. Paul

battle for the republic

Pumpkins!

National Eagle Center

Tad's Hockey Practice

Beautiful Fall

Duluth Marathon

Hockey Time

More bugs

Grandma's dresser

Crazy slide

Another day at the Como Zoo

City bird

Danny's fall

Central park

Andrew Zimmerman look out...

Saint Michaels,MN

Joint hyper mobility syndrome

Como Zoo

toads

The big bug...

Scientific name: Lethocerus americanusCommon name: Giant Water Bug

squirrel

Frog find

The berries are gone

Seattle 3

Seattle 2

Seattle Trip -Drive

Freckles

Our first Hot day

Tad's big day!!

Ben's bath time

This week's wildlife

Big things

May updates

Charitable act

Ian's first grade concert

Spring is here!!

Easter visit

Worm Hunters

Bath Crayons

March pics

Scientific name: Lethocerus americanus
Common name: Giant Water Bug