Isaac's 2013 Interview

At eleven years old, Isaac still had enthusiasm for his annual birthday interview. I think because he's thoughtful and loves history and biography so he understands the value. He managed not to cringe or blink in too many of his portraits, too. Love this kid so much!!!

Favorite season: Spring, because of the leaves, flowers, and nice weather.
Favorite foods: A crisp, ripe apple, watermelon, juicy steak and ice cream.
New foods tried this year: Panda Express. Asparagus.
Least favorite food: Asparagus.
Favorite thing to do: Play soccer - all/any form. Read.
Least fave to do: Get bit by mosquitoes. Listen to Charlie throw a screaming tantrum.

What do you do best?: Pass the ball in soccer. Read. And I have good handwriting. [He does!]
Favorite book(s) from past year: The Harry Potter series.
Learned this year: How to ride a bike! Also, that an electron is both a particle and a wave. That chemistry and physics are complicated and interesting. I read about Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. this past year and now I look up to them for how brave and peaceful they were.

Favorite place to be: In good company.
Happiest memory of the year: I have more than one! The Lake Powell trip, going to the Sounders game with Dad, and Charlie coming home from the hospital.
Biggest change in the past year: I'm taller. My religious beliefs.

Favorite song: Radioactive by Imagine Dragons
Favorite movie (new to you this year): Despicable Me 2
Favorite show: Phineas & Ferb, and Crash Course: History on youtube.
Favorite thing about our family: We tend to agree on most things. We're close.

What words best describe you?: Athletic. Quiet. Smart.
What do you want to do "when you grow up"?: A soccer player, scientist, historian, or pilot.
If you had one wish, what would it be?: That we could move to a place with more soccer, more homeschoolers, basically more friends for me.

Celebrating Isaac's Birthday

It's kind of nice having a birthday that always falls near Labor Day. Makes it easier to find time to get together with his favorite people (cousins) at his favorite place (Grandma & Grandpa's) for swimming, games, etc. He asked me to make a strawberry shortcake style birthday cake, so I did a fluffy white cake with whipped cream & strawberries on top, with a (natural) strawberry syrup to go with after slicing.

 

Uncle Spencer was still in town, too!

My soccer loving, bookworm son received mostly soccer related items, including books (as well as a couple gift cards).

We also went to Baskin &Robbin's for his free birthday scoop. (Sign up on their website if you want to get a coupon on your birthday.)

Samuel's 2013 Interview

Samuel is a somewhat intense kid and hard to get to sit still for a nice chat unless it's his own idea. He didn't mind being interviewed but there was a lot of debate (all on his part) whether or not it should be video-taped. He has really gotten into home videos the past year, discovering there is so much more to YouTube than just Khan academy. Eventually he decided that because we don't have great editing software nor a good microphone to pick up sound, we'd have an old-fashioned pencil & paper recording of his thoughts concluding his year being eight.

Favorite food(s): All candy/treats. Otherwise, pizza.
New food tried this year: Asparagus
Least favorite food: Asparagus or brocolli
Favorite show(s): Various YouTube channels about video games or watching people play video games, and also Vsauce [science]
Favorite movie: The Croods
Favorite thing to do: Watch YouTube videos like the BFDI series, play on the iPod, especially Simpson's Tapped Out, and play Super Smash Brothers Brawl [got for his birthday] on the Wii.
Least favorite thing to do: Wear shoes, especially ones that lace. [I was surprised he didn't add, "brush my teeth" but I am proud of him no cavities in the past two check-ups.]

What you do best?: Talk. [Hmmm. He does like to rant and makes speeches to the air, but he is also quick with numbers, for the record.]
Words that describe you well: Lazy. Crazy.
Favorite season: Summer, because of all the playing with cousins.
Favorite song: Tik Tok [by Ke$ha!?! It plays in the background of an older Wii game, I guess.]
Best book read in the past year: Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Patterson
Biggest change this year: My religion; not going to church anymore.
Happiest memory from the past twelve months: Going to the Great Wolf Lodge
Favorite place to be/go: It's a tough choice between home and the Great Wolf Lodge!

Favorite thing about our family: That we unschool.
What's something new you learned this year: How to download and play Minecraft, a little bit of programming, and how to make my own videos.
What you want to be when you grow up?: I have no idea.
One wish for the coming year: To have my own Nintendo 3DS

True to his goal, Samuel is trying to do more chores and be more academic in his choices to prove that he could handle his own personal gaming device. He fascinates me with the things he learns all on his own and delights me with his desire to show me. He also frustrates us when he doesn't want to go along with our plans or the family's schedule, but he is maturing every month and is a real softy when it comes to David and any baby or young child - adorable doting occurs.

Samuel's 9th Birthday

One of Mark's sisters was thinking ahead and helped plan a combined birthday party with Grandma, who's birthday is the day before Samuel's. So we all got together at the grandparents' home for cousin fun, swimming, presents, etc.

Sam loves the babies. This is cousin Lily he was cooing at.

Friday he opened presents from just that side of the family. Some candy, games, a telescope, great ideas. He opened the presents from us and my side of the extended family first thing the next morning. He knew he was (likely) getting some new Wii games and wanted the day to play them!

He also got some books, clothes, and additional "lazer" guns. Per usual, he was kind of hard to shop for because he could only think of two thinks he really wanted (a particular Wii game and a quiz book). I really love that about my kiddos: not greedy at all.
Sam asked me to make brownies to share at the combo party, but we had chocolate cake with white icing for his actual birthday.

Charlie's 6th Birthday Interview

Charlie is 43.5 inches tall and about 35 pounds, an increase since his loss of weight in October, but his picky eating style is not helping him any! He sometimes stutters when he is upset and/or doesn't think people are paying enough attention to him. I love that he still has chipmunk cheeks, tiny Peter Pan teeth, and his right eyebrow arches higher than his left. He has reached the insatiably curious "Why?" stage, which is truly so much fun.
We sat down a day or two after his birthday and held the official review.

Favorite food: Cheesy chips, chocolate milk, and fruit snacks.
Least favorite: Dinner (then he added: spaghetti).
Favorite movie: Despicable Me
Favorite show: Peep and the Big Wide World

Thing you do best: Play House and make up names.(It's really true! His role play characters always have the most crazy names.)
Favorite game: Hide & Seek. (I have to add, along with playing House, Factory, Doctor, Firefighter and Evil King, he plays with play doh and Legos every day and he definitely loves a few iPad games, like Angry Birds - Star Wars edition, as well.)
Best words to describe you: Worker. Funny.

Favorite book: Duck, Rabbit and The Grinch Who Stole Christmas
Favorite song: "Baby You're a Firework"
Favorite season: Christmas
Best friend: Dawson Clevenger

Best memory from the past year: Visiting cousins in Iowa.
Favorite place to go: Grandma Golden's house. (I'll add that he loves to play at the park, any cousin's home, and Grandma Dame's.)
Favorite thing about our family: Doing funny things together.

What do you want to be when you grow up: Seven
If you had one wish, what would it be: None. (Stunning lack of his characteristic imagination on these last ones. I fully expected him to say he'd be a real super hero or fireman or pellet maker, and wish to have a real light saber, or be able to fly or shoot webs, or at least that we wouldn't make him go to church or put medicine on his scar anymore.)
Charlie is delightful and having his unique personality in our family definitely adds a fun flair to every day.