The Talens' Tales

M(om): Gideon, Merry Christmas! And now is it Boxing Day and you know what else? You are 8 months old! G(ideon): That is great! And Christmas was so much fun. M: And there is more to come. So what have you been up to lately? G: I have really been exploring the world around me. I love to be on my belly and scoot all over. If anything is on the floor, I will get it. M: You certainly are on the move. G: I also like to play drums on anything. And I notice that different things make different sounds. Like the drawer under the oven make a different sound than the cupboard next to it. M: Anything else new? G: I can sit up all on my own now. That is really helpful for playing the drums. I also like to try new foods. Cereal and applesauce or still my favorite, though. I do like to try and feed myself, which is sometimes more successful than others. M: It has been fun to see you try all these new things. And it is so nice that you can sit up on your own and that you are also ...

One of the our Christmas traditions is making a gingerbread house. I always pick up a kit as soon as I see them out in the store and save it for a day when we need something to do.  Well, today was that day. We were stuck inside with some crazy winter weather, so out came the kit. After breakfast we assembled the house  Then during Gideon's morning nap, we put the candy on. Well, the kids put the candy on. I was on icing duty and Joash and Mataya put all the candy on.  It was a great snow day activity and they were pretty pleased with final results. We will see how long it stays whole. Joash and Mataya are pretty eager to eat it.

Following in her absentee father's footsteps in a law enforcement career, U.S. Marshal Mercy Brennan has just recovered from being shot in the line of duty. And, unbeknownst to her, her father's recent reappearance in her life has put her in the sights of St. Louis's most powerful gang. Her boss assigns Deputy U.S. Marshal Mark St. Laurent--Mercy's ex-boyfriend--to get her out of town until her safety can be guaranteed. In Fatal Frost by Nancy Mehl, u naware of the extent her boss and Mark have been keeping her in the dark, it isn't until a freak ice storm strands them at a remote location and out of contact with the district office that the full severity of their situation becomes clear. As the storm worsens, the forces of nature combine with a deadly enemy to put them in great danger. Can they survive long enough for help to arrive--if help is even coming at all? This is another good book by Nancy Mehl. I find her books to be a quick, easy reads with re...

Four years after a tragic mission decimated his team, Cole "Tox" Russell has been disavowed by the United States. And that's fine--he just wants to be left alone. But when a dormant, centuries-old disease is unleashed, Tox is lured back into action. In Conspiracy of Silence by Ronie Kendig, T ox and his former Special Forces team regroup to work with FBI deception expert, Kasey Cortes, and fiery archaeologist, Tzivia Khalon, to search the globe for answers--and a cure. As the mission leads from one continent to another, it becomes clear they're not just fighting a plague but battling an ancient secret society whose true goals remain hidden. With time running out and the threat for a global pandemic rising, Tox and his team realize their sole chance might be to reach back through centuries of silence to find the only answer that can save them all. This was a very suspenseful and energetic read. But, I also found it a little confusing. I don't know if I ...

Mataya has enjoyed colouring for a long time. She has just recently started to like drawing and has taken an recent interest in drawing people. Her is her latest rendition of her parents. I don't know if there is much better than a 3 1/2 year old drawing of yourself!

All of my kids were born with hair, and interesting hair at that. All of them have had really thick and long hair in the middle. They were all able to have a really nice mohawk right out of the womb. And some days, this leads to a bad hair day. Gideon went to bed with his hair a bit wet at night and woke up like this: It did not settle down until it got wet again in his bath that evening. So, I guess I have to make sure I comb it flat and let it dry a bit before bed.

Winter has arrived on the Island. And from the looks of the forecast, it is here to stay. Yesterday was actually a snow day. We had lots of snow, but it was quite mild out, so the kids and I had a great time playing outside. It fell as "Michigan Snow" as we like to call it. Big fluffy flakes falling quite gently from the sky. The kids had lots of fun making slides on the piles of snow that fall from our roof. We played while Gideon  has his morning nap. Soon, we will have to get him out for his first taste of snow.

M(om): Hi Gideon! How are you doing? G(ideon): I am doing great mom. Though I have a bit of a runny nose, but I still am pretty happy. M: What is new this month? G: Well, I keep trying new foods and I like them quite a lot. I wasn't so sure about chicken the first time around, but when you put some sweet potatoes with it, then it was really good. I like purees and cereal the best. Some days I like bread an other things with more texture and other days not so much. M: Well you still are doing really well eating and I can tell that you are more satisfied and content when you belly is full of foods other than just milk. How is the crawling going? G: I am very happy dragging myself around the house. I have been able to explore so many interesting places. My favorite is under the desk. There are so many pretty lights and cords down there. Why don't you let me stay, mom? M: Well, is just isn't the best place for you to play. Are there any toys or things you really...

Joash has really started to like making things. His creations are quite varied and very interesting. I am always surprised with what he comes up with. He still really enjoys Lego. He got the little Mixel set to make the crab on the left from a friend at school. The crab sort of has a treasure chest for a mouth. Joash decided to make a treasure chest of his own. It has a hinged top and full of Lego "jewels" *i.e. the things that are often used as lights on Lego vehicles). Last Sunday as I was getting ready for church, Joash asked if he could have glue and scissors because he was going to make a cow. I said, "Okay." And this is the finished product. Note the word bubble coming out of the mouth. It says "Moo." He has since added an udder to the cow as well. Today Joash made an old map. He wrote 2001 on it because that is when it was used by the pirates. Apparently that is a really long time ago. He informed me that old maps are often brown and t...

Well, my parents came for a visit last week and we had a great time. We didn't do very much because Gideon needed to nap and the weather was very rainy. But the kids had a great time playing with Grandpa and Grandma. Putting together the birthday Lego kit with Grandpa. Both Grandma and Grandpa read a lot of books. We certainly loved our visit with Grandpa and Grandma and we look forward to next time we see them!

Shattered Vigil is the second book in The Darkwater Saga and it picks up right where the first book left off. Their victory over the dark forces during the feast of Bas-solas should have guaranteed safety for the continent. Instead, Willet and the rest of the Vigil discover they've been outsmarted by those seeking to unleash the evil that inhabits the Darkwater. One of the Vigil has gone missing, and new attacks have struck at the six kingdoms' ability to defend themselves. Worse, a deadly new threat has emerged--assassins hunting the Vigil, men and women who cannot be seen until it's too late. To thwart the perilous new risk, the church makes the drastic decision to safeguard the Vigil by taking the surviving members into protective custody. But there are secrets only the Vigil can unearth, and so Pellin makes the heart-wrenching choice to oppose the church in a race to turn back the evil that threatens an entire continent.  I have read all of Patrick W. Carr ...

Joash turned 6 last week and he had a great birthday. He requested a Paw Patrol cake this year, so Wilbert and I worked together to make Chase's rig. He was super excited when he saw it for the first time. To school we sent some jello aquariums for his class to enjoy. I think they were a hit. We celebrated with the whole family after school, including both sets of grand parents. My parents arrived from Michigan earlier in the afternoon. The combination of dark blue and black frosting on the cake lefts its mark on us.  Joash also opened his gifts, all of which were greatly appreciated and have since been well used. One of his favorites was a magnetic floor sweeper. "A real tool!" he said.  He also got a Lego set, a subscription to a magazine, a paw patrol toy and a model plane that Wilbert helped him put together. Happy 6th Birthday, Joash!

 G(ideon): Hey Mom, where is everyone? M(om): Well, Daddy is in barn and Joash and Mataya are on a fun outing with Grandma and Grandpa.  And you turned 6 months old earlier this week. G:I know. I feel like a lot has happened this month. M: I think you are right. You have done a lot things this month. What has been the best thing? G: Well, I think the most fun thing has been trying new foods. I love eating in my chair like a big boy. M: What foods have you tried? G: I like rice and oat cereal and so far I have had carrots, sweet potatoes, bananas, peaches and pears. I have tried some bread and Mum-mums as well. It is all really good! M: You are very excited to eat most of the time and that is great. And I think you must be growing because you have been wanting to see me again during the night. G: I just love you so much, mom, and I want to see you. M: What else have you been doing that is new? G: I can move around too! I like to be on my tummy and pull m...

 What is your favorite color? Red and green What is your favorite toy? My Paw Patrol things and Lego What is your favorite food? tomato soup What is your favorite tv show? Paw Patrol What is your favorite outfit? My Paw Patrol shirt What is your favorite game? The marble maze What is your favorite animal? cow What is your favorite song? "God is With Me" from VBS What is your favorite book? How Thing Work Who is your best friend? Ben What is your favorite thing to do outside? Help Dad What is your favorite drink?   Chocolate Milk and Juice (but not together) What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Chase and Zuma What do you want for dinner on your birthday? Pancakes, scrambled eggs and bacon What do you want to be when you grow up? A farmer

Today was Storybook Character Day at Joash's school. I tried to make it easy on myself and encouraged Joash to use one of the costumes we have on hand. So, he picked the chef costume and took the book Sam the Chef .  Notice anything about his face? I didn't have time to take a picture before school and we got a call right around lunch time that Joash had a pretty bad fall on the asphalt at school during recess. He was pretty shook up about, so I went to pick him up early today. He seems pretty much his normal self now, so we are not too worried. And of course, school pictures are on the 31st, so we will have to see how well he has healed by then.

Monday was Canadian Thanksgiving. It always seems a little weird to me mainly because it is on a Monday and there is no church service. And, since it is in October, we never know where we will be in harvest, so we can't plan too much. We had a nice meal with Wilbert's parents on Sunday. Monday we went got to experience the leftovers of Hurricane Matthew, so it was an indoor day for us. Here are a few things from the weekend. Joash really wanted to make a jack-o-lanturn, so we made a small one with a pumpkin from our garden.  Since no one wanted to go outside on Monday due the wind and rain, and that Joash can read now, I made a little scavenger hunt for him and Mataya.  The kids all have fun playing in the blankets and cushions.  Joash wrote this lovely list of things he is thankful for at school. We just love the grade 1 spelling and I love that "Mom" made the list. We hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Evie Blackwell loves her life as an Illinois State Police detective . . . mostly. She's very skilled at investigations and has steadily moved up through the ranks. She would like to find Mr. Right, but she has a hard time imagining how marriage could work, considering the demands of her job. Gabriel Thane grew up in Carin County and is now its sheriff, a job he loves. Gabe is committed to upholding the law and cares deeply for the residents he's sworn to protect. He too would like to find a lifetime companion, a marriage like his parents have. . . . When Evie arrives in Carin, Illinois, it's to help launch a new task force focused on unsolved crimes across the state. She will work with the sheriff's department on a couple of its most troubling missing-persons cases. As she studies old evidence to pull out a few tenuous new leads, she unearths surprising connections. One way or another, she knows Gabriel Thane and his family will be key to the answers she seeks. ...

Mataya got to go with her daddy to check on the corn. It will be ready to harvest soon! They decided to take some pictures. Mataya was so excited, she forgot to let daddy be in the picture. There we go. I thought this was sweet picture of a girl and her daddy.