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.