First day of 4k

Jonas started 4 year old kindergarten on Tuesday, September 4th. He told us he had a good time and played "duck duck goose", but was "just a duck". Today was his second day and he told me that they played "Chicka-chicka-boom-boom". I had to check to make sure that Mrs. Gronemus was the one who invented that one, not the one subjected to it :). He's been pretty mum about his days, but right now he's quietly doing an art project and singing a new song about the smiling sun to himself. As always: the more you listen, the more you learn...

Jonas turns 5

Well, we all knew it was coming, but it still came up so fast. Jonas turned five on Sunday. He was quite excited about his birthday and he and Niles had a great time. I can't believe how much he has brought into our lives. He is a wonderfully curious kid with a great spark of energy.

Camping at Governor Dodge 2012

In the last part of August we decided to brave the mosquitos and the heat and head out to Governor Dodge for a night of camping and mayhem. Travis and Sara provided the camping. Jonas and Niles provided the mayhem.

Flight of the bumblebee

One of my favorite videos in recent times. Enjoy!

Little Norway

On Monday we went to Little Norway in Mt. Horeb to see the beautiful grounds and to get a glimpse of what life was like for the Norwegian immigrants who bought this chunk of land for $50 in the 1860s. The boys learned a bit about how the Tangen ancestors might have lived and Grandpa Helge and Grandma Laurie told stories that Great-grandpa Helge told about living in Norway and in the U.S. After a tour with Marie the tour guide and two beautiful collies, we had a lovely picnic lunch before poking around the grounds some more.

Summer just keeps rollin' along.

Fun at home and abroad (in Illinois).

Summer morning at the lab with Dad

Jonas joined me for the morning to as my lab assistant.  He did pretty well and I hope that some of the things he learned will come in handy when he starts 4K this fall.  After the lab we rode down the Mem Union for ice cream and fun and met up with Mom and Niles.

Summer Heat

Mom is watching Jonas join together with the geiser.

Its been a busy couple of week as usual.  Jonas and Niles got to spend a couple of days in the Chula Vista waterpark in the Dells, Jonas spent the night at Grandma Sue's to watch the big rhythym and booms fireworks show, the family went to the fireworks nearby a couple nights later, and got a chance to hang out at Aunt Carol's house on the fourth.  We have been going on lots of bike rides and finding lots of creative ways to cool off such as sprinklers, sprinklers in the pool, swimming with Cory and Ben (Jonas is quite the under water swimmer), making mud baths, and dumping water buckets willingly or unwillingly on each other.