First day of school

It has become a family tradition for Jack to bring home Dunkin Donuts for the first day of school. So, instead of the traditional first day of school pictures with the kids in their brand-new clothes carrying backpacks and lunch boxes, we home schoolers have pictures of kids in pajamas eating donuts. We did have a successful start to a new year. Corban has started kindergarten and Jakin is in 2nd grade. Today is the second day of school and I am a big softie... the boys are playing at a friend's house this afternoon since the friend starts school next week and the boys won't get to see him much after that. And the boys will be on vacation in North Carolina for 2 weeks in September. But, really, home schoolers really do school.... I have big plans for this year.....

My flower child

Annie loves flowers. Her pathetic mother hasn't planted any at our house, but we can pick them at our CSA. Each week when we go to pick up our veggies, we slowly make our way down to the pick your own field, and I cut the flowers and hand them to Annie. She insists on carrying them home, clutching them so tightly in the car that half of them are wilted by the time we get home. Then I get out the vase and cut the stems. She fills the vase with water, pulls off the leaves, arranges the flowers and proudly carries the vase to the table. It's sweet. We're house-hunting, so I don't know where we will be living next spring. But, when we settle in somewhere, Annie and I are going to have to plant some flowers. Oh, by the way, when I was taking this picture I was asking her to smile. On every take, she replied, "I am". So, this was the best I could get!

Annie is growing up

My little girl is growing up! She watches everything her brothers do and tries to imitate them. If they can get a drink from the sink, so can she!


Annie recently upgraded to her "big girl bed". The transition went off without a hitch and she's only fallen out of the bed twice. For those of you who haven't been here, Annie shares a room with her two brothers... that's why the walls are a very boy shade of blue. We can make up for that with her girly sheets, blankets and pillows. And she always has her babies in bed with her (she's snuggling one in her sleep under the blanket).

#4

Yep. This is a sweet profile shot of our precious 12 week old little one. I'm officially due February 2, 2009. Corban was 5 days early, Annie was 10 days early; so I'll have my bags packed toward the end of January. I'm into my second trimester and hopefully out of the hopelessly tired phase. We're excited! Annie is already talking about "my new baby and Mommy's new baby".

Why "Stone Soup"?

Ok, here's the story.... there is a children's story called Stone Soup. I don't know who originally wrote it, there seem to be many versions. My favorite version is Jim Weiss's audio version; it even has lyrics! Anyway, in the story there is a group of hungry soldiers who march into a peasant town. Everyone shies away from giving them food. The leader of the group begins making a batch of stone soup. He starts with water and a stone. After cooking the "soup" for a while, he tastes it and says in a voice loud enough for all of the hiding, but curious onlookers to hear, that all the soup needs to be perfect is an onion. One villager offers an onion. Then all he needs is some carrots. One villager offers carrots. And so on, until the villagers have all given something and the soup does actually become real and excellent soup. I know that naming my blog "Stone Soup" was a little weird, but I liked that idea of many individual parts coming together to make a fantastic whole. Kind of like a family. It just stuck with me. And I was pretty sure that the name "The Miller Family" would not be available.

Catch up with the Millers

I'm still figuring this blog thing out. Why am I trying to add 10 pictures to my second post? Anyway, the idea here is to catch you up on 2008. I've chosen only a few pictures (relatively speaking) and I can't get them in chronological order. Enjoy them anyway!

Getting into spring meant bike rides. This year has been SO fun because Corban can ride without training wheels, so we can just go!


Jakin fishing on his 7th birthday in May


A recent home school activity: a Greek festival with our friends Brandi and Lainey Gill.


A joint Superhero birthday party for Jakin and Corban


Corban's 5th birthday in June


Annie with her Grammy and cousin Ethan in Ohio in July


Corban and Ethan


Now back to winter....
Jakin & Corban with friends, Josiah and Josh, on our backyard ice rink.

Out on a spring puddle-jumping walk. And Easter morning (also Annie's 2nd birthday).


Thanks for reading!

First post

After threatening for months to start a blog, I'm finally doing it. I thought it would be appropriate to include a picture of the kids in this "test" post. Annie is 2, Corban is 5 and Jakin is 7.