Wednesday, November 17, 2021

Family Portrait by Mara

 


Gideon has a vacuum; Mara has a pencil; Kateri has a tree branch; Bernadette has a needle and thread and fabric; Isaiah has a book; Daddy has a saw; Grandma has a broom and clean laundry; Grandpa has a hammer and a piece of wood. Nailed it.

Newsboys at the Cable Dahmer Arena in Independence, MO



 

World War I Museum--Atop the tower


 

Vaccination Day!


                                         








Monday, November 08, 2021

Birthday Season 2021 is complete!

Left to Right: Isaiah is 13, Mara is 7, Gideon is 3, Bernadette is 11, Kateri is 9, and Pia is 5



                           Our baby shark (not such a baby anymore)!

Saturday, November 06, 2021

Homemade doughnuts to celebrate All Saints' Day and Mara's baptism day

 



Ready to take on Daddy in a fencing match at the Shakespeare Festival


 

Fun at Ben and Beth's wedding




 

Benefit bake sale for Chase Downard



Making pillows for Grandpa Peter



 

The last diapers

It was a risky venture, to decide to potty train Gideon without warning, while beginning a new school year and adding a new student (welcome to kindergarten, Pia!). There were bribes (M&Ms: official potty training candy of the Friedrichs family), power struggles, many many clothing changes, endless books read to the protesting potty sitter, and school lessons done or checked in the bathroom while Mama sat with him. When the dust settled, Gideon was happily wearing underpants, and our very last two packages of diapers were dropped off at Habitat, to be brought home by a new family. Onward!




First professional haircut

He swears he'll never let Mama cut his hair again, and we weren't sure he'd let Pam do it, either, but he did, and she was great!






Book club on the couch



 

Coolest appliance in the house...


 

Junior Reserve Grand Champion

 Table setting: a Michaelmas Feast. Yay, Kateri!!


 




Like Mama

All his life Gideon has watched me read before bed. On this night, I returned from the bathroom to find him immersed in the poems of Phillis Wheatley.