The Niewald Kitchen Table

5/8/11

May Days with Cousin Gabe

Yesterday it was finally warm enough for water.

Cousin Gabriel has NO FEAR and is quite the dare devil. He made Nicholas, who is the "oh so catious first born", double over with giggles, as he would belly slide, go down backwards and head dunk without any quams. They enjoyed a few hours of going up and down the slide together.

Pudding, like a proper lady, decided to sit and sun bathe with her momma...who is feeling quite puffy these days.

5/4/11

The Inseperables

These two are such chums....truly they wake up and play all day with each other. They are the Fox and the Hound and their friendship makes my heart melt. When one is up - they have to wake the other so they can start playing.

Their conversations are amusing and they often remind each other to use good manners or remember rules and often make each other belly laugh. When given a snack, Christiana always asks to get one for "Didi" (her sometimes nickname for Nick-o-nus).

She gives it to him, but says, "Ha do you ask Didi?" Upon which Nicholas obediently replies, "Please."

They are especially fun to take places these days. Nicholas watches over Pudding and guards her like a dog. Christiana follows him and can proudly do whatever Nicholas does with loads of confidence.

Yesterday we met up with dad and brought a picnic lunch to the little middle school track meet. After a few races, Nicholas asked if he could race. He got in his stance, asked me to fire a gun, and ran like the wind with very fierce determination. Pudding followed suit, only her running was a puttering widdle waddle trot.

Nicholas in his starting blocks

They both decided sunglasses were suddenly necessary to properly view the races.

It was an entertaining afternoon out to say the least.

5/2/11

In the Sand

As I sat in my lawn chair in the warm sunshine, I got stare at her double chin, pursed lips, and puffy cheeks as she focused on putting various amounts of sand into cups for an hour. She took her work very seriously. There was a specific purpose about her work; I tried pouring sand into a cup, but apparently I did it all wrong.

I was in Heaven watching them both play and feeling so blessed I get to be at home and not miss a moment.

We thank Mech for the sand table.
So far, it has provided hours of daily entertainment for us all.

4/25/11

Reflections

While fresh in mind, and my heart full, I want to write about the moments I shared with my family here over the past Easter weekend.

I feel tremendously blest that they were able to come. For my dad, it was a huge country long journey, flying from Virginia Beach to St. Louis and driving the Silver Bullet 7 hours to Kansas. For my mom, it meant giving up a busy week to help Anna and her baby. For my siblings, it was thier "get away". :) For Tricia and Phil, it was turing back around to travel again, just to be with family. Even my cousin Bridget joined in the family fun with her beautiful baby Margaret.

I thank all of them for making the trip. For me, it was home coming to my home....happiness.

For Nicholas and Christiana, they woke up everyday with sheer excitement and wonder and hours of play time with their Aunts and Uncles. Nicholas cried this morning when he heard they left.

Some Favorite moments....

1. Food: Cooking is one of my passions and when it is for my family over a holiday, it is even greater joy. Memories are made with good food and family sitting around a table together. To be able to provide a piece of that for them was pure enjoyment.

2. Nicholas and Christiana: watching my kids literally jump out of bed to spend the day with Aunt Gianna and Grace and Uncle Peter and Paul...the love they have for them is instant and strong. Family bonds are such a gift from God.

3. Easter morning coffee with my dad who joyfully and dutifully sang the Alleluja Chorus in beratone ; ) Easter morning would not be Easter morning without dad's singing to our risen Lord, even though it still always brings Anna and I to giggles.

4. Easter Baskets, Hunts, and Eggs....traditions in my family are carried out to the umpth degree. Hard boiled eggs have names....certain candy from 20 years ago is searched for and bought for the baskets ..... the 10 hour long wait of many children in some basement or living room with the blinds shut with absolutely no peeking aloud - while 20 million plastic eggs and one silver egg with lots of hard cash are filled and hidden for a serious and fun egg hunt...brunch must include egg casserole, bicuits, and fresh fruit with whatever else we want to add as long as those staples are there.

Gianna found the silver egg this year.

All these activities are necessary and carried out in detail by various members of myfamily who each hold fast to each of his or her own favorite traditions so that they are all miraculously repeated year after year.

5. Tights, Hats, Ties, and Dresses....everyone gets in their Easter best for Jesus. The Easter bunny turned white when he saw the risen Lord. There is usually a few who no matter how hard we plan ahead, are missing a tie or tights in the Easter morning scramble.

Other Highlights....

The Town Easter Egg Hunt: "If ye don't find an egg will give ya one!"
Interesting concept for an Easter egg hunt. My family got to experience first hand, Kansas style.

As Phil said, "This Easter Egg hunt is not for the faint of heart." We all trooped to the park in blankets and coats in 50 degree weather to see the kids vie for a few jelly beans and a prize at the end.