Say What? Ja Way Go?

Dan and I were presented with an amazing opportunity to enroll both girls in a Spanish Immersion program for 7 weeks of the summer.  We discussed this at length and in the end it was a no-brainer decision.  Fun, education and another language?!?  Sign 'em up!

We chose to enroll the girls in the program for 3 days a week which allows them one or two days at our normal daycare for relaxing days and gives us the chance to still take those long weekends away we have planned this summer.

In discussing this new summer plan with the girls, we had a cute kid story occur:

Tehya:  I think this sounds like fun, but I already know Spanish.

Mom:  Yes, you learned some Spanish in school this year but this school will teach you more words and how to use them the right way.

Tehya:  Ok, but I already like know all the words.

Mom:  You know ALL the words?  I doubt you learned ALL the Spanish words in a two week section on Spanish.

Tehya: I know A LOT of words.  Like words for food, drinks, animals, you know, all that stuff.

Mom:  What is the word for Milk?

Tehya:  I dont know, I need to look it up in my packet.  But I know how to say Juice.  Its JA-WAY-GO

Mom:  (Trying very hard not to laugh) Honey, its not pronounced the way its spelled.  I think maybe you say it like whey-go or something like that?

Tehya: Oh, are you sure?  I guess Spanish school would be good.

Todays Spanish Lesson is brought to you by 123TeachMe.com:

English Word: juice


Spanish Word: jugo, zumo


Now we all know how to say juice in Spanish :-)

Fathers Day - Remembering and Celebrating

Fathers Day has come upon us again and in the joy of watching my girls create their handmade cards for Dan I find myself remembering back to the Crunch Bar I used to purchase yearly. 

You see, Crunch Bars were my dad's favorite candy bar and it became tradition long before I knew what a tradition was for me to give him one each Fathers Day that we would share.  In looking back after all of these years I sometimes wonder if the Crunch Bar really was his favorite, or if maybe it was just the joy of me tearing open that wrapper for him that gave him such a huge grin on his face.

I watch Dan have that same grin with our girls and I am grateful to have him as their dad.  I am watching him build the relationship with each of them that I had with my dad, and that is priceless to me.

Dan is a dad that teaches our girls to do things, instead of just doing things for them.  Our Fathers Day project was prime example of that as the girls helped Dan assemble the "new" backyard swingset that we inherited from their cousins.  Ada helped carry parts and Tehya took the helm with the drill:

We also took our yearly Daddy Daughter Photo:

And we then enjoyed dinner at Big Bowl with Dave, Becky, Lauren, Kate and Diane. 
Both Tehya and Ada did a really good job using chopsticks, but I have to say Ada was the most entertaining to watch - mainly because she had ordered chicken noodle soup for dinner!!!

For me, Fathers Day is a day set aside to celebrate the Dads in our lives and to say thank you for the amazing job they have done. 

To Dan:  You are an amazing father and a wonderful husband.  I thank you for your humor, your patience and most of all the way you are with our girls.  I could not hand pick a better father for them out of a book if I tried.

To my dad:  Although you are gone, you will never be forgotten.  I am forever grateful for the life lessons you taught me and for the person that you helped me become.  I will never be able to show you those things passed on to my children, but I know you would be proud of all of us if you were here.

Happy Fathers Day!!

We're Back!!!

It has been almost 2 years since I last posted here and it is difficult to know where to start.  I have been staring at this post screen for quite some time trying to figure out just what this entry should read after all this time away and where exactly all that time went. 

It is by inspiration from my neighbor and friend Emily that I decided to start blogging our family adventures again, and I thank her for that. In looking back on past posts I have realized that this miniature timeline is more important to me than I realized.  Today I looked back on the first post I wrote, the stories of  the girls' antics that still make me laugh when I read them and the time lapse images of Dan and I aging as gracefully as I think either of us know how.  I don't want to lose these moments, and I certainly don't want this life puzzle we are putting together to sit uncompleted.

Looking back I see where it all started going down hill and I blame it on using Facebook.  I got lazy and started quickly posting  items there where  I could see instant gratification for a cute picture or a one sentence snipet.

Nothing I have ever done in my life has been instant.  Nor has it ever taken me one sentence.

This can only mean one thing.

The Milbrandt's are Back to Blogging!!!

Stay tuned....I promise there is more coming soon

Tiffany