From the desk of…Sarah!
Merry Christmas to all of our dear friends and family! I am excited that Mom and Dad chose me to be the kid to write the letter this year. I love to write! My favorite is writing silly stories about my brothers and sisters. Mom says I have an active imagination. I think that’s a good thing, at least I hope so.
I am 7 years old and in 2nd grade. I like doing school at home most of the time. I like having friends over for play dates and overnighters the best. The very best thing that happened since last year was our new puppy Tank. He is a lab and he is getting bigger every day. December 14th is his “gotcha day”. That’s the day that he adopted us as his family. We all love to play with him and snuggle. He is snoring right now as my mom types this in. He makes me giggle. My mom’s favorite bumper sticker says “My Labrador Retriever is smarter than your honor student.” My dad took him hunting with my Grandpa and brothers over Thanksgiving. Tank did a good job, when he wasn’t being distracted by his new girlfriend Hershey (my Uncle Doug’s chocolate lab).
There's lots of fun things to follow in the rest of the letter, including those famous quotable quotes. Hope you enjoy it! Write back to me when you get a chance.
Love, Sarah
(aka "CiCi" - the nickname I got when Gina was born, 5 years ago)
PS - I almost forgot...I wanted to share with you some of my "special" words that I've made up. Here are a few:
Sarah’s Vocabulary words
Or “how to speak Sarah-ese”
Shammy-adj. extremely nice looking; “you’re looking very shammy tonight.” Other meanings could be embarrassing (“try not to be too shammy”), or hilarious (“you are just soooo shammy”).
Dee-lish-adj. delicious; spoken after mom hands her most any food, except veggies.
Yum-O adj. yummy; did we mention mom is a big Rachel Ray fan?
Sammy - n. what mom usually serves for lunch, often with peanut butter and jelly; "thanks for the shammy sammy, mom!"
Wow-Pow- interj. To show excitement for all things wonderful or surprising that happens in a 2nd graders’ world.
CrackaLackaTackin- v. To get up and go to work, come home, and the next day do it all over again; "Come on Dad, you gotta get crackalackatackin!"
Mommasita - Mom's nickname, now that Jess is taking Spanish.
Nudey Rudey- buck naked. The state of Sarah and Gina right before their shower together.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Christmas Letter--Quotes!
And now for the moment you’ve all been waiting for…..the one…the only…the annual Schillinger tradition….the
Quotable Quotes!!!
Gina -- “OK, we need Sarah, Joanna, and Gina over here...Oh wait, I’m Gina."
Gina, singing -- "Romeo take me, somewhere…"
Mom -- "Honey, where did you hear that song?"
Gina -- "Well, when I yawned it got stuck in my head."
Gina, during the latest bedtime routine -- "I love you world record, I love you gold medal, I win!"
Sarah, during the latest bedtime routine -- “I broke the love chair, I fixed the love chair, I love you more than President Obama, I win.”
Joel, speaking before thinking -- “Oh gross, who would put ketchup on that? … oh, it was me.”
Joel, noticing a sign on the way into a restaurant -- "'Shirt and shoes required'…they didn’t say anything about pants!”
On Halloween:
Michele -- “What do you want to be?”
Gina -- “A princess.”
Michele --“What should Joel be?”
Gina -- “My bodyguard.”
The little girls ended up as butterflies, complete with glitter makeup and shiny wings. Fancy!
Gina, as Glenn headed out to the fire pit -- “Dad is going to burn hot dogs for us!”
One night, as Glenn and I were heading out on a date...
Glenn -- “Tonight, you’ll have to hunt for your dinner.”
Grant -- “I think I can hunt down a credit card and cell phone.”
“My eyes are getting sour.” -- Sarah, after Jessica wiped sour cream on her face.
“If we confuse our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins…” -- Sarah, misquoting I John 1:9, which states that we should confess our sins.
Dad -- “How about a beach vacation?”
Sarah -- “Yeah, in North Dakota!”
Seems we may need to kick in the geography program a little earlier for her…
“Squirrels are God’s natural speed bumps.” -- Jessica, the newest driver in the house.
“When I grow up, I’m going to be perfect at driving.” -- Joel
Mom, noticing Jessica's horrible table mamers -- "It’s a good thing you’re not a dating woman!"
Gina, overhearing -- "I’m a datin’ woman."
Sarah -- “If you see someone that’s married, try not to be too shammy.” (see Sarah's Dictionary for the definition of 'shammy'!)
Jessica's cure for sneezes --"Think of COWS!”
(try it, it really works!)
Joanna, the fashion go-to gal with a habit of wearing mismatching colored and patterned socks -- "Matching socks? How redundant!"
Mom, with some serious buyers remorse on the puppy decision -- "Puppies ARE SO cute…until they’re not!”
For the record, we are back on good terms now. In fact, he slept in our bed on my feet last night. Better than an electric blanket.
Sarah, directing one of Dad's calls -- "Wanna talk to your love-girl?"
Sarah, completing the connection at the top of her lungs -- "Mom…here's your love-doctor!"
Glenn, trying to restore order at the dinner table -- "Everyone, sit down on your bottoms; that’s what they’re there for."
Grant, on one of his food phobias -- "Jelly beans…too risky. You never know what you’re going to get."
Quotable Quotes!!!
Gina -- “OK, we need Sarah, Joanna, and Gina over here...Oh wait, I’m Gina."
Gina, singing -- "Romeo take me, somewhere…"
Mom -- "Honey, where did you hear that song?"
Gina -- "Well, when I yawned it got stuck in my head."
Gina, during the latest bedtime routine -- "I love you world record, I love you gold medal, I win!"
Sarah, during the latest bedtime routine -- “I broke the love chair, I fixed the love chair, I love you more than President Obama, I win.”
Joel, speaking before thinking -- “Oh gross, who would put ketchup on that? … oh, it was me.”
Joel, noticing a sign on the way into a restaurant -- "'Shirt and shoes required'…they didn’t say anything about pants!”
On Halloween:
Michele -- “What do you want to be?”
Gina -- “A princess.”
Michele --“What should Joel be?”
Gina -- “My bodyguard.”
The little girls ended up as butterflies, complete with glitter makeup and shiny wings. Fancy!
Gina, as Glenn headed out to the fire pit -- “Dad is going to burn hot dogs for us!”
One night, as Glenn and I were heading out on a date...
Glenn -- “Tonight, you’ll have to hunt for your dinner.”
Grant -- “I think I can hunt down a credit card and cell phone.”
“My eyes are getting sour.” -- Sarah, after Jessica wiped sour cream on her face.
“If we confuse our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins…” -- Sarah, misquoting I John 1:9, which states that we should confess our sins.
Dad -- “How about a beach vacation?”
Sarah -- “Yeah, in North Dakota!”
Seems we may need to kick in the geography program a little earlier for her…
“Squirrels are God’s natural speed bumps.” -- Jessica, the newest driver in the house.
“When I grow up, I’m going to be perfect at driving.” -- Joel
Mom, noticing Jessica's horrible table mamers -- "It’s a good thing you’re not a dating woman!"
Gina, overhearing -- "I’m a datin’ woman."
Sarah -- “If you see someone that’s married, try not to be too shammy.” (see Sarah's Dictionary for the definition of 'shammy'!)
Jessica's cure for sneezes --"Think of COWS!”
(try it, it really works!)
Joanna, the fashion go-to gal with a habit of wearing mismatching colored and patterned socks -- "Matching socks? How redundant!"
Mom, with some serious buyers remorse on the puppy decision -- "Puppies ARE SO cute…until they’re not!”
For the record, we are back on good terms now. In fact, he slept in our bed on my feet last night. Better than an electric blanket.
Sarah, directing one of Dad's calls -- "Wanna talk to your love-girl?"
Sarah, completing the connection at the top of her lungs -- "Mom…here's your love-doctor!"
Glenn, trying to restore order at the dinner table -- "Everyone, sit down on your bottoms; that’s what they’re there for."
Grant, on one of his food phobias -- "Jelly beans…too risky. You never know what you’re going to get."
Christmas Letter--Top 12 Lists
We wanted to share with you our top 12 lists - one for each member of the family.
Jessica’s Top 12 -- My Monthly "To Do" List
Here are the things I wanted to accomplish each month of 2008:
January- Dissect everything under the sun in and out of Biology lab. Take pictures of everything I dissect.
February- Practice cello. Rehearsals for NCBC Orchestra. Practice Piano.
March- Win the "Shamrock Around the Clock" scavenger hunt with my awesome friends.
April- Survive Drivers Ed.
May-Practice driving, try to convince parents to let us have summer off of school
June- Help with Theatrical Camp
July-Pack for Mexico. Build a home for a family. Don’t shower or change clothes for 4 days. Journal every detail every 5 minutes. (Note: You can read my whole Mexico journal on this blog and see some pictures of this amazing trip!)
August- Help with flooded out homes and ministry organizations destroyed during the flood of ’08.
September-Shop for homecoming dress. Take Chem lab and Spanish class.
October- Eight Days of Hope flood relief work on my 16th birthday. Get my license!
November- Practice lines for Little Women MHSAP play. Design the t-shirts for the cast.
December- Convince parents to get a third family car. Help mud & tape a flooded-out house. Go to Nanna & Pappa's to celebrate Christmas
Joanna’s Top 12 - My Favorite Things List
These are a few of my favorite highlights of 2008. Sorry it's longer than 10.
1. Playing basketball with friends. Mom’s first attempt at coaching is mildly amusing but fun.
2. Baking cupcakes for sleepover with friends
3. Going shopping with mom and friends
4. Making sandwiches for flood relief workers with my friends. Going to bday parties for my friends, who only want gifts for flood victims. Cool…
5. Making treats for my church group ("RAP") with my friends
6. Practicing soccer with friends
7. Going to knitting club with friends
8. Attending theatrical camp with my friends at New Covenant Bible Church
9. Doing Impactors drama team and Deep Impact Bible study with my friends
10. Making smoothies for play dates with my friends
11. Taking pictures and videos with my friends
12. Being baptized at Palo Lake by my Dad; several of my friends also were baptized
(…can you guess the common theme here?!?)
Joel’s Top 10 - My Monthly Goals
These are things I wanted to accomplish each month of 2008:
Jan. –try to be high score in bball games. My coach is a former pro-basketball player.
Feb.- try to beat uncle Doug and the cousins in polar bear games at the hotel swimming pool and snow bank outside.
March-try to finish my school. Why does it have to take so long? And why isn’t recess more of a priority for mom.
April-try to eat all the yummy cake Nanna brought for my birthday.
May –try to score the most goals in my soccer game.
June-try to remember to pray for the people who are flooded out of their homes
July-try to make a bday card for Poppa’s 76th! Try to make the Michigan cousins feel welcome when they stop in for a visit.
Aug.-try to talk Dad into shooting hoops with me after work
Sept.-try to talk Mom into buying me drums, cuz I love to pound on pretty much anything that is standing still.
Oct.-try to score the most touchdowns in flag football
Nov.-try to shoot pheasants with my Grandpa and to eat all of Grandmother’s yummy Thanksgiving food.
Dec.-try to remember Jesus is my best friend and the whole reason we do Christmas anyway!
Gina and Sarah’s Top 10 (OK, 12 again) -- Our Daily Duties
Here are the things we like to do every day:
1. Play Littlest Pet Shops make-believe in our room
2. Take Tank out to the screen porch to play. Let him lick every inch of our faces. Poppa thinks he has calmed down since he was a puppy
3. Eat apples and clementines for a little snackeroo
4. Play Butterfly or Tackle with Daddy. Giggle ‘til it hurts!
5. Do Reading lessons with Mom, hopefully before lunch cuz she tends to nod off after a big meal as we snuggle on the couch with a big book. "Fancy Nancy" is our favorite book! We even nicknamed our Nanna “Fancy Nancy”. She rocks!
6. Ride bikes, roller-skate, or scooter in driveway
7. Do art time with Play-doh and paint…messes-R-us !
8. Make cookies and pretzel rings for teacher treats
9. Decorate the Christmas tree again. It’s looking like the Charlie Brown Christmas tree this year cuz mom let us do the decorating. Lights only go up as high as we can reach. It’s so awesome!
10.Perform in the Christmas program
11. Take gina’s stocking to bed every night. it is called “banana split monkey”. It’s hot pink with a sequin star and cute smiling monkey peeking out.
12. Play in the snow (make snow forts, throw snow balls, sled down our hill, try to avoid trees
Mom’s Top 10 -- The Most Magical Moments of 2008
These are my best memories of 2008:
1. Jan. –Glenn and I coach 2 basketball teams for upwards league. record snowfall on top of a nice thick layer of Ice. Dream of going back to Sanibel. No go…
2. Feb.- still colder than cold. Glenn enjoys his 42nd bday party with family
3. March –hooray-Sarah turns 7 and Jojo turns 11 ! bday season is in full swing…
4. April –Joel is 9 and still making us laugh.
5. May-Soccer season keeps our Saturdays hopping going between 3 fields. Finally we thaw out
6. June – floods hit CR and surrounding towns hard.
7. July-Glenn and Jess leave for Mexico. Crazy long bus rides, but GPS tracking allows us to follow along as they travel. Technology is cool…
8. Aug.-19 years married to 1 amazing man. More in love than the day we were wed. Fun day spent in Galena, IL. Grant turns 13 ! Yikes—2 teenagers and 1 tween in the house.
9. Sept-Gina turns 5! Everything she says is hilarious – unfortunately she’s beginning to realize that fact. Her confidence has soared this year. So much cuteness in 1 little package.
10. Oct- watching my baby turn 16. It’s true what they say about mommy-hood “the days drag, but the years fly”
11. Nov. watching Jess play Hannah,the march family’s maid (dream of her rehearsing her role at home a little more…)
12. Dec. celebrating the daily joys of remembering what Christmas is really all about with the kiddos !
Glenn's Top 12 - Signs I'm Getting Old
Here are sure-fire signs I'm getting up there:
1) My biggest fear preparing for a trip to Mexico with Jessica's Sr High youth group was the unknown condition of the restroom facilities
2) I eat 2 grams of Fiber One with every bowl of Lucky Charms
3) A teenage driver! Yikes!
4) I'm going to a wedding of my dear friend's....daughter.
5) ...uh...I can't remember the rest.
One last thought to share...God says those who trust Him will flourish like a green tree, bearing fruit even in the midst of a barren wasteland, even in a year of drought (Jeremiah 17:7-8). We were made to cling to Him, yet I see that I trust so many other things, and snub God the minute things don't go the way I think they should. Oh, to trust Him, even in a year of drought! May you and your family be like that green tree, as you learn with me to trust in Him.
Jessica’s Top 12 -- My Monthly "To Do" List
Here are the things I wanted to accomplish each month of 2008:
January- Dissect everything under the sun in and out of Biology lab. Take pictures of everything I dissect.
February- Practice cello. Rehearsals for NCBC Orchestra. Practice Piano.
March- Win the "Shamrock Around the Clock" scavenger hunt with my awesome friends.
April- Survive Drivers Ed.
May-Practice driving, try to convince parents to let us have summer off of school
June- Help with Theatrical Camp
July-Pack for Mexico. Build a home for a family. Don’t shower or change clothes for 4 days. Journal every detail every 5 minutes. (Note: You can read my whole Mexico journal on this blog and see some pictures of this amazing trip!)
August- Help with flooded out homes and ministry organizations destroyed during the flood of ’08.
September-Shop for homecoming dress. Take Chem lab and Spanish class.
October- Eight Days of Hope flood relief work on my 16th birthday. Get my license!
November- Practice lines for Little Women MHSAP play. Design the t-shirts for the cast.
December- Convince parents to get a third family car. Help mud & tape a flooded-out house. Go to Nanna & Pappa's to celebrate Christmas
Grant's Top 12 - My Monthly "To Do" List
Here are the things I got to do each month of 2008:
1. Jan –chisel ice
2. Feb–shovel snow
3. Mar-go to Des Moines with friends to visit my grandparents, the state capitol, and science center
4. Apr-read large novels in 1 day
5. May-go fishing with Grandpa
6. Jun-help demolish flooded out homes
7. Jul-go to Nanna and Poppa’s farm, eat yummy food, then get my braces
8. Aug-turn 13, eat cake
9. Sep-go to science coop with Mr. Langholz
10. Oct-hang out with friends
11. Nov-hunt with Grandpa and dad; bag a few pheasants with the help of Tank
12. Dec-go to movies with Jess
Joanna’s Top 12 - My Favorite Things List
These are a few of my favorite highlights of 2008. Sorry it's longer than 10.
1. Playing basketball with friends. Mom’s first attempt at coaching is mildly amusing but fun.
2. Baking cupcakes for sleepover with friends
3. Going shopping with mom and friends
4. Making sandwiches for flood relief workers with my friends. Going to bday parties for my friends, who only want gifts for flood victims. Cool…
5. Making treats for my church group ("RAP") with my friends
6. Practicing soccer with friends
7. Going to knitting club with friends
8. Attending theatrical camp with my friends at New Covenant Bible Church
9. Doing Impactors drama team and Deep Impact Bible study with my friends
10. Making smoothies for play dates with my friends
11. Taking pictures and videos with my friends
12. Being baptized at Palo Lake by my Dad; several of my friends also were baptized
(…can you guess the common theme here?!?)
Joel’s Top 10 - My Monthly Goals
These are things I wanted to accomplish each month of 2008:
Jan. –try to be high score in bball games. My coach is a former pro-basketball player.
Feb.- try to beat uncle Doug and the cousins in polar bear games at the hotel swimming pool and snow bank outside.
March-try to finish my school. Why does it have to take so long? And why isn’t recess more of a priority for mom.
April-try to eat all the yummy cake Nanna brought for my birthday.
May –try to score the most goals in my soccer game.
June-try to remember to pray for the people who are flooded out of their homes
July-try to make a bday card for Poppa’s 76th! Try to make the Michigan cousins feel welcome when they stop in for a visit.
Aug.-try to talk Dad into shooting hoops with me after work
Sept.-try to talk Mom into buying me drums, cuz I love to pound on pretty much anything that is standing still.
Oct.-try to score the most touchdowns in flag football
Nov.-try to shoot pheasants with my Grandpa and to eat all of Grandmother’s yummy Thanksgiving food.
Dec.-try to remember Jesus is my best friend and the whole reason we do Christmas anyway!
Gina and Sarah’s Top 10 (OK, 12 again) -- Our Daily Duties
Here are the things we like to do every day:
1. Play Littlest Pet Shops make-believe in our room
2. Take Tank out to the screen porch to play. Let him lick every inch of our faces. Poppa thinks he has calmed down since he was a puppy
3. Eat apples and clementines for a little snackeroo
4. Play Butterfly or Tackle with Daddy. Giggle ‘til it hurts!
5. Do Reading lessons with Mom, hopefully before lunch cuz she tends to nod off after a big meal as we snuggle on the couch with a big book. "Fancy Nancy" is our favorite book! We even nicknamed our Nanna “Fancy Nancy”. She rocks!
6. Ride bikes, roller-skate, or scooter in driveway
7. Do art time with Play-doh and paint…messes-R-us !
8. Make cookies and pretzel rings for teacher treats
9. Decorate the Christmas tree again. It’s looking like the Charlie Brown Christmas tree this year cuz mom let us do the decorating. Lights only go up as high as we can reach. It’s so awesome!
10.Perform in the Christmas program
11. Take gina’s stocking to bed every night. it is called “banana split monkey”. It’s hot pink with a sequin star and cute smiling monkey peeking out.
12. Play in the snow (make snow forts, throw snow balls, sled down our hill, try to avoid trees
Mom’s Top 10 -- The Most Magical Moments of 2008
These are my best memories of 2008:
1. Jan. –Glenn and I coach 2 basketball teams for upwards league. record snowfall on top of a nice thick layer of Ice. Dream of going back to Sanibel. No go…
2. Feb.- still colder than cold. Glenn enjoys his 42nd bday party with family
3. March –hooray-Sarah turns 7 and Jojo turns 11 ! bday season is in full swing…
4. April –Joel is 9 and still making us laugh.
5. May-Soccer season keeps our Saturdays hopping going between 3 fields. Finally we thaw out
6. June – floods hit CR and surrounding towns hard.
7. July-Glenn and Jess leave for Mexico. Crazy long bus rides, but GPS tracking allows us to follow along as they travel. Technology is cool…
8. Aug.-19 years married to 1 amazing man. More in love than the day we were wed. Fun day spent in Galena, IL. Grant turns 13 ! Yikes—2 teenagers and 1 tween in the house.
9. Sept-Gina turns 5! Everything she says is hilarious – unfortunately she’s beginning to realize that fact. Her confidence has soared this year. So much cuteness in 1 little package.
10. Oct- watching my baby turn 16. It’s true what they say about mommy-hood “the days drag, but the years fly”
11. Nov. watching Jess play Hannah,the march family’s maid (dream of her rehearsing her role at home a little more…)
12. Dec. celebrating the daily joys of remembering what Christmas is really all about with the kiddos !
Glenn's Top 12 - Signs I'm Getting Old
Here are sure-fire signs I'm getting up there:
1) My biggest fear preparing for a trip to Mexico with Jessica's Sr High youth group was the unknown condition of the restroom facilities
2) I eat 2 grams of Fiber One with every bowl of Lucky Charms
3) A teenage driver! Yikes!
4) I'm going to a wedding of my dear friend's....daughter.
5) ...uh...I can't remember the rest.
One last thought to share...God says those who trust Him will flourish like a green tree, bearing fruit even in the midst of a barren wasteland, even in a year of drought (Jeremiah 17:7-8). We were made to cling to Him, yet I see that I trust so many other things, and snub God the minute things don't go the way I think they should. Oh, to trust Him, even in a year of drought! May you and your family be like that green tree, as you learn with me to trust in Him.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Christmas Letter--Nothing Screams Parenthood Like...
One last thing...
If you happen to see us wandering aimlessly through a crowded mall and we have that glazed, hollow look in our eyes, don't worry! It probably just means we're experiencing big family anxiety. We try to live normal lives like everyone else, but the clues to our chaos are all too obvious. Here are some tell-tale signs that we're over our head with kids...
If you happen to see us wandering aimlessly through a crowded mall and we have that glazed, hollow look in our eyes, don't worry! It probably just means we're experiencing big family anxiety. We try to live normal lives like everyone else, but the clues to our chaos are all too obvious. Here are some tell-tale signs that we're over our head with kids...
Nothing screams parenthood like:
- 100,000 Playmobile guys strewn all over the basement floor
- Living room décor a la Little Tikes plastic yellow, blue, and red
- Those annoying white, little kid stick-figure stickers on the rear window
- Shopping carts disguised as racecars, fire trucks, or school buses (mandatory, according to Gina, the 5-year-old)
- The hill in the front yard looks like a luge run
- Disgusting noises in the small toys section of the grocery store as the little girls find the whoopee cushions
- Half of the grocery budget spent on toilet paper, Band-aids, kleenex, and cheese...Oh, and don’t forget the chocolate for momma!
- Sleepless nights thinking, “how in the world are we going to put them all through college?"
- A calender that looks like a toddler went crazy with a Sharpie
- Mount St. Laundry
A Merry Christmas from all of us to all of you! God bless you this Christmas season.
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