It's Spring!!!

What's new?  So, Todd is flying the friendly skies with Delta Air Lines.  Mom is still crazy and volunteering too much.  Amanda is getting ready to graduate.  Julia is learning to drive (which is partly why mom is crazy).  Allison is planning to try to do 3 sports in high school (cross country, basketball, and swimming).  And, Matthew has begun his karate training. 

Bucky, the world's laziest dog, continues to not catch lizards. rats, or bunnies. 

Christmas 2014

2014 … Brought to you by The Linskeys

·         Overconfident in our success with gardening, we moved on to breeding things.  Unfortunately, we only succeeded in breeding termites and bunnies.    One destroyed the garden, the other ate our house. 

·         Bucky, the world’s laziest dog, had to have TWO more surgeries to fix his torn ACL.  He has now returned to pulling my shoulder out of joint while walking and drinking ditch water with reckless abandon.  

·         Todd began the wonderful interviewing process undertaken by many college graduates….twenty years after graduation.  Next time you get in trouble on a Delta Air Lines flight, be sure to ask if Todd is your pilot.

·         Helping Amanda slog through college applications has made the thought of teaching Julia to drive sound appealing.

·         When faced with repeated mandatory signatures, Todd decided our official titles are “Duke and Duchess Linskey.” 

·         Julia is now in Driver’s Education.  Julia, who gets lost a block away from the house and in grocery stores…

·         Amanda has proven to be a good driver…unless you are a large, stationary, neon green dumpster loitering on our street.  Then, she’s going to sideswipe you.  You’ve been warned.

 

Amanda – Soon-to-Graduate Senior – “Troll”

Has already adjusted her diet to reflect her future collegiate poverty by consuming copious amounts of ramen noodles.

Did not burst into flame when getting a makeover for her senior picture.

Refuses to wear anything but sweat pants and pajamas.  Also in preparation for college.

Has started getting used to the idea of roommates by letting the dog move in with her. He loves the arrangement.

Routinely screams at small children to stop running, but has a great excuse (she’s a lifeguard).

Will be studying biological sciences in Fall 2015 at California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo.  Go Mustangs!

Julia – Sophomore-about-to-drive – “Troll 2”

Thinks band is harder than sports.  Ask her to do a pushup or catch a ball to prove this.

Infected Matthew with her sass.

Still not trusted around fire.

Often asked if Amanda is her younger sister or twin, much to Amanda’s chagrin.

Things that will get her to move:  Food, SuperWhoLock, and sarcasm. 

Considered becoming a doctor, but now prefers medical examiner so she doesn’t have to worry about killing anyone.

Allison – Almost-a-Freshman – still “PGP” (Princess Grumpy Pants)

Is frequently mistaken for Amanda, much to Amanda’s chagrin since Amanda also gets mistaken for Allison.

Reinvented term “sports nerd” by balancing a French Horn, Clarinet, cross country bag, and basketball on her bike.

Survived another year of not eating fruit. 

Has the technological savvy of a 94 year old shut-in.

Frequently adjusts her crutches in anticipation of her next potential injury. 

Matthew – Almost in Middle School – “The Boy”

Believes that “trying new foods” only requires being within a 5 foot radius of the food and/or maybe smelling it.

Lobbying for the title of “Sassmaster Supreme.” 

Could live with only a deck of cards, his DS, chicken noodle soup, and his dog.

Learned it takes less than 4 minutes to melt chocolate chips in the microwave…and that chocolate can start on fire.

Successfully drove gymnastics and swim coaches insane.  He will now turn his attention to running coaches.

Bucky – age 7 ½ - “Bumpasaurus”

Disappointingly ineffective against the scourge of termites and bunnies plaguing the neighborhood.

Much like the wicked witch of the west, he is afraid of rain.  In his mind, for the same reason.

Thinks carrots are the work of Satan.

Did absolutely nothing when a 40 foot pine tree fell into our backyard during in a windstorm except rescue his ball.

Occasionally has to be physically dragged outside in order to get back to nature.

 

2015 Graduation Dates:  Amanda  (June 9^th), Matthew (June 10^th), Allison (June 11^th) – Graduation Party (June 13^th)

Have a wonderful holiday season and a safe and happy 2015!

Todd, Kelly, Amanda, Julia, Allison, Matthew and Bucky

Spring 2014

I'm posting to this because I'm afraid it might disappear if I ignore it for too long.  I mainly throw stuff on facebook now.  What's been happening?  Swimming, basketball, band, more swimming, gymnastics, more basketball, even more swimming, and probably more band.  Add to that SAT/ACT/AP stuff, a driving teenager, a kid playing 2 instruments, and the other insanity that goes with having 4 kids. 

Included are a few random pictures.  I'll try and update a bit more often :) 

Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays 2013!

2013 was an incredibly exciting year for us!  Okay, not really, but we’ll just pretend it was.  Here are a few highlights:   

·        Todd successfully grew a garden and, in related news, became an adept rat-slayer.

·        Bucky, the world’s laziest dog, somehow managed enough activity to tear his ACL.  

·        Kelly spent a few months recovering from foot surgery directly attributed to being what is medically termed “old.”

·        Julia discovered Marching Band.   Allison plans to yet again copy Julia by also joining when she is in 9^th grade. 

·        Allison decided to try French Horn.  Did you know you could buy a small country for the cost of a French Horn???

·        Kelly & kids enjoyed a vacation at Wilderness Lake with family and nearly all the mosquitoes and biting flies in the Northern Hemisphere.  Todd enjoyed two exciting excursions to Bahrain (motto:   “Better than Qatar!”)

·        Matthew started gymnastics and swim team, most likely in an attempt to drive as many coaches insane as possible.

·        Kelly finally got to go to Lambeau!  The Packers WON!  And the Wisconsin Band was there!  And the Bears LOST!

·        Amanda got her driver’s license.  Our insurance bill could now buy us a small country .  Or a French Horn.

Todd took an extravagant 2-day trip to Phoenix to become a certified “ATP.”   What that means is after flying for nearly 20 years in the military he took a test given by the government that says he MIGHT be able to fly airplanes.

Amanda – 11^th grade – “Troll 1”

Developed The Six Degrees of Anime - where she relates ANY subject in ANY conversation to an episode of anime.

Her food pyramid is more like a large, doughy ball consisting of pasta, bread, cheese and any other food devoid of color.

Although she doesn’t like to finish last, she’ll tell you to keep the  12^th place ribbon.

Is officially the hardest person to shop for or with in the entire world.

Puts on bandaids to prevent wounds.

People with OCD think she’s crazy.

 

 

 

Julia – 9^th grade – “Troll 2”

If she were an animal, she’d be a hyperventilating giraffe.

Wants an Australian Possum.

Aspires to be a motivational speaker (example:  “Congratulations on sucking!”).

Is petitioning the IOC to make Jazz-Running-with-a-Sousaphone an Olympic event.

Any activity you do can be compared to marching band, and it will be found lacking.

Is considering moving to England to watch Dr. Who since mom is too cheap to spring for BBC.

 

 

Allison – 7^th grade – “Princess Grumpy Pants” (“PGP”)

Likes to confirm gravity by continuously dropping her phone and/or falling down.

Injures herself every place she goes.  Example:  She got a black eye doing sit-ups.

Has never actually brushed her hair out completely.

Loves fruit.  Except for apples, bananas, berries, melons, apricots, mangoes, oranges, and any other fruit-shaped food.

Loves puppies and polar bears.  No, seriously, she says that on her Pinterest account.

Will carry on conversations with you while she’s completely asleep.

Matthew – 4^th grade – “The Boy”

His notes to family and friends are a special kind of demented, misspelled, and strangely poignant poetry.

Prefers to smile in a way that makes everyone think he’s being electrocuted.

Has been named the next backup for the Packers if this Flynn guy doesn’t work out.

Will disagree with himself just for extra practice.

When verbal sarcasm fails, he will employ visual sarcasm.  (See below)

Thinks nude statues are “inappropriate” and will let everyone within earshot know it.

 

Bucky – age 6 ½ - “Bumpasaurus”/”The Tongue”

He will show disapproval in all from a comfortable distance.

His “can do” attitude often mistaken for clinical death.

Prefers the mucky bouquet of ditch water to all other beverages.

Protects all from the terrorist threat posed by lawn ornaments.

Believes that every human carries treats in his/her pockets and is not afraid to check.

Was forced to wear a bra by his older brother and sisters and yet still loves them unconditionally.

 

Recent Random Weirdness

Here are some more recent escapades...the pictures speak for themselves.

Why you should hide scissors until kids are at least 10

Thinking we were home free and no longer had to hide the scissors, we were proven wrong by one of our children. Again.

The scary thing is, it took us most of the day to notice it. We just thought he slept weird.

Notice the expert random cutting technique commonly only seen in drunk teenage girls (think "16 Candles") and cheapskates...

 

Can I make this as painful and difficult as possible for Dad? CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!

 

See, I didn't have to go get a haircut. Mission accompished!

 

This is what happens when dad cuts my hair. At least he didn't use a chainsaw.

 

 

Christmas 2012

2012 was really a very boring year for us.  We didn’t move, we aren’t planning on moving, and other than a few new scars there are no family additions or wild excursions in the works.  But, boring is good for us as we continue to enjoy good health and have much to be thankful for. 

So, what was new this year?  Well, we attempted to grow a garden.  This was great until the rats figured out we were having success. As it turns out, rats (like our children) don’t like vegetables so we were able to enjoy the carrots and cucumbers of our labor (just not the apples, apricots, or tomatoes).   Bucky, the world’s laziest dog, did little to deter them.  We all tried new ways to improve our fitness.  Todd discovered Crossfit.  Allison and Kelly swim with Amanda on the local team (yes, they let old people join too!)  Matthew tried soccer, but found it was ‘boring and stupid’ because everyone kept taking the ball from him.  He is planning to try swim team or gymnastics in just a few months… and maybe basketball.  If there is ever a sport involving light sabers, he’ll be all over that.   And, until sleeping becomes a competitive sport Julia has decided that she really likes volleyball.   Below are a few factoids about the kids...

Amanda – 10^th grader – call sign “The Troll”

Never ask her about Pokemon.  Just trust me on this one.
Slaughters the English language on a routine basis.  It’s epic.
Believes Speedos could be used as a weapon in the war on terror.
Wastes more time on Pinterest than the government does on, well, everything.

Chuck Norris will soon be afraid of her driving.

Julia – 8^thgrader – call sign “Whovian Princess”

Petitioned Congress to change the name of the sport of “Bowling” to“Boring.”
Believes every problem can be solved by shooting it. Unless it’s a zombie or Matthew.
Is sorry for all the Doctor Who references. More sorry because you don’t understand them.
Laughs uncontrollably while watching The Walking Dead.
Could sleep through a Zombie Apocalypse.

 Allison – 6^thgrader – call sign “Princess Grumpy Pants”

Willing to go anywhere at any time and do pretty much anything that isn’t sitting around. She’d even watch the Vikings.
Her athletic exploits are the basis of the term “drama jock.” Best known example is Jay Cutler of the Chicago Bears.
Really, really, REALLY wants her very own phone.
Wants to be like her grandma and jump out of a plane and is quite mad that she has to wait until she’s 18 to do it.
Carries home enough beach sand in her swimsuit to fill half of a sandbox.

Matthew – 3^rdgrader – call sign “The Sock Jedi”

Carries home enough school playground sand in his shoes to fill the other half of a sandbox.
If lightsabers were real, he would kick Yoda’s butt. He’s that good.
Still finds girls boring, but (for some reason) thinks babies are awesome.
Knows everything. Learned it on the Internet.
Can fit an entire blanket into his underpants.

 Bucky – age 5 ½- call sign “Bumpasaurus”
Can fit THREE balls in his mouth at the same time. Try it, it’s not easy.
Has never found an object or animal he will not at least try to eat.
Perfected his “hound dog” attack bark.
Is so lazy snails frequently mistake him for a plant.
Vowed to always protect his family from plastic bags stuck on bushes.

Best quotes of the year:

While picking out flavor snacks dog treats, Julia says, "Is it bad that I want them too?"

Upon leaving Sequoia National Forest, Matthew uttered the following declaration:

"Never ever take me to another place where all we do is look at trees!"

"Matthew just stuck a straw up his nose and blew bubbles in his soda." (Text from Julia

Have a wonderful holiday season and a safe and Happy 2013!

Todd, Kelly, Amanda, Julia, Allison, and Matthew

 

Dad and Grandma go SKYDIVING!!!

From the ground...

 

From the air...

More recent weird quotes...

Took Matthew to get his hair cut yesterday. When it's all done, I notice red marks on his forehead. Worried he might have been cut, I look closer. As I do this, Matthew says, "Ohh, yeah, that's my Harry Potter scar. I drew it on at school with my correcting pen." (At least it wasn't sharpie!)



"Mom, please turn on the heat conditioning!" (Matthew after his swim lesson tonight)



"Matthew just stuck a straw up his nose and blew bubbles in his soda." (Text from Julia while we were at a swim meet)




You know you're having a tough morning when you utter a phrase like this: "Yes, Matthew, you can shoot your sister. But, you have to brush your teeth and put on your shoes and socks first."

Learning to cook

Amanda puts chicken in the oven to cook. She sets the timer and leaves. Three minutes later, the timer goes off and she is shocked that the chicken is not cooked. Todd and I can't stop laughing because she vehemently insists she read the directions...and after way too long realizes she read the MICROWAVE directions.

Vacation (and other random recent) Quotes

Stopping at the Sequoia National Forest Visitor's Center, we were given a lesson on the many animals that inhabit the park. Matthew correctly identified the bear skull, but couldn't figure out the other one with long teeth. The ranger said, "I'll give you a hint: It may use a litter box in your house." Matthew replies, "Yeah, I just don't get that at all." I answered, "Mountain Lion." The ranger confirmed that this was the correct animal. Matthew turns and looks at me with a very angry expression and says, "Wait a minute. You didn't tell me there were mountain lions here! Now I have to worry about bears AND mountain lions!"


Julia and Amanda were forced to share a bed in San Francisco. At one point in the middle of the night, Amanda gets mad and says, "Julia, will you quit moving around." We learned that Julia, even half-asleep, can be quit sarcastic when she responded with, "Sure Amanda, becauase I'm the only person who has ever moved around in their sleep ever!"

Upon leaving Sequoia National Forest, Matthew uttered the following declaration: "Never ever take me to another place where all we do is look at trees!"

While touring Crystal Cave, the tour guide asked if we had any questions. She did this a lot, and Matthew frequently had questions (mostly about bats). But, at one point towards the end Matthew came up with the following: "Yeah, I have a question. Are we done in here because I'm bored. Can we go to another cave?"

After getting his new "spacer" in his mouth, Matthew declared, "I hate my voice now. It sounds stupid."

Dibs...

Allison: "Mom, here's a dollar. Can I have this can of frosting?"

Me: "No, and you are not eating a can of frosting."

Allison: "I'm not eating it, I'm claiming it."

When you just suck at video games...

Matthew to Julia: "Can I have your Wii Zelda account? You're just not that good at it."

Funny older kids...

"They shouldn't call it bowling. They should call it boring."(Julia)

We learned today that Amanda has not outgrown her word mispronunciation disorder. She pointed out that Matthew was looking "lash-i-vously at the lin-jerry" while walking through a store (she knows what "lascivious" and "lingere" mean, but she can't pronounce them to save her life!)

Summer quotes so far....

(Julia channeling her inner cousin "It")



At the store with Julia deciding on what dog treats to get for Bucky. We decide on Flavor Snacks (which have Bacon, Turkey, Chicken, Sausage, and Beef flavors). Julia literally says, "Is it bad that I want them too?"


I just saw my dog stick his head under the couch, sneeze, whack his head, and stumble around wondering what had happened.


"Eat her. She tastes better." (Matthew said this - while pointing to Allison - as he talked to the snow leopard at the Santa Barbara Zoo today)

Even Moms Try Hard

I took Matthew and Allison to swim today. Matthew had a brief conversation with a friend of mine who I sometimes lap swim with. The friend mentions to Matthew, "Your mom is a good swimmer."
Matthew responds, "Well, no, but she really tries hard."

He followed up with some interesting comments about how I used to work at Taco Bell but quit so I could swim more.

TRANSIT OF VENUS!!!

"Wow, Venus is really small. And slow. This is neat, but a little bit boring." (Matthew commenting on his viewing of the transit of Venus)

Memorial Day 2012 - Catching up on the latest Matthewisms

Recent quotes and anecdotes:

Quote of the day: (Matthew) "Dad, mom says you can't wear her shoes."


Bad news: Matthew put a hole in air mattress. Good news: He plugged the hole so effectively that Todd didn't know there was a hole until he saw the pen sticking out of the mattress.


We have a gong in our hallway (yes, like the gong show, only smaller). Matthew bangs on it loudly while walking down the stairs a few minutes ago. I exclaim, "Hey!" His response: "What?!? It's not like I killed your wife or something!"


I have often noticed that my dog can be quite lazy. This observation was resoundingly confirmed tonight when he came back into the house with a snail crawling up his back...


Bad part of the night: Locking myself out of the house (by locking my keys in the car at dinner). Only the 3rd time in my life I've done that.
Good part of the night: Getting the girls to try Indian food, finding a really good Indian restaurant, and learning that I am quite skilled at breaking into houses.

RIna

I met Ferdousi (who I called Rina) during the first week of my freshman year of college at the University of Wisconsin - Platteville. She was in my 8am Calculus class. After a few days, this pretty, petite, spunky, dark-haired girl bounced over to my roommate and I as we were leaving class and said, "Hey, you guys know what's going on in here. We need to study together. It'll be fun - when are you free?" My roommate preferred to study alone, and I used to study alone too. But, this girl would not take no for an answer! Plus, she was really nice and seemed fun. We started to study together and became fast friends. Rina was my friend for almost 23 years, and we lost her this past week to stage IV colon cancer that was discovered only 9 1/2 months ago. She leaves behind so many who love and miss her. She was only 42 years old.

Rina, I know you are looking down on us and in a much better place. Thank you for being my friend. You taught me so much - hopefully I will remember it all and live as you did: Happy, free, and true to yourself. !Paz y amor! Love you always.

Ferdousi (Rina) Jamir Gramling

December 20, 1969 - April 4, 2012

"Our loving mother, daughter, sister, aunt, cousin, niece, grand-daughter and friend. You are living in our hearts forever."

Yet another way to get your butt kicked by your sisters....by Matthew

Matthew is currently walking around the house with a clipboard assigning his sisters "grades" based on their perceived attitudes. He gave Allison an F+ because she is "mean" and is now informing his other sisters that they are "not smart." Butt kickings to commence in 3...2....1......