Family Mellmann

I have posted more pictures...ALREADY! I know. I know. You're thinking, "But it hasn't even been two weeks yet!" Crazy, isn't it? Now don't go getting all used to this kind of quick update. I wouldn't want you to get...y'know...spoiled or something. Hey, I even put in some video. So this should hold you until my next update in...say...August. :) Enjoy. " AHHHHHH! Can you believe it? Mama did a web update again?!"

Although our windows are closed up tight and we cannot hear the hammering, I did manage to spot two giant Pileated Woodpeckers in the trees of our back yard. By the time I got the camera out and had the zoom lens attached the second one had disappeared, but I did manage to capture a few pictures of the remaining bird trying to drum up some grub in this tree.

As we often do on Sunday afternoons in the winter months, the four of us went skating. The kids love it and, on these cold winter days, it's a great way to get out of the house and do something fun. Patrick has been skating on his own for two years now (maybe this is his third), but for Katherine this is a new thing - and very exciting. She falls a lot, but it doesn't slow her down. She just hops back up and keeps going. Of course, this is exhausting so she poops out faster than the rest of us, but we have a great time watching them skate.

Patrick received a digital camera (designed for kids) from his Illinois Oma. He's been playing with it for a while now, but apparently had made some mistakes (no pictures ever appeared on the memory card). Well, he must have figured it out because he capture a picture of his aquarium and even managed a video. His aquarium just received an "extreme makeover"; new rocks, new plants, new decorations, and a new "wall of water". Our hope is that this will solve the chemical imbalance that we have been struggling with for the past three months or so. After a few "Katherine episodes" (she dumps an entire fish food container into the water) we suspect that the water just couldn't stabilize. Hopefully this complete tank cleaning will fix the problem and make it possible for us to replace the fish that this process has killed. Enjoy the picture and video on his site .

I hope everyone is enjoying the new year and staying warm in these cold winter days (well, they're cold winter days here in Vermont). I keep thinking that we don't take that many pictures, but when I downloaded the cameras from the last few weeks I discovered that there were several pictures that I had forgotten about. So, for now, I am up-to-date with the pictures from the cameras. If we go ice skating today there may be more, but this kind of reflects what has been going on here since our Christmas Eve celebration. Enjoy.

Merry Christmas to all of our family and friends, and to those who follow this blog and its related website. We hope that you are enjoying the holiday season and all that comes with it (shopping, family, travels, visitors...). We wish you a blessed, healthy, and prosperous new year. Enjoy the website update at www.mellmann.com .

Tuba Christmas in Burlington Vermont

Today we celebrated Patrick's 8th birthday. I'll work on getting the website updated with more photos (there were TWO parties today - one with family and one with friends), but I thought you might enjoy seeing what an eight-year-old looks like. :) Patrick blows out the candles on his marble cake. The presents. Patrick in his first hip waders...they're more like chest waders, but Patrick doesn't care.

Patrick's school pictures came in. I know that none of you are that eager to see any pictures (grin) but I thought I would post them anyway. The class picture below is Patrick's class of first and second graders. The teacher on the left is Mrs. Rogers, his primary teacher. The teacher on the right is Ms. Eaton; a student teacher.