Menningen Family Members Pose for Pictures

And provide some interesting quotations!

Mr. Gross Alex has become fond of grossing people out, a typical stage in a boy's life.

Says Alex:

"It's pretty foggy today, although it's not like pea soup, it's more like chicken noodle broth . . . without the noodles and vegetables . . . and chicken."
"Mom, they have a day for me on the calendar: October 13 is Ingenious Day!"
"Ah, Alex, that's Indigenous ..."
"Oh, that's only a rock. I thought it was an armadillo."
Carolyn said, "I didn't have too many sweet dreams. I only had one sweet dream and four sour ones."
Alex replied, "Did you have one half sweet and one half sour dream about a chicken?"
"Come on, Nathan, gravy is like the icon of manliness!"

Cowboy chums Alex and Nathan enjoyed dressing up as cowboys one day. You can see that Nathan was adept at losing teeth this year . . . one day he managed to wiggle two different teeth out. There were many toothless grins! At right he's holding a Saw-Whet owl captured during a banding program at a local environmental center.

Says Nathan:

"I just have 3 little words: one hundred fifty-one wheel drive!"
Helping with the vacuuming: "Would you plug this in for me? I'll be careful not to vacuum up the cat."
Not enthusiastic about a coloring lesson: "Mom, I can't do it all right now. My arm has to catch its breath."
"But Mom, if I do all the reds and greens I'll run out of horsepower!"
"Mommy, mommy! There was an accident in the bathroom! Soon our apartment's going to drown!"
May 2003, about a month before Jamison was born: "Mom, I wish you'd have twins: Jamison, and a girl named Arnie."
"That whale just made the back of our TV wet!"
Going off to bed: "Mom, I'm exhausted! I'm also sleepy. What does exhausted mean?"
"When I get married, I'm going to have my wife sew me some Spiderman underpants!"
"Life is better with a dog. Now I have someone to rescue me if I fall off a tall skyscraper or cliff."

Girl and her swan When given a choice for her birthday gift, Carolyn chose this swan. They sure look pretty together!

Says Carolyn:

About Baxter, our cat: "Mommy, Baxter's nose is dry! ... Mommy, Baxter's nose is not dry anymore. It's wet because I licked it!"
Two months later... "I don't want to eat these strawberries. They taste like cats."
Nathan asked, "If a thief comes into our house, what should we throw at him?"
Carolyn replied, "Shoes! And pizza!"
Taking turns with a toy, "Grandpa, can you make the time go slower when it's my turn?"

Porch Princess I Susie enjoys the porch when the weather is mild. Here she finds a quiet moment with a book. The picture was taken July 4, 2004, her third birthday.

More quotes by Carolyn:

"Iced tea is my favorite kind of coffee."

"The left hand's pointing to my nose, and the right hand's pointing to my belly. That's what time it is."

Regarding a Clementine: "Susie, that's not called an orange, it's actually called a lemon pop."

"My tummy is so full that I don't have any electricity left in my body."

Porch Princess II Grandma captured this precious moment with Heyden at our Whitewater home in spring 2004.

Says Susie:

Mom singing at bedtime, "The Lord make His face shine upon you, and give you peace, and give you peace."
Susie interjected, "A piece of cookie?
Mom asked, "Susie, how are you feeling this morning? Do you still have a fever?"
"No, not anymore. My fever is lost."

Baxter relaxes Baxter didn't mind Tucker, Carolyn's real-but-not-alive dog. He's not nearly so fond of Kasey...

Says Baxter:

"Cut it out with this diet cat food!"
"Would someone please get rid of this dog?"