Scintillating, poignant, fascinating, delightful, and sometimes accurate observations about the world around us.
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Delivering Cupcakes
Unfortunately, most of our neighbors weren't home. The kids still had a great time singing to those folks that were home and enjoyed themselves in general...except when Cami fell and dropped her cupcakes on the ground. Also, Cami was in such a hurry to leave the house that she didn't put any gloves on. After a while her hands got really really cold. Tears ensued...
Friday, December 25, 2009
Christmas Day 2009
Santa was good to the kids this year. They got new slippers, and Barbies, and sketch pads, and remote control cars, etc etc. They had a great time opening their gifts and they also really enjoyed giving us their gifts. Their school has an event where they can pick from some inexpensive items. They were so excited for us to finally open them.
Later in the day we went to my mother's house where the kids got even more gifts!
I've tried, probably unsuccessfully, to remind the kids that this day is really about celebrating Jesus Christ and his atoning sacrifice. Perhaps as they get older I'll have better luck.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Christmas Eve 2009
My mother-in-law cooked a fabulous meal of turkey and all the fixings. My kids' favorite part of the meal was dessert. No surprises there. Cami has a particular fondness for whipped creme (Cool Whip to be accurate). She jammed a whole piece of pumpkin pie into her mouth and smeared the creme all over her face. I was able to snap this photo before most of it was licked off.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Running Away
I tried to talk her out of it but she kept saying that, while she would like to stay, it was "best for her" to leave. I told her I would miss her and asked if she would come back and visit with us from time to time, especially when she had her grandbabies. She said she would and she admitted that she would miss us, too.
I let her leave and then I turned off all of the lights and then watched her out of the window just in case she actually did start walking down the street. After about a minute I heard the back door open up. I turned on the lights and asked if she had forgotten something. She was crying and said that she missed her family. I sat down with her in my lap and she cried and cried. She said that home was the best and she missed her mom and she missed her dad and...are you ready for this...she even said that she missed her brother. Oh, and she missed her stuffed animals and her comfy bed.
I made her a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and we went to bed. It was a cute episode and I'm happy that I got a picture of her as she was getting ready to leave.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
We Need Some Doggie Diapers
This little four-legged dude needs a diaper. Last night he came into the basement where I was working and he pooped right on the floor!
Monday, December 14, 2009
The First Santa of 2009
The kids really enjoyed the magician, though in my opinion his act had too many slow spots where most of the kids' attention began to wander. But he had birds and mice and bunnies in his act, which were a big hit.
The man in the santa suit did a great job but my kids were quick to point out that he wasn't the REAL Santa.
Friday, December 11, 2009
A Fun Night Out
One of the more enjoyable games there was the bull ride. It would spin around and basically try and knock the kids off. It looked like a blast. Unfortunately, Daddy was too big to get on.
They also had a laser tag room but it wasn't going when we were there. I would have liked to have done that. They also had a mini golf area but with all of the other activities I couldn't get the kids to focus long enough to have done that.
It was fun but next time we're going earlier to take advantage of all of the stuff.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
The First Snowman of 2009
Our snowman looks a little dirty because it's still early in the year and many of the leaves that were on the ground got caught up in our efforts. You can tell by how wet the kids are in the photo that they had been out for quite some time. Ian and I had a great snowball fight also. Thankfully neither of us were hurt, even though I took a couple of snowballs in the face. Ouch!
There was a massive storm this morning throughout the Midwest but thankfully it missed the Chicago area. However, it's supposed to get much colder this afternoon and all of this sloppy wet snow will solidify into one giant block of ice.
Monday, December 7, 2009
2009's First Snow!!
This year I hope to redouble my efforts to do more fun things with the kids in the snow, like sledding and building forts and snowmen, etc. Last winter we didn't go sledding even once and that bummed me. The weather folk tell us that we may get close to 10 inches by the end of this week so my resolve will be put to the test very quickly.
Pooped Out
And speaking of children, my mother-in-law took the kids this weekend so that Aura and I could go out to dinner for our anniversary and when she brought them back they were so tired that they laid their heads on each other and just pooped out. They were so cute I had to take their picture.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
A Dream Come True
Since my kids have been born I have been hoping that they would some day come along with me to a convention. Recently Ian has been watching the show and he has discovered that he enjoys it. He especially likes the Daleks (who doesn't?). I gave him the option of going to this year's convention..and he went! It was a dream come true for me.
He really enjoyed the convention and was "bored" only a couple of times. It's not surprising as waiting in line for photos and autographs can be a bit tedious. He enjoyed it so much that next year he wants to go to all three days. This year we only went to the Saturday session.
It was wonderful for me that Ian went along to the con and maybe some day Cami will come, too. Instead of going to the con Cami went with her mom and her Nanna and got her ears pierced (more on that later).
One of the more memorable things that happened during the show happened in the video room. For those who aren't familiar with conventions there is usually a video room going just about 24 hours where they run episodes of the show or other shows that the various Doctor Who actors have played in. Ian and I ducked in to the room as they were running the Doctor Who episode called Terror of the Zygons. The scene we saw had the Loch Ness Monster chasing the Doctor across the moors of Scotland. Ian really liked that but then they showed one of the Zygons and Ian got up and couldn't get out of the room fast enough. He was really scared. He said he would have nightmares if he watched any more.
He loved the costume contest and spent a fair amount of time taking pictures of the contestants, especially the girls. There was one girl in particular that he liked. She was dressed as a female Dalek.
We both had such a good time that we're already looking forward to next year.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Ian's 8th Birthday Party
One of the benefits of your kids getting older is you don't have to worry quite as much about them while they are in the water. Because of this we were able to chat a little more with the parents that came and we felt comfortable turning our backs for a few minutes while we setup the cake and drinks. But even if we hadn't felt so comfortable the park district provided a lot of life guards this year. I think there were at least four of them, possibly more.
Ian's cake was a "Star Wars" cake that we ordered from a local Wal-Mart. Personally I prefer the cakes that Meijer makes but they didn't have a Star Wars themed cake. It tasted pretty good and it was devoured by the kids in a heartbeat. I had hoped that I ordered a significantly large cake that we would be able to take some home, and we did but not as much as I had wanted.
The important thing about the whole day was Ian had a great time and he was very nice to tell his mom so. It makes it a lot easier to spend the money and the time and effort when your kids appreciate it.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Ian and Cami's First Basketball Class
I'm really happy that there are enough girls in the class so Cami doesn't feel alone. There were enough girls that they had their own group when they were practising passing, dribbling, etc. But during the scrimmage all of the kids were mixed together. Cami had no idea what to do during the game. In fact, one of the coaches put her with another girl to do the "jump ball" to start the game and after Cami hit the ball she and the other girl just stood there for 2 or 3 minutes because they didn't know, and weren't old, to get into the game.
Ian really had a good time running around. Basketball might be a good sport for him because he can be in constant motion. He enjoyed baseball but there were alot of times when he would just stand in the outfield and practically fall asleep because nothing was happening.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Ian's Baptism
Our friend Ginny flew in from Utah for the event, which made us all very happy. She took the photo above (thanks Ginny!) and was a great help and added a lot of moral support.
Ian's grandpa gave the opening prayer, his Auntie and his Aunt Ginny both gave talks, and his Aunt Gina gave the closing prayer. We definitely felt the Spirit there that day. Auntie was very emotional and that made the rest of us tear up also. I was happy that when I did break down in tears I had already successfully said the prayer and had dunked him.
My heart is so full of emotions about this event that I can hardly express myself. Needless to say I am very happy that Ian chose to be baptized and I pray that he will keep his baptismal covenants in his life. And it warmed my heart the next day in Sacrament meeting when Ian was welcomed into the ward as the newest member. It also made me very happy that there were so many people from the Ward that attended his baptism.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Halloween 2009
This year the kids did most of the carving of their pumpkins themselves. In the past they have been too young to handle the knives or they've been in bed, etc. but this year they cleaned out the gunk from the inside by themselves and they traced their patterns onto the pumpkins and even did some of the cutting. I would have let them do all of it if we hadn't been running late, but they had a party to go to so I had to step in to move things along.
The party they went to up the street was fun though I must admit I missed most of it because I had to run out to the store to get some more candy. I'm not sure if it's a sign of a bad economy but the shelves were full of candy and there were not alot of people buying it.
And speaking of candy!.....
here is a photo of a portion of their haul. They did really well this year. Our neighbors were very generous with their candy.
We were pleased that some friends of ours dropped by unexpectedly. First Uncle Brian and his sister Susie dropped by with some candy and gifts for all of us (thank you!) and then the Odell family dropped by in the evening. Not only was it great to have someone to hang out with while "Trick or Treating" but we were able to get our pictures taken with our pumpkins. Every year we take pictures of me and the kids with our pumpkins, it's sort of a tradition of ours, but this year I was afraid we weren't going to get the photos taken because our photographer, Aura, was not feeling well. But our friend Mike stepped into the breach and we got it done. Phew!
Friday, October 30, 2009
Halloween Eve - 2009
I'm glad that Halloween is on a Saturday this year because every year I carve pumpkins with the kids and it's hard to do it the night before. This year we'll be able to carve them and put them right outside. In the past we've always waited until the last minute to carve our pumpkins because they get eaten by the various animals that inhabit our area. Opossums, raccoons, squirrels, mice, and who knows what eat our pumpkins to such a degree that in just a day or two they are almost completely gone.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Cami's 6th Birthday Party
Our First Camping Adventure
Aura found a KOA campground up near our favorite beach in St. Joseph, Michigan. When it came time to put up the tent I was really happy that I had practiced in our yard. It's funny that when you're putting up a tent everyone else, meaning other campers that were around us and not my family members, just sits and watches. I was really glad that I didn't come off as too much of a putz.
The kids really had a great time camping. Aura and I really enjoyed it also. We borrowed her sister's air beds so we didn't have to sleep on the lumpy ground and, while I'm somewhat embarrassed to admit it, we even put an air conditioner in there. It was really comfy and we even discovered that our tent was water tight when a big thunderstorm moved through during the night. I was surprised that we all slept so well. One annoying thing was many of the other campers there at the campground got up really early and they were all surprisingly noisy.
One of our favorite things was the campfire. We sat around it and roasted marshmallows and just basically enjoyed each other.
We also went to the beach that weekend. Lake Michigan's water temperature never really warmed up this year because it was such a cool summer. The water was especially cold this time around. The little kids just played in the sand and the various teenagers that were there braved the cold but you could tell that they really didn't want to be there, but none of them were brave enough to be the first ones out of the water.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
I'll Miss Summer
This year the kids and I went fishing a handful of times. We did it once as part of a Cub Scouts activity and they decided they really liked it. So, I bought them some inexpensive fishing rods and off we went. We tried the Chain O' Lakes area several times and we tried Busse Woods lake and a couple of other local lakes and we never got a bite. I fully believe that there are no fish left in Illinois. The entire state has been fished out. It's been hard keeping the kids excited about fishing when they never catch any fish.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Ian is Growing Up
But, as they say "time waits for no man". I keep telling both of our kids to stop growing up so fast, but so far they haven't listened. Before you know it they'll be asking for the car keys.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Crazy Hair Day - 2009
The picture above doesn't really do their hairdos justice. It was raining and we didn't want the colors to run so I didn't get a chance to take any closer pictures of their hair and for some reason (user error I'm sure) the photo that I did get is out of focus.
Mommy got up early that morning so she could help the kids with their hair. Even though she has not felt good recently she still wanted to make sure the kids didn't miss out on the fun.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Ian the Forest Ranger
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Mad Scientists
It was pretty cool how the foam would come shooting up out of the bottle. There is one trick I learned to do by mixing baking soda and vinegar but it was late and the kids had to go to sleep so I couldn't show them, but if you mix them in a bowl that has high sides the carbon dioxide that is created will stay in there and if you blow bubbles over it the bubbles will land on the CO2 and appear to float. It is actually a pretty cool effect.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Cami's Trip to Hawaii
Thursday, October 8, 2009
She's Still A Little Girl (Thankfully)
A few weeks ago Cami decided she was going to go to sleep in her dolly's crib, and oddly enough, she fit. Even though she has grown so much recently she still is a small kid. As a dad I am really happy that she is still a little girl and hasn't grown up just yet.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
All Good Things Must End
There was one ride called The Tornado that the kids insisted on riding. I took a video of us on it and as you can see the kids really enjoyed it.
In all the kids had a great time and I was very pleased that I got them there. I would have been very disappointed with myself if I had missed the chance to go.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Apple Picking - 2009
This year Mommy went and, due to her poor health, it probably wasn't a good idea. Not only did she not feel good but it was a hot day and that really drained her of energy.
The kids had a great time running around and taking bites out of apples to see if they wanted to pick more. I think we eventually settled on some Jonathans and another variety that I can't think of the name right now. Oh, and we picked some really large apples that are intended for cooking. Aura's mom made an apple pancake with them and it was very yummy.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Young Love
Monday, September 7, 2009
A Short Vacation
Last time we were there we stopped at an Amish restaurant/deli sort of place that Aura said made the best sandwich she had ever eaten. We stopped there again and it was just as good the 2nd time around. This time I took a picture of her sandwich.
It was a fun trip but a tiring trip. We were sort of worried that this trip would ruin our fond memories of the previous trip but instead we added a whole new set of memories to the mix.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Cami Waiting Patiently
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
School Starts Up Again
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Even Super Heroes Like Ice Cream
Saturday, June 20, 2009
This is Boring!
His team did really well and almost won the championship. Ian was a very good batter and almost always had a hit whenever he was at bat. He even caught an inning or two and while he wasn't great at it we were very proud of him that he stuck to it even though he was hit in the head by a pitch.
We were also happy that he said he wanted to play again next year.