More Fun at the Hardware Store

We had a very serious clog in one of our sinks the other day and I had to make a special trip to the hardware store to get some plumbing parts. While there the kids once again exercised their creative spirits by using various plumbing fixtures as headwear. I'm not sure what they're wearing but they looked like floppy hats. Even Cami's puppy looked good in one.

Cami also decided to try out some electrical pipes, but I'm not sure what look she was going for.

Father and Son (and Daughter) Cake Baking Contest - 2011

Last night was the 2011 Blue and Gold Banquet for our Cub Scout pack. It was a lot of fun and a lot of work to pull together, but our Cubmaster did the lion's share of the work. She deserves a lot of credit. Thankfully my wife reminded me to get her a small gift to thank our Cubmaster at the end of the ceremony. It was just a small gift but at least we were able to publicly thank her for her efforts.

Here are the kids' cakes they baked for the cake baking contest. They did most of the work this year and I think they did a great job. Ian's (above) is obviously our American flag and Cami's (below) is a husky dog. I think Ian was smart for simplifying his flag and not trying to make it have the accurate number of stars and stripes.

Ian won "The Most Patriotic" cake award and Cami won the "Man's Best Friend" award. They were happy with their cakes, but both were a little bummed that their cakes were not devoured by the attendees of the dinner. But, as I told them, there were a lot of cakes and most of them were only about 25% eaten.

The Bishops of our two wards did the judging, which was much appreciated by everyone. It was a great time and I think everyone was happy. Now it's on to the Pinewood Derby next month. The boys received their car kits last night! Hopefully their dads will let them get a chance of at least helping to make their cars.

Chili Cookoff 2011

It's that time again! One of our favorite church activities, the Chili-fest (or Chili-Cookoff), is upon us this weekend. We look forward to this event every year. It is so fun! We get to talk to our friends while enjoying some great food. What's not to like about that?

This year we decided to not make a chili for the contest. The ingredients are expensive and, not to sound petty, we never win. But, in the end we should have made one because this year there were only 13 chili's entered. For whatever reason there were not many attendees this time around. Last year there were almost 40 chili's to choose from.

The video above is but a small sample of the festivities. There was a live band, provided by some members, and later there was a pinata for the kids. Last year the pinata wouldn't break and had to be smashed by an adult, but this year the 3rd of 4th kid blew the thing apart.

It was a very fun night, but like was said before there weren't so many people there tonight. I don't know where everyone was, but they weren't at the fest. I really hope that this lower turnout doesn't deter the leadership from having the party next year. One of the things I feel about our ward is that all of the activities are always on shaky ground and can be forgotten about too easily. I am always looking for church activities to get the kids involved with and I would hate to have these fairly rare events go away completely.

Oh, by the way, our former Bishop won the "Best Chili" award this year after 10 years of trying. I didn't get to taste any of his chili but I'm sure it was yummy.

Fun at the Hardware Store

Cami likes to wear hats. She has a fair number of them at the house, but today she forgot to wear one when we went to the hardware store. Not to be outdone, she found some suitable headwear (headware?) in the plumbing / electrical isle. I would have bought it for her if it wasn't so expensive, or if it had been hailing outside.

The First Plants of 2011

I was walking to downtown Evanston today and I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw some plants popping up from underground. I didn't expect to see any for at least two or three more weeks, basically I didn't expect to see any until around the middle of March.

In only a few more weeks we'll be heading into April and then it all begins. The flowers, the birds, the warmer weather. I guess it's something to look forward to.

Valentines Day 2011

This Valentines Day was on a Monday, meaning that it was too busy for any dinners out, so we had dinner in. My folks came over, because my dad wanted to take me to the hardware store and buy us some new shutters for our house, and they brought KFC with them! Woohoo!

The kids got the little gifts above. Candy and a stuffed dog! What else could they want?! Oh, they got some cards as well. I took this photo before the kids knew they were there. I didn't get any pictures of them finding the gifts, though. I think it was because the kids didn't find them until they woke up in the morning (Tuesday morning that is) and I was getting ready to go to work.

No Poison Gas

A few days ago my friend Brian ("Uncle Brian") gave the kids some really cool Star Trek stickers. There were all sorts of "Radiation" and "No Personnel", labels and the like. The kids found some "Poison Gas" warning labels and their creativity (such as it is) went to work. This is the result.

Cami's Excellent Fashion Sense

Cami has several passions in life. One is staying warm and another is looking good. I think this morning she has achieved both. Oh, and a third passion is eating some of Daddy's donuts. If you look closely you'll notice some white powered sugar around her mouth.

Cami and Ian Gift Wrapped

The other night we were going to visit mommy in the hospital and the kids drew her some pictures. The pictures were big so we needed big gift bags. The one Cami chose was so big that she could fit inside of it. You can see Ian trying to get into his gift bag, but it was smaller...and he is bigger, so it wasn't working for him.

I was able to pull Cami around the kitchen floor but she was disappointed that I couldn't lift her up without tearing the handles off. Oh well, I guess there are some things about growing up that aren't so fun.

Christmas Eve 2010

Woohoo, Christmas is finally here! This year, as in most years, we spent Christmas Eve at Nanna's house. The dinner she prepared was very tasty indeed, and as you can see the kids had a great time opening their gifts. Mommy's brothers live in different states but they always remember to send gifts for the kids and this is when they get to open them. Mommy's brother's (and sister) are very generous with our kids.

Because we go to my folks' house on Christmas Day we couldn't sleep over at Nanna's. Instead we had to hit the road and head home. The kids were so excited about Christmas morning that they were still awake when we got home. If memory serves they didn't get to sleep until after 2:00am. Whoosh! Daddy's tired.

Macy's Smurfs

This picture was taken at Macy's shortly after the kids wrote their letters to Santa (see my other post). We were all pooped out and needed a break. We sat and watched the crowds as they hustled past us and wondered if we looked as worn out as they all did.

While we were at Macy's we bought the kids some stuffed animals as mementos of our trip. Ian got a Smurf elf and Cami got a white bear with Christmas ribbons (or bows, I can't remember). Take one guess as to who carried these critters for the rest of the day.

I'm proud of this photo because you don't see anyone in the background. I had to wait until everyone passed and then the kids had to pose (or smile, etc) and then I had to hold the camera steady because the light was dim, and it all came together. I'm a genius. :)

Letters to Santa, 2010

This year we went to Macy's in downtown Chicago for a fun day among the cheerful holiday crowds. Our real goal was to see Santa and get the appropriate pictures. However, this entry is mostly about the letters to Santa that the kids wrote. I'll post an entry with the Santa photo later.

Macy's had a table setup with paper for kids to write their letters and they had a big mail box to post the letters in. I was told by another customer that for every letter posted Macy's would donate a small amount of money to some charity.

Of course, our kids were excited to write to Santa and I was excited to get pictures of their letters. And here they are in all of their glory.

Ian was asking for an art (sketch) book and some crayons and Cami was asking about an Elf named Semore (Seymour?) that belongs to her friend Julia. She also wanted Santa to say "hi" to Rudolf for her.

These letters really warm my heart. It shows that my kids are innocent and loving and are not cynical about life, at least not yet anyway.

Winter 2010

We love Winter! Well, Daddy does anyway. Cami isn't so sure. She hates the cold but she loves the snow. Ian likes winter. He runs around outside without a coat and he doesn't seem to notice when snow gets into his shoes. He just loves to roll around in the snow and I also think he enjoys it when his Nanna is yelling at him to come in the house and get his snowpants on.

Roasting Marshmallows

The kids wanted to start a fire in our outside fire pit, but it was really cold out. Not to be diverted the kids asked if I would build a fire in our fireplace. Of course I will! Within a few moments the kids were roasting marshmallows (and maybe hotdogs, but I'm not sure of that). They had a great time and I got a few moments rest while their attention was focused on the fire.

It just goes to show what exhaustion will do to you. When the kids were younger I wouldn't have taken my eyes off of them while they were anywhere near a fire. Now, just the warning of "don't burn yourself" is sufficient. Well, they are older now and not as crazy as they used to be, and I did monitor them.

Cami's Snowman

Ah, we love that first snow. Cami was determined this year to make a great snowman. Actually, now that I think about it Ian helped her, so they should both get credit. She couldn't find coal for the eyes and a carrot for the nose, so instead she used cheese. Chunks from a slice of American cheese to be accurate.

We Love Pumpkin Pie!

The kids really like pumpkin pie, so much so that I bought some extra ones this year. I thought the kids were going to eat them. Imagine my surprise when I came into the kitchen and they are instead wearing them on their faces.

I was mad, but not mad enough to not take a picture. Not surprisingly, they smelled like pumpkin pie even after they washed it off.

Truth be told, they ate most of the pies. It was that last bit that made it onto their faces.

Doctor Who Convention, 2010

This year Ian and I once again attended the Chicago Tardis Doctor Who convention. We were extra excited this year because Uncle Brian was able to attend with us. He's been ill the last couple of years.

At this convention the main guests were Frazer Hines (who played Jamie MacCrimmon) and Louise Jameson (who played Leela). They are in the photo with us above.

We got there early, went to some of the events, did a lot of shopping in the dealer's room, talked to a bunch of people we know from prior conventions, went to dinner at the food court at the local mall, and then went to the costume contest. As the photo below shows we had a great time.

Halloween, 2010

We love Halloween! This year the weather was decent, but a little cool. People with sharp eyes will notice that Cami is wearing a different "kitty" costume than the one she wore to school. This one was handmade by Mommy. It's made of some thick material that kept Cami warm without her having to wear a coat.

Mommy didn't get Ian's costume done in time so he wore a costume that we bought him (the same one he wore to school). His was made of very thin material so he got cold pretty quickly, hence the coat he is wearing.

The kids got lots of candy this year, which made Daddy happy. He likes to eat most of the candy so he's happy when there is a lot to choose from.

Some friends of ours from our ward came and went "trick or treating" with us. They live in an apartment so they come to our neighborhood. It works out well because their daughter is in Ian's class at church and their son is in Cami's class at church.

Pumpkins, 2010

This year, the kids carved their own pumpkins with minimal help from us. I have a bunch of pictures of the kids carving their pumpkins, but because of the mess, they did it while just wearing their underwear. So, I'm not putting those pictures up.

I think they did a pretty good job. Ian's was a spider and Cami's was the cat. In another post you'll see the pumpkins out on our front door stoop.

Costume Day at School, 2010

It's Costume Day at school today! Cami was excited, but Ian wasn't. I'm not sure why. Perhaps he's sick. He's good looking nonetheless. Cami really loved her "kitty" costume, as you can tell by her pose.

Ian Earns His Wolf Badge

After a year's hard work Ian has finally earned his Wolf badge. I think Daddy should get one too, seeing as how he was the driving force behind getting the things done. We're very happy for him that he stuck with it and got it done. Now, he's on to earning his Bear badge.

Ian's 9th Birthday

Is it possible that Ian is 9 years old? I don't know how time has gome by so quickly.

He loves pumpkin pie, so instead of a birthday cake he got a birthday pie. This is a little family gathering that we had for him. His kid party will be later, once we decide what it is we're doing. A movie perhaps, or maybe lasertag? Hmmm.....it all sounds so expensive.

Fashionista

Cami definitely has a style of her own. Today for school she chose this stylish outfit. I especially like the pink tiger-striped leggings, or tights, or whatever they are. The pink flower in her hair and the pink sunglasses are a nice touch, too.

The Kids Are Growing Up

The other day I took the kids to the playground before church. They both decided that they wanted to get into the kiddie swings. What an eye opening experience for all of us. Cami sort of fit but Ian was really cramped in their.

Daddy was nearly in tears realizing that his babies are no longer babies. It is very sad, but fun at the same time. Everyone laughed at how silly they looked.

Crazy Hair Day, 2010

Well, I think Mommy did a great job this year making the kids' hair crazy. Cami's was blue and red and seriously teased up into a mass of hair up on top. It sort of looked like a fountain.

Ian's hair is short so Mommy just colored red, white, and blue, but she was able to use gel to get it spikey on top.

First Day of School 2010

I hate it when the kids go to school. I hate having to get them up in the morning and I hate doing homework at night and getting done just in time for bed. There's never any time to play. Plus, there's the emotional aspect of realizing that the kids are one year older.

With all of this in mind here is a photo from this year's first day of school. The kids were ok with it, but the first day of school is always sort of fun. You get to see your friends you haven't seen all summer, etc. It's the 2nd thru last day of school that stink.

I can't believe how grown up the kids look. This year Ian is in 3rd grade and Cami is in 2nd grade.

Onion Rings

Today we decided that we were going to start the quest for the best tasting onion rings. But, Cami doesn't like onion rings so we also added the best chocolate malts to the list. Here is our kick-off photo.

This photo looks so cute. The casual observer isn't aware of the effort it took Dad for the kids to pose and to basically hug each other. But, the effort was worth it.

We decided to blog our experiences at: http://theonionringdiaries.blogsport.com

At least I think that is the URL. Of course, in our busy lives we have yet to post an entry. But we'll get to it someday.

Camping

Recently the kids have asked to go camping. For one reason or another we were not able to go. Undeterred, the kids set up their own campsite out on the driveway. They did this in spite of the rain and the thunder. At least I got them to make the fire in the lid of our fire pit thingy. Originally they were going to put the fire right on the ground.

I admire my kids ingenuity and sticktoitiveness (new word).

Sidewalk Chalk

A week or so ago I took the kids to see the "How to Train Your Dragon" movie in 3D. It was an awesome movie and well worth the price of admission.

Since the movie the kids have been all about dragons. Tonight they drew dragons on our driveway. I thought they were very cute so I took the opportunity to photograph them before the rain comes and destroys their drawings.

The Kane County Cougars

This year Cami enrolled in Ozzie's Reading Club sponsored by the Kane County Cougars baseball team. In short, if she read a certain number of books during the school year she would be rewarded with a free ticket to a baseball game, a free shirt, and a voucher for a free hot dog meal at the game.

She completed all the requirements and enjoyed the books as she went. She was really excited to go to the game and I could tell that she felt a real sense of accomplishment. Everyone was very proud of her.

We bought three more tickets and a parking pass so we could all go to the game. The day of the game mommy wasn't feeling well and didn't go to the game. It was just as well because it was very hot and there were a lot of stairs in the stadium. Her knee would have hurt terribly had she gone.

Both of the kids got their picture with Ozzie, the maskot of the team. Can you tell that the t-shirt that Cami got is a large? That was the only size they had. Oh well, she can wear it as a nightie.

The kids got their fill of hot dogs, popcorn, pop, and a bunch of stuff I can't even remember. The kids weren't really into the game that much. There were a bunch of other kids from Cami's class and that distracted her.

After the game was over the kids got an opportunity to run the bases. I could have also but I opted to watch and take pictures as they crossed the plate. Unfortunately some other kid was in the way so my pictures aren't that great.

It was a great time and Cami felt really good about getting her reward.

It's Spring and baseball season has started! Ian is doing a great job batting. In his 2nd game he got 2 walks, a single, and a double. Plus he scored 4 times and batted in a bunch of runs. The fun part is he did this to his former team. In fact, his old coaches came up and teased him that they were going to have to "do something about" him when their teams play each other again.

He enjoys playing first base because he is more involved in the game. He played catcher for a couple of innings and semed to enjoy it. He likes his new coaches and even though his team isn't all that skilled he is still having a great time. And that's what it's all about.