As is the tradition this time of year we draw names to see who will buy for who.
- Jeffy drew out Daddy
- Aleia -- Jeffy and Linky ( the baby)
- Tommy -- Aleia
- Eric -- Laena
- Clint -- Mommy
- Mommy -- Eric
- Daddy -- Clint
Showing posts with label kidz. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kidz. Show all posts
Well my daughter turned 17 today.
I'm not sure what to think about this.
She's the snooty one on the right in the white dress. Way too cute for her own good.
Monday was a fairly stressful yet beautiful day. Our four year old, "Deedle", had to have an inguinal hernia operation. He has always been the typical boy, runnin', jumpin', and horsin' around. He has that grin that drives all the storm clouds away. He just cracks that smile and life IS good. So it can be quite tasking emotionally when he has to endure a some measure of pain. Parents want to protect their children from danger and pain. He needed this operation however and we couldn't avoid it.
Two of our other children got sick over the weekend and needed to go to the doctor. (Influenza and 2 ear infections, we are so lucky!
) So Mom took the 2 and I took Deedle.
Things went smoothly and like a trooper he did amazingly well. (I would still be layed up.) In post-op he told me he was doing "fine". They had given him a local pain killer and a general pain med. through the IV during the surgery. Since then he hasn't needed any additional pain killers. What a guy! We asked him numerous times, if he was ok? Every time it was, "I'm fine."
Oh, to be young again.
Last year was surprisingly great. I hope I can maintain a bit of momentum into 2007. So here are a few areas I have setup some plans.
Fitness:
- Triathlons: 4 April, June, August and September.
- Half-marathons: 2 June and October.
- Swim a mile at my kids Summer Camp.
- Just get regular again.
School:
- 2 classes this Spring: Astronomy and Race & Ethnicity.
- 2 or 3 classes this Fall: College Intermediate Algebra and Intro to Human Anatomy and Physiology.
- Online learning: Blog technical.
- Work: It's a constant learning environment.
Blog:
- Write more: at least 3 posts a week.
- Better Design.
- Add more value to the Blog.
Family:
- Run with my son more.
- Read more stories to the little ones.
- Spend more time with my lovely wife.
It's gonna be a bumpy ride, but hey I like adventure!
...and the winners are!!
- Jeffy - Dad
- Aleia - Eric
- Tommy - Aleia
- Eric - Tommy
- Clint - Laena
- Laena - Clint
- Mom - Jeffy
- Dad - Mom
Which is all pretty cool. I enjoy buying for my wife. There were a few disagreements but the Hat has spoken. Somehow little Lincoln got missed. I think that happened because we let the 6 year old write up the names. Oh well such is life. This is one of our Christmas traditions. What are some of your traditions?
Well life has been a bit hectic lately. Little Sahara was blast. We found the Sandboarding to be much better this time of year. I usually take the scouts at the end of September or the first of October. This time it was later in the year and much colder. We also had a rain within the previous week. So what does this translate to?
- Sand was harder, the board didn't sink.
- Sand was a little moist so the board seemed to slide better.
- Night time was pretty frigid.
The boys were quite the troopers. We used hot rocks wrapped in paper bags to keep our sleeping bags a little warmer through the night. The trick is to make sure the rock isn't glowing. That is too hot. Plus you need to make sure there are no embers still stuck to the rock. We also will wrap the rock in aluminum foil before wrapping in a pape bag. We had 3 boys and 3 leaders. The boys tent was fine however one of the leaders almost lit the leader tent on fire. Not really but there was some smoke. He missed an ember.
My digital camera died. We used an old 35 mm Canon. It works well but for some reason my CD hasn't come in yet. Hopefully today.
Woohoo! We are going to the Little Sahara Sand Dunes this weekend. It should be alot of fun. We are planning on doing some hiking, compass skills, and sandboarding. We will also do some star gazing tonight. It is really amazing how much more you can see when you get outside the "glow" of the city.
I wish I had some 4-wheelers but oh well. It is always nice to just get away from it all. We might also be able to check out some animals. I plan on posting some pictures from this event at my Picasa Web album.
What are some of your fun places to go camping?
Wow! I can't believe it is almost here. My daughter is turning 16 next month. It seems like just the other day she was born. In fact I can remember when the doctors told us, after the ultrasound, that we were going to have a little girl. Within 12 hours we had a baby. I say this with permission from my wife. She did all the work. Still that was a blink away.
Where did the years go? What happened to all of our dreams and plans? Why does it matter? I seem to notice that the most important things in life are not the most pressing. However, is that really the way it is supposed to be? I have made the error of neglecting the valuable in favor of the "squeaky" wheel.
Have you had this stumbling block in your path? What steps have you taken to make the most important "thing" be the "most important thing?"
It does take a bit of effort. "Prioritizing" doesn't come naturally until we have developed that skill. It takes some consistent energy and determination.
Last night I took the family to the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus . It was actually quite fun. The kids had a blast. Of course the trinkets were way over priced. 10$ for some cotton candy w/ cloth-paper hat. Ce la vie! I think occasionally you need to do that kind of thing. Kids need to be spoiled once in a while. I will admit the other (older) 4 kids didn't get anything unless they brought their own money to the circus. I did explain this to them before we left the house. I feel this way they get to decide if the circus toy is worth it or not. It does make a difference when it's their money.
Where were the Tigers? I mean no Lions, Big cats, pumas, Nada! I haven't paid a lot of attention to the news but maybe the whole Siegfried & Roy catastrophe means no more. I don't know, If you do let me know I'm awfully curious. My one son was really kind of let down. He did enjoy the motorcyclist in the BALL OF DEATH. You know that huge metal ball that isn't so large once you stuff 8 bikes in it.
All in all, 4 of 5 Stars.
It seems our lovely Govt. is at it again. If you haven't hear the latest news today you might want to check this out. It would appear that the FCC has deemed it their obligation to correct our kids. They claim that the "Evil" Advertisers are the ones to blame for the epidemic that is sweeping the nation. ( I admit that phrase is a little overused.)
Yes, our kids are a little overweight. Hey look in the mirror. There are a lot of us adults that could lose a little weight. Now here is a thought.
- Kids aren't supposed to work until they are 16.
- Mom and/or Dad (PC) are obliged to provide for said children for 16-18 yrs.
- Mom and/or Dad are the one(s) who earn a living and have financial funds.
- Kids don't drive until they are 16.
- Who is it that is buying/paying/shopping for the groceries?
You have probably already guessed it, It's YOU and I. So maybe, just maybe, we are the responsible party. I know it sounds like heresy. However it just might, maybe mind you, be the truth.
I
know I am the one to blame in my household. I am also the one who is currently in the process of making things right. We have really cut back on the goodies. "No we don't need ice cream" every time we go to the store. "Yes you do need to eat your vegetables."So do I really want the FCC taking this responsibility and therefore increasing my cost of goods?
No I don't think so. Thank you very much.
"You must be the change you want to see in the world," -Ghandi
I have a fairly big family, 6 kids. My oldest is 15 and we have twins that are now 14 yrs old. Fortunately my wife has been able to be a stay at home mom. Getting them to do their chores can be quite a challenge. It seems they will do everything to avoid chores for days at a time. Then they like flush the toilet and want a standing ovation.
Drives me nuts! All I am asking is to do your share. I have work, school, and family (notice I am not supposed to have any outside interests; ie, minitrucks, music, friends, martial arts.) Well that's life when you have kids.
Speaking of movies you might want to check out Kids in Mind. It's pretty cool. I found out "clerks 2" has 139 F-words! Thats more than 1 every minute of the show, Not recommended. Kidz are like sponges so you have to be careful.
After all is said and done. I am one lucky guy.
That's what my 3 yr old told me today. We were just about home and one of our neighbors, a lady, was out walking in the dark.
"She shouldn't be walking alone, There are bad guys out and about, " I said.
I am kind of glad that he hasn't had a run in with "Bad" guys. As a parent I would like to protect him, but I don't want to shelter him either. I hope I can prepare him for whatever comes his way. It was only a few days ago we remembered the tragic events of 9/11 and the great courage and determination Americans showed in response to the brutality brought upon the innocent.
Where will he be in a couple of decades? Will he be out there in the concrete jungle fighting to preserve my freedom? I wonder sometimes what state the world will be in when he has grown. I hope and pray that he will get the opportunity to raise a family as I have. To have the joy of having a son run to the door when you get home is wonderful and fulfilling. I guess only time will tell.
Well what a week! I have 3 boys in the scouting program. So lucky me I got to use an entire week of vacation at Scout Camp. Whew hew!!
Last MTW I was at High Adventure Camp. We almost got rained out so it was most definitely a challenge. You really get to see who's got the "STUFF" when their gear is all wet and they can't get warm or dry. There were 3 or 4 troops who bailed ship. Their loss.
The sun came out as it always does and we did rock climbing, rappeling and a canoe excursion. The Rappel was a 160 ft descent. The canoes included a 40 ft cliff dive (which I let pass) and the rock climb was about 40 ft. Our boys caught crayfish when it was raining.
ThFSat was with my younger boy and was pretty laid back but it was still fun.
Now the ? is can I still get all of my tests and homework done by Tues. to pass my classes? Probably, but it'll be close. L8R.....
Why is it that my older kids think they need to "help" me with the younger kids. For example if I ask the 3 yr old to give me a ball then the 14 yr old takes it from him and gives it to me. I don't know what he was thinking (the 14 yr old) but now he has taken the opportunity for the 3 yr old to be obedient.
This is not what I was hoping to accomplish. It is tough enough being a parent without interference. I guess that's just life. What I need to do is remember that the most important thing is the relationship that is developed between parent and child. That is not an easy thing to do. About the time you get it figured out they're gone.
Well this day is gone. I'll be better tomorrow.
