Congratulations to Blair for a) joining the blogger community - "flex those VRWC muscles!" - and b) for the news about their expected child being a girl! Condolences to Clark, though I'm guessing Miss Ryleigh is pretty thrilled that you got this one right!
Keep an eye on Blair's family, as well as As Seen on TV Products, HERE!
Thursday, June 30, 2005
Wednesday, June 15, 2005
The South Padre Chronicles (Part 2)
Day 2 began with our making Julie's Cinnamon Pull-Aparts for breakfast - an interesting experience which leads me to remind everyone that an angel food cake pan is NOT a good substitute for a bundt pan when making this recipe. The butter/cinnamon from the rolls leaked through the bottom of the pan, filling our condo with the unforgettable smell of scorched cinnamon. (The terrible smell and smoke made me wish we had one of those Oreck Air Cleaners or even one of those Cheap Ionic Breeze Quadra Air Purifiers but alas, we did not!) Knowing we would have to scrub the bottom of the oven later only added to our upset over this completely avoidable turn of events. The rolls themselves were quite tasty, and the boys enjoyed them each morning we were there. Thanks Sis!
Once the breakfast dishes were cleaned up and juice boxes/snacks packed in our beach bag, everyone was basted in sunscreen and off to the beach we went. We rented a beach umbrella and two lounge chairs, set Sheila up with a good book, and Austin and I began to test the waves for "surf-ability". The current was stronger than I remember - locals told us later that a storm had passed through a few days earlier, stirring everything up. Austin would spend most of the day riding waves on his boogie board, a 3-foot long, half-surfboard flotation device upon which a rider places his/her upper body to ride the waves. He would ride waves awhile, the current would carry him north, he'd get out, walk south past where Sheila read, then get back in and repeat the process.
Braden played on the beach and in the shallowest part of the water, preferring the shells and gulls to waves and salty ocean spray. At one point around lunchtime, he got in trouble for something or other and went to Shelley for comfort. He crawled up in her lap on the lounge chair, and after about 5 minutes fell sound asleep. Sheila moved to the other chair, covered Braden with a beach towel, and proceeded to read uninterrupted for at least two hours while he napped! During most of that nap time, I was with Austin in the water helping him catch the really big waves. We think it was during this time frame when we both got so badly sunburned - him worse than me, since he hardly came out of the water/sun all day. He started looking pink to Shelley after Braden woke up, and she made him sit in the shade of the umbrella for about a half-an-hour, which he hated. But by the time we had all gotten cleaned up for dinner, he was clearly burned, worse than we could ever remember. There were several aloe vera plants in containers around the condo's pool area, and I cut off several pieces to harvest their pure, burn-treating goodness. He was really tired and still pretty sore as we left for dinner.
There are three places where we love to eat in Padre: Amberjack's, Scampi's and Louie's Back Porch. Scampi's is too nice (and pricey) to go and wrestle with a 2-year old, so we went to Amberjack's, saving Louie's for Saturday night. And thus began our encounter with the epidemic of surly, unhelpful service which appears to have overtaken the island. When we walked in, the hostess asked how many we had in our party. After replying, she barked "you know we don't have a full menu tonight - only the buffet and this limited ala carte menu", shoving an abbreviated, one page menu at us. Taken aback, I walked over to the buffet, and establishing that they had peel and eat shrimp and other acceptable fare, we agreed to be seated. Our waiter was moderately helpful, the menu items Shelley and Braden ordered did arrive quickly, but the stuff on the buffet line was just not very good. (Me to the dirty, disheveled buffet line guard: "What kind of fish is that?" DDBLG: (Rudely) "It's chicken." Me: (Cheerfully) "Oh, prairie fish! DDBLG: Vacant-eyed stare into space.) On the other hand, it WAS more expensive than we remembered!
Coming to the night's rescue, Shelley, a woman who plans for vacations like military generals prepare for battle, baked chocolate chip cookies (from the dough she packed with our other supplies from home) and we had warm cookies with vanilla ice cream back at the condo. We all played a couple of rounds of Animal Lotto (basically bingo with animal pictures instead of letters and numbers), more aloe vera, then it was off to sleep.
Once the breakfast dishes were cleaned up and juice boxes/snacks packed in our beach bag, everyone was basted in sunscreen and off to the beach we went. We rented a beach umbrella and two lounge chairs, set Sheila up with a good book, and Austin and I began to test the waves for "surf-ability". The current was stronger than I remember - locals told us later that a storm had passed through a few days earlier, stirring everything up. Austin would spend most of the day riding waves on his boogie board, a 3-foot long, half-surfboard flotation device upon which a rider places his/her upper body to ride the waves. He would ride waves awhile, the current would carry him north, he'd get out, walk south past where Sheila read, then get back in and repeat the process.
Braden played on the beach and in the shallowest part of the water, preferring the shells and gulls to waves and salty ocean spray. At one point around lunchtime, he got in trouble for something or other and went to Shelley for comfort. He crawled up in her lap on the lounge chair, and after about 5 minutes fell sound asleep. Sheila moved to the other chair, covered Braden with a beach towel, and proceeded to read uninterrupted for at least two hours while he napped! During most of that nap time, I was with Austin in the water helping him catch the really big waves. We think it was during this time frame when we both got so badly sunburned - him worse than me, since he hardly came out of the water/sun all day. He started looking pink to Shelley after Braden woke up, and she made him sit in the shade of the umbrella for about a half-an-hour, which he hated. But by the time we had all gotten cleaned up for dinner, he was clearly burned, worse than we could ever remember. There were several aloe vera plants in containers around the condo's pool area, and I cut off several pieces to harvest their pure, burn-treating goodness. He was really tired and still pretty sore as we left for dinner.
There are three places where we love to eat in Padre: Amberjack's, Scampi's and Louie's Back Porch. Scampi's is too nice (and pricey) to go and wrestle with a 2-year old, so we went to Amberjack's, saving Louie's for Saturday night. And thus began our encounter with the epidemic of surly, unhelpful service which appears to have overtaken the island. When we walked in, the hostess asked how many we had in our party. After replying, she barked "you know we don't have a full menu tonight - only the buffet and this limited ala carte menu", shoving an abbreviated, one page menu at us. Taken aback, I walked over to the buffet, and establishing that they had peel and eat shrimp and other acceptable fare, we agreed to be seated. Our waiter was moderately helpful, the menu items Shelley and Braden ordered did arrive quickly, but the stuff on the buffet line was just not very good. (Me to the dirty, disheveled buffet line guard: "What kind of fish is that?" DDBLG: (Rudely) "It's chicken." Me: (Cheerfully) "Oh, prairie fish! DDBLG: Vacant-eyed stare into space.) On the other hand, it WAS more expensive than we remembered!
Coming to the night's rescue, Shelley, a woman who plans for vacations like military generals prepare for battle, baked chocolate chip cookies (from the dough she packed with our other supplies from home) and we had warm cookies with vanilla ice cream back at the condo. We all played a couple of rounds of Animal Lotto (basically bingo with animal pictures instead of letters and numbers), more aloe vera, then it was off to sleep.
Tuesday, June 14, 2005
Good Grief
Sorry to be so cryptic, but I have been strictly forbidden from commenting on this particular subject matter.
Suffice it to say, one can only wonder what some people might possibly be thinking!
Love ya!
Suffice it to say, one can only wonder what some people might possibly be thinking!
Love ya!
Monday, June 13, 2005
The South Padre Chronicles (Part 1)
Our family vacation to S. Padre Island has come and gone, and it is time to share some of what happened.
First, we were delighted that the drive itself took only six hours, with a 15 minute stop for lunch and 2 bathroom breaks. As we drove over the bridge from Port Isabel to the island, Shelley and I agreed that we could make that trip a couple of times a year if the opportunity presented itself. Sadly, by the time we left, several disappointments with the state of the island left us agreeing it might be quite a while before we returned.
Instead of staying at the Sheraton Hotel on the south end of the island, as we have every time before, we decided to rent a condo for our stay. Meals in the room for breakfast and lunch, as well as a reasonable cost for the room itself, made the trip more economically feasible than the hotel plus all meals out. When we got to the condo we rented, brave faces (for the children's sake) hid our horror at the condition of the unit. Without going into too much detail, it smelled bad, looked dirty, had badly soiled and worn furniture and was much smaller than advertised. As the boys looked at the ocean from our balcony, I proceeded to call the property management company and, using my David Horst voice, demanded a clean replacement. To their credit, they put us in a 2-bedroom condo which was very recently remodeled and a very nice place for us to stay. We unpacked all our stuff, including loading the refrigerator with all our food and drinks, and put together a simple picnic dinner to eat on the beach (the reason, after all, that we were there).
It was dinner time, so nearly everyone had left the beach for us to enjoy privately, which we did. The boys had little interest in eating any of the food we had packed, opting instead to pick up shells, run around in the water and chase the occasional sea gull. Shelley and I were pretty content to have a couple of cervezas, sit on our blanket and watch the boys be boys. If you consider how much these two enjoy their 5' by 5' sandbox, is it any wonder that they seem completely free and happy to be running around our little section of South Padre? Austin can entertain himself for endless hours at the beach, and did this evening. Though Braden checks in with Ma-ee and Da-ee quite frequently, he played non-stop too, needing only to be watched closely to prevent him from (fearlessly) trying to go out into the ocean as far as Austin.
Once it started to get dark, we went back to the condo, got the boys showered and settled into their room (2 twin beds) and then went to our room to watch tv until we fell asleep. Overall a good start to our trip.
Back soon with Day 2...
In the meantime, there is a hot new product online which requires your attention: White Light Tooth Whitener System. The White Light Tooth Whitening System will help remove stains caused by coffee, tea, fruit juice, smoking, aging, cola, and more using the speed of light! Only $29.99 plus s&h.
First, we were delighted that the drive itself took only six hours, with a 15 minute stop for lunch and 2 bathroom breaks. As we drove over the bridge from Port Isabel to the island, Shelley and I agreed that we could make that trip a couple of times a year if the opportunity presented itself. Sadly, by the time we left, several disappointments with the state of the island left us agreeing it might be quite a while before we returned.
Instead of staying at the Sheraton Hotel on the south end of the island, as we have every time before, we decided to rent a condo for our stay. Meals in the room for breakfast and lunch, as well as a reasonable cost for the room itself, made the trip more economically feasible than the hotel plus all meals out. When we got to the condo we rented, brave faces (for the children's sake) hid our horror at the condition of the unit. Without going into too much detail, it smelled bad, looked dirty, had badly soiled and worn furniture and was much smaller than advertised. As the boys looked at the ocean from our balcony, I proceeded to call the property management company and, using my David Horst voice, demanded a clean replacement. To their credit, they put us in a 2-bedroom condo which was very recently remodeled and a very nice place for us to stay. We unpacked all our stuff, including loading the refrigerator with all our food and drinks, and put together a simple picnic dinner to eat on the beach (the reason, after all, that we were there).
It was dinner time, so nearly everyone had left the beach for us to enjoy privately, which we did. The boys had little interest in eating any of the food we had packed, opting instead to pick up shells, run around in the water and chase the occasional sea gull. Shelley and I were pretty content to have a couple of cervezas, sit on our blanket and watch the boys be boys. If you consider how much these two enjoy their 5' by 5' sandbox, is it any wonder that they seem completely free and happy to be running around our little section of South Padre? Austin can entertain himself for endless hours at the beach, and did this evening. Though Braden checks in with Ma-ee and Da-ee quite frequently, he played non-stop too, needing only to be watched closely to prevent him from (fearlessly) trying to go out into the ocean as far as Austin.
Once it started to get dark, we went back to the condo, got the boys showered and settled into their room (2 twin beds) and then went to our room to watch tv until we fell asleep. Overall a good start to our trip.
Back soon with Day 2...
In the meantime, there is a hot new product online which requires your attention: White Light Tooth Whitener System. The White Light Tooth Whitening System will help remove stains caused by coffee, tea, fruit juice, smoking, aging, cola, and more using the speed of light! Only $29.99 plus s&h.
Thursday, May 19, 2005
I Don't Think So
2 Braden stories, 2 Austin stories, 2 Product pitches - how tidy!
Yesterday morning at breakfast, Shelley asked Braden to eat his food so she could take him into his room to get dressed before getting Austin to the bus stop (the usual morning routine). Braden said, for the first time anyone of us had heard it, "I don't fink so, Ma-ee". I regret that it is not possible to convey the inflection in his voice, because it sounded just like Shelley when Austin or I ask her something she deems preposterous.
At dinner time, right before we ask God to bless the meal, Braden has started reciting the schedule for his day at Blessed Beginnings Mother's Day Out (he went on Mondays this school year - is done now). "Dub duh pay pills (play with play-dough), duh pay puzzles, duh dub uh duh knack (snack), pay ow-sigh (outside), dub duh uh seep (naptime) and Ma-ee comes back!" Then, having informed us of the daily regimen, he is ready to bow his head and pray. Who knows why...
Austin had some trouble with his campaign speech for Vice President of Student Council yesterday. He tried to memorize the whole speech (about 1 1/2 minutes) and was doing a very good job giving it to me and Shelley Tuesday night. But the staring sea of "poker faces" he described on his 4th grade constituents Wednesday afternoon lead him to forget what he was supposed to say about half-way through. He said he stood there silent for about 30 seconds before coming up with something to say. He was not as disappointed at losing as he would have been had not 1) his best friend Gibby lost the Presidential race, 2) his good friend Cameron won VP, and 3) his good friend Trevor won President and had a victory swim party at his house Wednesday night, which Austin attended and enjoyed thoroughly. He plans to run for classroom representative to the council next year, and this will have been good experience.
The Hamilton Tigers (baseball team) lost their first post-season game on Saturday, forcing them into the loser's bracket game tonight. With us trailing by 2 runs in the 3rd inning (of 4), Austin came up with the bases loaded and 2 outs. He was down in the count 1 ball, 2 strikes, when the pitcher threw a wild pitch. The boy on 3rd stole home, but the pitcher blocked the plate, and, with the throw from the catcher, tried to tag our boy out as he came up short of home. Their pitcher dropped the ball, and was literally sitting on our boy trying to gather it up, with our boy's foot less than 12 inches from the plate. Austin grabbed our boy's foot and tried to pull him to safety onto home plate, which resulted in an "interference" call by the umpire, and an automatic "out" for our boy. And THEN things got crazy.
Our parents were apopletic, the kids were upset and crying in the dugout, and our head coach got so out-of-control that he got thrown out of the ballpark. Don, the other asst. coach, and I gathered the boys up, told them to go out and play baseball, and sent them onto the field for the top of the 4th inning. Our pitcher, who had been wild up to this point, struck out the first 2 batters he faced and, after walking 2 boys on, struck out the final batter of their half of the frame.
So bottom of the 4th, we trail by 2 runs, Austin comes up to bat. Strike one, strike two, ball one... I am about to throw up in the first base coach's box, because if we lose this game, our season is over. Did Austin strike out? I don't fink so! The very next pitch he hit as hard as any he has hit all season, left-center field, all the way to the fence on 3 or 4 hops. Stand up double.
Next boy up hits a scorching line drive to right field, scoring Austin, and scoring himself on a throwing error. Game tied. Next boy up gets thrown out at 1st base, the next boy walks, next hits an infield single. 2 boys on base, one out, game tied, bottom of the final inning. Umpire yells "time has expired". Boys and parents begin to freak out (again)!
(Remaining) coaches gather up at the pitcher's mound, umpire asks the coaches if we know what the playoff tie breakers are? Their coach says "1st tie-breaker is defensive outs, 2nd is a coin toss." Umpire - "That's right, coach. The Tigers have 12 defensive outs, the Cardinals have 10." Their coach holds out his hand and says "good game coach". Tigers win! Tigers win!
Are we done with the post season? I don't fink so! Next game, Saturday, noon! By far the wierdest, wildest, least predictable game of the season. I'm exhausted but had to tell you all the story, especially since I know Mom checks the blog on Thursdays and Fridays when she is at the church.
Speaking of Mom (and Dad), the shameless product promotion two entries ago has already generated over $100 of sales - long story, some other time - so in an effort to increase their odds of getting to New York this year with a couple of bucks in their pockets, a gratuitous plug for Huggable Hangers by Joy Mangano, for sale at Grand 8 Marketplace. These handy hangers help save space in the closet and make small spaces seem bigger. Buy several today!
Finally, Thyrin ATC for Weight Loss has become a big seller of eShop Til You Drop, and I hope you will consider the Buy 2 bottles, get 1 Free promotion while we still have it.
Ya'll don't mind me plugging all these TV products do you?
At least we know what Braden would say!
Yesterday morning at breakfast, Shelley asked Braden to eat his food so she could take him into his room to get dressed before getting Austin to the bus stop (the usual morning routine). Braden said, for the first time anyone of us had heard it, "I don't fink so, Ma-ee". I regret that it is not possible to convey the inflection in his voice, because it sounded just like Shelley when Austin or I ask her something she deems preposterous.
At dinner time, right before we ask God to bless the meal, Braden has started reciting the schedule for his day at Blessed Beginnings Mother's Day Out (he went on Mondays this school year - is done now). "Dub duh pay pills (play with play-dough), duh pay puzzles, duh dub uh duh knack (snack), pay ow-sigh (outside), dub duh uh seep (naptime) and Ma-ee comes back!" Then, having informed us of the daily regimen, he is ready to bow his head and pray. Who knows why...
Austin had some trouble with his campaign speech for Vice President of Student Council yesterday. He tried to memorize the whole speech (about 1 1/2 minutes) and was doing a very good job giving it to me and Shelley Tuesday night. But the staring sea of "poker faces" he described on his 4th grade constituents Wednesday afternoon lead him to forget what he was supposed to say about half-way through. He said he stood there silent for about 30 seconds before coming up with something to say. He was not as disappointed at losing as he would have been had not 1) his best friend Gibby lost the Presidential race, 2) his good friend Cameron won VP, and 3) his good friend Trevor won President and had a victory swim party at his house Wednesday night, which Austin attended and enjoyed thoroughly. He plans to run for classroom representative to the council next year, and this will have been good experience.
The Hamilton Tigers (baseball team) lost their first post-season game on Saturday, forcing them into the loser's bracket game tonight. With us trailing by 2 runs in the 3rd inning (of 4), Austin came up with the bases loaded and 2 outs. He was down in the count 1 ball, 2 strikes, when the pitcher threw a wild pitch. The boy on 3rd stole home, but the pitcher blocked the plate, and, with the throw from the catcher, tried to tag our boy out as he came up short of home. Their pitcher dropped the ball, and was literally sitting on our boy trying to gather it up, with our boy's foot less than 12 inches from the plate. Austin grabbed our boy's foot and tried to pull him to safety onto home plate, which resulted in an "interference" call by the umpire, and an automatic "out" for our boy. And THEN things got crazy.
Our parents were apopletic, the kids were upset and crying in the dugout, and our head coach got so out-of-control that he got thrown out of the ballpark. Don, the other asst. coach, and I gathered the boys up, told them to go out and play baseball, and sent them onto the field for the top of the 4th inning. Our pitcher, who had been wild up to this point, struck out the first 2 batters he faced and, after walking 2 boys on, struck out the final batter of their half of the frame.
So bottom of the 4th, we trail by 2 runs, Austin comes up to bat. Strike one, strike two, ball one... I am about to throw up in the first base coach's box, because if we lose this game, our season is over. Did Austin strike out? I don't fink so! The very next pitch he hit as hard as any he has hit all season, left-center field, all the way to the fence on 3 or 4 hops. Stand up double.
Next boy up hits a scorching line drive to right field, scoring Austin, and scoring himself on a throwing error. Game tied. Next boy up gets thrown out at 1st base, the next boy walks, next hits an infield single. 2 boys on base, one out, game tied, bottom of the final inning. Umpire yells "time has expired". Boys and parents begin to freak out (again)!
(Remaining) coaches gather up at the pitcher's mound, umpire asks the coaches if we know what the playoff tie breakers are? Their coach says "1st tie-breaker is defensive outs, 2nd is a coin toss." Umpire - "That's right, coach. The Tigers have 12 defensive outs, the Cardinals have 10." Their coach holds out his hand and says "good game coach". Tigers win! Tigers win!
Are we done with the post season? I don't fink so! Next game, Saturday, noon! By far the wierdest, wildest, least predictable game of the season. I'm exhausted but had to tell you all the story, especially since I know Mom checks the blog on Thursdays and Fridays when she is at the church.
Speaking of Mom (and Dad), the shameless product promotion two entries ago has already generated over $100 of sales - long story, some other time - so in an effort to increase their odds of getting to New York this year with a couple of bucks in their pockets, a gratuitous plug for Huggable Hangers by Joy Mangano, for sale at Grand 8 Marketplace. These handy hangers help save space in the closet and make small spaces seem bigger. Buy several today!
Finally, Thyrin ATC for Weight Loss has become a big seller of eShop Til You Drop, and I hope you will consider the Buy 2 bottles, get 1 Free promotion while we still have it.
Ya'll don't mind me plugging all these TV products do you?
At least we know what Braden would say!
Sunday, May 15, 2005
Seven Weeks
...Weeks before (Pentecost), Peter and the Disciples were holed up together in a room, scared for their lives, full of doubts. Luke tells us their initial response to the women who had returned from the tomb to tell of His resurrection was disbelief – in fact, the women’s words "seemed like nonsense". When Jesus appears to them in that room later the same day, they were startled and frightened, prompting Jesus to ask them “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds?”
Yet in seven weeks time, they chose to forfeit their former lives entirely, and to risk their lives for the sake of proclaiming Christ! Their choice is where our faith comes to rest. Because they could have chosen to go home and we would not be here today. They could have returned to their homes, their carpentry shops, their fishing boats, their families – the lives they had before they encountered Jesus. They could have - but they did not.
Seven weeks. From scared for their very lives, hiding in a room, to raising their voices to proclaim the gospel to everyone who had ears to hear it in the middle of Jerusalem.
We’ve had quite a lot going on in our lives the last seven weeks, too. These events going on around us since Holy Week must cause us to take notice, to question, to decide as Christians how we are to respond...
Read the rest of the sermon here or listen to it online here.
Yet in seven weeks time, they chose to forfeit their former lives entirely, and to risk their lives for the sake of proclaiming Christ! Their choice is where our faith comes to rest. Because they could have chosen to go home and we would not be here today. They could have returned to their homes, their carpentry shops, their fishing boats, their families – the lives they had before they encountered Jesus. They could have - but they did not.
Seven weeks. From scared for their very lives, hiding in a room, to raising their voices to proclaim the gospel to everyone who had ears to hear it in the middle of Jerusalem.
We’ve had quite a lot going on in our lives the last seven weeks, too. These events going on around us since Holy Week must cause us to take notice, to question, to decide as Christians how we are to respond...
Read the rest of the sermon here or listen to it online here.
Thursday, May 12, 2005
In, Not Of
That is the working sermon title for my message this Sunday, May 15th at Cypress Creek Christian Church & Community Center. The reference is to John 17:14-18, where Jesus describes the disciples as "not of the world" but sent out "into the world". The message will discuss various ways Christians have understood the relationship between their faith and their culture, as described in the wonderful book "Christ and Culture" by H. Richard Niebuhr. We read it at PU, and it was a classic even then (20 years ago!). Any and all who read these words are welcome to come. I will be posting an outline on Good and Faithful Servant, and the church will have the audio version available within a couple of weeks.
Austin is well. He is running for VP of Student Council next year, and gives a speech next week. His campaign poster is shaped like 4 very large playing cards (aces, naturally) with the slogan "Vote for Austin, Your 'Ace' for VP". His baseball team starts post-season play this Saturday, and we hope to make a respectable showing. By wins and losses this team has not done too well, but they have improved all year long and had fun, to boot.
Tuesday was our last scout den meeting of the school year, and we held it at a local fun park called "Mountasia". It was $10 Tuesday, so miniature golf and all arcade games were $10 for unlimited access the whole night. Steve will be happy to know we purchased the $7.50 upgrade for unlimited go-karting, as well. When we got there, there was nobody in line for the go-karts, so the attendant told Austin and me to "go as long as you want - I'm not going to wave you in". So Austin and I had a 20-minute, uninterrupted race, which was totally unfair due to the 175 pound payload difference between his car and mine. Clearly I was the superior driver, (clearly!) but Austin was wildly aggressive, not only cutting me off but the few teen-aged boys who happened to be on the track, also. I fear for the day the State of Texas issues that boy a driver's license!
Braden is already as brown as a coffee bean and loving the unusually mild Spring we have been having. Though we had tons of rain on Mother's Day (moving our picnic into the living from the park near our church), nearly every other day the last few weeks has been cool in the mornings & evenings. Braden (or just "B" as Shelley has started calling him) has his first official chore - filling the two birdfeeders we have, 1 in the front and 1 in the back. He will even notice when the feeders are low, and tell me or Shelley "dub duh dub Bray-un dub duh quidda kwunch", which (of course) means "it looks like Braden needs to put out some more Critter Crunch", which is the name of the feed Shelley got. It has all sorts of stuff in it, including feed for small (non-rodent) animals as well as birds. In the mornings, one of the first things B likes to do is go check out the front window to see if anything is eating the "quidda kwunch". On those glorious mornings when he sees "our" squirrel at the feeder, he comes squealing into the kitchen jabbering about "squirrs" and "quidda kwunch" and who knows what else.
Shelley has developed a strong attachment to a pair of doves who have built a nest in the gutter above our porch, but my favorites are still all the cardinals we have visiting in front and back.
But all God's quiddas, great or small, are welcome.
Austin is well. He is running for VP of Student Council next year, and gives a speech next week. His campaign poster is shaped like 4 very large playing cards (aces, naturally) with the slogan "Vote for Austin, Your 'Ace' for VP". His baseball team starts post-season play this Saturday, and we hope to make a respectable showing. By wins and losses this team has not done too well, but they have improved all year long and had fun, to boot.
Tuesday was our last scout den meeting of the school year, and we held it at a local fun park called "Mountasia". It was $10 Tuesday, so miniature golf and all arcade games were $10 for unlimited access the whole night. Steve will be happy to know we purchased the $7.50 upgrade for unlimited go-karting, as well. When we got there, there was nobody in line for the go-karts, so the attendant told Austin and me to "go as long as you want - I'm not going to wave you in". So Austin and I had a 20-minute, uninterrupted race, which was totally unfair due to the 175 pound payload difference between his car and mine. Clearly I was the superior driver, (clearly!) but Austin was wildly aggressive, not only cutting me off but the few teen-aged boys who happened to be on the track, also. I fear for the day the State of Texas issues that boy a driver's license!
Braden is already as brown as a coffee bean and loving the unusually mild Spring we have been having. Though we had tons of rain on Mother's Day (moving our picnic into the living from the park near our church), nearly every other day the last few weeks has been cool in the mornings & evenings. Braden (or just "B" as Shelley has started calling him) has his first official chore - filling the two birdfeeders we have, 1 in the front and 1 in the back. He will even notice when the feeders are low, and tell me or Shelley "dub duh dub Bray-un dub duh quidda kwunch", which (of course) means "it looks like Braden needs to put out some more Critter Crunch", which is the name of the feed Shelley got. It has all sorts of stuff in it, including feed for small (non-rodent) animals as well as birds. In the mornings, one of the first things B likes to do is go check out the front window to see if anything is eating the "quidda kwunch". On those glorious mornings when he sees "our" squirrel at the feeder, he comes squealing into the kitchen jabbering about "squirrs" and "quidda kwunch" and who knows what else.
Shelley has developed a strong attachment to a pair of doves who have built a nest in the gutter above our porch, but my favorites are still all the cardinals we have visiting in front and back.
But all God's quiddas, great or small, are welcome.
Thursday, May 05, 2005
And Now, A Word From Our Sponsors
Fans of this blog who check it for (increasing less) occasional postings will want to take heed that what follows is not any of the following:
* funny stories about Braden's vocabulary or behavior;
* updates to Austin's sporting or academic achievements; or
* a heartfelt ode to Mothers everywhere, especially mine and/or my children's.
This post is primarily a crass attempt to capitalize on a fluke of search engine optimization, details of which I will not bore you. Suffice it to say, I have my reasons (boo-ya-ha-ha-ha!).
I have been anxious that sales of our As Seen on TV products would seriously drop off by this time of year, but am happy to say they have not yet. As days get longer and warmer, less people hunker down in front of their TV's seeing all the ways As Seen on TV products can improve their lives.
Like Hylexin. Hylexin is the first formula specifically developed to dramatically reduce the appearance of serious dark circles, and we have it for sale for only $95 a tube.
Or Endothil CR. Endothil is a revolutionary new approach to building bigger, stronger muscles without steroids or steroid-like precursors, and it's only $49.99.
We are selling a heckuva lot of Propolene. For only $29.95, you will receive a free bottle along with 3 additional bottles of Propolene. After 30 days if you have decided to keep the product your credit card will be billed 2 payments of $59.90 for the 3 bottles. This works out to be less than $38.00 a bottle.
We are supposed to begin seeing a lot of sales for Provactin, also. ProVactin is a revolutionary new stimulant-free fat loss formula specifically designed for people who are sensitive to stimulants or who can't take stimulant-based products for health reasons.
Finally, I would be remiss not to mention the Alexis Vogel Makeup System. Alexis Vogel has developed a professional grade cosmetic system that gives you the tools and simple techniques to create the makeover of a lifetime.
Ok, the shame is started to rise up to a level where I must stop myself from posting further. Keep checking this space for more examples of blogging on topics about which I have said I would write.
Have a prosperous day!
* funny stories about Braden's vocabulary or behavior;
* updates to Austin's sporting or academic achievements; or
* a heartfelt ode to Mothers everywhere, especially mine and/or my children's.
This post is primarily a crass attempt to capitalize on a fluke of search engine optimization, details of which I will not bore you. Suffice it to say, I have my reasons (boo-ya-ha-ha-ha!).
I have been anxious that sales of our As Seen on TV products would seriously drop off by this time of year, but am happy to say they have not yet. As days get longer and warmer, less people hunker down in front of their TV's seeing all the ways As Seen on TV products can improve their lives.
Like Hylexin. Hylexin is the first formula specifically developed to dramatically reduce the appearance of serious dark circles, and we have it for sale for only $95 a tube.
Or Endothil CR. Endothil is a revolutionary new approach to building bigger, stronger muscles without steroids or steroid-like precursors, and it's only $49.99.
We are selling a heckuva lot of Propolene. For only $29.95, you will receive a free bottle along with 3 additional bottles of Propolene. After 30 days if you have decided to keep the product your credit card will be billed 2 payments of $59.90 for the 3 bottles. This works out to be less than $38.00 a bottle.
We are supposed to begin seeing a lot of sales for Provactin, also. ProVactin is a revolutionary new stimulant-free fat loss formula specifically designed for people who are sensitive to stimulants or who can't take stimulant-based products for health reasons.
Finally, I would be remiss not to mention the Alexis Vogel Makeup System. Alexis Vogel has developed a professional grade cosmetic system that gives you the tools and simple techniques to create the makeover of a lifetime.
Ok, the shame is started to rise up to a level where I must stop myself from posting further. Keep checking this space for more examples of blogging on topics about which I have said I would write.
Have a prosperous day!
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
Happy Birthday Julie!
It's Julie's birthday tomorrow, so since she has been the one most frequently encouraging me to continue blogging, I am posting tonight for her. This in spite of the fact that I am in Day 2 of a low carb diet, and it is kicking my butt tonight. I was successful losing weight this way last year, so I am confident it will work. But the first few days, as you leave behind all bread, pasta, potatoes and sugar -- my precious, sweet sugar... Excuse me.
Ok, I've composed myself again enough to resume. I'm eating my after-dinner grapefruit and feeling much better now. You never realize how sweet and satisfying a grapefruit can taste until you're eating it instead of a brownie, ice cream and cookie dough sundae. Mmmmm, sundae.......
Sorry, back again. Can you tell that food is dominating my train of thought tonight? How about we switch to some Braden stories instead?
Today at Shelley's Community Bible Study chapel service, the children of all the women who attend the Bible study sang at the end of the service. Songs included "This Little Light of Mine" and "My God is so Big, so Strong and so Mighty...". Got it on video tape, and I have to say Braden was equal parts precious and hysterical. He did not sing much during the early songs, but had hearty applause at the end of the songs for those who did. On the two songs mentioned above, he did get more involved, especially when the hand gestures which went along with the singing got more and more exaggerated. He has been singing "My God is so Big" at the house, almost certainly because he likes the gestures which go along with "big", "strong" and "mighty".
Bedtime now requires reading a very busy book called "Night Sounds". This book has a page on the right hand side which describes a nocturnal animal, and opens upwards to reveal a picture of the animal and a more detailed description. On the right side is a picture of the animal hidden behind a flap which you can pull open, and a color-coordinated row of buttons along the bottom which makes the sounds each particular animal makes in the wild. The book features Coyotes, Bullfrogs, Katydids and Owls among others. Every night when we get to the owl, Braden recites the "Great Big Owl" story from the Gymboree tape. His version goes something like this. "Uh Great Big Owl. With long pointy nose. Pointy ears. (Growling)Claws for toes. (Not growling anymore.) He lives high duh tree. When he looks you. He flappa duh wings and says 'who, who, who'." When Shelley or I tell him the story, we cup our hands in front of our mouths to make "who" sound louder. Braden, when he tells it, place his hands flat on each cheek to say "who". Cracks me up.
His other favorite bedtime ritual is to recite the "Three Little Monkeys Swinging in the Tree" story - also from Gymboree. (My apologies to Jeffrey if you are reading - I realize you have an irrational discomfort with "Gymbo the Rhythm-less Clown", but this is my baby we're talking about!) Braden's version of the song: "Three little monkeys swinging duh tree. Teasing Mr. Alligator 'catcha me' - 'catcha me'! CHOMP! Two little monkeys," etc... No part of the song gives him quite the pleasure as bringing his left hand down from above his head to his right hand while growling "CHOMP"! But anyone who knows the song could have guessed that part.
Finally, he has developed an obsession with throwing things over the fence. Doesn't matter which side of the house, front yard or back, side yard right or left. If he has something he can carry, and has the thought flash across the front of his busy little mind, he sprints to the nearest fence and tries to throw his payload over it. Upon completion of this devilish task, he usually turns around and asks "where toy go?", like he has no idea he just chunked it into one of our (fortunately) patient neighbors' yards. This behavior is irrating with only one redeeming element. Whenever we are in the house, in the car, at a restaurant - anywhere - and we ask him where something went, the answer is invariably the same. Example: Me, at Jason's Deli: "Braden, where is your fork?" Braden: "Over duh fence!" Everything in the universe which is temporarily misplaced is reported by Braden to be "over duh fence". Often, if we are home, and we can't find what we are looking for after searching a bit, we will make the rounds in the backyard, looking into the neighbor's yards to see if maybe, just maybe....
Austin is starting to show signs of spring fever, which is understandable given that we are four months into Spring here in Houston. He is loving baseball (mostly playing 3rd base) and enjoying the long evening sunshine with his friends across the street. Getting him out of the bed in the morning is another matter altogether.
That's going to about do it for now. We are looking forward to Dad and Mom coming for a visit next week, with Mom getting her "Longwood Mother's Club" card renewed, and Dad getting dragged out to another Astros game to sample America's past-time and the best bargains for food and beverages in the Southeast corner of Texas. (My favorite "Dad quote" from the last Astros game we went to: "That was a good bbq sandwich, but not five dollars and ninety-five cents good!") Honestly, can't you just hear him saying it?
Ok, I've composed myself again enough to resume. I'm eating my after-dinner grapefruit and feeling much better now. You never realize how sweet and satisfying a grapefruit can taste until you're eating it instead of a brownie, ice cream and cookie dough sundae. Mmmmm, sundae.......
Sorry, back again. Can you tell that food is dominating my train of thought tonight? How about we switch to some Braden stories instead?
Today at Shelley's Community Bible Study chapel service, the children of all the women who attend the Bible study sang at the end of the service. Songs included "This Little Light of Mine" and "My God is so Big, so Strong and so Mighty...". Got it on video tape, and I have to say Braden was equal parts precious and hysterical. He did not sing much during the early songs, but had hearty applause at the end of the songs for those who did. On the two songs mentioned above, he did get more involved, especially when the hand gestures which went along with the singing got more and more exaggerated. He has been singing "My God is so Big" at the house, almost certainly because he likes the gestures which go along with "big", "strong" and "mighty".
Bedtime now requires reading a very busy book called "Night Sounds". This book has a page on the right hand side which describes a nocturnal animal, and opens upwards to reveal a picture of the animal and a more detailed description. On the right side is a picture of the animal hidden behind a flap which you can pull open, and a color-coordinated row of buttons along the bottom which makes the sounds each particular animal makes in the wild. The book features Coyotes, Bullfrogs, Katydids and Owls among others. Every night when we get to the owl, Braden recites the "Great Big Owl" story from the Gymboree tape. His version goes something like this. "Uh Great Big Owl. With long pointy nose. Pointy ears. (Growling)Claws for toes. (Not growling anymore.) He lives high duh tree. When he looks you. He flappa duh wings and says 'who, who, who'." When Shelley or I tell him the story, we cup our hands in front of our mouths to make "who" sound louder. Braden, when he tells it, place his hands flat on each cheek to say "who". Cracks me up.
His other favorite bedtime ritual is to recite the "Three Little Monkeys Swinging in the Tree" story - also from Gymboree. (My apologies to Jeffrey if you are reading - I realize you have an irrational discomfort with "Gymbo the Rhythm-less Clown", but this is my baby we're talking about!) Braden's version of the song: "Three little monkeys swinging duh tree. Teasing Mr. Alligator 'catcha me' - 'catcha me'! CHOMP! Two little monkeys," etc... No part of the song gives him quite the pleasure as bringing his left hand down from above his head to his right hand while growling "CHOMP"! But anyone who knows the song could have guessed that part.
Finally, he has developed an obsession with throwing things over the fence. Doesn't matter which side of the house, front yard or back, side yard right or left. If he has something he can carry, and has the thought flash across the front of his busy little mind, he sprints to the nearest fence and tries to throw his payload over it. Upon completion of this devilish task, he usually turns around and asks "where toy go?", like he has no idea he just chunked it into one of our (fortunately) patient neighbors' yards. This behavior is irrating with only one redeeming element. Whenever we are in the house, in the car, at a restaurant - anywhere - and we ask him where something went, the answer is invariably the same. Example: Me, at Jason's Deli: "Braden, where is your fork?" Braden: "Over duh fence!" Everything in the universe which is temporarily misplaced is reported by Braden to be "over duh fence". Often, if we are home, and we can't find what we are looking for after searching a bit, we will make the rounds in the backyard, looking into the neighbor's yards to see if maybe, just maybe....
Austin is starting to show signs of spring fever, which is understandable given that we are four months into Spring here in Houston. He is loving baseball (mostly playing 3rd base) and enjoying the long evening sunshine with his friends across the street. Getting him out of the bed in the morning is another matter altogether.
That's going to about do it for now. We are looking forward to Dad and Mom coming for a visit next week, with Mom getting her "Longwood Mother's Club" card renewed, and Dad getting dragged out to another Astros game to sample America's past-time and the best bargains for food and beverages in the Southeast corner of Texas. (My favorite "Dad quote" from the last Astros game we went to: "That was a good bbq sandwich, but not five dollars and ninety-five cents good!") Honestly, can't you just hear him saying it?
Tuesday, April 12, 2005
4 is the Loneliest Number (Part II)
Austin, Shelley and I went to Lubbock, Texas this weekend for the Texas State Destination Imagination tournament. Elementary through High School age kids from all over the state, including the Rio Grande Valley (about 18 hours by car!), were there representing the various regions from which each was sent as a winning team. Austin had four teams from his elementary school who competed at the State competition, which was held on the surprisingly good-looking campus of Texas Tech.
We put Austin on a bus at 5:00am Friday morning, then got a hot cup from McDonalds and hit the highway. Next, we dropped Braden off in Granbury (Jamie and Jeff were going to keep him but Jeff's Grandfather died in New Jersey and they were there for the funeral). Braden, suspecting something was askew, kept asking "where Jamie go?", with his palms turned up and a wrinkle across his forehead. How can someone so devilish be so utterly charming at the same time?
Anyway, we got to Lubbock about 3pm, then waited for the bus to arrive closer to 5. After a quick visit, the kids got back on the bus and the parents followed to Tech, where there was a "pin exchange" for team-members at the United Arena (Bobby Knight's classroom). There were easily 1,500 kids on the floor of the arena, each with pins from their region to exchange with pins from other regions, as a sort of "social mixer" as well as collection opportunity. I could not believe the degree of seriousness with which some of these kids/sponsors took to this activity. There were people with hundreds (100's!) of pins of every shape and size, from multiple states and years. Austin's prize collection was a Fort Worth region pin set, which featured a stagecoach with spinning wheels, and three different colored horses, all attached to the stagecoach or each other by a thin chain. Austin did not want to trade any of the pins he had left by the time he needed just one horse to complete his collection, so he went to the wallet and made a girl a cash money offer for her horse. That boy is going to be an investment banker or a corporate raider someday, I just know it!
The next day Austin's team ("The Crazy Craniums") had to compete in an "Instant Challenge" at 10:20am. This is the event where the team is brought into a room with several judges, who present the team with a complex challenge and give them a few minutes to discuss and come up with a solution, then present their solution, then answer questions about their process and presentation. Every team in the elementary school age group (I'm guessing about 150 total teams) gets the exact same challenge, so they cannot discuss the nature of the challenge until the event is over. I am sorry to say that I have not yet asked him the details of the challenge. Suffice it to say, the team thought the challenge was much more difficult and complex than the regional challenge. Still they felt like they did ok.
Then we waited around on campus until 3:30 for their prepared challenge presentation. (This was the radio program they created with sound effects, set, costumes, etc...) They nailed their presentation, each one doing their part terrifically with no missed lines or cues. Everyone of the parents and kids were very excited to have them do so well and, frankly, to have it behind us.
Dinner on campus at Flatlanders (good bbq, bad shrimp, 2.5 stars) then on to the United Arena for the awards presentation. Out of 64 elementary teams which had the same prepared challenge presentation, Austin's team finished in 4th place, which meant they got a medal, but did not qualify for global competition to take place in Knoxville, TN in May. The kids were happy and the parents were thrilled!
The crazy neighbor across the street has a 5th grade daughter on a team from Hamilton who won 1st place (1st!) in the State and will be going to global competition. It is the first time I have ever seen our neighbor cry, ("crude tomboy" being a simple description of her, "borderline personality disorder" being the clinical definition) and I have to say it was very touching. The kids were absolutely ecstatic, and it was quite thrilling to see a team from our school win it all.
We were all exhausted, but got up at 5:30am on Sunday to drive back to Granbury to get all of Mama Hen's chicks back together in one nest as early as possible.
Austin got a certificate and a trophy from the school to go along with his medal and is about to get caught up on lost sleep, as are we all.
Fourth place was a very good showing for the team's first trip to State competition, and though the team was disappointed they did not win the right to go to Global competition this year, they are convinced that they will do better at State competition in Corpus Christi next year and go on to conquer the world. If this group of kids stays together, I have no reason to doubt them.
We put Austin on a bus at 5:00am Friday morning, then got a hot cup from McDonalds and hit the highway. Next, we dropped Braden off in Granbury (Jamie and Jeff were going to keep him but Jeff's Grandfather died in New Jersey and they were there for the funeral). Braden, suspecting something was askew, kept asking "where Jamie go?", with his palms turned up and a wrinkle across his forehead. How can someone so devilish be so utterly charming at the same time?
Anyway, we got to Lubbock about 3pm, then waited for the bus to arrive closer to 5. After a quick visit, the kids got back on the bus and the parents followed to Tech, where there was a "pin exchange" for team-members at the United Arena (Bobby Knight's classroom). There were easily 1,500 kids on the floor of the arena, each with pins from their region to exchange with pins from other regions, as a sort of "social mixer" as well as collection opportunity. I could not believe the degree of seriousness with which some of these kids/sponsors took to this activity. There were people with hundreds (100's!) of pins of every shape and size, from multiple states and years. Austin's prize collection was a Fort Worth region pin set, which featured a stagecoach with spinning wheels, and three different colored horses, all attached to the stagecoach or each other by a thin chain. Austin did not want to trade any of the pins he had left by the time he needed just one horse to complete his collection, so he went to the wallet and made a girl a cash money offer for her horse. That boy is going to be an investment banker or a corporate raider someday, I just know it!
The next day Austin's team ("The Crazy Craniums") had to compete in an "Instant Challenge" at 10:20am. This is the event where the team is brought into a room with several judges, who present the team with a complex challenge and give them a few minutes to discuss and come up with a solution, then present their solution, then answer questions about their process and presentation. Every team in the elementary school age group (I'm guessing about 150 total teams) gets the exact same challenge, so they cannot discuss the nature of the challenge until the event is over. I am sorry to say that I have not yet asked him the details of the challenge. Suffice it to say, the team thought the challenge was much more difficult and complex than the regional challenge. Still they felt like they did ok.
Then we waited around on campus until 3:30 for their prepared challenge presentation. (This was the radio program they created with sound effects, set, costumes, etc...) They nailed their presentation, each one doing their part terrifically with no missed lines or cues. Everyone of the parents and kids were very excited to have them do so well and, frankly, to have it behind us.
Dinner on campus at Flatlanders (good bbq, bad shrimp, 2.5 stars) then on to the United Arena for the awards presentation. Out of 64 elementary teams which had the same prepared challenge presentation, Austin's team finished in 4th place, which meant they got a medal, but did not qualify for global competition to take place in Knoxville, TN in May. The kids were happy and the parents were thrilled!
The crazy neighbor across the street has a 5th grade daughter on a team from Hamilton who won 1st place (1st!) in the State and will be going to global competition. It is the first time I have ever seen our neighbor cry, ("crude tomboy" being a simple description of her, "borderline personality disorder" being the clinical definition) and I have to say it was very touching. The kids were absolutely ecstatic, and it was quite thrilling to see a team from our school win it all.
We were all exhausted, but got up at 5:30am on Sunday to drive back to Granbury to get all of Mama Hen's chicks back together in one nest as early as possible.
Austin got a certificate and a trophy from the school to go along with his medal and is about to get caught up on lost sleep, as are we all.
Fourth place was a very good showing for the team's first trip to State competition, and though the team was disappointed they did not win the right to go to Global competition this year, they are convinced that they will do better at State competition in Corpus Christi next year and go on to conquer the world. If this group of kids stays together, I have no reason to doubt them.
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