One Kansas Family

100th Day of School

2012-01-24T21:47:00.000-06:00

By Adam.

Oklahoma City Weekend Trip

2012-01-18T17:16:00.000-06:00

Over the first three-day weekend of 2012, we drove three hours south to Oklahoma City -- Bricktown. The hotel had a neat pool, so that was an extra bonus.

We went on a boat ride.

View from our hotel window...before I broke the curtains.
That restaurant on the corner is where we ate.

Crabtown. I had chicken.

Science museum was cool.

We found the Lego table.

We felt a hurricane and played in a treehouse.

We built this tower.

And played a non-traditional pinball machine.

Scott got chosen to help in the Science Lab.

Table for giants.

Nice to see brothers working together.

We finally HAD to leave because the museum was closing.

Soccer: Wichita Wings style

2012-01-12T21:35:00.000-06:00

We had five soccer games last weekend. The boys played in four, one was a Wichita Wings game.

One of the boys' games was at Hartman Arena, on the same field that the Wichita Wings play on. It was a huge field compared to what they are used to for indoor soccer.

Wheathawks name in lights!

Adam

Zach

Halftime pep talk

Zach

Adam playing goal keeper

Instagram: Instant Fun

2012-01-08T18:02:00.001-06:00

Apple announced Instagram was its most downloaded app of 2011. With instagram, you apply filters to photos you have taken with your iPhone, creating a whole new feel to ordinary pictures.

Even President Obama uses Instagram (well, his staff does at least).

And a few of my photos...

Adam at Oak Park. This picture uses the 1977 filter, one of my favorites. Maybe because I have photos from 1977, that don't need the filter applied.

Kansas sunset. This I took from the van window while driving 70 miles an hour!

Lego junkyard. Enough said.

Christmas 2011

2011-12-30T19:09:00.000-06:00

At Botanica to see the lights...and Santa.

At Union Station. Our annual trek to see the trains. And eat at Fritz.

With their new electronic toys.

No coats in December! (unlike this year) At Grammy and Grandpa's house.

Not recommended for anyone over 12 years of age. You'll wind up with a black eye.

See?

It's called a soccer ball...you kick it with your feet.

Related:
Christmas 2010
Christmas 2009: part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4 (I guess I had a lot to say that year)

Christmas 2008: part 1 (not sure why the video does not work), part 2, part 3
Christmas 2007

2011 Year in Review

2011-12-25T06:00:00.000-06:00

Not much has changed in the last year.

Wait, one thing did. The boys now wear glasses. And we did go to the beach this summer.

Adam is in 3rd grade. His favorite subject in school is Math (and not just math, hard math).

Zach is in 2nd grade. His favorite subjects are recess and lunch.

Related: First Day of School

Our house is still full of Legos. We like Star Wars, and we still play soccer (Scott is going on five years as coach.)

Related: Life of a Soccer Mom

Scott is still an investigator for the Department of Defense.

I still do PR for the Kansas Credit Union Association.

We went skiing again this year [video 2:22]. We still had to carry massive amounts of awkward equipment weighing approximately 127 pounds.

Zach got stuck in a bush, and Adam plowed into me [video 0:22].

Related: Boys: Please Ski Responsibly

Lifestyles of the rich and famous

2011-12-16T23:45:00.000-06:00

We became part of the rich and famous as we rode around in a limo looking at Christmas lights.

Now, the rich and famous probably do not take pictures by the limousine, because, well, riding in a limo is an everyday activity for them.

There were 10 of us, and this was the first time in a limo for many, including my 99 year old grandmother. My nine year old informed everyone this was his SECOND time riding in such luxury.

I could get used to it.

Baking by the numbers

2011-12-16T20:00:00.000-06:00

49 sugar cookies in various shapes including wreath, gingerbread man, Christmas tree, candy cane, bell, star and mitten.

48 peppermint brownie bites

44 chocolate dipped vanilla wafer caramel sandwiches

42 peppermint kisses

30 pieces of toffee crisp

22 chocolate dipped pretzels with sprinkles

24 toffee bars

6 mini loaves of holiday pumpkin apple bread

1 large loaf of holiday pumpkin apple bread

3 trips to the grocery store

3 items borrowed from 2 different neighbors (apple juice, Crisco shortening, green food coloring)

2 number of times brown sugar and butter overflowed onto stove making a sticky mess

1 lesson learned: if you mix red and a drop of blue food coloring you get a 1984 mauve color

2010 Baking by the numbers

Why don't boys understand clothes?

2011-12-09T15:33:00.001-06:00

In the last two days, I have had these conversations with the males in my house.

Conversation with my 8 year old:

Me: "Try these new clothes I bought you."

8 yo: "Do I have to? I don't need any new clothes."

Me: "Honey, you don't have enough clothes, and we don't wear dirty clothes."

He agrees after more grumbling, except then says things like this:

"These pants are too loud."

"These pants are too long and get caught in my shoes."

"These pants are too short and go up my bottom."

"These pants are too loose and go up and down when I run."

"This shirt's sleeves are too short. See how when I raise my arms above my head the sleeves go down my arms?"

"I don't like the stripe on here."

"This tag really sticks me."

Me: "Fine. I don't care what you wear to school as long as it doesn't stink and does not have stains on it...so just pick something out."

Conversation with my 9 year old:

Me: "Did you get that shirt out of the dirty clothes?"

9 yo: "Yes."

Me: "Why don't you wear a clean shirt?"
9 yo: "I don't have any. They are all short sleeved."

Me, after looking in his closet and finding five very cute striped long sleeved t-shirts, four of which would match his grey athletic pants very nicely: "You have five long sleeved CLEAN t-shirts in your closet."

9 yo: "Those are NICE shirts...they don't have anything 'cool' on them."

Me: "Fine. I don't care what you wear to school as long as it doesn't stink and does not have stains on it...so just pick something out."

Conversation with my husband:

Him: "Does this jacket go with these pants?"

Me, eyeing the garment in question: "How long have you had that?"

Him: "I haven't worn it in probably five years..."

Me: "No. How long have you HAD it?"
Him: "Oh, at least 10 years...but does it go? What?"

Me: "It doesn't look right...does it even still fit?"

Him, turning in the mirror: "Well, yeah...see?"
Me: "Um...no. What do you usually wear with those pants?"

Him: "They have a jacket that goes with them."

Me, bewildered: "Why don't you just wear that?"

Him: "I don't know, I think the jacket is at work. So no to this jacket?"
Me: "You are not wearing that."

Him, sighing: "Well, can I still wear this tie?"

Me: "No."

Him, big sigh. "Well then you have to pick out a tie!"

Then after a brief pause..."so this (holding the jacket from which I think is from the early '90s) goes in the give-a-way pile?"

January 28, 2010: Pick Your Battles

Wild animals

2011-11-26T08:38:00.001-06:00

We always forget what fun it is to herd wild animals around during the holidays.

Our original plan was to go to the zoo. We decided against it.

Better to let them run loose so they can dig, jump, climb, and play in the water.

One person in this photo doesn't need to "get her wiggles out."

We are thankful for: trash cans, Apple products, carrots and more.

2011-11-24T16:00:00.000-06:00

Every Thanksgiving, guests at our Thanksgiving meal write down what they are thankful for.

At the end of the meal we read them out loud and try and guess who wrote them.

This year, we are thankful for...

my family and that I live in the U.S.
this Thanksgiving day...this moment...for this time today.
warm hearts and homes, and for family - those before and now.
the new head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs next year.
family, traditions and...I guess...Larry.
Legos, mashed potatoes with gravy, Buddy the cat, mom and dad, oma and papa, the Wii, my cosons (cousins) and food.
boys that keep me entertained, even if all they talk about is soccer and Jedi Knights.
my family, for modern conveniences (like indoor toilets) and for coffee.
time spent with friends and family.
trash cans, toilets, toilet paper and my beautiful lovely wife.
Star Wars, tomatotes (tomatoes), carrots, glassas (glasses) and my life.
a paycheck, family, Apple "products," TBD (to be determined).

Thanksgiving 2010

Thanksgiving 2008

Thanksgiving 2007

2nd Grade Music Program

2011-11-17T18:39:00.001-06:00

"On With The Show" featured tunes from favorites musicals like The Sound of Music, The Muppet Movie, Wizard of Oz, Annie Get Your Gun and more.

In the first segment, Zach is the first one speaking. His friend Cooper is the other 2nd grader.

On the stage, Zach is standing on the first row, second from the right.

During the crocodile song, Zach is the second boy from the right in the front row.

Please excuse the amateur quality of this video.

Halloween 2011

2011-10-31T20:48:00.000-05:00

A Jedi and Jango Fett.

Halloween 2010
Halloween 2009
Halloween 2008 (also includes pictures from Halloween 1998 and 2003)
Halloween 2007

Walter's Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-30T21:35:00.000-05:00

[Related post from our visit to Walter's Pumpkin Patch in 2009. Even though it was just two years ago, the boys look so little!]

Some of our favorite activities this year:

Who doesn't love a bag swing?

"Sledding" down the hill and through the tunnel.

Scott and the boys (yes, even Scott sled down the hill.)

Pumpkin slingshots.

It's hard to peddle, so let's enlist the help of my little brother.

Corn maze.

Mining for gold.

Zach.

Adam.

Me and my boys.

Adam's Life so Far

2011-10-21T16:14:00.001-05:00

Adam reflects on his life, his family and future goals. He said he had to present this to his class.

Life of a soccer mom

2011-10-10T15:29:00.002-05:00

Saturday

6:00 am: Get up. Soccer uniforms, shinguards, socks, cleats, water, snacks, umbrella, chairs, blankets, portable grill and coffee.

7:00 am: Scott and Adam leave.

7:30 am: Mom picks up Zach and I.

8:00 am: Adam's first game (one of four today, one of eight this weekend). It's a bit chilly and I did not dress appropriately. High today said 85. Although sunny, at least for part of the game, it's not 85. It's windy too. While taking pictures, my chair blows over, spilling my coffee. Not a good start to the day.

Pictures below of Adam's team, U-9 Wheathawks (in black).

9:25 am: Zach's first game (two of four). Pictures below of Zach's team, U-8 Wheathawks (in black).

I snapped the cute picture below after Zach scored a goal.

Coach Scott addressing the team.

11:00 am: Tailgate party with the U-9 and U-8 Wheathawks teams. Sky looks dark.

12:15 pm: Game #2 - Adam (three of four). I think it starts to rain. I did not bring jackets for the boys, so Zach is wearing mine and I borrowed one from Pam.

1:40 pm: Game #2 - Zach (four of four today, four of eight this weekend). Still raining. Everyone and everything is wet.

3:30 pm: Home.

Laundry.

Sunday

6:00 am: Get up. Soccer uniforms, shinguards, socks, cleats, water, snacks, jackets, umbrella, chairs, blankets, portable grill and coffee. This time I take jackets and dress with more layers. High of 65 today, and rain.

7:00 am: Scott and Adam leave.

7:30 am: Pam, Wayne, Zach and I leave.

8:00 am: Adam's game (one of four today, five of eight this weekend). It's raining. The ground is muddy, slooshy and soggy. This time I have a jacket and somewhat waterproof pants. Doesn't help much. Zach is told many times to leave the umbrella open or closed, do not open it around people, and please watch where you are going when holding it.

9:15 am: Pam, Adam and I head home. (Scott, Wayne and Zach stay to hang out in the car.) Put dirty, smelly soccer socks, shirts and shorts in the dryer. No time to wash AND dry. (Note to self: if you put stinky, damp socks in the dyer, your dryer will end up smelling like stinky HOT socks). Adam changes into dry pants and long sleeve shirt. Newspapers in cleats to soak up the water. I change socks and dig out my winter boots, the only waterproof ones I have.

10:15 am: Back to the soccer fields.

10:50 am: Zach's game (two of four). It's raining.

11:45 am: It's raining. Fire up the grill for burgers and dogs. Try and keep everything dry. Help Zach change into dry pants and shirt. Hang out in the car and amuse ourselves for two hours.

1:40 pm: Adam's game-Championship (game three of four). Rain seems to have let up. It's a nail biter, and goes into overtime. The U-9 Wheathawks defeated 2-1, take second place in the tournament.

3:30 pm: Arrive home. More drying of uniforms and fans pointed at wet shoes. I change my socks (again.) And Adam changes into dry clothes (again). More laundry.

5:20 pm: Zach's game (four of four today, eight of eight this weekend). Steady rain and chilly, but the boys don't seem to mind. The U-8 Wheathawks take second place in the tournament (no championship game for this age group).

6:30 pm: Home.

I need a weekend to recover from the weekend.

Eight

2011-09-26T19:00:00.000-05:00

Zach turned eight today.

I took cookies to class, blue and yellow cookies with sprinkles and CapriSun.

For dinner, he wanted hamburgers and fries. I added apples and a salad. Yellow cake with blue frosting and cookie dough ice cream was dessert.

Favorite gifts were the movie Rio, money and a Target gift card.

School pictures: now and then

2011-09-21T20:50:00.001-05:00

2nd Grade, Fall 2011

3rd Grade (?), Fall 1982

3rd Grade, Fall 2011

2nd Grade, Fall 1980

Can you see any resemblances?

September 11 :: 10 years later

2011-09-11T07:58:00.000-05:00

[Part of this post is from my 2009 September 11 blog post.]

September 11, 2001 was a scary day. We all remember it, and if you don't, there are countless images and news articles you can read about it. I asked the boys if in their second and third grade classes, they talked about what happened on 9/11. They said no, but they know that 9/11 is "the day some bad guys flew some planes into the twin towers, and a lot of people died." Yup, that pretty much sums up the day.

A lot has changed since that day. Scott and I went from living in Dayton, OH to Washington, DC to Wichita, KS. We freed ourselves from two crazy cats but added two crazy boys to our family. I went from full time work, to stay at home mom to working part time. A silver minivan has replaced our sporty red convertible Miata. Our house if full of Legos and conversations revolve around Star Wars, soccer and the Hardy Boys.

A few things haven't changed: Scott still grills the best steaks ever, and I still hate to clean.

But the memories of that day still remain. Some are fading but some are still vivid. I was working as Communications Director for the Dayton Art Institute in Dayton, home to Wright Patterson Air Force base, one of the largest Air Force bases in the US. Scott was active duty working on Wright-Patt AFB.

I can hear the phone recording “all circuits are busy…” when I tried to get a hold of Scott. No one could call out or in to the base. Cell phone lines were jammed as well, with everyone in America trying to get a hold of loved ones and figure out what was going on. Scott and I finally connected hours later, and he was put on 48 hours notice for deployment.

Scott's department was required to man their office 24/7. He also updated his will, and went over all the financials and important stuff I needed to know in case he got deployed and something happened to him. Morbid, yes, but it needed to be done.

I can even recall what I was wearing that day: my favorite Ann Taylor black shirt dress with 3/4 length sleeves, buttons down the front and belted waist, and black knee high boots. Isn't it strange the things we remember?

Sometimes I'll be watching a movie or TV show made prior to 2001, and I'll catch a glimpse of the twin towers. The image that comes to mind is that of the towers burning, then collapsing. I don't like that memory at all.

Our safe little world changed that day. In the weeks and months following, we worried about letters laced with anthrax being mailed to media outlets and Legislators. Airline security was ramped up and now passengers were required to remove their shoes when going through airport security. And the US formed the Department of Homeland Security whose main role was to protect us from terrorists.

Our "bad guys" were real.

That day has is now in history books along with such important events as WWI, WWII, John F. Kennedy's assassination and Pearl Harbor. The difference is, I can remember it.

Eight and Nine

2011-09-10T19:00:00.000-05:00

We've done joint birthday parties before, at C-Arrow Stables, YMCA and Pump it Up.

This year, the venue of choice was All Star Sports. Oh joy.

12 boys ages seven to 11, I think. It was a marathon birthday party...video games, miniature golf, go carts, laser tag, bumper boats, cake and pizza.

The birthday boys.

The birthday cake.

Noise.

Video games.

Waiting to ride the go carts.

Bumper boats.

Oh no

2011-09-09T16:30:00.000-05:00

Buckle fracture from slipping down the stairs. Must wear for 3 1/2 weeks. Not happy at all.

Nine

2011-08-29T19:13:00.000-05:00

Adam turned nine today.

I took sugar cookies with blue frosting and sprinkles, and CapriSun to his 3rd grade class.

For dinner, he wanted sausage and egg casserole, barbecue Lay's chips and red grapes. (I added a salad to that interesting meal).

We had Funfetti cake with orange frosting and cookie dough ice cream for dessert.

Besides cold hard cash (always fun), he got Legos (what did you think?), Star Wars III Wii game, and The Boxcar Children book. I don't think the latter was his favorite gift, but I saw it at Barnes & Noble recently, and I used to read that series. Thought he might like it...if he can tear himself away from The Hardy Boys.

Who says spelling isn't fun?

2011-08-26T13:20:00.000-05:00

Zach's practice spelling test. He made every other letter smaller.

Mini Monopoly

2011-08-21T08:20:00.000-05:00

Watch out Hasbro...there's a new game in town. Mini Monopoly.
Zach made the game, complete with Lego dice, game pieces and paper money (which he drew, I copied and printed out, and he cut out).

Unlike the original monopoly game which had a top hat, shoe, iron, horse, wheelbarrow, thimble, battleship and race car, Mini Monoploy's game tokens consist of a laser, farmer, missle, tire, "droid thing," spy camera, cone and light (all Lego pieces). Sounds like a male mind to me.

Properties include local Wichita museums and entertainment venues like the Aviation Museum, All Star Sports and Exploration Place, as well as locally-owned businesses like Spangles and Dillons. National chains like Target, Chilis and Toys R Us are represented too. In Mini Monopoly, the two most expensive properties are not Broadway and Park Place. No, it is Legoland and The Water Park (not to be confused with The Park, which is a low end property, along with The Back Yard.)

First Day of School

2011-08-15T15:05:00.001-05:00

[Yes, we are in desperate need of haircuts. I'm just glad I got them to wear matching clothes.]

Second Grade
With buddy Aiden. Sitting next to our neighborhood friend, Steele.Third Grade
With friends Ben and Luke.
First day of school 2010
First day of school 2009
First day of school 2008 Adam (kindergarten), Zach (preschool)

The Cost of Education (in 2011)

2011-08-12T15:24:00.003-05:00

[This post is mainly for historical purposes...so we can look back and say "wow...$60 for TWO pairs of shoes...what a steal!"]

The average US family will spend just over $600 per child in back to school shopping.This number is based on clothing and supplies only, but I thought I would add up what we spent in fees and supplies for 2011.

These amounts are for a second and third grader attending a public school. Not included is the amount we spent on new clothes (except required PE shoes)...which is $0, because my boys do not care about new clothes.

$75: Second grade public school fees

$75: Third grade public school fees

$40: Two elementary school yearbooks

$300: Lunch fees (will get ~160 school lunches)

$60: Two pairs PE shoes

$20: 1 backpack

$100: School supplies for second and third grade
($50 each, pre-ordered, delivered to my door)

School supplies for second grade:
1 pkg Pencils –Sharpened -#2 -24 count
1 Sharpener –small –with lid/shaving holder
1 Fiskars Scissors -7”
1 Glue -8 oz. bottle
4 Glue Sticks Large (Purple work best - (2 in August/2 in January)
2 Erasers –Sanford –large
2 boxes Crayola crayons-24 count
1 Colored Pencils -24 count
2 Highlighters –Sanford –yellow
1 pkg. Crayola Washable classic markers
1 set Watercolors –Prang -8 count
4 Folders –plastic, 2 pocket – (red, blue, yellow, green)
1 Notebook Paper – 200 sheets –wide ruled
1 Spiral Notebook (70 page, wide ruled)
1 Facial Tissues –Kleenex –large boxes
1 Space Maker Box (supply box) 5”x8”x2” –no handles
1 Paper Towels
1 container Antibacterial Baby Wipes
1 Ziploc Bags –gallon –boys only / 1 Ziploc Bags –quart –girls only
1 Book Bag –large -(no rollers)
1 pair Shoes P.E. (Physical Education)

School supplies for third grade:
All of the above except no pencil sharpener. Third graders also need an additional spiral notebook and two red ink pens.

$660 TOTAL

Half of my $600 was on school lunches alone. My boys eat hot lunch two to three times a week, the other days they take a cold lunch from home.

We bought one backpack because last year's had multiple holes in it.

Quiet on the set

2011-08-06T08:21:00.003-05:00

We had a small taste of what it's like to be on a movie set.

We spent about an hour, outside, in 100 degree weather. The boys cooperated very well. Adam wanted to clarify a few instructions, so you can see him talking about his role with the Director. Towards the end, Zach started yawning. It had been a long hour.

[Video disclaimer: This was shot on a FlipCam and edited using the Flip software. It is not intended to be of expert quality.]

A couple of issues delayed us arriving on time. Fortunately the Director was an understanding fellow.

Earlier in the day, Adam's bike got a flat tire. A bicycle was one of the main props, so we had to find an alternative. We borrowed one from our neighbor. A couple of rounds of riding to get used to it, and we were good to go. Whew!
We had a last minute wardrobe change due to peanut butter on Zach's shirt.
As we were leaving, Adam could not find his tennis shoes. Luckily, we had just bought both boys new PE shoes for school. He ended up wearing those shoes (the lost shoes still have not been found, so we had to buy yet another pair of tennis shoes.)
Scott forgot his duffle bag. Part of the story is Scott leaving/coming home, so it was important he be carrying a bag. Disaster averted as I was able to drive home and get it.

The camera you see is called a steadicam. It allows you to record action without having to mount a camera on rails or tracks. It weighs about 40 pounds and it's really expensive. That's about all I know about that.

I also learned a new word: bobble. You see, the camera operator's knee might hit the bottom of the camera, tilting the camera while recording. That's called a bobble.

This was for a music video of The Star Spangled Banner.

Yahtzee: Still relevant after 50 years

2011-07-27T17:17:00.000-05:00

Our new favorite game is Yahtzee, which we acquired from my Grandma. It's a great game to teach math skills, as well as strategic thinking.

After wondering what the word Yahtzee means, I looked it up on Wikipedia. It came out in 1956, based on a dice game a couple used to play on their Yacht. The date on our game is 1959.

And it definitely looks like something from the 1950s: This is the picture of the original Yahtzee game on Wikipedia:
We have the original score pads, dice and box. And for those of you who played endless rounds of it at 1319 John Street while eating chocolate chip cookies that were stored in a Pringles can in the freezer, you know exactly whose game I'm referring to. This game, plus Uno, Mastermind and Scrabble, always remind me of Winfield summers.

An interesting addition I have is a sheet of *typed* rules. Yes, typed...like on a manual typewriter.

Only a marketing person would be interested in the development of the game's tagline. The original tagline was "The game that makes you think while having fun." Between 1956 and 1961 the tag line was changed to "The fun game that makes thinking fun."

Some like it hot

2011-07-17T10:07:00.005-05:00

"Some like it hot, so let's turn up the heat 'til we fry"~ Some Like It Hot, Robert Palmer, 1985

"Man, it's a hot one. Like seven inches from the midday sun." ~Smooth, Santana, 1999

There's an excessive heat warning until 7 pm Friday. Today is Sunday.

Week two of 100+ weather. Last week had two days where the actual temperature did not reach 100+, and one of those days was 99.

The pool water is warm, and we found out very quickly that it's highly possible you could easily fry and egg on the cement: one of my tweets was mentioned in The Wichita Eagle.

I'm a hot weather girl, but this is a little much, even for me.

Little Birdie

2011-07-08T12:45:00.004-05:00

A little birdie friend came to visit us for two days.
It arrived by slamming into our front door. The next morning he sat outside our kitchen window and watched me eat breakfast.
Birds were circling and chirping above and every once in a while, a bird would fly down and whiz right by him. He acted bored...like he didn't even notice. The birds were not happy.
Turns out it's a red tail hawk. And according to some Twitter followers and Facebook friends, we should bring in small animals. No one thought small children counted, but we didn't take any chances and stayed inside.

Vacation Eats and Electronics

2011-06-25T08:47:00.004-05:00

Gulf Shores vacation 2011

The facts:
6 adults
1 teenager
4 boys, 12 and under

6 1/2 days, 7 nights
At least one trip to the grocery store per day, sometimes two or three trips per day.

What we ate: (we did eat out a couple of times)

1 bag pretzels
3 bags tortilla chips
4 bags potato chips
1 bag Cheetos
2 boxes four cheese Cheez its
2 boxes graham crackers
12 granola bars

2 boxes Fiber one raisin bran clusters
2 boxes Fiber One caramel delights
2 boxes Life cereal
1 large container old fashioned oats
I package sliced almonds

12 big cake balls
1 gallon ice cream
2 big ol Hershey chocolate bars
6 regular size Hershey bars
1 large bag marshmallows

1 box brown sugar
1 jar ketchup
1 Italian dressing
1 ranch dressing
2 jars salsa
1 large jar peanut butter
1 small jar peanut butter
1 small mustard
grape jelly
honey
2 little jars olive oil
cinnamon sugar
salt/pepper
blackening seasoning
lemon pepper

24 cans Diet coke
24 cans Diet Pepsi
12 bottles of water
1 gallon orange juice

2 lbs hamburger
4 packages chicken
2 packages steak
1 packages bratwurst
3 pounds shrimp
8 fish filets (trigger, mahi mahi, red snapper)
2 packages deli turkey
1 packages roast beef
2 packages deli ham
2 packages hot dogs

2 dozen eggs
3 pounds butter
1 package shredded cheese
2 24 oz cartons cottage cheese
2 packages cheese
2 packages feta cheese
5 ½ gallons milk
7 containers of yogurt

8 loaves bread
16 hot dog buns
8 hamburger buns

3 limes
2 lemons
1 cucumber
2 red pepper
5 pounds apple
2 heads of lettuce
3 pints grape tomatoes
6 tomatoes on the vine
4 pounds baby carrots
3 packages strawberries
3 packages blueberries
2 pound grapes
2 zucchini
2 yellow squash
1 bunch asparagus
1 red onion
1 yellow onion
12 bananas
7 ears of corn
2 big watermelons
1 cantaloupe

4 frozen pizzas

10 bottles of wine
2 bottles of Scotch
48 bottles of beer

Other items of interest:
3 bottles of sunscreen (in addition to bottles we had brought with us)
1 box gallon freezer bags
1 box press and seal wrap
1 box aluminum foil
1 package wet ones
1 large tub Vaseline
20 AA batteries
48 rolls toilet paper
1 wireless router

And we can’t go to the beach without or electronic devices:
4 iPads
5 laptops
6 iPods/mp3
5 digital cameras
2 video cameras
7 smartphones

Gulf Shores 2011

2011-06-20T19:19:00.016-05:00

We did a few other things besides hang out at the beach including riding a ferry to Dauphin Island where we toured the Estuarium, playing mini golf, and visiting an alligator sanctuary...but I think we spent the most time by the waves. Here's the photos to prove it.

(Disclaimer: I did not take all of these photos. In fact, the good ones I probably didn't take. Those were taken by L. Hatteberg and K. Hilger.)

6:45 a.m. The 12 and under crowd couldn't wait. Our spot. Watch for us on the cover of Sports Illustrated. If you look closely, there is a fish jumping in the upper left quarter of the picture. Mom boogie-ing...boogie boarding, that is. A two year old baby alligator. Some of us got to hold it. Not a baby alligator. None of held this one. But it did chomp down some cow ribs or something. Katie taking a picture of Adam...typical. And the picture... Dad being....Dad. Zach. Adam. Steve being...Steve. We know how to party. It was an inside joke. You wouldn't get it.
I am amazed that no one is making a face in this picture.
Ahhh...quiet time. And a brief 30 second video I took with my digital camera.

This is just a sampling...among all of us we have 800+ photos.

"How to Make a Sandwich" by Zachary S. Dyer

2011-06-09T18:50:00.001-05:00

The much-anticipated "How to Make a Sandwich" has now been published by popular author Zachary S. Dyer. This how-to manual will revolutionize the sack lunch industry, offering time-saving tips and tricks to your sandwich preparation procedures.

At a mere five pages, this is an easy read, full of great advice from a veteran sandwich maker (and eater). See the end of this post for a sneak peek of the first page.

This book, however, was not published without controversy.

You may notice the name that is scratched off the cover of "How to Make a Sandwich." The rumor is that Zachary's brother, Adam, thought he could add his name to the book, enabling him to be listed as an author.

The younger Dyer fought back. Sources say there was a confrontation at the kitchen table.

"Hey, you wrote your name on my book!" said Zachary.
"So?" replied Adam.
"Well, You didn't write it. I did. I'm scratching it off. Don't write on my stuff ever again!" said Zach.

This is not the first disagreement or confrontation between the Dyer brothers. See the ceiling fan incident and the negative number disagreement.

Below is an insider's view of the first page.

Analog dating, digital marriage

2011-06-04T17:53:00.000-05:00

This is a picture of Scott and I around the time we met. That summer, I gave him my phone number, hand-written in pen, on a napkin. And it wasn't my cell phone number. It was my home phone number.

And I didn't tweet "just met the cutest guy!" or friend him on Facebook. There were no "OMG!!" texts to my friends either.

In 1995, texting, Twitter and Facebook did not exist. Email was the "new" form of communication and if you owned a cell phone you were one of just a few. And that cell phone only made phone calls.

We did call each other...long distance. He lived in Colorado, I lived in Kansas. We racked up long distance phone bills...on a landline phone that might have even had a cord. We used pen and paper to write letters, which took about three days to reach each other.

Fast forward 15 years...gone are long distance phone bills and hand-written letters. This is what our conversations look like now:

Me: eta
Scott: 530

Sometimes there are longer conversation. This one is about parent-teacher conferences:
Me: Dont forget PT conf. Z 615. A 645.
Scott: Meet there or home?
Me: home. 6?
Scott: k

I could leave a voice message. But that's a lot of effort. You call the person, wait through the ringing, then the "You have reached..." message, and the beep. Finally you leave your message. The recipient then has to call their voice mail, listen to the message, and call you back. So much easier to just type a few characters. Besides, voicemail is so 2004.

Do we communicate less than we did before? I'd say no, in fact, I think we communicate more. One thing is certain: there's no excuse for not "getting the message" when it was sent via email (to your personal account and work account), voicemail (left on your cell phone, home phone and work phone), text, and Facebook message. I don't leave that many messages, but I could.

Other, wiser couples will tell you that when they first met there were party lines, rotary phones and record players. But look how long it took for technology to change. My parents were married in 1965. Not much changed until maybe 1995. The internet exploded, cell phone technology followed and here we are in 2011. That was 30 years. Scott and I met in 1995. Fast forward only 15 years to social media, smartphones and 3D TVs.

So, what will the world look like in 15 more years? Holograms, smart homes and robots?

Let's compare

2011-05-27T13:00:00.000-05:00

First day of school: August 10, 2010, Zach first grade; Adam second grade.
Last day of school: May 26, 2011.

First Grade Lunch

2011-05-21T10:26:00.011-05:00

I had lunch with 100 first graders last week. This is not for those who eat quietly, neatly and relish a long, leisurely lunch.

It starts with the lunch line up. I arrive at the designated time to meet Zach. He bolts out of line and gives me a hug. The children are lined up in number order (he is #4).

Here is a picture of them.
Oh wait, that is a picture of Scott graduating from the Air Force Academy. We could only dream that an elementary classroom could be so orderly.

Seven year boys and girls cannot quietly walk in a single file line. It is physically and mentally impossible. They must giggle, snort, talk, burp, screech, laugh and jump, skip, hop, twirl, walk like robots, walk backwards, walk sideways, slide, or drag their leg to the lunch room.

Zach does hold my hand in line.

Once inside the rules are posted and obvious:
1. Keep your hands and feet to yourself.
2. Walk.
3. Quiet voices.
4. Don't play with your food.

The lunch room monitors move about the room, keeping order and calmly saying, "you need to be eating." This is not a job I ever want to have. These people must live on liquid patience.

There is a stoplight at the front of the room. Red means only eating, no talking allowed. Yellow means "restaurant voice." I'm not sure there is ever a need for the light to be green. I think that would result in bedlam (n. A scene of wild uproar and confusion).

At one point the light was on red for two minutes. "Children, this is a time for you to be filling up your bellies and not talking," says the assistant principal.

Zach sits next to his best friend. Somehow he managed to eat a few bites of a "hot sandwich" (sloppy joes), corn, and banana muffin. He did eat all of his grapes, after spearing about five of them on his fork, showing them to his friends while they all laughed wildly and then eating them one by one.
I was able to finish my sandwich, pretzels, applesauce and cheese stick (I brought my lunch after enduring "cheeseburger mac" last time). It's amazing how much you can eat when you don't talk.

I was sitting in the middle of a row of boys. There was lots of activity and some inappropriate conversation. Across the table, the girls were eating quietly, using "restaurant" voices. Can I sit with them next time?

Twenty minutes later, trash is thrown away and we line up for recess. Indoor recess. Uh-oh, better make my escape now. A quick hug and "see you after school" and I'm back to the real world which seems a lot quieter, orderly and much cleaner than I remember.

Adam's Family Portrait

2011-05-16T20:56:00.004-05:00

This is the original photo:

Take a chill pill...

2011-05-03T20:06:00.001-05:00

Scott told me to take a chill pill today. I live in a household full of testosterone, dirty fingernails, constant sounds of explosions, machine guns and cartoon characters, and an aversion to matching clothes. I have a right to be annoyed sometimes, right? It wasn't one big thing that caused me to throw my hands up in exasperation, just a series of minor incidents that added up to the straw that broke the camel's back.

1. I was in the bathroom. With the door shut. Nearly naked. The boys burst in. I have told them 1,278 times to KNOCK if the door is closed. Adam said that Zach pushed him. We all know that if you push on a closed door it does not open. One must actually turn the knob to open the door. A little privacy please?

2. We were going swimming at the indoor pool at the Y. "I can't find my swimsuit," the boys say. Scott found Zach's swimsuit (which I'm pretty sure was in his dresser drawer.) Adam's swimsuit was in plain sight on top of his dresser. "How am I supposed to know you bought me a new swimsuit?" he asks. "Um, because you were there when we picked it out, tried it on and bought it at Target?" Sheesh.

3. I went into the boys bathroom and yes, once again, the inability to flush.

4. Scott looks in the refrigerator. "Where is the _______ ?" OK, this did not happen today, but it did happen yesterday and is relevant. It is the main reason I say daily "Use your eyes." I am convinced that in addition to selective hearing, men also have selective seeing. Or women have magic eyes, I'm not sure which. You might have to MOVE something to find what you are looking for.

4. Once we locate swimsuits and towels, we must put our socks and shoes on. "Mom, where are my socks?" one asks. I sigh. "Let's think. Where might you find socks? Where have your socks been kept the last seven years of your life?"

That's when Scott told me to take a chill pill.

Are moms expected to never get annoyed, answer endless questions like "would you rather have spiders in your hair or be sick the rest of your life?", endure constant inappropriate bodily function noises that you make on your arm, and find library books, shoes, jackets, socks, shin guards, etc., all the while smiling like this is our favorite thing to do?

Don't get me wrong. I wouldn't trade my boys for anything (all three of them). And sometimes a little chill pill, or a glass of wine is just what the doctor ordered. Don't you think?

Easter 2011

2011-04-24T20:10:00.001-05:00

Zach, left, 7 years; Adam, right, 8 years.

Back:
Dad, Steve, Sherry, Katie, 14 years; Mom, Susan, Scott
Front:
Jake, 11 years; Matthew, 5 years; Grandma Agnes; Zach, 7 years; Adam 8 years

Zach's latest note

2011-04-13T15:42:00.000-05:00

Found in my purse today:
"Dear Mom:
after school would you like to shot bascets (shoot baskets) with me? And would you like to build with legos with me? (Don't forget work tomorrow!)"
Love, Zach

Zach's First Grade Music Program: Pirates

2011-04-05T21:25:00.005-05:00

This is just one of the songs these first graders sang...and I didn't know that Zach would be wearing a pirate outfit. I lost him a couple of times during this video...

If you can't see the video, view it on YouTube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6DkFcrPXb8

Zach's Kingergarten music program

Boys: Please Ski Responsibly

2011-03-27T16:00:00.001-05:00

It's the second annual Dyer Ski Trip. The boys picked up right where we left off last year. We skied greens the first two days and all blues the second two days. Both Adam and Zach managed well, and much to my dismay, wanted to take all the tree trails.

Yes. Zach got stuck in a bush. After specifically saying, "do not go in those trees," he and Adam did just that...were skiing too close together, ran into each other and Zach wound up on his back with his skis above him in a bush. I was down on the *actual* trail, about eight feet below. I took my skis off, attempted to climb up to help him, but it was too steep. Well buddy...you're on your own. He had to break some of the branches to get loose. Scott had conveniently decided to do one of his favorite blacks, so I was on my own with the boys. Zach had also told me earlier that day "you don't have to worry about me, I can take care of myself." Uh-huh.

Don't think Zach is the only child with ski issues. The next day I was taking a video. Out in the open. In my bright turquoise coat. In broad daylight. And Adam still managed to plow right into me. Here's the video to prove it.

(In case you can't see the video, here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOiJHOUMQvI)

Here are a few pics I took with my BlackBerry. (I failed to check the camera battery before I left. And between my phone and Flipcam, I was out of space for holding electronic devices anyway.)

It's a beautiful day to go skiing!
In the snowcat
Shawna and Marty were great hostesses, along with Sophie and Jake...and of course Zach's new best friend, Carlos the Cat.
We ate well (thanks to Chef Marty), slept well (thanks to the lovely accommodations of the Topor House) and skiied well (good weather, good snow).

Here's another little video (2 min) ... most is of the boys skiing, but also footage inside the snowcat, and the "Kitty Cat Parade." (That is when a big line of snowcats is coming up or down the mountain). It is loud during the parade because we are inside "Marty's restaurant" watching.

(In case you can't see the video, here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xbjq0IRAVFI

PSA: This ski trip was made possible by the generous support of Shawna and Marty Topor!

Ski Trip 2010

Celebrating 14 years of marriage with Charlie Sheen and Walmart

2011-03-06T11:12:00.007-06:00

Remember when you were first married, and it was a big deal to go out and celebrate your anniversary? You got dressed up, went to a fancy restaurant or maybe even took a trip.

Scott and I celebrated 14 years on March 1. We watched a 20/20 interview with Charlie Sheen, and his train wreck of a life. Actually, before that, Scott took the boys to soccer practice and I folded laundry. Granted, it was a school night, so we couldn't really go out and get crazy.

We did celebrate last night...a Saturday date night. Dinner, movie....and Walmart. Yes, we went to Walmart*. We didn't want to go home before the kids were asleep (parents know what I mean), and we did have some grocery shopping to do...so we spent some quality time at Walmart. On a Saturday night. Celebrating our anniversary.

I should mention that we were yawning at 7:30 pm.

Scott and I have gone out for nice dinners, or a weekend getaway for our anniversary. One time he even surprised me with a drive by of BTK's house. Then we watched a movie WHILE we ate dinner because we only had the babysitter for a limited time. So romantic.

Here we are March of 1998, around our first anniversary.
And here's the latest picture of us, taken a few months ago.
*Disclaimer: some of you may remember when I broke up with Walmart last year. I never said I gave up Walmart for good...it was more of a way to vent my irritation with the big box store. I do still shop there...but I don't enjoy it.

Dirt and Basketball

2011-02-19T16:36:00.003-06:00

While the little boys did this (and what boy does not like to dig in the dirt?):
The big boys did this:
And Zach makes the first basket!

Is it summer or winter? Only in Kansas

2011-02-18T15:55:00.002-06:00

February 10:

The temperature of -17 set a record low for February 10.

February 17:
The temperature reached 78 degrees, setting a record high for February 17.

That's a 95 degree difference in one week. Only in Kansas.

7 year old "Out of Office" E-mail

2011-02-04T17:45:00.006-06:00

You know those e-mails you get when someone is on vacation? Those auto-reply ones?

This is the seven year-old version: It tells you where he is, when he'll be back and who to contact if you need an immediate playmate.

Snow Day Rant

2011-01-31T18:32:00.006-06:00

No, this is not about how school districts today close school way more than when I was a kid.

No, this pet peeve is about how people act before an anticipated snow storm. They flock to the grocery store and stock up like they are going to be home bound for a week or two, or a month (or so it seems, by the bare shelves in the grocery stores).

And I'm not talking about the people who are truly out of the necessities. I'm talking about those who look like they are stocking their underground bomb shelter, or for Y2K (anyone remember that?).

Seriously, when was the last time you were stuck, inside your house, and truly could not go anywhere for more than two days?

In 2003, we had just moved to Washington D.C. It snowed 22". The next day we were outside walking around. And the next day, we drove to the grocery store and out to eat.

People stock up on bottled water. Really? You think the water is going to shut off? You really think there will be no water available for you to drink?

Loaves of bread are piled in grocery carts. So, you're thinking that you need 16 loaves of bread to tied you over until you can climb yourself out of the snow that has drifted as high as your house?

Who knows, maybe this "snowstorm of the century" will prove me wrong.

This is a picture of an actual snow day in 1984 (or what first graders call the "olden days).
We would listen intently to the television or radio, praying that our school's name would be called. There was no school phone call, e-mail, text or even a website to check. Nope, just good old fashion "waiting."

As for school districts canceling school for snow, ice or that it's just too cold, yeah, it's annoying sometimes. But they are just trying to do what is best for our children. If school has not been cancelled and you think it is unsafe, keep your kid home from school. If school is cancelled and you are wondering why, just deal with it. Your complaining won't reverse their decision.

I'm done now. Thanks for listening. I guess I'll go wait for the phone to ring..."this is the school district..." Oh, and if you need nourishment, we have enough Cheez its, dry cereal and juice boxes to last a year. Come on over.

Legos: Love'em, Hate 'em.

2011-01-23T13:53:00.003-06:00

I know I write a lot about Legos, but between that and soccer, we don't talk about much else (except potty humor, which I will not go into here).

I like Legos. I think they are a great toys for kids that spark creativity, help tune fine motor skills and teach focusability (I just made that word up - it means the ability to focus on one thing for more than 8.3 seconds). More importantly, the boys LOVE Legos.

What I don't like about Legos is that they take over your house.

The kitchen table:
Bookshelves:
Writing desks:
The basement ledge...
and here:
Window sills:
And let's not forget the room that everyone sees when they walk in the front door...
along with the fireplace located in this same room:
I have also found them in the kitchen sink, my bed, the bathroom, on the stairs, in the laundry room, and in the van.

Is this one of those things that veteran moms will tell me I will miss in a few years?

2010 Year in Review

2011-01-01T07:17:00.000-06:00

2010 didn't bring a whole lot of excitement...and lots of thing are still the same:

Legos are everywhere;
Adam and Zach still play soccer and find ways to annoy each other, yet are best friends;
Scott still gets paid to watch movies during lunch (with taxpayers’ money);
Susan still works in Public Relations;
We still live in the same house in Wichita, and the automatic doors on our minivan are still a sore spot between Scott and Susan.

We did do ONE new thing this year. For spring break, we went skiing in Beaver Creek, CO.

Zach, seven, is in first grade. Adam is eight and in second grade. Their favorite subjects in school are lunch, gym, and recess, in that order. First Day of School post.

Soccer:
May 17, 2010: Last game of the season [pics]
September 11: 2010: First game of the fall season [pics]

The boys love to read, play the Wii, and play outside with their neighbors. Zach likes to make up "worksheets" with math and reading problems for us to complete. Adam can be found with his nose in a book.

Summer consisted of going to the pool. Pretty much as often as we could.
Scott is still trying to hang on as a soccer player in a young man's game, although his injuries continue to pile up and the knees are squeakier than ever. He still work as an investigator for the Department of Defense and he even managed to squeeze in a few more rounds of golf this year.

Susan continues to work in the communications field and tries to say she is "working" when she's really checking Facebook or posting on Twitter. She's still the boss of the house, holds every other title as well, except for Chief Financial Officer, which Scott has yet to give up.
Two small side trips include to Hutchinson's Salt Mine and Cosmosphere, and a short trip to Dodge City.

Below is a slideshow of favorite photos from 2010. Watch the slideshow full screen.

(Disclaimer: these are not the best photos regarding composition or color or that "one great shot," these are photos that pretty much represent our daily life.)

Christmas 2010

2010-12-28T15:41:00.000-06:00

WICHITA

Activities: working out, going to the park, eating, drinking (adult and otherwise), opening gifts, watching Polar Express, breaking up fights between Zach and Matthew, playing the Wii.

Sherry, mom and me.
Sherry and I with Santa and Kakeman. We've watched them 30 years ago!
Mom and Grandma Agnes.
Coffee is always good.
The boys.
BATES CITY

Activities: opening gifts, eating and drinking (adult and otherwise), playing Lego Lava Dragon and Lego Pirate Code countless times, building with Legos, watching Robots and the Sound of Music (the one and only viewing for Scott), walking in the woods, eating a Fritz Railroad Restaurant in Crown Center, seeing the trains at Union Station, visiting with friends.

What time Adam and Zach woke up.
Scott is now a member of the elite Scotch Whiskey Society.
The Space Needle made out of Legos.
Playing one of the Lego games: Pirate Code.
Grandpa's chillin'

E-mail to Santa

2010-12-22T07:55:00.005-06:00

Dear Santa,
I hope you have a wonderful flight. Is Rudolph ok? We will leave cookies by the fireplace for you. How many toys do you think you have? We have been a good boys, most of the time. I hope Kakeman doesn't hypnotize you again. We like Kakeman because he is funny. See you soon.

Love, Adam and Zach Dyer

First Grade Christmas Program

2010-12-16T15:46:00.003-06:00

Zach's first grade class put on a Christmas program. Each student memorized a poem, and said it in front of the audience. Then a group of students would sing a song in the front. The whole class sang a few songs and then we all sang "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" at the end. There was even a little reception following with cookies and milk!

Zach is the one wearing the Santa hat. The kids were supposed to wear their pajamas. Zach had a really cute flannel set with a penguin on it. But he insisted on wearing his Lego Star Wars bottoms, with a short sleeved pj top that did not match. We finally agreed on a plain red shirt.
Zach's poem was about Christmas smells:
"Ummm, the smell of Christmas is everywhere I go,
Evergreens and holly, and pretty mistletoe,
Gingerbread and cookies, and fresh pumpkin pie,
Smoke is in the chimney, curling to the sky."

Best Day Ever

2010-12-12T07:53:00.007-06:00

What makes up the "Best Day Ever" for a seven or eight year old boy?

Go see a movie with Dad. Eat popcorn.

Go out to eat lunch. It doesn't matter where you go as long as there is cheeseburgers, nachos or chicken fingers.

Listen to a guy talk about Legos. Talk with other kids about Legos. See cool pictures of amazing things built with Legos including a 22-foot replica of the Titanic, Jurrassic Park, and a presidential inauguration ceremony.

Buy the book about Legos,(watch promotional video on YouTube) talk to the author and have it signed by him.

Have a sleepover with your friend. Zach got invited to spend the night at his best buddy's house. Adam invited his bestie to sleep here. Have pizza for dinner, watch a movie and stay up past bedtime playing Super Mario Bros on the Wii.

Wake up early and play (the Wii, legos, soccer...it really doesn't matter).

Have something other than oatmeal or cereal for breakfast (pancakes, donuts, cinnamon rolls, biscuits and gravy, etc).

Related: if you want to serve the best lunch ever at home, you would serve hot dogs, macaroni and cheese and chocolate milk.

Baking by the numbers

2010-12-06T20:35:00.012-06:00

19 pretzel rods
10 eggs
7 1/4 cups flour
4 3/4 cups sugar
2 cups powdered sugar
1 3/4 cups shortening
1 2/3 cups oil

1/2 cup apple juice
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cups syrup
1/4 cup water

2 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons butter
4 teaspoons vanilla
3 teaspoons baking soda
2 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon peppermint

1 apple
1 brownie mix
1 can pumpkin
1 can frosting
1 bag chocolate chips
1/2 bag white chocolate chips
4 crushed candy canes

4 hours bake time

55 sugar cookies
40 caramel, chocolate dipped vanilla wafer sandwich cookies with sprinkles
35 peppermint brownie bites
20 chocolate peanut butter cookies
14 chocolate dipped pretzels
5 mini loafs, 1 large loaf, harvest pumpkin apple bread.

Mommy Guilt, part 2

2010-12-01T15:35:00.003-06:00

"To Mommy, Love Zach

I rilly (really) like you so if you wood (would) stop yeling (yelling) at me I wood (would) do as I am told.

Love Zach!"

Related: Sunday, October 3: Mommy Guilt

Mommy Homework

2010-11-29T21:05:00.004-06:00

My homework for tonight. Must be done by the time Zach wakes up in the morning so he can grade it.
The word of the day is pizza. I had to trace it, write it correctly three times, draw a picture and use the word in a sentence. Then I had to cut out the mixed up letters and glue them in the spaces provided. Last was a series of math problems testing my adding and subtracting arithmetic skills.

Zach wrote a tough story problem too:

"Jina (Gina) has 18 lights her brother has 7 lights how miny (many) more dose (does) her Brother need to have 18 lights?"

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-11-25T15:46:00.009-06:00

What we're thankful for this year:

Thankful for Poosers and Sows, termites, bugs and the internet.
I am thankful for family, friends, and togetherness at Thanksgiving.
Facial hair because I know how much the women in my life love it.
I'm thankful for birds and bees and cottonwood trees and all of you and even me!
I am thankful for my family, birds, and good food to eat, bees and cottonwood trees. (Later this same person thought of a few more things): I am thankful for Indiana Jones, Skelly and Bones (the last two are characters from the Lego movie The Adventures of Clutch Powers).
I am thankful for my wonderful family.
Mothers and sisters, blue skies and sunshine.
I am thankful for little (and big) boys that make me laugh, a garage door that works, and Twitter and Facebook.
I'm thankful for family, friends, Legos, schools, shelter and cousins.
I am thankful for (1) wisdom of Agnes, (2) focus of Adam, (3) imagination of Zach, (4) love from Pam.

Each year our family writes what we are thankful for. At the end of the meal we read them aloud and try and figure out who wrote them.

And my favorite picture of the day:
2008: We are thankful for...

The Art Room

2010-11-15T17:19:00.003-06:00

Remember this post? The Office, Kindergarten style.

Now that Zach is in first grade, it looks like he has decided to pursue other interests. This was on his door today.

(In case you can't read it: Zach's art room open Friday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday. Come in this Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday, for free!!!! In the morning, afternoon or in the night)

If he partnered with Adam, I bet they could run a pretty good little business. Adam is the numbers guy, Zach is the creative one.

Oh second thought, maybe that's not such a good idea. Would they be able to get anything done with all the fighting and competition?

Motherhood: What would you say?

2010-11-11T16:00:00.003-06:00

Reflections of Motherhood

If you have trouble viewing the video, click here to view it on YouTube.

Here's what I would say:

"He won't sleep in your bed forever."
"Take lots of pictures."
"Sometimes a cookie makes everything better."
"Who cares what the book says?"

So...what would you say?

Oak Park 2010

2010-11-07T20:30:00.000-06:00

Every fall we go to Oak Park. It's about the only place you can throw sticks, climb on fallen trees, skip rocks, jump in a pile of leaves (except for Grammy and Grandpa's house) and play in the dirt.

Photos from today:

You can see more pictures from today on Flickr.

Here's other Oak Park pictures from the past few years:

2009
2008
2007
2006

Favorite Books

2010-11-06T16:42:00.000-05:00

Besides this book, these books are the ones I see the boys reading. They are the blog books I print every year from blog2print.com. They'll read funny excerpts, and ask me to read from them too. These two posts seem to be the favorites: Why I do not go inside Starbucks and Not exactly a pottery barn Christmas.

And why wouldn't them like to read these books? They're all about them. It's like they are reading their own autobiography...at least since 2007.

Halloween 2010

2010-10-31T20:05:00.004-05:00

Zach is on the left, a Storm Trooper. Adam is right, Darth Vader.

And the neighborhood:
Left to right: Elephant, age 4; Bumblee age 5; Vampire, age 9; Grave Reaper, age 9; Scooby Doo, age 3; Darth Vader, age 8; Wolfman, age 6; Storm Trooper, age 7; Viking, age 10; Alien, age 7.

MIA: Robot, age 7.

Here's the same group (almost) last year.

Halloween 2008

Halloween 2007

Two things I have learned from my kids

2010-10-22T13:54:00.009-05:00

We always talk about learning from other adults, but children can teach us a thing or two as well. I've learned a lot from my boys...here are two things I learned this week.

Zach :: Everybody needs down time
Aside from patience, I have learned that everyone needs quiet time, especially at the end of the day. When Zach arrives home from school, he does not like to talk. He walks in (he will say hi, and maybe ask for a snack), hangs up his backpack, takes off his shoes and just wants to "be."

Sometimes he'll tell me about his day. But more often than not, he will sit at the kitchen table and color or write, sometimes work on one of the 10 Lego creations currently under construction, or look at a magazine or book. Quietly.

Do not pepper him with questions:
"How was your day?"
"Did you have computer lab?"
"Who did you play with at recess?"
"What did you have for lunch?"

He will shut down and reply with the robotic "I don't know" or "I can't remember."

Think about it as a parent. When you arrive home after being gone all day and your children run to you and hang all over you...

"What are we doing now?"
"What are we having for dinner?"
"Tomorrow I have to bring this and this, so can we go to the store now?"

Or you significant other greets you at the door:
"You need to fix this."
"Will you be home Friday night? I made plans with the girls that night."
"Both boys need glasses."

It bugs me when that happens. I just need a few minutes to unwind, and then I will be ready to talk.

Adam :: Practice makes perfect
Ah Adam, my little perfectionist. Every week we practice spelling words. In his 2nd grade class, if you spell all the words correctly on Wednesday's test, the teacher sends home "Sharp Spellers' Challenge Words" to practice for Friday.

And these certainly are challenging. This week's words were echolocation, hibernation, mammalogist and nocturnal, just to name a few. These words were harder than usual, indicated by the words "VERY DIFFICULT" at the top of the list.

Adam practiced these words about six or seven times in two days. Normally it takes about three tries for him to get all the words spelled correctly.

If this were me, I would have tried maybe two times, and then said "good enough." These are extra credit words, I already aced the "regular" test.

Sometimes in the real world "good enough" doesn't cut it. Your work has to be ALL right, or it doesn't matter. Take the time to learn it, just like Adam.

Sounds like somebody else I know with the last name Dyer, first initial S...and it's not me.

LEGO + Wii = Lego Wii Remote

2010-10-13T19:08:00.009-05:00

O.M.G. Could this be for real? Two of our household's favorite toys combined into one glorious mechanism? The boys could only dream of something so fantastic.

It's FOR REAL.

The Lego Play and Build Wii Remote is an actual device. Not only is it a working Wii remote, but it comes with Lego pieces that can be rearranged and connected to all of our awesome creations.

What if you were playing Wii's Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga game WITH the Lego Wii Remote? My head is exploding.

This $40 remote is a bit more affordable than the Star Wars Lego Collector's Millennium Falcon set, a set which would require a Lego loan since it retails for $1,459.94.

Mommy Guilt

2010-10-03T22:31:00.002-05:00

Scroll down for a translation of this note, or click on it to enlarge.
Monday at 8:43 pm

"Dear Mommy,
I missed you on Monday night. I wish you could be home at 8:43 pm. I do not like to sleep in my bed alone at night. I have been waiting for you for about 10 minutes now, I do not like to be alone in my bed."

Message to Mommy
Love, Zach

(found clutched in a sleeping Zach's hand when I got home that night)

Seven

2010-09-26T17:37:00.001-05:00

Friday, September 24, 3:30 pm: Orange frosted cookies with CapriSun. Nothing like sugar right before the bus ride home!
6:30 pm: Dinner at McDonald's with friends. This looks like a rowdy bunch.
Four cheeseburgers. Four french fries. Ten chicken nuggets. Two Hawaiian punches. Two root beers. Lots of talking, wiggly and talking with our mouths full of food.

7:15 pm: Home to eat cake and ice cream.
Lots of talk about bodily functions, loud laughter and squealing. At one point Zach fell out of his chair laughing. Then a viewing of "The Adventures of Clutch Powers" Lego movie. More giggling after the movie. Finally quiet.

Saturday, September 25, 5:53 a.m.: Adam and Zach are up, the other two boys followed about 6:30 am. The boys played the Wii, then biscuits and gravy and Cinnamon rolls. Off to the soccer game at 9 am.

Sunday, September 26: Zach got Legos and money for his birthday. Is anyone surprised?

Creamed Brains...it's what's for dinner.

2010-09-22T18:30:00.003-05:00

No, it's not an early Halloween post. Creamed brains, along with Headcheese, Baked Heart, Casserole of Tongue and Fried Squirrel are just a few of the tempting recipes I found in my grandmother's 1934 Household Searchlight Recipe Book.

I'm all for using recipes passed down from generations, but I draw the line at any recipe that says "remove veins and arteries" or "clean and scrape hog's head," although I'm sure I would get used to it after a few attempts.

The Poultry section explains how to pick a good chicken..."It should be plump, have bright eyes and comb and soft feet." The chicken I get at the store doesn't have eyes, a comb or feet. And instructions on how to dress and clean the chicken remind me that I would not have made a good 1930s wife:

"Cut off head...Cut a small slit in back of neck, remove crop and windpipe...remove organs, etc."

And then there's this when referring to how this cook book came to be:

"In this seven room house lives a family of specialists whose entire time is spent in working out the problems of homemaking common to every woman who finds herself responsible for the management of a home and the care of children. Preparation of food is a major project in every home."

Of course preparation of food is a major project when you have to kill your chicken first or soak your brains for three days.

Other interesting findings in this cook book:

When talking about refrigeration, the cookbook refers to a "mechanical refrigerator." Is there any other kind?
Cereal and ready to eat cereal are two different things.
There is no recipe for chocolate chip cookies.

Household tips include "one of the best ways to remove a fresh ink stain is to saturate the material with kerosene."

I also found a Gold Medal Flour certificate redeemable for 2.5 cents. Collect enough and General Mills will send you a check! Oops, I think it's expired. (click on the image to enlarge it).

Let The Games Begin

2010-09-12T15:25:00.005-05:00

September 11: First game of the season. Go Snakes!

To see all pictures, view the photos on flickr. OK, not ALL of them, because there's 150...just a few more of the best.

I wish I could take credit for all of the photos, but I had a little help from a professional...although it IS hard to tell who took which photo.

Zach
AdamGoal for Adam!Goal for Zach! (I know this is out of focus, but it's the only picture I have of this exciting moment in the game.). That's Adam in the background.The happy coach and players.Zach tried to stop this from going in...just a little too late...goal for the other team.

Salt and Space

2010-09-06T13:36:00.006-05:00

Labor Day weekend 2010

Saturday: Underground Salt Museum
First we watched a safety video about how important it was to wear your hard hat and carry your respiratory at all times, and what to do in case of an emergency, like a fire.

Then on to get our gear. Future miners:
To travel 650 feet down, you must take an elevator, or hoist, that is very noisy and completely dark. It's about a 1-2 minute ride, and during the ride, Zach asked, "we'll live, right?" Luckily we did! In the mine, we heard a little about how the salt mine was found, and had a brief geology lesson. Then off to explore. We saw the machines used by the miners long ago and also a little bit of what is stored in the Underground Vaults and Storage:
A tram ride took us in dark tunnels and told us more about the history of the salt mine and how it is mined today. The boys said their favorite part was the train ride.

At the end we got to pick out some salt to take home!
Sunday: Hutchinson Zoo & Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center

We had a couple of hours before the Cosmosphere opened, so we went to the Hutchinson Zoo. It was free, and it featured mostly native animals to this area.

We fed the fish and turtles...

Acted like groundhogs...
And looked across the river to see what we could see...
We made a brief stop at the park, where we met up with Oma. After lunch we headed to the Cosmosphere. We watched an IMAX movie - Hubble - about the Hubble telescope. Adam was intrigued...Zach, not so much. After the movie we visited the museum. Zach and I zipped through all the exhibits in record time.

This is Zach in the White Room...not to be confused with the White House. Don't ask me what is significant about the White Room, we were moving so fast, I couldn't read anything.
"Houston, we have a problem." (boy, do we ever!)
Next: Dr. Goddard's Lab. Blowing stuff up? Using chemicals to start fires? Loud explosions? Yeah, the boys were into that. Adam even answered a few questions when the instructor asked the audience.

Zach was ready to go after that. Since Oma had driven herself, we had an extra car. Zach, Oma and I headed home. Adam and Scott stayed to watch the Planetarium show.

Eight

2010-08-29T21:53:00.002-05:00

Friday, August 27: Treats at school

Sugar cookies with blue frosting and sprinkles. CapriSun. The class sang a birthday song to him. His was the first birthday of the year.

Friday night: Pizza, All Star Sports, Sleepover
Silly bandz are all the rage. They are bracelets that snap into different shapes. Collect 'em. Trade 'em. Wear 'em!
See?
The three stooges.
But Zach couldn't join any of the fun, because he was sick.
Sunday, August 29: Adam's *real* birthday

We celebrated with Oma, Papa, and Grandma Agnes. Zach was feeling much better by then. Can you tell?
He bought those Legos for Adam with his own money. He was so proud that he "only spent $11!"

A moment in time

2010-08-25T18:55:00.004-05:00

Had to capture this...because it won't last long! There's only a few months when children have both of their front upper teeth gone. He also has a lisp, which probably isn't a *good* thing, but it's just so darn cute. Oh, and Zach cooperated and let me take his picture.

First day of school

2010-08-16T15:49:00.008-05:00

1st gradeCrowd of parents and students at Maize Elementary School. Zach had a problem finding his room, so I found him in the hallway asking a teacher for directions. He also lost a tooth on the bus ride to school!

When he got home, he said he felt like he had been in school "for like, two days!" The good news: Zach's best friend is in his class.

2nd grade With Luke and Ben, neighbors and fellow soccer team mates. Adam said recess wasn't long enough. But his good buddy Eli is in his class.

Related posts:
2009 first day of school (Adam 1st grade, Zach Kindergarten)
2008 first day of school: Adam (Kindergarten) | Zach (Preschool)

Questions of the week

2010-07-14T12:30:00.012-05:00

This is just a small sample of the questions I have heard this week. Feel free to answer any you might know.

What does business mean?

What does sense mean?

How much money will I make if I invent flying cars? $5 million?

Have you ever gotten carsick?

When was the first time you remember getting carsick?

Have you ever thrown up in the car?

What does 88 dot 99 ($88.99) mean? I don't get that.

What's a Polaroid?

Is there such thing as seasick?

How much blood does someone have in their body?

Can a cavity eat through your teeth?

Can you get on a rainbow?

What would happen if you didn't have any lips?

Why do people bite their fingernails?

What does re-finance mean?

What is this called? [crosses eyes]

How is a tornado made?

Legos for Dummies

2010-07-08T16:11:00.027-05:00

I seem to think I'm a relatively smart person. I know how to do "stuff" on computers and read a roadmap. So how is that I don't understand how to put together Legos?

I know what you're thinking. "They just snap together."

They do...but I don't know how the pieces WORK.

I played with Legos as a kid. In the box I had were big rectangle bricks, little rectangle bricks, square bricks, long bricks, a door, a couple of windows and four wheels. Maybe 100 pieces.

My boys have this:

With pieces like these:

Pulleys. Rods. L-shaped pipes. Things that look like a mechanic would use to fix a garage door.

"Play Legos with us," they said.

"OK, what are we building?"

"Cars. Or whatever you want to make."

Easy enough. Or so I thought.

"How do these wheels hook on to this?" I ask.

"You have to find one of these, and one of these, and then go like this."

"Mom, do you want a trailer? Find one of these pieces and then it hooks on like this so you can drag a trailer behind."

"Do you want this windshield? What about these lights and vents?"

This is the car I made. Actually Adam put the wheels on and Zach put the windshield and hood of the car on. So really all I did was snap a couple of bricks together and add headlights.

These are the boys' creations:

Do you think Amazon.com carries "Legos for Dummies?"

To see more Lego creations, visit Adam and Zach's Lego gallery. My favorites are House on Fire, Christmas Candle, and Blanky.

Fourth of July

2010-07-06T15:58:00.000-05:00

Lots of activity on the Fourth of July this year.
Sherry, Matthew and Jake arrived Thursday night. Katie and Steve were following the next day.

The boys played with Legos much of the weekend. And they even made their way into the bathroom.
July 3: Rain
Grandma's 98th birthday party included lunch, cake and presents. A private concert was held in honor of Grandma.

July 4th: Rain
Again, our plans for swimming were foiled. So we went bowling instead.
To pass the time until the festivities began, we took pictures like this:
Scott got the grill ready.
And there was even a little golf playing...
It did clear up enough to have our Fireworks finale.

July 5: Rain
Adam and Zach had art class in the morning. During the hour long class, Sherry and I slipped into Ann Taylor and did a little damage to our pocketbooks...the good news is everything was on sale! I even talked Sherry into buying some clothes that weren't practical. That's the biggest news of all.

Then afternoon indoor swimming at the Y.

Movie night finished off the day. Ice Age.

Parents: Just say no

2010-06-27T13:11:00.008-05:00

Articles like this in the LA Times amaze me:

McDonald's faces lawsuit over Happy Meals

An organization is suing McDonald's saying that having toys in its Happy Meals contribute to childhood obesity by luring young children to the unhealthy food offered at their restaurants.

That's very interesting considering a child must be driven there by an adult who also pays for their food. Parents are responsible for what goes into the mouths of their children. So, hey parents, how about you just say no?

My boys ask a lot to go to McDonald's. Occasionally we go, but most of the time I say no for a variety of reasons. If we do eat there, most of the time I make them split fries and apple dippers (without the caramel) and drink white milk. Do the whine for chocolate milk or soda? Yes. Do they whine for ice cream for dessert? Yes. Do they whine that they want a toy? Yes.

But guess what. I'm the parent. What I say goes. Yes, it's annoying. Yes, it's what kids do. But come on people, blaming McDonald's for childhood obesity? McDonald's is not responsible for your child, YOU are.

I'm not advocating for McDonald's. The food is not healthy. But it's unreasonable to think you can avoid eating there. But there are choices...apples instead of fries. Hamburger instead of cheeseburger. Milk. Or better yet, save calories and money and eat at home.

I sound like a broken record

2010-06-14T21:26:00.001-05:00

Remember this post: Why is there underwear in the CD player (or things I thought I would never do or say until I had children)?

Here's another list: Things I say every day (maybe not EVERY day, but it sure seems like it).

I can't hear you when you whine.

Please stop pushing buttons.

Just find something to wear.

Please don't ask me again.

You know, regular kids are still asleep.

No, you can not watch a move.

No, you cannot play the Wii.

No, you cannot get on Lego.com.

No, you cannot have a piece of candy for a snack.

Milk or water?

I don't know what we're going to do today.

Remember, in the morning when we are all getting ready to go is not a good time to ask me to take a picture of your Lego creation and upload it to your Lego Gallery.

Did you flush?

Did you wash your hands?

Because I said.

When you are an adult you can have as many cookies as you want.

That's too loud.

You need to be asleep right now (this is only said to Zach).

I don't need to know that.

Let Zach answer (only said to Adam).

I'm talking right now.

I'm on the phone right now.

Boys...[insert Mom warning voice]

Is everyone buckled?

Find something to do or I will give you chores.

Turn around, sit on your bottom, and eat your food.

That's not good manners.

Remember how we talked about personal space? You're invading mine.

Good night, sweetie pie.

Back Roads Kansas

2010-05-30T21:03:00.023-05:00

This is the official record of our Memorial Day road trip.
Roundtrip 420 miles.
Sunday, May 30, 2010: Started out at 10:20 am.
At the end of this post is a map of our route.

Lunch in Medicine Lodge at picnic area off of Highway 160. Lunch was peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, cheese, cool ranch Doritos, carrots, celery and apples. CapriSun for the boys, water for the adults.Medicine Lodge was named by the Kiowa Indians when they discovered healing qualities of the river and built "medicine lodges" nearby.

We arrived at the Stockade Museum at 12:35 pm. The door was locked, but an older lady who was a cross between Grandma Agnes, Grandma Mary, Aunt Pearl and Aunt Harriett informed us the museum didn't open until 1 pm, but she let us in anyway.She took our money and hand wrote the transaction in a three ring spiral notebook. Not a computer in sight, or a phone for that matter. She told us a little about the treasures inside the museum, artifacts that tell the historical story of Medicine Lodge and the surrounding area. We saw peace pipes, mammoth bones, teeth and husks, old typewriters and a manual dentist drill, clothing from the early 1900s, a collection of barbed wire and old tools, and much more. The museum is a replica of the 1874 frontier stockade. Inside the fence is The Smith Log Cabin and The Old Courthouse Jail.Does anyone else think the picture below looks like something that would have been in Grandpa Keller's garage? Outside we investigated the old courthouse jail,and the Smith Log Cabin from 1877. Do these dishes look familiar? I don't do laundry... oh, it's a Maytag!Next door we headed to Carry Nation's house, where we saw her antique pump organ, writing desk, bed and period furnishings and clothing donated by local residents. I don't think Carry and I would have been friends. Her choice of shoes is somewhat restrictive and conservative. And this? These girls probably didn't Spring Break at Padre Island.Next we took a Scenic Byways road through the Gypsum Hills. Not much going on here. All you could hear was the wind. I seem to remember a similar situation about 20 years ago when I forced to "listen to the silence" in the Flint Hills. The boys passed the time drawing on the magna doodle and writing in their notebooks.

The boys made the comment that we were the only car on the road. Yup...
Next stop was Greensburg where we looked around the new Green Town. An F5 tornado destroyed the town in 2007, and although lots of buildings have been rebuilt, you can tell "something happened." For instance, we saw a set of stone steps that leads to nowhere, but we think it might have been a church. We stopped at the Big Well, the largest hand dug well. The picture below was taken in 1992, about the same spot as the one above. In the picture above you can see the foundation of that building. The only thing that remains is the stone wall surrounding the well. We ran off steam at the playground next door and then took a bathroom break at the "little" Dillons on the main drag. Once we arrived in Dodge City, we ate a diner that received a C from Scott...definitely not a five star restaurant. The Dodge House Hotel was a hit with the boys...indoor heated pool, basketball court, ping pong, pool and video games. We had big plans to tour Boot Hill on Monday, but Zach got sick that night. Scott took Adam on a trolley ride, then we decided to head home. Zach perked up on the way home, and there was a steady stream of conversation from the back.

Below is the route we took to Dodge City. I didn't include the return trip because we just drove west on Highway 54. If you place the cursor over the map you can zoom in and zoom out using the tools in the upper left corner.

View To Dodge City 5/30/2010 in a larger map

Soccer: Last games of the season

2010-05-17T14:44:00.007-05:00

May 7, 2010

The Bolts: Adam is in blue and yellow. Man, look how big some of the kids are!

The Dawgs: Zach is #2, in green.

The Office, Kindergarten style

2010-05-09T20:13:00.012-05:00

Zach approached me this morning and said "Mom, you need to come to my office. We have some things to talk about. Your appointment is in five minutes.

Five minutes? Uh oh. I started to panic. Had I not been pulling my weight around the Dyer household? Were my peanut butter, honey and banana sandwiches just not cutting it anymore? Did I need to learn new skills like mastering the Wii "I Spy" game or coloring with chalk? Was I being furloughed? Laid off?
"Zach's office door. Only 1 visitor allowed. Everybody allowed except the people I do not want in my office door. Private door. Tomorrow's appointments: 5:58 --- 6:00 ?" Originally he spelled Office Door like this: "Office Dore."

I sat down at the table. He looked at me. He had a pencil and a blank piece of paper. Was he going to take notes? Make me take a test?

"Sign here." The paper was blank. What was I signing? Did I need a lawyer present?

"Mom, I want to talk about Sportsmanship."

Sportsmanship? My mind raced. Zach had his last soccer game on Saturday. Was I unsportsmanlike? I thought back to his game. I didn't think I did anything wrong. I took pictures, clapped at the appropriate time and high-fived him when he scored a goal.

"What is sportsmanship?" he asked. I gave him four concepts of what good sportsmanship meant to me. He wrote down all of them, occasionally asking for clarification and the spelling of words like "positive" and "attitude."

The meeting lasted about three minutes. He thanked me for my time and wrote "please come again." We shook hands.
Not to be outdone, I saw this on Adam's door.
Adam announced he was now taking appointments too. Grandma Agnes was first, then Oma. My turn next. I sat down at his desk, where everything was neatly in its place (eerily similar to that of Scott's desk at work).
"Tell me why Legos are good toys."

A LEGO question? Didn't he know I wasn't versed in the science of Legos? Isn't this question more suited for Scott or Zach? I gave him several examples: they work your brain and teach you to follow directions. They are brightly colored and help with fine motor skills. He wrote all my answers in a Spiderman notebook labeled "meting" notebook. I could tell the notebook was important because he labeled a special place for it: "Meting notebook here" with an arrow. See picture above.

"Show me how to play with this Star Wars spaceship."

A presentation? I wasn't prepared for that! I just had to wing it, speak off the cuff. I started flying the ship around his room, making spaceship and explosion sounds, which is definitely not one of my talents.

"Uh mom?" He interrupted me. "You're flying it backwards."

I looked at the ship, and back at Adam. I'm sunk.

He burst out laughing. Whew! Glad to know he has a sense of humor. He let me start over.

After my demonstration he gave me a grade. C.

A "C"? Wow. Tough crowd. I know I got off to a bad start and my sound effects are not up to par, but I'm willing to practice. I wonder if he knew of any classes I could take about the subject? Or maybe professional development opportunities?

"Watch me. This is how it's done."

He proceeded to make all the cool sounds: rocker booster, machine gun, landing gear, explosions. And while my ship flied consistently at the same altitude, his flew high (jumping onto his bed, even) and really low so it was almost level with the floor. Then it even came in for a slow, steady landing.

I gave him an A.

His meetings with Oma, Grandma Agnes and Scott were quite interesting. He developed his topic based on each person's interest or world of knowledge. For example, he knew Oma preaches the importance of healthy eating habits so his topic for her was "how to eat healthy." Grandma Agnes is almost 98, so her topic? "How to stay alive." Papa didn't have time for his appointment, but I found out it was "how to do the news."

Later in the day, this sign was posted.

Zach's Kindergarten music program

2010-05-07T22:58:00.006-05:00

For your viewing pleasure. The first song is "Elephants Have Wrinkles." Zach is wearing jeans (!) in the front. The next song is "Party Animals" and he is on the end in the front row.

You may wonder why I even mention that Zach is wearing jeans...it's a music miracle. I had to remind every day for about three weeks that he would HAVE to wear jeans during his music program. He did, but then said he's never wearing them again. Sigh. I could write an entire blog posts about Zach's clothing dilemmas.

Oh, and this video is not they way I wanted it done, but Windows 7 Movie Maker leaves much to be desired.

If you are getting this in your e-mail inbox and don't see the video below, click here to go to the blog page.

Hip Hop in the mini van

2010-05-06T22:59:00.004-05:00

In honor of Mother's Day. Only family makes you a mom. Oh, and I love my mini van.

If you can't see the YouTube video below click here.

When did I become such a MOM?

2010-04-19T15:14:00.008-05:00

Believe it or not, I used to be kinda fun. Staying out late dancing and partying with my friends. Making midnight runs to BK or KwikShop. Having an all day movie marathon. Taking off on a road trip with no specific plans. Gettin' jiggy with it.

Now I plan meals and cook dinner, make sack lunches and do laundry. I say things like "Use your eyes," and "That's too loud," and "No, you cannot have a piece of candy." A fun night involves a great TV show and sleeping. Instead of rushing off to school, I am the rushee and spend many a morning finding library books, appropriate socks, and lost shoes before the school bus arrives.

My mind is full of very important information like who wants peanut butter and honey sandwiches, who prefers mustard AND ketchup on his hot dog, who wants their ice cream in a bowl and not a cone, and who likes to sleep with his light dimmed, and not off.

I used to worry about being cool at school, if I was wearing the "right" outfit or who would be my date to the prom. I would strive to have a golden tan in the summer, and have an artificial tan in the winter.

Now I worry about education, bills, swine flu, school bullies, the influence of video games and TV on a young child's brain and if my six year old will EVER learn to tie his shoes. I wear sunscreen and don't care if my legs are white. OK, I do care, but I don't go to the tanning salon anymore. And all that tanning...yeah it's payback time in the form of wrinkles and brown spots.

Gone are the summer lazy days by the pool, going out with friends at night and best of all, no school.

Now summer means yelling "WALK" at the swimming pool, worrying about sunburns, bee stings and drowning, and insisting that yes, you must take a shower EVERY night.

Instead of friendly debates with my friends of which actor is cuter, which car is cooler and which club we should go to that night, I referee arguments about who gets to unload the top rack of the dishwasher, who got the bigger scoop of ice cream, and who gets to brush their teeth first. And my answer is always the same...life isn't fair and it doesn't matter.

I tell my children to go outside and get fresh air and exercise.
I tell them if they watch too much TV, they're brains will turn to mush.
If they tell me they are bored, I give them some entertaining chores to do.
I teach them the dangers of high fructose corn syrup and sodium.
I worry when they eat hard candy.
I make them get white milk at McDonald's instead of chocolate milk.
I make them AT LEAST take a jacket to school (you don't have to wear it.)

I've turned into my mother.

This girl....
20 years later...is now this mom.

Spring Break: Day 8 & 9

2010-03-21T18:44:00.000-05:00

Spring Break 2010: Day 1
Spring Break 2010: Day 2 & 3
Spring Break 2010: Day 4
Spring Break 2010: Day 5 & 6
Spring Break 2010: Day 7

Saturday, March 20

We left Eagle, CO at 9:30 a.m. The boys kept themselves entertained for about two hours. I'm not sure what they were doing, but there was lots of laughing, explosion sounds and screeching. The roads were not slick, but were wet and slushy. We saw several cars that had gone off the road, but we're not sure if it was today, or yesterday during the huge snowfall. The I-70 stretch between Denver and Salina gets longer every year. The boys colored and played with transformers for a while, then we put in a movie. Twitter and Facebook kept me entertained. I know these are hard to read, but you can see I didn't lack conversation.
Both KU and K-State were playing March Madness games, so that kept Scott occupied. We arrive at our hotel in Hays just as KU went into overtime. The boys and I checked out the hotel pool while Scott listened to the last few minutes of the game. (KU lost, in case you didn't know). In between the KU and K-State game, Scott took the boys to burn off some energy at the pool. I continued to be entertained by facebook by posting this, which resulted in lots of comments and "likes." K-State won their game (in case you didn't know).

Sunday, March 21

Are we home yet?

Spring Break 2010: Day 7

2010-03-19T17:30:00.006-05:00

Spring Break 2010: Day 1
Spring Break 2010: Day 2 & 3
Spring Break 2010: Day 4
Spring Break 2010: Day 5 & 6

Adam and Zach have been quite the helpers during this trip. If you've ever been skiing, you know that the actual skiing is NOT the hard part. Carrying all the gear is. Skis, poles, boots, helmets, goggles, ski pants, coats, gloves, hats.

Scott carried his skis and mine, plus both of his ski boots. I carried the boys' skis and boots, plus one of my boots. The boys wore their helmets and goggles. Adam was in charge of poles. Zach carried one of my boots. About halfway to the ski slopes Zach decided the boot was too heavy. So I carried the boot and he carried his skis. After a few steps that was too heavy too. So I ended up carrying both boys' skis and my pair of boots. Zach helped by not whining.

We have skied three FULL days. We leave the house before 8 am, and get back around 5 pm. The first two days the boys were in ski school from 9 am to 3 pm. On Thursday, we skied from 9 am to 4 pm, with only about a 45 minute break for lunch. That's a lot of skiing.

BeaverCreek saw 10 inches of new snow today. The powder was heavy, and if you weigh less than 50 pounds, it's really hard to plow through. It's a good thing Scott and I are decent skiers, because we ended up hauling the boys down the mountain. We think Adam's skis had no wax because he was going nowhere. Scott had to hold him up and ski down blues just to get some speed.

I skied with Zach's skis between my skis. Once we got speed, I would hold my poles horizontally in front of us so that he had something to hold onto. Then we'd hit a huge pile of snow and come to a dead stop. I had to push not only myself, but Zach too. About halfway down, Zach started crying because he was cold, wet, hungry and tired. He cried the whole rest of the way down. It took us about an hour to get down the mountain. We met Scott and Adam at the bottom, rode the Gondola one time, and then called it a day.

We saw lots of other kids taken down by ski patrol. Note to self: Do not ski in 10 inches of fresh powder!

Spring Break 2010: Day 5 & 6

2010-03-18T20:55:00.000-05:00

Spring Break 2010: Day 1

Spring Break 2010: Day 2 & 3

Spring Break 2010: Day 4

Wednesday, March 17

The boys ended up wanting to do another day of ski school. Actually Adam did, and Zach SAID he did, but then this morning, said he didn't want to. We told him it was just one more day, and then we could all ski together. He seemed a little sad when I dropped him off. Since Adam moved up a level, they were not in the same class, and I think that had something to do with it. And the fact that Adam moved up and he didn't.

Another beautiful day. I think it reached 58 degrees. Scott and I skied a different mountain this time. Beaver Creek is made up of three mountains. This trail map shows how big the ski area is.

When we picked the boys up at 3:00 p.m., Zach was so excited because he could stop on his own and got to ski down the training runs a couple of times. Adam wanted to ski some more, so he and Scott skied down a few times, while Zach and I rode the Buckaroo Gondola.

Thursday, March 18

Olympians in training for Winter Olympics 2022.

Wow! What a difference a day makes. All four of us skied together and the boys did great.Temps in the high 50s again with plenty of sunshine.

We rode the Gondola and skied down several times. Then headed to the two person chairlift. I rode the lift with Adam, who told me the "rules" of the chairlift. (Put the tip of your skis on the red line. Then follow the chair in front of you until you reach the blue line. Then squat down and wait for the chair. Lower the bar when you get to the yellow sign. Make sure you hold onto everything.)

I took this picture of Zach below on our ride up.

We ate lunch (burgers and chicken nuggets) and then decided to try the quad chair lift that goes halfway up the mountain. Here we are on the Centennial lift.

And all of us at the top of the chairlift.

We skied all greens ("Cinch" run on the map). We did accidentally go on a blue, which was quite exciting. But we all made it down in one piece. We rode up the Centennial lift three times, and skied down. The boys even went through some easy paths through the trees.

The video below shows Zach in the light colored coat, and soon you'll see Adam zoom through the trees. Adam is wearing a red coat. If you can't see the video, it's on my facebook page.

Spring Break 2010: Day 4

2010-03-16T22:59:00.000-05:00

The view from here:

Kid's ski school is not for the faint of heart. It's chaotic, with parents trying to prepare kids for a day of skiing. We had rented the boys boots and got them signed in the day before. However, we still needed helmets and goggles. Scott had parked the car and called me twice to ask where we were. I told him we were in the same place as yesterday. He walked through the mess three times before he finally found us. We were told to stand in this line, put on this sticker, make sure your child has sunscreen, go talk to this person, and then they wisk your children away to the "parent-free zone," behind a curtain. I forgot Zach's pull over so I asked if I could run back and give it to him. Denied! No parents allowed! They wrote his name on a sticker and said they would get it to him.

We couldn't have asked for better weather. It was 50 degrees in the afternoon and the boys were in just their turtlenecks and bibs when we picked them up. Scott and I got quite a few runs in, including a some of the most difficult black runs. Scott even went on an "unmarked" trail. I chose to meet him at the bottom.

We mostly skied blues and greens. We stopped by the ski school to see if we could see the boys, but it was really hard to see with all the kids in helmets. We picked them up about 3:30 p.m. and Adam wanted to do the training run with Scott. Zach said his feet hurt, but then perked up when we found out that we could ride the gondola. We ended up riding it up and back four times. Adam and Scott did two runs before we headed home.

The ski instructor said the boys were very well behaved and nobody whined. They made friends with their classmates and enjoyed the day. Adam was ready to move up to the next level because he could stop on his own. Zach can stop with help.

Spring Break 2010: Day 2 & 3

2010-03-15T19:32:00.000-05:00

9:28 a.m.: Depart for Eagle, CO

Mileage: 289 miles / 375 miles to go

We stopped five times between Colby, KS and Eagle, CO:

10:00 a.m. Goodland, KS

11:00 a.m. Siebert, CO

12:00 p.m. Limon, CO for lunch

12:45 p.m. Denver

3:15 p.m. Frisco

4:30 p.m. Arrived in Eagle, CO

It was snowing when we got to Denver. The boys like going through the Eisenhower tunnel, although they were concerned because our GPS did not work in the tunnel. We saw skiers on the slopes as we were driving by, and frozen waterfalls on the side of the mountains.

Monday, March 15

We hung out at Shawna & Marty's house in the morning. The boys played catch in the yard and then we drove to Beaver Creek and rented out skis and got the boys ready for ski school. In this picture, Zach is being measured for his skis, and he said he was a little nervous about the whole skiing thing.

Adam getting weighed.

Our family, Shawna and Sophie.

We ate a snack at the Avondale restaurant in the Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa and took a short gondola ride (the boys went twice with Scott).

Spring Break 2010: Day 1

2010-03-13T22:01:00.000-06:00

3:25 p.m.: Depart for Colorado.

Miles traveled: 0

Miles to destination: 664 / 9 hours 50 minutes (according to mapquest)

Scott promptly falls asleep. The GPS occupies Adam and Zach for an entire three minutes. We stop in Salina to get gas and set up a movie for the boys.

Just west of Salina on I-70, we passed Smokey Hills Wind Farm. A quick search on google revealed the wind turbines are relatively new within the last three years. I don't remember passing them on our last trip to Colorado in 2006, so that seems about right. It was really neat to see the huge "windmills" (according to Zach) turning. I tried to educate the six and seven year old crowd about the turbines, but a movie trumps anything educational. I wish I could have taken some pictures, but using a camera while operating a moving vehicle is probably frowned upon. (this photo is from the Smokey Hills Wind Farm website)

Scott entertained me with his experience testifying for an article 32 hearing, whatever that means.

We stopped in Hays to eat dinner. It was decided that we eat at IHOP because Zach said he's never eaten there before (he has). Adam had a hamburger and fruit. Scott ate a chicken sandwich and onion rings. I had scrambled eggs, bacon, hash browns and toast. Zach had eggs, sausage and five silver dollar sized pancakes. We were all members of the clean plate club.

The last hour and half of the day proved to be the most challenging. The boys were tired (they each had their first soccer game of the season earlier in the day) and bored with riding in the car. We almost made it to Colby without incident, but had to separate them with only 25 minutes left in the day's trip.

8:31 p.m.: Arrive at Holiday Inn Express, our usual preference for overnight accommodations in Colby. I announced I would be making a Starbucks run in the morning, but nobody but me seemed to care.

Miles to destination: 379

Miles traveled: 285 / 5 hours, 6 minutes

Dayton, OH: 2000 - 2002

2010-03-10T15:01:00.000-06:00

This is third in a series. See Charleston, SC or Birmingham, AL

Dayton, OH
1102 Katy Meadow Court

If you can't see the map below, click here

2000-2002

Scott finished his degree at UAB, so we headed to Dayton, OH in March 2000. We did take a two week vacation to Germany, but that's another post for another day.

We built a house in Fairborn, a suburb of Dayton. Scott documented the four month process by taking 2,694 pictures of the house in varying stages of development. Although I made fun of him for doing that, those pictures did come in handy when we had to go to court because of a red paint incident.

In process

Finished!

Scott worked at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, and I sent out about a million resumes before landing a communications position at The Dayton Art Institute. This ended up being a favorite job of mine, even though I knew nothing about art. And Scott will tell you he had to "suffer" through some artsy events, like the one below, but I think he secretly enjoyed them.

Art Ball 2001

Life in Dayton was ordinary. We hung out with neighbors and friends, ate yummy ice cream at nearby Young's Dairy, entertained out of town visitors at the Air Force Museum and The Dayton Art Institute, and took weekend trips to Cincinnati and Columbus.

The most significant event that happened in this period of time was Adam's birth. (September 11 also happened, and you can read about it here.)

So we had our first child. And I wasn't ready. I had just reduced my work hours from full-time to three days a week. My office was not cleaned out. My replacement had not been trained as we had planned. I did not have my hospital bag packed.

My due date was Sept. 4. My water broke around 2 am on August 28, and it took us two hours to actually arrive at the hospital.

After 12 hours of nothing, the doctors suggested a C-section and little Adam was born on August 29, big eyes and all. This picture always makes me laugh.

I had left my job, so my days were filled with dirty diapers, bottles and pacifiers. Scott introduced Adam to Monday night football and I showed him the mall.

In December, we put our house up for sale and headed to Washington, D.C where Scott had accepted a job at the Department of Justice.