AmigoNet

Marlboro

2012-02-19T09:13:00.003-06:00

Presented without comment.

It works! It really works!

2012-02-15T12:00:00.001-06:00

Ok, so I've really been eating a lot more fruits and vegetables than normal. I mean, I have always eaten a fair share, but now my meals and snacks mostly consist of "plant-based" food with other stuff (chicken, cheese, yogurt, chips, bread, etc. with minimal "processed" food) on the side. It's probably only been about a month since I got serious about this.

Well, I just got my health screening done at work and I'm even further convinced.

In the past, my lowest total cholesterol was around 155 and normally it's around 170. Today: 132! My HDL "good" cholesterol was 77. He said my numbers were the best he'd seen for today (he might tell everyone with "not bad" numbers that...) Anyways, I was told to just keep doing what I'm doing.

I'm so pleased to see that the advice to "eat more fruits and vegetables" really does work and almost immediately (at least with respect to these numbers...long term health impacts is TBD).

Jeff told me just to be careful and not get hit by a bus now since fruits and vegetables can't prevent that.

Is that... ?

2012-02-11T09:02:00.005-06:00

See anyone familiar in this Super Bowl commercial?

I didn't either until someone txt'd me later "Hey been meaning to ask, when did you have time to film the Kia commercial?"

I'm sure they're talking about the fabio guy on the horse, right?

Opposites.

2012-02-09T00:12:00.001-06:00

Morning person.

Not a morning person.

I am thankful for both!

Last week / This week

2012-02-06T00:12:00.001-06:00

Just completed 7 days of yoga...love it! I don't know why I don't do it all the time! Hopefully, this past week will spur me on.

And this week: 7 days filled with gratitude. I'm pretty conscious of how unbelievably blessed I am and every day I recognize all the beauty around me. I don't think you can ever be too grateful and thankful, and when you're focused on all the good things, there's just not time/energy to think about the not-so-good things.

So after stumbling onto Ann Voskamp's One Thousand Gifts (NOTE: I read her blog, I have not read the book), I decided that one of my resolution weeks must include a goal of writing down at least 10 things I'm thankful for each day. This is a fun one!

I'm also going to include Naomi in this one -- it's certainly a good learning opportunity for her! I'll probably see what Danielle comes up with too. No one is too old or young to give thanks!

Ghost Eats All

2012-02-04T09:32:00.000-06:00

My Neighbor

2012-02-01T08:32:00.002-06:00

I know I’ve mentioned this before, but one of the nice things about having kids is getting to re-live my own childhood. (though I’m sure many would say I didn’t wait to have kids) (good thing I don’t have a boy as the Star Wars nerdity may have gone full force) (pun intended)

Anyway, so I was reminded of this again this week when “entertain me!” Naomi asked to watch something on my laptop. She told me to go to PBSKids.org and select Dinosa… wait a minute, what’s this? Mr Rogers?!? :-o

I click on it and a whole page comes up with games, things to print and videos. Not just short clips, but full episodes! So, ignoring Naomi’s instructions now, I start the first one and am greeted by the twinkling sounds of “It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood, a beautiful day for a neighbor. Won’t you be mine? Could you be mine?”

Naomi: “What’s that?” Me: “Hold on a sec, I just wanna see something…”, followed by my singing along. Naomi: eyes rolling.

In strolls Danielle: “What you watching Dad?” I scoop her up and set her between Naomi & I. Immediately, she’s into it.

Over the next 25 or so minutes both kids are transfixed as Mr Rogers changes his jacket & shoes, feeds his fish and visits the handyman across town before we all follow the trolley into the neighborhood of make believe where King Friday is having a problem with his rocking chair (or something). And then, it’s over.

Or is it?

Every day since, when Danielle sees me holding the laptop: “Watch Mr Rogers, Dad?” “Sure!” I say, scooching her into the pillows and balancing the computer on her lap. And, despite her 5 year old, kindergarten worldliness, it’s never more than a few minutes before Naomi makes her way in, sidles up next to Danielle and says “turn it this way Danielle, I can’t see!”

It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood.

Full episodes of Mr Rogers on PBSKids.org available here.

See, It's A Lifestyle

2012-01-30T08:09:00.000-06:00

Remember when being called "lazy" was an insult? I do. Not that it stopped me of course. And apparently, I'm not the only one.

Fellow lazzies, at last, we have an official uniform... Forever Lazy Lounge Wear.

In case anyone is looking for a gift idea, I like the Workday Blues size medium and Jenny would look lazy good in the Hanky Pinky Fuchsia in small. Thanks a bunch.

Welcome, The Androids

2012-01-27T08:28:00.007-06:00

So, I know I'm a little late, but welcome to 2012 people! And since we're here, we might as well get our phone situation up-to-date. Well, at least up-to-last-year.

We'd been sportin the handy Sony Ericsson C905 feature phones for the last couple years while under contract to AT&T, but it seemed like alot had changed in that time. Contracts and paying an extra $whatever/month to use the phones the way we wanted seemed so 2009. Time to shop around...

The winner: Virgin Mobile.

True, they're not one of the "big" carriers, but wait... they actually kinda are! Little known fact: Virgin Mobile phones operate on the Sprint network. So yeah, we have the nationwide coverage of Sprint, but for a fraction of the cost. And no contract. Sweet!

Phonetically speaking, we knew we wanted Androids. So all that was left then was choosing which of VM's offering to get. For me, it's the Motorola Triumph. While not quite on the cutting edge of what's currently available, it's 4.1" screen, 1 GHz processor and ultra slim design put in on par with the snazziest phones released in the last year.

Jenny decided to go with the LG Optimus V. It's a little older and a little smaller (3.2" screen), but it's such a solid performer that every carrier still offers their own customized version of it (literally, there are 11 versions of this phone in the wild). So, being that well vetted and that size were a perfect match for her main criteria: "something that works and fits in my pocket."
It's only been a couple weeks, but so far so good. Best of all, our monthly bill is about $30 less than we were paying with AT&T.

Better phones: check!
Better service: check!
Lower bill: check!

And no contract. woo hoo!

Reading

2012-01-25T12:12:00.002-06:00

Hello. Yes. My 7-day challenges are still happening and going well, just not posting much lately.

But for the record, my current challenge (which will seem absurd to many who already do this regularly): read a book. Sitting and reading just doesn't make it to the top of my priority list very often, even though I "wish" it would. So, I'm forcing it to the top for this one week, and letting other things slide. And my book of choice (don't cough and gag): The China Study (by T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D). Yes, it's a common-man's book about tons of scientific studies related to the effects of nutrition and long-term health.

BTW, after reading just the intro, one of my cornerstone beliefs around healthy eating has come into question. What's that? Protein. Could I be brainwashing Naomi and Danielle with potentially incorrect information?! [gasp] Let me finish reading (and read read some of the critiques) and I'll evaluate further. Hopefully, my higher belief in balanced nutrition will still prevail, but it's interesting nonetheless. More to come, as I'm pretty sure this week's challenge will influence future challenges!

Staycation

2012-01-22T00:12:00.003-06:00

Back before the gunk invaded our house, we took advantage of Naomi's 2 and a 1/2 days of no school (for teacher in-service and MLK) and Jeff planned the ultimate kid-friendly "staycation".

The first and biggest stop was a night at Great Wolf Lodge. The big attraction there is the indoor waterpark with wave pool, huge water slides, water tower with sprayers and splashers and everything in between. Naomi and Jeff headed for the biggest water slides, while Danielle and I hung out in the tranquil, Cub Paw pool.

Naomi would have slid and played all night, but after she was sufficiently water-logged, we made a quick change into pj's just in time for the nightly story time.
The next day was full of more water play, but it also included Naomi's new favorite activity: MagiQuest! After purchasing the perfect pink wand and access to the game (they stick it to ya!), Naomi earned her title of Master Magi by searching all around the hotel for clues and treasures and by eventually slaying the dragon. She loved waving her wand and casting spells!The evening concluded with dinner at Rain Forest Cafe. Danielle loved watching the gorillas, but was convinced that the elephants were real and coming after her!

The next day, while Danielle napped, Naomi and I headed to the movie theater to see the re-release of Beauty and the Beast on the big screen. Then Naomi enjoyed a [free] ice-skating lesson with a real skating instructor (as opposed to her former not-so-real instructor). And no, not the ChickFilA cow.

We met up with Danielle and Jeff at the Indoor Safari Park. After climbing, jumping, diving into balls, and playing a round of mini-golf, it was time to take a ride (round and round) on the mini-train.The highlight for the girls was riding the robotic safari animals. It's probably just like riding a real zebra on the African plains...

There were a couple other stops on the itinerary, but we had to abort midway through due to Danielle's condition. Those will make an appearance in the near future...

Hangin' in there

2012-01-20T17:06:00.003-06:00

We're here, just no time or energy for writing. Danielle has RSV. She has been home all week. Naomi has a nasty cold (might very well be the same as Danielle, just not as severe since she's older/bigger).

Nobody is quite themselves lately.

Hole

2012-01-13T12:12:00.001-06:00

Naomi has a brand new hole in her mouth...she lost her first tooth!!!

She initially announced that it was wiggly when we were down in Houston, with Jeff's side of the family, for Christmas. She was eating corn on the cob with her cousins and came running in (from the kids table in the other room) to tell us that her tooth hurt. We took a closer look and discovered it was pretty wiggly! Just shy of three weeks later, she has an empty space:

And how did the tooth come out? Well, she let Ms. Mack (apparently the most famous tooth-puller around) pull it out at school. She was eating lunch and the other kids kept chanting "Let Ms. Mack pull it. Let Ms. Mack pull it." So Naomi did! Ms. Mack (one of the other kindergarten teachers) grabbed a tissue and yanked it out. According to Naomi, it was not too painful and it only bled a little bit.

If you look closely, you can see her big tooth already coming in! Pretty exiting stuff. More details after the tooth fairy makes a visit!

And even more exciting stuff...all this happened on the very same day that she got a brand new cousin. My little sister Jessica (and her husband Mark) welcomed Ada into the world! The whole entire family couldn't be happier!

Cookies anyone?

2012-01-09T00:12:00.000-06:00

The Girl Scout theme continues with Naomi's announcement for her latest endeavor, especially for those of you that are not within walking distance.

In case you weren't writing em down, the choices are Thin Mints, Samoas, Trefoils, Do-si-dos, Thank U Berry Munch, Dulche de Leche, Tagalongs, and the brand new Savannah Smiles.

Cookies are $3.50 and will be delivered in mid-February.

There is also an option for donating a box of cookies to military troops -- boxes are shipped from the bakery to different military locations (Fort Hood, USOs, service men and women abroad). For that, you can order online or through Naomi and her troop.

Let us know if you are interested in placing an order, Naomi will be thrilled to assist you! Thank you berry munch!

Slow

2012-01-08T22:10:00.003-06:00

S.L.O.W. That's my word for this week's 7-day goal.

Here's the motivation behind this one, and there's plenty of it:

-- In December, I got a speeding ticket. I've developed a bad habit of consistently driving over the speed limit. I'm not proud of that and it needs to change.

-- I am a fast walker. At least once a day at work, I come around a corner at work and nearly bump into someone, or I will have someone step aside to let me pass in the hallway because they can feel me speeding up behind them. Yes, walking fast is good exercise and is an efficient use of time, but I think I'm a little extreme.

-- I am always moving too fast. I repeated whack my hand on a counter or wall or corner, or kick my toe into something and even a few times I've bumped Danielle's head when moving through a doorway too quickly or cut my turn too close. I'm also really bad about knocking things over and making more messes because I'm jerky and moving too fast. There's no excuse, and it just plain hurts.

-- I eat my entire meals in 5 minutes flat. I gulp down my food and hardly even taste my food. This habit began developing about 5 years ago when Naomi entered the scene and I felt like I was constantly feeding and entertaining her at mealtimes and had little time to eat. It's time to revert this habit!

-- I hear myself saying "I'm gonna do X just real quick". Danielle has heard me say it so many times, that now she says, "Mama, I go play with my baby dolls real quick." Not necessarily a good thing to be passing on!

Thus, my goal for the next seven days is to slooooow down. I want to avoid thumps and bumps and clumsy messes. I want to eat the speed of Naomi (well, maybe not THAT slow!). I certainly want to avoid another speeding ticket!

This will be a serious challenge for me, but definitely a much needed improvement.

Girl Scout Update

2012-01-06T00:12:00.002-06:00

Thanks to the detective work of my Dad, evidence has been unearthed that I WAS a Girl Scout Brownie. Check out a pinning ceremony then and now!

And for anyone really interested, here are some of the other Brownie pictures here.

Thanks Dad!!

Daisy

2012-01-05T00:12:00.005-06:00

A couple months ago, Naomi embarked on a new journey...the life as a Daisy Girl Scout. It wasn't necessarily something she asked to do, but I was excited about the idea, so she willingly went along with it! (Note: There is no evidence that I was ever a Girl Scout even though I have vague memories of doing Brownie activities. I do, however, have proof that I was a Blue Bird under the Campfire Girls Association, which is a similar type of organization.)

As a Girl Scout, Naomi gathers twice a month with 9 other kindergarten girls and does Girl Scouty things: reciting the Girl Scout promise, learning traditions, singing songs, coloring, making crafts, role-playing, playing games, being silly and hopefully learning and instilling a few life-long positive characteristics!
Her first big Girl Scout event was the Daisy Investiture Ceremony. It is a ceremony where each girl is "pinned" and officially welcomed into the Girl Scout community. The girls had fun planning their party (cupcakes AND ice cream!) and they enjoyed their big moment (and nobody got stuck by a pin!)

Next up for Girl Scout Naomi: Cookie sales! (Daisy Naomi will be coming to you soon for orders! Thin Mints anyone??)

2012, seven days at a time

2012-01-03T00:12:00.000-06:00

I'm taking a new approach this year for my New Year's resolutions. Normally I have fun picking a few things to work on all year. I do OK for awhile, but then routine and old habits creep back in and the new is gone.

This year, I've decided to pick lots and lots of things to try, but only for seven days! After doing my 7-day "all-natural eating" challenge a few months ago, I realized that I'm pretty good at sticking to a plan for one week. So I'm extending that idea to my 2012 resolutions. I only have short term goals lasting 7 days. The hope is that I'll find new things that work for me now and not sweat or stress about the other stuff.

Right now I have a list of about 25 things, equating to 25 weeks. Some items fall in the usual "exercise more and be healthier" categories, but others are just fun things for me to try and look forward to! My plan is to unofficially track my progress here (partly for accountability!) and share how things are going.

Here's to a happy, fun and new 2012!

And first up: resistance training / weight training. I used to be pretty consistent with the oh-so-important strength training, but that has all but disappeared in the last couple of years. I think I do get credit for carrying Danielle around daily, but that merely translates into my left bicep and deltoids being the strongest muscles in my body. So I dug out my hand weights and vowed to do strength exercises every day for 7 days!

A Lucky New Year

2012-01-01T17:41:00.009-06:00

Another New Year's Eve, another night of hockey, friends & fireworks!

And somehow, it gets better and better every year. This year's new twist was starting the night at PIRA. We ambled in, completely unaware of our surroundings, and were escorted past rows of people crowded around tables to a quiet setting under the stars! How did we do this? Just lucky, I guess, and dinner was tasty and surprisingly reasonably priced - definitely a keeper for next year.

The Stars took care of business on the ice by beating the Boston Bruins 4-2. Always a treat to send fans of one of the Original Six home with sarcastic "thanks for comin!" :D

The Platinum Bar sure is a nice place to hang out while waiting for midnight. Only problem is, on this night, most of it was roped off for VIP. No problem for this crew of 8 though! Our good furtune continued when one of the security guards recognized me (as a Stars employee, not a VIP) and led us on to the balcony just before midnight - sweet!

Hangin with the beautiful and watching the fireworks from above the crowd of thousands... pretty spectacular. Especially if we allow ourselves to forget we aren't really supposed to be up there. :)

Scott creepin

Happy New Year 2012!

Holiday In The Park

2011-12-31T10:17:00.002-06:00

Sure, Christmas has come and gone but "the holidays" go thru New Year's Day, right? So, we're still in the holiday season, right? Well, Six Flags says so. :)

With the cooler temperature and lighter crowd, this week seemed like a good time to introduce N&D to the idea of a princess free amusement park. (and Danielle's FREEness may have factored in to the timing a bit too)

Having grown up around here, we have our favorites at Six Flags Over Texas of course. So it was alot of fun to introduce Naomi to Shockwave (only partially experienced the loops since the centrifugal force forced her head into her lap, although that was it's own unexpected experience I suppose), the Mine Train (closed her eyes as the train narrowly missed the saloon wall), and our absolute favorite, Judge Roy Scream, which got the "let's do it again!" review about 8 rides in a row until the park's closing time forced a "last time Naomi" out of me. (otherwise, we might still be rattling our bones on there)

Christmas light connoisseurs Jenny and Danielle skipped the trill rides ("dat's too scawy for me") and found their fun in appreciating the holiday atmosphere. Based on the number of "oh my goodness"es utterred, I'd guess they had a pretty good time.

Even the big closing show at the end of the night, usually a cheesefest to be avoided at all costs, was a hit with N&D. Watching the show thru their transfixed eyes, it was prolly the first time I've ever actually enjoyed it. (maybe a learning experience from raising daughters: girls actually like this stuff?)

Anyway, so good times had by all. And thanks to some foresight in planning next year's Spring Break, we opted for the Season Pass! So, more thrills to come in 2012.

Presents, 3 Different Kinds

2011-12-30T11:35:00.001-06:00

Christmas with the Smith side of the family this year means presents, presents, and then presents again.

The giving started with the usual gift exchange. With 7 young ones, it's pretty much organized chaos: wrapping paper flying while the adults shout "who's turn is it?" above the din. Notably cool this year, Ava and Jack broke tradition from the "family gift" and gave their own presents.

By Christmas morning, everyone was ready to concentrate on receiving. Luckily, Santa got our note and followed us to Houston. Naomi was excited/relieved to get her Glow Crazy (after seeing the commercials and dreaming about it for weeks)...

... while Danielle was happiest with the hefty load of chocolates in her stocking.

But that's not all! Thanks to Grammie, everyone enjoyed one final round of presents when they opened their crackers. Sure, it's not really an American thing, but we're not afraid to make it our own if it means more stuff!

All those things and what do the kids enjoy most? Hanging out with their cousins of course. :)

Storytime With Danielle

2011-12-28T09:57:00.002-06:00

'Tis The Season (For Hats)

2011-12-23T09:13:00.002-06:00

Christmas all around us

2011-12-19T22:10:00.001-06:00

It's been a busy, busy few weeks. Alas, it's the fun of building up to Christmas and taking in as much joy as possible! Like everyone else, we've certainly been doing our share of festive [and free!] activities.

Is it possible to see too many holiday lights? I think not! Naomi and Danielle have not hit their saturation point yet. Even after The Shops at Legacy tree lighting and watching The Colony Lights and Music spectacular show, they still insist on driving home the long way around the neighborhood every time we are out after dark...to see moooore lights!

We certainly haven't seen enough snowmen yet! This Frosty fella was a favorite at Grapevine's Christmas on Main Street.
It wouldn't be a Smith Christmas without viewing our local Colony parade! I'm telling ya...this is the greatest thing. We drive 3 minutes. Park. Step out of the car. And wait for the candy and goodies to start flying! Danielle sat quietly on the curb analyzing everything (and picking up the candy that bounced right to her) while Naomi stood and shouted "Merry Christmas!" to everyone.
And this year, one parade group took it up a notch! Check out this impressive float, amidst all the ordinary jeeps, motorcycles and trailers.
As for the Santa thing, we did agree that it is possible to see TOO much of Santa. It takes away some of the allure and mystique when he's seen too often. Thus, we limited our viewing to 2 events: Bass Pro Shops Christmas (Danielle refused to even look at Santa, but did become pals with Mrs. Claus) and the Christmas Pajama Party at the kids' daycare. The Christmas wish lists have been personally reported to Santa, so all is well!
Other non-photo Christmas moments have included Santa's Village in Richardson (no sign of Santa for us!), A Birthday Party for Jesus at church, several crafts for Advent from a cool eBook I purchased called Truth in the Tinsel, and some 12 Days of Christmas type activities (leaving surprise candy canes on friends doorsteps, toy donations, animal shelter donation/visit).

What a wonderful time of year!!

Naked Old Lady

2011-12-16T09:37:00.003-06:00

From the lunch table this week...

I gave Amigo a haircut on Sunday. Jenny was mad at me. She's like "dude, old people are always cold!"

. . . . . {laughing} She's an old lady!

I know. And after her haircut, she's prolly even colder. It's like she's naked.

. . . . . Yeah, you got a naked old lady walkin around there.

3rd Elvis

2011-12-14T00:23:00.002-06:00

Who do ya like? The handsome, full of life Elvis of the 50s? Or the fat, sweaty Elvis of the 70s?

I know most people will prolly say the former, but not so fast! Sure, the younger guy looks better, and ya know, he's not associated with death and all, but when ya factor in the music and performances from the 70s, older Elvis takes a back seat to NO ONE.

Fat, sweaty Elvis not only wins on fat and sweat, but on soul and drama. And rhinestones!

Ya can't beat a cape. Done deal. Game over.

Not convinced? Still sticking by young Elvis? (you're so superficial) Ok, but what if... what if there were another option? An Elvis with all the production of the 70s but without all the fat (and sweat). A... 3rd Elvis?

Yep, there ya go. People from both sides of the young vs old debate can now come out from their bunkers and live in harmony.

Transitional Elvis: the Elvis for all.

Not what I intended to sew

2011-12-11T22:30:00.003-06:00

Naomi and I spent this afternoon working on homemade Christmas presents. The final step included a bit of sewing on my handy sewing machine. Well, I was on my last "item" (out of 12), when I got careless and tried to hurry through a basic step. But instead of getting done faster, I ended up sewing my finger!

Yes, the needle and thread went through the index finger on my left hand, about an 1/8 of an inch from the side. I didn't just nick it, I literally sewed it. The needle broke and when I tried to pull my hand away, it was stuck because my finger was sewn to the fabric!

After cutting myself free, I headed to the bathroom with Naomi and Danielle close behind. (NOTE: Jeff was outside giving Amigo a haircut). I was OK until I pulled the broken needle out of from my finger and the thread pulled through.

Now. Freaking. Out.

However, Naomi was right there calmly offering me a Barbie band-aid! And Danielle was right beside her asking if I needed another band-aid. Good thing we've had lots of experience with the amazing healing powers of simply applying a band-aid!

After bleeding, washing, Neosporin-ing, and bandaging, all is well. I sure hope the family likes their Christmas presents this year!

Well Yeah, She Likes Sharks, But...

2011-12-07T07:35:00.002-06:00

Jenny: Do you think Danielle is too young for this in her stocking?

Jeff: I dunno, YA THINK?!?!??!?

Bread and ???

2011-12-05T12:12:00.001-06:00

I have a sister who, as a kid, regularly ate bread with french dressing.

Jeff had a friend who served mustard sandwiches when it was his night to fix dinner for the family.

Naomi has a new entry in this category. She calls it ketchup bread. It's best served on a hot dog bun.

This sure makes it easy to fix Naomi's school lunch!

Real. Not Real.

2011-12-04T05:55:00.001-06:00

After reading "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" the other night, Naomi looked at the final picture in the book, where Rudolph is leading all the reindeer as they flew across the snowy, night sky.

Naomi: "That's not really real, right mama?"

Me: "What?"

Naomi: "Rudolph having a red, glowing nose. The other reindeer are real but not his red nose."

Me: [something along the lines of....] "There are lots of imaginative things like that in stories, which is what makes it fun to read and pretend."

I guess she was OK with the flying reindeer, just not a glowing nose.

I've Converted

2011-12-01T07:19:00.001-06:00

Part 3 of the Handwashing Trilogy...

Up until recently, I have always (as in, my entire life) washed my hands in cold water. That other knob for hot, never touched it. It might not have even been hooked up for all I knew.

It's not that I have a particular fondness for the cold water, or anything against the hot. I just never bothered to try it.

But lately, I'd been noticing when I wash my hands right after someone else has used the sink that other people do use the hot. Not all, but some. And even though I'd still turn on the cold, I'd get a few seconds of their hot at the start of my routine. And ya know what? I liked it. I mean, I like-liked it!

Turns out, it's really kind of soothing, in an aqua massage kind of way. I now find myself lingering during the rinse cycle. And if I could somehow up the water pressure of the spray, I might never leave.

Does everyone else know about this?

Happy AND Thankful

2011-11-27T23:11:00.001-06:00

It is not happy people who are thankful, it is thankful people who are happy.

And boy do we have a LOT to be thankful for...just take a look at how happy this family is! The Smith cousins are certainly growing up fast!
We spent four Thanksgiving days hanging out with the Smith gang and even despite the age difference (from age 2 to 11), the cousins managed to find plenty of ways to have fun together.
Who wouldn't have fun during one of Grammie's decorating activities? These moments continue to entertain and delight the kids year after year! So why the serious faces? It's serious business designing, decorating and perfecting gingerbread girls and boys.
Now, normally, Danielle enjoys being the youngest, as she gets lots and lots of extra attention. However, the downside is that she still naps in the middle of the day and sometimes misses out on some of the fun. Well, not totally "misses out", she just misses the group aspect of it and ends up doing it by herself!
Danielle had another moment of her own this Thanksgiving -- she had her very first hair cut -- or bangs trim. Just like Naomi three years ago, Danielle had [thankfully] grown enough hair in front to warrant a trim. Once again, Grammie performed the ceremonial cut.
And it wouldn't be a Smith holiday gathering without some type of household project! After the girls exited the kitchen, the guys moved in to do a "quick" sink repair. All's well that ends well!

It is not happy people who are thankful, it is thankful people who are happy.

I'm so thankful for my family, for the fun memories that were created and for all of our good health during Thanksgiving 2011!

A Kindergarten Giving Thanks

2011-11-23T10:00:00.005-06:00

Turning Thirty Nine: The Finale

2011-11-22T05:55:00.002-06:00

Yes, I am really and truly 39. Wow, that's a big number! Although honestly, I haven't thought too much about it. When I say it now, it does sound kinda old for me, but I guess I don't say it or stop to ponder it. I don't feel old. Nothing is creaking yet. I can still keep up with the kids. I think I'll keep going another year!

My celebration this year kicked off with a few of my favorite, traditional birthday things: family, picnic, Subway sandwiches (and white chocolate chip cookies!). The weather helped make it possible, and Jeff made it happen!

A night out with long-time friends is also a welcome gift. Slow eating, ingesting as much Mi Cocina salsa as I can stand, adult conversation and the absence of constant up/down/drop/shove/spill/run-away motion is a definite birthday treat!

The Shops at Legacy coordinated their annual tree lighting festivities with my birthday again, so we were able to enjoy an evening out full of lights, activities and holiday cheer!
My official party was full of all kinds of birthday fun, including dinner from Texas Roadhouse (notice I didn't say at Texas Roadhouse. I definitely prefer take-out rather than wrangling two wiggly kids!) Plus you can't get up and dance to your new birthday "Good Morning" song in the middle of a restaurant!
A fantastic birthday, with a long list of perfect gifts and wonderful moments...all just what I wanted! (Yes, that did include a new vacuum and other practical stuff!)
I've got way more than my share of things to be thankful for. Kudos and sincere thanks to Jeff, Naomi and Danielle for making it another happy year!

Jenny at 39.

2011-11-21T11:21:00.000-06:00

Jenny has reached the whopping age of thirty nine. It seems not so small, not so young, and she has made unbelievable advances in the last year!

Her independence still amazes me. Her willingness, desire and ability to do something completely on her own is astonishing for her age. (at least based on my limited experience) For example, she regularly goes to the pantry to get something to eat -- sometimes it's as simple as a cracker, or she'll get cereal, bowl, spoon, pour the cereal into the bowl, put the cereal back and then come ask someone to open the fridge so she can get milk. If she wants something above the fridge, she'll find a chair or stool that is tall enough to reach it. She brushes her teeth every morning and evening, without being reminded. And heaven forbid you try and help her! She will sit and play by herself for moderate periods of time. It doesn't usually involve sitting in one place though -- it usually involves rearranging things or going from room to room to accomplish something.

Over the last 12 months, Jenny has learned to:

drink from a cup (yay, no more bottles!) ~ cut her meat with a knife ~ dress herself (sometimes her clothes even match!) ~ speak quietly ~ lead a Girl Scout troop ~ raise a 2nd child ~ take care of an elderly dog ~ stay up past 9 o' clock ~ use a non-toilet-clogging amount of toilet paper (most of the time) ~ point out my messes ~ clean the house with baby wipes ~ apply band-aids

I keep saying to myself: "this" is such a fun age. Happy birthday Jenny!

Turning Two: The Finale

2011-11-17T12:12:00.001-06:00

Danielle's birthday week wouldn't be complete without a stop at Chuck E. Cheese's! We celebrated her actual birth day with the mouse himself, which Danielle was NOT happy about. She has a very strong aversion to being near over-sized stuffed characters. She really likes watching from a distance, but has zero interest in getting close.

Fortunately, she enjoyed everything else. As long as Chuck E. Cheese was not around, she was happy! Or maybe it was the games, rides, cupcakes and presents that brought the smiles...

Naomi and Danielle both enjoyed the games, especially the ones that spit out tickets. It was a bonus to get these tickets from Chuck E. Cheese. No sign of Danielle here though!
The party ended with one last "game" of feeding all those tickets into the counting machine, followed by spending them on a handful of trinkets. Danielle's favorite purchase was a package of smarties and Naomi's favorite was a pink clip-in hair extension!
Phew. Another successful birthday run!

Danielle at 2.

2011-11-16T11:11:00.006-06:00

Danielle has reached the whopping age of two today. It seems small, seems young, but she has made unbelievable advances in the last year!

Her independence still amazes me. Her willingness, desire and ability to do something completely on her own is astonishing for her age. (at least based on my limited experience) For example, she regularly goes to the pantry to get something to eat -- sometimes it's as simple as a cracker, or she'll get cereal, bowl, spoon, pour the cereal into the bowl, put the cereal back and then come ask someone to open the fridge so she can get milk. If she wants something on the counter, she'll find a chair or stool that is tall enough to reach it. She brushes her teeth every morning and evening, without being reminded. (Sure she uses 3 toothbrushes and asks for extra "toothpaste", but she does it on her own!) She wants to close the gate, she wants to carry her book, she wants to put her toys away, she wants to do whatever IT is at the moment -- and heaven forbid you try and help her! She will sit and play by herself for moderate periods of time. It doesn't usually involve sitting in one place though -- it usually involves rearranging things or going from room to room to accomplish something. It's incredibly interesting and fun to watch her in action!

However, despite her quest for independence, she regularly enjoys being right in the middle of the action. First thing in the morning, she wants to be carried around during the entire morning routine. Throughout the day, after some time by herself, she'll demand "Mama, come here now!" If I don't respond quick enough, she will come find me, grab my hand and pull me in the direction she wants to go! In the evening, she likes to sit and play with Jeff or I. It's a very sweet balance that she walks between independence and a desire for closeness.

Over the last 12 months, Danielle has learned to:

drink from a cup ~ feed herself with utensils ~ twist off tops/caps ~ identify pictures in books ~ sleep through the night (FINALLY!) ~ sing ABCs ~ count to 12 correctly ~ run ~ jump with two feet ~ say single words ~ speak in 4-5 word sentences ~ eat a huge variety of foods ~ love carousels ~ identify pink, purple, yellow, orange ~ identify basic shapes ~ sit in a normal chair at the dinner table ~ carry not just one "bah bah", but three! (mouth and each hand) ~ use the toilet (part-time) ~ blow bubbles ~ clean up toys ~ point out my messes ~ clean the house with baby wipes ~ swing on her belly on a swing set ~ copy Naomi ~ say "Oh-mee" ~ say "Na-o-mi" ~ say "DAN-nelle" ~ recognize big, little and itty-bity ~ climb down the stairs ~ play with baby dolls ~ do puzzles ~ brush her teeth ~ wash hair / bathe herself ~ remove pants ~ apply band-aids

And a few of her favorite things right now (most of these occur daily!):

Eating cereal
Drinking "yogurt drinks"
Playing outside
Washing her hands (for 10 minutes!)
Applying band-aids
Filling multiple cups (like 6 or more) with water from the fridge dispenser
Tattling on Amigo (Amigo took my cracker, Amigo stepped on my toe)

I keep saying to myself: "this" is such a fun age, and Danielle continues to make it even more enjoyable! She brings such uniqueness and smiles to our days. We are so thankful for her in our family. Happy birthday Danielle!

Birthday Week: Hump Day

2011-11-15T10:25:00.001-06:00

Wait, what? Hump day already? Well, yeah. When you're 2, Birthday Week is more of an abstract concept than a literal one...

Anyway, the hump started with the now traditional ballooning of the bedroom. We started this when Naomi turned 2, so it felt like the time was finally right to initiate Danielle. Go to sleep, everything is normal. Wake up and...

After the initial surprise wears off, it's time to get down and RUN!

Whew, tired again. Why won't they just let me rest?

But that's not all the hump day fun. Work & school schedules did require taking the day off, but that still left an hour or so at night to squeeze in a visit to the domesticus animalis zoological exhibit nearby. And after an watching the doggie obedience school graduation (dogs wearing hats!) (yes, really!), Danielle took long looks at several of the more "exotic" species. Her favorites: the fish...

... and birds. Especially the "itty bitty ones". (finches, I think they were)

The hamsters, mice and turtles also got good reviews. Fun, free and educational - thanks zoo!

Over the hump and picking up speed...

Carnival Americana

2011-11-14T13:01:00.001-06:00

More birthday week fun for Danielle. Trouble is, how do ya follow up fireworks?

I've never been one to partake in the parking lot carnival. I think it's all those stories ya hear (prolly urban legends) about the rides falling apart or shooting people off into space. But with Carnival Americana in town and it being Danielle's birthday and all, we decided to put our fate in carnie hands in exchange for some thrills.

I know it sounds wrong, but I gotta admit: I got alot of enjoyment out of watching Naomi walk straight into walls in the hall of mirrors. It's a favorite of mine.

Danielle's favorite? Do you really need to ask? A new wrinkle this time though... ever ridden a carousel monkey?

Whether you go by the screams or the over and over again rides, Naomi's favorite was definitely the BIG slide.

Just surviving all that creaky whirling and spinning is cause for celebration. And since we had cake on Saturday...

Another birthday day in the books, and more birthday fun still to come.

Big Bang BOOM!

2011-11-13T15:20:00.001-06:00

To celebrate the 2nd anniversary of Danielle exploding onto the scene, we did what anyone would do: went to a rock concert. It's what any 2 year old would want, right?

While Bowling For Soup rocked the park, the crowd enjoyed the usual concert fun, minus beachballs.
Plus, glowsticks!
And of course, the usual birthday fun: cake...
... and presents!
Danielle was very specific about what she wanted this year: two cakes (check), two princess towels (check), and fireworks... check?
Na.

CHECK!

Thanks to everyone who came help us celebrate two years of Danielle.

Birthday week has begun.

Better Than Disneyland?

2011-11-11T11:11:00.001-06:00

While watching TV the other day, a commercial for Disneyland came on...

Jeff (with a wistful look): Ooooh, Disneyland. I wanna go back.

Naomi: Dad, you know where I wanna go?

Jeff: Where?

Naomi: Manitou Springs.

Jeff: Really? More than Disneyland?

Naomi: Yeah, they had all those rides there.

Jeff: Disneyland had lots of rides too. And princesses.

Naomi: Yeah, but Manitou Springs had all those games!

Yep. A chip off the ol block.

Goldfish Misfits

2011-11-09T22:05:00.001-06:00

Goldfish are a staple in our house. For nearly the last 5 years, goldfish have been eaten in our house every single day. It started as a ritual with Naomi eating a snack before bedtime (which still continues today) and it has been passed to Danielle as part of her bedtime routine. Throw in snack time along with the occasional "goldfish for breakfast" and even a smattering of "goldfish for dinner" nights, and we've seen thousands and thousands of goldfish.

Thinking back about allllll those Goldfish, I have rarely seen a broken or malformed fish. They are indeed very well constructed. But alas, they are not 100% perfect, and here's evidence from our very own Goldfish stash:

The elusive folded Goldfish:

And the very rare Goldfish cutout:

We've only seen 2 anomalies in 5 years...Pepperidge Farm, that's some top-notch quality control!

Danielle's Birthday List

2011-11-06T21:45:00.000-06:00

Don't worry everyone, we've got it all covered!

Well, That's A New One

2011-11-04T09:50:00.001-05:00

Ok, so maybe I have been a little too observant at the sink lately, but what I just witnessed couldn't have gone unnoticed.

There I was, washing my hands, thoroughly enjoying the extended hot water rinse cycle, when another guy walked up to the sink next to mine, turned on the water, squirted the soap, washed, rinsed and turned off the water with his hand. That's right, his hand - he washed only one hand!

Now, in case you're wondering, yes, he did have two hands, and no, he wasn't holding anything in the other one. Also, he did not dry the hand with a paper towel, but rather just shook it a couple times and moved on.

I'm worried about this dude. Not only is he missing the boat on the hot water relaxation thing, but now I'm wondering if that "other" hand ever gets washed. And come to think of it, it was his right one, which calls handshakes and high fives into question.

So, what's up with this business?

Another Happy One

2011-10-31T22:50:00.002-05:00

Another Halloween in the books for us all. This year, Danielle & Naomi went as princesses: Sprinkledust and Belle respectively. (or Sprinklebelle collectively)

Of course, all princesses need a royal page to do the heavy lifting, which was literally the case with their candy buckets as the evening went along.

Halloween 2011 Milestone: the 5 year old can look out for the 1 year old! I can't swear they got all their lines right, but they did manage to come back from each door with more than they went up with. Success!

Danielle celebrities. :)

Danielle was done after one lap, while Naomi and I stayed out a little longer after dark. Afterwards though, both of em enjoyed rewarding the parade of ninjas, super heroes, skeletons, cheerleaders, ghosts, and cowgirls that showed up at our door.

Oooooh yeah. Let the gorging begin!

Pre Halloween

2011-10-30T06:15:00.004-05:00

The holiday season is upon us. That's right, our holiday season kicks off with all things Halloween. The celebration usually starts with a visit to a local pumpkin patch for hay rides, bounce houses, pictures and of course, the quest for the perfect pumpkin! (And this year, a new kind of pumpkin was discovered...)
A few days before Halloween, the pumpkin gutting and carving commenced. Jeff prepped the pumpkin and Naomi eagerly dived right in, pulling out goo and seeds. Danielle was a bit more timid, but eventually got into the spirit of things.

The seeds were separated from the innards and then washed, spiced (with extra sugar on Naomi's batch!), and nicely toasted. The process was enjoyable, even if the seeds were not all that tasty.
Jeff's masterpiece: an evil pumpkin devouring an unsuspecting tiny pumpkin.
Naomi's interpretation: a mama pumpkin protecting her baby pumpkin (like animals that carry their babies in their mouths).

In a addition to our existing traditions, we also experienced a new event this year: trick-or-treating at a nursing home. Naomi and Danielle did GREAT and brought a lot of smiles to the residents, including a few comical moments as "Belle" (aka Naomi) experienced her first outing in heels!

After eating pizza and viewing It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, we're now prepped, rehearsed and officially ready for the big night!

Happy Halloween Eve!

Vital Signs

2011-10-26T08:21:00.006-05:00

Another one prolly only interesting to me. (but oh well, you're here, so might as well try it)

Rush is sort of an odd band. They're 3 immensely talented guys, known, at least early in their career, for the precision in their playing and their meticulous approach to songwriting. No simple three chord songs with a catchy chorus. No. Instead, their songs come off sounding like 3 guys soloing all at the same time, yet each part is synchronized in a way that sounds at once chaotic and impressive.

Musical nerdity.

Which is exactly why Vital Signs is so odd.

As the story goes, the band had one day of studio time leftover after putting the finishing (or so they thought) touches on the Moving Pictures album when they decided to do something very unRushlike. They winged it! A few hours of mashing things together resulted in the quirky song being the last track on the album.

What an odd song. That constant meandering bass line. The guitar shooting out those short little blasts of static. And the drum part... just silly. Picture in your mind a run-of-the-mill drummer playing a rock song - hands crossed high-hat over snare, stomping out the 4/4 time. Verse, chorus, repeat. And then look at this.

Who knew he was playing a subtle four and a half minute drum solo back there?

Ridiculous.

And it only exists because they finished the rest of the album one day early.

Same

2011-10-23T21:35:00.001-05:00

Jeff recently received an item from his parents that they had been storing for years. I suppose they decided Jeff was finally ready to be responsible for his heirlooms. The treasure? Meet Bear-Bear:

When I saw it, I instantly thought, "Wow, that looks really familiar." But I just assumed it was because I've know Jeff for practically ever, so I must have seen Bear-Bear before at his parent's house.

A couple days later, during a random conversation, Naomi asked to see a real trophy. I knew I had a soccer trophy tucked away in my keepsakes box. In the process of digging out my trophy, low and behold, I found this:
My very own "Bear-Bear", sans stuffing! How crazy is that? Jeff and I had the same exact homemade bear pillow as kids. They are absolutely identical, with the exception of the ribbon sewn to the edge of mine. It's interesting to notice that they both needed a patch in the same spot -- must have been a defect in the fabric!
Both of our Moms sewed a lot, so perhaps this was the pattern of the year. Makes me wonder if Jeff has any homemade outfits that look similar to any of my homemade dresses!

Ouch.

2011-10-20T23:11:00.003-05:00

When picking Naomi and Danielle up from school, I never like to see the director hustle out of the office to intercept me before I go back to the classrooms. It's usually not a sign of good news about how wonderful the kids behaved that day. It doesn't happen very often, but it did play out earlier this week. Turns out, Danielle had an incident with another kid in her class, which resulted in this:

The director was apologetic as were Danielle's two teachers. We didn't get many details of the encounter, just confirmation that the wound was cleaned and iced. Danielle only offered up that "Tay scratched my face". We're not sure who "Tay" is and if he/she is really the culprit, but no hard feelings. Accidents happen when there's a room full of little kids.

And we've been through this before with no lasting evidence.

Green Thumb

2011-10-18T08:18:00.001-05:00

I think my thumbs get less attention during my regular handwashing due to em being out of the line of fire on the side there.

Wierd, I know, but it's true. I think so anyway.

I've noticed I spend the majority of the time on my fingers, intertwining them and pulling em thru the palm of the opposite hand. Sure, sometimes this way and sometimes that, but it's still all finger driven. Meanwhile, the thumbs out there are just kinda watching the show. They sorta interact with each other, but never, and I mean never do they get into the fray. They're elitist.

Elitist thumbs.

So not like me. :\

Mustang Stampeded

2011-10-16T14:30:00.002-05:00

Mission accomplished!

A special THANK YOU to all the sponsors who helped Naomi raise $250 for Morningside Elementary: Mama & Dad (that's us), Penna Family, Mimi & Pa, Grammie & Grandpa, Karl Family, Great Grandpa, Brown Family, Hammond Family, Vallentine Family, KT #1 and Kai. We didn't make any outloud predictions about how much she'd raise, but privately, I think we were both expecting about half of what she ended up with. So again, WOW!
Of course, with that level of commitment comes a big responsibility: Naomi had to run hard! Luckily though, she meant what she said about doing her best. So, she did several training runs with Mama and was all business for the big event.
Game face of a winner.
Of course, the school made it a fun event for the kids, including having the older ones come out to high five the younger ones. With that kind of support, it's no surprise that Naomi pretty much doubled her longest training run, completing 7 laps around the school!
Way to go Naomi! Enjoy that students vs teachers dodgeball game and pizza party, you've earned it!

Naomi at 5 years, 2 months...

2011-10-12T12:25:00.000-05:00

[And this time, I'm 2 months late!]

Here I sit once again, reflecting back on another year of Naomi and how she has grown, developed, changed and yet stayed the same. She is definitely becoming more independent. She does things on her own, where before she either asked me to do it or asked me to help her do it. She's also more interested in being by herself sometimes -- she'll play on the computer (watching videos/playing games) or go and sit at her desk to color, draw or write.

However, she still likes to be with us most of the time. She likes to do whatever we're doing or be near us or on us or have us do whatever she wants to do (come here, look at this, look only at me). She doesn't want us to leave at bedtime -- as she'd prefer we have a slumber party every night!

One of her greatest ambitions in a day is to make us laugh. You can literally see the joy and satisfaction light up HER face when she does something to make US laugh.

Naomi makes friends easily. Whenever we are in a place where there are new kids, she is quick to jump in and say 'Hi, what's your name? Do you want to play?'. She seems quite comfortable talking to kids and then heading off to play some imaginary quest to save somebody (is the princess ok?) or something (we must protect this precious red ruby ring).

As I was going through the journal I keep for her, I discovered it was harder to identify the changes, as they have become less physical/tangible/measurable changes and more personality/mental/emotional changes. Here area a few of the milestones that took place as she grew from 4 to 5!

old enough/big enough to ride in booster seat ~ no longer napping ~ navigates my computer/surfs the internet ~ memorized Jeff's phone number ~ learned her address ~ attended VBS ~ writes 90% of upper case letters (some lower case) ~ distinquishing between b and d ~ talks in elaborate, descriptive sentences ~ talks nonstop ~ comfortably reaches the pedals on her big wheel ~ no longer needs a stool to turn on lights / wash hands ~ gets into carseat and buckles seatbelt ~ plays with neighbor girls ~ embraces her role as 'big sister' ~ eats mac-n-cheese ~ draws stars

And a few things that have not changed:

Still the master dwadler! (It takes her FOREVER to get from point A to point B)
Still says the blessing before 'family dinners'
Still sleeps with her woobie at night
Still eats goldfish and cheerios every night during book time
Still enjoys vegging out in front of the TV
Still incredibly creative and imaginative in her play and story-telling

While there have been some challenging moments for me over the last year as she gets older and becomes more independent (and thus wants to make her own decision instead of being "told" to do something), everyday is an exciting adventure with Naomi as her mind creates fun, new ways to experience the day! I wouldn't want to miss a minute of it with Naomi!

Teekole

2011-10-10T08:19:00.005-05:00

Well, at least they're playing together now...

First-timer

2011-10-07T21:15:00.001-05:00

While driving in the car a couple nights ago, Jeff and I suddenly heard a small, yet distinct voice coming from the back seat:

"I go Becky's office. I take time-out."

Huh? What was that? What did you say, Danielle?

"I go Becky's office. I take time-out."

Sure enough, we confirmed with Ms. Becky that Danielle had had her first infraction. She had not been following directions and had ignored repeated instructions and landed herself a spot on the floor in the office for 3 minutes. According to sources, she sat quietly, listened politely to the ruling and returned to class as her usual helpful, agreeable self.

We weren't sure what to do with her: talk to her to reinforce the need to listen and follow the teacher's instructions, applaud her for her honesty in volunteering this news with us or just giggle to ourselves at the fact that she was revealing this out of nowhere. We did the latter. Perhaps we'll be more prepared for parental responsibilities next time.

Mustang Stampede

2011-10-03T07:39:00.002-05:00

Yep, we're back, ready to hit the ground running. Speaking of which, Naomi has a special message for you...

The Mustang Stampede is the primary PTA fundraiser at Morningside Elementary. It's a chance for students to make a difference by getting sponsored to run laps around the school.

Until this year (our first with a schoolager), we had no idea of the gap between what public funding provides and what schools actually need to maintain a high level of education, and what an important role the Parent Teacher Association plays in closing that gap.

It's not all business though. The students really get into the event, very often exeeding even their own expectations. Naomi has already begun training, and that's where YOU come in. Please consider sponsoring her at whatever level you'd prefer.

Mustang Stampede Sponsorship FAQ

Event is on October 14th

Sponsor levels are Gold $50, Silver $20, Bronze $5

Sponsor payments are due when pledged (please mail it to us now) (make checks payable to Morningside Elementary PTA) and will be turned in on October 13th

Sponsor payments are tax decuctable (let us know if you want an official receipt)

Sponsor names will be added to Naomi's shirt for the run (you'll be famous!)

In other unrelated, but sorta related news, Naomi is starting Girl Scouts soon. So, strategize your donations accordingly. ;)

Thanks for your support!

Grandcamping In Their Own Beds

2011-09-24T05:02:00.000-05:00

Time to go camping!

Well, for Naomi & Danielle that is. Only this time, instead of taking their show on the road to McKinney, they'll be playing hosts to the Grands at home!

So, yep, the staff here at AmigoNet HQ is gonna be in flux for the next several days. We've left instructions to write funny blog posts 3 times a week, but I'm kinda doubting it's gonna happen, them being volunteers and all. (ya get what ya pay for right?)

Oh well, as long as they keep the kids fed!

Back in a week.

The Enforcer

2011-09-22T00:08:00.000-05:00

I kinda doubt many AmigoNet readers are too interested in this (outside of Erika maybe), but if you'll follow me on this, maybe it'll give ya something to ponder.

"I went to a fight last night and a hockey game broke out."

To the non/novice fan, fighting in hockey equates to the ugly bench clearing brawls you in occasionally see other sports. But, outside of some minor leagues in the southern U.S. (the bubba belt), it's not that at all. It does indeed have a strategic purpose. A few in fact...

It prevents one team from "taking liberties" with another in a way that referees and penalties can't. Hockey Lingo translation: "if you take a cheap shot at one of our guys, we'll kick your ass, doesn't matter what the ref says." English translation: "it may be worth a penalty to hit one of us, but is it worth a broken nose?" See, different. Nobody fears the ref. In this regard, some even argue that fighting makes the game safer, allowing the players to "police themselves".

It can shift the momentum of the game from one team to another. Players seeing one of their own (literally) fighting hard to win is often enough to light a spark under em when they're in a funk. "If he's willing to do that, I gotta get my game on!"

Intimidation. Macho ridiculouso? Definitely. Effective? Definitely.

So anyway, there ya go. That's why they fight. But the guys that do it, they're still mindless goons, right? Robots? Meatheads?

Consider this... "An enforcer's life is a daily battle" by Brent Severyn.

The Enforcer, he's both the desparate guy hanging on at the end of the roster and the strategist whose actions can help swing the game.

So now maybe having a "goon" on the team does make some sense, huh?

A touch of crazy in my brain?

2011-09-19T05:55:00.000-05:00

Here's an example of how my brain works -- this is from a few days ago...

Danielle and I were driving down the frontage road of the highway to meet Jeff for lunch. Just after passing through a scarcely populated intersection (ie. just fields around, no businesses), I noticed something on the side of the road that made me do a double-take. Just near a storm drain along the curb, I see a red splatter of some type of liquid (that's clearly not the consistency of paint) and about a dozen small, short cylindrical things covered in the same red liquid.

Ok, this is where my brain takes a turn toward crazy.

I immediately assume it's chopped up limbs that have been dumped on the side of the road. The dumpee clearly wanted the "evidence" to go down the drain, but they had poor aim or miscalculated the speed, velocity and inertia of the "somethings" and now it's splattered along the curb.

For the next several moments, my crazy brain kicks into high gear. Was that really what I thought I saw? Surely someone else would have noticed, right? Maybe the dumping just happened (it did look "wet") and I was the first to notice -- should I call the police? If I go back is there going to be a swarm of police cars because someone DID just notice and did just make a call? I better go back. I have to go back. I must find out and let somebody know!

Yes, I am just crazy enough to actually believe that it could be possible, so I made a U-turn to go back and check it out.

I slowly approached the scene. There were no cops blocking off the area. Nobody else driving by seemed to notice. I did get a closer look. However, I'm still not 100% sure what it was, but this time it looked a lot more like vanilla cupcakes with red icing, that happened to be in a small puddle of water, which must have become red from the frosting. Insane.

BTW, this all happened shortly after seeing a very suspicious white van driving down the road and stopping under an overpass, at which point I was thinking he might blow up the bridge. He did eventually keep driving, but I saw him turn into Home Depot, where my brain translated that scene into a plot of him going there to buy fertilizer to make some type of explosive...

This is precisely why I don't watch crime-scene or lawyer type shows or the news. My brain can't handle any more material!

You can thank Naomi...

2011-09-16T22:10:00.003-05:00

...for the rain!

On the way home from school yesterday, she insisted on washing my car. And as Murphy's Law would have it, it rained today! Hallelujah!
(Yes, they did have rags for washing, but chose to use their hands!)

Bucket.
Kid with bucket.
Water in bucket.
Kid in water in bucket!
What will she come up with next!

Reform

2011-09-15T08:31:00.004-05:00

Jenny: I've decided that I'm not going to lose my patience or get upset with Naomi anymore.

Jeff: When did this happen?

Jenny: This morning, when I scratched her.

Jeff: During the beatings?

Jenny: No! When she wasn't listening and I grabbed her arm.

...

Jeff: Uh huh, so...

Jenny: Shush!

It's a double!

2011-09-13T22:10:00.001-05:00

People. We did it! We did it! (And when I say we, I'm really referring to Mother Nature, as we didn't actually have anything to do with setting this record). But WE did endure it and swelter in it, and thus can claim our part in this historical moment.

The Dallas-Fort Worth area on Tuesday officially set a new record for most 100-degree days in a year.
The 107-degree high made for 70 triple-digit days so far, shattering the record set in 1980.

The high was also good enough to break a record for the daily high, which previously stood at 100 degrees.

I never even considered breaking TWO records in a single day. What a lovely surprise.

Cheers and high-fives to anyone that happened to be outside feeling the heat, in the DFW metroplex from June to September 2011! We can reminisce about this moment every summer when we see our "record highs".

66... 67...

2011-09-12T11:30:00.000-05:00

68.

That's where we sit with this "hottest summer on record" thing. 68 days over 100 degrees so far in 2011. 1 day short of the record set in the infamous "scorcher of 1980".

Now, I'm totally fine with this. I know how I feel about myself. I don't need some record to know how cool I can be when the heat is on. But Jenny, she needs validation. She needs to feel justified for all her sweating. Maybe it's a woman thing, I dunno.

So, for her sake, I'm hoping we make it.

1 day of 100 to tie, or 2 to win. (or we could do the more exotic 1 day of 200...)

Whatever. Here's hoping for the record!

Then I want that weather tracking station off my side of the bed.

Back To Football

2011-09-11T12:00:00.003-05:00

Alligators Make It Better

2011-09-09T08:10:00.001-05:00

U-S-A! U-S-A! c'mon lemme hear ya, U-S-... ah..

What, am I the only track & field fan here? Nobody else watched any of the IAAF World Championships? Of track & fi.. oh nevermind.

Anyway, a couple takeaways for ya...

Race walking is prolly the most ridiculous activity this side of synchronized swimming. Races should be about doing whatever you can to be the fastest to get from A to B. And while I understand that different events requiring different techniques allows for more races (swimming is a prime example), all of that goes out the window when the competitors start swinging their hips. If we can't stop the race walking, I'd at least like to see a rule change limiting it to women only and requiring that music be played throughout.

One of the more oddball events, the 3000 meter steeplechase has always grabbed my attention. I mean hey, there's a water jump! Problem is, being a distance race, it doesn't garner any attention from the rest of you people. (unless you're reading this from Kenya) So, to change that, I'd like to propose the following...Part race, part daredevil spectacular, and all they'd need is alligators! Alligators would make it better. Vines too. Think about it.

I'm drafting a letter to the London 2012 people right now. Anybody wanna add anything?

Fire and Ice

2011-09-03T14:22:00.002-05:00

For the past 3 months, it's been over 100 degrees. Being outside has felt like walking near fire. Our HOA decided to do something about it. They couldn't stop the heat wave, but they could bring in ice. Loads and loads of ice. 18 loads, in fact, 10 bags at a time.

It took about 45 minutes for all the bags to be brought in and dumped into the pool. Each bag of ice lasted about a minute before completely melting.

The bigger pieces that didn't melt immediately...were eaten! Or dropped down the back of someone's swimsuit!

And then there were butterflies

2011-08-29T05:55:00.002-05:00

For her birthday, we got Naomi the As Seen On TV Live Butterfly Garden. The kit we purchased actually just came with the net holder thingy (and a special code) -- we still had to order the caterpillars once we were ready to commit to caring for them for 3+ weeks. The next day we were ready, so we went online and ordered the caterpillars. A small box screaming "OPEN IMMEDIATELY" was dropped on our 110 degree porch a few days later.

Those little critters are tough! All 5 caterpillars survived the delivery and got to work doing what caterpillars do. They ate the goo that was in the bottom of the plastic cup and started getting fatter and fatter (just like in the Very Hungry Caterpillar). Within 10 days, all 5 caterpillars had climbed to the top of the cup, hung upside down and mysteriously transformed into chrysalises. Fascinating. We transferred them from the cup into the nifty 'butterfly garden' and waited.

Just as promised, a week later, Naomi woke up one morning and she had 5 butterflies in her room! She named all of them (a new name each day) and we fed them oranges and sugar water . It was very cool to see them "drinking" (notice the 2 antennas and the 3rd thing going from mouth to orange -- that's the proboscis).

After a few days, it was time to release the butterflies. The instructions mentioned that it needed to be over 55 degrees -- it did not mention anything about an upper limit!
As Naomi unzipped the top, one flew out immediately and disappeared into our trees. Naomi helped the other 4 go free, as she gave them each a personalized farewell.

Rainbow, Flutter, Dots and the others are hopefully still out there doing whatever it is that butterflies do!

A-B-C-D-up-a-bove

2011-08-26T05:55:00.002-05:00

In case you didn't know, the ABC song and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
(and Baa Baa Black Sheep) use the same melody. (Go ahead, sing 'em.)

In case you didn't know, we've been singing these two songs to Danielle nearly every day of her life, usually at bedtime.

She's recently started singing her very own rendition. Just so you know, she wrote the ending all by herself.

Aaaaaaaaaand, She's Off!

2011-08-22T23:51:00.002-05:00

Today, Naomi began the 20 year scholastic journey to her PhD.

But first, she had to learn that school operates on a schedule! So, her first learning this morning started before we even left the house: "tardy" is bad (and one doozy of a candidate for Jeff's Bad Words). Not that she was running late, but just we had to explain why she needed to keep moving, keep eating, and keep making progress towards the door instead of her usual dawdling. Even during a "come on, hurry up" picture though, she was the epitome of grace under pressure.

The journey starts with a single step. Even for someone seemingly small and young, she looked pretty big taking that first step into her new school. Though the backpack may have created some sort of optical illusion there...

And after a last minute stop at the restroom (Jenny may have literally scared the pee out of her with all the bathroom reminders), Naomi entered Ms. George's kindergarten room with a quick greeting and hug for her new guiding light. (too much?)

As expected, she walked right to her assigned seat and excitedly started to take in her new surroundings. In fact, she was so into it that she barely even acknowledged us when we left!

Wierd. There was so much anticipation for this major milestone, and then when it arrived, the actual event was actually quite uneventful. No music. No banners. No streamers or confetti! It was all over in no more than 3-4 minutes.

Perhaps that means we've passed the test and Naomi was appropriately prepared? Maybe, but we'll give her maturity the bulk of the credit on this one.

Big Kid indeed.

A new era

2011-08-21T00:12:00.001-05:00

We've practiced counting, writing, memorizing phone numbers and addresses. We've discussed her after-school ride. She's practiced eating lunch from her cool, new lunchbox. She's tried out her new backpack. We've reminded her over and over that she needs to go to the bathroom anytime the teacher takes the class by the restrooms. We've explained what she should do if she finds a weapon on the playground. We've visited the school multiple times. We've talked and talked and talked about what's about to happen tomorrow when Naomi heads off to kindergarten and starts her 13 years as a professional student.

I think it comes down to the fact that I am way more excited about it than she is! She'll talk about it, but only if we bring it up. She'll smile about it, but she's not beaming like I am on the inside. I think it's because I remember going to school and I really enjoyed it. I think it's also because she's finally entering a phase of life that I can remember (I honestly don't have any memories before kindergarten), so I can relate to her in a new way now. I sure hope her school career is as positive as mine was. I am so looking forward to this next phase of watching Naomi grow up and learn and experience new things!

Gosh, it kinda looks like this is all about me......

One. Two. One.

2011-08-18T06:15:00.004-05:00

Naomi started attending Kids Count Too almost exactly 3 years ago. Today, is her final day as a full-time student, as she will be starting kindergarten on Monday (but that's another post!). From the very first visit, Naomi was won over by the rocking horse in the lobby -- it is definitely a beacon to every kid who walks through. Over the last 3 years, Naomi has rocked hundreds of minutes on that horse!

As far as all the stuff past the lobby, she's created fun memories, made new friends and been in the care of awesome teachers. The structure and program is fantastic and Naomi has excelled in all the important subjects including coloring, cutting, writing, playing and overall learning. Many thanks to Ms. Rosa for the final round of pre-K preparations.
At the same time, Danielle is beginning her time there. Naomi and Danielle have had 2 weeks of shared time together, even though they don't really see each other during the day -- usually just in the lobby on the way out when they are whining about who's turn it is to ride the horse!

Danielle is still adjusting to her new home away from home, but she's doing well thanks to the caring attention of Ms. Angeles (and thanks to the familiar comfort of her beloved "bah bah").

Another happy rider. She's logged about 20 minutes of rocking so far.

Arcade Amusements, Inc.

2011-08-16T19:45:00.003-05:00

One last trip item of note...

The small town of Manitou Springs sits just on the edge of Colorado Springs and is actually home to, or on the way to, pretty much everything we did up there. So every evening, after completing the day's adventures, we'd pass thru it on the way back to the hotel. Coincidence?

Not hardly. :D

Arcade Amusements is one of the oldest and largest arcades in the world. For 70-some-odd years this place has been expanding to occupy just about every indoor and open air space available behind the boutiques and restaurants that line Main Street. As a result, it's 400+ games are spread throughout 8-10 store fronts and every courtyard in between.

And the games! The incredible variety of video, pinball and skee ball machines from the last 50-60 years is just the beginning. Around every corner there's another wierd, very old looking contraption with a coin slot on it. And the best part of all... everything costs the same today as it did when it was originally made! So, drop a penny in, crank the handle and see what happens. Or put a dime in an old pinball machine and play three games.

Oh, and one other thing, lest you think I had all the fun. Ya know those kiddie rides usually located outside grocery stores - the kind ya put a quarter in to make the car/horse/carousel rock back and forth for a couple minutes - the kind little kids love? Prolly another 70-80 of those in all different shapes and sizes. Naomi and Danielle LOVED it!

We spent 3 of our 4 nights in Colorado Springs playing and riding here while dining on funnel cake. Now that's vacation livin!

If you're wondering what arcade heaven will look like when you die, it's prolly something like this...

BONUS video for AmigoNet readers... (facebook readers, click here)

Colorado Springs

2011-08-15T10:53:00.004-05:00

So, why Colorado Springs? To beat the heat? Well, yeah, the setting is unbeatable, but it's not just that. There's even more to see and do there that has nothing to do with nature.

The Air Force Academy falls firmly into the see category, with the Cadet Chapel taking front and center. On approach, the huge A shaped structure is quite a site, but inside it's really something else.

Naomi & Danielle would say the place for doing is definitely Santa's North Pole. It includes Santa's workshop, shows, animals to pet and feed, a real live North Pole that's frozen solid (even in 90 degree weather), and is packed full of old timey, kid-sized rides, that parents somehow manage to squeeze in to.

The Candy Cane Coaster was a hit with Naomi. She's definitely a fan of coasters and any of em that she's tall enough to ride must be conquered. (with Dad squeezed in for support) (seriously, where do you think my legs are in this pic?)

Just like at Disneyland back in May, Danielle prefers the gentler carousel. "I ride horsie" was the phrase of the day, and the absence of lines made it possible for her to ride round and round until Jenny could not take it any longer. Naomi upped the thrill factor by riding 'no hands'.

More doings? After checking out the old west saloon, jail and general store, Naomi was anxious to pan for gold at the Wild West Museum. Determined to strike it rich, she worked hard for about 20 minutes and finally discovered a tiny speck of something that happened to glisten in the light. With that level of dedication, we're calling it gold even if it was only a shiny grain of sand.

A bit of a drive, but well worth the trip, the Royal Gorge Bridge and Park literally has tons of things to see AND do. Being this spectacular thing in the middle of nowhere, it kinda suffers from the Mount Rushmore syndrome - we're gonna drive all the way out there to see something that looks just like the photo? Happily, it was well worth the trip!

In addition to the spectacular gorge and bridge (which N&D were almost blown off of while we crossed on foot), the Park side includes a whole day of fun with a carousel, train, magic show, and an old west ghost town. Creepy when the outlaws smile at their captors, isn't it?

Jail break! N&D made their low speed getaway via donkey with Mama at the reigns and Dad at the rear doing their best to move the stubborn donkey who would much rather have stopped to eat every bit of hay on the ground.

Plenty of doing going on at The U.S. Olympic Training Center, although none of it by us. Fans of Team USA, you'll be happy to know that our athletes are well taken care of, especially those ranked in the top 10 of their sport. That elite level allows them to live and train here for free. It's a little like being on a college campus full of athletic valedictorians.

Team Smith (USA): ranked #1 in donkey motivation.

So, that's a wrap for Colorado Springs. A week's worth of fun away from the summer heat.

Welcome to Colorful Colorado

2011-08-12T12:44:00.005-05:00

That's what the sign says when you drive across the border. So naturally (pun intended), we took it as a challenge to see what nature had to offer in this state.

Garden of the Gods is a pretty good place to start. Red rocks, green shrubbery, and blue skies.
The hiking was easy here, most of it rollable actually. Jenny and Danielle appreciated that.
Jeff and Naomi, despite the latter wearing a dress, were ready for something a little more earthy though, and explored "off the beaten path" as they say. So much so in fact that a warning was eventually issued from a park ranger to get back ON the beaten path. Oh well.
The Siamese Twins. More red, artistically stacked.
Adding to the pallette, a trip underground at Cave of the Winds brought with it an assortment of yellows, pinks and browns. That is, when the lights were on, which wasn't often enough for Naomi. (Jeff's oOoOoOoO ghostly noises may have been a contributing factor there)
The drive up Pike's Peak begins with an ominous warning, but Naomi did her best to make it less so though by insisting that if Bigfoot is there, HER fur is prolly pink. :\
Above the treeline, the green gives way to browns and stunning blues. The view at every switchback was breathtaking, both from the high altitude and the death defying way the road seemed to just disappear down the side of the cliff. Everyone definitely had to hold hands up here. (and safety ropes wouldn't have been a bad idea)
The actual peak (of Peak) was an otherworldly grey as we arrived just as the afternoon clouds were rolling in. We managed to get in a bit of hiking inside the cloud before the rain started and chased us back to the car. (top of a mountain, not the best place to be when there's lightning...)
So, Colorful Colorado: 4 thumbs way up. (5 if you count Bigfoot)

There & Back Again: Amarillo

2011-08-11T12:40:00.005-05:00

Colorado Springs was great! But to get there... several hundred miles of driving across the lone star state with Jenny crammed in the back between two 'entertain me' kids, while Jeff steered down the long, flat road.

Fortunately there were tons of in-car snacks, stacks of High Five magazines and plenty of toys to pass the time. Not to mention the occasional train, herd of cattle or landmark out the window to marvel at, like these wind turbines. (hey, these count as sightseeing when you haven't seen ANYTHING else for 200 miles.)

So, the halfway point, Amarillo... nothing. But it is crowded with hotels, so it must be halfway to alot of places. No matter, Naomi and Danielle are experts at making their own fun wherever they are. Any overnight in a hotel means two things: swimming and slumber party!

Gettin crazy in room 263 - wooooo hooooo!

Ok, there is one thing Amarillo has that you can't see anywhere else... Cadillac Ranch. It's exactly what it looks like: 10 Cadillacs buried nose down in the middle of a field. Why? If you lived in Amarillo, I believe the answer would be "why not?".
The only other sight worth seeing: the sight of Amarillo in the rearview mirror.

"Really" Five Now

2011-08-07T23:59:00.009-05:00

If a tree falls in the woods...

While her actual birthday was last Thursday, Naomi considered today her "real" birthday. Why? Because today there were witnesses... P-A-R-T-A-Y-!-!-!

This year's fresh idea for five year old fun: face painting!

But then, drama! Just when things were starting to get fun, the cake disappeared. (dun dun dunnnn) This could only be the work of the Birthday Bandit! Luckily, he left just enough clues behind for the kids to solve the mystery and get on with the show.

And not a moment too soon. Ladies and gentlemen, the star of the show, Barbie! At least from Naomi's perspective as she'd been asking for this cake for months. The wide eyed reverence didn't last too long though. Soon, Barbie was eaten right out of her dress with most consumers offering a thumbs-up/mmmm/pat-of-the-belly as a commentary on the experience. (odd? maybe.)

The rest of the party was a blur of presents, games and candy, candy and more candy - all the things that, according to Naomi, make a birthday real. And she's right of course. Birthday Week is fun, but ending it with a day like this is what makes it "real".

Thank you to all who came to celebrate with us today. Naomi "really" appreciates it! :)

Two, Two!, TWO! Birthdays in One (Really Long Day of Birthday Week Fun)

2011-08-06T23:59:00.011-05:00

What happens when there are more Birthday Week to-dos than there are days in Birthday Week?

Saturday started bright and early with a trip to Home Depot for the monthly Kids Workshop. This is another one of those regular Naomi & Dad activities made birthdayee just by it's inclusion this week. Btw for anyone with a kid between about 5-10, if you're not taking em to this, you should! This month's project: a pencil box with a nifty sliding lid.

From there, it was time to swing by the house for a quick wardrobe change...

... before heading to the circus! Yep, elephants, contortionists, trapeeze artists, lion tamers, tightrope walkers, and acrobats, they're all still there, somehow keeping the show fresh and fun year after year.

Big THANKS to the Naomi lovin' friend who made this (and lots of other fun things) possible for the second year in a row now.

So, that's two things done, enough for a Saturday, right? Not hardly. Especially when Naomi's birthday buddy (yep, they're both August 4th, cool huh?) is turning 90 this year. Happy Birthday to Great Grandpa who's big shindig on Saturday marked the next stop on this long and winding road. (referring to our day, but that metaphor works for Great Grandpa's 90 years too eh?)

12 hours in, tired, and full of candy, what could possibly be left? More sugar! And why not: The Legends Night Out event fit perfectly into the open 9-10pm slot. Ok, so good parenting of a 5 year old doesn't really allow for a 9-10pm slot, but fun parenting does! (on occasion)

The Fiver was asleep the moment her head hit the pillow. And prolly dreaming of what's to come Sunday...

Hangin Loose on Day 5

2011-08-05T23:59:00.005-05:00

Birthday Week heated up Friday with a cool down at our local waterpark, Hawaiian Falls! As usual, Naomi was really excited to tackle not only the little kids area, but befitting her age (and daredeviltry), the big kid slides and wave pool at high tide too. (low tide shown here - people, you do NOT take a camera into the wave pool at high tide)

For her part, Danielle was happy just to get to play outside - not something we've done alot lately given the 109 degree temperatures all week. (thus, the water in most of the attractions being bathwater warm)

Another day, another fun adventure. The birthday buildup continues...

Officially Five

2011-08-04T23:59:00.005-05:00

Naomi officially turned FIVE today. Wow, how time flies... the tail is totally gone and she's a full fledged human now!

Anyway, putting the birthday in Birthday Week means cake (took cupcakes to school today), presents (tore into em first thing after school)...

... and Chuck!

The mouse was really rockin the house this time! About an hour into our visit, he came parading thru the arcade with a "Follow Me For FREE Tickets" sign. He then stopped, cranked up his jam box and danced the Cupid Shuffle before throwing handfuls of tickets into the air above the dancing kids. Naomi's 5 now, she's ready for her first RAVE!, right?

Partying with Chuck two August 4ths in a row now, we've got a new tradition going here. Both kids are already looking forward to November! (seriously, Danielle keeps trying to cop some of this as "my birthday")

Friday is really gonna have to be something to top this...

Happy Birthday, Hair

2011-08-03T23:11:00.005-05:00

After today's birthday outing, it's now an official tradition for Naomi's hair to be cut at Snip-its each year on it's birthday. (See here and here.)

Just like in the past, her hair was content to lay still, up in the big chair, while being sprayed, combed, snipped, dried and styled. Meanwhile, Naomi sat patiently watching videos and mentally selecting the perfect flavor of lollipop for each of us.

There was something a little new this time: GLITTER!! Not visible here, but Naomi's hair was embellished with a few sprinkles of pink and silver glitter.

Snip-its looks pretty much the same, but Naomi's hair sure is growing up fast. [sniff]

Fun Redone, With A Birthday Twist

2011-08-02T23:36:00.004-05:00

Day 2 of Naomi's Birthday Week. Time to revisit some old favorites, but since this was a Dad & Naomi night, we (re)did everything with a new twist.

Yay, ice cream! And if we're counting it as dinner, we better throw in some mix-ins. The fading four year old, quite enjoyed this first visit to Cold Stone Creamery.
Riding the sugar high, Naomi was more than agreeable to taking a few laps around The Ice at Stonebriar. Ok, maybe it was only one and a half laps, but they were all on her own. So, what makes skating at the mall different than our usual practice at the StarCenter?
You can't pick out your own jewel encrusted steed at the StarCenter! A far better "carrot" than anything a hockey rink has to offer, carousels are ALWAYS a hit.
Day 2 was such a success, we already have a repeat date planned for next Tuesday. (with a twist of course...)

Beginning of Birthday Week

2011-08-01T23:59:00.003-05:00

The countdown to Naomi's 5th birthday has started! It kicked off this evening with a trip to the mall for a few surprises.

Her eyes were wide and her grin was huge the moment she walked into the totally pink Sugar Queen Cupcake store. After selecting the Pink Princess cupcake, she carefully covered it (and the surrounding counter) with every color of sprinkles available! (I just tried to focus on her birthday cheer, rather than the amount of pure sugar she was adding to the existing mound of sugary icing!)

Naomi's review: Delectable! Plus, she graciously shared some of her extra sprinkles with an eager Danielle.
We also took Naomi to Barnes and Noble and to nearby Half Price Books where she got to select (free!) books for completing each store's Summer Reading Program. No sprinkles here, but she had fun selecting quite a variety of books: a fairies 3D pop-up book, Scooby Doo Cupcake Caper and Diving Dolphins.

She's gonna have a crazy mix of sweet dreams tonight!

Observations On A Return To Texas

2011-07-31T23:56:00.001-05:00

Yep, we're back from Colorado Springs where the weather was pleasantly not 108. In this regard, Texas, you suck.

In other news...

Yay for football season!

Yay for Amigo surviving while we were gone! (though she did give the dog sitter fits - re-rehab on doggie door usage starts immediately)

Yay for Danielle starting at a new school!

Yay for the start of Naomi's birthday week!

Oy! I'm tired already.

Today...

2011-07-26T21:49:00.003-05:00

I wore a jacket!! And it's rained really hard for about 30 minutes each of the last 3 days. No 100+ degree heat here.

Colorful Colorado is heaven on earth.

We Need Some Wood Paneling On Libby

2011-07-23T15:16:00.002-05:00

Road trip - Colorado Springs here we come!

What? No applause for Colorado Springs?

Let’s see… Jordan. Disneyland. Colorado Springs…

Yeah, I see a trend there too.

But what Colorado Springs lacks in WOW, it makes up for in family fun (defined as those things we were all wowed by as kids that aren’t really that exciting once we reach adulthood). So, Naomi & Danielle are about to get their first introductions to caves, rock climbing, mountains, cliff dwellings, suspension bridges, and (one of my favorites) a ghost town. (I think it’s the same part of me that likes Scooby Doo)

All good stuff for the uninitiated. We think they’ll dig it.

Side note: Amigo has continued to recover from her Vestibular disease and is now at the point where she can be left at home with someone coming by to check on her once a day. She’s still a little wobbly, but seems to have accepted her condition and is now going in and out of her doggie door (reliably), eating (though still not dog food) and doing her regular patrols through the house and yard. She should be ok.

We’ll be back in a week, prolly with some haunting ghost town stories.

A Splashy Ending

2011-07-22T16:05:00.006-05:00

Naomi wrapped up another summer of swim lessons last night. For the record, she’s no longer a Puffer, she’s… whatever comes after Puffer.

Anyway, the cool part is that the graduation includes free time at the splash playground for the whole family. So as a special surprise for Naomi, we extended our “whole family” to include our occasional 3rd parent, Jackie.

Best. Babysitter. EVER.

Jackie is headed off to college soon so it was nice for all involved that she got to come hang out for a bit. We’ll miss her availability (as a babysitter) and her chattiness (as a friend).

Good luck at school Ms Jewell. :)

Bye Bye Baby

2011-07-21T07:20:00.000-05:00

Today, Danielle becomes a woman.

Or at least a girl.

Or at least not a baby anymore.

Today is Danielle's last day at Angels Christian Preschool. She doesn't know it of course, but we do, and we're very thankful for the great experience she's had there. There's alot of trust involved in leaving your baby with someone, but we've been very fortunate not to have to worry. Not only do we get a good vibe from the place, but Danielle LOVES her teachers.

Big thanks to everyone at Angels, especially Ms Isabel (pictured) and Ms Jennie for taking good care of Danielle and playing a big part in who she is today.

Can I just call you...

2011-07-16T22:35:00.003-05:00

Our typical Saturday includes lunch at ChickFilA. The kids slurp down all their apple juice, eat about half their nuggets, and eat most of the bread off my chicken sandwich. Then they are ready to go play.

Overheard at a recent play session on the indoor playground:

Naomi: Hi. I'm Naomi Jade Smith. What's your name?
Girl in purple: Peyton

(a few minutes later)

Naomi: Hey...umm...hey...what's your name again?
Girl in purple: Peyton

(a few more minutes later)

Naomi: Mama, what was her name?
Me: Peyton

(one minute later)

Naomi to Peyton: Can I just call you Brianna?

Rehabbin

2011-07-15T22:46:00.000-05:00

It's been 10 days since Amigo's Vestibular condition showed up, so it's time for an update...

Good: The dizziness has apparently subsided and she's now able to eat and drink without getting sick.

Bad: She's pretty much sworn off her dog food, preferring instead the chicken breast and baby food we've been feeding her the last week.

Good: She gets up and walks around quite a bit now without any prodding from us.

Bad: Her balance is still off and she stumbles quite a bit.

Good: She went out the doggy door on her own today, again without any prodding from us!

Bad: She got stuck outside because she couldn't (or wouldn't) come back in thru that same doggy door.

So, what that all means is she's doing alot better than last week. And although she may not ever be quite the same, it does seem like she's on her way to being a little more self reliant. Which is really good since we have a trip coming up in a week and we've been wondering how to handle this and that. Hopefully, with a little more progress in the next week, she'll be ready to stay on her own with someone coming by once a day like usual.

So, whew! again, and way to go meego! (with special thanks to Jenny for her motherly TLC treatment of the oldtimer)

He Push

2011-07-12T07:22:00.000-05:00

Oh no, Amigo.

2011-07-06T21:02:00.002-05:00

Hello Americans. I hope you all had as nice a 4th as we did.

I know you all had a better 5th than we did.

While rushing to get 2 tired kids up and ready for school on Tuesday, Jenny happened to notice Amigo barf on the floor. great. But not too big of a deal - dogs do that from time to time. What Amigo did next definitely did get our attention though. She seemed to be very unstable, her legs twiching and kicking out to the side, her head tilted and her eyes darting back and forth.

oh no.

[pause]

People, Amigo turned SIXTEEN years old in June. 112 in dog years. Any way you count it, that's one old dog. It's a fact we've been aware of the last several years, but one which we have trouble facing. She's been our buddy as long as we've been married, long before grown up things like a house and kids were ever thought of. She's not only part of the family, she's a founding member! So, it goes without saying that when we think about what's ahead for her... well, it makes us both very sad.

So when Jenny shouts "Jeff! Something is wrong with Amigo!" and I bolt into the office and find her contorted and looking like she's about to fall over, a powerful sense of dread sets in.

oh no. is this... ?

[resume]

So, we try a few things to evaluate how she's feeling (offer a treat: refused, offer water: refused, put on leash: not interested) and determine that while something has obviously happened, she doesn't seem to be in any immediate danger. She didn't act like she was in pain, just wobbly, a little confused and kinda like she wanted to be left alone. So that's what we did. (while keeping a close eye on her from afar)

Since she seemed about the same this morning, I took her to the vet to see if there was anything we could do. When I told the doc about what happened the day before, a knowing look came over his face and he pretty much started finishing my sentences when describing her symptoms. He knew immediately... Vestibular Disease. Basically, a) she's not dying, b) it's an inner ear problem that affects her balance, c) she feels like she's spinning, hence the barf, loss of appetite and darting eyes, and d) doctors have no idea what causes it.

The very good news is it's treatable. The odd news is, since they don't know what the cause is, the treatment is sort of a shotgun approach: 1 shot of anti-inflammatory steroid to calm the nerves in the ear, 1 shot of Dramamine for the motion sickness, and 7 days of antibiotics to treat any kind of ear infection. So, regardless of the cause, she should be good-as-(16 year old dog)-new in a week or so.

WHEW!

Cultured

2011-07-04T10:31:00.002-05:00

I'm comin around on American cheese.

I don't know why, but up until lately, I always considered it a lesser cheese. In fact, I didn't even think of it as cheese - it's really more in the neighborhood of Velveeta, whatever that is.

Recently though, prolly a byproduct of having kids, American cheese has made itself readily available to me. And ya know... not bad! In fact, on certain foods like burgers and breakfast burritos, I'm gonna go ahead and declare it a cheese. I do still feel a little wierd unwrapping it from the cellophane, but I'm gonna overlook that for now. (anyway, i can farm that out to Naomi)

So happy birthday America. Go forth and enjoy your cheese. It's not just for kids anymore.

AmigoNetBLOG is 4

2011-07-01T16:44:00.004-05:00

Yep, it's been FOUR YEARS already since this thing got off the ground. Fortunately, despite the fame that comes with such exposure, we've all managed to stay grounded. Except Amigo.
Happy Blog Birthday to us!

Take Five: Take Two

2011-06-30T15:06:00.001-05:00

Quick opinion poll for AmigoNet readers. (if you're reading this, that means YOU)

I've really been digging my pinball machine the last few months, usually sneaking up there late at night after everyone else is asleep. And I'm getting quite good at it btw - no more flipping the ball wildly upward, I now use the flippers to catch the ball and aim for targets. Targets = bonus points = new high score milestone!

Ok, so on to the poll. I recently changed the lights in the machine from incandescent...

to LED...

So I'm curious, which do you think looks better? The classic yellowish glow of the incandescents (the machine is from 1978 afterall), or the cleaner, whiter light of the LEDs, which also allowed me to add some green and blue accents?

I can't decide. (which is a sure sign I have way too much time on my hands btw) :)

For the Love of Dance

2011-06-28T11:03:00.007-05:00

One of the things we really like about Naomi's preschool is it's focus on performance. It gives the kids something to do with their playtime. So, it's no surprise then that when a note came home last year about a separate dance class being offerred, she was excited to do it. And since it was during the day, while she was already there, we were happy to sign her up.

So, we quickly got her outfitted with leotards (ew - bad word), tights, and tap & ballet shoes which she dons every Tuesday. (and which come home covered with stickers - a reward for doing good in class)

One year and many lessons later, her hard work culminated with The Big Recital!
As excited as she was to perform, getting made up was an event unto itself. The make-up artist had to get her stage ready - slicked back hair and face extra sparkly.
SHOWTIME!

Tap: Bare Necessities... (Naomi is to the right of the boy at center stage)

Ballet: Octopus' Garden...

Bravo Naomi!

Move Like This

2011-06-25T14:25:00.001-05:00

It's wierd, and kind of amazing to me when a band takes 24 years off and yet somehow manages to put out a new album that sounds like they haven't changed at all. How do they do that?

Don't know, but The Cars do.

Given that the only Cars music I own is from a Greatest Hits compilation, I wouldn't say I'm a huge fan, but I do like em. At least enough to be intrigued when I hear they have a new album - The Cars, really?

Now, I'm not really recommending anyone buy Move Like This (cause nobody takes unsolicited advice, do they?), but WOW!, it's a really good album. And as alluded above, it sounds exactly like, well, The Cars - that same guitar riff driven sound mixed with pop synthizers. And on Blue Tip, even some 80s computer beeps and bloops add to the retrotivity. Hearing it for the first time, it already feels familiar, in a good way.

A new twist on an old favorite.

(and perfectly targeted to the nostalgic 40 year old)

Don't die, rose

2011-06-23T07:15:00.002-05:00

Naomi received a rose during one the many Father's Day events last weekend. She recently noticed that it was starting to wilt, so she decided to write a song to honor the beautiful rose. She handed me a piece of paper and pencil, and asked me to write it down while she sang.

Sung with no particular rhythm, in no particular key, only softly and with sincere and extreme heart-felt emotion.

Don't die, rose.
I love your soft inside.
Don't die, rose.
Be pink and then keep livin' on.
Just don't die in the day of this dawn.

I must keep singing.
Please rose please,
You must be-eee alive!

[another verse, but I couldn't write fast enough and didn't have a recording device available in the moment!]

What else matters?
What else did we forget?
That rose needs love.
I think we did forget.
We forgot to talk to you.
Don't die, rose.
Doooon't diiiiie, rooooooose!

Gloating

2011-06-22T06:56:00.002-05:00

Presented without comment.

Feathering

2011-06-17T00:12:00.003-05:00

I may be out of touch with current day trends, but fortunately for Naomi, Grammie is on top of things! Last week, Grammie hosted a Girls Day Out for the 3 [older] girl cousins. It included lunch, a movie and the big highlight of the day: hair feathers!
Yes, Naomi was feathered. Thanks Grammie for a day of fun and for keeping Naomi current!

By the way, this is not to be confused with feathered hair.

I should also mention, that perhaps I'm not behind the times afterall...I'm simply years ahead. Nearly 30 years, in fact. You see, I also wore feathers in my hair back in 1982!

A glimpse at what's to come

2011-06-16T10:45:00.000-05:00

As Naomi gets older, she is embarking on new experiences as a kid, which often means we are facing new challenges as parents. Let me set the stage for one of those new parental endeavors...

We have next-door neighbors that have 3 girls, 2 of which are close to Naomi's age at 5 and 8. The 2 younger ones are very friendly kids and love to play inside and outside by themselves or with any other kid. As we come and go, we regularly see them out front or hear them playing in their backyard. Plus, they regularly knock on our door asking if Naomi can come over and play.

Not too long ago, as we were pulling into the driveway, the 8-year-old ran up to invite Naomi over to play. Pretty typical, except this time she had a friend with her. The friend started giggling and saying she wanted to ask ME something. The neighbor girl said "No, no, it's silly." But then her friend proceeded to ask me, "How come you haven't told Naomi about Justin Bieber yet?"

OMG. I'm already soooo out of touch! And soooo not ready for this!

7 all-natural days

2011-06-08T20:30:00.000-05:00

Recently, I committed myself to a 7-day plan of eating only all-natural foods. The intention was to eat single ingredient, non-processed foods only. Basically, that included real food like chicken, beef, eggs, milk, fruits, veggies, yogurt, butter, single spices (salt, pepper), plain oatmeal, nuts, natural peanut butter, etc. I did give myself a 3-ingredient max for any packaged item. Also, I could mix any combination of single-ingredient items (like homemade oatmeal cookies or salads with vinegar, oil and pepper).

Why this quest? One, I just like the challenge of doing something like this for a short period of time. Two, I wanted to see what it would take to eliminate all processed food (ie. food with preservatives, dyes, chemicals, weird sounding ingredients). Three, I wanted to see if I felt any different.

I'm happy to report that I did successfully complete my mission. (Well, almost.) Overall, it was not a difficult task. It did take some will-power but not as much as I thought. I just loaded up on fresh fruit and veggies from the grocery store, including some items I hadn't had in awhile. The hard part was eating out, specifically at Mercado Juarez -- and that is where I did cheat and eat marinated beef fajitas with 2 tortillas (couldn't resist!). I also accidentally ate the cheese on my Chick-fil-a salad, forgetting that cheese almost always has more than 3 ingredients (one of those being not-so-natural "for color").

I do think I felt a little better, but nothing dramatic. I do like that I reintroduced some healthy options back into my eating rotation that I hadn't been eating lately (like yogurt fruit smoothies for breakfast and homemade sweet potato chips).

It's been a couple weeks now and I've kept up with the all-natural eating quest for about 75% of my food consumption. I'm very happy with this because I think doing it all the time would interfere too much with socializing and eating out with friends and family!