Monday, June 29, 2009

Why am I more upset that Billy...

Why am I more upset that Billy Mays died that I was when Michael Jackson died?

Sunday, June 28, 2009

well, what a freakin wonderful...

well, what a freakin wonderful weekend!!! Got a lot of work done. No tennis today but I got to hang out with my favorite person! Not bad!

You can't be Starbuck, you're Asian...

Priceless!

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLD1oQfjNLc

Riding Bikes

This past week Jeff and Regin decided it was high time they learned how to ride their bikes (about time). So yesterday they each spent maybe 20 minutes with Mark and I holding on and instructing, and then viola they were bike riding fools. Here are some pics that I imported myself , I am soooo computer savy. Mark is proud.

Finally, pics from school

I know, it took forever, but here you go.

Gonna spend most of the day wo...

Gonna spend most of the day working. C'est la vie. Maybe I can sneak in some tennis first...or after...or both...

Saturday, June 27, 2009

July in preview...

Lions and Tigers and Bears, oh my!

So coming up in the next few weeks there will be mucho fun and many adventures.

Regin has Girl's camp, Andrew and I have scout camp, and then we are ALL going camping together.
Good Grief! That's a load o' camping. We haven't been camping in a few years. It should be a great time!
I am sure we will take some pictures that we may (or may not) get around to posting. I still need to get the end of school pics posted.
Right now it is just too dang nice outside to bother with it.

A beautiful Saturday morning! ...

A beautiful Saturday morning! Tennis anyone?

I've got the tweets. Now they ...

I've got the tweets. Now they are posting on my blog too.

Friday, June 26, 2009

Awards, acalades, and recognition .. oh my.

If you hate those posts where people brag about how great, smart, and perfect their kids are than stop reading now.
This is rather late considering the last day of school was june 5th, but it is still the same month so I can pretend I'm not a complete lazy butt.
The kids have received many awards over the years, but this year they received the following. Jeff got an award for testing in the top ten percent in the country in both science and reading. Regin (the little over achiever) , amazed me with how many awards she got. She graduated from 6th grade so we went to the commencement. Mark spent more time standing to take pics of Regin getting awards than he did sitting. She got a certificate for reading over one million words this year (thank you Stephenie Meyer). She got an american citizenship award, a certificate for participating in math olympics, a plaque for the hope of america award (for demonstrating leadership, ethical and moral character and outstanding academic accomplishment).And finally the presidents education award, she got a certificate, a pin, and a letter from President Obama (this was for outstanding academic excellence , particularly in math.) We are very proud of her. She works so hard.
Andrew was lucky enough to have a teacher this past year who understood him. Recognized how smart he is, but also didnt let him get away with anything. She gave him the hurricane award for being the "messiest Ever! (smartest too)" . He is forgetfull and unorganized, but very intelligent and charismatic.
The year over all was good. There have been a few issues with completing assignments for the boys. I cant believe Jeff is going to be in 9th grade. Technically high school. Yikes! Regin will be in middle school, mak-up, leg shaving, double yikes! Drew will be in 5th, we are working on his organization over the summer, which never lasts long enough.
On a side note. You probably notice a huge difference between when Mark and I post in things like spelling, grammar, and general coherence. See my kids take after Mark in level of intelligence (thank God). Not that I am a big idiot, but my strengths have never been scholastic in nature. Thank you for your understanding and not correcting me. ( I hate it when people correct me).
Peace - Out- Yo

Frogs and friends and a pot lu...

Frogs and friends and a pot luck. Just another friday at the office

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Happy Father's Day

To all the fathers that read this, I hope you have an awesome day.
Here are a couple of videos. I noticed after I compiled them that they aren't the happiest of vids but they all mean something lyrically.


Have a great day.





httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q29YR5-t3gg

I know this is a remake but I like this version:
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3bht7S-3vI

And then there was Fred.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlcRL8ZUWPY

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Reflection and introspection...

It is Saturday night. Everyone is in bed sleeping and here I sit. Watching really, REALLY bad horror movies, eating a Jalapeno and Bacon Pizza, drinking Pepsi, and doing some general 'net surfing. Some rare time alone with the ability to be a vegetable. It may be pure bliss. In small doses.

It is about 30 minutes to Father's Day as I write this. I am going to "future post" it so that it hits on Father's Day. I have been thinking about what it means to me to be a father. I have also been thinking about the many ways I am similar and different from my own father.

I like to think that I have been fairly successful so far as a father and that it somehow makes up for my general shittiness as a son. All of this leads me to dwell on my past. Never a good road for me to travel.

On my drive home the other day I followed a biker lady. It made me think of my mother and all of the time I didn't get to spend with her. I spent years harboring deep resentment for her utter and total abandonment of me. I have since moved past that and decided that it makes no sense to be angry at a stranger. There were those people in my childhood that caused much worse physical and emotional damage. I have moved past anger towards them as well. (Ok, mostly) I am now, as an adult, able to maintain my distance from them no matter how intertwined they may be with my family. I refuse to let them poison my children's lives, even if that means I do not get to have a relationship with my father. (Whom I miss horribly, especially on Father's Day)

As a parent, I see it as my fundamental task in life to provide in the best way I possibly can for my children. This, to me, is more than providing financially. Having Maxine as my partner in this, it would be easy to make enough money to provide every little thing and have any material possessions that they want. That is not how we choose to live. We are teaching our children to value people over possessions. In our house, it is more rewarding to sit in the living room talking for hours at a time than it is to sit and watch a movie together. We live a pretty frugal life and are teaching our children to live happily with the things they need more than with the things they want. (And yes, we provide some "wants" to. They are kids, after all) We all value each other's company and spend most of our time together. I know this will probably change as they get older but for now I cherish it. My children understand the proper way to treat people and are the most fantastic kids I have ever encountered. I attribute that, in large part, to Maxine's wonderful guidance. I am doing my best to teach my boys how to become good men, and I think they are progressing well down that road.

I know that this post comes off as a therapy post and to an extent it is. Father's Day is a bittersweet day for me and as it approaches, I am getting just a little melancholy.

To all the fathers out there, Happy Fathers Day. I hope to send something cheery a little bit later on.

Monday, June 15, 2009

Stick with it through the end...

Not much to say lately. Been busy. Saw the funniest bumper stickers...

Bumper1
And
Bumper2

Enjoy.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pe-er9FqhYA

I have (a little too much) personal experience with this one...
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oo0Vv0J6jtw

For those that made it... A little enlightenment.
While I may not share your views and wonder at how you can believe some of the things that you do, here are the five precepts of Buddhism. I try to follow, shouldn't you? (Rhyme fully intended)

* I undertake the precept of abstaining from destroying living creatures.
* I undertake the precept of abstaining from taking anything not freely given.
* I undertake the precept of abstaining from sexual misconduct.
* I undertake the precept of abstaining from false speech.
* I undertake the precept of abstaining from taking intoxicants which lead to carelessness.

Granted, I suck at a couple of them but it is the journey that makes us who we are. Wouldn't it also be grand if we all shed the labels that we use to identify ourselves?

Peace out y'all!

Sunday, June 14, 2009

@wilw what if there is somethi...

@wilw what if there is something wierd, and it don't look good? Who you gonna call?

Saturday, June 13, 2009

There are many things that make a man a man

Is this one of them?

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pXfHLUlZf4&feature=player_embedded

Friday, June 5, 2009

6th grade graduation today, he...

6th grade graduation today, headache this afternoon. Pics to follow soon...

Wednesday, June 3, 2009