The Big Launch

Samuel and Mason spent the last couple of weeks creating this little gem in preparation for their next "Sacking of York". Also of note, when launching GI Joe's, bad guys fly farther than good guys.

And The Winner Is...

With summer underway it's an all out battle to ensure that the kids are doing more than wathcing TV and turning into little turnips. So we had an idea. A contest. Everyone can do it and it will be fun. So we decided upon a photo contest. The rules were simple.

1. All entries must be digital and original
2. They must be taken in or around the house
3. Mom and Dad would judge based on Originality, Composition, Color, Contrast and a few other criteria
4. 3rd place gets a kick in the pants, 2nd places gets a pat on the back, 1st place gets $5.

So we gave them a few days and access to any digital camera in the house. Many photos were entered and here are the winners...

Honorable Mention (by Samuel)

We liked the way the picture was split in half by the zipline in the backyard. He had to balance the camera next to the tree and hope he got a good picture.

3rd Place (by Mason)

We liked the composition and color. Nicely done

2nd Place (by Samuel)

Good use of light

1st Place (by Mason)

This one just had fairly good everything...Texture, Composition, Perspective...Our dog.

The Power of Boredom

One of the best parts of my week is Saturday morning. I like it because it usually offers the time tested staples of a leisurely weekend such as a big family breakfast, hot coffee brewing when I stumble out of my room, and a little personal time for everyone. However, Saturday morning usually starts on Friday evening so things can get a bit complicated in an effort to simplify.

It happens like this...on Friday evening everyone slowly makes their way into bed and the parents of the house head up to say evening prayers. Friday evening prayers are different because they ALWAYS end with a fatherly admonition that the child praying should include a prayer for a spirit of quietness the following morning to let the paternal unit sleep in lest his ire be raised to just below the ceiling followed by the child in question loosing a finger or other appendage. So Saturday mornings are usually quiet. But as every parent knows, quiet can mean trouble.

So it was that this morning, all was quiet. The sun was up, the air was cool and breakfast was finished. Given the beauty of this particular Georgia morning, I sent everyone outside for some fresh air and solid play. The first indication of trouble came when Samuel showed up in the kitchen and just kind of stood around looking sheepish. I queried, "Why aren't you outside?" His reply was unexpected, but not surprising. "I don't what to get in trouble when Mason and Wyatt get hurt." "Why would they get hurt?" "They're on the roof!", he said, not wanting to tell on them but not wanting to lie either.

A while later, after a little more too much quiet, I heard a loud conversation taking place in the garage and stole slowly to the door to ascertain what was being said. That's when I discovered that my children were being forced to take their imaginations to new heights to think up something to do since there was no TV, Playstation, or Computer actually operating in the back yard.

My discovery of their level of boredom came in the form of a sentence from Mason as each threw their ideas for fun into the proverbial hat. He said, "Let's practice scewdriver throwing!"

A Christmas to Remember

Christmas is a great holiday. Giving and getting, spending time with family, eating till you wanna pop, and ultimatly breaking something by days end. It's both hectic and fun. This year we decided to do something a bit different. We limited our gifts to the kids and sent a certified letter to Santa to do the same. On Christmas day, after the rush of early morning excitment had subsided a bit, we presented them with "final gift"...a group gift. Nothing special, just two small books. Tour books outlining the sights and highlights of Washington DC. Olivia was the first to catch on with, "Are we going to Washington DC?" at which the boys stopped and stared awaiting an answer. Indeed, we were going to DC. They freaked out and immediatly began pouring over the books to determine what they wanted to see. So for the rest of Christmas day, the kids talked and played, I worked to finish re-plumbing our bathroom and Tina packed us all up in anticipation of leaving town the next day.

The 26th arrived as scheduled and we loaded up bright and early to drive north. It was a 9-10 hour road trip but we arrived and checked into the lodging office at Bolling Air Force Base. The next 3 days were cram-packed with sights and tours and subway rides and miles of walking but each one had a great time getting their first taste of the history of America. We saw everything from The Wright Brothers Flyer to the Declaration of Independance. We saw Abraham Lincolns Top Hat and Ford's Theatre. We saw Kermit the Frog and the Hope Diamond. We visited the Lincoln, FDR, Jefferson, and Washington Monuments, the War Memorials for Viet Nam, Korea, and WWII. On our last day we visited Arlington National Cemetery, wathched the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns, saw the grave of Audie Murphy and other significant figures in American history.

I could go on for hours about the details of what we did and where we went. But the purpose of the trip was to allow the kids to see the seat of our government and everything surrounding it. One thing we did was get each of them a small journal and made them take the time to write each night about the days events. On December 27th, our first day of actual touring, Wyatt summed up the events and feelings of the entire trip very concisely. Dec 27 - We went to the the Library of Congress. I saw most of the memorials in Washington DC. We are going to see the museums tomorrow. PS. I had a great day.

There's A Signpost Up Ahead...

Fear. That about describes it. Fear is a good word. Or maybe apprehension is a bit better. Then again terror might just be the best of all. At any rate, the experienced effect underquestion is like soaking yourself in gasoline and then standing there, holding a disposable lighter, and thinking about the sensation to come. Not a pretty picture.

Such is the emotional landscape I find myself surveying. Why, you ask? Because at this moment a young man stands before me bearing the bane of parents everywhere...his drivers permit. Our firstborn, our little man, the eldest of our brood wants to drive my car, and he has the blessing of the state of Georgia to do it. I don't think my heart, lungs, brain, or bowels can take this. How can he possibly be old enough to drive? Just yesterday we were bathing him in the kitchen sink! I am becoming convinced (and I'm mere moments into this thing) that teen driving is the primary cause of mid-life crisis. My hair is greying, my eyes are bagging, and my stomach is on the verge of purging at the thought of it all.

Woe unto me that I was ever born for such a day as this. Woe be unto my pocket book whence I must upgrade my auto insurance. Woe for I am undone at the thought of the first fruits of my loins hurling himself and others hither and yon at speeds approaching 15 MPH!

And so we embark on the next phase of parenting and childing. Next stop, girlfriends!

A Quiet Weekend of Camping

Our little pocket of humanity rarely slips below the 4 or 5 population level. So when it does it is something noteworthy. The constant roar that incessantly fills the background gives way to near silence and for one brief shining moment there is peace and quiet. Then the quiet fatigue sets in and you can’t wait for the sounds of little voices and feet echoing from all over the house. This weekend was such a time.

Samuel was out of town all weekend with his school. They visited several historic sites up and down the eastern seaboard. Mason and Wyatt were off camping with the Royal Rangers. That left only Olivia, Tina, and me. Despite what you might think about Olivia, she can be downright noiseless when her brothers are not around. I rather think she enjoyed it. Soon, Samuel will tell all about his trip, so I won’t steal his thunder here. But the camp out bears mention.

This was Wyatt’s first big camp out with the Royal Rangers so he was very excited. Mason, too, was looking forward to being the big brother, the one who knew everything and could mentor his little brother in the ways of the wild. And from all reports after the fact, things got really wild, but not in a wild, natural, outdoorsy kind of way. Rather, it was because of some of the other campers (from a different group of Royal Rangers). It seems that a couple of the older boys thought it would be cool to flirt with the edge of the rules or just plain ol’ disobey them. So they made every effort to use inappropriate words and do things that are not becoming of young men of God. And unfortunately, they chose to do many of these things in the presence of my boys. Those are the moments you wish your kids were locked in the cellar away from the negative influences of the world. But you can’t do that so you hope and pray that you have done them right up to that point and that they will remember the lessons of their youth.

When I picked them up they were tired and dirty and really looking forward to climbing into their own beds. On they way home they brought me up to speed on the events of the weekend, including the bad kids. Wyatt said from the back seat in his hardest tough guy voice, “Dad, there were some boys there who were cussing at us. (he repeated this phrase several times to ensure I heard him as both boys were yammering simultaneously) and Mason said one of them even moaned him.” Mason corrected him, “He mooned me!” So I said to Wyatt, “You didn’t use those words, did you?” “No.” he replied. “I didn’t even know what those words they meant, except I think I heard one of the before!” He continued, “and I even found a pack of cigarettes with cigarettes still in it.” “What did you do?” “I didn’t pick them up. I told one of my commanders!”

In Hooville they say that the Grinch's small heart grew three sizes that day! I couldn’t be more proud of my little men.