WARNING: Dad Gushes Over Children

One of my favorite pictures, which I took with my Samsung phone this fall.

It's 29F degrees outside right now. On November 2! It's gonna be a long winter.

I'm picking up 94 and her friend from school today. I am so proud of 94! She is a free spirit, yet she is really applying herself at school ('A' grades, mostly). She is developing a wisdom about human nature and relationships that I wish I had at twice her age. She sees beyond the B.S., yet is kind and forgiving. She is polite but persistant. She knows what she wants, knows it's up to her to get it, and very effectively goes about getting it without hurting others.

Of course, my pride for 97 continues to be high, too. She is a wonderful, warm, loving person. She performs exceedingly well in school, and REALLY learns. I'm proud that she has been elected a Peer Mediator at her school, and shows leadership skills even at her tender age. Her moral compass is spot-on, and you can tell when she sees situations that seem less than moral.

If one of the goals of parenting is to help equip your children for their adult lives, to give them the skills you didn't have when you were growing-up, I feel I've at least made a good start. I love them so!

New Airbag for Kids

Here is my concept for child safety. It is a portable airbag. Here you see my two adorable (and SAFE) models demonstrating the prototype. They're comments? "Daaaaaad!!" Note, however, they're willingness to pose for the brochure. "American Inventor", here I come!

Namesake

Yes, this is THEE Macho Poodle. Be careful! He looks cute, but he is oh, so MACHO!!

My Baby's NINE!

Did the Lake

OH! By the way, when we swam at Sunny Vale on Sunday, 94, 97, and I all crossed the lake and played on the other side. For three hours. We were very well sun screened though, so no burns! Wow, how great to float, relax, splash, and just play with the girls!

Daddy: Why?!

Picked up the girls today, and, brain-fart dad that I am, I forgot that tonight was the annual Spring Dance at the elementary school. So Val said "We're getting ready for the Dance!". I said "No, we're not going", and Val was all "buuuuut Daaaaaady (sniffle, snort) YOU PROOOOOOMISED!!! So, of course, I said "sure we'll go!"

It was fun. Playing at the school park before hand, then going in to dance, eat cheesy popcorn and pretzels. Doing the hoola-hoop and the limbo. Absolute magic.

Then we drove back to Marshfield and watched part of "A Series of Unfortunate Events". Now it's bed time. Good night.

Partners in Crime

It was Sunday, a day like any other. Except that it was Emma's second communion, we got to sit (and sing) with the Choir, and make trouble at work.

We went over to my building, which is exactly 1 minute and 57 second's walk from my modest apartment (according to Val's stop watch) and I did some lame work stuff. The girls -- that's right, THEY -- got the idea to pull a few pranks. I love them so!!

First, Joe's orange became his new pencil/pen holder. Bwa ha haaaa! Then we pulled Lisa's mouse cord out of the back of her PC.

Both pranks were emminently successful.

When the girls get married I won't be losing my daughters, but my partners in crime.

EXCUUUUUUSE, MEEEEEEEE!

(thank you Steve Martin)

Why am I being so reflective lately? Don't know. Deal with it!

I'll get back to posting about the offspring soon. Hope I'm not boring you.

By the way, they're both completely addicted to this blog, and want to know who this "Cherry person" is. Take it as a compliment, Cherry!!

Little...Felt...GRAPES!!

On Saturday I volunteered at Emma's first communion retreat. I was really dreading it. The dread was monumentally misplaced. This was one of the most fulfilling experiences I've ever had. I could so totally be an elementary teacher!

So I pick up Emma at 8:30am. You read that right. For those of you who know me, that means leaving at 7:30am, which is simply a miracle. Why? Cause that means getting out of bed at 6:30am. I'm just getting good dreams at that hour.

Anyway, at 3:30am I wake up and drift briefly back into sleep. 6:30 is no prob.

I get there and deliver Emma to the choir room for practice at 9am. The volunteering doesn't begin until 9:30, so I go back out to my car and listen to music. And drink my orange juice. And amuzingly watch my pulse do "beat beat SKIP" in rhythm to Gwen Styphani. I'll post about that later.

After trying to find the right room to volunteer in, I happened across it. It was at the end of the cafeteria, by a small stage.

I then met another volunteer guy who looked remarkably like Tommy Thompson, and he thought I was in charge. Ha. I told him I was just as clue-less as he.

About 20 minutes later, there we were. My 4-person crew setting out burlap banners and felt decorations for our first class of about 19 7-year-olds. The first of six. The retreat was from 9:30 'till 3:00pm.

I took the role of instructor, quizzing and explaining to the communicants about the host with the cross in the middle, the chalace, the loaf of bread, and the grapes. Most of the kids were really in-tune with the whole symolism thing. They were mostly well-behaved, and wide-eyed. I have the whole "looking over the top of your glasses" thing down, so there was little disruption.

Here's the thing, though: There was so much prepared for these banners that the kids only needed to glue the felt to the banners. 90 kids times 10 felt grapes equals 900 felt grapes!! And 90 chalaces, etc.. Why can't the kids cut out they're own friggin' felt?! After all, we had 45 minutes with each class, most of which was spent not doing the activity! Grrrrr...

Ours was one of many classes including Cross-making, Bread-making, Heart-making, and others I've already forgotten. It was magic.

Ate lunch with Emma, and really bonded with her. I wish this could happen once a year.

Painted Daddy

Girls. Makeup. Man. A deadly combination.

I was gang-painted by my children tonight. My God it's aweful. Of course, because it's aweful the girls love it.

I just sat there taking it.

I'm either the world's biggest wimp, or a Saint. Only God knows.

(wimper)

Feel the Love

Tonight's bedtime ritual:

97: "Love you, Dad!"

94: "Love you, Dad!"

Me: "Love you Emma, Love you Valerie!"

97: "Love you, red pillow!"

94: "What the..."

Me: "She loves her red pillow. I love you too, red pillow!"

94: "Oh, okay, whatever, you pillow people."

Me: "Love you guys, goodnight!"

Fiction would not be that cute.

Zitboy

Ah, the weekend. Time to relax. Unwind. Time to sprout odd facial deformities. Huh?

I awoke Saturday to twin zits on the corner of my mouth. I'm 41 years old for Christ's sake! I've got my kids calling me "Zitboy" now. Ankle-biting ingrates.

Oh, and this low-fat, high-fiber crap is really a pox on my happiness. Bacon is a tradition on weekend mornings around here, and I had a total of three pieces. Three in two days. Do you know how good a sausage egg and cheese biscuit would taste for breakfast tomorrow? Do you?!

We had Papa Murphy's pizza for supper last night, though. Talk about a heavenly indulgence! It was magic. The smell alone, however, raised my triglys by 100 or so points (or whatever measurement system they use).

Good weekend altogether, though. 94 is camping at the school forest Monday through Wednesday, and she is just jazzed. We drove by the camp so she could see the buildings. We played "school forest trivia" all the way home.

Saturday, 97 went to a birthday party, so I had cherised 94/Dad time!! We malled and got 94 a disposable camera for camping. It was fun.

Today's mass was lead by two missionaries. It was quite good. The choir was awesome. First time I've heard them and I've been attending for two years. Got me thinking about joining, but that would mean choiring instead of being with the kids. Hmmm... What do you think?

Bed Time Ritual

For years, 97's bed time ritual has been to say good night with this:

"Love you, won't let the bed bugs bite, promise, cross my heart won't break that promise promise promise."

I can't believe I haven't written this down until now. It is the cutest thing. Of course, when it comes out it sounds more like:

"loveyouwontletthebedbugsbitpromisecrossmyheartwontbreakthatpromisepromisepromise"

This is usually followed by a rousing version of:

Me: Good Night
94: Sleep Tight
97: Dream of bed bugs tonight

Fine, that last part is not original, I know, because I think it comes from Lion King 1 1/2.

Ad Enoid Her, So Out They Came!

Hope there's an award for the lamest entry title, 'cause I think I just clinched it.

97 had her adenoids taken out yesterday. Surgery and after stuff went well. Thank God. No, really God, thank you thank you thank you!

Pieces of my new PC began trickling in yesterday. Got the monitor and speakers. Of course I had to do a quality check on the stuff, so I connected them to my laptop. Ho! No way! My windows desktop is now about an acre at 1278 x 1024 resolution, and I've never had a speaker system so nice. Played some music, and a few games of NFSHP2 for good measure. Awesome! Can't wait for the rest of the stuff.

Oh, got the case too. WTF! This thing is a monster.

Why must I fast for 14 hours before routine blood work? Why oh why?! I think it is secretly just a running joke among doctors. "Hey, let's make our patients really sacrifice for their health care! Heh heh heh." Not funny.

Oh, and thank you very much, Burger King, for deciding I needed a BACON, egg, and cheese biscuit to break my 15 hour fast, rather than the SAUSAGE, egg, and cheese biscuit I actually ordered. Boneheads. In the immortal words of Johnny Carson: "If you want it your way, cook it yourself!"

Blinky Nose

Yesterday the kids and I went malling. Bought a cool Spongebob calendar at Waldenbooks. Then we found a dollar store. The girls have neat mood rings. Me? Yup, I had to have the magnetic flashing thing you can stick to your thinner body parts.

Now, the magnet on this thing is amazingly strong. I wore it in my nose in the mall for a bit and got a few laughs. You see, I was dressed in my Packers leather jacket and hat, so the frenetically flashy nose jewelry seemed amusingly out of place. Then I offered it to the girls, who anxiously accepted, until I reminded them of its most recent home. Then it was all ewwws and, like, Daaaaaaaaaaad!!

Today we hung around, taunted the cats, went to church, and watched a hilarious cat video.

Supercooled Swimwear

As we prepared for church yesterday, the girls wondered where the brush was. After some furtive searching, I happened to see that the shampoo was gone too. Then it hit me. We left our gym bags in the car overnight.

Now, in a temperate climate, this would have been no big deal. Go out to the car and get the stuff. However, since temperatures here have been below zero for the past 3 days, this was going to be interesting.

I went out to get the stuff and start the car. When I stepped outside I heard a gasping sound punctuated by crackling. My lungs had frozen solid. At least I thought so until I heard a hoarse profanity echo off the school wall across the street. Nothing like sweariness to warm the lungs.

Started the car and opened the trunk and grabbed the bags. Did the penguin walk back to the back door (still icey) and lunged back inside. Then I noticed that the bags were very stiff. Got back upstairs and plopped them on my bed.

The hair brush, shampoo, and conditioner were frozen convincingly to the towels. Tight. After a tug of war we were able to free them. There was no way we were going to unroll the towels though. I just threw them into the bath tub to thaw.

After dropping the girls off yesterday, I bought a stereo for the car from Best Buy. $89 with free install. It'll be nice to have my tunes back.

Actually made it through Lord of the Rings - the Fellowship of the Ring last night. I honestly enjoyed it. I had tried this movie once before and just couldn't keep interested. It took some concentration, but this was a good movie. Guess I'll follow-up with Two Towers and Return of the King.

Cats, Cheese, and Swimming

The kids and I drove to the Clark County Humane Association to view their Kitty City, a room with about 20 cats for us to play with. Here's us with the cats.

Then we stopped by the Lynn Dairy, where we bought some yummy, fresh cheese curds.

After a quick stop for lunch at Mickey D's, we swam at the Y.

On the way home I picked up a new dresser and spent the evening assembling it. I rather like it.

Tooth Fairy

97 lost a top front tooth today. And then she truly lost the tooth. What to do? Why, just jot the Tooth Fairy (TF) a note explaining the matter. Sorted.

Actually, she was quite upset about it. After all, how will the TF find me and will she believe the tragic story?

Big Sis to the rescue. Thus, the Tooth Fairy Method, according to 94:

1) TF has a giant tooth map, which shows all people's mouths, everywhere
2) Said map is color coded, with different tooth stati showing in different colors
3) Using the map, TF has unequivocal evidence of 97's tragedy
4) I guess TF points to the mouth on the map and, ZAP, she is transformed into vapor to remain undetected, floats into the room, takes the tooth, leaves appropriate compensation, points to home on the map, and...
5) ZOOOM! TF is teleported directly back to TF land

According to 94, she's sure about this because, after all, she's had 10 years to figure it out.

Love love love love!

Pretzels at Target

Okay, not exactly breakfast at Tiffany's. We had nacho pretzels at Target today for lunch. Cost as much as big kids meals at Mickey D's. Was the perfect lunch, though.

We love looking at the Target t-shirts. "Hah! Now you can't see me" is our all-time favorite. My nephew bought a "Wake and Bake" one in Sturgeon Bay over Christmas. I guess that's some drug reference. Awkward for me, though I am not a prude.

We went and saw Lisa's dogs and cats today. Been a while. We brought them woobies and cat toys. The fuzzy wooby was dead by the time we left. Torn to shreds. I predicted as much and was right. Absolute joy and fun.

At the end of "Princess Diarys II" the kids decided they absolutely had to see the "Break Away" video by what's her name... 29 times! Not only that, they were arguing over who got to sing. Typical sister stuff I guess.

We played Barbie Uno. Had Little Caesar's for supper.

I know it all sounds boring, but my time with the kids each weekend is pure magic. Makes it all worthwhile. Love love love them.

Halloween

The weekend with the girls was fun. We carved pumpkins, went to Firefox Gardens, cat-sat for Lisa, went to Church, and random other things.

Got my NHA credentials in the mail and promptly framed them and hung them in my office at work. Now I have the freedom to look more actively. Heh heh...Finances looking pretty shaky... gotta find a better job soon, else I'll have to take a second job. Night shift at BP? Mickey D's? Telemarketer? Shudder.

90 minutes until the Packers play the Titans on MNF. Both teams 1-3 and hungry for a win. I'll either turn it off at the half or watch all the way. We really need to win this one tonight.Maybe post later -- hopefully after watching the WHOLE game!