Yesterday, I got a new phone - Blackberry 8320. That has a camera, and so I thought it time to active the mobile blogging feature I've noticed on my blogger dashboard. I took a few pictures of the kids last night, and you can see those posts below. The first one was of Abigail, but that didn't seem to go through right away, so I kept trying. Eventually three duplicate posts appeared (I've since deleted them). It would be nice if the blog could recognize dups and not post (perhaps hold them in a type of 'moderation' queue).
Also, I set up Laura's phone this morning. She uses a Motorola Razr, which works fine too.
I hope the picture quality is good enough. I really think this is a great feature. There's often those candid moments when we're out and about that would be nice to capture. This makes it much easier to share it with everyone.
Finally, I'm going to try out the YouTube, one click share to my blog. If you're coming hear everyday to check if there are new posts, you may want to try a reader (I use this one). Of course, you'll want to drop by here every once in a while to leave a comment (so I know you're listening). My next post will be a handy video explaining what a reader is and how to use it.
30 November 2007
29 November 2007
Bejamin in the bath
I'm playing around with my new phone and using the mobile blogging feature.
Another cute kid, huh?
Another cute kid, huh?
26 November 2007
Difficult nights happen
This week, for FHE, we talked about the Golden Rule. At least, we tried to talk about it. It was difficult to get the kids settled down to listen to the lesson. They were fighting over Abigail's birthday present - a box of rings. Neither would listen. Collette ended up crying. In this case, I think Abigail noticed how annoyed Mom & especially Dad were getting. At one point, she said she wanted to sit down and listen (while shoving her sister to the floor).
I'm not describing it well, but know both Laura and I wanted to lock the kids outside for a little bit. It got that stressful. Of course, we didn't. I wasn't really into the lesson much because of how upset I was with the kids. Let's just say it was a less effective FHE.
Just wanted to share that some moments are tough. I love my children. I'm a little embarassed that I can't be the perfect Dad who calmly handles every difficult situation. It's something I have to work on constantly or else it feels like I'm the worst parent ever - which just makes me feel bad.
That's a major part of my life that's under construction...
I'm not describing it well, but know both Laura and I wanted to lock the kids outside for a little bit. It got that stressful. Of course, we didn't. I wasn't really into the lesson much because of how upset I was with the kids. Let's just say it was a less effective FHE.
Just wanted to share that some moments are tough. I love my children. I'm a little embarassed that I can't be the perfect Dad who calmly handles every difficult situation. It's something I have to work on constantly or else it feels like I'm the worst parent ever - which just makes me feel bad.
That's a major part of my life that's under construction...
21 November 2007
Somehow the birds knew
On Saturday, Abigail and I went bike riding. We kept seeing the geese fly over head - getting out of Colorado.
Somehow they knew that it was going to be the first real cold week here. It's below freezing, and the snow is falling. The first snow of November (it snowed once in October, but was nice and sunny by noon). It snowed a little last night when Laura and I went ice skating for my birthday.
The snow really accumulated over night. The girls were quite excited and immediately got dressed to play outside. The first thing Abigail did was lie down to make a snow angel. She quickly got too cold to go outside. After warming up and getting gloves on - she went back out to enjoy the snow with Collette. Collette's a trooper - and would have stayed in the snow forever, despite her hands being cold.
Somehow they knew that it was going to be the first real cold week here. It's below freezing, and the snow is falling. The first snow of November (it snowed once in October, but was nice and sunny by noon). It snowed a little last night when Laura and I went ice skating for my birthday.
The snow really accumulated over night. The girls were quite excited and immediately got dressed to play outside. The first thing Abigail did was lie down to make a snow angel. She quickly got too cold to go outside. After warming up and getting gloves on - she went back out to enjoy the snow with Collette. Collette's a trooper - and would have stayed in the snow forever, despite her hands being cold.
19 November 2007
Don't look, Dad - close your eyes!
That's the first thing Abigail told me as I walked in the door. The girls had chocolate on their faces while desperately trying to keep a secret.
Abigail said the following:
My birthday is tomorrow, but it's fun to extend the festivities. I think Laura has a night out for us planned and wanted to do something with the girls tonight. When Laura mentioned the babysitter was coming over, Collette said, "Mom, you stay here." She's silly. We had a great night. It was fun!
Abigail said the following:
- There's nothing in the oven
- There's only a chocolate thing in the oven, but it isn't for you
- The thing in the oven is for lunch, when you're not here
- Don't look in the oven
- There's nothing in the oven
My birthday is tomorrow, but it's fun to extend the festivities. I think Laura has a night out for us planned and wanted to do something with the girls tonight. When Laura mentioned the babysitter was coming over, Collette said, "Mom, you stay here." She's silly. We had a great night. It was fun!
Happy Birthday Dad!!
We love you and hope you have a great day! Here are some recent photos of Dad with his kids:
10 November 2007
Ben rolled over!
For the first time yesterday, Ben rolled over completely. He's been very close but the shoulder was hanging him up. He got over it and now won't stop rolling over. Now begins the time of difficult to change diapers and clothes.... Here's the picture right after he rolled onto his tummy
Mommy looks like Ben
The other day I was holding Ben in front of the mirror to make him smile and laugh. Abigail stared at us for a minute and then said, "mommy, you look like Ben." I think it's funny to hear that coming from my 4 year old. I hear lots of people tell me who my kids look like but it's hard to see it as a parent. They just look like themselves to me. But, here was Mommy and Ben in the mirror:
06 November 2007
Book Review: The Blind Side
The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game
By Michael Lewis
Norton, 288 pp.
What did Lawrence Taylor do to the game of football? As outside linebacker for the NY Giants, LT destroyed quarterbacks. He reveled in making his opponents fear him - having ended the career of Joe Theismann, every quarterback entering the field against LT knew the danger of getting hit snd finish a game, a season, or even a contract on the sidelines.
Because of LT, offenses changed to compensate - with a focus on protecting the blind side. With the advent of free agency and salary caps, organizations had to decide the most valuable players on the field. As Lewis demonstrates, the left tackle is the highest paid position in the NFL, secong only to the man they protect - the starting quarterback.
What begins as a commentary on the evolution of a game turns into a narrative of the making of one left tackle. The perfect combination of size, strength, and agility came out of under-privileged Memphis in Michael Oher. Oher began attending a Christian private school and was adopted by the well-to-do Tuohy famiy, which set out to make Oher successful.
Oher, under the watchful eye of the Tuohy family, went from a near illiterate to an average student in just a couple of years. This transformation opened the world of NCAA sports to Oher, which will likely lead him to become the most sought after left tackle in the NFL. He's currently playing football at Ole Miss.
For even the casual fan, understanding the evolution of the left tackle position is intriguing. After reading this book, it's hard to watch a football game without looking to the edge of the screen to see if the left tackle is doing his job. Well, you'll at least look for it on replay - when he doesn't do his job, and the team suffers.
While the general trend in the NFL is interesting, the life of Michael Oher is fascinating. The Tuohy family integrating Oher into their lives is an amazing story of charity. The Tuohy family proves that a radical change in environment can make all the difference in the world. Oher was plucked from a wasted world, where his likely future included drugs, gangs, and an early death and inserted into a loving, nurturing home. By recreating his life with the Tuohy's, Oher thrived in school & sports. His IQ went from 80 - 100, demonstrating that environment can make all the difference in the world.
To sports fans and educators alike, I recommend this book.
By Michael Lewis
Norton, 288 pp.
What did Lawrence Taylor do to the game of football? As outside linebacker for the NY Giants, LT destroyed quarterbacks. He reveled in making his opponents fear him - having ended the career of Joe Theismann, every quarterback entering the field against LT knew the danger of getting hit snd finish a game, a season, or even a contract on the sidelines.
Because of LT, offenses changed to compensate - with a focus on protecting the blind side. With the advent of free agency and salary caps, organizations had to decide the most valuable players on the field. As Lewis demonstrates, the left tackle is the highest paid position in the NFL, secong only to the man they protect - the starting quarterback.
What begins as a commentary on the evolution of a game turns into a narrative of the making of one left tackle. The perfect combination of size, strength, and agility came out of under-privileged Memphis in Michael Oher. Oher began attending a Christian private school and was adopted by the well-to-do Tuohy famiy, which set out to make Oher successful.
Oher, under the watchful eye of the Tuohy family, went from a near illiterate to an average student in just a couple of years. This transformation opened the world of NCAA sports to Oher, which will likely lead him to become the most sought after left tackle in the NFL. He's currently playing football at Ole Miss.
For even the casual fan, understanding the evolution of the left tackle position is intriguing. After reading this book, it's hard to watch a football game without looking to the edge of the screen to see if the left tackle is doing his job. Well, you'll at least look for it on replay - when he doesn't do his job, and the team suffers.
While the general trend in the NFL is interesting, the life of Michael Oher is fascinating. The Tuohy family integrating Oher into their lives is an amazing story of charity. The Tuohy family proves that a radical change in environment can make all the difference in the world. Oher was plucked from a wasted world, where his likely future included drugs, gangs, and an early death and inserted into a loving, nurturing home. By recreating his life with the Tuohy's, Oher thrived in school & sports. His IQ went from 80 - 100, demonstrating that environment can make all the difference in the world.
To sports fans and educators alike, I recommend this book.
04 November 2007
02 November 2007
Don't drag the leaves in!
The other day Abigail was trying to make a bouquet out of leaves from our backyard and wanted to bring them inside. I told her I didn't want a bunch of leaves scattered over the house, so I thought, what else could we do with them? Instead, we made our own trees. Here is Abigail's:
Also, I have to say how cute Abigail was yesterday. She was watching a Dora with Collette and Dora asked the question, "what do you want to be when you grow up?" Abigail answered, "I want to be a clown so I can make my mom smile." Doesn't get much cuter than that!
Also, I have to say how cute Abigail was yesterday. She was watching a Dora with Collette and Dora asked the question, "what do you want to be when you grow up?" Abigail answered, "I want to be a clown so I can make my mom smile." Doesn't get much cuter than that!
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