Apparently, I go with the lame jokes a little often.
We watched The Never Ending Story a week or so ago. All the expected jokes were made.
Yesterday, we went to the library and picked up The Never Ending Story II.
On the way home, one of the kids asked if we could watch it that night. It was getting close to bed time so I said, "We can start it but we won't be able to finish it tonight because...".
Johann broke in with a weary sigh "Yeah because its the never ending story".
mwz
mwz
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Xtreme
The other day, I was working on the computer and Johann was playing with a PlaySchool motorcycle. I said something about a wheelie and he asked if motorcycles could do wheelies on their front wheel.
After a brief explanation of the techniques behind doing a stoppie, I pulled him onto my lap and went to YouTube.
We spent the next half hour watching various X-Games type sports. First, we watched motocross tricks which lead into skateboarding, followed by BMX videos and ending up a flatland bike tricks.
It was a lot of fun. Only once did I have to stop a video because the lyrics were bad.
When I told him why we were moving on, he wanted to know what the naughty words were (which seems reasonable but I figured it was better if he didn't learn them quite yet.
Then Johann said, "I know one naughty word". I asked him what what letter it started with and he said "P". Curious, I suggested that he whisper it into my ear.
He got really close and sheepishly whispered, "Pee".
I laughed and told him that it wasn't a naughty word as long as he didn't call anyone a "Pee-pee head".
mwz
After a brief explanation of the techniques behind doing a stoppie, I pulled him onto my lap and went to YouTube.
We spent the next half hour watching various X-Games type sports. First, we watched motocross tricks which lead into skateboarding, followed by BMX videos and ending up a flatland bike tricks.
It was a lot of fun. Only once did I have to stop a video because the lyrics were bad.
When I told him why we were moving on, he wanted to know what the naughty words were (which seems reasonable but I figured it was better if he didn't learn them quite yet.
Then Johann said, "I know one naughty word". I asked him what what letter it started with and he said "P". Curious, I suggested that he whisper it into my ear.
He got really close and sheepishly whispered, "Pee".
I laughed and told him that it wasn't a naughty word as long as he didn't call anyone a "Pee-pee head".
mwz
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Father's Day
Outside of working on a race, I had a very nice Father's day.
Frances and Johann made cards. Frances' was very nicely colored with her and me holding hands in the middle with text that she wrote saying "Have a great day everyday".
Johann's looked really simple in comparison. It was just bunch of shapes and two people (Johann and me). I didn't really get it until he said that it was a depiction of when he and I drew shapes in the wood chips at the park last week. That made me happy.
Both cards are now displayed at work.
Frances also decided to try to ride her bike w/out training wheels again. (The last time we tried, I got overly frustrated and Frances wound up crying in Arial's arms. It was horrible and I'm not really proud of that.)
So, with pads in place, helmet on and a promise that I would hold on to the handle bars like Frances wanted, she tried again. We went up and down the street until I could no longer ensure her safety. (It is really tiring to run hunched over a little bike.)
She did great. There were brief periods of balance. But more importantly, she is getting better and wants to try again.
Oh, and for Father's day, Thrice kicked me in the face.
mwz
Frances and Johann made cards. Frances' was very nicely colored with her and me holding hands in the middle with text that she wrote saying "Have a great day everyday".
Johann's looked really simple in comparison. It was just bunch of shapes and two people (Johann and me). I didn't really get it until he said that it was a depiction of when he and I drew shapes in the wood chips at the park last week. That made me happy.
Both cards are now displayed at work.
Frances also decided to try to ride her bike w/out training wheels again. (The last time we tried, I got overly frustrated and Frances wound up crying in Arial's arms. It was horrible and I'm not really proud of that.)
So, with pads in place, helmet on and a promise that I would hold on to the handle bars like Frances wanted, she tried again. We went up and down the street until I could no longer ensure her safety. (It is really tiring to run hunched over a little bike.)
She did great. There were brief periods of balance. But more importantly, she is getting better and wants to try again.
Oh, and for Father's day, Thrice kicked me in the face.
mwz
Monday, June 21, 2010
Frances' Head
So this weekend, I took Frances in to the local walk-in clinic (which is associated with our hospital).
When meeting with the nurse practitioner, I explained that Frances hit her head on the corner of a wall on Wednesday, had blood come out of her ear on Thursday and that we wanted to get it checked out. I also told her that she still has a tube in that ear which may also explain the bleeding.
I was hoping for a "Well, we probably can't do anything here but let's take a look at her ear" followed by an "It's no big deal" or a recommendation to go to the hospital for X-rays.
Instead, she said "So, this happened on Wednesday... and today's... Saturday", followed by condescending look. She then asked "What made you come in now?" with the undertone of "why didn't you come in right away sooner".
I told her that she had seemed fine and wasn't exhibiting any other symptoms of head trauma, no dilated pupils, no grogginess. She had been acting normally and wasn't complaining of any pain other than the obvious bruise on her head. We just wanted to get another opinion.
The nurse told me that you should go to the emergency room right away for every head injury. (Which I guess means that we should be going each time the kids smack their head against something. So, about twice a week. I didn't say that because I was to busy trying to convince her not to call social services. Also, I didn't think of it.)
After being informed that we should take her to the emergency room (and that I am a terrible father) over and over, we went home.
We consulted with various family members, noted the continued normalcy of Frances' behavior and decided to just keep an eye on her. Which is what we probably would have been told to do had we taken her to the hospital.
mwz
When meeting with the nurse practitioner, I explained that Frances hit her head on the corner of a wall on Wednesday, had blood come out of her ear on Thursday and that we wanted to get it checked out. I also told her that she still has a tube in that ear which may also explain the bleeding.
I was hoping for a "Well, we probably can't do anything here but let's take a look at her ear" followed by an "It's no big deal" or a recommendation to go to the hospital for X-rays.
Instead, she said "So, this happened on Wednesday... and today's... Saturday", followed by condescending look. She then asked "What made you come in now?" with the undertone of "why didn't you come in right away sooner".
I told her that she had seemed fine and wasn't exhibiting any other symptoms of head trauma, no dilated pupils, no grogginess. She had been acting normally and wasn't complaining of any pain other than the obvious bruise on her head. We just wanted to get another opinion.
The nurse told me that you should go to the emergency room right away for every head injury. (Which I guess means that we should be going each time the kids smack their head against something. So, about twice a week. I didn't say that because I was to busy trying to convince her not to call social services. Also, I didn't think of it.)
After being informed that we should take her to the emergency room (and that I am a terrible father) over and over, we went home.
We consulted with various family members, noted the continued normalcy of Frances' behavior and decided to just keep an eye on her. Which is what we probably would have been told to do had we taken her to the hospital.
mwz
Friday, June 18, 2010
Funniest Home Videos Moment
Well, it has happened to me, what Funniest Home Videos has taught me happens to every father.
I am always very careful when the kids are swinging a bat or throwing a ball. My reflexes are usually good enough to save the day.
But not tonight.
Tonight, Frances, Johann and I were sword fighting (with Nerf swords, which are awesome). I was distracted by making sure Johann didn't hit Frances in the head with his sweeping blows.
(Incidentally, we are worried that Frances may have a skull fracture which she got by running into the thermostat in the hallway. She seems fine but later her ear was bleeding a bit. We are going to take her in to the clinic tomorrow to get her checked out. Hopefully, it's just the tubes in her ear falling out and not the hit on her head that caused the bleeding.)
Maybe, it wasn't that I was so distracted but that my top priority wasn't protecting myself but Frances' head.
Johann's sword slipped past my defenses and he got me with a powerful strike.
I haven't been hit there in years. It was a excruciating reminder that I must stay ever vigilent.
Fortunately, no one was filming the incident.
mwz
I am always very careful when the kids are swinging a bat or throwing a ball. My reflexes are usually good enough to save the day.
But not tonight.
Tonight, Frances, Johann and I were sword fighting (with Nerf swords, which are awesome). I was distracted by making sure Johann didn't hit Frances in the head with his sweeping blows.
(Incidentally, we are worried that Frances may have a skull fracture which she got by running into the thermostat in the hallway. She seems fine but later her ear was bleeding a bit. We are going to take her in to the clinic tomorrow to get her checked out. Hopefully, it's just the tubes in her ear falling out and not the hit on her head that caused the bleeding.)
Maybe, it wasn't that I was so distracted but that my top priority wasn't protecting myself but Frances' head.
Johann's sword slipped past my defenses and he got me with a powerful strike.
I haven't been hit there in years. It was a excruciating reminder that I must stay ever vigilent.
Fortunately, no one was filming the incident.
mwz
Tuesday, June 08, 2010
Uninteresting Gardening Story
All 5 of us were in the garden planting tomatoes (including Thrice who was along for the ride). I turned a strip of the garden for planting. Arial pulled the weeds and got attacked by a colony of red ants. The ant colony then had vengeance rained upon it (in the form of a shovel).
I'll gloss over the tramatic part here where, when planting Johanns sunflowers that he grew from seeds, I accidentally destroyed them and made him very sad.
The kids helped plant the tomatoes by spraying water (with the gun-like hose attachment) and pushing dirt around the plants to fill in the hole. After filling in a hole with water, Johann dropped the hose to the ground. It landed in such a way that the lever was slightly depressed, creating a sprinkler right next to all of us.
Johann got the worst of it but we all got wet (except Thrice who is perpetually swimming). I kicked the hose over and it turned off. We went back to work.
After finishing, we ate at Taco John's.
mwz
I'll gloss over the tramatic part here where, when planting Johanns sunflowers that he grew from seeds, I accidentally destroyed them and made him very sad.
The kids helped plant the tomatoes by spraying water (with the gun-like hose attachment) and pushing dirt around the plants to fill in the hole. After filling in a hole with water, Johann dropped the hose to the ground. It landed in such a way that the lever was slightly depressed, creating a sprinkler right next to all of us.
Johann got the worst of it but we all got wet (except Thrice who is perpetually swimming). I kicked the hose over and it turned off. We went back to work.
After finishing, we ate at Taco John's.
mwz
Monday, June 07, 2010
Mildly Interesting Thing We're Doing
The kid's and I are signed up for a triathlon this summer. We all need to train for this but for different reasons. I'm out of shape, Francis is afraid of biking quickly and Johann likes to ride his bike fast (okay, he doesn't need to train but he likes to).
We have a park near us that has a bike/running path in a half mile loop. We've started going down with their bikes. I run and the kids bike. Frances and I bike/run together and Johann bikes ahead (until I holler at him to wait for us).
Arial has been going down and waiting at the playground. After a couple laps the kids can stop and play at the playground while I continue.
The first day was tough because Frances was going significantly slower than Johann and she was terrified to go any faster. In fact, she bailed on a turn that she could easily have made if she wasn't scared. To her credit, she was speeding up by the last lap (even though I made her miserable by hollering "Pedal! Pedal!" more often than I should have). She has figured out how to take that turn like a champ.
We also went three laps, which was about a lap farther than we should have started with. Halfway through the third lap, Johann kept saying "I'm tired of pedaling".
Despite the first time problems, both of them ask to go again even after the third time.
We'll see how long their enthusiasm lasts.
mwz
We have a park near us that has a bike/running path in a half mile loop. We've started going down with their bikes. I run and the kids bike. Frances and I bike/run together and Johann bikes ahead (until I holler at him to wait for us).
Arial has been going down and waiting at the playground. After a couple laps the kids can stop and play at the playground while I continue.
The first day was tough because Frances was going significantly slower than Johann and she was terrified to go any faster. In fact, she bailed on a turn that she could easily have made if she wasn't scared. To her credit, she was speeding up by the last lap (even though I made her miserable by hollering "Pedal! Pedal!" more often than I should have). She has figured out how to take that turn like a champ.
We also went three laps, which was about a lap farther than we should have started with. Halfway through the third lap, Johann kept saying "I'm tired of pedaling".
Despite the first time problems, both of them ask to go again even after the third time.
We'll see how long their enthusiasm lasts.
mwz
Begin Again
New baby on the way. So, I need to get back in practice of blogging.
Now let's see, what are the pseudonyms again? Ariel, Francis and Johann. I'll have to pick a pseudonym for the baby. I don't think Thrice is going to cut it. Maybe I should pick a name that Ariel likes that I don't. Then it'll get taken off the table... We'll see how vicious the naming discussion gets.
mwz
Now let's see, what are the pseudonyms again? Ariel, Francis and Johann. I'll have to pick a pseudonym for the baby. I don't think Thrice is going to cut it. Maybe I should pick a name that Ariel likes that I don't. Then it'll get taken off the table... We'll see how vicious the naming discussion gets.
mwz
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