Losing a stalwart family friend....

Although well over a month has now passed, we still keenly feel the loss of what was a fixture in our homes since we got married. However, we have now dealt with the grief and feel comfortable about sharing our loss.

Let me begin with an appropriate poetic eulogy.

Kindling and particle-board,
Formed into a hutch,
You were missing your top,
But were too proud to blush.

Purchased a block away from Cindy's parents' home at a yard sale in 1995, the bottom half of a hutch accompanied us to Tennessee and Ohio. Being overly sentimental, we lovingly referred to it as 'Ten-Dollar Thing' (as in, 'Hey Cindy, where's the dutch oven cookbook?' 'Look in the Ten-Dollar Thing!) It was the receptacle of choice for cookbooks, platters, and tablecloths.
However, we put it out to pasture (specifically, the front curb with a big 'FREE' sign) in September during the great decluttering that preceded putting our house up for sale. It was accompanied on the curb by 'Rickety Old Chair' and 'Cheap Particle-Board Shelving.'

Sadly, after two days no one had hauled it away to a new life, and we assume that it is now finally resting in piece[s] somewhere in the Montgomery County landfill.

Always prone to maudlin sentimentality, you can see Cindy spending a few final moments with it. (If you look closely, you can even see it waving a door at the camera. Strike that--that was the door with the bad hinges that I had to hammer back straight every year or so.)



Oh 'Ten-Dollar Thing,' may you never be replaced by '$3000 Amish Thing.'

Now that would really make me cry!

Wishful thinking

On Halloween night we joined Denna's (my sister) family at the airport to welcome home their son Josh from his 2-year mission.

In the great Bowcut tradition, as Josh came into view down the airport security hallway Cindy began yahoo-ing and cheering at the top of her lungs. The rest of us were a bit more stoic.

Anyway, as we were going towards the baggage pickup area, Denna was talking to Erin and said something to the effect of 'Just think. In 10 or so years you could be coming to see Cameron off on his mission.'

Erin immediately--actually instantaneously and simultaneously--got this shining ray of hope in her eyes, smiled hugely, raised her hands and crossed both of her fingers, and began a little dance.

I guess she'd miss having the little feller away for two years.

NOT!

Basic math

(2 hours of trick-or-treating + 1 trunk-or-treat event) x 4 kids = Approx. 22 pounds (10 kg) of candy (not counting what they have already eaten).



Cindy did the only sensible thing and took half of the kids' booty for other purposes (gingerbread houses, etc). Heck, the kids had so much they didn't even mind!

Missing in action.....

Cindy called me at work yesterday.
She was in a dither because she couldn't find her purse.
As we talked through where she had been the night before (a sultry, even passionate shopping trip to WalMart--sultry because she was pretty heated at 9:30 PM, and passionate because she kept muttering 'Stupid cupcake paper cups! with great emotion).
The other end of the phone suddenly got quiet.
'Oh,' I ventured, 'Did you find it? Where was it.'
'I don't want to tell you.'
But she did, and at my urging she even took a picture 'for the blog.'
She probably thought I wouldn't write about it.

And yes, it is camouflaged pretty well.

And even Cameron couldn't find it.



And yes, it is at least 3 feet from where it was supposed to be.


And yes, I'd better stop before I really get into trouble!

Due to popular demand......

Here is 'Pirate Daddy' and a close-up of Ally and Erin.

Daylight Savings Trick-or-Treating in Ohio

We started at six, and by 7:15 it was finally getting dark.
But the weather was fine, and a fun time was had by all.
Erin: Rock star
Makenna: Fairy princess
Cameron: Explorer
Allyson: The Great Pumpkin (Made by Cindy while we lived in TN, it has now been used by all 4 kids)
Cindy: Indian maiden (Erin's homemade costume from 2 years ago)
Louis: A pirate (Erin's costume from last year)

Sometimes it makes me nervous

Allyson is sure a gregarious sweetie. She loves to say 'Bye-bye' to everyone as she leaves or they leave, and even tries to give kisses to complete strangers (like the furnace repair man). Even tonight as we went trick-or-treating she was gaily waving and saying 'Bye-bye.'

However, she does need to work on her pronunciation, because her pronunciation is much closer to 'Die-die' than 'Bye-bye.' It is especially ominous-sounding when she truncates it down to a simple 'Die!'

I especially get nervous when she says this to the more elderly types, all-the-while sporting a huge smile and waving amiably at them.

For the time being we will assume it is just a phase and not a preference.

Out with the old (we hope) and in with the new!

Our home of 9 years is now up for sale.



And here is the future site of our new home.
(Including all the trees in the background and another 20 feet or so.)

Gutted and Filleted....

First comes the gutting....



And then comes the filleting results....




And of course we brined and roasted some of the seeds.

Good eatin'!

18 months and counting....

Allyson hit 18 months yesterday, so I thought it would be appropriate to list all of her many accomplishments.

However, Cindy preferred that I do so in the negative rather than the positive.

1. She has said 'Dad-die' for 6 stinkin' months, but has not yet said 'MaMa.'
2. She can make the sounds of a pig, a horse, and cow, and a cat, but cannot get around to saying 'MaMa' yet.
3. She can clearly enunciate the name of the girl up the street who often comes to play at our house (Josie), but nary an 'M' word crosses her cute little mouth.
4. She can say 'Fishie,' but cannot find it in her heart to refer to the mother who gave her birth by being cut open in a roomful of people.
5. She can do somersaults, but can't wax poetic about her darling mother.
6. She loves to wave and say bye-bye and give kisses and hugs, but Cindy might as well be invisible.
7. She can say 'cheese' and loves to eat it, but any little girl that can't call her mommy by name is just a little curd!
8. The other day, it sounded like she called Cindy 'Cindy,' and Cindy was too ecstatic to try to correct her ill manners.



Did I mention she says 'Dad-die' a lot?

Gender Confusion....

For dinner tonight Cindy made some chicken enchiladas, and, surprisingly, all the kids gobbled it up!

Even Makenna--our finicky eater (we should refer to her as 'Morris'?)--gushed about how good it was, exclaiming, 'This enchilada is so GOOD! If it wore a dress I would marry it!'

We were gratified to learn shortly thereafter that she was quoting a boy on some Disney Channel show.

Having learned a valuable lesson, she mentally regrouped and then exclaimed, 'If it wore a bowtie I would marry it!'

$350 later.....

After 4.5 seasons (at approx. $70/season, not counting cleats, shin guards, gas, balls, team treats, and final parties) Cameron finally scored a goal in a soccer game late in the 3rd quarter!

According to Cindy, he had a huge grin the rest of the game and was playing 'on point.' (Allyson and I were watching Kenner's game.)

This also meant we had to get ice cream--Cameron selected 1/2-gallons of Moose Tracks and Cookies and Cream.

By the way, the outcome of the two games was approximately the same--1-6 or so. Their respective losing streaks are still going strong!

Tit for tat? Or was that tits for Taps?

I was waiting for the kids to get themselves ready for bed last night, and I was somewhat surprised when all three of them (Ally was already asleep) marched into the room with huge grins on their faces and huge.....tracts of land.....on their fronts.

Each one of the kids had put something (or multiple somethings) under their shirts in an attempt to show some cleavage.

Erin called out, 'Drum roll, please!' puffed out her lightly augmented chest, and began beating on them like tom-tom drums. TAPTAPTAPTAPTAP. (She obviously used something somewhat hard.)

Then Makenna--with a coy southern drawl--belted out, 'Jest look at mah big boo-bies!' (The effect was somewhat dampened when the tube of kid toothpaste she was utilizing fell out.)

Cameron finished up by pointing at the major jutting mass under his shirt and excitedly exclaiming, 'Look at me! I have a 'Cyclops' boobie!'

Really, I don't know where they get this.....

A budding scientist....

After going put to bed tonight, Cameron called out and I arose to answer the call.

He was hot and wanted me to turn his ceiling fan on. (He even kindly pointed out where he was already sweating--behind his knees, etc.)

I smelled something musty in his room, and, crinkling my nose, commented, 'Something kinda stinks in here.'

Cameron replied in an off-hand,matter-of-fact tone, 'That would be my butt.' Then, ever ready with alternative hypotheses, he continued in the same way, 'Or, it could be your butt.'

Yes, he is also a budding conversationalist.

Gossamer Duds

We have related previously that Allyson loves to hold onto anything silky, be it undergarments, blankets, or even clothes that are currently being worn.

It is great fun to watch. As soon as she touches something soft and silky--even if it is just a tag on a shirt), she immediately pops her right index and middle fingers into her mouth and rubs the silky softness with her left hand. If she happens to touch it with her right hand first, she does a 'border shift' (gunslinger lingo), letting go to put her fingers in her mouth while simultaneously grabbing it with her left hand.

One recent morning, both Cameron and Makenna purposefully put on silky clothes to see who could win Allyson's affection. I don't know who won, but they seemed to have a lot of fun with it!



In this photo, you even get to see how sleepy it makes her!

TV--The Great American Wasteland

Another Erin anecdote....

She and some of the other kids were watching TV just before bedtime, and when Cindy came in to tell them to turn it off, there was a small rebellion.

Being the perfect mother, Cindy sweetly--yet stressing every syllable--told them, 'Turn off that dumb TV! I don't want my kids to be spending all of their summer vacation with their eyes glued to the boob-tube!'

Erin quickly piped up, 'But I LIKE boobs!'

The Meanest Mother in the World

Cindy was taking the kids swimming at the "Y" today, and while driving Erin started a sentence with, "When I'm a Mom..."

Cindy quickly cut in, "You'll be perfect! You will let them have whatever they want , whenever they want. They will be able to eat candy and treats all day, watch movies and play computer as much as they want, stay up as late as they want and have sleepovers every night. You will buy them anything they ask for when you go to the store and they will get Happy Meals every day, and never have to do any chores. Is that what you were going to say?"

"That's right!" Erin pertly replied.

"Yeah," Cindy thought to herself, "I probably won't want to visit those grandkids much....spoiled!"

Moms are no fun at all!

Erin (and also Cameron) were quickly grounded from the computer this morning, and sometime in the afternoon Cindy caught Erin sitting at the computer doing something.

Erin begged Cindy to 'Just let me input the password, pleasepleaseplease' because Erin truly and sincerely had no intention of doing anything else besides that, but Cindy, being wise to the ways of Erin 'Take It to the Limit' Elizabeth, just gave a motherly snort and said 'No.'

Adding to the English lexicon, Erin whined back, 'You're just a....a....a RUINER! A great big RUINER!

Cindy just smiled quietly yet smugly to herself and sauntered away.

Princess Time....again....

I took 'Kenner to her soccer practice (she is by far the tallest kid on the team, and one of the most aggressive too--is she really our daughter?)

After practice, I opened the car door for her, saying 'Please get in, your highness,' and she giggled like crazy.

When we got home and I started to get out, she went, 'A-hem! Who is the princess?'

That was my cue to go around and open the door for her too.

Playing catch-up!

Well, our vacation is over, my major translation project is done, so hopefully this blog will start blossoming again.

Then again, it may wither on the vine like a couple of the zucchinis in the garden!?

Day 4 (for some reason the Title section of the blog is disabled right now....)

With Cindy and the kids off in Utahr, I have found ways to keep busy at home.
So far:
2 bedrooms painted (including the ceiling in one of them)
1 prehung door installed
12 pieces of door trim painted
1 big section of replaced drywall sanded
1 stair rail painted
3 6-panel interior doors cut, drilled, and chiseled and ready to paint
Some other little stuff....

It is Sunday, so I am now going to take a nap!

Angel in the Backyard

Halloween isn't the only occasion of phantasmagoric images of the supernatural.

For example, we had an 'angel-sighting' in our backyard:



As you might expect, the snapshot is rather blurred, but the golden gossamer wings and the halo perched[?] at a jaunty angle leave no room for doubt.

We also had an apparition appear in the whirling eddies emitted from a smokebomb:



If you look close, you can also see two more ghostly images to the rear left. Could this be the Virgin Mary and her babe?

Curious minds want to know!

Biker Girl!

Being the not-so-doting parent, despite Makenna's pleas I never seemed to get around to taking her training wheels off. (Of course, she hasn't ridden her bike much, so I didn't think she could do it yet.

Cindy, being the doting parent, took them off a little over a week ago, and took her up to the school to practice.

One push, and she was off, and never looked back!



Yeah, yeah, when I got home from work I gave her a big hug and told her how proud I was of her. (Cindy had had to threaten Cameron to keep him from blabbing the news to me first!)

Free babysitting!?

At the invite of some longtime friends down the street, the kids spent 2.5 hours at a local church attending (Nazarene) Vacation Bible School (or 'VBS' as Erin is quick to remind you).

The VBS runs for 5 evenings and is cowboy-themed, and when we went to pick them up, we noticed lots of quaint signs, such as 'Satan, Bite the dust' and 'WANTED by God.'

The kids had a ball--there were games, food, treats, and crafts. On the way home, Erin entertained us by singing bits and pieces from the hip-hoppin' songs of praise, but, not surprisingly, it was Makenna who put it most succinctly, proclaiming from the back seat, 'I like Vacation Bible School better than our church!' The only thing that Makenna had a complaint about was 'They start their prayers too fast--I wasn't even ready!' (Naturally, we understand this, as usually we have to wait for her to get ready every night for family prayer.)

The girls have already invited friends to go with them tomorrow night, and Cameron is thinking hard over who he wants to ask to go with him on Wednesday night. (Does this count as being a member missionary??)

As for Cindy, Allyson, and I, we did the only reasonable thing and went to a new (to us) restaurant to try out their salads, and then did a bit of shopping.

Only 4 more nights to enjoy! I sure hope they don't grow tired of it!

Now I know why....

....I don't do home repair projects when the kids are around.

The kids have rediscovered that my fuse is about as short as frog flatulence when I am working on a project.

The project: Replacing the ugly old disfunctional louver coat closet door with a 6-panel door. Accordingly, there is measuring, remeasuring, shimming the door to fit squarely, re-shimming, adjusting the shimming, removing cracked shimming, etc., etc.

Not to mention quite a bit of painting.
Imagine 3 kids simultaneously painting on a $50 door with white glossy paint.
Also imagine a father wanting to get it done--and done right--so that he can move onto the next item.

I must've had a hole in my head to do this before they leave on vacation.

Anyway, hopefully the paint will have dried enough by Monday to lay this puppy to rest....

Picky Eater

Allyson is finding more and more ways to communicate and to show that she understands.

When we say 'prayer,' she folds her arms (at least for a couple seconds).

And now, when we put something up to her mouth that she doesn't want to eat, she goes 'ppppptttthhhhh!'

Depending on the day, that can be most anything (except for chocolate, marshmallows, ice cream, and pretzels, of course).

Now we HAVE heard them all!

It's bedtime. The kids are all in bed.

Then Cameron comes out and goes into the bathroom.

After awhile, Cindy goes in to investigate.

Cameron's excuse: "My eyelashes are too long, and so I can't go to sleep!"

Cindy told him that he needed to stop trying to cut them--they are needed to keep rain out of your eyes--and get back to bed.

Bullseye!

As a result of Cameron’s BB-gun experiences at camp, I unhid and unlimbered my BB-pistol on Tuesday and Thursday night and all 3 big kids took turns in the back yard. (Actually, Cameron pestered me, and then Erin joined in….)

I must say that Erin’s grip is as steady as a rock and as such she was shooting pretty well, and on the second night she hit inside a 1” bullseye from 20 feet.

She was all twitterpated, and ran inside to tell Cindy the news. (For some strange reason, Cindy refuses to be around while I am teaching the kids to shoot.)

Yeah, it was probably luck, but I guess I will have to start practicing more myself!

UPDATE 1: I took off a bit early from worky-worky and Erin begged me to get the BB-pistol out. I did, she got another bullseye. I would've been perturbed if I hadn't gotten 3 myself....

UPDATE 2: Cameron came home on this last day of day camp with a nifty new bead--he had hit the bullseye with the bow and arrow!

Cub Scout Camp: Cindy in Action Part II

As if killing an innocent spider wasn't enough, Cindy also had the audacity to tell Cameron that what the good preacher was teaching them all at camp on Monday was a bunch of hooey!

You see, part of the daily program is to have a short talk/sermon by a local preacher. Well, on this first day the preacher gave a short talk about unconditional love. At one point he put up a banner with the words "GOD" on it, and then talked about the Prodigal Son.

He then asked a question that raised Cindy's eyebrows. 'What creature did God send to this earth to show us unconditional love.' Cindy's eyebrows almost went into orbit when he turned the banner around to show the answer.

It was 'DOG'!! (Get it!? 'GOD' backwards!)

He then waxed eloquent about how dogs show us unconditional love. He even brought his own dog up as an example, where the dog promptly started growling at the boys. The preacher (I use the term loosely) quickly apologized, stating--somewhat contradictorily to his sermon--that his dog didn't like strangers much.

At this point Cindy looked down at Cameron, and asked, 'Cameron, who did God really send who shows us unconditional love?' He gave the correct answer (that would be 'Jesus') and then Cindy reinforced it, continuing, 'That's right Cameron, Jesus shows us unconditional love, not some dumb mutt!'

I guess the preacher didn't catch this exchange, as Cindy came home dog-tired but not dog-bit!

Cub Scout Camp: Cindy in Action Part I

Cindy was one of the adult leaders on Monday, and in retrospect we see that it was probably not such a good idea. And it had nothing to do with the 95-degree weather or the humidity.

No, sadly, her blatant speciest ideas got her into a lot of trouble.

As Sister Nature (i.e., the sister of Mo' Nature) was giving a presentation to the masses of Cubdom, one of the boys in the back where Cindy was standing was playing with a rather large daddy long-legs, and after his leader told him to drop it, it began crawling towards the other boys who were listening to S/N give her spiel. As it got closer, the boys began parting like the Red Sea to avoid it. Trying to be helpful, Cindy nonchalantly took a couple steps forward, unobtrusively (yet daintily) ground the spider under her toe, then sauntered back. I'm sure we was smiling from a job well done! She did notice, however, that Spider-boy had a frozen rictus of horror on his face.

A few seconds later, S/N for some reason decided to talk about the happy denizens of nature and asked the boys which of their fauna friends they were allowed to kill while at camp. She went on to explain that while it was perfectly fine to kill mosquitoes, other insects--such as spiders--should be spared.

At this point, Spider-boy pointed accusingly at Cindy and yelled, 'She just killed a spider!!!'

S/N replied, 'What kind was it? A daddy long-legs?' Getting an affirmative, she went on, 'They don't hurt anyone, and shouldn't be harmed.'

It's a good thing that Cindy had already sated her bloodlust, otherwise S/N and Spider-boy might have also gone home that day with sensible shoe treadmarks. As it was, she muttered to den leader, 'It was just a dumb spider, and the kids were getting freaked out!'

A boy's paradise.....

Cameron has been going to Cub Scout day camp every day this week, and is he having a ball!

Every day they get to shoot BB rifles, shoot a bow, play lots of games, learn Cub skills (knots, decoding, compasses) do crafts, get sprayed by a fire truck (in a pouring rain!) and--Cameron's favorite--shooting slingshots. On Day 2 he scored a direct hit at the slingshot target and got a special bead to string on his leather bead-holder thingy.



He had heard that they get to whittle a piece of soap on Thursday, so on Monday night he practiced, taking a bar of hotel soap and whittling it into a million little pieces.

Unfortunately, on Tuesday it was announced that the younger boys (Cameron's age) would not be using knives to whittle. Instead, they would be getting a popsicle stick to whittle with. He's rather disappointed, but we got a good laugh out of it!

Ain't it a great mental picture! He could even dig out one end of the soap, insert the stick, and pretend he has an ice cream bar! And knowing Cameron, he would probably get some kids to lick it!

Super Size Us!

Since the kids were with friends and at parties much of yesterday, while Ally napped we watched part of a movie--the movie that McDonalds doesn't want you to see: Super Size Me.

It's not a movie for the faint of heart or stomach, and there is quite a bit of language.

Anyway, it really grosses you out as this guy decides to eat only McD's food for 30 days and how his body basically starts shutting down on him.

So anyway, an hour later Cameron came home and we decided to go out for a quick dinner.

Yep, we ate at McDonalds.

I guess it didn't take!? (Though Cindy did get a copy of the nutritional chart!)

Princess? Yes, yes....Regal? Yes, yes....

This past week Ally found that she preferred to have dinner hand-served to her while she was standing rather than just sitting in her boring old highchair!




Keep up the good work, Grandma!

Sorry, Cameron

Well, last night Cameron and I went fishing at the pond at work from 7:30~9:25, and in less than 3 minutes he managed to catch a nice-sized bass about 2 feet offshore (it surged in to get the hotdog dangling on the hook).



Over the course of the evening he pulled in 10 or more baby bluegills, but no more bass. He must've hooked 5 or more right next to the eye, thus requiring me to extract the hook more than usual. He even caught a fish with a blind/shriveled eye--now ol' One Eye is going to have a couple new friends at its Cyclops Anonymous therapy sessions!
As for me, I used lures and caught a small bass, and then I switched to a motor-oil jig and hooked an even nicer-sized bass than his!



Finally!

Cameron must've remembered that Father's Day was coming up!?

I'm not the only interpreter in the family.....

Today all 3 older kids went with another family to a water park in Tipp City. Cameron also had a b-day party to go to (more swimming), so we went to the park to pick him up after a couple hours.
The mother commented to me that Cameron was as quiet as a sucking dove, and that Erin served as the interpreter whenever the mother needed to get a response from Cameron.
I guess we can only dream that her services would also be required at home....

Caleb's HS Graduation Fandango

We had a mini Floyd reunion on Friday night at Caleb's (a nephew) party. Uncle Bradso and his son Carlton, Mom, Den-Den, and me.
And nope, none of us are on tippy-toes!
We haven't seen Carlton in years, and his first words to me were, 'I thought you were bigger!' (I would hazard to guess that Erin thought the same thing about Uncle Brad!)
He's a smart kid--before the night was out he was casually mentioning driving down from law school for Sunday dinners when he and the fam move here in August.
As everyone knows, the door is always open! We even farm out kids!



Can you spot Cameron?

Be Very Afraid, Part MDCIX

Cameron got a bag of water-balloons for his birthday (no, I don't believe in arming our children), and this week they got a chance to use them.

Fortunately I was at work....

Better late then never....

Thanks to the ministrations of Grandma Bowcut (and an assist by Gma Floyd), last week Allyson learned how to go down stairs the right way (i.e., not falling down head over heels...)

Here she is taking a well-deserved break.....with Kenner....which is really no break at all.....

An Assist....

I was working in the kitchen on Saturday when I heard Allyson on the baby monitor. She was awake.

Cameron was in watching TV, and he offered to go get her.

A couple minutes later he was still watching TV.

Makenna was at the table, so I sang out, "Cameron, if you won't get Allyson, I'll have Makenna get her!"

Makenna replied brightly, "I'll get her Daddy!"

The next sound was Cameron zooming for the stairs.

Makenna raced as far as the stairs, and then sauntered back to the table.

As she sat back down, full of self-satisfaction she said to herself, "Well, that takes care of that!"

Obviously she had never had any intention of getting Allyson--she just went towards the stairs to get Cameron moving!

Sweet Misery

Upon being reminded that today was Fast Sunday, Erin got a bit moody at first, but within 5 seconds she was asking, 'Where's Cameron? Where's Cameron?'

She found him in the frontroom and I was able to hear her taking great pleasure in telling him, 'Today is Fast Sunday Cameron. Now that you have been baptized you have to fast! No breakfast for you!'

Seldom have I seen such joy on Erin's face on a Sunday morning!

The Musings of Makenna

Our sweet Makenna pulls no punches....

To a lady up the street: "Your shirt isn't very modest."

A week or so ago, when it was mentioned that Cameron would be 'perfect' right after he got baptized: "Well, that sure won't last very long!"

Yesterday--the day Grandma Floyd was arriving: "Ohhhh! Grandma Floyd will make us all be slaves!"

Offhand remark made to Aunt Den-Den during Cameron's baptism service when one of the missionaries was giving a short talk and urging Cameron and the other boy to try to be as good as they could: "He won't....He never has." When asked if she would do her best to be good after she was baptized, she gushed, "Oh yes! Of course!"

Madonna with Child

Just for your viewing pleasure!

Best Mother in the World, Part 5,435,378 (and counting!)

Cindy created the following little amphibians for Cameron to take to school to celebrate his birthday.



Yes, she has quite the reputation, and she is always able to outdo herself every time!

Scout's Honor

Well, tonight it is official--Cameron is a true Cub Scout! And his first den meeting consisted of a hike around the lake at Carriage Hill Farm.



(Notice the missing front tooth!)

As an aside, he ate 3 helpings of Cindy's chicken enchiladas, so he is well on his way to showing by example that a Scout is always hungry!

A restful (?) 3-day weekend

Overall, it was a great Memorial Day weekend.

In no particular order....
1. On Friday afternoon we learned that church (and thus our talks) was cancelled, removing a lot of stress from our lives.
2. On Friday night, I bought Erin a bike, then helped a ward member move. The members there were in awe of my talk-avoidance powers!
3. On Saturday I helped the guy from work who is fixing up the house 2 houses up from ours use a jack-hammer on some concrete. (I am still kinda sore three days later!) I also borrowed his jet washer and cleaned up the driveway and sidewalks--they are now about 5 shades lighter!
4. Between Friday and Monday night I made 4 batches of really tasty beef jerky.
5. Cindy's parents arrived Sunday evening.
6. We got some long-needed rain on Saturday and Sunday.
7. On Monday Cameron and I went on a 4-mile bike ride--a little b-day present for him.
8. On Monday the kids went to their first semi-pro baseball game ever!
9. Cameron enjoyed a great birthday. I enjoyed the ribeyes fresh off the grill!
10. And now (Tuesday night), Cameron's left front tooth finally got loose enough for me to pull it out!

Cameron's B-Day

Cameron celebrated his 8th birthday in style!

Grilled steaks, a bug cake, homemade ice cream, and 'Heelie' shoes and lots of other presents.

Game Day!

My company had 70 tickets for the 'party deck' at a Dayton Dragons game (a Cincinnati Reds feeder team), and so the entire family and Gpa and Gma Bowcut were able to take in a double-header, with lunch and free drinks provided! (Erin was in heaven!)



I figured the kids would be bored after the first 15 minutes, but Erin and Cameron stuck thru the first game and we had to pull them away after 3 innings into the second game--and that was only because I enticed them with birthday cake and homemade ice cream!

They got to see it all--stolen bases, home runs, broken bats, two bats that slipped out of hands and went into the stands, fly balls, walks, strikeouts, and even an inside-the-park homerun!



The highlight of the first game was when Ally was one of three toddlers chosen to go out onto the field for a little race. Ally was all ready to get down and get racin', but once they put a helmet on her she just wanted it off! (She's in red.) In the end, instead of heading for Cindy she headed for one of the helpers who was calling her by name as she cheered her on.



A great day!

Wheel-less

Today Cameron was banned from bikes, skateboards, skates, and most any other wheeled plaything (though we allowed him to ride the tiny trike he was desperate enough to try out).

It was gratifying to find a punishment that really chafed him!

Peeping Toms

As we went on a family walk around the neighborhood, the kids were enthralled by the scintillating family conversations and togetherness.

No wait. That would be some other family.

In OUR family the kids stopped at every storm drain along the route to peep into the holes, looking for animal life. (There was a cute black cat in the one nearest our house--the kids swore it was a raccoon or owl because of its big yellow eyes, but I was able to correctly identify it. Yes, I had to get on my knees and peep too!)

Everything else was usual--Cameron was trying to find sticks to skewer his sisters, Erin offered to push Allyson's stroller and then 2 minutes later got bored and handed her off, Makenna was pleasant, and Allyson was happy as can be.

The inevitable....

Well, after putting it off for a good 2 years, I finally took Erin and bought her a new bike.

I had managed to put this off by equipping her with an $8 bike from a yardsale across the street, but the gears aren't working well, and it is getting small.

She is now the proud owner of a purple 26" 7-speed, with easy-shifting gears. She especially likes the cushy seat!

Eerie Similarities--Slick Nick, the Revenge!

It has become a nightly ritual.

Cindy and I get the kids tucked neatly in bed, and then about 5 minutes later Erin comes moseying out, carrying a couple books.

Her destination?

The bathroom.

Her mission?

To log some time on the throne. (Or would it be 'time some log?'[would that be a 'log time sum'???], or, if it were especially spectacular, would it perhaps be 'Some log time!!'?])

I probably need to make a small bookcase for her that neatly sits on top of the tank!

The Curse of Louis Strikes Again!

Two weeks ago Cindy and I got a call asking us to give talks at church on May 27th. We accepted, but before I hung the phone up I explained to the counselor that in the last 4 times I have been asked to speak, I have only actually given a talk on the specified day once—an ice storm, a snow storm, and a long-winded missionary speaker had previously led to a postponement (usually of several months). I added that he should expect some very inclement weather or some other phenomena that would lead to either church being cancelled, or, that the speakers would go long and I wouldn’t have time to speak.

He just chuckled.

Today we were informed that church would be cancelled this Sunday (i.e., May 27th)—they are refinishing the gym and the smell is overpowering.

Now it is my turn to chuckle!

And chuckle.

And chuckle some more.

Not to mention the cartwheels of joy that Cindy is doing at home!

A pit by any other name smells just as ......

Erin and Cindy attended a ward 'Classical Recital' on Friday night. Cindy was a bit late because I got stuck in a meeting at work, so they ended up sitting on the back row. This ended up being very fortunate.

As Cindy tells it, during a singing number Cindy had her arm around Erin, and Erin turned towards her, sniffed a couple times, and then commented, "Are you wearing deodorant?! I knew you were! Gross! It stinks!"

Cindy sang back, "It'd smell a lot worse if I wasn't wearing it. I'll bet mine smell better than yours!"

Erin, ever an exemplar of decorum, then raised her own arm high and took a long sniff.

One of the duetists noticed this while looking out on the audience, and cracked a grin. Cindy hissed, 'Erin, put your arm down--Sis. _____ sees you!'

And out of further decorum on my part, I won't mention the fact that Erin's feet usually smell like a skunk factory.

Cameron: The Interview

No, this does not refer to an exclusive interview with Cameron Diaz (though SHREK3 did open up this weekend).
Rather, it was Cameron's baptismal interview with the bishop.

After some small-talk, where the bishop actually got Cameron to tell him his birthday, the bishop asked Cameron if he would say a prayer.

Cameron did his usual look-at-the-floor-and-squirm routine, and the bishop asked him if he wanted his dad to say it instead. He got a small smile, and then, instead of replying, he pointed at me and spontaneously combusted into chortles of glee (I guess he enjoyed this form of 'turnabout is fair play').

Cameron passed his interview, and the big date is June 2.

An exclusive follow-up

This evening Allyson was a bit clingy to Cindy as she was fixing her dinner, so I went in to take Allyson off her hands.

As you might expect, Allyson had her two fingers in her mouth and the other hand inside Cindy's shirt (see the post below). When I extended my arms to offer a loving embrace, she turned around and shied away.

Thinking quickly, I undid two button on my white shirt and showed my hairy chest and thus a place inside my shirt for her hand to rest.

She came right over!

Should I be pleased, or worried?
(Should Cindy be pleased, or worried?)

Hickory-smoked

Our ward had a Father and Son campout on Friday, and it was one of the best ever--I didn't have to go looking for Cameron and could instead focus on some dutch oven cooking (pizza and then peach/pear cobbler).
Here is the approximate time line:
Friday:
5:30 PM: Cameron takes some matches and gets a fire going in the big pit.
6:30 PM: Cameron is still feeding the fire and lighting sticks.
7:30 PM~11:15 PM: See above.



Saturday:
7:00 AM: See above.
8:00 AM: Tried a hand at fishing. No action, so back to camp.
8:45 AM: Ate a quick breakfast, then back to the fire.
9:15 AM: Full of vigor and vim as he helps put out the fire.
9:30 AM: Went home.


I've made jerky that wasn't as smokey as he was!

Weaners and tots

Two days ago Cindy finally put the kibosh on Ally's free milk supply. It appears that Ally used her 8 front teeth to practice an 'Ally-gator' clamp-down and refused to de-clamp.
Cindy was not amused.
However, Allyson still has other things to pacify her in her insecure moments. Aside from the inevitable two fingers in her mouth, she also now likes to put her hand in Cindy's shirt.
And just like for her two fingers, this latest movement is now a completely unconscious act.
The following is a rather half-hearted effort on Ally's part....

Teething Pains

This afternoon I told Cindy about how I had been feeding Allyson a cracker at church and how she had clamped down HARD on my finger. 'Yep,' I went on, 'It really hurt!'

Surprisingly, she was less than empathetic.

'At least she only bit your finger!'

She then returned her focus to breastfeeding sweet Allyson.

Of course, you would think that it would be kinda hard to focus on something when you have one eye screwed shut and the other a mere slit, with your face turned half-away in a snarl-like grimace in anticipation[?] of Allyson again forgetting that she was getting liquid refreshment rather than a rib-eye!

How soon they forget.....

Last night Erin went to bed with a sore throat. She kinda blamed me, because I had been laid pretty low Thursday night with that and the chills.

Early this morning, Erin walked into the kitchen as I was lovingly making crepes for my sweet, dear, wonderful children (at no small sacrifice to myself, I might add--having dragged myself out of bed early, having had to trudge uphill while making my way downstairs, having had to first fashion a serviceable bowl out of wet leaves, (and please don't ask me about how I obtained the eggs!) etc., etc.)

She looked straight into my eyes, and in a quite matter-of-fact tone intoned, 'You know, I really hate you!' Obviously her throat was still hurting her, and she still blamed me. (Of course, there was a twinkle in her eye as she said this.) And actually, I think she was quite giddy inside, as this meant she would likely miss church--and she did!

So anyway, after church her friend showed up and Erin begged Cindy to let her friend stay. I believe the exchange went something like this.

'Mom, pleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleaseplease!'

'Erin, you've been sick and you're still not feeling too good!'

'Do you think that what I have is contagious?'

'Hmmm....let's think about this.....'
'

Needless to say, Cindy's stiletto-sharp logic quickly silenced our little lamb. (At least it made her just whine, instead of whining and pleading.)

At least I find solace in the fact that, after the above, Erin hated Cindy too!

Who was helping whom?

That is the burning question we all want to know.

Today was a gorgeous Saturday, and the kids were outside playing most of the day.

From early in the morning the kids (especially Cameron) were spending a lot of time hanging out in front of the house 2 houses above ours, watching all the activity. (A guy from my work bought the run-down house and is now turning it into a real showcase home!)

Today the menu was laying brick, so as time went on Cameron became more and more involved, helping to move some bricks (Erin helped too), then assisting in keeping the mortar fresh, and other odd jobs. He was working,and yet he was still having the time of his life!

Still the question remains.....

Was he helping them, or were they helping us by keeping Cameron away and occupied?

We'll have to think on this a bit more!

Lateral Thinking.....

(Lateral thinking, as I understand it, is about using something other that traditional logic to find solutions to problems.)

Confucius say, "Never cut head off lamb cake with samurai sword (even fake sword) with impressionable kids watching."

Based on the above [Easter 2004], I guess it really is my fault, but........

....anyway, tonight we were all outside at twilight, and we noticed that the neighbor kids across the street were trying to catch the big gray rabbit of the neighbor kids on our side of the street. [Is this clear? We sometimes get confused too!]

The mom of the kids came over and though she almost got within reaching distance a number of times, it finally scampered away again.

As this wound down and I went inside with Makenna to put a BandAid on her knee (see the posts below about her klutz 'issues' (in this case, she had tried to jump over a big flower pot)], she came up with her idea.

'Dad! Get your Japanese sword out and cut the rabbit!'

As I was wondering why this seemed like such a good idea to her, she went on, 'I want the lucky feet! I want the lucky feet!'

Heaven knows she needs more luck....and I do feel sorry for her, as she is still on Month 6 waiting for the goldfish to die so that she can have her turn to flush one down the toilet!

And yes, to reiterate, it is my fault that she thinks like this!

Bathroom humor

Let me start by noting that it is a rule of thumb amongst lawyers to never ask a question of a witness unless they already know the answer.

Let me also note that our sweet 10-year-old Erin is no lawyer.

The Scene
This evening as Cindy was assisting Erin in her bathroom cleaning chores, Erin suddenly asked her, 'How old do I have to be to kiss?'
Erin went on to explain that in the Mary Kate and Ashley movie she had watched earlier, those 2 gals were kissing boys at the tender age of 15!
Cindy simply replied, 'Oh, you're gonna be a lot older than that!'

The Trap
Erin then tried some strategerizing to trap Cindy into disclosing contradictory behavior. Flashing a knowing[?] grin, she slyly asked, 'Well, how old were you when you first kissed?'

The Hammer Drops
Cindy gaily replied, 'I was 21!'
Erin's jaw dropped. Cindy was left guessing as to whether this was due to shock or just plain disappointment.
There were no further questions. Case closed!

Dancin' Queen

Cindy, Allyson and I went to a ward spaghetti dinner/dance last night, and once the fast music started, all Allyson wanted was to be out on the floor where the action was, as she bobbed her head in rhythm to the music, clapping her hands, and--or so it appeared to me--did some hip-shakin'!
I think she might've even enjoyed that more than the sampling of many, many desserts!

Let me say, however, that it wasn't easy dancing as a threesome!

A new year of fishing....

Yesterday Cindy brought the kids up at the end of work, and after the usual roaming of the halls and cubicles in search of candy (any bowl on any desk--even on a VP's desk--is fair game to their greedy fingers), Cindy drove off with just Allyson and a big elated grin.
I was left with the terrible threes, and after bathroom breaks for the girls, we set up the poles and went fishing at the pond.
Using hotdogs as bait, Cameron caught 2 right away, and then Makenna caught 1, and then Erin started pulling in lots of the little bluegills.
Erin (AKA 'I get bored with most everything really quick' Erin) had brought along a real lifesaver--her MP3 player--and she grooved to the music as she patiently waited for bites and even baited her own hook!
After 45 minutes, Erin and Makenna went off to play by the car, but Cameron was still fishing with real intent--Erin had caught 5 and he had only caught 4. (Makenna had also caught 5, but, as he pointed out repeatedly, that didn't count because I had hooked the last 2 for her.)
15 minutes later he was up to 8, and we finally headed home.

I don't know about the kids, but that was the best fishing trip I've been on with them 3 of them in years! (Even though Makenna did get the tip of a fishhook in her finger which drew some blood--see the post somewhere below about her being accident-prone!)

Emulation IS the best form of adoration!

As I was changing Allyson's diaper yesterday, she decided to pass the time by perusing a paper.



Next time I'll get her the page with a crossword!

Seven plagues of Egypt?

First it was a flood (which rhymes with BLOOD!).
Then it was a wire (which rhymes with FIRE!)
Then it was a clog (which handily rhymes with FROGS!)
And now it is more fire (which even more than rhymes with FIRE!?)

More specifically:
We had a small drippy leak in the ceiling on the first floor 3 weeks ago, then on Friday the phone went dead due to outside phoneline probs, then today there was a kitchen sink clog (too much spaghetti for the InSinkerator to handle), and just an hour ago the neighbor kids were playing with gasoline and lit their garage on fire.

Our kids enjoyed the 20-odd emergency and police personnel and about 7 emergency response units.



Now the only question is, what calamities that at least rhyme with the plagues will strike us next? (Any good ideas of a rhyme for 'locust' or 'first-born'?)

Our new neighbor!

Last week Cindy found a bird in the kids' toy shopping basket out by our back door.

Mama bird had obviously decided that the balmy weather at that time was perfect, and decided to make the basket her birthing center.

I didn't see it until yesterday when, focused on another errand, I walked out the back door and that bird blasted out of the basket like a pheasant on steroids (or, as that old Indian might've said, 'Like a pheasant on hemorrhoids!') Kinda startling, you might say! However, my bladder, et al., did not fail me, and I was able to espy 2 little eggs.

Here is the little minx!

Hey dad, you wanna have a catch?

Before the deep freeze settled back in, Cameron and Erin got out the b-ball gloves and started playing catch.

And based on even their own accounts, they were both actually catching the ball!

Cameron begged me to play catch with him, and he did pretty darn good, so, for your viewing pleasure....

Did we ever mention that Allyson likes spaghetti?

Klutz extraordinaire

In previous years we have praised Makenna for the care with which she has carried plates, cups full of juice, etc., from table to sink, etc. This has remained unchanged.

However, when it comes to moving herself with care from place to place, to call it 'flitting' as she twirls, goofs around, and does everything but pay attention is putting it mildly.

As a result, every 5~10 minutes you hear the clarion weep of 'OoohOohhOwwwOwww' as she has again been flung to the floor by an inelastic wall that she first crashed into, or perhaps bumped a toe, banged a knee, thumped an elbow, bashed her head, crushed a finger, poked her eye, grazed her ear....it's a regular anatomy lesson (or lesion?)

Obviously the words, 'Makenna! You need to be more careful and watch where you are going!' do not compute.

This in no small part explains the look of sheer terror and the violent squirming of Allyson whenever Makenna tries to pick her up. It also explains why once she is in Makenna's arms she becomes almost statuesque in her movements--in some innate way she obviously senses that any superfluous motion could cause her already-shaky host to teeter over the brink.

How some brains think.

Erin and then Cameron woke up at 7 AM, but the rule is that you can't go downstairs and look for candy and easter baskets until all the kids are up--and Makenna was still sawing logs.

After about 20 minutes, they started getting antsy, and at 7:15 Cindy said they would have to wait until 8 AM to wake up Makenna. Cameron, his mind whirling, rushed over to our CD/radio/clock on the nightstand and jabbered about how he was going to change the time to make it 8 AM.
As we told him not to, he was busy trying the figure out the controls, mumbling to himself, "FM? What does that mean? Farting Machine?"

He gets an 'A' for being imaginative, and an 'F' for being, well...you know....

Five minutes later we gathered around Makenna's bed and sang 'Jingle Bells' to ring in the frigid holiday!

Easter dresses.....again!

Yes, it is that time of year.
My pocketbook cries as Erin and Makenna connect the dots every year and of their own volition (unless Cindy is even sneakier than I think....) start their persistent angling for Easter dresses.

Yes, I know that this is just a fact of life--that I just need to buck up and put up the big bucks so Cindy can plop it down at Kohls.

Leaving it all (i.e., the credit cards) in Cindy's able hands, Erin got 2 outfits yesterday, and Makenna got one.

Pictures to follow soon. (That is also a tradition that it is best to not get me started on....=)

The kids should should look quite stunning in their spring dresses in the snowy 20-degree weather!

Update: Here they is!

Allyson is steppin' out!

She is getting more daring in her two-legged forays, and is tottering around quite a bit, especially if you are holding out something she wants to get her hands on.

I foresee the scads of Easter candy in the house serving that purpose quite nicely, and knowing how much she loves chocolate, she could easily by sprinting by Friday!

I just hope the kids don't just try to tease her with the candy, as she would probably also end up possessing a serviceable death-grip by Friday too!

UPDATE: Maybe it was the chocolate, or maybe not, but today (Sunday) Allyson was walkin' all over the place! I measured at least one 15-foot walk at church, and Cindy said that she was even more active earlier! I think this is now her preferred method of locomotion.

What month is this again?

It's a big mystery to us....on Christmas it was 50 degrees. Now on Easter weekend there are snow flurries and the kids went to the big easter egg hunt and looked for candy in a 1/4-inch of snow and occasional snow flurries!
The upside of this is that attendance at the EE hunt was about 1/3 the normal, so the kids' takes were relatively vast!
Not surprisingly, Cameron did the best in terms of weight and variety of candy.

Muted

I went with Cameron to the dentist today--2 small fillings and then sealant to prevent other cavities.
Needless to say, he didn't say a word to either the hygienist or dentist. He just nodded or shook his head, and when asked a point-blank question he would just grimace or get a tight grin.
The various procedures went without a hitch (no needles were required), and we came home.
Cameron then went back up to his room due to all his mouthiness before and after school.
He also missed out on ice cream for the same reason. That is truly just desserts--you might even say it is the one dessert that prevents cavities!

Train up a child.....

Today Cindy and Erin concentrated on cleaning up Erin's room especially nice. Cindy was especially eying the egregious eyesore that was her bookcase.

Amazingly, Erin attacked it with gusto, even adjusting the height of the shelves to better fit the displayed accoutrements of girldom.

And she did a really great job!

Cindy congratulated her, saying, 'You're a regular Martha Stewart!.....By the way, do you know who she is?'

'Yeah,' Erin replied, 'She's a lady who slaves all day!'
* * * * * * *
Which reminds me of a recently read joke (especially funny as Cindy and I have had some fun spoofing some of the advice in Fascinating Womanhood)!

A boy asked his mother the following question: "Mom, why are wedding dresses white?"
The mother looks at her son and replies, "Son, this shows your friends and relatives that your bride is pure."

The boy thanks his mom and goes off to double-check this with his father. "Dad why are wedding dresses white?"

The father looks at his son in surprise and says, "Son, all household appliances come in white."

A Tale of One _____ [Rhymes with 'City']

Feeling rather worn after dealing with Erin and Cameron, Cindy was talking to Makenna and me, dreamily wishing, 'I wish I had a big piece of chocolate cake right now!'

At that point, Makenna turned around to show off a balloon she had stuffed up her shirt.

Cindy told her, 'You don't need any--you've eaten enough already!'

Cindy tried to pull down on the balloon string, to which Makenna said, "Hey, don't pull on my stomach!"

'Your stomach? It goes up to your chin!!!'

'Then don't pull on my boob! she rejoindered, demurely adjusting her one protruding bosom.

The Code of the Convict[s]

Erin was smarting off to Cindy, so Cindy sternly directed her to go to her room. I helped escort her up as she continued to complain about her treatment.

As she finally climbed the last couple stairs, she yelled out, "I HATE YOU MOM!" [Cindy and I both laughed at that!]

Cameron, who was already serving time for general mouthiness, chimed in from his room, 'Good one, Erin! Gimme five!!'

Now she is saying that she hates Cindy EVEN MORE, because it is so boring in her room, etc., etc. I guess putting her in her place [in this case, her room] is paying handsome dividends!

And it is much quieter downstairs!

Cameron's Newest Trick....

Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later.

After all, he is a Floyd, and he does take after many of my brothers.

Anyway, this past week he showcased his latest talent: burping at will.

He was very proud of himself.

VERY proud.

A realist at work....

Yesterday as Cameron and I were tossing his latest little squishy ball* around in the frontroom, he made a rude comment to me, then to Makenna.

Dropping the ball on the floor, I decreed, 'Playtime is now over.'

Cameron moaned, then in a display I have never seen before, without askance he looked at Makenna and gave a sincerity-laden apology, and then did the same to me.

He must've noticed my stunned visage, as he then launched into a cryptic elucidation. 'I do what I have to do [i.e., to get what I want].'

Yeah, we started throwing the ball back and forth again.

*Note: He gets these squishly little balls with tentacles every Friday at school, when all the kids who have not gotten into trouble that week get to pick something from the teacher's basket of toys. He is very imaginative with them. 2 weeks ago he popped one of the them, but rather than throwing it away, he began encasing different parts of his body (not, not that!) in it.

Enjoy the photo of leper boy! Gross!

Baby Steps

We can now say that Allyson has taken her first bona fide steps.

Yesterday she tottered for about 5 before biffing it.

For your viewing pleasure, here is a staged re-enactment.

Or maybe she was just reaching for a cookie in the above picture...

The times, they are a'changin'

As I sat watching a Brady Bunch episode with Cameron and Makenna, there came a scene where Bobby was realizing how much of a stinker he had been, and was explaining how he had really learned a good lesson.

'There!!' I exclaimed to the kids, 'Look at that! A kid who knows he did something wrong and not only does he feel sorry about it, he actually apologizes!'

Erin had walked into the room just before my animated exclamation, and thus immediately retorted, 'Yeah, but that was like...1762! Not today!'

Cameron piled on, 'Yeah, that was like Year Zero!'

Once again, REAL reality and television are lightyears apart.

Tricky Daddy and Flatulating Cameron

To spur the kids into getting their Saturday chores done, I offered to take them to CiCi's pizza.

As we were leaving the house, Cameron and Erin grabbed $2 each to spend on the video games at that fine establishment (they even had a new spicy Buffalo chicken pizza!)

However, on the way I suggested that we visit the Dollar Tree store adjacent to CiCi's, and the kids heartily agreed to spend their money there instead!

We walked out with various treats and toys. Cameron was especially pleased at his full-size whoopie cushion.

After trying it out, he proudly proclaimed, 'Now I can fart [i.e., make fart sounds] with my armpit and my cushion!'

I think he was forgetting a third prime source, but I didn't feel like reminding him--he was giddily happy and I didn't want him to change his mood and start acting like the one he was forgetting....

The Brady Bunch

Before Cindy flitted off to Utah, she checked out the 4-DVD 1st Season of the Brady Bunch. Thursday and today have seemed like BB marathons.

I was surprised how well they stood up 38 years later, and all the kids are hooked. Erin was astute enough to notice that the producer (Sherwood Schwartz) was the same one who produced their beloved Gilligan's Island!

Anyway, they are a big 'Thumbs up'!

A Little Wii (not to be confused with Wii-Wii)

Last night we spent a delightful evening at my sister's home, where we were introduced to the new Nintendo Wii system.

As you might expect, Cameron acted shy at first, but by the end of the night he was doing his best to play (i.e., hog and dictate) the various Wii games (bowling, baseball, tennis, fishing, etc.) and doing 'in-your-face' victory dances.

The new ping-pong table there was also a big hit with all the kids! I was amazed at how quickly I got back up to speed too!

We got home a bit late (10:15 or so), and Makenna was the only one with enough sense to fall asleep in the car!

Got milk?

When Cindy took Allyson to see the doc on Saturday (as usual, by the time we get a kid to the doc, the fever is gone and the kid is normal), one of the questions was whether Allyson knew who 'Mama' and 'Dada' were if asked.

Today after work Cindy was holding Sweet Noogie-Poogie Peanut, so we tried to see if she had a clue yet.

'Where's Dada?' I asked.
No noticeable response.

'Where's Mama?' Cindy asked.
Again no response.

With nothing to lose, Cindy ventured, 'Where's the milk truck?'

Makenna turned and put her index finger on Cindy's nose.

She's definitely our Sherlock-ette.

Update: On a similar (milk) vein, Allyson was getting a but fussy, and Cindy commented that she probably wanted to be nursed, then added, 'Being the last, she'll probably nurse until she's 14!'
I additionally added, 'Yeah, and as small as she is, she'll probably still fit under your shirt!'

Pit Music

In his continuing endeavor to emulate the Floyd family uncles, Cameron has been practicing hard on a new skill to exhibit before family and friends.

Yep, he has learned to put his cupped hand in the pit of his upraised arm, then bring his arm down quickly. The resulting sound is both disgustingly loud (at least to the onlooker) and disgustingly gratifying (at least to Cameron).

What will he learn next?

The world trembles!

Blessed Warmth [?]

After almost a month-long hiatus, today is the day the temperature gauge finally gets to climb back above freezing. And it looks like it is planning to stay above it for the foreseeable future.

Cindy is ecstatic. First, she is ecstatic that the kids will no longer have 2-hour school delays or outright cancellations due to the intense cold and/or snowfall. The kids have only gone to school 3 days in the past 2 weeks, and 2 of those were ‘2-hour delay’ days!) Second, she is literally giddy with the thought of a whole week in Utah with just Allyson. She leaves on Wednesday.

So this morning Cindy told the kids that they’d better spend the entire day outside playing in the 10 inches of snow, because it ain't gonna be around long! (Besides, if the kids are outside, they aren't inside incessantly pestering her, each other, each other's toys, Allyson, etc!)

Hearing that the snow was going to begin melting, Cameron clenched his teeth and spat out with supervillain-inspired pathos, ‘Heat is my enemy!’

Humble Pie

This last Saturday Cameron talked me into playing Monopoly with him.

However, unlike previous games, I decided to be a bit more proactive, and luck was also on my side. Before long I had all 4 railroads and a monopoly on the red properties. Cameron, as usual, was gunning for Park Place and Boardwalk. Then in a run of bad luck he landed on my railroads 6 times (three of them in succession!) and was pretty much wiped out. Then he landed on Illinois Avenue.

It was his death knell. Not to mention his first loss.

I was hoping that this will be a learning opportunity for him.

First and foremost, I hoped that it would teach him to accept defeat with quiet dignity. (And I must admit that he took the loss very well!)

Moreover, as an added benefit, I hope this drains him of his enthusiasm to ask me to play Monopoly with him!

Life is too short for such long games! (If he wants to play a long game, get out Scrabble!)

Sibling Jealousy, Thy Name is.....Cutesy-Wootsy-Poogie-Goo!

Today Erin told Cindy that she felt a bit left out because Cindy was using all sorts of cute nicknames when talking to Allyson, but not when she talked to Erin.

Appelations such as 'Little lovey girl,' Little sweetie-pie honey bun,' or 'C'mere my little peanut.'

(Obviously Erin doesn't remember all of the cute nicknames our tongues employed when she was a kid--'Erin Poo-Poo,' 'Cutesy Erin,' 'Wilt,' etc., etc.

Cindy quickly quipped, 'How about "Pumpkin-Butt"?'

Erin liked it! A lot!

Dino-rrific Dude!

Being Valentines Day, Cindy with her usual planning had gifts ready for the kids.
This year the theme was 'books.' The girls each got a book (Erin was estatic about her 'sticker' book), and Cameron got a 'Dinosaur' kit.

Included in the kit was a chunk of concrete with 'dinosaur bones' buried in it.


He went right to work, and soon had them all out. (As Cindy said with disappointment unfeigned, 'It was supposed to take longer! Preferably all day!')

To top it off, he followed the instructions in the accompanying book to make a 10" long, 5-inch wide dinosaur poop, complete with sticks, rice, and other presumably undigested morsels clinging tenaciously to the amorphous mass.

At first he had the sticks poking straight out, but once Cindy drew a verbal picture of how much such a poop would have hurt on its torturous, twisted journey to freedom, he quickly decided to embed them obliquely.

And for your viewing pleasure, a demonstration of how coprolites get their start.



Once it dries he gets to paint it too!

After 13.5 months....

I finally took the 3 kids to the school to go sledding.

We got them sleds for Christmas 2005, but it never snowed, and so the snow we got last week was the first sleddable amount in over a year.

Unfortunately, when I went home to get the camera, Makenna also went home to warm up, so only the two older yahoos were available for the photo....

Remember the Golden Rule!

As we corraled the kids for family home evening and tried to actually teach them something (yes, a more or less fruitless task....), I dared ask the question, "What is the 'Golden Rule?'"

Almost simultaneously both Erin and Cameron called out, 'Tithing!'

'No, no [chuckle], no.' I replied.

'The Roman way?!' Erin replied brightly! (This is because she has been home all day with a low fever, and thus her eyes were brighter than usual....)

'Wrong again.'

Cindy began, 'Do unto others as....' and surprisingly enough, Cameron was able to more or less finish the thought. (This is what is known as 'pedagogic (i.e., 'book') learning,' as he knows what it is but not how to do it.)

Traditions continue apace.....

Tonight when Cameron asked whether he could say his prayer "Out loud or in my head,' I said he could say them in his head.

As he began praying I began tickling his back, at which point he expertly lifted up the back of his pajama tops to get skin-on-skin contact.

After about a minute I coughed gently, and he quickly said, 'Amen.'

He then continued, "I pulled a 'Daddy'!....I mean, I pulled a 'Louis!'"

Simply put, this means that he finished praying in about 10 seconds and just enjoyed a long back tickle.

Sometimes it just doesn't pay to tell kids about your own childhood memories!

Do they, or don't they??

This morning Makenna was sitting on the couch with Cindy, vegging out on the TV.
Cindy asked her what she wanted for breakfast, and she replied, 'Can I have chocolate cereal?'

Cindy acceded, and generously offered to get it ready for her, ending with, 'And do I get a big kiss in return?'

Makenna gazed over at her, and replied rhetorically, 'Do pigs fly?'

She then collapsed into gales (blizzards?) of laughter.

Is it hype, or is it a blizzard?

Tonight we shall see. According to the weatherman we could be getting anywhere from 4~12 inches of snow over the next 24 hours (mixed with rain and sleet at times).
Still, the local weathermen sure have the global warming scientists beat--at least the locals don't pretend to have a sure foreknowledge of the 10-year~90-year local forecast, much less the global one!

UPDATE: Well, we have welcomed about 5 1/2 inches of snow and about 2 inches of frozen rain (not to be mistaken for freezing rain). If that had been snow, we probably would've had about 12 inches! I again took Erin and Cameron to the school to go sledding, and we were pelted with ice pellets the entire time.
Once again, thank goodness for a snow blower!

A change in the weather....

After two sub-zero AMs and two days of school closures for the same reason, I am sure that Cindy is ready to get them back to their out-of-the-home scholarly endeavors.
And today was a very busy day for them:
1. Cindy took all 4 kids along for Allyson's well-check visit. Allyson is 4th percentile for weight, and 15th percentile for height--we don't grow them as big as we used to!! The visit was capped off with 2 shots! What fun!
2. Upon returning home, Cameron got pukey, and spent much of the rest of the day clutching a bowl, retching into the bowl, sitting on the porcelain throne, and sometimes sitting and retching at the same time. He is a boy of many skills! By bedtime he was feeling much better, as testified to by his actions and mouth.
3. At noon it started snowing, and by the time it stopped around 7 PM, we had 4~5 inches. Cindy is hoping that the plows will get the job done tonight in time for the school buses!
4. Erin's teacher called to tell Erin that her science project has made it to the semi-finalist round, so she gets to do her presentation again in front of other judges. (Her project was to find out which of 3 exercise machines would get her heart beating faster after 3 minutes. She came up with the title, "The Beat of My Heart.")
5. I had a video conference with Japan at work at 6PM, and getting home about 7:15, I gave the used snow blower I had been given a real workout. It worked like a charm, and 6 neighbors are probably quite grateful!
Well, it's bedtime!

Sore Throat and Sore Shins Blues

The Background:
The kids have suffered from various minor ailments this week, so it was no surprise that Makenna woke up complaining that her throat hurt. (Both Erin and Makenna have had mildly upset stomachs, Allyson is on day 2.5 of a 102 fever (she is fast becoming a Motrin addict), and Cameron….well,…I guess you could say that Cameron is just continuing to suffer from that chronic ailment of his known as ‘poopyheadedness.’)

The Confrontation:
After Cindy got home from taking Erin and Cameron to school and was holding Allyson, Makenna came up and sweetly asked, ‘Can I hold Ally?’
Cindy sensibly replied, ‘You said your throat hurts, so no, you can’t.’
The above conversation was repeated near-verbatim 2 more times.
Making no headway, Makenna then launched into one of her spectacular tantrums.
Between her unintelligible shrieking and hyper-sobbing, she screamed “I wanna hold her! Let me hold her! My throat doesn’t hurt anymore! Let me hold her! WAAAHH WAAAAHH WAAAAAAAAAAAHH!!!”
She also managed to get in a well-aimed kick or two.
After this continued awhile, Cindy calmly explained, ‘You don’t get what you want if you scream and yell.’
Makenna yelled back venomously, “I HATE YOU!!” She then gave Cindy a big wet raspberry and tried to kick her again.

The Reconciliation[???]
Makenna suddenly turned off her tantrum and tears and, in a very sweet--almost cherubic--voice, queried, ‘Can I hold Ally?’
Cindy sensibly replied again, ‘You’ve just been having a big tantrum, and you’ve been kicking me and spitting at me. Do you really think I’m going to let you hold her?’
Makenna paused to digest this, then changed tack.
‘Mommy,’ she sweetly cooed, ‘I love you.’
Cindy couldn’t stop a spontaneous laugh, but so as to not exacerbate the standoff she raised Allyson up higher to cover her laughing face.
Not being able to see any response, Makenna cooed, ‘Mommy, I said “I LOVE you!”’
Cindy was laughing too hard to even try to attempt any reply.
In the manner of an enraged Tasmanian devil, Makenna vociferously cooed, ‘I SAID I LOVE YOU!’ and at the same time aimed another kick at Cindy's shapely legs.

The Killer Husband (i.e., 'She Says")

[This is space left open for Cindy to explain how she viewed the CO detector incident. When she has time she will surely write up some crazed account about an unfeeling husband and father who seemingly had no qualms about letting his family--even the sweet infant Allyson--suck up CO in copious quantities. Heck, he wasn't in the house himself, and besides, his wife's life insurance coverage had just been upped!
We await with baited breath....]

The wait is over...I am finally sitting down to tell the whole truth as it really happened.
It was a cold morning and I had been running the kerosene heater (as many times before). I turned it off so I wouldn't have to worry about keeping Allyson away from it. About 30 minutes later Makenna started complaining about her head hurting . I took her temp and she had no fever. I gave her some Motrin anyway, because she insited her head was really hurting her. While I was on the phone with a friend of mine the CO detector started beeping. I immediately hung up and started to assess what was going on. We have two detectors and only one was going off. Yes, it was the one that went off several years ago and the other one had had new batteries put in just a couple of days previous. I went right away to the kerosene heater to check that it had been turned off properly and even pushed the ememgency shut-off switch. I opened the sliding door (on an 18-degree day!) and went back upstairs to open another window. I phoned Louis to tell him the alarm was going off and the response he gave me was...."I am sure you are probably okay." Now that is not exactly the response you expect to get from your husband...father of your children....protector and provider. "I am sure you are PROBABLY okay." He figured that since only 1 was going off it was probably a false alarm. I asked if I should call the fire department and he said it was my decision. So I'm thinking, "You don't really care if we live or die. It is all my decision." Great feeling!
I was a little ticked off that he seemed so unconcerned about it and wondered how he would feel coming home from work and finding that his wife and two small children had died from CO poisoning. I decided to hang up. I had already grabbed Allyson out of her bed (where she had only been napping for 5 or 10 minutes) and told Makenna to get her socks and shoes on. I called Louis back at work and told him I was going to call the fire department. He wanted to know if I wanted him to come home???? HELLO!! The fire department is coming to your house because a carbon monoxide alarm has gone off and you are wondering if I want you to come home. What kind of a question is that? I didn't think it was one that really needed to be asked. It should have been like this. "I will be right there. Your lives may be in danger and I want to protect you and make sure everything is going to be okay. You are my life and I couldn't bear the thought of anything every happening to you or the kids."
But no....I had to tell him to come home.
As it turned out it was a faulty alarm but can a person be too careful? Needless to say I was a little disappointed in the reaction from my husband. Maybe I will forgive him.....one day.