Lance's World of Wander

December 2008

2009-10-17T19:10:00.000-07:00

Happy 2nd Birthday Princess!!!

Wonderfull Picture of Mama Ruth and Laura

November 2008

2009-07-03T13:33:00.000-07:00

(click on an image for a larger image)

Connor and Cousin at Thanksgiving

Noelle on Trampoline at Thanksgiving

Connor and Athena - Relaxing Moment

Athena gives Noelle a Big Kiss!

Happy Birthday Mama Ruth - Happy 90th!!!

October 2008

2009-04-11T18:24:00.000-07:00

A few pictures from our hiking trip to Fall Creek Falls, TN. Connor likes to build Legos and Kinex, thou he primarily makes his own creations from boxes of parts. Lego kits, like the one shown, only lasts a few days in completed form admist the chaos of our home. Finally, a few pictures from a relatively low-key Halloween. Hey - last year's costumes still fit!!!

September 2008 - One Things Leads to Another

2009-04-07T17:22:00.001-07:00

Neighbor feeds deer. Deer leave ticks in the woods. Connor catches toad. Connor releases toad in the woods. Connor trips on root and falls in the woods. Connor has dozen of tiny "seed ticks" crawling all over his body! Connor turns 5!!!

Transitions - August 2008

2008-11-30T14:42:00.000-08:00

Tanya heads back to far, far away. Trevor heads off to UT. Novomedica, LLC joins the Chattanooga Business Center. Connor starts kindergarten.

Laura and Tanya at the Knoxville Airport

Connor and Friend Lucy

"There was this tough guy, ya see, and I said..."

View from Trevor's Dorm

Chattanooga's Business Development Center

Coffee, Table, Chair, & Laptop - Novomedica, LLC is operational

Connor and his latest creation

Chattanooga Aquarium - July 2008

2008-11-24T17:35:00.000-08:00

(click on any image for a larger image)

Early July 2008

2008-11-08T17:18:00.001-08:00

Adorable Noelle in Nana's Pool

Tanya visits from far, far away

C'mon Athena!

Plumbing Problem - The Correct Way to Dig a Hole in TN

Connor enjoys a sparkler

Nic and his sparkler

Trevor and Nic - Fireworks Maestros

Biker Gang Meeting - Cody and Connor

- Partners in Crime -

Athena is not allowed on the couch and Noelle is really enjoying reading her book - upside down!

June 2008

2008-10-12T13:02:00.000-07:00

Simply Noelle

Is that so?

Hang Ten on an Adirondack Chair

Earthquake!!!

Tree Attacks Backyard - Second Time this Year

My Favorite Unicorn

All Aboard!

On Top

Super Slider

Alaska 2008 - Misc

2008-08-04T03:47:00.000-07:00

Alaska 2008 / Planes, Trains, and Boats

2008-07-21T19:30:00.000-07:00

Noelle jots down a few thoughts in her travel journal

Connor recommends Transformers for long trips

Big bro likes to push Noelle

Highchair with wheels!

Noelle patiently rides a bus

Girl Power!

Noelle rides a bronze snail
(talk about slow!)

Numerous ships graced the Inside Passage

Connor rides a bronze horse

(not much faster than the bronze snail)

Our Ship - The Norweigen Pearl

Somewhere along White Pass - Skagway Alaska

White Pass Train Engine

Beautiful Alaska / Images from the Ship

2008-07-16T22:39:00.000-07:00

(click on an image for a larger image)

These images were taken from our cruiseship, the Norweigen Pearl (June 2008)

Space Needle

2008-07-07T03:27:00.001-07:00

The Space Needle is one of my favorite architectural marvels. The Space Needle was built for the 1962 World's Fair. I think it is an elegant design! Please enjoy these pictures from our June 2008 vacation to Alaska. Click on photos for larger images.

Alaska Vacation 2008

2008-07-05T10:35:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my Mom and Dad for treating us to a dream vacation - A Cruise to Alaska! We had a wonderful time vacationing with my parents, sister, and three nephews. Laura is dedicating several terrific posts highlighting our trip in chronological order (http://www.laurasnewworld.blogspot.com/). In my next few posts, I'll be highlighting our trip from a theme perspective.

Moments in May 2008

2008-06-29T23:00:00.000-07:00

Noelle and Athena

Dad ignoring safey warning: No riders
(At least I'm not using the mower as a hedge trimmer)

Hey, did they just go thru a drive-thru?

His parents are very proud

Coby, Nic, and Trevor Graduate from High School!

The Scream
(note clinched fist for added decibels)

Big Grin

Noelle loves Athena

Connor helps with a neighborhood project

("Dad, bring money, so you can pay me right after we finish")

Connor and Corlin at School

Kindred Spirits - Corlin likes transformers, too!

Connor, Sienna, and Corlin

Connor's Luxury Ride for Noelle

He's kidding, right?

Scary spider cave on our deck

Neighbor Oscar gives Connor a Smooch!

Ultimate Fairweather Fan

2008-06-17T05:46:00.000-07:00

The Ultimate Fairweather Fan

Connor's current approach to watching sports is quite amusing as he is the ultimate fairweather fan. First, he is not really a sports fan, as it can interfere with the educational programming he watches, such as, Sponge Bob Square Pants (Thanks to Sponge Bob, he learned all about a "spatula"). I'm less of a sports fan than I used to be, though I still like to watch basketball.

Back in the 80s I used to root for the Boston Celtics. I now root for Steve Nash and the Phoenix Suns. I'm not really a Celtic fan anymore - I'm a Phoenix Suns fan. This evolution of switching favorite teams took decades. Connor switches favorite teams a little quicker. Connor will switch his allegiance with a change in the score! Who's winning, Dad? I explained to him the essence of a sports fan, but he simply replied, "I only root for the team that is winning". Well, at least he is never disappointed in the outcome of a game!

Meet Krispy Ice Cream

2008-05-26T19:26:00.000-07:00

KC (a.k.a. Krispy Ice Cream)

Within the Thanksgiving holiday weekend in 2005, my Mom and I rescued a dog at the main entrance to several subdivisions, to include the subdivision where we live. She was in sad, sad, shape as she was starved to the point of seeing ribs, yet her teats were full of milk, very full of milk. She was a pitiful sight; how can an animal so emaciated have such bloated teats??? She was scared, gentle, and approachable. Since she was obviously a mom, we tried to find her puppies, even hoping the she would lead us to them, but we were unsuccessful in finding them. We guessed she was recently abandoned by herself, though we will never know. We took her home, and with the help of Alicia, a neighbor who spent some time as a vet assistant, we began to take care of her while going thru typical, yet futile steps to find the owner. A gentlemen homeowner just outside the subdivisions told me, "Nope - ain't my dog, but if she comes near my goats, I'll shoot her"! His goats were cute and charming for sure, but that's a bit harsh, to say the least.

When it was apparent the dog would be with us for at least a few days, we asked Connor to name her (he had just turned 3 at the time). Without hesitation he said, "Krispy Ice Cream". We laughed and that's what we called her. Alicia eventually adopted Krispy Ice Cream into her family, to include hubby and two children. Her name has been shortened to KC and she is a wonderful dog - playful, intelligent, and terrific with kids. The picture was taken early this year when KC, on her own, stopped by for a visit.

Images of April 2008

2008-05-03T13:21:00.000-07:00

Stop and smell the roses

Dream Big!

I've got a lot to say!

Here I am!

Chill'n with Athena

I love this popscicle!

Just came up with the idea to drop his popscicle stick on Trevor's car!

Dresses himself while watching cartoons!

Practice, practice, practice

Trevor's Senior Prom

2008-05-03T12:42:00.000-07:00

Our other car is a stretch limo

A limo was recently rented to take Trevor and his friends to prom! When the limo arrived early, we were waiting on Trevor to finish getting ready. Connor jumped right in - ready to go! Connor closed and locked the limo door from inside when Trevor came out. The limo driver unlocked the door and Connor locked it again! What are little brothers for? Trevor graduates in a few weeks!

Let's go!

Nice!

Trevor and Friend

Smiles, everyone!

Bend It Like Connor

2008-04-12T18:12:00.000-07:00

The soccer ball breaks out and Connor dashes to the right, he is ahead of the pack and heading for the goal. He kicks! He scores! And the crowd goes ...and the crowd goes... actually the crowd goes strangely silent for a moment, but the bursts into a cheer anyway. You see, Connor scored his first goal today, but in the other team's goal! Oh well, only three goals were scored in the game today and our Connor scored one of them!

Thus, it begins. (Dis)Organized sports for Connor. He is in the 3-4 year age group at the YMCA Youth Indoor Soccer League. When we play at home, his favorite soccer move is to say, "Look over there!" and then he kicks the ball into my goal when I fall for it again. I'm pretty sure this trick won't work in league play, but maybe he should try it! We have small portable goals in our lower driveway for practice. He calls the goals "temples". Connor and I like it when Laura and Noelle play too! I'll try to post some pictures soon.

In Memory of Mike Howard - Gifts of Time

2008-03-28T14:28:00.000-07:00

Today marks a difficult anniversary for our family. This 28th of March will not slip by our family unnoticed, as it marks the 1-year anniversary of the passing of Mike Howard, my father-and-law. When considered collectively, I've never met a man more dedicated to God, family, church, work, play, personal fitness, and volunteering. Mike never met a stranger and he could strike up a conversation with anyone. He was terrific with kids and I loved for Grand-Daddy to spend time with our children. With our busy schedules, one-on-one time is rare. I would like to record two special opportunities Mike and I spent together during his last few weeks. I have considered these “Gifts of Time”.

I just happened to be at the Department of Motor Vehicles and Mike just happened to be in same government building on Hamilton County business. The Clerk’s office was nearer the door and what separated Mike from me when we noticed each other were a metal detector and a few security guards. Mike shouted “over” the female security guard, “Are you free for lunch?” Before I could answer, the female security guard said, “Are you asking me to lunch?” The matter was quickly resolved and the three of us had a good laugh. We went to lunch at the Southern Star for some good’ol southern cooking (sans security guard). Nothing extraordinary was said – I just remember how nice it was for Mike and I to have lunch together, just the two of us.

During the spring of 2007, a skunk had let his or her presence known underneath Mike and Robin’s home – phew!!! It was suspected that one or more skunks might be living underneath the house. The mission was simple, go in the crawl space, determine if there were skunks there, if found, chase the skunks out, and board up known and discovered breaches to the crawl space. Mike possibly could have taken on the mission by himself, but encounters with skunks should be shared whenever possible. Mike chose me! He invited me up on a Saturday afternoon for the mission. For Christmas, I purchased for the guys in the family and myself a nifty, small bright LED light that would easily clip to a baseball cap. Clipping the light to my own baseball cap, I had past experience changing Noelle’s diaper at night using the little headlamp, but I was excited about the opportunity to use the headlamp for the skunk mission. When I arrived for the skunk mission, Mike was also wearing his clip-on headlamp! This produced a hearty chuckle – the skunks would be no match for our superior intelligence and technology. Besides the lingering odor, there was plenty of evidence of a skunk occupation to include droppings and a nest made from insulation. No skunk – maybe they don’t like their own defense mechanism when forced to live with it for a time. Had we actually found a skunk, I’m sure the story would be much more interesting. So, we repaired the insulation and developed creative ways to block holes to the crawl space with available materials. I have had the opportunity to work with Mike on various projects, but the one-on-one time we spent together that afternoon was special.

These memories, among others involving Mike, I will fondly remember. If there is a message here, it would be to value one-on-one time with a friend or family member. I’d like to close by sharing my favorite photo of Mike taken in December of 2006, taken in the hospital shortly after Noelle was born. Thank you, Mike.

Fridge Raider

2008-03-22T18:50:00.000-07:00

I just love to sit here!

(click for a larger image)

Sometimes I share my space with my bro
~
I've got the root beer, let's get outta here!

Do you like to sit in the fridge? Hmmmm?

As the pictures show, Noelle loves to sit halfway in the refrigerator!

All India Radio / Echo Other

2008-02-22T18:54:00.000-08:00

Just for a change of pace, I thought I would write a CD review. All India Radio is an Australian band. Their songs are mostly instrumental and they might be categorized in the electronica genre or better yet, "alternative genre". Echo Other is a well crafted mix of electronica blended with traditional instruments. On many songs, a synthesizer and crisp acoustic guitar team with a twangy electric guitar, the latter may remind you of music from a western movie released in the 70s (shades of Ennio Morricone). Whistle and Song in C are among my favorite tracks. Highly recommended!

Da D = Daddy!

2008-02-18T18:50:00.000-08:00

Noelle has long had a warm welcome for family members with waving and various sounds. Last Thursday, when I went outside to join Laura and Noelle playing on our lower driveway, she scurried over to me with open arms and said "Da Deh" as she entered my arms! It is a moment I do not wish to forget.

Speaking of Noelle, "teh" means "yes" or "outside", always said very excitedley with head bobbing. She now holds her hands straight out, with her palms up when she wants to be picked up. Noelle absolutely loves to go outside. Laura says she was known for her love of the outdoors at this age also.

The Talented Miss Noelle

2008-02-09T18:26:00.000-08:00

Noelle the Musician

Noelle's first words are hard to pin down, especially the order she has learned them. Currently she uses 3 words. She says, "Hiii" (waving), Mama-mama-mama (means Mommy and I want to nurse, as she opens and closes her little hand), and "ball". She has always liked balls, so I'm not surprised this is one of her first words (we did not make a special effort for her to learn to say "ball"). I hope you enjoy some recent pictures of Noelle. She learned to blow the recorder - she likes to pass it around like a kind of "peace pipe", encouraging everyone to play a note or two!

Ambidextrous

Jedi in Training

Balloons Everywhere!

2008-01-31T17:11:00.000-08:00

This a flashback to our Fall 2007 vacation in ABQ. We timed our fall vacation to coincide with the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta. It is a grand fesitval! Some images can be enlarged by clicking on them.

Happy Birthday, Me

2008-01-22T06:38:00.000-08:00

My birthday was yesterday. A very nice day, spent mostly with family. I want to remember my wife making a delicious coke chocolate cake (I've never tasted a coke cake before), celebrating with our younger children by going to I-Hop for breakfast, making Noelle (13 mo) laugh outload when I nuzzled her side (there is not a sweeter sound to me), and Connor telling me he "I love you bigger than the whole world". The latter reminds of Connor asking me a few months ago if it was okay if he loved mommy a little bit more! I let him know this was fine.

Robin and kids came over for dinner. Robin gave me a very interesting present purchased from an estate sale. A simple contraption from an unkown-to-me tinkerer who was also a surgeon. He created a mechanized fixture with lights and a camera mount for taking pictures of small objects (I plan to post an image of this interesting device). I actually needed something like this, as I often take pictures of parts as a part of my work. Cool!

Create, Connor, Create

2008-01-16T18:28:00.001-08:00

Mutant Bionicles Prepare for Battle!

I love creative hands-on toys for children. Meaning I love them for children and I love playing with them myself! Connor (4) and I enjoy playing with Legos, Kinex, and Bionicles (Bionicles are made by Lego). These toys often come in sets, where you follow detailed instructions. Learning to follow instructions is always valuable. In contrast, it is a terrific experience to take a large box of miscellaneous parts and develop your own, unique creations!

Connor and I are in a phase of creating our own Bionicle creatures from a growing collection of Bionicle parts. We continue to occasionally acquire new Bionicle sets, but the vast majority of our current collection of spare parts come from Trevor’s old collection of Bionicles. Trevor, now 17, became a master at developing his own creations from building sets, such as, Bionicles. Remnants of Trevor’s creations can still be found in the box of parts (I was actually hoping to find a complete creation).

Pandora Internet Radio

2008-01-12T18:11:00.001-08:00

Last year, Laura introduced me to Pandora Internet Radio (http://www.pandora.com/). Pandora's mission is to play only the music you like. You create highly customizable radio stations based initially on favorite artists or songs. Pandora is song-centric, so creating radio stations based on songs is best. A given radio station begins to learn your preferences because you have the option to give a thumbs-up or a thumbs-down to a particular song. A thumbs-down will immediately result in skipping to the next song. If you are tired of a favorite song, you can retire it for a month. You also have the option to buy songs. Pandora is free, because the site runs ads. However, you can pay a modest annual fee to use the service free of ads.

My discussion covers a few basics, but there is so much more to the experience. It is really easy to get started (Do you have 10 seconds to spare? Actually, I know you do, because you are reading this blog!). I enjoy listening while working and I have been introduced to numerous new artists and songs. I highly, highly, recommend Pandora to any music lover. Pandora has competitors, I know, but I really can't add anything in the way of a comparison. I have not been this excited about music since my parents bought me a one-speaker 8-track tape boom-box to play KISS and RUSH tapes!

Friends, if you join Pandora, let me know. I'm looking for folks to add to my list of Pandora friends for online sharing.

Lioness of Soddy Daisy / Connor Quotable

2008-01-11T10:26:00.000-08:00

Like a little lioness of the Serengeti, the neighbor's small "tiger cat" stalks insects and other small creatures, teases our dog beyond the fence, and watches us from the trees or cover of foliage. She is fun to watch.

Out of curiosity, she sometimes wanders into our backyard. Recently, she ventured onto our deck, and Connor, who loves cats, bolted out to see her. She, of course, ran to the relative safety of her yard. Laura instructed Connor on subtle methods of engaging an animal in friendship. Next, Connor sat on the steps and began quietly talking to the cat now sitting just beyond the fence.

"Here kitty-kitty. Here kitty-kitty. I taste like chicken."

Happy New Year!

2008-01-09T19:08:00.000-08:00

Just to jumpstart my 2008 blogging efforts, I'm posting a few new pictures of Laura and Noelle. Enjoy!

Fall Vacation / Part III / Pumpkin Patch Paradise

2007-12-08T02:52:00.000-08:00

Heading westward on I-40, travelers pass thru Moriarty NM just before reaching the mountain range near Albuquerque. To me, Moriarty was always a sign I was getting close to home, a commune of some kind there, just not much happening. I’ve driven thru dozens of times – never stopped. When my eldest nephew, Daniel, suggested we go to McCall’s Pumpkin Patch in Moriarty, I was none too excited. Thou away we went. Almost everything was low-tech, but very well done and we had a blast! It was a highlight of our vacation. I hope you enjoy the pictures!

Cattle Drive!

Brandon and Connor - "Steering" a Longhorn

Giant Bounce Pillow - Very Cool!

Brandon, Daniel, and Ryan - Boing!

Connor, Daniel, and Lance's Right Foot - Excellent Photography!

Brandon Going Down!

Brandon Coming Out!

Pumpkin Cannon!

Noelle Considers Brandon

Lance and Boys On Top of a Hay Pyramid

A New Friend - Nice Goat

Goat Climbing Towers - Awesome!

Cranking a Treat to the One Horned Surly White Goat

One Horned Surly White Goat Waits for Treat

Aerial View of 2006 Corn Maze

2007 Corn Maze

We were lost in the corn maze for 1.5 hours! Early on, we kept running into this young couple ("Hey, you look familiar". "Have we met before?" Ha, Ha, Ha). We did not see them again for quite some time, maybe 45 minutes, and we finally ran into them again. We said, "Wow, you are still in here, too?". They said, "No, we made it out, ate some lunch, and now we are back in again!" I think we should have followed them. We have an all-terrain stroller, but it was difficult to navigate Noelle in the stroller because the corn maze had deep grooves for irrigation (~12 inches wide). My forearms received quite the workout! You are provided with trivia questions (you chose the topics in advance) in conjunction with numbered signs within the maze to give you clues as to the right direction (watching television in the 70s finally pays off).

Haunted Halloween Corn Maze for Night - No Thank You!

Low Tech Go-Cart Racing!

Daniel Lassos a Metal Cow (far left) as Ryan Looks On

Connor - Free Spirit!

We Really Enjoyed the Pumpkin Patch Safari
Here is our new elephant friend, nudging our SUV (too cute!!!)

Okay, the Pumkin Patch Safari picture is a joke. The next blog will be devoted to the ABQ Balloon Fiesta!

Fall Vacation 2007 / Part II / Super Saturday

2007-11-28T18:00:00.000-08:00

Our first full day in ABQ was Saturday (October 5). My sister, Lisa, has 3 boys, Daniel, Ryan, and Brandon. All Lisa’s boys play soccer and during the soccer season the family is usually trying to juggle 3 games on Saturday, usually at three different fields! Grandma and Grandpa Middleton attend the games and help with logistics. This Saturday was special because this was the first meeting between baby Noelle and her Aunt Lisa!

Ryan and Connor Share a Moment

Blue Sky in ABQ

Can Brandon and Connor Fly a Stunt Kite as a Team?

Daniel and Connor Fly the Stunt Kite

The Boys at El Pinto

Next: Lost in Moriority

Fall Vacation 2007 / Part I / The Journey to ABQ

2007-11-24T09:23:00.000-08:00

Several blog entries will be dedicated to our fall vacation to Albuquerque (ABQ) early in October. My relatives in ABQ include my parents and my sister’s family. We timed our trip to coincide with the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta!

The first entry is dedicated to the journey to ABQ. We recently acquired our first mini-van, a Toyota Sienna. So we decided to drive to ABQ as a 3-day trip. We drove to Memphis on the first day and had a nice visit with Laura's grandmother, Mama Ruth. The next day we drove to Oklahoma City and had a nice dinner with my business partner and his gracious family. Finally, we arrived in Albuquerque to stay at my parent’s house.

Is it possible for a rest-stop to be a highlight of our journey? I was so impressed with a rest-stop in Texas (after Amarillo?). The rest-stop is built underground (under a mound of earth) to serve as a tornado shelter. It has the following features: windmill to generate power for itself, a mini-museum featuring windmills, a very nice playground, and a scenic view not visible from the highway.

Here are some pictures of our journey to ABQ.

How many times have I told you to keep your gum in your mouth?

Great little traveler, at least until the sun goes down!

Rest Stop - Texas Style!

(the main "building" is under the mound in the background)

Windmills along the distant horizon in OK

Clines Corner's Billboard in NM

Connor grabs a nap

Finally in ABQ!!!

Goodbye Summer 2007!

2007-11-07T06:23:00.000-08:00

At this writing Fall is in overdrive and the holiday season is fast approaching. I thought I'd take a moment to post a few more pictures taken during the Summer of 2007!

(Note: Some images can be enlarged by clicking on them)

Connor and his new friend, a green stick-bug!

K'nex and Connor Rock!

Fireman Stops to Visit

Let's Eat!

Connor's Play Setup

A (rare) Moment of Quiet Contemplation

Athena the Pillow

Groovy Noelle!

Trevor's Mission Trip to Kenya

Simply Noelle

Mike Howard Youth Football Jamboree!

Hamilton County Fair - Ride'em Cowboy!

The Sea Monkey Chronicles – Part IV Sea Monkeys in Peril

2007-10-15T19:13:00.000-07:00

Connor was in big trouble for putting these little creatures lives at risk and for disobeying his father after repeated instruction. I don't really think he understood the potential consequences of his actions. He was upset to learn that his actions could kill the Sea Monkeys. I wondered if I had earlier emphasized the concept that overfeeding could be fatal.

Sad Connor

(actually, a wee bit of acting at the time of photo)

Can they be saved? Well, no. Not this time anyway. My gallant effort to save them lasted about 20 minutes. My strategy involved a baster, wine glasses, a coffee filter, and a strainer. My attempts at removing food from the water did not seem promising. A crying baby and other family demands soon took precedent. I was hopeful, but the water remained very green with food and the sea monkeys did not survive.

Lessons learned - I hope!

Next Blog Entry: The Hamster Chronicles

The Sea Monkey Chronicles – Part III / Feed Me!

2007-09-03T19:41:00.000-07:00

After your initial Sea Monkeys hatch you are supposed to wait several days before adding additional food. Connor was very anxious to pour the entire packet of food into the habitat. There is a little feeding spoon provided and I explained to Connor that we needed to feed them one tiny spoonful each day. He kept talking about pouring in the whole package, and each day, I would explain the concept of feeding a little bit at a time. “Overfeeding can be very harmful, Connor”, I explained. “Do not pour the whole packet in their habitat”. We wait for the first feeding day.

Our Sea Monkeys are doing great, a little bigger and our first feeding day is finally here. Connor, once again, wants to empty the entire contents of the pouch. I once again explain the concept of feeding a prescribed amount each day. I instruct Connor to pour in one spoonful and he does a great job (Thanks, Montessori!). The food is a green powder. At this point I think Connor understands. Sea monkeys doing great!

If you only like tales of Sea Monkeys swimming happily ever after – stop reading now!
You have been warned...

The next day, the food pouch sits next to the habit, seemingly waiting to be poured into the habitat in its entirety. This has been Connor’s desire all along – his destiny! Now it is easy, because the pouch is already open. At some point, feeling a bit mischievous, Connor realizes he is not being supervised. He seizes the opportunity and he dumps the food pouch into the habitat! He actually tells us he fed the Sea Monkeys. He is grinning like the cat that just swallowed the canary!

I know exactly what he means, but I run to the habitat anyway with a glimmer of hope that he is joking or only fed them one spoonful! If it were a movie, the scene would be played in slow motion, and I would be shouting, “Nooooooooooooooooooo” as I run through the house. Not pretty (see Figure 1).

Figure 1 Extremous Overfeeding of Artemia Nyos

Can they be saved?

The Sea Monkey Chronicles / Part II - Shazam!!

2007-08-30T03:31:00.000-07:00

Can you sea the See Monkeys? (click for a larger image)

Who needs directions? Well, I made a vow to read and follow the directions exactly, but something went wrong from the get-go. I read them a few days before starting, but then forgot certain details during the process. I instructed Connor to pour in tap water instead of the specified bottled water. Of course, I realized my mistake after Connor mixed in the supplied water conditioner. We forged ahead and we waited the recommended 24-hours before adding our “instant pets”. After the 24-hour period, we added the Sea Monkey pouch. Shazam! Little Sea Monkeys darting about their habitat. Connor says, “I see them!”, but quickly runs to play elsewhere.

Stirring in the water conditioner

The Sea Monkeys were happy, but they were totally unware of the storm clouds on the horizon.

(to be continued)

Noelle - Summer 2007

2007-07-30T17:52:00.000-07:00

Noelle is so special to me. She is at a great age and her little personality is really emerging. Here are a few interesting stories.

Noelle, at 7.5 months, is a computer whiz! Really! She grabbed the keyboard from me and in the span of less than 1-minute she (1) deleted an important e-mail, (2) initiated 3 PowerPoint presentations, (3) developed a rough draft of a title slide for one of the presentations, (4) made the cursor disappear, and (5) logged out as a user to complete her session. All this, while simultaneously testing the structural integrity of the keyboard. Amazing!

I went to pick up Noelle from the nursery a few weeks ago following Church service. A mother and daughter were peacefully caring for a few infants. The mother was walking Noelle around. When Noelle saw me, she immediately started crying. I'm thinking about saying, "She loves her Daddy - I don't know why she started crying when she saw me". Instead I say, "Oh Noelle" and I take her in my arms. She immediately starts to stop crying. I realize that she was overcome by emotion when she saw me, because she was in a strange environment with people she did not know and her Daddy came for her. It felt so good to comfort her, she had tears in her eyes and her breathing was still heavy from crying. I really cherished the moment.

Noelle outgrew her creaky bassinet, so we are in transition as far as sleeping arrangements go. So, Noelle is now sleeping at night in between us. Once she rolled to me and gently grabbed my face with both of her hands. She then rolled over to face her mommy for the same embrace. Sometimes she falls asleep gently holding her mommy's face with both her hands. Very sweet.

Misc. Noelle is so curious about the world and she loves to look at things. She is very fond of Athena and Athena likes to lick her feet. She really dislikes having her nose wiped. Connor is so abrupt with Noelle, and we are always concerned about her safety. His antics and actions often make her laugh. The growing bond between them is very evident. She usually greets Connor with a big grin and sometimes a little squeal. Connor is always saying, "I want to see Noelle!". He is quick to run to her side if she is crying. Noelle is starting to experiment more with sounds (na, na, na, na & ma, ma, ma, ma). Recently, I was standing over the kitchen table and she grabbed my shirt. I looked down and she was beaming up at me. Usually, she is looking at the object she is grabbing, so this was a special moment for me. She is gradually learning sign language and she will open and close her hands if she wants to nurse. She sometimes twirls her hands, and sometimes she will do this for me if I initiate the same motion. We smile at each other. Often she smiles at someone and then turns away shyly, sometimes nestling into mommy's shoulder.

Let Them Play!

2007-07-30T17:40:00.000-07:00

(click on image for larger image)

Conner and Noelle's playground equipment finally arrived! This is a wonderful gift from C&N's Grandma and Grandpa. I believe our kids and many other children will enjoy this for many years. It makes our backyard so inviting. It is great for Connor because he has so much energy. He plays on it almost every day. Athena really enjoys the kids playing. She joins right in, and she has attempted to climb the ladder on a few occasions - all paws on rungs!

We learned about a tip to make the slides super slippery - baby powder! The kids get going really fast on the tall slide. If you are not quick to get your feet down at the bottom, you end up completing your sliding experience on the ground! The tall slide is fun for kids of all ages and I like to go down it once in a while.

The Sea Monkey Chronicles / Part I - It is Time

2007-07-21T09:47:00.000-07:00

Sea Monkeys playfully swimming about their habitats bring joy to millions of people, young and old. Every minute of every day, someone, somewhere, is spending quality time with their Sea Monkeys. From my childhood in the early 70s, I recall the wonder, disappointment, wonder, disappointment, and finally lingering wonder associated with Sea Monkeys.

Sea Monkeys ad seen in many comic books during the 1970s

The experience for a child during the 70s went something like this… Wonder: You can’t believe you are going to have these Sea Monkeys as pets! The little Sea Monkey family looks so cute! Disappointment: You must wait 24 hours for the water conditioner to establish the habitat before you experience your “instant pets”. Wonder: You wonder if you can really see them, but finally you focus in on little creatures darting about - Cool! Disappointment: Although you have probably been told, you eventually learn first hand that the Sea Monkeys depicted on the package look nothing like the Sea Monkeys in your little aquarium. Wonder: Its fun to show your new little world to family and friends. You explain to them that it is silly of them to think that the Sea Monkeys would look like the cartoons on the package. Ultimately, the little aquarium gets a little fishy smelly, probably cloudy, and you wonder if they are still alive. Finally, the little aquarium somehow disappears.

It is time. According to my calculations, based loosely on Chaos Theory, I felt it was time for young Connor to experience the phenomena known as Sea Monkeys. Even as an adult, I was once again duped by slick marketing and cuteness. The classic Sea Monkey caricatures were gone from most of the packaging (relegated to the instruction booklet), but you now have the opportunity to raise your Sea Monkeys in new Mini Worlds! I chose The Amazing Live Sea Monkeys on the Moon! The kit includes a habitat with a moon landscape and adorable little aliens.

(to be continued)

Fishing with My Homies

2007-06-24T12:11:00.000-07:00

Tellico TN

Bald River Falls (I like the name!)

Several weekends ago, I went on a little fishing trip with some guys from my church small group, Scott S, Scott W, Bill, and Aaron. Aaron’s aunt was generous to let us stay at her cozy cabin in Tellico TN.

Friday night we grilled steaks. Then we played a wide-open game of Monopoly – a sort of an anything goes Monopoly. There were alliances, immunity from paying rent, shared profits, and temporary holding property for a business partner in financial trouble, among other things. Very strange, but fun nonetheless. Bill laid low most of the game, initially working the railroads of all things, but somehow, he persevered and won! Go Bill!

Aaron was the true fisherman. He had the necessary skills and experience, plus he was also willing to get up at 4:30 AM to secure a good spot along the river and catch’em at daybreak! He did very well, catching numerous beautiful rainbow trout for our lunch. The rest of us slept in, so we really did not deserve to eat the fish Aaron caught! The trout marinated in sauce comprised of sherry, soy sauce, oil, and Cajun spices, while we were fishing mid-morning, except for Scott S, he went ATV'n. The fish were not biting mid-morning, still it was fun to be on the river. I have not fished a river in many years. We returned to grill the trout for lunch before packing up to come home. Thanks guys!

Rainbow Trout

Karate Kid Fishing
(Tip: Choose a stable rock for this technique)

Scott's Big Catch

Museum Sign Near Tellico - What a Gem!

Thanks Scott W for providing several images for this epic post

Father's Day Thoughts

2007-06-18T06:51:00.000-07:00

I think this day means more to me each year.

The past week and weekend seemed a little heavy, because I know we were thinking of Laura's dad. I miss my dad-in-law. Still, Father's Day can provide us with another opportunity to celebrate his life and legacy.

With a teenager about to enter his senior year in high school and Noelle just entering Size-3 Huggies Supreme, I consider myself more of a full-spectrum father (I just made that up!). Also, as I mature, I appreciate my father (and mother!) more and more! The point is.... I guess I don't have a point, just documenting some thoughts and feelings.

Oh yeah, on Saturday, Connor and I shared the experience of riding a Waverunner! Connor liked the turns, but he was always telling me he wanted to "go the fastest ever"! Thanks friends, for sharing your Waverunners!

My Father's Day started with presents given to me by Laura, Connor, and Noelle. One gift was Adirondack chairs. Although they are everywhere now, the chairs still remind me of living in New England and also of our time spent in the Adirondack mountains and lakes. A cool present was a DVD set to include most of the episodes of Lancelot Link, Secret Chimp. I was around 8 years old when the series was on television (1970). At Chelwood Elementary, I was occasionally called Lancelot Link, Secret Chimp (ha ha ha). I had to endure many poor impersonations of Lancelot Link's romantic interest, Mata Hairi, calling out for Lancelot. My Father's Day ended with diet Root Beer Floats and kids having difficulty getting to sleep!

Lancelot Link, Secret Chimp

Future Posts: Fishing with My Homies, Sea-Monkey Chronicles....

Robin's Sailboat - Part I

2007-06-07T06:30:00.000-07:00

Ahoy, Mates! Earlier this week, Robin (my mother-in-law) purchased a small sailboat. I drove down to Georgia with her to pick it up. Driving there was fun - I enjoy driving a pick-up truck with a gangly stick-shift and it is always great to spend time with a family member, especially relatively rare one-on-one time. An added blessing was a spectacular rainbow seemingly rooted in the neighborhood where we were to pick up the sailboat!

Not the actual rainbow we experienced, but beautiful nonetheless

I don't mean to boast, but I've had some experience as ballast on a sailboat. For a couple of summers, I was ballast on on a ~30-ft sailboat, occasionally seen racing at Lake Pickwick (circa 1995). We usually (always?) came in last, but we had lots of fun. In fact, the boat's name,"Driftwood", sort of captured our approach to sailing. During one of those summers, I recall a fast midnight sail that was sooooo surrealistic. I recall motoring out to open water for sailing with Jimmy Hendrix blasting on the stereo. I recall extending myself from the bow, wind briskly blowing thru my hair and yelling, "I'm King of the World"...wait, I'm sorry, I think that might have been Leonardo DeCaprio in Titanic. My mind wanders again.... Anyway, despite my extensive experience as ballast, we need help with sailing! I am looking forward to learning. Robin's teenage son took a sailing class several years ago, so Captain Nic is currently our expert.

16.5 Capri (similar to Robin's Sailboat)

Robin's sailboat is a 16.5 ft Capri. I think this is a great size for learning! In future posts, I hope to show action photos of family & friends sailing and water-skiing with Robin's Sailboat.

Nobody Wants to See That

2007-06-05T20:28:00.000-07:00

The other day Connor and I were in a convenience store and there was a man looking over the selection of beer in the refrigerated section. This guy was NOT wearing a shirt. He is a large man, some muscle, but he also has a belly that might be the byproduct of his current affection. Connor is standing about 8-feet from this guy and looking right at him. Connor says, "Daddy, why is this man not wearing his shirt"? I say, "I don't know, honey, maybe he left it in the car, let's go". Connor is still just standing there looking at this guy. The guy does not acknowledge Connor at all. I'm thinking this guy is simply ignoring Connor - that is fine with me. I am also wondering why it is taking him so long to pick out beer. Shirtless guys don't stand there and contemplate - they walk in and grab their usual six-pack! As Connor was finally turning to join me he says a phrase we sometimes say to him, "Nobody wants to see that". Thankfully, the guy was still ignoring Connor, appearing to contemplate beer instead.

What everybody wants to see is Noelle going mobile. Another milestone for baby Noelle: Escaping her floor blanket! She somehow rolled, squirmed, and scooted off of her floor blanket and over to a nearby backpack to teeth on a buckle. So, the days of her "staying put" are officially over.

Memorial Day

2007-05-28T17:42:00.000-07:00

(I took this picture of the US Arizona Memorial several years ago)

Each Memorial Day I try to reflect on the sacrifices our men and women of the armed services have made for our great nation. I am not grateful enough, even on this special day of remembrance.

An armed services veteran is a neighbor of ours. Gene is fully retired and we see him almost everyday. He spends a lot of time in his garage/office - impeccably clean and very organized (reminds me of my dad's garage). He loves kids, dogs, and good folks. He keeps dog treats in the garage (all dogs in our neighborhood know this). One escape-artist black lab occasionally barks for Gene to come out of his house - sometimes late at night! Connor always seems to leave Gene's garage with some sort of treasure (e.g., National Geographic maps, radio controlled car (loaner), candy, $1 for ice cream, etc...). Gene is also friends with Trevor. To give you an idea of his humor, he ended a recent conversation with Trevor with the following exchange:

Gene: Trevor?
Trevor: Yes, Gene?
Gene: I'm glad you got a chance to see me today!

On Memorial Day morning Connor and I visited Gene in the morning to cite the pledge of allegiance as Gene raised his American Flag (he raises the flag every morning). Because it was Memorial Day, we planted additional smaller flags along the sidewalk to his front porch. Gene gave Connor one of these little flags - his first American Flag. Later that day, Connor, Trevor, Noelle, and I took some homemade ice cream to Gene and his wife.

I hope you all had a great Memorial Day Weekend.
God Bless America.

Vader Rules!

2007-05-22T10:31:00.000-07:00

I first noticed Connor’s inclination toward the “bad guy” after Connor watched Disney’s Three Musketeers. "I’m the Eye Patch Guy," Connor would proclaim during play sword fights. The Eye Patch Guy is the enforcer of the evil Cardinal, and as you may have guessed, he has an eye-patch. He excels in sword fighting and looking sinister, in a cool way.

The Bad Guy: In most movies the bad guy is very easy to pick out, there is little confusion, and he often wears black. He’s making things happen – albeit bad things. He is powerful and until the hero saves the day, things are going pretty well for him. Quite often, he escapes at the end of the story only to return with a vengeance in a subsequent story. He is focused, seldom distracted by romance or a sassy heroin.

The Good Guy: Unless he is a super-hero, he is more difficult to spot and undoubtedly distracted by romance (sometimes by a young lady that ends up being his sister!). Heroes are often reluctant or lacking in power, they are “in the making” during most of the movie.

I think about such things to figure out why Connor is so inclined toward the bad-guy. Last year, Connor borrowed a Darth Vader action figure riding a black motorcycle (I did not know Darth had a motorcycle!). After watching a few Star Wars movies he quickly locked into the idea of Darth Vader as the ultimate bad guy. Toy Darth Vader has taken center stage at our home. Many good-guy toys in his collection end up “working for Darth Vader" during playtime. The Playskool's Little People in their Wheels-Go-Round-and-Round-School-Bus don’t stand a chance when Batman sides with Darth Vader!

This is probably not related, but this is my World of Wander… Connor’s favorite singer is not a bad-guy, but he is the “Man in Black” – Johnny Cash! Connor’s favorite color is purple, but perhaps its really black. Back to the current thread…

More often than not, I try to spin Connor away from the “Dark Side” while allowing him to be a kid with the freedom to think for himself. For example, I’ll tell him Schrek will not work for Darth Vader, he is not bad, he just has bad manners.

“I want a Darth Vader T-Shirt” he announced the other day. Am I worried? Just a little… For today, Vader Rules!

A Few Family Events

2007-05-08T15:57:00.000-07:00

Howdy! I wanted to take this opportunity to document a few family events.

First, my parent's came from Albuquerque to Chattanooga to visit us in early May. They have four grandsons and Noelle is their first granddaughter. This is the first time they have met her! We really enjoyed spending time with them. Grandma and Grandpa bought Connor and Noelle an awesome play-set for the backyard!

Second, both Connor and Noelle were baptized at our church on May 6. The ceremony included another couple and their two kids. The kids provided plenty of distractions and our pastors handled things wonderfully!

Thirdly, Noelle had "solid" food for the first time. I was thinking ground pizza, but Laura chose avocado for her first foray into the world of solid food. Yummmm!!!

You're kidding, right?

Here is a recent picture of Connor and Noelle!

Next Blog: Vader Rules!

Noelle's Music to My Ears

2007-05-02T19:30:00.000-07:00

Our little angel, Noelle, is just over 4 months old. For weeks she has been smiling and cooing. Today was special because Laura and I experienced her first laugh. Laura nuzzles and kisses Noelle, while allowing her hair to gently tickle Noelle's face. This interaction has caused her to laugh on several occasions. I love it!

This milestone, and milestones like this, seem more important to me than milestones such as walking, talking, and ultimately solving a Rubik's Cube. Although, I'll let you know when she does any of those things!

2007-04-27T19:03:00.000-07:00

I Love You, Laura!