by Grant
I have been stressing the finances for a couple weeks since Rebekah showed me how lopsided things were (income versus outflow). But, I was trying my best to remind myself that God provides and has gotten us through much tougher things (such as the last nine months). I started getting myself in gear and seeking out some additional funds while Rebekah started pruning things (such as our home phone). Within the last week I have secured some moonlighting computer work that should bring in a few bucks as well as I worked an on-call shift (which is rough at times). But besides those things, we received $375 from three different parties without any whining on our part. No prayer requests for finances (at least, not to my knowledge), no crying on friends shoulder's, nothing out of the ordinary. It's pretty tough to be too demoralized when God starts providing immediately. Yes, the money is only a drip in the bucket but it's nice to see prayers being answered.
Baby/Life update:
Rebekah is attempting to potty-train forrest. Argh! This kid is so afraid of the toilet, that it's not funny. I'm afraid if we keep pushing it he's going to have a phobia. Rebekah is very hard headed and not wanting to give up, but it's ugly. Tomorrow will be a determining day in this grand experiment.
I also had the opportunity on friday to dissuade a co-worker from quitting. Very upset this person was. Very discouraged about some issues at work. But the real problem was that "Jane" was dealing with pain on a constant basis. All the trials in her life had pushed her to the edge. I think that it's downright sad when an Ogre is active in employee retention. Life is funny at times...
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Safety in America Today
by Grant
Have you noticed how safe everything has to be? I was watching a Magnum PI and some guy got in the Ferrari (a government official no less) and he <gasp> didn't put a seat belt on! The horror! The government must protect us from everything including ourselves. When I grew up one of my favorite things was to ride in the back of a pick-up. Even though I see kids still doing that around here, my paranoia of the cops would make it hard to allow my kids to do that. So, not only do your kids have to wear a seat-belt, but it has to conform to certain requirements or you could be fined. Obviously, you must wear a seat-belt as well (pre-magnum PI). Obviously, many safety things such as seat-belts are worth the inconvenience. Sometimes I wonder with child seats though. Evil and awkward contraptions at best. But I propose that no government or parent should try to protect people from everything. With my children, I make a judgment when my kids are engaging in semi-perilous activities. "Will this result in fatality or maiming for him or anyone around him?" If no, then I ask "Will he damage any property in the process?" If no (or very unlikely), then I generally let them have some slack. Please notice that I didn't ask myself if they might get hurt. The reason is, at least for boys, getting hurt physically is a part of life and they need to learn to deal with it. I think that learning to make decisions that affect the safety of yourself and others is important. I have noticed too many people that rely on the government to keep them from harm (people in New Orleans) and parents that think that they are failing somehow if their child gets hurt. The fourth of July festivities at a friend's house is a very good example. We had 14 children (including the girls) at a friends house. My friend lights copious amounts of fireworks (all legal) and the kids get to participate actively in some of it. Well, I figured Titus and possibly Forrest would burn their hands or fingers a little but I'd keep an eye on them. Titus surprised me by picking up a sparkler ember with his mouth. Obviously, the term "dropped it like a hot potato" is very apropos here. But he won't do that again. Hannah (my friend's 11 year old daughter) got a smoke bomb between her "flip-flop" and her foot. It burned her badly, but ice and vitamin-e did wonders. Guess what lesson she learned? Yeah, and before you castigate the father, he had told the kids to put on shoes. Attention world, "flip flops" are not shoes and should not be worn when shoes are required. The father was told by his wife before the festivities that someone might get hurt. He conceded that this was likely but it was still worth the risk. I tend to agree. Pain is a valuable teacher at times and we would do well to learn from its lessons.
Baby/Life update:
The girls are doing very well. They are a lot of fun to interact with. Rebekah lays them on the floor and I'll lay down by them and talk to them. They will even talk to each other which is incredible to watch. The boys are having fun with them as well, but not being careful enough at times. Rebekah has started to wean them to Kirkland/Costco formula, which if successful would cut our formula bill down by $100 a month. In the meantime, if you run across some Enfamil coupons and want to mail them to us, it would be appreciated. My hands still hurt and I'll probably have to have surgery which may or may not help. And no, we don't have any puppies, I was just trying to show how "ogre-ish" I am at times. Hey, you get what you pay for when you read the blog.
Have you noticed how safe everything has to be? I was watching a Magnum PI and some guy got in the Ferrari (a government official no less) and he <gasp> didn't put a seat belt on! The horror! The government must protect us from everything including ourselves. When I grew up one of my favorite things was to ride in the back of a pick-up. Even though I see kids still doing that around here, my paranoia of the cops would make it hard to allow my kids to do that. So, not only do your kids have to wear a seat-belt, but it has to conform to certain requirements or you could be fined. Obviously, you must wear a seat-belt as well (pre-magnum PI). Obviously, many safety things such as seat-belts are worth the inconvenience. Sometimes I wonder with child seats though. Evil and awkward contraptions at best. But I propose that no government or parent should try to protect people from everything. With my children, I make a judgment when my kids are engaging in semi-perilous activities. "Will this result in fatality or maiming for him or anyone around him?" If no, then I ask "Will he damage any property in the process?" If no (or very unlikely), then I generally let them have some slack. Please notice that I didn't ask myself if they might get hurt. The reason is, at least for boys, getting hurt physically is a part of life and they need to learn to deal with it. I think that learning to make decisions that affect the safety of yourself and others is important. I have noticed too many people that rely on the government to keep them from harm (people in New Orleans) and parents that think that they are failing somehow if their child gets hurt. The fourth of July festivities at a friend's house is a very good example. We had 14 children (including the girls) at a friends house. My friend lights copious amounts of fireworks (all legal) and the kids get to participate actively in some of it. Well, I figured Titus and possibly Forrest would burn their hands or fingers a little but I'd keep an eye on them. Titus surprised me by picking up a sparkler ember with his mouth. Obviously, the term "dropped it like a hot potato" is very apropos here. But he won't do that again. Hannah (my friend's 11 year old daughter) got a smoke bomb between her "flip-flop" and her foot. It burned her badly, but ice and vitamin-e did wonders. Guess what lesson she learned? Yeah, and before you castigate the father, he had told the kids to put on shoes. Attention world, "flip flops" are not shoes and should not be worn when shoes are required. The father was told by his wife before the festivities that someone might get hurt. He conceded that this was likely but it was still worth the risk. I tend to agree. Pain is a valuable teacher at times and we would do well to learn from its lessons.
Baby/Life update:
The girls are doing very well. They are a lot of fun to interact with. Rebekah lays them on the floor and I'll lay down by them and talk to them. They will even talk to each other which is incredible to watch. The boys are having fun with them as well, but not being careful enough at times. Rebekah has started to wean them to Kirkland/Costco formula, which if successful would cut our formula bill down by $100 a month. In the meantime, if you run across some Enfamil coupons and want to mail them to us, it would be appreciated. My hands still hurt and I'll probably have to have surgery which may or may not help. And no, we don't have any puppies, I was just trying to show how "ogre-ish" I am at times. Hey, you get what you pay for when you read the blog.
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Pondering and Pontificating
by Grant
Actually, I'll do most of that on my own blog, but I figured I'd warn you in case I accidentally pull the trigger.
Emphasis.
You've all heard the jest about putting the emphasis on the wrong syllable (or siloble). I submit that good stories require just the precise amount of emphasis in the proper parts (as well as the proper proportions). What I didn't realize is that sometimes you can place the emphasis on a completely different part of the story and have something you'd never intended. Good stories require that you know what you are going to say (not exactly of course) and what the "punchline" is. Maybe it's funny, maybe it's not, but it's the thing that makes people say, "Wow. cool story. I bow in your presence at your mastery of the spoken word." rather than, "Will somebody please shut... hmm. I wonder what's for dinner. Maybe it's meatloaf. I like meatloaf. But only if there aren't onions. Onions are an abomination." Obviously, glazed eyes are not good. Not like glazed donuts are good. Although, I must profess that I've never consumed eyes, glazed or otherwise, but obviously I'm not talking about food. Am I? Moving right along... Maybe an example would help (if I can transcribe a verbal story into a written one appropriately... Let's see how this goes.)
Story 1: As remembered by Grant
Grant is outside in the hot sun working on a fence. He's frustrated for a variety of reasons and things generally aren't going well. He is looking down at the ground and pondering how frustrated he is when his eldest son comes up. "What are you doing Dad?", he asks. Grant responds, "I'm thinking." Not content at that response, Forrest inquires, "What are you thinking?" Grant, thinking quickly, decides that rather than vent on this poor (not so innocent at times) child, he'll try to spin this positively. So, Grant leans over and giving Forrest (the eldest child) a quick hug, he says, "I'm thinking that I love you." His son is embarrassed and laughs and walking a couple steps away out of further hug range and says, "I love you too Dad. We're bestest friends"
Story 2: As overheard by nosy female @ work (Just kidding Janice)
Grant is working on a fence and is having trouble and about ready to say every dirty word in the book when Forrest comes up and asks what he's doing. Grant then leans over and hugs him and says, "I'm thinking how much I love you."
So, do you see the difference in emphasis? The first story while having all the same details focuses on the child's response. The second one focuses on me. I was very surprised when Janice stopped there and all the females within earshot starting saying odd things like, "What a good father." Obviously, I beat a hasty retreat. For the record, I am an Ogre. Maybe Ogres are good fathers, not sure. Haven't see Shrek 4 yet to see how the kid comes out (He did have a kid in Shrek 3 right?). But I was really taken aback at how she told the same basic story but came out with a totally different emphasis while still having a good story. Fascinating huh? (BTW, my version of the story is better.)
Baby/Life update
Must kill collectors. How come they want paid? I don't understand how come they don't pay us to go the hospital (roughly paraphrased from my wife's comments.) Other things... Titus kindly put dirt in my lawn mowers gas tank. This might be a problem if I watered my lawn. Thankfully, I don't so mowing isn't much of any issue. (You think I jest. I assure you that I don't. much). Ooooh ooh! Liberty rolled over. Then she was unhappy (no likey the tummy). Serenity is progressing nicely according to some Child Developmental chick. LIberty needs to spend more time on the tummy (uh oh). Ah, and the boys and I happened upon one of our NICU nurses. We really liked her, but didn't see her a lot as she only worked part time. Turns out she only lives a few miles away. I need to take the girls over so she can see what a good job she did in her caretaker roll.
Well, I guess that's it. If you'll excuse me, I'm off to club some puppies. I prefer clubbing baby seals, but they're scarce this time of year. Hey, I told you I was an Ogre.
Actually, I'll do most of that on my own blog, but I figured I'd warn you in case I accidentally pull the trigger.
Emphasis.
You've all heard the jest about putting the emphasis on the wrong syllable (or siloble). I submit that good stories require just the precise amount of emphasis in the proper parts (as well as the proper proportions). What I didn't realize is that sometimes you can place the emphasis on a completely different part of the story and have something you'd never intended. Good stories require that you know what you are going to say (not exactly of course) and what the "punchline" is. Maybe it's funny, maybe it's not, but it's the thing that makes people say, "Wow. cool story. I bow in your presence at your mastery of the spoken word." rather than, "Will somebody please shut... hmm. I wonder what's for dinner. Maybe it's meatloaf. I like meatloaf. But only if there aren't onions. Onions are an abomination." Obviously, glazed eyes are not good. Not like glazed donuts are good. Although, I must profess that I've never consumed eyes, glazed or otherwise, but obviously I'm not talking about food. Am I? Moving right along... Maybe an example would help (if I can transcribe a verbal story into a written one appropriately... Let's see how this goes.)
Story 1: As remembered by Grant
Grant is outside in the hot sun working on a fence. He's frustrated for a variety of reasons and things generally aren't going well. He is looking down at the ground and pondering how frustrated he is when his eldest son comes up. "What are you doing Dad?", he asks. Grant responds, "I'm thinking." Not content at that response, Forrest inquires, "What are you thinking?" Grant, thinking quickly, decides that rather than vent on this poor (not so innocent at times) child, he'll try to spin this positively. So, Grant leans over and giving Forrest (the eldest child) a quick hug, he says, "I'm thinking that I love you." His son is embarrassed and laughs and walking a couple steps away out of further hug range and says, "I love you too Dad. We're bestest friends"
Story 2: As overheard by nosy female @ work (Just kidding Janice)
Grant is working on a fence and is having trouble and about ready to say every dirty word in the book when Forrest comes up and asks what he's doing. Grant then leans over and hugs him and says, "I'm thinking how much I love you."
So, do you see the difference in emphasis? The first story while having all the same details focuses on the child's response. The second one focuses on me. I was very surprised when Janice stopped there and all the females within earshot starting saying odd things like, "What a good father." Obviously, I beat a hasty retreat. For the record, I am an Ogre. Maybe Ogres are good fathers, not sure. Haven't see Shrek 4 yet to see how the kid comes out (He did have a kid in Shrek 3 right?). But I was really taken aback at how she told the same basic story but came out with a totally different emphasis while still having a good story. Fascinating huh? (BTW, my version of the story is better.)
Baby/Life update
Must kill collectors. How come they want paid? I don't understand how come they don't pay us to go the hospital (roughly paraphrased from my wife's comments.) Other things... Titus kindly put dirt in my lawn mowers gas tank. This might be a problem if I watered my lawn. Thankfully, I don't so mowing isn't much of any issue. (You think I jest. I assure you that I don't. much). Ooooh ooh! Liberty rolled over. Then she was unhappy (no likey the tummy). Serenity is progressing nicely according to some Child Developmental chick. LIberty needs to spend more time on the tummy (uh oh). Ah, and the boys and I happened upon one of our NICU nurses. We really liked her, but didn't see her a lot as she only worked part time. Turns out she only lives a few miles away. I need to take the girls over so she can see what a good job she did in her caretaker roll.
Well, I guess that's it. If you'll excuse me, I'm off to club some puppies. I prefer clubbing baby seals, but they're scarce this time of year. Hey, I told you I was an Ogre.
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Baby/Life Update
by Grant
The girls are still doing well. Growing like weeds. Or grass if you water it. Which I don't. Because I don't want it to grow. The grass that is. I want the girls to grow. Today I was their sole caretaker for about six hours and they were on their best behavior. I actually got lonely for a bit. Haven't had that long without somebody to talk to. Yes, I talk to the babies but that's about like talking to a liberal. They make cute sounds back like they're trying to talk, but it's really just gibberish.
We've finally gotten the girls into a semi good routine. They're not really on the same schedule during the day, but at night Rebekah gets them in sync pretty darn well. One amusing anecdote: Rebekah discovered that if both the girls are hungry and crying, it's best to always feed Serenity first. If she takes turns (which she has been doing for months) Liberty will stop eating because Serenity is crying. So, feed Serenity first and she'll be quiet at least. Then feed liberty. Seems to be working well.
Rebekah watched 6 kids (our 2 boys and 4 of her sister's) so her sister and her husband (her sister's husband... not me) could go on their anniversary date. Worked out pretty well Rebekah said. That's why I was watching the girls by my lonesome.
Ok, we haven't been taking as many pictures but we do have a few that haven't made it onto the blog.
Happy Serenity
The Fam
Serenity and Liberty (more pics @ the photobucket site)
The girls are still doing well. Growing like weeds. Or grass if you water it. Which I don't. Because I don't want it to grow. The grass that is. I want the girls to grow. Today I was their sole caretaker for about six hours and they were on their best behavior. I actually got lonely for a bit. Haven't had that long without somebody to talk to. Yes, I talk to the babies but that's about like talking to a liberal. They make cute sounds back like they're trying to talk, but it's really just gibberish.
We've finally gotten the girls into a semi good routine. They're not really on the same schedule during the day, but at night Rebekah gets them in sync pretty darn well. One amusing anecdote: Rebekah discovered that if both the girls are hungry and crying, it's best to always feed Serenity first. If she takes turns (which she has been doing for months) Liberty will stop eating because Serenity is crying. So, feed Serenity first and she'll be quiet at least. Then feed liberty. Seems to be working well.
Rebekah watched 6 kids (our 2 boys and 4 of her sister's) so her sister and her husband (her sister's husband... not me) could go on their anniversary date. Worked out pretty well Rebekah said. That's why I was watching the girls by my lonesome.
Ok, we haven't been taking as many pictures but we do have a few that haven't made it onto the blog.
Happy Serenity
The Fam
Serenity and Liberty (more pics @ the photobucket site)
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Fun with Trials and Tribulations
by Grant
I think when miserable and arduous events come into our lives we should learn to have fun with them. Heck, if you know where soul is going after you turn into worm food then you should have a pretty good perspective. Unfortunately, we (me) tend to be annoyed (at best) or traumatized into a nervous breakdown (close to worst but not the worst). I think one universal tendency of all homo-sapiens (no that's not a bad word) is to wonder, "Why oh, Why????"
Yeah, don't go there. God doesn't (typically) make it really obvious why you are suffering. I've known two youngish people from our church (about 20 members) that suffered and died in the past couple years. Both affected me pretty hard (harder than I expected). I have one good friend who is having horrible problems with her young adult son who I know is a good kid. I have another friend that is suffering from crippling depression. What does this tell you? Don't be friends with me. But seriously, I don't know why these things have happened to these people. But I can posit some reasons that may not show up now, but possibly years down the road.
1. God is trying to get your attention. Whether you believe in him or not, he believes in you.Trite phrase but true. God gives you opportunities to accept his son as your personal savior. Ignore him at your perile.
2. God is going to use this experience to increase other's faith in him by how he provides YOU grace through *_insert miserable thingy here_*
3. God is going to grow your faith in him by making you trust him versus your super powerful (Not!) self.
4. God wants you to be able to help others through their similar trials
Ok, say your're an abject heathen. Either atheist (silly wabbit) or agnostic (lazy wabbit). Well, you can trim some of the God stuff out of my points and still find a bit of value, but admittedly it's a lot weaker. So, just get with the program. If you can't look out the window at a beautiful sunset (or analyze the amazing intricacies of the human eye) and admit to yourself that evolution is a bunch of hooey then there is pretty much no hope for you. If you do admit that there is something behind this creation (AKA God) then I can lay out some. reasons why my God is the only real one (and no, Buddha He is not).
P.S. Yes my hands still hurt like the dickens (not sure what a dickens is or how it hurts but it seems bad).
I think when miserable and arduous events come into our lives we should learn to have fun with them. Heck, if you know where soul is going after you turn into worm food then you should have a pretty good perspective. Unfortunately, we (me) tend to be annoyed (at best) or traumatized into a nervous breakdown (close to worst but not the worst). I think one universal tendency of all homo-sapiens (no that's not a bad word) is to wonder, "Why oh, Why????"
Yeah, don't go there. God doesn't (typically) make it really obvious why you are suffering. I've known two youngish people from our church (about 20 members) that suffered and died in the past couple years. Both affected me pretty hard (harder than I expected). I have one good friend who is having horrible problems with her young adult son who I know is a good kid. I have another friend that is suffering from crippling depression. What does this tell you? Don't be friends with me. But seriously, I don't know why these things have happened to these people. But I can posit some reasons that may not show up now, but possibly years down the road.
1. God is trying to get your attention. Whether you believe in him or not, he believes in you.Trite phrase but true. God gives you opportunities to accept his son as your personal savior. Ignore him at your perile.
2. God is going to use this experience to increase other's faith in him by how he provides YOU grace through *_insert miserable thingy here_*
3. God is going to grow your faith in him by making you trust him versus your super powerful (Not!) self.
4. God wants you to be able to help others through their similar trials
Ok, say your're an abject heathen. Either atheist (silly wabbit) or agnostic (lazy wabbit). Well, you can trim some of the God stuff out of my points and still find a bit of value, but admittedly it's a lot weaker. So, just get with the program. If you can't look out the window at a beautiful sunset (or analyze the amazing intricacies of the human eye) and admit to yourself that evolution is a bunch of hooey then there is pretty much no hope for you. If you do admit that there is something behind this creation (AKA God) then I can lay out some. reasons why my God is the only real one (and no, Buddha He is not).
P.S. Yes my hands still hurt like the dickens (not sure what a dickens is or how it hurts but it seems bad).
Friday, June 15, 2007
Pain in the membrane
by Grant
I've been having some very irritating pain so I've been trying to limit any extra-curricular computer usage. Typing especially is a bit hard on my hands. But I wanted to post a couple things.
One: Kids continuously amaze me. Or at least, my kids do. Your kids are probably pretty boring, right? Forrest is so incredibly sweet at times. Polite and apologetic. Very appreciative. I spose a lot of that is what mood he's in. He's been calling things beautiful and no matter how many times I hear him say something is "beautiful" I can't help but smile. Titus is a charmer just standing there. He's not quite the talker, but he makes up for it with his perpetual smile and platinum hair. And of course, all babies are cute. Well, not really, but we have to pretend right?
Two: The good old days. Who out there hasn't pined for the days of yore? When life was simpler and you didn't have to run around to Wal-Mart and pick up a USB cable for your printer so you could print the Church's bulletin out? When Childbirth was the number one killer of women and death by fires was number 2. When things like diabetes and polio took lives. When fear of nuclear immolation was a daily concern. When if needed vision correction you had to wear glasses and mar your natural beauty. When, When, well... Let's just all be grateful for the advances that have been made that improve our daily life and try to ignore the evils of the modern world such as minivans, cell phone talkers, extended minivans, mary kay cosmetics, and commercials.
Three: (officially more than a couple) The evils of any hospital visit are starting to come due. The bill for Rebekah was over 20k (she spent time in antepartum and the OR). Our insurance paid 80% of it, but that still leaves us with over $5000 that the hospital wants paid off in 15 months or less. That's way more than what we can afford. Two babies plus another kid still in diapers is really hurting our budget. But, it could be worse. If that's all we have to pay it'll be incredible.
I've been having some very irritating pain so I've been trying to limit any extra-curricular computer usage. Typing especially is a bit hard on my hands. But I wanted to post a couple things.
One: Kids continuously amaze me. Or at least, my kids do. Your kids are probably pretty boring, right? Forrest is so incredibly sweet at times. Polite and apologetic. Very appreciative. I spose a lot of that is what mood he's in. He's been calling things beautiful and no matter how many times I hear him say something is "beautiful" I can't help but smile. Titus is a charmer just standing there. He's not quite the talker, but he makes up for it with his perpetual smile and platinum hair. And of course, all babies are cute. Well, not really, but we have to pretend right?
Two: The good old days. Who out there hasn't pined for the days of yore? When life was simpler and you didn't have to run around to Wal-Mart and pick up a USB cable for your printer so you could print the Church's bulletin out? When Childbirth was the number one killer of women and death by fires was number 2. When things like diabetes and polio took lives. When fear of nuclear immolation was a daily concern. When if needed vision correction you had to wear glasses and mar your natural beauty. When, When, well... Let's just all be grateful for the advances that have been made that improve our daily life and try to ignore the evils of the modern world such as minivans, cell phone talkers, extended minivans, mary kay cosmetics, and commercials.
Three: (officially more than a couple) The evils of any hospital visit are starting to come due. The bill for Rebekah was over 20k (she spent time in antepartum and the OR). Our insurance paid 80% of it, but that still leaves us with over $5000 that the hospital wants paid off in 15 months or less. That's way more than what we can afford. Two babies plus another kid still in diapers is really hurting our budget. But, it could be worse. If that's all we have to pay it'll be incredible.
Friday, June 8, 2007
Life 'n stuff
by Grant
Well, Serenity is doing pretty well considering she does have an infection. I guess the official diagnosis is it's a urinary tract infection and they prescribed liquid antibiotics for two weeks. But she's been a good sport. A smiley little girl even when she doesn't feel very well. It was funny in a sad way to talk to her and she'd smile a bit and then cry. Talk some more and she'd smile and then cry. But, like I said, she's doing better.
I found out today that a couple people that I know at work have immediate family members that are in the hospital @ 29 weeks with babies that want to come out. That's roughly the same time as our little ones ex uteroed. So, if you think about it you might pray for them as well. One Mom to be is named Nicole and the other's last name is baker (she is a Mrs. w/ other munchkins).
Liberty is a little sweetheart and Rebekah said that a sure-fire way to figure out which baby is which is to cover up their heads with blankets. Serenity thinks it's funny but Liberty not so much. Last night I saw them both that way and it was pretty amusing how they reacted differently. I'm not sure if my wife was being deliberately mean, or if Liberty just happened to cover herself up at the same time Serenity was.
Got some other stuff to put on here. Some of it is probably only interesting to technical members of my family. Some of it's pics. Some of it's neither. But ya gotta spread this stuff out sometimes. Don't want to overwhelm anybody with too much vitriol in one day.
BTW, if there are typos in my blog feel free to point them out, but blogs are "stream of conciousness" writing. This is NOT english class and I'm not writing a thesis.
Well, Serenity is doing pretty well considering she does have an infection. I guess the official diagnosis is it's a urinary tract infection and they prescribed liquid antibiotics for two weeks. But she's been a good sport. A smiley little girl even when she doesn't feel very well. It was funny in a sad way to talk to her and she'd smile a bit and then cry. Talk some more and she'd smile and then cry. But, like I said, she's doing better.
I found out today that a couple people that I know at work have immediate family members that are in the hospital @ 29 weeks with babies that want to come out. That's roughly the same time as our little ones ex uteroed. So, if you think about it you might pray for them as well. One Mom to be is named Nicole and the other's last name is baker (she is a Mrs. w/ other munchkins).
Liberty is a little sweetheart and Rebekah said that a sure-fire way to figure out which baby is which is to cover up their heads with blankets. Serenity thinks it's funny but Liberty not so much. Last night I saw them both that way and it was pretty amusing how they reacted differently. I'm not sure if my wife was being deliberately mean, or if Liberty just happened to cover herself up at the same time Serenity was.
Got some other stuff to put on here. Some of it is probably only interesting to technical members of my family. Some of it's pics. Some of it's neither. But ya gotta spread this stuff out sometimes. Don't want to overwhelm anybody with too much vitriol in one day.
BTW, if there are typos in my blog feel free to point them out, but blogs are "stream of conciousness" writing. This is NOT english class and I'm not writing a thesis.
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Serenity Update
by Grant
I'm sure some of you out there have been praying for our little girl. Yesterday scared me a little because (long story short) they said that they saw something suspicious in her urine and we had to take her back right away to get a shot. Suspicious huh? Short on details, long on panicking us poor parents. The Dr. is concerned that Serenity has an infection. Bladder or Kidney most likely. Serenity is doing better since the shot thankfully, but we don't know yet what her diagnosis is. We should find that out tomorrow. Right now I am staying home with her and Forrest while Rebekah goes to Church w/ Titus and Liberty. Division of labor, equality and all that.
I thought I would post some more stuff, but the more typing I do, the more my wrists and arms hurt (carpal-tunnel problems) so I guess I'll leave it at that.
I'm sure some of you out there have been praying for our little girl. Yesterday scared me a little because (long story short) they said that they saw something suspicious in her urine and we had to take her back right away to get a shot. Suspicious huh? Short on details, long on panicking us poor parents. The Dr. is concerned that Serenity has an infection. Bladder or Kidney most likely. Serenity is doing better since the shot thankfully, but we don't know yet what her diagnosis is. We should find that out tomorrow. Right now I am staying home with her and Forrest while Rebekah goes to Church w/ Titus and Liberty. Division of labor, equality and all that.
I thought I would post some more stuff, but the more typing I do, the more my wrists and arms hurt (carpal-tunnel problems) so I guess I'll leave it at that.
Monday, June 4, 2007
Sick Serenity
by Grant
Much to our dismay, Serenity has come down with something. It has caused a high fever. She's had a fever all day and although Rebekah has been giving her baby Tylenol, it never went down but rather stayed steady at 101. This evening it was at 102.5 so we called the pediatrician and she recommended giving her 2 ml of ibuprofen as well. Right now she's doing well, but it's always scary when a young child is sick. It's even more scary when it's a baby. Scarier yet if they are/were preemies.
In other news, the developmental chick (yes, that's her official job title) said that the babies are on schedule but we need to put them on their tummies more and also give them some practice grabbing stuff (as if my chest hair wasn't enough).
So far Liberty is fine. In fact Rebekah was making silly faces at her and Liberty was laughing. Pretty amusing to hear a baby laugh. It sounds almost like croaking.
Much to our dismay, Serenity has come down with something. It has caused a high fever. She's had a fever all day and although Rebekah has been giving her baby Tylenol, it never went down but rather stayed steady at 101. This evening it was at 102.5 so we called the pediatrician and she recommended giving her 2 ml of ibuprofen as well. Right now she's doing well, but it's always scary when a young child is sick. It's even more scary when it's a baby. Scarier yet if they are/were preemies.
In other news, the developmental chick (yes, that's her official job title) said that the babies are on schedule but we need to put them on their tummies more and also give them some practice grabbing stuff (as if my chest hair wasn't enough).
So far Liberty is fine. In fact Rebekah was making silly faces at her and Liberty was laughing. Pretty amusing to hear a baby laugh. It sounds almost like croaking.
Saturday, June 2, 2007
Personalities
by Grant
As the girls get older, they seem to definitely be exhibiting different personality types. (what a bold statement. "seem" and "definitely" both). Of course, I reserve the right to be completely wrong. Serenity, against all odds, actually seems to be living up to her name. I would characterize her as a type B personality. She sleeps better, needs less comforting and generally eats better too. Liberty on the other hand is much less easily consoled. When she gets upset she generally needs her mother--no other woman will do. She wakes up in the middle of the night more frequently. Definitely working on type A. Now, while this is "cute" it begs the question: Why are they different? Those of you who have seen the heathen film "Trading Places" (no, not trading spaces you women out there. It's not that silly show on HGTV) should know that there is a difference of opinions regarding what truly forms who you are. Nature (your genes) or Nurture (how you are raised). Now, obviously they both play a significant factor, but what if the nature (genes) are identical and nurture (how they are being raised/reared) is basically identical? What is that wild-card that makes them different? What is that X-Factor? What is that, uhm, unknown thingy? I submit to you that it is their souls. Why should nature and nurture be the only things that help define who you are? Why should your immortal soul just be this thingy you have that doesn't die but serves no other real purpose? Why I ask you? hmm? hmm? I thought so. Stick that in your pipe and smoke it. Unless you have asthma or emphysema. In which case, just pretend you're smoking but don't light anything.
As the girls get older, they seem to definitely be exhibiting different personality types. (what a bold statement. "seem" and "definitely" both). Of course, I reserve the right to be completely wrong. Serenity, against all odds, actually seems to be living up to her name. I would characterize her as a type B personality. She sleeps better, needs less comforting and generally eats better too. Liberty on the other hand is much less easily consoled. When she gets upset she generally needs her mother--no other woman will do. She wakes up in the middle of the night more frequently. Definitely working on type A. Now, while this is "cute" it begs the question: Why are they different? Those of you who have seen the heathen film "Trading Places" (no, not trading spaces you women out there. It's not that silly show on HGTV) should know that there is a difference of opinions regarding what truly forms who you are. Nature (your genes) or Nurture (how you are raised). Now, obviously they both play a significant factor, but what if the nature (genes) are identical and nurture (how they are being raised/reared) is basically identical? What is that wild-card that makes them different? What is that X-Factor? What is that, uhm, unknown thingy? I submit to you that it is their souls. Why should nature and nurture be the only things that help define who you are? Why should your immortal soul just be this thingy you have that doesn't die but serves no other real purpose? Why I ask you? hmm? hmm? I thought so. Stick that in your pipe and smoke it. Unless you have asthma or emphysema. In which case, just pretend you're smoking but don't light anything.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Priorities
by Grant
I think that it's a no-brainer to realize that different people have different priorities. Another brilliant statement is "people are different." Well, I mention these because I (as well as others) tend to get tunnel vision in our lives. We think that people share our thoughts and attitudes about things and we are incredulous when they don't. I've noticed that as more and more happens in my life, two things happen. First, I am more aware and empathetic of other people and their problems and Secondly I have less and less time to do anything about it. I struggle with priorities on a daily basis. I marvel at those people that "have their act together." Because I know how hard life is with children (primarily young ones) both Rebekah and myself have a hard time imposing on others to help with child care. Generally this is done when there are Dr. appointments, but we've canceled several just because it's too hard. The girls haven't been to the Dr. in quite awhile so we can't tell you how much they weigh. But Rebekah did figure out (don't ask how) that they're about 10 lbs. Life is progressing.
This post is a bit maudlin probably because I'm really tired. I've thought several times that I need to make one thing very clear. We are very grateful for our children, family and friends. Although life is very challenging we are happier than we've ever been. This kind of leads me back to the realization that children fill a void in life (for most people).
For memorial day, our two families (mine and Tim 'n Keren's) went to a couple different parks. The weather was nice and it was fun to see the kids focus their energy in such a healthy manner. I'm convinced that the children of today don't expend their energy in positive ways. I think we ought to bring recess into high school. Tired kids (up to a point) are better behaved kids. I think channeling the energy of children is critical. Turning on the TV is too easy.
Thank you and good night.
I think that it's a no-brainer to realize that different people have different priorities. Another brilliant statement is "people are different." Well, I mention these because I (as well as others) tend to get tunnel vision in our lives. We think that people share our thoughts and attitudes about things and we are incredulous when they don't. I've noticed that as more and more happens in my life, two things happen. First, I am more aware and empathetic of other people and their problems and Secondly I have less and less time to do anything about it. I struggle with priorities on a daily basis. I marvel at those people that "have their act together." Because I know how hard life is with children (primarily young ones) both Rebekah and myself have a hard time imposing on others to help with child care. Generally this is done when there are Dr. appointments, but we've canceled several just because it's too hard. The girls haven't been to the Dr. in quite awhile so we can't tell you how much they weigh. But Rebekah did figure out (don't ask how) that they're about 10 lbs. Life is progressing.
This post is a bit maudlin probably because I'm really tired. I've thought several times that I need to make one thing very clear. We are very grateful for our children, family and friends. Although life is very challenging we are happier than we've ever been. This kind of leads me back to the realization that children fill a void in life (for most people).
For memorial day, our two families (mine and Tim 'n Keren's) went to a couple different parks. The weather was nice and it was fun to see the kids focus their energy in such a healthy manner. I'm convinced that the children of today don't expend their energy in positive ways. I think we ought to bring recess into high school. Tired kids (up to a point) are better behaved kids. I think channeling the energy of children is critical. Turning on the TV is too easy.
Thank you and good night.
Saturday, May 19, 2007
For those about to rear (children), we salute you.
by Grant
I was thinking the other day about some of the things that make a good wife and mother. One is being tough. I once dated a girl that looked really good on paper (stop laughing). I had just come out of a relationship that was a frickin' roller coaster ride. She (roller-coaster ride) was something truly special... and not in all a good way. Looks and personality in spades. But lacking a bit in the emotional stability department (did I say a little, I meant huge amounts). Anyway, back to paper lady. Paper lady wasn't the most beautiful chick in the henhouse but she had emotional stability (or so I thought) and important things like a correct religious persuasion, a good family, and frugality. Important things when dating someone that might end up walking off with half your stuff someday. But one thing she was not--she was not tough. She had very little stamina. I am thankful that my wife is a tough cookie. The other day we went to Wal-Mart and she insisted on picking up the dog-food to show me she could do it. I had to laugh as she hefted the fifty lb. bag up like it was one of our babies. One tough hombre my dad would say. I think that being tough enables a mother to sacrifice so many things in life. She (and most mothers) sacrifice their figure, time, sleep, sanity (occasionally), their immaculate (once again some mothers) house, hobbies, and many other things too numerous to mention. I think that being a parent, but especially being a mother, can be epitomized by the word "sacrifice." You have to be tough to make the sacrifices. Sacrifice doesn't mean you do everything for your children, but rather you make decisions that are hard in order to rear your children properly. You spank them when your heart aches because you know that its necessary. You make them work because they need to learn the skill. You curb their whining, you make them eat their vegetables, you take away their car keys (or phone), you ground them or pull the distributor cap off their car. You do all these seemingly fruitless things because you're trying by the sweat of your brow to instill in your kids what is good and proper. And it's a mostly thankless job. But I appreciate my tough Mom for all her sacrifices. And I know that my wife appreciates her tough Mom as well.
about the title:It comes from For Those About To Die, We Salute You (a saying to Roman Gladiators before combat)
Baby/Life Update: The girls are a blast when they're not fussing. They track (follow things with their eyes) well and respond to sounds differently. They also have different personalities. They're sleeping better. Life is slowly getting more sane. Forrest is pretty good pretty much all the time. He has really matured and I am proud of him. He helped me get Serenity dressed this morning and acts nothing but loving towards his sisters. Titus is becoming quite the character. He's been such a wallflower for so long and in Forrest's shadow that I marvel when his little personality asserts itself. He's a little more athletic and more of a daredevil. Unfortunately, he's also getting more rebellious which is really frustrating Rebekah. But I think he'll be a great kid once we get through his desire to assert his will. There can be only one (winner--to quote Highlander) and that's gonna be me.
I was thinking the other day about some of the things that make a good wife and mother. One is being tough. I once dated a girl that looked really good on paper (stop laughing). I had just come out of a relationship that was a frickin' roller coaster ride. She (roller-coaster ride) was something truly special... and not in all a good way. Looks and personality in spades. But lacking a bit in the emotional stability department (did I say a little, I meant huge amounts). Anyway, back to paper lady. Paper lady wasn't the most beautiful chick in the henhouse but she had emotional stability (or so I thought) and important things like a correct religious persuasion, a good family, and frugality. Important things when dating someone that might end up walking off with half your stuff someday. But one thing she was not--she was not tough. She had very little stamina. I am thankful that my wife is a tough cookie. The other day we went to Wal-Mart and she insisted on picking up the dog-food to show me she could do it. I had to laugh as she hefted the fifty lb. bag up like it was one of our babies. One tough hombre my dad would say. I think that being tough enables a mother to sacrifice so many things in life. She (and most mothers) sacrifice their figure, time, sleep, sanity (occasionally), their immaculate (once again some mothers) house, hobbies, and many other things too numerous to mention. I think that being a parent, but especially being a mother, can be epitomized by the word "sacrifice." You have to be tough to make the sacrifices. Sacrifice doesn't mean you do everything for your children, but rather you make decisions that are hard in order to rear your children properly. You spank them when your heart aches because you know that its necessary. You make them work because they need to learn the skill. You curb their whining, you make them eat their vegetables, you take away their car keys (or phone), you ground them or pull the distributor cap off their car. You do all these seemingly fruitless things because you're trying by the sweat of your brow to instill in your kids what is good and proper. And it's a mostly thankless job. But I appreciate my tough Mom for all her sacrifices. And I know that my wife appreciates her tough Mom as well.
about the title:It comes from For Those About To Die, We Salute You (a saying to Roman Gladiators before combat)
Baby/Life Update: The girls are a blast when they're not fussing. They track (follow things with their eyes) well and respond to sounds differently. They also have different personalities. They're sleeping better. Life is slowly getting more sane. Forrest is pretty good pretty much all the time. He has really matured and I am proud of him. He helped me get Serenity dressed this morning and acts nothing but loving towards his sisters. Titus is becoming quite the character. He's been such a wallflower for so long and in Forrest's shadow that I marvel when his little personality asserts itself. He's a little more athletic and more of a daredevil. Unfortunately, he's also getting more rebellious which is really frustrating Rebekah. But I think he'll be a great kid once we get through his desire to assert his will. There can be only one (winner--to quote Highlander) and that's gonna be me.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Ugh Ugh
by Grant
Caveman speak for "Hit me over head with big rock and put out of misery." My back is hurting really bad even though I've been trying to keep stretching the muscles (that's prounounced musKels, not muss-els). Today at work I was having a really hard time with the pain and extreme fatigue. I finally decided it was allergies or illness that was making me miserable and pled sick @ noon. I came home and slept for most of the afternoon, but as any mom knows you can never get enough rest when you're sick. But, on a lighter note I found some music stations on our Satellite which we didn't use to have. I found a channel called rawhide which is the kind of music my Dad always preferred. Less whine and twang than typical "country". I'm not sure if falls under my Dad's definition of "Western" (before it became Country Western) but it seems pretty similar. Titus is having a good time listening. He was dancing (hopping) around for a while, but now he's chilling out on the couch with his feet up in the air doing some kind of couch-dancing. Talk about lazy :)
Caveman speak for "Hit me over head with big rock and put out of misery." My back is hurting really bad even though I've been trying to keep stretching the muscles (that's prounounced musKels, not muss-els). Today at work I was having a really hard time with the pain and extreme fatigue. I finally decided it was allergies or illness that was making me miserable and pled sick @ noon. I came home and slept for most of the afternoon, but as any mom knows you can never get enough rest when you're sick. But, on a lighter note I found some music stations on our Satellite which we didn't use to have. I found a channel called rawhide which is the kind of music my Dad always preferred. Less whine and twang than typical "country". I'm not sure if falls under my Dad's definition of "Western" (before it became Country Western) but it seems pretty similar. Titus is having a good time listening. He was dancing (hopping) around for a while, but now he's chilling out on the couch with his feet up in the air doing some kind of couch-dancing. Talk about lazy :)
Aah bummer, I think it's just a free preview. Guess I still need a record player.
Oh, the girls are sleeping pretty good at night, but Rebekah isn't. Not sure why.
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Pics for the fam
by Grant
Great-Grandma Jones, et. al.
Grandma Ballard
Deuce (Mommy left out to protect the photographer)
Not jealous, just regressing to baby states
Forrest proudly holding Liberty
Baby/Life Update:
Haven't heard anything more about my Dad. I guess no news is good news.
I was wracking my pea-sized brain the other day trying to figure out something for Rebekah and I happened into Rite-Aid. Hadn't been in there since it had been built about a year ago. Wandered around with my co-workers killing time and happened upon some dark chocolate. My wife loves chocolate, but I'm always concerned about buying foodstuffs for women that are concerned about their weight. My Mom, who looks great I think, never wants chocolate, cause then she'll eat it. (This confuses me, as I thought that's what you were supposed to do, but I don't question it). I say, women should be allowed to eat chocolate on special occasions like Mother's Day, Birthdays, Christmas, Columbus day, sunrise, sunset, children nap times, etc. etc. etc. Well, I pondered over what dark chocolate to get as they actually had a decent selection (I think Wal-Mart has two types). I had selected a couple bars and then thought, why don't I just get one of each. So I got Cadbury royal Dark, Hershey Cacao 60%, Giardelli 70% Cacao, Heart of Africa Dark Chocolate, Sinfully Dark, black-hole dark, and absence of light Dark. Ok, those last few I made up cause I couldn't remember the names, but the most highly concentrated one contained 85% Cacao. That's pretty pure baby. You just lick a square of chocolate and you're high for a day. Don't actually take a bite or you'll overdose and give your husband a passionate kiss.
Great-Grandma Jones, et. al.
Grandma Ballard
Deuce (Mommy left out to protect the photographer)
Not jealous, just regressing to baby states
Forrest proudly holding Liberty
Baby/Life Update:
Haven't heard anything more about my Dad. I guess no news is good news.
I was wracking my pea-sized brain the other day trying to figure out something for Rebekah and I happened into Rite-Aid. Hadn't been in there since it had been built about a year ago. Wandered around with my co-workers killing time and happened upon some dark chocolate. My wife loves chocolate, but I'm always concerned about buying foodstuffs for women that are concerned about their weight. My Mom, who looks great I think, never wants chocolate, cause then she'll eat it. (This confuses me, as I thought that's what you were supposed to do, but I don't question it). I say, women should be allowed to eat chocolate on special occasions like Mother's Day, Birthdays, Christmas, Columbus day, sunrise, sunset, children nap times, etc. etc. etc. Well, I pondered over what dark chocolate to get as they actually had a decent selection (I think Wal-Mart has two types). I had selected a couple bars and then thought, why don't I just get one of each. So I got Cadbury royal Dark, Hershey Cacao 60%, Giardelli 70% Cacao, Heart of Africa Dark Chocolate, Sinfully Dark, black-hole dark, and absence of light Dark. Ok, those last few I made up cause I couldn't remember the names, but the most highly concentrated one contained 85% Cacao. That's pretty pure baby. You just lick a square of chocolate and you're high for a day. Don't actually take a bite or you'll overdose and give your husband a passionate kiss.
Friday, May 11, 2007
My Dad
by Grant
My Dad is still struggling. He had to go to the emergency room last night because he was feeling so poorly, but they didn't find anything specific. Frustrating because they can't pinpoint the problem until he has something major (like a heart attack). I will know more later.
My Dad is still struggling. He had to go to the emergency room last night because he was feeling so poorly, but they didn't find anything specific. Frustrating because they can't pinpoint the problem until he has something major (like a heart attack). I will know more later.
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Simpsons word of this day
by Grant
Protagonist. You've all heard of antagonist, but how often do you use its polar opposite? I actually use it fairly frequently when I wish to appear smarter than the average polar bear. Protagonist roughly translates to hero, but that's not exact. The main character in a movie that's the "good" guy is the protagonist. The bad guy is the antagonist. Man, my fingers don't want to type those words. I was telling a friend about a movie which features a woman in a very aggressive role and I pondered whether women were protagonists (wondering if the word was gender neutral or if there was a specific female version. Like heroine is the female version of hero -- although nobody uses it anymore). My friend, who shall remain nameless to protect the guilty, was of the opinion that women could never be protagonists, but rather that they were always and forever the antagonist. Thankfully, nobody of the female persuasion was within strangling range.
BTW, did you know that vendetta is an Italian word?
Baby/Life Update:
I'm alone with the boys trying to tap out this blog before they beat me about the head and shoulders in their insistence to go outside. The girls had a "check-up" with a Child Development person. I guess that they're right on track and probably a little bit ahead in some cases. That's good news. It's very common for preemies to always be behind, but although the girls are small they're doing well. We've had some interesting instances of favoritism amongst the sub teen girls in our social circle. Basically, one baby is preferred over the other. I find this incredibly odd since, well, THEY'RE IDENTICAL TWINS! I won't go into any more details other than to mention that I have banned baby holding by non-adults during social events containing multiple families. This is the last thing I need.
Protagonist. You've all heard of antagonist, but how often do you use its polar opposite? I actually use it fairly frequently when I wish to appear smarter than the average polar bear. Protagonist roughly translates to hero, but that's not exact. The main character in a movie that's the "good" guy is the protagonist. The bad guy is the antagonist. Man, my fingers don't want to type those words. I was telling a friend about a movie which features a woman in a very aggressive role and I pondered whether women were protagonists (wondering if the word was gender neutral or if there was a specific female version. Like heroine is the female version of hero -- although nobody uses it anymore). My friend, who shall remain nameless to protect the guilty, was of the opinion that women could never be protagonists, but rather that they were always and forever the antagonist. Thankfully, nobody of the female persuasion was within strangling range.
BTW, did you know that vendetta is an Italian word?
Baby/Life Update:
I'm alone with the boys trying to tap out this blog before they beat me about the head and shoulders in their insistence to go outside. The girls had a "check-up" with a Child Development person. I guess that they're right on track and probably a little bit ahead in some cases. That's good news. It's very common for preemies to always be behind, but although the girls are small they're doing well. We've had some interesting instances of favoritism amongst the sub teen girls in our social circle. Basically, one baby is preferred over the other. I find this incredibly odd since, well, THEY'RE IDENTICAL TWINS! I won't go into any more details other than to mention that I have banned baby holding by non-adults during social events containing multiple families. This is the last thing I need.
Sunday, May 6, 2007
Tiny (Titus) Dancer
He does good until he sees the camera. And no, he's not imitating me.
Tiny Dancer comes from an Elton John song. I got it from the animated movie "Open Season" which although somewhat anti-hunting is a delightful romp. Let's face it, any movie I can watch 100 times and not vomit is pretty good. I finally got to vomit stage on Disney's "Cars" after about 150 times. Maybe 125. I think I only got to 30 on Ice Age 2.
Saturday, May 5, 2007
Too Funny
by Grant
Ok, maybe not, but I think it's good. I'm sitting here w/ my laptop doing some work and reading some news articles. I pulled up an article on Paris Hilton and her jailbound fun. Titus is sitting on my lap (biting my coffee cup w/ his teeth for fun) and he saw a picture of Paris Hilton and he said "cock-a-doodle-doo"
I guess she looks like a chicken or a rooster or something.
Ok, maybe not, but I think it's good. I'm sitting here w/ my laptop doing some work and reading some news articles. I pulled up an article on Paris Hilton and her jailbound fun. Titus is sitting on my lap (biting my coffee cup w/ his teeth for fun) and he saw a picture of Paris Hilton and he said "cock-a-doodle-doo"
I guess she looks like a chicken or a rooster or something.
Follow-up on Record Player
by Grant
Thanks to my brother, my Aunt, and the Sanfords for responding. I found a really nice one that's very nostalgic that does what I want for $150 (regular $250). This would be nice because it is new and I could buy needles (very difficult for older ones). However, I'm not sure if I can justify that or not. One of my fondest memories growing up was listening to the record player, which is odd because it wasn't that frequent. Dad always played Christmas records so that's a big part of the season for me. Or at least it was. This last Christmas probably went down as one of the worst ever because Rebekah was in the hospital. But the record that I remember the most was "How the West was Won." Methinks this is because there was a cool painting on the album cover of a train falling off a railroad trestle. You could see logs breaking loose from train cars and people scrambling to save themselves, in vain I might add.
Baby/Life Update:
Keren and Tim watched the girls one night so Rebekah got probably her first full nights sleep in a couple months. I guess it went pretty well and they enjoyed it. The boys have colds so they're a bit crabbier than normal. Rebekah and the boys went with me to get more rocks. That was arduous. But the migrant worker drove by and stopped to look at an irrigation ditch and the boys said "Dad, there's Leo!" Pretty funny that they remembered his name. Even funnier that a south of the border dude is named Leo.
Right now we're moderating fights over a new toy tractor. Why do we bother?
Thanks to my brother, my Aunt, and the Sanfords for responding. I found a really nice one that's very nostalgic that does what I want for $150 (regular $250). This would be nice because it is new and I could buy needles (very difficult for older ones). However, I'm not sure if I can justify that or not. One of my fondest memories growing up was listening to the record player, which is odd because it wasn't that frequent. Dad always played Christmas records so that's a big part of the season for me. Or at least it was. This last Christmas probably went down as one of the worst ever because Rebekah was in the hospital. But the record that I remember the most was "How the West was Won." Methinks this is because there was a cool painting on the album cover of a train falling off a railroad trestle. You could see logs breaking loose from train cars and people scrambling to save themselves, in vain I might add.
Baby/Life Update:
Keren and Tim watched the girls one night so Rebekah got probably her first full nights sleep in a couple months. I guess it went pretty well and they enjoyed it. The boys have colds so they're a bit crabbier than normal. Rebekah and the boys went with me to get more rocks. That was arduous. But the migrant worker drove by and stopped to look at an irrigation ditch and the boys said "Dad, there's Leo!" Pretty funny that they remembered his name. Even funnier that a south of the border dude is named Leo.
Right now we're moderating fights over a new toy tractor. Why do we bother?
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