by Grant
Who sang that anyway? The Mamma's and the Papa's? Well, it's sunday evening and the girls have been put to bed and Rebekah has just taken the boys up. I will go up in 30 mins or so and take over guard duty. I use that time to do some Bible study and/or read. I have found that when you really start to learn things in the Bible, it gets a lot more exciting. There are quite a few things that I've read and just not fully understood them. Or even when I understand the text, I don't grasp the contextual significance. Let me put this in Simpsons terms. I was watching the season premiere tonight and Homer's "life coach" professed to not be very good. He said that he went to the "Harvard of the South." I know from following comments that it's not Duke or Vanderbilt. I can gather that it's not a good school in some fashion, but I fail to understand the deeper significance. Yeah, I know comparing the Bible to the Simpsons is probably the ultimate in blasphemy, but as I always say, "In for a penny, in for a Canadian penny." Coincidentally, the Canadian penny is currently on par with the American penny. Dirty rotten Canadians with their Monopoly money. But I digress...
I was diagnosed with Bronchitis last week. I'm taking some pretty strong antibiotics and they seem to be helping but I am still suffering. Rebekah went with Keren, or "Old Ironsides" as I like to call her, to a "Ladies Retreat" in McCall on Friday. I talked to her once late friday and it was so loud with hens clucking that I couldn't really hear her. But she managed to get up and back safely (windy and dangerous roads). The boys stayed w/ Uncle Tim and I spent most of friday night in a theological discussion with Kelly (a guy who said Calculus in college was easy. He did the four hour final in 25 minutes).
The girls are still doing well. Serenity apparently didn't like her dress (it was really soft) so she started chewing on Liberty's (normal cotton). It's fun to spend time with them. Rebekah thinks that Liberty is working on her own tooth as well.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Try These instead
Too lazy to edit the previous blog. Let me know if you have trouble.
The first two are the girls wrestling (yes, we put them up to it) and then we got Titus singing to the Godfather book.
EIEI-O
Titus singing old mcdonald.
The book? "The Godfather" by Mario Puzo
baby/life update: Well a few things have transpired. The person that administers our insurance always likes to see the girls so We invited her to church. Shockingly, she accepted and two weeks later she went with us on a Wednesday night. I say shockingly, because I have invited so many people only to have nobody actually come. That went well though, and she said that next times she's in town she'll be sure to come back.
On Friday I managed to get another load of wood w/ my brother in law. It went pretty fast because I did a little cutting and he did most of the loading. That sure was nice. I'd have him help me cut wood too, but he doesn't have health insurance and with my luck he'd cut his leg off. Either that, or I'd be concerned about him and not paying attention to myself and cut my own leg off. Either way, somebody's losing a leg and that's no good.
On Saturday, we went to Meridian (right by the speedway) to celebrate the marriage of a cousin. Thankfully, it wasn't a wedding (although I would've gone) but rather a reception and they requested no gifts. Pretty cool huh? That was a good time and our kids played on the playground equipment a lot. It was fairly harmonious considering the number of kids there.
But alas, life fell apart for me on monday. Althought the wind cleared the smoke out of the air, I started having a really hard time around lunch time. I started coughing pretty badly. I missed today and went to the Dr. She diagnosed me with Bronchitis. So, apparently my problems are a little different than I thought. I've been sick on and off about 3 times in the past three weeks so I hope this gets better. I don't have any energy and feel really tired which is par for the course but a bit worse than normal :)
But some good news: The girls are developing well. They roll over all the time and are getting good at holding their bottles. We still don't know how much they weigh but Rebekah is going to get them a checkup soon and then we'll know. The boys are doing pretty well too. Titus is recovering nicely from his sinus infection. Forrest is a good helper most of the time. He was helping unload the truck and was getting some huge pieces of wood and he was successfully carrying them too! Soon I can start making him come w/ me and help. At least he can dial 911 if I cut my leg off right?
The book? "The Godfather" by Mario Puzo
baby/life update: Well a few things have transpired. The person that administers our insurance always likes to see the girls so We invited her to church. Shockingly, she accepted and two weeks later she went with us on a Wednesday night. I say shockingly, because I have invited so many people only to have nobody actually come. That went well though, and she said that next times she's in town she'll be sure to come back.
On Friday I managed to get another load of wood w/ my brother in law. It went pretty fast because I did a little cutting and he did most of the loading. That sure was nice. I'd have him help me cut wood too, but he doesn't have health insurance and with my luck he'd cut his leg off. Either that, or I'd be concerned about him and not paying attention to myself and cut my own leg off. Either way, somebody's losing a leg and that's no good.
On Saturday, we went to Meridian (right by the speedway) to celebrate the marriage of a cousin. Thankfully, it wasn't a wedding (although I would've gone) but rather a reception and they requested no gifts. Pretty cool huh? That was a good time and our kids played on the playground equipment a lot. It was fairly harmonious considering the number of kids there.
But alas, life fell apart for me on monday. Althought the wind cleared the smoke out of the air, I started having a really hard time around lunch time. I started coughing pretty badly. I missed today and went to the Dr. She diagnosed me with Bronchitis. So, apparently my problems are a little different than I thought. I've been sick on and off about 3 times in the past three weeks so I hope this gets better. I don't have any energy and feel really tired which is par for the course but a bit worse than normal :)
But some good news: The girls are developing well. They roll over all the time and are getting good at holding their bottles. We still don't know how much they weigh but Rebekah is going to get them a checkup soon and then we'll know. The boys are doing pretty well too. Titus is recovering nicely from his sinus infection. Forrest is a good helper most of the time. He was helping unload the truck and was getting some huge pieces of wood and he was successfully carrying them too! Soon I can start making him come w/ me and help. At least he can dial 911 if I cut my leg off right?
Friday, September 7, 2007
Another shocking discovery
Apparently lack of oxygen tires you out worse! I slept from 7:30 last night until 2:00 pm today. Yes, I did wake up several times in there, but went right back to sleep. I discovered that I was sick from something and that combined with the polluted air complicated my breathing problems. Today my chest feels tight but hasn't really gotten much worse as I move around. I imagine that this is what emphysema is like. And no, I'm not smoking. Well, steam comes out of my ears when I'm angrfied but that doesn't count.
Baby/Life update:
Yesterday I bought some wood from the local crimnal work gang. $90 a cord which is a lot cheaper than $250 a ton for pellets or $300 for 100 gallons of diesel for our furnace. Unfortunately, I was physically unable to do anything so my wonderful wife and bouyant brother-in-law took the kids and made a couple trips. That knocked a chunk out. Now if I can muster enough strength and oxygen to make 3 more trips tomorrow.
The girls are doing well. I watched them tonight and put them to bed. I haven't hardly heard them since. Rebekah said that according to the develpmental ladies the girls are progressing normally. Fore awhile Rebekah was concerned about Liberty because she wasn't doing some of the things Serenity was. But then within the last week Liberty started rolling over and grabbing things just like Serenity. The lady told us that's not uncommon for twins. One will get in the lead, and then all of a sudden the other twin will watch and figure out what's going on and just pick it up.
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Breathing comes in handy
When you can't breathe it can be a real nuisance. Today we had an orange alert regarding the air quality. Screw the environmentalists, I can't breathe due to the huge amount of smoke in the air. I guess there's a big forest fire about 60 miles from here. I say frickin' clearcut the dang forrest. Then at least there's nothing to burn so I can breathe.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Chicken-tastic
Why, pray tell, why is watching a bunch of chickens reenact an episode of Law & Order so blasted funny?
They even bleeped out some of the bawk bawks!
Sunday, September 2, 2007
The Fourth Estate
by Grant
From French history, via the Simpsons. The fourth estate is the press. What are the other three (Homer asks)? Commoners, Clergy, and the Nobility.
Now it's time for some pictures.
Liberty holding her bottle (she's posing), followed by Serenity
Serenity, post bath (hair by Grant)
Forrest, Titus and cousin Rachel (Curtis and Kelly's girl) in a tree house in Fairfield.
From French history, via the Simpsons. The fourth estate is the press. What are the other three (Homer asks)? Commoners, Clergy, and the Nobility.
Now it's time for some pictures.
Liberty holding her bottle (she's posing), followed by Serenity
Serenity, post bath (hair by Grant)
Forrest, Titus and cousin Rachel (Curtis and Kelly's girl) in a tree house in Fairfield.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
A round
by Grant
brought to you once again, education by the Simpsons. Woefully ignorant is I, as I just learned that that weird singing thingy where one group of people sing and then another group starts on the same section a moment later is called "a round." Fascinating is it not?
I have begun to obsess about minor details such as heating the house during wintertime. Our old farm house does not have the greatest heat retention, and the furnace system is old and inefficient. As such, we began heating with wood in recent years. Unfortunately, my wrist pain has made it difficult to swing an axe as I once did. Thankfully, my father, being the kind man that he is, has loaned me his log splitter. I spent a couple weeks of free time (which was about 13 minutes all told) and finally on this last Saturday I got it to start. Ornery cuss, kind of like my Dad. Maybe more like my Mom. I also don't have enough wood, but I still have a connection from last year. This means wandering miles from home with only a chainsaw for company. The good news is that I have 500k in Accidental Death and dismemberment life insurance plus 500k for a natural death. Hey, find the silver lining, I always say.
Baby/Life Update:
Hmm. The girls are doing well. Serenity's rolled over a couple times. Liberty is still lagging a bit physically, but that'll probably be par for the course most of her baby life. It's amazing how different that they are for being "identical." The boys are doing well. Titus is becoming much more eloquent and Forrest is being a big help typically. I do have a couple videos and my brother Forrest has a bunch of pictures that I'll grab and post.
brought to you once again, education by the Simpsons. Woefully ignorant is I, as I just learned that that weird singing thingy where one group of people sing and then another group starts on the same section a moment later is called "a round." Fascinating is it not?
I have begun to obsess about minor details such as heating the house during wintertime. Our old farm house does not have the greatest heat retention, and the furnace system is old and inefficient. As such, we began heating with wood in recent years. Unfortunately, my wrist pain has made it difficult to swing an axe as I once did. Thankfully, my father, being the kind man that he is, has loaned me his log splitter. I spent a couple weeks of free time (which was about 13 minutes all told) and finally on this last Saturday I got it to start. Ornery cuss, kind of like my Dad. Maybe more like my Mom. I also don't have enough wood, but I still have a connection from last year. This means wandering miles from home with only a chainsaw for company. The good news is that I have 500k in Accidental Death and dismemberment life insurance plus 500k for a natural death. Hey, find the silver lining, I always say.
Baby/Life Update:
Hmm. The girls are doing well. Serenity's rolled over a couple times. Liberty is still lagging a bit physically, but that'll probably be par for the course most of her baby life. It's amazing how different that they are for being "identical." The boys are doing well. Titus is becoming much more eloquent and Forrest is being a big help typically. I do have a couple videos and my brother Forrest has a bunch of pictures that I'll grab and post.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Murder!
Murder most foul. I just learned (yes, from the Simpsons) that a group of birds is called a "murder." How cool is that!
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Food for Thought
During World War II, Adolf Hitler called Roosevelt a war criminal.*
I guess with this in mind, it surpises me less that the crazy lefties out there would call Bush a war criminal rather than that they would insult him by comparing him to Hitler.
*In the last letter he wrote from his bunker before the Battle of Berlin
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Everybody is a critic
by Grant
I have subscribed to the blog philosophy simply because I ain't ramming stuff down your throat. You don't want to read about my ramblings, you can click that cute little X in the upper right hand corner. Or better yet, don't even view the page in the first place. I also have tried to break specific family issues into a separate section so you don't have to read my ramblings if you don't want to. Although, I have to admit that sometimes I mix the two. The perils of reading prose penned by yours truly. Now, to address one other criticism. I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH THE GIRLS WEIGH! We know it's at least 13 pounds. But we have not been taking them in for regular check-ups because we have some people that come to the house and make sure that they're progressing normally. Unfortunately, they don't bring a flippin' scale with them. Now, I'll give you an update.
Baby/Life Update:
The trips went well. I spent 16 hours (2 8 hour sections) with a friend and talked about all sorts of stuff and would probably bore the socks off most of you. The Baseball game was cool (even though I'm not a huge fan) primarily because of great seats and great commentary from Kelly. Why I don't watch sports: Because my team lost and I wanted to punch out an annoying Mariners fan in front of me. If I want that kind of aggravation I'll tell my kids to pick up their toys.
The trip to Fairfield went well as well. Rebekah went up early while I was in Seattle and I guess things went ok, but she was happy to see me. Considering the sheer number of people and personalities, things went better (far better) than expected. Titus is pretty challenging as he wants to get into everything, but after a few days he would generally stay close to the rest of the Ballard fam.
Right now I am sitting on the floor by the girls as I am sick. Rebekah took the boys to church. Instead of having the TV on, I turned on some music with some cool visualizations that display on the TV. The girls have been pretty fascinated by it. What's the music you ask? Sometime mild that Rebekah had. Uhm, named after a city in the midwest. Oh, that's right Chicago! Wow. this could be considered child abuse couldn't it?
As far as pictures go, my other family members took far more than we did. Maybe I can get some from them.
I have subscribed to the blog philosophy simply because I ain't ramming stuff down your throat. You don't want to read about my ramblings, you can click that cute little X in the upper right hand corner. Or better yet, don't even view the page in the first place. I also have tried to break specific family issues into a separate section so you don't have to read my ramblings if you don't want to. Although, I have to admit that sometimes I mix the two. The perils of reading prose penned by yours truly. Now, to address one other criticism. I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH THE GIRLS WEIGH! We know it's at least 13 pounds. But we have not been taking them in for regular check-ups because we have some people that come to the house and make sure that they're progressing normally. Unfortunately, they don't bring a flippin' scale with them. Now, I'll give you an update.
Baby/Life Update:
The trips went well. I spent 16 hours (2 8 hour sections) with a friend and talked about all sorts of stuff and would probably bore the socks off most of you. The Baseball game was cool (even though I'm not a huge fan) primarily because of great seats and great commentary from Kelly. Why I don't watch sports: Because my team lost and I wanted to punch out an annoying Mariners fan in front of me. If I want that kind of aggravation I'll tell my kids to pick up their toys.
The trip to Fairfield went well as well. Rebekah went up early while I was in Seattle and I guess things went ok, but she was happy to see me. Considering the sheer number of people and personalities, things went better (far better) than expected. Titus is pretty challenging as he wants to get into everything, but after a few days he would generally stay close to the rest of the Ballard fam.
Right now I am sitting on the floor by the girls as I am sick. Rebekah took the boys to church. Instead of having the TV on, I turned on some music with some cool visualizations that display on the TV. The girls have been pretty fascinated by it. What's the music you ask? Sometime mild that Rebekah had. Uhm, named after a city in the midwest. Oh, that's right Chicago! Wow. this could be considered child abuse couldn't it?
As far as pictures go, my other family members took far more than we did. Maybe I can get some from them.
Friday, August 3, 2007
On the road again
by Grant
Rebekah and young ones have gone to my parents house. I am going to Seattle with a friend to watch a baseball game. When I get back, then I will make my own migration east southward. Hopefully we'll have lots of good pictures when we get back. Since we'll be gone for a week and basically w/out Internet access I don't anticipate posting anything for a week or so.
Baby/Life Update
We finally connected with some babysitters. Two teenagers (late teens) and their mom. We took the little ones over (all four) and it went really well. Rebekah was able to go to her Bible Study and after awhile I went and visited a friend around the block. It went so well that I am still amazed. Now, if we can just get something regular going :)
Rebekah and young ones have gone to my parents house. I am going to Seattle with a friend to watch a baseball game. When I get back, then I will make my own migration east southward. Hopefully we'll have lots of good pictures when we get back. Since we'll be gone for a week and basically w/out Internet access I don't anticipate posting anything for a week or so.
Baby/Life Update
We finally connected with some babysitters. Two teenagers (late teens) and their mom. We took the little ones over (all four) and it went really well. Rebekah was able to go to her Bible Study and after awhile I went and visited a friend around the block. It went so well that I am still amazed. Now, if we can just get something regular going :)
Monday, July 30, 2007
Pictures!
Exclusive To Grant's Blog.. This picture!
Yes, I am in the Simpsons Movie. Ok, not really, but pretty cool huh? check out http://simpsonizeme.com. You can upload a picture of yourself and then tweak it.
He's a Coffee lover too. I think this isactually postum, but he will at any opportunity drink our coffee. WhenI bring home a coffee mug, I always make sure it's empty but he alwaysgets a dribble out. Black, brown, sugary sweet or bitter, he likes it.
Serenity Chillin' and Liberty (below) working out
Brother Bonding w/ Sisters
Sisters Bonding w/ each other.
And something to really make you laugh...
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Where to start...
by Grant
What day is it? Ah, monday you say. Good, I was getting a little confused there. I've been a little by myself at work as we have people on vacation and a bunch of people in 'Bama (short for Alabama) where we are assimilating a site (like the Borg... Resistance is futile) into Woodgrain. I'm getting mentally prepped for a big family get together around Camas County Fair Time. Everybody is coming home for the the Jeep's anniversary. To my shame, I'm not sure if the jeep is 30 or 40. If you're wondering what the heck I'm talking about, well Dad built himself a Jeep many moons ago. I'm thinking the Jeep is 30 and shame on me for not using capitals. BTW, this isn't just any "Jeep," but rather "The Jeep." We actually have another Jeep as well as a Jeep Pickup and between Tyler and Dad three other Jeep-mobiles (Cherokee, Grand Wagoneers). I'm sure if my brother's read this post, they will be beside themselves with my mangling of any details, but suffice it to say that this vehicle my Dad built from pieces. It's got a Jeep cab (drivetrain?) but a Ford Flat-head V8 engine, Ford pickup box (old, maybe Model T or something). It's a cool rig. Hard for a guy like me to drive as the seat doesn't adjust and my Dad is 5'9". Basically, it feels like my knees are bumping my chin. Anyway, we (the fam) were all together for the Jeeps last major birthday (Melodie baked a cake). And yes, the Jeep will blow out the candles (we'll rev up the engine and stick the cake behind the exhaust).
Other tidbits of interest... I got a small package from my Dad to day only to find out that Mugsy, our belove Dog of 10 years, had passed. Fun finding things like that out in the mail. Dad does a good job when a long time pet dies. He writes up an obituary complete with pictures. Most humans don't get such a well done obituary but I'm sure it seems like the least Dad can do. Ogres like me would probably be happier just forgetting rather than dwelling on it.
The girls... are... teething. Ok, Serenity is. Liberty is fine. But Serenity was a crab today which is unlike her. Just when we were starting to catch our breath with those buggers, they start teething. <sigh>
Good news! Forrest has gotten over his toilet phobia (we think) . In fact, he has been going "stinky" for about 30 minutes now without any crying or fussing. He's so proud of himself that now it's a novelty for him.
One last note: Dad is still in a pretty large amount of pain. That alters his personality as I well know. Pain wears you down day after day and you get tired of being brave and carrying on. You snap that much easier at irritants that once were minor. What's the source of his pain? Inflammation of the tissue under his rib cage, extreme indigestion... those are the guesses. Unfortunately, modern medical science isn't much help.
What day is it? Ah, monday you say. Good, I was getting a little confused there. I've been a little by myself at work as we have people on vacation and a bunch of people in 'Bama (short for Alabama) where we are assimilating a site (like the Borg... Resistance is futile) into Woodgrain. I'm getting mentally prepped for a big family get together around Camas County Fair Time. Everybody is coming home for the the Jeep's anniversary. To my shame, I'm not sure if the jeep is 30 or 40. If you're wondering what the heck I'm talking about, well Dad built himself a Jeep many moons ago. I'm thinking the Jeep is 30 and shame on me for not using capitals. BTW, this isn't just any "Jeep," but rather "The Jeep." We actually have another Jeep as well as a Jeep Pickup and between Tyler and Dad three other Jeep-mobiles (Cherokee, Grand Wagoneers). I'm sure if my brother's read this post, they will be beside themselves with my mangling of any details, but suffice it to say that this vehicle my Dad built from pieces. It's got a Jeep cab (drivetrain?) but a Ford Flat-head V8 engine, Ford pickup box (old, maybe Model T or something). It's a cool rig. Hard for a guy like me to drive as the seat doesn't adjust and my Dad is 5'9". Basically, it feels like my knees are bumping my chin. Anyway, we (the fam) were all together for the Jeeps last major birthday (Melodie baked a cake). And yes, the Jeep will blow out the candles (we'll rev up the engine and stick the cake behind the exhaust).
Other tidbits of interest... I got a small package from my Dad to day only to find out that Mugsy, our belove Dog of 10 years, had passed. Fun finding things like that out in the mail. Dad does a good job when a long time pet dies. He writes up an obituary complete with pictures. Most humans don't get such a well done obituary but I'm sure it seems like the least Dad can do. Ogres like me would probably be happier just forgetting rather than dwelling on it.
The girls... are... teething. Ok, Serenity is. Liberty is fine. But Serenity was a crab today which is unlike her. Just when we were starting to catch our breath with those buggers, they start teething. <sigh>
Good news! Forrest has gotten over his toilet phobia (we think) . In fact, he has been going "stinky" for about 30 minutes now without any crying or fussing. He's so proud of himself that now it's a novelty for him.
One last note: Dad is still in a pretty large amount of pain. That alters his personality as I well know. Pain wears you down day after day and you get tired of being brave and carrying on. You snap that much easier at irritants that once were minor. What's the source of his pain? Inflammation of the tissue under his rib cage, extreme indigestion... those are the guesses. Unfortunately, modern medical science isn't much help.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Home Theater/Media PC and associated psycho-babble
by Grant
(posted only on blogspot)
I have built a Media Center PC. I used the mythtv via mythdora as the software and then I purchased compatible hardware to go along with it. But I was thinking that this is so cool everyone should do it, or rather, you should be able to buy one cheaply. I'm using my setup to rip movies and provide content w/out getting the actual dvd out of the case. I've also thrown on all my wma and mp3 files and pictures for good measure. Once you have something like this, you just want to improve it and do more and more. But it's hard. Ripping movies is technically illegal, but the MPAA freely admits that they don't care about Joe User doing it. They're paranoid about rampant piracy. It seems so silly to me because they are limiting their audience with all their DRM measures. Music is the same. If I want to buy an album, I will buy a CD and rip it because 1) I have a hard backup 2) I have the absolute best quality 3) I can put it on any MP3 player out there. I can play it on linux, MAC, Windows, Zune, iPod, etc. etc. etc. You can't do that with a song from iTunes. At least, not without violating other laws. The fact of the matter is that there will always be ways to circumvent laws and hackers will implement those. But most people aren't hackers and by restricting them you just irritate them. And by making it so if you buy a song, you can't move that song to another MP3 player later you just alienate your audience. If the RIAA had been quicker on the ball (by about 10 years) then we wouldn't have MP3 players today. The MPAA with the DMCA has prevented Media Center PCs for the masses which I think is a shame. And don't get me started with the stupidity of Blu-Ray vs. HD-DVD. Those should just be different codecs distributed via purely digital means. I'm sure as H-E double hockey sticks not going to buy a $1000 player that'll turn into a stupid Betamax down the road. Bring on the commie dvd from China. Maybe a couple billion people can help move the market from accepting such inane stupidity.
Baby/Life Update
by Grant
A few odds and ends. I *think* my wrists are finally improving. It's getting harder for me to resist working on the computer, but I need to excercise some self-restraint. The pain and numbness isn't gone, but seems to remain mild for a far longer period of time. I used to be unable to get through the week without being really discouraged because of the pain. Now I've managed to get through two weeks without taking time off on thursday to rest my arms/wrists.
Titus got eaten alive by mosquitoes @ some unkown time this last week. Unfortunately, his bites are pretty inflamed and he has had trouble sleeping. I think they're starting to get better, but they're still pretty darn irritating. I find it amusing that the other night I sprayed mosquito spray on forrest and Titus, but neglected myself so now I have plenty of bites. See, I must be pretty sweet if mosquitoes like munching on me.
On the financial front, we submitted every piece of financial information to St. Luke's Financial services. I was a little irritated at some of the questions like "Have you asked your family for help?" Why should my family pay my bills? It's my responsibility and I'm not going to go for hand-outs just so that they get their pound of flesh. I believe in paying what I owe, but some of those bills were crazy high and unnecessary. Dr. Visits before the babies were even viable cost about $1400 apiece! This was for 5 minutes with a different Dr. each time who said things were fine but even if they weren't there wasn't anything that they could do. Strictly malpractice paranoia on their part. Thankfully, our insurance guru looked over our bills and is going to dig into it some. She's a real tiger at making sure we don't get overcharged. Unfortunately, Hospitals are pretty bad at this because they have to make their money from somewhere. I learned from talking to our HR manager that most insurance companies just pay the bills and pass on the bill to their customers via premium increases. I'm not saying that St. Luke's has done this, but some costs are pretty hard to swallow. I wish we had some choice in the matter during the experience. If they'd say before they walked in the room that they were charging you $500 (which happened. Not our normal Dr. just somebody that asked how she was doing) we might scream "Nobody's home. Go away!"
I was looking at Liberty yesterday and decided to encourage her like I do with the boys. So, in a very animated voice I said, "Good job Liberty!" Apparently, I triggered her funny bone because she started laughing really hard. I did it several times and every time she laughed more than we've ever heard before.
I've got some pictures that I'll try to at least get working on today. In the meantime, if you want to see something funny, go look in the mirror.
A few odds and ends. I *think* my wrists are finally improving. It's getting harder for me to resist working on the computer, but I need to excercise some self-restraint. The pain and numbness isn't gone, but seems to remain mild for a far longer period of time. I used to be unable to get through the week without being really discouraged because of the pain. Now I've managed to get through two weeks without taking time off on thursday to rest my arms/wrists.
Titus got eaten alive by mosquitoes @ some unkown time this last week. Unfortunately, his bites are pretty inflamed and he has had trouble sleeping. I think they're starting to get better, but they're still pretty darn irritating. I find it amusing that the other night I sprayed mosquito spray on forrest and Titus, but neglected myself so now I have plenty of bites. See, I must be pretty sweet if mosquitoes like munching on me.
On the financial front, we submitted every piece of financial information to St. Luke's Financial services. I was a little irritated at some of the questions like "Have you asked your family for help?" Why should my family pay my bills? It's my responsibility and I'm not going to go for hand-outs just so that they get their pound of flesh. I believe in paying what I owe, but some of those bills were crazy high and unnecessary. Dr. Visits before the babies were even viable cost about $1400 apiece! This was for 5 minutes with a different Dr. each time who said things were fine but even if they weren't there wasn't anything that they could do. Strictly malpractice paranoia on their part. Thankfully, our insurance guru looked over our bills and is going to dig into it some. She's a real tiger at making sure we don't get overcharged. Unfortunately, Hospitals are pretty bad at this because they have to make their money from somewhere. I learned from talking to our HR manager that most insurance companies just pay the bills and pass on the bill to their customers via premium increases. I'm not saying that St. Luke's has done this, but some costs are pretty hard to swallow. I wish we had some choice in the matter during the experience. If they'd say before they walked in the room that they were charging you $500 (which happened. Not our normal Dr. just somebody that asked how she was doing) we might scream "Nobody's home. Go away!"
I was looking at Liberty yesterday and decided to encourage her like I do with the boys. So, in a very animated voice I said, "Good job Liberty!" Apparently, I triggered her funny bone because she started laughing really hard. I did it several times and every time she laughed more than we've ever heard before.
I've got some pictures that I'll try to at least get working on today. In the meantime, if you want to see something funny, go look in the mirror.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
God provides, imagine that.
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...
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 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
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