Feb & Mar 2009 updates (snow and silly boys)

We've updated pictures on our Picasa album and some new videos on our YouTube page.

Click on the links above to see the new pictures (Feb & March albums) or the new videos. I just loaded four.

Kelly

A subtle balance

I had to work today, but Kelly relayed a story to me which requires a bit of back story. In Geoffrey's pre-school room, there is a boy named Charlie. Charlie is a bit of a menace and, because we have done such a good job teaching Geoffrey to be nice, Geoff is often a silent victim. Recently, Geoffrey told us about it and we had a long talk about self defense. We tried to teach him that sometimes it is necessary to fight back. It might mean making a scene, it might mean clocking Charlie with a block. If a bully is pushing you around and no authority figure is there to correct it, whack 'em.

Jacob and Geoffrey were out playing in the back yard. At one point, Geoffrey came in the house to tell Kelly that Jacob was fighting and putting "putting leaves in my mouth." Kelly replied, "Well, that's not okay." Geoff then turns to leave announcing, "Okay. I'll go hit him." As Geoff was heading out with Mom in tow to try to prevent the premeditated act, Jacob came in the house. Kelly asked him if he did, in fact, put leaves in Geoffrey's mouth. Jacob, looking a little confused and disgusted, said that he did not. When Kelly recounted Geoff's complaint in more detail Jacob said that he did slide down the slide into the giant leaf pile and that they fell on each other.

As a footnote to this story, the course of action that we have decided to promote regarding Charlie is that we want Geoff to yell, as loud as he can, "No Charlie! No hitting!" We hope that this shames Charlie, gets his teacher's attention, and perhaps teaches his fellow kids to stand up to Charlie as well.

A couple more videos

I just uploaded a couple more videos. One is Jacob doing what I can only guess is some song from school. He gets full marks for enthusiasm. He is a little vague with the lyrics, though.


I am aware that his shirt is a disaster. At both the beginning and the end, he tries to see himself in the camera's viewfinder. That is why he gets so close. The second video is of Geoffrey going nuts with a toy drum. It's quite amusing.

Sand Castle!

I posted some new pics and videos. Just follow the links.

Today is a beautiful day. We are at a park soaking up a bit of this sun.

Happy New Year

Christmas '08 has come and gone (sorta, we are going to Grandma and Grandpa's this weekend). I have some great photos and some even better video (not yet loaded). We did your world wide tour of the mid-west and left something of a bread crumb trail of minor possessions at each stop. A stuffed animal in a hotel room, a razor at Mema's, Kelly's coats at Nana and Papa's, a bottle of shampoo at Granddads, and maybe one of the boys Christmas presents at Mimi and Gramps'.

I wanted to thank everyone for putting us up and for putting up with us. The drive was not too terrible and, maybe next year, it will be much shorter.

We'll get the pics from Grandma and Grandpa's and the videos to-date when we get back next week.

There and back again

Well, Christmas '08 is done and our little family logged very nearly 3000 miles. It was great to see everyone and Kelly may have gotten a job as well. It is late and we are home, safe and sound. I will get pictures up in the next day or two.