Under the Weather at 3 years old

Daily Picture: "NEXT" Current Audio Book borrowed from the Library...



My current listen is Michael Crichton's NEXT.  I have actually found a character that has quickly become a favorite, Gerrard the Trans-Genic Parrot.

The morning did not start out as smoothly as it did yesterday.  Today I woke and was rather cranky to start.  I did not sleep as well as I should of and I just felt tired.  The baby was up early, but had a great time hanging with mom while she got ready.  3yo got up way too early and quickly started complaining about not feeling well.  After I 7yo got on the bus 3yo spent the rest of the morning whining about not feeling well and no matter what I did or offered to do he was over the top in complaining.  I tried to get him to nap with no success and we finally just took a walk and ended up stopping at the local 7-11 and got him a sucker.  This at least kept him quiet for the return walk.  By the days end I was and the end of my rope with him, but luckily mom was home now taking the brunt of it.  I would have been volunteering tonight, but with 3yo sick and 7yo going to soccer on had to stay and one had to go.  So I took 7yo to Soccer.

The Return of the Laundry Monster...

I think I have mentioned this before, laundry is pure EVIL!!!  I did all the laundry and put away a backlog or laundry, but I feel tomorrow it might try to attack again.

The 5

1. Audio books - I have been focusing on this because of how much I enjoy the books.  I really do not have the time to read, and when I do I am way to tired.  The audio books allow me to listen while doing housework, working or even yard work.


2. The Hobbit - Sir Ian McKellen is back and Guillermo del Toro is directing with Peter Jackson Producing and writing...  Exciting...


3. Star Wars Clone Wars - This Summer will mark the release of the New Clone Wars TV show.  Starting with a two hour movie released in theaters.  See the TRAILER HERE...


4. Looking For New Book Obsession - Currently I am looking for a new book obsession.  The Legacy of the Force series and the Ender's Game series are on the list... Still looking for the one new series.  Also waiting for "The Stand" to be available on audio book.


5. Dead iPod Wall Charger - I have or should I say HAD a wall charger for my ipod which I used when I traveled or when I just did not want to sync.  Well the other day in a puff of smoke it died...  Before vacation this summer I will have to find a way to charge it.  Might need to bring wifes laptop to the cabin...

Wake and Roll

Daily Picture: More Cars Lined Up (3yo Lined up some cars out of the 400 he has that he could not identify where they came from.  He then had me identify which were mine, which were 7yo and if I knew when he got the others)

For the most part many mornings involve the baby waking somewhere around 6:00am and the wife feeding him.  Most times he goes back to sleep while the wife goes and gets ready for work.  Well this morning he was not going back to sleep so he and I decided to get going early.  I did my normal morning routine and then packed lunches and made a nice breakfast for the wife which was Scrambled Eggs, Turkey Bacon, Whole Wheat English Muffin and Orange Juice.  The boys got a very typical Mini Chocolate Chip Pancake breakfast which they both asked for.  Getting moving this morning allowed me to have a ton done before getting 7yo on the bus, but in the end I was a little more tired come this evening.

3yo's Busy Day...

Tuesday 3yo has Pre-School which is always something he looks forward to.  After his class we stayed at the park at school so he could play with his classmates.  He spent 45 minutes running around, jumping, climbing and just being a boy.  Once home he had lunch and then played at a neighbors for nearly 2 hours.  After his major playtime his brother came home so the excitement increased again.  Then on of 7yo's friends came by and 3yo played with them in the backyard.  I have a feeling he will sleep deeper then he has in a very long time.  He went to bed without fighting and is out cold.

The Good Baby...

I have to admit and hope this does not jinx me, but the baby is a VERY good baby.  Today he was all smiles and happy as can be.  His only issues today were when I was unable to get his bottle ready in 2 seconds.  Around 5:00pm he started to get fussy looking for mom.  She was working a little late and so for 30 minutes I danced around the family room singing songs as they played loudly from my computer.  The baby likes "The Monkees", "The Beatles", The Beach Boys" and "Bond."  I think he next exposure will be to a whole bunch of Simon and Garfunkel.

The 5

1. Milk and Gas - Both are about the same price, yet a gallon of cheap Beer is just about the same...


2. Three Floyds Oak Aged Dark Lord Russian Stout- Learned about this beer yesterday from the instructor of the ESL class I am volunteering at.  He had sunburn and explained he was waiting in line for 6 bottles of this limited beer.  $15.00 a piece.  The real kicker is I guess this beer ages well.  Hmmm I may have to try to get me some next year...


3. Book List - I am putting a list together of the books I have listened to on Audio and the ones I would like to listen to.  The list is quickly becoming rather large.  I wonder if I will ever have a chance to listen to all the books I want.


4. Poor Van - Well since I have a bunch of wood and tools piled up in the garage while I wait for the weather to give me a break for the Swing Set Build, the van sits outside.  I just hope it does not hold a grudge.


5. Gassy Baby - While I waited at the Post Office the baby was in his carrier on the table.  Riiiiiipppppp! He lets this monster Fart go that caused one person to turn quickly and another to laugh.  It is funny when a baby does that, but if an adult we to let one go like that the looks would be pure evil.

Guitar Lessons Online

Well I thought I would give a little time for my older brother today. He is a guitar teacher and has added some different video lessons online.

Dave has been playing and studying the guitar for twenty eight years. He is an alumnus of The Musician's Institute in Hollywood, CA where he earned a certificate of completion in the Musician's Institute's guitar program. Dave has over 20 years of live experience, 15 years of teaching experience and has released two independent CD's with the band Inner Sanctum who's songs are available for download at iTunes , Rhapsody, eMusic, Napster,Groupie Tunes and Sony Connect. He has had songs played on the Johnny B Show on Chicago's The Loop FM 97.9, Chicago's Q101, Milwaukee's Lazer 103 and Madison's 94.1 WJJO. Additionally, Dave has appeared and performed on television on WGN's Channel 9 news program "Around Town", CBS Channel 2 program "Technogadgets" and ABC 7's news program "The Best of Chicago Shopping". He has opened or played with Michael Schenker, Molly Hatchet, Jackyl, Vince Neil, Big Wreck, Filter and Billy Sheehan. Dave has been on staff as a full time teacher at The Academy of Guitar and Bass for three years at The Music Gallery in Highland Park, IL and is a co-writer of the lesson material. Dave teaches all ages and is fluent in Rock, Heavy Metal, Country, Bluegrass, Jazz, Blues, and Fingerstyle playing. He also teaches Mandolin and Classical Guitar

So here is one video... Others can be found HERE on youtube as well as through his site at Guitar-Wiz

Being a Volunteer

Daily Picture: Stack of Thank You notes from the English as a Second Language Students.



I have been getting officially certified to be a ESL Volunteer and tutor.  For grant and funding purposes the local College is required to train and certify it's volunteers.  I am almost done and have one more 3 hour class to take two more nights or in class volunteering.  Well tonight after class the instructor for the class gave me a stack of thank you notes from the students in the class I have already been helping.  This was unexpected and really nice.  Everyone truly wants to be there learning and really appreciate what the volunteers do.  On May 7th I will officially finish my certification and be assigned a student to tutor and possibly be involved with some other classroom activities.  My way to help give back to the community.

The 5 (ESL Edition)

1. Students - The students in the classes I have been volunteering in have been really nice.  They are working hard to learn a language they did not know as a child.


2. Countries - In the class there are students from the Ukraine and Mexico.  In another class I observed there were students from Asia and the Middle East.


3. Abilities - I actually think there are many kids fresh out of High School that would be hard pressed to get all the right answers in these classes.


4. Enjoyment - I have really enjoyed my time in these classes.  To be able to use what I know to assist others is really nice.


5. Tutor - Soon I will be tutoring a couple hours a week.  I am excited at the opportunity to make a bigger impact in someones life.

3 Days of the Condor...Um make that Daddy...

Daily Picture: Cut Lumber


Time seems to pick up speed when the weekend comes, but there never seems to be enough time to get everything done. As with every weekend lately time is in short supply and I have plenty to do.

Friday Night Out!!!

We made plans with some friends to go out to dinner Friday night at a new local resturant.  This was the first time the two of us have gone out just with friends and together in over a year.  We both have done the dinners and lunches with friends and of course out with the kids, but this was the first time just with friends.  We had a great time and ate way too much.  The wife had the fish and I had the prime rib... Mmmm Two hours of time out was well spent.  The Mother in Law watched the boys and when we got home at 8:20 we had expected the boys to still be up, not eaten and there toys out...  Well MIL got them to bed ONTIME with out fuss, the boys ate dinner and even picked up their toys.  When we came hoe to MIL sitting at the table grading papers and the boys sleeping we were in shock.

Saturday Parties...

I got up and moving quickly because we had plenty of things going on this weekend.  I ran out to the store to get some grocery shopping in prior to a day running around to birthday parties.  I got less, paid more and this keeps happening.  When everything jumps in price just a little the bill gets bigger and bigger.

After the store it was time for 3yo and I to eat and get out to a party about 30 miles away.  The party was two hours and at a really neat place with a play area and a Carasoel.  Everyone had a good time and I met a few more At Home Dads.  BONUS!!!  While we were away 7yo went to a friends party and mom spent some time just with baby.

The plan for the rest of the day was to cut the lumber for the swing set.  Well the weather was coming in looking very bad for Sunday so we canceled the plans to put up the swing set and instead did some yard work on Saturday.  The plan would be during the poor weather get the lumber cut.

Sunday Disappointment

The weather was supposed to be really bad, but instead it was nice and sunny most of the day.  After getting a little house stuff done in the morning I spent the day cutting lumber and switching places watching the baby as the wife tended to her landscape.  It took me many hours of measuring, measuring, measuring, measuring, double checking, and cutting to get everything ready.  Now I just have a few odds and ends to do and I can start pre-drilling holes and getting the frame sides assembled.  By the end of the day I was rather tired and sore.  I type this two steps from being ready to pass out.

The 5

1. Weather - The weather here is just plain stupid.  70's then 30', ran and the snow...


2. NFL Draft - The draft was this weekend... The countdown begins to the season...


3. CSI Miami - The Train wreck I can not seem to stop watching.  The plots are silly, the acting subpar and my favorite Scientists always in gun battles.  This is when my Tivo needs to protect me...


4. Eldest - Just finished the Audio Book and it was just OK.  A few have mentioned how it was just OK, but I did have to listen to it.  I found myself more interested in the cousins plot lines then Eragons...


5. NEXT - Michael Crichton's book "Next" is up Next... (HaHa)  Looking forward to it.

Timber! Lots of Timber...

Daily Picture: The Timber or Lumber if you prefer.



57 Pieces of Arsenic Free Pressure Treated Lumber.

• 17 - 5/4x6x8'


• 15 - 2x4x8'


• 7 - 2x6x8 '


• 7 - 2x6x10'


• 10 - 4x4x8'


• 1 - 4x6x12'

2 Van Trips to Menards

Cold Rain

Well today was the day I needed to pick up the lumber and of course it had to rain.  Mind you it only rained while I was loading the van in the outdoor lumberyard.  The total time took me nearly 3 hours to make the trips, purchase, load and unload all the lumber.  I had figured a bit less, but some of the lumber was considerable distance away on a second level.  Also treated lumber is darn HEAVY!!!  So now I have everything set in the garage and tomorrow I am getting the Compound Miter saw and table saw from my neighbor so I can make some good cuts.  I am also taking full inventory of tools and parts so I make sure I have everything set for Sunday.  Now I just have to hope the RAIN stays away.  Having to put this off would be a real pain, plus I would have to keep hearing from 3yo what a bad daddy I am for taking down the old fort.

The 5

1. Pressure Treated Lumber - REALLY heavy, especially the 4x6x12'


2. Within Budget - The lumber actually came in under my original budget amount which is nice since I will still need stain, beer and pizza.


3. Tool Check - I need to make sure I have every tool, bit and piece accounted for before Sunday so that day we can focus on the build, not whats missing.


4. Lumber Cuts - I will be doing the basic cuts on Saturday so when I have all the help it will be one less thing to do.  Any cut required to make a fit I will probably wait until the build.


5. The Wounds - Slivers, Bruises, Cuts and of course a bit of dirt and junk to make for a nice evening.

Daily Observation: Pressure Treated Lumber is Darn Heavy...

Pondscum in the shoes...

What do you get when you cross a sunny morning, nice walk and a pond full of fish?  Yep you guessed it a 3yo full of pond scum...  We have a nice little route we walk which includes a major retention pond full of wildlife that is easily seen.  Turtles, Frogs, not the little pansy frogs but great big BULL FROGS that could eat a Prius and of course a ton of fish.  I am no fish expert, but there are quite a few different fish swimming in the pond.  I can identify the Blue Gills, but the rest not so much.  There are a whole bunch of fish that are over a foot long, and no they are not carp...  Each time we walk by 3yo walks along the shore and looks at the fish as we enjoy the walk.  Since it is not very deep out beyond his height and I am only a few feet from him I give him some room to explore and see what he can see.   Well today he decided he needed an second look and ran back down the slope to the pond and ended up falling on his backside and sliding feet first into 6 inches of water and weeds...  I wanted to laugh so hard, but at the same time I was not happy because I told him not to run and not to go back.  As he is yelling blaming the Water, Grass and even the fish I explained the only one he could blame was himself for not listening to dad.  Needless to say the smell was not too good and we had to head home and get a stinky boy in the shower.

The 5

1. Painted Turtles - There are a bunch in the pond and they are always out sunning themselves.  Today one was about 10 feet from the water and 3yo was able to walk along side of it extremely focused on the little guy.


2. Blue Gills - There are a ton of Blue Gills and maybe sunfish swimming in the pond.  These are the most interesting to 3yo since there are so many


3. Big Fish - The unknown big fish in the pond are really cool to watch swim.  My best guess is Small Mouth Bass since my only view is from the top an I am no fish expert.


4. Frogs - The little ones are chirping and the monster tadpoles are swimming.  Soon they will be making the noise


5. Alligator Snapping Turtles - Not the regular smooth shell variety, but the pointy shell turtles are in the pond too.  Last year I rescued a little one from the road and was shocked to find them.

Daily Observation: To Every Pond a Little Boy Must Fall...

Happy Birthday Mom...

Daily Picture: The Cake, Notice that Grandma is before mom... Hmmm Telling my brothers and I something...



Well Sunday was my Mothers birthday so we all went over late in the afternoon for Pizza and Cake.  Of course it was Pizza from a family favorite place "Bill's Pizza & Pub" so we all over ate big time.  The "Special" is my favorite.  Of course the boys could not wait for cake.  They had a blast since their 3yo cousin was there along with my younger brother who was more then willing to rough house.

The day was rather busy overall with the boys getting up early of course.  We did a bunch of house stuff, I organized the wood from the Take Down on Saturday and even found time to take 3yo and 7yo for a 30 minute bike ride and about an hour of play time at the park.  Mom and baby were off doing a little shopping and getting 3 month old pictures taken.

By the time we made it back from my parents it was time to get the boys ready for bed, but I was exhausted.  I went and rocked the baby in his carrier in our room next to the bed so he could fall asleep.  As I laid on the bed rocking I fell asleep only waking to my wife saying I should get ready for bed, which I did.  In bed asleep before 9:00!!!

The 5

1. Bills Pizza -Mmmmmmmmmm


2. Bills Pizza - Mmmmmmmmmm


3. Passing Out - I rarely get so tired to just fall asleep, but I guess too many things added up to make me too darn tired.


4. Bills Pizza - Mmmmmmmmm


5. Moms Birthday 4/20 - This gets a big laugh from her students at school.  She is an aid at the local High School.

A History of 420 (Four Twenty)

The Origin Revealed

According to Steven Hager, editor of High Times, the term 420 originated at San Rafael High School, in 1971, among a group of about a dozen pot-smoking wiseacres who called themselves the Waldos, who are now pushing 50. The term was shorthand for the time of day the group would meet, at the campus statue of Louis Pasteur, to smoke pot. Intent on developing their own discreet language, they made 420 code for a time to get high, and its use spread among members of an entire generation. While our teens feel that they know something we don't, you can let them in on the fact that it was your generation that came up with the numbers.  From About.Com Article

Down with the OLD!

Daily Pictures(Friday & Saturday) The Old Swing Set Before...



The Old Swing Set AFTER...



Saturday was the big take down day for the old swing set. The fun began finding out that there were already a handful of bolts and screws broken. During the take down I also found that much of the hardware was so rusted it snapped under the slightest pressure. So now the Swing Set I have nicknamed POS is down. On the plus side there is actually quite a few pieces worth saving for other minor out door projects. I need to block off a few areas from the dogs and the boards will be good supports. As I was taking it down 3 yo started yelling at me and ran to tell on me... "Mom!!! Dad is taking down our fort!!!, MOM!!!!" Even after he has seen all the stuff for the new one I have been treated like a criminal by my kids for taking down their Swing Set.

Saturday Morning Football Sign Up

Well it is official, 7yo will be playing football again. We did the sign up and I was very happy to see how well it was run and the fact they have strict weight limits. Since 7yo (8yo once season starts) is only a whopping 51 pounds. The cutoff is 78 pounds so a good friend of his will actually be in a different division.

The 5

1. RTA POS - I have to say RTA (ready to assemble) swing sets are pretty much a big POS (Piece of S***) The lumber was subpar, the hardware was junk and it did not last long enough.


2. Difficult Ease - Taking down the fort was pretty easy, but it was still a tiring job.


3. Plastic Saved - The plastic parts including the slide, steering wheel and looking glass have been saved for use in the new fort. I might have to look at the Rust Oleum paints for plastic to make them look new again.


4. Sand Mover - I took the sand out of the sandbox in a bunch of wheel barrel loads creating a major pile on the patio. Save and reuse in the new sandbox.


5. Dad! Why! - I have yet to hear the end of it. Hopefully by the time we get the new fort up the kids will have forgiven me for taking down the old fort.

Friday Night Fatigue...

The end of last week and the weekend were so long I needed some time to recover.  It is amazing how a sequence of events can cause so much fatigue.  Of course the kids were up at the normal times on Friday so the day started pretty normal.  After a full day, Dinner and a night of watching the Doctor Who Season Premier with the wife it was time for me to drive to the wonder Mitchel International Airport in Milwaukee, WI.  I have been there a whole bunch of times, but it has been a few years.  Not much has changed since the last time I flew in there.  I needed to pick my Brother In Law up from a 12:16am flight and bring him to his brothers apartment.  I arrived and parked in the best spot since the first 30 minutes of parking is free at Mitchel.  After the long night I finally made it home and into bed at 2:30am... OUCH!!!

The 5

1. Late Night Driving - The drive both directions was a breeze.  Traffic was nothing so that made for a pleasant trip.


2. Small Airports - After being at O'hare Airport on Monday Mitchel is nothing close to the scale.  Easy In and Easy Out.


3. Caffeine Assistance - On my way out it was very important for me to grab a Big Gulp to keep the eye open.  After having three kids around you find it is difficult to stay up past 10:00 pm.


4. The Nod - As I made it back to my subdivision I stopped at one of the two stop signs and noticed myself slightly nod off... For a split second, but it was enough to freak me out...


5. The Bed - That moment when my head hit the pillow was great... Sleep, kinda...

Warmer Weather and Day Slipping Away...

Daily Picture: Tools for Work, Favorite Pen and my iPod loaded with an Audio Book



The sound of birds chirping, a light breeze blowing and the yellow haze of the sun cracking the curtain of dawn.  The air was fresh and the day looked bright.  3yo was up early as usual and following mom around while she got ready.  The baby and I rested until a little voice echoed in my ear... "Dad I'm Hungry!" so up I went to get some food for the 3 yo.  As I walked by the baby he was awake and smiling.  The sun was shinning the kids were smiling and the day started strong.

By the time we needed to head out to the bus the smiles turned to whines and the crazy morning started...

A Man Among Mommies Taxi Service.

Well this week I picked up one of the wife's Brothers at O'hare airport while watching my niece.  Tomorrow night I get to pick up her youngest brother at Milwaukee's Mitchel Airport, at MIDNIGHT!!!  Her one brother was the only one that could do it, but he has to be at work on Saturday Mornings before 6:00am so that would be tough.  As it is he will be staying with him, but at least he will not be up all night before having to work a 10 hours day.  I asked him if he was going anywhere and if I would have to pick him up.  That would be the trifecta of BIL Airport Pickups.

The 5

1. Overtired - Both the older boys and the wife and I are rather over tired.  We could all use a 12hour sleep night at this point.  Only if 3yo would stay asleep and 7yo would go to sleep.


2. Tackling Target - I have no idea why, but it seems like my 3yo is the number one target for kids to tackle.  Twice today other kids tackled him...  He does this with his brother and is the instigator, but when other kids try to tackle him he is like BACK OFF...


3. Village Stickers - Well our required village stickers for our cars are due and have gone up 50%...  nice to see even more things going up while we stay the same...


4. To Do List - Keeps getting bigger and it seems like I can not make a dent.  Normally I would have a little daytime hours, but the baby makes it difficult to have time especially since he has to have an opposite schedule to his brother.


5. Wii Smash Brothers Family Brawl - Well the one Brother In Law just picked it up so he can play online with my son.  Should be fun...

Daily Observation: Sleep begets Sleep...

Babies Behavior Breaks Big Daddy Down...

Daily Picture: The Hogfather



In my life there are only a few situations when I felt completely out of control of events.  As children we rely on our parents, as older kids our friends and as adults our significant others.  We find support and respite from our days with the people we rely on.  When you are the main source of support and your children rely on you it becomes increasingly difficult to catch your breath.  Today by the time my wife made it home my nerves where destroyed and my mind was numb.  The morning my main adversary was a cranky over tired 3yo boy wanting to create mess after mess.  The rest of the day however the baby was gassy and had a difficult time sleeping so most of my time was spent trying to keep him calm.  The slight moans with yelps and farts made the situation even more difficult.  Tonight the baby seems over it and is actually sleeping.

Yard Time - Dropped the Weed and Feed tonight so that when we get the 3 days of rain everything will take just fine.  The click click sound of the spreader means we are one step closer to summer.

Costco - Took the two younger boys to Costco this morning and of course left spending a good chunk of change.

The 5

1. AVPR - Aliens Vs Predator Requiem was not a bad movie.  It was far better then the first one and had a higher body count then any movie in either franchise.  I just wish they would go back to the future and create another masterpiece like James Cameron's "ALIENS"


2. The Hogfather - Got that from the Library and have really enjoyed it.  It is based on Terry Pratchett's Diskworld.


3. Dr Who - Returns this Friday.  What a glorious night for television.  Dr Who and Battlestar Galatica on the same night.


4. Juno - Borrowed that from BIL and have only watched about 20 minutes so far.  In that time I found myself laughing out loud many times.


5. Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream - "Steven Colbert's Americone Dream"  What a great addition to a good line of bad foods.

The Daddy Bus...

Daily Picture: The Tunnel at O'Hare Airport



I already have given into the fact that I am and will be for a long time the Chauffeur.  Today was truly a day where I was the driver more then anything.  Last week my brother in law asked for a big favor for today.  He asked if I would pick him up from O'Hare Airport and watch his daughter, my cute 2yo niece.  Well the original plan was for his wife to drop of their daughter at 6:30am on her way to work and then I would get him at 10:30am and bring him home.  This was not a problem and it was all planned out.  Yesterday I spoke with the SIL and she said she changed her work hours and would drop off my niece around 7:30am in stead.  This would be just fine.  Late last night my BIL called and said they changed his flight and he would be in at 6:15am instead of 10:30am but would be fine waiting until I arrived.  So I got a taste of how it would be with 4 kids in the morning ages 7, 3, 2, 2Mo and wow was it a circus around here.  A little before 8:00am we all walked down to the corner and waited with 7yo at the bus stop and got a little fresh air.  After the bus we walked back to the house and piled into my 2004 Odyssey and headed to the airport.  Without traffic I can get there in about 40 minutes, but of course construction season has started and I was there in a little over an hour.  We actually timed it out well and I called my BIL as I was getting there and had no problems picking him up.  The drive to the BIL hour was about an hour and a half and then about thirty minutes back to my place.  So the day started with a wonderful 3 hour journey in the Daddy Bus...

Planes, Trains and Limos...

3yo loves everything to do with cars, planes, trains and boats so the trip to the airport was extremely exciting.  With the planes flying so low overhead, the metra trains pulling in and of course the lines of limos he was in people mover heaven.  He kept yelling out..DAD, DAD, LOOK a plane, a Train...WOW look at the limo!  His excitement was fantastic.

Mosquitoes...

The little vampires were actually seen today.  All the rain and the warming temps have brought them out already.  They are not in a feeding mood yet, but a smack of a cloud of them produced some unmistakable corpses...

ESL (English as a Second Language)

I had my first full class in my "Practicum" was was fantastic.  I am in the level for 5-6 which deals with more advanced conversations and reading.  Much of the class is actually conversation which works out well for me.  It is important to talk and listen while encouraging them to talk much more.  I am glad I have made this step to become a certified volunteer.

The 5

1. Walks - Today was a wonderful day for a walk and it looks like from this point on the walks will increase and be more wonderful.  It will not be too long before I will need to be up early for walks in order to beat the heat.


2. Hair Cuts - We cut the boys hair last night and we always go short.  Last night we tried a little shorted with 3yo since he has so many problems with it growing wild fast.  Well I think we will stick with the slightly longer cut.


3. Sad News, Sad Days - Well it seems that there is more and more news about children getting hurt or worse.  I don't think it is happening any more the in the past, but with the Internet and media it seems that way.  An acquaintance lost a baby nephew this week to meningitis.  He was two months old.  This hit me rather hard since the baby is not much older.


4. Sad News, Sad Days Part II - I got an email today from one of my closest friends wife.  He has had health issue as long as I have known him, but those issues have created more health issues.  Most of the afternoon I focused on that information.


5. Bike Weather - It is finally here, weather that will make riding outside a number one priority!!!

Daily Observation: A Parent out living a child is terrible, a Parent losing a child really young is horrible...

Busy Busy Bees are Wees.

Daily Picture: Pokémon Starter Decks



When you are balancing 3 kids, marriage, work and all the things surrounding that you find that time is sometimes rather short.   I have been trying really hard to get a little house work done during the week to make the weekends easier, but that has not worked too well. So here is how are weekend went, how about yours?

Friday

7yo has a special dance recital at school.  The different grades do a group of dances from different parts of the world as part of their PE classes.  So 3yo, baby and I went off to the school to watch big brother as well as take some pictures and video.  Since there are kids other then my own in the pictures I will not post them.   While watching them I had to say it was pulled off thanks to all the girls and their ability to direct the boys in the right direction.

HJSWriter and boyfriend come to visit the baby.  Our friend and coworker at the wife's old job came out to visit before going to watch a local band play.  Of course the baby was the hit of the visit, but the boyfriend and I distracted ourselves when they talked about work by Golfing on the Wii...  It was nice to have company and it is amazing how wound up the boys got with having company in the evening.

Saturday

Housework, grocery shopping and mom and baby out for a while.  Of course the main focus on Saturday was the housework and grocery shopping.  I am getting sick of the prices increasing at the stores well about income increases.  Late in the day however I got a call from work and need to tend to some issues.  I worked off and on in the evening, but ended up on the phone with my boss at 11:30PM making sure everything was right.  I have no issues with this since I view my job as 7days a week.  I get what I can done when I can.  Some weeks are busy some are not.

Missed my good friend Yakataq this weekend.  He was out visiting family about an hour and a half away, but with the kids and too short notice it was an impossible task.  I am a bit unhappy and we were almost able to pull things together, but the boys were really wiped and our schedule was just too difficult.

Sunday

I have been fighting a little cold so this morning I slept a little longer.  3yo woke as normal and I got him set up with cartoons, juice and anything else he wanted so I could go back to bed.  I was able to get another hour of rest.  The day of course started with the rest of the housework and then planning dinner.  My FIL was coming out for dinner and I had T-Bone steaks, potatoes, salad and fruit to tend to.  He also brought out some small sticks and branches for me for my fire pit.  Yeah!

The 5 (Friday)

1. 2nd Grade Boys & Dancing - Watching 2nd grade boys make a half hearted effort to dance in groups with GIRLS was cute and entertaining.


2. Baby Attention - At school everyone looked at the baby and many of the little girls were excited to see the baby and 3yo... They all were saying there are 7yo's brothers...They are so cute...


3. 2 Buck Chuck- Drank a little two buck chuck from Trader Joes Friday night... Good Stuff!


4. Wii Friends - Playing some of the wii games makes entertaining new people more relaxed and exciting at the same time.


5. Late Bedtime - Got to bed too late with the cold.  Should have made it earlier, but with the company and the night it just took too long.

The 5 (Saturday)

1. SciFi Friday - Battlestar Galatica again was great.  I can not wait to find out who the last one is and what the deal is.  "All Will Be Revealed"


2. The Store - It was raining and I took 7yo with me so he could pick out his own food.  We are struggling getting him to eat anything.  So I had hoped he would pick some new stuff out.  Well he did, but they were different Cheeses and variations of things he already likes.  It is at least a start.


3. Pokémon - Well 7yo has liked the Nintendo DS game so I thought I would get him a starter set of the card game.  I am a game GEEK so this is right up my alley.  We got the decks together and I taught him how to play.  He likes it a lot.  A friend of mine is sending me a bunch of cards, well actually his son is.  He is a big time player so he is sending us stuff to get started.


4. Wii Are Victorious - Nothing says I Love you like a butt whipping in a video game.  My 7yo has been talking smack to me about Super Smash Brothers Brawl so I had to lay down the Dad Law...  The first 10 games I beat him with little effort.  He was getting frustrated, but in the end he beat me less then 5 times and I beat him more then 25... Bad Dad, but sometimes you just have to win... He is talking a little less smack now.


5. Major Bed Cleaning - Today I changed the bed washed EVERYTHING including the comforter and pillows.  Sometime you just have to go on a cleaning bender...

The 5 (Sunday @ the Movies)

1. The Pathfinder - Watched that this week and I have to say it really was not too bad.  Really violent, but the fights were impressive.  I do question the site locations because they seemed a little too unreal.  Clancy "The Kergan" Brown was the main bad guy.


2. Planet Terror - OUTSTANDING!!!  I thought it was a perfect homage to the old movies and the choice of actors was right on.  Some might not like the over the top feel, but for me it was a blast.


3. Underdog - Borrowed that from the library and the 3yo loved it.  I watched parts of it and it was ok.  I did like that at the beginning they had the old cartoon as part of the introduction.


4. AVPR - Comes out this Tuesday.  I really want to see it and hope the Library has it right away.  If not I may have to rent or buy it.  I really do not care how good the acting is I just love the monsters!!!


5. Juno - Comes out Tuesday and I really want to see it.  I saw Ellen Page in an interview and she was outstanding.  This one looks like a good one...

Daily Observation: Late To Bed, Early to Rise make a child, Cranky, Mouthy and Unwise...

The Land of Broken Toys

Daily Photo: The Trike I Want.



The Land of Broken Toys

The boys are rather sentimental about their toys and when they break one they are devastated.  Not every toy can be fixed nor will I spend the time on some, but many become part of the reassembly line.  3yo is a car fanatic and he broke 2 cars today.  One really cheap one we picked up on vacation in a pack and a pull back Lightning McQueen from McDonalds.  Even though I would have liked to just get rid of the really cheap car I could not do it because he remembers when and where he got the five cars from the pack.  So the super glue came out and the repairs were done.  Sometime I wish his memory was not as good.  The second I had to fix it has to do with the cars movie.  Funny thing is he actually got it in the "Treasure Chest" at my doctors office.  They are family doctors, but the boys have their own pediatricians.  I had an appointment last year and he came with and since he was a really good boy the nurse let him get a treasure.  7yo hardly ever broke toys except the action figure lightsabers.  They break rather easily so it happens too often.  3yo on the other hand I think breaks toys daily.  I have put more cars together then an auto body shop.

Bicycle Tuned Up

I picked up my bike this morning after it had a major tune up and a new tire put on.  I wanted to make sure it has a good start to the riding season.  Granted the tire and tune up costs as much as a Discount Store Bike, but it is well worth it.

The 5

1. No Country For Old Men - I watched that yesterday and it was pretty darn good.  The bad guy was truly scary.  He makes Jason and Freddy look like Teletubbies.  I was only disappointed about one small resolution, but over all a good movie.


2. Alvin & The Chipmunks - I borrowed that from the library and after two days of hearing the voices I don't want to here it again.  The kids liked it and both said it was better then the Bee Movie.


3. Snow - Snow is predicted for the end of the week... Enough ALREADY!!!


4. Favorite Site Hacked - My favorite Forum Dad Stays Home was hacked and the owner had to take it down to repair it.  Two days with out the other Stay Home Dads is tough... Why they are hacking a At Home Dads Site is beyond me.


5. Swing Set Kit - It arrived yesterday and this weekend I will be getting the lumber.  Hopefully I will be able to take some pictures of the build.

Daily Observation: Fear of a hurt child is beyond comprehension.

As I Turn 35

Today just so happens to be my 35th Birthday. If you would have asked me 20, 15 or even 10 years ago if I thought I would be a Work At Home Dad spending most of my time raising 3 boys I would have probably laughed. As I look back on my 35 year journey my 3 and a half year At Home Dad journey seems rather short.

Life By The Numbers

• 35 Years Old Today


• 7.5 Years Dad of 1


• 3.5 Years Dad of 2


• 2.5 Months Dad of 3


• 12.5 Years Married


• 17 Years knowing my wife


• 11.5 Years in Home Ownership


• 17 Years Voting


• 14 Years Legally Drinking


• 19 Years Driving a Car


• 16+ Years of school


• 19 Years of jobs


• 13 Years on the Internet


• 6 Cars owned (2 currently in garage included)


• 4 Major Broken bones


• 1 True Love

35 Things About Me

1. I am Happily Married


2. I have 3 Wonderful Kids


3. I love to bicycle


4. I enjoy Video Games


5. I Enjoy Board and Card Games


6. My favorite food is Pizza


7. My Second Favorite Food is Chinese


8. I am addicted to Coca Cola


9. I prefer Brownies over Cake


10. I Prefer Cake over Cookies


11. I Prefer Cookies over Candy


12. I have bought toys for my kids that I wanted to play with


13. Legos are hands down the best toy ever


14. I have played with Legos as an adult while the kids were sleeping


15. I love SciFi and Fantasy of all kinds


16. I really enjoyed the Harry Potter Books


17. Audio Books are fantastic


18. Micro Brew Beers are awesome


19. I don't like going out to eat


20. I enjoy cooking


21. I feel that Laundry is pure evil...It never stops!!!


22. Football is my sport


23. Shortbread is amazing, good homemade shortbread is pure joy


24. My grandmother was born in Scotland


25. I prefer Gas Grills to Charcoal Grills


26. I like to cut the grass


27. I do not like to garden, but should


28. I can talk a whole lot


29. I enjoy writing and wouldn't mind being paid for it


30. Italian Food is my third favorite thing


31. I am a gadget guy


32. I am CHEAP


33. I know all the characters of the shows my kids like


34. I sing to my kids


35. I am ME...

Absence Noticed...

Daily Picture: New Swing Set Plans



Our older RTA POS Swing Set is falling apart so we are going to build a new on.  It took us a while to find the plans we wanted and even these plans are not perfect.  The Cargo Net is not being added.  I bought the Hardware kit today and will be adding pieces like the slide from our older set to cut the costs down.  Once the hardware gets here I will get the lumber and start building.

Absence Noticed

For the longest time I felt like I was hardly noticed in public unless it was some sort of comment about being out with the kids.  Well this past week and weekend I was out without either 3yo or both and people noticed.  In multiple stores the absence of the kids drew attention.  It felt good to have people associate me with the boys.

Day Skipped

Yesterday was so long and by the time I got all the stuff around here done the only thing I wanted to do was go to bed.  I cleaned out the garage as well as figured out how I am going to hang a bunch of stuff.

Little Dog At the Vet

Yesterday my little dog had to go in for shots.  Well they were running twenty minutes behind so we went for a walk around the neighborhood surrounding the vets office.  This was great, but the dog is sore today.

Long Day Sunday

Well today was super long with errands and chores a plenty.  I did pick up some big cups to replace my favorite big cups.  They were all beat up and nasty.  Now I have 8 really nice unbreakable plastic cups in 3 colors.  I ended up running the dishwasher twice after emptying it from a load last night.  I also bought 7yo a nice gift, a poopy scooper...  This will be one of his chores so I am making it easier on him.

The 5

1. Errands on Sunday - It was brutal running around today and doing the shopping.  I really do not want to go grocery shopping with 3yo and baby so I need to do it on the weekend.  What a madhouse...


2. Dr Who - Is starting in a few weeks...YES!!!! (April 18th)


3. Sarah Jane Adventures - Dr Who Spin off coming soon... (April 18th)


4. Friday Night SciFi Line up - Sarah Jane Adventures, Dr Who, Battlestar Galatica... Sci Fi Heaven...


5. New Dashboard - The Wordpress Dashboard has changed for the better... Cool!! Thanks Wordpress...

Battlestar Galactica

Battlestar Galactica Season 4 Starts tonight...  Guess where I will be?

The only sad thing is that it is the beginning of the end for the show.  The fourth and Final season of arguably one of the finest shows on TV.

You Can Actually Call Me Daddy Daycare...

Farmers Have Crop Circles... I have Car Circles, or Designs or Something... I wonder if there really is a pattern there?



Normally if someone were to call me "Daddy Daycare" it would be snarl and stare worthy. Today however that all changed. I received a phone call from a friend of ours that has a son the same age as 7.5 yo and good friends.  They have kids in College and two younger kids one in Kindergarten and one in 2nd grade with my son. They both work and have schedules that allow them to be home with the kids for the most part.  In the summer however they have issues on Friday.  The girl in kindergarten goes to a friends as daycare for the day and the boy was going to a different home daycare.  Well that daycare is no longer an option for them.  The call came in and I was asked if I would be willing to watch their son every Friday for the summer.  I was pleasantly surprised that I was given this request.  I have watched their son on silly school holidays before and the boys play all the time.  With this I would have him from early morning until the late afternoon every Friday.  They have offered me payment which will be nice, but not a concern of mine.  If this makes them feel better I can live with that.  I would certainly pay if my kids where somewhere on a regular basis.  After discussing with the wife I agreed to do it.  So come June I will actually be Daddy-Daycare...

The 5

1. Super Smash Brothers Brawl - My son and I unlocked "Snake" from the Metal Gear series.  This was exciting for both of us.  3yo has actually enjoyed seeing all the characters.


2. Sleep - I have slept poorly lately and hope the boys actually give us a few good nights soon.


3. Hand Me Downs -One of the preschool moms offered up some cloths for my 3.5 yo.  Her son is much bigger then mine and she has all these really nice Kids Place Jeans that are too small.  She offered them to me and of course I was all over that.  Save More, Have More...


4. Van Ride Calms Him - Tonight baby was so upset the only thing that calmed him was a nice van ride.  He was gassy and let em rip during the ride.  When we returned he was much happier.


5. Preschool Moms - Today after class the kids all played at the park.  Most of the moms were happy to sit on the playground and chat with me while our kids ran around us.  It is nice to be an outsider all the time.

Playdate for the Boys and For Dad

Daily Photo

"Baby Flying Dragon Kick"



After a little planning today I hosted a play date with a couple dads from dadstayshome
So late this morning two guys I had yet to meet stopped by with their kids. We all played and had chicken I grilled up for lunch. It was really nice to spend the time with some other At Home Dads again as well as get some time for my 3.5 yo to make some new friends. After today I was wondering if there is a mathematical equation that defines the mess making capability of children under 4 as adjusted for numbers of children. Wow went from clean to "TOYNADO" in a few minutes. The kids seemed to have a good time and it appears the dads did too. Thanks Luckydad and Cloweman for making the trip to my place for a few hours of fun.

Time is not on my side.

The last few days I have really been struggling to find any time that does not involve multitasking things that need to get done. Not even late at night after the boys are in bed. I have had a few things I needed to do in the evening that pushed my work back causing me to be up rather late.

Monday Night

I observed 3 classes for ESL (English As A Second Language) so I am one step closer to getting certified to be a volunteer tutor. I observed a Level 1-2 Class, Level 3-4 Class and a Level 5-6 Class. I really have no true preference, but the level 5-6 seemed to fit my style of interaction better. So I am probably going to get my 10 hours classroom in the level 5-6. It also helped that I seemed to get along with the instructor rather well. After I tutor for a while I might look into an adult education path down the road. I like to help and teach and this is where I like to focus.

Tuesday Night... "Does This Hurt?"

Well I did my follow up appointment from the procedure Tuesday Night and of course that was comfortable. Doctor did a check and checked the interior stitched area and checked for tenderness. "Does This Hurt?" he asked grabbing hold of the boys... YES!!! OUCH!!! Still a little sensitive he replied... YOU THINK? Commented that there was not much bruising and I had to correct him. There WAS a whole lot which surprised him. So just one more test in a few weeks and that is all done.

Tuesday Night Visit to Trader Joe's

Since my Doctors office is a few blocks from Trader Joe's I had to make a stop and pick up a few wonderful things including a bottle of 2 Buck Chuck... Trader Joe's Rocks... Just wish they were a bit closer.

Still working Wednesday Morning...

Well I was working late last night and finished up just after midnight. I wanted to get a few things done, but is was slow going. After today I should be able to speed things up. I had to get things to a certain point in order to be able to get multiple things working together.

The 5

1. Does This Hurt? - Well when I jump off the table I think that would be a YES!!!


2. BEOWULF - Watched that the past few days and I thought it was pretty darn cool. The effects for everything from people to plants was outstanding. The violence was rather high as well as a few peaks at CGI A-Jolie. As a whole it was rather entertaining.


3. Better Weather - Well the sun is shinning more and the weather seems to be getting a bit better. Soon I will be out walking with the boys every morning.


4. Bike Tune Up - I am taking my bike into the shop on Friday to get a tune-up, new back tire and overall checkup. Since it has been on the trainer all winter it needs some fixing before I hit the trails.


5. Battlestar Galactica - Final Season starts FRIDAY!!! YES!!! Best Show On TV...PERIOD!