Rose Speak

R: dada, if Santa lives so far away, how can he see us?

O: he watches us with a telescope.

R: oh. Dada, it's hard to be nice.

O: you mean when you're tired?

R: oh. I'm sorry I meant it's hard to be quiet in the library.

Roses first blog: proud moment

Rose

Location:Ie

If you want to be friends with Leo..

You have to know the lyrics to this song:

Oh… Oh…, Oh… ah
Go Diego Go
Deep inside the jungle where nature is running wild
Coming to the rescue is a very special child
Talking to the animals and swinging from a vine
This rough and tough adventurer is working all the time
Yo Viene Diego… Diego… Diego… Go, Diego, Go
Alicia’s on a mission we’re going for a ride
Diego is on the road with baby Jaguar on his side
Discovering together Yeah were always having fun
Helping out each other is good for everyone
And there goes Diego… Diego… Diego… Go, Diego, Go

Old Blogger Template

Almost had a heart attack trying to figure out how to get the old blogger template back. Needed that stretch feature for the massive picasa slideshow of course!

Summer 2010

Pizza party masquerade with Abe.

Notice how I grafted the outside of the pizza to cover the hole in the center. Classy!

Leo was in charge of the cheese grating.

I laughed out loud today when I remembered that when you bake with my mom she uses the phrase 'tisp' instead of teaspoon. Every time.

Velveeta

When you get married a lot of your pretensions and assumptions are revealed simply because your spouse has been raised to see things differently than you always have.

My wife is a considerate person so when she found out I didn't like Velveeta she forestalled judgement and tried to figure out why.

I just want to ask you as a blog reader: did you not grow up eating homemade pizza with velveeta on it?

It was like my memories spun around me like in the end of the movie Memento.

VELVEETA IS NOT FOR HOMEMADE PIZZA!

I'm proud to say that after a couple of counseling sessions I'm now back on my feet eating Velveeta like a semi-normal American.

JXI

This is for you kman!

You know you're old when...

I was in H&M the other day and "No Such Thing" came on the radio. I guess it felt good to actually know one of the songs that was playing.

Then I heard two teenage girls talking in the next isle. "Is this song by John Mayer?"

Location:Old Boiling Springs Rd,Greenville,United States

Crumbs For a Mouse

Despite the fact that kyra warned Leo several times that the bun featured in the photo above was not real, the young explorer couldn't resist.

This to me implies one of two pretty hilarious things:

A. His faith and perception that the bread was real was so strong that it overruled his mothers warning AND his experience that the first and second bite tasted like rubber.

OR

B. He in some ironic way wanted to teach the owner of the object that if they intended on keeping things that looked like food in his presence he would have no other option than to treat them as such. In this case the punishment indeed fit the crime.

Location:Losantiridge Ave,Cincinnati,United States

In case of a rainy day.

When I asked Dominic why he was carrying an NYU rain jacket into the swimming pool locker room he informed me of his errand for dad.

My dad has always been a big sweater (and not the reindeer kind) - I think by choice. After five minutes of running he is a prime candidate for a gatorade commercial.

The photo above features his sweat jacket that Rainbow makes him use when he gets in the car lest he sit on her lumbar support in the car.

Yes. It is rank. And yes Dominic intends to rinse it in the locker room.

Location:Losantiridge Ave,Cincinnati,United States

The Thinker

Dad taking a catnap while lesson planning. This photo is also known as "The intellectual Terminator."

Location:Losantiridge Ave,Cincinnati,United States

Night Owl

This kid took a nap from 6 to 10 tonight. Now he's up and it's rounding 2AM. YOWSERS!

Location:Losantiridge Ave,Cincinnati,United States

J

I sometimes wonder how much INS this guy spends trying to figure out bow to be cool. Dude is cool.

My uncle chris was ticked that we went to notre dame to feed the ducks cause they've been trying to kill them.

Go Diego go!

Leo and Auntie Rainbow

Me and Matel

Roses favorite exhibit at the children's museum was probably Barbie.

It was mine too...

So

I think I was a hit when I went as Joe Jonasaurus at the children's museum.

Inception

I can't remember the last time I liked jewelry so much.




They must have gotten into my mind!

-kyra

Location:Losantiridge Ave,Cincinnati,United States

You learn something new every day....

I learned today that many women's toilet stalls have a special waste compartment for extra urinary purposes.

It was because of this fact that Kyra assumed that the metal door in her stall was said compartment when indeed it was a (trap door?) to the stall next to her.

When she threw Leo's pull-up it in it just landed on my moms feet in the next stall.

I'm also feeling the need to clarify that I heard all if this second hand and was NOT hanging out with Kyra and my mom in the bathroom.

That is all.

Location:Losantiridge Ave,Cincinnati,United States

Smoke

Something smells like smoke in here - Jim gaffigan

After burning a fire last night for smores the house has that carbon smell in it. Kind of like that time me and Kurt smoked oregano cigarettes.

No that's not an allusion to smoking marijuana. We rolled oregano in toilet paper. And smoked it.

The Lawn

This is my moms lawn Seems pretty harmless right? Mostly you're right. Except for the crazy invisible potholes in it! I'm telling you, you could sprain your angle on that sucker.

It was so bad that one mow would rattle the handle loose. We had to get brackets just to keep the the handle from buckling at the joint thingy. Crazy...

Why O Why

A fire in July?

SMORES OF COURSE!

Gammy's

I've always remembered driving around the corner towards my grandmas house after the 13 hour trip. I remember how the curbs were rounded and the lawns were nicer and it was hot.

The driveway was smooth, really good for rollerblading. The house of course had a sweet smell to it. It smelled like comfort. There were probably HUGE Disney Popsicles in the fridge and some lucky charms in the cabinet.

My favorite were the Disney books she kept on the shelf. Each book had the illustrated stories of several feature films and you can really tell they wrote it when people took a lot of care in their illustrations. I loved stairing at them.

I know Rose and Leo are soaking in memories like this every time we visit Gammy's. They'll remember the green room. And the room with the red carpet and the trundle bed. And the horsey tire swing. They'll remember the three seasons room. And the Disney VHS tapes. Rose will remember the special trips we to the beach and the library and to pick blueberries. Thus love coming to Gammy's from beginning to end. It's magical here. :)

I'm grateful for that.

Jog to Conclusions

I'm realizing that I always judge runners based on the clothes hey have on. They could be running so slow but wearing something tight with short shorts and I'll be like:

Look at that guy, he's doing his long run. I'll bet he's been running for hours.

Or they'll be running so fast with a cut off and basketball shorts and I'm thinking:

That guy is killing himself. He should slow down and get a pace going.

Beach

I used to be a minimalist when I went to the beach. Nevermore. I realized that if anyone ever asks if I want something at the beach I always say yes.

So don't ask me if I want a knuckle sandwich or something cause I'd probably fall for it.

!!!

Ever since I started getting online I've always been student of expression and communication. This of course has grown increasingly important in a paperless society of social media.

That being said I have never been a fan of the exclamation point. My rule of thumb has been to use it only in cases of written personal conflict; In total my laptop from college that I retired last year probably never executed an exclamation point in it's entire career since I never handle personal conflict o that nature via the www.

I've reformed.

In fact I try to use the powerful symbol as much as possible without being crazy - like one o those intense eBay people:

!!! The ONLY pair of suspenders JOHN PAUL JONES !! Ever needed! Nanana N!!!!$&@&$

I just think it's nice to see it after your name or whatever:

Oliver!

Which looks better?;

Thanks for the fruit.

Thanks for the fruit!

Am I alone to think the former could be drenched in sarcasm? Uh oh, maybe this all contributes to some sort of emotion inflation.

Oh well!

My hat's off to Kevin Anderson for the best Facebook status of the day:

Kevin AndersonBirthed and reared in West Philadelphia, the days of my childhood and early youth were spent in the wildernesses just beyond our village, where my companions and I passed many an hour roaming free and frolicking, oftentimes playing ball sports in the proximity of the schoolhouse. I recall a certain occasion on which two wastrels came upon us, interrupted our pursuits, caused a general ruckus, and incited a fray.18 hours ago

I just found out that my mom got this poor water heater guy to rip out the carpeting from these steps for free.

She was like, "hey, do you have a couple of minutes to help me with this little thing?"

45 minutes later his hands are bleeding and blistered and my moms apologizing to him and he's like "I'm already this far I can't stop now"

Lol. Got him!

Dear Francis branch library. Why did you have to get AWESOME once I moved away? They have a kids center made of macs and a bunch of flat screens everywhere.

Also they have a library catalog that actually works instead of taking five minutes to tell you to reserve the book at the munster branch 45 minutes away.

Eric the Bana of my existence

A while back Kyra and I played a twisted version of 'would you rather' where I gave kyra a succession of alternatives of attractive celebrities to date (if I died).

We moved through the list of grossies where she had to pick between Jim Gaffigan and Pewee Herman. And through the varsity team, John Stamos, George Clooney etc. I was very satisfied to learn that things like character and humor were the major determinate of her choices and was more than happy to see Brad Pitt drop off early in the game and we finally arrived at Ashton Kutcher. I was more than pleased.

Then today happened.

We started talking about celebs again (seriously don't talk about this much) and to my behest there is a new love in her life.

Eric Bana. Barf.

She said something about him being a good listener or something - I don know I wasn't really paying attention - lol.

I hope he doesn't time travel to my world cause I would be sad.

A Photo Journal

So we gave rose the camera to take some pictures of things shes likes around gammy's house. Take a gander and see if you can't find anything that catches your fanny I mean fancy...

Let the blueberry mania continue!!

To be exact, we picked 20 POUNDS of blueberries yesterday which made me feel like I was in a Mr. Rogers episode or something. On a side note I also learned from my old college buddy that his step mom played Veronica - the blueberry girl - in Charlie and the chocolate factory. He said thy used to do cast reunions and everything.

Rose is making blueberry pancakes in the picture above. The last time we had these was when we first got married. I bit into it and a lava hot blueberry exploded on my lip and caught it on fire. Well, there wasn't a flame but it hurt pretty bad and blistered.

It was so gross.

I think my cobbler was a hit!!

Keiesha Cole

I've always had a hate/hate relationship with my hair. It's fundamentally dry and course and also fairly confused; straight on the top and severely wavy on the sides and back. It grows in patchy on the sides as well to the extent that if a rookie barber took to it they would risk leaving me with what my Aunt Katie calls "white walls" which basically looks like your hair is afraid of your ears.

It has been a process for me of course to figure all of this out but I have come to an important conclusion over the past months of my life.

No. It's not that is should stop being so neurotic and just get a buzz cut or something. ;)

I've actually learned that all this time I've been treating my hair like a white woman and now know the truth that I have the hair of an African American. Two products that have brought about a hair revolution for me are:

Sporting Waves: probably the EXACT same product as American Crew for about two dollars.

Africa's Best: in just 25 minutes you too can have the springy haircut of your favorite anime character.

To quote the great Rod Stewart: if I knew what I know now, when I was younger.

More Bars Than Any Other Carrier

John Wayne

Kyra: Where's Oliver?
Mom: He's over there being the strong silent type.
Oliver: I'm like the John Wayne of blueberry picking.
Mom: Because you're tall?

Bahahahahaha

Do Work Son!

Wherever Leo travels you find small and otherwise unnoticeable objects from around your house in strange and inconvenient places.

For example this morning we found a gardening rock in the center of the kitchen and fireplace logs in front of the love seat.

If the saying is true that a child's play is his/her work then my son is a workaholic.

There's just something about Indiana grass isn't there? It's something that me and K talk about when were home.

Sid

My cousin Lauren just told me that the trash guy at the end of Toy Story 3 is Sid. He's wearing the same t-shirt and everything!

Cabatha

Meet Cabatha. It's kind of like our neighbor's cat Tabatha but is eats carrots.

Spidey

Hands-down this is my favorite element of my old room.

Taped

This is a picture that I've never had a memory of being in but have always remembered looking at. Of course the best part is that my mom put a piece of scotch tape over appropriate portions.

Faction

Lauren and Maddie just beat us in pictionary. This was lauren's faction.

Steps Sliding

I Made it on Donald Miller's Blog! :)

http://donmilleris.com/2010/06/26/a-leader-in-the-emerging-church/