“We’re going to die! We’re going to die!” The fatalistic exclamation could hardly compete with all of the alarms and alerts wailing on the bridge. Adding to the chaos was a flickering lighting system and orders being shouted without regard for the established chain of command. Even though two of the officers were my sons, I smiled a little as I watched over the remote video feed. Maybe death would be educational.
Brothers’ Weekend
When my siblings and I were young, I remember going to the Oregon coast occasionally. As I recall, Alan would make little double-pontooned cars dubbed “skeeters”, and we would dash through the shallow water with them towed by a string while they skimmed over sand and surf. There weren’t any skeeters this time, but last weekend we brothers had a chance to go back to the coast for a brief getaway.
The Hills Are Alive With the Sound of Rehearsal Tracks
A few weeks ago, a sister in our ward told me that Lehi city’s production of The Sound of Music was in desperate need of men — especially men with ballroom dance experience. She, Gina, was acting as choreographer, and explained that the women in the show were unhappy with the prospect of dancing the Ländler without partners. Also, some Nazis would enhance the show a bit. Having recently played a dancing Nazi in a roadshow parody of The Sound of Music, I thought it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to play a dancer and a Nazi in the real thing.
Continue reading “The Hills Are Alive With the Sound of Rehearsal Tracks”
Sparks from the Smithy Changes
If you take a moment to look at Sparks from the Smithy, you may notice that things look a little bit different than they have previously. This is because I’ve started using WordPress to run the site instead of my hand-made system.
Gerrit’s Baptism
Gerrit was baptized and confirmed on Saturday, June 30, 2007. Before the ordinances, Gerrit said he was excited because his sins would be washed away, and because Ethan said it was fun.
Coach Dad
Something a little unexpected happened before Gerrit’s basketball season this year. Normally, the coach calls to introduce himself and say when the first game will be. Instead, we got a call from the rec department saying, “We don’t have a coach for your son’s team. Do you want to do it?” Continue reading “Coach Dad”
Afton’s First Year: The Movie
Believe it or not, our little Afton is already more than a year old. The cliche is that you take a million pictures of your first kid, a bunch in the middle, and fizzle out when the youngest kid shows up. I think I might be doing the opposite. Maybe the gap between Gerrit and Afton makes me like a first-time parent again, gushing over the cuteness of my own offspring, as evidenced by all the videos posted on Sparks. Continuing that tradition, we proudly present Afton’s First Year: The Movie.
Watch the Movie
Calvin Clone Catamaran
Ethan’s Cub Scout pack meeting this month included a “Raingutter Regatta”. I had never done one of those when I was a scout, so it was a new experience for both of us. A Raingutter Regatta is kind of like a Pinewood Derby, but instead of racing cars on a sloped track, you race boats in a rain gutter, using wind power (blowing) to propel them. In getting ready for the event, I was just hoping it would turn out a little better than last year’s Pinewood Derby. Continue reading “Calvin Clone Catamaran”
Oregon Peregrinations
Gerrit and I didn’t actually walk to Oregon when we visited Bend, Oregon last month, but there was plenty of perambulating once we got there. The occasion was a family reunion full of adventure, food and mosquito bites in addition to the lots of walking. Cathy has already published many of the details of the reunion, so I thought I’d just share some personal highlights. Continue reading “Oregon Peregrinations”
The Ambitious Tent
There was once a tent that aspired
To be more than mere shelter required.
So when the wind shifted,
Into the air it lifted,
And soared like a kite though unwired.
Things get a little exciting at Gerrit’s camping-themed birthday party when the
4-man tent gets caught by a sudden wind and flies over the neighborhood.
June 5, 2006