The boys had earned a reward and I agreed to take them to a store so they could pick a candy bar. There is little in the world more exciting to Gerrit than going to the store with money for candy. Ethan also likes candy but what really makes Ethan happy is to play video games. By the time we left the house Ethan had convinced his little brother to pool their reward money and rent a video game instead of buying candy. Continue reading “Shoe Stuffing Elves”
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
Afton
I went with Shannon to see her obstetrician a few weeks ago. The doctor put Shannon’s due date as November 21st, but started asking when the most convenient day would be to have the baby. I thought that was a little odd, but given that Shannon’s doctor was seven months pregnant herself, maybe she needed to have things a little better scheduled. And since the uncertainty of the baby’s sex has been a little hard (we didn’t peek), we thought it might be nice to have a definite due date. After all, that allowed me to plan when I’d be away from work, when a meal from the Relief Society might be nice, and who would be available to watch Ethan and Gerrit. So we picked Thursday, November 17. But in spite of that early planning, things were still a bit chaotic as the day drew near. Continue reading “Afton”
Fish Story
Before this past Thursday, I was not what you would call a successful fisherman. Not that I had fished much, to be sure, but the time I had spent so far had yielded only a single fish that wouldn’t have been overly cramped in a goldfish bowl. So it was with a slight sense of futility that I set out for a day of fishing with my good friend, Sang, who was visiting from California. Continue reading “Fish Story”
Memphis Road Trip 2005
Since, in spite of fears, our road trip to Memphis a couple of years ago turned out to be a fun time, we thought we’d do it again. And while the current family members are all seasoned road trippers, we’re expecting a baby this fall who might need a few years to build up its sitting-for-long-stretches-of-time muscles, so this summer seemed like a good time to go.
Basketball Stars
Ethan and Gerrit wrapped up their community basketball seasons recently. For Gerrit, it was his first time playing “organized” basketball. I use the word “organized” somewhat loosely. Sure, there was an official coach, and regularly scheduled games and such. It was the on-court aspect that was laden with entropy.
DeskMinder
A few years ago, I created a little HTML widget that would sit on my computer desktop to remind me of people’s birthdays and other annually occurring events. I think it’s kind of handy, and I’ve always thought that it would be nice to share it with my family and friends. The trouble is, most people would want to customize the events, and that’s a little difficult. To try to make it easier, I’ve created an event editor. So, presented here to you is my old-fashioned homemade Christmas present, which I’ve named “DeskMinder”. (Updated 21 Dec 04 — easier imports).
Viper Strike
Desktop computers these days give you the power to express yourself creatively in ways that were unpractical just a few years ago. Or to waste time in unprecedented ways. However you look at it, Sparks from the Smithy proudly presents its first movie, titled Viper Strike, which, thanks to the titles and credits, weighs in at over a minute long.