iPhone pictures

Okay, the truth is today was a pretty rough day with DS#3 today, but I did get a few pictures taken. This first picture is of DS#3 dragging a Dora "backpack" behind him while helping me push the shopping cart at Costco. I actually took a number of pictures but the camera has a delay and I have to step back, every time I stood back to take the picture he'd let go of the shopping cart or move in a different direction. This is the one picture that I finally got showing him with both the backpack and the shopping cart.

Later in the day we were at DD's dance class. DS#3 decided he wanted to drink water at the water fountain. Well, he actually isn't that used to drinking fountains and I had to try to get a picture of water running all over his face while trying to drink. Again, it was difficult to get a decent picture but I really like this one.

That is about all for now. It was a very tiring day and I need to get more writing and other work done.

Quick Caption

Okay, time for a quick post. Partly so it looks like I post more often than I have been. Partly because, well, some pictures just need captions...

"No, Honey, I don't think you need more clothes."




We are going to have to clear the entire closet out before I can put new hardware in. Basically, I need to clean it out, patch the holes in the wall, paint, and then install everything. Our problem right now is figuring out where to put everything presently in the closet.

I am trying to get a few writing projects done so this is not going to get done quickly. I did go to Lowe's and look at some of the closet hardware they have. Unfortunately, some of the pieces I will want are going to be "special order." I'll be looking at a few other places this week if DS#3 gives me a chance.

Smiles 'n Soccer

Thursday after school DD and DS#3 were playing on the large cardboard box the new computer was shipped in so I had to take a quick picture of the two of them laughing their heads off.
Yesterday was a day off from school so the kids and I went to the park for a bit, played, and pretty much relaxed before DS#2's night soccer game (7:30 PM start).

Today my lovely wife is on-call and we just got home from DS#1's afternoon soccer game. DS#2 has another game tomorrow afternoon so we are pretty much doing something with soccer everyday of the week.

DS#3 was pretty good during the game, we sat at the one end of the field on a picnic bench in the shade of some trees so we were fairly comfortable. DD and DS#3 played (um, mostly) and DS#3 spent time playing with rocks and dirt so I really did get to watch most of the game (disappointing loss, but oh well).

I did take shots of DS#1 playing when I could, but I found I really had to focus out most of the time so that I could see the action through the lens or I wouldn't have time to shoot the picture. In addition, one series of pictures was actually pretty far away. I am hoping my lovely wife will be able to "fix" those up a bit when she gets a chance.

DS#3 wiped himself out playing so he is napping right now, as soon as he wakes up I will be taking the kids out to eat. Probably Fuddruckers or someplace similar, I really haven't decided. I think I want a good burger though.

That's the news for now, dry post, I know, but I guess I am tired too.

Edit: Oh, yes, I do see that the tree is growing out of my lovely daughter's face and I should have done a better job framing it. Hey, at least I took pictures!

Bubbles!

Okay, time for another quick video. This isn't quite as cute as the Puddle Dance further down, but I like showing how much DS#3's cousins and siblings love to play with him and help him out.

DS#1 and cousin N spent a great deal of time playing outside with DS#3, blowing bubbles on demand and helping him blow bubbles. You can see the flash going off as pictures are taken. Now that I think about it, I could have included some of those. Maybe I'll add those in next week sometime.

DS#3 loves playing with bubbles, sometimes--he used to live for bubbles at the Gymboree play classes I take him to, but lately he is content to ignore the bubbles there and just continue playing. He does enjoy playing with bubbles in the backyard though.

I am going to be pretty busy this weekend. Between 3 soccer games, wanting to get some writing done, and my lovely wife being on-call Saturday, I probably won't post again until next week. I can't guarantee any new videos but I do have to say that it is MUCH easier to edit short little videos like this on the new computer.

Video Time

Well, if I am clever I can make short videos out of everything I took over the Easter weekend and be able to post a video almost every week.

I got such a huge kick out of watching my lovely wife and her sisters try to get all of the kids together for a picture that I had to video tape the photographers as well as those lovely kids.

When saving it as a quicktime video some of the video got clipped along the sides a bit. I think this is due to fitting in the final photograph at the end.

Now, when this finishes uploading maybe I'll play around with more video tonight. Oh, and yes, G.O., I did NEED the new computer--of course, now I am thinking maybe I should have spent even more $$. Hmmm, maybe I can turn the older desktop over to DS#1 for his high school work this fall, give this machine to my lovely wife and buy myself ANOTHER new machine. Eh, no, that's a bit soon even for me...

Puddles are FUN!

Okay, let's be honest, my lovely wife does a much better job of getting pictures posted than I seem to manage.
We've had some pretty rainy, icky weather since Thursday. In fact, soccer practices were canceled Thursday night and both of the big boys' had their Saturday games canceled. This means it got "nice" on Saturday afternoon. That is, if "nice" means horribly humid and full of mosquitoes. I took DS#3 outside to play and he promptly went straight to the small puddle in front of our deck. I took somewhere around 30 pictures in hopes of getting a good shot of water flying through the air, having the flash go off correctly, etc. I did get a few good shots.

Meanwhile, I took some video too. Yes, DS#3 was completely in love with playing in the puddle and digging into the mud. Eventually, he started trying to stick things in his mouth (it was heading toward dinner time) so I brought him inside. Let's just say that didn't make him happy. After dinner he got to look at some of the clothes his mama bought him and with DD's influence, he started dancing around with one of the shirts.

The little man and I spend a lot of time together. Sometimes it is pretty exhausting, but it is always worth it. Fifteen years ago if someone told me I would be a stay-at-home dad, I would have laughed at them. Today, I can't imagine what I would have done differently.

Tax Time

Well, I sent the taxes off today, as well as the first quarterly payment for this year. I also did more work on transferring files to the new iMac sitting on my desk. The new machine is VERY nice. Before, I was running the HD video through my laptop as it is new enough to deal with HD video and the older machine really isn't. Now, I have the HD video and all the photo material on this machine. In theory, it should make things MUCH easier.

Now, let's face it, this doesn't mean I'll be posting more pictures or video, just that when I get off my lazy butt to do so, it'll be easier. I do have to say that DS#3 likes the new machine too.

While I am at it, how about a picture of DS#2 playing his new guitar. He started guitar lessons last week and is really taking to it. Honestly, I am thrilled. Unlike DD, he is happy to practice right now (let's see what a month or two brings) but the idea of "performing" terrifies him. DD on the other hand, she HATES practicing but will happily sit at a piano and "perform" when visiting someone else.

Whoops!

Okay, I was planning to put some pictures up today, but forgot to send them over to this machine. I DID update the family website with some photos and even added some to Facebook so I do have more pictures up someplace.

Easter and DS#3's birthday kept us very busy the past few days. Today was pretty much a recovery day. Tomorrow I need to get the van inspected, get new license tags, pick up the tax return from the accountant (I get to write some big checks in a few days), AND I need to buy a guitar for DS#2. I need to get all of those done before lunch. Now that I think about it more, I have more errands to run in the morning too.

Yes, I did say a guitar for DS#2. He had his first guitar lesson this past Thursday (DS#3's birthday actually) and really enjoyed it so we are going to go ahead and encourage it. He has been itching to have one since the lesson and my lovely wife took him along to one of the big guitar stores in town. Unfortunately, the only thing they had his size was about twice what the teacher told us to spend so I'll have to look around more tomorrow.

As for all of the Easter events, I might have some more comments and pictures this week, but you can always check my wife's wonderful blog right here.

Today is Your Birthday ....

Well, DS#3 officially turned 2 today. He started the "terrible twos" early so all this means now is that he needs a full fare plane ticket and has to pay for tickets to such things as NBA games, etc. Showing the continuing brilliance of all of our children, he has his loving parents pay for all of these things so he won't even notice the difference. In fact, this morning, I asked him how it felt to be two and he answered, "BUS!" and held a bus up in his hands. (you should check my lovely wife's blog for more about the bus, and frankly, the birthday)

We really didn't do that much for him today, but somehow it was a very busy day. We did have cake this evening, after DS#1 and DS#2 had soccer practice. We were shocked to discover we had no birthday candles. I guess I need to buy more when I go to the store tomorrow. We also opened presents. DD thought at least one of the presents was just amazing ;). DS#3 was speechless ...

I would write more, but that was already taken care of by my wife here. I suppose I should blog more often and try to beat her to it. I'll have to post more news tomorrow sometime between cleaning the house, having company, and going to the store(s) for all of the food we'll need for DS#3's little party on Saturday (just family and friends). Oh yeah, I need to get the van inspection and license tags done too. Yep, just another lazy day.

Playing Catch-up

Okay, when I have posted pictures over the past, um, few weeks they have all been from Spring Break. Now it is time to catch up a bit. I guess we'll have to start with the latest news and then stretch into the not-so-distant past. Yesterday I took DS#3 for his haircut. It has been a few months and he really needed it. He did "okay" during the actual cutting, it was, well, the before and after that left me needing a drink. At first he couldn't choose a place to sit (and REALLY did NOT want to be there), then when we finally got him in a seat in front of the TV he freaked out at the "cape" so we went without. As you can see, he got a lot of hair on himself. After the haircut was over, he really didn't want that hair on himself. We couldn't really brush it all off very well so I ended up taking his shirt off (he wanted it off, badly...) buckling him in and going straight home. He screamed at the top of his lungs the entire trip. I guess he didn't like being buckled in without a shirt (no, I didn't have extra clothes). I told my lovely wife that I would be happy to get his hair cut again, when he is 5--maybe even later.

Earlier this week we received a shipment on dry ice. Well, we all know how much fun it is to play with dry ice so when DS#2 and DD came home (and while DS#3 napped) we filled the sink with warm water, dropped the dry ice in and had some fun.


Last weekend, DS#1 had some art in an art show. He and I took the time to go see the pieces on display. We saw some truly fantastic art from both middle and high school students. One of his pieces received a "judge's choice" or teacher's choice award. I guess the HS teachers chose some for the middle school students and vice versa. I am not normally a fan of abstract art, but I really liked the colors and shapes he used in this one. When I asked him about it he laughed and told me that he got the idea from a song and that he knows that the different colors and elements all had different meanings, he just doesn't remember them right now.

The nicest part of the trip for me was meeting and talking to a few of his teachers (Art, Math and English) and learning that his teachers are very impressed by him. It is nice to hear that your child not only behaves well but performs well in school too.


Last week Friday DD had a "Reading Restaurant" at school. Unfortunately, it was in the afternoon and DS#3, well, let's just say he "did poorly." We had to leave before they even really had snacks. I did make it though, DD stayed to the end of school instead of leaving with me (so she wouldn't miss the snacks and games). Even better, in the rush to leave to make it there, I grabbed an empty camera bag (well, the telephoto lens was in there, but no camera). The camera was on the desk after my dear wife uploaded pictures from it the night before. Oops! I did take a picture of her when we got home and later on, DS#3 (after a nap) fell in love with DD's little chef's cap.

Now to close with a final picture of DS#3. Can everyone say "apple?"

Still here

Well, no pictures this post (sorry CB). I have not kept up well with the blogging lately. I guess things have been busy enough that I have spent my energy in other ways.

This past weekend I had to take DD and DS#3 with me to DS#1's soccer game in Austin. My lovely wife was on back-up call so I really couldn't leave the younger ones with her. DS#2 would have been okay in her office if she got called in. Unfortunately, DS#1's team doesn't play in games anywhere near their potential. This has been a disappointment to both players and parents. It is one of those things that parents start second-guessing the coach, etc. I have stayed pretty neutral, saying that I would have made different decisions if I were coach, but I am not and I trust the coach. The truth is, I know his coach is extremely frustrated at the team not translating practice into the games--possibly more frustrated than the complaining parents. We'll see what sort of changes are made this weekend.

In other news, DS#3 has been having a few difficult mornings lately. I am pretty sure it is related to teething as he has a low-grade temperature (sometimes) and is drooling all over the place. Usually when he is teething he gets very congested and this can make him pretty cranky. He is also becoming very, well, 2. His tantrums and screeches are really becoming something, um, amazing. Yes, I do have a few on tape to show him years from now.

Well, that is about it. I need to get all of our tax paperwork to the accountant and get that finished up. I will try to get more pictures up before the weekend.