The Daliege Family Blog

thedalieges

2008-07-16T10:25:00.001-04:00

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Our Trip to Milwaukee for the 4th of July Weekend

2008-07-07T20:42:00.003-04:00

This past weekend we were in Milwaukee, staying with my cousin James and his wife Anne. We got in to town just before dinner on Thursday, July 3rd. We all went out to eat at Ma Mia’s Pizzeria. I grew up eating Ma Mia’s Pizza and it is by far my favorite pizza. After we all walked to get Gelato or Italian ice cream for desert.
The Whole family
Terry, Kim and Zoe

David Doing his Favorite thing, Drawing! !

Helping James work on his new deck on the 4th before the family cookout
My brother Tom Cutting some decking

On Friday the 4th we did much. The Anne and Amy took the boys to see a parade in Wakisha. Wile they were there James’ dad, my dad, my brother Tom and my self all helped James with his deck. It was very clear that my Uncle Dennis was very good at this kind of thing. After working on the deck the kids all went swimming at the local pool. That evening we had a cookout at James and Anne’s place on almost done deck. Almost all of the family was there. Afterward we all walked to the local park for the fireworks. It was once of the best displays I have ever seen.

Vidiots!
James, My Mom and Grandma
Amy, Anne's Mom and Patty

Our Shining star

On Saturday the 5th we took it easy in the am. James and I took the boys to go ice skating at Pettit National Ice Center ware the Speed Skaters train. Later we went to see the Milwaukee Brewers play baseball. We had a tailgate a few hours before hand and then went inside. The game was short and sweet and was just the right amount of time for the boys.

My Mom, Anne and Kim
Patty and Bud
Grandma
Hmmmm Brats

We left for home On Sunday Afternoon after the kids went to a indoor water park. We all enjoyed our selves as always in Milwaukee. You can see all of the photos from the weekend here

Visiting With My Brother Tom and His Kids

2008-07-02T10:14:00.003-04:00

Charlie and Zoe are in Flint with my Parents for the next few weeks. Tom my brother is there until we go to Milwaukee as a family. Here are some photos from the day.

A trip to the Zoo With some Friends

2008-06-28T21:23:00.002-04:00

You can see all 62 of the photos Here

More photo of my Garden

2008-06-27T15:21:00.001-04:00

Summer Fun

2008-06-27T15:18:00.001-04:00

A Great Father's Day Speech by Obama

2008-06-15T22:52:00.002-04:00

You my not be planning on voting for him but you have to admit this is a Great speech on Fathers

Happy Dad's Day

2008-06-15T13:55:00.002-04:00

Last Day of School

2008-06-12T16:51:00.002-04:00

A Wedding Next to the Detroit River

2008-06-09T08:31:00.002-04:00

This Week end we went to Amy's Cousin Chris' Wedding. It was at the Renaissance Center in Detroit. The wedding happened right next to the river front and the reception was a restaurant right in side the Renaissance center. I just so happens to be the play ware Chris and Jen worked and met then started dating. It was very romantic and very much them. The will be very happy together.

You See all of the Photos Here

One of my photos got published on another blog!!

2008-05-28T08:43:00.003-04:00

this photo I took of my German bearded iris was published on the Wired.com Blog Geek Dad.

check out the posting here

memorial weekend 2008

2008-05-25T20:50:00.003-04:00

For this memorial weekend we went to Kensington Metro Park on Sunday. We got there early so we could get a good spot. We played soccer, played with Frisbees, flew kites, and went fishing. We end with grilled shrimp and chicken kabobs. We had lots of fun. And is a good thing we have a pass for the year, because we will be going lots.

new Photos of the garden

2008-05-24T15:34:00.001-04:00

German bearded iris "Play with fire" 2008

2008-05-22T19:21:00.001-04:00

Once again my German Iris is in bloom bigger and better than ever.

Our big kid

2008-05-17T20:23:00.002-04:00

This week Rodney helped me mow the lawn. I had told the boys a few months back that they could earn money by cutting the grass, the deal however is they have to mow it all. When I started mowing the yesterday Rod wanted to help right away. And silly me I thought he would loose interest after a few passes. NOPE, he did the whole thing (with my guidance). He hade dollar signs in his eyes and really wanted the money. He did a great job and only needed a little help keeping the rows straight.

David's Trip to the Detroit Zoo with his school

2008-05-15T18:26:00.006-04:00

Today I went with David and his 1st grade class on a field trip to the zoo. I was one of the chaperones and had a group of four kids that included David. We had lots of fun. I felt the polar bears were the best part. David loved the giraffes. Both David and I should sleep well tonight.

You can see All of the photos I took on my photo site. The first Photo starts HERE.

Mother's day and the May Birthdays at my mom and dads

2008-05-10T21:28:00.004-04:00

Here are Photos from my parents we celebrated My mom and Amy's Birthday and Mothersday as well

Photos from the week

2008-05-09T21:44:00.000-04:00

best Buds

Ice Skating

David's 1st Grade Concert

2008-05-08T20:30:00.002-04:00

Mexican Lasagna

2008-04-27T19:44:00.002-04:00

Tonight I tried a new recipe, I based it off a recipe I got from allrecipes.com and then made it my own, and vegetarian to boot.

Mexican Lasagna

1 clove of garlic
¼ cup onion
¼ cup fresh cilantro.
1 TBS of olive oil.
1 1/2 pounds ground beef (I used BOCA® meatless Ground Burger, Amy is a vegetarian)
1 packet of taco seasoning.
2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, drained
2 16 oz bottles of medium heat taco sauce
Salt
8-10 (10 inch) flour tortillas, (I use whole wheat) cut in to halves or quarters
2 cups shredded Cheddar or shredded jack
3 cups crumbled queso fresco Cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, sautéed the garlic and onion, then brown the ground beef and drain (if you use Boca ground burger there is no need to brown or drain also the dish will be come low fat), and then stir in the taco seasoning. Next add the black beans and half a bottle of taco sauce and cilantro. Line a 9x13-inch baking dish with tortillas and taco sauce. Spoon the beef mixture into the dish and a layer of queso cheese, make one more layer of tortillas, taco sauce, beef mix and cheese, then top with the remaining tortillas. Spread taco sauce over the tortillas and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 20 to 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Serve with sour cream, lattice, tomatoes, and chopped green onions.

The Start of My Garden 2008

2008-04-26T20:21:00.004-04:00

Things are really starting to bloom and fixed up one of my flower beds.

Going Green

2008-04-24T17:55:00.002-04:00

We have gone one more step on the path to being green. We got an electric mower. It is a little more work, I have to keep track of the cord and go a little slower. But it does the job.

Hagging out at Amy's Grandpa's and Celabrating Amy's b-day a month early.

2008-04-05T19:23:00.004-04:00

This week in Photos

2008-04-05T19:09:00.003-04:00

Rodney and David's 1st Day of their new session of ice skating lessons. Rod is in level 3 and Dave is i Level 1

Athena and the scraching post covered in cat nip. Athena was the Greek goddess of wisdom, war, the arts, industry, justice and skill, however our Athena doesn't see to fit her name

Bowling as a family

2008-03-29T20:22:00.006-04:00

David's new glasses

2008-03-29T20:10:00.002-04:00

David is wearing glasses again. He did not have them for a wile because he didn’t need them from the last time he went and he we were having a hard time keeping them on him. This year his astigmatism was spotted and he now needs them. Our hope is they will help him in school now that he has clamed down a little this year.

One of the funniest things I have seen in a long time

2008-03-27T11:22:00.004-04:00

up first is Boston Dynamics video of their Big Dog on ice and snow, and also demoing its walking gait. very cool see it first so you can get the next video.

And now the hilarious, somewhat flawed predecessor to Boston Dynamics' infamous Big Dog Robot.

Up in Travers City for Easter

2008-03-24T21:51:00.001-04:00

For Easter we went to Travers City, to visit Amy’s Family. We stayed at Amy’s Grandfather’s Farm House in Empire 20 minuets out side of Travers City. The Boys were very excited to stay at their Great grandpa’s, so much so they wanted to bring him home with us to live here.

On Sunday the Easter bunny came and the boys got lots of eggs, their Easter bunnies, and new kites. Rodney said that great grandpa must have a different Easter Bunny then we do. We spent the rest of the day at Amy’s parents home near down town Travers City, and had much fun.

Some fun Photos from the week

2008-03-20T09:43:00.002-04:00

Palm Sunday

2008-03-16T12:33:00.002-04:00

On Palm Sunday the Boys got to sing in front of the whole congregation at church. Both boys were very excited and could hardly contain them selves.

Spring Thaw Out

2008-03-15T20:49:00.002-04:00

These are photos of the family out side for a day of 50+ degree weather. Still some snow but not for long

Our latest Card Game: Gloom

2008-03-15T14:40:00.005-04:00

Gloom is a gothic card game that reminds me of the Lemony Snicket books, Edward Gorey's The Gashlycrumb Tinies or the Adams Family, the objective is to make up miserable things to happen to your characters, and the one with most miserable wins. The object of the game, in fact, is to make your characters as miserable as you possibly can. Each player has a family, a group of misfit characters that they then play event cards on.

The really interesting thing about Gloom is the story-telling aspect of game play. When you play an event card such as "Terrified by Topiary," or “Was Mauled by Manatee,” you may explain how this event occurs. Each character develops as more and more event cards are placed on it, so the character’s life story becomes increasingly unfortunate and, well, abnormal. Your opponents then can cheer up your characters with happy occasions. The card are clear so you can see your characters and any effects that have been played on them. Rodney and David really love coming up with their stories. Sometimes they even became a little too long and had nothing to do with their cards. But it was good for them to play a game the really gets them thinking about what they are doing and get the creative juices going.

The game is for 8 and up and takes about an hour to play. You can play it simple or with the more complex effects on the cards, so adults will love it to.

Rodney's Sing along and Book fair

2008-03-13T12:49:00.002-04:00

On Thursday March 13th Rodney had his sing along at school. The them was on the planets and space. It was very cute. After ward we went to the school’s book fair and spent a little to much, but it was for a good cause and a good thing.

Munchkin

2008-03-12T12:28:00.000-04:00

The Game we have all been playing lately as a family is Munchkin. Munchkin is a card game designed by Steve Jackson that "simulates" (well, sorta') a fantasy-themed RPG (oh, ok, D&D) in a simple, card-based game that's chock full o' silliness. Everyone begins the game as a 1st level Human with NO Class (heh-heh) and via cards, they acquire Classes, Items, Armor, Potions and more that they use to combat hideous monsters The object of the game is to reach Level 10 and levels are acquired via the slaying of monsters and the selling of acquired treasure (1,000 Gold Pieces equals 1 Level). Very silly and a lot of fun!

Munchkin Cthulhu is a the version of the game we have been playing in the Munchkin line, this version lampoons H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos and the horror gaming that surrounds it. The boy’s really love it. Some times they just can’t stop laughing.

Uncle Rob’s birthday

2008-03-10T12:23:00.002-04:00

On March 9th was my brother’s birthday. We took the boys to my parents for lunch and to send time with Rob. David who has been really started to read in the past month, thanks to his reading recovery teacher, was reading to everyone who was there. We all had much fun

Employment.

2008-03-07T14:05:00.001-05:00

I once again am unemployed. For right now I’m just going to be a stay at home dad. Basically I lost my job due to someone else making a mistake and one of the guys who lived in the group home got hurt. So the State and Recipient Rights came in and cleaned house. My boss fought to keep me, but in the end had no choice. So I’m going to start looking after Easter for a new job, and then in the fall I will go back to school.

Time Alone Together

2008-02-20T14:01:00.003-05:00

This week Amy is off from school, and the boys are back in school. So Amy and I have spent some time together as a couple. Yesterday we went to the grocery store and the library. Today we went on a date. First we had to fax some thing for her autism endorsement. Then we went to Boarders Books to relax and look at books. (of course we started at the kids section, old habits die hard) Then out to eat and finally to a day spa in Ann Arbor, to rest in a hot tub. My back and knees had been really hurting me, so it was nice to get all of the stiffness out. We both are very relaxed and had fun together as a couple. It’s always nice to get away with out the kids. now I get to go to work reall late this afternoon.

Recycling as a family

2008-02-18T07:58:00.003-05:00

No we are not trying to recycle our kids! Actually the boys were helping the workers at the recycle center in Ann Arbor to pack down the brown paper bags in there bin. We go to the Recycle Center every other week. And we recycle quite a lot. All of our containers; glass, metal, and plastic are recycled. We also collect our entire paper waist. This was Rodney and David's Idea that we recycle not ours, we have been doing this for a year now and it makes us all feel good. After we always go to the Comic book store. It has become a great outing for us

Muppets

2008-02-17T11:58:00.000-05:00

Muppets for President Funny Jokes at JibJab

Happy Valentine's Day From a Uber Geek

2008-02-14T13:22:00.000-05:00

"helping" Daddy around the house

2008-02-13T13:10:00.001-05:00

Rodney and David are off from school all this week. So the have been home with me. Today I got them busy “helping” me around the house. I had them do some cleaning of there rooms (witch is moving toys from one spot to the other with out putting them away). Then they shoveled the drive way (pushed the snow around the drive way rather than remove it from the drive). Then they helped me paint the walls in our master bedroom leading into the bath (they moved the roller long enough for me to get a photo).

Up dates

2008-02-07T07:25:00.000-05:00

Well we have been very busy around here as of late. I have been work lots of hours and the new home I am in is lots of work. Both guys are a hand full and require one on one care 24/7. When I have not been working I have been working on the bathroom with my dad. I really enjoy the time I get to spent with him. We have stared to move out of the master bath and in to our bedroom with the remodeling. We have been prepping the walls for painting. On the days my dad is not here and I am not working I have been trying to spend as much time with my family. This past Sunday I watched the super bowl with the boys. They really loved the dad time with me. I had lots of special snacks and root beer for them. Also both boys are doing well in school David has really become one of the popular kids in his class. Rodney is reading on a 5th grade level and only n the 2nd grade. Now if only we could get him to sit long enough to read the books. Amy is now done getting her autism endorsement, witch means she can work with autistic kids and can get a raise. More to come soon…

P.S. Don't forget to vote, if you have not. this election year is turning out to be very interesting.

MLK Day at the Henry Ford

2008-01-22T07:40:00.000-05:00

The Rosa Parks Bus

Back to work on the bathroom

2008-01-10T19:49:00.000-05:00

Well I finally got back to work on the bathroom this week. We had some money and I got a gift certificate for Christmas, so I was able to invest in some paint this week. I had a long time to think about the colors. I try a lot of them, however in the end I ended up using my artist intuition for the colors. The photos really don’t do it justice; the colors really work well with the floor tile. I’m down to painting the other walls and ceiling white. Then I will get the vanity and the wall tile. I’m thinking of how I can add some more of the artist in me to the room. I may add some kind of mural of bamboo around the room in the white and red areas. The room really has a different feel now that it has the light and paint up

Our trip to the Detroit Institute Of Arts

2007-12-27T17:07:00.000-05:00

Christmas Day

2007-12-27T10:21:00.001-05:00

Christmas Eve At My Parents

2007-12-27T10:18:00.000-05:00

More from Jib Jab

2007-12-22T11:20:00.001-05:00

Don't send a lame Holiday eCard. Try JibJab Sendables!

Merry xmas from us

2007-12-22T11:11:00.000-05:00

Don't send a lame Holiday eCard. Try JibJab Sendables!

Ware have I been?

2007-12-16T10:56:00.000-05:00

Well things have been a little busy for me the past month. My job has been taking all of my energy from me. I was made temporary manager of one of the group homes the company I work for runs, wile the other is on medical leave. I finding in is a lot of work but is very rewording. In this home there are 6 guys ranging in age from 30 to 50 years old. All are either non verbal or speak very little. I have been working the day time and my responsibilities are many. I take them to and from their workshops; I get them to any appointments they may need to go to; I do any paperwork and documentation that needs to be done; and I check on the staff to make sure they are doing their jobs.

I’m finding that I really like being around these guys. They have so little and only two of the guys get visits from family. I got to go shopping for their Christmas and had lots of fun getting them new things. I’m even working on Christmas day with them; witch also excites me because I get to spent it with them because they have so little. I will get to see them open their gifts and make them dinner. It should be a fun day. I will of course be woken up early in the am by my boys so I will still get to see them open their gifts.

I’m hoping with all the work I am putting in that I will get my own home some day.

Decorating our Very Geeky Christmas Tree

2007-12-08T10:52:00.000-05:00

David’s 7th birthday

2007-12-04T10:28:00.000-05:00

David’s birthday was on the 3rd of December we celebrated his birthday on the 2nd at my parents. David Got a lot of what he really wanted and what he is in to. This really is nice to see him growing in to his own person and we are starting to see what kind of person he will some day be. One thing David got a new board game, Spider-man Sorry, this is one thing I am really in to, on to levels, one I love board games and I really like Spiderman. David has really followed suit on this. It’s always nice to se your kids getting into the same things as you. He also got a basketball to go with the basketball hoop we were given just before his birthday. He really loves it. (Now he will have to wait until spring to use it). David also got a light bright and some art supplies.

Thanksgiving 2007 and our adventure with Tofurky

2007-11-23T10:01:00.000-05:00

For Thanksgiving this year we stayed home, for the first time ever. We could not make it to Milwaukee or Traverse City, due to lack of money and high gas prices, and me having to work on Friday after. So we had our fist family Thanksgiving together just the four of us. Because Amy is a Vegetarian I made the meal all meat free. I got Tofurky for us to eat,(witch was ok but not well eat by every one. It did take a long time to cook and looked like and tasted like, but didn’t have the texture of turkey) we had mashed potatoes, stuffing, Cranberry/orange relish, biscuits, and pumpkin pie. We had a really good day as a family.

Happy Halloween

2007-10-31T18:12:00.000-04:00

Our annual trip to the Orchard!

2007-10-07T14:10:00.000-04:00

Job Up date.

2007-10-03T16:53:00.000-04:00

Well It looks like I am going to be working full time. I had a first day at work today and I am going to be working Monday through Friday noon to eight. I will be working with one client help him with his day to day living in his apartment. I may also be working once and a wile in a group home and on week ends. I would be making a lot to start with but it is a start.

I am employed once again!!!!!

2007-10-02T18:46:00.000-04:00

Well it looks like my stay at home dad status has come to an end. I have been offered a job with Enhance, Inc, doing direct care. It looks like only part time and maybe on week ends. But we need to do what ever we can. Our bills are really starting to pile up. I will still be with the boys as much as possible, and help out at their school when I can. So I will still be very much a part of my kids lives.

I will find out more tomorrow about what I will be doing when I go in to fill out paper work. I will have to go to a two or three week training before I start. Of course I will get paid for this time.

michigan renaissance festival 2007

2007-09-29T16:06:00.001-04:00

As we do every year we went to the Michigan Renaissance Festival today. The boys really look forward to it every year. Davids favorite is always the joust, and Rodney looks the Play area and animals. Sir Goofsalot

Storming the Castle Sir Royal Annoyance

1st day of school!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-09-05T12:26:00.000-04:00

We have a big 2nd and a big 1st grader now, who are in school all day....

Huray for me!

Labor Day and the park

2007-09-03T21:27:00.000-04:00

Today we went to Kensington Metro Park for a picnic. Wile we were there the boys went exploring in the woods and played ball. Later they met a family who was fishing and they let the boys fish with them. After lunch we went to the nature center.

All most done!

2007-08-24T21:17:00.000-04:00

Our Big 7 Year old

2007-08-18T18:34:00.000-04:00

Today is Rodney’s 7th birthday, and this makes his 5th birthday with us. (he came to live with us just before he turned 3) He was fighting a little bit of a cold today but still enjoyed him self. We took him to the mall to go to the Build-A-Bear Workshop®. We had a coupon for half of a bear on his birthday. He really wanted the Cheetah form WWF (that’s the World Wildlife Foundation not the World Wrestling federation) He liked it because Build-A-Bear Workshop® donates $1 from the sale of Cheetah to World Wildlife Fund to protect endangered animals and their habitats. I really show how big of a heart Rod has. To top it of He really wanted to get a wheelchair for his Cheetah. So he could be like mommy and help some one in a wheelchair to. We are so proud of him he really is growing to be a nice young man.

This is a toy Rodney got for his brithday from my brother last week

Celebrating Rodney and mine birthdays with my parents.

2007-08-11T21:16:00.000-04:00

Today we went to my parents to celebrate both Rodney and mine’s birthday. Mine was last week and my dad was down in Texas. Rod’s is next week and both my parents will be gone then. So this week end was the best time to do it. We also are making things smaller this year. So we are having no parties for the kids like we did in the past. We did celebrate none the less.

Amy and my mom took the boys to see a movie (Underdog). Wile I took a nap in the La-Z-Boy in my parents living room. After the movie and my great nap, we had dinner the open presents. Rod got some moon sand, a rocket, and some school clothing. I got some new t-shirts and some much need new shoes.

We all had fun and I was a good day. Some times the low key gathering can be the most fun.

Celebrating my 7th anniversary of turning 29 years old.

2007-08-05T17:55:00.000-04:00

Today is my Birthday and you can say 36 years young, or 432 months old, or 1878 weeks old, or 13148 days old, or 315552 hours old, or 18933134 minutes old, or 1135988087 seconds old, or this is my 7th anniversary of turning 29 years old, or I’m Twenty-sixteen.

Today for my birthday I started the day out with breakfast in bed, then we went to church. This afternoon I got to take a nap with only a few interruptions. The best thing to happen today was I got a phone call from Best Buy for a job Interview. I had only filed out an application on Friday. So it looks like I’m going back to work, and may no longer be a stay at home dad. Hopefully I will still be able to be a major part of my kids’ life. With both of them in school full time stating next month, and Amy and I needing a little more cash flow. After all we would like to retire some day.

I finished off the day with bratwurst and hot dogs from the grill. Then we had Cake and Ice cream. In evening we just stayed in and took in easy. I have found that I am ok with my age; turning 30 was very hard for me. But know any age looks fine to me.

Bathroom and Family update.

2007-08-02T15:32:00.000-04:00

Well my dad and I have the walls all built for the bathroom closet. We put up the dry wall and now I’m working on mudding the seems and holes. This will take me a few days to do as I have to let the plaster dry between coats and sanding. (also it is a little hot to be stuck in there for to long After I’m done with all that, I will continue the tile then paint then build the shelves in the closet.

Rodney and David have been taking ice skating. (This is really great on hot days) Rod has gotten quite good and Dave has just started. Both seem to really like it. We like to let the boys choose what sport they participate in. Rod choose Ice Skating, and David choose it after Rodney was doing it for a wile.

HardWare Wars

2007-07-30T11:45:00.000-04:00

Hardware Wars (1977) was the first short film spoof of Star Wars. The thirteen-minute film, which premiered in theatres only seven months after Star Wars, consisted of little more than inside jokes and visual puns that heavily depended upon audience familiarity with the original. The theme song is Richard Wagner's famous "Ride of the Valkyries". The tagline was "You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll kiss three bucks goodbye." The film was by far one of my farvorits

At the Henry Ford with friends

2007-07-28T21:33:00.000-04:00

Today we went to the Henry Ford with our Friends Lisa and Paul and their kids. We saw our usual sites and exhibits. We started with the trains, then the cars, and to the air plains. The thing I really wanted to see was the Rock Stars’ Cars & Guitars, Exhibit. There were Twenty-one legendary cars and 31 guitars that are synonymous with rock ’n’ roll music on display, including the rides owned or driven by such beloved rock idols as Bob Seger, Kid Rock, Elvis Presley, John Lennon, Billy F Gibbons of ZZ Top and Van Halen. In addition, several distinctive guitars, including those from Kirk Hammett, Dusty Hill, Billy F Gibbons, Rick Nielsen, Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry, B.B. King are on display.

We all had a really good time. I was also nice to hang out with a long time friend who we knew back in the BC (before Children), who now have kids as well. Both Lisa and Paul are in the same stage of life as Amy and I, and seem to have the same parenting styles as we do. Amy and I have always had fun with Lisa back in the BC so it was nice the we could still have fun.

You can see More Photos Here

Our Happy Place

2007-07-25T20:43:00.000-04:00

Ok I have final finish the book that almost every one in the world is reading right now. So I have past Harry Potter on to my wife (who has been giving me every chance to read it so she can) I now have time to Post a new blog.

This past week-end we all went to Amy’s aunt Carols cabins for vacation. We have all been there many times in the past but this was the first time in years for us. And this was David’s First time ever.

We left early Saturday morning and drove straight there with out any traffic. I was hopping to have a certain book in my hands; however I was told I need to wait. We arrived about 3:30 pm, a half an hour earlier than expected. Our cabin was not ready as of yet, witch was ok. The boys, after getting a look around the cabins and meeting Amy’s Aunt and Uncle, took off to go play in the woods. Amy and I settled in at the camp fire and talked with Amy’s Aunt and Uncle. After we moved in Amy’s Parents, Brother, sister, and her sister’s boy friend all came for dinner. We all gathered around the fire and enjoyed each other company. (Me and Amy’s uncle Jimmy had a few beers.)

The next day (Sunday) we again relaxed around the fire and the hammock. I found the hammock was very relaxing. In the afternoon we all went to the beach that was part of the Sleeping Bear National Park. That Night the girls had girls’ night out. Me and the boys hung out with Jimmy and Shane at the cabins and had dinner.

The next morning we all went out to Amy’s Grandfather’s Farm house to celebrate both Rodney’s and my birthday (mine is Aug 5th Rod’s is Aug 18th). We had hot dogs and chili, and then Rod and I shared a cake. Rodney got lots of Transformers and I got the Book I had been weighting for all summer. So the rest of the day was spent, for me, try to read Harry Potter. I sent a very blissful 2 hours in the hammock with my head phones on, drinking a beer, and reading my book.

We came home on Tuesday with much kicking and screaming. Of course that was Amy and I, the boys were ready to come home.

It was a very good week-end both Amy and I have decided that the Cabins are our happy place. We always enjoy it, and have a good time. I look forward to going again.

Our little cabin in the woods:

At the Beach

Rod and My Brithday party

A little peace of heaven

Around the camp Fire

Wired

2007-07-19T22:23:00.000-04:00

Well I we have really progressed on the bathroom. We moved the pluming, added the hardy backer to the rest of the floor, started on the linen closet and did most of the wiring. We have very little left. We need to finish the wiring, put up new dry wall, plaster the seems, finish the floor tile, paint, add shelves to the closet install a new vanity (yet to be purchased, we need about $ 500) do the tile around the tub, tile the wall around the floor with a bull nose tile, and trim the door and ceiling. We should have it all done in time for Christmas.

I’m also getting a lot out of this whole thing. One, I’m spending lots of time with my dad. More time than I have in more than 10 years. Two, I’m learning a lot about home repair and remolding. (Thanks dad) Three, my Maleness has really gone up. Nothing makes a guy fell more like a man than home repair. (Of course I was also doing the laundry, doing the dishes, fixing meals, and taking care of the kids wile doing my best Tool time Impression) Any way I will have much to post when we get back from up north. Check out my flickr acount for more images

Bathroom Remodel updates

2007-07-12T19:53:00.000-04:00

We added the grout today. go my Flickr account to see more. If you click on the photes you will see my notes

Star Wars PocketModel TCG

2007-07-12T19:28:00.000-04:00

My newest game is Star Wars PocketModel TCG. I had the opportunity to play it a couple of time now, once with my nephew and once with the guys in my gaming group. The 1st time I played it(with Charlie) I really didn’t get all the rules. So as a result I was not sure if I liked the game or not. The rule book is not very well put together, so I missed a few rules. The second time I played the game (with the guys) I had figured out all the rules and the game work out much better. And I really like the game. Play it in a group has much more dynamics to it then the just one on one.

The game has aspects of both miniatures and collectible and trading genres. It is similar to WizKids game Pirates of the Spanish Main, referring to the mechanics of creating game pieces from components that punch out of styrene cards. The game derives its content from all six Star Wars movies. Also there are the cards that give your miniatures bonuses or change the game play. You win the game in two ways; one you eliminate all of your opponents ships, or destroy all 3 of their objective cards. The coolest thing is when your ship takes damage you add little damage plumes to the ship.

All and all, I give the game 8 out of 10 stars. I will have to play it a few more times to really work out the ins and outs.

The best Star Wars parody ever

2007-07-12T08:23:00.000-04:00

It's Sunday and I have a large list of what we did.

2007-07-08T21:12:00.000-04:00

1) We tried out a new church, Unity of Livonia. Unity (also known as the Unity School of Christianity) is the largest of the New Thought denominations of Christianity. Unity should not be confused with Unitarian theology or the Unitarian Universalist denomination. We really enjoyed the church. They have a lager and more organized youth ministry and lots of room for the kids. Both boys really loved the group. Amy and I really enjoyed the service and liked their more Christian slant on new thought. Also the services are at 9:30 am and at 11am. They have their youth group at 9:30 and child care at 11am. We took the boys to the 9:30 for the youth group. We also like it because it was not so late in the day so we could do other things. (our old church was late morning and we almost always got home at 1pm) We are going to try it out a few more time before we decide to join but I think we have found a new home.

2) Because the day was very hot out (and we do not have air) we went to the mall. We mostly went for the air but also to get new me a new phone and let the boys run in the play area. (I’ll talk about my new phone next) Amy wanted to go to Olga's for lunch. After getting my new phone we went to the video game store and a few other stops. We also stopped in the pet store, to look at dogs. I really liked a puggle we saw. Puggles are a crossbreed between two breeds of dogs, a pug and a beagle. We end at the book store and let the boys pick out a book each that was under $4.

3) I got a new music Phone. Shockingly, there are other music phones out there that aren't iPhones (Amazing, I know). LG and Verizon have come together to release an update to the LG VX8500 Chocolate phone from last year. Dubbed the LG VX8550, the new Chocolate looks a little slimmer and sleeker and comes with a new navigation wheel with a trace motion light. The touch keypad (which many found rather annoying in the old Chocolate) it now have a vibrating feedback when touched. Hopefully this will make it easier to use. Features of the phone include a micro SD card slot ( got a 2 gig), a music player that supports MP3 and WMA formats, a 1.3-megapixel camera, EV-DO support for V Cast Music, stereo Bluetooth support, a wireless Web browser, and more. I even got a red one, my favorite color. The great thing about the phone is I only had to play $50 for in and that was put on our phone bill. Plus we are getting a $50 rebate. The nice thing about Verizon is every two years I get $100 toward a new phone. So I basically got a free phone. Also all photos on for this posting I took with my phone.

4) We ended the day at the pool right after dinner. then home we came home and the boys helped me clean out the car. The boys went to sleep very quickly.

2007-07-07T20:18:00.000-04:00

Today I took a break from working on the bathroom and hung around the house and pool. The last two days my dad and I got about half of the tile put in place. We have to do the hard parts next. Go to my flickr account to se what I'm talking about.

Best Dog outfit ever

2007-07-04T21:26:00.000-04:00

Happy 4th of July

2007-07-04T20:40:00.000-04:00

Well today we were going to go to Kensington Park for the day but it was going to rain all day. So we changed our plans and went to my parents. We had lunch there then went to see the Transformers movie. (the kids were really looking forward to it) After we got back we had a cook out of all American hamburgers and hotdogs. The big bonus all of the kids were at a different table. After dinner Charlie and I geeked out and played Star Wars Pocketmodels TCC Game.

We then came home and lit of fireworks in our front yard. It was a good day even thought it only rained a little bit in the morning. And was sunny and clear all night.

I have Veggie growing!!!!

Getting a little messy

2007-07-03T16:29:00.000-04:00

Today with our bathroom remodel we added some more plaster to the walls and added thinsalit (cement) to the seems of the hardibacker. We mad a little to much cement so we stared to lay some of the tile down. With all the plaster and cement we worked with we both got a little messy.

Adding the dry wall

2007-07-02T16:17:00.000-04:00

Today we added the dry wall around the hardibacker cement board. Because the hardibacker only comes in 3’x5’ and we are only putting the board in the area we are tiling we had to cut the dry wall to fit in the area needed. (The dry wall is 4’x8’) We also had to cut the board at an angle for the inside walls. After we got all the boards in place we started to add plaster (mud) to the seems and screw holes. I may start adding the floor tile this week. If you go to my flickr site you can see more images and notes on the bathroom

Geek time with Charlie

2007-07-01T20:40:00.000-04:00

My nephew Charlie and niece Zoe are in Flint for two weeks. My brother was only here for a few days of their visit, he left today. I plan to spend as much time with them as possible. Maybe we will get up there a couple of times each week. My plans are to geek out with Charlie and to take Zoe to the Art museum.

Today before and after dinner I taught Charlie how to play dreamblade. He won one of the three games we played. We try to play my new game Star Wars PocketModel Trading Card Game, but only had a little bit of time. So we only when over the rules and looked over the ships. It looks like a fun game. (I'll do a write on the game later)

This next two weeks Amy is also off from work. I’m hopping to use this time to get some work done on the bathroom. My dad and I didn’t get much done last week. We both were very busy last week. We also wanted to spend time with Tom wile he was here.

My Daylilies are Starting to bloom!!

Dinner with my whole family

2007-06-29T22:57:00.000-04:00

Today we went out with my entire family. My brother Tom and his kids, Charlie and Zoe, are here from Texas. My other brother Rob and his wife also joined us with our parents at Sorrentos Restaurant in Flushing, Michigan. After dinner Tom and I took the kids to the park.

Dog Pile on Charlie

and he is out.....

My bee balm is know in bloom

Moving things around

2007-06-25T22:36:00.000-04:00

This week end we spent it clean out the boys room and moving Rodney to the other room. It was time for them to each have there own room. Mostly for all of our sanity. One thing I did to help them clean their room that seemed to work well was to sweep every thing on the floor in to the center of the room. I then told them that if they wanted any thing in the pile they had better putt it away or I was going to through it away. I really worked they picked up most of the toys and I got to get ride of some of the clutter in their rooms. We also took advantage of the mild weather to go to the park with the boys after we were done.

Also my dad and I are progressing on the bathroom. We have stared to add the wall boards. Go to my flickr account to see all of the images of the work we have done. You can see note on the Images by clicking on them.

Rodney new room

Davids New Room

Walls!!!!

My friend Amy

2007-06-23T08:56:00.000-04:00

I have known a lot of Amys in my life. There is my wife, my sister in-law, and the countless friends. One of them moved out to Oregon 15 years ago and I had not seen her since. Until yesterday. A group of us got together to see her and her boyfriend Tim (I went to school with Tim) We had a good visit, and it was as if not time had passed with one exception, or conversations were more about adult life. (Kids, mortgages, home repair, insurance, 401ks, etc.) We did how ever revert to our youth and talk about various bands, and the old hang outs.

If you thought I was a Big Star Wars Geek...

2007-06-21T07:33:00.001-04:00

this dad wins as the biggest Star Wars Geek. Note the tattoos and the mobile.

My continuing adventure in to bathroom Remodeling

2007-06-20T20:15:00.000-04:00

Today we put in the backer board around the plumbing, it was very hard work. We had to Cut the Boards in half and shape out the holes. This took all morning for us to do.

In the after noon we had to add studs to the walls due to the fact that when our home was built poorly. The Backer board needs lot of support form the walls so we can add the tile.

If you go over to my Flickr account I have a photo set of the remodeling we are doing. Each of the photos has notes about what is going on, so click on each photo to see them.

Ware Have I Been?

2007-06-19T21:08:00.000-04:00

Well I have not posted since Monday, June 11th (more then a week). I have been really busy and this is the first time I have had the energy to sit down and write a new blog. So I’ll be give my updates by event

Tuesday June 12th was Amy and mine 8th Wedding anniversary. All it was the last day both boys would be in school all day. Amy took the day off for a dental appointment, and time for us together. This was the one thing we really wanted was to spent time alone with out the kids. We had a god day together. After the boys got out of school we took them to their therapy appointments the to dinner. That night we had scouts. Some ware in there I had time to work on some design work for my biggest client.

The next day was David’s last day of kindergarten. He only had a half day and I went and sent some of the time with him at school. The kids were all very quite a reserved, even David my ADHD child. I think each of the kids were a little sadden by this being there last day. David even got a great big hug form his teacher that almost brought him to tears. By the time we got home I was ready to sit and do NOTHING.

Thursday was Rodney’s last day and I once again went up to see him for his last day. Rodney being different about handling his emotions from David. He was not really sad and just continued on like it was another day. He even didn’t really say goodbye to his teacher or any of his friends. We did however see a lot of behaviors here at home this week. He is one of those kids who do not handle change very well. His life has been full of change. After school I took both boys to Burger King.

Saturday we had my parents of for a cook out and some family time. I spent the whole day getting ready by cleaning and getting the food ready. It was a nice time.

Sunday was fathers day, I got to sleep in and had breakfast in bed. My day was spent puttering around the house. I can’t wait until the boys are old enough to do some of these things (like mow the lawn)

So now on to my big project of the past week. Friday my dad came down to help my look at the damage to my bathroom. We stared by removing the garden tub, then some of the walls then the sheet linoleum. Boy was there a lot of water damage. So we went to Home Dept to get a game plan and work out coast. We got a few supplies and took them back to my home. So Saturday and Sunday I worked on cleaning up and pulling nails from the walls and floor.

Both yesterday and today we worked on finishing the pull out of the bad wood and insulation. (The Garbage Men are really going to love me)I really got a chance to see how poorly modular homes are put together. Then we put in new plywood and isolation. Then we stared to add some water proofing to the room so I would never have to do this again. Today we added cement board to the floor. I'll be putting all of the photos Of the bathroom here

Also my Cone Flowers are staring to bloom.

And to top off our day to day we had a little visitor… and ugly visitor

My newest board game: Gloria Mundi

2007-06-11T22:37:00.000-04:00

I resonantly bought a new board game, called Gloria Mundi. I had been saving change for a few months to by it. This is the best way for me to save money. I love play board games and love getting new ones. I think collecting board games is now my new hobby.

Gloria Mundi is a board game for 2-6 players set during the fall of Rome. You're a Roman statesman struggling to survive in this era of cultural decline and political chaos. While foreign invaders and domestic incompetents devour the last resources of the Empire, you'll try to build your career out of the rubble. You start in Rome, and the Visigoth starts on the outskirts of a spiral board. Each turn, you play and purchase cards that produce resources and give you special effects, as well as allowing you to move further out from the doomed Eternal City. Then the Visigoth moves toward Rome, destroying your cards... unless you spend your precious resources to bribe him. When the Visigoth reaches Rome, or a player reaches the outskirts of the empire, the game is over and the player who has fled the furthest from Rome wins.

I play board games with a group of guys every Monday night (we also have a beer or two). We played my new game tonight. We had to play the game a few times to get the mechanics. We had mixed revues of the game. Most of us really liked it and others didn’t. I have mix felling about the game. I would like to play it a few more times with the same number of people or less.

Slip slidding away

2007-06-09T14:52:00.001-04:00

Some photos of Rodney and David on our new slip and slide

Kensington Metropark

2007-06-08T21:22:00.000-04:00

Today After dinner we took the boys to Kensington Metropark, witch is only a few miles from our home. Kensington Metropark is a 4,481 acre first class recreational facility, surrounding Kent Lake. The park features an 18-hole regulation golf course, a disc golf course, a nature center, a farm learning center, picnic areas, beaches, boat rentals and a paved hike-bike trail and a soon to be open water play area with two water slides. We took the boys to the farm and a playground in hopes to ware them out. You can see more Photos from the day at my flickr web site

Does any one have $1000 we can borrow?

2007-06-07T22:07:00.000-04:00

Well the boys’ school is about to come to an end for this year. And I have to tell you I am looking forward to them being done. I could really use the rest. Yes having them home may not be all that restful, but I will not have to run all over the place. Also I was volunteering at the school a lot this year. I need a brake from that.

So this summer I will have both boys home and will need to put them on a schedule. But not one like the school gives them. I think kids should enjoy their summers off. However my kids need to have some sort of structure or they will drive everyone insane. I plan to have work books for them, and take them swimming. Also we will go to the library and the comic book store once a week. However they will not just sit in front of the TV.

Also this week we found that we have lots of water damage in our bathroom. This is from a slow leek under the tub due to poor pluming. My dad came down to help me fix the pluming and work out what to do. It looks like I will have to replace 3 or 4 of the wall panels and most of the floor around the tub. It would seem that when this modular home was built they really went cheep on the material. The floor should have been water proof and the walls.

I call my home owner’s insurance about the damage. I need to call them any way because of the boys. We came to find out last week that they had scratched the neighbors new van with there bikes. This was on the same day that David got his new bike. We had told them both to stay out of other people’s drive ways and yards, and not to ride their bikes near cars. So one of them was riding next to the van and hit it with the handle bar of his bike. The other yelled at him not to do it. So the other one said he was going to do it again, and did. To make things worse then the other did it to. The coast of the repair will be over $800. We were just dumb founded over this. I at least have a $500 deductible. We also took away their bikes and the privilege to go out side with out an adult for a wile.

One would think that two six year olds could just play out side of the house. We do however realize that our kids are an exception. This could be contributed to their being adopted or just plan old being a kid. Being a parent is a lot of work. We also will have to stay close to home this summer. We need to pay for the repairs to our home and the neighbors van.

To blow some steam off I spent a lot of time this week in my garden. And I have some new blooms growing. Things will get better and next week I’ll take the boys on a bike ride.

Field Day

2007-06-06T13:42:00.000-04:00

Today was field day at the boy’s school. Field Day is a day ware the kids spend out side doing non-competitive races. There were basketball races, jump rope, one legged races, tug-o-war, and many more. I got to help out with the tug-o-war station. For lunch we had a picnic out side on the lawn of hot dogs, chips and watermelon. I managed to get a little sun burn wile I was out side. The day was beautiful and we couldn’t have had a better day for it.

At our Community pool

2007-06-02T17:54:00.000-04:00

We went to our community pool today. The boys were excited to be able to touch a little further out in the deep end of the pool this year. Both love to go swimming and are quite the fish.

Trader Joe's

2007-06-02T00:08:00.000-04:00

About a year ago Trader Joe’s opened up near us. They are a grocery chain that is opening up all over the country. There are five things that make Trader Joe’s stand out form the rest. We really love them

One: their stores are small, and don’t have every thing under the sun. I go to Kroger or Meijer to get groceries and I end up spending and arm and a leg on food I don’t need.

Two they carry lots of unique and hard to find food. Some of it is vegetarian, organic, or just plane good for you. I really like a lot of their Trader Joe’s brands. We all love their pot stickers and Pierogis. They have a good cheese selection as well.

Three: their prices are very good. I can get milk and OJ (not from concentrate) for 2.99. Every time I shop there I spend less money on a fuller cart. All of their food cost less than else ware at a lower cost.

Four: their philosophy. They are good to the environment, with out the high prices (like at Whole Foods). They work well as a team, all the staff there are happy. I love the fact that the have things to help you be more aware of ways you can help the environment, they sell reusable bags at a low cost (see above). We use them for every thing even going on trip. I even take them in to other stores when I can.

Five: their fine wine and Beer selection. They have lots of good wines and beers to chose form. Now I’m not much of a wine drinker but their prices are good and they have people on staff that can help you find the right wine for you. The thing I really like is their selection of beer. The price is good and you can by a 6 pack of cans for around $3. The best part is you can mix and match your 6 packs of bottled beer and try them out. I have done this a few time and found some really great beer.

Science Fair

2007-05-30T22:31:00.000-04:00

Today was Rodney and David’s Science Fair at their school. I was very involved in the whole thing. I worked with three other parents on putting it together. I did this because both Amy and I feel the learning is very important and should be fun. Also both boys really wanted to do a science fair project.

Rodney did a project on environmental science and David did his on Natural science.

For Rodney project we put the four plants in four of the cups with extra dirt. Next we put holes in the bottom of the cups so they can drain. Then we measured ¼ cup of water in separate cups. Cup one got 2 things of water. Then in the other 3 cups we put one ¼ cup of each dish soap. Next we poured the soap and water on to 3 of the plants, 1 dish soap for each plant, and just water on the first. We did this for the next 7 days. All three of the plants died in the end. The interesting part was the plant that got the all natural biodegradable soap started to die first, but was the last to completely die out. Also the dirt look like it would, ware the other two that got soap looked like oil spills.

For David’s project he did it on volcanoes. Were he made a volcano and learned how and why it works. This is very important that he learn the process and why things work. He really enjoyed him self.

The fair went really well and we had 25 kids participate in the fair. We had lots of good projects. So our judges had a really hard time with their final decision. In the end we gave out six 1st, 2nd, 3rd places and 5 honorable mentions and 2 participation awards, and then 6 special awards. Rodney got one of the 1st place awards and a special award (for environmental Science) , David got a 2nd place award.

It was a lot of fun. I look forward to doing it again. And it will be better that this year.

A day at the beach

2007-05-28T23:21:00.000-04:00

Not much time to write a full blog today. I'm very buzy with the science fair right now. here are some photos from our day.

A good day as family

2007-05-26T22:04:00.000-04:00

1) We all went as a family to see Pirates of the Caribbean 3. The boys really liked the film, I thought it was ok with a little too much going on, and Amy was a little board. The movie it’s self was filled with more violence that the last two films together. David was a little scarred and sat in Amy’s lap for much of the film. Of course David would never say he was. I really like the special effects, and Keith Richards (of the Rolling Stones) guest appearance.

2) Because David had his first really good day at school in along time we took him to get his new bike. We had been planning on getting him a new one but really wanted him to have a good at school. I would seem that his meds are working.

3) We worked on the boys’ science fair projects. Rodney and I worked on writing up his project and got the photos of the progression of his project printed at the Drug store. Amy work with David on his volcano.

4) My German Iris is in full Bloom!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Star Wars 30th Anniversary

2007-05-25T18:58:00.000-04:00

Today is the 30th anniversary of the opening of Star Wars. To celebrate this I went out and bought the boy’s (and my self) the new Star Wars stamps from the Post office. I also wrote a blog last year about me and Star Wars. Check it out here. One just has to look around and you will find the influence Star Wars has had on every thing in our life.

MARKETING B.S.W.: Hit movies had to attract all ages. A.S.W.: Films are made for
kids, especially teenage boys. Since this is also the fast-food target audience,
chains like McDonald's jump at tie-in campaigns.

THE FRANCHISE
B.S.W.: Movies were one-offs; there was no Gone With the Wind II. A.S.W.:
Studios swing for the fences to get a mega-hit action film that can win
name-brand recognition and be profitably cloned for years to
come.

SPFX B.S.W.: Special effects were mostly mechanical toys and
puppets. A.D.: Computers made movies "virtual."

TOYS B.S.W.: The
big tie-in was Mickey Mouse watches. A.S.W.: Every kid has to have Star Wars
action figures, lightsabers, key chains, books, etc. Lucas all but created the
market for collectibles.

VIDEO GAMES B.S.W.: Pong. A.S.W.: The
video-arcade biz booms with Star Wars games and rip-offs, and the huge
home-video market is full of space themes.

THEME-PARK RIDES B.S.W:
Most Disney-style rides were slow and staid. A.S.W.: Here comes Space Mountain
(a Star Wars race in the dark), Lucas' own Star Tours and Indiana Jones rides.
Many Universal and Disney attractions are film franchises at warp
speed.

SOUND B.S.W.: Movie houses were mainly monaural, far below
home audio quality. A.S.W..: Lucas' THX loudspeakers, paired with the Dolby
system in the projection booth, brought clear, supple stereo sound to movie
theaters. THX is now in some 2,700 theaters.

MUSICAL TRACKS B.S.W:
Musicals. A.S.W.: the sound track has become an important part of just
about every movie made in the past 30 years. Can you say John Williams.

POLITICS B.S.W.: The cold war not much in the public eye. A.S.W.:
Inspired the political rhetoric of the cold war, when President Reagan proposed
a missile shield to protect the US against an "Evil Empire", which he called the
Star Wars program

I sure there are more things that I have missed. But still may the force be with you

I need to be where, by what time?

2007-05-23T23:13:00.000-04:00

This month has been full of appointments. Two weeks ago Rodney had a therapy appointment, then last week we had his IEP review. This week we had another therapy session with Rodney yesterday, today David had a med review, and tomorrow he has an eye doctor appointment. The next week we have another therapy appointment with Rod and then on the 31st both boys have a dental appointment.

Add to that we are down to one car and I’m driving Amy 15 miles to work then back to drop off the boys at school, then picking everyone up we are doing a lot of driving. The cost of gas right now is very high ($3.60) and I put in about $35 in today and we still are close to being on E. Maybe I need to get my taxi drivers license and charge everyone for gas. Looks like we are staying close to home this summer.

For David we finally got him some new meds that should help him to calm down. His teacher, the Bus driver, and Amy and I were very frustrated with him today. We all would love to see him gain some impulse control, with out him loosing his love for life. He really loves to get out and enjoy the little things; fling kites, skateboarding, riding bikes, yo-yos…

More time in my graden

2007-05-22T21:56:00.000-04:00

I spent some more time in my garden today. I expanded my beds and put in some more tomato plants and added some pepper plants. I’m adding a path to my shed and pulled lots of grass. This makes my third day in a row of working out side in my graden. So I’m a little sore right now.

My iris is in bloom now, and all my neighbors have really been commenting on it. Some have asked for what ever I split off from it.

I’m going to go take some aspirin and lay on the heat pad now.

Gardening my way out of a funk

2007-05-21T23:02:00.000-04:00

Well today I didn’t get as much done as I had hoped. I moved a little slow after getting home from dropping of Amy and Rodney at their destinations. I finally was able to get out of my funk this afternoon by going out side and working in my garden. I stared on a new bed next to our shed. I will be using it for tomatoes and some veggies. I have an idea of how I can tie in my garden at the end of our drive way. It is going to take some work. I'm really excited about working on it, that I'm ready to get things done. I’ll do any thing to put off working on the laundry or mopping the kitchen floor

Also I have the first bloom on my "Play with fire" German bearded iris. If you have not guessed it is my favorite flower in my garden. I’ll have more photos soon

It’s all about Family and gardening

2007-05-19T22:40:00.000-04:00

Today we spent much time together as a family. Amy and I feel this is very important. After lunch we all went to Target and Trader Joe’s for groceries and supplies for the boys' science fair projects. We also stop at my favorite plant place to get some new annuals and perennials. Rodney need some flowers for his project on dish soap and plant growth and David needed stuff to make a volcano. (David originally wanted to do his project on hot lava.)

The place we stopped to get the plants is just a road side stand of a privet grower. The guy has always had really good plants and good prices. Just 6 bucks for perennials and 10 bucks for a flat of annuals. I got some fox glove for one of my bare spots and some marigold to plant around in my entire garden. (We used 4 of the annuals for Rod’s project. I’ll give more details on there project later) So this afternoon I got to spend working in my garden. Both boys were out there “helping” me. They would “help” me with digging by filling in the holes after I would dig them usually before I got the plant put in there. I spent much time moving some of my old perennials form the front yard and the side. I moved all my cone flowers to a spot they would get more sun and I moved some of my Bee Balm the was over growing in some areas, to the spot the cone flowers were. Also I looks like my German bearded iris (Play with fire is what it is called) is about to bloom. I should be getting 50+ blooms this year. (I’ll post it in full bloom in the next week or so) This means I will need to split the bulbs this fall. So if any one in the area wants one you can have one.

After all the panting and weeding we watered the garden. I watered the boy’s turned the water off and on, much to my dismay. Then they helped me plant the Marigolds in the flower box on our porch. Both boys seem to be very interested in what I’m doing in the garden. I hope I am in stilling my same love of gardening on them as my father on me and his before. Rodney is a little more in to it the David but both had a good day with me.