Science Fair

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

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

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

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?

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

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

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

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.

Darth Vader Hot Air Balloon

This is so cool I had to share

A Day a School With My Boys

Today I volunteered at Rodney and David’s School for the whole day. We started the day with Amy dropping us off at the school a little early. (Having one car we some times have to do things a little different.) Because we were at school early and it was a nice day I took them to the play ground to get rid of their excess energy. As any one who has boys can tell you, this was a futile effort. David as always was full of energy today.

So I was there to help out in David’s class room in the morning. I then got to have lunch with both boys, and then I got to go out with them for recess. (My first recess in years) After recess I had some time to help out more in David’s room before Rodney’s IEP. (Individualized Education Program) Wile in David’s class I got to go out side with him and his 5th grade buddies to read. I was a perfect day to be outside, and I got to help with redirecting David.

After the hilarity with David I went in side for Rodney’s IEP. The meeting was mostly to talk about getting Rod through the rest of the year. (last year was very hard for him for the last weeks of classes). We he also has had a few problems with aggressive behavior towards the staff and students. How ever we all were in agreement that he is doing much better than he did last year.

So it was a great day with my kids, and as a stay at home dad I have to say this is something I would not have gotten to do when I was working.

Yolanda King

Here is a new report that was not widely covered by the media this week. Also I have Started Posting to my other blog again. you can find it here: http://satyagrahaandahimsa.blogspot.com/

MLK's daughter Yolanda King dies
51-year-old was actress, advocate
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Errin Haines
Associated Press

Atlanta -- Yolanda King, the firstborn child of the first family
of the civil rights movement, who honored that legacy through acting and
advocacy, died late Tuesday. She was 51. The daughter of the Rev. Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King died in Santa Monica, Calif. Family
members did not know the cause of death, but suspect it might have been a heart
problem.

"This is just the last thing and the last person that we
expected this to happen to," said Issac Newton Farris, the Kings' cousin and
chief executive officer of the King Center. Former Mayor Andrew Young, a
lieutenant of her father's who has remained close to the family, said King was
going to her brother Dexter's home when she collapsed in the doorway. Yolanda
King, who lived in California, appeared in numerous films including "Ghosts of
Mississippi" and played Rosa Parks in the 1978 miniseries "King." She also ran a
production company.

"She used her acting ability to dramatize the
essence of the movement," said U.S. Rep. John Lewis, a Georgia Democrat who
worked alongside King's father. "She could motivate and inspire and tell the
story. I heard her recite I Have A Dream' on several occasions.

"She made it real, made it part of her. I think her father
would've been very, very proud of her."

Yolanda King's death came
less than a year and a half after Coretta Scott King died in January 2006 after
battling ovarian cancer and the effects of a stroke. Her struggle prompted her
daughter to become a spokeswoman for the American Heart Association, raising
awareness, especially among blacks, about stroke.

Yolanda Denise
King, nick named Yoki by the family, was born Nov. 17, 1955, in Montgomery,
Ala., where her father was then preaching.

She was just 2 weeks
old when Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus there, leading to the
Montgomery bus boycott spearheaded by King's father. When the family's house was
firebombed eight weeks later, she and her mother were at home but were not hurt.

She was a young girl during her father's famous stay in the
Birmingham, Ala., jail. She was 12 years old when he was assassinated in
Memphis, Tenn., in 1968.

"She lived with a lot of the trauma of
our struggle," said the Rev. Jesse Jackson, who worked with her father. "The
movement was in her DNA."

The Rev. Al Sharpton called King a
"torchbearer for her parents and a committed activist in her own right."

White House press secretary Tony Snow said President Bush and the
first lady were sad to learn of King's death, adding, "Our thoughts are with the
King family today."

Yolanda King founded and led Higher Ground
Productions, billed as a "gateway for inner peace, unity and global
transformation."

In 1963, when she was 7, her father mentioned her
and her siblings at the March on Washington, saying: "I have a dream that my
four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged
by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."

Her brother Martin III was born in 1957; brother Dexter in 1961;
and sister Bernice in 1963. King was a 1976 graduate of Smith College in
Northampton, Mass., where she majored in theater and Afro-American studies. She
also earned a master's degree in theater from New York University.

Funeral arrangements were to be announced later, the family said
in a brief statement.

Aslo She was a member of the Board of Directors of the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, Incorporated (the official national memorial to her father) and was founding Director of the King Center's Cultural Affairs Program. She served on the Partnership Council of Habitat for Humanity, was a member of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, a sponsor of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom and held a lifetime membership in the NAACP

Well the past two days has been interesting. On Monday I took every one to there destinations, we only have one working car right now. I took Amy to work, Rodney went to school and David had the day off so he stayed with me. (Our school district has a weird kindergarten schedule. The kids go 2 full days and one half day.) I went home to do much laundry and get caught up on other work. Later on wile I was making lunch for David I get a call for school that Rodney is running a high temp of 102. So I went and got him, and took him home. I gave him some fever reducer and he fell asleep. But I then a few hours later had to get him up to so we could go get Amy form. With all the running around I really need to go out and thank god it was Monday. It is my guys’ night out and I go play board games and drink beer just about every Monday. This is a big must for the at home parent. We all need to get out once and a wile.

Today Amy took David to school and I stayed with Rod. His temp was up and down all day. Today also was Rodney’s field trip to the zoo. I was going a long, but we stayed home. Rod napped much of the day and I got some cleaning done and finished doing the laundry. In the afternoon Amy called me to see ho he was doing. I had just taken his temp and it was a little high. Being the worried mother she went to talk to the school nurse after we got of the phone. She then tried to call me two time but Rodney, who was felling much better, and I were watching a movie. So I didn’t here the phone. So she went ahead and made an appointment for him, and left school early. On the way she called me only to find out he was doing better. Because of the bug going around we took him any way.

Once we got to in to see the doctor and after he checked him out he told us to continue doing what I had already been doing. Lots of water and aspirin. Rodney seemed to be on the mend but a few hours later the fever had come back. Kids always seem to get better when you take them to the doctor. Any way Rodney will be home one more day and hopefully no one else will get it.

The Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Last week I mentioned I would write up some thing about the Greek Orthodox Church designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The Church is a land mark and is located right next door to my grandmother’s retirement home. Wright was one of the world's most prominent and influential architects. He developed a series of highly individual styles over his extraordinarily long architectural career and influenced the entire course of American architecture and building. His most famous work was Fallingwater, also known as the Edgar J. Kaufmann Sr. Residence.

The Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Milwaukee, Wisconsin was designed by Wright in 1956, and completed in 1961. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Church is one of Wright's last works. In 1956 Wright showed the original drawings for the new suburban church to the Milwaukee congregation, one of the ten oldest in the country. He died in 1959 before the ground breaking and the dedication of the church in 1961. Wright's circular design represented a radical departure from traditional Byzantine church architecture, yet it retained the concept of a domed space and incorporated symbols and colors associated with the Greek Orthodox faith. The basic design of the church is based on the Greek cross inscribed with a circle. This characteristic motif is repeated in several decorative features which include the gold anodized aluminum icon screen, and the gates to the exterior sunken garden.

I hope some day to see the inside of the church, but it is only open to the public during Greek fest.

Mather's Day 07

It’s was Mother’s day today and we started out the day the same as we always do; Me and the boys fixed Amy’s breakfast in bed. Rodney and David did better this year at helping than they have done in past years. Rod helped with the eggs and David helped with the toast. Of course I made the coffee the way she likes it, one cup of sugar and three table spoons of coffee. Once everything was ready I carried in the tray, David carried the card, and Rodney her gifts.

After we all finish eating we got ready for services at Interfaith. We had an enjoyable time there. The boys were very good. Dave Bell, our minister was back from Florida and gave a talk on Forgiveness. This was part two of a four part series on metaphysics. I had a nice chat with some of the other members of the church during fellowship time right after services. I looks like I going to be helping out with recreating the song books for the center. This should be no problem for me to do with all of my graphic design and printing experience.

After we got home we had lunch and I took the boys to the comic book store. We are going to start reading together the World War Hulk comic book series. This is marvel comics big summer event, which will have an effect on many of their titles this summer. I will do a blog on it as things get moving later this summer. We then came home and the boys played out side for a wile, and Amy and I did a few things around the house.

Every Sunday after dinner we have family clean up. We usually spend an about an hour cleaning the house together. Today we mucked out the boys’ rooms. We got rid of lots of stuff and took some old toys to Good Will. We have found by working together as a family we get more done and we can teach our kids how best to clean and put things away.

Post 100, Celebrating with my Family

This posting will mark my 100th entree to this blog. And what better way to celebrate it than with telling you of my great day with my family.

Today we went to my mom and dad’s to celebrate both Amy’s birthday and Mother’s day. We first took my mom to see the matinee of Spider-man 3. The boys were very excited to go see it. They ran strait for the door. The movie was not as good as the first two films, but the visual affects were nicely done. Rodney and David really liked it however. My mother was a little board with it. I felt the film was a little long and had to much going on in the plot.

After the movie we went back to my parents’ home for a wile before dinner. Rodney and David worked on their moves on their skateboards. Once my bother Rob and his Wife Amy got there we had a nice dinner of my mother’s world famous lasagna. For desert we had carrot cake and strawberries, after my Amy and my mom opened their gifts. following dinner the boys had to show Uncle Rob their sweet moves on their skate boards out in front of the house. We had a very nice day as a family today, David was asleep very quickly in the back of the car.