Watching the closing ceremonies. Katherine informed us that one of the members of One Direction is afraid of spoons.
The things 13 year olds have filed away just waiting for the right moment to spill what they know.
Sunday, August 12, 2012
In case you were wondering...
Watching the closing ceremonies. Katherine informed us that one of the members of One Direction is afraid of spoons.
The things 13 year olds have filed
away just waiting for the right moment to spill what they know.
Thursday, August 2, 2012
A Visit to the Huntington Library in Pasadena
In an effort for the kids not to spend the entire summer holed up in their room on electronic entertainment and to broaden their cultural horizons, we took advantage of the Huntington Library's free day.
They give the tickets away on the first of the month for the following month. I had to fight the hoards on line by hovering over the "get tickets" button well before 9 AM when the ticket agency opened because I discovered the month before that Free Tickets are like Free Money and they were snatched up and gone within 2 minutes of opening. Making me have to try again next time.
And it also happens to be a pretty freakin' long way away from our house. Probably an hour by the time we navigated the freeways (and stopped to let me use the bathroom). Or maybe it just seemed like an hour with all the "Are we there yet?" and "How come it looks like we're going to Disneyland? Isn't this the way we go when we go to Disneyland? Why don't we just go there instead...???"
Eventually we arrived, parked and headed in.
This used to be a private residence back in the day.
I loved this:
Beautiful flowers:
The view from the top of the hill. You can see out into Pasadena.
First we made our way down into the Japanese Gardens:
Love this giant bell. There used to be something you could strike it with but I guess people abused the privilege so it's not there anymore.
They have this beautiful tea room open to look at but you can't go inside:
Zen Garden:
The Bonsai Tree Garden.
These were SO incredible:
We went into the giant greenhouse which was incredibly humid but the plants were beautiful:
The orchids in a cage:
The center dome:
This plant (on the right) is in the process of producing one HUGE leaf that will be 15 foot tall.:
This looks like something out of Dr. Seuss:
They thought this huge leaf was worth posing in front of:
No not go look goofy.....
Smile... stand there and just smile....
Oh never mind....
We finally made it into the main residence which was incredible:
Sarah, Jeff & Jeffery admiring Blue Boy:
Pinky across the gallery:
George Washington:
I couldn't use my flash so this picture is blurry but it gives you the idea of how impressive the galleries were:
Outside looking out at the grounds:
Monday, July 30, 2012
Geek Family Games ~~ Videos
Back in June I entered a Fathers Day video contest.
It was the first time I tried out editing.
I made the top 10 in the contest but didn't make the coveted top 5 probably because I didn't really adhere to spirit of the contest which was supposed to be about memories you had playing games with your dad and how it affects your family.
I had a real blast doing it though and really want to make some more.
This is an "outtake" reel that I made.
Gives you a good idea of what a lovely pair of coconuts I've got.
Mostly just for more practicing in editing.
Snacks the really cute kitten massaging another cat
This is Emily's cat Snacks when she was just a tiny baby.
It's also my first attempt putting music to a video.
Summer Follies
Not sure when I became such an old curmudgeon.
But I'm not enjoying this thing called summer at all.
Now don't get me wrong, I love being able to sleep in later than 7AM and not have to drive the dynamic duo and Captain Quiet to school, but this kids not only being at home all day, every day, but having to feed them as well is getting old. Seriously, when did they start eating so much? Isn't one meal a day enough? Or maybe one meal and a snack? Do they really need to grow any bigger?
Feeding them lunch not only requires a large amount of time but it makes such a huge mess in the kitchen.
You know, the kitchen I just cleaned up the night before when they insisted they needed to eat dinner.
Today I've got not only my 3 but the twins here as well. So I used some of my finest culinary skills and produced a lovely spread that should satisfy even the pickiest customers.
Macaroni and cheese, fresh off the stove, leftover spaghetti (with homemade sauce) ham and cheese or peanut butter and grape jelly sandwiches that I would make because they aren't allowed to touch the knives for obvious reasons.
Really... what more could they ask for?
How about: Milk, green juice, cucumber salad, sauce without the yucky spongy mushroom-y pieces in it, strawberry jelly, pasta that isn't in that weird twirly shape, a different color cheese for the sandwich.
I would go on but you get the idea.
Once they realized that nothing else was forth coming, they settled down and ate the offerings without much more commentary and moved on.
Trying to keep a positive attitude and a clean kitchen I started loading the dishwasher and putting the food away.
I had just stuck the large plastic spoon in the bowl of mac and cheese when Katherine screamed at the top of lungs, scaring the absolute crap out of me and causing me to launch a spoonful of cheesy pasta into the air, onto the ceiling, into my face, hitting the front of the fridge and sliding, this way and that all the way to the floor leaving a yellow gooey cheesy trail in its wake.
I was caught in that moment when something unexpected happens and you can't do anything but stand there and stare. Katherine snapped me out of when she came bursting into the kitchen yelling something about a spider. She came to a screeching halt, mouth agape and eyes huge.
"Why did you throw macaroni and cheese onto the fridge?"
She looked up.
"And on the ceiling? And on your face?"
A muscle in my jaw flexed and for the life of me I could not think of single thing to say. Well other than a few things I could not include here.
She opened her mouth I assume to yell for her brother to come take a look, when I told her quietly,evenly that if she dared say one word I would require her to spend the rest of the day writing "I will remember to use my indoor voice and not scream and scare people to death" until it was time to go to bed.
Looking utterly perplexed, she turned and disappeared without another word.
I spent at least 15 minutes cleaning up that mess, then another 15 working through the dishes that had been left in the wake of lunchgate.
Now I've got 5 hours until the whole process starts all over again with dinner.
Frozen pizza is starting look like a reasonable and healthy choice.
And I will keep telling myself that until I almost believe it.
But I'm not enjoying this thing called summer at all.
Now don't get me wrong, I love being able to sleep in later than 7AM and not have to drive the dynamic duo and Captain Quiet to school, but this kids not only being at home all day, every day, but having to feed them as well is getting old. Seriously, when did they start eating so much? Isn't one meal a day enough? Or maybe one meal and a snack? Do they really need to grow any bigger?
Feeding them lunch not only requires a large amount of time but it makes such a huge mess in the kitchen.
You know, the kitchen I just cleaned up the night before when they insisted they needed to eat dinner.
Today I've got not only my 3 but the twins here as well. So I used some of my finest culinary skills and produced a lovely spread that should satisfy even the pickiest customers.
Macaroni and cheese, fresh off the stove, leftover spaghetti (with homemade sauce) ham and cheese or peanut butter and grape jelly sandwiches that I would make because they aren't allowed to touch the knives for obvious reasons.
Really... what more could they ask for?
How about: Milk, green juice, cucumber salad, sauce without the yucky spongy mushroom-y pieces in it, strawberry jelly, pasta that isn't in that weird twirly shape, a different color cheese for the sandwich.
I would go on but you get the idea.
Once they realized that nothing else was forth coming, they settled down and ate the offerings without much more commentary and moved on.
Trying to keep a positive attitude and a clean kitchen I started loading the dishwasher and putting the food away.
I had just stuck the large plastic spoon in the bowl of mac and cheese when Katherine screamed at the top of lungs, scaring the absolute crap out of me and causing me to launch a spoonful of cheesy pasta into the air, onto the ceiling, into my face, hitting the front of the fridge and sliding, this way and that all the way to the floor leaving a yellow gooey cheesy trail in its wake.
I was caught in that moment when something unexpected happens and you can't do anything but stand there and stare. Katherine snapped me out of when she came bursting into the kitchen yelling something about a spider. She came to a screeching halt, mouth agape and eyes huge.
"Why did you throw macaroni and cheese onto the fridge?"
She looked up.
"And on the ceiling? And on your face?"
A muscle in my jaw flexed and for the life of me I could not think of single thing to say. Well other than a few things I could not include here.
She opened her mouth I assume to yell for her brother to come take a look, when I told her quietly,evenly that if she dared say one word I would require her to spend the rest of the day writing "I will remember to use my indoor voice and not scream and scare people to death" until it was time to go to bed.
Looking utterly perplexed, she turned and disappeared without another word.
I spent at least 15 minutes cleaning up that mess, then another 15 working through the dishes that had been left in the wake of lunchgate.
Now I've got 5 hours until the whole process starts all over again with dinner.
Frozen pizza is starting look like a reasonable and healthy choice.
And I will keep telling myself that until I almost believe it.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
HONK HONK HONK!!!!!
Apparently, even though I might believe otherwise, I am not the poster child for proper and polite driving manners.
I was pulling out of the market parking lot the other day, waiting for the traffic to clear so I could turn right. When it looked like I had an opening I pulled out into the far right lane just as someone changed lanes in the intersection and almost plowed into me.
I swerved out of the way.
"HEY" Jeffrey shouted from the back seat... "HEY, did you see that?? Honk at that guy... Why didn't you honk? Did you see him? He almost hit us! HONK HONK HONK!!!!! Why aren't you honking?"
"Jeffrey, calm down. Whoever it was is long gone."
"But you should have honked... That was the perfect time for you to have honked... you ALWAYS honk when someone is being an idiot."
"I do NOT!"
It would be highly inappropriate for me to pass judgement on someone's mental competency when I have not even met them.
"Yes you do.... you always honk one really long time and then you yell at them that they are being an idiot."
Apparently Jeffrey has been driving in a car with some OTHER mother.
Because I would never do that.
Really.
No really.
I swear.
I was pulling out of the market parking lot the other day, waiting for the traffic to clear so I could turn right. When it looked like I had an opening I pulled out into the far right lane just as someone changed lanes in the intersection and almost plowed into me.
I swerved out of the way.
"HEY" Jeffrey shouted from the back seat... "HEY, did you see that?? Honk at that guy... Why didn't you honk? Did you see him? He almost hit us! HONK HONK HONK!!!!! Why aren't you honking?"
"Jeffrey, calm down. Whoever it was is long gone."
"But you should have honked... That was the perfect time for you to have honked... you ALWAYS honk when someone is being an idiot."
"I do NOT!"
It would be highly inappropriate for me to pass judgement on someone's mental competency when I have not even met them.
"Yes you do.... you always honk one really long time and then you yell at them that they are being an idiot."
Apparently Jeffrey has been driving in a car with some OTHER mother.
Because I would never do that.
Really.
No really.
I swear.
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