What's On Berto's Mind

Caden's Little Girlfriend

2010-02-06T13:48:00.000-08:00

Evidently she has is quite enamored with Caden, and talks about all the stuff he does. Looks like the feelings may be mutual.

It's Basketball Season

2010-01-30T08:53:00.001-08:00

Collin is playing basketball at FBC Frisco. It's a Christian based league called Upward and he really likes it. He usually scores a basket or two per game, but came up short today. He takes a lot of shots, some from pretty far out. If your sitting anywhere behind the goal, you better pay attention.

The Torture

2009-12-13T17:48:00.001-08:00

Here is the result of 1-1/2 hours of torture. This is not the image we are going to use for our Christmas Cards this year.

Blog Update

2009-12-05T18:50:00.000-08:00

Just a quick update to get Erin off my back :)

Rock Star

2009-09-26T12:18:00.000-07:00

Caden is entering his rock star phase. He likes his hair spiked. He loves playing guitar hero and rock band. Or just strumming on a play guitar. Maybe he'll make it to the top and support his mom and dad.

Vacation Update

2009-07-22T16:30:00.000-07:00

Sorry no pictures - those will come shortly.

This was by far the easiest plane ride to date (except for waking up at 5:00am for a 7:55am flight). All three kids were no trouble. Madison watched a movie, Collin and Caden played on the Nintendo gameboy and Nintendo DS. Kerry and I were able to watch the movie on the plane because the kids were so easy. We didn't have to bribe with candy like we usually do.

We are having a great time in California. The kids are wearing themselves out every day. We've been swimming at the pool twice and once at the ocean. The kids love the diving board. Collin will try twists and one attempt at a flip/cartwheel. Caden jumps fearlessly and looks so excited when he launches.

The beach was so much better than last year. We started at a beach inside a harbor that was protected - no waves. It was nice and peaceful. And the kids got bored. So we went a few miles away and parked at crowded beach with rocks on the shore and lots of surfers. Much more exciting with the waves. Madison and Caden spent a lot of time sitting and letting the waves wash over them. They also collected rocks. For some reason all of my kids have a fascination with rocks. And we built a small sand castle.

In the evenings we are riding skateboards and shooting basketball. The kids either ride 3 wide on three skateboards, or sometimes will all sit on the same board holding on tightly to each other. The road is blacktop and their hands and feet get very messy.

The neighbors have let us use their basketball goal. At it's shortest settings, Collin is getting pretty accurate. Madison does well for herself and Caden made it through the hoop once, but backwards. Still counts in our book.

The five of us are all staying in one bedroom and so far it's worked out just fine. The kids are so worn out at the end of the day they are sleeping good and not waking up too early. Kerry and I sleep in the big bed, the kids on air matresses on the floor. It's been so nice outside we can leave the windows open all night and enjoy the cool breeze.

Tomorrow we are heading up to Big Bear for a couple of days in the mountains and will spend the night with Kerry's aunt. That will make for a full house.

Swimming

2009-06-28T20:16:00.001-07:00

Kids Pictures

2009-06-28T13:21:00.001-07:00

Our summer pictures. I still have the work camera after a trip to Houston, so we decided to punish the kids by making them dress up, fixing their hair, and forcing them to sit still and smile. Here are a few of the almost 200 pictures we captured.

This is Caden's fighting face.

Collin.
No problems getting good pictures of Madison. We had plenty to choose from.

Weekend Project

2009-06-13T06:19:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I decided to build a desk to get our 2nd computer off of the card table. My goals were to keep it simple and inexpensive, yet functional. I was able to build this with a minimal amount of cuts. When you suck at cutting a straight line like I do (using a circular saw and straight edge) this becomes very important. All pieces started off as 2'x4' sheets of MDF. The top and backs were not cut at all. The sides were only cut to the proper height (so 1 cut), and the bottom shelf was cut into a U (1 complex cut with a jig saw). Total cost so far is about $60.

The top is set off the back by 1-1/2" and acts as a continuous cable pass. The bottom shelf wraps around so I have a place for the CPU and other junk. Below is the almost final version. I added a center brace from the floor to the underside of the top for strength. I still have some clean-up work to do, including painting the desk.

The best part of this is that I can easily modify the desk to suit my needs. I'm going to add a monitor stand that allows the keyboard to slide under the monitor and free up desk space, and possibly a false panel at the bottom to hide the many cables and power cords that add clutter.

10 Years At Acoustic Dimensions

2009-06-13T05:59:00.000-07:00

Last month was my 10 year anniversary at Acoustic Dimensions. It's hard to believe that 10 years ago Kerry and I left Oklahoma after just buying a house and moved down to Dallas. Neither of us have any regrets over the decision. We have wonderful friends here in Texas and are very happy.

To celebrate, the company threw me a surprise lunch party. I spent most of the morning talking on the phone, oblivious to the happenings and plannings around me. Elaborate early warning systems were setup to alert people to my presence to make sure I didn't find the banners and pictures they were printing. The systems were never used (which is good because I don't think they really worked). Kerry was able to sneak herself and the kids into the back room without me knowing, even though she parked right outside my office window. The kids loved coming to my work and had a great time playing in my office.

Collin Graduates From Preschool

2009-05-21T19:57:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday Madison

2009-05-21T19:56:00.000-07:00

Madison Turns 7

2009-05-15T20:03:00.000-07:00

Madison had her birthday party at Color Me Mine. She invited all of her friends in her first grade class. It was strictly girls only - so I took Caden (Collin was spending the night at a friends) to McD's for nuggets, fries, and air hockey. Yes one of the McDonald's in Frisco has air hockey. Caden met another boy named Caden who was 4, but was scared to cross the bridge on the playset. Caden tried and tried to get him to cross, and was very patient and encouraging. It was truly a heartwarming and encouraging sight.

Anyway, back to the birthday party. They appeared to have a great time, and Madison scored some serious arts and crafts. She's making charm bracelets and ankle bracelets as I type.

Oh, and did you notice she got her ears pierced (again).

Collin's Baseball Pictures

2009-04-17T17:55:00.001-07:00

Collin likes playing baseball. He is on a good team and the coach is great - well organized and structured. Kerry love's having a son in baseball - she thinks the uniforms are soooo cute. We were supposed to go to a Frisco Roughriders baseball game tonight, but Collin is running a fever and it was sprinkling up until gametime.

Easter Pictures

2009-04-15T18:50:00.000-07:00

Easter 2009

Coloring Easter Eggs

Caden's Easter party at school

Daddy Daughter Dance

2009-03-08T18:57:00.000-07:00

The Daddy Daughter Dance in Frisco is big stuff. This year there were 4 dances. We went with the usual crowd, which was Madison and myself, Scott w/ Morgan and little Madison, Bob w/ Sophie and Shay. We met up with a number of people at the dance. Madison enjoyed this dance better than a few years ago. But the line to get food/drink was soooo long. We quick got pictures, danced a few times, then were spirited off to the Purple Cow for purple milkshakes. It was a real treat to spend the evening with Madison and have some time just to ourselves.

Texas Winds

2009-02-15T18:25:00.000-08:00

Today was another day on the road bike. I've been reasonably successful at riding every weekend, but I need to figure out a mid-week workout if I'm going to make any real improvements.

Today's ride was cool but not cold. Winds from the north. Strong winds. Since I always head north to avoid traffic, the ride started off with a bad headwind. I never felt that good, my legs seemed drained from the beginning. I caught a bit of luck about half way into the ride. Two riders passed me and asked me to hop on. We worked together for the next few miles headed north, which gave my legs a break. Then we turned around, with the winds at our back, and flew.

They turned off with about 3 miles left on my ride. And wouldn't you know it, the winds shifted again to a steady cross wind. I just couldn't catch a break.

Anyway it was a great workout and I enjoyed the company.

Christmas Update

2008-12-27T09:29:00.001-08:00

December has finally slowed down to a reasonable pace so I can catch up on stuff around the house, including organizing pictures. Here is a sampling from Christmas this year. We spent a few days in Oklahoma and had a great time with my family. It really flew by. The kids opened presents on Sunday due to family schedules, so they had a lot to play with while we were there. My niece Paris also spent the entire time with us, and she really helped out.

We came back to Frisco Christmas Eve and went to the candlelight service at our Church. It was very nice and I hope we can make this a tradition. This year was the first in a long time that we didn't fly back to California on Christmas day. It was nice to spend the entire morning playing with the kids. In years past we have been out the door by 8:00 on Christmas morning.

Playing with the kids

Opening presents at my parents house

Dinner with Mom and the kids.

Christmas Eve with milk and cookies for Santa

Kerry's mom, sister, and niece are here now and it's keeping the kids busy, especially Madison. They will be here til New Year's Eve, then things will settle down again.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

New Speaker Project

2008-11-30T13:21:00.000-08:00

Girls (including wife, who just gave me that crazy look like why would you do that) can tune out now if you like.

This last weekend when we left my parents house I decided to take a pair of old (~1970) Wharfedale Dovedale speakers home to see what they could do. This is a pair of speakers my Grandfather purchased in Hong Kong sometime around or before 1970.

The speakers still look good, although the design is obviously dated. Looks like solid hardwood on the sides and plywood/particleboard on the front and back. There is a set of stands, not shown, that match.

I did a quick search of the internet and didn't find out much. Several short posts by people who had later versions of this speaker and were looking for parts or comments. They have a 12" thin paper woofer, a 5" midrange in it's own sealed enclosure, and a dome tweeter. The rear of the cabinet has trim controls for the midrange and tweeter. The inside of the enclosure has some loose fiber fill. No additional damping or bracing on the walls.

I hooked them up to my Bryston amp / pre-amp combo and fired up the Ipod. They are in good working order. They have a vintage, warm sound that was characteristic of the time. The woofer is light and thin, so it is fairly quick and produces decent midrange. The low end is tight but there is very little extension. A modern equivalent would go at least an octave lower. They sound better with a bass boost for sure. Mids and highs are OK, but nothing outstanding. They lack sparkle and top end air, probably due in no small part to the thick grill cloth.

I haven't decided yet what to do with them. My initial thought, before I heard them, was to replace all of the drivers and crossover with new units. I think that would definitely improve the sound, but at a modest cost. At a minimum I'll measure their frequency response and see what I can uncover. I may also consider some basic bracing of the enclosure.

Maybe a better option would be to build a new version of this, and then do a comparison. I've always wanted to build a 3-way system.

Superman

2008-11-09T10:45:00.001-08:00

Little man is potty trained. That is super.

Our Little Democrat

2008-11-06T19:02:00.000-08:00

Madison wrote this at school on Monday. See if you can read what it says...

Halloween Pics

2008-11-03T18:30:00.001-08:00

This years costumes were easy, but the kids enjoy them all the same. They had a blast trick-or-treating.

And here is the whole group just before we left.

What's on Berto's Mind

2008-10-29T19:46:00.000-07:00

Some people would think nothing has been on my mind, since I haven't blogged for weeks. That is far from the truth. Work has been very busy and particularly stressful due to several tricky projects. That has occupied too much of my time recently, and it's time to shift my focus back to the family. Mostly what's on my mind are my kids. I am very proud as I watch them grow up.

At a recent parent teacher conference Madison's teacher told Kerry that Madison has on several occasions helped a special needs kid who joins their class - without prompting from the teacher. Madison is sensitive and caring, almost to a fault. Her favorite show in Jon & Kate Plus 8. She senses when Kerry or I need some help and is starting to step in and assist.

Collin continues his quest towards World Cup Soccer. Last week, during the first quarter, he scored 3 goals in a row. He added another goal soon after. Every play ends up with Collin doing a cartwheel and landing on the ground, whether it is a score, or the ball simply going out of bounds. Today Collin was very brave and was the first of the three to get their flu shot. No tears and no complaining.

Caden is just too much boy for his age. He thinks he can, and should do anything Collin does. He is a terror on a scooter, and enjoys riding his bike off the curb. He's learned to squeeze hard when he gives you a hug (sometimes you have to prompt him for the squeeze). And there is nothing cuter than than to see him clasp his hands and shut his eyes, as hard as he can, before he says "God thanks Mommy, Daddy, Madison, Collin."

soccer in the burbs

2008-09-20T14:49:00.001-07:00

Kerry is officially a soccer mom. Collin is playing soccer and loves it. His team is the Buckin Broncos. We have had two games now and the team is 1-1, not that we are keeping score. Yes it's just pack-ball at this age, but they manage to stay headed the right direction most of the game. Collin scored a couple of goals in the first game, but nothing in this last game. He doesn't usually stay in the middle of the action, but prefers to stay on the perimeter and work on his positioning and strategy. He does good keeping himself between the ball and the goal. He will make a good defender just like his daddy.

The park where the games are played is just down the street. On Saturday mornings it is a mad house. It takes f-o-r-e-v-e-r to park, and even longer to get out. I bet we spent 15-20 minutes just getting out of the parking lot today.

The Diner

2008-09-18T05:13:00.000-07:00

I am a big fan of the diner. You can order breakfast anytime of the day. And the menu is large - you can get just about anything you want.

We eat at a local diner near work about once a month. We've come to expect being called 'honey' and 'sweetie', but it's those rare moments where the waitress sits next to you and rubs your leg that make these trips memorable.

When we worked on the Philadelphia Eagles stadium we ate at the same diner every day for a week. The bread pudding was awesome. This was a northeast diner, cleaner and nicer than you typically find down south. I like to think that the neighborhood mob boss sits in the corner and runs his business.

Every time we come to Virginia for the project I am working on we stay at the same hotel and eat at the same Diner. Today I was by myself, and tempted to venture out to find a Starbucks or IHOP, but I decided not to break with tradition.

The first thing that strikes me as odd is that this Diner, which is connected to a Holiday Inn, doesn't open until 7:30. Are you kidding me? I walked in at 7:40 and the lights were still off and the waitresses were still setting up tables.

Conversation at the Diner is always interesting. A few tidbits of what I heard today between the staff...

"I really like the way you run your tables. When you greet people and say can I start you off with Coffee, Tea or Water? That sounds so professional."

"My belly hurts. I feel like it's on fire. I need to run to the store and get some Malox". I listened to that through most of my breakfast.

"You live in the apartments across the street? Did yours catch on fire? Did you lose everything?"

As the morning progressed, and I slowly lossed my appetite, I limited myself to Coffee thinking that at least the intense heat of the brewing process offered some hope for sterilization.

More Back to School

2008-09-09T19:06:00.000-07:00

Collin and Caden started back to school today. This is the first day for Caden to go to preschool and it is a brand new school for Collin. They both did very well. Collin knows two kids in his class. A little girl that lives in our neighborhood and a little boy that is in his Sunday School class. I am so glad he has a friend in his class, it has made the adjustment to this new school much easier. He had a great time and he was even awarded the M&M award during music. I guess the music teacher gives out a little bag of m&m's to the child that is doing good. I think maybe the m&m stands for music and movement, but I really have no idea. I just know Collin was very excited to eat his m&m's after school. :)

Caden walked right into his room and sat at the table and started working a puzzle. When it was time for me to go, I said "bye Caden" and he said "bye Mom" and that was that. When I picked him up he was being held by the assistant teacher because he was not very happy when he woke up from his nap. Other than a little tears at the playground and at nap time, he had a very good first day. Hopefully, Thursday will go well too.

This post was written by Mom. :)

Back to School

2008-08-23T07:08:00.000-07:00

It's that that time again. Next week is back to school for Madison. I can't believe she is entering 1st grade already. Other than cutting into her morning sleep (she likes to snooze til 9:00) she is looking forward to going back to school. She's a pro now, not nervous a bit. Last night we met her teacher and found out who was in her class. Her teacher seems very nice.

Collin and Caden start Sept 9th. Caden seems really young to be headed off to pre-k twice a week, but that is how old the other kids were. I would love to spy on him while he was at schood, to see him marching to the lunch room lined up with the other kids.

Carnie Kids

2008-08-07T05:55:00.000-07:00

As good parents we are preparing our kids early for their future careers. After much meditation and praying, Kerry and I have decided that our kids should strive to work at a carnival.

Here is Madison at her first day of training, laying on a bed of nails.

She is also training for tightrope walking, acrobatics, and those high swing thingies.

Collin is working on his clown routine, which includes juggling, balancing, and pulling coins from his ears and nose.

We are waffling on Caden since he hasn't shown much promise in the few disciplines we have tried (lion tamer, boy shot out of cannon). He is showing a lot of promise bowling on the wii. He doesn't typically break 100, but he is getting occasional strikes and spares. So we may consider a career in the Pro Bowling Association. So starting next week he is going on a diet of beer and cheese fries.

sunday bike ride

2008-08-03T17:43:00.000-07:00

In keeping with my goal of riding more this year, and since we had been on vacation for two weekends, I decided to ride today. Yes I went in the middle of the afternoon. Yes it was about 106 deg outside. And I paid for it.

It started with my eyes. For those of you who ride off road you know how your eyes can start to lose focus due to the constant jarring and you have to concentrate on keeping focus? Well that started earlier than normal and happened a number of times today. And the constant rush of warm air was burning my eyes (I didn't wear sunglasses because I don't like the contrast between the wide open bright spaces and the shadows in the trees unless I have yellow or clear lenses, which I don't. Sunglasses also make your face hot).

Then my arms started to get tired from the constant jarring. And it was so hot I didn't feel like I was sweating because it evaporated off immediately. I did drink a lot, approximately half of a 100oz camel back.

The roots were giving me a lot of problems today. The trail has a lot of roots, and you have to hit them perpendicular or they have a tendency to twist your wheel. I found myself on several occasions in a very awkward position, with one foot clipped in, one foot still clipped to the pedal, and hopping down the trail trying not fall over. But I managed to stay upright the whole time, which was better than my last ride when I went tumbling backwards down a hill when I couldn't get unclipped fast enough.

My legs felt pretty good the whole time, but the heat forced me to cut the ride short and take the road back to the car for fear of completely bonking.

A 32 oz Gatorade and candy bar brought me back to life.

random caden pics

2008-08-02T13:42:00.000-07:00

How could I not share these?!

our house guests

2008-08-02T13:36:00.000-07:00

Mike and Holleigh went to Austin this weekend and let us watch their kids, er uh dogs. They are easy to take care of and the kids are enjoying their temporary pets.

the annual kids pic

2008-07-24T11:56:00.000-07:00

Here is the annual picture of the cousins. This is the best one yet.

A Day at the Beach

2008-07-24T11:43:00.001-07:00

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You would think a day at the beach in California, end of July, would be about as good as it gets. But you would be wrong. While we did have fun, our plans of spending the afternoon at the beach playing in the sun and sand, swimming, building sand castles, eating dinner, then staying til dark and roasting marshmallows to make smores were cut short by the weather.

It was a cool 72 degrees, with an even colder wind. And the wind was strong, as you can see from the picture above. While all the kids played in the waves for a few minutes, only Madison and her cousin Jake could brave them for any length of time. The water was cold (until your legs went numb, then it was fine). They spent most of the time holding my hands so they didn't get sucked out to see. Collin got knocked down once when he wasn't holding on. He wasn't facing me and didn't realize the wave was pulling him right back towards me where I stopped him - Kerry said his face showed his surprise and fear.

The kids never really got into playing in the sand. Caden liked knocking down the sand castles, and he was a lot faster at it than Collin was at building them. So we called our afternoon short after about 2 hours, and went back to Kerry's sister Lisa's house for dinner and making smores in the backyard over a fire pit. This wound up working out for the better in the long run.

Vacation in California

2008-07-19T16:09:00.000-07:00

It's Saturday and we are relaxing in California.

The trip here was the easiest trip with the three kids to date. On the plane, Madison and Collin sat on one side of the aisle and watched movies. They sat next to a nice woman who spoke with them some. Kerry and I sat on the other side with Caden. We had planned the flight out for noon, when Caden should be tired and ready for a nap. Well, he fell asleep 5 minutes before we landed, and only then because he had shut the window cover on his fingers and started to cry, so I was able to hold him for a while.

The kids are already picking back up their favorite activities - riding the scateboards (sitting), riding their bikes, and playing with blocks.

Madison posing.
Collin has become quite the builder.

Caden's funny face.

trip to the doctor

2008-07-08T17:16:00.000-07:00

We didn't really know what to expect when we took Madison to see the doctor yesterday. From the look of the x-ray, Kerry and I just knew that something needed to be done. In the back of my mind I was expecting them to say that they didn't need to do surgery but that they would need to manipulate the bones back in place.

So we were very surprised when the doctor said she was fine and that the broken collarbone would heal on its own of the course of 6-10 weeks. We didn't need to do anything. No surgery. No manipulation. No brace. Just the simple sling she has been wearing. And take it easy on the shoulder.

Kerry and I are relieved. Madison is relieved and doing well. Last night was the first night since the accident that she slept in her bed instead of on the couch. Which means we all slept better.

Update on Madison

2008-07-05T21:19:00.001-07:00

In true girl fashion, Madison has been getting new clothes out of this whole ordeal...

She is doing better than I would have expected. She appears to be in little pain, although I'm sure it aches pretty good. She hates taking medicine, but will take it before bed and has slept well the last two nights on the couch downstairs. We were able to go to some friends yesterday and watch fireworks, and she had a good time sitting at the edge of the pool, watching Barbie on their big TV, and playing with sparklers.

As for the clothes, well she needs some outfits that she can wear without having to put her arm through a sleeve. So Kerry has found her several new shirts and summer dresses that only have a strap over the neck. And she loves summer dresses.

So this weekend is turning out better than I had feared. And tomorrow my parents are coming down for a few days to help. It's great having family close by.

Last Sunday Madison wrote me a note that said she loved me and was glad that I made enough money so mommy could stay home with her and her brothers. I love my daughter.

Madisons Broken Collarbone

2008-07-04T08:33:00.000-07:00

It has been a rough summer on the kids. Its only been 3 weeks since Collin got stitches in his chin, and now Madison has fallen and broken her collarbone.

It happened yesterday just before Kerry left to meet me at work for the fireworks in Addison. Madison fell while playing next to the treadmill. Kerry said she cried for 40 minutes. But there was no significant swelling or bruising, so Kerry brought her down to my work. While there, Madison got worse and around 7:30, after re-hurting it her left shoulder was drooping several inches lower than her right. That's when we knew she needed attention.

Kerry took her to a local CareNow while I stayed at work to watch the fireworks with Collin and Caden. If you don't know much about Addison or Kaboomtown, it is a huge fireworks festival and the city almost shuts down. The roads are horrible, and it took them FOR-EVER to get to the clinic. You can see from the X-Ray there is no doubt it is broken. But they couldn't do much for her except put her arm in a sling and give her some narcotics. She needed attention by an orthopedic specialist to set the collarbone back in place (under heavy sedation).

Kerry left the clinic and it took her FOR-EVER to drive back 2 miles or so to my work. She couldn't even get onto our sidestreet because of barricades and traffic cones. I walked down to the end of the street to pick up car seats for the kids. Kerry headed off to an emergency center hoping they could do more, while I hitched a ride home with a co-worker.

But it was all for naught. They didn't have anyone who could help. And with the Fourth of July weekend upon us, I think we are stuck waiting til Monday. I've tried calling several Hospitals / Emergency Rooms, and unless we can't control the pain or something else significant happens there is not much they can do.

Madison is doing OK, and seems to be in only modest pain unless the arm/shoulder is moved. Hopefully we can get her in early on Monday, but I'm not too optimistic.

did I mention Caden isn't afraid of the water?

2008-06-24T20:55:00.000-07:00

Cleaning the Garage

2008-06-23T19:40:00.000-07:00

I am definitely not a pack rat. I have no problem throwing things away that I feel are just in the way. I'm sure I've tossed stuff that my wife and Mom wish were packed up in nice boxes so I could show my kids. And although Kerry and I try hard not to get the kids much stuff, we are collecting quite an assortment of stuff.

With 7 bikes in the garage (I have three, everyone else has one) and the typical assortment of tools, lawn equipment, and storage the garage was getting very crowded. And I am committed to keeping both cars in the garage for their protection.

So I got myself a fathers day present and purchased some slatwall organizers from Lowe's called Gladiator Garageworks. Hang this stuff on the walls of your garage and you can get a lot of the clutter up off the floor. Not only does it look better, but it is easier to keep the garage floor clean, which helps keep the house clean.

Here are some after pictures. I have more to install, but this cleaned up a majority of the stuff that was just lying around.

What Really Happened

2008-06-23T19:35:00.000-07:00

I've been told that my previous post was not quite correct, so I wanted to make sure to make the corrections in a way that would be noticed.

Although Caden jumped into the pool, he did not sink to the bottom. I have it on good authority that he was trying to swim and made an effort of it, arms and legs kicking. That really makes for a sad image in my head. (Don't cry Erin - remember that he is just fine). That, and the quick reaction by my wife (who is still limping from her bruised heel) kept him from hitting the bottom.

The Dangerous Summer

2008-06-15T20:41:00.000-07:00

This summer is turning out to be quite dangerous.

It started last week with a near drowning (ok - maybe a little overdramatic) at the pool. Caden, who is only 2 and cannot swim, has become very comfortable in the water with his arm floaties. He spends most of his time jumping in the pool, then getting out, then jumping in the pool, then getting out, then jumping in the pool, then getting out...you get the picture.

So Kerry took the kids to the pool last week and Caden immediately started to wander off while she was getting his floaties out of the bag. Before she knew it, he was at the other end of the pool and jumped in, and of course sank to the bottom. Kerry raced to the other end, jumped in after him, and brought him out. He was a little shaken but did a good job of holding his breath. We wonder if he was just waiting to float back up like he usually does. He was a bit shaken, but still managed to swim later.

In the process, Kerry bruised her heel pretty good. A trip to the doctor a few days later confirmed that nothing was broken, but she is still hobbling around on crutches.

Tonight, we went to Mike and Holleigh's for dinner and to let the kids play. Their house backs up to the neighborhood pond which has a sidewalk all around. The kids went for a ride after dinner with the parents chasing after them. Collin was slowed down when his chain came off, so he had to wait for me while the rest of the kids rode down around the corner and into a wooded area. After I fixed Collin's bike, he took off to catch up. What he didn't realize is that the kids were stopped and playing beside the path. Collin was going to fast and crashed hard. Mike was with all the kids and immediately scooped him up and carried him to me. I could tell right away that he needed stitches. His chin had a nasty gash about 1" long. It was split wide open and of course he was screaming pretty good.

After we got him to the house and cleaned up, I took him to AcuteKids, a great little emergency center for kids. This played out just like the first time he got stitches in his chin. They wrapped him in a sheet so he couldn't move, the a nurse and I held him down while they gave him some numbing shots in his wound. That resulted in huge screams and lots of tears. Once they were finished with the shots, however, he managed to calm down and didn't cry when they put the actual stitches in. All in all I was very proud of him.

Summer Fun

2008-06-10T20:02:00.000-07:00

We live in a great neighborhood. Just on our street there are a half dozen families or so families with kids of very similar ages. Everyone gets along and the kids play well together.

A few nights ago our immediate neighbors broke out their big inflatable waterslide, everyone pitched in for dinner, and we had a mini block party to celebrate the end of school and beginning of summer. Of course the kids had a ball, and when the kids are occupied, parents have more fun to.

You can see Madison and Caden going up one side. And yes, that is a bikini on Madison. She can wear it around the house, but we won't let here wear it to the pool.

Project Manitou Update

2008-06-10T19:40:00.000-07:00

I've been able to ride the past 3-4 weekends now. It never ceases to amaze me how much fun mountain biking can be. Every time I get on the bike for the first time in over a few months, I wonder why I don't ride more. I have yet to crash, although there are a few sections on each ride that I don't clear.

The first time I went out I had to change one of my tubes. It was so old that the stem fell off when I started pumping it up. Luckily that has been the only mechanical I have had.

The bike geometry changed significantly with the updated components, but the bike handles very well. I'm still working on finding the right air-pressure for both the front and rear shocks. It takes some time to dial them in. But right out of the shoot they are both performing well. On some short climbs, the rear wheel stays glued down and traction is impressive. The front fork soaks up anything I throw at it.

The biggest problem with mountain biking is finding time to ride, especially since your ride doesn't start until you have driven to the trails. Luckily there are some good trails about 15-20min north of here. Tight and twisty, so my lack of conditioning doesn't hurt me too much.

Later this year we (Kerry, myself, and some neighbors) are riding in a charity ride. Time to dust off the old road bike.

Giro d'Italia

2008-05-29T21:05:00.000-07:00

Over the last few years I have come to enjoy watching the Tour de France. My favorite stages are the mountain stages, but I have come to really appreciate the flat stages with the big sprints at the end. For most of these years Lance dominated the race and it was all about watching Lance and USPS or Team Discovery. But with Lance retired, Team discovery no more, and the sweeping drug scandals, there has been some serious shuffling of teams.

During the Tour I keep up with the race every morning on my PC, and watch the spectacular finishes at home late at night. There is something mesmerizing about how the race unfolds, watching the break-aways that rarely succeed, and sitting amazed as the riders struggle up amazing climbs.

So when I turned on the TV the other day and saw that a cycling program had been recorded, I decided to see what it was about. The Giro d'Italia is a long, multi-stage race just like the Tour de France. I did some quick investigating on the internet and found that team Astana included some of my favorite riders - Alberto Contador, Levi Leipheimer, and Andreas Kloden. Shortly after that I found out that they were a very late invite, and had less than three weeks to prepare. Then, to my amazement, Alberto Contador grabbed the race lead (its a pink jersey instead of a yellow jersey in the Tour de France.) Of course Alberto did win the Tour de France last year, but still...

There are several American teams, including Team High Road (with George Hincappe) and Team Slipstream-Chipotle (with Christian Vande Velde and David Zabriskie).

In todays stage the big man Jens Voigt, who never misses a breakaway opportunity, joined one early in the race, then left them with 35km to go, never to be seen again. The man is crazy.

So there are only a few stages left, including key mountain stages on Friday and Saturday. You can bet I will be tracking this on the internet since I can't find it on live TV.

Ride like the wind Alberto.

The Weekend Review

2008-05-26T19:18:00.000-07:00

Friday. Kerry and I celebrated our 10th anniversary so I took the day off. My parents came down and watched the kids so we could go out for a nice dinner (Jaspers at the Shops at Legacy) and a relaxing night away from the kids at the Marriott (courtesy of my Marriott rewards points). This is the first time we have both been away from the kids for an entire evening. We opted for kid-free shopping at the mall, something we cherish as much as going to a movie. And we were in bed early. Kerry enjoyed her rest the next morning. I slept in til about 7:15 then walked up to Starbucks, grabbed some iced coffee, and sat by the lake for about 45 minutes. We returned home to a very normal house and glowing reports on the kids behavior while we were away.

Saturday. A trip to the pool. Shopping at the mall. Grilled pork-chops for dinner. Very Memorial Day Weekend'ish.

Sunday. Kerry went to Church to teach. I stayed home and saw my parents off, then gathered and checked all of my biking gear to make sure it still worked, didn't smell, etc. I was able to get a quick ride in at Erwin Park, a tight single track trail with just enough dips, roots, and trees to make it interesting. I was very proud of myself for riding over all but 2 sections of the course. (I passed on the 20 foot 'v' dip that looked like it would require a wheelie just before hitting the bottom to avoid an endo due to the mud and trail conditions). But I easily cleared some taller logs, off camber climbs, and root filled trails.

That afternoon our friends Mike and Holleigh came over for dinner. It's always a bit chaotic with 7 kids all going at full speed, but they keep each other entertained.

Monday. Some work around the house, then a trip to the pool. Caden is now fearless! He loves to put on his arm floaties and jump into the water. Full submersion. We were all cracking up, including some of our friends who were amazed. We finished the day off with a trip to Olive Garden.

Now I'm catching up on some reading. I just spent some time on Christianitytoday.com reading about the new Evangelical Manifesto (the goal is to reconfirm that being Evangelical is a theological, not a political belief), some debate on Obama's Pastor Wright comments, and several articles on how Starbucks has influenced our society and what Christians should (and should not) take from this. I love how one person starts calling it St. Arbucks. That will stick with me for a while.

Manitou FS

2008-05-24T11:48:00.000-07:00

My bike is back up and running with a new front fork, rear shock, and stem. The rest of the bike, most of which is 12 years old, is still in good shape. Considering how out of shape I am, and how my skills have deteriorated, the bike will definitely keep up with me.

I did some searching on the web and never could find any other pictures of a Manitou FS from this year (except a small thumbnail of a frame only). I suspect a very small number were made, and would love to see how others are holding up.

Thanks Mike for helping start this project and partially funding it. The pictures below are from the initial work we did at my parents house in Oklahoma.

Happy Birthday Madison

2008-05-24T09:43:00.000-07:00

Madison's celebrated her 6th birthday with a mini-sleepover. Collin, Caden and I (here-to-after referred to as 'the boys') vacated the premises for most of the evening.

The girls all wore pajamas, ate pizza, played pin the slipper on Cinderella, and decorated tiaras.

When the boys got home, I expected a house full of girls watching the movie Enchanted. I knew that wasn't to be as soon as we pulled up to the driveway. I could hear the girls playing and screaming in the backyard. Collin and Caden immediately joined the girls in the backyard, with Collin chasing the girls and Caden getting pushed in the swing.

Happy Birthday Madison!

terror on wheels

2008-05-18T18:42:00.000-07:00

Caden HAS to do EVERYTHING that big brother and big sister do. He has been riding his tricycle for some time now and insists on riding it when we want to go on a bike ride. Obviously that doesn't work to well because he is so slow. The other day we went to get Madison a new bike and he hopped on this bike at Toys-R-Us. He rode round and round the aisles at the store, putting kids twice his age to shame. So we decided to get him a bike. He hasn't figured out the coaster brake, but he is pretty fast. Today he rode up to the pool and at times I had to walk briskly to keep up. And of course he has no fear, so cars beware. He'll cut you off in a heartbeat.

Coming Soon....Rebirth of a Legend

2008-05-17T08:01:00.001-07:00

The bike that made me famous has almost been rebuilt.

Air Robair will ride...

and fly...

and crash...

again.

the tables have turned

2008-05-16T20:27:00.001-07:00

Collin is in a slump and I'm taking advantage of him. His game has gotten weak, and he rarely beats me at the tank game now. Perhaps he's bored. Or maybe since we play at 6:30 in the morning he's not awake yet. Either way I don't care. I've been training hard, and I usually get some coffee in me right away to wake me up. It seems to be working.

madison gets her ears pierced

2008-05-13T18:28:00.000-07:00

Madison has been dying to get her ears pierced. Originally it was going to happen this Friday on her birthday, but she couldn't wait and we were not sure there would be enough time to get it done before the party. So Kerry took her tonight.

Madison was very excited until she actually got to the store. Then a little apprehensive. She insisted that they did both ears at the same time, which involved tracking down another employee how had just left but wasn't yet out of the mall. But she was brave and didn't cry.

Of course she is very excited and those are the first words out of her mouth when she sees a friend.

wii play tanks

2008-04-28T20:17:00.001-07:00

Collin loves to play the tank game on the wii (this is part of the Wii Play game). He is very good. Although I can usually stay alive longer, he tends to kill more tanks and usually ends up with a better score.

Should this bother me?

Madison Leads the School

2008-04-20T13:15:00.000-07:00

This past Friday Madison's class was up on stage to help lead the school in the pledge of allegiance and sing a song. Madison was chosen to speak in the microphone over the schools intercom system. She wasn't nervous, and did a great job.

Happy Birthday Caden

2008-04-20T13:13:00.000-07:00

Our Trip to Odessa

2008-04-20T12:51:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we took a road trip to Odessa to visit family. The occasion was in honor of my step-great-grandmother's 100th birthday. Although she passed away a few months ago, the family wanted to have a celebration.

The family ranch was just outside of town. This is still a working ranch, and there was a lot for the kids to do.

The kids were able to ride horses and play in the sand dunes. There were a number of kids their age and they all bonded pretty quickly.

The biggest attraction was the trampoline out back. Caden found out just how dry it is in west Texas while sliding on the trampoline.

It was a 6 hour drive each way. After the drive, and a full day in the sun, everyone was beat. The kids did great in the car, and we are hopeful that our twelve hour drive to Alabama this summer goes as smoothly.

spring is here

2008-04-06T19:05:00.000-07:00

Madison has wanted to do a lemonade stand for some time now. The weather was so nice this weekend she finally got her wish, although we didn't have any lemonade, so they used fruit punch.

Customers were very generous after getting served by these two cute girls. Together Madison and Laney pulled in about $10, and only about half of that was from neighbors that Kerry called.

Birthday Party at the Firestation

2008-03-30T16:55:00.001-07:00

On Saturday we had two birthday parties. The first was at one of the Frisco fire stations. This was a very nice change of pace. The kids got a tour of the fire station, an ambulance, a firetruck, and a short talk on fire safety and what firemen look like in their full outfits. At the end of the party, with magic timing, the firestation alarm rang and the firefighters were off to another emergency (out the door time is under 60 seconds). We suspect this was part of the show, however, because the engine rolled back in about 5 minutes later.

stop drop and roll...

the ambulance

\

The big finale

Happy Birthday Collin

2008-03-29T06:41:00.000-07:00

Collin turned 4 last week. Although he hasn't gained much weight in the past year, he sure has grown. I am constantly amazed at the things he can do. He can't read yet, so when he navigates the menus on the Wii it is purely from memory. He is very athletic, and being so light makes him very good at climbing. I'm looking forward to getting him involved in organized sports.

His obsession with Star Wars is still intact, so we ran with that for the theme. He had a Darth Vader cake. Some of his presents included a new lightsaber, Darth Vader costume, and some action figures.

That night we met a few friends at Gattitown for Pizza and some fun. Collin and Caden really like the miniature bowling. Madison got to ride the bumper cars for the first time.

I've Been Schooled

2008-03-24T19:39:00.000-07:00

Today was the first time Collin really beat me bad at Wii Bowling. Normally I win, but today he started the game with 4 strikes. Needless to say I lost 191 (his high score) to 109 (not one of my better outings).

He also loves to play the tank game. I can usually stay alive longer, but he has a recklessness that often nets him more kills.

Happy Easter

2008-03-24T19:26:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures of the kids from Sunday morning. The weather did not cooperate and Sunday was cool and cloudy. Saturday and Monday were nice and sunny.

The kids searched for eggs that morning before Church. After Church we went to a neighbors house and had another Easter egg hunt. The kids were hopped up on sugar all day.

Caden Shaves for the First Time

2008-03-10T19:54:00.001-07:00

Caden consistently gets into things. Madison never wandered into cabinets and climbed on the counters. Collin did some, but still he wasn't much trouble. Caden, on the other hand, thinks the whole house is his. He can climb onto any counter using the drawers as a ladder (he typically doesn't need to pull them out). He climbs on the shelves in the pantry like a ladder until he realizes he can't hold on and get whatever he wants.

Today he climbed on the bathroom counter and got hold of my razor. I guess he has seen me shave enough now and knows just what to do. I'm suprised he got as far as he did before crying enough for mom to hear. Most of the cuts were little, but Kerry said the one on his chin bled for quite some time.

Rock Climbing

2008-03-08T13:05:00.001-08:00

Today we went to a birthday party at the Canyons of Frisco. This is an indoor rock climbing place. They allow parents to help their kids and have 20 or so climbing locations, so the kids got to do a lot of climbing. They also had a big rope swing (the kids were hooked in).

Madison and Collin both did really good climbing. Collin had a bit of trouble reaching some of the different holds but displayed a lot of strength and flexibility. I was very proud of Madison as well. She climbed well.

Dad took a turn on the climbing wall as well. I went up a reverse incline section, but wasn't able to make it to the top (I did make it over the reverse incline section, but just barely). I was suprised at how quickly my arms and fingers got tired.

We will definitely be going back.

Dallas Snow

2008-03-06T19:07:00.000-08:00

Today we got around 3" of snow in Frisco. At my work (about 15 miles south) we only saw rain and sleet, but Kerry had warned me about all the snow when we got home.

A lot of the kids were out front playing tonight. We put on layers of clothes, plastic bags for hands and / or feet, and tape to keep gloves on little fingers. We made a few snowmen and even rode down the street in the back of a pickup to pick a snowball fight. Jill made hot cocoa for everyone which really hit the spot.

This weekend it is supposed to be back up to 70, so we should be able to get out again and play in the sun.

Wii 've created a monster

2008-03-02T08:10:00.001-08:00

So we got our first real gaming system just this past Friday. As you can tell from the title we chose the Wii. Collin has been playing it at our neighbors house religiously and can't seem to get enough of it. Yesterday he woke up at 6:30 and started playing Lego Star Wars. I don't think he took more than a single break over 30 minutes the rest of the day, until about 7:30 last night when we threw the kids into the bath. Watching him bowl is hilarious. He uses his entire body, and quite often lands on the floor after swinging his arms in full circles.

Madison likes bowling as well. We will have to get her another game.

Kerry and I are playing guitar hero. We just wish there were a few kid friendly songs available, because Madison likes to try and play this as well. She does the colors, and I strum the bar. She is doing better on slow ride, but still can't make it through the full song.

Blogging from the phone

2008-02-27T12:31:00.000-08:00

Test blog sent from my phone while eating lunch at Panera.

Preperation for the real world

2008-02-25T20:18:00.000-08:00

Madison and Collin love to play on Webkinz. For those of you who don't know, this is a website that you have access to when you buy a little stuffed animal. Online you can play games, buy them stuff, decorate their room, and other things. But you also have to take care of them, give them food, etc.

They have a great system worked out. Madison loves to buy stuff and decorate her animals room. Collin, on the other hand, loves to play the games. He is getting really good at a game that is similar to the old Atari Asteroids. And, the more Collin plays, the more money he wins for Madison to buy stuff with.

Funny how their world mimics real life of a (stereotypical) married couple. Collin makes the money, Madison spends it.

The Cat Choir

2008-02-22T20:20:00.000-08:00

Tonight I came home to Madison's cat choir. The choir consisted of about a dozen yellow sheets of construction paper on which Madison drew a cat face. She then folder the corners over to represent ears. The papers were neatly arranged in Caden's room.

Kerry said that Madison was up practicing some songs. Meoww. Meeoooww. Meooowww.

The weird thing is that most of the cats had a caption that said 'I Love You' or 'I Love you to' except that they were written backwards. Like she wrote them while looking at a mirror. Not only did they read right to left, but most of the letters were reversed as well. So you can hold it up to a mirror and it looks right. (I asked Kerry about it and she noticed that since the caption went to the left of the mouth, Madison wrote the words that way).

How does a little girl learn to do that? When I asked her about it, she didn't have an explanation or even seem to know she did it.

the dreary weekend

2008-02-19T20:23:00.000-08:00

This past weekend was a mess. The weather was dreary, cold, and rainy. That left the family cooped up for most of the day, and the rose boys don't like staying inside for so long. Collin cried for what seemed like half the day asking to go play our neighbor's Wii. And Caden is learning how to scream no, and practiced much of the day as well. It drove Kerry and I nuts, and pretty soon we were driving each other nuts.

But, on the bright side, we had some good food. Friday night was Wingstop, Saturday we grilled out steaks with the neighbors (and had sopapilla cheesecake for desert), and Sunday we had Chinese. It's a good thing I'm starting to run on the treadmill again.

Work is really busy and I am swamped with new projects. Yesterday I stayed up working on some images for a project, then got up at 5:00 am to try and pull it all together for the meeting. The meeting went well (even though I didn't show the PowerPoint presentation I made because both the architect and set designer had similar images) but it always feels better to be prepared. The rest of the day was filled with meetings and phone calls. And to top it all off, Kerry ran off to see Barry Manilow tonight (free tickets).

Luckily the kids were great. We played, they watched TV, and went to bed with no problems. So after a quick run on the treadmill, I'm feeling pretty good right about now.

i wonder what he's thinking

2008-02-17T13:50:00.000-08:00

Collin Loves Star Wars

2008-02-10T06:59:00.000-08:00

I've started to introduce Collin to Star Wars. Lately we have been watching a few of the movies, and he just got Lego StarWars for the Gameboy. He plays it all the time. And when he isn't watching star wars or playing it on the Gameboy, he wants to act it out. It starts with him getting on his Star Wars outfit, namely a cape and belt for the lightsaber. Then he explains that he is Star Wars and I am a droid. The duel starts very formally with him saying "swords please" but quickly diminishes into chaos. Caden often joins in, which means the sword fight is now real and you have to stay on your guard or face getting bonked in the head. The fight ends with either me (the droid) getting killed or Caden running everyone off.

To Do This Weekend (a week later)

2008-02-02T06:04:00.001-08:00

1. Finish painting bedroom. (Still in progress)
2. Purchase Turbo-Tax. (Done). Do Taxes. (In progress). Celebrate upcoming refund. (Done)
3. Then buy something fun. (Done)
4. Fill out new medical insurance forms for work. (Done)
5. Bike ride with kids.
6. Go to church. Run sound. (Done)
8. Superbowl party. (Done)
9. Clean out cars. (Done)
10. Take a nap. (Done)

kids are the best teachers

2008-02-01T21:22:00.001-08:00

Having older siblings has really helped the kids. Collin started riding a bike and a scooter very early by watching Madison. And Caden will do anything the others do. He has to sit where they sit. He learned to do flips on the bed by watching Collin and Madison. But the best thing any kid can learn from their older brother or sister at this age is how to poop on the toilet. Thank you Madison and Collin for a job well done. It was such a relief to see Caden go in the toilet tonight than in the bath that he had just gotten out of.

What's Your Favorite Time of the Day?

2008-01-20T20:12:00.000-08:00

What is your favorite time of the day? Mine has to be early in the morning (particularly a weekend) just after the coffee is done. The caffeine awakens my mind and I start to think about the possibilities of the day. The kids have been sleeping in til 7:00or 7:30 most days now, so I am getting a little quiet time in the mornings.

Now of course it is late and night, my mind is mush, and it feels like I have accomplished very little today. Of course I did finish reading "A Long Way Gone", re-allocate my 401k to dump some lousy performing funds, play with the kids, take a nap with Collin (this is the second weekend Collin has asked me to take a nap with him, and I love it), go out to dinner with the family, watch the last quarter of the NY-Green Bay football game, listen to some music, and find two new Podcasts (This American Life, and Comedy Central).

Maybe that's not bad for a quiet weekend.

Good Night.

A Long Way Gone

2008-01-18T12:10:00.000-08:00

I started reading 'A Long Way Gone' by Ishmael Beah on my trip to Louisiana. I'm in the airport now waiting for my flight. It is the true life story of a 12 yr old boy who was separated from his family as they fled the rebels in Sierra Leone. He later was picked up by the rebels and forced to join and fight with them (I haven't gotten to this part yet). He eventually was rescued by UNICEF and now lives in NY.

This book really makes you appreciate all you have, and makes you wonder how you would handle a life like this. It helps put the daily problems we face back into perspective. It both makes you sad and gives you hope.

One of the things I would like to do in the future is travel more. I love fiction, day-dreaming, and sometimes I wonder what it would be like to start over and dedicate my life to helping people in other parts of the world. Then I come back down to reality and question how can I make a difference where I am now, with what I have.

Caught In the Act

2008-01-06T08:29:00.001-08:00

One of my co-workers told me that she learned it was best not to watch boys play. This is what it looks like when you catch them in the act...

The New Year

2007-12-31T21:36:00.000-08:00

I'm not much for New Years resolutions, but being in California for just over a week has given me some time to think. I'm not going to get to deep or philosophical. I have always been somewhat ADD - I get bored easily, jump from task to task, and struggle to finish things. So it's no surprise that I find that since the kids have arrived I don't spend much time on hobbies anymore. So I'm hoping in 2008 to reconnect with two of my passions - bicycling (specifically mountain biking, or at least off road riding) and speaker building. Neither of these should cost much money since I already have some speakers laying around that could use either new cabinets, new crossovers, or both; and I have three bikes that are all in decent condition. Also, I just bought a bike rack for the Sequoia so transportation is easy.

Building a new set of speakers should be fairly simple since I can work on this in bits and pieces around the house. Now I just need a few new tools...

Biking will be a little tougher since it involves more time away from the house, but Kerry won't mind, will you honey?

Well, it's almost 10:00 on New Year's Eve, so I gotta run. It's bedtime, you know.

Vacation in California

2007-12-31T07:41:00.001-08:00

It's been a while since I've blogged, and we've been having a good time in California.

Kerry's brother Jason and niece Ashley both have guitar hero (well Jason has Rock Band but it is basically the same thing). I've gotten to play several times now and its a blast. I'm stuck somewhere between easy and medium difficulties.

Most days we wake up and hang around the house in the morning. The kids each have a bike, Caden has a tricycle which he still can't ride. Madison is doing fine without her training wheels, Collin still needs help starting.We also picked up Collin a scooter. But the big hit again this year is the skateboards. Evan Caden can do this on his own.

In the afternoons we sometimes venture out to the mall or one group (either the girls or the boys) will go see a movie. Yesterday Rick, Jason and I went to see I Am Legend. It was not quite what I expected, but I still thought it was pretty good.

The other day we went to Lisa's house. Madison, Collin, and Kerry spent the night. They had a grand time playing with Ashley and all of their (Ashley and Jake) toys. We went to a nieghborhood park later in the afternoon. Dad and Caden headed back to Kerry's parents late that evening.

Caden has had a runny nose for several days now and is starting to cough more. His breathing is also wheezy, so we may take him to a doctor today just to be safe.

I've basically finished Collin's workbench, but he barely plays with it. He enjoyed the cordless drill most of all, and the hammer. A few screws, nails, and a soft wood board kept him busy for quite some time.

Even though we are having fun I'm starting to get restless for home.

Christmas in California

2007-12-26T20:47:00.000-08:00

e

Tuesday morning we woke up and the kids opened presents from us as well as their gifts from Santa. Madison was the first up at 7:15, so we were able to sleep in some.

After opening presents we took a taxi to the airport. DFW had set up a kids play area right next to our gate - how convenient. That kept the kids occupied until we boarded the plane. Kerry and I took turns wrestling with Caden. The middle part of the flight was pretty rough because he just wouldn't sit still. But we managed to get him setup with his belt buckle (he loves buckles and zippers) and that kept him occupied for about 45 minutes. He finally fell asleep a few minutes prior to landing.

We had a large crew for Christmas dinner. The kids all sat together. Caden wasn't going to be left out and refused to sit with the adults, so he sat with the kids and did quite well.

Madison and Collin really enjoy the California weather. They are riding their bikes, and learning how to balance on a skateboard. The kids are already adjusted to the time change and sleeping well, so mommy and daddy are happy.

Collin really misses the workbench he got from Santa, so I am putting together a real workbench including some nuts, bolts, clamps, and a block of wood for nailing. Stay tuned for pictures.

Christmas in Oklahoma

2007-12-26T18:27:00.001-08:00

We always spend the days leading up to Christmas Eve with my family. We wound up opening presents in several settings, starting Friday night when we arrived because the kids couldn't wait, especially Madison because she already knew she was getting an American girl doll.

My brother got the kids dress up clothes, which they loved. Except for Caden, who got a hulk hogan stuffed animal.

The kids also got to play in some snow. We stayed until Christms Eve, then drove back to Texas so we could fly out on Christmas day to California.

Christmas Pictures

2007-12-23T06:34:00.000-08:00

The Acoustic Dimensions Christmas Party

All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth

The Joker

Twas the Night Before Christmas

The Helicopter

2007-12-16T12:44:00.001-08:00

This year one of the vendors we do a lot of business with sent several of us remote controlled helicopters. Well Collin fell in love with these last year, and is getting the hang of flying these quirky little styrofoam units. He wants to do this immediately after he wakes up, and right before bed. Madison likes to fly it as well, and they do a great job of taking turns. Both kids can fly it up and down with relatively good control. Turning is a bit harder, especially since the balance of the helicopter is off.

The only mishap we have had is when Madison let it get too close to hear head and we ended up with rotors full of hair. It took almost an hour with a knife and tweezers to clean it up, but it still works good.

Neighborhood Christmas Party

2007-12-12T19:19:00.000-08:00

Tonight was our neighborhood Christmas party at our house. We had 10-12 families show up, so there were people everywhere. Kerry cleaned the house up real nice, and with the soft lighting you couldn't see the day to day wear and tear.

The kids were everywhere but eventually migrated upstairs. They did flips and were jumping from every conceivable object (bed, dresser, etc) until we finally put the hammer down.

Santa and Mrs Claus came by towards the end. All the kids got their turns. Madison complained all evening about not wanting to see Santa, but she was near the front of the line once he arrived. She really liked sitting and talking with Mrs Claus. Collin had a grand time, and Caden even warmed up to Santa near the end.

Overall damage to the house was minimal. We really enjoyed having all of our friends over.

More pictures can be seen here:

http://picasaweb.google.com/BertoRose/200712NeighborhoodChristmasParty

Madison's Missing Tooth

2007-12-11T18:40:00.000-08:00

Sleep in Heavenly Peace

2007-12-10T19:25:00.001-08:00

Silent Night. Holy Night. blah blah blah. Sleep in Heavenly Peace.

No this is not about the Christmas song. This is about us finally getting a full night of sleep. For the past few months Caden has been waking up one or more times a night fussing, crying, etc. He is quick to go back to sleep (except that some of the time he never wakes up during his little outbursts). And on the rare occasion that he doesn't wake us up, well, Madison and Collin take turns on those nights.

So a few days ago, Friday night I believe, it was like a switch went off and Caden never woke up. Collin did get up at 6:00, but at least he laid in bed with us for a few hours. And now all the kids are sleeping in to about 7:30. Wow. I can't remember the last time I got to stay in bed til 7:30 (except after working all night at a jobsite).

So during this Holiday Season, we are thankful for our heavenly sleep.

The Rose Elfs

2007-12-09T13:39:00.000-08:00

I'm sure you've seen this, but my kids made me do it.

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1264025808

Family Pictures

2007-12-02T14:42:00.000-08:00

This year we hired a photographer to take our family pictures at a local park. Seemed like a good idea. The session was pretty cheap and we get a CD with the photos so we can do a lot with them. Some of the money also goes to Kerry's MOPS group.

So we went on Wed to meet the photographer, who was a no show. I'm pretty easy going so it wasn't too big of a deal for me, but I didn't have to get three kids dressed and looking their best. Kerry took it well though.

We ended up getting our pictures on Friday afternoon (I had to take off early from work - darn). It was just starting to get colder and darker, and the kids didn't hold up real well. Caden almost refused to smile, which may have been a blessing in disguise. Madison has a flair for the dramatic, head tilt with the huge cheesy smile. Occasionally you get a beautiful picture, more often than not you don't. But we did get some decent pictures.

Now we get a free sitting in Spring for our troubles, so all is well. And Kerry is happy, so I'm happy.

way to go Caden

2007-11-29T19:44:00.000-08:00

Caden finally made it to the top of the tubes at the playground at McDonalds. This is the first time he has really ventured out and gotten up into the playground. We were talking with our friends and I just happened to catch a glimpse of him out of the corner of my eye at the very top in a car, and I thought to myself that looks like Caden. And sure enough it was.

Up With The Tree

2007-11-26T18:11:00.000-08:00

We got back from Oklahoma and Madison started in immediately on decorating the Christmas Tree. She was so excited. So we unpacked as fast as we could and pulled out the Christmas boxes. It is so nice having a fake tree (we've had one for the past two years).

Madison and Collin helped hang the ornaments and did an admiral job all things considered. After getting over the initial frustration of having kids help hang delicate little objects, it was really nice.

So here's to the start of the Christmas Season.

Three Little Monkeys Flipping off the Bed

2007-11-23T08:14:00.000-08:00

Madison and Collin go crazy. And Caden hates to be left out...

Thanksgiving with the Family

2007-11-22T14:51:00.001-08:00

We drove up to Oklahoma to spend Thanskgiving with my parents, grandmother, brother and his family, and aunt Jan (uncle Dave is out flying for Southwest). It's been several months since we've seen everyone so its nice to be able to get together. The kids love playing with their cousins and it makes our life easier because we can let them do their own thing. Madison has really taken to a doll my mom has. Collin has been playing with blocks and legos. Caden just follows the noise.

Tomorrow we may brave the stores just so we can get out. We're also hoping to see the cousins again so they can play together. Saturday I'm going to the OU/OSU football game. Should be cold. And loud. And fun.

Christmas Came Early

2007-11-19T19:47:00.000-08:00

Well, you can't really blame Caden. This is only his second holiday season and he doesn't quite have the hang of it yet.

Tonight we went through our usual routine. Caden got in the bath. Collin got in the bath. Madison got in the shower. Madison got out of the shower. Collin decided to move from the bath to the shower. Caden got lonely, so he moved from the bath to the shower. Collin got out of the shower. Caden really likes playing in the shower and didn't want to get out. I tried several times, but he just didn't want to get out. So I let him stay in.

I went to get Caden a diaper. Kerry was upstairs getting pajamas. I walked into the bathroom and there it was. Caden had left us a stinky little present on the bathmat. And on the floor. And on the bottom of his foot.

Back in the bath went Caden. Out came the resolve.

Caden's pretty sharp though. He had this look to him like he tried to tell us he needed to go, and was ashamed of going on the floor, but couldn't hold it in any longer. He watches Madison and Collin go potty, and just recently has started trying to lift the lid up like he wants to go himself. We may be pretty close. Stay tuned for more updates.

Look, Me --------------------------------------------->

2007-11-15T18:54:00.001-08:00

Another Typical Day

2007-11-12T20:22:00.000-08:00

So today was a fairly typical day. So what is a typical day like:

Wake up several times before 6:00. Pray that the kids won't wake up, then fall back to sleep.

Get up around 6:30. Collin comes down. He takes a bath, I take a shower.

Go up and get Madison. She doesn't want to wake up, so I carry her downstairs.

Fix breakfast. Caden is sleeping in, but he wakes up before we leave.

Head out to work. Fight traffic for 45min - 1hour. Flip back and forth between ESPN Radio (Mike & Mike in the Morning) and KISS FM (Kid Craddick in the morning).

Get to work. Start preparing for today's meeting. I don't actually do any work, I just attend meetings and conference calls. Meet with teams on several projects. Try to get with Craig to review the presentation for the 1:00 meeting. Finally meet with Craig at 12:00. Make changes from 12:00 to 12:40.

Run out the door at 12:40. Stop at Jimmy Johns for lunch. Run in. Run Out. Eat on the way to the meeting. Kerry calls while I am trying to eat my sandwich, shift my manual transmission , and talk to Craig and George about our meeting. Needless to say the conversation was very short. Arrive at 1:00, just in time.

Meeting should last about 1-1/2 hours, 2 hours tops. We leave the Church at 4:45 (3 hours, 45 minutes later).

Check e-mail on Blackberry. About 30 new e-mails. 1 Missed call from Kerry. Call Kerry back but she doesn't answer. Fight traffic on tollway to get back to the office.

Check my phone and realize Kerry tried calling again, but I forgot to take my phone off silent. Call Kerry back but she doesn't answer.

Back in the office I have one task - print a drawing package. Should take about 15 minutes. 45 minutes later I've got the drawings printed and posted to the architects FTP site. Time to head for home.

Fight traffic for 35 minutes. The tollway is now open to within a mile of my house, so the commute home is much faster (although more expensive).

Eat dinner. Collin wants 2 pieces of Texas Toast like everyone else, but won't listen when we tell him he doesn't like Texas Toast and never eats it. We reach a tentative compromise after heated negotiations.

Kerry is worried about Caden because he is breathing funny. She can't decide whether or not to take him to Acute Kids. I explain that she won't be happy until she knows for sure if he is getting Pneumonia, so she might as well go. Kerry leaves with Caden. Madison, Collin and I play for 30 minutes. Mostly they want me to hold them upside down, but I insist they color to calm themselves down.

No baths tonight. Kids don't stink too bad. Up to bed we go. Collin is tired and goes down after a short book. Madison wants Mommy to put her to bed. Reasoning is pointless (she already has that female trait down). I leave. She cries (softly, more of a whimper actually). I give in and she comes downstairs to wait for Mommy.

Kerry comes back home. Caden is fine. We put the two to bed and settle down on the couch. Kerry watches The Bachelor. I am not a reality TV fan, and I need to get some work done, so I spend about 1-1/2 hours on my laptop. By the way, my Toshiba tablet runs very cool so my legs aren't even burning hot.

It's now 10:45 and I should get ready for bed. Tomorrow is another day of conference calls and meetings.

pandora.com

2007-11-09T19:26:00.000-08:00

Jeff at work got me hooked on this. Pandora.com is a website that streams music, and attempts to fine tune the selection to music you like. It creates stations based on artists you choose, and refines your tastes by allow you to give music a thumbs up or down. The song, artist, and artwork are displayed.

The interface is simple and clean. The site is free, but you do have to put up with adds. Guess they have to pay the bills somehow.

Gotta run. It's late and Madison finally coughed so much she threw-up in her bed. And in her hair. And all over her clothes. Yuk.

google analytics

2007-11-08T18:32:00.000-08:00

Cathy is our marketing manager at work. She told me about a great piece of google software called google analytics. It allows me to see how much traffic my site gets. I don't expect much, but it will be interesting. I can view data by geographic region, but won't get specific e-mail addresses of people who visit, which is fine.

Now if I could only think of something interesting to write, I might actually generate some traffic.

Sunday Afternoon Bike Ride

2007-11-04T19:25:00.000-08:00

Our friends Mark and Robin decided to go on a bike ride today and invited us. We packed the whole family and all 5 bikes into the Sequoia. One of the two rear seats had to be removed, but we managed to cram everything in. We went to a park just off of 380. Actually close to the animal wildlife park we visited yesterday.

We didn't realize it but the bike route was a gravel dirt road. No problem. Madison took off with her friend Madelyn. Madison doesn't use training wheels at all anymore. Collin had his on for part of the ride.

The weather was great, the path was shaded, and we were doing great until Collin started to get tired. Then his pedal kept coming unscrewed. I finally had to return to the car for some tools. When I caught back up with everyone we took Collin's training wheels off. That made his ride a little easier, and gave him a spurt of energy that didn't last very long. Soon we decided that Collin and I (and Caden, in a seat on the back of my bike) would turn around and head slowly back.

Collin and I walked for a while. Then put his training wheels back on, and rode slowly back. I pushed him with one hand while we rode along for a while and that seemed to help him get some energy back into his legs.

I was very proud of Madison. She rode the whole time and didn't seem too tired. Sometimes she doesn't have as much energy as Collin, but she outrode him today.

After the ride we headed to a local mexican food restaurant with Mark and family. It was the perfect night - we had the patio to ourselves and the temperature was just right. There is a playground across a little bridge that the kids played at (except Caden).

Everyone should sleep good tonight.

Sharkaros Wildlife Ranch

2007-11-04T12:41:00.000-08:00

Our Saturday outing took us to Sharkaros Animal Ranch. This is a modest ranch out near Pilot Point - about 30 minutes from our house. The ranch contains a number of exotic animals, including zebra, lemurs, kangaroos, albino kangaroos, wallaroos, wallabies, camels, and a few other oddballs like a Zedonk.

We ate lunch at the park in a pavilion and went on both tours they offered. One was a barrel train ride, the other a safari wagon. The safari ride was great because the wagon had feed buckets at the corners and the camels, as well as other animals, would come up to feed and you could pet them. I remember thinking to myself that I had a vest in grade school that felt like one of them, but I think it was probably fake.

Madison really liked sitting with one of the older gentlemen and petting a lemur. The Lemur was very friendly and had the cutest little padded hands that make them seem like they are wearing gloves. We also got to see a baby albino joey. Too young for us to touch or hold.

Collin like the animals, but also spent a fair amount of time playing with the rocks and dirt. Boys will be boys. Caden liked all the animals, but played most with the dogs that were hanging around the pavilion.

This last picture is of Madison, Collin, and a couple of monkeys, err, I mean knights :)

Halloween

2007-11-02T20:23:00.000-07:00

The kids had a great time trick or treating. Caden mostly walked with us and didn't venture up to the doors, but he sure enjoyed the spoils that Madison and Collin shared. As usual, we started out with a group of neighbors. By the time it was over, however, we had met up with our friends Scott and Jennifer near their house, and couldn't have been farther from our house and still be considered in Northridge.

Surprisingly, the kids have not been begging for candy all day. They are actually being reasonable about their candy intake, or at least while I am home.

The Blue Angels

2007-10-21T18:28:00.000-07:00

This afternoon we went to see the Blue Angels with Mike, Holeigh, and their family. I was worried that the kids would get bored and tired, but it turned out to be a good day. It was pretty warm, but a strong wind kept us from getting too hot. There were several short meltdowns, but nothing serious. Well, OK, dinner at Cracker Barrell after the show was pretty rough on me (and some of the other guests).

Caden got scared really good the first time a plane screamed overhead on a low fly-by, but he never cried. As the afternoon went on he got used to the noise, but seemed more content to hold our hands and sit in our lap than normal. The kids were only moderately interested in the planes, but seemed to have a good time walking around and taking in the sights and sounds and candy.

Going to the airshow brings back memories of growing up at Edwards Air Force Base in California. While my dad was stationed there we went to numerous air shows where we saw the space shuttle, SR-71, B-1, and other unique aircraft up close and personal. This show didn't have any of the planes I just mentioned, but I did get to see a B-52, one of the last planes my dad flew before retiring.

Why I Love My Crocs

2007-09-30T20:13:00.000-07:00

Mowing the lawn. Yes your feet get dirty and covered in grass. But you just hose them (and your feet) off and now you are clean and cool. It sure beats keeping an old pair of stained green, smelly, too tight tennis shoes that no longer have half the sole.