One full month of web log entries. It’s a pretty big accomplishment with how busy I’ve been at work. I’ve found it only really takes about fifteen minutes of my time each day to write something here. I feel I probably have at least that much time per day to spare.
Today’s my father’s birthday. Happy Birthday Poppy! The girls miss you and can’t wait to see you next month. Today’s picture is from this winter when my parents came up to visit and we all went to Mickey’s Christmas.
Happy Mother’s Day. I would like to wish thanks to our moms: Nana (my mom) and Grandma (Jennifer’s mom), and, of course, Abby and Emily’s mom, Jennifer.
We gave Jennifer her gifts this morning. Abby had already told her what they were: a “vacuum” and “diamonds” (it was a diamond bracelet). So, there wasn’t much surprise. Jennifer had coached Abby to get diamonds. What Abby wanted to get her before the coaching was “an angel for the Christmas tree”. I had to tell her that because it wasn’t Christmas there probably wouldn’t be any angels for her to buy.
After church, we headed off to the beach. Since I had the day off, we figured this might be the last time that we could go to the beach before Jennifer and the kids left for Texas for three weeks. We all had a fun time and the girls had a great time playing the in sand. One problem we now face with going to the beach: how to get back into the car without getting sand everywhere.
Abby is showing more and more signs of understanding consequences of her actions. This morning while driving her to school, she mentioned to me that she “isn’t a good listener”. Yesterday, while Jennifer was taking the girls for a bike ride, Abby decided to take off her helmet and stand up in the buggy. Abby told me that she got in trouble and that they had to go straight home. She was sad because sometime she isn’t a good listener. I told her that when Mom tells her to do something she should do it because we don’t want her to get hurt. I think she’s starting to understand.
We had been waiting until the bonus came in to start pest control on the house. Today the pest control company that serviced the people who lived in the house before us showed up at the door. Jennifer figured, “perfect timing”, so we went ahead and went with them. The were giving us a deal for transferring the termite bond from the previous owners.
Another late night at work as we start preparing for E3.
Abby and Emily are still alive. Everything went quite smoothly watching the kids all by myself. But we didn’t just stay at home. No, that would make the day quite easy. We went shopping for Mother’s Day gifts for Jennifer. That was quite an adventure. We took the double stroller up to the mall and we were off and running. I’ve found as long as you can keep them distracted with food and drink, they will stay in the stroller, but once they are done or if you stop at any time, they start getting restless and then it’s time to go. This particular mall has a merry-go-round in it and so, of coarse, we had to ride the horses. We stopped for a cookie which just ended up as a mess by the time we were done.
On the way out, I bought the movie School of Rock. I’m a Jack Black fan and Tom, from work, suggested that if I’m “such a fan”, I should just buy the movie instead of waiting until it’s available to rent from work. It was quite a cute movie and JB was quite good in it. I definitely recommend it.
Emily has started doing something that Abby always did at her age. If the refrigerator door opens, Emily is instantly under your feet sitting on the little area at the bottom of the fridge. This is depicted in today’s picture.
My duty of watching the kids this weekend has begun. I left work early to let Jennifer head off for her church retreat. After I got Emily off to bed, but Abby wanted to pop popcorn and so we watched the Disney movie Brother Bear while eating popcorn. We only lasted an hour before Abby started falling asleep. Since I’ve been working so much, I’m finally am getting a chance to catch up on all of my TV viewing this evening.
Today’s picture is from a couple of months ago. Both of the girls in their matching “monster jammies”.
Another long day at work. I’ve been putting the long hours in because this weekend I’m being left alone with the kids as Jennifer treks off to a church retreat. That’s right, I will be left all alone with the kids almost all weekend.
Yesterday morning a note was left on our large garbage can by the garbage men. Apparently we aren’t supposed to have garbage cans over 32 gallons. We have one that is 50 gallons that we bought in Austin and moved here with us. We’ve been using it for five months now. What made them all of a sudden not like our garbage can?
Today was Abby’s school picture. I will scan it in and post it here once we get it in. At home, Abby’s been not wanting to get her picture taken lately as evident by today’s picture at the beach. You tell her to say “cheese” and she says “no” and turns away from the camera.
Believe it or not, but it’s almost 1:00 in the morning and I’m currently sitting in the middle of I-4 in deadlock traffic. You got to love laptop computers. I’m able to write this since the traffic is not moving at all. I think they are doing road construction and have halted traffic all together. You would know that it would be the exit right before I need to get off. Another amazing thing, I’m in the middle of I-4 between the Lake Mary and Heathrow exit and there’s a wireless computer network which is asking me for a password.
Not much happened today. Abby and Emily are not feeling well. Jennifer thinks it’s after effects from getting a little too much sun at the beach on Saturday. The didn’t get sunburned, but they are a little cranky.
I spent most of my day not sitting at my desk. We don’t have enough GameCube development kits to go around, so we have one at a common station that has to be shared by the people who aren’t lucky enough to have a dev kit at their desk. Ironically none of the lead programmers have GameCube dev kits.
Today’s picture is still from the beach.
It was nice to finally have a day off from work. There was a lot of stuff to do around the house and Emily wasn’t feeling good because she is starting to get her two upper teeth. Because of this, me and Emily stayed home from church.
This week was Jennifer’s turn to teach Children’s Church. During the 11:00 worship, they have a little “children’s moment” for three year olds through first grade. After that is done, the kids go off to another building for “Children’s Church”. Jennifer volunteered to teach it once a month. She’s been scrounging for subjects to teach and finally went to a Christian bookstore the other day and picked up a Veggie Tales video to get some inspiration. I don’t really understand the fascination with animated vegetables. Maybe it’s because I’m not a real big vegetable eater. They watched a video about the “Good Samaritan” and then discussed what it meant to be one.
Meanwhile, I started laundry and cleaned up the laundry room. The top of the dryer had become a “catch all” for all kinds of Jennifer’s projects. That all got cleaned up and moved into the garage and I hung up a ironing board hanger so that the ironing board could be out of the way and not just leaning up against the wall.
After dinner we drove down to Baskin Robbins to get some ice cream because Abby said, “I ate all of my dinner so I need ice cream.” Afterwards we drove around Lake Mary. We’ve been up in the area for four months and I’m amazed how much I haven’t seen. It seems like day in and day out I’m just driving from work and to home and that is it. On the weekends, I’m just hanging around the house before it all starts back up on Monday. It was nice to drive around and see the area. Now that we are in Alpha, it might not be until July when I actually get to slow down and see the area.
Today’s picture is from yesterday’s trip to the beach. Abby playing in the sand.
This morning we went out and ate breakfast at the Peach Valley Cafe. It was pretty good and the girls did well. We usually cannot go out to restaurants because about five minutes after we sit down, the kids are squirming and cannot sit still. The cafe had colors to entertain Abby and a bead toy to entertain Emily. They actually sat and played while we ate our breakfast. There was a little bit of restlessness near the end, but overall the girls did a good job.
After breakfast, I was off to work while Jennifer, Abby, and Emily went to New Smyrna Beach. This was the first time Emily had been at the beach since she started walking. Both her and Abby liked playing in the waves and making sand castles. The water was too cold and Abby sent some of the time shivering on the beach blanket. Today’s picture is of Emily on the beach. There will be more beach photos for the next few days.
Nothing really happened today. Abby didn’t do anything to her sister that is news worthy. I worked a long day at work. Abby asked Jennifer if they could go on a bike ride today and Jennifer said “not today”. Abby’s response, “But, Mom, you need to practice.” They are going to the beach tomorrow morning with Leslie, Zach, and Nate Cowan. I’m going to have them take the camera so that they can get some pictures. Today’s picture is from yesterday’s trip to the park. Emily is thinking about going down the slide.
Frenchville 