LuLu's First Day of School

[Note: for far too long I've refered to my youngest daughter here as "middle child', a term that's a little demeaning and soon to be innacurate. She's got a ton of nicknames in real life (Livvie Lue, Lu, LuLu etc), but LuLu  and Livvie Luseems to flow naturally when I write about her, so that's what I'm going to go with from now on]

This year marked LuLu's first year in school, a proud member of her K-3 class.

We agreed to send her to the same otherwise all African American school that YaYa had attended two years ago. We've since moved YaYa to another Catholic school, but the combination of a full day K3 program and strong academics made the trip across town worth it.

There was something different sending Livvie Lu out the door. It was certainly just as big a milestone and we love her just as much, but with two years of school under our belt we faced the day with more confidence. And as much as YaYa looked forward to school and wanted to go, LuLu's had two years of peer presure to make the trip a goal of hers.

And let me tell you, she looked darling:

Soon it came time to pack the kids up and hit the road. My apologies to Parker for the mis-sized pic.

The room was the same, the teacher different.

We stayed for a minute or two to let her get accustomed to the place, then made our goodbyes.

No tears, not from LuLu. And none from me for once.

But another one of my babies spreading her wings. I only get to take her to school once a week, on Wednesday's (the rest of the week the Mrs takes her and I take YaYa, as her school is closer to work) but I look forward to that time with her. And every day she comes running up to me after work with a big hug.

So far school's been a success (knock on wood). She even won a free JC Penney portrait at a parent/child night.

Oh, and her first progress report came in: she got good marks ('most of the time') in everything but 'dresses self' (that was a 'working on it'). In the academic progress area she can say the alphabet, recognizes letters, sounds, and shapes, can count to 13 and has a 'more than 3 minute' attention span.

And let me tell you, that girl knows her shapes almost better than I do. And not just squares and circles like my time in kindergarten. We're talking ovals, cylinders, triangles, diamonds and hearts.

Under teacher comments the following appeared: "LuLu is a excellent student. Her academics are great. She is a leader in the clasroom and enjoys helping others. She needs to work on talking out in class. She is a joy to have in my class everyday"

Good job LuLu!

 

The Last Day of Summer 2006

The last of summer for my family was August 27th. The next day school would start and we were determined to make the most of our last day together.

I am, at heart, a sincerely melancholy guy.

That day we'd been invited to a picnic in, of all places, a pet cemetary. I'd agreed to sponsor part of the daylong pet picnic/carnival and invited my in-laws and their service dog Zsa Zsa too.

Zsa Zsa finished near the top in musical chairs, btw.

There were several activites for pets, most of which kept our interest for a bit.

But the kids got antsy after a bit. And it's hard to concentrate when you're bombarded by hornets left and right.  BTW, I love this next pic:

Thankfully there was a (less than inspired) magic show for the kids, in which YaYa as usual volunteered.

and a makeup session:

[That thing on YaYa's belt is a candy dispenser the girls were in love with for a few days, before (of course) they lost/broke it.]

Afterwards we and the in-laws hit up Chuck E Cheese, where the kids enjoyed the last part of the evening, and the summer.

School awaited! . . .

Summer Gymnastics Camp

In mid-August both my girls were signed up for gymnastics camp at Midwest Twisters. Trouble was I got lost on the way there, then almost ran out of gas . . . then showed up only to find out I'd screwed up the date and was a WEEK early.

Well, they took 'em anyways, mostly out of pity. :) The girls did have to deal with a Dragon and Fairy Tale theme instead of what they'd orignally been scheduled to be in (a Chinese theme I think; frankly it all runs together. Naw, I got it right; I remember them bringing shields home that they'd made in the art section of the week-long class)

They enjoyed it a lot. YaYa in particular seems to love gymnastics and is a monkey around the house.

Maybe next year we can afford to send them every week. Who knows.

Lost Season Opener

My favorite show is back!

Of course, it took me six days to see the recording of the show so this post is a little dated (sorry about that).

BTW, to all those idiots in the world who criticize the show for not revealing it's secrets and claim they'll never watch it again:

   a) the mystery is what keeps viewers coming back

   b) viewers are what keeps the show on TV

   c) ergo, the mysteries won't be completely answered until the finale (if then)

And I enjoy the mystery. Keep clouding the waters all you want, it only makes me think about and enjoy the show all the more.

* * *

I've given up on my idea that the cast is dead and in purgatory. Not because I was wrong - the show is still about good vs evil, redemption vs damnation - but because I think it was a concept that's been abandoned as viewers began to heavily circulate the theory.

Holding to this redemption theme, note that Sawyer, ahole of the Isle, was caged like an animal (did you notice that the Other said the cages used to hold bears? The Polar Bear from Season One anyone?), Kate was promised two weeks of misery, and only Jack - a flawed but good man - was treated with what looks like (but probably isn't) sincere kindness.

I don't interpret Ben (Henry Gale's) 'good job' to Juliet at the episode's end as sinister. Under her watch Jack let go of a troubling, selfish obsession and thought only of his ex-wife's happiness.

Redemption.

Of course they'll be some romance hinted at between Juliet and Jack. Let's just hope the actress avoids a DUI so the plot has time to develop.

I think Ben/Henry is a wonderfully evil? addition to the show and I believe the tension between him and Juliet is real and will factor in to at least our perception of events to come, perhaps as Juliet 'converts' to the Losties cause.

Sawyer's nice for comic relief but the googy-eyes between him and Kate were a little nauseating.

[side note: I don't think Kate looked good in that dress at all. She looked very thick and block-ish to my eyes. Keep in mind I didn't  TIVO it and rewind endlessly like some freaks out there, so it might be a wrong impression, but ewww]

[note my nice Tim Gunn like quote there. The Mrs. and I have become big fans of Project Runway, gobbling up Seasons 1 and 2 on DVD while waiting for this years winner. My vote rests (pre Fashion Week) with Michael Knight ]

Lots of talk out there about the significance of the novel the book club was reading (Carrie by Stephen King) and how Adam's objections to its content fly in the face of the supernatural edge we expected from the Others. Can't argue with that conclusion.

I think the web-based paranoia about how Juliet grabbed a Talking Heads cd but it miraculously played Petulia Clark's 'Downtown' (a goof, something significant?) are idiotic. Half my CD's are mixed up and in the wrong case. If you grab Metallica off my shelf you're just as likely to hear Garth Brooks as Enter Sandman. If this is anything more than a production goof I'll be surprised.

All right, I'm stuck working again this evening but I'll try to watch the show when I get home (and tonight's  Project Runway and Clean House) and post about it in the next few days.

State Fair '06

This August we took the kids to the State Fair just down the road.

We listened to Ronald McDonald read the kids a story

posed for gimmick photos with Mr. Peanut (Planters was there celebrating their anniversary. Middle Child posed with a NASCAR car, me and Diddy posed for a sports magazine, and YaYa and the Mrs.danced on Broadway), and overall had a very enjoyable day.

[personally, I spent a large chunk of the day dwelling on some disaster at work that I don't even recall now. I'm such a crazy schmuck sometimes lol

That, my friends, might be my first recorded 'lol' in the history of Slapinions.

Dear God, what's become of me?]

After the storytime we went to watch a kids circus. They asked for volunteers to take part in the show, and naturally YaYa raised her hand and was picked.

Here's something new though: although she orignally hesitated, Middle Child raised her hand. She wasn't picked and it dang near broke my heart. She was upset too but wouldn't take no for an answer. She walked right up to the performers and tried to sneak her way into the show. It was left to the Mrs. to guide her back to her seat :(

Following the command performance we lined up to ride, of all things, an elephant.

At the last second Middle Child got scared and backed out, so she and I watched Parker, YaYa, and the Mrs. take a very unusal cruise.

Then we hit the most exciting part of the fair for me . . the creampuffs!

Following which we hit the indoor expos, where both girls signed up to do the power trampoline, with (again a surprise!) Middle Child leading the way!

They loved it!

We stopped to watch a kids dance troupe, and Parker and YaYa loved it

But Middle Child bugged out and I walked her around for a bit, grabbing a push-up pop in the process :)

We ate lunch, then hit the animal exhibits (fake cow, duh, but plenty of real ones. This is Wisconsin)

The kids continued an annual tradition of playing on the piggy bank slide

and played on a tire swing

[Interesting story, to a Dad at least: as I'll relay later, Parker loooovvves music. We stopped and listened to a marching band and he started rocking out; later he grooved to a bag pipe player who stopped and performed just for his enthusiastic young fan]

On the way out we stopped at Build-A-Bear's traveling exhibit, where YaYa and the Mrs. made her a bear who's name . . well, it slips my mind. I'll ask the Mrs. later.

As I said, a very enjoyable time :)

 

Bath Time

Oh, I know I shouldn't publish this. If I ever get famous and this blog is immortalized (who are we kiddng? you know it will be) then Parker will be highly annoyed at me.

But considering I routinely publish a pic of YaYa picking her nose (see above) at least the arguement won't be an original one.

Oh, and kindly notice the immense amount of bubbles (and a well positioned arm)required to, ahem, make this pic suitable for all audiences. :)

Angel Cakes

On Thursday, September 15th I was down.

Down, down, down.

A deep dark funk that was pretty darn annoying. I was working late when my wife called.

She told me the girls had found a stray cat under our back porch, an all white cat that they were feeding in the backyard as we spoke.

I'd seen the cat she described before. I'd shooed it away, mainly because it scared the  heck out of me one night (from the corner of my eye I'd been startled into thinking it was a skunk that's been prowling our neighborhood).

She said it was skinny and starving, and without hesitation I told her to bring it inside.

It wasn't purely humanitarian - sure, I felt we were obligated to the cat, having seen its condition - but really, it was selfish.

Because it cheered me up.

Instantly.

Even now, I'm not sure why, but it did.

So I left work for a bit, bought some flea shampoo, and spent half an hour bathing the new addition.

It had so many fleas in its white coat you'd have thought it was a Dalmation, and was so frail and skinny it resembled a rat with malnutrition.

A vet visit determined she was all of six months old at most, and healthy, save for a slightly enlarged tummy which they said would go away on its own.

The girls named her Snowball, then Snowcap, but finally decided on her true name: Angel Cakes.

In less than a month she's become a prized addition to our house and a friend to Billy. She's also packed on a good amount of much needed weight.

* * * * *

In addition to two cats and our turtle Franklin we've also expanded our bug collection. I picked up a praying mantis a few weeks back and have kept it alive on an assortment of crickets and ladybugs. It's even layed an eggsack!

To round out the group, we also have a grasshopper and for YaYa's birthday I'm planning on getting her an ant farm (shhh! it's a secret)

I dig the girls interest in science, esp. YaYa's. A few weeks back they went to the UWM planetarium on a Friday evening, the same as I did with my Dad growing up (tho' the mrs. took them while I watched Parker, since she'd invited her friend along).

Word is they sat quiet and interested for the entire adult show, allegedly better behaved than some of thegrown-ups that were there!

Someday I'll get that telescope and we'll spend the evening looking at Orion and the Moon . . .

Parker - Too Cute!

I think the pics speak for themselves!

And one final pic of P Diddy Wee Diddy:

The New Haircuts

Well, not 'new' anymore, as it happened on August 21st. But the girls wanted new do's, so my wife took the kids in prior to the start of school.

Here's the before:

The during:

And the after:

Personally, I like it. I think it's cute :)

Ouch

Well, kazaam.

I thought the Packers had the win, or a tie at least, and then Favre is hit and fumbles inside the Saints' twenty.

Heck of a way to go 1-4.

Not that I care a rat's a** about the NFL, but to my eyes it looks like the Packers under Mike McCarthy are a whole lot better than last years version.

Still young, still sloppy, still frustrating  . . . but exciting to watch most of the time, and trying, which is something I didn't pick up last year.

* * *

On to a real sport: the Dodgers are out. Nice game tho'.

Word is Torre is out (to be replaced by Pinella?) and/or A-Rod will be shipped out of town.

Again: 34 dingers, 121 RBI's. I don't give a hoot how little he hits in the post-season, why would you trade away numbers like that?

My opiinon: he may very well need someone to carry him in the ALDS and ALCS. Reggie wasn't much good in the LCS either. So what? With a lineup like the Yanks they should be able to float him for a bit, then hope he unleashes his talent in the Series.

Torre's long been a favorite of mine, but fatigue has set in. Maybe new blood is needed. It certainly seems stupid (to me) to mess with A-Rod's already confused head by moving him around to the bottom of the order IN THE POST-SEASON DOWN TWO GAMES TO ONE.

Nor would I have gone with Wright in game 4, but whatever. I'm a big fat, unathletic guy in Milwaukee.

What do I know.

 

Barring an 8 run comeback .

The Yanks are going to lose and be eliminated.

Ugh.

Well, it ain't the end of the world, but it dang near feels that way.  To be honest tho', any team that fails to score for twenty straight innings deserves to sit and watch the Series on TV.

My biggest regret is that despite the anemic total offense most of this will be laid at A-Rod's feet. If they can find a taker, he might even be moved in the offseason.

Stupid.

Ok, now the game tonight could further shape the course of the playoffs, but here's my New and Improved Predictions.

Oakland vs. Detroit - Detroit wins, if only because Oakland can't win two series in a post-season. And because Detroit starts with a D, which reminds me of Blue, which is my favorite color.

Mets vs Padres (I'm hoping the Padres pull it off, and I'd prefer LA over the Mets, but what the heck) - Padres over the Mets in a full seven games

Detroit pretends it's 1984 and win it all.

Followed, predictably, by Detroit burning to the ground in celebration.

So far in the playoffs . . .

Surprises galore. The A's finally managed to win a post-season series, and even more shockingly, did it by sweeping the Twins.

No way I thought that was going to happen.

LA is on the brink, and that's news to me too.

And the Yanks . . here they go, on the cusp of sitting home for the year. I don't think it's going to happen. If '04 reinforced any idea, it's that it ain't over til it's over.

But if they lose, no tears. A lot of disapointment, but no tears. I've kind of come to the illogical and superstitious conclusion that God's made a trade: healthy babies in return for October defeats.

In '01, after all, the Yanks lost to the Diamondbacks before my wife had even recovered from labor.

In '03, the infamous debacle against Florida four months after my daughter's birth.

And in Parker's birth year, defeat in the ALDS.

Who knows, maybe the curse is broken.

But then again I have one more kid to bring into this world.

Argh, the sacrifices we make for being a parent.

Jeter vs Arod in the NY Press

Ok, I get it.

Derek Jeter is a baseball God, a divine force given to the Yankees to restore/maintain their rightful place atop the food chain. He is Mr. November, an unstoppable force in autumn baseball. He is to be worshiped and adored without question.

Dandy.

I too love Derek Jeter. I think he's an outstanding player that only gets better in the spotlight of the post-season. If I had a vote, he'd be 2006 MVP, and watching his 5-5 performance last night I was right there with the crowd adoring #2.

Alex Rodriguez didn't have a headline making night. He hit one single and scorched another two that were caught for outs. He also made a couple nice defensive plays.

No great shakes. But not horrible either.

So why is it the NY press feels the need to glorifly Jeter by disparaging Arod?

NY Post Article

It certainly isn't that Jeter's deeds needed to be pumped up - they were awesome enough on their own. But what the heck, let's praise Jeter by dumping on one of his teammates:

"The greatest player in the game [Arood] until he comes up in a big spot is, by his recent own admission, just too good-looking and too smart to blend in among all his friends and teammates who get a pass from the fans and media that Rodriguez doesn't."

or how about  

"You are going to succeed more than you fail in baseball," said Jeter last night. "You can't be afraid."

Lesson for Rodriguez"

What lesson? That Jay Greenberg is a hack who used his platform with the public to compound the issue that just might drive the game's best player out of New York?

For the record, entering last night's game their respective postseason numbers were Jeter .307/.379/.463 sand A-Rod's of .305/.393/.534. That's average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage.

And yes, I'm mighty aware of the slump A-Rod has been in since game 4 of the 2004 ALCS.

But that's a two year post-season slump that just now lowers him to (above) par with Jeter.

Think the hack writers in NY, ever content to create friction, unrealistic expectations, and turmoil had anything to do with his droff-off?

Not everyone can put up with the glare of the Big Apple. I understand that. But A-Rod's the reinging MVP, a man who hit more home runs from the right side of the plate in one year than any Yankee, breaking the record held by none other than Joe Dimaggio.

The man can play.

Not put down your pens, shut up, and let him swing away.

Lesson for Greenberg.

 

If you fail. . .

Fail dramatically. At least you will prove the error of your tactics to your successors.

I'm still here

Yeah, I know the routine. Post a bunch, dissapear, come back again and hope someone's still reading.

I'll deal.

Meanwhile, another MLB regular season has come to an end. I only made it to one game, but you know what? I don't care. The Brewers, having earned a one year reprieve from my disgust, again went down the tubes.

I'm still a fan - I'm very brand loyal - but ugh.

Ugh.

At least my XM radio brought me the sounds of games across the continent. I didn't use it for games as often as I thought I would (Radio Disney, Big Band on 4, the top 40- stations on 20-22, and rock from 41-54 had my attention) but I got the chance to listen to a host of Yankees games. Weird to hear a woman do color commentary, but I was impressed.

And I've realized something. I love the Yankees. Not because other people hate them, 'tho that rocks, but because I genuinely love 'em.

They make me happy.

And they give me somebody to root for once the Brewers fall out of the race around the All-Star break.

Just miscellaneous MLB stuff: Arod is great, and the hell with his critics, the Cubs sucked (yea!), and this steroid crap is getting on my nerves. I'm almost to the point where I'm gonna give Bonds a pass, because the endless allegations and second-guessing are wearing on me and the sport.

Anywho, I've been hunting around for my post-season picks. Naturally I can't find the sheet, but here's what I remember:

AL: Yanks defeat Detroit in 4, Twins take A's in 5.

Yanks beat Twins in 6.

NL: Dodgers beat Mets in 5, Padres beat St. Louis in 5 (ok, that's a long shot, and I don't really see it happening. So let's take the St. Louis Antiseptic and Boring in 4)

Dodgers beat St. Louis in 7

World Series: Yankees earn their 27th championship by defeating LA in 6 games.

And wouldn't it be great if ARod drove in the winning run?