Let's Play Two!

Exactly 15,000 days ago today, in the spring of 1970, Ernie Banks hit his 500th home run.

GRRRRR Milwaukee Rec

Over the weekend the kids came home with their final swim class 'report cards'. Not only *didn't* they pass, they all SUCKED. Smiley's sometimes a scaredy cat, so I can maybe see that, but YaYa is a fish. If she failed swim that badly the teacher was busy doing everything but her job. Thanks MPS rec - a waste of time and $.

Smiley Loses His 1st Tooth (April 11th)

On April 11th Lisa posted this to her Facebook account: Smiley just lost his first tooth! Seems so recent that I was sitting in his nursery rocking with him :(




He'd been bugging us forever to pull it out, as he was soooo excited to partake of this rite of passage. I think Lisa did the deed in the end, basically just lifting the loose tooth clean out with no fuss. Ick.





Now the little man knows there's no such thing as the Tooth Fairy - if I haven't blogged about that yet, you'll find it soon - but we kept up the tradition of rewarding the first tooth lost with a small gift.

Smiley's was a 'fingertip' Spiderman skateboard with wheels that could be changed out. He was so proud the next morning of his abiilty to swap them, mentioning with pride that the package said "ages 8 and up" and that he was only 6.



We also (well, Lisa) wrote the following note to him: "[Smiley] Congratulations on your first missing tooth !! Love, the Tooth Fairy p.s.keep being kind and a good brother"



Congrats little man!

Quote

"Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself." - George Bernard Shaw

My First Grade Teacher Has Passed

ST ADALBERT ALUMNI: I just got a call from my sister saying Sr Virginia has died of cancer. When I get to a comp I'll look for her obit.

Weiss, Sr. Virginia, OSF (Formerly Sr. Ann Joseph) Born to eternal life June 4, 2011, at the age of 85 years . Survivors include the Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi with whom she shared Life for 69 years, sisters Rose Fowler and Patricia Hansen, brothers Joe (Laverne), John (Patricia), and Ed (Cheryl) Weiss, sister- in-law of Vicki (Fred) Seelow, and special friend of Sr. Kathleen Sowinski, SSSF. Friends and relatives are invited to join the Congregation on Wednesday at St. Francis of Assisi Convent Chapel, 3221 S. Lake Dr., for the following: Welcoming of the body and evening prayer at 3:30 PM, visitation from 4 - 6:40 PM, Time of Remembering at 6:40 PM, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 7 PM. Contributions may be made to Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi Memorial Fund. HERITAGE FUNERAL HOME Scheuerell-Altstadt-Tyborski Bay View 414-744-2428 Guest Book and Directions www.heritagefuneral.com

Chillin'

in our tent, chilling w/ a Nook

My Friends

This weekend my friends have really proved their worth. The Socialist already got his due here, while Tre provided Lisa an air matress for tonight's campout. Then Erv brought a projector to LuLu's party so the girls could watch DVD's on the wall of the tent, transforming a memorable party into an awesome one. (plus he bought her a gift). Good Joe's, one and all, and I'm very proud to call them firends.

Just Junie being Junie at Lu's gathering

My Thanks

Many thanks to The Socialist, who once again went out of his way to aid a friend and in the process saved LuLu's backyard birthday party by coming over and repairing the back stairs.

What the heck Are you Up to Mr. President?/Jimmy Carter, Jimmy Carter

What the Heck are You Up to Mr. President? by Kevin Mattson, is a short but informative book that showcases the background, delivery, and ultimately disastrous after-effects of Jimmy Carter's 'Malaise' speech.

For those too young to remember (and that would include me) the 'Malaise' speech - it never actually uses the word - was a public scolding Carter delivered to the American people, encouraging us to re-examine our energy policy and habits and refocus both for our betterment. It was met with initial praise, but soon became a symbol of the pessimism and defeatism of the Carter era.

The book details why the speech went wrong. It was designed to address the energy crisis that gripped America, and yet Carter dragged his feet so long that the crisis was waning by the time he pulled the trigger. Combine that with the ill-fitting mix of a somber, pragmatic President urging a weary people to essentially 'suck it up', and it was not a recipe for success. Rumor is Reagan knew he had the Oval Office when he heard the speech.

Keep in mind, Mattson isn't anti-Carter. It's his position that Carter was right, and the speech *should* have altered American behavior and (by default) history.

I enjoyed the book a lot.

Did I mention he was pro-Carter? Contrast that to Jimmy Carter Jimmy Carter by Gary Allen.



I picked up this gem for free at a local rec center, and in fairness, it isn't just anti-Carter. It's anti-Democrat, anti-Republican, and most shocking, anti-Martin Luther King (these days, with his sainthood all but assured in American consciousness, attacking MLK seems horrifyingly racist. I'm not sure that was the author's intent, but I'm not sure it wasn't).

It was written prior to the 1976 election, presumably as a means of torpedoing his candidacy. It didn't work, and neither does the book. Then again, it wasn't a horrible read, especially if you're looking for a glimpse of the political mindset as we approached the Bicentennial.

(both books read August 2009)