The boy gets his 4 minutes of fame too. Apparently, he and another cohort in his class are the two clowns.

The girl during her Grade 2 class Xmas concert performance. Try to match her beat, hard to do unless you know her secret chant.

The boy in blue to her left is our neighbour. The shoulder in the foreground is Kate, the crazy lady down the street.



more cowbells

The girl started piano lessons this fall and her teacher held a recital for her students. Here's the girl's part of the program.

I am speed

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Originally uploaded by Lao Er

The boy's pretty excited about skating lessons. A 180 from a few weeks ago when he was adamant that he didn't want to take lessons; didn't want to play hockey; and, that he was going to be a rock star.

Now? He wants to tear around the basement with his skates on. He's in for a rude awakening when he gets on the ice!

Hyuk-Hyuk

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Originally uploaded by Lao Er

Stubborn tooth is getting slowly pushed out by her permanent one but refuses to let go. So in the meantime, the girl thinks it's hilarious to play with it.

Not sure if you can tell by this view - she's got a nice bruise on her left cheek from recess accident. Doesn't phase her at all. But tell her she's wrong about something? You better be ready for the maelstrom of emotions. That's right, a maelstrom.

aarrrrrrrrr-guh

I set like I have fins instead of hands and I have the court vision of wombat. Let's see what else the video shows.

Well ... watched first set and we were in it, actually looked like we could easily have won that one. Just some different mistakes here and there, but nothing that made it look like we were in trouble. I got the sets to both the middle and the right side ok for the most part. Not sure where it really started to go South. hmmm

... as in beer

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Originally uploaded by Lao Er

Free whiteboard markers (well, excluding postage for the coupon)! Who can't use more whiteboard markers!

http://acco.ca/pdf/Quartet-EnduraGlide-Free-Offer-MIR-English.pdf

Guess who

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Originally uploaded by Lao Er

The girl made up her mind pretty early about costumes this year. Don't know how she'll pull off the look with a 50 pound down jacket, though.

Turning to indoor activities

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Originally uploaded by Lao Er

All the leaves around here fell, pretty much overnight, so the city has moved indoors.

Reminded me to finish up with the hilights from early summer.

I challenge you ...

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Originally uploaded by Lao Er

About 3 weeks ago, my kids rocked. Now, thanks to "Band Rock" (as the boy says), they Rock Hard!

Just catching up on the "Places I've sulked" series: in our backyard; at the Royal Canadian Mint; at the Children's museum; at the Forks terminal; and, in Canmore.

Would you, could you sulk with an ox ...

As simple ... but no simpler.

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Originally uploaded by Lao Er

6 years old and the girl just stumped the band.

I showed her the battery acid from my car that was on my shirt, so of course now she wants to know what chemicals are. Hmmm, lessee ... nope ... none of my thermodynamics schooling hits the spot. High School chem? Nope - can't get past Mr. Lussier's perm.

I got as far as - the "H" and the "O" in H2O stands for Hydrogen and Oxygen ...

So, how would you answer "What are chemicals?" to a 6 year old?

Just in case there was any confusion.

Bravo.

Happy Birthday Mo.

R&R

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Originally uploaded by Lao Er

Thanks for a nice 2 weeks in the Rockies, ye-ye and nai-nai.

Mommy come home!

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Originally uploaded by Lao Er

I promise, I'll clean up when you ask without fussing. I'll stay dry over night. I'll even eat meat. But, when you're not home, daddy tries to cook. We've had whirly pas-ghetti ... with vegetables! Then we had eggs for supper!?!? Then yesterday, he made Pillsbury hot-dog wraps, but he didn't use hot-dogs!!!

Actually ....

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Originally uploaded by Lao Er

... it's because he insists on playing this game and he cannot win.

Toot-toot

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Originally uploaded by Lao Er

I'll see your "BTB" (http://formwork.blogspot.com/2008/07/ll-meets-bob.html) and raise you a day out with Thomas ... only more like 1/2 a day with Thomas and actually only about 20 minutes with Thomas which is equal parts 10 minutes going backwards in a straight line along a farmer's field, then 10 minutes forward.

Still, some good supporting attractions. Ye-ye - I think a return visit to see your neighbours trains may be in order - if your ban has been lifted that is.

Happy Canada Day

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Originally uploaded by Lao Er

Nothing says large celebration of our Nation's Day like clowns, inflatable structures and stuffed animals mimicking people. Free doesn't hurt either.

BTW - In case you missed it ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekCNkRB9VJ4

We'll get em next year

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Originally uploaded by Lao Er

Overall, a successful first year of soccer for the girl. She says she had fun and she wants to play next year - and that's where I set the bar. Being a year or two behind the others didn't seem to be a big issue and next year she'll be on an all girl's team.

It turns out, everyone says and thinks she's fast. Fast like stink. Greased lightning fast. Kid Flash fast. I think runners have to get up too early in the morning, so I think I'm going to put her on that all-bacon diet.

Thanks coach Shane!

Progress report

DSC00196 Coloured Ink
Originally uploaded by Lao Er

The boy's getting all the press, but the girl is doing well too. She's fastest to the ball (just needs to be less cautious around the boys). She's got great form on her kick (just needs better foot-eye coordination). She's a defensive stopper and knows how to find the right spot on offense. Hope she wants to play next year!

BTW - That's a built in effect in Paint.Net on a cropped JPEG.

Longest day ...

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Originally uploaded by Lao Er

Nice weekend to have the first day of summer. No real chores, just mow lawn, weed a bit, maybe wash the screens - that kind of stuff.

But first, let's go relax and play while it's nice outside. When we go to the schoolyard - the tire swings are the first stop. Each time I watch the girl play, she's learned a new trick. Before this maneuver - she was whipping the tire around and ducking under it. She was grazed once, when I called "time" on that game.

... and not so daring.

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Originally uploaded by Lao Er

The boy is more rough and tumble, without so much daring-do. More of a bull - which is his secret on the soccer field. Anyways, our lazy first day of summer outside has been interrupted by sporadic, but heavy showers. Mario Karts, here we come.

I don't know what this game is called ...

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Originally uploaded by Lao Er

... but they can play it forever - until the boy starts to sulk. Anyways, an excuse to try out a Sony A200 to see I can start getting more/better action shots.

Short People

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Originally uploaded by Lao Er

Went to LA and actually went to LA (instead of Anaheim) for a conference. There's really nothing much around downtown LA and they fed us each night (don't be impressed, it's actually a way of controlling expenses rather than letting people loose on the town). We did make it down to Santa Monica for a walk along the pier the last evening, but I've done the Pacific. I need to get to the other side.

progress

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Originally uploaded by Lao Er

Made it home in time to catch the boy's pre-game warm up, followed by the game. The other team had a ringer ... well, a 4 year old with a sense of direction, anyways ... who reeled off 3 or 4 goals in his first few shifts. But the mighty Brown Bears were not to be denied.

The boy used his full arsenal, including ...
- running and not stopping when everyone else did
- being faster to the ball and knowing how to turn the corner on the flubberesque amalgamation of purple and brown
- using baby steps to push the ball through the pack and down the field

A few assists later and at least one if not two goals (you'd think we'd be able to tell wouldn't you?) later - the Brown Bears emerged victorious ... we think.

Is it in you?

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Originally uploaded by Lao Er

Looking ready for her endorsement deal - both the girl and the boy started community soccer this week. No surprise - the girl is right into it and is having no problems keeping up (although a little more "chase" and a little less "skipping" wouldn't hurt). But the boy has shown a flash as well.

Check it out here ...

http://blip.tv/file/877652#share

We'll see if this is the start of something or more reminiscent of his old man's hockey career that pretty much amounted to "first goal/first shift - and we're done."

March 31st, 2008 a.k.a. "the first time the boy sent the girl to the hospital".

Generally, the girl is mature for her age and has an advanced ability to reason and determine appropriateness. Then there are the other times ... like Sunday when she thought it would be fun to play with a quarter in her mouth.

Notwithstanding legal precedent, I'm pretty sure that's the definition of "an open invitation" for the boy to get into the mix. The end result being the girl has 25 cents (about 25.8 cents US) making it's way through her digestive system.

Based on some shady recommendations, thrice removed, I took her to emergency last night, where they quickly settled on "satiating the parent" vs "healing the patient". On the plus side, it was only 2 hours out of our evening and I was treated to a gratuitous show of checking her breathing and feeling around for the coin. On the negative side, I have a few days to go before I determine what exotic diseases I picked up from the denzions of our city's Children's Emergency.

For her part, I'm fairly confident that the girl was one of the few visitors who actually wanted to hang around a bit longer just so she could finish the "Eye Spy" challenge on the exam room wall. Her sole criteria was not getting a needle - which I'm pretty sure, I could have asked for and she would have received as some form of medical encore.

All in all, I was about to depart with a fairly positive attitude until the "doctor" (he had a lab coat and a badge - so I'm guessing "doctor" or "lost 1-hour photo lab tech") dropped the comment - "These days, we don't worry about anything smaller than a loonie." Odd, I didn't realize inflation and the time-value of money came into play in the practice of medicine.

I think I'll wait until the coin passes and send it as a tip.

Starting a new series entitled ... PLACES I'VE SULKED ...

Today's entry is the Children's museum ... actually, this could turn out to be the new game sensation. Guess where exactly in the museum this is!

Your boy will likely be 6 ft. 5 in. at age 18.

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Originally uploaded by Lao Er

According to

http://parentcenter.babycenter.com/child-height-predictor

Based on the formula we used* there is a 50 percent chance that your boy's full-grown height will be within 0.8 inches (above or below) of this prediction, and a 90 percent chance that it will be within 2.1 inches.

Perseverate - to repeat a response after the cessation of the original stimulus; p-e-r-s-e-v-e-r-a-t-e; perseverate.

Hmmm. How many before it's considered a trend?

Ex-NBA star Sprewell sells yacht, home could be foreclosed

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3241444

According to this story, Latrell Sprewell has been missing mortgage payments, has his house being foreclosed and had to sell his yacht. All this after having turned down an offer of $21M a year, at a time when he was making approximately $14M a year.

I'm pretty confident in voicing what I believe is the obvious question - "Latrell Sprewell had a yacht?"

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Originally uploaded by Lao Er

It dawns on me - as I was being shuttled in from my auto shop this morning, where I can watch the scenery and bldg's go by, rather than spend my driving time attempting to divine which lane and direction the driver in front of me is threatening - that, had I a choice in my formative years, I would not have sought guidance from medical professionals who had set up their practice in a location called "Medical Arts".

I think I would have more confidence and therefore less stress in entering the "Medical Science" bldg, or "Medical Professionals", "Medical Experts" or if you insist on a leap of vague, how about "Medical Miracles".

Other less-inspiring office labels ...
- Medical Hunches
- Medical Journeys
- Medical Hut/Mart/Stop
- Fox Medical TV
- Medical Oddities
- and of course, Medical Schmedical

Yeah, I'm pretty sure the first time around, it was called a Pacer.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AMC_Pacer

An Open Letter to Adobe

An Open Letter to Adobe
Originally uploaded by Lao Er

Dear Adobe, I feel compelled to respond to your kind regrets at the inconvenience you have caused by having to unexpectedly close due to unspecified software complications. I sincerely hope you find yourself in a position to return in the near future as we have so much more in front of us, you and I.

Despite our travails, I persist - nay thrive - on the promise of a rewarding future. Perhaps buoyed by your constant pursuit of perfection through your many upgrades - admittedly much more subtle in result and substance, than convenience. Perhaps, more so in resignation at your market dominance and reluctance to part ways for the sake of the files we've shared.

Regardless, I will wait patiently for the fleeting moments, upon which you choose to grace us with your presence and partial stability.

Sincerely yours

Like a fish

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Originally uploaded by Lao Er

Like a 40 pound, not quite at home in the water, PFD-packing ... flounder ... aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand, luvin' it.

Not all fun and games

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Originally uploaded by Lao Er

The girl showed a bit of interest in a chess game I brought home a few weeks ago. That picked up while we were on vacation. Now, it's a toss-up whether she'll want to play Wii or "chest" at any given time.

I'll have to really learn how to play - she already beat grandpa!

Creepy

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Originally uploaded by Lao Er

Look! His eyes follow you if you move around the room!

I will

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Originally uploaded by Lao Er

I'll take the picture.

If you don't stop fooling around...

Can you just smile?

Anyone?

ok.

You better enjoy it

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Originally uploaded by Lao Er

That's a 50 peso ice cream cone you go there boy!

Can someone check ...

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Originally uploaded by Lao Er

I can't confirm myself, but I'm pretty sure this is a reproduction of a Spice Girls album cover.

Touching the Pacific

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Originally uploaded by Lao Er

Wonder when they'll get to dip their toe in the Atlantic (and where)?

It seemed like every day in Mexico, the kids found a new favorite water feature. (Ok, maybe not so much with the boy and the water slide. Honest, I didn't dump him on purpose.) Even the day they spent 2 hours in the cooling pool on the deck!

Ariba!

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Originally uploaded by Lao Er

Slowly but surely we recompress after a week in Mexico. (Thx Ye-Ye and Nai-Nai.)

The beads just came out of the girl's hair today - we'll see how long it takes for her hair to "calm down" again. But some things will remain with us. The boy went back to his swimming lesson and there's no fussing anymore. I think he may have become too fearless in the water - so we'll have to watch that.

One of these days, I'll have to make some salsa and see if the veggies down there really make that much of a difference.

That's my boy

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Originally uploaded by Lao Er

What are you doing?

Are you listening?

Can't you just sit nicely with your cousins and smile?

WHY CAN'T YOU BE MORE LIKE YOUR SISTER?!?!?

Awww, nuts!

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Originally uploaded by Lao Er

I recall reading an article wherein more than 50% of drivers think they're better-than-average drivers. Notwithstanding that reasearch ... I'm a pretty good driver.

However, I've recently developed (noticed) a flaw in my driving habits. Now, I tend not to use my cel phone while driving (and when I have to, I either pull over or use hands-free). I buckle-up. I signal like it's going out of style. Heck, I even signal in my driveway - not just turning into my driveway, mind you - I mean when I'm already in my driveway and my car is turning directions. So all of that stuff ... checkmark.

My flaw is of the Planters variety. Apparently, I lose anywhere from 20%-50% of my driving skills if I try and eat peanuts while driving. I suppose it's worth clarifying, not just any dry-roasted or BBQ or other garden-variety nut. It's those cashews, the little bits that tend to fall and force me to dig around for them, lest I miss a morsel.

Luckily, I'm too cheap to by the high-fallutin' nuts, so once this festive season's stock dries up ... well, I'll either hit the bottom or the back of that Hyundai, who's owner is too lazy to brush the snow off his brake-lights. I'll let you know which occurs first.

Oddly enough - another roadway affliction I've noted as particularly troublesome to myself is the speed bump. Not while I'm driving mind you, just when I'm walking. It's like when you get older and certain frequencies become inaudible to you ... it's like the height and pigmentation of these towering Prairie menaces are somehow out of my optical range. Again, no accidents yet, just near misses. I'll be in touch.