Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Update on my life
Josh and I decided we couldn't make our relationship work, so we are in the mix of parting ways. I am deciding what I am going to do about a living situation [hardy har har - moving again!] and because of Taylor being such a great kid, we are going to keep the family in her life.
I'm sure once Josh moves on and finds a new lady, we may change it a bit, but she will still be friends with everyone. Hopefully it can be forever - but we'll see.
So - there you go.
=)
I'm sure once Josh moves on and finds a new lady, we may change it a bit, but she will still be friends with everyone. Hopefully it can be forever - but we'll see.
So - there you go.
=)
Saturday, September 27, 2008
How long did Chris and Jim live behind us?
I clearly remember them living there, but I have a strange lack of memories of us playing with them. I remember Chris riding his bike over a jump without jumping, but I have many memories of them. When did they live there and for how long?
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Lets Start a Fire in this Place, Sheesh!!
Ok to try and start some activity in here why don't we talk about our favorite memories while driving back and forth from ID to MN. Here are a few of mine:
1. Flickertail Inn
2. "TALKTALKTALKTALKTALKTALKTALKTALKTALKTALKTALKTALKTALKTALKTALKTALKTALKTALKTALK"
3. Jerrod getting to drive the Honda part of the trip when we moved in '89. Then 5-6 miles down the road seeing the Honda pulled over on the side of the road and seeing him change back to the passenger seat.
1. Flickertail Inn
2. "TALKTALKTALKTALKTALKTALKTALKTALKTALKTALKTALKTALKTALKTALKTALKTALKTALKTALKTALK"
3. Jerrod getting to drive the Honda part of the trip when we moved in '89. Then 5-6 miles down the road seeing the Honda pulled over on the side of the road and seeing him change back to the passenger seat.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Monday, September 22, 2008
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Phys-ed day at pre-school
They have phys-ed regularly at pre-school but this day was special because parents were invited to come and watch. This series of videos show you the warm up, the activities, and the final ending.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
The Coyote Trap
I believe Miku is the most wonderful five year old granddaughter any "Baba" could have. I am sure Yoko would say the very same thing - only in Japanese of course...watching Miku play in her fort must be a generational creation by a wizard child! I know I have never told you my first and only venture into the construction business.
Our summer vacations were filled with many different creative projects.......One was the coyote trap. Yes - I know you may not believe it but at one time your mother - Baba Jo aka Jo or Mary Jo or Olive Oil or Madusa Joe, with the help of her brothers, Uncle John, Uncle Dan set about to build a "coyote trap. To understand this picture fully you would have to be about 5years old standing on the hillside above the slough? swamp? moat? water at the foot of the east side of the hill at the mission. There would be very little foliage or trees, shrubs and no green growth to cover the floor of the flats. As far as you could see there were only a few little trees, a few bushes, lots of sand and a few coyotes. The trees and growing specimens were visible at all times - the coyotes only in the early morning hours. Sometimes the momma coyote would be there with her pups - and they would all be rolling around - biting at each other - doing little yips and growls - which on a clear morning you could hear the sounds easily as you sat watching.
I had a weakness for little things - puppies, kittens, coyotes....and I talked John and Dan into helping me build a coyote trap. I am not sure who the project architect was - but since I am writing this story and I think that player in this story is important I am going to say it was me! We collected the scrap lumber from any number of lumber piles around the place and since 2x4's seemed to be the most abundant that is what we started to assemble. Now this coyote trap soon - very soon - became a coyote mansion - this was huge - or at least in the eyes and reach of a five year old... We hammered and lined up all of those 2x4's and soon realized the trap was a little more heavy than we had anticipated. The engineer of the project (self appointed Mary Jo again) decided the trap was going to have to stay where we were building because no way was Grandpa White going to let us use his tractor to pull the trap out onto the flat land via the swamp/moat/slough HOWEVER we would have to entice the coyotes to come up off the flats, swim through the swamp/moat/slough up the hillside and get into the trap. (This project is easily into the third week by now - with daily assembly!)
I am thinking all of you are wondering about this time what all of this has to do with Miku's fort? Stay tuned - don't get bored just yet...Thinking if we did catch a coyote pup or two coyote pups - they might want to look out the trap so at some time we got a hand saw and cut through the back wall of our monstrous 2x4x8' trap a nice little window. Somewhere along the line we hung a little curtain over the window and put a little shelf on the wall. In retrospect I think the shelf was actually a board not quite level or symmetrical with the other walls and probably jutted out making a very nice ledge or shelf for any coyote pup. Before long the project was beginning to lose site of its mission statement "To trap and keep a coyote pup" and the carpenter builders (now down to one person - want to guess who?)had decided that the mansion was too fine of a structure to use as a trap for stinkin old coyotes - instead LET'S MAKE IT A PLAYHOUSE - AFTER ALL IT HAD A CURTAIN OVER THE WINDOW! DON'T FORGET THE SHELF! The architectural dream failed... and in the days afterward - I think it had to be years afterward the coyote trap had quite a few tenants as house guests...you only had to be shorter than four feet tall or a good squatter and you could spend all day in the coyote trap.
I remember many days laying in the trap looking out the window. We even became innovative and learned if several of us put some big boards underneath it we could lift it and eventually "roll" the coyote trap to any spot we wanted. I have often thought someone else copied our design and put wheels on it with a motor and now we see all of these coyote traps driving down the freeway every single day. Now you can see why I think Miku is a direct descendant of Baba Jo - I certainly would never let a coyote go into Miku's fort would you?
Our summer vacations were filled with many different creative projects.......One was the coyote trap. Yes - I know you may not believe it but at one time your mother - Baba Jo aka Jo or Mary Jo or Olive Oil or Madusa Joe, with the help of her brothers, Uncle John, Uncle Dan set about to build a "coyote trap. To understand this picture fully you would have to be about 5years old standing on the hillside above the slough? swamp? moat? water at the foot of the east side of the hill at the mission. There would be very little foliage or trees, shrubs and no green growth to cover the floor of the flats. As far as you could see there were only a few little trees, a few bushes, lots of sand and a few coyotes. The trees and growing specimens were visible at all times - the coyotes only in the early morning hours. Sometimes the momma coyote would be there with her pups - and they would all be rolling around - biting at each other - doing little yips and growls - which on a clear morning you could hear the sounds easily as you sat watching.
I had a weakness for little things - puppies, kittens, coyotes....and I talked John and Dan into helping me build a coyote trap. I am not sure who the project architect was - but since I am writing this story and I think that player in this story is important I am going to say it was me! We collected the scrap lumber from any number of lumber piles around the place and since 2x4's seemed to be the most abundant that is what we started to assemble. Now this coyote trap soon - very soon - became a coyote mansion - this was huge - or at least in the eyes and reach of a five year old... We hammered and lined up all of those 2x4's and soon realized the trap was a little more heavy than we had anticipated. The engineer of the project (self appointed Mary Jo again) decided the trap was going to have to stay where we were building because no way was Grandpa White going to let us use his tractor to pull the trap out onto the flat land via the swamp/moat/slough HOWEVER we would have to entice the coyotes to come up off the flats, swim through the swamp/moat/slough up the hillside and get into the trap. (This project is easily into the third week by now - with daily assembly!)
I am thinking all of you are wondering about this time what all of this has to do with Miku's fort? Stay tuned - don't get bored just yet...Thinking if we did catch a coyote pup or two coyote pups - they might want to look out the trap so at some time we got a hand saw and cut through the back wall of our monstrous 2x4x8' trap a nice little window. Somewhere along the line we hung a little curtain over the window and put a little shelf on the wall. In retrospect I think the shelf was actually a board not quite level or symmetrical with the other walls and probably jutted out making a very nice ledge or shelf for any coyote pup. Before long the project was beginning to lose site of its mission statement "To trap and keep a coyote pup" and the carpenter builders (now down to one person - want to guess who?)had decided that the mansion was too fine of a structure to use as a trap for stinkin old coyotes - instead LET'S MAKE IT A PLAYHOUSE - AFTER ALL IT HAD A CURTAIN OVER THE WINDOW! DON'T FORGET THE SHELF! The architectural dream failed... and in the days afterward - I think it had to be years afterward the coyote trap had quite a few tenants as house guests...you only had to be shorter than four feet tall or a good squatter and you could spend all day in the coyote trap.
I remember many days laying in the trap looking out the window. We even became innovative and learned if several of us put some big boards underneath it we could lift it and eventually "roll" the coyote trap to any spot we wanted. I have often thought someone else copied our design and put wheels on it with a motor and now we see all of these coyote traps driving down the freeway every single day. Now you can see why I think Miku is a direct descendant of Baba Jo - I certainly would never let a coyote go into Miku's fort would you?
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Wonders of a 5 year old: take 2
So this morning, the first day after Miku turned 5, I come downstairs as Yuzuru is prepping breakfast and Miku is getting dressed. Miku didn't seem to be in a grouchy mood at all and I reminded her to keep getting dressed (she'd stalled out in the process). I walked into the other room and as I sat down, I caught a glimpse of her sticking her tongue out at Yuzuru, and then she turned and stuck her tongue out at me.
Of course, she was a little bit surprised to find me watching her and the switch on her face showed that she knew she was wrong. I immediately remembered the time Mom caught me flipping Dad off when he'd had me carry those big metal tubs from the garage in Cataldo back to the rental property sheds. I didn't beat Miku like I got beat for that, but she did get in pretty big trouble.
She couldn't explain why she did it, so Yuzuru and I explained to her that she was already in trouble for it, but if she didn't know why she did it, she'd be in more trouble. Lately she's had trouble explaining herself when she does something bad or boneheaded and we're trying to get her to think before acting (a character flaw her father still struggles with regularly).
She understood and explained that she was angry that we'd put her new globe up on a shelf, slightly out of reach. We hadn't done it on purpose; Yuzuru had just moved the globe off the coffee table. So we explained to Miku the importance of using words rather than secretly being angry or sticking out our tongue.
It was strange, though, to see that kind of behavior from her. I'd never seen anything like it at all. The only thing even close also happened recently, at the park.
Miku and Hina were swinging on the swings (only 2 seats on the set) before deciding to harvest acorns nearby. A few minutes later and a brother/sister team came running over for the swings. The brother is maybe 6 or 7 and the sister was probably 3, maybe 4. As soon as Miku saw them running, she got up and dashed to the swings and got on them before the little girl could.
As you would expect, I didn't take kindly to that. I made her give it back and tried to get her to apologize but she wouldn't, at least not audibly. So we had to go home, in big trouble. I think the hardest part for her was the associated embarrassment of having Hina there too. We had to walk by the swings on the way home and I gave her another chance to apologize, which she took, which improved her disciplinary status.
Kids don't stay little forever.
Of course, she was a little bit surprised to find me watching her and the switch on her face showed that she knew she was wrong. I immediately remembered the time Mom caught me flipping Dad off when he'd had me carry those big metal tubs from the garage in Cataldo back to the rental property sheds. I didn't beat Miku like I got beat for that, but she did get in pretty big trouble.
She couldn't explain why she did it, so Yuzuru and I explained to her that she was already in trouble for it, but if she didn't know why she did it, she'd be in more trouble. Lately she's had trouble explaining herself when she does something bad or boneheaded and we're trying to get her to think before acting (a character flaw her father still struggles with regularly).
She understood and explained that she was angry that we'd put her new globe up on a shelf, slightly out of reach. We hadn't done it on purpose; Yuzuru had just moved the globe off the coffee table. So we explained to Miku the importance of using words rather than secretly being angry or sticking out our tongue.
It was strange, though, to see that kind of behavior from her. I'd never seen anything like it at all. The only thing even close also happened recently, at the park.
Miku and Hina were swinging on the swings (only 2 seats on the set) before deciding to harvest acorns nearby. A few minutes later and a brother/sister team came running over for the swings. The brother is maybe 6 or 7 and the sister was probably 3, maybe 4. As soon as Miku saw them running, she got up and dashed to the swings and got on them before the little girl could.
As you would expect, I didn't take kindly to that. I made her give it back and tried to get her to apologize but she wouldn't, at least not audibly. So we had to go home, in big trouble. I think the hardest part for her was the associated embarrassment of having Hina there too. We had to walk by the swings on the way home and I gave her another chance to apologize, which she took, which improved her disciplinary status.
Kids don't stay little forever.
The wonders of a 5 year old: take 1
So we had a great birthday for Miku yesterday (pics coming soon, I SWEAR). We went out for sushi (her pick, of course), then came home and opened presents and had cake. She got an AquaBeads set (pictured here).
It was close to bathtime as she was helping me (or was I helping her) put the little bags of beads into the star shaped case, so Yuzuru asked her if she wanted to go get in the bath with her. Miku, politely but very fact-of-the-matter replied with "Momma, if you were working on your dissertation and I asked you to get in the bath, would you like it very much?"
I did eventually stop laughing, but it took some time.
To MIKU!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAREST MIKU-ROOOOOSKIE
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!!
Hope you get this girl!
LOVE YOU BUNCHES!!
Hope you had a great birthday! I can't believe you are 5 now!
-Love PDOG
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAREST MIKU-ROOOOOSKIE
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!!
Hope you get this girl!
LOVE YOU BUNCHES!!
Hope you had a great birthday! I can't believe you are 5 now!
-Love PDOG
Monday, September 15, 2008
Taylor is back!
We got Taylor back on Thursday! Little bit of drama at the school, she was taken to CPS for about 2 hours, and we got her back!
Things are going to be interesting the next couple months I bet, but we should get Miku & Tay on the webcam sometime.
She would like that I think.
Miku's Fort
Astute readers/viewers of this blog have glimpsed a little bit of the fort we built in the "Drama Queen" video, but here's a better tour.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
America Woman
Miku and I were listening to Lenny Kravitz's "American Woman" in the car last night. She contemplates the chorus and then asks me if this song is about Babba Jo (who is an American woman!). I said that it could be about her, sure. The next time the chorus comes around, I'm singing "American Woman!" and in the back seat she blurts out, in tune and rhythm, "Bab-ba JO!"
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