Finally! Peace and Quiet!

Relatively speaking, that is...

Whew!!! What an exciting two weeks it has been! Well, "Joseph and the Amazing Techicolour Dreamcoat" was a successs and fun as well. I got to spend some great times with the kids during rehearsals, intermission, cast party, etc... I couldn't ask for more. Just getting to play drums for an event like this is worth it.

Oh, one more thing. Everyone in the show got their pictures taken by a wonderful photgrapher. Great shots! (I got my picture taken as well, but I'll spare you the fright...)

Here's Little Buddy. He almost looks innocent.

Here's Girlie Girl. Pretty (pardon the pun) as a picture.

Last, but not least, here's the Big Buddy.

Well, I gotta try to catch up on a few things I left undone because of these last two weeks, but I hope to visit you folks soon and see what you've been up to...

Go go go Joseph!

Last night was the grand opening for "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Coat" and it went very well! I couldn't actually see the show (and my children performing) because I was busy playing drums, but I could hear the audience response and it was awesome! They loved it!

I did get some pics of the warm up and the waiting around before the show. Here's Little Buddy getting ready for his microphone check:



Here's Girly Girl waiting around for something, although I don't know what that thing is:



She was probably waiting around for her friends and it wasn't long before they arrived:



The Big Man does has some small solo parts in the show; he plays the part of the "Lively Lad" and so he ws probably working on his lines:



Finally the Theater Director got them together and started the warm up. Here's about 30 seconds of them warming up. It's really cute to listen to them.



I'd love to get pics of some of the actual live show but I can't. "You know the deal, no pictures or flash photography!"

Logan the Sky Angel

I'm still running around doing way too much right now, but I did want to pass on this video clip that I received today of a Christian radio station phone where a 13 year old called Logan called in. If you haven't heard this yet, take the time to do so. It's really amazing and inspirational!

It took a bit to load, probably because of the massive amount of hits it's getting, but wait for it.

Guess who was in the Audience..

... while I was playing "Guys and Dolls?"

Recognize her? Yep, Calista Flockhart. Yep, it made me nervous and yeah, I tried really hard to keep mistakes down to a minimum.

Next weekend is the grand opening to "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" which means I'll have rehearsal all this week after work. I'm looking forward to doing this because I'll be playing drums while all three of my kids will be in the ensemble as the students. How cool is that?!

It's CRAZY around these parts!

Just a quick note to say that I've been really busy, which is why you haven't seen me around much these last few days. I have been hired to play the musical "Guys and Dolls" this weekend and "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Coat" the next two weekends so between the practices and the performances, I haven't been able to visit all of you folks these last couple of days.

To top it off, I have a computer certification exam on the last Wednesday in July that I have to find time to study for, so I'm a bit tied up.

I hope you're all doing okay and I promise to visit and see what you're up to soon!

Important Public Service Warning!

I've been pretty busy since the 4th but I thought I'd take the time to communicate this very important public service announcement.

Never, under any circumstances, ever, EVER, EVER,...

... fart in a wet suit!

Happy 4th of July, y'all!!!

I know, I'm posting this on the 5th, but Hey; I was busy yesterday!

Actually, no, not really, I didn't have the kids this weekend so I didn't spend the 4th with them, which is just as well. It rained on us over here so it was a washout.

So what did I do? I spent the morning reading Homer's "The Odyssey." I have no idea what possessed me, but you know what? It's one heck of a good story! (I think I read a few chapters back in high school, but I didn't pay attention AT ALL and didn't remember a thing.)

Hope you all did better than me. How did you spend your 4th?

I know, I know...

... I'm always bragging about my kids, but it's hard not to. (At least it's hard for me - smile)

See, they just did their dance recital and they did so well.

See?

A little bit after this pic, he did a "lift" and it came out perfectly! She was up there, in the air - smiling, and he was doing his darn best to make it seem it was effortless for him. I wish had caught it on camera, but it came out too blurry...

Then the older two did a dance together and the ARMS! THE WONDERFUL PERFECT ARMS!

If you ever took dance (or talked to a dance teacher) you know that it's hard to get the kids to make their arms actually look good and not look like limp noodles, so that's why I was so proud of them.

Then they did their tap numbers so that means a change of costumes and I was particularly impressed at how cute, and HOW LONG my girlie girl looked in this:

Anyways, just thought I'd share those with you folks and see whatchat think. So, whatcha think?

Oh, I almost forgot, all three auditioned for the upcoming Musical around these parts, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Coat, and all three made it! They've been rehearsing with the cast for a few weeks now and it was funning driving with them in the car this weekend. I put on the "Joseph" cd and there they were, singing in 3 part harmony in the back of the car, along with the cd! They actually sound really good!

Okay, are you done reading about my children yet?

Hop on Pop!

or "Happy Father's Day!"

My kids are awesome! This is what they gave me for for Father's Day and it was the perfect gift because I used to read this story, "Hop on Pop", to them when we all still lived together and they wanted to let me know how much they remembered and missed this. I'll always remember such a thoughtful gift.

Of course, they're still children, and, it matters, they're still MY children, which means that they aren't just going to hand this to me. Oh, no. They thought it would be more meaningful by "hopping on pop" as a means of waking me up on Sunday morning, and that is what they did!

I'm just lucky to be alive to write about it.

See, the Little guy weighs close to 60 pounds, the Girlie girl stands in at 51 pounds (she's the poster child for Ethiopian famine relief) and the Big Guy is up at 80 pounds. Hoping on Pop without giving pop a chance to "get ready for the assault" could be a deadly proposition.

So, they asked what I wanted to do for Dad's day, as if I would actually get to pick the activity for the day. Before we left the house, they "convinced" me I wanted to Dollywood, so that's what we did. "KidsFest" was going on so it was really fun!

I also took this really cool picture of them, hatching; appropriate for the theme for the day!



That "does" explain a lot, come to think of it!

We had a really great time but it was also insanely hot and so the kids found ways to cool off, but the little guy was the most creative about it:




-----------------------------
I've been a dad for a while now, and while I don't pretend to be an expert at anything, much less children, I have figured out a few things as a dad and from what my kids have shown me...

1. Time really flies... Have fun with your kids (and without them) because soon they'll change and things will change and it's just not the same. Enjoy the time with them.

2. Practice saying no. It won't kill them, (although they'll pout.)

3. Don't miss anything your kids will do, not if you can help it. You'll regret like like nothing else later.

4. If you have more than one kid, try to spend quality time, one on one, with each of them every so often. You'll really appreciate it, and so will they.

5. Don't expect a clean car.

(About number five, can anyone out there tell me how old your kids have to be before you "can" expect a clean car? I really want to know...)

Are you thinking about Buying a House?

I owned my own home when I was married, but soon after my marriage ended I moved out and the house was sold. I've been renting since then and I like the place; a small townhouse where all I do is pay rent. I don't have to mow, paint, take care of appliances, etc... It's a beautiful thing, really.

Renting does have it's disadvantages when it comes to tax season. Namely, it won't help you at all when its time to do your taxes. I started getting ideas about buying a small home where my kids could have a backyard to play in and I could take advantage of the tax benefits. But buying a house is a bit like buying a car; EVERYBODY in the freakin' world has their hands in your pockets! Sheesh! Lawyers, Real Estate Agents, Appraisers, Fees for just about anything you could imagine...

It was the same when you try to sell a house; everyone thinks they could charge you just about anything. Your buyer, on the other hand, doesn't think your house is worth anything.

Your house:

as seen by you:

As seen by your buyer:



As seen by your lender:



As seen by your tax assessor:



You know what? I'm going to rent for a while...

How about you? Are you fed up with this crazy housing market, or are you just happy owning your place, unaffected by it all?

Do you like art?

I do too. Art takes on several forms and my two favorite are music and paintings so I wanted to tell you about an artist in each category that I've been enjoying so much as of late.


First is Diana Krall

Okay, this amazing lady was born in 1964 and you can't imagine just how she can play jazz piano the way she does as young as she is. Oh, and then she sings as good as she plays the piano. I got her dvd when she played in Paris with some jazz greats. Here she is playing "Cry me a river."




She finished up the concert with this amazing version of Joni Mitchell's "A Case of You."




Amazing, huh? Did I also mention she was pretty easy on the eyes to boot? (smile)

Okay, next subject is this amazing artist from Kentucky and fellow blogger Heather B. Truman and her blog is called Bad Kitty Art Studio. Go visit her blog and view her amazing paintings and other art work. If you have a bit of disposible income and want to beautify your wall, check out her latest work. (I hope you don't mind that I borrowed your pic, Heather; but you're simply too amazing not to share. If you do, let me know, though.)

Is that not just wonderful? I'm afraid my education in painting and its proper terminology is woefully inadequate, but I know what I like, and I like Heather's talent. Go check her out!

Happy Birthday, Little Buddy!!!

Yesterday was my little buddy's birthday! He turned eight and was very proud to do so. I took him to a dinner show over in Pigeon Forge called "Hoot n Holler," at Wonderworks and he had a wonderful time! Here is his waitress singing Happy Birthday to him:



Later on, he was selected to do a part in the show and he had a blast!



He eventually managed to get all three plates spinning in the air. rofl!!!

Happy Birthday, buddy. You'll never know what you mean to everyone around you and especially what you mean to me. I'm proud of you for being you; kind, funny and sweet.

Go have fun! But be careful; look both ways before crossing the street. (You didn't think I would stop being your daddy just 'cause you're eight now, did you?)

If you reading this... Memorial Day

Tim McGraw wrote this fitting song for today and I just wanted to post it.

Thank you for your sacrifice... Words will never be enough for what you have given for us, but just know that we cared and appreciated it.
For those heroes still serving. Thank you and come home safely to your families and friends...

Thinking about God today....

It's Memorial Day Weekend and I even get Monday off of work and that's cool. Unfortunately, I won't have my kids with me at all during all three days. It's their mom's weekend and Monday is their mom's birthday which means I won't get them half day, which is the norm for a holiday.



So it's Saturday and at first I thought, great - I'll be without my little people, which means I'm going solo, and it was a bit upsetting, and a bit lonely. Sure, I can call some friends and visit hang out, but it's kind of weird. When you're in your mid thirties, most of your friends are married and have kids and it's awkward to visit with them by yourself. I kind of feel out of place since my kids aren't with me and their kids are asking, "where are your kids?"

So here I am in my home alone. First I was a bit lonely, but then I thought about
God. He's with me. No really. He is, and he knows how I feel and I felt better about being alone. After all, when God's with you, you can't possibly have better company, can you?

I often think about God and just how wonderful he is, and why on Earth he'd want to hang with me at all. I mean, God's has EVERYTHING at his disposal, he made it all. Why would he be with me? Why would he love me at all, much less want to be near me?

You ever sit and think, holy cow, God knows about what I did, or he saw me doing that or acting that way? I'm ashamed of myself! He knows what I thought in that situation and it wasn't a good thing. But he still loves me?! How?! Sometimes, knowing this, it makes me want to run away from him, knowing I don't deserve to be anywhere near him. I mean, God is perfect and kind, loving and just... He created EVERYTHING including me, and he actually expects that I behave myself and love others like he loves us. Man, I'm so not close to that. But HE still loves me!

No way! There's just no way... I don't deserve him at all.

And yet, he still loves me.

Thank you, Lord...

How long can you hold your breath?

Have a great weekend, everybody, and enjoy the extra day, for those of you who celebrate Memorial day. Throw an extra hot dog on the grill for me!

Try not to eat too much, or you'll be doing like the girl in the commercial...

The Great Outdoors

We went to the Smoky Mountains a few weeks ago and really enjoyed walking around by the streams  and lakes.  Check out the kids "looking for gold!"

They didn't find any but they did find some really cool rocks they were sure they could "sell for millions" on Ebay.  Do I have nerdy children, or what?

 

Girlie was the bravest, going to the center of the river.  I think she was going after some insect that she saw.

She's so independent that it worries me.  Soon she'll be a teenager and, she's pretty, and, well... You know where I'm going with this, don't you?

 

 

 

Darn, they're growing up too fast!

 

Spring Break, 2008.

Okay, I didn't tell you a thing about Spring break 2008, because I didn't tell you a thing about ANYTHING for a long time. We had a great time! The kids and I stayed at a great hotel with the warmest indoor pool ever! The water was awesome.

Even girlie, who usually turns blue if the water is anything below 90 degrees, didn't mind staying in the water. I had to wait till 11pm when they closed the pool in order to get them out!

We went to the Black Bear Jamboree for dinner on one of the nights and had an dinner and even a great dinner show. Have you been there? If not, you better go as soon as you get to Pigeon Forge. It's worth it.

Then there was Dollywood, of course. The boys wanted to go on this really cool water roller coaster thing and I got a picture of them looking frightened on the way down.

They're the two in the back:

We also went to Magic Beyond Belief, a great Magic show in Pigeon Forge. This one was also worthwhile.

So, what did you do for Spring Break?

I'm back!!! Oh, Happy Mothers day!

Hi everybody and Happy Mothers day for all you nice moms out there. Walmart has a great sense of humor about Mothers day, don't you think?

Seriously, though. I think moms should be cherished and loved on Mom's day, and every day, for that matter. Moms rock.

Sorry I've been away for so long, but I had to help a friend and now everything is okay. That, and I've been busy doing stuff... (smile)

How are all you doing? I'm going around a bit later and visiting all you but as for me, I'm doing pretty well.


Let me tell you about tonight! I just got back from seeing Liz Callaway in concert!




It was so awesome! Here is the lady who played Grizabella the Cat in "Cats" on Broadway and she's singing "Memories" about 10 feet from me (I got the front row.) It was very amazing and she was so gracious and funny. If you get a chance to see her, don't miss it!


I'll be back tomorrow but I have missed you folks something terrible. Hope everyone is ok!

April Fools Day, everyone!!!

Happy (Belated) Easter, everybody!

It has been very busy but very fun around these parts, let me tell you. First of all, there was the Easter fun. The church had an Easter Egg hunt which the kids enjoyed:



Even the girlie, being older and more mature, participated, although she didn't run:



Even the big guy thought it was fun, although he didn't eat any of the candy. If you ask him, he says he's on a sugar diet! sheesh...



All three of them made out pretty good with the candy!



After all the running around, there was food to be eaten, of course. The kids had to decorate their own cupcakes, which wasn't a problem at all...



A few days later, the kids had this cool mini musical at their school and the little guy even had a little "rapping" part. Check him out!



The other two, being older, got to play some instruments.



We've been having a lot of fun these last few weeks and next week is Spring break, so stay tuned. Do you have any plans for Spring break?

Gosh, where did I put my...

...

I found this commercial for women's panties from Canada and it made me laugh. I just had to share it with you. The girl's expression is priceless!

Tagalongs by Casey Walker
Uploaded by Razorbuzz

An actual letter...

This is an actual letter from an Austin woman sent to American company Proctor and Gamble regarding their feminine products. She really gets rolling after the first paragraph. It’s PC Magazine’s 2007 editors’ choice for best webmail-award-winning letter.


Dear Mr. Thatcher,
I have been a loyal user of your ‘Always’ maxi pads for over 20 years and I appreciate many of their features. Why, without the LeakGuard Core or Dri-Weave absorbency, I’d probably never go horseback riding or salsa dancing!!, and I’d certainly steer clear of running up and down the beach in tight, white shorts. But my favorite feature has to be your revolutionary Flexi-Wings. Kudos on being the only company smart enough to realize how crucial it is that maxi pads be aerodynamic. I can’t tell you how safe and secure I feel each month knowing there’s a little F-16 in my pants.
Have you ever had a menstrual period, Mr. Thatcher? Ever suffered from the curse’? I’m guessing you haven’t. Well, my time of the month is starting right now. As I type, I can already feel hormonal forces violently surging through my body. Just a few minutes from now, my body will adjust and I’ll be transformed into what my husband likes to call ‘an inbred hillbilly with knife skills.’ Isn’t the human body amazing?
As Brand Manager in the Feminine-Hygiene Division, you’ve no doubt seen quite a bit of research on what exactly happens during your customers monthly visits from ‘Aunt Flo’. Therefore, you must know about the bloating, puffiness, and cramping we endure, and about our intense mood swings, crying jags, and out-of-control behavior. You surely realize it’s a tough time for most women. In fact, only last week, my friend Jennifer fought the violent urge to shove her boyfriend’s testicles into a George Foreman Grill justbecause he told her he thought Grey’s Anatomy was written by drunken chimps. Crazy!
The point is, sir, you of all people must realize that America is just crawling with homicidal maniacs in Capri pants… Which brings me to the reason for my letter. Last month, while in the throes of cramping so painful I wanted to reach inside my body and yank out my uterus, I opened an Always maxi-pad, and there, printed on the adhesive backing, were these words: ‘Have a Happy Period.’
Are you fucking kidding me? What I mean is, does any part of your tiny middle-manager brain really think happiness - actual smiling, laughing happiness is possible during a menstrual period? Did anything mentioned above sound the least bit pleasurable? Well, did it, James? FYI, unless you’re some kind of sick S&M freak, there will never be anything ‘happy’ about a day in which you have to jack yourself up on Motrin and Kahlua and lock yourself in your house just so you don’t march down to the local Walgreen’s armed with a hunting rifle and a sketchy plan to end your life in a blaze of glory.
For the love of God, pull your head out, man! If you just have to slap a moronic message on a maxi pad, wouldn’t it make more sense to say something that’s actually pertinent, like ‘Put down the Hammer’ or ‘Vehicular Manslaughter is Wrong’, or are you just picking on us?
Sir, please inform your Accounting Department that, effective immediately, there will be an $8 drop in monthly profits, for I have chosen to take my maxi-pad business elsewhere. And though I will certainly miss your Flex-Wings, I will not for one minute miss your brand of condescending bull shit. And that’s a promise I will keep. Always.
Best,Wendi AaronsAustin , TX

The price of Gas...

Holy Cow!!!

If it gets any higher, I'm buying one of those bikes that seats four. You know, the ones you find at Disney resort hotels and places like that where everyone pedals.

Seriously, though. I really would like to go to Washington DC with the kids, but I'm going to have to recalculate the price of gas into the vacation expenses and see what happens. Already I find myself staying in town instead of driving to Knoxville (about an hour away) because of the price of gas.

Have you changed your vacation plans, or even your daily driving because of gas prices?

The Sun will come out...

tomorrow (or so song goes.)

Yeah, I know. Over three weeks without posting. Sheesh! I'm such a slacker. I missed all you folks, though, so here I am again. What was I doing, you ask? More of the same, really, and a few new things. Still studying for an exam. I'm also looking forward to playing for a musical production of "Annie" coming up in April.

Then there's the planning for a mini-vacation with the kids for the Spring break. I was thinking Washington D.C. What do you think? Has anyone been there during Spring break? Too crowded? Let me know.




----------------------
On to a different topic; I listened to an NPR report that said that Americans change their religion (or denomination) quite a bit throughout their adult lives. I found this to be very interesting and so I pondered about the reasons for this. I was raised a catholic but now, I attend a protestant denomination. Why? That's a hard question to answer and even harder to answer without disagreeing with someone out there, so the short answer is that I took my religious education a lot more seriouly as an adult and looked for the right answers, or truths, and that led me to where I am today. (There! That's the best I could do to avoid insulting someone.)

How 'bout you? Have your religious views changed some? It's a good question.

On that serious topic, I leave you with a funny someone sent me a few days ago:

FOR CATHOLICS ONLY:

AMEN: The only part of a prayer that everyone knows.
BULLETIN: Your receipt for attending Mass.
CHOIR: A group of people whose singing allows the rest of the Parish to lip-sync.
HOLY WATER: A liquid whose chemical formula is H2OLY.
HYMN: A song of praise usually sung in a key three octaves higher than that of the congregation’ s range.
RECESSIONAL HYMN: The last song at Mass often sung a little more quietly, since most of the people have already left.
INCENSE: Holy Smoke!
JESUITS: An order of priests known for their uncanny ability to find colleges with good basketball teams.
JONAH: The original “Jaws” story.
JUSTICE: When kids have kids of their own.
KYRIE ELEISON: The only Greek words that most Catholics can recognize besides gyros and baklava. (For you non-Catholics it means Lord have mercy.)
MAGI: The most famous trio to attend a baby shower.
MANGER: Where Mary gave birth to Jesus because Joseph wasn’t covered by an HMO. (The Bible’s way of showing us that holiday travel has always been rough.)
PEW: A medieval torture device still found in Catholic churches.
PROCESSION: The ceremonial formation at the beginning of Mass consisting of altar servers, the celebrant, and late parishioners looking for seats.
RECESSIONAL: The ceremonial procession at the conclusion of Mass led by parishioners trying to beat the crowd to the parking lot.
RELICS: People who have been going to Mass for so long, they actually know when to sit, kneel, and stand.

Waking up the kids for school...

... shouldn't be so hard!

Well, it's not hard for all three of them, really. The boys get up and are dressed in ready to go in no time, but that's because they have "stuff" they want to do. The oldest one wants to get up and have enough time to play a round or two on his Playstation, while the little buddy absolutely just LOVES school and can't wait to get there. (He must have a girlfriend or something!) Really, he loves doing all his work and can't wait to show me his test scores. It's like surreal!

It's my girl who is NOT a morning person. That girl will not get out of bed and will lie about being dressed but just being under the covers. Last time, I lifted the bedsheets and there she was, in her pj's with her school clothes under the bedsheets as well. She said she wanted to get dressed under the covers because it was too cold, and I FELL FOR IT!

Sheesh...

Any ideas? What have you done that has worked for you in the past?

---------------------------------------

I hope you all had a wonderful Valentine's Day with your sweethearts!

My Kids must Eat the Toilet Paper!

Some of you know that I have my kids every other weekend from Friday afternoon to Monday. So here's the thing... I always have plenty of toilet paper on Thursday but by Sunday, I inevitably hear a child calling from the bathroom:

"Dad!!!! I need toilet paper!!!!"

So I yell back, "look under the sink!!!"

Then they say, "I did and there's no more!!!

Does this only happen to me or any and every parent out there? Sheesh, there was like a six pack under the sink on Thursday! I've thought of picking between one of the following choices:

1. Assigning them one roll each and telling them that they have to make due with that one roll. (hee hee)

2. Buying much bigger rolls.