And....just the way you want it....
(Sadly they were divorced two weeks later but HEY! It was cool while it lasted!....just kidding).
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
The best part about being a dad is getting to be Santa, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy and just an all around superman to my kids. I used to hate having to get up in the middle of the night for their crying. Now.....its the best feeling in the world when they are tired and they are comforted by me as I hold them in their arms. I wouldn't trade it for anything. I thank my wife for her patience with me and believing I could learn to be a dad. Now? I wouldn't miss it for the world.
My son lost his tooth from running into a fricking pole at the Nez Perce Interpretive Center in Wallowa Oregon earlier this week - and has been wondering why the lousy tooth fairy hasn't come yet. Every morning, Rachel asks if she came first thing as she wakes up: "Did the tooth fairy come??!" (She hasn't lost a tooth yet, so watching him lose his and get stuff for it is pretty fascinating).
"No."
(Me in my head as I wake up "SON OF A BREADBASKET!!! D*#$@#! I FORGOT AGAIN! #!$!!@!) 
"Did you have it out?"
"...yes..."
"Maybe it needs to actually be under the pillow...."
"I'll try that."
Anyways, the tooth fairy just came.
As I placed the gold dollar on his nightstand, for just a moment, I could actually feel the magic in his world that comes when I'm a dad to him. I actually felt it and I almost thought I heard something like...angelic singing from another world....as I put it down. I paused for a moment. I actually did feel something and hear something....
He won't know it's me being a dad. To him it will just be a bit of unseen magic. But it will be wonderful to him. 
Just like it was to me when I was little and the Easter Bunny or Tooth Fairy or Santa came.
But....to us, isn't that what magic really is? I mean, even God see's everything - yet to us - when he puts a miracle in our hands, we don't see all the work that went into making it happen - yet its very much a magical miracle to us in this world of turmoil and tumult.
I thank God for miracles. Even if I am the miracle to others - especially my family and loved ones. In this world of tears and sorrow - a bit of magic or a miracle of sorts - is an amazing thing at times that can lift spirits and mend hearts. In a world that is so tight-fisted and ungiving, someone willing to share or make or do something special....really is a miracle and magical. It is what makes Heaven what and where it is and its a bit of Heaven here when it happens.
I also thank God that I get to be a dad.
Family History Month! Declared by ME! Has been moved from March to August annually on a recurring basis! (YAYYYYY!)
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| My pioneer grandfather's memorial stone in Tillamook |
So, how do you get started in your genealogy?
Easy! Get something to write on or an empty word processing sheet and start with yourself!
What's your full name?
Where were you born?
When were you born?
Who are your parents?
Where did you grow up?
Where did you go to school?
When did you graduate?
Did you serve in the military?
When? Where? What did you do?
Anything historical happen in your life - i.e. been in the newspaper?
Are you married?
To whom?
When did that happen?
Where did that happen?
(Why did that happen? Cuz her dad had a shotgun....I actually got threatened at my wedding by my wife's grandfather....he has more guns than I do and is even more conservative than I am and told me in the Sealing Room of the Portland Oregon Temple "You'd better take care of her, you know how many guns I've got and I am dead serious about my grandaughters being taken care of." I was annoyed at the time - but makes a good memory and I think her grandad is pretty frickin cool.)
Do you have children?
What are there names? All the same questions above for them too!
What about your brothers and sisters?
Genealogy is EASY to get started on. And VERY addicting.
You can download a free bit of software to track you family tree like Personal Ancestral File (PAF) (more used by LDS family historians) or Family Tree Builder.
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| SS Konig Albert - the ship my grandfather came from Italy on |
Talk to family members. Ask questions. Write down what you find.
Old photographs? Find them and label them! Gather them together!
Then, when you've fanned out a bit, start taking a trip to the cemetery to photograph headstones if you wish and attach the photos to the names you find.
Or go to local museums and often there's some history there if your family history is located there - mine are located in Tillamook Pioneer Museum, Oregon. Actually, it was kinda....strange/cool to see my great-to-the-fifth grandfather's picture on the wall and have my wife say "oh....you have his eyes!"
Other things you can do? Go visit old homes your family has lived in - photograph those! Places they used to visit for dinner or work? Get a picture! Document it! Go visit! Write a letter to the ones who are still alive!
It's really that easy to GET STARTED. Later when you start getting "back there" or crossing oceans - that's a little bit more difficult and we'll save that for another day. I'm first/second generation American on my mom's side so my tree abruptly stops in Marseille, France and Alto Pascio, Toscana, Italy at my granparents (IN THE 1800's - it's 2011 and I'm in my 30's and my grandparents....1800's.... Europe..... horses..... grandparents.... no airplanes....not even WWI yet....grandpa fought in WWI....but - bit of a gap. That's what happens when you have a kid at 63.)
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| My grandpa did stonesmasonry on Timberline Lodge and wasn't in The Shining |
Anyways, that's how you start. And trust me - that's enough to keep you busy. You can if you wish buy fancy family trees to hang on your wall and fill it out - I have one that's very lopsided on dad's side of the family and empty on mom's side...that whole Europe thing...
But - yah! If you've never done it - WELCOME TO FAMILY HISTORY! I'll go over a bit more I hope as the month goes on.
Despite all this, I felt like something was incomplete and that the child was to be born to us - maybe to have a second chance or sometime in the future but I didn't know how it was going to work out. Something just felt not right and even the priesthood blessing indicated that this child was to be born to us though I didn't know how.
Jen's been miserable for about a week and a half. I've struggled as well. Unable to part with a baby bassinet and the baby clothes they've been shuffled around the house for a bit now, awkwardly and yet still uncertain of what to do with them.
Last night I asked her if her uterus was cramping and she replied "You mean the tomb?" Not knowing what to say, I could only reply to it with my dry humor and say "You mean your coffin?" I got a dry "ha ha" to that. Not fun times, but we tend to be more stoic as a family after all we've endured.
At any rate, she's been cramping more lately and we had to go to the doctor to find out if there was anything left behind and whether we had to remove a dead and decomposing fetus from inside her.
Today, we went to the doctor for the ultrasound and she was cramping and did not want to go to the appointment. I couldn't just send her alone, so I went.
We finally got in and the moment of horror arrived where they actually started looking around. Kind of horrified at what I'd see, I waited with a bit of resignation.
Finally they found it, I saw its ribcage and its little body laying sideways inside her. The ultrasound technician said "Um....yah.....you got a complete baby in here......."
Jen sagged on the table. It was awful to think that entire thing was going to have to come out....arms, legs, head and everything....
The ultrasound technician wiggled the instrument around and continued "And a beating heart! You have a live baby in there!"
Jen and I tous ensemble:"WHAT?"
"Its alive!"
"Are you serious???"
"Yes!"
"No way! Wait....WHAT? It's alive?"
"Yes! With a healthy heartbeat! 158 beats per minute! Going strong!"
Jen began to sob uncontrollably and was completely overwhelmed. I was in shock and had to look at the screen again and again and again. There was our baby, looking at us, and I could see the heart beating on the screen.
The technician put the heartbeat on the monitor so we could hear it, there it was so strong again and still. A lot less space than before it looked like but there it was.
Wait....WHAT???
Jen was still losing it but in a good way.
Texts went out to friends and family who were stunned as we were.
Okay, so my child's been dead nearly two weeks, and today I find out that it's still alive.......I didn't know what to think or what to feel - so much all at once!
I know I want the child and am absolutely stoked, but I feel like I'm on my fourth child because I already lost my third and this is a new one! I still know what it's like to lose a child....so surreal. And now....I have my child "back."
The news spread fast and my sister in law accidentally spilled the beans to our kids before we got home but they were excited. Probably the only bummer out of this was that we didn't get to tell them ourselves.
But Matthew's going to be an even bigger brother and Rachel will finally be a bigger sister. Out of it all? I know I want this child. I know what I'm capable of as a father and that I can do this in our circumstance. I came to value my children even more and became way more tolerant of their "little kid-ness" and essentially I feel like I was given a chance that we just don't ever get in life. Not one I've heard of anyways. Ever.
I am reminded of the sacrifice of Abraham with his son Isaac and can only say that I'm grateful to know I can pass through something like this and not turn away from God, though it wasn't fun, the reality? Hasn't quite set in yet.
God truly does have His hand on me. I've seen too many miracles to doubt His presence or His love.
But as for today? The single most miraculous and surreal day of my life. Ever.
Now....I guess I need to go finish that baby bassinet that I saved. I can still look forward to the baby clothes being tried out for Christmas. What a day.
Thank you all for your prayers and love. I have no doubt that you had a part in this wonderful miracle of miracles.
Thank you all, and God bless.
Thank you again, and God bless you again and again.
After a super crappy lousy fricking sunday Morning to wake up to death....maybe a moment like this is meant to make up for it.
My eyes have grown accustomed to the darkness of the valley of sorrow. I find I am able to see better than I used to be able to. I think I'm not tripping on things in the darkness like I used to.......so long as the kids pick up their marbles off the floor.
I will however, thank God that I can feel such things.
Now, time and tribulations seem to have taken the edge off me and the only thing I feel I can brag about anymore is "I'm still here."
I smile in a way at the young couples I see who are all doe-eyed at each other and who can't say it enough to each other "I love you!" or the types who run into a room, spinning with glee "I'm in love and I don't care who knows!" I smile only because I wish them the best, but I also know what life can bring and from experience how unpredictable and devastating it can be. I hope they have what it takes to make it through whatever life throws their way. That's when you truly find out what love is....or isn't. I found that out after only 18 months of marriage.
If your children ever drive you nuts, all it takes is a loss to make you realize just how fortunate you are to have them around still. Their annoying noises? The piled up dishes? The food in the couch? The fighting? Will all be gone all too soon and someday will only be memories and you will miss it. Enjoy them. Tell them you're sorry. Show them that just because you're "bigger" doesn't give you the right to "be mean" and that even their feelings are important. Give them a hug. Lie on the floor and let them crawl on you. Make up stupid knock knock jokes with them. Jump on the bed with them. Have a pillow fight. Just be grateful you have them.
Come to think of it, I think I'm going to be silly with them, I'm going to go move their stuff into each others rooms just to be obnoxious and because I can and to make them go "DAAAAaaaaAAAAAD!"
We weren't promised tomorrow.
My wife awoke me at 5 am saying she was bleeding. I got up, looked around and began to race to get dressed. We called to find out if there was an ER in Redmond, the kids got up fairly quickly and Heaven blessed me to be able to put her in the van quite easily.
Before we left, I asked her if she wanted me to give her a blessing. She said yes. I gave her a blessing by the authority and power of the priesthood which I hold, and I could feel that this wasn't going to be though I didn't dare accept it and hoped against hope that what I saw and felt as I gave the blessing wouldn't come to pass and that there might remain some chance of things turning around, though there was a promise of something coming to pass in the future.
It was comforting again when the military training comes out and I'm quite comfortable and trained to safely drive in an emergency - fortunately at 6am on a Sunday in a rural town, there isn't much traffic and the streets were empty. As we drove she informed me she was beginning to cramp.
We arrived at the ER in about 7 minutes or less, we were the only ones there...and Jen was quickly quickly taken in the back. The kids and I sat out in the waiting room as they weren't prepared to handle mom, dad and two kids with a bunch of work to do.
I asked if I could go see her after a while, they said "They are doing okay, you can go back in a while."
"They." In these times of crisis your mind hangs on every word, every nuance to see meaning and ascertain how things go. Friends texted me to tell me that from their experiences there was still a good chance - I hoped for the best.
When I was finally allowed back in, the nurse's attendant didn't say a word but walked back fairly lightly - more meaning inferred - wondering - wandering - waiting. When I got back to Jen and we finally had time to talk, Jen asked me what I saw by the priesthood.
The priesthood is an amazing gift that God has given to man again in these latter days - by it God can and often does show us the future, the past, things that are, things that could be and God again speaks to man by it through the Holy Ghost - just as it was in Times of Old.
I told her that I felt it wasn't going to be good.
To me it felt as if our child had chosen not to come here yet for various reasons and had decided to wait for another time though there might be a future time. Heaven and earth are indeed connected, but both of them have their own plans and designs, with Heaven often waiting on the desires of mankind and men's choices, and Earth waiting on the timing, plans, laws and designs of God.
She told me it was going to be a while and that I should take the kids to get breakfast. I grabbed McDonalds with the kids and headed back to the Emergency Room.
When I asked if I could see Jen,they took me back. I asked her what was going to happen. She told me that they had already taken it out of her and it was dead. We had lost our baby.
I lost it. I asked her if she had seen it....what happened?
Just the other week he was so strong, I watched him do a "trampoline like bounce" inside mom and had his hands near his face with its thumb in its mouth. The heartbeat was 160 or something like that. And now....when it came out, it wasn't even recognizeable.
When we finally got cleaned up to go, I told the kids we had lost their baby brother. It wasn't until I mentioned that we didn't need the handcrafted bassinet I made that Matthew suddenly realized we weren't going to be having a baby. He began to cry. I handed him some tissues and he was sobbing about how we weren't going to have a baby - he wanted to be a big brother and was getting excited about the idea.
As we drove away, I felt so empty. Nothing. This was it? I didn't get a certificate, a name, a headstone, a funeral, a memorial, a program for a memorial service......nothing. We just drove away. I never got to see my son. I couldn't live like this. No. It couldn't end this way.
My mind began arguing that we were still having a baby on December 8th! I realized I had to go back to say goodbye to it.
Were I not a psychology major having been trained in loss and grief, I don't know that I could handle this. This wasn't something I wanted to do but I had to do. There had to be some note of closure. This was all too fast. I asked Jen if I could turn around and go back. We did.
I walked into the hospital and asked if I could see the nurse and told her I needed to see what was left of my son. I couldn't walk away with nothing and just have a trip to the ER and have it be over and not know...not see....not have anything. She took me into a room, and the nurse brought me a container and explained to me what it was and there really wasn't much there that was distinguishable.
I actually clutched the remains in the container to my chest sobbing "all I wanted to do was to hold you." I was able to make out what would have become soft, soft baby skin wanting lotion and needing patting. Just yesterday, I was at a beach with my children and asking the other children they played with what their names were as I got ideas for names. And now....on our anniversary vacation.....nothing.
I finally left, my children have never seen dad cry and I cried on the drive back to the resort. The sunrise on the mountains, on Sisters was beautiful, and I couldn't help but think just as we lost someone, someone else was being born today, to others this was an ordinary day....so many kinds of days and it was only 9am.
I got to the resort and informed them that I needed new linens for the bed. They offered to take them up. There was a lot of blood on the bedding and I didn't want some staff hauling away what little remained from the hopes of my infant son, I told them I would prefer to take it myself and I broke down and told them I had lost my son this morning.
When we got back, Jen asked me to go make the bed before she got in there, I did however ask the children to help me make the bed.
Death is a stranger in America. It is the only thing that awakens us from the American dream (My own quote from my studies in the psychology of loss and grief). We run from it, shield our children from it, and avoid it and spend less time mourning than about any industrialized nation. It wasn't always so, but the last 70 years in the US have seen our attitudes towards death change. As my daughter came in she asked me why there was blood in the bathroom, I told her that was from the baby, and then she saw Matthew and I changing the linens and it hit her as well.
She hasn't cried, and Matthew is doing well, though I am a wreck. Jen called her sister who's had more miscarriages. I have baby pictures from ultrasounds, a very lovingly handcrafted baby bassinet I made out of wood, and a little baby duck outfit for a newborn hanging on our bedroom door - all awaiting something to be done with them.
I'm grateful this happened at a resort rather than in my bedroom where I feel like it's a room of death. Though the room did feel like death when we returned to it.
I texted my supervisor to tell her I might be requesting extra days off because I was supposed to go back to work on Wednesday. I can't. I mean I could, but that day I have to sit through a meeting with a supervisor above her that I don't really have any respect for and who's really crossed some lines at work that I'm still trying to decide what to do with.
As far as blessings go? There's a tendency in America for Americans to be unempathetic towards those who've suffered loss. People rush to tell you how it's a good thing, to see the blessings in it - as if someone's loss is a threat to their emotional well being and people can't just let you be sad. We need to be sad. Even Christ said "blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." This is true. Unless we mourn, we cannot be fully comforted. I believe there are 316 standard phrases used in the American lexicon that we say to those who are mourning, and only 44 of them are encouraging, uplifting or supportive. The remainder dismiss or disenfranchise the grieving.
For now I will just mourn and pass through this. My children are beautiful and I love them and just now as I am writing, my darling daughter came to show me her latest ponytail venture with one hanging off her forehead and another off her left hear with those beautiful blue eyes. My son, ever so stoic is just working on a popsicle.
At any rate, family was called and it was offered to have the kids gone so my wife and I could spend time together. Absolutely not. I just lost a child. I want my kids close even if we drive each other nuts.
I do feel angels around me. Something I can sense and sometimes see. The ones I see right now are "older" men, wise men, kindly gentlemen who are just here to be a comfort but who share my loss - quiet men who lend support.
How can Heaven mourn for us when Heaven sees the end from the beginning and live amidst such joy incomprehensible, and yet their hearts be here with us and cry when we cry, hurt when we hurt? Its something I don't understand other than to think that a loving Heavenly Father is truly mindful of us and truly does understand us.
To "Baby Millican" who wasn't born or even fully named, we loved you though we hadn't met you and we hope that we shall yet meet you and I shall do my best as a father if Heaven and Earth combine to bring you to us once again, and to Heaven.....thank you for the gift of being able to understand others who've walked where I am now walking.
The valley of sorrow is indeed deep and long and dark and even dangerous if we stay there too long, and the corner we have just turned is a previously unknown crevice in the valley we hadn't been to before.
But I thank Heaven for the persepctive of the restored gospel and the knowledge of the purpose of this life to give us comfort in these times of sorrow that Christ himself said must needs come and for which this earth was designed.
For now, I shall close. I'm not ready to say goodbye yet and I have hopes for one more but for now, I'm going to close.
Thank you all and God bless.
Thank you again. And God Bless again and always.
Not surprisingly, the President finds the constitution a great inconvenience to him, his ambitions and his vision of how the world should be. Never mind the fact, were it not for the constitution and those who have fought for it and upheld it, he would never have had the chance to be president of the greatest country in the world (for the time being). Our prosperity stems from that Heaven Inspired document and the blessings of Heaven upon our land. But to him? It's a trouble.
Now, he's apparently working "under the radar" on gun control through executive orders or agencies to deprive Americans of their arms.....and then what? http://hotair.com/archives/2011/05/25/obama-were-working-on-gun-control-under-the-radar/
Given that the American Revolution wasn't a universally accepted smashing hit that everyone ran out to join, I can't see Americans rising up, en-masse to counter the president on this issue. A few thousand would resist, some thousand law enforcement officers would protest, some would die defending their rights, but by and large, Americans would - I think - go out with a whimper and that's it. Then, defenseless to protest....the orchestrated collapse and overthrow of our constitution will be nigh and the United States will be no more.
I honestly believe this my friends. I hate to be the bearer of bad thoughts, but UNLESS Americans turn back to the God who made them free and adhere to the values that made all this possible including the sacrifice of our lives in defense of our country here at home.....this isn't going to last.
I've noticed a disturbing trend my friends, that is Americans, even the conservatives, expect "someone else" to do the dirty work for them. From prayer in schools (outsourcing prayer to the school rather than parents teaching their children) to welfare, to job creation, to just about everything....Americans by the millions (not all) have become dependent sheep unable to stand up anymore by and large. I live in Oregon though, maybe it's different outside of here. My current company, I've noticed an overwhelming willingness to sacrifice values just in order to land a paycheck.
Me? I learned how to generate hydrogen gas for my vehicle and got my gas mileage up over 30mpg - I didn't wait. I build my own furniture, I just replaced my own tie rods and sway bars on my van, I am teaching my kids their scriptures, how to pray, self defense, outdoors skills, camping skills, cooking skills.....and I'm trying to be a good parent. I thank God for the good examples I had growing up who showed me what I wanted to be as a parent and who taught me. But unfortunately, they seem to be in the minority. Even Rush is saying today how Americans need to stand up and help pitch in and help us win. Here's a little video on some of the stuff I've worked on. It works - I use it and even people who drive my vehicle notice the difference. Anyways, just....my thoughts.
Oh, and I use "lye" not salt for my HHO generator.
Continuing to work on the Baby Bassinet at my wife's request. It's done being assembled but not done being finished. Next I have to put a bit of putty (SHUDDERRRRRR!!!!) on it and then finish sanding, routing a few edges and then staining it. But here's some pictures of my handiwork so far now.
It's well done and some better tools could have resulted in better handiwork but for now this is some nice work given my limited facilities.
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| While I drilled the dowel pin-holes for the dovetailing first here, I found it easier to dovetail and then drill them after. |
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| resting together not yet completely fitted |
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| completely assembled |
Another viral hit on the net, but thought I'd post it if not for my readers for myself so I can find it again someday. This is totally sweet. Girlfriend goes to the movies with friends to watch a movie and....well....watch:
So....you may remember that I had a really nice Beta I bought a while back ("M") along with a bunch of other fish. Thanks to my daughter dumping the entire contents of a batch of fishfood into the tank exactly like I told her she's not allowed to feed them or to touch the food (why didn't you put it out of her reach? Yah....good luck kid-proofing your house 24/7/365....if you got kids you know this....if you got kids and still think that, I feel sorry for your kids and wonder what kind of a hyperactive micromanaging control freak you must be and bet your kids can't even play on the playground without a full helmet and hypoallergenic bubble - NO OFFENSE!), I got to buy an entirely new tank of fish all at once.
SO! A couple of the fish I bought - are ILLEGAL in the state of California. Those ones are called Glofish. They are genetically modified and glow under a black light or glow on their own, I haven't been able to determine it yet because I don't have a blacklight hooked up.
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| Glofish....not mine, someone else's. |
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| Illegals - also known as "Wet-Backs" |
But that's another blog entry for another day.
Anyways, I got two African Cichlids (Pronounced Sick-Lids.....one of those times when the letter "S" just won't do for the "S" sound) a blue and a yellow. They tend to be very aggresive which I'm fine with, not like they can bother me any in my kitchen while I'm doing woodwork or going to harass my kids.
Then I got some very docile and beautiful Neon Tetras. I got six of them. Enough to form a small school.
So now, with some aggressive Cichlids who will snap at them from time to time, I get "sporadic art" because the tetras tend to change direction all at once. But also there's a LOT of plant life in there and I've found that this tones down the aggression as the fish have their own little places they call their own. Oh, I also got an aquatic frog. See if it jumps out like the pollywogs I caught when I was a kid and shriveled up on the kitchen floor and causing so much agony to my six year old heart....*sniff sniff*. Ahhh, that was before I became a trained KILLER! A killer who loves fish and his wife and kids and family and religion and country and wants nothing but peace.
How To Plan And Execute (note use of word "execute") a Family Outing.
Step:
1 - do no planning whatsoever - make sure the trip is spontaneous to maximize the fun-potential and freedom
2 - begin to sigh a breath of relief about how you feel free because you're spontaneous and going out with your family
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| This is my kids right here....actually this was today... |
4 - in the spirit of being fully free - and spontaneous - stay up wayyyyy too late so that getting up early isn't even a possibility
5 - refuse to set an alarm because that's too stressful
6 - oversleep
7 - enjoy oversleeping
8 - feel free and unstressed from oversleeping
9 - slowly wake up
10 - realize now you don't have all the time in the world you needed because you stayed up too late and overslept
11 - begin to stress
12 - continue to adhere to the plan of no plans and run around in chaotic fashion barking at the kids because they aren't moving fast enough
13 - get into an argument with the wife about how nothing's where you need it to be and the totally free and unplanned and spontaneous mentality has cut into your ability to be totally free and unplanned and spontaneous
14 - wife bark at dad for getting on the kids
15 - kids act oblivious and continue to run around like hellions
16 - as an alternative to 15 - begin to cry
17 - dad bark at kids for not being happy we're going on a family outing
18 - husband and wife get mad at each other as they rush over each other still maintaining the plan of no planning while trying to plan and trying to have fun
19 - kids go outside finally and make so much noise they aggravate the neighbors
20 - dad open car and let kids in and shut doors so they can't be heard murdering each other
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| I WISH it was this quiet.... |
22 - continue to argue with wife until you get outside late for your unplanned and spontaneous free day
23 - get wife in car so she can bark at kids
24 - FINALLY - family about to hit the road!
25 - dad forget something spontaneously unplanned and leave wife and kids in car to murder each other
26 - dad check to see if he can hear family being murdered from inside shut car through house
27 - decide don't want to hear it - take extra long taking one last pee-break enjoying the silence and freedom of a spontaneously unplanned day in the quiet of an empty house
28 - get back to car in bad mood because everyone's fighting
29 - remember forgot to say family prayer before leaving
30 - pull it together just enough to be reverent enough for a family prayer
31 - try to give a meaningful family prayer and ask for the family to get along
32 - become irritated at kids for not being reverent during prayer and try to be reverent while becoming annoyed
33 - immediately go back to barking at kids for not being reverent
34 - mom try to make peace by telling dad to calm down
35 - dad throw fuel on the fire by bringing up a past transgression of mom's when she didn't calm down
36 - mom bring up bad habit of dad of never forgiving or forgetting
37 - kids pay close attention to parents now and be quiet so they can listen to parents verbally sparring
38 - dad disengage from family and stew in silence and decide to have a happy free and spontaneous day while begrudgingly driving family out to do their activity
39 - kids fight now that it's quiet then family finally decide to calm down because family is on the road on way to fun outing
40 - dad realize he forgot something really important at store
41 - mom and dad argue about money and time lost going to store
42 -go to store
43 - dad feel peace while wife and kids locked in car murdering each other over being bored and dad take too long shopping for a bunch of things not even on the list
44 - dad come out happy from shopping
45 - mom glare at dad for taking too long
46 - dad totally be a guy and play stupid that since he got a break from the family while they murdered each other in the car they should all be in a good mood
47 - dad say something insensitive about family refusing to get along and not respecting each other and realize forgot what he went in for
48 - kids fuss so dad threatens to cancel trip
49 - kids beg to go and immediately behave
51 - carry out unplanned hellish free spirited and unplanned and spontaneous trip
52 - kids occassionally start to murder each other in the back seat with increasing frequency while dad tries to ignore it
53 - dad completely withdraw into himself
54 - mom act happy looking out the window in an effort to cheer things up
55 - dad turn up radio to drown out kids fighting
56 - mom complain radio's too loud so dad withdraws back into self in silence
57 - finish activity and have a meaninful time in some fashion and try to forget chaos
58 - mom point out if it weren't for dad persevering family wouldn't have gotten out today
59 - mom thank dad for hanging in there
60 - dad realize this time really is precious and important
61 - dad apologize to kids for barking at them and threatening them with physical harm
63 - kids foolishly forgive dad and continue to wander within arms reach of spankings in the future
64 - have family prayer thankful for the day
65 - kids go to bed
66 - realize it wasn't so bad after all
67 - forget all the stupidity and fighting that went on all day
68 - not feel completely de-stressed from day however
69 - in the mood of the evening - talk about doing something else totally free-spirited and unplanned and spontaneous to counter not-yet-unstressedness
70 - wait until family is too stressed out and needs another break
71 - plan another totally free-spirited and unplanned and spontaneous activity
72 - go back to step 1
Went with the wife & kidlets to Hood River, Oregon to go see the WAAM (Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum) Link here: http://www.waaamuseum.org/
It was a pretty impressive collection of cars and aircraft! If I was going to give a critique of the museum - well - everything in there does fly or drive - but - with all these exotic and rare vehicles, having a plaque telling you fun facts about them would have pretty much rounded it out for me.
For example, is this a little known fact? I don't know - either way - I do now you won't find automobiles in the US produced between 1943 and 1945 because there weren't any manufactured that weren't for wartime use because all automobile industry plants were commandeered by the US Government for war materials manufacturing. (Yes, WWII started December of 1941 for the US, but in December of 1941 you're going to have your 1942 models out and there were a couple 1941 and 1942 models of vehicles there).
Anyways, I don't know much about a Franklin Automobile - or even a Packard - or why they aren't around or the features of said vehicle. Mostly I know I was looking at some really exotic cars - but beyond that and the restorative efforts - I didn't know a whole lot. I *DID* however see *the* hot rod from "American Graffiti" in there (I put a picture in here).
As far as the aircraft go - they had some unique makes and models but - again - more info would be needed. I'm an aviation enthusiast and know aircraft inside and out until you get to some "odd-ball production-number:8" type variant and I can usually tell what they were working on in terms of development but still.....anyways, here's some pictures - they are all clickable-onable so you can embiggen them (if you like or dare!)
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| 1909 Franklin model D |
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| American Graffiti Hot Rod |
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| And again... |
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| 1928 Boeing Model 40C |
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| 1929 Graham Paige Model 612 |
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| 1931 Ford Model A Deluxe Phaeton |
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| 1935 Packard Model E-12 Coupe Convertible |
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| 1939 Packard Model 626 Sport Coupe (Why do I think that's labeled wrong? 1939? This??? Okay - I'll leave it) |
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| 1966 Super Performance MKIII Cobra |
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| A view of some aircraft in the museum |
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| a line of cars |
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| Inside a home-made-submarine in the kiddie section - I actually managed to squeeze my rear end into this thing |
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| Outside of the sub.... |
Here's some scenery from the road trip back - I enjoy photographing tunnels because my grandfather was an Italian Stonesmason and worked on many of the bridges and tunnels and other Architecture in the Portland Area.
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| On SR 14 with train and vehicle next to each other. |
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| The other side from way too far away |
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| Fantastic picture of the Eiffel Tower as you walk into the Men's Room in Wal Mart....I had no idea Wal Mart was so upscale....going to the bathroom was such a....regal experience after seeing that after I walked in. |
Sent to me by my Brother in Law CD...being a dad is harder than being in the military...
If you want to try something interesting - if you have little kids - go shopping with them and let them "shop" - and see what you come home with.
I did this with my daughter while I was on a business call the other day and was stuck in a grocery store because I don't like being on the phone in checkout and the nature was such I couldn't call back...so - to keep her happy - I let her shop while I talked on the phone.
I came home with three cans of tuna, a box of brownies, a box of cookies, some goldfish crackers, a can of hominy, some Easter eggs......we didn't get too carried away but she did enjoy getting to shop and it was an interesting checkout....Try it some time - see what happens!
So - we got a bit of an ant problem in our house....which the kids have resorted to catching them, with my son putting them in the "cockpits" of lego-spaceships he was building so you could see them through the windows of the spaceships. We had our own full blown ant-air-force/space-force around here as he had a good ten or so with two and three ants apiece in them.
Anyways, a trip to the science store showed ant-farms were $32 for ONE - and a large one? $45!!!! Mmmmmm - no. Not when dad can make them at home. A trip to Lowes Hardware store and one more to Home Depot for $25 for four plates of acrylic, two 2"x3"x8' (Y'all reading overseas or even to our north or south...okay - NON americans - I don't know what that is in metrics - if you must convert it you can do it here ) and voila I had two that were way bigger for less AND I got an excuse to use my tools....ahhhhhh to be a man and create with my hands. I just gotta build.....something about when I'm done having something behind I can see and touch and hold.
The hardest part was I don't have a table saw (or a radial arm saw) but I do have a circular saw. So - I needed to cut grooves to insert/recess the acrylic into which normally on a table saw you'd just drop your blade down and then run your wood across. I had to get creative with a handy portable workbench dad gave me and a block of wood to run the circular saw across it - but other than that - it was pretty easy. If anyone wants to see it - here it is below in photos you can click on and embiggen.
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| Box of .380 auto rounds I reloaded my Bersa from before going to the store...I like having "options" and I have mild PTSD and paranoia and seem to attract trouble.... |
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| looks like a kitchen...acts like a workshop... |
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| sawdust on the floor freshening the air in the house... |
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| the first two pieces together with clear acrylic in between |
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| 1/2" x 3/8" "doorway" to the "skybridge" I built in the exotic ant-mansion |
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| Two ends on.... |
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| Project complete on the kitchen counter with West Wing and East Wing visible |
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| exotic sky-bridge with a commanding view of the sugar-jar and Mountain Dew Repository - every Ant's dream! |
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| there's actually an ant in there...with a science experiment in the background - Oh Horror of Horrors! |
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| ahhhhh....kitchen floor mess.... |
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| brave trooper - I named her "Sojourner" - exploring the ant-mansion. |
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| project fully separated apart.... |
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| individual ant-mansion unit - this is the West Wing - cost for one? $12.50 and some nice memories |
I hope these are the kinds of ants that dig and not just the types that run around.....if they are the kind that just run around but don't dig I might have to order some kick-ass ants to dump in there and eat their sorry behinds and dig some tunnels....
