A Few Random Thoughts

Marathon training has been a little rough. It never dawned on me that donating double red blood cells might not be a good idea when one is running about 20 miles a week.

Work has been a little weird because one of our prosecutors has had laryngitis since last Tuesday, so I've been having to go back out to the JP Courts to cover for her.

I'm about to turn 42, and I still get people who don't believe me when I tell them how old I am. Many are skeptical when I tell them how much I weigh, too.

I'm looking forward to our Pastor getting back from vacation this week. I miss his preaching.

We leave for Walt Disney World in 21 days. I anxiously anticipate seeing the looks on my kids' faces when we enter the Magic Kingdom.

Is it really possible that we might have a day with a high less than 100° this week?

It's a Wonderful Life

Not just the title of my favorite movie, the heading of this post is pretty much true for me, as well. I have been blessed by God with a loving, supportive wife and four beautiful and smart daughters. My parents did a great job raising me and my brother and sister. My siblings are genuinely nice people who are always willing to listen and lend whatever support they can.

Unlike George Bailey, I wouldn't want to know how the world might have been different had I never been born, but more importantly, I wouldn't want to know how my life would have been different if any of the important people in my life hadn't come along.

Short Update

I'm still out here. Life has been hectic since November. No excuse for not at least posting a little now and then.

Work is work.

Family is fine.

Life is good.

I'll post more later after I get home from rehearsal.

Quick Update

I've been busy lately. I bought a bicycle about a month and a half ago. Then, I joined a local gym a few weeks after that. In all, since I bought the bike, I have lost 11 pounds, and my waist has started to shrink already.

I finished The Philadelphia Story at KCCT in April, and yesterday, I had my first rehearsal with Garland Summer Musicals for Damn Yankees. It should be fun, but tiring.

A little sickness is going around the family. First, it was Hannah, then Erin. Tonight, my stomach started feeling not quite right. I hope I can avoid the unpleasantness the girls have had to go through.

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday to my Uncle Don.  He turns 66 today.

In case you don't catch the significance of that, he was born on Pearl Harbor day.

Toddler Logic

Tonight after dinner, I had a Philly Swirl, Reduced Fat Sugar-Free Fudge & Chocolate bar. My daughters asked if they could have one, but we don't let them have things with artificial sweeteners, so I said, "They're only for grown-ups. Calvinatorette IV, our almost 3 year old, said "Can I be a grown-up?"

mea culpa

Since I was chastised by my mom for not trumpeting my wife's efforts, I'll do it now.

My wife was asked to create a "Cookie Bowl" for my nephew's groom's cake.

She toiled several frustrating hours, but the final result was remarkable.

Rough times ahead

My wife is sick. That sentence, my friends, should strike fear into the hearts of husbands everywhere.

It's not that Jody is unduly grouchy when she's sick. Quite the contrary. She does her best to keep going like she's fine. I'm certainly hoping that this is nothing more than a couple of days' worth of sore throat and headaches.

The Outdoorswoman

My soon to be six year old daughter, Hannah, picked up a tick from somewhere. I grew up in the country and had to remove innumerable ticks from our dogs and cats while I was growing up, so it seemed like no big deal to me. My wife, however, was pretty much freaking out when she called me at work today. I assured her that the presence of a tick on our daughter's head was in no way an indication of her abilities as a mother.

When I got home, Hannah appeared to be fine, but in a short time, she was lying on the love seat looking flushed. She complained of a headache. I took her temperature, which read 101.5°.

Right now, Jody is on the way to the Emergency Room with Hannah, and I am taking care of daughters 1, 3, & 4.

I'm sure Hannah is going to be just fine, but please keep her in your thoughts and prayers. Remember Jody, too.

Birthday

Yesterday was my oldest daughter's 8th Birthday. She's growing up.

Run Away

I went this morning and got my tickets to see Monty Python's SPAMalot at Dallas Summer Musicals.



Local radio station 98.7 KLUV was onsite at the DSm Box Office with show-related games to play. I pinned the limb on the Black Knight and won an Official SPAMalot cap.

My wife and I will be going to see the show. It will be the first time she has gone with me to see a professional production.

The Taxman Cometh

My 2006 Tax Return is in the mail. Thanks to the four calvinatorettes and the Child Tax Credit and the Additional Child Tax credit, we'll be getting a refund large enough to pay off my current car.

After I get that one paid off, I'm really wanting to replace it. Watch this space for further news on that front.

Looking for a Quick Way to Lose Weight?

No, I'm not talking about any miracle pills or radical diets. From yesterday morning to this morning, I lost 2.5 pounds. How did I accomplish this amazing feat, you ask. As I mentioned here, and my wife blogged about here and here, all four Calvinatorettes have been sick in the past week.

I could feel my body trying to fight it off for a few days, but Thursday shortly after lunch, I realized that succumbing was inevitable. I came home from work and laid in bed for a while, but eventually I did get sick. I had one other bout about three hours later. After that, I didn't have to make any more urgent trips to the bathroom, but I couldn't sleep well. I had a fever and body aches. I was a little delirious.

I stayed home from work today and got some extra rest and sleep. It appears that this was nothing more than a 24 hour virus because I'm feeling tremendously better tonight.

What a weekend

On Friday night, Jody and I sat down to watch The Lake House. Not too long after it started, our older daughter, Erin, started vomiting. We were able to watch the entire movie, but it wound up taking us over three hours to finish it. The movie isn't too bad, either.

Erin was sick and laid on the couch most of the day Saturday. On Sunday, daughter number two, Hannah, was complaining of a sore throat. Jody decided to take her into the Doctor, whose office happens to be open on Sundays. Looks like the poor girl may have strep throat.

Hopefully, Jody and I will avoid coming down with anything that will knock us out of commission.

I Knew I Could Count on My Brother

He nailed the reference in the previous post. Here's the exchange:

UNCLE BILLY
Well, good morning, Mr. Potter. What's the news?

He grabs the paper from Potter's hand.

UNCLE BILLY(CONT'D)
Well, well, well, Harry Bailey wins Congressional Medal. That couldn't be one of the Bailey boys? You just can't keep those Baileys down, now, can you, Mr. Potter?

POTTER
How does slacker George feel about that?

UNCLE BILLY
Very jealous, very jealous. He only lost three buttons off his vest. Of course, slacker George would have gotten two of those medals if he had gone.

Lost three buttons off [my] vest

Yesterday was Report Card day for Calvinatorettes I & II. Eldest is in Second Grade. Younger is in Kindergarten. Calvinatorette I obtained straight A's and was named Student of the Six Weeks for her class. Calvinatorette II got all top marks (they don't assign letter grades in Kindergarten) and was also named Student of the Six Weeks for her class.

I am glad to see that my girls have adjusted well to the government school. Deciding to enroll them was one of the toughest decisions that my wife and I have made.

Bonus points if you can properly identify the reference in the Post Title.

Good Advice

There are always at least two sides to every story.

Don't believe everything you hear.

Two wrongs don't make a right.

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And one that is one of my dad's favorite sayings:

There's always something you don't know.

Six Flags

My oldest three girls, my wife, and I all went to Six Flags over Texas yesterday. A family friend and her daughter went along as well. Long day. HOT. Lots of fun. The girls actually made it all day without any major fits. Somehow, I avoided getting any sunburn despite not having put on any sunblock.

The lines were not bad at all. Made it from queueing up for the Titan to off the ride in 30 minutes. Batman was about the same. My only real complaint of the day is that they charge $15 for parking. Come on, you charge almost $50 to get in the park. Do you really have to tack on the outrageous parking fee?

I was exhausted by the end of the day. Thankfully, my wife let me sleep in this morning.

A Great Feeling

Yesterday, I was out with my three oldest daughters at the Terrell Library end of Summer Reading Carnival. As we were walking, my 5 year old said "You're the greatest dad ever." I don't know what prompted it, but I felt wonderful hearing that.

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Thanks to Steph for pointing out my typo.

My Daughter the Theologian

My four-year-old daughter, Hannah, has come down with the Chicken Pox. Most likely, she caught the varicella zoster virus from me as a result of my outbreak of Shingles.

This morning, my wife was giving Hannah an oatmeal bath to help alleviate some of the itching. I was in the bathroom talking to Hannah when she said, "If nobody got Chicken Pox, that would mean nobody ever did anything wrong, and nobody would ever have to eat soup." My four-year-old has apparently already come to an understanding of the pervasive effects of the Fall of Man.

Hannah is a very emotional child. She wears her heart on her sleeve, but in many ways, she's the deepest of our kids.