where I talk with my inside voice
The kids started with a new piano teacher this year, because our old one got married and moved away (without even asking us first!). They had their first recital tonight and they did so well! Especially their duet – I was so proud of both of them. Josie played We Three Kings, Noah played Carol of the Bells and then...
Today we witnessed quite a spectacle, along with millions of other Americans. I’ve been waiting since 1979 to see a total solar eclipse, and my opportunity to see one in 1999 was thwarted by overcast skies, so I was overjoyed to actually see the awe-inspiring show in the sky. Dixie was pretty excited to see it too, as were the...
Where does the time go? Next month, our little boy will crossover to Boy Scouts and say goodbye to his years as a Cub. Last night was his last Blue and Gold Banquet. He received his Arrow of Light badge and a really nice plaque. I am looking forward to seeing all of his achievements in the years ahead.
I missed a couple of years, so I’m not sure if I can still call this an annual event, but here is our video Christmas card for 2016. I hope you enjoy it.
Wednesday seemed like a good day to take off work and go to the zoo. The weather was cool, but not uncomfortably so, and we were about the only people there, so there were no lines for the train. We got to see some of the critters more active than usual – like the new polar bear – and Josie...
The kids both carved their pumpkins and went trick-or-treating on Main Street in St. Charles, as well as around our own neighborhood. A good time was had by all. Photos are up in my album.
In preparation for crossing over to the Troop this spring, Noah spent the weekend camping with the Boy Scouts at Beaumont. It was a little chilly on Friday night, but the rest of the weekend was beautiful and good time was had by all. Noah’s patrol won the Iron Chef competition (for the second time), but struggled a bit with...
Noah’s birthday falls on a Saturday this year, but since we’re going to be camping with the Scouts next weekend, we decided to celebrate his birthday a week early. This year Noah chose to go bowling, so we spent a couple of hours at Olivette Lanes. This was also the year that Dixie passed the cake-decorating torch, so he got...
The kids (and Dixie) have a new obsession: geocaching. While we were in Kansas City last weekend, we did our first geocaching as a family. Our goal now is 100 geocaches and then maybe hide our own. If you don’t know what geocaching is, you can learn more here.
Sometimes you just have to go out and play in the rain. I am very grateful that the kids have had so many opportunities to do this. To learn that going out in the rain and getting wet is okay, and it’s not something to be avoided at all costs. It is if you’re a teacher, and for good reason...
We just got back today from a weekend camping and the first float trip for the kids. We stayed at Ozark Outdoors Resort in Leasburg, MO. We should have trusted the weather report for Friday night and waited until Saturday to show up to our campsite. But instead we spent a miserable night in the tent, listening to the thunder...
We were lucky to get some great seats to watch the Cardinals beat up on the Mets on Wednesday night. They won 8-1 and Randal Grichuk helped with this home run in the 4th inning. You can hear Josie squealing with delight during the subsequent fireworks. That was the best part for her (and me).
It is hard to believe it’s been four years since our little man was a Tiger Cub. He has grown so much, in every way that one can measure. He had outgrown his original Cub Scout uniform, so we went yesterday to get him a new one that will hopefully last him a couple of years as he transitions to...
The weather was nice today. Not your typical August day in St. Louis. Dixie and I played Bird Bingo with the kids; I had lunch with a college buddy whom I’ve not seen in 20 years; and I took this picture of our little man reading his book in the shade of the ash tree. It was a good day.
As I mentioned back in January, we have been planning a trip to California to drive the PCH and see some of the other sights. We just got back, and what a trip it was. We drove 1300 miles, took over 2000 photos, and shot over 4 hours of video. A small sample of the photos is now available in...
Well, okay, it might not be our last one. But our piano teacher is getting married next month and moving away, so it will be the last one with her. The kids both did very well, considering the difficulty of the pieces and the fact that they both memorized them and didn’t use their music while playing. We are going...
