20110331 + Last minute bday stuff

20110331 + Up and still snow, boys out for a bit making snow dragons and riding sleds down the hill. I tried to get the laptop working again (banghead)... Aunt Weezer over for a nice visit. Then to lunch with Gma&paW and then all back home (J&G asleep). Home hung out, L to get her hair done, DJG&I out to get bday gifts for L. Back home and wrapped the gifts. L home and her hair look$ nice :-) Had dinner watched 'Lost Boys' with the boys, scared them good. Up late getting the laptop reloaded.

20110330 - ¿SNOW, REALLY?

20110330 - Up early for a Go-Live. On calls throughout the day to help. Spent a bunch of time trying to clean-up, then fix a laptop... Went out to the lower field today and gathered up wood from a flood and did some more cleanup and fixin in pre for next weeks Maple Syrup Day. In and watched 'Jaws' with the boys, and watched the SNOW! We all headed out to play in it for a bit a build a new friend. In for a nice dinner and then out with Mike to help with some of their IT stuff. Home late...

20110329 - Swigin' Around

20110329 - Up in AM, ready for the day and on a couple calls. Then packed the fam in the car and headed North to the Farm. Got to the Farm, had some lunch and out to work. We got the barn floor cleaned up, fort built, rope tested and things as secure as possible. Then into the spring house. J found a HUGE frog and the boys took it to the barn to have the frog try their new zip line... We got the fire pit stable, tank partially cleaned out, tables set up... Enough for one day and everyone out to a China Buffett. Back to base, boys cleaned up and watched E.T.

20110328 - Work wrap up today. A good dinner with the fam. Took J to soccer w/ D freezing. Meijer for milk on the way home. Boys to bed and off to Bible Bangers, much better meeting this week.

20110327 + Cold Walk

20110327 + To a late start, boys quiet, we skipped church...  Got on the road and headed South West to Burr Oak St. park.  It was a descent drive  and we saw many towns that time has seemed to forget.  We got there and it was cold but once we got on the trails and started walking it was a great day.
We found some geocaches, took time to skip some stones and the boys rolled down the face of the dam.
We had a nice ride home and roast in the crock-pot waiting for us.  I took off with Joe to go to Jen's bible Study.  Home, up late working on the PC.

20110326 + Parties and Bikes

20110326 - Nice quiet relaxing morning. Then all out. L went shopping with Nic. DG&I dropped off J at a bday party then to the Apple store to get D's iTouch fixed/replaced. We then hit Staples to get a cover for the iTouch, and Best Buy to get some Wii games. Got some McD's and home to eat. D wanted me to go get J bit I told him we were just going to leave J at the party... D got quite upset... J really went to a buddy's house to play... I went and got J, then D off to a bday party. Later when all were home we had dinner and went to the garage to get our bikes ready for Spring. All boys to bed and D snuck back down to watch 'Usual Suspects'.

20110325 + UP and at the desk for a horribly fast day.  1 UAT now, 1 done and good to go!  At the desk late then got the family and headed to the Apple store to get D's iTouch fixed, but they were busy so we got an appointment for tomorrow.  To Steak and Shake for dinner and Grant LOUD and not eating again...  A stop at Target to get stuff for tomorrow bday parties.  Home and watched 'The Last Action Hero' with popcorn, but G couldn't have any until he finished his hot dog from Steak and Shake.  I took him 1.5 hours but he got it eaten and had a couple hand fulls of popcorn before bed...  Guess the ice cream lesson didn't take...  Stayed up with L to watch the buckeyes loose a great basketball game.

20110324 - Worked all day, out of the office for dinner with the fam, G not eating... Out for errands; to Jeff's to drop off golf balls, bank for a deposit, soccer uniform sale to get shorts for J, to Play It Again Sports to get a bat for D.  Stopped at a DQ on the way home to get a treat for everyone but G because he didnt eat his dinner...  I think he learned that lesson...  Home and to the basement for movies.

20110323 + Basketball

20110323 + Normal day. The only highlight was playing basketball w/ G.

20110322 - Fast and furious day at work, 2 UATs going on...  :-s  Out of the office for dinner, baseball practice with D&G, L took J to his practice.  All home, boys to bed, watched 'Devil wears Prada' while doing paperwork.  Decided to stick with Bible Bangers at least until through the Bible...

20110321 - Rain again everywhere

20110321 - Up, coffee and watching G playing in with dinosaurs.  To the desk and a good start.  Rainy dragging day at work...  Got a lot of little things done.  Updated Blog, played baseball with boys, had dinner, took D to scouts, J went with me, did homework and drew pictures, I got rest of school year planned for Tiger Scouts.  All back home, boys to bed, got Doc, to Bible Bangers.  Bible Bangers was a bit different tonight.  I am really done doing this with this group.  It can not stay on track and I am very tired of exerting the energy to keep it together, on track, etc.  It is not enjoyable with the distractions and dynamics, and rather than asking people to leave, I feel I should finish reading my Bible on my own and use the Blog to get answers, just so I can focus on what this is all about and not managing a group.  There was one nice surprise last night Mike Woods joined us for the first time!  But over all a very odd meeting, probably my last one...  Back home with Doc, Joe & Mike and chatted until 1am.

20110320 - Mounds of fun for the Knight

20110320 - UP L&D to church, JG&I stayed home, G took a nap and J & I worked on his Sandra Day O'Connor report.  Then we loaded up and went to the church to swap cars with L.  Next stop for JG&I was mcdonalds for lunch with the Raising a Modern Day Knight guys.  After lunch we loaded the Sampsons into the car with us and we all headed to the Newark Earth Mounds.  We visite 3 different sites, got ran off a golf course, but found a feather.

Then some of the knights split up and we headed to flint ridge.  we took a 1.6 mile hike and found 1 geocache.  back home, D had a good first baseball practice and L out to dinner with the girls.  The boys and I headed to Meijer, Panda Express for a nice sit down dinner, then a stop at the Grossl's and home for a movie.  Up late, watched 'Freakonomics', L home off to bed.  What a wonderful day with my boys!

20110319 - Jack's first Pinewood

20110319 - UP early and to the races with J and the other Tigers. LD&G tagged along and the races began.  J had for sure the coolest car, but not quite the fastest...  he didn't mind though, he had a good time!   Back home and we watched some TV and messed around with LEGOs.  Then J&I headed back to the races for the Turtle race and championship races.  One of my Tigers WON the entire Pack overall!!!
Back home and Spring cleaning time.  We sent some text messages to some friends to see if we could have a spur of the moment 'Spring S'mores Party'.  We emptied out the shed and cleaned it up as we listened to music and sang and danced.  After we were done we had a short break to play some 'Girl Name' baseball catch and then our friends starting showing up.
We had about 30 people and 2 dogs in all show up for the 'Spring S'mores Party'.  The kids ran wild and had a blast.  Everyone stayed to see the 'Super Moon', then all exhausted and off to bed.

20110318 - An incredibly busy and fast Friday!  Sat at the desk and the hours vanished with 2 UATs going on :-o   After work ran out the door with D&J to help set up for the Scouts Pinewood Derby races tomorrow.  Home and got some dinner, watched movies in the basement and built LEGO cars until all hours of the morning.

20110317 + Sad Boys

20110317 + Up took G to Nic's.  At the desk exhausted, busy day.  D home from school very upset (tears) about things going on at school...  J home from school very upset (tears), he got in trouble for climbing the bathroom walls!!!??? :-o  The boys played some basketball.  Had a fast dinner, took D to his strength training, home and worked on J's pinewood car, I hope it is really fast this year!  Watched some TV with the fam, all boys to bed.  To bed early

20110316 - Work, went to look at a house during lunch, finished work up L and I 1/2 dinner alone.  All back to D's school for an open house and to see the science fair projects.  Home all grumpy boys to bed.  L & I watched American Idol and then I stayed up playing around on the PC.

20110315 - Cold gray day, long fast day at work.  Took D to baseball tryouts (Indians, 5th round pick (out of 11 rounds)).  Home wrestled with G, watched Glee. 
Boys to bed, watched hot tub time machine with L.  Up late on the PC.

20110314 - Scouts and Tools

20110314 - Worked all day and late.  Grade cards home, all looked reasonably well.  Out to garage and helped J with his pinewood car a bit, then the other boys started showing up.  7 boys, lots of power tools = a good LOUD time.  D to Boy Scouts, L&G to the library. Last car builders left at 9pm.  Got boys to bed, got Doc and off to a wild night at the Bible Bangers.  Home and a bit of time at the desk, then off to bed.

20110313 - Steamy

20110313 - Up and all to church. My cousin Jen joined us for the service and Sunday School.  Home ate quick and got on the road to the Farm.  Got to the farm dressed warm and All of us plus Gma&paW over to Dolce's to make maple syrup, slide on the zip line and home made ice cream.  A much more enjoyable event than Last year's near death experience for J...  After the fun in the woods we went back to farm for dinner.  A more relaxing drive home than the last one from the Farm through the blizzard with the Dutch...  Home and alto bed very tired.

20110312 - Teamwork

20110312 - Up, cleaned out the garage for meeting tonight.  Ran stuff to the donation place.  The weather was nice so the boys played in the backyard and tried everything they could to get Grant up into the Maple tree in the backyard with no success...  The whole fam to D's basketball shooting competition, he got 3 out of 10 foul shots; they were all super close but bounced out :-s  We got KFC for dinner and home and played some games until the guys for the MasterMind Garage showed up for a meeting.

20110311 - Up at desk, fat and busy day. GmaB called the biopsy went well, now have to wait for the results.  Got the oil changed and muffler fixed on the Rodeo.  Played some basketball with the boys, had dinner, watched James Bond 'You Only Live Twice' with the boys.  All boys to bed, watched 'Wrestler' with L, then up watching the Japan Earthquake / Tsunami reports on CNN until late, really bad...

20110310 - Up gray again, another day of rain...  at desk all morning, took a break to look at a house.  G had pictures at school today, L&G to Nic's for lunch Back at the desk, boys home.  L&G home. J to his friend Meridith's for a play date.  D doing home work I played with G.  Then L&G to get J & Pizza, I took D to get some shorts and to his strength training.  Home, ate, played beyblades with J&G until everyone home again ad it was bedtime.  All boys to bed, Jeff picked me up for a meeting, we are going to buy another house...  :-o

20110309 - Up slow rain for 3 days straight....  gray and ugly...  At the desk all stinking day.  Ran out right after work tot eh aquatics committee meeting.  Home ate scraps, watched rest of James Bond with the boys, then up watching Hoarders with L.

20110308 - Super slow start.  Calls and sitting at the desk ALL day...  G taking a nap, L&J to the dentist and D home late from school.

20110307 - D is an Official Boy Scout

20110307 - Up, fast start, fast day. When D got home we took the car for an oil change. walked home, stopped at Library on the way and got James Bond movies. Back to desk, car done, walked to the car shop and got the car. Back to desk, finished up. Dinner, basketball on porch, Cub Scouts for J&I, Boy Scouts for D.  D got his Boy Scout neckerchief tonight. Home, got Doc, off to Bible Bangers. Home closing loops.



20110306 - LEGO Acrobat

20110306 - Up, all to Church.  It was all ok until Grant decided to go outside and get LOST!  Home for lunch, LEGO time and 'Underworld'.  Out to Red Lobster and had a good dinner.  Notice the little LEGO guys hanging on to the straw to the right of L&G.  Home and watched some movies and doing paperwork.

20110305 - Up and out with the boys.  First to Church for Pinewood car workshop, then Lowe's for Pinewood car workshop, then the Scout store to get a book and socks for D. We got lunch at a Chinese buffet and then stopped in to see the animals at 'Jack's' pet store.  While loading into the car we saw the Pettits heading into the buffet.  One last stop at the YMCA to check it out, then home for a break and to build stuff out of LEGOs.  I ran to a Scout meetings, then home and ate.  All boys to bed.  Up ridiculously late sorting LEGOs...




20110304 - Tired Loss

20110304 - Had trouble sleeping last night... Up and a hard start.  Got stuff at desk and calls in order.  I met Dave and Lee for a nice fun lunch.  Picked up G and back at the desk...  Boys home, L home, finished work.  Out to dinner at a Mexican place.  Home for a minute then off to D's basketball tournament game.  They got beat again...  D felt pretty bad, said he didn't even make any points this year.  Tough being a short 5th grader in a 5th & 6th grade league...  He did steal it a couple times and had a good game.  Home and all boys to bed.

20110303 - Up, but sore from yesterdays football game, OUCH!  At the desk all day, straight through.  We had steaks on the grill tonight, then D&I ran out to his strength training.  Home, cut up beer boxes into robot costumes for J&G, played a game with G and watched 'American Idol'.  Up late doing paperwork.

20110302 - Who's walking who?

20110302 - Up, fast day at the desk. Did take a walk with Lilly and met up with G&L on their way home from the sitter, so G, Lilly & I walked home together. Pretty funny as G took the leash; hard to tell who walking who... Home finished off the day. Outside with the boys to play our first game of flag football for the year. I had a couple of incredible falls and know I will be SORE tomorrow... To Lenscrafters to get D's glasses ordered and Meijer to get supplies. Home and watched some American Idol with the fam. All boys to bed and I read 'Little Red Riding Hood' to the boys. It made G VERY scared! Out one last time to get a midnight snack for L&I.

20110301 - Up, busy day at the desk.  Took walk, picked up trash, back to desk. Nice Dinner.  L&D to basketball practice, D broke his glasses again...  JG&I back to school for basketball and playing.  Home, chased G around, J playing outside until dark.  All home played Uno Attack.  Boys to bed, planning Maple Syrup Day at the Farm, etc...