20140331 - Puppets

20140331 - UP in the am and to work.  Regular day.  Took D&J to Scouts.  J's den had a pupet show tonight, it was really funny.  Home all boys to bed.

20140330 - Arm Wrestling

20140330 - Up in the am and too cold and snowy to go up to the Farm. All I church and then he for lunch. Worked on D's 3 merit badges with him. D to baseball practice. L&G into her school, J&I to grocery to get food for tonight's Walking Dead finale. Home and L cooked dinner. D to basement to play his game, JG&I arm wrestling and playing hot hands until bed time. Chris over to watch the Walking Dead, L made out snacks. Great finale!  Up late shipping items that sold.

20140329 + Seriously?! Snow?

20140329 + Everyone up slowly today and it was pretty much a lazy get caught up lounge around and play games kind of a day.  I got a ton of stuff done in the office: receipts from the trip out in, bills caught up and 2013 tax refund redistributed. We got a start on D's merit badge requirements, he called on of the counselors, picked his badges for summer camp and I took him over to a buddy's house. Home and played some cards with J until dinner.  Looking out the window we gazed at the beautiful white blanket of Sping :-(  After dinner JG&I played more cards and had an ice cream snack. Then the boys got cleaned up and we headed down to watch a movie about GIANT spiders, 'Eight Legged Freaks'. G couldn't take it and ran up to the living room to the safety of the Disney Channel. J roughed it out, a bit nervously :-)  Boys to bed and L&I watched some basketball.

20140328 - Sharks, Sofas and Cousins, OH my!

20140328 - Up and downstairs for bfast buffet at the hotel.  We got the room broken down and our stuff put in the car.  We took the hotel shuttle to the Newport Aquarium and walked up the steps that revealed a HUGE line.  L&G headed to the back of the line and DJ&I walked through the crowd and to the front.  I asked the guy at the entrance, 'If I have tickets do I have to wait in line?' 'No sir you can go right in'.  Glad we got the tickets at the hotel :-)  So past the horde we we went as they announced timed entry and on our undersea adventure.  There were sharks we could pet, a show with divers in the shark tank, jelly fish and every sort of fish, frog, alligator you could imagine.  We walked through the tubes and took it all in; J was in heaven.


After out expedition we hit 5 Guy for some yummy burgers and fries.  We then jumped on a trolley get back to the hotel that had slippery wooden seats and worn out shocks for a crazy ride.  Back to the hotel and on to the one stop L really waned; IKEA...  She now has in her mind a new bathroom and kitchen (of course, the 2 most expensive rooms to remodel...)  The boys found a living room the size of our entire downstairs.  L kept shopping and the boys and I found some ice cream to pass the time.  After the IKEA stop we headed a bit further North to Russ & Nancy's for dinner with the Halsteads.  Lori and Elizabeth came to join us for dinner and it was a really fun time.  D was anxious about getting some shoes we found on day one of the trip so we had to cut the visit short and break the sound barrier to get to the store before it closed. Success!


Home unpacked, watching NCAA tournament and updating blog.

20140327 - Bats & Boy in a Bubble

20140327 - Up in the am and down for a bfast buffet at the hotel. We then hit the road for a full day of adventures! Our first stop was at the Cave Hill National Cemetery where the monuments were amazing.  We jumped out at the site of Colonel Sanders grave and got our picture taken.  We found a couple more cool graves and then headed further in town.

Our next stop was Jerry's house to see all of Jerry's Junk.  It was a fabulous montage of junk that captivated us as we looked through the gates and windows at all of the stuff.  The boys thought GpaW would love it!

Further in to town and another fantastic site right next to the the old Ohio Theater, the restored, but not functional, Louisville Derby Clock.  It was super cool though and gave the boys some run around time.  J&I ducked into the famous Brown Hotel where "Hot Brown" was invented.  I have had this before on previous trips to KY.  Very interesting dish you must try at least once on a trip through KY.  We had one more stop before the main event.  Reluctantly the family followed me across the road away from our main destination and to the origination spot of the song "Happy Birthday to You", written by a couple of kindergarten teachers. 
 

With the family about to kill me for so many detours we made progress towards the destination...  We had to check out the giant baseball that was embedded in a building apparently hit by the World's Largest Bat at our destination, the Louisville Slugger Baseball Bat Factory and Museum.


We got to go through the museum and saw some pretty cool things. Dylan got to hold a bat David Ortiz used in a game, we saw Babe Ruth's bat and could see the home run notches he carved in it, and G got to hold a bat used by Joey Votto.


There was one of every kind of bat they make there, it was so cool.  But the coolest part of the tour was of the factory floor.  J&I loved the factory and could have stayed in there all day watching the machines make the bats.  No cool pictures of the factory, not allowed :-(  but it was so cool.  We watched every step and tool and machine.  They can make 5000 bats a day there!  After the tour we looked at getting a custom bat but they are not strong enough for games.  G tried his hand in the pitching machines and did pretty good at slow pitch, but was defeated by the fast pitch.  We watched a movie in their theater and had a great experience.  The trip through the gift shop was short as part of the tour was getting a small souvenir bat.  Definitely worth the trip!  Out of the factory and down the road and we stumbled across a small cafe.  We went in just as they were closing and they we happy to have us.  It was Boomer's Cafe named after their dog and was a quaint family place hidden there.  The food was great, the people even better and you got to pet the dog (not Boomer, he passed on a year or so ago...
Out of Boomers and onto the road and we found a gold 30 foot tall naked guy that G wanted to check out.  On our trip we came across the Louisville Science Center.  We went in and played on all of the science experiments.  They had some really cool things there, real lungs, hearts and brain on display.  Some other cool interactive things, but when you have been to COSI here in Columbus, everything else is small and not great...  The coolest part was the bubble thing the boys stood in and tried to make a bubble to cover them.  G did pretty good at it.


All museumed out we loaded into the car and headed towards the highway to get to Covington KY.  But not before a couple more sites.  The worlds second largest bat and whiskey bottle.



We drove through a ton of traffic and the boys did good after a long day.  About 1 hour up the road and we pulled into a hotel I have driven past a hundred times and always though would be cool to stay in, the Covington Radisson, the round hotel just across the Ohio River, you know the one I am talking about, it overlooks the Bengals and Reds stadiums.  Well the price was right and included 2 adult tickets for the Newport Aquarium.  We settled in and took in the view.  We made a trip up to the rotating restaurant, where L was pretty sure she couldn't eat because it was moving, and it was a bit classy for 3 little boys...  So we bellied up in the pub and L&G did some coloring as we waited for our dinner.  


After dinner the boys and I went swimming until the pool closed and had a great time!  We found some hot chocolate and called it a night.  What a great day!

20140326 - Spring Break Start

20140326 - All up in the am and in the car and on the road. We ran a couple errands, got food an gas and headed South. We stopped at the outlet mall and got some clothes for the boys. And then L drove as I read a huge doc for work. I finished up the doc as we pulled into the hotel. Set up in the room and we had to hit the pool. It was a cool indoor/outdoor pool and a lot of fun, as well as surprisingly warm.  In to get some food from the hotel buffet and up to the room. G&I headed down to get some pamphlets of the area and found some hot chocolate and popcorn. But how do carry it all?  G put the popcorn in his pants and off we went :-)  everyone asleep and I stayed on top of the workload remotely. Off to bed and anxious for a fun day tomorrow.

20140325 - Spring Break?

20140325 -Up and in to work.  It was a crazy fast day closing items and lining things up.  Had the idea to go to Louisville Slugger bat factory on the way in to work today and texted L to start making plans...  During the day a buddy of my from work sent me a picture of where he was with his kids for spring break.

Shortly after receiving the text from my friend L sent me a text of our backyard...  The boys had some friends over today to help pass the freezing day.  Home and ready for a break, I started looking for a hotel in Louisville while the fam watched Rocky 4.  All boys to bed and I made calls to hotels.  There is some sort of truck show in Louisville and I found one of the few rooms left in a 50 mile radius of the city :-)  Trip planned and to bed at 2am :-o



20140324 - Family Lunch

20140324 -Up in the am and in to work, the fam at home starting their spring break in the freezing cold and stuck in the house.  They showed up at my office to take me to lunch.  I got to introduce the fam to the guys at work and we headed to Red Robin for a burger.  It was a nice break.


Finished up the day and headed home.  Hung out with the fam tonight getting things wrapped up as best I can for work trying to take a couple days off.  G took a bath and I caught him shaving!








20140323 - Spring Trim

20140323 - Up in the am and all to church.  The place was deserted, everyone from New Albany has left for Spring break.  Had lunch with some friends after church.  Home and got Dylan's blizzard bag printed off.  What is a blizzard bag?  It is a way for the school system to eat up all my ink and paper printing off assignments so there are no make up days.  These assignments will take weeks to do it is ridiculous.  I would rather have 2 extra days of school...  Done printing so outside joining the fam and helping with the Spring trim of the ornamental grasses. We got things cleaned up and the yard looks good.  In for dinner and hanging out watching basketball waiting for the Walking Dead.

20140322 + Spring Start

20140322 + Up late, D&I out on errands, banks, post office, taxes, scout store.  Home and finalized taxes and desk work.  Outside and cleaned out the shed with L&D, J&G had friends over to 'help'.  D took off to play some baseball with friends and L headed out to dinner with friends. Little boys and their friends playing in basement.  I got the grapes trimmed.  In to get cleaned up quick and then to Subway for dinner and met some friends at the movies to see Mr. Peabody & Sherman.  We stopped for doughnuts after the movie.  Home, J&G to bed D&I down to watch some basketball.  L home and watched basketball with us.

20140321 - Catch It

20140321 - Up in the am and in to work.  Straight to the floor and stirred things up a bit and took care of a box with dog turds in it.  Out for lunch with the guys.  J had piano today.  Rushed home and changed.  Down to the ballpark, Gma&paW down for the day, it was their anniversary.  We had a scrimmage and the boys look good.  D did great at hitting and catching and G sharpened up his bat boy skills.  Home and watched some basketball.  Called my buddy Lee and stayed up LATE cleaning off desk and getting weekend started.

20140320 - Dodgers It Is!


20130320 - Up on the am and dropped J off early at school to work in the store then on to work. An incredibly busy and fast day. Day over in a flash and on the road. No time to go home, straight to tryouts to pick G's teammates. The rest of the fam had a busy evening as well: weight lifting for D, Pack meeting for J&G. Tryouts over and on to the draft. John and I got 8 of our players from previous seasons. We are the Dodgers, ready to try for a repeat championship! :-)


20140319 + Carrot Boy

20140319 + Up in the am and in to work.  Had a full fast day.  Baseball was cancelled at the last minute again...  Fine by me, nice dinner with the fam.  J&G played some Monopoly and then we all played Headbands.  Here G is trying to be a carrot...    Game over and boys to bed.  Both J&G read to me.  Down to finish off the day catching up while L watched American idol.

20140318 - Optional Practice


20140318 - Up in the morning to a disappointed leprechaun hunter. The leprechaun had outsmarted G, propped the trap open and stole his gold coin :-o In to work, dropped J off at school so he could work in the school store, had a full fast day. To the scout store to get awards for both Boy & Cub Scouts. Home and had some dinner with LJ&G, D was already at practice. JG&I went to the practice and helped out. We all stopped at the Grossl's on the way home to get some weights they no longer wanted. Home and everyone to bed.

20140317 - Dad! We Caught One!

20140317 - Up in the am to G yelling: "Dad! Dad! We caught one!", we did?  'Yeah but he got away.  He must have gotten his pocket caught in the trap because here is a piece of it and he dropped 4 gold coins.  Look!"  Super cool!  Well another year and the leprechaun got away.  At least this year there was a profit... In to work and had a normal Monday.  Home and thankfully baseball was cancelled, so not so busy of a evening.  L dropped D off at Scouts and I helped J with a report on the rain forest and taught him some photo editing tricks.  Before I had to go get D G wanted me to help him rest the leprechaun trap.  I told him I don't think they would come back a second night, and if the same one came back he may be extra cautions and not fall for the same trap again.  We added some modifications to make the trap more fool proof and it is all set!  Off to Scouts to get D and check on advancements.  Home and took a quick look at D's math, stuff I haven't seen for 20 years or would ever attempt without a PC now...  Left L to deal with that, sorry L.  I got Doc and took him to McD's.  Today marks the 1 year anniversary of Priscilla passing.  A sad day for Doc.  We had a good meeting at Bible bangers and Doc is doing well.

20140316 - Most Elaborate Trap

20140316 - UP in the am and the power is out... Then back on... All out to church and then home for lunch and a day of catch up; homework, reading, bills, sleep. D did his homework and took a nap, G took a nap and then did some reading, J tried to do homework but melted down and feel asleep, I was stuck in the office and L did stuff for school. We all converged on the living room eventually to watch some basketball. Then we ordered a pizza and before we went to pick it up G came down with plan for the most elaborate leprechaun trap yet. So we built it! Here he is setting the hair trigger trip device.


On to get pizzas w/ D&G and a quick stop at Kroger. Home for dinner and then to the basement for a show about museums. Little boys to bed, and Chris & Sean down to watch the Walking Dead. It was quite a shocking show tonight... Prepping for the week ahead and to bed in good time.

20140315 + Fast Sap Reunion & Fort

20140315 + Up early and J, his friend and I headed up to the Farm. We swung through McD's twice to get our complete order... On the road and up in no time: we tested out the new car on the highway and hit 101mph :-) We stopped at the Farm quick to get some boots on the boys and then headed over to Dolce's and aunt Mary joined us. We checked in and the boys took off exploring. I checked out the new additions to the operation and helped out a bit. We ate some of the pancakes, sausage and fresh maple syrup. Lenard and I figured out a plan to get his stuff on the internet.

Back to the farm for lunch and then boys out to play.   Dave over and we headed into town to meet up with Tia and check out the place we are going to hold the class reunion. It will be a good place to have our party. Back to Farm and Gma&paW & I figured out MSD@F. It is going to be a nice small event this year. J and his friend came in and told us to come down and check out their fort. We went down and the boys had built a 2 story hay fort, it was super cool. GpaW & I checked some things out and talked about future plans. Time to leave and we headed South. We got J's friend delivered and headed home. D went to a friends house for the night. L&G were happy to see us. J told of his adventures of the day and then boys to bed. L&I headed down to watch 'Captain Phillips'

20140314 - Crashed

20140314 - Up to work tired today.  J had composers club today.  At work just Richard and I went to lunch, he had to buy I forgot tot take my money :-)  Home and we had some dinner and then went to pick up a buddy of J's to spend the night.  All boys to the basement to watch 'Spaceballs', L brought down some popcorn.  Boys woke me up when the movie was over.  I tucked them in and crashed.

20140313 - Proud, Fish & Dog Boy

20140313 - up to work, L got a call from the middle school today...  It was s teacher about D...  His math teacher...  She said D is now one of her best students :-)  L took the boys to see Sam and Lena.  Home and got the fam and we all went to Cane's for dinner.  After dinner JG&I went to G's Den Meeting that met in a pet shop tonight.  It was a good time and G negotiated a fish out of the trip for himself that he bought with his own money :-)  Home and fish tank set up and all boys to bed.  I stayed up till 4 setting up an app for work.





20140312 + Robot Life

20140312 + Work.  Dinner.  D&I baseball practice.  Home J&G to bed.  Up LATE updating websites

20140311 + 5 Bs

20140311 + Work home basketball with boys board of review. Bed in good time.

20140310 - Baseball? Scouts!

20140310 - Up in the am and to work.  Was cold all day.  At 4pm there was a baseball debacle with a last minute change in schedule...  Home, L had taken D to field, I grabbed a quick sandwich and headed to the field to help with practice.  The boys practiced hitting and it was a good practice.  After Practice D&I headed to church.  I dropped D off with the Boy Scouts and I went down to relieve L&G and joined J's Den Meeting.  The boys got to make stuff out of clay and they loved it.  Up to check in with the Boy Scouts and then home and all boys to bed.  I could not sleep so updating calendars.