101231 + Play and FART

101231 + Up and out on the town.  We went shopping for shoes, bought some silver and hit the Art museum to see the illustrated book of Genesis, it was really cool.  I had the boys stand in just the right place and hold their arms out to form an 'F', next to the big 'ART' sculpture  ;-)
Home and had some friends over for new Years Eve games.  All in bed shortly after midnight.

101230 + Wildlights

101230 - Up got some things done then out on the town. Exchanged Dylan's gun, took some things back. Then took the boys to Kingdom of Bounce so they could run and burn off some energy.  On the way home drove around and looked for some clubhouses.  Home and finished cleaning the garage.  Downstairs to play on the Wii and then Gma&paW showed up.  We played the Wii for a bit and then headed West.  GpaW and I checked the water in one of the rentals, we all had a LONG awaited dinner at Applebee's and poor J got a bad stomach ache.  Our final destination was the Zoo.  We got bundled up and headed in for the pretty lights and some wild animals.  Looks like GpaW captured one and put it on his head, he was the Russian of the group.

101229 - Have no idea what we did :-o

101228 + Up LJ&G to friends.  D did real math sq ft of house and then we ran errands and had lunch.  We stopped at the toy store to trade some stuff in.  Went to a coin dealer and held real gold.  We had dinner @ home w/ all and watched movies and played with LEGOs

101227 - NY Family

101127 - Up and J&I out trying to buy a coffee cake but the bakery was closed :-( so we headed to one of my favorite places, Boliantz Hardware. We walked up and down the isles and found all sorts of neat stuff and walked out with a bag full.

Back to the farm and folks started arriving: Weezer, Fran, Nancy, Russ, & my cousin Mark and his entire family that we don't get to see often enough; Beatrice, Melana, Amanda & Isabella. Paulette arrived in the ditch at the end of the road and I ran down to hep get her out, FREEZING, and Mary & John completed the list. We had a nice lunch and then the kids were gone... Out to the barn to hunt cats and down the hill on sleds over and over. It was only 22 degrees out, but they didn't mind. They would come in, get warm for a minute and then right back out...
We did manage to get everyone in one room long enough to sing 'The 12 Days of Christmas' (3 times at the children's request). I have a sample here...


Time was up, we all had to head home, but we made some great memories and had a blast doing it. I wish they lived closer...

On the road and J&G sacked out in no time. Home and got things unpacked, watched the rest of 'Nanny McFee' and off to Bible Bangers.

101226 - Farm Christmas

 101226 - Up and all to the Farm.  We helped feed bales and G got to drive the big tractor.  Inside to open presents and then out in the frigidness for a nice dinner.  Then the tradition to drive through the Wunderland Lights at the Richland Co. Fairground.  Home and played with the new stuff and watched a movie.


101225 - MERRY CHRISTMAS

101225 - Up at the crack of dawn with 3 very excited little boys.


They opened their presents in turns, and were happy when others opened the presents they got for them. D vanished to the basement to build his HUGE LEGO set. I put together a Playmobil zoo for G and some big LEGO spaceship with J. With sore knees and hips I pulled myself up long enough to eat lunch.


Then time for more presents... Here is a shadow box we all put together for GpaB of his fathers WWII Marine uniform, letters to home, awards and a newspaper from Dec 8th 1941. Very cool!


I then helped D finish up his Star Wars LEGO set.




We got two more remotes and some games for the Wii, so we played a bunch of new games, ate some left-overs, and watched a movie. Then three very tired, very happy little boys off to bed.
How many more wonderful days like these will I be lucky enough to have? Oh how lucky I am.

101224 + Santa made it to Gahanna!

101224 + Up and around. Called a couple long distant friends to wish them Merry Christmas. Then all ready and over to the Cole's for a Christmas eve lunch and pre visit from Santa with the Kraft side of the family.

After the kids got there presents everyone headed out. We stopped by the house and let Lilly out, then off to church.
G&I saved some seats up front and soon Gma&paW showed up, then Gma&paB and the Coles. Then a couple shepherds I know were in front of me singing!

The boys did a fine job and the program and service were nice. I did get a bit nervous when my boys participated in the candle lighting :-o
Finally back home for a nice dinner with Gma&paW. The boys opened a couple of things from them, played a bit them cleaned up and off to bed. L&I watched 'Salt' and I heard something upstairs... I went up and Santa had snuck in while we were watching the movie.

101223 - Deliveries

101223 - Up in the office all day.  L had the boys deliver her Christmas candy to the neighbors.  After work we all took the GRIN family stuff to them.  The mother was very happy.

101222 + Icing

101221 + Up and in the office all day. D had a friend over and L took all the boys sledding. Out and had left-overs with G while L took D&J to their last Christmas pageant practice. G&I played on the iPhone and Wii until they got home. Them we all sat around the table and decorated cookies for Santa, YUM!!!



Lego time and bed time.

101221 - Samer's 3, Pipes & Robot Feet

101221 - Up and in the office. Took a break to go to Samer's 3rd bday party at a Japanese steak house.  It was a good meal and J tried sashimi and wasabi!

Back to the desk and finished off the day. Then D&I ran out to the house we are selling to get the water running for an inspection on Thursday. We had to take some back roads home because 270 & 670 both had big accidents on them. We had to stop at the Chinese restaurant so D could get orange chicken.

Arrived home to LJ&G making crafts. We kept the TV off and then broke out some markers for one of my favorite things. Making robot feet. The boys love it too.


Finished the night up playing chess with J.

101220 - Eclispe

101220 - Up and at the desk all day. After dinner we all went to get food for the family we are sponsoring for Christmas. Home and played with Lilly upstairs. All boys to bed and I headed out with the Bible Bangers. Home doing paperwork till late, then stepped out to see the once in a lifetime, once every 372 year event, the total eclipse of the moon. All I saw was clouds!

101219 + Hike n Fight

101219 + All up and to church and Sunday school. Home for a fast lunch. Then DJ&I got bundled up and headed to Blendon Woods Metro-park.

We met up with a couple other Tigers from J's Den and took a nice winter hike. We had the Ranger give us a presentation, saw some cool animals, sang some Christmas songs, did some tree rubbings and had an awesome snowball fight!


Home and loaded up the camel. D&J stayed outside playing in the snow until it was time for rehearsal. G&I stayed home, watched some TV and played on the Wii. All back together for dinner. They told the story of Jack falling asleep at the play practice and rolling down the steps. He was ok and it made the kids laugh. I guess all of today's outdoor fun wore the little guy out.

101218 - Doc's Christmas in the Hood

20101218 - Up in Am and took J to get his blood work done.  We stopped at McD's on the way there and Goodwill to find an ugly Christmas sweater on the way home plus a stop at K-roger for some beer.  Home and L was getting groceries with D&G.  All back home for lunch then I headed out with a couple of the boys for Doc's annual Christmas in the Hood party.  I LOVE his clubhouse in downtown Columbus.  We had a blast and ate stuff I couldn't pronounce but he was able to shoot...  Made it home for the end of dinner and hung out with the fam the rest of the night.

101217 - PJs to school

101217 - Up, boys off to school, Jack wearing his PJs...???  Sitting at the desk, watched TRON, dinner at home.  Played the new version of CLUE with D&J, a true test of patience...

101216 - Pack and Practice

101216 - Up snowing nicely and D to his banking job early, J walked to school alone.
G&L to school, Shoveled the drives with Doc.  Nic, Sam & Lena picked G up from school.  I worked until late, out of office for dinner.  DJ&I to a pack meeting.  Home and up late working.

101215 - UP saw the boys off, draggin this morning.  Sat at desk ALL day and got stuff done.  Dinner with the fam.  D&I picked up Seth and then went to basketball practice.  I volumteered to be the coach :-o thank god another guy was there to help...  We ran the snot out of those boys.  Home watched a movie

101214 - Sick Delays

101214 - Up, DJ&L off to school.  G home sick with me,  he listened to Christmas music and played with Legos while I worked and on calls.  I made him some lunch, L got home and I was locked in the office until dinner.  We worked on multiplication with D... J&I back to a school open house, visited various classrooms and made things, reading wheel, math wheel 1, 2, skip a few.  We had a BLAST!  Then on to Meijer for J's Christmas shopping and a stop at the coffee shop for hot chocolate and espresso.  Home, up late in the basement.


101213 - 2 hr delay, L to school.  I shoveled the drive and saw the boys off.  I worked, picked up G, boys home.  L home from school xmas party, took D to get new glasses, he CAN see better!  D wrapping presents, dinner, LEGOs w/ G, then off to Bible Bangers

101212 + SNOW Play

101212 + Up all to the church in Newcomerstown.  It started snowing pretty bad so we headed home.  We did some shoveling, built an igloo, played on sleds.  LD&J to Christmas practice at church.  G&I played the Wii.  All home for dinner, shows, bed and some strange dreams...

101211 - Polar Express

101211 - Up and L&J to get J's blood drawn.  We packed, got gas and headed to Newcomerstown.  LJ&G to Polar Express with GmaB, Nic, Sam and Lena.  GpaB, D&I to 2 gun stores :-)  GpaB, Rich, D&I took ladder to church, D was standing up with his head out of the sunroof :-o  Kids played, we had a big dinner then watched 'Blind Side'.

101210 - Day with G

101210 - Up and G and I heading out on the town.


We went to Meijer so he could do his Christmas shopping and he did really good. Then on to Home Depot where got some project supplies. We then had a nice lunch at Wendy's. A quick stop at the bank and we made it back home. G decorated some paper lunch bags and we put the gifts he got for LD&J in them. I headed out to consume the supplies we got while G got all dressed up in full camo. We put out our new inflatable snowman and the lights across the garage door. L came home and loved the new decorations. G and I then built a camel for the Christmas program at church.


D&J home and we all headed to the premier of the new Narnia movie. We had subs and Chinese for dinner. A bit of Wii and LEGO time and then all boys to bed. I stayed up doing some paperwork and then took a picture of G&I's work on the lights when putting things in the mail box. A good day!



101209 - On the move

101209 - Up and saw boys off to school, L took G.  I worked all day, in office till 6pm.  I made dinner then we went shopping for a family we adopted from GRIN.  Home and played with LEGOs, air hockey and up watching movies and working on laptop.

101208 - Worked, then off to the Gahanna Aquatics Committee meeting.  Home ate fast then tood D 2 basketball.  J made snowflakes, Gdid some coloring.  Then we played some games, chess with J, checkers with G, more chess with D.  Stayed up late working/reading

101207 - Limbo

101207 - UP working, L&G school and meeting afterward.  L&G picked up J&D from school for D's eye appointment. I worked late and gave a demo.  After we all got home together I helped the boys set up a limbo line.

101206 - Work, fast dinner.  DJG&I to a Scout 'Go See It'  girls basketball game downtown at a high school.   Home all boys to bed.  Then the Bible Bangers over for a movie.

101205 + Boxed up

101205 + Up and all to church, then the Home Depot, lunch, Lowes.  Rich over to build box for a top secret project...  LD&J to church practice.  All home for dinner, then off to a scout leader meeting.  Home watched a movie with boys, read the paper.

101203 + Bad Grades :-(

100103 - Work all morning and then took my test and test passed.  I am now a 'Certified Cheetah Mastermind Facilitator'!  J had to give more blood after school and D was late coming home from school and had BAD Grades....  he is at a 3rd grade reading level...  WHAT?  He had straight A's last year!????  UGH  He felt pretty bad about it too.  I hope his spelling gets better :-S  Max Erma's for dinner, Jack's choice with good grades... home and played Carom and watched a movie.

101202 - Took G to school, then at the desk doing a huge email flush and on the phone.  Got some studying done.  Had a nice pizza dinner and Nerf gun shoot out with the boys.  D&I to scouts then to Grossl's to get a coat, home depot to get air filters and a stop at Carabou Coffee.  Home and watched the rest of Grays Anatomy with L and then in the basement reading.

101201 + Jack to the Dentist.