20150810 + Gahanna Ka-Nig-Its

20150810 + Up in the am  and to work.  It was a super busy day trying to get the paperwork done for 6 people I was able to hire.  Home and grabbed the boys and we headed to Donatos for our annual Gahanna Modern Day Knights Back to School Dinner and a Movie.  We had a smaller crowd this year but it was still a good dinner and the boys enjoyed all the stories and tips.  After dinner we all headed to the movie 'Ant-Man', it was awesome!  Home called GpaW, today is his birthday and they went to the Richland County Fair for gourmet food on a stick.  I got the boys to bed and stayed up talking to L.

20140811 - Good Day and Knight

20140811 - In for a stressful day at work. The RIGHT thing was done and I and made preparations for a couple of days of offsite meetings. I got home just and L walked out, I took her back to the school for G's school orientation night. I then dropped D off at Scouts and ran home to get a couple of things done. I then loaded up the stuff, got Doc and headed to the church to meet some of the Gahanna Modern Day Knight dads. We set up for the Knighting Ceremony in a pavilion behind the church. Pretty soon the 4 boys heading to high school in 2 days showed up. They went to the 3 stations of Truth, Knowledge and Faith. They took the Oath and were knighted and presented their swords. Very Cool! We all headed back to our house to sit on the porch and chat for a bit (found another feather). What a really nice evening and great boys.

20140807 - Modern Day Knights

20140807 - Up in the am and my buddy Arno called me on the way to work. It was a fun conversation and a good way to start the day. To work and a very fast day. I got some news I didn't like today about a guy they may bring in to help with a project.  L took D to the high school for orientation today. I sent him a text before he went: 'Please be extra nice to your mom. She is sad because u are getting so big and need her less...  Let her help you. Even if it is annoying.'  His response 'OK'.  Lori reported it went well...

Finished the and Dave and I sped to The Donatos in Gahanna for the Gahanna Modern Day Knights Dinner and a Movie. We had pizzas, a quick lesson on becoming a knight and then Dave and Doc gave speaches to the boys. It was a good dinner. Them we all loaded up and went see the new Planet of the Apes movie. It was a good movie. Event over and all home. I got a text from one of guys that attended for the first time that he talked to his son about the dinner and he repeated a quote Dave taught the boys tonight "The ax forgets and the tree remembers".  That's what it's all about!

20130812 - Gahanna Modern Day Knights

20130812 - Up and in to work.  Got a task that will likely consume the rest of the week :-(  L took J&G to school to get registered and find out who their teachers were.  I got home and got some stuff ready for tonight's dinner and then and picked up D from baseball and got G's jersey.  A quick stop at home to get J & Doc and then we all headed to Gahanna Lanes for our Gahanna Modern Day Knights, Back To School Dinner and a Movie.  We had pizzas and the other fathers and I told the boys that we are all there to support them and stories of when we were in school.  The boys always seem to like hearing of the things we went through as kids and I think it helps ease their fears of going back to school in a new grade, new teachers and sitting with people they may not know.  G, just becoming a Page, got a special leather notebook with his name embossed in it (just like the one I take to work each day and each of his brothers have earned.  All the boys got some things as gifts and then as a group we headed to the movie 'Percy Jackson'.  It was a good movie and the boys had a good time tonight.

20120806 - Good Intent, Bad Choice

20120806 - Up and worked all day.  Gathered the boys and headed to Donatos for the Gahanna Modern Day Knights, Back-to-School DInner.  We had Dan Schroen speak to the boys and Doc.  The dads told storeis of school days too.  It was a good event and we went to see 'Total Recall' after the dinner; not the best movie for litte kids :-s

20110815 - Knight Apes

20110815 - Up and at the desk all day. Then back to the diamond to see Howdy's first fall baseball game. He was second at bat at hit one high and long to center-right and it dropped on getting him on base and scoring the first run/RBI for the team. They were playing a great game but JG&I had to bail out. We grabbed Doc and headed to the Gahanna Modern Day Knights dinner. We had 25 hot wings, 9 boys 7 dads, 4 large pizzas and 2 special guests. We talked to the boys about the things we remembered, feared and loved about the grades they were going into. Doc and Gene gave special talks about what it takes to make it in the world and how important school is. We reinforced to the boys that they could come to any of us with questions, for help, or any other reason. The boys all got special pencils for school and the boys going into middle school each got the book 'Man's Body' to help answer all those up coming 'questions', and a very nice walnut magnetic chess set with their names on them. The boys enjoyed the pizza, stories and attention.

After the dinner, chat and presentation we headed out to see the new Planet of the Apes movie. AWESOME! Home late, boys to bed. L at a movie with Nicole.

20110812 - Squire 2

20110812 - Up and at the desk all day. Then JG&I headed to an RMDK event. We had dinner there with the dads and other boys. L dropped D off and we had a dads vs boys kickball game (dads victorious of course :-)

After the game we had a very nice light ceremony for one of the boys going into High School this year. All the boys thought the ceremony was very cool. Home and up watching tv and working on CREI stuff.

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!

101113 + Shakes Ties a Blimp and a Sailboat

101113 + Up early and out to the park with D&J. We met other Knights and Pages for early morning lessons: how to enter a room, how to shake hands, things NOT to do around girls, how to tie a tie, how to answer the phone. The boys had a lot of fun and hopefully learned something...


Then the whole group went to McDonalds for breakfast.
Home and Scott and Troy over. L gave Lilly a haircut and bath, Scott got Troy and I registered as Den Leaders for J's Tiger den :-o Then J&I went to the scout store to get our uniforms and saw two hot air balloons. Our uniforms are nice, J's is blue, mine is brown. On the way home we saw the blimp over the horseshoe. We made it home with time to model our new duds for LD&G before kickoff.
All downstairs to watch the Buckeyes. The first half was horrible so I decided to clean out basement. Anybody want a sailboat?

Well the Bucks pulled off a good second half and won it and my basement is clean. L ran out and got us pizza for dinner. Then I played the Wii with J&G until bed time. I was to play poker but my friend was sick so no game tonight. L&I watching college ball relaxing.

101112 - Up for an early morning call. I ran G to sitter as L had more teacher conferences today. More calls all morning. Ran out to Saddle Run to get the gas turned on. Back to desk and finished a PMP class. After work the boys and I headed to the bank, steak and shake and office store, L went out with the girls. We dropped J off at bday party and DG&I loaded D's iPod touch with music. G&I ran to pick up J and then back home and played Wii. Got jammies on and we all stayed up late watching an old army movie. L home late, but only minutes after I got the boys to bed :-o

100925 + Games Caches & Knights

100925 + Up and out to D's baseball game with G. D was up twice and got two hits: a single & a double! L&J to J's soccer game. J is playing more offense and likes it, but no goal today. All home for lunch, then back out... JG&I headed to the office supply store and then went hunting for and found the next 2 geocaches closest to our house.


L&D got groceries. We all met back home again to watch to OSU game and eat snacks.
After the game DJ&I headed to our Raising a Modern Day Knight, Back to School dinner; there were 15 of us! We ordered the pizzas and then D gave his presentation on Knighthood, he's did very well.


The pizzas came and as we ate the Dads told stories of when we were kids in school and our memories and fears. I then gave a short presentation on how all the boys there were Pages and what we expected of them. I presented each boy with a composition notebook and related the pages in the books to the events/pages of their lives. I had a special present for J, I got him a leather composition notebook cover with his name pressed into it. It is really nice and will last him a lifetime. At this time the keynote speaker showed up, Doc.



Doc came in and talked to the boys about his life growing up and how the boys should act to become successful men. The all absorbed everything he had to say. It was a very successful event! Home and all boys to bed.

100423 - Coat of Arms

100423 - Up worked all day.  L did some mowing and the boys helped me pull the pump out of our well for its yearly inspection.  D went to his friends house to play.
We all got in the car, stopped by to pick up D and headed to Subway for dinner, then to Blockbuster for some entertainment, then to Once Upon a Child so L could seel off some old strollers and stuff.
Back home and Brain stopped by for a beer and to play sword fighting with the boys.  When Brian left the boys and I headed to the basement to do one of our Raising a Modern Day  Knight assignments.  Tonight we designed a family coat of arms.  The boys like surfing the web looking at examples, coloring the blank shields I printed off for them and giving me ideas.  We did this all while watching '7 Faces of Dr. Lao', a 1960's movie that had G hiding behind the couch...  I got the boys to bed and then worked on the coat of arms; below is what we ended up with.

Definitions:

The motto banner on top is in Latin and mean 'Five as one always"

The white shield signifies sincerity and peace.

The Helmet is of the protector design and stands guard over all.

The blue diamonds represent me (M on top of a W, makes 2 diamonds).

  -  the Blue signifies strength and loyalty

The golden chalice w/ oak leaves signifies Lori

  - the chalice is a represent the female

  - gold is for generosity

  - oak leaves represent fertility

The orange cross represents God

  - orange signifies a worthwhile ambition

The green chevron signifies the roof of a house and its protection

  - green is hope and loyalty in love

  In the chevron are my three sons:

    - symbol of the first born = shape label = Dylan, purple for regal

    - symbol for second born = crescent = Jack, gold for generosity

    - symbol for third born = star = Grant, red for warrior

The bull signifies valor and bravery, as well as out roots in the Farm

The bottom banner is our name.

100311 - My Knight in Shining Armor

100311 - Up, feeling a bit better today.  I did the usual work all day, run out have dinner then off to Scouts with D.  We had a game night at scouts and everyone played various games.  The Den leader and I faced off in Cribbage, pretty cool.  After Scouts D & I hit Caribou Coffee.  Now let me give you a little insight to this next section...  I am, with a group of other dads in the area doing this 'Raising a Modern Day Knight'.  Our assignment this week was to interview our sons and see how we are doing as dads...
So here we go...
D got hot chocolate, I got coffee and we found a comfy place to sit.  I explain the Raising a Modern Day Knight things to him and he looks interested, it si quite cool.  I asked him how I was doing and he squirmed around a bit and said 'Your doing ok'.  He then burns his mouth horribly bad with the hot chocolate, I get him some ice water.
I then ask him what it is I do best.  Without much thinking he says 'Do stuff and Build stuff with us.  I love it when I get to do stuff with you and you take the time to be with me.'  OK so we are making progress, he is opening up.. Maybe I am doing ok!
Then I ask, what can I do better????  Not much lag in the response here either  :-o  He said 'You swear too much and work to much.  I want you to become a teacher so you can have the entire summers off and be with us more.'  Well I tried to blame the swearing on his mother, but he wasn't buying that....  But the teaching thing didn't sound like such a bad idea....
We had quiet a long conversation about many other things; what things were like when I was a boy, what we think cars will be like in the future...  all sorts of stuff.  And then we talked about Jack.  About jack being sick a lot and how careful we have to be and especially how scared both him and his friend were only days ago at the Sugar Camp when Jack nearly choked to death...  It was a hard discussion for us.  But a good one.
One last question before we had to leave...
What is the one thing you would change about me if you could?
D responded without any hesitation at all, 'I would give you your eye back'.
In everything we talked about, this hit me the hardest.  Fighting back the emotions, it was time to go....

What a good young Knight I already have!