ummmmm...

Hey! It's Thursday! Want to read about what the whole gang did for Friends' Thanksgiving this year?

Well, you should read it then...

we traveled to Tyler...

for Thanksgiving. Good times! Thursday we watched the Cowboys whoop up on the Bucs and had our own little game in cousin Tim & Jennifer's front yard. Coan was running and tackling the bigger kids...





It was a free for all and the penalties starting flying...

On Friday, Crawdaddy and I snuck in a round of golf...umm, I mean went to the doctor. I had a fever of 108 and Crawdaddy had a fever of 107. The doctor prescribed a couple of doses of Jim Beamadryl and some relaxation time at the heated hotel pool.

Saturday was cousin Jennifer's baby shower so the guys hit the Putt Putt Golf & Games...

I think this was one of Crawdaddy's hole-in-ones...

The high school kid working there tried to give Coan a giant plastic putter because he was under five years old. I explained that he was a professional and had never played with one of those before. He gave him the real putter and said, "Okay, today he can be five."

Coan was excited about this hole and like a good three-year-old he couldn't read that sign...

there was a turkey day rhyme.

Today is a day when most people travel to spend time with their families, eat lots of food, drink lots of beer or wine, watch football, eat more food, drink more, pass out for a little nap, then wake up and start all over again. Thanksgiving is a day when carnivores eat a big fat juicy bird, vegetarians eat a tofurkey, and picky eater children get peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. That was me when I was a kid. Here is a little poem for you to share with your family today. Don't worry, it's okay to read this one out loud in front of the kids.

Turkey, Tofurkey, and PB&J

The time of year has come again
To be thankful for the things in our lives
Our sons and daughters, mothers and fathers
Our husbands and our wives

Let’s not forget about the little things
We are thankful for on this day
Like the Dallas Cowboys playing this year
A losing team from Tampa Bay

While sitting around catching up with the family
Talk about life at your child’s preschool
But remember the times that were really funny
Not the times when they broke the golden rule

When your plate is clean and you go back for seconds
Don’t worry about the extra pounds
At this point thirds will be looking real good
Yep, that’s your stomach making those sounds

Take a break and relax on the couch
Your grandpa will already be there
Half asleep but nobody knows how
With all the kids running and screaming in here

If the game is a blowout; your favorite team winning
Go outside for a game of catch
You’ll find your uncles and cousins tossing the football
Getting ready for this year’s rematch

When your meal finally settles and you go back in
Looking for grandma’s chocolate cake
Think about eating the pie instead
Hmmm…maybe later if you are still awake

Another day of thanks will come to an end
As your aunt packs up food from the buffet
Some of the best leftovers to enjoy again later
A little bit of turkey…tofurkey…and PB&J.

Here is a Thanksgiving Day poem from a class at in Waco, TX. My Aunt Nancy opened a charter school in the fall of 1998 and they have been adding grades every year. This poem was from a class in the fall of 2001.

I had too much...

free time, I guess. Apparently I don't think working on eBay, taking care of the kids, writing a blog and a column for Quirkee.com, and watching all of the TV shows recorded on our DVR keeps me busy enough... so I've created a new blog. This one is called "Your Photo Project" and it is a blog for any and all novice to prosumer photographers to submit a photo related to the current month's theme. The theme until the end of the year will be Industrial and Architectural Photos. Submit one of your own or pass this link along to any photography lover you know. The more the better!

www.yourphotoproject.blogspot.com

a Quirkee Thursday video...

made it's way onto this blog. If you read yesterday's post before this one it will make more sense. Coan loves this song by the Barenaked Ladies. His favorite part is at the end when they sing about buying a monkey. I found this video on YouTube and it was created by Fluff & Such Puppet Productions.

It's hard to find something more Quirkee than puppet videos. Speaking of Quirkee, check out today's new edition where I write...

"When I started a blog earlier this year it had been at least 8 years since I had written anything and it was writing assignments in English class at the local community college. I have always enjoyed writing so I decided to pick it up again with a blog about my life as a stay-at-home dad and the lives of my kids for them to read someday. A couple of months later my friend for many years asked if I would write a column for Quirkee about the same thing. Naturally I jumped on the chance and have enjoyed every minute."

Can't wait to read more? I know you have waited a whole week so I won't stop you from clicking on the link below.


WAIT!


Just kidding. Go ahead...

I found the coolest thing...

at Goodwill. Thrift stores used to be the place where I found most of the merchandise I sold on eBay. Now that I purchase the majority of my inventory from wholesalers or liquidators, I don't stop at thrift stores but maybe a couple of times a week. I used to hit around 10 different shops about 5-6 days a week while the Little Mister was at school. Now I just casually check a few out when Baby Girl and I are out running errands. Sometimes I find stuff to sell on eBay and sometimes I find things that I can't live without...like this sweet brand new lamp for $7.99...

I love thrift stores. One man's trash is definitely this man's treasure. You wish you had one, don't you? The little golf ball is the on/off knob! Coan wishes he could have it in his room instead of me keeping it on my desk. Too bad, my boy. You got the soccer ball lamp last year from Goodwill. It's Daddy's turn! I'll pass it down to you someday as it is now a family heirloom...like this awesome golfing monkey Nana painted for Papa many years ago...





that has been passed on (finally!) to us. I've always wanted a monkey.

life deals you a hand...

and you just have to play it. There are many choices you make during the course of life and you look back on them hoping you made the right ones. I have often looked back and wished that I had made different ones, like finishing college before I got married, or not turning left in front of that car going straight 6 weeks after I got my drivers license. My little 1982 Datsun 200SX took a beating on that decision.

I know that I made the right decision when I decided to marry the woman I love and start a family. Having kids has been a wonderful experience and I wouldn't trade it for the world. You know you have made a good choice in life when you don't mind...



having to teach someone how to NOT pee on the back of a toilet and aim for the water. Over and over again. And you don't care if they miss as long as they try.


Life is good.

you know the drill...

It's Quirkee Thursday! No quirky photo today, but I'll tell you a quirky story instead.

This week has been full of surprises from our little devil, I mean angel son. We got a call on Monday that he was missing recess on the playground. Apparently at the snack table one of the other kids turned to another and said "I'm going to kill you." So Coan turned to one of the other kids and repeated "I'm going to kill you, too!" That's just great. They are three and four years old! He doesn't even know what that means! But, I guess in this day and age you have to set them straight early on. This is one of those instances when Stephanie says to me, "That's your child."

Another "your child" situation happened this morning when, at the snack table of course, Coan turned to the kid next to him and grabbed his Teddy Graham. He knows not to take food from other people's plates and swiping a Teddy Graham is a major no-no. So, the kid turned and bit his finger. OUCH! I told you Teddy Graham's are special and this kid was out to prove it. There was no blood but Coan cried a little bit. I guess he won't be wahooing food from other kids' plates anymore. I should have told him the crayon story from my days in kindergarten.

Stephanie claims these little troublemaker happenings with Coan only prove that he is my son. I sure hope so. That means they didn't accidentally mix up my sperm in the lab.

Now go on and get you some...

I added an audio/video/photo player...

to the blog. The only thing on there right now is audio of Julia laughing. Somehow when I uploaded it the speed of the file was changed so she sounds like a squirrel. When I figure out how to fix the problem you will be able to hear it in real time. Until then, enjoy the sounds of Baby Girl the Squirrel!

(p.s. click the music note on the player)

I didn't feel very well...

which is why there is not a Quirkee Thursday post.

Last weekend the whole family started to feel bad. Then Crawdaddy and Mitzi came for her birthday and Halloween festivities and we got them sick. At first I thought it was just allergies, but the clogged sinuses, cough and fever showed up. I spent most of the day yesterday doing nothing but lying on the couch, floor, bed, or wherever I could rest my head and still see the kids. Neither one of my little devils angels would take a nap. Most of the afternoon was full of time outs and me groaning for some backup, but Steph was at work in an all day meeting and team Crawdaddy/Mitzi left at 7:45 AM. At one point I thought I might cry, then realized that if I did that AND watched General Hospital at the same time I would have to do some serious self-evaluation of my mental health.

When I'm sick I'm pretty worthless around the house. I think Coan picked up on that. I eventually threw in the towel on the whole time out situation then retired to the couch and watched him throw baby toys at his sister. They were soft toys and she was laughing, so I let it go. He dumped out the big toy bucket on the kitchen floor and she played in a pile of toys for about an hour. During that time, about 4 of the toys started playing sounds and music at the same time. It sounded like a toy orchestra warming up. It was torture, but I couldn't talk myself into rolling off the couch to go and turn them off. I was saving that energy for any crisis that may occur before Stephanie came home.

I did manage to create a new header for the blog. The leaf and turkey is art Coan made last year at school. He brings home tons of art from school and they sure do make good headers. Pretty soon Julia will be creating her own artful treasures!

Here's that fun pile of toys I was talking about...