Make a wish...

(Michael blogging...) Here is the action from Carter and Brendan snapping the wishbone.

Visit to Spokane

(Michael blogging...) Took a trip to Yakima and Spokane a few days ago and managed to squeak in a visit to my long-time friend David at the end of the trip. While I wish I had time for a longer visit - I did manage to snap this photo as I was getting into the car at the early hours of Thursday morning on the way to the airport.

The view is from his house in northern Spokane that overlooks a great view of the city and there was a nice crescent moon in the sky. Thanks for the visit, David!

Halloween 2010

(Michael blogging...)

Just a few quick pics of my four on Halloween night.

Pumpkin Carve-off 2010

(Michael blogging...) Even though tonight was a school night - it also was one of the few nights we had left where we'd have all the kids together at one time before Halloween. Ergo, we rationed, we must carve pumpkins! So - with that, Ethan and I and his friend Marissa, shuffled off to Fred Meyer to pick out three shiny orange gourds (but of course had to settle for dirty ones).

Now - undoubtedly, your first reaction must be: "But, Michael! You have six kids in the house. How could three pumpkins be enough?!?!" Because! This summer Laura and I bought a few pumpkin plants from the Beaverton Farmer's market and planted them on the side of the house. A week or so ago, we harvested our bountiful crop and reaped a net total of four healthy sized pumpkins! Yowza!

Now armed with seven total pumpkins and our ever-sturdy little carving knives, Laura and I orchestrated a giant pumpkin-carving event of which all kids participated. First we lopped off the tops of the pumpkins and set the kids to the task of degutting the seeds and innards. After about 20 minutes of that - all the pumpkins had been scraped more thoroughly than a fisherman's' knuckles.

However, before anyone was allowed to cut into the face of their pumpkin - each kid was asked to draw their design idea on a 3x5 card so that Laura and I could assist with the actual carving, when needed. All the drawings were pretty standard for pumpkin fare - although Emma's pumpkin was to come complete with eyelashes and Carter's initial drawing looked simply like a pumpkin that had been strafed with gunfire (I urged him to reconsider and he acquiesced).

Getting Emma to dip her arm into the juicy guts and seeds of the pumpkin was the most difficult task of the night. The best I could get her to do was to gingerly and carefully lower her arm into the pumpkin just enough to grab a single seed with two fingers - and then reverse the process to take the seed out - taking extreme caution to never let her arm graze the side of the pumpkin shell. It was like a live-action, Halloween version of the board game "Operation." Once the seed was removed, she held it out in front of her like a dead cockroach and dropped it into the garbage can - thoroughly nonplussed with the entire experience. Nonetheless, all the other boys (and Marissa, too) dove into the task with zeal and aplomb.

Eventually, all pumpkins were carved and Laura set them alight on the front porch. While I still have misty-eyed reverie for my Obama pumpkin from two years ago - I must say, these are a pretty fine damn bunch of pumpkins!

Next year, Laura and I will plant our pumpkin starters in a different spot in the yard and (hopefully) we'll get a bigger yield. Who knows - maybe we'll have so many we'll need to make all forms of pumpkin-based desserts and baked goods out of them - just like the amazing pumpkin pecan crumble cake that I am just now polishing off! Now - bring on the trick-or-treaters!

Acolyting for the first time...

(Michael blogging...) Emma and Carter had their first experiences as acolytes at our church. This means that they get to wear little white robes and carry a flame to the front of the church and light the candles at the front of the sanctuary during the first part of the Sunday service.

After a few times of running though the routine for practice - it was showtime! They both pulled it off without a hitch and beamed with pride as they walked back down the aisle. I met them both afterward to help them disrobe and tell them that they did a great job. Carter's reply was: "Now everyone knows I'm old enough to handle fire!" Great...

First Day of School

(Michael blogging...) Not that the first day of school is some unexpected or novel event - but it's a continuing rite of passage and a great opportunity to take pictures! Ethan is in 8th grade, Harry in 4th, and Emma and Carter are now in 1st grade!

Labor Day...with very little labor this time!

(Michael blogging...) For the umpteenth time - our church held the annual all-church campout over Labor Day weekend. This year - we had it at Nehalem Bay State Park campground.

Ethan and Justin both spent the bulk of their time with the youth group - leaving Laura and I to "only" have to tend to Harry, Brendan, Emma, and Carter. All four of them enjoyed their time on the beach and even had a chance to fly a kite!

We were both surprised at how well the whole weekend went - and how little stress we felt, even with the pending start to the school year. We had a little rain at night - but the daytime weather was sublime!

Laura and I may even press our luck and help plan the next year's campout. After all - they should only keep getting easier, right?

Brendan provide, perhaps, the most memorable moment of the campout when he saw Carter gnawing on a stick he just dug out of the brush. With utter disgust and incredulity, he admonished Carter for this act of barbarity and I was lucky enough to take a picture at that precise moment.

Just a quick photo...

(Michael blogging...) This is a quick snapshot of the Hawthorne Bridge as I waited for the bridge to lower after a tub boat went underneath a few mornings ago. Picture taken from my cell phone - so, sorry about the low-res image.

Backpacking trip in the Gorge

(Michael blogging) Finally got around to a promise that I had made to Harry and Ethan: an overnight backpacking trip. This was the first one for Ethan since the one we took several years ago where my truck was broken into and robbed during our trip. For Harry - this was his first trip altogether.

We started at the base of Multnomah Falls and walked up the crowded path to the bridge and all the way to the observation deck at the top. One of the cool features they have at the falls trail now are wooden posts at each turn in the trail to tell you how many switchbacks are left (1 of 11, 2 of 11, etc.). It was a great way for the boys to set goals and track their progress.

After peeking over the edge of the waterfalls for a few moments - we hiked back into the woods until we came upon a nice spot to camp and set up our tents. We got the tents up, made dinner, filtered more water, made a campfire, and had s'mores. Life was great!

We decided to all sleep in one tent and use the other tent for gear storage. Good thing too because we had a brief rain shower in the morning which got the gear tent a little soggy.

We slept in to our hearts content and then had our breakfast. The boys played while I packed up and then we made our way back out. On the hike down - we saw a giant great blue heron flying up the gorge. It was spectacular!

Next up for Ethan and me will be a multi-day trip and for Harry, too, after he gets his leg strength up. Hopefully, Emma and Carter will come on a trip next year!

Dad & Me Camp 2010

(Michael blogging...) Three weeks ago (yes...it was that long ago - I'm a busy guy) Emma and Carter and I packed up our bags and headed out to Camp Magruder on the Oregon Coast for their first foray into Dad & Me Camp.

For the uninitiated, Dad & Me Camp is a Friday through Sunday event for dads and their kids who are in the age range of Kindergarten through 2nd grade. Harry and I did this camp for all three years he was eligible and we loved it. Harry, of course, graduated out of the camp last year - but Emma and Carter were able to go for the first time...which means that I get to go again, too!

We did all sorts of fun stuff like making nametags and paper, going out on Smith Lake in a rowboat, feeding and caring for the now-retired donkeys, lots of beach play, campfires, a hike up and down the pygmy trails (which they did with surprising aplomb and zeal), and, of course, the rope swing. The bugs and mosquitoes were not too bad and the weather was great.

Meals were the typical camp fair - but passable enough to get us through the week. We stopped off, of course, at the Tillamook Cheese Factory on the way there and the way home - both now to be established as firm tradition. I tried to get Emma and Carter to try something other than Mint Chocolate Chip - but then reminded myself that I was getting Rocky Road again for the umpteenth time. So - we all ate our ice cream with contentment.

Both Emma and Carter are stoked to go back next year - as am I. They talked all about it on the ride home. Well - at least for the first 10 minutes of the ride home - because they crashed out immediately before we even got out of the city of Tillamook. Can't say I blame them - they played hard!

Back in the saddle again...

(Michael blogging....)

Although summer started weeks ago - it took until this week to finally be able to get back on the bike and commuting to and from work. My ride in this morning was great and my legs were a little weary from neglect - but managed just fine. Hope this helps the Project 40 goal. Since I went back to school last term - I gained back all my previous work and weight-loss. Time for a nice long walk later tonight, I hope!

Glad to be back on the road again!

Who needs the Sledge-o-matic.....

(Michael blogging...)

This is Carter when I brought home the watermelon for dinner.





And this is Carter shortly thereafter - polishing it off. Yikes!

Life's a beach...

(Michael blogging...) Well - since Spring break was last week, we felt obligated and moved to head to the beach. So, Thursday evening we packed up the Honda and headed south to Yachats.

Apparently that wasn't fast enough for Carter, who woke up that morning, donned the most beach-appropriate attire he could cull from his dresser, and declared to Laura that he was "ready to go." At 9:00 AM. Sadly, Carter would have to wait for me to get home around 4:30 before we could start moving.

Although we were only there for a few days, we really packed in a lot of activity and adventure. We started out on the way with a quick trip through Newberg and a stop at Jem 100 for dinner and ice cream. One more pit stop at the Newport Fred Meyer for sundries (and earbuds for Emma's DS) we pulled into Yachats about a few hours later.

Friday morning was nice as the kids all slept in for a bit and we had a great breakfast of sausage, eggs, OJ, and relaxation. After a quick call into Fred Meyer for a phone conference, we went to the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport (the former home of Keiko the whale).


All the kids enjoyed the jellyfish and the sharks and a particularly gross eel who kept poking his wrinkly, gray face out of a craggy rock and looking very much like a SpongeBob character. The trip was capped off by enjoying colored, crystallized sugar on a stick.

We knew our luck with the weather wouldn't hold - so we made sure to get down to the beach the next day and all the kids had a great time at Neptune Beach just down Highway 101 a few miles. Carter was intent on chucking as much sand, rocks, and logs into the creek with the giant ker-plunks and water spray and then spent some time playing in the water with Brendan and Harry. Justin forded the creek to get to the other side to explore the caves and forests and possible Goonies sightings. Ethan crossed the stream as well...in his denim jeans. 'Nuff said.

Eventually - we headed back to Yachats and played Rumicube, popped some popcorn and had dinner at Roca Mar. Alas - the trip had to end and we came home.

Can't wait to get back again in the summer.

At least Jerry Seinfeld made it funny...

(Michael blogging...) Okay - today we had some uninvited and very unwelcome guests. About 10–15 thousand of them.

I was about to leave for a 2:30 appointment with H&R Block and went out to the back deck to tell Laura I was leaving. I chatted with her for a few moments and then noticed - up in the air above the neighbor's house...a giant swarm of bees.

Now - when you hear someone say a "swarm" of bees, you may think they are merely engaging in hyperbole or are prone to hysterics. However, this was a literal swarm of bees. And, for whatever reason - they decided that our chimney seemed a fitting and humble abode. So - they proceeded to amass there. As they did - several of the nasty fuckers found there way into the house and met their grisly doom by means of Laura and the Dyson vacuum cleaner of death. We have about 100 or so dead bees in the dirt chamber at the moment. (Actually, not too sure how to dispose of them - come to think of it.)

The wood stove was actually humming and vibrating with the sound of the bees within and we knew (read: feared) that if we dared open the door to the stove - the bees would belch out into the living room and...well...we'd just have to move - that's all.


Anyhow - we managed to open the stove door quickly enough to throw a flaming newspaper wad into it and then - in rapid fits and starts - we added more paper and hoped that it would smoke them out of the chimney. And it did! Right out of the chimney and onto the pergola over the deck.

They decided to choose (I suppose according to The Queen Bee's directive??) a comfy corner of a pergola post and ... then ... they just stayed there and started to build a freakin' beehive.

In the meantime, when we were smoking them out - we managed to set off the smoke detector in the house - which, of course, is hard-wired to the fire department. So we had a fire truck with three fully geared-up firemen at our doorstep a few moments later. Great. I had to turn them away and try to smile as one them kept telling me to "BEE safe" from now on. I gave him a toothy grin, waved goodbye, gritted my teeth and muttered, "...Jackass...".

Well - better to have the bees out there than in the chimney, I suppose. Nevertheless, time to call the professionals.

We got a hold of a beekeeper from Milwaukee who was able to come out and scoop them away. Literally. He scooped them up into a small wooden box using a metal dustpan.

The ones he didn't get via the scoop method, he used a burning wad of burlap to smoke them away and many of them flew up into the box to rejoin their queen.

Our neighbors peered over the fence and watched the professionals do their thing. It was actually kind of interesting to watch and it only cost me $10 for his gas money. So - if you ever need a beekeeper...or maybe want to buy some bees, give Jim a call at 503-659-9718.

As of the next morning, the left-behinds have reformed their ranks and are in a tiny cluster about as big as my fist in the same spot on the pergola. Probably no more than 200 of them now.

I don't know if they're going to draw straws and decide who gets to be the new Queen - or perhaps the original Queen is still among them. The beekeeper assured me that he got the Queen because of the sheer odds involved when he took 99.9 percent of the bees. However, when he referred to this as "Murphy's Law" I was a little less than reassured. Hope he's a better beekeeper than a bard.

Project 40 - one month in

(Michael blogging...) Okay - it's been one month since I started "Project 40" - my attempt to return to my high school weight before my 40th birthday in January of 2011.

In sum: I started February at 202.75 pounds and ended the month at 196.75. I ran over 30 miles over the course of the month and played lots of basketball and hit the weights a bit, too.

I think the next few months should be the "make or break" time and my goal is to hit 190.00 before Easter Sunday. Then I can eat everyone's chocolate bunnies.

Back in the saddle again...

(Michael blogging...) Well - I finally convinced myself to do it: take the bike to work again. I've been meaning to do this - even though it's still technically winter and the kids are still in school - I had the opportunity to give it a shot as all the kids were with their other parents and the weather was...well...AWESOME!! At least in the afternoon...

...because in the morning it was 29 butt-chilling degrees cold. Yikes. But, I bundled up and headed out and was surprised at how well it went. Aside from the face that I realized I forgot a helmet about 5 minutes into the ride and had to turn around - all went well. The crossing of the Hawthorne Bridge was as beautiful as it ever was and you could see both Mt. Hood and Mt. St. Helens in their dusky-red, morning shade. I was so moved that as soon as I got to work and saw a colleague of mine, I waxed poetic and said, "That was one [bleep]ing cold ride in!"

I think I'll do it again in June.

Fruit Night

(Michael blogging...)

It's been one of my continuing goals to really push and encourage all four of my kids to eat more fruit. Laura's kids do just fine with this - but mine never got into the habit and it's been a bit of a battle of the past few years.

I tried gentle prodding...no dice. I tried bribery....no good. I tried screaming....fun - but still not effective.

So - a few nights ago I thought I try a new tact: chicanery.

I went to Fred Meyer and bought 10–15 different types of fruit. Mango, raspberries, pineapple, kiwi, etc. I cut each one up into tiny bits, placed them in small bowls, and set the bowls on the table.

Next, I created a scorecard for each fruit that had columns for "Love It", "It's Okay", "Hate it!" and "Not Sure." The scorecards also had a row for each kid's name. All six kids were required to eat a bite of each type of fruit and could then "vote" their opinion on the cards. Justin referred to the event as a "taste test." How very true!

Even though it still took a bit of prodding to get Emma to finish all the samples - she still did it all and actually had a full serving of fruit in the process. However, she only voted "love it" for grapes and cantaloupe. Everything else got a "Hate It." Ah well...

If all goes well - I'd like to repeat Fruit Night once a month and try introducing new fruits that even Laura and I haven't tried (what the hell is "star fruit" anyhow?) and hope for some really cool results. Like Emma having a normal bowel movement.