Hamiltonium

"Lary and the Grasshopper King" by Cole

2012-02-02T06:55:00.000-08:00

Here is a comic, written and narrated by Cole. It features several of his recurring characters, Unlucky Lary [sic], Army Worms, U.F.O.s from Space, and a new one the Grasshopper King. I'm not exactly sure why it's billed as "Two comics in one!!!". Maybe because it's so epic.

Enjoy.

"Lary, who's a boy,

gets into a rocket ship and takes off.

Into space.

And then he's in space

and an asteroid comes and hits a pipe and then the thing explodes,

and then the rocket ship explodes,

and then he falls down to the planet Essk. And there he goes [splat].

And then King Grasshopper finds him, and his guard finds him.

And then they drag him with a rope and he wakes up,

and then they drag him into the city.

And then he gets put on a conveyor belt, and then onto a cement rock tank.

And he gets lowered next to a pit of lava

with a monster in it.

And the monster jumps out and bullets come

and scare it back into the water.

And then King Grasshopper runs this way, and then the alien who's in charge jumps off

, and then - it was the Army Worms. It's kind of like "Star Wars".

So the Captain points that way

and the ships shoot that way

and then hits a pole and one of the pieces breaks the rope

and Lary's free!

And then he points the other way

and then another ship comes

and shoots the other pole.

And then Lary grabs onto a rope,

and then a guard throws a spear at the rope, and then he's like, "Aaaah!"

And then the spear hits the rope,

and he was only hanging on one side.

And then the alien gets mad,

and he throws his spear

and both strings break,

and Lary falls.

But then he gets back on.

And then he flies away.

And then the city gets destroyed.

And then they're still there,

and then they get lassoed,

and then they get pulled away.

And then they go in jail.

And then they beat up each other.

The end."

Maybe it'll make more sense when you hear Cole explain it. Maybe not.

Too soon?

2012-02-01T06:59:00.000-08:00

Well, at least he knows what he wants...

Overheard while doing homework

2012-01-31T06:02:00.000-08:00

Mary was helping Grant with a "how-to" report, for which he had to describe how to do something. He decided to explain how to fold a paper airplane.

Mary: Fold the point up.
Grant [spelling it as he wrote it]: F-O-L-D T-H-E P-O-I-N-T U-P. [gasp] I said, "You pee"!

Overheard at breakfast

2012-01-30T06:00:00.000-08:00

Grant: Dad, when you were born, did you have any lights, like, electricity?

Gee, how old does he think I am, anyway?

Return of the little artist

2012-01-27T06:37:00.000-08:00

In October 2010, Mary and I made the tough decision to stop sending the boys to art class for a while. It made us sad, because they were all enjoying it, and they were all showing improvement. They would show off their drawings to us every week, and I would rotate their new artwork into the frames into our dining room.

Our decision was prompted by two things: with Aidan and Cole in football and Grant in soccer, our schedule was getting out of hand, and sending three boys to art class every week was also getting pretty expensive. Keep in mind that this was before Mary went back to work. It was a hard decision to make, and from what I remember, the boys were all pretty disappointed. I also remember how hard it was to tell the teacher that we were going to take a break, and that we didn't know when the boys would be back. The day the boys took their incomplete artwork home with them was a sad one.

But I knew at least one of our sons would be back. Fast forward to 2012, and the boys have all pretty much settled into their chosen activities. Aidan is sticking with football, and Grant wants to stay in soccer. Cole made it clear that he doesn't enjoy playing sports much, and anyone who knows him knows that it's drawing that he likes more than anything. Needless to say, he was excited when we asked him if he wanted to do Little Artists again. But this time, Cole's on his own. Aidan's got his own thing, and Grant's got his, so why can't Cole?

I sometimes wonder if he's really getting anything out of Little Artists, since there isn't much instruction as far as I can tell. The teachers rotate around the room, giving pointers to the students, but I don't see them talking to the kids about construction, composition, line, value, form, etc. Each week, the students choose a piece from a binder and reproduce it in whatever media they're currently working in. I think the benefit of that for Cole is the copying, since he tends to do most of his drawing at home from imagination. That's a great thing, but the copying also teaches him hand-eye coordination.

The bottom line is, if Cole is enjoying it, I say it's a good thing. It certainly can't hurt. Now if only we could also find a physical activity that he enjoys...

Introducing Yoda Zip, Jr.

2012-01-26T06:57:00.000-08:00

When Zip died, Cole didn't waste any time mourning the loss of his pet, because he knew he could get another fish. He even had a name picked out for it: Zip, Jr.

So a couple of days after laying Zip to rest, Cole went to Petco and picked out his new companion. He's a feisty little guy, a bit smaller than the other betta fish. Because of his size, Cole decided to name him after a certain little Jedi master, but also wanted to honor his predecessor. Hence, Yoda Zip, Jr.

Cole was also very particular about what should be in Yoda Zip, Jr.'s tank. I had to throw out the fake plant that was in the tank before, since Zip was pretty ripe by the time we took him out. Cole didn't care about a plant, though - he wanted a tiki statue for the tank. We told him that betta fish need a place to hide to feel safe, so he reluctantly agreed to put a plant in the tank if he could still have a tiki. And the little plastic rock that was in the tank before.

It took Yoda Zip, Jr. a couple of days to get used to his new home, next to Beatty on Aidan's and Cole's book shelf. In any case, it's got to be better than the digs he had at Petco.

Welcome, Yoda Zip, Jr.!

A funny thing happened on the way to Monster Jam

2012-01-23T06:42:00.000-08:00

The day had finally arrived - Saturday was the day the boys had been waiting for ever since Santa Claus left four tickets to Monster Jam in my stocking. Unfortunately, things don't always turn out as one had hoped.

The thing I had worried most about during the week turned out to be a non-issue. In fact, the rain that was expected turned out to be a benefit, since it made the dirt wetter for the monster trucks to slide around on. I was just afraid that we were going to have to sit out in the rain. No, that wasn't the problem. It cleared up in the afternoon, and the evening turned out to be clear and a bit chilly.

The problem started in the early afternoon, when Aidan complained about a headache. When Mary suggested that he go lay down and get some rest, especially since it would be a late night, he didn't complain. A bad sign. It got worse when I woke him up a couple of hours later, saw his red cheeks and felt his forehead. I took his temperature and confirmed that he was running a fever. Of all the days to happen, it had to be this one. And of all my sons, Aidan was most looking forward to Monster Jam. He's usually the one who asks to watch it every weekend, and he leads the debates about who's the best driver and which is the best truck.

I still held out hope. Aidan really wanted to go, and I didn't want him to have to miss it. Life can't be that cruel, can it? I gave him some Tylenol and asked him to get himself ready to go. My plan was to take the boys to dinner and then head to the stadium. But when I checked on him a few minutes later, he was still sluggish, and his eyes were only half open. But he was determined to go.

To be on the safe side, since Aidan does tend to throw up when he runs a fever, Mary gave him a bowl to take with him in the car. He didn't even get that far. We were still in the garage when Aidan got sick. Let me just tell you, it's really hard to stand there and comfort your child, when he really wants something, his body is telling him it's not going to happen, and he realizes his body is probably right.

But I still didn't give up hope. We decided that I'd take Cole and Grant to dinner, and check afterwards to see if Aidan was doing better. Unfortunately, he wasn't. He'd gotten sick again. It just wasn't going to happen. We promised Aidan we'd make it up to him - Monster Jam would be back, and he'd get to go next time.

So it was just me, Cole, Grant - and an empty seat. Sure, we enjoyed the show, but I couldn't help looking over at Aidan's seat, wishing he was there.

Cole and Grant had a great time, of course, and Santa hooked us up with some excellent, mid-field tickets. And man, it was loud, despite our earplugs.

At dinner (they insisted on McDonald's - why class up the evening?), Cole even made a couple of signs to hold up - one for Grave Digger, and one for Maximum Destruction. Grave Digger and even Son-Uva Digger were there, but no Max-D. Cole didn't complain, but for some reason, asked me to hold up his signs for him. When he noticed that I was only holding them shoulder-high, he scolded me, but I told him I didn't want to block the view of the people behind me. It's true, I swear!

Cole even thought he'd have a chance to meet Linsey Weenk, driver of the Lucas Oil Crusader, who came into the audience after his freestyle run. He asked if he could go, and I told him sure, he could try. Cole ran down to meet Weenk, but just missed him as he went into the section right next to us. Ah well, at least he wasn't afraid to try. I was glad to see him get excited about it.

After the show, we decided to make Aidan feel a little better by getting him a K'NEX (kind of like a Lego) Mohawk Warrior truck. I left it next to the clock on his clock so he'd see it the next morning, with a note that said "To Aidan, We missed you, Love, Cole, Grant and Dad". And it's true, we missed him a lot.

Aidan woke up the next morning, and the fever was gone. He didn't complain about missing the show, and he was happy with his new toy. I was glad it at least made him feel a little better. And you know what? There will be a next time. And I'm sure Aidan will make it.

Overheard in the car

2012-01-20T06:08:00.000-08:00

One day, we were talking about Jackie Robinson, whom Aidan picked as the subject for a book report.

Me: I'm sure it wasn't easy for him, since there were probably a lot of people who didn't want him on the team. Back then, there were people who didn't think black people were equal to everyone else. But someone's got to be the first. It takes a lot of courage to be first at something.
Aidan: I want to be the first person to ride a great white shark.

I'm sorry, did the subject just get changed?

Overheard at dinner time

2012-01-19T06:07:00.000-08:00

Grant: Mama, what was the date when you met Daddy?
Mary: June 30, 1990. It was about... 12:30 in the afternoon?
Me: And it was love at first sight.
Mary: Well...
Cole: What about 16 million sights?

Gee, I sure hope it didn't take that many.

Overheard in the kitchen

2012-01-18T06:57:00.000-08:00

Grant: Would I be in the corner for a lot of minutes if I said the "Z" word?
Me: The "Z" word? There is no "Z" word.
Grant: Uh-huh. It rhymes with the "D" word.

Am I missing something here?

Overheard while getting in the car

2012-01-11T06:59:00.000-08:00

Grant: Is it going to rain?
Me: No, it's just overcast.
Grant: Help, it's gonna rain on me! It's gonna overcast on me!

Overheard in the kitchen

2012-01-10T06:55:00.000-08:00

Over the holidays, our friend Claudia found out that her cat, Jewell, had an inoperable tumor and had to make the difficult decision to put Jewell to sleep.

Cole: Mom, I'm very sad that Jewell is going to die, and she doesn't even know it.
Mary: Well, honey, she's a cat, and Claudia can't really explain it to her.
Grant: Couldn't she just act it out?

Overheard at Hodad's

2012-01-09T06:57:00.000-08:00

This is the best Saturday ever!

- Cole, who was enjoying his bacon cheeseburger, frings, and the free milkshakes the owner gave to the boys. The only problem is, it was Sunday.

Overheard at Mission Beach

2012-01-06T06:57:00.000-08:00

It looks like the new moon is in the old moon's arms!

- Cole, seeing the lunar eclipse early one December morning

Overheard at Desert View Tower

2012-01-03T06:30:00.000-08:00

Did dinosaurs used to watch movies about fake people?

- Grant, wondering outloud as we hiked around Boulder Park

One word: Christmas 2011

2011-12-25T09:02:00.001-08:00

Legos

Dear Santa

2011-12-24T06:35:00.000-08:00

Dear Santa,

I know you're busy this time of year, so I'll keep this short. I'm writing to make sure you consider putting Aidan, Cole and Grant on your "nice" list.

I know you understand that all children have their good days and bad days - even good moments can quickly be followed by bad ones. It's part of being a kid. And it's true that they probably did have a fight over a toy, like you mentioned when they saw you, and yes, Grant has trouble keeping his clothes off his floor. You really do keep an eye on things, don't you?

Sure, I come home from work only to have the first thing the boys tell me is how one of them kicked him in the face, or he got poked in the eye, or how someone said a word he wasn't supposed to. Was I any different when I was a kid? I think not.

The fact is, they're good boys. Consider how Cole's teacher recently told me about Aidan and Cole, "They are so wonderful. You are truly blessed." And remember how Coach Marco and the Patriots team mom this year went on and on about how well-behaved Aidan is, and what a pleasure it is to have him on the team? Doesn't that outweigh a few bad decisions, like taking your brother's toy, or antagonizing someone, or not listening? I would hope so. Don't forget how Officer Garcia chose Aidan out of all the other Cub Scouts, because he'd been such a good and respectful listener. As for Grant, he may forget to clean up his toys or destroy them when he's in a bad mood, but one of the moms who volunteers in his class recently told me what a good student he is, and what a nice boy he is in class.

I'm sure know all of this already. I just thought that, if it's not too late, I'd put in a good word for the boys. They have their moments, but we all do. Please, Santa, consider putting them on the "nice" list this year?

Thanks in advance, and have a merry Christmas. We'll leave cookies and a carrot out for you and the reindeer.

Love,

Steve

Well, there's a rumor floating around that, uh, that the parents do it

2011-12-23T06:37:00.000-08:00

I could see it coming when the following scene came on while we were watching "Elf" the other night. I just didn't know who was going to say something.

Buddy: [Gasps] Santa's sleigh!
Papa Elf: You're gonna help me make it fly.
Buddy: I thought the magical reindeer made the sleigh fly.
Papa Elf: And where do the reindeer get their magic from?
Buddy: Christmas spirit. Everybody knows that.
Papa Elf: Well, silly as it sounds, a lot of people down south don't believe in Santa Claus.
Buddy: What?! Well, who do they think puts all? their toys under the tree?
Papa Elf: Well, there's a rumor floating around that, uh, that the parents do it.
Buddy: That's... that's ridiculous. I mean, parents couldn't do that all in one night. What about Santa's cookies? I suppose parents eat them, too?
Papa Elf: Yeah, I, uh, I... I know, uh, and every earless and less people believe in Santa Claus. I mean, we have a real energy crisis on our hands.

Turns out, it was Cole.

"Daaaaaad," he said, looking over at me, and then at the tree.

"What?" I replied, trying my best to keep a straight face. See, I'm a terrible liar, and when I try it, I usually get a sheepish grin on my face. Please, don't start smiling, I thought. Where is Mary when I need her?! Of all nights be out shopping with her sister Connie!

"It's you," Cole said.

Busted.

(Please don't smile)

"Cole, Santa brings presents for us, too," I calmly explained to Cole, knowing it was easier to not respond directly to his insinuation. After all, what could I say that wasn't a lie?

Cole looked at me for a second, and then looked at the tree. Aidan was still watching the movie. Grant was watching us. Please don't smile. Please don't smile.

Cole gave me another glance, and then started watching the movie again. The doubt is there, but he didn't say another word about it. But I have a feeling he'll be eyeing the gifts under the tree and watching us a little more closely this year.

To Santa, from Cole: Prince Peppermint vs. Santa's Elves: The Secret Stone (last part!)

2011-12-22T06:48:00.000-08:00

And now, the conclusion of the Prince Peppermint trilogy. Enjoy.

Zip, 2009(?) - 2011

2011-12-21T12:53:00.000-08:00

"Dad, I think something's wrong with Zip," Cole told me last Sunday as we were getting ready to go to the symphony. "He's at the bottom of his tank, and his head looks funny." Unfortunately, Zip had passed on to the big fishtank in the sky.

Cole had taken pride in little Zip, who was a gift from Santa Claus almost exactly two years ago. He drew a "ZIP" sign that he kept in front of Zip's tank, and decorated his tank with a dinosaur carved out of stone, and a couple of special rocks.

Zip was put to his final resting place yesterday, under the crepe myrtle tree in our back yard near Goldie's grave (Grant has already picked out a plot for Valentiny Tim Tim, and even started digging it yesterday). Cole dug the hole, into which we put his paper clip box coffin. Grant kept hounding me to see Zip before we put him in, but Cole didn't want to see him. In fact, when I told him Zip was dead, he didn't want to go into his room until I took him out. I put a shroud over his tank until we were able to bury him.

Still, you'd think Cole would have been more sentimental about Zip, but no. We ended the ceremony by placing a rock that Cole picked out on top of Zip's grave. When I asked if anyone had any words to say, Cole just said, "He had a long life". That may be true, since the average life span of a betta is two to three years, and we don't know how old Zip was when he came to us. When asked if he was OK, Cole later told Mary, "That's OK, I'm not too sad. I know I can get another fish."

So long, Zip.

Overheard in the kitchen

2011-12-21T06:51:00.000-08:00

Goofy is playing Bob Marley.

- Aidan, who has been having trouble keeping Jacob Marley and Bob Cratchit straight lately, telling me about the Disney cartoon, "Mickey's Christmas Carol"

To Santa, from Cole: Prince Peppermint vs. Santa's Elves, Part 2: The Candy Cane War!

2011-12-20T06:11:00.000-08:00

Part two in the series of comics that Cole drew for Santa this year!

Santa's nemesis, Prince Peppermint, returns just like he promised

Santa's elves prepare to launch candy canes at Prince Peppermint's castle...

...while Santa and an elf study the plans (attentive readers will notice a subtle clue in this panel)

Santa's elves lead the charge!

The duel of the candy canes begins

10 hours later, the elfs (sic) are surrounded!

Santa comes to the rescue in his biplane!

He defeats the peppermints by dropping candy canes on them from above

Good thing his biplane is equipped with a catapult!

Candy canes rain down from above

Prince Peppermint's castle is left in ruins

After Santa lands, his elves celebrate by carrying him on their shoulders

To be continued...

Overheard in the car

2011-12-19T06:18:00.000-08:00

While driving by the Hilton in Mission Valley last night, Mary pointed out the unique way it lights its windows during the holidays.

Mom: Hey, guys, do you see what that hotel says?
Cole: "Hilton"?

Cole always did have an eye for details.

To Santa, From Cole: Prince Peppermint vs. Santa's Elves, Part 1

2011-12-16T06:00:00.000-08:00

Cole created a new comic series just for Santa Claus, and plans on leaving them out for him when he comes. Here we are introduced to Prince Peppermint, one of Santa's nemeses...

Prince Peppermint mocks Santa and his elves from his castle

Prince Peppermint studies his plans to defeat Santa...

...but Santa has plans of his own - and a clue points to Santa's sword. What could it mean?

Santa's elves begin their charge towards Prince Peppermint's castle

Uh-oh! Here come Prince Peppermint's minions!

Santa comes to the rescue - on a rocket!

Santa hurls the sword that was part of his plan

The sword hits its mark, slicing two peppermints in half

But what Santa really wanted to do was to break the ice with his sword!

Prince Peppermint and his castle fall into the crevasse created by the sword. Santa wins again!

To be continued...

Overheard in the living room

2011-12-15T06:57:00.000-08:00

That guy that plays the piano kind of looks like me.

- Cole, referring to Schroeder, while watching "A Charlie Brown Christmas"

Fish love Christmas, too

2011-12-14T06:10:00.000-08:00

To wit: Grant thought Valentiny Tim Tim should have his own (Lego) Christmas tree. You know, to go along with the dinosaur and shooter marble in his tank. "God bless us, every one" indeed.

To Santa, From Cole: Snowman War

2011-12-13T06:05:00.000-08:00

Cole sat down recently to draw some pictures that he intends to leave out for Santa Claus. I managed to scan this one before he sealed it in an envelope marked "DO NOT OPEN UNTIL CHRISTMAS!"

Apparently, this is an all-out war that Santa and the elves are waging against a giant, carrot-launching, machine gun-ridden snowman. There's just so much going on here. Where to start?

This brave little elf, with his rocket pack and machine gun, flies straight into danger, firing away at one of the snowman's eyes, while the other eye launches a rocket at him. Will he survive? We may never know, but it doesn't look good.

This little guy on his helmeted flying reindeer, blasts away, seemingly unaware that four carrots have been hurled in his direction. His bullet bounces off one carrot before eventually hitting its mark.

This duo teams up against the snowman, with one firing point blank and the other happily carving an X into the base of the snowman. The snowman fires back, but fortunately for these two elves, the bullets bounce off both of their helmets. Kennedy conspiracy theorists would be proud.

And here's Santa himself (marked "you" with an arrow), right in the middle of the action. He's just bounded off a carrot and now aims straight at the snowman, despite being upside-down and in mid-leap.

I have to wonder what Santa will make of this when he sees it on Christmas. Only Santa can answer that one.

He knows if you've been bad or good

2011-12-12T06:28:00.000-08:00

So what was the first thing Santa asked the boys when they visited him last week? Well, the first thing after commenting on their hats, that is?

Santa: So, you guys been good?
Boys: Yeah.
Santa: You guys haven't gotten into any fights lately, have you?

Silence. Cole fidgets with his hat.

Santa: Uh, maybe? How about yesterday, or the day before? Wasn't there a little fight about a toy?

Silence. Cole continues to fidget and Grant looks down and shakes his head.

Santa: Maybe?

Silence

Santa: Yeah. What about your rooms, you got all your toys picked up?
Boys [unconvincingly]: Yeah.
Santa: And your dirty socks been put in the laundry?

Grant looks at us, probably wondering how he knows these things.

Santa: Your chonies put away? Ho, ho, ho, ho.

At this point, he let the boys off the hook and asked what they wanted for Christmas. I think he made his point. And if anyone had any doubts about whether or not Santa knows if you've been bad or good, there's your proof. He knows.

So be good, for goodness sake.

All Aidan wants for Christmas is his THREE front teeth

2011-12-09T06:52:00.000-08:00

Well, that and Legos...

Will he have any left by the time Christmas comes? If you lose a tooth on Christmas Eve, is there a chance that Santa and the Tooth Fairy will bump into each other? Do they know each other? So many questions.

Overheard in the dining room

2011-12-07T06:58:00.000-08:00

Grant [listening to "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus"]: Why would someone be awake to see Santa Claus?
Me: I don't know, some kids are just sneaky and want to see Santa.
Grant: Santa Claus has 1,000 eyes.
Me: Really? Wow!
Grant: He has them on the front of his head, on the back of his head, all over the place.

I don't know what's more surprising: the fact that Grant wonders why someone would be awake to see Santa, and not why Mommy is kissing him; or this new image I have of Santa Claus...

The F-dash-dash-dash word

2011-12-06T06:28:00.000-08:00

Ah, movie nights. What a wonderful opportunity to enjoy time with the boys, and to expose them to some great films. And other stuff.

Obviously, we can't watch a movie every week and stick to G-rated films. That would not only be impossible, but it would be limit the number of great movies that the boys could see. And I want for them to be able to grow as movie-watchers, too.

So of course the occasional swear word gets uttered when we watch a PG-rated movie. Time was, Mary would get upset if the word "stupid" was used too many times - she wouldn't make a "tsk" sound, like her mom does, but she'd give me a warning look, as in "many more of those, and I pull the plug". After all, I'm usually the one who picks the movies we watch. Nowadays, she'll announce how many times a word has been used, as she did with "A Christmas Story" recently: "That's two..." she said when Flick used the term "smart ass" a second time. The countdown had begun.

Digression 1:
I remember going to see "A Christmas Story" in the theater with a couple of friends and my high school history teacher. I laughed hysterically, especially during the scene when Ralphie helps his dad change the car's flat tire, and he groans, "Oh, fuuuuuuuuuuuuudge" in slow motion as the bolts fly away into the air. I laughed so hard, I didn't even really hear what he said. I've since seen it many times, of course, and know what he says.

Digression 2:
Now, there are two special months in the year when I particularly enjoy movie nights: October and December. I carefully select age-appropriate Halloween and Christmas movies to watch. This year, I had a whole list of movies to watch in October, and Mary and the boys each picked one: Mary's was "The Witches", Aidan's was "King Kong", Cole picked "The Ghost and Mr. Chicken" and "The Nightmare Before Christmas" (he insisted on watching it again, because it's his favorite movie), and Grant chose "Igor". Surprisingly, there just aren't as many options for Christmas movies, so this year I picked "A Christmas Story", "Ernest Saves Christmas", "Disney's A Christmas Carol", the musical "Scrooge", and "Santa Clause 2".

So there we were, watching "A Christmas Story", and the flat tire scene comes up. The "smart ass" count was already at two (also heard in the movie are "hell" and "damn", but those are common in PG movies, and "son of a bitch", but that hadn't happened yet, and nobody noticed when I muted it). Mary suggested that I fast-forward through the scene, but I decided to let it roll. After all, Ralphie doesn't actually say anything bad. And it's true, he doesn't. But after he says, "Oh, fuuuuuuuuuuuuudge", Ralphie explains, "Only I didn't say "Fudge." I said ... I said THE word; the queen mother of all dirty words -- the F-dash-dash-dash word!"

I tell you, those kids just wouldn't let it go. "What word did he mean?" they kept asking, even at bedtime that night and over the weekend. Trying to downplay it, I first told them, "What? All he said was 'fudge'. You heard him." But they knew better. Ralphie had said that he said the mother of all dirty words, and he even had to sit with a bar of soap in his mouth. It must have been bad.

"Maybe it was just a made-up word, like his dad uses when he's mad," I tried, but they saw through it. It was futile. They kept asking.

"Well, you certainly won't hear it from me," I finally said, since it's true, I'm not one to swear much. I guess that settled it. They would have to ask someone at school or on the bus. Because that's where you get street-smart, you know. Grant will show me how you use your finger to show people that you're mad. Or he'll ask me if I know what the "A" word is. "Yes, I know what the 'A' word is, but I don't need to hear--", I'll begin, just as he starts to spell it anyway. What can you do. No, they won't hear it from me, but they'll no doubt ask around until they find out what it is.

The birds and the bees... and the tortoises

2011-12-05T06:42:00.000-08:00

Filed under: Mostly-Missed Opportunities

I blew it. Well, mostly, but in my own defense, I wasn't prepared.

There we were: me, Aidan, Cole and Grant, at the San Diego Zoo. I took them there on Saturday to spend the day before heading over to December Nights in Balboa Park. The first thing they wanted to do was see the reptiles - snakes, lizards, etc. That led us to the komodo dragon exhibit, and right behind that are giant tortoises and other reptiles.

There we were, minding our own business, when we came upon what looked like one tortoise trying to ride the other one. As the one on the bottom lurched along, the one on the top would let out a little grunt and move along with it.

The obvious question, asked by the boys, was what they were doing.

I froze. I looked over to the two college-aged girls standing next to the boys, who were smiling and taking pictures with their phones. I wasn't prepared for that question. I mean, I should be, shouldn't I? Why not just be honest with them?

"Maybe they're fighting," I lied, hoping they'd latch onto that explanation. That seemed to satisfy them, but it left me feeling like the Grinch, lying to Cindy Lou Who about why he was stealing her Christmas tree. I was doing the boys a disservice.

We watched for a few more minutes before the boys had seen enough. I did my best to point out other tortoises in the enclosure who were not "fighting". Just tell them already, I thought to myself.

Aidan asked if we could move on to see the giant tortoises, and away we went, and with it, an opportunity, handed to me on a platter, to talk to my sons about the birds and bees. Now instead of the Grinch, I started to feel like Ralphie in "A Christmas Story" after he'd told Santa he wanted a football instead of the Official Red Ryder Carbine-Action Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model Air Rifle. What, was I afraid they'd shoot their eyes out?

"They're trying to make babies," I admitted, as we walked away.

"Why?" Cole asked.

That wasn't exactly the response I was expecting.

"Well, I don't know, so they can make more tortoises," was about all I could come up with, being careful to avoid the obvious "like Mom and I wanted to have you". Although I wanted them to understand, the last thing I needed was for them to replace the tortoises they just saw with their parents. No one needs that mental picture.

And that was it. No more questions asked, we moved on to look at some frogs and other amphibians. We'd had "the talk". That wasn't so bad. Who am I kidding? It was terrible.

As the boys laughed and enjoyed watching the snake-necked turtles for what seemed like 20 minutes, I congratulated myself on at least making a feeble effort to take advantage of the opportunity, but made a mental note to be ready for the next time. Obviously they can happen when you least expect them.

Overheard in the car

2011-12-01T06:32:00.000-08:00

Cole: Does Grandma have Christmas lights?
Mom: Yes, but they haven't put them up outside in a while.
Me: Maybe they're just waiting for some big, strong boys to help them out.
Cole: ...and that would not be us.

Overheard at bedtime

2011-11-30T06:29:00.000-08:00

Grant still regularly asks for someone to sing him a song at bedtime. It's usually Mary he asks for, but sometimes he'll ask me to sing to him first. I admit that when he asks, I can't think of any songs to sing to him, so I fall back on my old standby: "One, Two, I Love You", which came from a San Diego Zoo video the boys got from Grandma Cannon. I sing it while running my fingers through his hair, and at the end, I punctuate each number with a kiss, and then add some for good measure afterwards. You can never give too many kisses.

Grant: Dad, can you sing me a song?
Me: OK. One, two, I love you. Three, four, let's count some more. Five, six, get your kicks. Seven, eight, 'cause counting is great. Nine, ten, numbers are our friends, let's count them all again. One [kiss], two [kiss], three [kiss], four [kiss], five [kiss], six [kiss], seven [kiss], eight [kiss], nine [kiss], ten [kiss], let's count them all again, doom doom. Good night, Grant [kissing his forehead and cheeks over and over].
Grant: You gave me 24 kisses!
Me: Well, let's make it an even 30. [kiss, kiss, kiss, kiss, kiss, kiss, kiss]
Grant: That's 31 kisses!
Me: Oops, too many. Give me back my change! [kiss] Good night, Grant. I love you. Have sweet dreams.

Overheard in the living room

2011-11-29T06:39:00.000-08:00

Cole [looking at a Sacagawea gold dollar coin]: On the dollar coin, it says, "In God we trust".
Me: Yup.
Cole: That's like Yoda would say it.
Me [laughing]: Mmm-hmm.
Cole: Oh, they were Indians.
Me: What?
Cole: That's like Indians would say it.

"The Big Brag" by Grant

2011-11-28T06:47:00.000-08:00

Found on a piece of paper in the car:

The Big Brag

I do not like when you suffer or stomp. Or brag all day. I hate it when you breathe in my face.

Happy Thanksgiving from Cole and Grant

2011-11-24T06:53:00.000-08:00

An oatmeal turkey by Cole

Hand turkey by Cole

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving by Cole

Grant is thankful for his beautiful mom and his handsome dad

Turkeys escaping by Cole

Hand and foot turkey by Grant

"Happy Thanksgiving" by Cole

Grant Hamilton is thankful for turkey, Cosmo, Dad, Mom, kittens, friends like Aidan and Cole, for puppys and dogs. My birthday is November 11 pardey time Happy Thanksgiving!

What is Grant thankful for?

2011-11-24T06:50:00.000-08:00

After seeing this turkey, you may still have no idea.

Allow me to interpret. I only know because Grant's teacher, Mrs. Glaze, asked me to help out after a field trip recently. She asked me to call the students over one by one, and to ask them to name five things they are thankful for. She asked me to have them use "juicy words" (adjectives) to describe the things, if possible. The children would later transcribe them onto feathers, and put them on a turkey. This is Grant's.

"dademosdnah My"

After this first one, it may start to make sense. Look at it in reverse:

Although not entirely backwards, like Cole did when he was four, this, of course, says, "My handsome dad". Thank you, Grant.

"momlufhuaebyM"

Which translates to "My beautiful mom". I agree.

"doGluftcepser yM"

I seem to remember Grant overhearing one of his classmates naming off God as something she was thankful for. He came up with his own appropriate juicy word.

"atnaS eciN"

"Nice Santa". Always have to keep an eye on the calendar this time of year.

"amdnarg doog yM"

Now, since Grant has three grandmas, "My good grandma" could refer to anyone of them. Due to the ambiguity of this one, and the fact that they're all good (great, even), if you're lucky enough to call yourself Grant's grandma, you can consider this one as referring to you.

!tnarG ,gnivigsknahT yppaH

After

2011-11-23T06:03:00.000-08:00

He was right.

Before

2011-11-23T06:02:00.000-08:00

After Aidan lost his first top front tooth the other day, the second one quickly became loose. And when Aidan has a loose tooth, he works it until it comes out. He borrowed the camera yesterday morning to take some self-portraits, probably because he knew his tooth wouldn't be in much longer.

"Me and the Farmer", a Thanksgiving story by Cole

2011-11-22T06:13:00.000-08:00

Once upon a time, I was walking down the hard road and suddenly I saw a farm house. The owner Mr. Henry ran out and screamed "I want that turkey for Thanksgiving dinner!" He got on his flaming red motorcycle and zoomed in front of me! I was so scared that I forgot to stop running! I ran right into Mr. Henry's net and he drove back home with me! He drove a long time and I fell asleep. When I woke up, I found myself strapped up to a log! There were a lot of rocks on the ground. Suddenly, I heard Mr. Henry stomping up to me! He laughed at me with an evil laugh that sounded like, "Ha, ha, ha!" Then he tripped on a rock and silver scissors flew out of his pocket. Boom! He landed with a thud. The scissors cut the rope open, I was free! Then I lived happily ever after.

Overheard at the tide pools

2011-11-21T06:58:00.000-08:00

I know why they call them sea anemones, because I see anemones.

- Grant

Overheard in the kitchen

2011-11-18T06:56:00.000-08:00

I don't know why I'm shaking. Maybe it's because I'm excited that I finished the Harry Potter book.

- Cole, who had finished "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" the previous day, after reading it for several weeks. Maybe he was just cold.

Seen at Allied Gardens park

2011-11-17T06:42:00.000-08:00

School portraits 2011-12

2011-11-15T06:47:00.000-08:00

They grow up so fast...

Aidan's new smile

2011-11-14T06:00:00.000-08:00

What happens when you cross a loose tooth with an accidental foot to the mouth by your younger brother? Well, this, of course:

Happy sixth birthday, Grant!

2011-11-11T06:02:00.000-08:00

And welcome to a whole new hand!

P.S. RIP, Bil Keane

In the beginning

2011-11-10T06:08:00.000-08:00

This is it. Today's the day: the last day that Grant will ever be a five-year-old.

It may not seem like such a big deal to some, but when he turns six tomorrow, it seems to me like his days of little-boyhood will be pretty much over. He'll start losing teeth soon, and despite our requests, he keeps getting bigger all the time. I tell you, kids just don't listen sometimes.

So in honor of Grant's sixth birthday tomorrow (which is appropriate, being 11/11/11, since 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 6), I wanted to look back on some of his first days with us. Good times. Happy birthday, Grant!

Day One

Week Two

Week Four

Week Five

Week Six

And now, a word from Grant

2011-11-09T06:12:00.000-08:00

I don't remember where I found this post-it note laying around, but it doesn't really matter. I love you, too, Grant.

The goalie makes work with idle hands

2011-11-08T06:40:00.000-08:00

Grant enjoys two types of positions when he plays soccer: goalie and "all over the field". He's certainly more effective in the goal - I think he's only had a couple slip past him, and the coach says he likes having him there. But what does Grant do in his spare time, while he's waiting for the opposing team to try to score?

Well, there's always cartwheels...

Kicking dirt clods...

Making mounds of dirt...

Got to get them just right, you know...

Still waiting. What to do now?

Might as well work on that dirt mound some more!

You know, as long as Grant is focused when the ball comes his way, I'm not going to hassle him. At least we know he's having fun!

Grant makes the news

2011-11-07T06:44:00.000-08:00

If you had asked me a month ago, I would have told you there was no way it was going to happen. If you'd asked me five minutes before it happened, I still would have had my doubts.

But there we were yesterday, in the Fox Channel 6 studios: Grant's Tiger Cub den had actually made a field trip to the television studio. I had been trying to organize a field trip for both Aidan's and Cole's Cub Scout den and Grant's den to a TV studio, radio station, or newspaper office, for a couple of weeks with absolutely no luck. I'd either been told that tours were only given in the early afternoon during the week, or that they didn't do tours for security reasons, or I'd hear nothing. That's because I was missing one thing: a connection.

Fortunately, one of the dads in Grant's den did know someone at Channel 6, and he actually arranged the tour on a Sunday morning. There was even a chance that the boys would be on television - we had to sign waivers and everything. It obviously worked out well, and yes, the boys did get onto television. Good thing I'd set the DVR at home to record it!

During a commercial break, the boys were ushered behind the anchor desk and told to stand there for the last minute or two of the morning show. Anchors Courtney Dwyer and Jeff Powers greeted the boys and introduced them as the show ended. Unfortunately, Grant was mostly standing behind Courtney, but he was visible a few times, even hamming it up at one point.

The boys took it all in stride. Although Grant's best friend Turner exclaimed, "This is awesome!", I wonder if the boys even realized that everyone in San Diego could've seen them. Grant did enjoy watching himself on the DVR when we got home, so he can enjoy his 15 - well, more like 1.5 - minutes of fame over and over again.

G. H. Score!

2011-11-03T06:50:00.000-07:00

Here's Grant's official soccer portrait, along with a self-portrait he drew of him kicking a goal (which has yet to happen).

Children of the night

2011-11-01T06:41:00.000-07:00

This year, we went trick-or-treating in Aunt Pam and Uncle Ed's neighborhood. It doesn't really matter where we go, though, does it? As long as there's candy...

I don't see how a pumpkin patch can be more sincere than this one

2011-10-28T06:51:00.000-07:00

Halloween drawings by Cole and Grant

2011-10-27T06:51:00.000-07:00

Knights and army men vs. monsters, by Cole

"Monster of the cruch complex" by Grant

Drawings from Grant's Write Me Back journal

Zombie by Cole

"Halloween" by Cole

2011-10-26T06:36:00.000-07:00

Halloween is a freaky zombie running after kids.
Halloween is a fat ghost creeping into a house.
Halloween is a black cat crawling, getting ready to pounce.
Halloween is a spooky skeleton dancing in the moon light.

What is THAT?

2011-10-25T06:09:00.000-07:00

Is it a ghost?

No, it's actually Cole, while we were watching the 1933 version of "King Kong" for movie night.

It's not unusual to see Cole watching scary movies with his blanket perched just under his eyes. While watching "King Kong", though, we noticed that Cole's entire body was under his blanket. I asked him if he was OK, or scared, and he said no, he was just trying to go to sleep. I explained to him that it's OK to be scared, but he insisted that he was just trying to sleep. Funny, but he only tried to go to sleep during the intense scenes. As Cole was "trying to sleep", his brothers were jumping up and down, they were so excited about the finale and fights between Kong and other monsters.

BOO! to you

2011-10-24T06:00:00.000-07:00

When I first suggested to the boys the idea of marching in the College Area BOO! Parade to the boys with their Cub Scout pack, they didn't like it. They wanted to watch instead, they explained. But how often do you actually get to march in a parade? I asked. "But we won't get any candy!" they reasoned, knowing that if you sit on the sidewalk, parade participants will hand you candy. Don't worry, I assured them, we'll make sure you get some candy at the end. I was sure we'd have plenty of candy left over.

Cole had planned on wearing his clonetrooper costume for Halloween again, and Grant didn't know what he wanted to be until we dug through the costume box, and he decided on Darth Vader.

Aidan wanted to wear his zombie football player costume, but couldn't locate the pants, so he decided to wear his Cub Scout uniform. He'd been leaning that way anyway, since he's the denner for the next meeting, and he wanted to show off his denner cords. So he combined that with a dollar store Frankenstein mask, and voila - he was Frankenscout.

To keep the boys busy while we waited for the parade to start, we taught them how to play marbles, which they all seemed to enjoy. Hey, why not earn some Marbles belt loops while we're waiting?

With the parade about to begin, we got the boys lined up and each filled up his bag or bucket with candy to pass out.

Before we started, we had a couple of special guests: the Swinging Friar from the Padres...

and Ronald McDonald himself, who happened to be riding in a truck right in front of us.

The parade finally started, and the boys took turns rotating between marching, holding the pack banner, and passing out candy.

They all seemed to enjoy passing out candy.

In fact, even though we literally had a wagon full of candy, it only lasted for about the first half of the parade.

I think even if we had four times as much candy, it still might not have been enough. There were a lot of kids there!

So I was obviously wrong about there being leftover candy for the boys.

Grant, always thinking of candy, managed to stash a couple of pieces for himself before giving the rest away.

Aidan's greatest hits

2011-10-21T06:41:00.000-07:00

Now that Aidan's second football season - and flag football career - is officially over, let's look back at some of the highlights. Aidan grew a lot this year and was one of the go-to players on offense and defense. After "the catch", he became known by the coaches as "Interception Aidan". Whenever he'd reach for the ball to try for an interception, the crowd would start to cheer, certain that he was going to catch it and run it in. Sadly, it only happened the one time, but it was enough to give him a reputation.

Will Aidan continue on to tackle next year? He certainly wants to, even if his mother isn't so sure. The way I see it, he's found something that he enjoys doing, and he's getting better at it. And, as I explained to Mary, I didn't see any eight- or nine-year-old kids walking around the practice field with concussions or broken limbs. We still have time to sort that all out. In the meantime, let's enjoy some of the memories of San Carlos Patriots flag football Green team 2011, including a video put together by Coach Ken (and yes, it includes his on-field perspective of "the catch").

Thanks to Jonathan Fudge for these awesome photos!

Aidan goes to jail

2011-10-20T06:46:00.000-07:00

Busted.

OK, not really. Yes, it's true that Aidan got fingerprinted and handcuffed at the La Mesa Police Station last weekend, but that's as far as it went. It was part of a tour for his Cub Scout den.

Each of the scouts got to have his fingerprints taken, but Officer Garcia, who gave us the tour, said he couldn't put handcuffs on all the boys. Instead, he said, he'd pick one boy from the group who paid attention.

Officer Garcia picked Aidan to demonstrate how handcuffs work. As you can see, he rather enjoyed the experience, and his denmates enjoyed seeing him in them.

As I mentioned to Aidan already, this had better be the only time in his life he gets put in handcuffs...

You win some, you lose some

2011-10-19T06:45:00.000-07:00

It's a fact of life: you can't win them all. It's a harsh fact, especially when you're a kid. And when your brother wins an award and you don't.

So it was with the pumpkin carving contest at this weekend's Cub Scout pack meeting. The competition was fierce, withhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif easily 30 jack o'lanterns there. The categories were Scary, Scouting, Sports, Movies and Funny. Unfortunately for Aidan, there wasn't a Cool category.

Aidan and Cole knew just what they wanted their jack o'lanterns to look like, since they browse through my "Extreme Pumpkins: Diabolical Do-It-Yourself Designs to Amuse Your Friends andScare Your Neighbors" book every Halloween. Aidan decided he'd do the Punk Rock Pumpkin, and Cole wanted to do the Puking Pumpkin. Grant decided to design his own, and sketched out his idea on a piece of paper. After he saw that we were going to spray-paint Aidan's pumpkin black, though, he decided he wanted his painted, and went with gold.

I liked the fact that the boys had their own ideas about what to do, and had relatively little help from me. They did their own seed-removal and carved most of the faces themselves. I realized once we got to the meeting, though, that one problem is that we didn't really consider the categories. We put Grant's in the Scary category, Cole's obviously went in the Funny category, but Aidan's? We decided Scary was the most appropriate.

The scouts got to vote on the pumpkins by putting a sticker on a piece of paper in front of the pumpkin they liked in each category. Cole's pumpkin took first place in the Funny category. He was excited about that, but even more excited about the alien Lego set that came with it - he'd actually had his eye on it at Target.

Unfortunately for Aidan, he knew his pumpkin got two votes, and one of them was his own. I told him that his was one of the coolest pumpkins there. In fact, if there was a Cool category, it would have won for sure. He was sad because he was proud of his pumpkin, as he should have been. It really hit him, though, when going to bed that night, in the glow of his pumpkin sitting on his dresser. He only got two votes. I blame myself for not thinking of the categories.

Well, the important thing is that the boys did their best, and they all created some neat pumpkins. They're all winners in my book.

Mummy daddy

2011-10-18T06:49:00.000-07:00

Question: What does a mummy look like when it's created by a group of 13 first-graders?

Answer:

At this weekend's pack meeting, the dens participated in a Den Leader mummy-wrapping contest. Each scout got a roll of toilet paper, and went to work. After several minutes, this is what it looked like (that's us on the left - the Bears and Mr. Klein are the third group from the left).

I'm happy to report that the Tiger Cubs, who wrapped me up, won the contest, although Aidan and Cole later griped that it was rigged, because they didn't properly wrap me. Instead, they said, they threw pieces of toilet paper on me.

I only know I couldn't see a thing, and it was getting pretty hot in there...

The year of the (bob)cat

2011-10-17T06:50:00.000-07:00

Grant took his first step as a Cub Scout this weekend when he received his Bobcat badge. He's worked hard to follow the Bobcat trail and learn things like the Cub Scout pledge and promise and the Cub Scout sign.

He accepted his new badge with his usual nonchalance, but would he hesitate when it came time to drink the bobcat blood? After sniffing it and agreeing with his denmates that it did indeed smell sweet, he didn't even wait until Cubmaster Tim to tell him it was time to drink. He gulped it right down. No word on what flavor it was, but I heard murmurs that it tasted like Kool Aid.

"Store of Zombies" by Grant

2011-10-14T06:20:00.000-07:00

One day, this book showed up on our bed. Grant had drawn a series of zombies, stapled them together and titled it "Store ove zombes". It's not for the squeamish. You've been warned.

So funny, I forgot to laugh

2011-10-13T06:39:00.000-07:00

Grant: What's a bee's favorite fruit?
Me: Berries?
Grant: Bzzzz-nanas.

Halloween Spook by Cole

2011-10-10T06:07:00.000-07:00

Overheard in the car

2011-10-04T06:44:00.000-07:00

I had an old Halloween show of the Retro Cocktail Hour playing in the car, and Russ Garcia's "Into Space" came on.

Cole: What is this?
Me: It's by Russ Garcia, from an album called "Fantastica". It's supposed to sound like space music.
Cole: It sounds like Chinese music.
Grant: It sounds more like kissing music.

You know, actually, it kind of does. Sound like kissing music, I mean.

Instant replay

2011-10-03T06:35:00.000-07:00

Stop me if you've heard this one before: Aidan caught an interception at his football game this weekend, and ran it in for a touchdown!

For those of you whom Aidan hasn't already told, this may be news to you. He is obviously very proud of his play, and he has every right to be. It was a moment that I think he'll be looking back on for a long time. In fact, if there was any doubt in his mind whether he wanted to continue next year (which there didn't seem to be), this was probably the tipping point.

Here's how it happened: in the second half against the South San Diego team, Aidan was covering on the right side. The South San Diego quarterback passed to his left, and Aidan reached out in front of the receiver, caught the ball, and started running until he got to the end zone, where he was cheered by his teammates. As they walked back, Aidan pumped his fists in the air in celebration. It was quite a moment for him. In fact, it could have happened twice for him, since he nearly caught another one in the first half.

So why do I say that Aidan is obviously proud of his play? It could be that, during a birthday party later in the day (to which Aidan wore his jersey), two parents came up to me and said, "I hear Aidan caught an interception at the game today!" Yes, he was out there, spreading the word.

It could also be that Aidan watched the play on DVD at home about 20 times. After the interception, I knew I had to buy a copy of the DVD that's sometimes sold after the game. The problem is, I'd spent the last of my cash on snacks for Cole and Grant, and raffle tickets, so another parent kindly lent it to me. Aidan would later have us bring it to Aunt Connie's house so he could show the play to his cousins. It now rests on his dresser, next to his trophies and Cub Scout handbooks.

Here's what impressed me most about the play. Aidan knew exactly what to do when he caught that ball. He didn't hesitate for a second, but already seemed to be running towards the end zone when he caught it. We've seen many examples of players this season who stared at a ball when it's fumbled, and even a boy who caught an interception and just stood there. Because Aidan watches football, he knew what to do. And because he likes to practice throwing and catching with me, he was able to snatch the ball before the other player could catch it.

As he watched his play over and over, I couldn't help but hope this isn't one of those "glory days" moments he'll look back on. I pictured a middle-aged man, telling his friends about that time in the third grade when he made an interception and brought it in for a touchdown while the crowd cheered. I don't think that will happen. I have a feeling there are too many great stories like this to come. Well played, Aidan!

The last cub scout

2011-09-26T06:56:00.000-07:00

Following in his brother's (and father's) footsteps, Grant has finally become a Cub Scout. Technically, he became a Cub Scout sometime during the summer, when I registered him, so that he could get credit for participating in the activities we did with Aidan's and Cole's den. But this weekend was his first Pack meeting, during which he met other boys who will be in his Den this year - and, hopefully, beyond.

Being an early registrant and son of a Den Leader, Grant was present in full uniform. He even got a First Catch patch for going on the fishing trip, the Old Town patch for going with us to Old Town, and the National Summertime pin for attending three or more summertime activities. Way to go, Grant!

Next up for Grant is earning his Bobcat badge. Will he have to drink bobcat blood like his brothers did? We'll see.

Cole kills some time

2011-09-19T06:29:00.000-07:00

"I'm bored," Cole complained throughout Grant's first soccer game. Finally, he asked if he could use the camera. By that time, I was all too happy to give it to him. Here's what he took.

The reluctant competitor

2011-09-15T12:22:00.000-07:00

"I didn't say swimming, I said bowling! Bowling!"

That was Cole's reaction when he found out that we'd signed him up for a competitive skills swimming class. I feel for him, I really do. He didn't ask to be put into it (obviously). He doesn't even really like participating in sports. He'd rather spend his days drawing.

The fact is, the swim instructor the boys had all summer had one recommendation for Mary on the last day of swim class. He told her that Cole had a natural swimming ability, and that we should think about putting him into a swim club. We had to figure he knew what he was talking about. He must have seen something in Cole, and one would think that an instructor -- one who is active in swimming -- would know what that "something" is.

After looking into it, the most logical swim club was the City of San Diego Swimming team (CSDS), "a recreational swim organization for youth ages 5-17 years old, which offers a quality, safe program that is committed to developing basic competitive swim skills while promoting fun and team spirit." Swimmers aren't required to compete, but can choose to go to regular meets at the rec center a couple of times a week. That sounded like the way to go. If Cole felt like competing, he could; otherwise, he could be on the team and just swim a couple of times a week. Perfect.

One prerequisite to joining the team, though, is to complete a Competitive Skills class at the rec center. But first, Mary and I had to decide if we'd sign him up for the first one available, or wait until a more convenient time - say, after Aidan and Grant were done with their team sports. We decided that it was best to just do it now, so Cole wouldn't lose any of the skills he developed over the Summer. It was at dinner the day Mary signed him up that we broke the news to him.

Fortunately for Cole, the Competitive Skills class only lasts 8 sessions - a mere 2 1/2 weeks. That is, if he passes it. He may need to take it again if the instructor thinks he has the potential.

It's true that Cole isn't the fastest kid in the class - not by a long shot. But he's not the slowest. Not that it's all about speed, or even competing. I encourage Cole (and Aidan and Grant) to do as the Cub Scout motto says: "do your best". And I have to say that Cole does his best. He doesn't goof off in class, and he doesn't complain. He listens to the instructor and tries to do what she says. He's out there doing his best at something he didn't even ask to do. And I love him for that. We tried to tell him that if he does have a natural ability to do something, he's got an advantage over other people who do a thing just because they want to. Just like drawing: Cole has the talent and he didn't have to work for it. He's got a head start. But if he doesn't work on it, or even try it out, he may lose it. I think he understands that.

We'll see how far this swimming thing goes for Cole. If it doesn't work out, there's always bowling.

Green Gator Grant

2011-09-14T06:24:00.000-07:00

When Grant said he wanted to play soccer again in the Fall, we thought it would be the same as Spring. Why wouldn't we? It's only been 6 months or so, after all, and it's not like he's even looked at a soccer ball since then.

Way back in the Spring, Grant followed the Hamiton sons tradition of running around the field during a soccer game, and occasionally kicking the ball, even if by accident. He never really seemed to learn how to be effective on offense or defense. I guess it just ran in the family.

So you can imagine our surprise when Grant, at his first game as a Green Gator, actually went after the ball. But he didn't stop there, oh no. He actually followed through and maneuvered the ball towards the goal! He zigged, he zagged, he kicked -- but didn't score. For me and Mary, both scratching our heads on the sidelines, that didn't matter. Time and again during the game, he'd see the ball, get it, and follow through. He looked like a kid who knew what he was doing, and nearly scored twice during the game. A far cry from the stand-there-and-kick-at-the-ball-and-maybe-make-contact-with-it way of playing he had in the Spring.

He'd caught on as an offensive player, but how about defense? Well, it turns out he still has a bit to learn on that side of the ball. When the coach told him and a teammate to stand on the white line in front of the goal, they both took him very literally. They didn't stray from it at all. He later told them it was OK to move around to defend the goal.

Capture the flag

2011-09-13T06:54:00.000-07:00

When asked by the coach what position he wanted to play, Aidan told him without hesitation: "Linebacker".

Linebacker? Where did that come from?

I told Aidan that, as one of the handful of returning players (not to mention the oldest) on the Patriots flag team this year, he could probably have his pick of positions to play. I suggested that, since he's really good at throwing and catching, he might want to be a quarterback or wide receiver (not that there's a lot of throwing in flag). No, he wanted to be a linebacker.

Even a backup quarterback, I asked? No, he wasn't interested.

Well, I thought, that's his choice. If he's that sure, so be it. But it's ultimately up to the coach, and maybe he would see that Aidan's abilities made him a better fit somewhere else. Coach did, in fact, work with Aidan for a while, when he was looking for someone to play quarterback. What I couldn't figure out, though, was why Aidan, who can normally catch and throw, seemed to drop the catches and lobbed the ball during practice. Still, I wasn't going to bug him about it. It was his choice, even if it looked to me like he was sabotaging his chance to be quarterback.

I know Aidan likes to go after the flags. He did last year, too. I enjoy watching him play, as he looks through the pile for the person with the ball. He spots him and runs right towards him. Even if the ball runner is across the field of play, there goes Aidan, trying to catch up to him. He may not get the most flags, but he's happy to be a linebacker and is proud to say it whenever someone asks what position he plays. I'm glad he's chosen something that he enjoys, and made up his mind about what position he wants. I just hope he realizes that if he continues to tackle next year (despite Mom's wishes), linebacker will be a very different thing. Maybe then he'll rethink those passing and catching skills.

Team players

2011-09-12T06:43:00.000-07:00

I'd always dreaded the day when we'd have more than one child playing sports at the same time. Sure, it was fine when Aidan and Cole played soccer or football together, and it was even OK if Grant played pee-wee sports at the same time. After all, there is no practice in pee-wee sports: the kids just show up for an hour a week and essentially run around. There's no practice to worry about, and it was convenient because pee-wee sports were at the rec center where football practice is anyway.

Still, in an effort to give Grant the same opportunities that Aidan and Cole had at his age, we figured it was only fair to let him play soccer when he was five. The trick was, we knew Aidan would be playing football in the fall, so we played it smart and put Grant into spring soccer. How clever we were. But Grant, who has surprised us from the very beginning, said after the season ended that he wanted to come back in the fall. Just when we had it all figured out.

So here comes August, with Aidan's football practice Monday through Friday, and games on Saturday. Add to that Grant's practice on Thursdays and games on Saturdays, and you've got a busy week on your hands. At least we could be thankful that we only had two, not three, in sports.

That is, until Cameron, the boys' swim teacher for the summer, told Mary on the last day of lessons that we should think about putting Cole into some sort of swim club. Cole, who prior to this summer hadn't learned anything more than a dog paddle (in his defense, neither had his brothers), apparently has what Cameron described as a natural ability to swim. Who knew.

Like good parents, we couldn't let an opportunity pass our son by. Sure, we could have ignored the suggestion or waited until a more convenient time (what with school and Cub Scouts also starting in September), but where is the fun in that? And we didn't want to risk Cole forgetting what he'd learned if we waited until winter or even later. No, we decided to jump in feet first and put our third son into yet another sport. We must be crazy.

Seen on the first day of school

2011-09-07T06:32:00.000-07:00

Switched at birth?

2011-08-18T05:49:00.000-07:00

At dinner last night, we were reminding Aidan and Cole that before they were born, they were referred to as "Baby A" and "Baby B". Mary said Cole should have been "Baby C", because his name is Cole, but unfortunately (fortunately?), the real "Baby C" and "Baby D" didn't make it. For a while there, it looked like even "Baby B" wasn't going to make it. Then Grant chimed in, saying that he should be "Baby E" or "Baby G" or something.

I told Aidan and Cole that after they were born, they even had hats on with an "A" and a "B" on them so we could keep track of them. I joked with Grant that when he was born, he came out and said that he was cold and asked if anyone had a hat for him, and that the nurse said, "I don't have a hat for youuu" (which was true, by the way - not the part about Grant asking for a hat, but the nurse part).

During the conversation, though, Mary asked how I knew that Aidan was actually "Baby A" and Cole was "Baby B". Was I with them the whole time? How did I know that they put the "A" hat on "Baby A" and the "B" hat on "Baby B"? What if they put them on later, and mixed them up?

I had to admit that I couldn't remember if the nurse put the hat on Aidan right after he was born or not, but I was pretty sure she did, and besides, they took him into a separate room right after he was born. I trust that they put the right hat on each one.

But am I 100% sure? No, I admit, I'm not. Hey, there was a lot going on at the time, and I just trust that they marked each baby appropriately. Besides, I have pictures of "Baby A" and "Baby B" being born, and they certainly look like they got the right hats. But what if? What if Cole was actually "Baby A", in which case, he's Aidan? And all this time, we've been thinking that Aidan was born 7 minutes before his brother (a fact that he's always been proud of), when in reality, he's not even Aidan at all?

Well, too late now, I guess, even if it were true. But it's not. I'm pretty sure.

Overheard on movie night

2011-08-12T05:08:00.000-07:00

While watching the 1951 movie "The Day the Earth Stood Still", Mary pointed out how different fashion was back then.

Mary [referring to Hugh Marlowe's character, Tom]: Boy, look at how high that guy's pants are!
Aidan: What a nerd!

Seen at Grantville Park

2011-08-10T05:26:00.000-07:00

If you can accept losing, you can't win

2011-08-08T05:23:00.000-07:00

I asked the question on the way to Aidan's football practice on Friday, honestly not knowing what the reply would be: "Aidan, do you want to go with me to the Chargers FanFest tomorrow?"

"Sure!" he said, without hesitation.

Good. That was the answer I'd been hoping for. Not only was I curious to see what FanFest was, but I was looking forward to some one-on-one time with Aidan. I was pretty sure Cole and Grant would opt out, but I thought Aidan would be interested, since we'd get to watch the Chargers practice and then there'd be a chance to meet some of the players afterwards and get some autographs. On the other hand, I didn't know if he'd want to go, since he often prefers the opposing teams to the Chargers when watching a game, and he'd also had an awfully long week, with day camp and football practice Monday through Friday. It was decided then.

So down we went to Qualcomm Stadium Saturday morning, got in line, and went inside. We headed over to where kids got wristbands to get players' autographs after practice. The staff informed us that the autograph area was only for kids, no parents allowed. My initial thought was, how would I feel about letting Aidan down on the field all by himself? I was sure there would be no problem, since the organization surely wouldn't exclude parents if they couldn't ensure the kids' safety, especially since they were allowing 6-year-olds onto the field. I'd just have to take my photos with a zoom lens.

Aidan, though, wasn't so sure. "I don't want to get autographs," he told me as we waited in line. He didn't want to go if I couldn't be there with him. I had a decision to make: I could listen to him, and let him miss the opportunity that he'd been talking about at breakfast, or I could encourage him to be brave and do it. I chose the latter, knowing that it was a chance he wouldn't get too many times, he might regret it later if he didn't do it, and he might actually feel good about himself if he did it. "Let's just get the wristband, and then you can decide later if you want to go," I suggested, and he tentatively agreed.

The wristband on Aidan's wrist, we headed in to get some seats. On the way, we passed a concession stand. "Can I get a hot dog?" Aidan asked, and while I was initially going to say no (since I'd brought snacks for us), a few things changed my mind. It sounded good to me (I can't go to a sporting event without having a hot dog), it was a special day for us so why not splurge, and this might actually work as a bargaining chip.

"I'll make you a deal," I told Aidan. "I'll get you a hot dog if you'll go onto the field."

"Can I get two?" Aidan asked. I didn't realize he was such a negotiator. Then I saw the sign that said Charger dogs were only $1.00.

"Hot dogs are only a buck?! Wow! Sure, I'll get you two," I told him, knowing he probably wouldn't eat both anyway.

So we got our hot dogs and went to our seats to watch the practice. Since we found out that I couldn't sit in the area where they'd let kids onto the field, we sat right behind it. I told Aidan that before the end of practice, I'd have him go down there to sit, but that I'd be here waiting and watching. There were no complaints from him, and half an hour before the end of practice, he went down and got a seat, and I waited, wondering how he was doing. It was strange to know that Aidan was a section in front of me, surrounded by kids he didn't know, and that there were times when I couldn't even see him. I knew he was safe, but I wondered how he was feeling. Was he scared, or nervous? He certainly didn't seem to be, because he was just sitting, watching the practice, and he wasn't coming back up like some of the kids were.

While I waited, I got the feeling that for some parents, this was an ebay opportunity, it wasn't for the kids. "If you do this for me and Cameron," I heard one dad say to his young sons as he handed them some shirts to get signed, "I'll let you use the Game Boy." What a jerk, bribing his son. But wait, didn't I do the same thing? Not really, what I did was encourage Aidan to be brave and do something he'd already expressed an interest in doing. I felt justified. Besides, he'd eaten his two hot dogs, sealing the deal.

As Aidan went down onto the field, looking smaller and smaller, I often lost track of him for minutes at a time. Then I'd spot his hat, only to lose him again as he wandered toward another Charger player's table. Was he having fun, I wondered? He was down there for so long, I thought he must be.

Meanwhile, I overheard one dad scolding his son for missing the first player he'd walked by, and another one who got frustrated that his son only got one autograph. If Aidan didn't get a single one, I didn't really care. It was up to him to decide how to enjoy the experience.

Eventually, I saw Aidan heading back, with his autograph book in hand. As we walked out of the stadium, he looked through and he'd tell me a number and I'd tell him which player from the roster it was. I was very proud of him for going against his initial fear and doing something he wanted to do. We both had to test our courage that day, but we both walked away with something from the experience.

Overheard in the bathroom

2011-08-05T05:57:00.000-07:00

Aidan and I were talking about the Cubmobile that we'd built.

Aidan: I think you should have gotten two, so I could paint mine red and Cole could paint his blue.
Me: No, it was kind of expensive.
Aidan: How much was it?
Me: Like 60 or 70 bucks.
Aidan [after about a second]: Oh, so, for two, it would be $120 or $140?
Me: Yes, that's excellent, Aidan. See, I think you should be in the math club [at his school].
Aidan [walking away]: No, I've got too much math in my brain.

The Cubmobile

2011-08-04T05:10:00.000-07:00

I could have done any number of things around the house last Sunday. I could have started building a fireplace mantel (I'll get to it Honey, really), done yardwork, fixed the boys' playset, worked on landscaping the front yard, fixed the faucet in the shower. Any number of things. But I didn't. I helped the boys build a Cubmobile.

It all started a week or two ago, when Aidan and Cole saw this page in their Bear Cub Scout handbooks:

They both bookmarked it and immediately started asking me if we could build it. It could have turned into one of those things that I say is going to happen, and then never get around to starting it. Or, it could have become one of those things that get started and never get finished (like the volcano that we got recently, but didn't get around to assembling for a while, and then, once we did, I realized it wouldn't work without club soda, so again it sat for another several days). I hate those projects.

So I decided, other projects be damned, the Cubmobile would get built. I found more details on the project online, and went shopping at Home Depot. What with all the plywood, bolts, nuts, screws, and especially the wheels, it ended up costing a bit more than I expected, but it was too late to back down now. If I did, it would have become one of those projects. The never-started projects. The what-if-we'd-built-that projects. That wasn't going to happen.

I'm happy to report that Aidan, Cole and I did build the Cubmobile last weekend. It took one morning and part of an afternoon to do, and it still lacks a brake and seat belt, but it works perfectly fine. Aidan and Cole (and even Grant) did the measuring, drilling, gluing, hammering, screwing and tightening, and I supervised and did the sawing and harder work. Aidan and Cole decided they wanted to paint it, complete with flames, but that will come later.

The boys all took spins on it, up and down the sidewalk and even in the street, while I watched for cars. Based on the expressions on their faces and the fact that they didn't want to put it away, they're pretty happy with it. I have to admit, it is pretty cool. One couple we'd never met before even stopped right in the middle of the street in front our driveway before the Cubmobile's maiden voyage. They sat there and smiled (was that nostalgia in the old man's eyes?) and asked when the derby would be. We got similar reactions from neighbors as the boys pushed each other around in it.

They still need to get used to steering the Cubmobile, and we have to add the safety equipment, before we can take it on a hill, but man, that's going to be a blast. I'm glad I took the day off to work on a project with the boys. I think they were, too.

Seen at Cub Scout day camp

2011-08-03T05:44:00.000-07:00

Aidan and Cole with friends RJ, Evan and Alex. Thanks for the photo, AnnaLisa!

Taking it to the next level

2011-08-02T05:59:00.000-07:00

When Grant and I read books before bedtime, we take turns. I pick out a bunch of books, some for me to read, and some for him to read. He usually doesn't like the ones I've picked out, so he'll go look for some more. It's all part of the ritual, see.

The other night, Grant was looking through a book I picked out for him, trying to decide whether he wanted to read it or not. He flipped through it, then looked on the front to see what reading level it was. It was a Level 1, for Preschool through Kindergarten. Well, he decided that, since he was going into First Grade, he didn't want to read any books that were meant for Kindergarteners anymore. He pointed out that First Graders should be reading Level 2 (reading with help) or 3 (reading on your own), and asked me if he could start reading a Level 3 book. Can he?. What kind of question is that? Believe me, he is certainly capable. I just didn't know the desire was there.

So we headed in to Aidan's and Cole's room to gather some books. We found many Level 3 books, intended for First and Second Graders, so now Grant has some new, more challenging stories for bedtime reading.

I'm thrilled that Grant wants to take reading to the next level and not be content with doing the minimum. And who am I to stand in the way of progress?

The last days of summer

2011-08-01T05:44:00.000-07:00

I realize it's only August 1, but I'm telling you, it feels like Summer is pretty much over already. Sure, Aidan and Cole are just starting Cub Scout day camp today, and in a few weeks, we go to visit my Mom in Missouri, so we have a lot more Summer to look forward to. But today also marks the beginning of flag football practice for Aidan.

With the start of flag football practice comes the end of all of the rest of our Summer weeknights. OK, that may be an exaggeration - after this week, it's only Tuesdays through Thursdays that Aidan will practice. This week, though, may be a long one, especially for Aidan. It's the first time that he and Cole will be going to day camp, and an hour after it ends each day, Aidan will have be on the field, ready for football practice. We're looking forward to another fun football season, even if Cole will be sitting on the sidelines. There are plenty of boys on the team who played with Aidan last year, so he won't be alone.

A month from now, though, August may seem like a breeze, as we go back to school and start going to regular Cub Scout meetings again. Oh, and Grant will start soccer by then, too. Have I mentioned that I've always dreaded the time when we'd have children simultaneously involved in different sports?

U.F.O.s from Space Part 2, by Cole

2011-07-29T12:48:00.000-07:00

U.F.O.s from Space Part 1, by Cole

2011-07-28T05:52:00.000-07:00

Drawing on the right side of the brain

2011-07-27T06:48:00.000-07:00

"Dad, can you draw something for me?" Cole often asks. And when he does, he usually wants something very specific. For example, he'll want me to draw a pirate ship. But not just a pirate ship - he wants two pirate ships, with pirates on both decks, and someone in the crow's nests and people sword fighting and cannon balls flying and a small boat in the water with a whale about to eat it and killer whales flying through the air about to bite one of the pirates. If I make the ships too far apart for people to fight (sorry, Cole, you didn't mention that when I started), I'll have to find a way to make two people close enough to fight. He's usually OK with that, if the solution is creative enough.

I often tell Cole that I'm not as good at drawing from imagination as he is, and it's true. I've enjoyed drawing since I was a kid, but I've never been able to do it unless I'm using something as a reference. Cole, on the other hand, comes up with some stuff that makes us wonder how he thinks of it all. It's not like he draws the same thing over and over. He'll draw Star Wars characters one day, and the next, he'll be doing monsters or ninjas, or even creating comic strips like "One Cool Hot Dog", "UFOs from Space" or "Army Worms".

What often surprises me is the level of detail that Cole puts into his drawings. He'll draw a complete page full of stuff and ask me to find five things wrong in it. Or he'll make a drawing that's so loaded with knights fighting that it looks like something from "Where's Waldo?", but when you look at it, it actually looks like he planned it all.

I told Mary that I often wonder if his drawings come out of his head fully-formed, or if he makes them up as he goes. I tend to think it's the former. We'll be in the car, and Cole will suddenly ask, "Mom, do you have any paper?" It's as if he has an idea, and it has to come out. He will be disappointed if we tell him we don't have anything in the car he can draw on. The same thing happens at home. Suddenly, Cole will disappear, and he can be found at the table in the kitchen, putting to paper what's coming out of his imagination.

I love to watch Cole draw, and it's always a surprise when I come home to see what he's come up with that day - and there's usually something new every day. He keeps asking if we can put him back in art classes, and we probably will, when Aidan starts football and Grant starts soccer this fall. With the natural artistic ability and enthusiasm that Cole has, it would be a shame to waste it.

Overheard in the car

2011-07-26T06:47:00.000-07:00

Me [to Aidan, who had just bought a new Lego set]: Please be sure not to mix that with all of the other Legos. You'd lose the pieces and you'd never be able to build it again.
Aidan: Nothing is impossible, Dad.

Comic-Con, where a kid can be a kid

2011-07-25T12:10:00.000-07:00

Comic-Con as a tradition with me and the boys is in full swing. Let's just hope it stays around here long enough for them to enjoy it more as a celebration of pop culture than as a giant toy store.

I honestly didn't know what the boys would be looking for at the show this year. Grant had asked again if there would be trucks, and I had to tell him that I never see trucks there (I didn't tell him that a few blocks away, there was a huge Marvel Comics/Monster Jam event to promote an upcoming show at Qualcomm Stadium). I figured he'd hold on to his money and we'd make another trip to Toys R Us, like we did last year.

While strolling around, we came upon the Lego exhibit, which featured a mountain of yellow blocks kids could climb on and build to their hearts' content. And, of course, a shop, where we headed as soon as the boys noticed it. Surprisingly, Cole and Grant each opted for a Lego set this year. Cole knew as soon as he saw the Ewok Village Lego set that that's what he wanted. Grant chose a Spongebob Squarepants set. Aidan, our biggest Lego fan, was looking for a specific camper set that he'd seen at Target, but couldn't find it. After I paid for Cole's and Grant's sets, I reminded Aidan that if he didn't find anything at Comic-Con, we could make a trip to the store later. Grant, overhearing that, exclaimed, "But I didn't remember about going to Toys R Us!" It took a while for him to calm down.

One of the boys in our Cub Scout den, whom I'd run into the day before, told me he was going to work on his video game belt loop while he was there. It sounded like a good idea to me, and it didn't take any convincing on my part to get Aidan, Cole and Grant to check out some video games. The hard part was pulling then away.

One thing the boys all look forward to is watching the swordfighting exhibition put on every year by the Society for Creative Anachronism. They even got to volunteer to take whacks at some of the knights, like they did last year. Cole enjoyed it so much that he told me afterwards, "I want to do this for a job when I grow up!" I suggested it might make a better hobby than an actual job.

After going to say our annual hellos to our friend Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca from the "Star Wars" movies, who very generously gave us copies of his new books), we headed over to complete one last task before we left. On our way, Cole stopped off at the Sharpie booth to create his own piece of artwork for their wall.

Cole, for whom I bought a "Spy vs. Spy" book recently, wanted to meet and get an autograph from Peter Kuper, the artist who currently does the comic for Mad Magazine. Cole had brought Mr. Kuper a Spy vs. Spy drawing that he'd created, and in exchange, Mr. Kuper gave Cole an autograph and his very own Spy vs. Spy drawing.

It was finally time to leave (Grant had been asking me if we could go as soon as he got his Lego set), but we've got our tickets for next year, so we have that to look forward to. Every year brings surprises and more things for the boys to look forward to.

As for Aidan, who had been asking constantly during the show if I could take him to Target or Toys R Us, I took him to the store afterwards to get his Lego set. Target had sold out of the camper set he wanted, but we did manage to find it at Toys R Us. It did feel a little strange walking in there after spending four days at Comic-Con, where a kid can be a kid. And so can adults.

That thing Aidan (and Cole and Grant) do with their arms

2011-07-15T06:18:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure when Cole and Grant picked up on it, but when they get excited, they do that same thing that Aidan does with his arms. I guess I can understand why Grant might do it - he's grown up watching his big brother do it when he's excited. But Cole? I have no idea.

They each have their own flair to it, whatever it's called. Grant waves his arms while jumping up and down: while the boys were watching Monster Jam the other night, Mary told Grant his legs were going to be muscular from all the jumping. Cole waves his arms only slightly, but raises them up and moves his fingers together like a claw or like someone doing cymbals on their fingers. Aidan has always had a very loose and animated way of waving his arms around. His hands swivel back and forth on his wrists as he moves his arms. There are times when he plays games on the computer that he's actually worked up a sweat by the time he's done, with all of the arm movement.

Well, what can you do. Mary and I just accept it as one of their collective quirks. I guess there are worse things. And at least their arms are getting some exercise.

The cult of monster trucks

2011-07-14T06:15:00.000-07:00

If people see us as white trash, which Mary thinks they will, well, I suppose I'm to blame.

Yes, it was I who introduced the boys to Monster Jam, the monster truck racing and monster truck freestyle competition shown almost daily on the Speed Network. I probably noticed it while looking for something to watch at some point, opting for it instead of bull riding (blame Grandpa Houillion for that one), and the rest is history.

After all, it's kind of a no-brainer. The boys have always liked trucks, calling them out on the road and running to watch the garbage truck from their bedroom window since before they were tall enough to look out them without help. And there have always been truck toys and truck videos in our house.

So now they have Monster Jam. Pretty much every night, Aidan asks if he can watch it before or after dinner, because he knows I've set the DVR to record them. Since he's figured out how to work the TV remote, all he needs is the word "yes" and he's off. He gets disappointed when a competition is on that he's already seen, but they'll still watch it, only they remember who had an "ultimate save", who crashed, and who won the competition. At the start of each race, Aidan will quickly call out his favorite truck, telling Grant that he gets the other one, which often leads to arguments when Grant prefers the one Aidan picked. The debates aren't limited to TV time, though: in the back yard the other day, the boys were having a philosophical discussion about which drivers and which trucks were the best.

Yes, the boys not only know all the trucks, but know the names of the drivers for each of them. Aidan's favorite driver is "George Battle-ham" (he can't seem to remember how to pronounce Balhan), the man with the foot-high mohawk who drives - what else? - Mohawk Warrior, and also happens to drive Aidan's favorite truck, Escalade. And when Aidan's got a few bucks to spend on toys recently, he doesn't opt for the Star Wars action figures he once did, but looks for his favorite Hot Wheels Monster Jam trucks instead.

Grant often asks if I can put monster trucks videos on his mp3 player. Sure, he wants videos of garbage trucks and buses, too, but he's specific about the monster truck videos he wants.

As for Cole, you may not think he's as into it as his brothers, but if Monster Jam is on, you can bet he's there, watching it and getting excited right along with them.

Does watching Monster Jam make us white trash? I don't think so. But I do think it's a fun diversion for the boys. Just wait until they find out I already have tickets for the San Diego competition next January.

Overheard in the car

2011-07-13T06:45:00.000-07:00

This song is inappropriate, because he keeps saying a bad word and Grant is too little.

- Aidan, listening to "Gives You Hell" by the All-American Rejects. Funny that Aidan didn't think he was too little.

Overheard in the kitchen

2011-07-11T06:07:00.000-07:00

You're getting shorter!

- Aidan, to me. If only that were the case.

So funny, I forgot to laugh

2011-07-08T06:13:00.000-07:00

Grant: What kind of nut does a cat wear on its feet?
Me: I don't know.
Grant: Cashews! (Get it? Cat-shoes)

So funny, I forgot to laugh

2011-07-07T06:04:00.000-07:00

Grant: What did the cat say when he saw a ghost?
Me: "Aaaah!"?
Grant: Meow-oooooo!

Overheard at Big Pine Creek

2011-07-06T06:06:00.000-07:00

Me [to Aidan and Cole, referring to Grant]: You guys need to set an example. He watches you!
Grant [who only overheard this last part]: Who, Santa?

Overheard at Big Pine Creek

2011-07-05T06:05:00.000-07:00

Aidan: I forgot my compass!
Mom: What?
Cole: Well, we didn't have them last year and we were safe.

Big Pine Creek diary - Day 5

2011-07-01T06:35:00.000-07:00

Something had apparently made its home in our car. I found chewed-up paper towels in it Friday morning and had to find a delicate way of breaking it to Mary. She's not fond of rodents, and that's the only thing it could have been...

Friday was our day trip to the Ancient Bristlecone Pine forest, just outside of Big Pine, and home of the world's oldest living thing. Apparently there is a tree in the forest that's over 4,500 years old - the rangers won't identify it, to keep vandals and nutcases away, but it's there. Since we'd been going up to Big Pine, we'd been curious about it, and Grant even has a Dr. Seuss book that refers to it, so it was a matter of time before we visited.

The "forest" is above 11,000 feet, so it's not really a forest at all, but a place for trees and plants that are hardy enough to survive. It's a beautiful place that goes from what looks like a lunar landscape to a wooded area to a hillside that's made up entirely of flat red rocks. The views from the summit are spectacular, as you can see across the valley to the Sierra Nevada range.

The boys enjoyed the hike, especially the part with the red rocks. Aidan enjoyed stacking them into structures, and Grant liked hitting them together to hear the different sounds each one made. We also visited with the on-duty ranger, who explained how the rangers bore into the trees to determine how old they are - and fulfilled another Cub Scout requirement in the process.

We decided to go to an outlook along the road to have our lunch and explained that to Aidan when he asked if we could have lunch already. "Yeah, we're going to stop at the lookout and have our lunch. I can't think of a nicer place to have lunch," I told him. "I can," Aidan replied, "McDonald's!" (Sorry, Aidan, the outlook was nicer.)

After lunch, we headed into Bishop and got the night's dessert at Erick Schat's Bakkerÿ. Yummy. And also a stop at Ace Hardware to get some mouse traps...

We relaxed for the rest of the day, enjoying more fishing and campfire time. The next morning, we headed home, sad that another great camping trip was over, but happy that the boys seemed to be in their element (despite their complaints during the week that they missed the TV and playing on the computer).

P.S. We never found the mouse. Thank goodness.

Big Pine Creek diary - Day 4

2011-06-30T06:21:00.000-07:00

After a long day Wednesday and another trip on Friday, Thursday was a day of relaxing. And fishing.

Cole got some more practice in last night with Grandma, and this morning, we headed to the Trout Pond to watch Kathleen fish. While we were there, a man who was fishing nearby got a bite. He called to Aidan and asked if he wanted to reel it in, so Aidan went over, but as he reeled the fish in, it got away. The man re-loaded the bait, cast the line, and within a minute or two, Aidan had caught his first fish!

The rest of the day was pretty much spent doing what campers do.

Hanging out. Relaxing.

Sitting around the campfire. Visiting. Enjoying the great outdoors.

But even though the day started well for Aidan, it didn't end well. When it was time for Grandma to prepare his fish, he told us that he'd wanted to take it home. He got very sad when Grandma cut its head off, which later inspired this drawing:

So long, Fishy.