Posting From Blogger App

So I abandoned The Blogpress App and got the Blogger App and will try to get a photo on this post.

This is Reet holding Emma when we had dinner at their place the day after Christmas.

(edit) Look at that, it works! Thanks Blogger and the Blogger App!

It Crapped-Out Again...

after i tried to upload a photo. WTF? I'll try reloading the App and then I'll move in if it doesn't solve the problem.


-- Posted From My iPhone

Blogging From My iPhone -Part 1

I have been trying to figure out a quicker way to blog and thought I would try doing it from my iPhone and see if this works. This is the second time I have written this entry on account of the last time, the app quit on me after I tried to add a photo.

So far, Blogpress hasn't "Wowed" me. If it can't upload a simple photo, it's not much help to me. I will try and upload a new photo in a few minutes and reinstall the App and see how that goes.

-- Posted From My iPhone

"Walking"

Emma "Walking" with some help from her walker toy. She did this yesterday and Kate captured it. This is the first time she has done this, right after Jack showed her, she just pulled herself up and did it. A quick learner.

Thanks for the Coat, GG

We got the package a week ago and I put her in the coat, its a bit big but she looks cute in it. Thanks, Mom.

Thinking Of You, GG

I decided to record a quick message from our web cam for you, Mom. Love you.

Emmas New Chair

We got a package in the mail last week, Mom sent it - a chair for Emma. I put it together this morning. She likes to try and stand and hold on to stuff, so she pulled herself up on it. We had to show her how to sit in it since she doesn't really get the sitting thing just yet.

She likes it because it is soooo soft.

Smashing Pumpkins

Previous years, I keep finding new ways to dispose of our pumpkins from Halloween and this year I decided to go with dispatching with them by smashing them with a maul.




Previous Years:
2010 (Throwing them from Parking Garage)

2009 (Blowing it up with an M-80)

2007 (Running over it with my car)

Sticking Out

Emma has this thing where she smiles a lot, a lot. And when she does, she sticks her tongue out like her grandmother Kathleen (My mother-in-law, whom I refer jokingly as the "Dark Side of the Force") does when she does anything that requires effort (like driving or screwing in a light bulb).

So I guess this is a genetic thing coming through and rearing its head (or tongue) as the case may be. Kathleen has a great sense of humor too, so I hope that Emma also gets that as well.

Adjusting to School

Happy Jack on his way in to school.


Jack waiting in the cafeteria.

We don't have a great picture of a smiling Jack on his first day of Kindergarten because he was having none of it. He did not want to go and was put-off that he had to go that first day. He cried, Mom cried, I almost cried (OK, not really, but I it makes me sound all sensitive)

But we were assured that he was going to be fine and we knew that but it was a little emotional at the time. Well, when I picked him up he was all smiles and told me he made a friend and had a great time. I asked who is friend is, he didn't know. I asked what he looked like, he said he didn't know. I asked if he was in his class or in just SACC, he said he didn't know. He did remember that he had on a green shirt, though.

Well, ever since then he looks forward to school and is always ready to go and wants to get there. Sometimes we are a little too early and he has to wait in the cafeteria (they aren't allowed in their classrooms until 10 minutes before class starts, not sure why - something about keeping kids from roaming the halls and keeping them confined, ha!)

So anyway, he had a bad start but its been all good ever since. We just had our first parent/teacher meeting this week and he is doing great, so that is good news.

Udvar-Hazy Visit

We went and visited the Udvar-Hazy Air and Space center back in early October (you can tell it was still warm out because I was wearing shorts). Jack just loves it there and its a fun thing to go and see - you always see something you didn't see before. Best $15 you will ever spend. Just be sure to cram everyone you can into the car because the entrance fee is based on each car that enters, not each person. $15 per car, so cram them in like sardines and save a few bucks.

I am wearing my "Happy Trooper" t-shirt in this picture, you can order one from my website at HeroDogDesign.com (Shameless plug)

Pumpkins

These were our pumpkins this year, we got them two weeks before Halloween and it was a little warm that last week so they really fell apart and turned on us. I will be updating a blog post as I do each year on how I dispose of our pumpkins and this year will not disappoint. In the past I have blown up one with an M-80, Run over them with my car and thrown them from a five story garage. This year? Keep in touch and find out...

Cox Farms

Kate and Jack in Cornundrum (corm maze) I have an old picture of these two at that same exact spot a few years earlier, wow, how they grow up so fast.


2009 Cornundrum Picture



Back in October we made our annual trip to Cox Farms to play with goats, pick a pumpkin and slide on the huge slides. I got a shot of Jack next to the board that shows how big he is getting. The image below is the 2009 picture from Cox Farms.


2009 at Cox Farms
Getting to be a big boy.

A Few Miscellaneous Pictures

Tough Day?

You would think she had a tough day, as if the weight of the world was on her shoulders. Nawww, she just missed getting her bottle a couple minutes late.

Visiting With Family

We actually started going out again after a month or two and saw family to catch up and show off Emma. We would stop by The O'Briens and the Fritzs so they could see our bundle of joy. Jack needed to see the family, too!


Grandad Fritz and Emma.


Jack, Grandma Fritz and Emma.


Jim and Reet with Emma.


Jim, Emma and GG.

Nationals Game

Here is the video I got of that moment, wow, was it exciting. I showed it to Jack and he laughs at how excited I was!

Nats Game

Kate and I were invited to a Nationals game against the Phillies back on August 20. It was one of the best experiences of being at a sporting event I have ever been, besides my first Redskins game at RFK with my Dad when I was a kid.

There was a rain delay for the game but they started late by about two hours. It was fascinating to see the ground crew do their work and roll up the tarp and squeegee away the rain onto the shallow outfield, where there are hidden drains.

We were in a suite that our hosts (Tom and Catherine) had bought in a fund-raiser, so it was catered with all kinds of food, sweets and beer/wine. They really went first class for the whole thing. I kept thinking, "So this is what its like to be rich."

The game wasn't notable until the late innings when the Nats made a run at the lead. It came down to the bottom of the ninth inning, two outs, bases loaded, full count of 3 balls and 2 strikes. Zimmerman hit a walk-off grand-slam home run to win it! It was intense! What. A. Game. That one will go down as really creating an impression on me as far as sporting event trifecta; Great Food, Great Company and a Great Game.

The whole reason we were invited was because I had redone a logo for the Dulles Area Democrats so that it was more "social-media friendly" (circular instead of wide). The logo wasn't even my idea, I just redid it so that it worked better for their specific use. Boy do I love those Democrats, they are very charitable and giving people!


Nationals Park and the big tarp.

Konked-Out

I tweeted this picture out a few months ago but I didn't blog it. She fell asleep in my arms and I snapped this pic because I couldn't do anything else at the time but hold her. She is soooo cute!

Guitar Star Shirt and Our Online Store

We have also been busy putting some energy into Hero Dog Design the last few months as well as raising a new baby and kindergartner. We redid the web site and Kate made a nice online store so I can sell my shirts and stickers. If you have a request, I can do those too. Visit and let us know what you think. Hero Dog Design


Ellie wearing my "Guitar Star" shirt I made for her. You can buy one for yourself at our online store HERE.

Cousins Visit

Abbie and Emma. Abbie felt great after recovering fully from her surgery for a disc in her neck that had disintegrated so they fused two of her neck bones together. They went in through the front of her neck so you can see the scar it left but its healing up great. She can feel he arm now, too!


The Three Amigos (Jack, Ellie and Nate)

The cousins came to visit back at the end of August. Lots of action, lots of fun, as usual.


All four of the kids together.

Doting Big Brother

Jack has really has taken the role of doting big brother for his sister. He loooooves her and will spontaneously giver her hugs and kisses. We were worried that he might have some jealousy (it happens sometimes) but he was really excited about having a little sister and likes playing the role of big brother.

A Night Out

On that rare night that we could go out, Kathleen babysat for us. Since one of our neighbors had recently gotten hitched (married), they had a reception after the fact at George Mason's new Conference Center, which is swanky. Swaaannkeee.

We got to dress up like adults and had some vino as well, just like real people who don't have small children.

Saint Kathleen

For the entire month of August, Kathleen (Kate's Mom) stayed with us and took care of Emma. My time off had expired if I didn't use it within 6 weeks of Emma being born so I had to use my vacation time. So this really, really helped us out knowing that she was here with someone who would take excellent care and also the savings for us monetarily.

It wasn't easy, I am sure, but Grandma was a trooper! We rewarded her by giving her Kate's iTouch, which is like an iPhone, but there is no phone. Jack showed her how to download Angry Birds and taught her how to play. I showed her how to take pictures with it, download her music and podcasts if she wants as well.

I think I converted her to Apple, at least for now.


Jack showing Grandma how to play Angry Birds.

It was a pleasure to have you here and thank you for taking care of Emma for us. Its hard for me to give props to my Mother-in-Law (or as I refer to her as "The Dark Side of The Force"), but it was great having you here and we had a great time. I never thought I would be happy to see my Mother-in-Law every day when I got home, but you won me over! Haha!


Saint Kathleen

Been Busy

So I am about to deluge the blog with posts that I should have been updating for the last four months. Mom and Dad called last night and asked if I would update it. Guilt works, it just takes a little longer!


Gratuitous pic of baby Emma (smiling).

There. Isn't that better? :)

End of Year Event at Daycare

So for the last big year-end event at Jack's daycare, we went to visit another Fairfax County Parks offering; the "Sprayground" at Lee District Rec Center. Its like a playground but has a bunch of water park things to play on. Water canons, fountains, sprays and troughs. Its basically meant for smaller kids and those that may be handicapped so thee is less chance of drowning. It just opened up over the summer through Fairfax County Park Authority.

We had lunch with his buds and classmates and I came along since most of the other kids had a parent along for the fun as well. It was a nice time and Jack had a good time.

All the kids at the Sprayground.


Jack and Ben on the bus ride over

More Family Pictures

Mom got here "baby time" with Emma, every chance she got, that baby was in Moms arms, eating, sleeping or cooing.





Dad with Emma, he was very reticent to hold her because he was afraid he might break her! I think she is flashing a gang sign in this photo (the East Side Boo-Boos)





This is how I left them at Dulles, happy and ready to get back to see Oklahoma:

Family Visit

We went out to eat a lot of great places while Mom and Dad were here since Oklahoma doesn't have the plethora of cuisine choices that Northern Virginia has. We went to Anitas, Red Robin, Japanese Steakhouse and ordered in when we didn't eat out.

We had a great time and it was great to see not only Karen and the boys but Mom and Dad as well since its rare I get to see this much family together if it isn't Thanksgiving.





Here is a video link to the Japanese Steakhouse we went to for dinner on Saturday night. Jack loves this place and its always a great show!

GG and Emma

We went to dinner last night and someone (not saying who), just couldn't keep up. I guess she just isn't a partier like the rest of us.

Reet Visits

Reet stopped by for a visit this morning. Actually, Kate was to meet her at Starbucks, but she overslept (aaaahhhh, sweet sleep...) so Reet stopped in about the same time we got up. It worked out good because I got to see her as well as Emma and Jack were able to visit with Reet, too.