This is the week of the annual ski trip.   But during packing, Cara put her back out.  Instead of getting better, it got steadily worse until she couldn't even lie down or take a deep breath.  So, at 1AM, I turned off the alarm that had been set for 4:30 and I drove my wife to the ER.  It was in the car that I pretty much wrote off the ski trip ( Read more... )

We are in Los Angeles for my grandmother's 90th birthday.  Cara happened to note that the Getty museum had an exhibit on French Medieval manuscripts, so we dragged the kids along and checked it out ( Read more... )

Two of the boys on Ian's wrestling team are brothers who look alike.  They also share a striking hair color, so their nicknames are "Red 1" and "Red 2".  The other day, Cara was complaining that she had trouble telling them apart, because they look so much alike.  "Oh, no!" replied Leah, "Sean has blue eyes, but Jon has brown eyes ( Read more... )

Okay, this latest trophy is ridiculous.  It is as tall as my hip, and it's up to Ian's chest.  It is so unwieldy that he has trouble carrying it around.  But he likes it ( Read more... )

Last night, Leah (age 10) said to her mother, "When I am of an age that I can have a boyfriend, I AM going to have one ( Read more... )

 They are the same, yet different.

Joshua's brass ensemble performed Christmas carols at PPG place yesterday.  They sounded... well.... professional!  In the sense that reasonable strangers would pay money to hear them play.  The balance was excellent, the tone exceptional.  It was an enjoyable concert, even as I begin to grow sick of Christmas ( Read more... )

Leah brought her snake to Ian's wrestling meet tonight.  She was the belle of the ball, constantly surrounded by admiring young men.  (Perhaps I should get used to the idea).

One of the other fathers commented that a girl with a snake at a wrestling meet was like a guy with a puppy at the park.

First place in the 8-and-under 80lb bracket at the Shaler Area Nellis Memorial Wrestling Tournament goes to......Ian Branstetter ( Read more... )

Joshua has always had a high tolerance for pain.  He will sometimes skin his knee and not notice for hours.

A few days ago, Joshua noticed that he had two remaining baby teeth.  Now, in his mind, he's no baby, so those teeth are out of place.  (Can you guess where this is going?)

With his bare hands, he yanked out the looser of the two remaining baby ( Read more... )

We are two weeks into the new wrestling season, and the go-getters are already going to tournaments.  Like yesterday's tournament, in which Ian had one of his worst performances ever.  But he handled it well.  And he was at least competitive with the other kids.