Good Morning Stinky Face

I am a morning person. I want to know from you non-morning people, when is it proper to wake you up? For example: If I am in a different time zone with you. It is 10:00 am in your home time zone, you have slept for nine hours... can I wake you up? Even if it is only 7:oo am. Oh and the sun has come up . . . and the fish are going to be fed in 15 minutes!

No room in the Inn!

It took all of December to find it. My wife searched the web daily for any sign of it, She asked numerous people. Then one day it happened, she found it. Can you guess what it is?

I had no idea it even existed. I had heard about it, but never seen it. I must say it is the true meaning of Christmas.

On 15th East between 13th and 9th South is a small canyon-like park. I had no idea there was even a park there. Once a year four different Christian denomination churches come together and transform it into a small city of David. Roman solders take the cost of admission from you, a sack of food for the food bank. You then enter a small market with live animals, hot drinks and a masses of people in costume with no room in any of the Inns. The entire place is lit with torches and luminaries.

A snowy pathway leads you out of the market past a 1500 lb camel named Chuck. Ella was able to pet Chuck. Leah was afraid of Chuck and pretty much demanded her mother carry her through out. Even though it was extremely cold, Leah refused, boots, hat and gloves.

Past Chuck and over a small hill is a small clearing. In the clearing is a small stable, complete wise men, two donkeys, twentieth century light and sound system, and of course Marry, Joseph and a real baby Jesus. On the hill over looking the stable were sheep tended by shepherds. The sound system plays the Christmas story. Ella was able to make it to the front row and watch the Christmas story acted out. Her favorite part was baby Jesus. Leah's favorite was the lambs. Susie favorite part was Leah screaming, "Dad, Ella, lets go!" when the story finished. My favorite part was just being together with my family and enjoying the moment.

Sheep, goats and little shepherd campfires run along the entire trail leading out of the park. It's peaceful and serene and the kids can pet the animals along the way. As we walked along the path, I thought to myself... This is what Christmas is all about!

Scary Christmas?

Scary Christmas? When you are two years old the traditions of Christmas can be a little scary. I know of a few adults that, even today, climb up the wall or head for the nearest exit when they hear Santa's Sleigh bells. I, myself, found visiting Santa at Aurbach's when I was a child very displeasing.

In our house we have a Shelf Elf. He sits on the mantle over the fire place and watches you. He tells Santa about all the good things he sees and at night he moves to new places in the house to watch the children. When you're four years old and find the shelf elf has moved during the night, it is very exciting! But when you're two, the thought of a decoration, that should just stay put, moving about the house is a little upsetting. It makes me wonder what Tim Burton's parents did to him.

I spy

I spy with my little eye. It is a game we play to pass time and divert my kids attention. It is also kind of fun. You know, I spy with my little eye something red. The other people look around and guess all things red.

The other morning while my daughters were taking a tub. The girls were fighting over a tub toy so I called out "I spy with my little eye something brown" Ella sat straight up, dropped the toy and looked at her sister then herself and said in the most confident, sweet way "Is it me and Leah"? It's so endearing how Ella has embraced her skin color, she looks at it, as she should, like it's her hair or eye color. She loves that she has brown, cocoa (as she calls it) skin.

So when she asked if what I spied was her, I had to giggle before telling her it really was her mom's shirt.

So who are you?

What would be your theme song? Monday night we shared family night with some good friends in a suite at the local ballpark, thanks to Ms. Barlow. She really rocks. Thank you again for a great night. Between taking Ella to the in stadium Fannz store and a 45 minute wait for the train, I did catch a little bit of the game.

Earlier this summer I took in a Dodger game with 2 very cool brother in laws and one extra cool nephew. The Dodger game with it's awesome garlic fries and the very eventful ride home would easily be placed on my top 5 lists of fun events of the summer, if I had such a list. Alas, I am not that organized and would hate to demean the wonderful summer by adopting a list.

Sorry, I digressed. The original question was headed to this... If you were a major league player, what song would you want to be played when you go up to bat? The second question is, who picks the song? You or your team mates?

I'd really like my song to be "Getting jiggy with it" - Will Smith.
Actually, I have a challenge...tell me your song and what you think someone else who reads this blog's song would be?

Triple X?

We need bees. We have birds, but we really need bees. If you're reading this to your kids, you should stop now. You see, this post is about one of my little obsessions, Sex. I am not getting enough Sex. Part of it is the Deer, but for the most part it is the bees. Does that make sense?

Let me start from the end, the tomato. I love a warm, fresh, juicy, firm, just picked tomato from the garden. This year, I have not had a single one. Part of the problem was the cold weather in May, so our tomato plants did not mature very quickly. Then in June, the Deer ate the blossoms. Now, after putting up rope fences and barricades to deter the deer from ruining our crop, only a few of the blossoms are getting pollinated. You know, that means the tomatoes are not getting any sex. So without sex, I am suffering from a lack of all my favorite summer meals...BLTs, warm tomatoes with salt from the vine, with fresh corn, bruschetta, fresh salsa...do you get the picture? I'm really needing the sex!

You know what is really sad, my Mother, brags about the sex she is getting. I think if I were willing to ask, my mother-in-law would brag too.

A trip to Bountiful?

I just want to thank the Neff Gang for a great time on Sunday. We just got back from Provo. Provo is far away from reality. We had a great time but we're happy to be home. Utah by 5.