Guitar Hero

Congratulations to Pete for enduring an epic encore on Freebird to complete Guitar Hero 2 (which Dad received for Father's Day).

Sam is also getting much better, and is almost good enough to finish his first song in Career mode.

Ice Cream Truck

Pete and Sam are enjoying a treat from the ice cream truck at the bottom of the driveway. Sam's started out as a Spongebob popsicle, and Pete's is a cup of ice cream dots.

Farewell Pool Party

Pete and Sam had fun at Caleb's farewell party, which was held at the "Bucket Pool". Caleb is moving to North Carolina.

Matt Wilhelm

We went to see Matt Wilhelm at the Ashburn Library on Saturday. He did some cool bike tricks, including Time Machine, Tornado Spin, Jump Rope, and Spider Man. The music was awesome too. When we got home, we had to put the song San Dimas High School Football Rules on Pete and Sam's MP3 players.

One Way To Get Alone Time

The other day Pete provided a unique proposal for getting some time alone:

“Mom! Sam keeps bothering me. Bring me a gun. I want to give it to Sam so he can shoot me. Then I will go to heaven and he will go to hell.”

Last To Leave

When Pete and Dad go to an event, they are often the last ones to leave. They help every one clean up, then hang out for a while doing nothing or just looking around for more things to do. Dad has many fond memories of time spent at such events.

One of the best was Pete’s last baseball game a few weeks ago at Newton-Lee. It was an evening on the last day of a heat wave – the heat index was in the 90-100 range, and humid. Mom and Sam had left the game earlier. Pete’s teammates and coaches finished their post-game snack, packed everything up, and headed home. Everyone was sweaty and exhausted. Dad asked coach if they could keep one ball. Dad and Pete stayed on the deserted field and played another 30 minutes of one-on-one baseball. The rule was that every hit was either an out or a home run.

Bible Study

Sam reads in his Bible the story of Joseph and the Power Rangers of Many Colors.

Lots of Learning

I'm not sure what subjects they're covering at Pete's school this month, but the students seem to be enjoying it.

Somehow it involves Sam, also.

Crayfish Boil

Pete and Sam had fun at the neighborhood Crawfish boil on Memorial Day weekend. Here is Sam playing with the fish before they went into the pot.

I See Dead People

Dad: Sam, did you have a good time at church?

Sam: Yeah, Mom took me with her into the cemetery!

Mom: Sanctuary

Late Night Activity

Pete's friend Eric (from Pittsburgh) came for a brief visit on Saturday night. His family was passing through town on their way back from vacation in North Carolina. Like most visitors, Eric slept in Pete's bottom bunk. Dad asked Pete the next morning about their late-night activities.

Dad: What were you guys doing up until 10:30 last night?
Pete: We were passing math problems to each other in my journal.

Sprucing Up the Basement

Pete and Sam were helpful in getting the basement painted.

And unlike most local painters, they are legally permitted to be in the United States.

Tornado Warning

It is not too often that we get tornado warnings in Virginia, so perhaps we should not have been surprised to find the trampoline in a new location about an hour later.

Pete's question was not "how did that get there?". If you know Pete, you can probably guess what he asked.

What is She Cooking?

Sam: What is Mommy cooking in there?

Dad: I think it's ham and eggs.

Sam: Oh. I was thinking it smells like barbecued poop.

Desire To Help

Inspiration for concept from here.

Baseball Lineup

Pete's baseball game was a good test of endurance, with temperatures close to 100 degrees. It was also a good opportunity to learn some of the new terms for upcoming batters:

If you're up next, you're "on deck" (knew that one)
If you're up 3rd, you're "in the hole"
If you're up 4th, you're "in the mouse house"
If you're up 5th, you're "in the backpack"
If you're up 6th, you're "asleep"

There were only 8 players at this game, so if you weren't one of the above you just had to wait 1 or 2 batters to get into the rotation.

Lyme Disease

Pete had a rash, so he went to the doctor yesterday. They gave him some anti-biotics in case it is Lyme Disease.

Pete was asking the doctor about the medicine:

Pete: Will the medicine taste good?
Doctor: Oh, yes.
Pete: As good as the Strep Throat medicine?

Hair Math

Guess What He Will Say Next

Today we will play "guess what Sam will say next". This one is very easy - difficulty is 2.5 (on a scale of 1-10).

Dad: Sam, bring this Life Saver to Pete.

Sam: I want a Life Saver too.

Dad: Pete needs a Life Saver because his throat is sore.

Sam: _____________________

National Spelling Bee

Pete and Sam had fun watching the National Spelling Bee over the weekend. It is unfortunate that none of those words have any practical value. Pete had a good suggestion, which is that we attend next year (since it is in DC).

On a related note, the website for the Speeling Bee that Pete participated in has now posted the winners along with what seems like a few thousand photos. Here is one additional photo of Pete we found:

Orienteering at the Cub Scout Campout

Pete had fun learning about orienteering with a compass.

First the group plotted their course:

Watch out for that snake!

Then they completed the course and claimed their prize:

Caterpillar Net

Sam forces a smile in his pre-school class, despite having apparently dropped his orange slice into the caterpillar prison.

Playroom Upgrades

We have recently made two upgrades to the playroom:

1. We created the "Library Corner", which is a basket of books with a nice little sign that says "Library Corner". It is getting easier to keep Sam entertained with books, as he can now read most of the books we have (up to basic chapter books).

2. There is a bucket of junk which has those assorted toys which have been abandoned over time. We re-named this as the "Bucket of Fun", so now it gets a lot more use.

Disease Inventory

One afternoon, Dad was wrestling with Pete. Dad was talking a little too much trash, so Pete put his hand over Dad's mouth. It was at that moment when Dad thought back to what Pete had touched over the course of the day.

1. Every game and candy machine at Ultra Zone (during Nick's Laser Tag party)

2. About 75% of the webkinz at Zazu

Conclusion: It is a miracle that Dad is still alive.

Another Sign They Watch Too Much TV

While Sam was roasting a marshmallow, Dad made another realization that perhaps he watches too much TV.

Dad: So Sam, what season are we in?
Sam: Season 2 ?

Electronic Dictionary

Pete and Sam each have an electronic dictionary, which inexplicably also has an MP3 player. Of course, they find themselves using it more to listen to songs than for looking up words.

Here are the songs that are currently on Pete's device:

International Night

The above picture is from International Night at Sam's school. The premise is for every family to bring in an ethnic dish to share, and the children eat a little taste of each dish. This ingenious event was dreamed up by a creative individual who has never had any children.

You can see that the picture was taken during a time when Pete and Sam were not eating - also known as "any time between the start and the end of the event". Note, there is one item in the picture that Sam and Pete ate (near Pete's left hand). Hint: eating it precluded us from making our Fruit Loop necklaces.

God Created Sam

As you can see in the picture above, God created Sam. Perhaps this was while Dad was away on a business trip. Anyhow, here are the entries on the page, in case you can't see them:

My name is: Sam
My age is: 4
My eyes are the color: Green
My hair color is: Blond
My favorite food is: Ice Cream Sunday
My favorite drink is: Black Cherry
I enjoy: Playing Lego Star Wars
When I grow up, I want to be: A Mechanic

Filling this out is good practice for later in life, when Sam will get an e-mail from someone he hasn't talked to in 6 years, indicating the answers to a list of questions such as their favorite food and what color underwear they are wearing. The e-mail will implore him to answer the questions and forward it to 5 people to avoid breaking the chain.

Congratulations Mom

Congratulations to Mom on completing her two continuing education classes for renewing her Virginia teacher certification.

Mom had been going to class every Wednesday evening for several months. After her last class, Pete and Sam surprised her with some decorations and posters.

Spelling Bee

Pete participated in his first Spelling Bee on Saturday. It is a local event that was held this year for the first time, for kids who are too young to be in the National Spelling Bee. There was a $25 entrance fee, so the contest was for serious spellers. There were also no restrictions on location - any child (4th grade or younger) could participate.

There were 125 entrants in the contest. They started with a written test, and 55 qualified for the oral finals on stage. Pete won first place on the written test for Second Grade (which is the trophy he is receiving in the picture above). He also finshed 12th in the overall bee. We believe he was the highest finisher younger than age 8, but haven't confirmed this yet.

In rounds 1-5 of the competition on stage, Pete correctly spelled the words another, oyster, tone, message, and grammar. He was eliminated in round 6 by the word fathom.

Sam has also started spelling words around the house, throughout the day. Next year he will be a good candidate for the Kindergarten division, even though he will be a little younger than the other participants.

Click here to see several additional phots from the event.

Hot Tub

Pete and Sam were happy to help us refill the water in the hot tub last weekend.

Playground?

This is a picture of Pete at a local playground. There is also a cool video to go with it, but YouTube keeps rejecting it for some unknown reason. So you will just have to use your imagination, or come over the house to watch the video.



(ok, you can click the picture if you need a hint)

Baseball Parade

Pete, Sam, Mom, and Dad marched together through the streets of Ashburn in the Dulles Little League Opening Day Parade. This is a bizarre annual event where the league participants walk about 1/2 mile and then have an on-field "ceremony" followed by a small festival. Last year Dad was a volunteer traffic manager, so did not get to march with everyone.

Pete is in the back with Sajon, who was also on Pete's team last year. Sajon's dad also played safety for the Indianapolis Colts. Also somewhat visible in the picture are Mom and Sam.

Opening Day Festival

Pete's baseball team this year is the River Cats. He is in the Rookie league, which is "coach-pitch". Sam is wearing Pete's hat in the above picture.

The fire truck was a welcome diversion while waiting for the insufferable opening day ceremony, which inexplicably does not permit parents or siblings on the field, to end. Dad and Sam went in the truck a few times. By the end of the ceremony, Sam was quite the expert regarding the tools on the truck, including the Jaws of Life.

Penn State Shirts

Pete and Sam like their Penn State shirts that Dad brought back from his recent trip to Pennsylvania. Sam said he is going to wear it every day for the rest of the world.

The above picture is from a Sunday geocache hike along the Washington & Old Dominion trail near Belmont Ridge Road. Unfortunately, the hike involved traversing two steep embankments, since we did not realize that there were paths on both sides of the trail. The hike was delayed, since Pete and Sam need to stop every time they see a caterpillar, which this time of year amounted to about 94 times.

Situation Under Control

Sam: I'm not ready for bed. I'm still hungry.
Dad: Ok, I'll get you some chocolate milk.

[Dad gives Sam some chocolate milk]

[5 minutes later]

Sam: It's not a good idea to drink chocolate milk while you're lying down.
Dad: Oh. Let me check to see if you spilled anything.
Sam: It's ok, I already flipped it over to the dry side.

Will He Eat?

Do you think Sam would eat this much steak, in order to qualify for getting dessert?

Click here to see the correct answer.

Cub Scout Hike

Pete and Dad had a fun time on this year's Cub Scout Hike. Dad was the Hikemaster, and the scouts got to find two geocaches during the 2 mile hike. One of the geocaches was one that Pete had found before, and the other was down by the bank of the Potomac River.


Sam and Mom did not join on the hike this time. They were at a birthday party for Gianna, from Sam's pre-school class.

How is That Possible?

If you ever have the opportunity to watch Pete at a playground for 5 minutes, you will inevitably find yourself asking the following question: How has he survived this long?

(Followed by: Has that boy ever had a haircut?)

Food Chain

This is Pete's project he did a few months ago for class. He had to select an animal and habitat, so of course he selected the Bandicoot. Sam enjoys reciting the food chain, which begins "Lion eats man, man eats Bandicoot, ..."

Long Live Band-Aid

When you give Sam a Band-Aid, keep in mind that he will develop an emotional attachment to it, and it will not come off for some time. After many days, a combination of friction and erosion will hopefully lead to the demise of the Band-Aid. Of course, the irony is that the festering Band-Aid provides a greater health hazard than whatever it what supposed to heal.

Finding Things

Sam is not good at finding things. You can send him to the bathroom for a tissue, and the only two things in there are a big box of tissues and a little tube of ChapStick, and he'll come back 15 minutes later and tell you that there are no tissues in there any place. And by the way, his lips smell like ChapStick.

So giving him the camo Easter egg basket may not have been the best choice. It is a safe bet that shortly after this picture was taken, he placed the basket down to adjust his jacket, declared it lost, and returned home with no eggs.

Resemblance

I think we've all seen the pictures of people who look like their dogs.

Perhaps Sam can enter the contest for "people who look like the rocks that they decorated on a Cub Scout camping trip".

Some Improvement

Mom: "Pete, you did a good job earlier. I asked you to clear the table, and you did it without complaining."

Pete: "Yeah, I just complained inside my head."

Snowman Jammies

One day Sam inspected his snowman jammies and determined that he did not want to wear them.

Dad: Why don't you want to wear your snowman jammies?

Sam: It says size 3 on the tag. I am 4.

Dad: Ok, tomorrow I'll cross out 3 on the tag and change it to 4.

Sam: Ok, then I will wear them tomorrow.

Asteroid Fruit Slices

We had a fun family trip to the mall on Sunday.

Pete and Sam brought their wallets, in case they saw anything they might like to buy. (Translation: the boys brought their wallets to plead with Mom and Dad to let them spend all of their money on Webkinz).

We stopped at the sporting goods store to get a baseball bat for Pete. This is how they make youth baseball bats:

1. Make 50 identical bats
2. Paint them different colors
3. Arrange the bats with black ones on the left, and cool colors and logos as you move to the right
4. Apply price stickers to the bats from $20 to $100, moving left to right

We decided to go home and look for bats on ebay.

We stopped at the candy store on the way out. Pete showed Dad his various candy selections. Sam told Dad that he got four different flavors of "asteroid fruit slices". Dad found out later from Pete that it was actually "assorted fruit slices". But they should really change the name - Sam's name is better.

Sharing

Pete and Sam are watching our new Mr. Bean DVD, and "sharing" a blanket.

This picture was taken just after we traded our old entertainment center to Aunt Stacey for a treadmill, and got our new one from Craigslist.

I can't recall what the item is that Sam is holding. Most likely either a cigarette lighter or super glue.

Drinkucopia

Sam often accumulates various drinks throughout the day. So his place on the dinner table sometimes has 3 or 4 drinks.

Clubhouse

Pete and Sam have regular meetings in the clubhouse. Here are some pictures of the clubhouse:

Here is the order of business for clubhouse meetings:

1. Entry (must have flashlight and know the password) - President (Pete) then Vice President (Sam)

2. Roll Call (all human members plus Webkinz - Littlekinz sit on top, Bigkinz on bottom)

3. Pledge of Allegiance

4. Star Spangled Banner

5. Discuss the importance of the meeting

6. New Business

7. Pledge of Allegiance

8. Close the Meeting

Rock, Paper, Scissors Plus

While enjoying dinner, Pete and Sam asked Dad if he would like to play some Rock, Paper, Scissors. Dad figured "sure, why not" and decided to go with trusty Rock. Meanwhile, Pete and Sam made some odd gestures that did not look familiar.

Pete: Ok - gun beats rock, and God beats gun.
Dad: Say what, now?
Pete: Sam beat you with gun, and I beat him with God. God beats everything.
Sam: Do you want to play again?
Dad: I guess so.

This time Dad tried gun, but apparently he lost to "rainbow", which lost to "mother nature".

Pete: Ready to try again?
Dad: No, my brain is starting to hurt.

Legos

Pete and Sam got into a bit of a Lego frenzy a few weeks ago. They wanted to build all the time for a few days.

Sam built the rocket he is holding in the photo. Pete also saw in the Lego magazine that they were having a contest to build Spongebob out of Legos. Here is what they built:

Not too shabby.

Band Aid

The other day Dad was minding his own business when Sam appeared with the following request:

Sam: I... NEED... A... FREAKIN.... BANDAID!

Dad: Sam, where did you learn that language?

Sam: FROM... MOMMY!

E. I. E. I. Oops

Pete appeared last week in the 2nd grade musical known as "E-I-E-I-Oops".

Here he is in his costume:

Just after the above picture was taken, Pete said "I look like an idiot" as our neighbor was walking by. To which Dad told the neighbor "don't worry, that's just one of his lines".

Of course, Mom volunteered for some set decoration, so that large cow and hay bale were in our living room for about 2 weeks. (Pete is the one with the hat and red suspenders)

Notable moments from the play:

1. Pete's hat fell off several times. Fortunately he had rehearsed several deft maneuvers for caching/restoring the hat with a modicum of disruption.

2. During the free-dance section in Act 3, Pete did a break dance.

We also have some video, which we will not be uploading because it does not meet the baseline uniqueness requirement of this blog.