Sunday Kris and I spent a couple of hours attending a class by the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. We had to do this because I volunteered to be an aide for Alison's Sunday School class. For whatever reason, Kris was the one who ended up being roped into doing it. With Kris's work schedule having to work on weekends, she can't make all the classes, which is why I was supposed to be the one doing it.
I told Kris I would take care of it, but she agreed to split the time. So I will be doing it on the weeks where she is working. I may help out on the other weeks as well, I'll have to see how things go. But the class we had to sit through was for providing a Safe Environment. This is apparently some charter that has been dictated by The Vatican, so anyone who is in contact with children is required to sit through this training (Thank you very much you pedophile priests!). It wasn't a bad class overall. It is probably something that I would recommend. It was ways to identify behavior in adults and in children that may give warning signs of possible sexual abuse. The videos contained actual offenders describing how they would manipulate children into situations to provide them opportunities. Actually, some of the stories were rather reprehensible.
But we finished our "training" and now will never have to do it again. Sunday School starts in two weeks and I'm not quite sure what an aide will do, but stay tuned for details.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Brewers Game
Kris and I decided to have a little fun Saturday for a change and go to the Brewers game. Kris found out that her boyfriend, Chris Capuano, was getting a start and since Milwaukee was playing the Pirates we had at least a 80-20 chance of winning, I decided to see what kind of seats we could get on short notice. Turns out that I found a pair of diamond box seats for $50 each, which is half the face value, in the second row right behind the plate. I couldn't pass those up.
Here was our view:
And I didn't quite get it but Prince launched a 450 foot bomb the pitch after I took this:
Cappy dug a pretty big hole (6-2 after three innings) but the Brewers chipped away and tied the game late to force extra innings. The Brewers eventually won 8-7 in 11 innings, though Kris and I left after the 10th because we had been at Miller Park since about 4:45 PM (we left at 10:20) and we wanted to get home to the girls (Sarah was babysitting) before they burned the house down.
Overall, pretty good seats. I wasn't sure what I was expecting; I thought I'd be able to hear the players talking, like the catcher saying things to the hitters as they came up to bat. I was very surprised at how loud it was. Kris and I needed to practically yell in order to hear each other. Plus, I found it very hard to judge distances; I thought there was a very strange sense of depth perception. I think in the future sitting up a few rows might not be such a bad thing.
Here was our view:
And I didn't quite get it but Prince launched a 450 foot bomb the pitch after I took this:
Cappy dug a pretty big hole (6-2 after three innings) but the Brewers chipped away and tied the game late to force extra innings. The Brewers eventually won 8-7 in 11 innings, though Kris and I left after the 10th because we had been at Miller Park since about 4:45 PM (we left at 10:20) and we wanted to get home to the girls (Sarah was babysitting) before they burned the house down.
Overall, pretty good seats. I wasn't sure what I was expecting; I thought I'd be able to hear the players talking, like the catcher saying things to the hitters as they came up to bat. I was very surprised at how loud it was. Kris and I needed to practically yell in order to hear each other. Plus, I found it very hard to judge distances; I thought there was a very strange sense of depth perception. I think in the future sitting up a few rows might not be such a bad thing.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Cheer Season Begins
You know school is near when the cheer season starts. Friday night was Junior Indians night at halftime of the high school football game (sorry, no pictures, though I may look for a place to post the video to link). Today Sarah had her first football game. this year they have to be at the field by 10:00 AM. We had a couple of things to to so Sarah got dropped off but we made it back before the start of the game.
Unfortunately, we couldn't stay because we had to run Alison to the doctor. She had been complaining of her ears begin clogged which is in addition to almost two weeks of nasal/sinus congestion. We ended up calling the doctor and had to take Alison to get checked out. Turns out she has a sinus infection on top of swelling from seasonal allergies. This is what was causing the ear congestion as well. So now she is on a two week cycle of antibiotics as well as a prescription for Flo-Nase. At least in a week or so she will be able to breathe again.
Unfortunately, we couldn't stay because we had to run Alison to the doctor. She had been complaining of her ears begin clogged which is in addition to almost two weeks of nasal/sinus congestion. We ended up calling the doctor and had to take Alison to get checked out. Turns out she has a sinus infection on top of swelling from seasonal allergies. This is what was causing the ear congestion as well. So now she is on a two week cycle of antibiotics as well as a prescription for Flo-Nase. At least in a week or so she will be able to breathe again.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Locker Drop Off
Today was Sarah's Locker Drop Off day. She was able to bring all of her supplies to school and organize her locker. This year she gets a locker entirely to herself rather than having to share one. I don't know how she did that last year. Plus, I think I wrote about how she got stuck with a rather undesirable partner. I was so glad when she got moved.
Sarah is really excited this year because she can personalize her locker much more. She gets to decorate it as she sees fit, stickers, magnets, pictures, all of it. I even had to take her back this evening because she wanted to move around some of her stick-on mirrors and add some more of her drawings to the inside of her door. Sarah also got to meet her homeroom teacher (or as they call it their "Flex Class teacher") tonight, which I think is a good thing. It is always good, especially in a big school, to make sure that your teachers know who you are.
She also took some of her friend's things to put in her locker because she is gone in Washington DC until the weekend. If the kids don't go over the next couple of days, they can't do it until the first day of school, which would be a lot of stuff to haul. So Sarah offered to bring in a bunch of things for her. Of course she had to check to make sure that nothing got moved from earlier in the afternoon, since she and her friend are the only ones who know the combination.
Sarah is really excited this year because she can personalize her locker much more. She gets to decorate it as she sees fit, stickers, magnets, pictures, all of it. I even had to take her back this evening because she wanted to move around some of her stick-on mirrors and add some more of her drawings to the inside of her door. Sarah also got to meet her homeroom teacher (or as they call it their "Flex Class teacher") tonight, which I think is a good thing. It is always good, especially in a big school, to make sure that your teachers know who you are.
She also took some of her friend's things to put in her locker because she is gone in Washington DC until the weekend. If the kids don't go over the next couple of days, they can't do it until the first day of school, which would be a lot of stuff to haul. So Sarah offered to bring in a bunch of things for her. Of course she had to check to make sure that nothing got moved from earlier in the afternoon, since she and her friend are the only ones who know the combination.
That Time Of Year
It is the time of year that all parents dream about. I am talking, of course, about back to school time. Summer vacation is finally over! We have been getting ready since we got from vacation, checking supplies, making sure the girls had all their school clothes, trying to get them back onto the school year schedule rather than the summer vacation one.
We only have a week to go and Kris and I still need to finalize how Alison is getting to school. With the redistricting we now are no longer getting bussed to school. The cutoff point is one mile from school and we are about .9 miles by the district's calculation (even though the route I drive comes out to a mile). Right now Kris will be driving Alison and picking her up every day. Hopefully we will be able to find someone in the neighborhood to carpool with on a regular basis so we don't have to do it every single day of the year.
We only have a week to go and Kris and I still need to finalize how Alison is getting to school. With the redistricting we now are no longer getting bussed to school. The cutoff point is one mile from school and we are about .9 miles by the district's calculation (even though the route I drive comes out to a mile). Right now Kris will be driving Alison and picking her up every day. Hopefully we will be able to find someone in the neighborhood to carpool with on a regular basis so we don't have to do it every single day of the year.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
New School
Wednesday we had The Back to School Fair at Alison's new school. Boy! What a difference from Riverside. Things ran like clockwork at Riverside. We had our forms ahead of time, everything was filled out so that all we needed to do was hand the forms over at the various stations to be reviewed and pay whatever fee was needed. Not at Shady Lane. We got our packet and had to fill out all the forms there, in the gym (it was a good thing that we went early when it really wasn't too crowded).
After filling out all the forms and going from station to station they told us that Alison was missing a shot (one in her DTAP series). This resulted in a small discussion with whoever was manning that table. So after about a half an hour, we leave and get home and then realize that we did not get Alison's school pack. Kris decided to purchase all of the needed school supplies in a pack, but there was no sign directing you where to go to pick them up. So we had to go back.
When we got there we realized they had all the school packs behind the table with all the spirit wear. So apparently we were just supposed to know that was where wee were supposed to go. Kris asked the person at the table about it and she got our pack. She asked the guy who was also there and after giving him our name and Ali's grade, we received out school pack. When we got home I decided to open it up and checck it just to make sure everything was there. When I opened it, the tag said "3rd Grade Boys". When I asked Kris abou tit, she said no, it was supposed to be a girl's pack. This now required a third trip to Shady Lane to get the school pack we should have received in the first place.
So all in all, not a pleasant introduction to our new school.
After filling out all the forms and going from station to station they told us that Alison was missing a shot (one in her DTAP series). This resulted in a small discussion with whoever was manning that table. So after about a half an hour, we leave and get home and then realize that we did not get Alison's school pack. Kris decided to purchase all of the needed school supplies in a pack, but there was no sign directing you where to go to pick them up. So we had to go back.
When we got there we realized they had all the school packs behind the table with all the spirit wear. So apparently we were just supposed to know that was where wee were supposed to go. Kris asked the person at the table about it and she got our pack. She asked the guy who was also there and after giving him our name and Ali's grade, we received out school pack. When we got home I decided to open it up and checck it just to make sure everything was there. When I opened it, the tag said "3rd Grade Boys". When I asked Kris abou tit, she said no, it was supposed to be a girl's pack. This now required a third trip to Shady Lane to get the school pack we should have received in the first place.
So all in all, not a pleasant introduction to our new school.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Random Things About Vacation
There were lots of little things I noticed while in Florida that were not really enough to make a full entry, so I thought I would combine them all into one, large, random entry.
First, while at Epcot, Sarah and I were waiting for Kris and Alison. There was a squirrel running about and some kid was trying to feed it. Sarah tried to give it a few pieces of popcorn. Well after a minute or two is decided to bolt. There was a guy walking toward us, and he saw the squirrel. He freaked because it was running right at him. It was funny because this guy looked like a "barbell boy" and here is was running like a little girl from a squirrel.
He looked at me and said, "what's the deal with these crazy squirrels around here?" I just said, "I have no idea man." Then he turned to find his wife and kid and started telling them about the crazy squirrel that was after him. I just had to laugh. DUDE! It was a squirrel! You could have just stepped on it for cryin' out loud! Grow a pair why don't ya?
Next, fire ants. My dad was telling me all about the fire ants he gets in his grass and that if we go walking in the grass, we would need to watch out for them. Well it is a good thing. I had always thought fire ants were much bigger. But one night Ali wanted to go swimming after the pump had shut off, so I asked my dad where the switch was to turn it on manually. Sarah went out the door of the lanai and says to me, she thinks there is fire ant nest there. I told her that she was ridiculous, that I didn't see anything. Well I walked over closer, and there was one there, just starting. Dad got out his Othro and gave it a good blast. But the next day we were taking a few pictures outside, and we came across another one. I tried to take a picture, but I don;t think you can see the ants very well.
I don't know how you live with that. Every day there is a new ant hill and if you forget to look where you are stepping, you can be in a world of hurt. No thanks!
Next, I have to say I was rather surprised at the size of the crowds at the Disney Parks. It did not seem to be crowded at all. I was expecting with the start of school right around the corner, that the attendance at the parks would be huge. But the longest we had to wait in line was about 30-40 minutes. Most waits were in the 15-20 minute range, if we had to wait at all. I don't know if it was just a coincidence or if that is what it is like there every August.
Also, we had our picture taken at EPCOT by one of the photo pass photographers. She asked where we were from, were we enjoying our stay etc. Kris happened to mention that we were just hoping the rain held off. She said the day before they had no rain at EPCOT. But at the Magic Kingdom, it poured a couple of times. Amazing that only a couple of miles away they had none.
The weather in Florida was very tropical, clear skies one moment, 15 minutes later, torrential downpours. It reminded me of the weather in Jamaica on my honeymoon. I was just happy that it was warm this time.
This was the first time that we have flown Southwest. I am not sure what I was expecting, but it really wasn't all that bad. we got on quickly, and got off rather quickly as well. The seats were a little bit cramped, but overall I can't complain. I would consider flying Southwest again.
While walking down at Sumter Landing, we saw a couple of big snapping turtles in the weeds along the boardwalk. Not that this in itself is very surprising, I just can't remember the last time I had seen a snapping turtle. I believe they were alligator snapping turtles. At least they weren't alligators right?
Kris and I took a walk around The Villages Friday, first at Sumter Landing early in the day and then around Spanish Springs later in the evening. The people we ran into were all very friendly. everyone was saying good morning, or hello. I guess they deserve to be called Florida's Friendliest Home Town.
We stopped in a shop called Nantucket Bay Friday looking for a present for Kris's friend for watching Gizmo while we were gone. The woman behind the counter was very friendly, like all the other residents we met. When it came time to pay, Kris gave her a rebate debit card that we had with her name on it. The woman looked at it and asked if our last name was Hahn. I wanted to say "DUH!", why would we be using a debit card with someone else's name on it, but I just that would be just rude. But it was interesting to find out that Hahn was the name of her first husband (she was from Virginia). She asked if it was an uncommon name where we were from because she had never just run into any other Hahn's. She then told us that her son's name was Dennis, Dennis Hahn. Again, only interesting because I don't have that common of a name.
Last, but not least, I swear Florida's economy is being propped up by pawn shops and tattoo parlors. When we were driving around outside of the Villages, it looked like about every other block contained one or the other. I guess the people don't have anything to do except sit on their buts and collect welfare, OR go take their welfare checks and get themselves a tat.
That is all for now.
First, while at Epcot, Sarah and I were waiting for Kris and Alison. There was a squirrel running about and some kid was trying to feed it. Sarah tried to give it a few pieces of popcorn. Well after a minute or two is decided to bolt. There was a guy walking toward us, and he saw the squirrel. He freaked because it was running right at him. It was funny because this guy looked like a "barbell boy" and here is was running like a little girl from a squirrel.
He looked at me and said, "what's the deal with these crazy squirrels around here?" I just said, "I have no idea man." Then he turned to find his wife and kid and started telling them about the crazy squirrel that was after him. I just had to laugh. DUDE! It was a squirrel! You could have just stepped on it for cryin' out loud! Grow a pair why don't ya?
Next, fire ants. My dad was telling me all about the fire ants he gets in his grass and that if we go walking in the grass, we would need to watch out for them. Well it is a good thing. I had always thought fire ants were much bigger. But one night Ali wanted to go swimming after the pump had shut off, so I asked my dad where the switch was to turn it on manually. Sarah went out the door of the lanai and says to me, she thinks there is fire ant nest there. I told her that she was ridiculous, that I didn't see anything. Well I walked over closer, and there was one there, just starting. Dad got out his Othro and gave it a good blast. But the next day we were taking a few pictures outside, and we came across another one. I tried to take a picture, but I don;t think you can see the ants very well.
I don't know how you live with that. Every day there is a new ant hill and if you forget to look where you are stepping, you can be in a world of hurt. No thanks!
Next, I have to say I was rather surprised at the size of the crowds at the Disney Parks. It did not seem to be crowded at all. I was expecting with the start of school right around the corner, that the attendance at the parks would be huge. But the longest we had to wait in line was about 30-40 minutes. Most waits were in the 15-20 minute range, if we had to wait at all. I don't know if it was just a coincidence or if that is what it is like there every August.
Also, we had our picture taken at EPCOT by one of the photo pass photographers. She asked where we were from, were we enjoying our stay etc. Kris happened to mention that we were just hoping the rain held off. She said the day before they had no rain at EPCOT. But at the Magic Kingdom, it poured a couple of times. Amazing that only a couple of miles away they had none.
The weather in Florida was very tropical, clear skies one moment, 15 minutes later, torrential downpours. It reminded me of the weather in Jamaica on my honeymoon. I was just happy that it was warm this time.
This was the first time that we have flown Southwest. I am not sure what I was expecting, but it really wasn't all that bad. we got on quickly, and got off rather quickly as well. The seats were a little bit cramped, but overall I can't complain. I would consider flying Southwest again.
While walking down at Sumter Landing, we saw a couple of big snapping turtles in the weeds along the boardwalk. Not that this in itself is very surprising, I just can't remember the last time I had seen a snapping turtle. I believe they were alligator snapping turtles. At least they weren't alligators right?
Kris and I took a walk around The Villages Friday, first at Sumter Landing early in the day and then around Spanish Springs later in the evening. The people we ran into were all very friendly. everyone was saying good morning, or hello. I guess they deserve to be called Florida's Friendliest Home Town.
We stopped in a shop called Nantucket Bay Friday looking for a present for Kris's friend for watching Gizmo while we were gone. The woman behind the counter was very friendly, like all the other residents we met. When it came time to pay, Kris gave her a rebate debit card that we had with her name on it. The woman looked at it and asked if our last name was Hahn. I wanted to say "DUH!", why would we be using a debit card with someone else's name on it, but I just that would be just rude. But it was interesting to find out that Hahn was the name of her first husband (she was from Virginia). She asked if it was an uncommon name where we were from because she had never just run into any other Hahn's. She then told us that her son's name was Dennis, Dennis Hahn. Again, only interesting because I don't have that common of a name.
Last, but not least, I swear Florida's economy is being propped up by pawn shops and tattoo parlors. When we were driving around outside of the Villages, it looked like about every other block contained one or the other. I guess the people don't have anything to do except sit on their buts and collect welfare, OR go take their welfare checks and get themselves a tat.
That is all for now.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)