Oddessey2000 WebLog

Every now and then I stumble across a webfind. Sometimes it is something original at is fairly fresh. Sometimes everyone else on the internet has already seen it. This one I believe is somewhere in between. One of my kids seemed surprised that I haven't seen it before. The rest of us had never seen it. Mary says she can picture Steph and Matthew having done something like this. Now it falls to Katie to come up with something like this.



Moving right along. I found something else. I know from one video to the next, this is a tremendous leap but if you know my sense of humor and my penchant for Chuck Norris Facts, then you shouldn't be surprised.



snd this one makes me want to be a fire fighter when I grow up! oh wait.....

Yes it's a shameless plug but when you hear why I want it you will understand (and see its all about benefitting YOU!). No Kidding. I really do need one. See, a prime example occurred earlier today. I was doing dishes, and loading the dishwasher, and just in general cleaning the kitchen. The dishwasher was hanging half open. Giovanni came in and pulled the door down. Now let me explain that ever since Gio started to walk he has had a fascination with the silverware in the dishwasher. He loves to pull them all out of the basket on to the floor and play with them there. Fortunately (or so I thought), I knew the silverware had all been put away and no more had yet been added. With this in mind, I turned my back and returned to wiping the counter tops. Next thing I hear is Mary yelling, "ACK!!! He's going to make a mess! He's going to make a mess! He's going to make a mess!" Spinning around I see that Gio is standing on the open dishwasher door and has the Freshly made pitcher of koolaid by the handle. (switch to slow motion...you know where voices are all slow and extremely deep.) I take a step in super super slow motion and say "Giiiiiiiooooooooooooooo Noooooooooooooo!" just in time to enjoy the full splash of an entire pitcher of RED Tropical Punch koolaid into the dishwasher door and onto the floor. Chuckling I begin to turn to get a towel. It is that this time that the fun begins. Gio squats down and plants lips face on into one of the puddles koolaid now inhabiting the dishwasher door and begins to make loud slurping noises as he drinks the koolaid. Can you just imagine it? well you wouldn't have to imagine it if I had a working camera. Noting that this was not as successful as he had hoped, Gio proceeded to climb down from the door and stand on the kitchen floor. From this spot he promptly dropped his face right back to the puddle. A few seconds later he stood back up, smacked his lips, smiled from ear to ear and toddled off leaving the mess for someone else. I wish you could have seen his face, Red lips and most of the chin and nose and forehead. Really I do wish you could see it. If I had a working camera you would be able to see it.

OK this part is specifically for my LDS friends and family. I am not sure anyone else will get it. So on with the story. A few days ago a sister from church loaned us 4 guest passes for the Creation Museum. Let me say that we were vastly excited about the opportunity to go to the Creation Museum. We have been wanting to go for quite some time now. Mik wanted to go to see the dinosaurs. I have never been a believer that Evolution explains the origin of man and all of the wonderful creations of God, so I just wanted to see it all up front and in a more "real" form. Mary was just curious to see how it all looked. So when we walked in we were prepared for a wonderful time. As you first walk in to the exhibit portion downstairs, you see some small dinosaurs and a waterfall along with a HUGE Brontosaurus (might have been something else but I think that is what it was). Then you walk through and "archeological dig" on into what I call the "biblical part of the museum." Note that it all more or less is based in scripture, but these were characters that I recognized by name. IN one of the earliest exhibits I turned a corner to Moses standing their holding the tablets with the 10 Commandments. Mik comes in a few steps behind me and sees the same exhibit. I hear him suck in a breath and he belts out with great pride ,"Hey mom and Dad! He has the Golden Plates!" Everyone in the room turned and was looking around the room to see what he was talking about. I was Sooooo Proud of my guy. To see him applying what he learns in Primary is just SOOOOOO cool. I love my faith!

Unfortunately, I do NOT have a working digital Camera. Because what I would like to photograph and post here on my site is truly classic. Gio is currently seated in his highchair. Gio Is currently grinning ear to ear. Gio Is currently grinning from ear to ear because he is exceedingly pleased with life at the moment. Gio is currently holding in his right hand a single(if somewhat mushy) Oreo Doublestuff cookie.Gio is currently holding in his left hand A Vlasic Kosher Dill Pickle Spear. Gio is smiling outright now because he has managed to smear portions of both the Oreo AND the cookie all over his face, chest arms and hands. Gio is in Oreo pickle heaven. This is one of those moments in life that we will never remember as adults but truly classify as a highpoint in the human existence.

And now on to the MEME. This one is related to life and to books.

1. If you could go back and relive one year of your life, which one would it be and why?

This one would be fairly ears. It would be the year when I was 5 years old. Why? Beacuase this is the year where I got My showgun warriors for Christmas. Shogun warriors rocked then and let me tell you, THEY ROCK NOW! even if I don't actually have any anymore. I also had the cool Tonka Blazers that you could take the wheels off of. I used to sit on them and ride them up and down the street. Its not the "things" that make me want this year in my life again. It is the innocence,, the simplicity, and the readiness of joy in life.

2. Please tell us something people are usually surprised to learn about you.

Well, for people that I don't know they are almost universally surprised to learn that I have 7 children. Right behind that is the fact that my oldest is 20. Then when I tell them that my youngest is also 10 Months old, they just gape. More recently when I tell them My daughter (Steph - 20) is married and is NOT pregnant and does NOT already have a child they are amazed. It says a bunch about the caliber of people that I meet doesn't it. I am so Proud of my girl.

3. How many books are currently on your TBR pile?

(I assume this is To Be Read) Well most of my TBR books are waiting to be written or released in the US. I want to read the next book in the Anita Blake-vampire Hunter series and the next book in the Meridith Gentry series. Both of these are by Laurell K Hamilton. I want to read the next Dresden Files book by . I am awaiting the next Odd Thomas book buy Dean Koontz. And here is a BIG one. I want to read Dean Koontz " Frankenstein: Book 3" . Why is it a big one? Because it has been released in the UK for over a year and still is not released here in the US. If any of you are going to the UK please pick me up a copy. I also want to read several books that I have already read. Drangonlance, most anything Grisham, that kind of thing.

4. Imagine that you are going on a very long trip where you won't be able to buy books or have access to a library. Which 3 books would you take with you? Why?

The Mormon "Quad" - because in that sort of situcaltion I might actually do the scripture reading that I should be doing.

DrangonLance Chronicles Trilogy (all in one hardback, like I have) - because this is my alltime favorite book. I have read it at least 15 times. And, I am ready to read them again.

That Dean Koontz Frankenstein from the last question.

5. If you could visit one place or travel to one world from a book you've read, where would you go?

Krynn. thats the world from the Dragonlance book. I would go to Solace and the Inn of the Last Home for some of Otik's Spiced Potatoes.

6. If you were able to become an aruthor, what kind of books would you write?

I would mostly write Alternative History/Dark fantasy. You know, Werewolves, Vampires, wizards and that sort of thing in modern times.

7. If you got to create a new holiday, what would it be?

Thanksgiving II - The Sequel.



Oh and a Special note of Great personal Pride....Stephani got a 50% scholarship out at BYU for doing so well academically. She is so great! (she gets it from my side) *wink*

Gio has been very much under the weather the last couple of days. And his discomfort has increased with the passage of time. Starting before his illness, he has developed quite the fondness for his daddy. They combination of these issues has lent itself to me carrying around a very whiny little boy very much. Well, at the Doctor's office this morning, poor Gio was attaining new heights of miserable and I was attaining new heights of losing my mind as we waited in the tiny examination room for the doctor. He didn't want mom. He wanted dad. But, he wanted to squirm and cry and scream. In a fit of desperation, I dumped Mary's eco-friendly market bag on the floor, stuffed Gio into it and began to swing him front to back between my legs. Gio immediately quieted. he even went so far as to fall asleep as I swung him in the bag. Who needs a baby swing. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle I say.

The other day I was getting ready to back out of a parking space and noticed laying on the ground near my tire, a wooden cross just like the one in the picture. The cross is about a foot tall. Being the weirdo that I am, I told Joee (my 3 year old daughter) that if any monsters came around she should hold up the cross and tell them, "Get thee behind me Satan!" I honestly was just messing around. Not ten minutes later Joee was chasing her 17 year old sister Katie around the living room with the cross chanting "Get thee behind me Satan!" Needless to say Mary was NOT pleased with my parenting.

Mary's parents cam over to grill out with us tonight. As Grandma NiNi was sitting on the front porch she sat her lemonade on the floor next to her chair. Gio knocked it over and commenced to slurping it up off of the concrete. Now that is ingenuity in my book. In Mary's book it is just gross.

Joee found something knew this evening outside. It was a worm. The following discussions occurred.

Joee: I found wormy daddy I want to keep him.

Dad: Honey you should probably let him go.

Mom: Yeah Joee, He will miss his mommy.

Joee: He told me he doesn't like his mommy and he he wants to stay with me.

Mik: What happens if you cut her worm in half?

Joee: NOOOOOOOOOO! (running away with wormy)

Mik: Dad what happens if you cut a worm in half?

Dad: You get 2 worms. (you can see the lightbilb above Mik's head now as he grins at his sister.)

Mary: You two had better quit, now.

15 minutes later Joee came up to me.

Joee: Look daddy. I made 2 wormies!

Dad: Joee, let the wormies go home. There Mommy is calling for them. she misses them.

Joee: (pouting) OK daddy.


All in all, it has been and eventful day.