"Bedtime Cuteness" or "Mark doesn't have anything funny to say but likes to look at his cute kids"

Yup! That's daddy's girl. She played Video games until she fell asleep. :-D




For Levi, there's very little better than a bottle and a soft frog to cuddle with at Bedtime.

Not so bad after all

Well, it seems that school won't be nearly as bad as it was last semester. my teachers are more personable (and better yet, they speak and understand english!), the subject matter is more interesting, and they don't want to be there for the full class time any more than I do.

The Intro to programming class should be fun. The teacher sounds like he's also a motivational speaker. It's kinda funny.

My Computer Operations/A+ Certification is going to be a BIG challenge with LOTS of work. But, like I said before, at least the subject matter is interesting and applies to my career. Even if it is 3 hours long twice a week.

Buzzkill

The between-semesters vacation is over. Today I go back to school. I finished my Associates Degree over the summer, but it doesn't quite feel real because I'm still going to school to get my bachelor's now. Maybe the associates will feel more real when I receive the certificate next month.

So once again school has taken that hated second place slot of things that keep me away from my family most of the time. The first place slot has always been work.

I figured out this morning that the way my school and work schedules work out, I won't really see my kids between Sunday and Friday nights from now until christmas. And I may not even see Erin that much in those times either. I absolutely hate that. I hope it's as worth it as everyone says and that I can get us into a house when (or hopefully before) this is all over and I have my bachelor's degree in a couple years.

At least it's not hated classes like Trigonometry or Chemistry or Statistics anymore. Because I finished my generals with my associates, I can now focus on the fun stuff like computer operations and intro to programming.

Dear Stinky McGee,

To the person who dies in the bathroom by my desk 1-2 tmes a day: Knock it off, you stink and I can taste it.

Thanks,

Mark

two-year-old-ese

Erin: (makes a short c sound) car? as in (short c-sound) or-rect?
Emma: Tar. Tar-Wrecked.


Two year old speak is funny sometimes. escpecially in construction-plagued summertime.

"Life is something that happens when you can't get to sleep." -fran lebowitz

A Lot of life has been happening lately.

For the past week or so, Erin and I have traded between the bed in my parents guestroom, the floor in our living room, and sharing a twin with our sleepless two year old. Finally on Tuedsay the long-awaited wonderful hide-a-bed with the feels-just-like-a-real-bed slumberair mattress arrived! We couldn't have been happier. Except maybe if it fit through the door. the delivery guys couldn't get it in, so we had to send it back and get a refund. We now have a Futon which claims to be a queen size, but the first night felt like a double with erin, me, and levi all in it. The second night, last night, was better though, once we the mattress on its frame and Levi slept in his own bed.

Nothing really funny to report on the blog, just wanted to add something so that I stay in the habit.

and because the post was so negative, here's a happy: My beautiful family!

Funny

I Read this in the Operating Room newsletter the other day and thought it funny enough to re-type on here:

"After every flight, Qantas pilots fill out a form, called a 'gripe sheet,' which tells mechanics about problems with the aircraft. The mechanics correct the problems, document their repairs on the form, and then the pilots review the gripe sheet before the next flight.

Never let it be said that ground crews lack a sense of humor. Here are some actual maintenance complaints submitted by Qantas' pilots (marked with a 'P') and the solutions recorded (marked with an 'S') by maintenance engineers.

P: Left inside main tire almost needs replacement.
S: Almost replaced left inside main tire.

P: Test flight OK, except auto-land very rough.
S: Auto-land is not installed on this aircraft.

P: Something loose in cockpit.
S: Something tightened in cockpit.

P: Dead bugs on the windshield
S: Live bugs on back-order

P: Autopilot in altitude-hold mode produces a 200 feet per minute descent
S: Cannot reproduce problem on ground

P: Evidence of leak on right main landing gear
S: Evidence removed

P: DME Volume unbelievably loud.
S: DME Volume set to more believable level

P: Friction locks cause throttle levers to stick
S: That's what friction locks are for

P: IFF inoperative in OFF mode
S: IFF is always inoperative in OFF mode

P: Suspected crack in windshield
S: Suspect you're right

P: Number 3 Engine missing.
S: Engine found on right wing after brief search

P: Aircraft handles funny.
S: Aircraft warned to: straighten up, fly right, and be serious.

P: Target Radar Hums
S: Reprogrammed target radar with lyrics.

P: Mouse in cockpit
S: Cat installed

And the best one for last...

P: Noise coming from under instrument panel. Sounds like a midget pounding on something with a hammer.
S: Took hammer away from midget. "

"The rain, rain, rain came down, down, down in rushing,rising rivlets...

Or the hail did anyway. we got HUGE hail yesterday that made my giant pumpkin leaves look like they got hit with Buckshot. And our basement flooded. It came down the outside wall and crept in between the wall and the floor. We spent a very late night moving boxes and furniture, pulling up the carpet, and cutting out the pad underneath to be taken out back to dry. I think it's still moist, but I've been wearing my shoes just in case so I'm not sure.

Just more adventures in dealing with having 3 families under one roof, I guess.

updates already?

Erin and Levi.

Yup. Updates already. Thanks to my sister Amber pointing out that the link to the leaky cauldron didn't go to the right place. I also added Stephsterr's blog. Stephsterr's another poster on EricDSnider.com.

My two year old daughter, Emma, was singing today. She said it was "Shoo fly, don't bother me" but it sounded suspicously like "Levi don't bother me". Levi, of course, is her 10 month old younger brother.

The world is toddler hugs and puppies once more

As I floated away on cloud 9 from my statistics final last night, I felt like shouting "FREEDOM!" at the top of my lungs and jumping into the air like I was braveheart in a 1980's Ford commercial. But since I'd rather take the stairs to get to the main floor of the school and most of my class was still testing, I restrained myself. I also kept thinking "Dobby has [taken the final]. DOBBY IS FREE!!!!" I'm such a media addict. Looking back on last night, I can still hear in my mind the most stirring rendition of the hallelujia chorus the mo-tabs have ever done.

In addition to all of that, Erin tells me that Levi once again decided to be brave and take a step while not holding onto anything yesterday. He'll be walking soon and he's not even 1 yet!!

How to tell if you're not getting enough sleep

I picked up the phone yesterday at work and said "Surgical Preadmissions, this is Mike." um, yeah. only 2 of the 4 letters in my name were correct. That's what I get for working 6am-2:30 then going to school until 8:30, then Moving furniture until 10:30 or 11.