My New Reality; win a bag of delicious Chex Mix!

So I had this weird dream ... actually, funny dreams - that's one of my gifts...



So here it is: a look into my sub-conscious. Fear and tremble. I stood in front of a mirror to make myself presentable before I went out somewhere. I noticed the part in my hair was unusually bare. I brushed more hair aside to find that it was not really a part, it was the seam in my comb-over! Hideous!

I brushed the offending comb-over away to see how bad I had balded. In fact, I only had a little hair over the ears [No cool tat like this bloke, either]. I knew that the offending comb-over would have to be cut off entirely. First I had to get home. But in my mind, I realized that this was to be my new reality. And in fact, I should post a blog entry revealing that I was now bald. It would be titled, "My New Reality." As the saying goes, God made many beautiful heads; the rest of them He gave hair. I have so many dents and mis-shapes in my head, all will pity me when the hair is gone. This is a very traumatic thing for me.

I must have thought about this for some time. I walked down the street and got to a phone where I could call Suzanne to tell her the unfortunate news. There were two gun shots, and I think someone on the other side of the street had been shot. Two people scrambled into one of the buildings across the street. I would now be a witness to a murder. But, I could tell that new sprouts of hair were coming, and baldness would be temporary only, and that was really relieving. I think I woke up laughing.

If you can discern the meaning of the dream, you will win a delicious bag of Chex Mix. You must submit your witty submissions to qualify. Good luck!

Oh! What one can do with Leaves!

Well, all the neighbors thanked us, really. We didn't have enough leaves in our yard, so Callie and Hannah graciously went next door to rake up theirs, as well. And since they don't rake their leaves (which then blow to the southern neighbors), they were not going to miss these. We had a pretty good pile. And Callie and Hannah found something useful to do, and service oriented, as well.

The result? A very nice big pile that sat on our front lawn a bit too long. Now that it's been removed, there's a bit of a brown spot - but that will grow back. Nate - you'll be pleased to know that these are being composted, and helping to prep the soil in our new garden space.

We moved this pile to the garden spot, along with some more leaves from yet another neighbor. Now we have a very serious pile by just about any standards. The kids get thrown into it once it gets nice and fluffed (standing at better than five feet high). They hit the pile from an airborne toss and vanish inside like a rock in a pond. Then - it's Man against Wild. Don't worry, they always find their way out. And then want to be thrown again.

Happy kids, happy soil, happy next door neighbors, happy southern neighbors, happy times.

It's Official!

"Wild and crazy" seems to run in the genetics at our house. We have not really determined the source on this. However, the mother lode of those batty traits has undoubtedly fallen to Drew.



It's official! The Parents have determined that this is our CRAZIEST KID YET!

Yes, that's a toilet brush in his hands. (He is developing some fantastic resistance to germs. Though, as our luck has it [perpetually], his first week when he should be going to nursery - he's got a bit of a cough.)



When he's not playing with the toilet brush, Drew likes to hit and tackle his siblings, bite, climb on cabinets and tables (really - anything climbable - oh, like the exterior side of the stair banister), chase the dog (Daisy is learning not to bite back), yell for no apparent reason, knock over stools, stand in his high-chair (unless he is double-belted down), and anything else he can do to drive his mother crazy.

An excerpt from her recent email: "I'm not sure how many times I pulled Drew off of the counter top. I also pulled him off of the stovetop (where there was a very hot burner cooking our dinner), and out of a drawer that is 3 feet off of the ground. He climbed into that after emptying out our silverware drawer all over the floor."



Thankfully, he has some of the better traits, too.



And, he is learning to co-exist with others. Though he's still fully unhinged, he does his best to make up for it with his sweet songs and loving disposition. And it's a dang good thing.

Sherriff Puppy Dog and Crew on All Hallow's Eve

You can't see it very well, but little Sheriff Puppy Dog's tail even wagged when he waddled. He lasted a full two hours. When I put him to bed he had a big smile on his face. He was so tuckered that he couldn't keep his eyes open any longer. He lay down limp in his crib. "Did you have a good time, Sheriff?" I asked him. Without opening his eyes, he yelled out - "YESSSSSSSSSS!"


Callie is a sword wielding Princess Eilonwy (who, I guess, is a real character in some book or another - COOL SWORD, HUH?), and Hannah is the legendary generic Opera Singer. Indeed, she didn't just say "Trick or Treat", she belted out her vibrato operatic Halloween greeting.


And he can sing the blues!


And, Halloween never really ends. We can always combine costumes and wear them year-round. Notice the remnants of chocolate on the cheeks.

Where do they learn this stuff?

This is a very recent conversation between Suzanne and Jacob:

J - After I go to Primary I'm going to grow up to be a dad, right? [pronounced 'white']

S - Yep, you're going to be a good daddy.

J - Yeah, and I'm going to drive my wife crazy all day and all night.

S - Why would you do that?!

J - Because it's fun to do!

Amazing. He already gets this stuff.

The Original Nintendo: Part III of the best Fam Reunion Ever

This awe-inspiring photo captures, for me, some of the true joy of video games. Favorites at the reunion were, namely, Jackal. I don't even think Legend of Zelda was played. There was a tiny bit of RC Pro-Am. Some brave souls attempted to fight all the way up from Glass-Joe to Mike Tyson, but were stopped by Soda Popinski or Raging-Bull.

April - you really should get one of these. They're awesome.

Airborne, Part II of The best family reunion ever

Many things come out of the air. But if you catch a water balloon without it breaking, you get $20. But, it's never been done. A water balloon at near terminal velocity has an almost assured tendency to explode on the slightest initial contact of anything harder than air.


Two veterans, notice the balloon fragments in their hair.



And who can forget the bombs bursting in air? A nice encore following the Beatles and s'mores.


Anything that hits you at 90 mph + is going to hurt. Right, Mom? Sorry about that. Hope your head is okay. Thanks for playing, though. You're always a good sport. You could hear those wizz by - incredible that air really does have friction.

We also found some kid that hung out at the park. He joined in. On the wrong team. He got hit multiple times. Then he ate some of our pizza. I hope he enjoyed himself. We enjoyed having him. What was his name?

The best family reunion ever (part 1 of like 10 or something)

When Suzanne and I started off planning for this reunion, we had so many great ideas, but there was no way that we would ever get it all done. Having Suzanna dance in her pajamas was one of the first things on the list. But Aaron's always trying to steal the limelight.


Mandi, newly returned missionary, was delighted to exit the crime smitten and gun forbidden DC and come to where she can shoot freely. That's what being an American is all about.



One of our new favorites is the bloodsport called 'Spoons.' I don't know how your family plays it, but basically you try to get all 4 Queens, or Kings, or 8's, etc. And once you have all 4, you grab a spoon. There is one less spoon than the number of people playing. That means that there is no holds-bar, there will be pain, and almost everyone will lose their dignity in one form or another.


This picture doesn't do it justice. You should have heard the screams of writhing pain. Because you don't want to not have a spoon. If you end up not having a spoon, you get a line of red lipstick (or the most horrible color of lipstick you can find) across your face.


And the person who puts it on you hopes to remove the shred of dignity you might have reserved after the big spoon fight.

More to come ...

MOOOOO!

Somebody helped himself to the refrigerator. It's Miller time!


This is all Drew. He did this all on his own.


So proud of himself.

Counting

Hannah left her school backpack on the counter top. I told her she had 30 seconds to find what was wrong with this picture, and then I was going to take the object in question on behalf of "The Maid." The Maid is the parent who cleans up after negligent juveniles. The Maid gets paid by the children for items that have been left on the floor, or not put back in bedrooms, etc. We will be bailing out Lehman Brothers soon with our earnings.

I was holding Drew, and began the count to 30. One, two, three, four ... and someone was mimicking me! Drew was counting. Not bad for 15 months. Perhaps we count a lot.

Drew also likes "The Wheels on the Bus", "Leo the Lion," and sings along with "I Love You, You Love Me ..." He ends with a finale, "won't you say [Drew joins in strong] you love me too?" He holds out the "toooooooooo." He is very proud of himself.

We learn the important things first. "Bottle" is another favorite word, as is "Daisy" the dog, who is trying her hardest not to bite her new, very young but adoring master who chases her around the house.

Praying with a 3.5 yr-old

Yes, yes. It's been a while. Been a bit busy. More on the fun we've had later. First I have to share a few Jacobisms. He is very good at saying the prayer. On the food, or before bedtime, etc. A couple of examples:

"Dear Father, we're so grateful to be blessed. And so grateful that we can get more blessed by Daddy."

Frequently the bedtime prayer goes something like this: "Dear Heavenly Father - - DAD - You help me say the fun parts -- Dear Heavenly Father ... [And then Dad proceeds to help him remember a few things for which he can be thankful]."

"And please bless Hannah so that she doesn't have to get a spanking or sauce."

Happy Birthday!

-What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?

- We hold these truths to be self-evident ...

-Oh beautiful for heroes proved
In liberating strife
Who more than self their country loved,
And mercy more than life

-"Government is not reason, it is not eloquence, it is force; like fire, a troublesome servant and a fearful master. Never for a moment should it be left to irresponsible action." - George Washington

-Thine alabaster cities gleam,
Undimmed by human tears!

"Let the pulpit resound with the doctrine and sentiments of religious liberty. Let us har of the dignity of man's nature, and the noble rank he holds among the works of God... Let it be known that British liberties are not the grants of princes and parliaments." - John Adams

"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America." - Preamble to the United States Constitution

"Some may try and tell us that this is the end of an era. But what they overlook is that in America, every day is a new beginning, and every sunset is merely the latest milestone on a voyage that never ends. For this is the land that has never become, but is always in the act of becoming. Emerson was right: America is the Land of Tomorrow." - Ronald Reagan

-America! America! God mend thine ev'ry flaw

-Blest with vict'ry and peace,
may the heav'n-rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made
and preserved us a nation!

Meet Galt

Hannah attempts to illustrate how I feel. Honestly, I haven't had one bad day since I got this new addition to our happy home. Meet Galt, our silver bullet of a friend. This is so radically different from anything we have ever done. The exact right set of circumstances came about, which justified this. Otherwise, this would have never happened. The result is a new extra glow in my aura, of course. But also a lot self-consciousness, as well. That's a long, boring story.



Jacob prefers riding in it with his big red helmet. I should probably get one of those.

Hannah vs Hillary

Hannah wore this note around school about a month ago. She's so astute, that Hannah. We're all so proud of her.

The Best Fathers' Day Ever ...

We had a great surprise for Fathers Day - the day prior a bunch of cute girls and a cute little boy just showed up and asked if they could stay with us, of course. We love these guys! We had a great time telling stories, playing kick-ball, running all over the neighborhood, tickling and all that good stuff.

Don't be alarmed - Jacob's not actually trying to look like the Dark Lord in child-form. He thinks he's funny rolling his eyes in back of his head, and insisted, even after several attempts. I think Haley is really Callie's very best friend, on top of being a cousin. Same with the twins and Hannah. Ellie and Jacob, Seth and Drew. It's not hard to understand why we miss them.

Good Cheek Circumference

This is a fine profile shot of little Nibs. Notice the cheek line profile, good chin. These jowls don't compare to his older brothers in days gone by, but we utilize what we've got with lots of kisses.

Also, good shot of the eyelashes. Many comments on those.

Andrew Nibley Reaches One Year!

This is a celebration we have looked forward to for each of our children - their very first birthday. The only real reason we care is to see if we've raised them properly, in that they demolish their birthday cake. Drew seems to qualify that Suzanne and I have steadily increased our parenting skills. He was the very fastest into the cake with both fists. However, our tired boy was done with the ordeal in just a few minutes, and we had to get him down.

Here's the cake that Callie and Hannah made.



Here's Drew within the first 15 seconds.


Then the next 15 seconds ...



By about three minutes into it, Drew had had enough, and let us know.



We're working out the kinks for future children to decide how to get a more demolished cake as quickly, but with some increased longevity for all observing.

We love the Griffiths!

We live next door to the sweetest couple - the Griffiths. And not only are they just great people, but they tolerate our kids. Suzanne and I think that's especially fantastic. We think they might even like our kids. Crazy! It's amazing when other people share our biased opinions.



Jacob is a huge fan of theirs, and always wants to be over there. He tells them all kinds of things, and apparently he has special talents of which we were not aware. "Sister Griffiths, do you know why I can slide down your slide so fast?" "No, Jacob? Tell me." "It's because I have big muscles in my bottom."

Well, there you are. Another reason to exercise.

My New Ride

Every guy ought to have one of these. In fact, I would call it the ultimate gardening or just messing around in the yard machine. Any guy who likes digging in the dirt - this is your toy.




Truth be told, it's a neighbors. He graciously let me use it. We had a play area in our back yard we are converting to a garden. However, the spot was covered with about 9 yards of pea gravel. But then, there's Craigslist! I got rid of all 9 yard of gravel instead of dumping it into the river bed. I could have done that, but what a waste! It was about $150 of good material, and I pretty much gave it away. I think only Jacob was having more fun.

Studlier by the day ...

I mean, just look at this kid. Sure, some admitted bias. It's amazing how kids inadvertently exude confidence in their own cuteness.

The Worth of Mothers

I've always felt that women are one of God's greater gifts to the world. My own mom helped me develop that conviction, and Suzanne continues that for me in her role as both wife and mother. She has a lucky husband, and lucky kids. For my birthday, she made this lovely jello for me.



The rage these days is to put something inside the jello - I'm not a big jello fan, but this was the best ever. She had the receipt for a book I'd begged her for - Michael Yon's new Moment of Truth in Iraq. More on this book in a later post - fascinating. I recommend it.

Have you ever wondered what it would take to replace your mother? or if she were compensated, what would your wife or mother make as an hourly wage? That's the business of the folks at Salary.com, they've done such studies. You would be astounded at how much they figured your stay-at-home wife/mother should be compensated. Don't tell Suzanne! I'll try to keep her happy with my grouchy self and yelling kids, late nights and early mornings. Maybe an occasional 'thank you', and half-hearted gratitude on one day a year.

Mothers - how do you do it? We are grateful. Some could put a dollar sign to it; my personal experience has always been - priceless.

Warning - Gross Content

Kudos to Callie! She won third place in some school-wide writing contest. Something about tree-worship, or other such nonsense. Callie is a very good writer, which, I believe, comes from her very good reading habits, as well as a flair for the dramatic. There's so much drama in our house - I swear we never need to watch TV. In fact, I don't think I have watched ANYTHING on the tele (regular programming) in three weeks. We just don't turn it on - there's nothing really worth our time. So, like a lack of knowledge inspires a mind to create a new reality - does a lack of drama from the TV source force the spice of life in other ways?




Here's one bit of drama we could do without. But it makes for a great (if not disturbing) story for ancestry and progeny that will live through the ages. Jacob is still wearing underwear. We've had some exciting moments, like last Sunday when he used a whole roll of toilet paper and flushed it all down the toilet. Only it didn't flush and it flooded instead, all over the floor. Or when he was sneaking Oreos in the pantry and mom found him standing in there, amidst a puddle, just as our friends showed up for a visit. The best one was yesterday, when we were all inside and Jacob was entertaining himself in the backyard. I went outside to find Jacob without any pants on. Where are your pants? "Dad, I went poop!" The immediate thought was that the pants were now beyond recognition, and Jacob had rightly ejected himself from them. "No Dad, my pants are clean!" Well where are they? "Come here, I'll show you!" Sure enough, his pants were clean. But that could only mean one thing ... the poop was in the grass. Where's the poop? "Over here!" He proudly pointed to the spot. Lovely. See - it's okay if it's not on the carpet, or in his pants. Apparently he knows that going outside is part of getting back to Nature. So I put the wheelbarrow over the "area" so as to block any unsuspecting would-be pooper stepper-inners, until I could shovel away the offending pile. I'm not sure what's worse, the poop disappeared about 5 minutes later. We avoided Daisy for the rest of the evening, and several days and hands-full of dog biscuits later. Yuck.

Lady Killer

So this kid has mastered the art of winking. And he understands that, as a prospective young man, the feminine object is the target to impress. As Suzanne reports, she went to the doctor's office. Jacob asked to be lifted on to the counter so that he could wink at the receptionist.

Then later at Albertsons, while paying for groceries, the checker obviously recognized our family. And who did they know most of all? Jacob the lady-killer. "Look at those eyes!"

"Yes, and have you seen him wink?" Suzanne asks ...

"Of course I have," the attendant gushed.

Just like his dad. [Why do I hear millions of women laughing?]

Lamentations

Let it be published throughout the land, and be it known to all nations, the sadness and tragedy with which we are met, that our beloved brother and sister, brother-in-law and sister-in-law, uncle and aunt, Jacob and Camilla - - will cruelly not be joining us for General Conference. While influenced with great hopes of a joyful reunion, alas their presence will not be felt. Thus, the above illustration, this is the state of our present duress. We must refuse all comforting, as it would be in vain. All is vanity.

Green with Spring. Happy St. Patrick's! There was a lot of pinching going on for people who were not wearing green.


These are the sweetest daughters one could hope for.

And such good buddies! Though a few yrs apart, Hannah is very mature for her age, and is often not annoying to her sister.

Ed Roland and the Collective Soul gang ...



For BrainShare this year Collective Soul was the band. I couldn't have picked someone I'd rather hear more than these guys.



So it was especially cool that a buddy and I got VIP passes. He brought the camera. This pic illustrates how close we were to the front. I was literally 3 people from the stage. And these were not your average concert goers, I could have made an arse of myself if I'd wanted to and gotten closer.

Almost everyone in the audience (about 10,000 people) had glow-necklaces. Toward the end tons of people were throwing them on stage and up to the "mosh-pit" (I'm still not sure why they called it the "mosh pit", as I was the only one moshing, and it was all by myself, and mostly in my head). Glowing ring things flew through the air, we'd catch the ones from the audience and throw them on stage, much to the band's delight. We didn't have flowers, after all.

At the end, Ed Roland and the guys were throwing the glow-rings back to the audience. I got the last one he threw back. That means nothing to anyone but me, so I guess I just have to say neener neener.

The new album is amazing.