tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65981342012-01-21T15:22:04.026-06:00jasonnoreply@blogger.comBlogger6531100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-33069500486956651862012-01-21T15:22:00.001-06:002012-01-21T15:22:04.195-06:00

. http://teste.colegiovascodagama.net/ruhome.php?halinkFriend=0yiv3

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-14800037530707524522011-11-15T12:25:00.001-06:002011-11-15T12:25:42.385-06:00

.. http://www.broadcastproducciones.es/bayinpills.html?jlgoogleid=92zj6

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-76455067916849052922011-11-12T01:31:00.001-06:002011-11-12T01:31:13.485-06:00

.. http://sergeech.pisem.net/abulaharx.html?nipage=88i2

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-33186181919688582432010-02-20T22:31:00.003-06:002010-02-20T22:46:37.993-06:00

The social revolution that is Twitter and Facebook means that this blog is no longer the go-to place for up-to-the-minute news about things like births and Iranian politics. If you don't know the essentials about the birth last week, then you need to "plug in" dude.Jaime describes this birthing experience as the perfect end to a miserable pregnancy. Smooth, easy, enjoyable. Boring, almost.But

jasonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-82756042696924081512009-12-31T23:58:00.004-06:002010-01-01T00:51:43.459-06:00

Much to my surprise, one of the principles of Eternal Earthbound Pets replied to my email. Except that he didn't reply to my email, he replied in the comments to my blog post about the email. You can read it in context there or, um right here, with a couple of editorial comments.Hmmm..yes, I see your email in my business partners trash: jasonxxxxxxxxx@sbcglobal.net>He handled inquires for West

jasonnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-904612904853430402009-12-29T22:53:00.001-06:002009-12-29T22:55:53.982-06:00

Christmas this year--at least the beginning of it--has felt over-shadowed. I know that my feelings don't matter at all in relation to the marking of the Nativity of Christ and that most important aspect of the holiday was the highlight. Because of the weather, very few people made it to Liturgy so that only David and I served at the altar. I loved serving with him and he enjoyed the additional

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-28327031309831295022009-12-20T22:36:00.003-06:002009-12-20T23:00:49.434-06:00

So, I mentioned before that David and I have been practicing at being an altar boy. Today was the big day. Having practiced several times and told everyone who would listen that he was going to be serving, came in the back stairway after Sunday school, got his robe on, came in, prostrated, got his blessing, and then served like an old pro. Before he came up, I prayed to various and asorted

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-31031080544314156322009-12-17T16:00:00.001-06:002009-12-17T16:01:45.642-06:00

Pithless Thoughts: Orthograph #2 - TeachersPithless Thoughts: Orthograph #2 - Teachers

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-35760769807798402702009-12-15T22:49:00.005-06:002009-12-15T22:55:03.197-06:00

"What is hell? I maintain that it is the suffering of being unable to love."- Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Brothers KaramazovI didn't grow up with brothers. One of my brothers died as a toddler and I hope intercedes for me before Our Heavenly Father. The other is quite a bit younger than me and has always lived in another town. I consider it a flaw in my character that I did not develop closer

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-10738137484692623482009-12-12T22:20:00.002-06:002009-12-12T22:26:02.789-06:00

Simon has had some pretty serious digestive problems since he began eating. I won't inflict the details on you. Receiving nothing really useful from the medical establishment, we have experimented ourselves. Our first breakthrough came from taking mild out of his diet. The second came by taking wheat out. The difference is noticeable and possitive, but it does make life a little bit

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-55413314452922972302009-12-11T22:39:00.003-06:002009-12-11T23:04:14.206-06:00

I have uploaded a small variety of new photos to Flickr.I came on this site one night in the boys' room, which I believe is an alternate ending to either Curious George or King Kong.School time. Haven't talked much about that, but it is going ok. We don't do enough, but David is learning to read, write, do math, etc. When it is going well, it looks like this. Simon occupies himself on the

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-81378955591600503902009-12-10T23:10:00.001-06:002009-12-10T23:13:11.765-06:00

It actually bothers me a bit how much the new one moves around inside his poor ailing mother. He'll have these bouts of squirmies (to use the technical term) that feel like he is a couple of wrestling puppies egged on by toddler swinging a kitten. It makes Jaime miserable. But, by all other accounts, he is healthy and growing so I have to feel gratitude while I sympathize with Jaime, who feels

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-46249541795053487582009-12-09T22:49:00.001-06:002009-12-09T22:52:24.542-06:00

David behaves as well as any five-year-old in church--fidgety, tired, bored. our agreement is that he knows what points in the service that he is expected to stand, and for the rest he simply needs to not distract others. Then, I don't hassle or lecture him. If I see during the service that he is not standing, then I will limit his play for the rest of the day, expressing my concern that we

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-54403493878705117552009-08-26T12:41:00.002-05:002009-08-26T12:46:06.490-05:00

I sent the following in an email to Eternal Earth-Bound Pets, USADear Eternal Earth-Bound Pets, USAAs an Eastern Orthodox Christian, I don't believe in an a Rapture scenario like that made popular by the recent "Left Behind" books; however, I have some questions about your business.Among Rapture theorists are those who believe that the Rapture will occur before a period of intense tribulation.

jasonnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-120682947414485102009-08-06T16:27:00.010-05:002009-08-12T22:25:40.993-05:00

A friend of ours gave David a bicycle a couple of years ago. For the first year we had it, he was too small and could not control it. But he has done ok with training wheels for the past year. Recently, I had noticed that, when he was riding in a straight line, he would todder back and forth from one training wheel to the other, indicating that he was not relying on them to keep him up. But I

jasonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-87191917222520416482009-08-05T23:00:00.000-05:002009-08-05T23:04:39.767-05:00

Dad is threatening me unless I update the blog and I will admit that a lot has happened since the last time I wrote to you. Mostly: fishing and bicycling.I don't remember now where David got the idea that he wanted to fish, but it came from somewhere a long time ago. I am always interested in learning a new way to get food from scratch, so I was game. Thing, is, I don't know diddly about

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-50949874631675378822009-08-05T22:58:00.002-05:002009-08-05T23:03:46.262-05:00

So I took the whole morning off yesterday to spend 30 minutes in a doctor's office to hear 30-seconds of sound--the sound of the heartbeat of an 11-week-old. It was totally worth it. It was Jaime's first with the nurse/midwife who will be our captain of baby birthin' for number three.This is a pregnancy blog again.

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-71296193076514506622009-06-20T23:40:00.003-05:002009-06-21T00:31:28.641-05:00

For lunch today, I dolloped kim chi onto egg-roll wrappers, rolled them up and fried them. I made the kim chi myself. This evening, I jarred and refrigerated sauerkraut that I made myself and I pickled some fresh beets. One jar of beets I am pickling with vinegar, sugar, and spices. The other, I am pickling with whey. I "made" the whey myself from yogurt. Typically, I think of whey as a

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-40058162572538149572009-06-18T15:25:00.000-05:002009-06-18T15:26:43.618-05:00

Hey, look! Someone else is living my dreams.

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-21345964959239018952009-06-15T22:09:00.006-05:002009-06-16T11:31:49.870-05:00

Part of the problem with trying to keep a regular blog (if memory serves) is remembering interesting things to write. I hit on a new idea today. Typically, when something of note happens, I Tweet about it. So my Twitter/Facebook status list becomes a sort of outline for possible blogging.Thursday, David and I set off for an adventure. We were to spend two days in Wichita at the Parish Life

jasonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-57826166185717249112009-06-15T21:34:00.005-05:002009-06-15T22:09:09.958-05:00

So we were at the Smoky Hill River Festival (more on that later) and the boys wanted to play some of the games. First David attempted to pitch the dunk tank, with no success. Next, we spied a game consisting of a table covered with vases of water. There were some small fish in a couple of these vases. The object was to throw a ping-pong ball in the general direction of the vases. If the ball

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-18567313282951782962009-06-10T23:05:00.007-05:002009-08-26T13:44:44.472-05:00

Tomorrow, David and I leave for Wichita for the 2009 Parish Life Conference of the Region of Ambiguous Status formerly known as the Diocese of Wichita and Mid-America. I'll spend my day doing grown up things, like listening to annual reports, while David goes to the Zoo. He was feeling nervous about it because he thinks that he is afraid of crowds of people he does not know. Nevermind that you

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-71772481470455589852009-06-09T23:30:00.003-05:002009-06-09T23:58:29.502-05:00

Auntie Skylar started a new blog about her latest project and that got me to thinking, "hey, I have one of those; I should dust it off and see how long it takes before I can prove I know how to use a semicolon correctly."The Big News around here today is that David woke up from a bad dream to a Buzz Lightyear. The way Jaime tells it, he told her that he had a bad dream this morning and woke up

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-26635139777255698182009-04-12T23:36:00.004-05:002009-04-13T13:39:27.983-05:00

Simon has a broken Ulna (not a Radius, as previously reported). It happened like this. Sometime in the past week, he began to occasionally complain about pain in his arm. I would pick him up by the arms or bump him and he would say his arm hurt. He did the same with Jaime. Each time we would both do the same thing: carefully examine the area where he indicated he had pain, and ask him to

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-4734153357132026402009-03-11T09:57:00.003-05:002009-03-11T10:01:36.261-05:00

Although we are beginning later than I had wanted, we are finally moving into full gear (2nd-gear, at least) with David's reading. Jaime's new schedule has allowed us more breathing room for this kind of structure. Additionally, David is developing a growing awareness of reading and the benefit to him.We had our biggest break-through last week when he finally got the idea of blending sounds

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-88229047339626880562009-02-17T22:06:00.004-06:002009-02-17T22:27:29.775-06:00

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-35276272671014274742009-02-06T10:09:00.000-06:002009-02-06T10:10:00.888-06:00

Simon has been feverish and vomiting for 24 hours now.  He is not doing as poorly as we have seen in the past, but he feels pretty miserable.  Breaks my heart to see him this way.

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-63367223427552442422009-01-31T09:39:00.006-06:002009-01-31T14:12:20.464-06:00

We filmed this at the end of the day so David was getting kind of worn out (hard to believe, I know). He had been singing these all day. So they aren't quite as imaginative as they had been earlier in the day. Nevertheless I think they still reflect the bold creative genius of the thrash-toddler-mosh-haze genre.

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-69442540028138116442009-01-28T22:36:00.005-06:002009-01-31T14:09:48.803-06:00

David told me on the way home from grandpa's that he would sing me his new song and I was intrigued. His mom reminded him at dinner. While I am always entertained by David's attempts to, um, entertain, nothing could have prepared me for what happened next. Over the next couple of days, I'm sharing a nugget of the improv rock poetry deliciousness with you.Enjoy.

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-76472177560904155412009-01-27T15:08:00.003-06:002009-01-27T15:11:29.989-06:00

Jaime phoned me a photo of her latest hat. She didn't make for herself, but she sure looks cute in it.

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-26868356037310150372009-01-24T22:00:00.002-06:002009-01-24T22:21:13.681-06:00

So, we made pasta last week. Sometime during the summer, Grandma Suzie gave a real eye-TAL-yen pasta makin' contraption. This thing is so authentic, the directions are in seven languages and none of them are American. We had to use British directions.Aunt Marla was in town, so we invited her and Aunt Skylar over and made a morning of it. Lots of fun. We took pictures and I made a set called

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-1983087908822314802009-01-23T08:48:00.001-06:002009-01-23T08:48:06.986-06:00

I am testing a new add-on that would allow me to update more easily.  Simon regularly wakes up in the middle of the night demanding a drink of water.  One night, however, I heard the pitter-patter of little feet and went to investigate.  He had gotten up, walked into the bathroom, climbed up in the toilet from which he can reach the sink, and pulled out his pacifier and set it on the toilet tank.

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-8477436986045859102009-01-22T22:42:00.002-06:002009-01-22T22:46:48.875-06:00

Jaime and the boys made adorable finger puppets with pipe cleaners and felt. Here is a photo of Simon's dragon. Jaime wants me to be sure you know what a great job David did thoroughly cleaning the play area of the basement today. We'll be renting him out soon.

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-74903111960297224832009-01-22T22:17:00.003-06:002009-01-22T22:29:13.584-06:00

We drove to Manhattan last night to see dad. Simon fell asleep on the way, but not the whole way. He woke up grumpy, complained of his tummy hurting and rested on his mom's shoulder the entire rest of the evening. He was a bit under the weather in the morning but seemed fine when I saw him in the evening.I spoke with David on the phone this afternoon and marveled at how different he sounds.

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-52018451258070205622009-01-12T21:06:00.003-06:002009-01-12T21:30:29.388-06:00

Last week, Jaime sheared the boys, dressed them up in flannel, and took their pictures.Then on Saturday, I sat them down myself for a photoshoot. On Sunday afternoon, the weather was perfect for a three-hour walk in the woods, with dad, and his camera:

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-21795567577266881302008-12-11T21:57:00.005-06:002008-12-11T23:07:21.168-06:00

We've passed another milestone on the path to literacy. Last week, I began reading David a chapter book--Stuart Little. Previous most bedtime reading was stories that we could get through in a single sitting. The occasional exception might be when I simply did not have it in me to Bartholomew Cubbins start-to-finish for the 1,000th time and I would split it over two nights. But I came across

jasonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-14861531156687807352008-11-24T15:32:00.004-06:002008-12-05T10:49:16.219-06:00

I am very proud to announce that David has passed an important milestone on the path to literacy. We work with him quite a bit on letter sounds and he pretty much knows the what sound each letter makes (well, at least one sound per letter anyway). He is still struggling a bit with short vowel distinctions. But he has not been able to mush the sounds together into a word. He has not been able

jasonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-48057403504157631462008-11-21T21:22:00.001-06:002008-11-21T21:24:20.857-06:00

Look! New photos up on Flickr!

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-52869258413460411942008-11-21T21:03:00.005-06:002008-11-24T15:52:16.152-06:00

What is up with the spilling?!?! Can we not get through one single meal without someone spilling there drink? We have reverted back to the sippy cup with Simon because, even though he perfectly capable of delicately sipping a fine Chablis from a crystal glass, when he gets bored with his meal, he has to conduct hydro-entertainment experiments with his cup. David is simply distracted and clumsy

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-52655691632027837262008-11-21T20:34:00.004-06:002008-11-21T21:30:47.851-06:00

As I have mentioned, if David gets up early in the morning, he gets to watch TV so that, left to his own devices, he doesn't burn the house down or wake up his mom (in no particular order of importance). This morning, he awoke just as I was getting my socks on to leave. I grabbed the remote, activated the toob, and pressed in channel eight--PBS--so he could watch some Clifford, the Commercial

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-44646560319615317172008-11-21T11:04:00.002-06:002008-11-21T11:06:43.637-06:00

Basically, any configuration of Legos can be declared some character from the film.

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-5312934013939842032008-11-19T15:23:00.003-06:002008-11-21T11:17:54.466-06:00

I sat on the couch reading Saturday afternoon while Simon napped and David played outside. Occasionally I would peek out the window to check on him. He was running around with a boy who is six or seven and girl who is eight or nine. I am not sure what they were doing as they roamed over the parking lot and the "island" in the middle of the lot, but it was clear that the two older kids were

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-30790784268003757892008-11-15T21:43:00.003-06:002008-11-15T23:02:14.365-06:00

Simon has a second degree burn along the half-inch length of the back of his right thumb's proximal phalanx. I normally do not let Simon in the kitchen because he is stubbornly resolved to tear it apart or in some way injure himself. Today, when I excused the boys after breakfast and began cleaning, Simon wanted to stay in his seat. He does this sometimes--usually before meals--sits in his

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-74281517996538646312008-10-17T22:48:00.003-05:002008-10-17T23:14:08.935-05:00

I don't know if I'll keep this here, but it is the quickest way to show it to those of you who care and make sure it is ok.

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-4969754413777184302008-10-16T14:36:00.003-05:002008-10-17T14:34:22.857-05:00

A short list of items that, one month ago, I knew and/or cared little about, but which I could now discuss for several minutes at a cocktail partyCollateralized debt obligationsStock injectionCredit default swapsThe role of the Federal Reserve vs. the TreasuryMortgage securitiesTED SpreadTreasury 3-month yieldCommercial PaperIcelandFannie Mae, Freddie MacLIBORMoral HazardI will be available for

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-21699381682178595292008-10-14T22:50:00.007-05:002008-10-14T23:43:40.616-05:00

Thursday morning, pre-dawn, David, Simon, Skylar, Brooke, Isabelle, and I set off on a 13-hour road trip in Grandpa's minivan. When we returned Sunday night, we had completed the longest stretch of road travel without vomit in David and Simon's life.--26 hours plus the time we spent driving around our destination. It was memorable for other reasons as well. For instance, I think we set a

jasonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-15440446765992258152008-09-26T11:41:00.002-05:002008-09-26T11:44:23.536-05:00

Seriously, this should not even be possible. I am amazed, and envious. I'll survive, but please, no one tell David.

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-75336494300717877972008-09-19T08:58:00.003-05:002008-09-19T09:05:58.563-05:00

Q: What is the difference between a Pit Bull and a Hockey Mom?A: One is a natural thing perverted by our obsession with violent competition.The other is just a dog.

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-60567559667726055062008-09-17T09:57:00.002-05:002008-09-17T10:21:02.503-05:00

Back in May, the best show on the radio, This American Life, dedicated an entire episode to the most comprehensive and comprehensible explanation of the Housing Crisis I have heard. The popularity of this episode has spawned a new podcast and blog on NPR--Planet Money. One particular entry, "Who Can I Blame?" is particularly timely as the McCain/Obama show attempts to entertain us with stories

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-10524327723189809452008-09-15T11:51:00.005-05:002008-09-15T12:01:56.767-05:00

Check out this video. It is nothing exciting, but it gets really great at the 2:18 point but don't blink; it goes back to the mundane around 2:19.

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-50372781829805591352008-09-13T22:58:00.003-05:002008-09-13T23:10:18.172-05:00

Over a meal last week, David was clarifying some point about the timeline of his life and asked how old Simon was when he himself was born. I told him Simon didn't exist then. He didn't understand what I meant by that. I pointed to the white board on the wall behind me and asked if there was a green square on the board. No. I explained that a green square did not exist on the board yet and

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-84265673856732409252008-09-11T15:25:00.002-05:002008-09-11T15:32:55.633-05:00

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-66120017319471507992008-09-10T22:45:00.003-05:002008-09-11T15:33:44.445-05:00

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-1248016123579141302008-09-10T22:14:00.003-05:002008-09-10T22:35:49.971-05:00

A coworker IMed me today:Scott: In a blunt interview with the Associated Press, the star of the Jason Bourne film series also said there was a good chance John McCain would die in his first term in office and the thought of a President Palin is "terrifying."“It’s like a really bad Disney movie — the hockey mom…from Alaska, and she’s the president, and it’s like she’s facing down Vladimir Putin

jasonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-55867643622043187912008-09-10T21:48:00.006-05:002008-09-11T15:34:34.918-05:00

Probably the earliest "father and son" memory I have is an afternoon home when I was four or five--about David's age, perhaps. Dad cut a piece of cardboard (or was is a grocery bag?) in the shape of a horse's head, drew in the details, and affixed to the top of a yard stick. I rode it around like a cowboy. It is a brief memory--almost a still photo--but one I think about often and fondly. I

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-49048547780916386302008-08-15T11:54:00.001-05:002008-08-15T11:54:34.327-05:00

From Crunchy Con (the comments): "I have a friend who won't eat tongue either--he says it's just too strange to taste something that might be tasting you back."

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-5067682630109517782008-08-11T14:59:00.003-05:002008-09-11T15:35:45.997-05:00

As I mentioned, David's creative play lately has really advanced--especially with the Legos ("Duplo" actually). Shortly after seeing WALL-E, he enrolled Jaime's to build a WALL-E with legos, which he cherished. The next day I added a couple of pieces to represent eye-stalks and snapped the eyes to the top. He imediately tilted the eyes downward as far as the legos would allow, telling me that

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-46172837188482478192008-08-09T16:16:00.004-05:002008-08-09T16:31:13.058-05:00

What does it say about us that Jaime's Amazon.com wish list combined with mine still contains fewer items than our Netflix cue?

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-29096724229394077332008-08-09T15:12:00.003-05:002008-08-09T15:30:02.648-05:00

David: YesSimon: YesD: PleaseS: PweaseD: Yes, pleaseS: Pwes, yeaseD: Good job!Simon's language is actually coming along very nicely. He understands most questions asked of him and is able to answer in some way. His "please" and "thank you" are very good. He regularly uses two-and-three-word sentences like "Done daddy car?" ("are we done in daddy's care" (ie, "have we arrived?")"Watch daddy!""I

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-74478542098456584902008-08-06T20:49:00.001-05:002008-08-06T20:52:01.422-05:00

Seven Children's Tales That Tim Burton & Johnny Depp Should Remake.Of course I generally disagree with the author's assessment of the Burton/Depp corpus (no pun intended). While it is a mixed bag, I quite like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The Nightmare before Christmas. To this list, I would seriously restate my desire to see them remake The Wizard of Oz.

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-51055619940220569032008-07-23T21:08:00.003-05:002008-07-23T21:15:52.347-05:00

The other day, Simon woke up his mother by bringing her the camera and insisting she take pictures. You can view the set here.Then David took a few photos, which I have added to his set.By the way, our bedroom walls are not green, as shown here; they are "Clamshell" (or as I call it, "Honky Skin." I think Simon's deep brown eyes are throwing off the camera's white balance.

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-52252927005217227932008-07-23T20:14:00.004-05:002008-07-23T20:28:14.910-05:00

Me: David, hush, I'm trying to get Simon to sleep. Go occupy yourself, please.Five minutes pass when I hear what sounds like the CIA working someone over in our living room.Me: David! what are you doing?!D: I'm downstairs.M: What are you doing?D: Occupying myself.

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-44002924213789153572008-07-11T15:01:00.002-05:002008-07-11T15:05:18.415-05:00

Jason seems to be expecting a bit much from his browser.

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-77380380618734401962008-07-11T10:51:00.004-05:002008-07-11T12:37:09.192-05:00

God help you if you use voice-over in your work, my friends. God help you. It's flaccid, sloppy writing. Any idiot can write voice-over narration to explain the thoughts of a character.--Brian Cox, "Adaptation"While over-analyzing WALL-E with some friends last night, I suddenly hit on a heretofore unmentioned point of bold genius in its creation--it has no voice-over narration.Since viewing "

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-13840948820050024362008-07-08T14:21:00.003-05:002008-07-08T15:19:01.562-05:00

I first saw the Pixar's animated short film, "Luxo Jr." at Liberty Hall in Lawrence as part of one of the "Animation Celebrations"--a collection of award-winning short animated films. I remember clearly how it amazed and charmed me. I was impressed by the studio's ability to evoke so much emotion from a pair of computer-animated swing-arm lamps and a ball. I was envious of the mastery of story

jasonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-71952321992398875892008-07-03T10:49:00.001-05:002008-07-03T10:50:02.063-05:00

I have been waiting for someone to articulate clearly my own response when I first heard about the Gloucester Pregnancy Pact (which was apparently a fiction).FIRST THINGS: On the Square: "So there’s something reassuring about the idea (and perhaps reality) of the crazy Gloucester “pregnancy pact.” I find it so much brighter, so much more hopeful, than the alternative, which is the “sterility pact

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-66068319837508371452008-07-02T13:18:00.004-05:002008-07-02T13:26:10.740-05:00

Me: day . . . .Simon: dayM: vidS: vidM: day . .S: dayM: vidS: vidM: day.S: dayM: vidS: vidM: day . . . vidS: day . . . vidM: David!S: Dayday!* * *Me: joe . . .Simon: joe . . .M: sephS: sephM: joe . .S: joeMe: sephS: sephMe: joe . . . sephS: joe . . . sephMr: Father Joseph!S: Fa'er Jeefu!

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-11871359272870748562008-06-30T23:28:00.003-05:002008-08-13T21:59:26.456-05:00

It began with a baptism. The child belonged to a couple from the "Old country"--actually two old countries, Palestine and Romania. In many times and places baptisms are strictly a family affair rather than a church community affair. I showed up in case Father Joseph needed any logistical assistance. I assumed wrongly that someone from the choir would do likewise. So it turned out to be my

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-7622430977825778082008-06-30T23:27:00.002-05:002008-07-02T21:34:36.646-05:00

David's sense of time and grammar has evolved to understand the past tense in terms of "yesterday" and "last week." "Yesterday" is anything that happened in the memorable past, such as seeing "Horton Hears a Who" when it came out. "Last week is anything that happened before a time he can remember; his infancy and my childhood both took place last week. While is makes for some difficult

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-52281607908784639012008-06-26T11:03:00.007-05:002008-07-23T21:26:46.393-05:00

As we all know, David is a great fan of the movie Cars and all things Cars related. In spite of my continual forbidding of any more Cars stuff in our house, it continues to poor in like so much sewage. At some point during the transition out of diapers, he acquired a half-dozen pair of Cars underwear (as opposed to an underwear car), which he wears backwards so that he can see the larger

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-4807120965715764942008-06-23T09:33:00.006-05:002008-06-23T09:51:14.227-05:00

Another ego post (as if there is any other kind). Once again, GetReligion covered a story I sent. This time, as part of a larger discussion of the media coverage of Obama's closed-doors, off-the-record meet with prominant religious leaders. Somewhere in the middle of the post, Mr. Mattingly refers you to NPR's coverage and quotes a at length from a "private email" from a GetReligion reader.

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-6566877237506939582008-06-11T10:00:00.001-05:002008-06-11T10:00:39.492-05:00

Word Spy - cowpoolingFor several years now, we have discussed this, but we never seem to plan adequately to have the cash on hand at the same time the cow is available.

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-4407545579606954502008-06-11T09:54:00.002-05:002008-06-11T09:57:30.045-05:00

The Return of ThriftPersonally, I don't think thrift is going to make any huge comeback on a large scale. We, as a culture, cut back our overspending for short periods of time but our economy is robust enough nowadays to withstand ebbs and flows so I seriously doubt that we'll have the kind of economic disaster that turned my great-grand parents to thrift. Thrift as a virtue is going to go the

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-20959299326273011272008-06-09T14:06:00.001-05:002008-06-26T11:36:02.665-05:00

Postmodern Conservative.: Blue collared (II): "the realization that somewhere else in America there are people spending as much as twenty percent of their income on gasoline hits me like a blow to the gut, and the post-petroleum future suddenly looks a lot less bright."

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-49857324087310119362008-06-09T13:00:00.003-05:002008-06-10T10:34:04.985-05:00

With luck, the line of cowardice stops here.Touching read.Last weekend, David was whacking balls off his tee when he decided that he wanted to dispense with the crutch and swing at pitches. He recently watched a tee-ball game of Issy's where an adult pitches a dozen or so times and if the hitter just can't do it then they bring out a tee that practically has the word "SHAME" spray painted in big

jasonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-84961166450282326662008-06-06T11:00:00.001-05:002008-06-10T10:33:04.324-05:00

This is not the humorous break you are looking for.This is not the humorous break we are looking for. Move along.

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-40503894301772450632008-06-05T14:54:00.001-05:002008-06-26T11:34:14.504-05:00

Go listen to Sounds Melodious lovely.

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-72522154522810232702008-05-31T00:25:00.003-05:002008-05-31T00:34:00.263-05:00

Earthworms provide a great many benefits to the gardener. The aerate the soil, fertilize it, help break down vegetable matter, and entertain the gardener's four-year-old indefinately. I planted some last few things in our vegetable garden this evening. I have been waiting for it to stop raining for more than a day so that I could do so. David helped. He really did. Unfortunately, there is

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-13736774494226708912008-05-30T14:47:00.003-05:002008-05-30T15:39:14.666-05:00

me: Where do babies come from?David: Collinme: Babies come from Collin??D: Yesme: how does that work?D: It's a really long story

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-63007580713372348762008-05-30T10:56:00.001-05:002008-05-30T10:56:36.362-05:00

Amen amen amen (and I need to get a job close to home)Eight reasons you'll rejoice when we hit $8-a-gallon gasoline - MarketWatch

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-1106439064278346602008-05-29T11:14:00.001-05:002008-05-29T11:16:15.646-05:00

rob3rto: j g, in da houseJason G: ahoy, mateerob3rto: ahoyJason G: One of the nice things about a three-day weekend is that it is followed by a four-day week.rob3rto: aye, print that!Jason G: well, I just did . . . sortarob3rto: that needs to be online in the brilliant quotes site.Jason G: url of brilliant quote site?rob3rto: http://www.brainyquote.com/Jason G: OK, well there is no "submit"

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-85329092456738230162008-05-28T10:51:00.000-05:002008-05-28T10:51:14.240-05:00

KHI - KHI News Service - Feature Story Archive: “Picture every town in Kansas having 25 local growers and that money circulating in the local economy. I would love it if we could repopulate the Kansas River valley with small farms, or even large farms, growing produce so everyone could eat local foods.”Sign me up! Well, someday.

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-70640153460641826022008-05-28T10:35:00.002-05:002008-05-28T10:37:27.799-05:00

I intended to sign us up for the Rolling Prairie Farmer's Alliance but didn't get around to it. It would have provided us with fresh, seasonal produce into the fall. I've done it before and it produces interesting results. Unexpectedly, you have endive. What to do with endive? Makes you think on your feet. It is a backwards way of thinking about food for the modern Midwesterner. Normally,

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-55226257943874561512008-05-27T14:57:00.001-05:002008-05-27T14:59:45.686-05:00

The Skeptical Inquirer:“If this religion boasted that it had a clear sight of God and plain and manifest evidence of his existence, it would be an effective objection to say that there is nothing to be seen in the world which proves him. . . . But . . . on the contrary it says that men are in darkness. . .”------"What reason do I have to subordinate the possibility of God’s existence to the

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-82064720516909996322008-05-20T16:31:00.003-05:002008-05-20T16:41:21.714-05:00

moar funny picturesJaime didn't want a cat, but I was embarrassed to be the only blogger online without a pet to blog about. Her name is Dusty. She came to us via a friend in need and has fit nicely into our household. She is affectionate without getting under foot (once fed). She is not shy. She does not object to getting chased and picked up by the four-year-old. She often comes when

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-53496465231104204852008-05-14T23:04:00.003-05:002008-05-14T23:18:41.803-05:00

After getting several requests from people I would otherwise expect to be above this sort of thing, I have created a Facebook profile. I highly recommend it. Setting up your own profile combines the white-knuckle thrill of creating an Ebay account with over-the-top excitement of filling out an online resume for employment with Kinkos. I would imagine it is a lot like creating a WoW character

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-52404313382658208862008-05-13T10:18:00.001-05:002008-05-13T10:19:21.331-05:00

Dad sent me a couple of emails recommending online reading. Both relate to economic fantasies:Things you can buy from ACME to vanquish you foe (episode after episode)andLife in an equally implausible economic system.enjoy, loony fans

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-24315888905223758792008-05-12T16:17:00.002-05:002008-05-12T16:21:54.029-05:00

We have had to explain some really basic stuff to David this weekend: Don't knock on people's doors at 7:30 in the morning. Don't go outside without pants on (admittedly not a universal rule in our neighborhood). Don't go in other people's houses when they are not home. His innocent ignorance of these common concepts is both charming and disturbing.He is entering a whole new world of

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-21226401919880321772008-05-12T15:56:00.003-05:002008-05-12T16:12:52.172-05:00

If you are interested in writing and religion, than you can't do much better than to keep up with GetReligion.org. Today they posted a story about my home state. Readers can submit news articles about religion that they would like analyzed on the site. The reader who submitted this story and who poses the "great question" at the top of the forth paragraph is none other than Yours Truly. I

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-40060625508007798672008-05-12T13:19:00.004-05:002008-05-12T13:34:28.319-05:00

A very good article from the New Atlantis: Shop Class as SoulcraftThe satisfactions of manifesting oneself concretely in the world through manual competence have been known to make a man quiet and easy. They seem to relieve him of the felt need to offer chattering interpretations of himself to vindicate his worth. He can simply point: the building stands, the car now runs, the lights are on.via,

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-79261175235192598322008-05-10T15:24:00.004-05:002008-05-10T15:34:15.000-05:00

We've allowed David to shoot some of his own pictures with the digital camera lately. I have created a new set of photos he has shot that I'll add to as we go along.Our mustached mini Bresson, his camera strap like scarf of creativity shielding him from the bitter cold wind of mundanity.

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-68152142506125230512008-05-06T12:45:00.003-05:002008-05-06T13:01:49.347-05:00

CrunchyCon summarizesthis article aboutthis research (among other things)I could on and on.I pass this along because there is a general push right now to raise awareness and I want you to be aware. I also have two comments about this--almost. Firstly, I have been complaining about the omnipresence of plastic for years. I'm glad y'all decided to catch up. Secondly, we Americans are known for

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-190090168666126552008-05-05T09:53:00.001-05:002008-05-06T12:50:32.869-05:00

Sonoma Country Day School:Praise to the rituals that celebrate change,old robes worn for new beginnings,solemn protocol where the mutable soul,surrounded by ancient experience, growsyoung in the imagination's white dress.Because it is not the rituals we honorbut our trust in what they signify, these ritesthat honor us as witnesses — whether to watchlovers swear loyalty in a careless worldor a

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-18896598169446772502008-05-04T23:11:00.005-05:002008-05-05T09:56:31.145-05:00

What a blissful evening. Not one I would have expected. After a Saturday of lousy weather and fighting with my eldest, and a Sunday afternoon of discussing finances with my fellow parishioners, I would not have expected perfect evening of family gardening delight.I went to the local garden store on Saturday to get plants. It was not successful. Winter is not going down without a fight around

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-61369140910398905082008-05-02T09:59:00.002-05:002008-05-02T14:09:39.818-05:00

Humans have been tilling the ground and tending to plants for at least 10,000 years. 99% of all people who have ever lived have grown some, if not most, of their own food. But here I stand, in front of a plot of freshly-tilled earth, with a fresh green seedling in my hand (well, on the counter), and have no clue what to do next. Shouldn't I have some sort of genetic memory here? I have never

jasonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-88154227401613567032008-05-02T09:07:00.001-05:002008-05-02T10:02:20.760-05:00

One hand on my mouse, the other holds a kleenex.She reached out to hand him the card. She then extended her arm again. And although the sheriff's deputies assigned to the county's courtrooms usually prevent anyone other than defense attorneys from touching a defendant, no one interfered as the snowy-haired nun in the navy suit and white blouse shook the hand of the tattooed man in a dirty white

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-1704022788006225772008-05-01T13:45:00.002-05:002008-05-01T13:51:18.903-05:00

A comment I wrote yesterday to Krista Tippett, host of Speaking of Faith.I first discovered your program when I found your episode "Restoring the Senses, Life Gardening, and Orthodox Easter." I was impressed, and being a father of two, decided to listen to your episode on the Spirituality of Parenting.I am disappointed. I think that you omitted one of the primary spiritual issues that the vast

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-47677588750187465342008-02-13T09:19:00.001-06:002008-02-13T09:21:10.519-06:00

Story: Co-worker of Jaime's has a five-year-old and four-year-old (ten months apart!) in separate beds in one room. One night the five-year-old pooped his pants. Not wanting to get in trouble, he throws the poop into his younger brother's bed. So dad is awakened by indignant howls of "stop throwing turds in my bed!"

jasonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-62445410901159499022008-01-24T08:56:00.003-06:002008-05-06T12:59:45.955-05:00

Scott: http://www.koco.com/news/15112533/detail.htmlJason: ouch. and it is so unnecessary. They could have adequately steadied the camera without breaking the (attempted) illusion. Drives me nuts when film makers think they are better conveying reality by putting as little between the camera and the subject as possible. I would think that Film 101 is "the camera, by its very nature, distorts

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598134.post-75826933225876226412007-12-26T14:35:00.001-06:002008-02-13T09:24:10.283-06:00

26

jasonnoreply@blogger.com0