Up-To-Date Updates

Random (and probably incomplete) update on the family:

Just had an open house at the kids school this last week. They are both doing just great and their teachers - while having extremely different teaching styles - seem to be doing a good job. Mary (now in 3rd grade) is starting to bring home regular homework so I sit with her for a half-hour every day (or 45 minutes if she is feeling ornery) and do math, geography, spelling, grammar, and reading. Actually, she does the reading on her own - I just nag at her to do it.

Isaiah is just...himself. He has a VERY freeform 1st grade class. They don't even have assigned seats (during the open house I wasn't even sure if they HAD seats). No homework yet, but he brings home papers that he has done in class and he seems to be doing quite well.

Rebekah has hit that stage where she thinks nobody loves her - especially when she doesn't get her way. I've started to chant my "I love you no matter what" mantra that the older two kids repeat back to me when I get grumpy with them. She will grow out of it just like the older two did - it's just a matter of time.

Emma is an ornery little bugger (yeah, and who in this family isn't?). She insists on watching "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" every second of the day. She calls it "Jo-Jo." It's a good thing that I absolutely love the music. She is also the new resident nudist - Rebekah gave up the position quite some time ago. Even though it is getting colder, she refuses to stay dressed - or even diapered, which causes some "surprises" around the house. We did manage to slip "Sleeping Beauty" in the VCR today and Leslie caught her giving kisses to Prince Philip! Being the father that I am, I'm going to have to sit this Philip boy down and have a talk with him.

I don't know if I ever mentioned this (I'm too lazy to go back through all my old entries), but Leslie is pregnant and doing well. The new bundle of personality-plus is due (wait for it...) early March. Can that month get any more crowded with birthdays and anniversaries?!? Kinda makes me wonder what makes the month of June so different from the rest of the year.

Apparently last year when Isaiah came home from kindergarten, he and Leslie would watch a show on Nickelodeon called Avatar: The Last Airbender. I had seen maybe a total of five minutes of it - usually because I was busy or just passing by on my way to do something else. Anyway, the whole first season just came out on DVD and Leslie got it for her birthday. Now that the whole family has started watching it over the past few days, I have to admit that it is fun to watch. It has a great story-line and some of the dialogue/animation is fantastic. We are only about halfway through right now. I'm interested in seeing how it all ends up.

I recently found a DOS emulator for my Macintosh. I still had a few DOS games floating around and got them loaded up and, while a little slow at times, they run great. Turns out it was actually MUCH easier to get them to run on my Mac than it used to be to get them to run on Windows. Go figure. So I've been wasting time playing nostalgic games like X-Com: UFO Defense, Master of Magic, etc. It's not like I have much else to do right now.

Which brings me to the job hunt. I apply. I get a few interviews. And, for reasons completely unfathomable to me, I get rejected. I mean, come on...I've been in management before, I have great references, I'm a hard and organized worker, I have a college degree...ah, my college degree. Why do I have the feeling that my Anthropology degree is somehow sabotaging me? Apparently I'm not qualified to do anything that pays well (in spite of my experience), but I'm "overqualified" for jerk-work. But I haven't completely given up hope. I'm going to fast and pray tomorrow and see if I can get a little help from the Big Man. Anyone who wants to join me is sure welcome to. It'll be...fun.

Speaking of church, I got called to teach Sunday School again. 13-14 year olds...the whole surly lot of 'em. Actually they are a great group of kids. I love teaching that age group because once you get past the "14-year old attitude" that every kid has, it is fun to watch their eyes light up when they make a connection with the scriptures. This year was the Old Testament which, I admit, can be quite tough for that age group (or any age group for that matter) to grasp. I've taught it several times now and really enjoy the historical aspect of it as well as the spiritual side. Starting January, we'll be in the New Testament, but I don't know how many of these kids will move up to an older class. It's nice to be back in a comfort zone.

Alright, enough rambling for now. The time/date stamp on this entry is correct and I'm starting to get blurry-eyed.