Nov 27 2011
“Yes, but you’ll have to open the package first. They won’t spill out magically!”
— The kid’s answer when asked if she wanted some Halloween candy M&Ms in a bowl
Here’s a quick video of the kid playing with our new tablet. I’d originally planned on getting a Kindle Fire or Nook tablet. However, after a little research, I decided to spend a little more and get a full-sized tablet.
Nov 24 2011
Kid: “Let’s play Candyland!”
Dad: “OK.”
Kid: “In this game young people can never go backward.”
Dad: “Sounds fair to me.”
Kid: “But older people can go backwards!”
Dad: “You mean like mom? Ha! That means mommy has to go backward. But not me ‘cuz I’m young like you!”
Kid: “You, Daddy! You have to go backward! You’re like 82-69-million years old!”
Dad: “Yep, that’s about it.”
— a conversation with the kid
Last week I spent half a day helping out at Sacred Heart Community Service. I was actually a little nervous; all of my previous volunteer-work mainly involved helping out in a warehouse or backroom somewhere. This time I’d actually be dealing with people.
From the Sacred Heart web site:
“Sacred Heart promotes unity by bringing together people from all walks of life and organizations from all disciplines in the common cause of serving people in need and working toward the elimination of poverty in our community.”
It was a cold, wet, gray morning when I arrived at the center. The place was hard to miss; despite the early hour, they already had a long line of people curled around the block. After sitting in on a quick overview with the Sacred Heart team, I was dispatched to an area where people registered for holiday meals. There I greeted people, made sure they were in the right line, pointed them to open kiosks, and tried to answer any questions they might have.
I quickly realized my initial nervousness was unfounded. Despite having to wait for long periods of time in soggy lines, everyone I met was friendly and kind. Kids were smiling. Parents were thankful. I quickly learned (and have since forgotten) how to say “Good Morning!” in Mandarin and Spanish. I joked with kids and adults alike.
Later, I donned an orange vest and directed traffic in the parking lot. Truthfully, hanging out in a busy wet parking lot was not terribly fun, but it wasn’t too bad.
I literally met over a hundred people who were going through some tough times. Once my shift was over, I hung up my vest, grabbed my coat, and bid adeieu to Sacred Heart. When I got home I gave Jill and the kid each a big hug.
Nov 15 2011
“It’s slightly dark, but there’s a cheerful light coming from the pumpkin lights.”
— the kid’s answer on Halloween night when asked if it was dark outside.
Here’s a Hi8 video dub of a Christmas Eve spent with Jill’s family back in 1998. Note: A young Wubie makes a brief cameo at the very beginning.
Nov 13 2011
“I’m taking out my reading glasses so I can look at these orthopedic inserts.”
— me, while at a store with the kid and her mom.
This morning the kid grabbed a sheet of paper along with a handful of crayons. After finding an appropriate place to sequester herself, she hunkered down and promptly began scribbling furiously, the crayola a blur in her little paw.
“What’re you doing?” I asked, my curiosity piqued by her sudden industriousness.
“I’m making a to-do list!” she replied in a “don’t bother me, I’m busy” voice.
“That’s cool!” I said in a “swingin’, attentive dad” voice. “What’s on your list so far?”
She scribbled a few seconds more, sighed, looked up at me, then gave her poor crayola a break. Her list:
1. “Ask Carrot how he got such a nice pointy hairdo.”
2. “Play bingo games with Froggy.”
3. “Look at the picture in the hall to bemember (remember) Wubie.”
4. “Help Mommy fix the Christmas ornaments.”
5. “Stay in pajamas all day.”
Sounds like a nice Sunday to me.
Nov 1 2011
Some October kidspeak:
“Just in time for the kitty cat wedding!”
— the first thing I heard as soon as I came home from work one day
“Just in time for a hedgehog tea party!”
— the first thing I heard as soon as I came home from work the following day
“Snoring Daddy wake up, it’s morning!”
— the first thing I heard on a Sunday at 6:30 am
Another month has come and gone. October was pretty productive for me. I cranked out a few videos, read a few books, ate some slightly healthier foods. Yep, can’t really complain about ol’ Octubre.
October Happenings:
October Book Readin’:
Movie Watchin’:
TV Gazin’:
Pride and Prejudice
(Jill)Oct 31 2011
“It’s the best vacuum cleaner in the world! It’s not going like a loser at all!”
— the kid comments on the recently fixed vacuum cleaner
This one’s pretty neat. I found an audio interview I did with my Mom and Dad back in 2004. Dad was wary about the camcorder, so I remember slapping a lens cover on it and using it solely as a microphone.
They talk mostly about their first few years in the US after coming here from the Philippines following WWII.
Because this was audio only, I used Google to locate imagery. I was amazed at some of the stuff I was able to find, including pictures of the actual ship they used to get to America. Yep, pretty neat.
Music: “Opus One” by Tommy Dorsey
Oct 25 2011
“I’m eating chocolate that doesn’t stain my clothes or give me a mustache!”
— The Kid
Here’s another video culled from an interview Jill did w/ Gma Vita last weekend. The other two videos we’ve knocked out so far:
Music:
“Country Gentleman” and “Guitar Blues” from Galloping Guitar: The Early Years by Chet Atkins
Oct 23 2011
“Wanna see my butterfly playing an xylophone?”
— the kid introduces her latest drawing
Back in 2003 I brought a camcorder to a family get-together and shot some video. I later discovered I’d shot the whole thing with the mic input on zero. That meant no sound at all. Disappointed, I tossed the tape in a box and forgot about it.
While searching around in a closet today I found that old tape. It’s funny how time changes things. When I first shot the video I considered it worthless. Now, eight years later, I feel as if I’ve unearthed a little forgotten treasure. It was a very nice surprise indeed.
Music: “Like Someone in Love” from The Swinging Guitar of Tal Farlow by Tal Farlow.
Oct 18 2011
“Hurry! Before the car breaks!”
— The kid tries to get her parents up and out of the house
Before we visited my mom on Sunday Jill said, “You should make another family history video!” I was feeling slightly less than energetic, but since it’d been a while since my last video, I hurriedly packed some cameras in a bag and we set off.
Once there, my mom gave me a drumstick (yay!) and I parked myself in front of her TV to watch some HGTV (I can watch stuff ‘Professional Grade’ and ‘American Handyman’ for hours!)
“Hey, aren’t you going to video your mom?” my bothersome lovely wife asked.
I gave a low Wubie grumble as I unglued myself from the comfy confines of the La-Z-Boy, muttered a cheerless goodbye to Mike Holmes, and went outside.
Once mom agreed to the interview, I grabbed my ultra-cool Canon 60D…and discovered I’d left its battery in its charging cradle at home. Awesome.
“Oh well,” I thought, “that’s why you bring backups!”
So I pulled out my trusty Flip camera and handed it to Jill. She was taking on the dual role of both interviewer and camera person for the video. I grabbed my other backup, (yes, I brought along three cameras!) wrestled with a tripod for a bit, and we shot an impromptu interview.
And it was a lot of fun.
Some notes:
Oct 7 2011
“If you see a mouse with red pants on, that’s Mickey!”
— the kid tells me how to recognize Mickey Mouse
We went to the flea market recently. Of course the girls were on the prowl for books and dolls. Check out the video to see what they found.
Music Used:
