Lucy and Daddy's Veggies

Despite the hot weather, we did get some vegetables before the plants died. A handful of peppers, some tomatoes, and even a pumpkin! Lucy is a great gardener!

Hazy Days of Summer

Well, we are in the long days of 90+ degree heat with no end in sight. We stay in pretty much most of the time, save early morning trips to the playground, or early (6 AM for me) long runs. Went out to Umstead State Park again today for a 10 miler. I think the end will be difficult, but I feel confident now, seeing the end 13 miles.
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Myra had some problems after starting rice and oatmeal cereals and sweet potatoes. We had some nights of walking the floor with her-->yes, me too--no playing possum!! (-: So we stopped food for now. It really is neat seeing the girls begin to interact. Lucy loves making Myra laugh. It is so cute! They actually play together now (somewhat), which is pretty neat to see too.
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The next three weeks will make or break me. I travel pretty much everyday, before heading up to Pennsylvania for a nice visit. Hopefully *hopefully* September and October will slow down, less the marathon training.

Do You Have an AMEX Card?

This won't cost you a sent if you do, but it will help a great program, DonorsChoose, provide funding to individual teachers across the country. I used DonorsChoose successfully in the classroom to fund a variety of proposals including cameras, hockey equipment, books, and so much more. Now, American Express will provide one dollar for each vote on the DonorsChoose site. If you or anyone you know possesses an AMEX card, please click here and vote for DonorsChoose. Thank you!

We Went On a Date!

Wow! Aunt Shannon (YaYa to Lucy) came up to watch the girls to allow Kerry and I to go see Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Great time. I, of course being the Potter geek I am , had plenty of comments/opinions on the movie, but we totally enjoyed the opportunity just to get out and enjoy each other's company. And that's our moral of the story to all of you. Yes, we love love love our girls, but it is so nice for the 'adults' to get out and enjoy themselves.
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July will end and another busy month will begin. I will criss-cross the state for two weeks on a variety of workshops, then we will head up to PA for a nice visit. Feels so good not starting the 'I don't want to go back to school' dread.

I Didn't Want to Be Batman...

You Are Batman

Billionaire playboy by day. Saving the world by night. And you're not even a true superhero. Just someone with a lot of expensive toys!

What Superhero Are You?

Where Does Time Go?

Wow! Hard to believe we head into the last weekend in July. What a great month! All these things seem like they just happened though. Nana visited for a week while I attended my IMPACT Academy. We visited the Aquarium, Pullen Park, and Aunt Shannon'. Lots of fun. That's really what we try to do with the girls--just come up with lots of neat activities and places to remember. In August I will be tied up with my August Workshops for two weeks, but then we will go up to Pennsylvania for a nice long weekend and visit everyone up there. Maybe some Eat-N-Park. Mmmmmm....chicken fiesta sandwichhhhh. (-: And yes, The Simpsons' Movie comes out soon, too! Then the next month, September, my little girl will attend pre-school. *Sniff, sniff!

Ahhh....the 80s

You Are 88% A Child of the 80s

There's hardly a moment of the 80s that you missed out on. Was there ever a better decade? As if!

Are You a Child of an 80s?

Continuing the Open Source Cause

Open Source, Open Source, Open Source. I continue to get head-scratching looks when I mention this or Linux. Family and friends cannot understand why I gave up Windows in place of something free. "Surely that cannot be as good, since it's free," they tell me. What a sad state of affairs when this thought process happens. I would think the same thing. We are conditioned to think that you must pay (and pay handsomely) for software to work properly. You are also then locked into that publisher of the software to their 'vision.' Have an idea to use it better? Too bad. Maybe they will implement that in the new version, of which you will pay once again, but too bad for you in the immediate future.

That's where all who do not know about Linux are wrong. Linux just gets me. I definitely cannot see all these huge amounts of paid software. For instance, working in just one school, to purchase one piece of software for approximately 100 computers totals $30,000. I could buy a car for that. And do we receive training for this? Nope. Ways to integrate? Nope. Do they come and install? Nope. They send a disc, and even a file through email these days, and that's the end of it. Well, Linux does not give you any of those things either, but then they don't charge you either. Come to think of it, the communities for the different OS distros (operating system distributions, think Windows XP, Windows ME, Windows NT, etc for Linux: examples of Ubuntu, Edubuntu, SUSE, Fedora, etc) provide more and better support. Many have call centers to use for FREE, forum boards, email lists, and even support groups in major cities.

Then software. You can pretty much find a comparable piece of software in a Linux version. Want Photoshop? Use the Gimp. Want Dreamweaver? Then check out Quanta, Screem, or nVU. Inspiration? Look at Dia. And that's the power of open source. Yes, these are free, but open source means that the source code is available to you. You can make changes to the code for your own benefit. The question becomes can you do that? Yes, but make sure to provide a copy of the revised code to the developers, and allow others the possibility to use your changes.

How cool! I will continue to update you on this in the future!

Chris on the Simpsons

So, what would I look like if my dream came true, and I appeared on the Simpsons? Well, enjoy this image of me, with my Linux t-shirt on!

The End of Harry Potter...

So I finished the book. Received it yesterday from the UPS guy (don't know why Mr. Larry, our mail carrier did not bring it). The UPS guy, a closet comedian says, "Let me tell you how it ends...he finds out he's a Jedi Master." Funny UPS guy! (-:
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Finished it in one day, or by 12 AM the night I started. Overall, I enjoyed the book. It nicely tied up many of the dangling issues, but at times these explanations seemed forced. One major thing that bugged me was the need for so many pages. I think we could get by in the story with 200 less pages. The whole middle, with Hermoine and Harry camping across the British Isle really leaves a lot to be desired.

I enjoyed the final battle scene, which when made into a movie could rival the final LOTR battle, if directed correctly. JK definitely left herself an out if she wants to have another book. The 19 Years Later epilogue was pretty basic as well.

Fishies and Trains

Had a good two days. Yesterday we met some friends at Pullen Park. It was hot (90s by 10 am, it is July afterall), but we still played, rode the merry-go-round and train, and ate a great lunch. Today we went to the Fort Fisher NC Aquarium. I love spending time with my 3 girls!

I Miss My Girls!

Who would think a week away from my three girls would be this difficult? Here I sit at a conference in Sunset Beach, NC. It's Thursday, and I've been gone since Sunday. Tomorrow is the big day that I get to go back home, and I cannot wait. When you look at these pictures of my girls, you see how tough it would be to leave them for any extended time. I know what will happen this weekend though--a FULL WEEKEND OF DADDY TIME!

Enjoying Our Summer!

Lucy, Mommy, and Myra (those are her legs in the blue chair) enjoy the 'mega-fort' Daddy built.











Lucy's Bling

Today (or actually Tomorrow) We Celebrate Our Independence...

July 4th--the traditional middle of summer. We have been enjoying the recent coolness in Raleigh. The past two days' highs were 84 and 87 respectively. That just does not happen in Raleigh in July. This morning I actually shivered on the way into the office (65 degrees). The girls and I spend a fun day together last week. We stopped at my office, then went to the Natural Science Museum. Tomorrow we may visit Wake Forest for a parade.
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The marathon training goes well. I run 8.5 miles out in Umstead State Park on Saturday. About 6 of the miles followed the 'actual' marathon course. Pretty tough--some long, steady hills. I continue to get excited about it though. My right calf is a little tight and sore, so I will try to move it around gingerly and see if it can heal some. Figures I would finally get an injury after years of no running...
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And the big news--NANA FLIES DOWN ON SATURDAY! We're so excited!

How Embarassing...

You Are Speed Skating

You're motivated, aggressive, and willing to work hard to win. You have what it takes to be hell on skates!

What Winter Sport Are You?

End of Yet Another Month...

Can you believe we are almost into July? Since summer is here, we planned a variety of 'one day' vacations throughout the summer and fall. Today we went downtown to the NC Museum of Science. Lucy loves seeing all the animals and dinosaurs. Myra actually enjoyed herself too--she slept most of the time! Other trips this summer include the NC Aquarium, Fort Fisher, the NC Zoo, and trips to PA and DC. Should be fun!

End of Net Radio?

How many of you listen to radio via the internet? Those that know me, know that once November 1st comes, the Christmas music gets geared up. I always did that, even in the classroom. One tool that helped me do that was AccuRadio. On this site, an online set of radio stations, you could choose between approximately 10 different Christmas stations, all year long! When in the classroom, I could use the Classical Christmas station. Other times I wanted to use the Pop Christmas to hear my favorite singers belt out their renditions of Christmas songs. And once in awhile, I wanted the Rudolph station, where different artists did nothing but sing Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. Granted, I did not use that station often!

Also on this site, stations for all music existed. Jazz, pop, rock, country, etc, etc. The purpose, or maybe the inferred purpose, was users would listen, hear a song they liked, and go out and buy the album or pick up the track on iTunes. The radio stations (Live 365, Pandora, FineTune, etc) could generate income via advertisements on their sites. Not a huge amount of revenue, but enough to keep things going for the last 4+ years.

In walks the RIAA, or the Music Royalty Board, or the Rich Executives Screwing Their Employees (RESTE). They want to take a larger chunk of the profits generated by these online stations. Well, as you can imagine, the profit line is pretty small, but those in power (or with the power of attorney) want even that small profit. Ignore the fact that if these stations close down, many will not hear music they might purchase. Ignore that this is great for the up and coming musicians. Ignore that this will only turn an already disgruntled public against you even more. Just generate more profit. More profit. More profit.

Well, in a quite amazing show of solidarity, many of the larger radio stations will shut down today for a Day of Silence in protest. They encourage you to contact your legislators to protest and encourage them to take action. Will it work? Possibly. Probably not, but if this goes through, many of these radio stations will close, ending independent music. Will it stop there? Once these corporations take over internet radio, sites like YouTube will fall under their crosshairs next. Click the links below and contact your legislators!!!

Live 365

Pandora

AccuRadio

Re: The Linux Transformation, Part Deux

Re: The Linux Transformation, Part Deux, originally uploaded by eElementary.

>

> I continue to shift from proprietory software (i.e. Windows) to open

> source (i.e. Linux, specifically Ubuntu). I really continue to learn

> things each day, plus the open source community provides so much guidance

> and support. With the purchase of an external hard drive (Western Digital

> 500 GB), I am in the process of digitizing our CD collection and backing up

> our files, and with Linux, it could not be any easier. With my WIFI now

> working, I can easily set up a home network via SAMBA, and everything else

> is falling in place.

>

The Garden

The Garden, originally uploaded by eElementary.

You can tell by the picture, Lucy's garden continues to do well. We planted

pumpkins and sunflowers, and as you can tell, they are taking over! Lucy

loves to come out into the yard to help. Yesterday, we thatched a bald

patch of land (Grandpa would be proud!), spread some seed, and then watered

the area. She is an awesome 'weeder' too--although she says, "No green,

Daddy!"

More of My Girls

More of My Girls, originally uploaded by eElementary.

Myra showed off her Hurricanes pride during Fathers' Day. We had a great

day, with lots of time spent with my girls!

Flickr

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

First Life Imitates Second Life

Quite funny for those of you 'in-world'

Linux and Hurricanes

Interesting title, right? Finally have a few minutes to update the blog. I spent most of my time lately shifting our home operating systems to the Linux distribution, Ubuntu. So why am I switching operating systems? Well, awhile back I decided to try out Firefox, the open source browser that challenges Microsoft's Internet Explorer. As a loyal Firefox user, I saw the benefits of open source, when adding extensions to my browser. Now, I could not imagine browsing the internet without my web developer toolbar, weather, built-in Google toolbar, and more. It just makes sense. So then I began to use other open source software. Products such as Audacity and The Gimp allowed me to complete tasks similar to paid software, most times even superiorly (is that a word?). Then I stumbled upon the office suite, Open Office. With this software, I found it did many of the tasks in one step that I needed two or more steps with in Word. Such as saving a file as a pdf. It eliminates the need for programs such as Primo PDF that 'print' files as pdfs.

When I started the new job and choose a Macbook Pro as my laptop of choice, I decided to run a Linux distro using the loaded Parallels. Parallels allows you to run another operating system within Mac OS. While most set it up to run XP, I decided to run Linux. Of course the challenge came from deciding which Linux distro to use. Many different selections abound, from Ubuntu, to Mandriva, to SUSE, the choices are mindboggling. I finally settled for Ubuntu for two reasons. One, their venture into education, edubuntu, would be something I could recommend to school systems, and two the overwhelming support community. Ubuntu is one of the most popular Linux distros, so with my initial lack of knowledge, that appealed to me.

I will post more thoughts on my switch in future posts...

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Did you notice I had fewer posts recently? Compared to last year, I looked for the reason. When you look at my June, 2006 posts, you quickly see why--the STANLEY CUP. This year, as we failed to make the playoffs, I did not post as much. Two nights ago, we ended our reign as defending Stanley Cup champs, as the Anaheim Ducks beat the Ottawa Senators. Hopefully we will see better things from the Canes next year! I did enjoy the playoffs--Myra really like the contrast in the games and Lucy liked watching 'iiiiiice' and 'awkeee'. (-:

Summer In The City

The heat returneth. Looking at my Firefox extension, I see 98 for today. Phew! And me, being the less than bright one, plan a 4 mile run today. Oh well! I actually believe I run better in the heat, as opposed to the cooler days. Running, since adding carbs back to my diet, has taken off. I did the Falls Lake Dam loop last weekend (6 miles) and SPRINTED at the end. I feel much stronger physically and mentally.
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Nana and PapPap left this morning. Lucy and Myra really enjoyed their time with them. We visited the beach (see above), lots of shopping, and they treated us to ice cream. Now we prepare for a weekend visit from Grammie and Grandpa. We even may go out on Hidden Lake this weekend!

Enjoying the Summer

Who wouldn't when Nana and PapPap come down to lend a helping hand with Lucy and Myra! I hope to post some pictures soon. The girls have been enjoying their time with Cole as well. We went to a local beach this morning, then went shopping this afternoon. Fun time!
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Running is better. The carb-free diet hindered what running I could do, so I am back in carbs eating.

The Newest Star...

Get a load of this picture...

The Old Man Posts Again

Wow! I turned 30 this week. Never thought that would happen. Do I feel any different now? Well, my back caused me some serious pain yesterday, but I attribute that more to the fact I ran 6 miles, most on hard concrete sidewalks. Today, I went on a 3 miler through Durant Nature Park with no pain--the paths were all pack dirt with a soft cushion of pine needles. Ahhhhh!
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Girls are doing well. We all went to the park this morning. A beautiful weekend here in Raleigh. Warm temps, with low humidity. We do not see too many of these types of days, so we definitely will enjoy it! We found out on Monday that Myra's Hydronephrosis (stretching of the kidney) seemingly worked itself back to normal. We will visit with our pediatric urologist Dr. Weiner (insert joke here) in a year, but all looks good! Thank goodness!
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I also started to familarize myself with Second Life. For those of you not in the 'know,' SL is a virtual world where you create a second identity. You can buy clothes, hairstyles, etc, all with virtual Linden dollars. Education began to jump on board when we discovered we could meet virtually with people from all over the world. I actually began a project with this through work, so tune in. This picture shows me hanggliding over Heinz Field on UPMC Island. (-:

The Business Continues

That's busy-ness, not business! (-:

So what's been going on this month? Two weeks of travel (over 1400 miles in day trips), my 30th birthday, and finding out Myra's kidney ailment looks good.

Thirty years old! Wow! All I can say is thank goodness. Thank goodness you ask? Well, the past 3-4 years I've spent too much time thinking how old I was. 27? 28? 29? Now I can just say thirty. Thank you to all of you for not making a big deal of it.
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Monday we also went to Duke for another ultrasound for Myra. The results show her extended kindey returned to normal size. They believe there was a blockage pre-birth that stretched her kidney. The blockage went away, but it took awhile for the kidney to return back to normal. Regardless, we are quite happy she will not need any additional procedures.

Almost Another Month!

Can you believe how quickly time continues to move? I cannot believe May is almost here! With it brings my 30th birthday, which does not hold the mystique it may for others. I always see my birthday as just another day, but this year I guess I should reflect on where I am and where we intend to go.
1. Where am I professionally? In a great place. Working at DPI, I can see myself continue there indefinitely, learning more and more about technology and politics and how they work together.

2. Where am I physically? Beginning with the marathon training and Atkins, I see myself moving back toward that great period in my life where I felt good and saw myself looking good as well.

3. Where am I personally? In a place better than I could possibly imagine. With the best wife and most awesome two little girls, I would improve nothing in my personal life. I just love life with those three!

 
 
 

Movin' Forward...

Hard to believe May is only a few days away. Time continues to speed on by! With May, come new decisions. Kerry and I actually went out to lunch yesterday (thanks for babysitting, Grammie!) and came to a few decisions. The first, and perhaps most time consuming is that I decided to run the City of Oaks Marathon. After about five years, Raleigh finally will host a marathon again. This will go throughout Downtown, NC State, and Umstead State Park. If you remember, Kerry and I ran a half-marathon through Umstead, and it kicked our you know whats! (-: So I decided to try the marathon through it. Kerry really wants to do the Marine Corps next year, so this way my chance. I'll update you on my progress!
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To coincide with that, I decided to try Atkins once again. When training for the Kiawah Island Marathon (way back in 02), I spent the summer on the carb-free diet, and I believe it really helped. I'll shed a few pounds (30 hopefully!) and build muscle for the marathon. I think, considering Lucy and some other things, this will be easier to stick with long term. We'll keep you posted on that as well!!

So Where've We Been?

I noticed I am not blogging as much as 2006. As you can imagine, the new job keeps me very busy. I throughly enjoy it though. This week I will leave on my division's retreat in Beaufort, NC to plan for the next year's activities. We keep pretty busy. I already made many business trips to Charlotte, Rich Square, and my calendar stays pretty booked. I do like the freedom to fill my own schedule, however, as it allows me to really work to the best of my ability. Definitely my learning style!
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The girls rock! We spent all weekend home (literally!) in the bathroom with Lucy as she consistently used the potty. Only a family man could get as big of a thrill out of it as I did, but I genuinely showered her with so much positive praise. Proud Papa! Myra is doing well also. Close to sleeping completely through the night, until the next growth spurt. We also think that first tooth may be coming early (3 months). We'll take that as it comes!

My Teaching Days End...

I sit here ready to start my first day as a Technology Consultant for the Department of Public Instruction. Yesterday I finished my last day (hopefully!!) in a school. While I enjoyed my 8+ years in schools, I definitely realize my desire to move on. I will continue to update you on what happens!

Can We Get Busier?

Of course! Work two jobs, instead of one, right? (-: Well, after Wednesday, I will return to just working one job a day (besides the father of two awesome girls). Thursday I begin (or should I say continue) in Downtown Raleigh. It will be an adjustment switching to office and cubicle life from the classroom, although I really began that phasing out process two years ago, with limited time in the classroom. I definitely cannot wait to begin this new challenge--as I feel very confident in all my skills at this stage.
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We will Easter in PA this year again. A short little trip, although we approach it with apprehension, due to Lucy's previous two out of state trips. Lots of spewage, if you do not mind my bluntness! Poor thing, that's all she needs, after everything else. Oh well! Character building opportunities galore for our two ladies! My wife and I will also celebrate our sixth wedding anniversary. Wow! Six years! Time really does fly!

Busy March, Already!

My three girls continue to do well. Myra just slept 5 hours through the night last night! Woohoo for that! Granted, we all are in various stages of allergies/colds/flu, but we'll take that. Lucy is pretty snotty, as am I! Gotta love spring in NC!
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I actually sit here in the lobby of the RTP Sheraton Imperial Hotel at the Conference. I will present a session on podcasting later this afternoon. A nuts and bolts kinda presentation. Slim on theory, heavy on how to use it in the classroom. I think that's what lacks so much in instruction. Show me what works, what doesn't, and how I can adapt it.

Dubya At it Again...

Hoa boy. What will we do with him! Our dear President, in his proposed budget, wants to cut spending to PBS (Sesame Street, Mr. Rogers, etc) and NPR (the radio) by 25%. All part of a plan to eventually cut all spending in 10 years.
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This just in--The Dixie Chicks won the Grammy for "I'm Not Ready to Make Nice," the slap at the Religious Right! Woohoo!
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Anyway, as appropriate as it is, let's get back to controlling our country by the will of the people. The few are trying to impose their beliefs, not rights, on us. Click on the link below to sign a petition that will be sent to your local senators and politicians.

Click Here

Sleep Well, Princess!

It sounds like Myra J. will have a busy week. On Monday, we will take her to Duke Medical Center (no, not for Lacrosse practice!! Oops, sorry--I used that same bad joke when we took Lucy for her Celiac!!) to visit with a pediatric urologist. Seems that another one of our daughters may possess a medical ailment. This time, the name is a little bigger, Neonatal Hydronephrosis, which is a dilation of the collecting part of the kidneys. You can read more about it here. On Monday, we will visit Duke Health Center once again (after Lucy's visit this past spring) to have a procedure accomplished. While pretty common and not life-threating, the procedure, called voiding cystourethrogram, (click here and look under Monitoring Your Child) it does not sound too pleasant. But this hopefully will rule out reflux, and get her off antibiotics (prescribed since birth to prevent possibly infections if it would be reflux). We will post more as we find it out!!

What We Do These Days...

This video shows our typical days, and we love it!

Getting Along...

Well, much to our non-surprise, the girls are getting along well. Lucy is a SUPER big sister. She always wants to see Myra when awake, or when we bath her, or when in need of a new diaper. Lucy does not like to see and hear her lil' sis cry, as she will go running for her pacifier, or turn on the vibrating chair, if Myra is in it.

Lucy and Myra

Another use for TP!










Everything looks good so far, Daddy!










I much rather like Baby Carissa in here.

Myra Jeanne's Arrival

She's here!! We are so excited to finally meet here! She arrived at 7:04 AM yesterday at the healthy size of8lbs and 1 oz. Mommy is doing well also. We'll post more, after a good nap!!

Myra Watch

Ok, no baby yet. She is now officially 2 days late for those of you scoring at home. Maybe Joey is conducting one of his legendary polls for the due date. Hopefully it will be soon!
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Mommy is doing well. Very healthy and upbeat. I think we just both hope that little Miss Thing will come soon. We're ready to see how the changing dynamics will shift our family in a different direction. We really believe a little sister will be good for Lucy as well. We shall see!

Let It Snow...

Again, Raleigh gets 0.8 inches of snow, and the city shuts down. This time, unfortunately, I was about 1/2 a mile from my school in Durham. The roads were horrendous. I-540, and interstate, was snow covered. TW Alexander, the main artery into the Research Triangle Park, was atrocious. Got within a 1/2 mile, heard Durham County Schools were closed, and I turned around, taking 50+ minutes to get back home. Phew!
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On the plus side, Lucy and I played with the snow, before the rain got it. Myra continues to swim around. No news yet!

Our Little Myra...

What a Thursday! It seems we went on a trial run at the 'delivery' of Myra. Kerry called me at school after her doctor instructed her to go to the hospital to have a specialist look at the ultrasound results. We thought they were going to deliver Myra early. Well, we may have another health problem with our girls. It seems Myra may have hydronephrosis, which is a dilation of the inner part of the kidney. Again, it is not a major problem, but definitely one we will revisit upon her birth. This allows urine to collect on the inner part of the kidney. So, until her birth, we're in a wait and see position. We will keep you updated!
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Lucy continues to enjoy life. She is a little chatter box, with her new words including "Coke" (don't know where she gets that!!), "Peep" (her favorite snack), "Blue" (favorite color), and she loves to repeat the alphabet with us! She is such a cutie!

Happy New Year, 2007!

 Welcome 2007! We celebrated the coming New Year in Downtown Raleigh this year with our friend, Jennifer. The Museum of Natural Science and Museum of History had a bunch of 'kid-friendly' activities, such as making a pirate spyglass, making your 2007 wishes in a bottle, and making kites. Do you pick up on the pirate metaphor? (-: Then we marched in a 'Peoples' Processional to Fayetteville Street where the dropped the acorn (at 7 for us old fogies!) and shot fireworks. We all really enjoyed it. Then went home and to bed by 10 am.
 
 

And We Say Goodbye to 2006...

Wow! Where did this year go? It was a busy one--my first working straight through the summer at the same job. Of course I promptly left that job July 31st, but I did start the new one right away. Lucy improved from the tough start to the year with her diagnosis of Celiac Disease. Now a few months into a gluten free diet, she is thriving. Kerry and I also prepare to bring another daughter into this world. As a matter of fact, she is even putting clothes out even as I type. And of course my Hurricanes won the Cup this year. Pretty good year overall.

So what will 2007 bring? A healthy baby girl, Myra. Possibly a new job? A repeat for the Canes? Time will tell.

Lucy and Her Stroller

Thanks Ms. Jennifer! Lucy loves her stroller for her 3 baybeeeees!

A Very Raleigh Christmas...

Did you know they give prizes away in fruit snacks? Seems so. I opened a new pack of Sunkist fruit snacks, and low and behold, there was an Ernie (of Sesame Street fame) action figure. What a great Christmas surprise! (thanks Mom and Dad!)
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Can you believe it's Christmas Eve, 2006? It took so long getting here, and now, as I type this, it's 3:30! We have had a fun day. Went to our church's Children's service today. Lucy loved it! All kinds of kids, plus she LOVED her purple dress. She is so funny! To make the day perfect, we stopped at Sheetz for lunch! That made our day! Heehee!!
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Afterward, I went for my longest run in months--a 4 miler out to Durant and back. Nice to start getting back into it. I plan to complete the 6 mile loop down around Falls Lake Dam (the Dam Run! Ha!) next week sometime. It helps that we're all feeling somewhat better, although I still go to the doctor on Tuesday. Gotta get over this crud!

Ho...Ho...Ho...Who Do You Know!!!

Hmmm...an interesting question from the past looks like it 'may' affect the beginning of our 2007 in a most positive way. And no, it's not our bundle of joy due January 24th (Miss Myra). Look here soon for some more clues!

Speaking of Myra--she is doing very well. Very busy, but very good. We think she'll be early too. We're excited, but also excited to spend one last Christmas with Lucy. And speaking of Christmas, this will mark the first year we stay in Raleigh. While missing our family, we are very excited of staying here and doing the things we usually do not get to do since we're traveling all over the countryside!

NCETC 2006

Another year at NCETC. I finally attended a concurrent session by Tammy Worcester. It was a session on using PowerPoint for a number of different uses. Lots of neat ideas that I will now implement back at WG. This year I'm working more with AIG students, and always looking for new activities to engage them. In the traditional classroom, a teacher cannot always focus on their AIG students, so as a TF, I can pull the students and work with them after collaborating with their teachers. A TF can be such a resource. Not only do I head up a successful grant writing program, but I troubleshoot the school's equipment, oversee technology purchases, and work with AIG and remedial students. Definitely a position every school should have.

ncetc06