Mathletes

Last night, Emily was presented an award by our town’s Bored of Education at their monthly meeting. She got the highest score of all the 5th graders in town on a math competition. The competition is statewide for all students sixth-grade and up, so next year the stakes get bigger.

She was all smiles getting her award and it made it onto the local access TV station. (The sixth graders got awards and trophies – like I said, the stakes are higher) After the ceremony, X and I took her to Friendly’s for ice cream. While waiting for our orders, we played the game where you take a large word and try to find how many smaller words can be made from its letters. The word I chose was MATHLETE. Emily (with X’s help) beat me – she (they) found over 30 while I got stumped after 28. Grrr! We all agreed, however, that I got the best word …

Latte.

The anger sharks are swimming in my head!

Well, since I'm up at three in the morning, I may as well watch my Netflix selection - Anger Management. Some fun lines in this particular flick.

"I went from happy to angry, skipped sad. Now I feel like kicking his ass."

Goosefraba.

Bad day in to be a caterpillar

Our table at lunch yesterday was on a patio outside the restaurant. A little caterpillary thing landed on Emily's shoulder while we were waiting for the food. I brushed it off for her, but then Alex became tremendously fascinated by it. He picked it up and put it on a napkin on the table. Soon after, he requested a to-go cup and next thing I new we had a new pet.

Well, for the moment, at least.

After lunch we dropped Ms N off at the train station. Yesterday was a very nice day, but apparently not for caterpillars in plastic cups left in cars. On the way home Alex realized that his new pet was motionless. The caterpillar died.

When we got home Alex, Emily, and some of the neighborhood kids played outside. They found an even bigger caterpillar which provided hours of amusement. Alex got his cup again and voila, we had a new new pet. Of course, the new pet needed accessories for his home, so Alex gathered some grass and a twig which stuck out the straw hole. He put the cup on the windowsill overnight.

This morning, we had a cup with grass and a twig sticking out of the straw hole, but no caterpillar. A brief search ensued which was successful; the caterpillar was on the windowsill. Once he was put back in his cup I made Alex put the cup out on the patio. Some pets are outdoor pets, after all.

I took the kids over to their mom's house for the day. When they got back home, Alex went straight to the patio to see how the caterpillar was doing. The cup was empty. I sent him on another caterpillar quest. He was just about to give up the search, but I encouraged him to look a little harder. He found a caterpillar alright -- motionless in a web next to a very happy spider.

Alex wants to find himself another caterpillar. At this rate expect butterflies to go extinct.

Looking for something original to copy

Adam Sandler has a new football movie coming out. This time, instead of playing a bayou baffoon he is playing a regular beer-swilling all-American football player. It looks like it has potential. As a matter of fact, it looks like it could be one of the best football movies of all time. Probably because it is one of the best football movies of all time - The Longest Yard.

I suspect that Adam will do a good job recreating Burt Reynolds' role as the ex-QB turned convict football team ringer. It just bugs me that so much of what is coming out nowadays from the entertainment is regurgitation. (Although I did like Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy)

They like each other! Wo-hoo!

After many months of a great one-on-one relationship with Ms N, this weekend I took a very big step -- I introduced her and the kids for the very first time.

It was a big moment of truth as a lot rides on how well they get along. The kids live with me six days a week; any long-term relationship decision I make has to involve them. I've kept them unaware of Ms N up until now and that has been tremendously difficult. They are such a big part of my life as is she. I have to do the right thing for them and Lord knows they don't need any more drama than they already get (my babies' mama isn't exactly the epitome of stability). Bringing them into a relationship without knowing in my heart that the relationship was solid would be a recipe for disaster. I know inside that it was right to maintain the separation, but it was so damned tough at times.

Thankfully, the pieces have been falling into place. Ms N and I have been growing closer and closer. My friends and family (especially those who have regretted staying silent when things got started with my babies' mama) are in agreement that Ms N is a keeper. (Apparently, Ms N's friends and family think I'm a keeper, too. I'd throw me back, but at this point I'm not about to argue with them.) I look into my future and I see Ms N there with me and it makes me very, very happy.

So today we took this big step. I know we were all a little anxious leading up to the meeting (especially since Ms N and I picked them up from the X's place (remarkably, she behaved (all the more surprising because earlier Alex, showing his wonderful grasp of tact, blurted out that he was going to "meet his new mommy"))), but the tension seemed to disappear quickly. They warmed up to her right away and it was a wonderful lunch. After we dropped Ms N off at the train station, they kids gave me permission to continue dating her. Wo-hoo!

Thank you, Ms N, for bearing with the difficulties that come with dating a dad. Thank you for being so wonderful. It's great to be in love, but its even better to be in love with you.

Happy Birthday, Aiden

Aiden Gabriel Daraghy
May 12, 2005
Anchorage, Alaska

Congratulations, Alaska Jen, and welcome to the parent club. Get ready for higher highs and lower lows than you ever imagined possible. There will be nights when the crying is non-stop and, to make things worse, the baby will be crying, too. There will be days when your only solace is that the proteins from the baby food in your hair will help provide that nice, shiny, fresh from the salon look later on. The pitter-patter of little feet is often preceded by the thunk and shatter of items left on tabletops. Yet from this comes love unmatched, joys beyond limit, and a seemingly endless supply of Happy Meal toys. There are moments where you hold him in your arms and the world around you ceases to exist. Even with your love of vocabulary (word nerd!), you are soon going to find that there are no words suitable to describe what you feel inside when you watch him drift off into slumber at the end of the day.

I wish you, Aiden, and your baby's daddy the best.

Ack!

Blogger's Cramp.

Oy.

More like "The Unnatural"

Your Seduction Style: The Natural

You don't really try to seduce people... it just seems to happen. Fun loving and free spirited, you bring out the inner child in people. You are spontaneous, sincere, and unpretentious - a hard combo to find! People drop their guard around you, and find themselves falling fast.

What Is Your Seduction Style?

Better not let my insurance agent read this ...

You Will Die at Age 58

58 Not bad, considering your super wild lifestyle Want to live longer? Try losing a few bad habits.

What Age Will You Die?

Is it fair that this was the date I was induced?

Your Birthdate:

A birthday on the XXth of the month adds a tone of responsibility, helpfulness, and understanding to your natural inclinations. Those born on the XXth are more apt to be open and honest with everyone, and more caring about family and friends, too. This is a number associated with responsibility and caring - this birthday lends a degree of concern for others.

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

I'm number 1!

Your Life Path Number Is 1

1 Your Life Path is is characterized by individualist desires, independence, and the need for personal attainment. The purpose to be fulfilled on this Life Path is that of becoming independent. This is a two part learning process; first, you must learn to stand on your own two feet and learn not to depend on others. After you are indeed free and independent, you must learn to be a leader. Many of our generals, corporate leaders, and political leaders are men and women having the Life Path number 1. You always have the potential for greatness as a leader, and you may fail as a follower. Many 1's spend most of their lives shaking off their dependent side. When this happens, there is little time left for enjoying the rewards to be gained through independence. You may have to overcome an environment in which it is very easy to be dependent - and difficult to be independent. You have an abundance or creative inspiration - and possess the enthusiasm and drive to accomplish a great deal. Your drive and potential for action comes directly from the enormous depth of strength you have/ This includes both the physical and inner varieties of strength. With this strength comes utter determination and the capability to lead. As a natural leader you have a flair for taking charge of any situation. Highly original, you may have talents as an inventor or innovator of some sort. In any work that you choose, your independent attitude can show through. You have very strong personal needs and desires, and you feel it is always necessary to follow your own convictions. You are ambitious, and either understand or must learn the need for aggressive action to promote yourself. Although you may hide the fact for social reasons, you are highly self-centered and demand to have your way in most circumstances. If you are not fully developed, you may express the negative side of your number. That means your demeanor may appear very dependent rather than independent. If this is the case, you are likely to be very dissatisfied with your circumstances and long for self-sufficiency. On the strong side of this negative curve, the 1 energy can become too self-serving, selfish and egotistical. Over-confidence and impatience are the weak side of your Life Path.

What Is Your Life Path Number?

But before you click on that link ...

According to this site my ex is a number 4, from which comes this little gem:

"You are the most trustworthy, practical, and down-to-earth of individuals; the cornerstone members of society."

Which of course is a load of number 2.

Money can’t buy you happiness ...

... but it does bring you a more pleasant form of misery.

~Spike Milligan

Looks like I picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue ...