The Kids

Here are some new picutres of the kids. First, Evan,
Second, all of the kids.

The Day After Thanksgiving--Shopping Edition

We had a lively Thanksgiving. Here are some of the highlights. First, the kids were off school on Wednesday, and we wound up making a trip to the pediatrician with three sick boys. The results: Ryan has a cold (“para-influenza” is the term the doctor used), Isaac has strep throat, and Evan is teething. All in all, things could have been worse, but we did have to uninvited our guests, a family in the ward with two young boys.

So we had a simple feast for us. In nine previous Thanksgivings, we had never made a turkey; we had eaten the bird at friends’ and family members’ homes, but when we had done the day alone, we had made pizza, meatloaf, or ribs. We were naturally nervous about cooking an animal nearly the size of our baby, but we dove in with gusto, and things went well. The squash and potatoes were both excellent, and Allyson, Summer, and I ate gluttonously. As they were still recovering, the boys ate sparingly, which, all things considered, isn’t necessarily a bad way to approach the meal.

We also got a bit of snow Thursday and Friday. The ground was too warm for anything to stick, but roofs and cars got an inch or so. As an aside, I like living in a place where 1” of snow is a big deal; it’s a nice sign that our weather is typically pleasant.

The biggest first for our holiday was the day after. You see, we’ve been shopping for a new computer for a while. For six years we’ve lived off of our laptop, which was on its last legs, and we decided a desktop for the kids to use would be best. So, after watching thousands of commercials for Friday shopping deals on TV, I decided to check out online. I found a PC package, including a 17” LCD monitor and a printer at Best Buy for $200. I mentioned this to Summer, who responded, “When do they open? Leave now.” For the record, the store opened at 5 am, and this was uttered at 6 pm Thursday. But we finally decided that I would get up at 3:30 am and get to the store by 4:30. We foolishly figured this would be early enough.

After "waking up" and "getting ready," I embarked in the dark and cold. I left the house at 4:00 am and drove through the light snow, a bit unsure as to what I was doing. As I arrived at the shopping center as 4:15, I drove by Circuit City and laughed to myself at the line of poor saps standing outside in the cold. Then I got to Best buy, where a crowd of at least 300 people stood between me and the front door. I sidled up to the end of the line, pulled out a sudoko, and waited. The snow had let up, and, as I realized after the line began moving and we rounded the corner, my spot on the west side of the big box store kept me out of the wind.

Once I got inside, I was greeted by the most amazing display of chaos I have seen in a long time. People rushed past me, as if they instinctively knew where their specially-priced deal was. I, on the other hand, do not have the shopping gene. I moseyed over to the computer section and nonchalantly began looking for the last of the super-cheap PC bundles. After a minute of looking, I mustered up the courage to do what is for me the unthinkable. I asked a store employee for help. He stifled a laugh and told me that this was a ticketed item and had sold out in mere minutes. Apparently the store had only a few dozen, and around 2 am customers in line were given tickets that would then allow them to get their prize from the pickup window, the window where now, 20 minutes after the store opened, the first few people were getting their PC bundles, in exchange for a mere $223.97, tax included, and only 5 or 6 hours of waiting in the New Mexico night.

So I wandered the store aimlessly for a few minutes, a look of genuine shell-shock surely apparent on my face, before leaving empty-handed. As I drove off, I saw the guy who was in fornt of me in line leaving the store; he had bought a DVD and a game controller.
I drove off, determined to keep trying. I knew Wal-Mart had some good PC deals, so I went there next, a bit nervous. My plan was to drive near enough to the store to see how crazy things were. I vowed that if any cars had been set ablaze or police sirens were blaring, I would drive on. Instead, as I arrive, at 5:30 am, I saw a parking lot that was less crowded than it typically is when I go grocery shopping on Thursday night. I was calm. So I parked and ambled in.

The scene was surreal. Empty aisles with employees sweeping dust and packaging, checkout clerks with slack-jawed expressions. It turns out Wal-Mart had opened at 4 am, and the crowds had finished their dirty work and moved on. It was me and a few other losers left.

I wandered back to electronics and saw a stack of PC boxes taller than my wife, all on sale. It was twice what I was hoping to pay at Best Buy, but $100 less than the same system there a week before. I walked around the stack for a minute, studied the box, and put it in my cart. It was immensely anticlimactic. The whole saga was over, and I could have had the same result if I had slept in an hour and a half and gone straight to Wal-Mart. But I had it.

Later that day Allyson and I bought a desk and we set everything up. Summer moved the living room around while we were out, and we now have a new family space and a great system. And a vow to never again go to a door buster Black Friday sales event. Ever.

Evan's Smile

He's been doing this for some time, but this is one of the first good pictures we have of Evan sitting (with some assistance) and beaming his little smile. I thought the grandparents et al would enjoy this.

Rio Grande Nature Center

This past Saturday, the older boys and I took a quick trip to the Rio Grande Nature Center State Park, an oasis in the bosque of the Rio Grande north of downtown. The fall at the Nature Center is a wonderful season is wonderful--the leaves change, the air is crisp, and migratory waterfowl are plentiful.

Our hike began at the parking lot, where a duck blind overlooks a wetlands area. Here the boys watch the ducks and geese:
Recent renovations to the park include some decorations on the blind itself, focusing on the ecology of the area. Here the boys pose before some of the displays:

We then set off for the hike to the river's edge. Near the visitors center, the boys stopped at the amp to get their bearings (they then went the wrong way, so there's some navigational work to do with the boys...):

After hiking to the Rio Grande, we paused to see the sights. and, if you're wondering what to get Isaac for Christmas, he likes sticks and mud:

And, after walking back and strolling around the visitors center, we stopped outside to snack. While we ate, a roadrunner wandered over. I took a few pictures of him a few feet away (this one is at a distance of about 7 feet). After I put the camera down, he strutted over, hopped on our bench, intimidated Isaac (the bird was about 18" away from him), and hopped back down.

The Little Boys

Here are some pictures of Evan and Isaac from our most recent outing. We went hiking Saturday, followed by a trip to our favorite ice cream place.


Here is a photo of Evan and myself on the hike. This was his first hike in the Baby Bjorn. He held up well, but the sun in his eyes led us to put Isaac's hat on.


And here's Isaac at the ice cream place, called I Scream Ice Cream, which is full of old toys, including, a Darth Vader helmet. But he preferred the toy rake to the light saber...

Boo!

Here are some pictures from Halloween.. We got together with a friend from work and some of his neighbors and their kids to trick-or-treat near campus. Allyson is a cat, Ryan Harry Potter, and Isaac a firefighter. While we were out, a local fire truck stopped to distribute candy, and Isaac, by virtue of his costume, made a haul. Here the kids show off:
And more of the same:

And here's the whole crew. As these were the children of friends of a friend, I have no idea who they are, but we made for quite an entourage walking down the street.

An Ode to Getting Older

(Sing to the tune of "Oh, What Do You Do In the Summertime?")

Oh, what do you do with those stray gray hairs

When all the world seems blond?

Do you pluck them and tweeze?

Yell, "Go away, please!"?

And sit on your bed and cry?

Is that what you do?

So do I.

What do you do with those stray gray hairs

That grow all short and coarse?

Do you pretend they're not there?

Obsess over your hair?

And cover them all with dye?

Is that what you do?

So do I.