Mike's Desk

A Recent Pic

Mike — Sat, 22 May 2010 07:05:40 +0000

Something to look at…

Toys, Mormons and the Invisable Woman

Mike — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 15:17:22 +0000

I was running around with the family last night. Taking Ella to to Toys R Us is a fun experience. She is old enough now that she sees something in every isle that is cool. I remember when I was five or six and how really, really excited I would get when we were going to the big toy store Playland in Florida. Ella is just starting to get to that age where a place is important. She often asks to go to the park, asking over and over. Simple, direct and continuous. “Park…park…park…” persistence seems to pay off sometimes. I should pray so fervently

After we got home, there was a great documentary on the Mormons on PBS. Really fascinating how committed people can be to something where the underlying theology and foundation has so many issues. I have been to the temple in Salt Lake City. Most Mormons I have met are sincere and thoughtful people and I respect as ‘good’ people. But I do not believe in the book of Mormon. It has taught me that you cannot measure truth by a level of commitment. But if people who are deceived can work so hard to please God, what am I doing for the God I know? How am I leading my family? How am I contributing to the Body? How am I acting today to proclaim truth?

Finally – I saw this this morning and though of Karly. She does so much to help me, love me and raise our children. Baby, your not invisible to me:

Easter 2010

Mike — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 18:50:54 +0000

We had a great Easter yesterday. Got up and made blueberry pancakes for everyone, then went to church, everyone dressed up for the occasion. Ella was very god in nursery, and Mia slept through most of the service.

Afterward, we stopped at home, changed and went to Brand Park for a nice picnic with Keith and the Chapmans. I enjoyed playing with Ella and Savannah. We then came home and dyed eggs with Ella and had leftovers.

It was a nice day, but we missed going to Jenie’s for the holiday.

Ella is learning new words everyday very quickly now. Each day has a new bunch of words coming out of her mouth. She also throws tantrums and argues a lot, but she is still sweet and loves to run and laugh. She is a determined little girl.

Mia is now smiling and holding her head up – a little early for that behavior. She is just about ready to start laughing, and will watch you just to smile and try and talk. She is quite a wonder.

My Social Links

Mike — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 18:42:41 +0000

I have added some links to my social sites the I have around the net – feel free to check them out:

Twitter: I post my status pretty frequently, usually once or twice a day.

Facebook: I don’t surf FB as often as I once did, but I still update regularly.

My Space: I have a MySpace page, but I don’t do much with it.

Linked In: I keep my linked In Profile up-to-date.

YouTube: I post a few videos of the kids from time-to-time.

Delicious: I have really taken to this bookmarking site.

RSS Feed: Here is a link for the RSS Feed for this site.

Jet Packs Have Arrived!

Mike — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 15:31:24 +0000

This made my morning: Martian Aircraft Company is announcing that they are going to offer a jet pack with a range of 30 miles that can fly at 60 miles an hour for $75,000. Pretty reasonable for a cool toy like this:

OK Go Create a Masterpiece

Mike — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 17:34:21 +0000

This is an amazing video. One of the moste creative and fun music videos I have ever seen.

Amelia Smiling

Mike — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 19:59:16 +0000

A new video of Amelia:

Ella and the Knife

Mike — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 19:22:59 +0000

I was having Internet connection issues and had a technician come out to the apartment to test the setting on the line. He was a nice guy older guy in his 50’s and did his tests as Ella looked on. She just had to see everything he was doing. She offered him a toy apple and he smiled and accepted it, playing along. Obviously a guy who had had kids.

When he was leaving and we were standing in the doorway, I was busy signing the work tag or whatever, I heard Ella come up beside me. In a very gentle voice I heard the technician say,

“Uhm, I don’t thing that’s a toy, honny.”

I look down to see my toddler welding the second sharpest knife from the kitchen. Restraining my panic, I reach down a carefully take it from her, making sure to make no sudden movements that would make my little girl run, jump, throw, cry, twist, turn, poke, stab, or otherwise do anything other than let me take it.

Having secured the knife from my casually cute offspring, I look back up at the technician. “Must have grabbed it from the counter while I was making lunch,” I confess, mortified.

He just smiled and nodded, his face unreadable. Could be thinking ‘glad my kids are done with that scary age’ or ‘I should call child services to get her out of this death trap’ or ‘Did I just get mugged my a 2-year-old?’.

I thanked him for his work, eager to move on. As he turned to leave, Ella piped in with a chipper ‘by-by’. I think she just wanted lunch.

Where’s my father of the year nomination form…