Bennigans in Miami

We finally made it to Miami this evening. It is late, hot, we are worn out, but ... we need to eat. So, we decide to take a short walk over to the Bennigan's in the parking lot adjacent to our hotel. We enter and are quickly seated in a booth between several other occupied tables and booths by an Asian hostess. After sitting patiently for 5-6 minutes, fanning ourselves with the menus because it feels as though we are sitting under heat lamps, a waitress walks by and asks if we have been helped. Although we replied, "No. No one has waited on us yet," she just walks away. We pause our fanning for a brief moment and look at each other - both wondering why she did not stop to take our order or to let us know that she would send someone over. So, we continue to sit - tired, hungry, and roasting!

Finally, the Asian hostess who seated us, arrives at our table and announces, "I'll be your waitress this evening!" Since we have been waiting quite a while, are tired, and hungry, we decide that we better place our entire order while we have her attention. Blake orders us the buffalo wing appetizer, a chicken and shrimp meal, a beer, and a glass of water. Cindy, our Asian waitress, wearing a "trainee" name tag, begins to ask a lot of questions. Each time that we answer, she says, "Just one minute," and walks away from the table. The first time, she headed to the bar and returned only to tell us that she was not sure if they had the beer that Blake requested. So, Blake asked what beers she did have to offer. "Just a minute!" and she is once again off to the bar. This time, she returns with a laminated beer menu. Although the beer Blake requested is not listed on the menu, he selects a beer from the list. Cindy looks at him, a bit confused, so Blake repeats his request. Cindy still does not seem to grasp what he has said, so he points to the name of the beer on the menu. At this time, Cindy bends down over the menu - her face within inches of the table as she reads and says aloud the name of the beer - and then writes it down on her order pad. Then, she just stands there and looks at us; smiling. So, Blake orders the buffalo wing appetizer. Again, Cindy seems confused, so he points out the buffalo wing appetizer, and she bends down until her face is within inches of the menu, says aloud "buffalo wings", and then writes it down. Mind you, we have only ordered two drinks (one of which was water) and a appetizer, yet Cindy is on the second page of her order pad. On to the entree. Instead of just stating the name of the entree, Blake points out the item on the menu so that she can see it, Cindy repeats the same process, and writes down the entree order on the third page of her order pad. It has been a long and cumbersome ordering process, but our order is finally placed. Or so we thought.

So, we sit - sweating beneath the heat lamps shining down on us. After several minutes, Blake walks to the bar to see if he can get us some water. He discovers that it is much cooler in the bar, so we decide to relocate. We explain to our new waiter that we placed our order with Cindy, the trainee, and ask him to follow-up with her to make sure that the order was placed and that she knows that we have moved. He never returns. Instead, we flag down the bartender and ask for the manager. After speaking to the manager, Cindy returns. She has not placed our order. We get the manager a second time, he takes our order and says that he will make sure that we get it.

In the meantime, the bartender brings us two glasses of water, and here comes Cindy with two glasses of water in her hands. She mumbles something as she reaches the table and sees that we already have water and starts to turn and leave. Blake asks her to please leave the water and assures her that we will drink it. Again, she turns to leave, and Blake stops her by reaching for the glasses of water. He eventually has to take the glasses from her hands so that she does not walk away with them. We just have to laugh. After all, it would not do us any good to get angry.

Finally, our food and our appetizer arrive at the same time. Instantly, it is apparent that our shrimp is raw. So, we flag down the bartender, she locates Cindy, and we try to explain to Cindy that the shrimp is raw and needs to be cooked longer. Once again, Cindy says, "Just a minute," and walks away. She returns with another waitress. We show her the shrimp, she explains the situation to Cindy, and they take our shrimp away to cook it. We begin to eat our chicken, and a few minutes later, Cindy returns with the shrimp - still RAW! We laugh, decide to give up on the shrimp, and ask for our bill. Cindy finally figures out that we are asking for our ticket and leaves to prepare it.

The bill arrives. Blake begins to scan the bill. We have been charged for three beers, even though Blake only had two, were were charged for the shrimp, even though it was never fully cooked so we could not eat it, and ... there is a $5.00 service charge on our bill! A service charge? For what? Seriously!?!?!?!?

So, we flag down the manager, for the third time, to discuss the bill. Although the manager is sympathetic to our plight, he knows that we are from out-of-town. He agrees that we should not pay her a service fee for her "service" (and I use that term loosely), and we know that customer service is not his main concern, otherwise he would not have ever hired Cindy "the waitress" (Ha!) in the first place. The manager reduced the bill a bit and handed it to Cindy to return to us. After placing it on the table, she stood just a few feet from us and watched as we reviewed it and made our payment. I guess that she thought we were going to walk out without paying her.

Wow! What an experience! Like I said, "We had to laugh. Otherwise, we would have cried!" Cindy, the Asian Trainee from the Bennigan's in Miami, Florida ... I wonder how long she'll last? I wonder how many other travelers she will torture?

Want to be a Speed Reader?

I just saw this on a Twitter post. It is one of the coolest things I have seen all week! It is Zap Reader, and it actually allows you to read text on the web at 300 words per minute without the loss of comprehension. Basically, it takes the paragraph formatted text and shows it to you one word at a time (by default); therefore, you are focusing on only one word at a time rather than trying to stay focused on one word after another in paragraph form, so you read at 300 words per minute. If that is too fast for you, you can slow it down a bit, or if it is too slow for you, you can speed it up. For example, if you select to see two words at a time, you will read 600 wpm. Click here for demo and additional information or go to http://www.zapreader.com/ to try it out for yourself.

Working Out ... Continued

I am so proud of Blake. He has been eating so well, drinking his water, eating early, not snacking, and is now exercising. He has lost about 15 lbs. recently, and is looking great. Yesterday, I tried to go to the gym, but it was closing, so I head out to Connor's baseball practice to see if Blake wanted to walk around the park with me. Where did I find Blake? In the outfield fielding balls for the boys. He was running back and forth fielding balls and throwing them in. Wow! That is awesome! Getting a little exercise, spending time with Connor, and helping out the baseball team. Way to go, Blake!

Blake signed us up for the FAC last Wednesday (the FAC is our city rec center), and he got up the very next morning and went to work out at 5:00am! Yeah, Blake! The next morning, I went with him. It was hard to get up, but we made it. We went back Saturday morning and again this morning. We are sticking with it!

For those of you familiar with my eating habits ... I have eaten fish three times this week. I know. You're in shock! Sherri doesn't eat fish! Well, I am trying. Some of it I only tolerate, others, I like. The tuna steak is good when it is cooked. Blake tried to serve it to me half raw last time, and that was not so good. We tried Mahi Mahi last night. We ate a Mahi Mahi that we caught deep sea fishing once, and it was fabulous. So, we bought some at Sprouts and cooked it up. Parts of it were fabulous, while other parts ... very fishy. I don't do fishy. So, we may not be doing Mahi Mahi again. Well see.

Well, I best get ready for work. Stay tuned for continued updates on our work outs.

MacBooks

Yesterday, I assisted in a MacBook intro session as principals in our district received their new MacBooks. During the session, Maria (the Mac rep) highlighted some of the great Mac features and had a chance to work with PhotoBooth and iChat. It was great to watch them engaging in the 21st Century Skills that we want to emerse our students in through the use of MacBooks, Web 2.0 tools, and more.

Tonight, as I was cleaning up some files on my MacBook, I stumbled upon a video that Megan made of herself and Sophie. She created the movie in iMovie and recorded herself and Sophie with the webcam on my MacBook. Enjoy Megan and Sophie as they perform YMCA. I am sure that Megan will LOVE seeing this movie when she is about 16 or so!

Working Out

I am trying to commit myself to working out on a regular basis. I know that I avoid activities because I am not comfortable with my weight, my appearance, and when I really stop and think about it, I am causing my family to avoid activities, too. That is really not fair to them. I want to be comfortable in my own skin, and I really never have been. So, I started walking on my treadmill on Friday. I walked for just over an hour, and I walked for an hour and 3 minutes today. I use the handweights for a while while walking to work on my arms a bit. I hope that maybe it will help them to feel more toned and less flabby, as well.

I have a full length mirror which leans again the wall in my bedroom. While in the treadmill, I can see the backs of my legs. Not a pretty picture, but one that I hope to change with more and more walking on the treadmill.

We are going to Jamaica in June, and I don't want to be miserable the whole time that I am there and feel subconscious every moment. I know that I always feel uncomfortable the first few days, and then I seem to settle in a bit and just accept it and have fun. But, I really would like to be more confident in my appearance so that I did not have to deal with it at all. One day. I just have to keep walking. I am good at walking on the treadmill, and I know that I can do it, so I just have to keep making time for it. Then, who knows ... maybe I will move on to something even bigger.

Image Chef

If you have been on my blog lately, you probably have noticed the Join Me on Twitter Image Chef that I added a few weeks ago. (I just deleted it, and I will be adding a different Twitter gadget soon).

I found Image Chef while reading another blog and decided to try it out. It offers several options for posting unique image posts. Check it out for yourself at http://www.imagechef.com/.

Here is a YoungLife heart that I created with Image Chef Mosaic.

FISD Blog

I have set up a new blog on the FISD server to use during the book study. You can locate my FISD blog here ... https://wiki.friscoisd.org/users/richarsh/blog/.

Repeat After Me

During Jim's sermon on Saturday night, he had all of us point into the air and then take our pointer finger and place it in our belly buttons and repeat the following phrase. "This is not the center of the universe." This exercise was meant to remind all of us that it is not about us. It is about God.

When we got into the car, I repeated the exercise Jim had put us through with Megan & Connor and then asked them to explain the purpose of the exercise. They both said that it was not about them - that they were not the center of attention.

Today is Mother's Day. This morning, Connor crawled into bed and snuggled up next to me and said, "Happy Mother's Day, Mommy. I love you!" He told me that my first mother's day present was snuggling from him. It was great! A bit later, he took my hand and placed my finger in my belly button and said, "Repeat after me. This is the center of the home." Wow! He told me that I was the center of our home, not only today (mother's day) but everyday. It was a precious moment.

A bit later, my phone bleeped to let me know that I had received a text message. I picked up my phone to find a text message from Megan which said, "Happy Mother's Day!" That explains how my pre-teen daughter communicates these days. She rarely calls us or anyone. She texts. Just in case you are wondering, she texted me from her bedroom. At the time, I was in my bedroom, just outside her door.

I received two very different but equally precious Mother's Day wishes this morning from my little angels. Blake, Megan, Connor, and Megan L. took me to lunch at Gloria's this afternoon and then to Double Dip for frozen custard. It was a wonderful day with the ones that I love.

Podcasting

I am participating in a book study entitled Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms. In Chapter 8, we are learning more about podcasting, and one of my assignments is to create a podcast and post it to my blog. Although I don't like to hear the sound of my own voice, I am uploading my podcast. I hope that you will enjoy listening to to my first podcast.



Although I don't like listening to myself on podcast, I would love to hear my children and students podcasts. I am excited about the opportunities that podcasting will bring to our classrooms, and I look forward to having my own children create podcasts very soon.

I Want to Move to Hawaii

Tonight, Connor told me that he wanted to move to the hotel that we stayed at in Hawaii last year. "Waikoloa Village?" I asked.

" Yes. I want to live there all the time. Can we move there?" said Connor.

I explained that if we moved to Hawaii, he would still have to go to school and do all of the things that he does here. It would not be like it was when we were on vacation - lounging, eating out 3 times a day, relaxing, sleeping late, enjoying the weather, miniature golf, swimming, etc.

Connor's reply ... "I know, Mom. But, after school, instead of just going home, we could go visit the volcano or something. Or, if the volcano is closed, we can just go swimming. So, can we move to Hawaii?"

I told him that I didn't think so, and the conversation ended there. It is so funny - the things that just pop into their heads at the most random times. Glad he's thinking, though!

Curtsinger Golf Classic

Today, Blake played in the Curtsinger Golf Classic. He had a great time and played well. He won the closest to the pin contest. His prize was a framed picture of a beautiful green at Sawgrass. His foursome shot 13 under par which earned them 2nd Place! They each received vacation vouchers and gift certificates to the Pro Shop for their win. Way to go, guys!

The Law of the Garbage Truck

My sister sent this to me in an email today. I thought that it was great, so I wanted to share it with everyone. Enjoy!

One day I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport. We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches! The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us.
My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean he was really friendly. So I asked, 'Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!

This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, 'The Law of the Garbage Truck...' he explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they'll dump it on you.

Don't take it personally... Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Don't take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets. The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day. Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so... Love the people who treat you right. Pray for the ones who don't. Life is ten percent what you make it and ninety percent how you take it!Have a blessed, garbage-free day!

Tiny Titans vs. Astros

The Tiny Titans faced the Astros tonight. The Astros came in 2nd in the pre-season tournament, so we knew they would be a tough team. They have a killer pitcher. This kids pitches lights out! The first two innings, not a single one of our players got a piece of any of his pitches. Wow.

In the 3rd Inning, Connor was the first batter to get a piece of his pitch. It was a foul ball, but it got us moving in the right direction. The catcher dropped the ball on the third strike, so Connor was able to run to 1st. He made it and was our first runner to get any kind of hit and the first runner on base. The Astros changed pitchers. We were able to get some hits and some runners on base, but unfortunately we were not able to get a run into home before the inning was over.

At the top of the 4th inning, we had a new pitcher, as well. X three several strikes and held the Astros to 2 runs. Connor caught a pop fly to right field, ending the Astros time at bat. Although we did not leave the game victorious, we did play hard until the clock ran out.

She's a Sneezer!

Tonight at Young Life Committee, one the leaders used a term that I had never heard before. She referred to a student leader as a "sneezer". A sneezer? "Did she say, "Sneezer"? Pretty much everyone in the room was asking the same question, but then Cody clarified for us. A "sneezer" is a contagious person - according to the Young Life leaders.

So ... the next time you are with a group of young'uns, be sure to throw in the term "sneezer" and they will think you're real hip!

Tiny Titans vs. Aviators

The Tiny Titans faced the Aviators tonight. The Aviators won the preseason tournament, so we knew this would be a tough game.

We were up-to-bat first and scored 3 runs in the top of the first inning. The Aviators finished the inning strong - earning 5 runs. We were a bit more warmed-up in the second inning and scored 5 runs. The Aviators scored only 4 runs. At the top of the second inning, the score was Tiny Titans 8, Aviators 9.

"We can win this, guys!" The parents cheered and the boys kept making great plays. In the top of the third inning, the Tiny Titans scored 5 runs. With only 1 minute remaining, the Aviators were up-to-bat. We had to hold them. Our boys did a fantastic job and held the Aviators to 2 runs.

The Tiny Titans were once again victorious - winning the game 13 - 11. Four games into the Spring Season, and we are 2 and 2 (2 wins, 2 losses). Way to go Titans!

Who Are You? Are You Really My Daughter? ... Day 2

This morning, we overslept a bit, so we were rushing to get ready. As I was putting on my make-up, Megan came in and asked, "What time does the bus pick-up over here by our house?"

What? My daughter who slams the car door and throws a temper-tantrum each time I ask her to ride the bus is asking what time the bus picks up over here? Again, my mind is searching its memory banks and asking, "Who are you, and what have you done with my daughter?"

Luckily, I was awake enough and had enough presence of mind to say, "About 10 minutes from now. Why?" To which she replied, "Ok. I'm ready, so I am going to walk down to the bus stop and ride the bus today." Huh? Again, in my mind I am asking myself ... who are you, and what have you done with my daughter? but I manage to say, "Ok. Please be careful and call me when you get on the bus." And out the door she goes.

This afternoon, she called me after school. She knew that I was not going to be there on time because I had to work until 4:00. Instead of being annoyed and asking me over and over again how long it was going to take me to get there, she said, "Well, I am going to go over and talk to a friend, and then I'll meet you where you pick me up."

"Ok. I'll see you in a few minutes." And ... she didn't call back three or four times to ask me where I was. Amazing!

At dinner, Blake told Megan that he thought that she was abducted by aliens and that he liked the replacement. I told her that I liked the new Megan and wanted her to stay. The new Megan is positive, confident, pleasant to be around, helpful, and follows directions. We've still had quite a few "sassy" moments and a few rude comments, but overall, the "new" Megan is a keeper.

Keep it up Megan! We love the new you!

Who Are You? Are You Really My Daughter?

Those of you who know us know that our daughter, Megan, is a bit dramatic. We affectionately call her a "drama queen" on a regular basis because every response is filled with drama - lot's of drama! This afternoon she txt'ed me to let me know that she was having a good day. That was a good message - as most of her txt messages are about how horrible her day is, about how someone said something about her hair or her outfit, or something similar that has "ruined" her day. She is one of those who can have 20 wonderful things happen to her in a day, but she only remembers, talks about, and focuses on the 1 bad thing that happened. So, we work on looking at the positives in her day, being grateful for the good things, and focusing on a couple of positive things to overshadow the negative.

One place where she has been extremely dramatic is at the Orthodontist's office. The day they put braces in her top teeth, she told me several times that she hated me, she cried, and she refused to talk to the lady who was putting her braces on. It was NOT a pleasant visit for anyone. Well, today, she was happy when she went in, she brushed her teeth, went right back to her seat when they called her, and she was happy, relaxed, and pleasant the entire time she was there. She picked out pink and green bands for Easter, asked the lady some good questions, and just talked to her about general things. It was amazing! No drama. No whining. No crying! This is HUGE!

The Orthodontists visit alone was enough for me to comment to Blake that we had a terrific appointment and afternoon, but then ... she wanted to try two different food items at dinner. What? You want to try something new? Are you sure that you are Megan?

Blake and I both complimented her on her positive attitude, told her that we were proud of her for being so great at the Orthodontists office, and commended her for trying some new food tonight at dinner. Wow! What a big day for Megan! I hope that tomorrow brings more of the same!

Tiny Titans vs. Red Socks

Our Tiny Titans came to play today! The Red Sox were up to bat first. Our pitcher got two quick outs, but then the wheels feel off a bit, and we allowed them to score 4 runs before obtaining the 3rd and final out. Next, the Tiny Titan's were up-to-bat. We scored 4 runs and were on our way to a 5th and final run of the inning when the Umpire called our batter out because he said that he ran out of the baseline. Although we did not agree with the call, that was the call, so we were on to the 2nd inning tied 4-4.

The Red Sox scored 5 runs at the top of the 3rd inning, and our Tiny Titans came back to tie up the game 9-9. On to the 4th inning. Our pitcher and outfielders did an incredible job at the top of the 4th - holding the Red Sox to one run. It was time for the Tiny Titans to take the lead ... and take the lead they did. The 4th inning ended 11-10. With only 1 minute left in the game, the umpire told our players to take the field. Surprisingly, we were heading into another inning. Our pitcher earned two quick outs before their third batter made it on base. Our outfielders held him to third base until our pitcher threw his third out. And that was it! We won the game 11-10! Way to go Tiny Titans!!!!

My Little Man is Sick

Connor has been battling allergies, like the rest of us, for about a week now. The crazy winds and temperature fluctuations don't help them. So, he has been taking Claritin and hanging in there. Yesterday, he came down to my classroom no less than 4 times to see me. Each time he just wanted to see me, to talk to me. Unfortunately, I had to send him back to class rather quickly each time because I was in the middle of helping to produce a videoconference for the kindergarten students in our district. (I need to blog about that, too!)

Anyway ... Connor fell asleep in the car on the way home from picking up Megan. This is quite unusual. He walked into the house and immediately sat down on the striped couch - which is in the formal living room, just inside the front door. I did not realize it at the time, but he did not move from there for over an hour. I went to the kitchen to go through the mail and then into the laundry room to work on the laundry. When I came back out of the laundry room, I noticed that he was breathing rather heavily. He was sound asleep on the sofa. He looked rather comfortable, so I just let him sleep.

Since he was sleeping so soundly and Megan was entertaining herself, I decided to go for a walk. As I reached the base of the stairs, Connor began to wake up, so I went over to talk to him. As he sat up, I noticed his cheeks were bright red, as he tried to talk, I noticed his labored breathing, and as soon as I touched him, I knew that he had a high fever. 104 degrees in one ear. 102.9 in the other. I immediately grabbed a jacket, told Megan that I was taking Connor to the doctor, and loaded him up in the car.

We arrived at Acute Kids Care within minutes, completed the paperwork, and were on our way to seeing a doctor. After one quick look at Connor's throat, the nurse took a swab and ran the rapid Strep test. Within minutes, the doctor was in the room with the diagnosis. Severe Strep Throat. Antibiotics, Tylenol, Motrin, and no school for at least 24 hours.

Thursday .....
I am happy to report that the Antibiotics are doing a great job, that the mouthwash (lidocaine, malox, and benadryl) is coating his throat and making him feel better, and that his fever is gone. Although I hate it when my children are sick, I enjoy caring for them, snuggling them, and spending some one-on-one time with them when they really need to be cared for. I am happy that my little man is on the mend, but I will miss spending the day with him tomorrow, as we will all be back to work and school first thing in the morning.

Blogging ... Just Over a Year Now

I started blogging just over a year ago ... March 12, 2008, to be exact. I have to say that I really enjoy blogging and reading other people's blogs. I like to look back on past events, reminisce, remember. It feels good to see how much we have accomplished, what has changed, what has stayed the same, what is new, etc. I hope that those of you who read the blog have enjoyed hearing about our events and happenings. Most of you email me when you want to comment on the blog. Please feel free to comment below the blog postings. I enjoy re-reading the comments, as well.

Here's to another year of blogging!

Tiny Titan's Tournament - Game 2

Well, game two did not go quite as well as game one. First of all, it was about 38 degrees outside with 15-30 mph north wind gusts that cut right through you. Connor and I arrived at 3:00pm for our 3:30pm game, only to discover that there was a game in session on our field with 55 minutes of play time remaining. So much for our 3:30pm start time, and it was FREEZING!

The boys watched a bit of the game on our field before heading to the playground to entertain themselves and to move around to stay warm. I tried to hangout by a brick wall to see if it would block the wind a bit, but the brick wall acted more like a wind tunnel than a wind block. I finally gave up and just went to sit in the stands. Of course, the stands are metal bleachers. Can you say, "COLD!" Luckily, I brought the sleeping bag. I zipped it up and climbed in it - pulling it up around my neck and ears. There I sat for almost an hour waiting for our game to begin. Freezing!!!!

Our boys finally took the field sometime after 4:30pm. Our pitching was not as hot as it was the first game, and the other team's pitching was incredible. Our first up-to-bat, their pitcher struck out our first three batters, and the top of inning was over. Their team was up-to-bat. Our boys made some good fielding plays and got a player out at 3rd and another at 1st base, but not before our opponent scored several runs.

In our second up-to-bat, we managed to get one batter on base, but he was called out trying to steal home. So, after two innings, we were scoreless and our opponents had 6 runs, I think. In the third inning, we managed to get two or three batters on base and scored a couple of runs, but their pitcher was strong, and our Tiny Titans could not get the big hits that we needed.

We did not win the game, but our little guys hung in there. The tournament is over, and we start regular season play on Tuesday night. The weather forecast is calling for much milder temperatures, so Tuesday night's game should be much more pleasant than Saturday's. Wish us luck! Go Tiny Titans!!!

Tiny Titan's Baseball 2009

Connor is playing AA Baseball this year. He has been playing baseball since he was 4, sitting out only one fall ball season, I think, but this is his first round of AA Baseball. Our season began this evening with Round 1 of a Pre-Season Tournament. Our 10U Tiny Titan's team faced the 10U Red Sox team, and I am happy to say that we came out ahead! Go Tiny Titans!

We were the "Guests" tonight, so we were up to bat first. Connor batted 8th tonight. He had a huge hit that went under the glove of the outfielder between 2nd and 3rd base and earned him a double! Each inning, the batting team is held to a 5 point run limit. I am happy to announce that we scored 5 runs in Inning #1, and our opponents scored only 1 run (their one run was due to 3 errors on our team's part). Although the boys made 3 quick errors, they redeemed themselves by fielding a ball at 3rd base, quickly sending it to 1st base, and getting batter #4 out! Whew Hoo!!!

On to the 2nd inning ... Connor made another great hit and earned himself a double - after an overthrow to firstbase. Connor and three of his teammates rounded the bases and made it home - earning us 4 runs in the 2nd inning. The Red Sox came back and scored 5 runs in the 2nd inning, and the inning ended 9-6. Our Tiny Titans came back fighting in the top of the 3rd and scored 4 runs!

With only a few minutes of game time remaining (each game is 80 min. long), the Red Sox were back up to bat. When the time ran out, the umpire called the inning and ended the game since the Red Sox had no chance of winning. Our Tiny Titans won their Pre-Season opener 13-6!

We were so proud of Connor and his team! They played hard, stayed focused, made some big hits, and some great plays. Our next game is Thursday evening!

Spring Break 2009

We had a "stay"cation this Spring Break. Instead of going somewhere, we hung out at home for the week. We started the weekend trimming one of the trees in the front yard. We trimmed limbs, hauled branches and limbs to the curb, trimmed bushes, and filled several lawn and leaf bags to the brim.

Monday, I spent the day cleaning some of the kitchen cabinets and organizing the pantry. It was a lot of work, but it felt great to get it all clean and organized. Tuesday I cleaned a few other things around the house and organized the master bedroom a bit. It still needs some work, but it is better than it was before.

Wednesday, we ran errands and purchased gifts for Easter baskets that will be given to area needy children through our local family services organization. Megan chose a basket for a 10-12 year old girl and Connor a basket for a 6-10 year old boy. They chose candy - chocolates and Starbursts, giant lollipops, and chocolate eggs. Megan chose lip gloss, fingernail polish, and a magnetic dry erase locker board for the girl, while Connor chose bouncy balls, a paddle ball game, and silly string for the boy. Both Megan and Connor selected a small stuffed bunny to round out their baskets. We had a great time selecting the Easter treats!

We met Stephanie, Colton, & Carson for lunch at La Hacienda. We enjoyed a nice lunch together before heading to our house so the kids could play. Stephanie and I spent some time together while the kids rode bikes and ripsticks and jumped on the trampoline.

Blake took Thursday and Friday off of work so that we could all spend some time together. And spend time together we did. We did not relax around the pool or watch movies. Instead, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday we trimmed trees and bushes, stacked and relocated limbs and branches, cleaned flower beds, spread two yards of dirt, and put down a pallet of sod in the front yard.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Needless to say, we were exhausted on Sunday. We wrapped up the weekend with baseball practice, YoungLife letter night, and Life Group. It was a great week, but I think that I need to go back to work to get some rest!

Fireproof Your Marriage: He Said, She Said

As I mentioned before, we are participating in the Fireproof Your Marriage study with our Life Group. We meet every two weeks, so it is going to take us a bit to go through the study, but I like having two weeks to focus on each lesson. The first week was titled, "He Said, She Said," and we talked about the difference in the needs of men and women. Men need respect from their wives and women need love from their husbands. We went through some examples and chose the ones that made us feel the most respected and loved and then shared our feelings with each other.

It was nice to discuss this around the group and to hear different perspectives. Although Blake does not always communicate his feelings one-on-one with me, I heard him say several things during the group discussion that meant a lot to me. Our homework for week one involved some individual questions and then some couple discussion questions. First, we were encouraged to answer some questions as individuals. My questions related to Love, while Blake's related to respect. After we both answered our own questions, we shared our thoughts and feelings with each other. I knew that "everything" to Blake relates back to money. It does not matter what it is, Blake relates to it, looks at it, and bases his interpretation on its value or cost. I, on the other hand, don't look at the amount, but the value first. By value, I do not mean cost. I mean, how does it benefit us, how much enjoyment will be get out of it, how much do we like it, etc. Yes, the cost is important because if it is too much we can't get it, do it, etc. But, to Blake, the cost is really all that matters most of the time. That being said ... I learned that when I spend money, I sometimes show him disrespect. So, now, I am looking at it a different way and really trying to show him respect by spending wisely and not as often.

Love and connecting emotionally is most important to me. During the lessons we listed ways that our spouse could show love or respect to us that week. I listed things like ...

• Before you turn in for the night, help me to pick up the house, to get the kid's lunches made, and to prepare the family for the following day.
• Do something to help around the house without me asking you to do it.
• Volunteering to take one or both kids to school so that things are not so crazy in the mornings.
• Being "involved" with the daily, routine things around the house that I typically have to do on my own.

During our discussion, I reminded him of a comment that he had made the previous week. Blake was out of town for 3 days. During those three days, I stayed up until 1:00 and 2:00am each night working on a video. My days consisted of ... waking up, getting ready, going to work, getting food for the kids, coming home, and working on the video until I could not stay awake any longer. I did not pick-up anything around the house, do any dishes or laundry, or anything other than what was absolutely necessary. So, after 3 days, the house was a disaster. Blake came home from his trip, and the first thing he said was, "What happened here? It looks like something exploded!" My reply ... I normally pick up/clean up after everyone every day. I have not done that for the past three days.

Since our discussion and study for week one, we have both been working hard to show love and respect to each other. Blake is doing an awesome job! I feel like he is really a part of this household. He is helping around the house with dishes, laundry, picking up things, etc. It is awesome! My stress level has gone way down, and I don't feel irritated toward him or the kids because everyone is pitching in and helping out. I don't feel like I am trying to do everything alone anymore!

Even though the kids were a bit resistent to doing extra things and to being held to doing and finishing some extra household chores/duties, they have been much happier and more pleasant. Megan, who is typically negative and pessimistic, sent me a txt message yesterday telling me that she was having a wonderful day and that she was happy. That is HUGE!

I am LOVING the Fireproof Your Marriage couples study, and I look forward to gaining more insight and to walking through this study with Blake more and more each day.

Another Remodeling Project

For a few years now, we have wanted to ripped out wooden stair rails and replace them with wrought-iron. Well, we finally did it. The night before the new rails were to be installed, we had the opportunity to kick out a few of the spindles. Connor really got into it - kicking out half a dozen spindles with his karate type kicks. Megan and I joined in on the fun a bit, too.

Chip and his guys came in and tore out the remaining rails and spindles and replaced them with new ones. Soon, we will stain the new oak rails and treads the same color as the wood floors. But for now, we are enjoying the raw wood and the beautiful new wrought-iron spindles with alternating basket design.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

The Two Year Project

Two years ago this month, we did some work on our kitchen. We ripped out the white Formica builder-grade counter tops, white tile back splash, the white porcelain sink, and chrome and white faucet and replaced them with granite counter tops, a slate back splash, a black granite sink, and brushed nickel fixtures. A few weeks later, I decided to upgrade the battered cabinets by painting them.

Now I don't mind painting. I have painted the entire interior of my home, and I'm sure that I will be doing it again in the not so distant future. But, painting cabinets is NOT the same as painting the walls of a room or even painting the baseboards. Paint the cabinets was initially a project that I was excited about tackling, but it quickly became a project that made me feel defeated.

You see, I started out by sanding them. The first few weren't too bad, but then ... the sanding bits gets old - especially when you try to get into the crooks and indentions of the cabinet face. Next, came the painting. I found a beautiful dark brown paint that complimented the new granite and back splash, so I began to paint. Blake was not too hip on the Safari Brown paint, and nor were a few other friends that came over to visit. So, after a few days, I began to strip and sand the cabinets and draws that I have primed and painted.

So, it was back to the local hardware store for more paint swatches. After going through swatches and looking through magazines, I decided to try some experimentation. So, I purchased a pretty golden yellow paint, painted the inside or a couple of doors, painted the Safari Brown over the top, and applied a crackle paint. Well, Blake hated that more than the plain brown, and I was pretty sure that I would not be able to get the crackle effect to look right in the curves and indentions on the faces of the cabinet doors. Once again, I was back to square one and had no idea what I was going to do with these cabinets.

A while later, I visited a friend's home. They had dark counter tops and stark white cabinets. That was it. I would just paint them white. I purchased white paint and proceeded to paint two cabinets doors. I disliked them instantly, but I had no idea what I wanted to do with them or really how to do it.

We were having company, so I reattached the cabinet doors so that everyone would not have to look at the contents of my cabinets. And so the cabinets remained ... for the next 18 months or so. A few were sanded down to the raw wood, a few were painted Safari Brown, a few were painted white, and a few were partially painted/partially sanded, and I just ignored them. People would come over and ask which one we were going with (which color, etc.), and we would tell them the story. I really thought that I wanted to paint all of the lower cabinets Safari Brown, but I just felt so defeated by the failed attempts that the project became an impossibility for me, and I hated it when Blake would talk about the "unfinished cabinets" because I just felt like a failure.

Well, this week, Blake and I met for lunch and made a plan. We talked about the projects that needed to be done around the house and how we were going to get them done. The number one project on Blake's list ... the cabinets. This time, instead of saying, "when are YOU going to get the cabinets painted?" he said, "Friday night, we are painting the cabinets." Instantly, the cabinet painting project did not seem so impossible because I was no longer having to face it alone.

Friday after work, I went to the hardware store, purchased new paint brushes and primer, came home, and got to work. Blake and I, with a little help from the kids, were able to prime the section of the cabinets that I had started working on. We decided that instead of attacking all of the lower cabinets, we would focus on the one section. This seemed doable.

Saturday morning, after Connor's 8am soccer game, we made another visit to Lowe's to purchase a gallon of Safari Brown paint, and then headed home to paint! After finishing all that we could on the initial section, we decided to continue around the kitchen. We primed all of the lower cabinets and then proceeded to paint them.

We have a few touch-ups to make, and some tea stain and varnish to apply, but the project is close to being complete, and I no longer feel defeated by my unpainted cabinets! We had our Life Group over this evening, and everyone commented on how beautiful our home was. I feels great to have accomplished and almost completed such a huge project, and I am so appreciative that Blake encouraged me and worked along side me this weekend to get this project done.

We still have several projects on our To-Do list, but I know that we will tackle them together so that neither of us feels alone or defeated.

Kitchen Cabinets

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Bottom Braces

Megan has had her upper braces for a few months now. Today, they put braces on her bottom teeth. Although she was not at all excited about them, she did much better today than she did when they put the upper braces on.

Just as they did the first time, the brackets were pre-set on a mold of Megan's teeth. The attendant cleaned her lower teeth with special cleaners, dried them, and prepared them for the bracket application. She carefully applied glue to the center of each of the lower teeth and then pressed the blue mold and brackets into place. After two minutes, she began to gently peel the flexible blue mold away, exposing the newly glued brackets on her lower teeth. After checking them all to ensure that they were properly placed and adhered, she inserted a wire and secured it with colored bands.

Megan will wear the upper and lower braces for about 12 more months, if all goes as planned. Here are a few pictures of the procedure.

Valentine's Day

Our Valentine's Day began with an early morning soccer game, a trip to the grocery store, and then lots of cooking. I made two lasagna's - one for us and one for a neighboring family - and an enchilada casserole. So, we have a few meals ready for us, and that is good.

Our afternoon was spent at Massage Envy. Blake purchased 1-hour massages for us for Valentine's Day. It was Heaven! An hour of blissful relaxation. My massage therapist talked a bit too much, but it was still a great massage. I don't know about you, but when I get a massage, I prefer to relax and drift in and out of my own thoughts and relaxation rather than talking to the massage therapist. Next time, I will ask for Miguel, Blake's Massage therapist, because he did not like to talk.

After church, Maureen and Scott came over for Valentine's dinner. We grilled steaks and enjoyed a great meal together before playing several rounds of Mexican Train.

It was a great Valentine's Day!

Soccer - Spring 2009

Connor's soccer team, the Tornados, had their first game of the Spring 2009 season on Saturday. It was an early game, 8am, on a very cold morning. We awoke early, bundled ourselves up, and headed for the soccer field. The pre-game family time was not so positive. Connor was not listening and was being rather disrespectful. I got a hold of him as we arrived at the soccer field and finally got his attention before sending him off to the soccer field to play the game.

Maybe it was his anger or maybe he just came to play, but whatever it was, it was terriffic! He played full back and forward during the game. As fullback, he defended his goal and kept the other team from scoring. As forward, he took control and did a great job dribbling and passing the ball down the field. The game was tied 2-2 when Connor got the ball, put his head down, and dribbled through the opponents field and scored a goal! It was an exciting moment.

As soon as he kicked the ball into the goal, he looked to the sideline to make sure that Blake and I were watching! We were so proud, smiled, and cheered him on. A bit later, Connor got the ball again, dribbled it down just in front of the goal where the opposing team cut him off, so he passed the ball to his teammate, and they scored! The game ended 4-2. What a great season opener!

If you are interested in joining us for a game, please email me, and I will send you Connor's schedule.

Living in the Margin

I heard a quote tonight at Bible study that has really been on my mind ever since.

"If Satan can't make you bad, he'll make you busy."

I just started thinking of the times that I have gotten too busy cleaning, preparing, organizing, shuttling, etc. to get to or prepare for an event only to be so tired when I arrived or so worried/stressed about the outcome of the event that I didn't stop to "be" at the event and to enjoy it. How many times have I put off quiet time or completed my week long Bible study in one afternoon because I was too busy to do it throughout the week? How many times have I allowed Satan to win because I have been too busy to stop and focus on what is really important?

Wow! Beginning today, I am praying for margin - for time in my day, outside of the routine and the everyday mundane duties, to be cognicient of opportunities to show Christ to others and to be aware of the truly important things in my life.

The Love Dare

We joined a new Life Group at church and met for the first time on Sunday evening. For those of you asking yourself, "What is Life Group?"...it is a small group of people from our church who meet a few times a month for fellowship and Bible study. We were in a Life Group a while back, but it slowly dissolved. On Saturday, I mentioned to a friend that we needed to find a new Life Group. The next thing I knew, we had a group. It is great how God works out all of the details for us when we are following his plan.

Like I said, we met for the first time on Sunday evening. After our next meeting we will begin to work through the Love Dare workbook. If you have not heard of the Love Dare, then you haven't seen the movie Fire Proof. Fire Proof was produced by the same church who produced Facing the Giants. While I did not feel that it was as strong or powerful a movie as Facing the Giants, it was great, and the life changing impact of its message ... just as great!

We live in a world that attacks, devalues, and redefines relationships every day. Through this study, we will learn more about rescuing and protecting our marriages from the firestorm. Just as they do in the movie, I challenge you to join me and to take The Love Dare and to FIREPROOF your relationship.
The Love Dare from Mike Stecker on Vimeo.

Daddy-Daughter Dance 2009

Make a Smilebox photobook

The Daddy-Daughter Dance is a big event in Frisco and one that Blake and Megan have attended for the past several years. This year's dance was extra special because it was their final Daddy-Daughter Dance.

Preparations started just after Christmas with the purchase of Megan's dress. This year, Megan wore a strapless black bubble dress with bow topped ballet flats. In true "princess" fashion, she topped off her outfit with a rhinestone tiara. The tiara, or crown, as she calls it, is her own Daddy-Daughter Dance tradition.

Megan and I began the day shopping with Christie & Hannah. After finding a dress for Hannah, we enjoyed a terrific lunch at Texas Land & Cattle before heading to Serenity Day Spa for our manicures and pedicures. As soon as our nails were dry, we headed home to wash and style Megan's hair and to get her dressed for her big evening.

Everyone met at our house for pre-dance pictures. After posing for individual, group, and dad and daughter pictures, the girls and dads were off to dinner at Jinbeh before their final Daddy-Daughter Dance. A great time was had by all - dad's and girls alike - at dinner and the dance.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

An Icy Day!

Today was our second snow, or should I say "ice" day, of the year. Most years we never use our snow days, so we get an extra day off in April or May when we REALLY need it. This year, however, we have used both of our snow days. So, instead of getting a long weekend for Easter and for Memorial Day, we will be going back to school.

I did, however, get some extra sleep today, managed to get the kitchen cleaned up, washed a load of laundry and put away a little laundry, relaxed a bit, and saw a movie with the kids, my sister, and nephews, so ... it was a good day. But, we will all be wishing we had gone to school today in April.

Back to work and school tomorrow, so I had better get the kids and myself to bed!

Deeper

Tonight, I attended the Deeper Service at church. The Deeper service is a themed service that we have every so often. It is for the regular attendees/members of our church - a chance for us to worship, partake in communion, deepen our relationship with Christ, focus on Him, deepen our experiences and worship as a body of believers. It was a beautiful evening of praise and worship, artistic expression, and Baptism. During the service, we were encouraged to write a fear on a broken tile, and then to find a scripture on the wall, a verse from God's word, that puts our fear to rest. As the service continued, a group of members placed the tiles onto a large canvas. The tiles, each of which contained a fear, were placed upon the letters that spelled out the word "trust". The end result was a beautiful expression of faith; the mass of fears covered by the collective faith in God, his word, his promises. I was such a blessing to take part in this amazing service, and I look forward to the next one.

Great Start to a New Year ... 2009

The New Year has started off well for the Richardson family. We are settling back into school and work and into some positive routines. We've gotten the house back to normal and back together after the holiday festivities and decorations, we are keeping up with the dishes and laundry, the kids are helping out with the household chores, we've been cooking and eating at home, and things are running rather smoothly. Now, if we can just keep this up for 349 more days it will be a great year! I know that things will slip here and there and that "life" will get in the way of keeping everything in order, but ... I am going to keep trying to do my best to keep a positive attitude about it all and to not let "not getting everything done all of the time" get me down.

Blake and I have also been watching what we eat, have been drinking our shakes again (and more often), and are cutting out soft drinks. Next, we have to tackle the gym and get into a routine of working out. Prayers and encouragement welcome!

Blake's Eyes ... 20/20

Blake went to the eye doctor today, and his eyes are 20/20! It has taken a while for his eyes to heal, but they are great! He is so happy to be without the contact and seeing 20/20.

We celebrated with a night out together. We went to a small pizza place, Durkins, and had a great pepperoni pizza together, and then headed to the movies. We saw Seven Pounds, which was good, very thought provoking, but left you a bit down at the end. Blake really wanted to see Gran Torino, so we looked it up on the iphone, and headed to another theatre about 20 minute away to catch the 9:30pm showing. The theatre was crowded and the movie had already started, so we just had to get seated. We ended up sitting separately because there were no two seats together. Blake had the pleasure of sitting by a man with really bad breathe, while I enjoyed the movie next to a rather stinky woman. I don't think these late night movies are for us. Too many "stinky" people! But, the movie was great.

It's been a long time since Blake and I saw two movies in one night. In fact, until this week, it has been a while since I had seen a movie in the theatre. This week, however, I have seen four movies - both times, double features. First, Bedtime Stories and Marly and Me, then Seven Pounds and Gran Torino. It's been a big movie week for us.

Updates

Things have been rather busy, and I have not had a chance to blog recently, so I wanted to try to catch everyone up a bit.

Blake's eyes are improving. The left eye is finally starting to heal and his sight is getting better. Progress is slow, but we are seeing progress, so that is great! He goes back to the doctor tomorrow for another check-up.

Christmas was fabulous! We spent Christmas Eve at the Richardson's where we had a fabulous dinner along with our annual Chinese Christmas exchange, followed by service at the 8pm candle light service at our church. We then headed home to prepare for Santa's visit and Christmas morning.

Christmas Day was terrific! Megan and Connor woke up early and were excited to see what Santa had left for them and to open their many other presents. We enjoyed some time as a family Christmas morning, opening presents and spending time together. We had a fantastic Christmas brunch and then the boys took off for 9 holes of golf while the girls dressed and prepared for the Christmas afternoon/evening activities. Stephanie, Colton, Carson, Aunt Carol, Flip & Sharolyn joined Blake, Connor, Megan, my parents, and I for a wonderful Christmas dinner. I cooked my very first turkey, and it turned out great! It was moist and delicious! It was a terrific day with family and friends!