Caleb and Ben on Mother's Day

A good picture of two boys just chillin on the couch, and then a silly one. If you ever ask for a silly face from Caleb (or just about any four year old it seems), be ready for some fingers to pull on his mouth. They think it is a funny picture to look at.

Will PP for Beans

Ben is out of daytime diapers!!!! He's been wearing the big boy undies for about a week now. He had always said he would wait until he was 3 (a few weeks from now), but last week decided to use the potty on a whim (with Emily's strong encouragement). He's doing great with only a few accidents.

The secret to his success is a bag full of small, colorful jellybeans. He can barely finish his business before he asks to get his jellybean.

So for a glorious few months we won't be changing diapers in our house until "baby jellybean" arrives (somewhat ironic name isn't it).

Word of the Day - Zonkey

Zonkey's at the creation museum.

This was a new one for me. Zebra plus Donkey = Zonkey. Check out those legs (click here)!

Australian Death Calculator

Planet Slayer - Greenhouse Calculator

The Aussies have performed quite the public service by helping me know when I should die. Apparently I've been a carbon pig and should have died at age 10.1. At that point I had used up my share of the Earth's resources. I would like to take this chance to apologize to those whose resources I stole unknowingly. I would also like to apologize to those whose resources I will continue to use, because I don't plan on dying anytime soon (especially not as a service to the Earth). Now I think it is time for whoever thought of this website to apologize to the Australian people and anyone who might consider taking this advice too seriously. It's geared at Elementary age kids after all.

(Source: Dave "the Funyon" Runyon)

Mother's Day Pictures

It has become a tradition for us to take a family picture on Mother's Day after the church service and before everyone changes into something more comfortable. After taking a bunch of serious shots, Emily announced some silly ones. Caleb really hambed it up, and little Ben just smiled in them all.

***Keith - note that the family ketchup was not part of the picture this year. It was sulking for days about being left out.

Physics of Moving the Island - Popular Mechanics

Losties, be sure to check out this article on Lost and moving the island. It comes at it from a physics standpoint.

NC State Fire off Campus

One of NC State's most loved and visited buildings catches fire (click here). No one is hurt. Let's just say it will force them to do the cleaning and renovations that were desperately needed 10 years ago when I was in school.

Spot the Fake Smile

Here's a quick online tool to see if you can spot the fake smile versus the real smile. I got 12 out of 20. I'm smiling right now about my score. Can you tell if it's fake or real?
Link

Bella Visits For a Week

This is actually an old post that I realized I never posted (there were a few of these actually). Emily's brother's dog Bella came to visit about a month ago for a week. The boys were in heaven taking care of her. It almost made us consider getting a dog for Caleb to care for, but then we thought better of it. We've got enough responsibility right now.

Citroen C4 Commercial

Emily, be sure the boys watch these commercials with you.

Bush at Graduation

Check out these pictures of George Bush at the Air Force Graduation. It looks like it was one of the more entertaining graduations.

Hydroplaning Motorbike

This guy wanted to try something new, so he gets up enough speed to hydroplane his motocross bike onto a lake and hit a jump.

Playground Pictures

Just some really good pictures of the boys that I wanted to share

Crime doesn't pay for these guys

You couldn't script this stuff.

Typing Backwards

Here's a quick online game to see how fast you can type the alphabet backwards. Apparently the record is under 2 seconds. That's hard to believe. I practiced a few times and got it to under 11 seconds. The trick is to look at the letters in the bottom left hand corner to see what it coming up next.

Kite Flying

Our house has some of the highest winds in Raleigh. I've had to get on the roof and fix the shingles three times in the year that we have lived there. The good side of having so much wind is that we can effortlessly fly kites in our back yard.

New Toothbrushes

This is another old post from tax season that never got published:

In an effort to make tooth brushing time more fun and a little easier for the boys to do, we got them each their own motorized toothbrush. They LOVE them. Ben wants to brush his teeth for a long time now. We have to cut him off. Of course they both wanted a green one, because getting different colors would be too easy.

Bringing Hope

I was talking to a friend about faith and spiritual matters the other day. She was having trouble believing that there was only one way to heaven, and that followers of Jesus had the market on Truth. I agree that it can come across as somewhat arrogant to think you are right and the majority of the world is wrong. The catch is, I truly believe that the Bible is God's word and that it teaches that trusting (putting faith in) God is the only way to heaven. I tried to explain to her what an insult it is to look at the sacrifice that Jesus made (God himself, leaving Heaven, dying a painful and humiliating death, and then resurrecting) as just one possible way to salvation. To say that you can get to heaven by some other means is to figuratively throw his offer in his face and tell him he wasted his time, because you can do it yourself. No, Jesus came to Earth and died because there was no other way.

Then we began talking about Old Testament people and how they got saved, and what Jesus' main purpose was for coming to Earth. She said his chief purpose in coming was to teach about love and compassion. I disagreed. Those are important, and every Christian should be loving and compassionate, but Jesus came because we needed a savior. Prophets before Jesus had taught about love and compassion, but Jesus had a unique job that only he could fulfill. We needed someone to restore our relationship with God. We as a people had blown it, and we needed help. We needed forgiveness.

Now here's the thought that has stuck with me since that conversation. We considered two scenarios. One that we are familiar with and take for granted; the one where Jesus comes and gives us the option of following him and being restored. Now consider the other option, the one where Jesus never comes. Adam and Eve sin, and God just kicks them out of the Garden with no promise of a redeemer. Abraham is given the Promised Land, but not promised to be a blessing to the world (through Jesus). David is promised to be a king, but his line will one day lose their throne because there will be no King Jesus. The Old Testament would be much shorter, and the new testament would be nonexistent. Worst of all, we are left with no savior and left with no hope. Without Jesus, hope would be lost and we would have no true way to find peace in our souls, to reach up to God, or to find forgiveness for the things we have all done wrong. Imagining a world without the cross of Christ has given me a renewed appreciation for it.

Observant Game

This game challenges you to be observant and find the new item that is just added. It is much more difficult that it sounds. I was surprised that I did much better in the black and white version than I did in the color version. I got in the mid-teens with the color version before my head would start to spin, but got to level 22 with the black and white. I'd bet that women are better at this game than men. Post your scores and lets see which gender is more observant.

Stimulus Payment Schedule

If you haven't gotten your stimulus payment yet and were wondering when it's coming, this will help.

"DIRECT DEPOSIT" [those who gave the IRS direct deposit info on their tax return]

Last two SSN digits: Payments will be transmitted no later than (and received by the end of the day of):
00 through 20 May 2
21 through 75 May 9
76 through 99 May 16

"PAPER CHECK" [those who didn't give the IRS direct deposit info on their tax return]

Last two SSN digits: Payments will be mailed no later than (and received a few days after):
00 through 09 May 16
10 through 18 May 23
19 through 25 May 30
26 through 38 June 6
39 through 51 June 13
52 through 63 June 20
64 through 75 June 27
76 through 87 July 4
88 through 99 July 11"

Source

Marble Maddness

The boys got a marble set for Christmas (the green and blue set on top). A few weeks later we heard about Food Lion having a sale on a similar marble set, so we picked one up. Then they got another similar Food Lion set from their grandparents. [on a side note, how weird is it to buy stuff like that at Food Lion]. So we took all three sets and combined them together making the most elaborate marble maze ever.

Venice

Emily and I both concluded that time stands still in Venice. It is a beautiful place to visit, but I think one day would have been enough (we spent two there). You just get tired of walking up and down the winding alleyways and up and down the bridges. The scenery is amazing though, and it makes for some great pictures. Our favorite part was spending the evening in St. Mark's square listening to the orchestras play music. That was truly unique.

Notre Dame - Paris

Notre Dame was really amazing, especially the stained glass. It was a cloudy day, but I bet it really shines on a sunny day. We also loved the park behind the church and the flowers that were in bloom all around the church. Paris is a very clean city (at least in the tourist parts)

Eiffel Tower - Paris

The Eiffel tower is enormous. It is amazing to be able to see it from just about anywhere in the city. We visited the tower twice. First in the evening so we could see it light up. For ten minutes of every hour they turn on the strobe lights and it looks like stars shining all over the tower. That was awesome. We then went up the tower the next morning. It was a long line, but a beautiful view and something you have to do once in your life if you can.

Church Affiliation Map

I found this map very interesting. It shows the majority religion of each county on the US map. It gives new meaning to the term Bible Belt. I didn't realize the Lutherans were such a majority in the Northern Midsections. The LDS concentration was a no brainer just like the baptist. Notice anything else noteworthy? Leave a comment. Link

Louvre Museum - Paris

This was one of the lower points in our trip. It was enormous and hard to follow the map. We really only wanted to see the great works contained inside the Louvre, but it was difficult to do. We walked ourselves silly looking at ancient clay pots and Egyptian heirlooms. There are more steps in the Louvre than there are paintings I think. Finally we did find the paintings that Emily wanted to see, and the infamous Mona Lisa. I'm still not sure why this painting attracts so much more attention than the others hanging nearby. To be honest, you can't really appreciate the picture because you are too busy trying to fight the crowds to get a glimpse.

Bike Riding

Caleb has graduated to a big kid bike with training wheels, and Ben is on the Tricycle now. Both boys love to ride up and down the block from one corner to the other. Caleb can really get going on his bike, and Ben would surprise you how fast he can make a trike move. The last picture is me doing a brake test on Caleb's bike (we had to tighten them up when we first got it).

Paris - Misc.

The high point for me in Paris were the parks and the food. I was surprised how much I liked the French cuisine. We ate in the parks a few times and just had baggets and croissants. We stopped in a pastry shop and got some excellent chocolate desserts as well. The crepes were really good. Emily got chocolate and I had strawberry.

After walking so much on the first day through Paris (to try to get to the Arch de Triumph), we spent most of the second day relaxing and resting our legs. Emily even got a nap in at Invalides, where Napoleon is buried.

New Wheels

Emily has some new wheels to cruise the town in. We've been on the lookout for a van since our family is about to expand beyond the limits of our current cars. Yesterday we came accross a deal on a van that had exactly the features we wanted at a great price. We drove down to Wilmington after work and traded out my Altima for this roomy new ride. It drives so well and the boys are enamored by the DVD system. Yes Josh and Renee, it is just like your car except in silver. What can I say, you made a good choice so we decided to copy you. Neither Emily nor I feel old enough to be driving a minivan, but sometimes reality hits hard I guess. Here are some dealer pictures. We haven't had a chance to take our own yet.

St. John Lateran (San Giovanni) - Rome

This was one of my favorite basilicas. It had a statue of each of the 12 disciples that depicted how they died according to tradition. They were huge and very well done. Surprisingly, Paul was one of the 12 and Judas was not. I guess Judas' replacement Matthias wasn't good enough to make the cut.

Mamertime Prison - St. Paul's Prison - Rome

Baths of Caracala - Rome

These are the ancient public baths of Rome. We are standing near one wall, and the bath extended to the far wall in the pictures. Thousands of people could visit this bath at once. (On a side note, this culture is not as focused on bathing as it once was.)

Tranquilize the Sheep

How fast are your reflexes? Here's a fun way to know for sure. My best after a few tries was .183. Let me know if you can beat it.

Link

Source

Pictures of the Boys

This is Ben enjoying the warm weather out Emily's sunroof while they wait for Caleb to get out of preschool.

Vatican - St. Peters Basilica - Rome

We went in St. Peters. It was remarkably light inside for a cathedral. It was very ornate and beautiful. Allegedly, Peter's remains are under the altar. The church was built on top of his traditional burial spot. We also saw the sistine chapel, but you are not allowed to take photos. It was pretty, but hard to appreciate because you had to crane your neck to see it and it was so far away. I'm glad we went, but I would get more out of looking at a book on the sistine chapel than looking at the real thing.

Trevi Fountain - Rome

One of the highlights on the tourist agenda, the Trevi fountain was very pretty. Unfortunately we didn't get close and throw in a coin. I guess that means we won't be returning to Rome anytime soon. Jason said the city takes in a ton of money daily from people throwing money in this fountain. They have to clean it out each night and have guards make sure no one goes in after the money during the day.

Roman Forum - Rome

Coloseum - Rome

Pantheon - Rome

The Pantheon is amazingly well preserved for its age. The size of this place doesn't come through well in the pictures, but the roof alone is just amazing.

Spanish Steps - Rome

These are the Spanish Steps in Rome. They were very pretty and gave you some great views of the city from the top. They were covered in potted azaleas for the season.

Roman Ruins - Misc.

Rome - Misc. Pictures

French Alps

Tax season is finally over, and Emily and I have returned from our European travels. I'm gonna do CPR on this blog and bring it back to life now. First, here is a picture of the French Alps as we flew from Germany to Rome. It was a very cloudy flight until we got to the Alps, and then the clouds broke. They were amazing to see. They are so different from the mountains that I have seen here in the Eastern US.

Stay tuned, more pictures from the European trip are coming. I've got tons, so I'm gonna pace myself.

Best Game Ever

Muppets sing Danny Boy

Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone.

Stop Motion Videos

I was trying to help the boys understand that videos are just lots of pictures put together, so we got out the digital camera and made two videos of our own. Then we added some sound clips we found online and viola. They were real impressed and I think grasped the concept.

The Toothpicks star trick

Someone try this and comment if it works.

Barack Obama with a twist - Balloon art

Optimus does the "Evolution of Dance"

Caleb and Ben love this video!

Huckabee on SNL

Penn and Teller - Cups and Balls Trick with Reveal

I love magic tricks, especially when they show you how its done.

Shave Partner

Ben got a shave kit for Christmas, and now likes to shave with me each morning. It slows me down as I'm trying to get ready for work, but could he be any cuter? He has to do it just like me, with all the rinsing and the real shave cream, etc.

The Doughnut Week

First Caleb had his doughtnut field trip last Wednesday to Daylight doughnuts. He got to see how they cooked them, and then ice and dip his own doughnut in sprinkles. Talk about a cool field trip. Emily and Ben were sure to go with Caleb on this one (but they weren't allowed to join him in the kitchen).

Then the next day was doughnuts with Dads. All the dads come and spend a hour in the class and share doughnuts. The kids show us their room, and all made a present for us. It was a fun time for Caleb and me.

Lost Party - Episode 3

The reason we started to gather was to watch Lost together. Sometimes I think the reason we continue to gather is for the food. Episode 3 was fondue night. 3 courses consisting of cheese, oil, and then the chocolate fountain. It was quite a night!

Be Ben's Valentine

Ben found Emily's new tobaggon and wouldn't take it off all afternoon. He decided he should wear it while he wrote his valentines to his friends in puggles. He looks very artistic doesn't he?

Mardi Gras

This is a picture from Miss Ashley's annual Mardi Gras bash. Caleb is showing you his glow stick bracelet.

Lost Season 4 Premiere Party

On January 31st we had our Lost Season 4 Premiere Party. We went all out this year (we don't usually decorate like this for a TV show. We had a great time though, and the episode did not disappoint us.

Is the Earth Growing

While I wouldn't agree with many of the assumptions of this man's worldview, his theory is interesting. I'm curious where he things all the water in the oceans came from. Since he's clearly not a creationist, it had to come from somewhere. What do you think?

Candles Art

E.R. discovers the flaw of post-modernisem

Apparently I turned off ER a few episodes too soon. Emily and I gave up on it last season. This clip is surprisingly powerful and real though and reminds me of the desperation we should all have for forgiveness.

Violinist

I bet this was a great concert.

Stimulus Plan

I was reading up on this for work and thought I might share the details in layman's terms (as best I can).

• If you are married and you had at least 1,200 in tax liability (form 1040, line 44), then you get a 1,200 rebate.
• If you have less than 1,200 in tax liability, then you get a refund of the tax amount, with a minimum of 600 for married people (300 minimum for singles).
• You have to have at least 3,000 in earned income or social security income.
• Even if you don't normally file a tax return because you don't owe taxes (i.e. your only income is social security), you need to file a return this year to get on the IRS rebate list.
• You get an additional $300 for each kid that also qualifies for the child tax credit (with no limit as far as I can see)
• That means $1,800 for us!!!
  
• Payments start going out in May and continue through the summer.
• I would recommend filing on time and not filing an extension this year. It will likely delay your rebate.
• Here's a nifty calculator I found:

• More Info
  

Ultrasound - Baby #3

For those who haven't heard, Emily is pregnant!
We had our first ultrasound for baby number 3 today. The baby is healthy and about 10.5 weeks old. Our due date is Sept. 6th.

Updated Articles

Even though I'm not posting much, I am still linking to "interesting things I've read lately" on the far right column (in case you are interested).

Frozen Grand Central

Cubicle Prank

Rhett and Link - American Idol

This is great, especially if you watch the show. Be sure to watch past the clip they show to where they actually do their own song.

Excit Game

Here's another time wasting game for you. It is very simple to understand, but sometimes requires a few tries before you figure out the right pattern to the finish line. Enjoy.

Excit Game

Bible - God's Perspective

These pictures were done as if you were looking at the Bible with Google Earth maps. Check them out.

Explosive Skating

This is a little long, but stick with it. At the very least watch the last sequence from about 4:15 on.

Mountain Pictures

Better late than never. I finally downloaded the pictures from our trip to the VA mountains. I'm trying the web album slide show option since there are so many. Hope this works ok.

A Piece of the Rock

This is an odd marketing scheme and gift. I wonder if you could build on your land? Maybe a small birdhouse? Maybe you could be buried in Israel (vertically since it is only 1X1). I wonder if your deed carries over into the new Jerusalem and New Earth as well?

LOST - The Synchronizing

This is really cool. It will get you excited about the season premiere on Thursday!

Warning, if you aren't caught up on your lost then this will spoil you.