Barry’s Daily Web News

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We had Sean’s first parent-teacher conference this evening. We brought Ethan with us, so we had the entire family attending. Sean is doing well socially, and is age appropriate for most tasks. He is also progressing well on his speech. I could tell Sean felt comfortable in the classroom, as he immediately pulled out some toys to play with during our conversation with the teacher. The only problem area I noted was with the potty training. Of course, I’m anxious to get Sean out of diapers. Sean didn’t qualify for summer preschool, since apparently this is hard to qualify for. We also filled out the paper work for Sean to start riding the bus, which we plan to start this Fall.

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The end of transnationalism? Why not, we won the battle over communism.

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Ethan’s first tooth has finally broken through the gum line. Of course, that’s making him crankier than usual. The combination of children’s tylenol and baby orajel gets Ethan through most of the day. Ethan did have a rough time this evening, but he calmed down after Cortney gave him a bath.

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After the morning hike, I just relaxed for most of the day. It was a nice day today, with highs in the mid-eighties, so I walked Sean over to the park after dinner. Sean didn’t have as much energy as he normally does, but he still had a good time on the playground.

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I took Sean hiking this morning. The landscape was green from all of the growth due to the recent rains. The flowers were just starting to open, so they should be spectacular in the next few weeks. Sean did a good job of hiking. We went on the number two trail, which has a reasonably steep climb, and lots of rocks on the trail. Sean handled the rocks and the slope without any problems. We made it about two thirds of the way up to the top before he started hesitating. I decided that was a good time to turn around. That turned out to be a good decision, as I was able to make it back to the car without having to carry Sean. I think Sean had a good time, so we’ll have to try again next weekend.

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We had dinner guests this evening. Cortney invited Paula from the MOMS club and her husband Don, and their three children. We spent the day cleaning the house in preparation, and I spent some time getting the yard to look a bit better. Cortney made an excellent dinner with her garlic and herb infused pork roast. The dinner was a success, and Sean had fun playing with the three kids.

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We went back to the park near the library this evening. It was a pleasant evening, but just a little too breezy. I took Ethan for a long walk while Sean played on the playground and Cortney took pictures. When I finished the walk, Ethan was sound asleep, allowing me some time to play with Sean. Sean’s favorite game is still “my turn to go down the slide”, where Sean and I go back and forth saying “my turn to go down the slide”, “no, my turn to go down the slide”. This seems to be the only way Sean will go down the tall slide at this park. Sean also played with his dump truck and loader in the playground sand. We were at the park for almost an hour and a half, so Sean had time to do a little bit of everything.

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We are taking an interesting approach to the Iraq War. I expected massive bombardments, attempting to disable the Iraqi command and control. Instead, we appear to be specifically targeting Saddam. I’m worried that this approach leaves open to chemical attacks, and also allows the oil fields to be set on fire.

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Tonight, a rare event happened. Sean happily walked to the park, and happily walked home after a good play session. He didn’t even mind holding my hand when we walked. I usually struggle to get Sean to leave the park peacefully.

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Right after I came home from work, Sean wanted me to read his Little Red Caboose book to him. After that, he wanted me to read the book to his stuffed tiger! Of course, I had to oblige him.

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I never realized the nuclear power plant at Palo Verde, near us, is the largest nuclear facility in the country. It’s reported as 45 miles west of Phoenix, but I couldn’t find the actual address or location. It would still have to be more than 30 miles away from us. Of course, with the FBI and National Guard protecting the plant, we maybe in one of the safest parts of the country.

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It looks like the war in Iraq has started. It is a bold move by the President to start the war directly after the 48 hour ultimatum. So much for the element of surprise. I’m hoping for a swift victory, with minimum harm to our troops.

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I took some time off work today to join the MOMS club in a tour of the Bank One Ballpark (BOB). Sean didn’t think much of the structured tour, and kept trying to run off and explore on his own. Cortney and I took turns trying to keep Sean with the group. The tour was interesting. We were able to see a box suite, the visiting team locker room and dugout, seen here (click to see full-sized image):

They wouldn’t let us onto the field, but we were close from the dugout:

I enjoyed the tour. I shudder to think of Cortney trying to manage Sean and Ethan on her own, so I was doubly glad I went. After the tour, we went to eat at the Friday’s restaurant located in the stadium. It’s partially visible behind Cortney in the last picture.

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We all went out to the store this evening to replace a pot that was damaged due to an incident involving a hot pot and a plastic strainer. Sean wasn’t too happy to be in the store. Cortney and I were happy, because the replacement pot we wanted was on sale, and we were able to use a 20% off coupon for even more savings.

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Floppy went to the vet today for her water injection. Last week, she had her bloodwork done, and everything looked good. This week, she gained another 3 ounces, so she is doing really well. As long as she can keep her weight up and blood levels down, she should be with us for a long time.