Barry’s Daily Web News

A New Lawn

I over-seeded the lawn with winter rye grass. This allows us to have a green lawn all winter long. The only down side (other than the water bill), is that Sean and Ethan will have to wait a few weeks until the new grass grows in before they can play on the lawn.

Finally, I took Sean and Ethan to the local park to play. It has only been cool enough to go for the last week, and today was the first time we had a free evening to go. Sean and Ethan had fun, but we had to leave a bit early after Ethan fell going down the fireman’s pole. He landed forehead first in the sand, giving himself a bit of a scrape. Just in time for the family photos next week.

Ethan Wears Underwear

Ethan went out wearing underwear for the first time today. He went number 1 and 2 in the toilet today, so we had some confidence in him. We went out to dinner, followed by shopping, and Ethan waited all the way until we got home before soiling his underwear. That was over two hours, so that is still a big accomplishment.

In other news today, we got new tires for the minivan. This is the third set of tires we have had. I guess the desert heat is rough on the tires. The new tires do result in a much smoother ride than the old ones. And, we will not have to worry about our tires for our trip to Texas next month.

Ice Cream Social

The PTA for Sean’s school had an ice cream social this evening. Cortney volunteered to help out, so I spent most of the time watching Sean and Ethan on the school playground. I think Sean and Ethan actually enjoyed playing more than the ice cream. Sean even wanted to continue playing, even though it was quite a bit later than his bedtime.

I considered getting involved in the PTA, but it seems the primary purpose of the PTA is to raise money for the school. Since I already pay for the school through property taxes, I don’t consider this to be the best use of my time.

Progress

Big day today for the kids. Ethan did a number 2 in the toilet today. We might just lick this diaper thing after all.

Sean did some decent cartwheels and handstands in his gym class. Starting Monday, Sean will be taking karate lessons at the gym.

Sean’s First Report Card

Cortney and I had a conference with Sean’s teacher this afternoon. We also received Sean’s first report card. Sean is doing well overall academically, but he needs work on his writing.

After the conference, I took Sean to the gym for a make up class. He did really well in the class.

Ethan is 3!

We celebrated Ethan’s third birthday. We went out to dinner at Burger King, then returned home for birthday cake. Next, Ethan opened his presents. He got lots of Thomas the Tank Engine toys. After the presents, I took Sean and Ethan to the library. Sean was happy to tell everyone there that his brother was three. It was a nice simple celebration, but I think Ethan enjoyed it.

A Regular Day

Not much news today. Cortney fixed a nice meal this evening, and I took Sean to his gym class afterwards. Cortney spent a good part of the evening getting ready for Ethan’s “big day”.

Fall is Arriving

Even though it is Fall calendar wise, we still have not received Fall weather. Until today, which was about ten degrees cooler than yesterday.

Instead of the normal yard work, I took Sean with me to stop at some garden stores. We picked up the stuff we needed to overseed the back yard. We also picked up some bulbs to plant now for spring flowers.

Afterwards, we all went shopping at Costco. We were looking to get new tires for the van. They had the tires we needed, but they go on sale tomorrow, so we will wait. We still had fun wandering through the store. We stopped by some of the tables providing food samples. Sean and Ethan actually tried sushi, although neither one of them cared for it.

Sean and I planted the bulbs this evening. With the cooler weather, it was pleasant outside. Sean and I also went swimming. The demon spawn, also known as Ethan, threw more rocks into the pool, and I needed to get them out. I think this will be the last time we go swimming this year. It was cold.

The Train Park

We went to the railfare event at the nearby railroad park. Many groups had model trains on display, and Sean and Ethan loved it. They had so much fun, they never made it to the nice playground they have at the park. We spent almost the entire day either riding the large scale train ride, or looking at the model displays.

Back to Normal

It’s good to be back on a normal schedule, and I feel healthy for the first time since I had the sinus infection over two weeks ago. The work day was enjoyable, and I had fun taking Sean and Ethan to dinner at McDonald’s.

Back in Town

I forgot to open up my firewall to access my home computer, so I was not able to post while I was away.

The trip to Toronto went well. We had nice weather there, with highs around 80, which is close to record highs. It’s good to be home again.

A Busy Day

I had a full day today. Tomorrow is loose trash pickup, so I had a major yard work day. I trimmed a big branch off the mesquite tree in the back yard, and that took some doing. I finished the yard work with a nice swim in the pool. I wasn’t planning on going in, but Ethan had thrown some rocks in, and the easiest way to get them out is to dive and and pick them up by hand. Despite the fact the Autumn has been here awhile, the pool was still comfortable with temperatures around 78 degrees.

After the yard work, I had to clean up the house and pick for a business trip. I will be leaving for Toronto tomorrow, returning on Thursday.

Family Day

I’ll be going out of town next week, so I wanted to spend time with the family. During the day, we went to the Chandler Mall. This evening, we went out to dinner. It’s too bad I don’t have my full energy level, or I would have enjoyed the day much more.