Category Archives: The Girl

On A Personal Note…

Thanks everyone, for allowing me to take some time off from the blog – even if it was only 12 hours. It’s been a long, difficult day (see below), compounded by the fact that Kyle was stuck home with a 104 degree fever.

For my part, I collapsed after I got home from the funeral, and slept until dinner. I think the stress of it all – and a terrible few weeks at work – finally hit me. I’m off until the 30th, and I fully expect to sit around and get myself rejuvenated.

Until then, here’s video of the girl, singing at the family Christmas party last weekend . . .

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Happy Birthday Julia!

Today is the princess’s fourth birthday. As such, she has mandated that she receive the following:

1. A pink princess cake. (She got that last night, courtesy of grandmom.)
2. Lots of princess toys. (She also got that last night at her family party.)
3. Daddy-daughter time. (She’ll get that, because I’m off today.)

I’m sure she has other demands, and she has 17 more hours to release them.

Happy birthday, Julia! We love you!

This Week On The Discovery Channel

This is Julia, my youngest child and only daughter. Like most kids, she’s usually not aware of her surroundings, but is alert enough to notice something out of the ordinary.

That talent was on display this afternoon, as we took a trip to Tyler State Park in Newtown, PA. We were walking back to the car through a wooded path. All of the sudden, Julia screamed. Most times, a Julia scream means she saw a bug. I looked at her, and she was pointing at the path.

What did she see? . . .

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Carnys Built This Country!

Well, the carny part of it anyway. The boys’ school has the carnival in town this week, and since the rains canceled Kyle’s practice, we took the kids there. It’s usually a good time, and Kyle and Erik spent the night going on every vomit-inducing ride in the place.

Unfortunately, Erik had to take a parent. Guess which one?

I was dragged onto the Gravitron and the Tilt-A-Hurl, then onto the Merry Go Round with Julia (above). Not the nest thing for a guy who gets vertigo rolling over in bed. Thankfully, I kept my lunch, and the kids had a terrific time. Now we’re good for another year.

It’s All About Respect

You may not know it to look at her, but sometimes my daughter is a little devil. Sure, she’s really cute and is for the most part, well-behaved, but there are days when we want to sell her to the circus.

The good news is that when she does act up, and I have to discipline her, I am always treated with respect.

And when I’m not, I at least get a song . . .

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Happy Birthday Julia!

My daughter, the most beautiful girl in the world, is three years old today. Julia is smart, vivacious, and tough. Growing up with three brothers, she has to hold her own, and she does. Of course, we’ve also had to pull her off Kevin once or twice because he dared to touch her toys, but that’s to be expected.

Julia has given us a few heart attacks in these three years. She was hospitalized for a few days not long after she was born, and she suffered a febrile seizure a year ago, but for the most part, she has been happy and healthy. She also loves her Daddy, and I’m soaking all of that in now, because when she’s a teenager . . .

And before you ask, I absolutely love this photo, taken at the beach in August.

Happy birthday, Jules! We love you.

Charles Schulz Would Be Proud

After coming home from Thanksgiving dinner at the in-laws, the kids plopped in front of the TV to watch A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. It’s a classic American tradition. While we were watching Snoopy throw plates of “dinner” toward Charlie and the gang the missus had an idea. She asked the kids and they were all for it.

Last night, the kids had their very own Charlie Brown Thanksgiving dinner. The missus brought out paper plates and gave each of the kids toast, pretzel sticks, and popcorn. (We didn’t add the jelly beans, because Erik is the only one who likes them.)

The results are below the fold.

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Overnight Thread

Today is the start of the Independence Day weekend, and if you are planning to attend one of the many 4th of July parades, I have some bad news:

You might be a right-wing kook. According a Harvard study, the parades brainwash children into thinking they are eeeeevil Republicans!

Democratic political candidates can skip this weekend’s July 4th parades. A new Harvard University study finds that July 4th parades energize only Republicans, turn kids into Republicans, and help to boost the GOP turnout of adults on Election Day.

The three key findings of those attending July 4th celebrations:

* When done before the age of 18, it increases the likelihood of a youth identifying as a Republican by at least 2 percent.
* It raises the likelihood that parade watchers will vote for a Republican candidate by 4 percent.
* It boosts the likelihood a reveler will vote by about 1 percent and increases the chances they’ll make a political contribution by 3 percent.

Sweet! I gotta start bringing all of the neighborhood kids to the parade this year. “Just jump in the back of the SUV, guys! Ice cream is on Michele Bachmann!”

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In Your Easter Bonnet…

So, we took the kids to Easter mass this morning. It was the first time the six of us have been to church in a while. Mrs. Earp usually takes Kyle and Erik, while I stay home with Kevin and Julia. It’s been difficult to bring the toddlers since “the incidents.” Last year, while I was holding Julia, she took out her pacifier and threw it at the elderly woman behind us – striking her in the face. Kevin, on the other hand, spent the entire hour trying to run up and down the aisles. I spent that mass – where Kyle won an award from school – in the lobby wrangling the two little monsters blessings.

So today, we tried again.

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