California McMillans

Since the boys are both into playing the Star Wars Imperial March on the piano, Kira's been singing it.  Sunday I played it and filmed her doing it.  I know there's a big error in the middle, but a bad video is better than no video.  Besides, I was watching the screen to make sure she was still in it. Sometimes I get onto youtube to see whether my videos get any likes or dislikes, and most of them have more dislikes than likes, and I don't care.  Oh, I gotta go.

I took the big camera to Scott's game at Adams.  It is a south-west facing field and the game was in the evening, so the sun was in our eyes the whole night.  But from this angle, the lighting was good.   Scott jumps out of the way for a pitch that he felt was a ball.  The ump and I disagreed, but what can you do?  Scott struck out twice and was feeling pretty down. Here he is hitting a foul ball This is "down and ready." I like the games at Adams because they're close and we can ride bikes, but the field has no trees for shade.  This morning, I was checking out some volunteer trees and wondered whether I could prune them to grow up and straight and provide shade in some fifty years. One of the moms approached and said, "Are you looking for lizards?" That's one of Scott's favorite outdoor pastimes.  He had brought his lizard collection to the game and he was pretty amped up about the one he had just caught. I told the lady m

Had a good, busy baseball weekend.  Scott's game was early while I was working but I made it to Tyler's.  Scott got a homer and received the game ball.   Tyler got four hits and scored some runs. Tyler was awarded the game ball, too. Heather got balloons to release into the sky in honor of Jacquie's birthday, which is today.   This is a new thing for Kira:  one finger in the mouth and another in her nostril.  I try to do her hair but she refuses and it's not worth fussing over.  She'll look back and say, "What were you guys thinking?"  I should video her fighting over her hair, and then we can say, "What would you have done if you were us?" Blakey wearing his dinner.

Scott was reading to the kids and they were all seated on the couch.  I ran to get the camera and Blakey had run off.  Somehow I convinced him to climb back up for this picture, which was the best of three.  All of their eyes are open and their smiles are not bad.  Tyler seems to be able to smile most naturally on cue.  Kira's hair is the usual, a rat's nest.  Blakey loves his baba and binky.  I don't know why Tyler was running around without a shirt because it was kinda cold yesterday.  Scott's teeth are coming in within normal limits.   Now that I had the camera out, Tyler wanted me to photograph him jumping off the couch.  You go, Tyler. Then Kira wanted in. Blakey is talking quite a bit and we can almost understand him.  It's easiest to communicate with yes/no questions.  For yes, he says, "Mm hmm."  For no, it's " NOOOOOOOO !" Mr. T. always down for a photo-op. The kids have been good.  Heidi went to a semina

Tyler has really developed his piano ability.  He seems to have the play-by-ear gift that God gave us and I've been teaching him the Star Wars themes by John Williams.  He can do the following themes: Imperial march (his favorite) The Force Leia Opening credits The emperor. Recently, Scott has gotten interested in learning the Imperial March.  I watched a youtube video where it was played on two pianos and I started teaching Scott a simplified version of that, but a more advanced one than I taught Tyler.  Scott still has more dexterity due to his age and experience with the piano. Well, this morning, the boys got up and fought over who got to play the piano!  A first!  I'd like them to learn Suzuki and reading, since they need a more broad exposure to piano, but Heidi doesn't want me to force them into it.  We had a long discussion about how my sibs and I all learned the piano even though she perceives we may not have enjoyed it.  I certainly detested it until I w