Just wanted to share my new favorite photo. This is Peyton Clymer and her dad, Jamie. We should all be so happy.
Friday, August 31, 2007
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Oh Baby!
Big Daddy and little Jackie
Mom and JillianGood news to report - new babies are here.
First - The Pfirrman girls just uped our population from three (Julia, Maddie and me) to five with the birth of Sean and Julia's twins. I am most pleased to welcome Jillian Grace and Jacqueline Kevyn Pfirrman. They were born earlier today (August 30). Everyone is doing well. It's at moments like this that I hate being far away. Please know that if I wasn't in the middle of my hazing into grad school (ie. orientation), we would be right there showering the girls in gifts and kisses as that is the primary responsibility of an aunt (at least until they are old enough for me to buy their first beer).
Maddie and I can't wait to see you all and snuggle the little ones. Maddie is so proud to be a big cousin again. She walked around all afternoon with her chest puffed out. I'm sure when I tell her tomorrow that Jackie is carrying her father's name she will be so touched. I know I am. I wish like crazy that he were here to see them. He would be so proud of you, Sean. (Although, Julia did do most of the work. :)
Second - Congrats to Coach Nance and his wife, Connie, on the birth of their first grandchild. Nico Anthony was born on 8/27.
Okay, that should be it for Summer Baby Watch 2007. That brings the tally to five - Avary, Owen, Jillian, Jackie, and Nico. Did I miss anyone? It reminds me of working at Davey when whole groups of people would be expecting at the same time. Everyone always said, "It must be something in the water." Hmm. Think I'll stick to iced tea. :)
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
The End of Denial Leads to a Long Road
For some time now I have been in complete denial about the fact that my dog may have put on a few extra pounds. I completely ignored all of you who so kindly pointed out, "Lola looks like she might be gaining a few" or not so kindly said, "Lola is getting fat."
Let me just say that I have a great dog. She is lovable. She more than tolerates the kids, including Joe who has put his finger up her nose on more than one occassion. She has totally mastered the impulse to jump on everyone. So, beside the shedding and stinky breath, Lola rocks.
With that being said, I now admit she may have been getting a little heavy. Now mind you, she's not obese, just a little plump. My denial ended when the vet mentioned that the "extra weight might be detrimental in the long run."
In my determination to help the dog shed a few, I might have been a bit overambitious. Like most things, when I make up my mind to do something, I do it with gusto - reality be damned.
So here's the story: Our house is about three miles from Maddie's school. Perfect distance especially considering there is a hike/bike path the entire way. Last Thursday I said to Maddie, "How about if we walk to school? I can take Lola for her walk then."
"Great. That will be fun," said my kid. Of course, this seems fun the night before at 7 p.m. She didn't find it so fun the next morning when we had to leave the house at 7 a.m. Maddie, not being a morning person at all, drags her feet getting ready which means we have to haul ass to get to school. You may be asking yourself why didn't they just drive if they were running behind? Good question. The answer is that it was 7 a.m. in the morning and I had one thing on my mind - my fat dog. So we do a run/walk/run/sprint for three miles until we reach the elementary school.
Lola and I say goodbye to Maddie, who was only three minutes late, and turn to walk the three miles home. As we start back, I notice Lola is slowing down, not stopping mind you, but getting progressively slower by the minute. And no lie - she starts faking a limp. I know that she is faking because I check all her paws and let her rest for a bit. I tell her, "Time to go home." I swear to God, the dog gave this look like if she had middle fingers, I would be getting the double bird. Of course the limp disappears as we enter the home stretch.
After 6 miles, Lola found her spot and stayed there for two days. :) Everything in moderation - especially walking a fat dog.
Here's a picture of Maddie on the first day of school. By the way, she loves her school and day care. She now has a new best bed, named Minnie who happens to have the same birthday as Miss M. And she has a twin sister, Jennie, who Maddie informed me "has the same birthday, too!"
Let me just say that I have a great dog. She is lovable. She more than tolerates the kids, including Joe who has put his finger up her nose on more than one occassion. She has totally mastered the impulse to jump on everyone. So, beside the shedding and stinky breath, Lola rocks.
With that being said, I now admit she may have been getting a little heavy. Now mind you, she's not obese, just a little plump. My denial ended when the vet mentioned that the "extra weight might be detrimental in the long run."
In my determination to help the dog shed a few, I might have been a bit overambitious. Like most things, when I make up my mind to do something, I do it with gusto - reality be damned.
So here's the story: Our house is about three miles from Maddie's school. Perfect distance especially considering there is a hike/bike path the entire way. Last Thursday I said to Maddie, "How about if we walk to school? I can take Lola for her walk then."
"Great. That will be fun," said my kid. Of course, this seems fun the night before at 7 p.m. She didn't find it so fun the next morning when we had to leave the house at 7 a.m. Maddie, not being a morning person at all, drags her feet getting ready which means we have to haul ass to get to school. You may be asking yourself why didn't they just drive if they were running behind? Good question. The answer is that it was 7 a.m. in the morning and I had one thing on my mind - my fat dog. So we do a run/walk/run/sprint for three miles until we reach the elementary school.
Lola and I say goodbye to Maddie, who was only three minutes late, and turn to walk the three miles home. As we start back, I notice Lola is slowing down, not stopping mind you, but getting progressively slower by the minute. And no lie - she starts faking a limp. I know that she is faking because I check all her paws and let her rest for a bit. I tell her, "Time to go home." I swear to God, the dog gave this look like if she had middle fingers, I would be getting the double bird. Of course the limp disappears as we enter the home stretch.
After 6 miles, Lola found her spot and stayed there for two days. :) Everything in moderation - especially walking a fat dog.
Here's a picture of Maddie on the first day of school. By the way, she loves her school and day care. She now has a new best bed, named Minnie who happens to have the same birthday as Miss M. And she has a twin sister, Jennie, who Maddie informed me "has the same birthday, too!"
Mad Props
Just wanted to congratulate my niece Clare. She placed second in the beginners jig competition at the fesh during the Dublin Irish Festival. You rock.
(Getting that girl to hold still for a picture is nearly impossible.)
"Summer Lovin' - Happened So Fast ..."
Summer was more than just lugging heavy boxes and cracking hefty books for the Pfirrman girls. We did manage to squeeze in some fun this summer. Most of it was in the company of the Wild, Wild Driscolls. I just absolutely love my sister and her family.
Okay, as promised, here are some pictures from the summer:
For those who have or who know any kids under 13 (maybe even over as well), High School Musical is the biggest thing since Grease. For those who don't know about it - it's Grease without all the innuendos and bad-ass T-birds. The sequel came out this summer and we had a slumber party to celebrate.
So here are Maddie, Joe and Clare post-party.
Here's my stunning little girl. Gotta love her.
The lineup of superfans. Surprisingly, Joe might be the biggest fan. As he told me ALL night - "I Troy, Aunt J." (Troy is the main character.)
Irish eyes, baby! The three goofballs after Clare's competition at the Dublin Irish Festival.
One of our most favorite places to visit is Young's Diary Farm in Yellow Springs. Here are the kiddos knockin' back a few scoops of the best ice cream in the state.
Young's has several sport activities - much to Joe's delight. Here Maddie is trying to turn Little Man into the next Tiger Woods.
Not content to be a one-sport guy, Joe (and the rest of us) took a swing at the batting cages. Here my beautiful sister Lindsey stops him long enough to get a picture.
Maddie and Clare "drive" a tractor at Young's. Given the expressions on their faces you would think that the tractor actually moved. Nope, it was completely stationary.
Moving can be soooooo much fun! I have no idea what Clare was doing.
Maddie was hard at work painting her legs.
Lola watches as Maddie paints, debunking the myth that she's the hardest working down in showbiz.
Maddie and her best friend Jenna from Cincy say goodbye. Lots of tears fell after this photo.
Okay, as promised, here are some pictures from the summer:
For those who have or who know any kids under 13 (maybe even over as well), High School Musical is the biggest thing since Grease. For those who don't know about it - it's Grease without all the innuendos and bad-ass T-birds. The sequel came out this summer and we had a slumber party to celebrate.
So here are Maddie, Joe and Clare post-party.
Here's my stunning little girl. Gotta love her.
The lineup of superfans. Surprisingly, Joe might be the biggest fan. As he told me ALL night - "I Troy, Aunt J." (Troy is the main character.)
Irish eyes, baby! The three goofballs after Clare's competition at the Dublin Irish Festival.
One of our most favorite places to visit is Young's Diary Farm in Yellow Springs. Here are the kiddos knockin' back a few scoops of the best ice cream in the state.
Young's has several sport activities - much to Joe's delight. Here Maddie is trying to turn Little Man into the next Tiger Woods.
Not content to be a one-sport guy, Joe (and the rest of us) took a swing at the batting cages. Here my beautiful sister Lindsey stops him long enough to get a picture.
Maddie and Clare "drive" a tractor at Young's. Given the expressions on their faces you would think that the tractor actually moved. Nope, it was completely stationary.
Moving can be soooooo much fun! I have no idea what Clare was doing.
Maddie was hard at work painting her legs.
Lola watches as Maddie paints, debunking the myth that she's the hardest working down in showbiz.
Maddie and her best friend Jenna from Cincy say goodbye. Lots of tears fell after this photo.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Goodbye summer ... And take the heat with you
It's official. Summer is over. Maddie started third grade yesterday.
Ah, third grade. I was just writing to a friend from London about it - (Angie Moore for those from London. She told a great story about how she made fake free breakfast and lunch tickets so that she could keep her cash for snacks after school - until she got caught several weeks later.) I remember that third grade was the year that I realized that teachers are actually people not just fixtures of the school. I had Miss Herman. I thought she was so cool. She wore tons of makeup and jacked her hair up to Jesus. Gotta love the 80s. I remember finding her cigarettes on the floor by her desk. It was then that I realized she wasn't just part of the classroom.
So far, my kid seems to be enjoying third grade. She likes her teacher "about the same as Miss Howry," which, from my kid, is like saying the woman walks on water. She seems to have adjusted to the new after-school care situation. Her music teacher is "soooooo funny." She gets to check out THREE books at the "very cool" library this year (I guess age does have its privileges). No new friends yet, but Maddie does take awhile to warm up to people, so I'm sure in the next few weeks I'll be hearing about her new best friend.
As for me, I'm studying my butt off. My neuropsych class end just in time for me to prepare for the "quizzes" they are planning on dropping on us during orientation. The study guides they provided are painful. One covers Personality Theory - that's right ALL of personality theory. AAAAAA! Well Toto, I guess we're not in Kent anymore. :)
Ah, third grade. I was just writing to a friend from London about it - (Angie Moore for those from London. She told a great story about how she made fake free breakfast and lunch tickets so that she could keep her cash for snacks after school - until she got caught several weeks later.) I remember that third grade was the year that I realized that teachers are actually people not just fixtures of the school. I had Miss Herman. I thought she was so cool. She wore tons of makeup and jacked her hair up to Jesus. Gotta love the 80s. I remember finding her cigarettes on the floor by her desk. It was then that I realized she wasn't just part of the classroom.
So far, my kid seems to be enjoying third grade. She likes her teacher "about the same as Miss Howry," which, from my kid, is like saying the woman walks on water. She seems to have adjusted to the new after-school care situation. Her music teacher is "soooooo funny." She gets to check out THREE books at the "very cool" library this year (I guess age does have its privileges). No new friends yet, but Maddie does take awhile to warm up to people, so I'm sure in the next few weeks I'll be hearing about her new best friend.
As for me, I'm studying my butt off. My neuropsych class end just in time for me to prepare for the "quizzes" they are planning on dropping on us during orientation. The study guides they provided are painful. One covers Personality Theory - that's right ALL of personality theory. AAAAAA! Well Toto, I guess we're not in Kent anymore. :)
Monday, August 13, 2007
Another for the WTF file
Just when I think we as a people have made some progress, I see that we aren't as far along as I thought. Check out this link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuoiZnr4jLY
I really don't know what to say except I fear for the future.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuoiZnr4jLY
I really don't know what to say except I fear for the future.
Friday, August 3, 2007
31 and counting
So, according to my pal Kelly, I am now in my 3os. I suppose I haven't given it much thought. In fact, when my dad called and said "Tomorrow is your big day," I literally had to search the mental calendar. I was sure I had forgotten some commitment that I had. I guess that is the hallmark of getting older - you forget your own birthday. Granted I did have a project due for my neuropsych class so I've been a bit distracted.
I started my big day at 6 a.m. researching the side effects of Risperdal (an antipsychotic). Maddie got up at 6:30 (a rarity for my kid who usually sleeps until 9 or 10) to say happy birthday. She was so excited to celebrate. After working on the project and washing Maddie's wagon (what she wanted to do), we waited for the Directv people. After that, Lindsey and her crew came down for dinner. Too fun. Maddie went home with the Driscoll clan giving me two days without kid. Given that I know very few people in the area, I've spent the time painting the house and watching the Independent Film Channel - love those totally risque movies I've never heard of.
So now, it's 1:15 a.m., I'm covered in paint and buzzed from two glasses of shiraz. The shiraz came first, the paint came second. I can only imagine what my downstairs bath will look like tomorrow. So far, the 31st birthday doesn't feel all that different from the 21st - except I'm not crying in the parking lot of Holly Park for no apparent reason.
Maybe Kelly is right - the 30s ARE the new 20s.
I started my big day at 6 a.m. researching the side effects of Risperdal (an antipsychotic). Maddie got up at 6:30 (a rarity for my kid who usually sleeps until 9 or 10) to say happy birthday. She was so excited to celebrate. After working on the project and washing Maddie's wagon (what she wanted to do), we waited for the Directv people. After that, Lindsey and her crew came down for dinner. Too fun. Maddie went home with the Driscoll clan giving me two days without kid. Given that I know very few people in the area, I've spent the time painting the house and watching the Independent Film Channel - love those totally risque movies I've never heard of.
So now, it's 1:15 a.m., I'm covered in paint and buzzed from two glasses of shiraz. The shiraz came first, the paint came second. I can only imagine what my downstairs bath will look like tomorrow. So far, the 31st birthday doesn't feel all that different from the 21st - except I'm not crying in the parking lot of Holly Park for no apparent reason.
Maybe Kelly is right - the 30s ARE the new 20s.
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