Kickin the Can!

The good folks over at thisyounghouse seem to be enjoying the rewards of recycling and composting.  Check out their great DIY post on starting your own compost. (link).

We have been doing the compost thing since 9/6/08. (2 months) And we have been recycling ever since the WM made it easy to do so w/ curbside recycling.  But now that we compost we are even more aware now of what is going where.  Our kids tend to stop and think about where something goes before they just throw it in the trash.  Even at times correcting us when we forget.

And just like the folks over at ThisYoungHouse we too have also seen a significant decrease in the amount of "trash bags" that we are sending to the landfill.  Right now we are sending 1-2 bags a week for a family of 4.  It would be nice to have less and maybe save some "green" on paying WM.

What's in those 1-2 bags??

Plastic and other non-recyclables - food packaging

Styrofoam - the stuff that holds your chicken and meat.

Meat waste - mostly bones and some scraps -- a small bit...

Now how about those leaves that are falling...

How to convince the wife and kids?

Someone help -- We are at the end of our Comcast promotion.  How do I convince the wife and kids to turn off the cable - and watch everything through Hulu, iTunes, Xbox360, Netflix??

The news is out!!

What ever was in the water in Richmond seems to have trickled its way to the southside.  We caught the bug and our little family will grow from 4 to 5...  I'm thinking 3 kids is going to be awesome - but probably won't be getting our own reality show for it. 

We have been prepping the 7yr and the 5yr for months about it.  Asking them if they would like to be a big brother one day, how cool would it be to change diapers (that didn't work).  But when we did share with them the good news.  We  didn't quite get the response we were looking for from the 5yr.

He immediately got upset --  He knows that you have to stay in the hospital for a couple of days when you are having a baby -- so he was very upset that mommy would have to go the hospital.

He then said "Mommy if you're in the hospital, How am I going to get to the Bus Stop".

From a 5yr olds perspective that's pretty important...

West Point!

As we were driving through West Point, VA.
Adam -- what do they make over there?
- Clouds!

Fam Vacation!!

Back from Vacation and wish I was back on Vacation!


- When is a Family Vacation -- Really a Family Vacation??
- When everyone can swim on their own!!!
This year everyone was old enough and swim ready. It was nice to sit and watch!

This is what happens when the Suburbs go on Vacation!! (I'm Guilty)

Baseball!!

The Braves are leaving -- Who Cares!!

This is the next best thing!!

Matthew has really kicked it up since playing at the Y for the past 2 years. I think sometimes folks make a big deal about sports this young being too competitive. I find that true for tee-ball. But I think the added competitiveness has helped his game this year.

It's Adam's second year of ball. No more Tee-Ball!!! He is in a hitting slump right now - hopefully will get out of it by the next game. Still working to improve on his infield/outfield work -- throwing is great. Still needs some work on catching. Next year -- I think everything will catch up and it will be a great season. He does look good though!!!

Paid Vacation!

Is it a done deal??? Looks like we might be getting some extra $$$$ in the mail to help boost this economy. $300 for paycheck receiving individuals and up to $1200 for a family of 4. (link)

When we get it - if we get it - it will be going straight to our much needed Family Vacation in June. With the rates on everything dropping - it might be a good year - to buy that new (used) car, and do a refi on that house?? Maybe??

It’s 2008. Now back to Work – Play – Family

I have certainly enjoyed all these 4 day weekends. Christmas came and went so fast it’s unbelievable. If it wasn’t for the tree still standing and the lights on the house I would have to question if we celebrated it yet?

New Years was awesome – The wife and I checked into the Omni on Monday – enjoyed some much needed relaxing – no kids – no phones – no xbox – no wii – no ratatouille. Something about staying in a hotel is great – you don’t have to clean it and you get all the towels you need. – Later that night we headed over to Toads Place for the New Years Celebration with Carbon Leaf… It was awesome. They played a joke on us – and we were probably the only ones that fell for it.. Thanks to the Me and Her opening act…

New Years Resolutions???

1. Gym!!! Running!! How crazy busy will the gym be tonight??
2. Ducks!! Big plans for 2008 – 1^st have to get my ducks in a row!!
3. TV!! Turn the Da** thing off!!
4. Xbox360!! Give it back to my Brother!!
5. Read More!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

and today he turns this many.



Well minus one hand.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BUD!!!

Surviving!

We Survived Thanksgivings. It was our first "all the families"are invited to our house - But you have to bring a dish Thanksgiving. Melinda handled the Turkey and 10lbs of potatoes and some awesome stuffing - I made the Sausage Balls and horded all the fresh shrimp my Dad brought. - I'm sure we had more stuff - I just don't eat what other folks make...

We Survived Christmas Shopping. December 3, 2007 -- and we are finished and we are on budget. How we did it. We made are list several months ago - and started one by one until the list was finished. and used zero credit cards -- why? because we don't have any. (I LOVE MY WIFE).

Melinda is trying to survive her Post injuries from running the Marathon. How do you Fracture a bone and not know it for 2 weeks???

She Did It!!!

26.2 miles is definitely no run around the block.

Melinda started all this running back in January 07. All she wanted to do was run and finish the Ukrops 10k. Back then she stated she couldn't even run 1 mile without stopping. 6 miles seemed impossible. Well she ran and finished the Ukrops 10k and has been running ever since. Carytown 10k, XCountry 1/2 marathon and the Scholarship 30k.

11 months later and 4 pairs of running shoes - She completed her first Marathon - and even managed to beat her goal time.

26.2 miles --- 4:58:57
Awesome -- We Love You!!

The Squirrels Ate our Pumpkins

Who knew???
Last week we carved our pumpkins. We had 4. We are now down to 2. Adam's pumpkin got eaten by a hungry squirrel. Melinda's pumpkin(not shown) caught a case of the mold. The remaining 2 are barely holding on. Will we make it to Halloween? Anyone else over run by squirrels??

Our off the Couch Weekend!!!

Friday Night -- Movie night. Now if I would have asked Matthew and Adam if they wanted to watch E.T. they probably would have said no - because other than the ride at Disney World - they have no idea who or what E.T. is. So, I had to be a little tactful - because I really wanted to watch E.T.
"Hey Adam and Matthew you guys want to watch a movie tonight? (YEAH) -- How about E.T. -- we can watch this with POPCORN and ROOT BEER."

They didn't hear E.T. all they heard was POPCORN and ROOT BEER! Yeah, I feel a little bit guilty... but the movie is awesome!! and now they think so too...

Saturday -- Melinda went for her long run (11 miles) -- that just sounds crazy to me. I don't even want to drive 11 miles on the weekend... But she did it -- was it cold - yeah, a little rainy - yeah. Should we have breakfast ready for her when she gets home -- Yeah!!
The sun popped out -- the kids were off to a birthday party -- and I was off to go Kayaking. What an awesome way to spend an afternoon -- in the middle of a lake with no one around -- very relaxing... Also, trying to cross the lake looks easy from the shore -- in a 9.5 foot long Kayak not so easy.

Sunday -- Got off the couch and out of the house at 7:00 a.m. to go run the Midlothian Blaze 5k. My goals were simple:

1. Show up
2. Finish
3. Run the 3 miles without stopping
4. Don't Come in last
5. Try to finish in 30 minutes

Well I got the first 4 done... But my time was 32:13. Hey I'm just happy I finished.

Next 5k -- American Family October 13

The Weekend is Coming!!

Last week was only a 3 day work week for me -- So this week having to actually work a full week and doing some other work in the evenings has made this a very long week. So how will we enjoy the weekend.. Another Trip to Chincoteague.. Unfortunately -no.

Friday -- kids pick movie night -- (I'm pushing ET)

Saturday -- Melinda does her long run - in prep for the Maymont 1/2 marathon. Kids off to a friends B-Day party at the playroom, for me Kayaking in the new Kayak (see above) in the Swift Creek Reservoir. Bike Rides on the trails. Hopefully, getting the 4 year old off the training wheels...

Sunday -- Off the couch and running my first 5K -- The Midlothian Blaze. It's only 3 miles -- I say only... Church, rest, maybe convince Melinda to watch 300 one more time.

what's happening this weekend

Tonight -- friends, grill, chicken and a movie - wild hogs

Saturday -- trashing all leaded toys, kids crying, make up -- hours upon hours at the pool. maybe go see the birds

Sunday -- visiting a new church, yard work, rest

Good Stuff: Pandora Radio (thanks)

Are You GREEN??? Get your Score!

With all this talk of going Green - I decided to take the quiz on EarthLab.com.
So whats my ECP Score (My Carbon Footprint).

Ouch -- 302

I answered the quiz for the entire family.
The site said that the Average Score was 324 for the US and 304 for Canada. So, we're slightly below the average. 302 is still pretty high. I think our low electric bill (thanks to our house being shaded by woods), are partial use of CFL's and the fact that we recycle like crazy -- got us below the 324. What didn't save us was the amount of bedrooms (5), and are lack of using public transportation, or non-car means to commute, our lack of water saving features on our showers, and our SUV.

Easy things that could change are carbon use:
Water Efficient Shower heads
Bring our own bags to the market
Compost (not sure how easy that is - but we have plenty of leaves)

So what's your Score??

SLOW DOWN SUMMER

Kayaking on the River. Everyone had a great time on Saturday kayaking in Gloucester, Va -- I'm seeing Kayaks under the christmas tree...

This summer is just turning out to be one of the best summers. Last year our summer was taken over by the purchasing of a new house - and all the joys (money) that goes with all that. This summer has been awesome -- with our vacation to Florida, Our 1st Family Camping Trip, Tubing on the James, biking around the hood, fishing @ Sundays and are many many trips for Italian Ice at Rita's.

What a great Summer so far... In a little more than a month -- our oldest will be going into 1st grade and the other will be going into a new preschool. Summers are again starting to fly on by... STOP!!!!!!

The James River is Awesome

Friday -- All of our schedules worked out and every was home - so we finally made it to a Braves Game this season... Great Weather -- lots of junk food -- a couple of foam fingers -- and VCU Coach Anthony Grant -- Braves got a win... Yeah - it was a great time.

Saturday -- Cruised up to Scottsville to go Tubing on the James (here). The website said 6 years old and up. So the 4 year old didn't make it. He went to the Watermelon Fest at the Chesterfield Berry Farm instead.

Anyway, tubing on the James is Awesome -- Basically you sit on a tube for 3 hours and relax. Stopping along the way to eat lunch on an island - play football -- whatever. We had a great time. If you go bring some goggles - We saw some pretty big fish and a couple of turtles along the way. Matthew had us convinced we saw a beaver - turned out to be a dog... We were also amazed by the amount of beer people would bring on their tubing trip. But don't let that stop you from going - it was actually pretty funny - how some people will react to being in a tube drunk.

We plan to back in August - and with the 4 year this time. We pleaded are case - explained all $$ we spent on swimming lessons etc,etc...

Sunday -- a day of rest needed -- not sure how relaxing on a tube the previous day makes one so tired...

Too Hot For Camping??

Last month I took Brooklyn camping for the first time. Some would say we really didn't go camping. Personally I think Camping is Camping whether it's in an RV, Pop-up or Tent - its camping.

About once a year I go "camping" with my friends - the kind of camping where you put on a backpack with all your gear - hike some trails - and crash wherever you can find a spot. (except on Old Rag Mountain - where you better not camp on private property).

Anyway, last month the fam went camping at Kiptopeke State Park over on the Eastern Shore part of VA. I like to give the wife a hard time and call her "Brooklyn" when it comes to anything "southern". Not that camping is strictly for "southerns". Anyway, She is from Brooklyn and never got the chance to go camping as a kid. So packing everything in a backpack and hiking some trails was probably not a good way to introduce camping to her. So instead I got a huge 8 person tent from Amazon.com for the Fam last Christmas. Then we got the air mattresses for us and the kids, the canopy with mosquito netting to surround our picnic table, the coleman grill, bug spray, etc,etc. Basically we got the works to make camping enjoyable to anyone who has never been camping.

The trip was a success. Brooklyn had a great time. Of coarse the 2 boys did as well. Which 6 and 4 year old wouldn't. And since that trip we have been planning 2-3 more camping trips to try and get in before the end of the summer. This weekend we are going to check out Bear Creek Lake over in Cumberland. We have not decided on the camping part yet -- with the heat like this Brooklyn may cancel the other 2 camping trips...

Thanks Bud!!

A week ago I told Matthew that last Sunday was going to be just me and him. I wasn't surprised that he was excited about a day just for us - because - hey -- I am his Dad. But I was surprised that he figured it out and made a comment that it was just a day for us. Conversation went kind of like this:

Me: Matthew -- Guess what??
Matthew: What??
Me: Melinda has to work Saturday Night - So she will probably need to sleep most of the day on Sunday.
Matthew: Okay
Me: And Adam will be with his dad.
Matthew: Big Smile -- So Sunday will be a Daddy and Matthew day??
Me: Yep!
Matthew: It's been a long time Dad since we had a Daddy and Matthew Day!
Me: Oh! I guess it has been buddy.

And in looking back - I guess Matthew can remember a time when it was just me and him. Now that I am re-married and Melinda also having a son from a previous marriage - we have instantly become this family of 4. So weekends are filled doing things as a family of 4. Not too many weekends or weeknights when its not just the 4 of us. But it seems Matthew would like to have more time when it is just the 2 of us. Thanks for calling me out -- on this bud!!!

So how was our Sunday together!!! Awesome... I had planned to build a work-table for the garage on another weekend - but this seemed to be a good day to do it. So we headed to home depot - got some 2x4's and some plywood. Matthew got some safety goggles and an apron (thanks home depot). Matthew was all hands on with this project. From measuring and marking cut lines - to using the drill to put in some screws. He had a blast - We couldn't ask for a better day!!

After the workbench was built we decided to walk to the pool instead of riding our bikes or driving - so it gave us more time to talk and have fun. We spent the rest of the day at the pool. You can't beat a day like that!!!