Christmas Day 2012

OK, so I have been neglecting "Carroll Boys".  It's true, and excuses like getting ready for Christmas and upcoming birthdays, my work schedule, etc. don't cut it.  Certain readers are getting quite annoyed with looking at the Camp Lazlo post....  So, finally here we are......  It's Christmas Day!  Here is an update on what we've been doing for the past few weeks.

Thanksgiving - Sasha, Steve and I spent an overnight with Grammie and Grandad for Thanksgiving.  It was very pleasant, including a long walk through Wyncote and neighboring town(s?)  Kyra and Lucy were glad to see us, and we enjoyed Grandad's grilled turkey and Grammie's apple and chocolate pies.  Yum!  Then on Saturday, we had a second Thanksgiving dinner with Brock.....  Italian-style, with penne a la vodka aka "pink stuff".

Lost and Found - While going through our winter gear to figure out what does/does not fit, there was an incredible "find".  Sasha's fly boxes, lost since last December, were zipped into inner pockets of his winter coat for practically an entire year !!  It was been a long time since such joy has been known on Sharpe Street.  Here are the long-lost items  :-)

Tiger - Actually, there's not really much new with Tiger.  .... unless you consider some occasional crankiness, though he is never as out-of-sorts as "grumpy cat" looks (see picture above).  Tiger is taking "Natural Chicken & Tuna Flavored Joint Supplement" for stiffness in his back legs.  It gets sprinkled onto his food, and does seem to help.  Mostly though, he continues to be very fluffy and interested in frequent petting.    Here's a recent, adorable picture of our boy:

Christmas - I mailed out holiday cards, with a photo collage of you boys (Brock with Tiger, and Sasha at Harvey's Creek).  I really must show you the pics sometime soon....  Our Christmas Eve started with a late afternoon service at Grace Church in Kingston.  Sasha, you got to see Dr. Ferraro who delivered you almost 16 years ago (a formal introduction is in order, since you were a few minutes old and unclothed at your last meeting).  Steve navigated another Episcopal service very successfully.  And I grumbled about hymns being played too slowly.  Brock, you went to Dad's house instead - a good arrangement, especially given the length of the service (over 1 1/2 hours!).  This morning, Steve salvaged bacon before it became over-cooked and made french toast for us.  Tonight we had our traditional Christmas night dinner - wimpies and banana cream pie.  Our tree is pictured below.  Favorite gifts:

• Sasha - A Sage 9 foot, 10 weight fly rod - with which you hope to catch Susquehanna river monsters i.e., musky and pike.  Additional fly tying material also seems popular, as you have been busy making flies as the evening wears on.
• Brock - The PlayStation 3 game Far Cry 3, a "shoot 'em up" and "stab 'em through" game.  Probably not appropriate for a 10-year old.  But on the bright side, you are still not permitted to watch Family Guy at my house.

Most cheerful traveler:  Steve, who made 3 round trips from Scranton over the past 30 hours.  

Best surprise:  My gift of a Schwinn red and white bike from Steve.  It's beautiful!

My wish for you both this Christmas Day:  That you grow up to be happy, productive men.

Merry Christmas!

Camp Lazlo

One of the shows Sasha used to watch on Cartoon Network was Camp Lazlo.....  it brought back memories of my time as a camper and later working as a lifeguard etc. at Camp Lackawanna.  It does seem like quite a while ago since I've seen it, which is explained by the fact that it ran only from 2005 though 2008;  see more details here  -->  Camp Lazlo.  My favorite camper is definitely Raj, the elephant (above, with the propeller fez).

The YouTube video below is the episode I happen to remember best.....  probably because I had a retainer and enjoy canoeing.  It certainly makes me laugh a lot!  Hope you too have pleasant memories of this show!!

One Year Anniversary

On November 11, we passed the 1-year anniversary since starting "Carroll Boys".  Over the past year, nothing especially dramatic has happened.  Sometimes that's a good thing, but to recognize this milestone here is a brief retrospective.

• Sasha - You turned 15, and in fact will be 16 in a few weeks.  You finished 9th grade, enjoy fishing in warmer weather and air soft gun "stuff" in cooler weather.  You seem to like your 10th grade class schedule (no Spanish!) and particularly are enjoying Economics with Mr. Belles.  Over time, I notice you spending more time out with friends (including Gage, Steven, and Jason).  I think that mid-teens are a challenging stage of life, as you are very much "in between" being a child and an adult.  Are you feeling receptive to guidance from grown-ups?  As a general suggestion, try to remember that everyone has a different point of view and be respectful of other people's perspectives and feelings. 

                                                          

• Brock - You turned 10, and have now finished 3rd grade.  You say you don't especially like your 4th grade homeroom teacher, Mrs. Przybyla, however do like your science teacher Mrs. Bonomo.  Regardless, school is going well and you have become quite a reader (this week, you finished "The Hunger Games").  It's great that you are enjoying Cub Scouts - and were away for a week at Camp Acahela!  And soccer too....  You have some nice friendships, for example with Adam, Bryce, and Kyle.  Earlier this year, you remarked that if I were a goddess I should be the goddess of families (what a wonderful compliment!).  Remember that your entire family is important and that you are loved & appreciated.

                                                                    

                                                                

• Tiger - Since moving here in January, Tiger put the finishing touch on making our house a true "home".  Tiger is so very social and affectionate, always wanting to be held (and fed too!).  After we returned from our Delaware vacation, Sterling's aunt mentioned that Tiger had been howling at the front window in our absence.  He likes it when anyone dangles kitty feathers and other toys for him.  Besides the food/water bowl area in the kitchen, some of Tiger's favorite spots are looking out the front screen door and porch window, perching on the laundry room window sill overlooking the back yard, your gaming chair, any surface with a blanket or other soft items to lie on, and sleeping at the bottom of beds (where he gets annoyed if his companion sleeper rolls over).  He is our best boy - and here is a recent picture of him freshly bathed with a bow provided by Grooming Cottage:

• Steve - Steve is very connected with us, and interested in the two of you as well as (of course!) his three girls.  We have dinners and outings together on a regular basis.  When Steve arrives at Sharpe Street, Tiger immediately begins meowing as he knows petting will commence shortly.  Steve has been quite busy with work, occasional travel including trips to West Chester where Becca has been at college, and frequent postings on NCFE.  "Carroll Boys" would not exist without his effort to create the blog and ongoing encouragement.  It also helps a lot that Steve keeps electronics in good repair including our computer, printer, Brock's iPod, etc!  Over the summer, Steve was recognized on a local TV channel for publishing NCFE.....  you may be interested in linking to the video below:

             WBRE - Blog of the Week

As "Carroll Boys" carries forward into Year 2, I still find it enjoyable and worthwhile.  Thank you to Grammie and Grandad, and especially Steve, for interest in it and more importantly for caring about us.  It is lovely to walk together on the path of life.

Our Neighborhood

This morning I've been thinking about our pleasant town, Wyoming, and decided to write a short post about the kids you are growing up with here......  Dad and I live only about 2 blocks apart, so our neighborhood encompasses both 7th Street / Monument Avenue, as well as Sharpe Street.  In no particular order:

Around Dad's house:

• Keith and Kynia, immediately next door
• Matt and Josh, next to the back alley.  We've gone picnicking, swimming, fishing and sledding with these boys.
• Carlisle, across the street.  Carlisle has played with Brock, and is also in Cub Scouts with him.
• Bryce, when he's visiting is Aunt's house and more recently has been a pal who Brock runs around with during Wyoming Area football games.
• Alli,when she's at her Dad's house (a former sweetheart of Sasha's)
• Leah and Jenna.  Jenna loves a man with a vehicle i.e, 3 year-old Brock when he as riding the electric dump truck.
• Aaron and Olivia.  Aaron and Sasha used to practice catching & throwing baseballs in the back yard with Aaron's Dad Tim.

Around Mom's house:

• Kyle, Ashley, Emily, Natalie and baby Tyler, next to the side alley.  Kyle is in 10th grade with Sasha.  Ashley is in 4th grade with Brock.  Emily and Natalie like coming over for bananas, candy, etc.  And, to Brock's dismay, to play PlayStation and DSI games when the opportunity arises.
• Sadie, immediately next door.  Brock and I have occasionally enjoyed Sadie's back-yard pool, and you boys were thrilled with her trampoline (until Sadie's cousin Sean broke his wrist jumping on the trampoline with Sasha and Kyle - after which the trampoline was taken down).
• Alex and Jeremy, next door on the other side.  Jeremy is also known as "JP" or, unfortunately "Jermy".
• Jocelyn aka "Jocie" and Kyra, who used to live at Jermy's house.  Jocie is also in 4th grade with Brock.  And Kyra is in 2nd grade, and was quite a character as a pre-schooler i.e, used to get in trouble playing the hose in the backyard, stealing rakes and attempting to run away.
• Sterling, next to Alex and Jermy.  Sterling is the friendliest "big" kid, and is seen walking all over town.  He used to spend a lot of time with us e.g,. playing PlayStation, Nerf gun battles, and jumping into Sadie's pool with Brock - both of you fully clothed.

Along the road of life, you will make many friends.  But the kids you're growing up with are extra-special, and I do hope you'll have many good memories of them.

October Drama plus Pictures

As an update on what's been happenin' lately....

Hurricane Sandy:  Last week, we were fortunate to have a relatively light brush with effects of Hurricane Sandy.  .....although Brock did manage to get our Ikea blue & yellow umbrella blown inside out(!)  The wind was fierce, but rain was not so bad.  In the metro Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area, there were minimal issues with power outages - in fact, we never lost power.  You boys missed 2 days of school, which isn't bad compared to some local districts that closed Monday-Friday (you were sorry last week, but will probably be happy about it come June!).  It was very, very different in New Jersey, where many of my co-workers live (some of whom lost power for over a week and are having to wait in long lines for gas).  You may have noticed some early morning and evening emails & phone calls, as Steve and I tried to get information out to people we work with.  By the end of the week, I was very glad that things were almost back to normal.

Halloween:  This year for Halloween, Brock dressed as a Spartan - and picked out the image below showing armor & sword just like his costume.  Brock wore his costume to the October cub scout pack meeting.  When Halloween did arrive, we went trick-or-treating with Dad, after rehearsing the Halloween verse:
     "Witches, ghosts and goblins, Walking down the street.  Knock on every doorway, "Trick or Treat".
We also heard this joke:
     "What did the abominable snowman give to the vampire?  'Frost bite!'"
Lately, there are very few houses where kids have to have to sing, do a trick, tell a joke etc. in exchange for candy.  There are also lots more people giving out healthy stuff like pretzels - eek!

Norse Gods:  We are now reading the D'Aulaires' Book of Norse Myths.  Am not certain I pronounce many names correctly, but we do enjoy the stories.  You boys especially like troublemaker Loki (pictured below).  We had a big laugh about the Vanir beheading the wise Mimir, and sending his head to Asgard.  Odin brought Mimir's head back to life, then kept it around for future consultations.  And you guys love the idea of Valhalla where warriors spend the after-life fighting all day, then feasting all night after re-attaching various severed parts.  We have lots of interesting stories to go!

Some Recent Pictures

• Steve and I visited Grammy and Grandad last month.  We had a lovely time at Longwood Gardens, which you probably think is incredibly boring.  Longwood Gardens was originally an estate owned by the du Pont family.  You can read about the owner here  -->  Pierre du Pont  ...  sound familiar?  The du Pont family started a gunpowder mill in the early 1800's, and it has since become a huge chemical company.  Steve took many beautiful pictures, including the next two below.

                I went to Longwood Gardens as a girl and remember these sculpted bushes. 

                                          Grammie especially liked the waterlilies.

                                          And here's all of us "old folks"!

• Last, here are some of my pictures.....  our house at Sharpe Street on a pretty fall day.

Hurricane Sandy brought down the last of the pretty leaves, and now it's on to November.  Holiday time is coming up before long!

October Events

Time to get caught-up on recent events in and around Wyoming.....

• Sasha is fully recuperated from removal of his wisdom teeth.  Meanwhile, Brock had 5 baby teeth pulled as well.  Like Sasha, he missed 2 days of school - and generally bounced back very quickly.  Here's a picture of Brock's teeth (which are now going to Dad's china cabinet for safe-keeping).  The tooth fairy kindly left $20, but did not take the teeth due to their excess weight.

• Our neighbor Sherry has been taking very good care of Mr. and Mrs. Leopard, and now she is also taking care of Baby Lep!  He/she (it's too early to know gender) was incubated at Pet Zone, and came home to Sharpe Street a few weeks ago.  Baby is colorful and growing nicely - eats small crickets voraciously, per Sherry.  Here's a picture of the newest addition to our extended family:

• In Scout news.....  as of the October pack meeting of Cub Scout Troop 366, Brock you have now officially graduated to become a Webelo.  We are very excited that you have finished all your Bear Cub accomplishments!  They included tying knots with Dad, and researching local history e.g., Frances Slocum & the Wyoming Massacre.  Also involved attempting to make a bird feeder with me, the remains of which effort are in a local landfill.

• The"Warrior Nation" is us:

1. Two weeks ago, you Sasha spent a cold evening at a Wyoming Area vs. Meyers football game.  Had a nice time with friends Gage, Conrad and Alexis1 (Gage had a romantic interest in Alexis1 when school started; quite recently, he switched his attention to Alexis2).  Temperatures were in the '40's, so in an effort to keep warm you frequented the nearby Dunkin Donuts.  Had 1 energy drink and 2 large coffees, then stayed up until 4 am Saturday while the caffeine wore off.  Read more about the actual game here -->  WA Wins 50-20
2. Brock, Steve and I spent a lovely evening in the '60's at yesterday's Wyoming Area vs. Northwest Area (i.e., Shickshinny) game.  Unfortunately, Sasha did not come along.  Brock, you were disappointed about not getting your hair spray painted green, but perked up when offered an LED flashing mouthpiece instead.  You had a great time playing/running with your friends especially Bryce and Michael.  Steve kept me company, including active prevention of cold hands, attempted translation of cheers, instant-recounting of plays that I didn't see, and a walk around the field.  And 5 years after the last Cookie Corner graduation, there's another use for your toddler sleeping bag - it's the perfect size to drape over bleacher seats!!  A good time was had by all.  Plus Steve wrote about the game on NCFE -->  Yeah Team!

• Last Tuesday, we were over-scheduled with 1) therapist appointment at 3:30, 2) soccer practice at 5:30, and 3) appointment for flu shot at 7:45 (note:  first and third items are at the same location, Pediatric Associates in Kingston).  At 7 pm, I sent the following semi-desperate text;  "R fell in the mud at soccer, came home & put him in the shower, changed shower head to fire-hose setting he wanted, came downstairs to finish dinner, bathroom floor flooded, burned rice, A tells me over dinner that he needs dress-up clothes for tomorrow and I left my jacket at the therapist office."  As it turned out, things improved slightly - I found my jacket upstairs on the ironing table.  We did still make it to the flu shot appointment and  got khaki pants & attractive shirt at BonTon.  After school Wednesday, Sasha reported this English presentation for which dress-up was required went Very Well!  Wish I had gotten a picture before he left in the morning, as it will probably be a couple months before there is a chance to see him in duds other than t-shirt and hoodie.

• The Pioneers fall soccer program wrapped up this week, with Brock's last game held on Thursday evening.  The end-of-season party was this afternoon at Fort Cafe.  The wings and pizza were popular, and I was a bit surprised to hear "You hurt my wienie!".  You later informed me, Brock, that your teammate Steven (a 3rd grader) was the injured party.

• With Halloween approaching, tonight Dad took you Brock to the "Trails of Terror" sponsored by the West Wyoming Fire Department.  (During your outing, Sasha and I went clothes-shopping at Sears and looked around at Best Buy.)  You are now sitting and the front porch with Ashley, serenading Sasha and me by playing your recorder.  With Hurricane Sandy aka "Frankenstorm" approaching, there is talk of trick-or-treating tomorrow night (Sunday), rather than on Halloween night (Wednesday).

And to wrap up, here are two of your current favorite songs from YouTube.  Here are 21 Guns  by "Green Day" and Welcome to the Black Parade by "My Chemical Romance".

Fall Happenings

The pictures below help tell the story of early autumn happenings.  Recent sightings:

• City "Wildlife" - After having dinner last week with friends at a restaurant in Dunmore, I drove back through downtown Scranton.  On my way down one of Scranton's hills, was stopped at an intersection and watched 2 adult raccoons run across the street in front of me.  A bit unexpected!!!

• Forty Fort Pioneers - As a continuation of the town's legacy, the Forty Fort Pioneers U-10 team has been making history of sorts over the fall season.  Since late August, I believe your team has won one (1) regular season game and one (1) of three games during the Luzerne County Soccer Festival.  Brock, you have been playing very well, and are becoming a good defender including stints as goalie (which are a bit stressful for me and Dad).  Saturday mornings at local soccer fields have been very pleasant.

• Osiris Skate Shoes - Available at Zumiez, these are Sasha's favorite sneakers.  You're wearing at least your third pair.  Steve has recently called them "Moon Shoes", as they look like the anti-gravity boots featured on Star Trek.  

• Dr. Bergey - Unfortunately, Sasha's 4 (fully and partially impacted) wisdom teeth had to be extracted last weekend.  Dental surgery is certainly not a pleasant prospect.  After a few anxious days of anticipation, it was all over quickly.  Unlike me, you got to sleep through the entire procedure!  Recovery was aided by vicodin, plus missing 2 days of school.  Brock is next, as he must have 5 baby teeth pulled in a week or so.  Meanwhile, look at Sasha's rather large third molars...... !!!

• Hyland (last name not necessary, as we know only one) - I went along with Steve to test drive cars yesterday, and we ended up at Nationwide Car Sales.  Guess what, we met up with our old pal Hyland !  He was happy to see us, as car salesmen typically are when customers arrive.  After a couple orientating questions as he figured who I was, Hyland inquired about our asphalt-camouflage Camry, how you boys are doing, and whether you liked the car.  My replies were that the car has been low-maintenance for the past 2+ years, you are both fine, and "not really" as you preferred the red Ford Fusion that we test drove.

• Steve's New Car - Following quickly upon the Hyland reunion, Steve drove 3 vehicles and then bought a Nissan Rogue.  As a wonderful bonus, there was a DeLorean on display in the showroom.  You can see this cool post on NCFE  -->  Life is Nearly Complete   Brock, you are quite disappointed that he didn't buy the DeLorean, and even stated that you like his Kia Rio better than the Rogue (yes, the Rio has crank windows!).  Here's Steve with the shiny, 'Cayenne Red' Nissan.

More adventures to come!

Decisions That Matter

"Carroll Boys" was intended to be a journal for and mostly about the two of you.  There are so many happy and funny things to write about.  But now and then, serious topics crop up.....  like this week.  Several times, Sasha, you've told me about kids who committed suicide.  It started with a boy in Nanticoke who took his life last weekend.  Since then, 3 more teenagers from our area have died.  We've talked about bullying, the challenges of high school years, mental illness, and about the current era of instant communication via Facebook, texting, etc.  And about the horrible consequences of suicide, including the trauma inflicted on family members.

The Citizen's Voice has an editorial that you should read.  

          How many children must die?

You've agreed with me that there is so much to live for.  Know that you are loved, and when things in your life do get difficult there are many caring adults who will help.  In appreciation for our beautiful world and the wonder of life, here's the dramatic beginning of Franz Joseph Haydn's oratorio "The Creation":

Family Time in Webster

In mid September, we spent a weekend with Edie and Jon.  Since Sasha was about 3 years old, we've been making trips to Webster to enjoy time together at Edie's house.  This property originally belonged to your great, great, great grandparents Mary Ellen (Tester) and Andrew Walker, who built the house.  Check out their 1880 marriage certificate, which is framed and hanging in the upstairs hallway here on Sharpe Street.  Some years of their marriage may have been difficult....  family lore holds that Grandfather Andrew lived in the attic for a time.  We've seen a section of the attic with nails along the rafters suggesting a curtain was hung there.  (GrandNana also mentioned that he often had pie for breakfast, so life wasn't all bad !!)  The duplex was built in the late 1800's and has been a home to Walker and John McCausland families.

Some highlights of our weekend:

• Went to a book sale at the Dudley, MA library.  Sasha got The Orvis Fly-Fishing Guide and Steve got (Daniel Goleman's?) book on Emotional Intelligence.  
• Found a Webster MA t-shirt for Sasha, featuring the full name of Lake Webster "Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg".  You can read more about the lake here  -->  Lake Webster
• Went to the Higgins Armory Museum in Worcester, MA.  It was very interesting and included a Real Vikings program where we learned about Viking life, times and fighting techniques.  We also got to try on armor and helmets, play "Castle Attack", and walk through a huge display of armor from many different cultures and times.  Brock had a great time and got a fancy (although plastic) shield at the Museum Store, after we decided against various swords, spears, and $200+ helmets.  Here's a picture from the spectacular Great Hall, taken by our photographer Steve:

• Were hosted to a picnic in the beautiful yard at Hill Street.  Enjoyed hot dogs, hamburgers, beer and Brock's favorite - playing Frisbee.
• Spent a day at The Big E in Springfield, MA.  Its full name is the "Eastern States Exhibition", a New England states fair that I never heard of before.  You both especially liked the New Hampshire building, which featured chocolate milk and NH instant lottery tickets.  Steve found some aromatic soap.  Brock and I also spent some time on the Midway.  We went on a Ferris Wheel, which I thought was great and Brock thought went up too high.  AND of course, we munched on lots of tasty stuff for example corn dog on a stick (with ketchup..... hmm, who do you suppose ate this?), gyro, steak sandwich, cider doughnuts, cream puffs, and lemonade.  Steve's picture below shows a typical scene as we walked through the fairgrounds on a gorgeous day:

• Last, but certainly not least.....  Jon took you, Sasha, on a quick fishing expedition to a pond at a Connecticut golf course he frequents.  It was an early-morning jaunt, and you had very good luck catching sunfish, small-mouth bass, and calico.

We've always enjoyed treks to Webster, including time to relax in the comfortable Hill Street abode and visit with Edie and Jon.  Hope there will be many more trips!

Total Drama Island

One of Brock's favorite shows this summer has been Total Drama Revenge of the Island.  It's the latest season of the Total Drama Island series on Cartoon Network.  It really is ridiculous, and a funny spoof of reality shows in particular Survivor.  The theme song tells you exactly what to expect.....:



I learned when reading up about Total Drama Island that the series is Canadian, and set at Camp Wawanakwa on an island in Ontario.  The Revenge episodes continue to be based on team competitions & less popular/capable contestants being voted off the island.  I think the camper "de-brief's" are the absolute best part.  Interviews take place in an outhouse; each conversation is enhanced by perching on/near the toilet seat, and trying to ignore pesky bugs zooming around.  As an interesting development for this season, the island has been contaminated with nuclear waste, and has mutant inhabitants.  Some favorites to mention:

• Brock's favorite character -  Lightning

                                                   

• My favorite character - Chef Hatchet.  

                                           

• Brock's favorite mutant creature - Larry the Venus Fly Trap, a super-sized venus fly trap that walks around eating people.  

                                     

• Favorite episode - "Final 2012 season episode"  Sasha and Brock were both laughing hard at the final competition, where the audience includes Scott who has been incapacitated by Fang, a mutant walking shark.  

                                          

Assuming the series continues, I expect to hear lots more laughter!

Vacation in Delaware

In July we went on a beach vacation to Delaware vacation, where we stayed in Lewes.

To begin with.....  two really good things about our trip were the car, a large (red) mini van whose model I have already forgotten (Dodge Caravan?), and the house.  The car was perfect because there was plenty of room; Brock sat in the middle row & Sasha in the back.  There was minimal squabbling!!  The house was lovely, comfortable and spacious.  Its location was interesting, as the development is situated right behind a Home Depot store.

So, favorite things we did:

• Fishing!  I took you Sasha to a fishing pier one evening; it was beautiful and breezy, but not many fish around.  Much better, you and Steve spent a morning fishing out on Delaware Bay.  The fishing was great!  Here's a great post from 'NCFE'  -->  Gone Fission   The pictures below are wonderful - what a lot of disgusting fish bait (those squid are looking right at us!!).

• Brock, I think your favorite was probably swimming in the pool at our condo complex.  I enjoyed soaking up the sun, and we had a good time playing with boogie boards.  
• Walked around downtown Lewes one evening.  It's a quaint, historic town & I loved the harbor area.  Look up and you'll see a picture of the Lewes Canal at the top of 'Carroll Boys'.  

And rounding out our week, we also:

• Spent time at Cape Henlopen State Park, where the fishing pier was located.  It has an ocean beach, which we enjoyed while Brock swam (waves were a bit strong & breaking very close to shore).  We also went to Fort Miles, which was a significant military site during World War II.  There are some massive artillery guns on display.  Read more here-->  Fort Miles   And see pictures below.
• Went to Rehoboth Beach, where we had time at the beach and walked around to stores & boardwalk.  Stopped into Candy Kitchen, Fisher's Popcorn and T-shirt stores.
• Spent a bit too much time on Rt 1, which is an 8-lane highway along a massive commercial strip.

Sincere thanks to our photographer Steve!!  Vacations are very special, and I'm already looking forward to next year !

Catching Up Is Hard To Do

As you can tell, I've taken most of the summer off from blogging.  So now there is much to cover!!

In the Recently Overheard Department:

• "I have a complaint!" said Steve a few weeks ago.  About what?  Errr.. about my lack of recent postings on Carroll Boys.  Yes, it's a bit embarrassing especially given his prolific writing on 'NCFE'.  I've felt mildly guilty about it, but not guilty enough to actually write anything.....  until tonight....

• "Would you please pass me the soap?  The Force is not working." said Brock during 'shower' (absolutely not bath) time last week.  Star Wars will always be a special part of our lives.

• "I found 2 eggs in the water bowl this morning!" per our neighbor Sherry.  Our gecko Hermie moved one house away to a lovely 50-gallon tank, was renamed Mr. Leopard, and has a partner Mrs. Leopard.  Compared to life under the hockey table in your room, Hermie has hit the jackpot!  The Leopard's are now 'expecting', with the eggs being incubated for 58 days at Pet Zone.  More babies are likely to come along soon.

• Many episodes of the The Big Bang Theory.  Here's the full version of the TV show's theme song performed by the "Barenaked Ladies".  You might like to read more about this interesting band -->  BNL, Canadian alternative rock

Of course, the best part of summer is spending extra time together.  I will write about our beach vacation later.  In other highlights:

• Sasha..... You did quite a bit of walking at the Secondary Center to make up 9th grade gym classes.  Gage spent lots of time here on Sharpe Street, including overnights (sleeping on the living room couch - his preference).  There were many PS3 battles, including Battlefield 3, Call of Duty Black Ops and Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3.  The two of you liked to stay up extremely late, then snooze most of the morning.  You also got to enjoy fishing with Jason along the Susquehanna, especially while construction on the new Eighth Street Bridge was wrapping up.
• Brock....  You had a wonderful time at Camp Acahela with your cub scout den, in particular your friend Matthew whose tent you shared.  We heard about swimming, archery, tucking your shirt in for meals, and a 3-hour nature hike.  And we got to have dinner with you at the dining hall Friday night.  Your legs had a few cuts & bruises, but otherwise you looked just wonderful at week's end (and ready to come home for a rest).  You spent time at the Good Shepherd day camp in Kingston, where playing DSI (in particular Pokemon games) seemed to be the favorite activity.  We had a fun afternoon with Ben at the Nay Aug pool.  Plus you got to spend time with school friends at Adam's birthday party.
• All of us..... Enjoyed a weekend with Kyra and Lucy, including an afternoon at the Sno Cove water park and dinner at Pizza by Pappas in Scranton.  We then headed to Camelbeach last week.  With a couple interruptions due to rain, it was a good day including lots of time in the wave pool.  Lastly, you both went fishing a couple evenings at the Frances Slocum Park pond, where the competition to catch (very) small fish and good-sized turtles is fierce. (Left-over bait such as wax worms was provided to the growing gecko family next door.)

And to wrap this long-overdue post, here's "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do" .... almost the same as Catching Up is Hard To Do!  In July, Steve and I sat on wet folding chairs at Misericordia University to hear Neil Sedaka in concert.  Neil Sedaka is a well-known (to older generations) composer and singer from New York City whose career has spanned over 50 years.  We were the young'uns in the audience!  This performance is very similar to the one we heard:

June 2012 Vacation

Well, my vacation week is ending today.  I decided to look for a short YouTube clip that would reflect how I feel - and found one sub-titled "Yet more nursing".  It's very appealing, and listen carefully @ 1.22 seconds....



Our original plans included a trip to Webster, but unfortunately Edie had to work.  In the end this vacation ended up being largely a "stay-cation".  So, here are some highlights from our past week going from youngest to oldest.

• Tiger - Had lots of company!!  It's nice that Tiger enjoys attention from everyone.  Sterling was one of his more frequent visitors this week.  As a general update - Tiger is now very happy with his kitty bed, placed in the upstairs hallway.  
• Brock - Especially enjoyed overnight at Great Wolf Lodge, the Pocono water park resort.  Got to see the newest "Madagascar" movie.  You also had fun with friends Ben at Hickory Run Park, and Matthew at Frances Slocum Park.  Became somewhat ill after going on rides with Ben at the Forty Fort 125th Anniversary carnival.  Spent quite a bit of car time with your DVD player, watching Hogan's Heroes exclusively.  When home, played the Play Station 3 game The Elder Scrolls, Skyrim.
• Sasha -  Liked Great Wolf Lodge, in particular pizza which he had for dinner and then breakfast the next morning.  Spent some happy hours tying flies, as evidenced by the computer table & surrounding rug (assorted wires, threads, feathers, and other fluffy items are piling up, and the keyboard needs compressed-air cleaning).  Sasha, you spent time with friends Steven and Gage, and went fishing to favorite spots - Harvey's Creek, as well as Fishing Creek and Bowman's Creek with Dad.
• Mom -  Did not think about Prudential, or at least not much.  I enjoyed the two of you, appreciate very much that you got along well most of the week, started my summer tan, got to bake a little (blueberry pie, brownies), but thankfully did not spend too much time in the kitchen.  You have both been getting over nasty chest colds, and I hope we are almost done with coughing spells and albuterol treatments.
• Steve -  Went to the doctor for an infected insect bite on his back ('Roids, man!).  Installed new anti-virus software on our computer and helped fix cable TV problems.  Tolerated Brock eating chicken wings at Uncle Buck's BBQ Pit in Plymouth.  Showed us around the 4H camp at Hickory Run Park where he worked during high school, took lovely pictures of the park and all of us (his specialty), and took apart water guns upon our return to make sure lake water did not ruin them.

And guess what, we have another vacation coming up next month!  Am looking forward to fun at the beach in Delaware.

Hogan's Heroes

Sometime last year, I had dinner at The Cracker Barrel restaurant - you know, the one with the rocking chairs on the porch, checker tables, fire place, to-die-for green beans, plus a country store.  I noticed and bought a DVD set that I thought you might like....  Hogan's Heroes, the complete first season of the TV show.  It was an incredible hit with both of you.  I remember how hard you laughed as you watched the DVD for the first time.

As time has gone by, Sasha is less interested in the show.  But, Brock, you are still a huge fan and have asked about getting a DVD of the later seasons.  Here are some of my thoughts about the show:

• Hogan's Heroes was showing on television close to 50 years ago, from 1965-1971 (the first 6 years of my life).  That's a long time ago, but like The Three Stooges which you also like a lot, still very funny.  
• By the way Brock, you've also asked me whether there was a real "Stalag 13".  I just Googled it, and Yes there was.  But it was nothing like the fictional one on Hogan's Heroes.  The real Stalag 13 was an Allied prisoner-of-war camp which held German military personnel after World War II.  
• Hogan's Heroes ridicules Hitler in particular, and to a large extent German culture generally.  It's understandable this would have been very entertaining, especially since  World War II, during which Hogan and the Allied soldiers were German prisoners, started just 25 years before the show aired.
• Each episode begins with the announcement "CBS presents this program in color."  Do you realize that TV was originally in black and white?  CBS began sending a color broadcast signal from a few stations in 1951.  But color television was still a relative novelty in the 1960's, as most people did not yet have TVs which could receive a "monochrome" (color broadcast) signal.  You can read more about the technology and history of color TV here  -->  Color Television

Brock, when I asked you today you told me that your favorite characters are Corporal Newkirk (of the British Royal Airforce), Corporate LeBeau (of the French Free Airforce), and the German Sergeant "I see NOTHING!" Schultz.  As I've watched the show with you, I am very impressed with the performances of Werner Klemperer as Col. Klink and especially John Banner as Sgt. Schultz.  As you both know, they were Jewish - very interesting that they were willing to do the show at all.  John Banner had the most expressive face, and did a phenomenal job playing Sgt. Schultz as a friendly, bumbling, look-the-other-way Master Sergeant.  You'll be interested to learn more about Johann Banner, an Austrian, here  -->  John Banner


Well, on that note here are two wonderful clips.  The second one includes one of my favorite scenes, when LeBeau, Schultz and then Klink are flying a kite!

The Avengers!

The Avengers is now playing in the movies......  I did not read comic books as a kid, so am woefully ignorant about the world of Marvel Comics.  As evidence I recently pronounced the company name as "Marv-Ehl" with emphasis on second syllable, rather than "Mar-vell" with emphasis on the first syllable.  You boys immediately corrected me.

In fact, it was only when The Avengers came out that I realized the Iron Man movies staring Robert Downey Jr. were based on a Marvel character.  Not to confuse matters further, but I can hear Bugs Bunny of Warner Bros. cartoons saying "Ehhh... Pitiful !!"

Sasha went to see The Avengers with Steve and me, while Brock went to see it with Aunt Pam.  Am sure we'll see more movies together this summer!  Last week we talked about our favorite Avengers characters, listed below:

• Sasha - Thor, based on the god Thor of Norse mythology.  Thor can command storm elements e.g., lightening and thunder, and uses a hammer "Mjolnir" as his weapon.  Since you boys are both interested in fighting "gear" of all sorts, you may be interested to read more about its powers here  -->     "That Which Smashes"

                                       

• Brock - Hawkeye, who is a master marksman and also trained in martial arts.  He uses a bow and very powerful arrows, carried in a special quiver.  In "real life", his name is Clint Barton.  Clint was trained in archery as a boy while working at a circus - by a character named Trick Shot.

                                    

• Mom - Err.....  I'm still not a comics fan.  In particular, didn't find Captain America to be appealing.  But I do like the Iron Man movies and am fond of Tony Stark's assistant Pepper Potts.  Love how Pepper usually anticipates Tony's next moves, and how she keeps him organized.  Wonder why she might appeal to me?

     
More movie posts to come!!

Summer Time !!

Today is your First Day of Summer Vacation !!!  I remember how light and care-free I felt as my class was being dismissed on the last day of school.....  To kick off our summer, this past weekend we visited with Grammy, Grandad, aunts, uncles & cousins.

On Saturday we spent several hours at the Battleship New Jersey in Camden (got to eat lunch in the mess hall!).  Also, you both got haircuts - most noteworthy was the return of Brock's mohawk-style hairdo.  The New Jersey:

On Sunday Sasha went fishing with Mark, while Brock came along to the Morris Arboretum.  The Fernery with a nearby family of wood chucks:

For the summer of 2012..... I'm looking forward to time to relax, time for fun outings, and time with each other.  I'm sure you don't realize how lucky you are to have a bedroom with air conditioning, plus a pool at Dad's house!  Tiger is already enjoying the summer including a break from excessive fluffiness (except for his tail).  Here are pictures of a pudgy, sleepy kitty recently bathed & clipped at The Grooming Cottage:

Special thanks to photographers Steve and Lucy!

Adele

Not long ago, you Sasha introduced me to Adele.  I didn't know who Adele was, but have since heard a lot about her.  It turns out is an English singer & songwriter.  I learned on-line that she grew up mostly near London, and is an award-winning artist in both Britain and the United States.  The picture above was taken at the 2012 Grammy Awards.

So, here are two songs Sasha likes - performed and co-written by Adele.  Very powerful!

Recently Overheard.....

• "They're hard as a rock!" - You, Brock, referring to gummy vitamins offered one morning when I decided we really must start taking our vitamins faithfully.  The (very) old bottle of vitamins has since been replaced with a fresh one.  For all to note, we have been doing much better lately with our daily vitamin routine.

• "1,2 Skidoo Quickie" - Our new term for brief (and completely inadequate) teeth-brushing effort.  Even shorter that the "1,2,3 Quickie" which has sometimes occurred late evenings e.g., on a Friday night.

• "A kid at school owes me $70", Brock said to me. (What?)  Upon further inquiry it was revealed that you Brock and your friend Stephen made a $10 bet, which Stephen lost.  When I asked you what the bet was over, you said "It's complicated".  OK....  Brock, you further explained that Stephen did not pay up - so you're now charging him $10 in interest per week, recently accrued to $70 total.  Yikes!!  Maybe you will go into banking or, though I sincerely hope not, organized crime.

• "Are you a Marine or a little boy??" - Steve's question to Brock, who was ready to turn back after only a three quarter mile walk & scooter ride on the dike behind Midway Shopping Center. Brock's reply?  "A little boy!"  When Steve asked his young daughters the Marine question (substituting "girl" for "boy"), amazingly enough, he always got the same answer.

• "Maybe they can make a fashionable pink one for you!" - Text from Steve received as I was going for an x-ray on my hand, regarding potential cast if it was fractured.  Thankfully, turned out not to be broken (just bruised).  Yahoo!  Lesson Learned: especially when past age 40, avoid falls in rocky creek beds. 

• "..., My Love" - Brock's very affectionate wife talking to him on the game Skyrim, which Brock and Sasha play regularly.  Skyrim is a video game, which impresses me all the more having realized how complex it is (Read here -->  The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim).  I've watched you fighting dragons, ogres, and trolls, as well as talking to various characters.  In my opinion, Brock doesn't appreciate wife Lydia enough.....  you say she "blabs", but to me she seems quite loyal.   You've also told me about your dog Viglance, and more recently a new dog Barbos.  I was quite disappointed to find out that your name on the game is Robby (!) - thought for sure it would be "Dogmar" or something equally old-fashioned.  You've further told me the you are a Redguard (Redguards) and Sasha is a Wood Elf (Wood Elves).  Very cool, and what-a-ya know, here's Lydia!

Our Gecko - Hermie

For close to 3 years, you boys have shared your room with a special pet - Hermie!!  Sasha especially wanted a lizard and after much debate on the merits of different breeds, we decided on a gecko.  Geckos are very happy in a dry, sandy environment, which was a big factor for me.  (For example, we considered turtles, but according to Aunt Di they can be very smelly - so not viable option.)

Here are some nice recollections about Hermie:

• We couldn't agree on a name..... when I started calling him "Hermie", it became his permanent name (unfortunately for him). 

• He lives under the hockey table, in a 10 gallon tank.  His home is complete with a water dish, a hut to hide in, some driftwood he can climb on, and a heating pad under one end of the tank.  Gecko poop is completely dry and can be easily scooped out.

• Hermie eats crickets....  after getting one in his sights, he stalks and pounces on it.  They get swallowed whole, typically with their antennae still wiggling.  He can eat 6-8 at a time in warmer weather.  As a special treat, Hermie also gets wax worms.  He seems to love them, and can gobble down close to 20 at a time.  

• Hermie is nocturnal, so enjoys time with you boys during the evenings.  And summer is his favorite time of year, when he's most active.  In the fall & winter he seems sluggish, generally eats less, and wants to be inside his hut most of the time.  

• When out with one of you boys, he likes to be sit on your shoulder and sometimes up toward your neck.  He's only abut 6" long, so occasionally has gotten lost on the couch or in wraps such as blankets. 

• Then....  there are the crickets.  Crickets will live 7-10 days, or less in extremely hot/cold weather.  So, we must buy them frequently.  Our most common pet haunts are Pet Zone (Pittston) and Petco (near Barnes & Noble).  I have found it disturbing when, a few times, pet store staff have stuck their bare hands into the cricket bin to bag our usual order of 20.  Yuk !!

• Additional cricket issues: 

1. At our house, they live in a clear plastic box, complete with cricket jello to keep them "fresh".  Unfortunately, they poop lots and in the course of a week or so a number of them die.  Gets a bit stinky.
2. In order for Hermie to remain healthy (we discovered after a sickly period), the crickets must be coated in vitamin powder.  To successfully powder a live cricket, I've found the best approach is to tilt the cricket box and encourage crickets to hop into a powdering bag.  I have spent 10-15 minutes at at time tilting the box up/down, waiting semi-patiently for crickets to cooperate.  Once in the bag, they get shaken up in powder (think of the "Shake and Bake" concept) and deposited into the gecko tank.
3. However, every few feedings a cricket (or sometimes two) escape.  Lately this situation is a relatively good thing, since Tiger gets to play with the cricket i.e., bat it around, try to bite it etc. until it's quite easy to catch & dispose of.  Before Tiger though, I would keep a plastic cup and tissues around to make catching a hopping cricket a bit easier.  I couldn't always get them before they found a crevasse or made into the closet..... and we would sometimes find crickets coming downstairs, jumping across the kitchen or living room, and a few times in the basement.  
4. And guess what???  Crickets like to chirp, most especially on hot summer nights.  They can be VERY loud.  Once I was so annoyed that I dumped them out my bedroom window, where they landed on the back porch roof....  and then continued to chirp for the next couple nights (not a successful solution).  We eventually found it best to put the cricket box in the bathroom, so chirping was muted for sleepers in nearby bedrooms.  Yep, and how about them escaped crickets?  Well, that's a big problem since they can be almost impossible to find!!  One sleepless night @ 3 a.m., Sasha and I dug around & pulled stuff out of the closet until we finally caught the pesky bug and flushed it down the toilet.

Well, cricket issues aside, Hermie has been a pleasant, cheerful and well-behaved pet.  Here's a picture of our handsome leopard gecko, taken at JC Penney's not long after he came to live on Sharpe Street.

Shepherding Sunday

The fourth Sunday of Easter is "Shepherding Sunday".  Brock and I went to church yesterday, and laughed at this joke which Pastor Laura worked into her sermon.

A lady with blond hair had gotten very tired of jokes and insults directed at her intelligence. 

So she cut and dyed her hair black, got a make-over and then drove her car out to the country.  She came upon a herd of sheep near the road. She stopped her car and went over to the shepherd who was tending to them. 

"If I can guess the exact number of sheep here, will you let me have one?" she asked.  The shepherd, thinking this was a pretty safe bet, agreed. "You have 182 sheep," said the blond in triumph. 

Surprised, the shepherd told her to pick out a sheep of her choice. She looked around and finally found one that she really liked. She picked it up and was putting it in her car when the shepherd walked over to her and asked, "If I can guess your real hair color, will you give the sheep back?"

The blond thought it was only fair to let him try. The shepherd said, "You're a blond!  Now, can I have my dog ?"

Seems like the best sermons are not politically correct.