You Want What?

"Daddy, can I get real earrings?"

"Hmmm?"

"Can I get earrings that are real?"

I stare at her for a second.

"You mean, you want to have your ears pierced?"

"Yes."

"Talk to your mother."

That's the broad outline of the conversation I had with C last week.  After reading about it in a book, she had decided that she really wanted to have her ears pierced.  With a sharp object.  This is the same girl that has a pathological fear of needles, so I decided on the spot that I was recusing myself from this decision.  After holding her down so the doctor could stitch up her eye, the last thing I wanted was to voluntarily get into this conversation.

As I continued to work in the kitchen, I could see C talking to Holly.  And I could tell that we'd be going somewhere that weekend to get the deed done.  Now don't get me wrong, I'm not against C getting her ears pierced.  It's one of those things that I really don't have much of an opinion on one way or the other.  It's not the same to me as girls wearing inappropriate clothes or makeup, so I kept quiet and let Holly steer it the way she wanted to.

So on Saturday we headed to the mall.  And after a little shopping, C and Holly stopped into one of the accessory shops, and a few minutes later C walked out with two tiny gold earrings.  She was (rightfully so) very proud of herself.  So for the next  6-8 weeks we will be cleaning and disinfecting and making sure nothing goes awry. 

On a funny note, as we were walking back to the car, C asked how long we had to keep the earrings in.  Holly told her "six to eight weeks", to which C stole a line from Madagascar 2 and replied, "Sixty eight weeks!"  We apparently have a budding movie quoter in the family.  I have no idea where she gets that from.

Planetarium Fun

Last night, MFT headed to the FSU Physics Department planetarium for a new show called "The Little Star That Could". While this was a Cub Scout event, Holly and C decided to join us, and I think that everyone had a great time.

The show was geared toward elementary school age children, and I think it did a great job of teaching while entertaining. I heard C say things like, "Awesome!" at several points during the show, which is pretty high praise from a 1st grader. D thought that perhaps parts of it were too "babyish", but I think he still liked hanging out with his friends.

Thanks to the the FSU Physics folks for providing such an awesome free service to the community.

The Year is Off to a Good Start

So January is off and rolling, and it hasn't waited for us to be ready. School got back into full swing the week after New Year's, which allowed Holly and I to get back into the routines at our respective offices.

School and the kids activities are going very well and they are keeping us busy. D has Scouts and soccer this winter, and C has soccer and gymnastics. In fact, C got invited to be on her first 'real' gymnastics team, and she is working hard and loving it.

D's soccer team is 'playing up' an age division - and still winning consistently. It's amazing and fun to watch. C's team is also going through the competition with ease, to the point that the league organizers are pushing to move them up as well. I don't think that this is appropriate yet, but it's fun to watch.

Grades came home last week, and both kids are doing great as always.

Work is going well for both Holly and I, and keeping us busy. That's fine, as long as the checks keep coming.

I'm trying to write more and keep things updated, so we'll see how that goes.

Free to Good Home...

Hello all, Fat Sam here. That's me over on the left, you know, the family dog? The best pet in the house? The *only* pet in the house? Well, for some reason, unknown to me, the family decided that a lovable pug wasn't enough and brought home... a cat. A grey, furry, sneaky, cranky, cat. And they leave me home alone with it every dang day. It's almost enough to drive a dog to chew on something.

Yes, it's a decent cat... for a cat. It likes to play with me sometimes, if you call getting jumped on from high places 'playing'. I'm normally an easy going pug, but sometimes that cat drives me to chase it around. A dog has to show who's in charge sometimes, am I right?

They named the cat 'Cody'. Well, the kids named it Cody. Holly and David call it 'Evil', which in my educated dog opinion is just about perfect. It's Evil, plain and simple.

Anyway, everyone wants to know what it looks like, so I asked David to post this photo... I think that it shows his true side pretty well.

I think we'll work out a relationship, as long as that cat remembers who's in charge around here, that's me! I'd hate to have to keep 'educating' him about who runs the house! He also needs to remember that all the toys that are laying around are mine! Mine!

Oh well. So if anyone wants a cute(ish) gray cat, just drop me a line. I'll hook you up. Promise.

Christmas 2008

Well, Christmas 2008 has come and gone already. I don't know about the rest of you, but it went by really fast for those of here in MFT (Merrick Family, Tallahassee). Everyone had a great holiday, and this one was really special since we had both sets of grandparents in town, as well as my grandfather.

The kids were spoiled again, but who's complaining? David got a Red Ryder BB gun, which was fun for everyone, and Chase got an American Girl doll and more clothes for it that I think I have in my closet. A good time was had by all.

For Christmas Dinner we had our traditional fare - Chicken Marsala, pasta, and salad. I think it came out great, if I do say so myself.

We aren't doing anything special for New Year's Eve (as evidenced by the fact that I am writing this), but I wish everyone out there a safe and happy New Year.

Here is the link to more Christmas photos. Enjoy!

Wow! Over a Month

Yes, it's been a while since we posted anything here.

We had a good Thanksgiving, down at my folks house in central Florida. Lots of family made the trip, which made things even better. We also celebrated both my parents birthdays that weekend.

Besides Thanksgiving, we've had a busy month. Work has kept both Holly and I hopping, and the kids have been doing great in school.

C came down with a nasty case of pneumonia in early December, but a dose of antibiotics bounced her right back. She thought the chest x-ray was awesome; she got to see her own film, and thought was 'totally awesome' that she could see her ribs, etc. Of course, any trip to the doctor that doesn't involve a needle is a good day for C.

Anyway, the holiday season was upon us before we knew it, and that led to a great Christmas, which I will write about separately.