Da Chocks

Chock Family Vacation 2010

2011-01-07T16:57:00.000-08:00

Click to see the latest pics from our little family vacation!

Hike the Y

2010-05-04T08:16:00.000-07:00

So back before all this re-visit to winter weather began, we decided to hike up to the Y. We lived to tell the tale.

James' 1st Day of Preschool

2009-09-30T14:18:00.001-07:00

James is loving preschool. Here are some pics from his first day:

We rode bikes to school on the first day. He loved it!

James in his element: dirt. Or at least sand, in this instance.

He called this a painting of a waterfall...hmm...

Wow. All our kids are in school. Cool.

We'll miss you, Dottie...

2009-08-25T19:58:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday evening, Dottie threw up right around bedtime. She threw up a bunch of grapes. Apparently while she was over at our neighbor's house (where her little brother Pixel lives), she helped herself to some of the grapes growing in the back yard.

We didn't know grapes could be toxic to dogs.

Over the course of the last few days, she stopped eating. She was lethargic and losing weight. She mostly slept. We took her to a vet who gave us some hope. So, we tried feeding her chicken broth with one of those syringe-like medicine droppers, which worked for a while but she wasn't getting enough and then yesterday she just stopped swallowing. We gave her Pepto Bismol (that vet's suggestion) a couple of times, but that just seemed like animal cruelty. She would drink some water, but by Monday her urine would come out pretty clear, a sign of kidney failure.

This morning the vet ran some tests, and sure enough she had super-elevated levels of things a little puppy like her shouldn't have.

We decided to euthanize.

We decided to be present, to be able to give her one last hug before we released her. Rebecca and the two older kids had a tough time. I stayed stoic (I know, typical guy), though I did get sniffly. Angela was very positive, reminding us that Dottie was going to be happy now, no more pain. And James was...well, James.

The vet was awesome (thanks for referring us, Jen). Very personable but very professional. They gave us a nice little cardboard coffin for her.

We took her to Grandma and Grandpa O'Neal's house in Payson. They've got a big backyard. We had a little funeral for Dottie, just our family. The three older kids wrote letters that we buried with her. Here are some excerpts:

From Isaac:

I'm so sorry for letting you get grapes will you forgive me?

From Maile:

I hope to see you in heaven someday Dottie, you deserve the best place a dog could ever have.

From Angela:

I hop that you will hav a grat time up in Hevin. I hope you will make noo frends.

Some of the positives we were able to identify from this experience:

- The kids learned about being responsible (they actually all helped a lot with feeding, cleaning up, etc.)

- ALL our friends who knew about Dottie who have dogs of their own now know about grapes

- The kids get to learn about dealing with loss

- We have great memories of a fun, cute dog that surely brought happiness into our home.

We'll miss you Dottie!

Agwe, god of water (and other sundry parts)

2009-07-29T22:37:00.000-07:00

So a few weeks ago, our good friends Charles and Julee Hamilton came by to drop off our new puppy, Dottie. Rebecca had just gotten home from Girls' Camp, preceeded by a full 2 weeks of Kodaly certification.

Ah, I just realized I can blame this whole thing on the Kodaly certification course.

Anyhow, Rebecca got home from girls' camp and was excited about getting our puppy from Charles and Julee, who had called me earlier that day offering to drive down to Provo to drop off the puppy. We invited them to have dinner with us and the Powells, who were also recovering from girls' camp.

After dinner, we were hanging out, and out of the blue Charles says, "Hey, you could play Agwe!"

Me: huh?

Julee obviously knew what he was talking about and got kinda excited about the idea, sending Charles out to the car to get a CD with music.

Okayyyy...

Charles then tells me how the musical he's in has been rehearsing for a month or so and somebody had to drop out due to work schedule changes or something. He and Julee figured I could handle the part easy. "There's just this one solo, and maybe a couple of dance numbers, but you'd be great!"

Hmph.

I agree to go sing for the director and the musical director at the next rehearsal.

Thumbs up.

Cool.

So now I'm Agwe, god of water, in the musical "Once on This Island."

And I'm a rich snob that waltzes (grumble grumble) and then jungle dances.

And I'm a rubbernecker at a car accident scene who happens to help carry the hurt guy to a hut.

And I'm a frog.

And then I'm a rock.

Oh, and I'm part of a tree, too.

Come see the play. Here's the Facebook page for it.

introducing Dottie

2009-07-09T10:27:00.000-07:00

So, the car we had when we first got married was an old brown Datsun 210. Rebecca bought it for $300, and it got us through the first bit of our marriage (snow in that car was pretty nuts; I-15 to Jen & Mar's in Canada was crazy I heard). We affectionately named her "Dottie" and we still kick ourselves for not following through with our idea to take her engine out and make a dune buggy or something.

3 weeks or so ago, Rebecca was doing a Kodaly certification class and lo and behold, there was Holly, friend from Ricks! We got in touch with Charles and Julee Hamilton to have a mini-reunion.

The Hamiltons had just had a litter of puppies. Chi-weenies (sp?). Rebecca fell in love with one in particular, a female with a little black spot on her right haunch.

Thus the name Dottie.

Now we have a dog.

Facebook album here.

Here's a cute pic of her with James napping:

Catching up (with some pics)

2009-06-12T20:29:00.000-07:00

Sigh...

End of school year gets pretty crazy.

Rebecca is taking a Kodaly certification class right now, so we've only really had barely a week of "summer vacation."

Isaac and Maile are going to Hawaii this Thursday. For a month. Yes, we're not going with them. Just those two. Grampa Chock is footing the bill. Sigh.

Isaac's going for Explorations this summer. Maile's going to keep him company on the plane rides to and from. Thanks to Uncle Mark for being willing to put up with them during the month stay. Grampa stays up late and sleeps in late, so it'll probably be a lot of hanging out with Uncle Mark.

Posted pics of some recent events in the Chock family on Facebook.

Angela's Kindergarten Graduation

Skate/scooter night at Freedom Academy

James' 4th Birthday

April Fool (continued)

2009-04-30T09:51:00.001-07:00

Rebecca sent me an email yesterday after I posted the first part of the story, asking to see the PSS on the back. Here it is:

Please notice the handwriting on the actual "April Fool's" note:

That's right. NOT Maile's handwriting.

OK, so back to Maile's solar system paper. Pluto. Yeah.

Here's the first page of what I had Maile take to school to turn in. I started the paper by quoting the dialogue from the movie "Stand By Me," the part where the boys are discussing Pluto and Goofy:

To turn the paper in, Maile had to stand in front of the class and read her report.

PERFECT.

Here's part of the text of what Maile read:

PLUTO DESERVES MORE AIR TIME

As one of Disney’s classic characters, Pluto’s appearances nowadays are mostly made by someone in a Pluto costume at Disneyland. This is unfortunate because one of the primary purposes served by cartoon canines has been the creation of an American culture that is very dog friendly. Examples abound, but all we need to do is look back to the derailed professional football career of one Michael Vick and we can see how the lack of Pluto cartoons very likely created a lack of perspective on the ultimate goodness of dogs in general. If Pluto would be returned to his rightful place, that is, on the screen in front of children paying rapt attention, it is doubtful that such atrocities committed against dogs would ever be perpetrated again.

CONCLUSION

Pluto is truly one of Disney’s best characters. His loyalty, courage, and particularly his HONESTY make him worthy of the title “man’s best friend.”
It goes without saying (so why are we saying it?) then, that notes sent home to a parent on April Fool’s Day signed by a child’s 3rd grade teacher are examples of what this great dog would NOT do, and thusly require a measure of getting back at said teacher. Pluto’s character would never allow him to stoop so low as to cause anger and suspicion “just for the fun of it.”
Bad teacher, baaaaaad teacher…

From what I gather, it had the desired effect of getting giggles out of the classroom.

And yes, Maile turned in a LEGIT Pluto report.

I'm really glad Maile's teacher has a great sense of humor. It may be the only time in my life I enjoyed writing a research paper so much.

April Fool

2009-04-29T15:46:00.000-07:00

So, back on April 1st (was I paying attention to what day it was? No. I did however remember to call my mom, it's her birthday...), Maile came home from school and handed me the following note:

First of all, I realize I really SHOULD have been paying closer attention. It was April Fool's Day, after all. But I think I was doing some work stuff, maybe editing video or something when Maile brought me the note.

I was pretty angry at Maile. And impressed that she pulled it off without her typical giggle fit, not even a smile. Maybe I shouldn't be impressed with her acting ability...

Anyhow, the thing that I'd like to point out is this:

Yes. She had HELP. AND encouragement.

So, fast forward a coupla weeks. Maile comes home with news that she has to write a report on a planet in the solar system. She was chosen to do Pluto.

Light bulb.

"Of COURSE I'll help you, Maile. And you're gonna help me, too..."

5 Minutes of Fame(?)

2009-04-04T11:24:00.000-07:00

So...

IF you happened to own a Nintendo Wii...

and IF you happened to purchase the recently released Dance Dance Revolution: Disney Grooves video game (comes with 2 dance pads right now)...

and IF you happened to just check out the Credits....

and IF you happened to actually watch ALL the Credits...

and IF you happened to pay special attention to the credits on the song "He Mele No Lilo" ...

you might see the name of the guy who sang that track, and you might say "Hey, I know that guy!"

Un-Birthday

2009-04-03T07:43:00.001-07:00

So, apparently there was some kind of clerical error at Rebecca's school and everyone, kids and teachers alike, thinks it's Rebecca's birthday today. Balloons, doughnuts, the whole shebang.

In honor of that, enjoy this song to celebrate with us.

Happy Friday!

Week 5

2009-03-24T09:26:00.000-07:00

P90X.

We made it through Phase I.

Now we are in the midst of week 5.

I think it's working.

Just push play.

The Latest Church Calling

2009-02-27T23:20:00.001-08:00

Heh heh, I just realized I made a punny...

Ok, so about two Sundays ago I was called and sustained to my new calling (one of the four I now have, ahem): Building Security.

Basically I head over to our chapel at (or anytime after, I'm guessing) 10:30pm to secure the building. Make sure doors are locked, windows locked, etc.

After tonight I think I know why I'm supposed to have this calling: too many scary movies growing up.

Here's the routine:

1) Pull up and park right next to the sidewalk leading to the door-which I always want to do on Sundays, but it's not really a parking space.

2) Walk swiftly to the door, making sure not to look into the dark hallway because maybe, just maybe, I'll see...something.

3) As soon as the door is unlocked, reach as quickly as possible for light switch to illuminate the hall...ahhh, sigh of relief.

4) Open door to cultural hall and prop it open. The light from the hall is less uncomfortable than the eerie green glow from the Exit sign on the far side of the cultural hall. Yeah I know there's also a safety light over there, but hey...

5) Walk over to double doors: check.

6) Check kitchen door, reminding self that the noise coming from the kitchen is probably just an automatic fan kicking on somewhere.

7) Walk back over to the door I left propped open. Crossing the darkened cultural hall with the eerie green light was not possible tonight because the other ward had left things set up for some kind of community yard sale, I think.

8) Head towards the south side of the building. Check doors facing west: check.

9) Turn on south hallway lights.

10) Open nursery door, check windows.

11) Other classroom windows on south side.

12) South doors checked.

13) Turn off south hallway light and (gulp) head towards the chapel.

14) Open doors to chapel. Very dark. Only light I can see (or choose to see) is another eerily green Exit sign. Notice strong smell of...old man smell? What is that smell?

15) Whew, made it through the dark chapel to the north side of the building.

16) Walk quickly to light switch: switch on.

17) Head up stairs towards Primary wing of building. Another hallway light switch turned on.

18) Check all the windows. I make sure to drag my feet all the way so as to make noise that I recognize.

19) I usually decide to start whistling a tune on this side of the chapel.

20) The Primary room is all secure.

21) I pause in the room with the CTR shields up on the wall, reminding myself what the building is for and checking to see if any of my kids' names are on there. Nope.

22) The upstairs bathroom, boys bathroom. Motion sensor light switch. I hate that the one stall door is closed, and try not to think about it because that's not my job to check the stall, right?

23) Turn off upstairs hallway light.

24) Downstairs to the Relief Society part of the building.

25) More windows to check. Try not to see faces in the windows looking in.

26) Relief Society room. Why do I suddenly think of Night of the Living Dead? Pshaw...and then I hurriedly walk AWAY from the curtained door and windows.

27) Downstairs bathroom, ladies room. Another motion sensor light. Only go in far enough to see that window is locked.

28) Off with that hallway light.

29) Around the corner to the outside doors facing north that go right into the parking lot. I don't linger here because the, um, darkness that emanates from the stage.

30) Head back over to the west facing doors on this side of the chapel. Turn off the lights, try to ignore what sounds like a door shutting somewhere else in the building, and curse the hydraulic thingamajiggy that doesn't let the door shut fast enough.

31) Eyes on the door that goes into the chapel right by the sacrament table. Eyes ONLY on the door. Check.

32) Turn and walk around the north side of the chapel, double checking doors along the way. Again, avoiding any possible eye contact with...um...the inside of the chapel.

33) Up the outside stairs to the Primary room. No eye contact.

34) Back around the chapel towards the East side, where I started.

35) Check the kitchen door. Check the double doors to the cultural hall.

36) Head on back to the first door I entered. Key into lock, open door, reach in to turn off the light, bound down the steps to, uh, get back home quickly.

37) Get into car, check back seats. You never know.

38) Drive around south side, stop car. Leave it running. Double check south facing doors and the west facing doors on this side of building. DO NOT LOOK INTO CHAPEL.

39) Speedwalk back to car because it's, um, so cold outside.

40) Drive away back to the safety of my own home.

Giggles at the Temple

2009-01-11T00:12:00.001-08:00

Rebecca and I went to the temple today, haven't been for a while (what, like 8 months?)

I definitely walked away smiling, not just because of the good spirit in there, but things that I giggled about...okay, not literally, but at least inside.

1) The name of the person I was doing work for. Nothing beats the "Batman" episode with Rebecca, but for me personally, today's name made me do a double take. If anyone who reads this remembers the Street Fighter franchise of video games, there was a character you could choose who had long arms, long legs, and blew fire. The guy's name I was doing work for was very similar...and he was from India, too.

2) One of Buddy O'Neal's favorite reasons to stay away from the Provo Temple: the temple busybody. I kept thinking that dad would be totally giggling at this old lady as we sat in the chapel waiting our turn, 'cuz she got so flabbergasted at another temple worker who was trying to offer a solution that just didn't work for her. Seriously, it was about where people should be sitting in the chapel. Seriously. I can totally see dad giggling about it.

3) The doily thingy on the altar. I kept smiling because I kept thinking of Mary O'Neal. She'd totally want to straighten the doily thingy. I thought about it enough that I actually tried to straighten it (we were the witness couple), and then I smiled at myself for trying. Kinda funny...

OK, so maybe not so funny. Guess maybe you just had to be there.

Twas a good visit to the temple.

And yes, the Provo Temple celestial room has a new chandelier. I even asked a worker.

A Poem

2008-12-18T19:12:00.000-08:00

Found on an American Greetings card my dad sent me:

ALL ABOUT FARTS

A fart can be quiet,
a fart can be loud,
Some leave a powerful
poisonous cloud...

A fart can be short,
or a fart can be long,
Some farts have been known
to sound just like a song...

A fart can create a most curious medley,
A fart can be harmless,
or silent but deadly...

A fart might not smell,
while others are vile,
a fart may pass quickly,
or linger awhile...

A fart can occur
in a number of places,
And leave everyone
with strange looks on their faces...

From wide-open prairie,
to small elevators,
a fart will find all of us
sooner or later...

But not all farts are bad,
this is simply not true-
we mustn't forget...

Dear,
sweet,
old farts
like you.

Happy Birthday, son!"

Don't fit

2008-12-15T08:20:00.001-08:00

So, yesterday on the way to Gramma and Grampa O'Neal's house, James and I were getting into a little back and forth, "no I'm not!" "Yes, you are!" "No, I'm NOT!" "Yes you are!"

James pulls this out:

J: "Dad, you're a LEGO."

Me: "What? Why am I a LEGO?"

J: "'Cuz you don't fit!"

Hmmm...

Out of the mouths of babes...

And no, Isaac didn't teach him that one...

Snowman

2008-12-08T11:32:00.000-08:00

James, upon seeing the first snowfall of the year, was standing just outside our front door letting the snow fall on his head.

Dad, dressed in shorts and t-shirt, yelled at him to shut the door.

Says Dad, exasperated, "What were you doing out there?"

Responds James, "I was trying to make a snowman."

Thanksgiving Eve with Grampa O.

2008-11-26T13:48:00.000-08:00

The cousins. We're by the windmills in Spanish Fork Canyon. 'Twas chilly, mostly due to, well, wind. Duh.

The windmills were near a quarry. The boys went down for a look. Tayler and Isaac are there at the top. Uncle Kurt is there in his white hoodie. And yes, that's James following them up. Sigh.

Grampa O took us to check out the trains over in East Bay, Provo. This is Uncle Matt with Paden, who loves trains.
Then we grabbed some pizza and went to the park in Payson by the bandstand. The boys started up a game of tag, but when Ty seemed to be at a major disadvantage, the rules changed to not being able to touch the ground. That leveled the playing field quite a bit, was fun to see Matt and Kurt flying back and forth.

Even Grampa O got in on the fun!

James getting dirty...and leaving a message. For someone. I really should have taken a picture of him when he pulled his pants down to pee on a tree.

All in all, a good morning.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Ummm...yeah

2008-11-22T21:25:00.000-08:00

My brother in Hawaii had me check out this website.

Interesting...

www.HowObamaGotElected.com

Essentially talking about media bias in the recent presidential campaigns.

FYI, I take this with a big grain of salt, being that the source is...well, the media. But makes you think...and wonder...

even after 15 years...

2008-11-17T15:34:00.000-08:00

not sure why, but the audio is out of sync.

yes, i haven't played the tuba in over 15 years.

thank you bro. mrykalo for dragging this skeleton out of my closet.

What's up, doc?

2008-11-17T14:05:00.001-08:00

I love that James ASKS for a carrot as a snack.

Dishes

2008-11-15T10:00:00.000-08:00

"If you have to dry the dishes

(Such an awful, boring chore)

If you have to dry the dishes

('Stead of going to the store)

If you have to dry the dishes

And you drop one on the floor--

Maybe they won't let you

Dry the dishes anymore."

- Shel Silverstein

The Emperor's New Clothes

2008-11-14T18:48:00.000-08:00

Isaac and Maile were in a play tonight (Friday night). Our camera really sucks, but we do the best we can. Thanks to the Michels, the Tolmans, and Julie and Dusty for coming out to support Isaac and Maile.

Lucky shot with both Maile AND Isaac. Isaac was the "bad guy" (the guy who tricks the Emperor into thinking he's wearing clothes visible only to those who are truly wise), Maile was a "decorator" for the pending birthday celebration.

Isaac really got into his part. Kinda went all out, which was pretty cool to see.

Thanks again to the folks who came out to see the budding thespians!

Maile's dress from grandma

2008-11-13T07:17:00.000-08:00

Rebecca's mom makes wonderful dresses for all the granddaughters, and Maile's baptism dress was no exception.

Of course I was partial to the white muumuu we got Maile in Hawaii, until I saw this dress.

Just because...

2008-11-10T12:29:00.000-08:00

New Shoes

2008-11-05T21:50:00.000-08:00

"Hey, I put some new shoes on,

And suddenly everything is right,

I said, hey, I put some new shoes on

and everybody's smiling,

It's so inviting,

Oh, short on money,

But long on time,

Slowly strolling in the sweet sunshine,

And I'm running late,

And I don't need an excuse,

'cause I'm wearing my brand new shoes."

-Paolo Nutini, "New Shoes"

I have NEVER in my life owned a pair of shoes with that name or that logo on it.

Until now.

I fully expect these shoes to make me be like Mike.

If not I want my money back.

Ahem.

History

2008-11-05T08:21:00.000-08:00

It's clear history has been made with the election of the first president of African-American descent.

Ok, let's celebrate the fact that America has come a long way in terms of the racial divide, let's celebrate that the American Dream is still alive and Mr. Obama is living proof of that, the idea that one can, from humble beginnings, still scale the mountain and reach the top.

Awesome.

Honestly, though, I feel a little more anxious about what the historians will say AFTER the next 4 years, heck, what history will we see being made in the next 4 months?

Our nation is at war, we are in the middle of a financial crisis, yeah those are important, but I'm keeping an eye out for some other things too, like abortion, marriage, and even our Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

Mr. President-elect, it's time to roll up the sleeves and get to work. No more talking, no more preening for cameras, no more making promises. Time to start keeping those campaign promises, time to start serving the people of this nation, time to be a leader not only in word, but in action.

This citizen is praying for you.

Election Day

2008-11-04T07:18:00.001-08:00

Something great is happening right now that I'm not sure I've experienced before, even though I've only voted in a presidential election 3 times before this.

Regardless of which candidate you support, I'm fairly proud of the passion I'm seeing from people around me. The few conversations I've had, the little tidbits of information here and there, the campaign information I actually have allowed myself to be exposed to in the last coupla weeks, it all indicates at least one good thing: WE THE PEOPLE are engaged and interested.

I don't remember this feeling any other time the last few times I voted. This time feels different, and even if it's just me, my perception is my reality, and I can remember that one of the greatest blessings of living in this great nation is not only the opportunity to vote, but that everyone has the right to express their ideas about who the best candidate is and why.

I'm reminded of my brother Mark talking to me about this when he was in Iraq. I complained to him that the media was all doom and gloom about what he was doing there, compared to the stories he was sharing with me. He politely reminded me that he wasn't just fighting for me, my family, and those who think like we do. He was also fighting for those who think differently and THEIR right to speak their mind.

Of course, you could even disagree with him there. But again, that's the point. We CAN disagree, because we live in this great nation of ours.

I am grateful to be a citizen of the United States of America. Warts and all, she's the best.

Baptisms

2008-11-03T07:47:00.000-08:00

Maile Pualani Chock was baptized at the Provo Sunset Stake Center on Saturday, November 1, 2008 by her father, Thomas.

'Twas a good service, only 4 other children were baptized that day, so even though we went last, it wasn't too long of a wait.

Some of my impressions:

Becca gave a great talk on the Holy Ghost. I really liked how she taught us the difference between the Power of the Holy Ghost and the Gift of the Holy Ghost. I told her she better be careful, she looked a bit too comfortable sitting up on the stand with the Stake Primary Presidency...

It was wonderful to see the Hamiltons there, we haven't seen them in a LONG time. Clark Hamilton and James Chock are a pair, I'd feel sorry for any nursery leader that had them BOTH. Seth is a MONSTER. He's got not only the height, but now he's getting THICK. Get that boy playing football!

Maile is still taller than most kids her age. Becca thinks she'll stop growing, I hope to have a 6'2" volleyball player someday...

I liked that there were musical numbers between every group being excused to the font.

We tried to take a picture of everyone who came for Maile's baptism, but our camera didn't take the picture. Go figure. Shoulda had Rich bring his camera for that. Oh well.

----------------------

Later that afternoon, we got to go to another baptism, this time it was our friends Justus and Katrina Lawrence baptizing their son, Te. Isaac, Maile and I take karate from Justus, and Te is in many of the classes Maile and Isaac are in.

Funny thing was that the night before, I had taken Isaac and Maile trick-or-treating, and since we were in the car, decided to stop by the Lawrences for a good spook (Katrina has great Halloween decorations). Somehow we got talking about Maile's baptism, at which point we found out Te was getting baptized the next day. Katrina then smacked her forehead exclaiming she had forgotten to ask someone to play music.

Luckily for them, I have a wife who can pretty much sight read anything.

So, I volunteered Rebecca in exchange for the chance to have Filipino food. I don't know what Rebecca thought, but I thought it was totally worth it. Yum.

Impressions:

The Lawrences are DEFINITELY a karate family.

Miki's talk on baptism started basically the same way the Black Belt Success Cycle starts. Isaac commented on Miki's eyes, and I asked him if he didn't remember those eyes from karate (we took from Miki for a while).

I've never heard the words "black belt" uttered in a confirmation prayer before. But it wouldn't fit so well anywhere else, either.

It wouldn't be Justus if he didn't tell the kids sitting in the front row to "look sharp" right before raising his right arm to the square.

All in all, a great Saturday.

Halloween 2008

2008-10-31T20:45:00.000-07:00

some thoughts about the kiddies

2008-10-30T08:08:00.000-07:00

Isaac

he is smart. extremely intelligent, very creative. what's most impressive about him is his ability to play the role of big brother. he's fairly good at it, and he's even stepped in a time or two in the recent past to help with the younger ones. i pray his inquisitive mind continues to ask good questions.

for him to fly, i believe he needs simply to recognize more than what is immediate to him (as in other people), though i believe that will come with more time and maturity. i'm grateful for his participation in karate, because i think he's seeing that he's not only academically talented but could be talented physically/athletically as well.

Maile

her smile really can light up a room. she's so good at making friends. she's smart too, but it never really defined her, which is pretty cool. she's very sensitive to the feelings of people around her, though sometimes she uses that to augment her "teasing." energy, vitality, life.

her flight will happen as she continues to have fun with life, no matter what life throws at her. we need to remember she's not the same age as Isaac and treat her accordingly...

Angela

right now she's the most helpful of all our kids. she's always asking if she can help in the kitchen, and is genuinely disappointed when she wishes to help and there's nothing for her to do. she likes to make others happy, and is constantly giving us pictures that let us know of her love for us. if you ever get a chance, tickle her, that laugh of hers is beautiful music.

for her to fly, i think she will want to nurture her friendships. she has so much to offer, i think she'll be a positive influence on anyone she chooses to befriend. if she learns how to take good care of herself and her relationships, she'll be soaring.

James

rough and tumble, his physicality can be surprising. there's a good reason his favorite PBS cartoon is Curious George, who is a problem solver. he understands negotiation well for a 3 yr. old.

he's young enough that his flight depends more on mom and dad than on his choices. i imagine the same should be said for Angela. but forced to respond, i would say the concept of "bridled passions" best fits. he doesn't do anything halfway, which is great, unless the situation calls for halfway and he goes all out. this isn't about him toning himself down, mostly about knowing when, to use hoops terminology, to drive the lane, when to pull up for a jumper, or when to pass it off.

Halloween Pics

2008-10-28T07:12:00.000-07:00

Some of the Halloween pics from our camera have been posted here.

An enjoyable evening of pumpkin carving and a small birthday cake ceremony for Isaac were had by all. I hope.

Chocks Sparring at BLK Tournament, Oct. 25, 2008

2008-10-27T22:08:00.001-07:00

Thanks to Katrina Lawrence for taking these videos and posting them.

Here's Isaac's match, unfortunately he lost but hopefully this makes him hungry to perform up to his potential next time. This isn't just a dad talking up his son, but Isaac is better at sparring than he showed here. In his defense, he was sick AND he was drugged up the morning of the tourney. I told him "true champions are those who get right back up when they fall." Isaac's on the left.

Here's my match with Steve Hansen, there were actually only 3 of us in our division, and we're all from the same school (BLK Lindon). Steve and I had a great match, though it was the only match of the day for me. Oh well. I'm on the left.