27 April 2009
26 April 2009
Five-Year-Old Eloquence
Esme says:
"I don't go crazy 'bout a sharp dressed man."
"What is that, anyway?"
"I don't go crazy 'bout a sharp dressed man."
"What is that, anyway?"
21 April 2009
Hello, World!
Emily Anne Hollopeter was born to my brother Scott and his wife Cathy this afternoon (21 April) at 1:56 pm. She weighs 8 lbs. 8 oz., and measures 20 1/2 inches long. Both Mommy and Baby are doing just fine. No other details yet and I crave pictures!
Congratulations to Scott, Cathy and big sister Megan!!!
Congratulations to Scott, Cathy and big sister Megan!!!
14 April 2009
Report Cards
Third quarter report cards arrived yesterday.
Miss Esme's report card is perfect. Absolutely perfect. Ones (1=mastery) in all academic areas, slashes (/=satisfactory) in all work habits/social development/fine motor skills. We are very proud of her.
Master Aidan's report card is also terrific. He received an A- in reading, an A in writing, an A in spelling, and an A in math. He received twos (2=capable) in word choice and sentence fluency in the writing category; a two for "demonstrates appropriate verbal and non-verbal speaking skills", and twos in geometry. Everything else was ones. We understand the twos in writing (his writing tends to the onomatopoeic - lots of "crash!") but are puzzled about the geometry and will discuss that with his teacher. We are very proud of him.
Though I thought I was finished with the editing of Don DeJong's third book, about the early businessmen in Lowell, apparently I'm not. This project continues to frustrate and annoy me. I had it perfect - but smaller margins and larger pictures were requested. This is not a matter of a few simple changes, because it drastically changes all the page layouts and forces me to reevaluate the whole book - not to mention fix the table of contents and index, every time a change is made. After I finished that, I found a new phone message that requested still more changes. Grrrr.
Jim is working in Flint and Troy this week on a project with GMAC. Next week he will start a longer-term project with the U. S. Department of Education in Washington, DC. His new billable-projectified schedule is an answer to prayer.
We spent a day with Grandma and Grandpa at their house on Thursday last week, which was very nice.
We also had a lovely Easter dinner with Grandma Margie, Uncle Eddie and Mariah at home; then Jim and Ed hid a bunch of eggs outside for the kids to find. They had a blast, tearing all around the yard trying to find the most. I have pictures...but they're still in the camera! I promise to post them with the next update.
Miss Esme's report card is perfect. Absolutely perfect. Ones (1=mastery) in all academic areas, slashes (/=satisfactory) in all work habits/social development/fine motor skills. We are very proud of her.
Master Aidan's report card is also terrific. He received an A- in reading, an A in writing, an A in spelling, and an A in math. He received twos (2=capable) in word choice and sentence fluency in the writing category; a two for "demonstrates appropriate verbal and non-verbal speaking skills", and twos in geometry. Everything else was ones. We understand the twos in writing (his writing tends to the onomatopoeic - lots of "crash!") but are puzzled about the geometry and will discuss that with his teacher. We are very proud of him.
Though I thought I was finished with the editing of Don DeJong's third book, about the early businessmen in Lowell, apparently I'm not. This project continues to frustrate and annoy me. I had it perfect - but smaller margins and larger pictures were requested. This is not a matter of a few simple changes, because it drastically changes all the page layouts and forces me to reevaluate the whole book - not to mention fix the table of contents and index, every time a change is made. After I finished that, I found a new phone message that requested still more changes. Grrrr.
Jim is working in Flint and Troy this week on a project with GMAC. Next week he will start a longer-term project with the U. S. Department of Education in Washington, DC. His new billable-projectified schedule is an answer to prayer.
We spent a day with Grandma and Grandpa at their house on Thursday last week, which was very nice.
We also had a lovely Easter dinner with Grandma Margie, Uncle Eddie and Mariah at home; then Jim and Ed hid a bunch of eggs outside for the kids to find. They had a blast, tearing all around the yard trying to find the most. I have pictures...but they're still in the camera! I promise to post them with the next update.
08 April 2009
Full Moon
Today I am a grandauntie! Our niece Jenilee's baby Chloe Marie was born today, 8 April at 3:38 p.m. in Kalamazoo. Grandma Joy tells us that both Jeni and Chloe are fine, Chloe weighed 8 pounds 1 ounce and measured 20 inches, and has a lot of dark hair. Congratulations, Jeni and Chris!
Jim spent the last two days in the Flint, Michigan area, working on a new project with GMAC. He will return next week, but was able to come home this evening; just arrived about an hour ago. He left Flint about 5:15 p.m., but was significantly delayed. Let me tell you why.
Jim carries a full first aid kit, including several pairs of latex gloves, in his car, as a matter of course. He seems to run across situations in which he needs them rather frequently. Several years ago he delivered a baby on the shoulder of I-85 in Ohio - the baby's parents were on their way to the hospital and crashed their car, the dad had to have an emergency tracheotomy, with which the only available paramedics were occupied...so Jim delivered the baby! Not long after that, he was behind a minivan with a mattress strapped (not very tightly) to the top; the mattress flew off and jammed underneath the van. No one was injured in that case, but Jim stopped to help the folks maneuver the mattress out from underneath their van.
It must now be said that the Michigan herd of whitetail deer is way too large, and something needs to be done about it. Jim said on his way home tonight he personally saw at least a thousand deer.
Eight of these deer decided to cross I-69 near Lansing this evening at an inopportune time, scattering vehicles, causing several to veer off the road. One of those deer - a buck, probably about 250 pounds, crashed right into a blue Honda Civic - Jim saw the whole thing happen. The deer's head was protruding through the windshield of the car, its neck broken. The female driver of the car was fine, but her husband, in the passenger seat, was badly cut by windshield (or possibly passenger window) glass and was bleeding profusely from the femoral artery.
The injured man was able to exit the car, during which time Jim pulled off the road, removed his jacket and watch, and put on latex gloves. The driver was hysterical and the injured man fell down - probably from blood loss - so Jim calmly walked over and began to apply pressure to the wound, while other bystanders attempted to calm the wife. Twelve minutes ticked by before the paramedics arrived, and they took over. Jim stayed until the injured man was stabilized and loaded into the ambulance, and then gave his report to the police.
So Jim got home a little late tonight, but did a good deed in the meantime!
Jim spent the last two days in the Flint, Michigan area, working on a new project with GMAC. He will return next week, but was able to come home this evening; just arrived about an hour ago. He left Flint about 5:15 p.m., but was significantly delayed. Let me tell you why.
Jim carries a full first aid kit, including several pairs of latex gloves, in his car, as a matter of course. He seems to run across situations in which he needs them rather frequently. Several years ago he delivered a baby on the shoulder of I-85 in Ohio - the baby's parents were on their way to the hospital and crashed their car, the dad had to have an emergency tracheotomy, with which the only available paramedics were occupied...so Jim delivered the baby! Not long after that, he was behind a minivan with a mattress strapped (not very tightly) to the top; the mattress flew off and jammed underneath the van. No one was injured in that case, but Jim stopped to help the folks maneuver the mattress out from underneath their van.
It must now be said that the Michigan herd of whitetail deer is way too large, and something needs to be done about it. Jim said on his way home tonight he personally saw at least a thousand deer.
Eight of these deer decided to cross I-69 near Lansing this evening at an inopportune time, scattering vehicles, causing several to veer off the road. One of those deer - a buck, probably about 250 pounds, crashed right into a blue Honda Civic - Jim saw the whole thing happen. The deer's head was protruding through the windshield of the car, its neck broken. The female driver of the car was fine, but her husband, in the passenger seat, was badly cut by windshield (or possibly passenger window) glass and was bleeding profusely from the femoral artery.
The injured man was able to exit the car, during which time Jim pulled off the road, removed his jacket and watch, and put on latex gloves. The driver was hysterical and the injured man fell down - probably from blood loss - so Jim calmly walked over and began to apply pressure to the wound, while other bystanders attempted to calm the wife. Twelve minutes ticked by before the paramedics arrived, and they took over. Jim stayed until the injured man was stabilized and loaded into the ambulance, and then gave his report to the police.
So Jim got home a little late tonight, but did a good deed in the meantime!
06 April 2009
A PROJECT!!!
Hallelujah!!! Jim will begin a new project tomorrow morning in Flint, MI with GMAC. Sounds like it might be kind of short term, but infinitely better than nothing!
01 April 2009
Nerd Gene Alive and Well
Thankfully, our kids are proud to be nerds. We're so glad that (at least so far) the stigma of being smart is nothing of which to be ashamed.
Esme has really taken to reading over the last year, and we are sometimes surprised at her choice of reading material. Typically I try to choose shorter chapter books for her, so she has uncomplainingly read several of The Littles books, some of the Bailey School Kids stories, and some of the Magic Tree House series. However, lately she has been wandering off the "approved" reading list, choosing her own material. It started with her diving headfirst into the Charlie Brown 'Cyclopedia set from my childhood; then she moved on to the Children's Dictionary, which she spent countless hours looking through and tracking Jim or me down to explain her most newly discovered word. A few days ago she chose The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe from her brother's bookcase, and has been plowing through it, faithfully dog-earing a page every time she puts it down. My five-year-old daughter is reading C. S. Lewis.
Aidan, while he prefers the Lego catalog and his Star Wars and Indiana Jones novelizations to most other reading material for entertainment's sake, also has his little quirks. At school he has been working very hard to read Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, as it is worth a lot of Reading Counts points. I tried to read the first chapter and it is practically incomprehensible - but he's reading it nonetheless. The local Rotary Club gave the third graders up-to-date dictionaries yesterday, which include all sorts of reference information - maps, the periodic table, etc. - and he has been perusing that as well.
Hooray for reading, the gateway to everything else.
Esme has really taken to reading over the last year, and we are sometimes surprised at her choice of reading material. Typically I try to choose shorter chapter books for her, so she has uncomplainingly read several of The Littles books, some of the Bailey School Kids stories, and some of the Magic Tree House series. However, lately she has been wandering off the "approved" reading list, choosing her own material. It started with her diving headfirst into the Charlie Brown 'Cyclopedia set from my childhood; then she moved on to the Children's Dictionary, which she spent countless hours looking through and tracking Jim or me down to explain her most newly discovered word. A few days ago she chose The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe from her brother's bookcase, and has been plowing through it, faithfully dog-earing a page every time she puts it down. My five-year-old daughter is reading C. S. Lewis.
Aidan, while he prefers the Lego catalog and his Star Wars and Indiana Jones novelizations to most other reading material for entertainment's sake, also has his little quirks. At school he has been working very hard to read Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, as it is worth a lot of Reading Counts points. I tried to read the first chapter and it is practically incomprehensible - but he's reading it nonetheless. The local Rotary Club gave the third graders up-to-date dictionaries yesterday, which include all sorts of reference information - maps, the periodic table, etc. - and he has been perusing that as well.
Hooray for reading, the gateway to everything else.
Yes, I AM an April Fool.
My "dear" brother left a message on our voice mail this morning, while Jim was on a business call and I was on the treadmill: "I have news. Call me."
"News" at this point, given that Cathy was in premature labor a couple of weeks ago, seemed obvious, so as soon as I got off the treadmill, I called Scott's cell phone. No answer. I called Mom and Dad at home. No answer. I called Mom's cell phone. No answer. I called my sister in Minnesota, who knew nothing and who is now really mad that I disturbed her twice while she was trying to get ready for work. I called Scott a few more times. No answer. I called his home phone, which Cathy answered. "News? What news?"
Duh. April Fool - as if I needed telling.
It must be said that while we do KNOW today is April Fool's day, it is also Jim's birthday...and that is how we think of it around here. Jim's niece's baby is due today, also, so I think we should be forgiven our stupidity.
Happy good wishes to Cathy and Jenilee, and we'll look forward to the times Emily and Chloe decide to arrive.
"News" at this point, given that Cathy was in premature labor a couple of weeks ago, seemed obvious, so as soon as I got off the treadmill, I called Scott's cell phone. No answer. I called Mom and Dad at home. No answer. I called Mom's cell phone. No answer. I called my sister in Minnesota, who knew nothing and who is now really mad that I disturbed her twice while she was trying to get ready for work. I called Scott a few more times. No answer. I called his home phone, which Cathy answered. "News? What news?"
Duh. April Fool - as if I needed telling.
It must be said that while we do KNOW today is April Fool's day, it is also Jim's birthday...and that is how we think of it around here. Jim's niece's baby is due today, also, so I think we should be forgiven our stupidity.
Happy good wishes to Cathy and Jenilee, and we'll look forward to the times Emily and Chloe decide to arrive.