Evey is in a SILLY mood!

At Gambino's for lunch... Too much shake-shake!

Boydee learns to walk

This is old... if my computer is to be trusted, this was shot on January 18th of this year. Boydee started walking while I was in Daytona Beach at a conference. As soon as I got home, I wanted a demonstration, and this is what we saw... shot on my iPhone...

I see daddy do this all day

Clearly, it's not very hard.

That's a wrap!

Soccer season ended on Saturday! Whoo-hoo! Our first winning season!

The Eudora Eagles (named by Evey, all the team got to come up with a name, luck had it we pulled her name out of the hat) got off to a soaring start, going undefeated in their first five games of the season. But then some bad luck, a few bad calls, and a couple nagging injuries down the stretch* cost us the last two games, and we finished the season 5-2.

I was the head coach, our assistant was Brandon. We brought back almost the exact same team from last fall (we lost one kid, and got one new kid). That team went 1-6 last season. So to get to 5-2 was a huge improvement.

The kids drove me crazy at times. It's hard to wrangle a group of 6-, 5- and 4-year-olds. But they were overall a fun group. I know I enjoyed coaching Evey. Heck, I enjoyed coaching most of them.

Evey's season was solid. It was hindered a bit when she fell off the money bars at school... it took her a few weeks to get back on track after that. Her best game was two weeks ago when I gave her a little pep talk on the ride to the field. I told her to play aggressive, and that I wanted her to get no less than 10 kicks on the ball and two shots on goal.

Out of nowhere she accomplished both, in the first quarter! Both shots were good, one hit the post, the other was stopped by the goalie. She didn't score a goal this year, but in all, I think only three different kids scored for our team anyway, so it was a hard year to get the ball in the net for most of the team.

Evey did play some goalie for us, and she did a nice job as GK. But I do think in the field she lost a little of her aggressiveness that she's showed me in previous seasons. It might be because the boys have gotten a little bigger, it might be because she was a step slower with her hurt arm, I don't know. But we'll work together and get back that aggressiveness.

I'm happy to have Saturday mornings back, and I'm happy to not have to worry about practices on Mondays. But I will miss kicking it around with the kids, especially Evey.

But we'll be back for more in the fall!

EAGLES!!!

*I'm joking, of course, but we could have won the last two games as well... we were outplayed a little, and had too many shots hit the post this season. Plus, we had a few deadbeat goalies, and my policy is to let anyone who wants to play goalie get a quarter...

Happy Mother's Day!

Evey and Adro at the kindergarten field trip to the Topeka zoo two weeks ago.

Happy Mother's Day to all of the moms out there, and especially to the mom of my two beautiful children!

Adro wanted to have a relaxing day gardening, and that's what she got. She also got a barbecue dinner, a few backyard beers hand-delivered and an extended back rub at bed time. Oh, and she also got some funny money for the casino on Saturday. Overall, I think she enjoyed her mother's day.

Evelyn, on the other hand, got a little sick of mother's day. She thought mother's day was last Thursday, when they had a program at the school for all the moms. She was ready for an "Evelyn Day," which she doesn't realize, is actually every day.

I called my mom and talked to her but did not get to see her. She sounded well, though, she had a wedding she went to on Saturday night. I think I'll take her out to the casino the next time she's in town... mom asked that me and sis not spend any money on flowers this year.

I called Grandma JoJo but no answer. I called Bea and got to chat with her for about 10 minutes. She sounded well. I texted Jess and wished her a good one. And Judy was there to enjoy the barbecue with us. So I think I almost got all of the moms covered, except for my grandma.

Happy day, mommas!

Happy birthday, old man!

This is the Jones family on my 36th birthday. Look how happy Evey is!

Head for the Cure 2013

We had a big group yesterday morning for the annual Head for the Cure 5K race, benefitting brain cancer research! Twelve of us participated in the race, and Grandma Virginia (in chair in background) even came out to support the group.

From left to right, Jaron, Jaden, Matt, Erica, Jules, Judy, Evey, Boydee, Adro, me, Jess and Stacy.

Evey's first post (written by Evey)

I have. Broun. Is because. Of dad

She's off the charts!

Celebrating at her favorite restaurant, Salty Iguana!

EAT! EAT!

This kid can't get enough food. He's constantly eating. It doesn't matter what time. It doesn't matter if he just ate. He WANTS MORE FOOD!!!

I think the little booger is pulling off two dinners every night, one at LeeLa's, one at our house.

OK, I kind of admire him working the system...

Young comic reader

A couple notes about Evey and comic books;

I took Evey to KC Planet Comicon a few weekends ago. She had a blast! She Dressed up as Spider-Girl for the convention, and also met the legendary comic artist Neal Adams. She bought a few 33 cent Superman comics, the Fantastic Four DVD, and a Scooby Doo comic. (I got Mr. Adams to sign my Superman Vs. Muhammad Ali comic!)

On the drive home, I got this shot over my shoulder. She was flipping through the comics, checking out the art, making Dad proud. That's my girl!

Another story: yesterday afternoon Evey spotted an old 1960s Aquaman comic in my spinner rack. Great funky cover by Jim Aparo. She tries to get it out, but it's too high for her to reach.

I'm at work, at my computer downstairs, so she creeps over next to me. "Dad, can I look at that comic?" She politely asks me.

I couldn't help but smile. Sure thing Evey! She sat on the couch downstairs and carefully looked over each page. So cute!

Augusta National with MJ

Me and my brother-in-law Mark had an AWESOME time today at Augusta National. It was his first time at the Masters (my sixth, I think) and it made for so much fun to see how excited he was to be there.

These will be some memories that last a lifetime, I guarantee you!

I'm here on business, Mark is here for fun. But he has helped me out so much, it's phenomenal. He's made the trip so much easier just by being a good wing-man.

After the day at Augusta, I took him with me to the Golf Writers Association dinner. It was good to walk in with a comrade and just to have someone to hang with... it's difficult going to something like that by yourself.

One of Mark's best lines was right before Rory McIlroy took the stage to accept his 2012 male player of the year award. Mark turns to me, eyes wide, and says, "I didn't know Rory was actually going to BE HERE!" Then he paused and said to me, "You are the man."

Ha! Sometimes, yes. MJ, you are also the man!

Evey's fall from the monkey bars

(100% copies from an email just sent to my co-workers)

What a weird afternoon!

Evey was pretty upset when I got to school. I've never seen her that bothered by an injury before… like she was scared. I decided to take her on in to the doctor.

It took FOREVER to see the doctor. I explained to the front desk that Evey was in a lot of pain, etc., but this didn't get her any special treatment. (Sadly, her normal doctor/nurses have the day off on Wednesday, so we were without any friends this day!) I finally asked if I should just take her to the emergency room, and they finally took her back!

Another room, another wait. Finally the doctor came and saw her. By now, I was pretty sure it was nothing (Evey wasn't crying as much), and I was ready to leave. The doctor looks at it, and in the most monotone voice ever says, "That looks broken." I'm like, "Are you kidding me?" So he has her go back for X-rays.

End of the story: no clear break from the X-ray, but he's worried that she did some damage to some calcium plate in her elbow… so he has her in a sling now, and no physical activity for 7 to 10 days. Then we go for another X-ray to see how it's doing.

What a day! Poor Evey! She has now sworn off the monkey bars, forever.

-Seth

Deep-sea fishing

In the Gulf of Mexico.

That's a Red Grouper, one of five I caught that day.

Good times!

***

Bubba is doing well. He's starting to say more, especially the word "No!"

His "please" sounds like "pees!" and his "Evey!" sounds like "Evey!" So cute.

He is really into books now. There's one book we've been reading him a lot -- Evey has it memorized already -- where the little boy gets tickled at the end of the book. Boydee sees it coming every time, and is already giggling in anticipation of the tickle attack he's about to get when that page comes up.

It's fun for everyone involved, I must say.

It's cool that he's already digging on books. Both our kids like books, hopefully that keeps up.

***

Evey told me last night, as she was trying to go to bed, that she loved me and she loved Bubba (mom was at the gym,) She then decided to spell out the order for me.

"Dad, I love Bubba the most, then mom, then you. Unless Bubba has scratched me, then I love mom the most, then you, then Bubba."

Wow, thanks, Evey.

Whatever.

***

Looks like, if everything goes well, I'll be pulling the trigger on tickets for Lollapalooza tomorrow. We're just doing Friday and Sunday, since Saturday is kind of weak, line-up wise. We've decided to hit a Cubs game on Saturday (they're playing the Dodgers.)

So, again, you've been forewarned. Come join me. Don't be mad when I'm telling you how awesome Queens of the Stone Age were, when you could have just been there with me!

Special thanks to Adro for letting me travel the world (literally) this year. I'll have to do a little extra around the house to make up for a weekend away rocking out at a music festival with friends, but overall she's cool with it.

That's a cool chick I married, man, I'm telling you. It's OK to be jealous.

***

Been fighting a little cold. I think it hits whenever the weather goes from crappy to nice. Hopefully that's the case. I'm ready for good weather.

***

The Radiohead album just ended, so that means it's time to go to bed.

Kung Fu continues to go well

Only three kids in class today... Lots of 1-on-1 attention!