I realized today just how small my baby actually is. I went to Truman Lakewood to see a friend of mine who had a baby this morning. Every thing went well until we attempted to leave. I rang the buzzer to get out and a nurse came on the speaker and asked me to turn the car seat around to the camera to make sure that I was not leaving with one of the newborns. I turned the seat and she said please hold on one moment and i will be back with you. Not a minute later there are 3 women walking towards me. They asked me if she was mine, if i had her birth certificate and they even looked at her belly button to see if it was still new or not. I told them that she was 4 months old and the nurse smiled and said " 4 month olds are bigger than that". They finally believed me after they saw her belly but that was a good twenty minutes of my life that I will never get back.

So we were at Blockbuster at midnight Friday for the big "Twilight" movie release..............more like madness. Finally got to sit down and watch it tonight and it was a pretty good movie. But the big highlight of our weekend was a brand new stove and dishwasher. I have never had any brand new appliances before so it was a pretty big deal to me. My wife on the other hand was just happy to have an oven again..............it has been about 6 weeks since we have had a working oven. Katie got her "Twilight" movie and a 5 foot tall poster of Edward from the movie, so she was extremely happy...needless to say. LeAndra got to practice driving today; she did very well I must say. Bethany and Eric got the huge boxes from the stove and dishwasher.......so we made houses out of them; that made them happy. Ella is beginning to outgrow some of her premie clothes. I am just now realizing (once again) that the weekend is over and that they are not near long enough. But the kids do have to go back to school, so I guess that will suffice for now.

It's a wonderful thing to be up at 5:00 am and have absolutely no one up. It is completely silent and peaceful around here..........and I am enjoying it tremendously. We went to Walmart Sunday afternoon for formula and Eric and I decided that he needed a bb gun. So we got a pumpmaster 750 with a scope and 4000 bb's. We have set up a target range out back, with some cans and a large piece of sheetrock with a poorly drawn punk rocker to shoot at. So far no one has been shot and there have been no lawsuits or damage. The girls have been playing the F.E.A.R. 2 game that Kara picked out the other day. I couldn't get that controller out of their hands even if I had time to play a video game.
This quater's classes are completely ridiculous; I dont think these people understand how limited and important my time really is. The only good thing I see happening out of this is that after thids weekend I informed my boss there is absolutely no way I can be on call for the next 11 weeks. Every Wednesday there will be a page to a page and a half paper due for homework. Every Friday there is a lab and about fifteen pages of typed homework to be done. And as if that is not enough, every Saturday there is about a seventy page lab (I managed to get the first 3 pages done Saturday in class) and about thirty pages of typed homework due. And that's every week...................like I really have time for all that crap. I have spent the majority of my weekend and last night doing homework and have barely put a dent in it. I honestly don't think these people realize that I have a family or life outside of school.
Bethany got a new fish...Pink (hers and Eric's had died within a few days of being home). It's a pink glowfish, and we got her a new aqaurium to go with it. She has been throwing up all yesterday and last night...........JOY. I took her to Blockbuster last night to get a Barney movie to hopefully keep her somewhat occupied briefly. And today is the big day we've all been waiting for.....yes Twilight hits the movie store this morning. So we shall be trying to grab that one this morning before it's gone and I have to hear about it from a certain teenager.
Kids are roaming the house getting coffee, so I guess that's my que to get ready for work.

So, it is Saturday morning and I am going to class today. What could be more thrilling..........cisco routers perhaps.........lets hope so because that is today's class. At least I have the same instructor Wednesday, Friday and Saturday; and I do prefer him as far as instructors go. I am just glad to be off work for a minute. Eric had never seen Independence Day...so we all watched that the other night, I forgot how good of a movie that was. Nothing else really going on; I did take Kara and Beth to Blockbuster last night so Beth could pick out a movie and Kara could get a video and game. And you all have already heard.......she chose F.E.A.R 2........how cool is that. Eric went to Cabo this weekend with his aunt and we are all stuck here in Missouri. Tricia's cousin gave Katie 2 more ginea pigs; she was asleep on the couch yesterday afternoon and sat straight up when I mentioned to Tricia that G-goodie knew someone that was giving away some rabbits/babies. Ifound that somewhat amusing......that she sat up out of a sound sleep when I mentioned baby bunnies and who's got bunnies...I want em. Unfortunately for her we are no longer accepting applications for wildlife or pets to become members of the family.

The addiction has returned. Ethan went to blockbuster and came home with FEAR 2 saying that Kara wanted it which I find extremely hard to believe. I just wanted everyone to be aware so if he crawls back into his shell of not answering his phone, or the door then that is why. We are all still alive over here just confined to the house due to the placement of the XBOX but we will return to society as soon as this new obsession has subsided

Happy Birthday Mom! I don't have much time here, so I shall be brief. Bethany's birthday party Saturday was a success.........I'm glad we decided to have that at Pizza street and let them clean up the mess. A certain teenager made it through her grounding without a single incident, bad attitude, or negative comment. I am thoroughly amazed........that is a first...........I thought I had that one pegged. Tricia has dentist appointments set up about every other day for the next month between us adults and all the kids. That should keep her busy for a while. Ella has eaten her first bananna....thanks to Kara, and has been eating vegies and rice every day along with her bottles. This is my last night of freedom, I go back to class tomorrow........fortunately this is almost over.That's all for now folks.

Eric and I are on to a new game, it's called BIOSHOCK..........and it is pretty creepy. F.E.A.R. 2 is like $60 and I refuse to pay that much for a stupid video game, although I have heard it is quite awsome. T.G.I.F.; I am so glad it is Friday, I really do live for the weekend. Oh yeah, and for the kids to go to their mom's house.......that's not wrong is it. Katie's new pet has a cold; or so I am told. I took Amanda to her first court date, and last I hope. Her mom refused to take her, probably something to do with the fact Amanda was using my divorse lawyer. All went well, 2 years unsupervised probation, no walmart for 2 years, and no conviction.

I always thought that the birth of my children was the happiest day of my life well I found out that I was wrong. The ending of the FEAR obsession is way more exciting than anything I could ever imagine. The other day I had to run to the store so I told him that I made a bottle in case Ella needed it and I would be back in a moment. I came home to her screaming and he was so wrapped in that game that he did not even hear her. How the older girls survived is beyond me. If he decides to get FEAR 2 I may have to seek counseling for him or I may have to seek a lawyer lol.

So you'll never believe what happened last night. I was quite excited yesterday evening when my wife told me I could play F.E.A.R. after bringing in the groceries. Eric and Beth were watching as I was attempting to make it out of the hospital level, screaming at all the creatures as I was destroying them, laughing at me when I got shot and ultimately died (multiple times). They both then began cheering for the enemy, repeatedly warning me that I was not gonna make it out alive. Suddenly I defeated what seemed like a hundred armored guards in a huge gunfight, the screen blew up, everything turned red, we all started freaking out. Then the credits started to roll.............I defeated it..............a week and a half..................and it's over. I really don't know what to do. Eric and I were completely in awe, he couldn't figure out how I did it. That was the highlight of yesterday. I suppose it will be time for F.E.A.R. 2 or another game, I really wasn't expecting that so quickly.

Kids and wife are all well, nothing exciting to mention as of yet, but just give another day. I am fully expecting the beginning of W.W.3 tomorrow morning, it should be fun. The girls will be going to their mother's for the weekend, and I am enjoying the no school at the present moment, and glad it's almost Friday. Everyone at work is fearing for their job, I am sure we will lose a couple of technicians soon. We lost a chemical salesman earlier this week, and their are no new installs for the install crew........which is not good news for them. I was assured that mine and Mike's jobs are secure, and that my supervisor would go before Mike or myself were let go; so that was somewhat reassuring.

Yesterday was crazy sock day at Eric's school, so he borrowed the craziest pair of socks from Kara and proudly wore them all day and night............even to bed. Today is pocket day where you pull your pockets out and let them all hang out all day. Who knows what tomorrow will bring.

So, not much to add to add this morning. Tricia and I took Dave out to Red Lobster last night, his dad past away the day before yesterday. Not that I'm prejudiced; but we appearred to be the only white folk in the place other than the servers. It only took an hour and ten minutes to get our food, I'm glad we weren't hungry or anything. Dinner was pretty good, although Dave's gumbo soup he ordered smelled awful (in my opinion anyways; not that it amounts to much). A certain teenager (who shall remain unnamed) has been grounded amd decellphoned for a week. She should be a total joy to be around by this weekend. I already know how this will play out, let me clue you in. It's generally the same tactic; although she hasn't been grounded in quite some time. The tactic is just this with hardly an exception; no problem in taken her punishment, no problem turning over her cell phone, she remains in good spirit for a few days until the fated Friday morning arrives. Then she faithfully intimates that her naturally good attitude, response to her punishment, and good behavior should be highly rewarded with the dropping of all punishments. And when that doesn't happen she will become quite irate. That will happen Friday morning before school, she will beg and try to make any kind of deal possible to leave the jail. Then by Friday afternoon when her plan has failed she will become very irate and somewhat irrational, and the good character she has displayed all week will be lost in vain. She will spend the evening listening to loud music and ignoring us all, except to look at us as though we are all losers and have no right to be here. Staurday morning will be a slight change in character to try her tactics yet again, only to fail miserably. Right back to the attitude of the previous night, we have no right to punish her, we are all losers, this house sucks, we suck, and we're gonna be sorry for this (you just wait and see). It will be that way for the entire day, we are better off just avoiding the good tempered, rational teenager. Then finally Sunday evening this will begin to subside, so long as we all have suffered with her in this miserable, rotten, hellhole. Monday morning we will aqll wake up and pretend that this never happened. This scenario will happen just as I have explained and we will not vary from the way this all goes down. Why.....................................because it never changes..............no never.

Finals are over; YEAH!!!!! That is the highlight of my week. I am so glad that is over, now I have a whole week and 2 days before I go back. And I have began moderation in the F.E.A.R. department. I only played it once over the weekend and again yesterday afternoon, so I guess there is still hope.