Nacho's First Leash Walk

We took our Chihuahua Nacho for his first walk on the leash today. Here is some video:

Just starting off, he hates the idea of the leash...

He starts to get a little better as we go...

Before long, he becomes the little expert...

But, like all Chihuahuas, he wants to be carried home.

Send me your comments. Joe

AJA Press

Thankful Thanksgiving!

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6

Thanksgiving should be something we practice many times a day. But on this day set aside for the purpose of being thankful, for what are you thankful?

Today, I am especially thankful for five things (and not necessarily in this order):

That our girl Maddy is no longer suffering
That our children are happy and healthy
That my work has begun to return to a semblance of normal
For seven wonderful years with my beautiful wife
That my family believes and worships a graceful God

More thoughts on Thanksgiving below the video.



Psalm 69:30
Psalm 95:2
Psalm 100:4
Jonah 2:9
2 Corinthians 4:15
2 Corinthians 9:11
Ephesians 5:4
Philippians 1:3
Psalm 28:7


Your comments?

Joe

AJA Press

Some Early Christmas Dancing

Yesterday, just before we began setting up our Christmas trees (yes, trees this year, plural, as in more than one), my wife turned on the Christmas music channel on Comcast, and my crazy kids started dancing around the room to it.

This short video clip was taken with a cell phone, and you may not be able to hear the music so well, but it's entertaining nonetheless.



It was the first Christmas music I've heard yet this year -- and I think it violates the unwritten rule of no Christmas music until Thanksgiving -- but there's just something about seeing these two little ones dancing around to Christmas music that can put a guy in the mood a little early.

Your comments?

Joe

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My Little Trick Or Treaters

Halloween Pumpkins and Podcasts

This evening, we carved the kids Halloween pumpkins. It's an annual tradition for us, following our annual pumpkin hunt, which we did last week. The kids actually design their pumpkin faces, drawing directly on them with a ballpoint pen (fainter lines that make it easier to erase mistakes). My wife cuts the top off and guts the pumpkin, then I do the carving. I'm not the best pumpkin carver in the world, and my kids are kids and design pumpkins like kids (though I think they did quite a job of it this year), so our pumpkins are just simple little pumpkins.

My daughter wanted her pumpkin to look especially happy this year, and I think she achieved her goal.

By the way, to catch my Halloween special episode of The Joe Show from 2007, click here to download now.

Have a safe and happy Halloween!

Your comments?

Joe

Maddy's Cancer Battle

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Walt Disney World Vacation - Day 7: Epcot Center

The seventh and final day of our Walt Disney World vacation was spent at Disney's Epcot Center. It was probably my favorite of all the parks. I was eagerly anticipating Epcot Center, mostly for the World Showcase -- where countries from around the world are are showcased, including food, gifts, and even street shows. My hope was to get some schnitzel in Germany, but that didn't quite pan out, for several reasons. I'm quite regretful that it didn't, but my wife has promised to make up for it by taking me to one of Indy's German restaurants.

We started the day at Epcot by riding Soarin', clearly the most popular ride at Disney's Epcot Center, as the cast members responsible for the ride meet the crowd at rope drop and guide them directly to the ride (those who wish to go, which was the majority of the crowd). The ride simulates a hang-glider soaring over the earth. It is quite realistic and an understandably popular ride, but not the best ride at Epcot, by any stretch of the imagination.

In my opinion, the best ride at Epcot -- and possibly the best ride of all the Florida Disney parks -- was Mission Space. Four riders join forces as the Commander, Navigator, Engineer, and Pilot of a space ship that is destined for the red soil of Mars. Each rider has his/her responsibilities in order to achieve mission success. The ride is very realistic (coming from someone who has never been to space, much less Mars), even simulating the G-force of take off. My son, who was quite hesitant to ride most of the rides during our vacation, enjoyed this ride -- twice, first riding the tame version of the ride with my wife, then the intense version of it with me. It was a blast, riding Mission Space with my son (no pun intended).

Of course, like every Disney park, there was the usual compliment of characters that my daughter just had to meet, starting with Snow White, and followed by Moulon in the World Showcase. it was especially fun to meet Moulon, as she spent quite a bit of time talking with my little girl and even trying to get my son involved in the whole character thing. She almost succeeded.

My daughter, who has never even seen Disney's Moulon seemed to enjoy her time with the character, and I won't be surprised if she asks to watch the movie some time in the very near future.

While at Epcot, my son and daughter got to spend a little time talking with Crush the Turtle from the movie Finding Nemo. It was pretty cool, as Crush appears in a real tank and actually carries on a conversation with kids in the audience, talking with them and answering their questions and even addressing them by name. When my son was called upon, he asked Crush if he ever got to build anything.


Direct video link.

Our time at Epcot was interrupted in the early evening as we had reservations to have dinner with Cinderella and her family (the step-mother and step-sisters) at 5:00 pm. It was a very interesting event, as my little girl got to spend some time with Cinderella, Drizella, Anastasia, and Lady Tremaine. We were lucky enough to be seated very near the door that the characters entered the room from, so she was one of the first to see each of the characters.

Greeting pictures:



One of the best parts of the event was that my little girl was chosen from all of the boys and girls there for the first dance with Cinderella. I don't know who was more excited, my little girl, or her parents.


Direct video link.

After dinner with Cinderella and her clan, we returned to Epcot for extra magic hours, a time set aside after normal park hours for guests who are staying in a Disney resort. We also watched Epcot's fireworks, IllumiNations, from the World Showcase. It was one of the best displays of the entire vacation, as well. This video isn't the highest quality available on the internet, but it is the view as we saw it.


Direct video link.

If I had it to do all over again -- and we probably will in a year or two -- I would seriously consider dropping Hollywood Studios from the agenda and spending an extra day at Epcot Center.

This was our first family vacation, and the first trip to Walt Disney World for myself and the kids. We had a great time, and we're all having Disney vacation withdrawal now. I told my wife earlier today that I'm ready to go some place fun, like Kings Island, just to help me get over the Disney high. I never thought I would enjoy the House of Mouse so much, but that was before I considered taking my kids there.

I would highly recommend this trip to anyone with young children. It was a time filled with some of the best memories of my life.

Your comments? Joe

Maddy's Cancer Battle

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Walt Disney World Vacation - Day 6: Hollywood Studios

Day six of our Walt Disney World vacation took us to Disney's Hollywood Studios. It was the longest, hottest, most dreadful day of our time at Disney World! We aren't much of a movie family (considering that most movies aren't actually for families), so there wasn't a great deal at Hollywood Studios of interest to us. Oh, and it was also the most crowded day at any of the parks we attended, as we went on a day that Disney's Fantasmic show was to be presented (twice) after dark.

There were some highlights of the day, of course, as it wasn't all bad. Naturally, my little girl got to meet several more characters, and was actually working on her second autograph book.

Character greeting pictures:

There weren't quite as many characters at Hollywood Studios as we had seen at the Magic Kingdom (of course), as the park is dedicated more to the behind the scenes action of Disney than the character magic.

But my daughter did run into one character who just doted on her like you wouldn't believe. She spent several minutes with Mickey Mouse while the line of waiting fans grew longer and longer. He cuddled her and played with her hair, as if he was grooming it for her, then invited her to groom his own hair (she didn't quite understand). It was actually quite cute, watching my little girl get so much attention from the world famous mouse.

She had seen Mickey several times already at Magic Kingdom, but there was just something about the visit with Mickey at Hollywood Studios that was quite, well, magical.

That wasn't the only magic of the day, though, as my son -- who had spent the entire trip being quite reluctant to get involved in anything but some of the rides -- actually drummed up the courage to volunteer for Jedi training. It may have had something to do with the fact that he created his own light sabre the night before at Downtown Disney -- I don't know -- or it may have been that he had drummed up some courage after meeting Captain Jack Sparrow the day before. Whatever it was, it was quite an exciting time for my boy's parents, as he was one of several kids called up onto the stage to learn how to fight with a light sabre and defend the galaxy against the dark side of the force.

Best of all was when all the little Jedi trainees were surprised by the unexpected appearance of Lord Vader himself, accompanied by two Storm Troopers. Each of the trainees got to take their shot at a duel with Darth Vader, and I think my boy did quite a job of defending the cause of freedom.


Direct video link.

Another memorable moment of our long day at Hollywood Studios was watching the Extreme Stunt Show. We got quite a look at what happens behind the scenes in action films, and some of the stunts were quite impressive -- but I could have done without some of the hokey pretend film-making they do to present the show.


Direct video link.


Direct video link.


Direct video link.

We could really feel the heat from that last one.

And, of course, the main reason that we stuck it out at Hollywood Studios until the end: Fantasmic. This isn't the greatest video clip available online of the intensive light show, but it's a short clip of the way we saw it. Enjoy.


Direct video link.

Joe

Maddy's Cancer Battle

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Walt Disney World Vacation - Day 5: The Magic Kingdom

Our fifth day of vacation -- our 3rd at Magic Kingdom -- was the most magical of all. My son finally started to loosen up and actually had a really good time. My little girl had breakfast with all of the Princesses in Cinderella's castle, and met her favorite Disney character, Tinkerbell.

The morning started a bit rough, as we tried once again to drive from our resort to the Magic Kingdom, parking at Disney's Contemporary Resort and making the five minute walk to the park. We had been tipped off to this little shortcut by a gate guard at the Contemporary Resort on our second day at the Magic Kingdom. Apparently, it's such a top secret shortcut that it's forbidden, as the gate guard on this third day told us we were not allowed to park at the Contemporary Resort unless we were staying there (we stayed at Saratoga Springs Resort). Not about to let my daughter miss out on breakfast in the castle, I turned around and left the gate, drove a half mile or so down the road, and turned around. My little girl's happiness was more important than some stupid gate guard's rules -- especially when those rules had been broken for us before. I drove back to the contemporary resort and passed the gate entrance to an entrance for "Cast Members Only," where I followed another car through the gate and parked within sight of the very gate guard who told me I couldn't park there.

We made the walk to the Magic Kingdom, where my little girl was treated like a Princess as we entered the park for breakfast an hour before opening time. Breakfast at the castle was not the best meal -- but it wasn't all about the food. My little girl met almost every Disney Princess:


After breakfast at the castle, my Princess entered the park, greeting her subjects with a royal wave.
Direct video link.

More character greetings:

My son, who has always been very hesitant to meet any of the tall costumed characters, was just as bad at Disney, though I was able to bribe him to stand for a family photo of Mary Poppins. He also was very hesitant to ride any fast or intense rides, but he finally started to loosen up on our last day at Magic Kingdom (and was even looser at Epcot two days later).

One of his favorite rides at Magic Kingdom was when he got to "drive" a race car.

One of the best parts of the last day at Magic Kingdom for me was when my son actually volunteered to go up with Captain Jack Sparrow. He had seen other children learn sword fighting techniques from the famous pirate, and hoped he would get to do the same, but he was instead sworn in as a member of Captain Sparrow's crew. It was, however, a major step for my son to get so involved with a character.


Direct video link.

The last day at Magic Kingdom by far was the best, and I find myself every day thinking of new reasons to go back. I didn't think I would miss it so much, but we had lots of fun as a family and can have lots more.

AJA Press

A Happy Fathers Day!

It is the very thing that completes me -- being a dad. It's what I do, who I am, why I am. And today, the world celebrated me.

Okay, my kids celebrated me, but hey, they're my world. The festivities started last night, when my son kept asking me to come in (from putting air in his inflatable pool) to watch the Reds play the White Sox with him. When I did, he ran upstairs and had a few words with his mother, then he and his sister presented me with an early Fathers Day gift: razors, barbecue chips (to eat during the game), a bag of Jolly Ranchers (he had just been introduced to them on Friday at the vet), and the best homemade greeting cards ever!

We munched on the chips and had some Jolly Ranchers last night while we watched the Reds lose to the White Sox. Then my son and I "camped in" together, meaning we stayed up for a while and slept in the living room.

This morning, when we woke up, the first thing my son said to me was "Happy Fathers Day." I was touched that he remembered to say it. While my wife was in the kitchen making homemade sausage gravy and biscuits and eggs for breakfast, I went up to wake up my little girl. The first thing she said to me, too, was "Happy Fathers Day." That was the real shocker, as she's only three years old.

After breakfast, we took the kids and the dog to the park to play and run and get some exercise, before loading up and heading to visit the in-laws in Terre Haute. The kids were pretty well behaved today.

After returning home, I spent about 45 minutes on the phone with my own father. We had a nice conversation, and he sounded to be doing quite well.

Fathers Day sadly comes only once a year. But being a Daddy comes every day, and I thank God for giving me the two greatest kids to be Daddy to!

Your comments?

Joe

Maddy's Cancer Battle

AJA Press

My Boy's First Day At Work (With Daddy)

Today was a rare working Sunday for me. In my job, I have been quite lucky not to have to work most Sundays. It seems that might change soon, and today was the first of what will hopefully not be too many working Sundays.

In order to still attend church with my family, when I do have to work on Sundays, I'll go into work after church and work for the second half of the day. Today, because it was only a half day, I decided to take my son to work with me. It was one of the best things I've done!

We spent five hours at work today, helping customers, helping my Employees -- my son actually worked harder than most of my employees (true, I swear). He approved payroll, pulled merchandise for customers, helped to bring in merchandise from the sidewalk sale, even helped me to close down the store and lock up at the end of the day.

He did all of this with only one short five minute break, and with no complaining, no whining, and more energy and enthusiasm than anyone I have ever paid to do the job. I'm very proud of my son for his behavior today. He actually made working on a Sunday fun for me.

More pictures of my boy on his first day at work...





Your comments?

Joe

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