Two More Days

Hello all,

Wow... only one more day to go until I'm on vacation. For most of the day I attended a call for Embarq. I just can't wait to get out of here.

-Andy

Only Three Day Week

Hello all,

This is a short week and I can't wait. Jennifer and I are really looking forward to going to Dallas for BeautiControl.

-Andy

Another Spa and Night with Friends

Hello all,

Today was a good day to have friends over and have a spa at our house. The weather was fine and our guests really enjoyed themselves. Ali attended this spa and was happy to be one of the girls.

After the spa, our family went out to eat with our friends Heath and Monica to Texas Roadhouse in Liberty. This was the first time that Jennifer and I have seen Monica since Christmas. It was good to see both of them again tonight.

Have a good night!

-Andy

Fun Day with Nana

Hello all,

Well what a day with Nana. Ali, Zac and Nana were up before Jennifer and I this morning. Ali and Zac were showing Nana their computer skills on Nick Jr before breakfast. When Jennifer and I joined the family downstairs, I made a pot of coffee for my mother and I. Soon everyone was eating breakfast and watching TLC home shows. Well, not everyone -- I decided to take this as an opportunity to clean up the kitchen.

Before lunch, I gave my wife, mom and daughter a foot pedicure. They all enjoyed the relaxing massage and spa treatment. Once I was finished I stated I accepted tips. For some reason, all I received was kisses of appreciation. Next time I will not leave it open to interpretation -- just kidding.

After lunch at Bravo and a trip to Lowe's for some weed-eater string it was time to come home and get a quick nap in before having mom drive home.

It was great to have you down this weekend mom. I can't wait to see you again.

-Andy

My Mother Came Down Tonight

Hello all,

My mom drove down from Randolph to see us tonight. It was great to see her tonight. Ali, Zac and I were in the back yard hitting baseballs when I noticed her car drive by the house. It was soon a frantic race to see who could meet Nana at the front door. Zac and Ali just barely beat me to the door. EVERYONE was happy to see Nana. Ali and Zac had to show Nana their rooms since they were painted. Then they had to show her the treadmill. Only after the tour was complete could Nana come downstairs and visit with Jennifer and I.

I started the grill and shucked some corn on the cob that my mom brought down from the farm. The meal was great and we enjoyed a carpet picnic while watching the Royals on TV. The evening passed quickly and it was soon time for bed. Nana slept on the bottom bunk in Ali's room.

It has been a great night.

-Andy

No show at spa

Hello all,

Tonight was a very disappointing spa. Only one person showed up and they left shortly after they came due to the lack of participation. Jennifer was very disappointed in the reception. I gave her a hug and told her to keep her head up. I love you Bear. You will have a great Spa on Sunday.

LYL,
aes

More Batting Practice

Hello all,

What a great night for some batting practice in the back yard! Ali and Zac are enjoying hitting live pitches from me. Zac is still determined to be left handed. Ali has never attempted to hit a ball from the left side.

After almost an hour, we headed inside for a glass of cold water and a bath. Zac had to tell grandma and mom all about his BIG hits. Both were thrilled to hear the first hand account of how FAR the ball flew!

After bath time, the kids settled down for the night and were in bed by 9:00. Jennifer and I cleaned up the house for tomorrow night's spa.

Good night,

-Andy

Gymnastics

Hello all,

Tonight I took the kids to gymnastics. They both really enjoy their time to show off what they can do. I think they enjoy running around the gym at the start of practice, too! I can see the smile from the observation area as they round the corner and finish their loop. Zac gets a little tired as he comes down the final stretch. He just doesn't have the legs for it yet.

The practice went well. Both kids listened well for the most part, but kids will be kids. The instructors are great. They will come and take their student's by the hand and get them back on track. It is very nice to see both children enjoying themselves and getting good exercise at the same time.

When it was over, we headed home and listened to the Royals game in the car. The boys in blue lost their second game in a row to the Yankees. Boo!!!

-Andy

Batting practice

Hello all,

Hello again from the wonderful backyard. Tonight Zac and I entertained some of the neighborhood kids with some batting practice. It started with just Zachary and I hitting some balls off of the tee in the backyard. He then asked me to toss a few into him. He has decided to be left handed which is confusing to him as he tries to mimic my motions. After a few tosses, he was making contact and sending the ball flying.

The sound of a bat hitting a ball attracts a crowd. Soon Carson and Charles were in our yard and asking to take a turn at the plate. Zac played well with the other boys for a while. They each took three turns at the plate. The heat was starting to get to the kids as well as me so at 6:30 I called the session complete. Zac and I went inside and had a cool cup of water and told mom all about how much fun we had outside. Zac was very proud of himself for his accomplishments.

It was a great night. I look forward to many more just like it.

-Andy

Nap Time

Hello all,

I didn't know it was going to happen until it happened. Jennifer, Ali, Zac and I were all watching the Royals game upstairs in our room when the unthinkable happened: we all fell asleep! I remember watching the Royals bat in the top of the 5th inning and then I woke up to see the Royals celebrating their win. We were all asleep for over an hour. We must have needed the rest!

-Andy

Playing with the kids

Hello all,

Today was the first day in many days that I played with Ali and Zac. I had just not felt like playing before today. This afternoon I went into the backyard and pushed them on the swings and watched as they slid down the slide. It was great to hear them laugh and watch their smiles grow as I played along with their games.

-Andy

On The Mend

Hello all,

For the first time in several days, I am beginning to feel like myself. I could smile without experiencing instantaneous pain. That is real progress. I ate something other than soft foods tonight. We had fish for dinner. At least it is a step in the right direction. Hopefully tomorrow will show further signs of healing.

Good night,
-Andy

I have lost 5 pounds!

Hello all,

Well, due to the "My Mouth Really Hurts Diet" I have lost 5 pounds. I am proud of this weight loss and think that everyone who eats too much should go on this diet. It will keep you from eating all of the stuff that you would rather be eating. Instead, I have eaten yogurt and banannas for most of the day. I'm sure that I'll win a prize for healthy eating.

-Andy

Laying Down

Hello all,

I have spent most of the day laying down. I tried to eat something for breakfast, but that just made my mouth bleed more. I am drinking lots of water and trying to eat soft foods. I would love to eat a nice hamburger, but I will refrain for now. Maybe next week I'll treat myself to something like that.

-Andy

Wisdom Teeth Removed

Hello all,

Today was not my finest day. In fact, it was not even a good day. I had all four of my wisdom teeth removed from my mouth. The top two went quickly and quietly. The bottom two put up a fight. One tooth had to be broken into five parts to get it extracted. The other one just needed to be broken into two pieces. My jaw feels like it was the personal punching bag for a heavyweight fighter. I know I look like a chipmunk and feel like garbage. This in time will pass and I will laugh at this entry and say it was not as bad as I made it sound. Don't ever let me forget how I feel right now.

-Andy

Happy Birthday Nicole

Hello all,

Today is my sister Nicole's birthday. Happy Birthday big sister. I hope you had a great birthday!

Love,

-Andy

Sunday Laundry

Hello all,

It is Sunday so that means doing laundry. We had six load of laundry this week. Most of the laundry was bedding and towels. I don't know how we use so many towels, but I believe it is the kids... :)

In the afternoon, Zac and Ali helped me deliver BeautiControl invitations to our neighbors. Jen is hosting a spa for her bunko group at the end of the month.

-Andy

Tiffany Springs Water Park

Hello all,

Today Jennifer and I took the kids to Tiffany Springs Water Park for some R and R after VBS. A few things happened of note: Alexandria jumped off of the low diving board three times and swam to Jennifer. Way to GO Ali! We are all very proud of you. Zachary also went down the green slides in the kiddie area. This was an accomplishment as well. When we first arrived, he did not want to go down the slides because he thought they were too scary.

After the water park, we all went back to our house and took a nap. It felt so good to rest after being out in the sun.

-Andy

Friday the 13th

Hello all,

It seems that many people are superstitious about this day. I am not. Today is just another day where anything can happen to anyone at any time. Case in point, the fire drill at 9:00 this morning. It could have happened on Thursday or Wednesday. They just chose to make it happen on Friday. At least we were all in jeans for the event. Nothing like sweating in the parking garage! After 30 minutes, we were finally allowed to return to the cool air of our office building.

Later,

-Andy

Day Five

Hello all,

Finally the final day has arrived. My group was in great spirits tonight. It was our first night of having a clean rotation through each of the activities without having anyone fight or cry. I think that is reason enough to celebrate.

It was fun and I am glad it is over.

Good night,

-Andy

Day Four

Hello all,

Tonight my group was much better behaved than last night. I can't tell you why they were better. They had a lot of spirit while singing their opening and closing songs. There was only one incident between two kids all night. I am very pleased by their commitment so far.

-Andy

Day Three

Hello all,

I must say that vacation bible school is taking its tole on me. Today is day three of five and I am showing signs of fatigue. Working all day and then being at the church from 6:00 until 8:30 makes for a LONG day.

-Andy

2nd Day of Vacation Bible School

Hello all,

Tonight is the second day of vacation bible school. The kids are having fun, but I think the band is a little loud for Zachary. I hope that tomorrow night the band plays with a little less volume.

Good night,

-Andy

First day of Vacation Bible School

Hello all,

Tonight was the first night of vacation bible school for Ali and Zac. Jennifer is helping her mother with registration and administrative tasks. I am a group leader for 5th and 6th grade youth. All in all, I have a group of great kids. Some of them need to leave their attitude at the door of the church, but I hope this changes by the end of the week.

Good night,

-Andy

Family Day

Hello all,

Today was a great day for the Scott family. We didn't go anywhere or do anything special. We stayed home and played on the Wii and spent time together as a family. It was a lot of fun. Tonight Jen and the kids made brownies for ice cream Sundays. Thank you all very much. I hope we don't eat them all in TWO days.

-Andy

Watching Sidney

Hello all,

Well, tonight Jennifer and I are dog sitting for David and Susie. We are watching her until Sunday night. Oh, I hope this is going to work out.

-Andy

No Babysitter today

Hello all,

Just a quick note today while I am sitting down. Our babysitter called in sick this morning. So sorry to hear that Ms. Lisa. I hope you start feeling better. With that said, I am the leader in of the crazy kids today. So far, so good. Ali and Zac have played well for most of the day. They are playing bowling on the Nintendo Wii right now. Ali is really good. Zac is just now getting the hang of it.

Got to get going now.

-Andy

Happy 4th of July

Hello all,

Today has been a wild day at the Scott household. For starters, it seems that EVERYONE becomes an expert in munitions this time of year. The air has been filled with sulfur. The crackle of black cats and bottle rockets have become common place. Why do so many people think it is fun to blow stuff up? I will never understand it. They must have so much money that they feel a need to watch it explode in the sky above them.

I digress.

This evening, Diane came over for dinner. We had pork chops on the grill with peas. We enjoyed our meal while watching the Royals lose a heart breaker to the Mariners. After dinner, I installed Zac's new mini-blinds while Jen and Diane updated the BeautiControl inventory.

We all made it to bed around 11:00.

Good night.

-Andy

Looking forward to an off day

Hello all,

Here I sit again with my computer on my lap and think about the day's events. My computer at work is causing problems again. The docking station does not work right. There is something that causes the computer to freeze up when it is in the port replicator. Anyway, I have my computer on my lap now and am envious of all of the people who get to use their 19 inch monitors and I am looking down at my laptop monitor. Boo hoo, right?

I hope you all have a great 4th of July.

-Andy

My father's praise is more precious to me than gold.

Hello all,

As I sit here with my computer on my lap, I recall the message on my calendar today. It is a simple statement, but it rings true with me. From the time I was old enough to work with my father, I only wanted to hear Good job Bud. Thank you for your help today. Sometimes I earned those words, sometimes Dad said them to keep me motivated to continue to do my best.

As I sit here, I think about all of the things I have accomplished since he has passed. Jennifer and I have moved into a new home. Our daughter has finished kindergarten. Zackary will be starting school next year. Jennifer and I have started a Quixtar business and building our team. I would hope that Dad would say that he is proud of me for what I have accomplished so far. I have miles to go before I am done with my journey. Today is just another step along that path.

I miss you Dad.

-Andy

Laundry

Hello all,

After a week of hard playing on the farm and hard work at home, it was time to do the dirty work of laundry. Seven baskets lined the kitchen floor this after noon and only one remained by 9:00. It is towels and we have enough for the night.

-Andy