Cooler Weather Arrives

Hello all,

It appear that the cooler weather has given Kansas City a break. It was 75 at lunch today. It is hard to believe that it was over 105 with the heat index last week. I should mow the yard tonight. I'm sure I'll find something better to do with my time at home.

-Andy

Zac's Game

Hello all,

It was a good night for a ball game. The weather was hot and the kids were ready to play. Zac played well. His team is learning as they get more exposure to the game. I can see that Zac is ready for coach pitch now. T-ball is becoming too frustrating for him.

-Andy

Laundry

Hello all,

This is getting old, but it is true. The main focus of the day was to get through the laundry for last week. We went to the pool for an hour this afternoon, but believe it or not, it was cold. A cold front moved through last night and it was only 75° F at 3:00!

-Andy

To the pool my son...

Hello all,

What is a father and son to do on a lazy Saturday afternoon when the girls are at a baby-shower? Of course, go to the pool and splash around. Why not! It was 103 heat index today and the pool was the perfect answer to the heat. Zac and I went down the slide and splashed around in the kid area. I enjoyed the big bucket being dropped and splashing us. After two hours of sun and fun, it was time to head home and give Zac a haircut and a shower before the girls came home.

-Andy

Late Night Mowing

Hello all,

You know it is hot outside when most of the neighbors start mowing at 8:00 at night. Yes, I was one of them. I mowed the back yard first and then mowed the front yard by street light. Ali and Zac came out to find me with their flashlights at 9:00. They said they were worried about me. I think they just wanted to come outside with Ali's Girl Scout crank flashlight. Needless to say, they found me easily and their universe was in balance.

-Andy

Still Hot

Hello all,

This is the fourth day of 100+ heat in the KC area. I am VERY glad that we had our AC system overhauled before the heat hit us. I can only imagine how uncomfortable it would be in our house if we had not made these changes.

-Andy

T-Ball Game

Hello all,

Zac's T-ball game was rained out in the 2nd inning. A storm front was moving into the area and in the event of safety, the game was called. There were several kids on the field that were scared by the approaching thunderstorm. The clouds did look menacing. It was starting to sprinkle as we drove away. The family headed to Margaritas for dinner and watch the Royals game on the TV's.

-Andy

Hello all,

It has been a wasted two days of my life. It case was thrown out of court due to a technicality. The law is very frustrating!

-Andy

Jury Duty

Hello all,

I've been at the Clay County court house all day for jury duty. I can't talk about the case that I've been seated to hear. I am very interested to learn about the case.

-Andy

Happy Father's Day

Hello all,

Happy Father's Day to all of you Dad's out there today. I hope your family did something as nice for you as mine did for me. Jennifer treated me to a couples massage at Massage Envy. The kids gave me a three Royals t-shirts. I am a very lucky Dad to have such a wonderful wife and kids!

-Andy

Mowed the Yard

Hello all,

I got up this morning early and mowed the yard before the heat could set in for the day. I can tell it is going to be a hot one already. By 9:30, the outside temperature was already over 85! Summer is clearly here to for a while.

-Andy

YIPPEE, Friday

Hello all,

It is Friday! I'm looking forward to getting out and having some fun this weekend. Saturday is the Royals and Cardinals game and Sunday is the US Open with Jen's Dad, Larry. There isn't a lot to talk about today. Work was work. I'm looking forward to getting home and changed into shorts and a t-shirt.

I hope that you all have a good weekend!

-Andy

AC Being Fixed

Hello all,

Wow, the house is already better than I expected. C.M. Mose is putting new ductwork in the attic today and an additional cold air return duct in the basement tomorrow. It is amazing how much cooler the house is with only 50% of the work complete. I can't wait to see how it will effect our cooling and heating bills for the next year!

-Andy

Not The Best Day

Hello all,

Today was not the best day for Ms. Alexandria. She was dismissed from Girl Scout Camp today for throwing a fit about not wanting to build a rocket and making a stepping stone. It was all predicated upon her not getting enough sleep last night. I take partial responsibility for her mood. We did stay out at the game too long last night; however, when given the choice of going to camp or staying home, she chose camp. I hope tomorrow is a better day for Ms. Ali.

Zac had a great day at school. He is enjoying the additional time with his friends and is learning a lot. He is reading more books at home which is a pleasant surprise. My mom came down to watch Zac's T-ball game tonight. In the first inning, he was the catcher. He didn't really like being the catcher. He had to put on the helmet on the hottest day of the Summer! It was 94 at the start of the game.

In the second inning, he played 3rd base and recorded 5 outs. Both teams bat through the order to make sure everyone gets a fair chance to play. At his two at bats he hit the first to left field and the second up the middle to center. Way to go little man!

Good night,

-Andy

Royals Win!

Hello all,

Wow, what a great game tonight! Gil Meche pitched a complete game shutout! It took him 132 pitches to get it done (10 to the last batter), but he got it done. The family was really cheering him on tonight. Ali and Zac both were very excited to get out to the ballpark tonight and make some noise.

We listened to the post-game broadcast on the way home from the K. The town is starting to buzz again about the team. A four game winning streak will do that to people. I hope that our Ace Zac can pitch well tomorrow and extend this winning streak to five games. Who knows, after that anything is possible.

Ali had her first day of Girl Scout Day Camp today. It was swimming day. She had a blast and enjoyed her time with all of her friends. She is always very excited to b with the troop over the Summer. Tomorrow morning may be difficult to get her up after a late night!

Good-night,

-Andy

Baseball Rain out

Hello all,

The wet weather has continued to stay in the area. Zac's T-ball game was rained out tonight. It is a bummer since Larry and Patty-Ann were planning on coming up to see the game tonight. I guess we will just need to find something to do at the house to keep us busy while it rains.

-Andy

Lazy Sunday

Hello all,

I can't say that I did much today. We went to church and then came home to watch the baseball game. I did some laundry while Jennifer took a nap. The kids went back to Diane's after church. The house is quiet right now. I think I'll just enjoy it for a changes.

-Andy

Baseball Practice

Hello all,

Today was a rainy day, but we managed to get baseball practice in this afternoon. It was a break-through day for a few of the kids this afternoon. I was working with Lucas on throwing the ball. I showed him the proper way to hold a baseball and how to transfer his weight from one foot to the other. By the end of the practice, he was putting more velocity on the ball and having more success. The best part was the smile on his face. That made me know he was having fun.

As for my little MVP, he hit great today from both the left and right side of the plate. He centered the bat on the core of the ball today and drove it up the middle with each at bat. Zac was quiet pleased with himself when we got in the car. I don't think he has stopped smiling yet.

-Dad

Friday Night Fireworks

Hello all,

Ahhh... It is Friday night and the Royals won a game! This the first win in like a month. Well, maybe more like a week. Anyway, the Royals WON!!! It was a great game. Luke pitched lights out. He pitched a complete game on 80 pitches. That is unheard of in this day and age of baseball.

After the game we watched the fireworks. It was a great show and the kids enjoyed it. Ali plugged her ears the whole time, but she liked the show above her. I think the 4th of July will be better, but I'll take it tonight. It was a great night to be out under the lights with the family.

Good night,

-Andy

Royals Lose a Heartbreaker

Hello all,

Well, what can I say. The Royals found a way to lose a quality start from Zac tonight. Wow, they had it won right up until the end of the 8th. I really wish they could have managed to win that game last night. We are going to the game tomorrow night. Maybe they can win at home. I just don't see a lot of life in this team right now.

-Andy

Zac's T-Ball Game

Hello all,

There is just something about playing baseball on a damp night. It just screams Summer to me. Tonight the "Little Devils" took the field after it had rained for most of the day. The rock field drained very well and the surface was dry. Our team played well. Zac made three plays at first base and had two really good hits tonight. He is feeling more comfortable at the plate and driving the bat through the ball. His first hit actually hit off of the pitcher and went into the outfield. His second hit was left handed and was hit into right center field.

Great job tonight Little Man!

-Andy

Install tonight

Hello all,

I'm supporting a Vision install tonight. So far, everything is going great. I hope it keeps going that way and we can finish it up before 11:00.

-Andy

Simple Night

Hello all,

You know it is a going to be a simple night when you have made dinner and the kitchen is clean by 7:30. The kitchen was closed by 8:00 and the kids were waiting on Vanna to come over. We watched "Meet the Newlyweds" on ABC and then watched the 10:00 news. It looks like storms are coming our way again tomorrow night. Fun Fun Fun.

-Andy

Sleeping in and Swimming

Hello all,

After a late night last night, we slept in and went to the 11:00 service at Good Shepherd. Ah, it did feel good to sleep until 10:00. OK, 9:00 for me, but who is really counting anyway? After church, we ate lunch and then headed to the Gladstone pool for our weekly trip to swim. We were met by the Yorks. Ali and Zac enjoyed playing with Toffer and Brett while Cyndi and Jennifer watched them in two feet of water. I decided to take a few trips down the water slide just to see if the water was still cold. After several tests, I can assure you the water is just as cold in the 13 foot as it is in the 4 foot!

At 5:00, we headed home. I could tell by the look of the sky that it was shaping up to be a noisy night and I was right. Once home, I mowed the yard quickly and put everything away before the weather hit.

It is almost midnight and I'm still up with Jennifer. It looks like everything will pass to our North.

Jen just said it is time for bed.

Good-night,

Worlds of Fun

Hello all,

This morning Zac had his final soccer game of the season. He has learned a lot in his first attempt to play the game. It showed this morning when he passed the ball to his teammate. I was very proud of him for working hard this year to learn the game and improve on his skills. Way to go little man!

Ali had her first Saturday of bowling. Her first game was a 47, but she followed it up with a 75! Great job on the second game. I know you were rusty after being off for six weeks!

To celebrate the end of a soccer and the beginning of bowling, we went to Worlds of Fun in the afternoon. I took Zac on his first adult roller-coaster, the Prowler! He loved it and I think he is hooked for life.
Ali rode it with Jennifer and she also liked it. Jennifer and I rode the Patriot twice and think that is our favorite of them all.

Everyone was happy to get home and take a shower and get ready for bed!

-Andy

Going to the Movies

Hello all,

You know the Royals are bad when we decide to go to the movies rather than watch the game. YIKES... the Royals just can't buy a win right now. Anyway, to dull the pain the family went to see the Pixar movie "UP" tonight. It was a great movie with a good message. Both Zac and Ali enjoyed the show. They were both asleep in the car upon our return home. Just for your information: the kids are not getting any lighter as they grow up.

-Andy

Exercising at lunch

Hello all,

I've been working out for 30 minutes during my lunch break for about three months. So far, I've lost over 10 pounds. I'm feeling better each day I do it. It is always a good feeling to know I'm done for the day.

-Andy

T-Ball Game

Hello all,

Tonight the "Little Devils" played very hard and with spirit. Each player did their personal best to make the plays and have fun. Zac played very well at 3rd base and 1st base tonight. He is very aggressive as a fielder and wants to catch every ground ball hit his way. This became an issue when he and the short stop collided as they both tried to pick up a ground ball hit between them. Zac hit well tonight. He had two solid singles. He is hitting on top of the ball. We will work on hitting through the ball this weekend.

That is about it for us tonight. The rain has stayed away for now. It is suppose to be a wet weekend so I hope to get the yard mowed tomorrow night.

-Andy

Enjoyed the night with the Kids

Hello all,

Tonight we grilled steaks and had corn on the cob for dinner. I am teaching Zac that eating a steak is better than having a hot dog for dinner. He is slow to come around, but I think he is picking up on the differences. After dinner we watched the Royals until the game became a blow-out. We then watched "The Deadliest Catch" Discovery. We are addicted to that show. It is a job I would never want, but enjoy watching other people do it for a living.

It is getting late. The kids are in bed and it is raining still. It is a perfect night in Kansas City.

-Andy

June 1st

Hello all,

Summer is here. The heat really hit this afternoon for the first time. I guess the correct thing to say is the humidity hit this afternoon. Yes, the summer of '09 is upon us all. I will have to start watering the lawn soon to make sure it does not die out like it did last year. Oh the days of Spring are almost gone and the heat of the summer will soon make me forgot about the flowers and the budding trees. I'll be too busy killing bugs and sweating!

-Andy