Enid's Photo on Salina Journal Website
Enid's dad submitted a picture that she had taken of their dog to the Salina Journal and they put it on their website.Labels: Enid, photography
posted on Thursday, January 28, 2010
Enid on The Pioneer Woman, Again
Enid's photo (above) was featured on The Pioneer Woman's site.
Labels: Enid, photography
posted on Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Enid Explored Again
The picture you see here reached #16 on Flickr's most interesting photos today.
Labels: Aspen, Enid, photography
posted on Thursday, January 07, 2010
10-Year Wedding Annivesary
We delayed our 10-year wedding anniversary because we were busy helping with the Church Missions conference during our anniversary.
We had a B&B in a small town on the Missouri river all to ourselves. Our first day we biked on the Katy Trail in the morning, came back to rest at the B&B in the afternoon and then went to Hermann. We bought some candy at a store on the main street, walked buy the shops in town and then went to the waterfront. Enid took a few pictures there:
Then we went to the Stone Hill Winery for dinner. Before dinner we took the tour; it was one of the last tours of the day, so it was just the tour guide and us. Enid took more pictures:
Finally, we went to dinner. The wait was long, but we were given a large booth and we enjoyed our meal thoroughly. Since Enid has German heritage and we were in Hermann, we both had very German meals.
The next morning it was time to go home, but we stopped and got some pictures on our way out of town:
We're looking forward to the next 10 years.
posted on Sunday, November 08, 2009
Another of Enid's Photos Gets some Attention
Enid's photo got some attention from one of the Flickr groups that she participates in:
http://365-community.blogspot.com/2009/10/its-all-gone-orange.html
Labels: Enid
posted on Friday, October 30, 2009
Enid's Photo on Flickr Explore
Enid has been doing a lot of great work with her photography. Today was a validation of how skilled she has become when her photo became the main photo of Pioneer Woman's photography blog. Pioneer Woman is a very popular blog and she recently won several webby awards. Click the photo below to see a bigger picture of Enid's work on Pioneer Woman:
Labels: Enid, photography
posted on Sunday, October 25, 2009
Home School Starts Today
Enid begins homeschooling Ora 5 and Aspen today.
Update: Enid reported that they had a good day of school. The kids were excited and very engaged. Aspen didn't show signs of having lost any of her reading skills over the summer. (We read to them so often that we sometimes forget that they should be reading to us!)
We also began new reading books this evening. Enid read chapter 1 of the first Box Car Children book to Aspen and I read an Aesop fable to Ora 5 and a Newbury Honor book called Red Sails to Capri. It was a great first chapter to end a great first day of school.
posted on Monday, September 14, 2009
Ewan is 3
Ewan's birthday is tomorrow, but we're partying today. Family came over to celebrate with an amazing Thomas the Tank Engine cake. It is actually shaped like Thomas! My wife saw a picture of it and ordered it via phone, but never asked how much it was. When I went to pick it up and they asked me is it the "$44.99 signature cake?" In my mind I thought I hope not. But it was. LOL. Happy Birthday Ewan.
posted on Saturday, September 12, 2009
Enid's Photos on Flickr Explore
Just 4 days ago, Enid said that she would be really excited if her photos every got "explored" on Flickr. Since then, 5 of her photos have been explored.
I'm not sure if the photos are hand selected by editors at Flickr or if there is an algorithm that is taking into account the number of people who have viewed, commented and made the photo a favorite etc., but Explore is a collection of the 500 most "interesting" photos on Flickr right now.
Labels: Enid
posted on Thursday, September 03, 2009
Ora 5's 8th Birthday Pics
We went out today to Swope park so that Enid could take some pictures of Ora 5 at 8 years old. We usually go to JC Penny's to get their pictures around their birthday so that we have a pictorial history of what they looked like each year. However, since Enid is very skilled with her camera, we decided to forgo the indoor portraits and let her take the pictures. The results are wonderful:
posted on Saturday, August 29, 2009
KC Ethnic Enrichment Festival 2009
We went to the KC Ethnic Enrichment Festival today. I took a wrong turn and had to go into Swope Park thru the main entrance instead of on Gregory. That would normally be okay, but a lot of people showed up and we were in bumper-to-bumper traffic for about 20 minutes as we tried to get into the park. It was a beautiful day and I overheard one guy saying that he had never seen so many people at the festival: "Usually it's 100° or raining."
The festival was a lot of fun. As we walked in the kids picked up "passports" and each country with a booth had a stamp. The kids loved going from country to county getting their passports stamped. At the Chinese booth, they wrote the kids name in the passports in Chinese. (I assume mandarin, but I don't know.)
After visiting all the booths we ended at Tanzania and spent a long time looking at pictures a teacher had taken while visiting sponsored schools in Tanzania. Kansas City has a sister city in Tanzania and we have a particular interest since on of our Compassion kids is in Tanzania.
At one booth they had belly dancing outfits for sale. I encouraged Enid to buy one, but she settled for a few pictures:
Then we ate. Every booth had ethnic food, but no samples. So if you wanted to try something you would have to spend $1-3 at each booth. Times 47 booths and that's a lot of green. We each picked out what we wanted to eat: Ora 5 had Vietnamese chicken kabobs. I took the vegetables off for him. Aspen and Ewan weren't hungry for supper so they had baklava. Enid had trouble choosing between German and Israeli and chose a sample platter from Israel. I had a gyro from Greece.
Then the kids wanted souvenirs: Ora and Ewan got marionettes from the Mexico booth:
Aspen got a Hello Kitty spoon from the Japanese booth. Enid got a purse, but I don't remember where from.
Labels: Aspen, Enid, Ewan, Ora 4, Ora 5
posted on Saturday, August 08, 2009
Mom is hoat!
We got into the van tonight and Ora 5 said: "I am totally hot."Dad's pithy comment: "So's your mom."
"Not that kind of hot, dad."
He knows what that kind of hot is? I thought.
"I'm H-O-T, dad. Mom is H-O-A-T."
"Hoat? Mom is hoat?"
"Yes."
posted on Thursday, July 30, 2009
Cabin Fever Challenge 2009
Enid and I went on our first organized ride of the year - a 38-mile ride beginning and ending in Wamego, KS. It took us out to Westmoreland, KS and then back to Wamego by way of Flush, KS. (Appropriately, there was a rest room available to us in Flush.)The first part of the ride was pretty nice. It was hilly which typically means that I beat Enid on the downhills (I and my bike outweigh her and her bike) and she beats me on the uphills; although this time I was beating her on those as well. We determined that she was probably just in the wrong gears which we corrected. We had our first stop in Westmoreland. There were cookies and apples and grapes and bananas and water and on and on and on. It was a great rest stop. We peeked in on the elementary school gym and it looked just like every small Kansas school's gym.
We headed out of town, turned south and were immediately in a head wind. It felt like it stopped us. The next 20 miles were all into the wind and they were tough. It reminded me of several days on the BAK years ago and how hard a head wind can be mentally. We pushed through it and made it back to the finish.
We checked back in and then went to the small swap sale that was outside. Enid bought 2 new biking jerseys for $5 each. We then went to eat; Wamego could use some good eating establishments. They have about 4 fast food places and not much else.
The ride was well organized with wonderful rest stops and good support by volunteer HAM radio operators. The state and county police were driving the route to make sure everyone was okay. I hope we can ride the Yellow Brick Road Ride that the same group does in October. All proceeds to go build a bike trail from Wamego to St. George - a route I occasionally biked in high school.
posted on Saturday, April 11, 2009
Homeschool Year Begins
Today is the first day of the home schooling year. It seems a bit later than all the other schools that started mid-August, but we hate the idea of starting before Labor Day.The state requires that Ora 5 have 1,000 hours of school. 600 of those 1,000 hours must be in 6 core subjects and 400 hours of those 1,000 must be in our home. (There can obviously be some overlap of the 600 and 400 hours.)
Enid is going to start Aspen on the Kindergarten curriculum and Ewan will have his own reading times as well.
Labels: Aspen, Enid, Ewan, Ora 5
posted on Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Enid's New Bike
Enid found a bike on Craigslist! The owner was a KC cop who is occasionally on the bike patrol. He had a shirt on that said "God made cops so fire fighters would have heroes." I thought that was funny.When Enid knocked on his apartment door, he answered and brought the bike out for her to try. When he opened the door, Enid could see his gun and holster hanging from the dining room chair. I wondered if that's where he normally hung his gun or if that was a way of telling strange people who contact him through Craigslist "Don't mess with me."
He bought his wife a bike, but she didn't enjoy it, so the bike is barely ridden. We bought it and here she is on it:
Now the bike needs a name.
posted on Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Kindergarten Graduation
When I told my co-worker Rick that I was going to Ora 5's kindergarten graduation, he asked how that could be when we home schooled. Well Ora 5 has been going to a home school group once a week. It works like a regular school with class time, lunch and PE and Ora 5 has really enjoyed it. Tonight was graduation:
posted on Thursday, May 08, 2008
Enid's Birthday
Enid's birthday is tomorrow, but we celebrated today. We surprised her with gifts and a cake. Ora 5 handed his gift to her and Aspen said "It's a necklace.""Aspen, don't tell me," Enid told her.
"Shh," I scolded.
Enid opened Ora's gift to reveal a necklace.
Aspen handed her first gift to mom. "It's a candle."
"Aspen, don't tell mom what they are," I reminded her. Enid opened her candle.
Aspen handed the next gift to her. "Now, don't say anything," I reminded Aspen. Enid opened her gift without being told what it was beforehand.
I handed my gift to Enid. "Now, don't say anything," I reminded Aspen again. Enid began to open her present. In the few moments of silence as Enid opened it, Aspen said "It's a flute."
posted on Tuesday, April 22, 2008
"Don't be scared. Don't be scared."
Ora 5 went to his first day at Discovery Homeschool Academy, a one-day-a-week school day for homeschool kids. Ora had gotten a new backpack and took his lunch for his "first day of school." As he walked in the door Enid says that he was saying to himself "Don't be scared. Don't be scared."He had a great day liked his teacher, made some new friends and decided he wanted to eat the school lunches instead of bringing his lunch.
His only disappointment was "we did letter L today. Next week we are doing letter M. I know them already."
posted on Tuesday, January 08, 2008
"And big ears"
Aspen was drawing while in church. She looked at me and asked "Do you have two eyes?"I didn't realize that she was talking to me so Enid answered her: "Yes, daddy has two eyes." Aspen proceeded to draw two eyes inside a small oval that was obviously meant to be my head.
"And one nose?" Aspen asked.
"Yes," Enid answered. Apsen drew a nose.
Enid didn't hear what she said next: "And big ears." She then drew two large ears that where larger than the oval that was my head. "Daddy looks like a mouse," she declared.
Enid looked down at Aspen's progress and began to laugh.
posted on Friday, November 02, 2007
A Day at the Dairy
Enid took the kids to the church home school group's field trip to a dairy farm today. The pictures below are from that trip:
posted on Monday, September 10, 2007
Enid, Have you been buying beer in England?
I saw 2 charges on my Bank of America account tonight that I didn't recognize. After calling customer service we determined that someone had charged something in England to Enid's debit card."Have you done any international travel?" the customer service rep asked?
I laughed. "No."
"Would you like to because apparently you're getting charged for it," he quipped. I laughed out loud at that one. "Let me see what was purchased." He laughed a bit. "Okay, you're going to laugh: It's a convenience food store. [Pause] Lots of beer and snacks."
posted on Friday, September 07, 2007
First Step
Ewan took his first step tonight. For quite a while, when we set him down on the floor, he will stand momentarily and then get down on all fours. Tonight he was playing with a musical toy. He stood up and I expected him to begin dancing to the music, but instead he took one, deliberate step.I was so surprised, I shot a look at Enid. By the look on her face, I could tell she was surprised as well.
Ewan smiled at us and then got down on all fours.
posted on
"Got. Got. Got."
Ewan has been saying "Got. Got. Got." today. Enid wondered how this came to be one of his first words until he grabbed something and Enid asked him her usual inquiry: "Whatcha got?"posted on Wednesday, July 18, 2007
A Day at the Arts
Today was an arts day. Olenna, Eden and Orion joined us and we started our day at the Kemper Museum of Modern Art. Modern art is always love it or hate it for me, but one piece amazed me. It was a simple mobile that hung over a white background. It was black and it had a square a circle and a triangle hanging from it. The triangle wasn't solid though, it was actually many small parallel bars that together shaped a triangle. I wondered how the parallel bars seemed to hang in space, so I got closer. I realized that the mobile was not hanging at all. The entire piece of art was flat and you could tell that if you looked at it from the site; however, as you walked in front of it, the background seemed to fall away from the mobile as if the background where curved. I walked back and forth and could not figure out how it was done, but it was amazing. I neglected to get the artists name, but it was my favorite piece in the gallery.Next we went the Nelson and spent several hours there. We first toured the old part, then had lunch and then toured the new part. Although, I'm no architecture critic, I like the new part much more than I thought I would.
They also have free audio tours which I would recommend to anyone. It gives you a much better appreciation of the art. One piece of art depicted an old-time politician campaigning for votes. I've always liked it, but the audio tour taught me that it was painted by a former politician and represents his distaste for it. Pick up one of the audio tours when you go next time.
Labels: Eden, Enid, Olenna, Orion
posted on Thursday, July 05, 2007
A Day at Liberty Memorial
We spent the day at Liberty Memorial. Orion, Olenna and Danny went with us as well. If you haven't been there, it is a must see in Kansas City. It is built by the same company that did the Holocaust Museum in CD and the Constitution Museum in Philly. Although it doesn't have the emotional punch that the Holocaust Museum, it doesn't fail at all. It took what I percieved to be a boring war and a footnote in history and made me want more. They were able to pack a lot of information into a small space.Olenna and Danny went up the tower, but when Orion and I tried to go up a few minutes later a storm was coming in and lightning closed it down.
One of my favorite parts was touch tables where you could touch the table and interact with the displays. Think Minority Report style of interaction. The software appeared to be Flash or Director and I wondered how they were going to keep the tables working with so many people touching them until I tried one myself and realized that the tables were only white Formica and the image was being projected from above using 8 projectors.
Using one of the programs, I created a propaganda poster which you could then email to yourself. I did so and after hitting send, I looked at Enid and said "What a great way to harvest my email address."
Labels: Danny, Enid, Olenna, Orion
posted on Wednesday, July 04, 2007
"I wanna brownie."
"I wanna brownie. I wanna brownie," Aspen continually repeated."McDonald's doesn't have brownies," Enid explained.
"I wanna brownie."
"Do you mean hash browns?"
"Yeah!"
posted on Monday, June 18, 2007
Hiking the Hollow Fox Trail
We took a hiking trip this afternoon. There's a new trail that has been a couple years in the making. We walked a bit of it. Here's some pictures for you.
This is me and the kids at the beginning of the hike.
Ewan's first walk in the carrier.
Whenever you find a rock that is hanging, you are obliged to get a picture of someone holding it up. Here's Aspen.
And Here's Ora.
This was at the bottom of the hike before proceeding up a hill to return to the nature center. The bridge in the background is Gregory Blvd, just East of the entrance to the zoo.
The Martindale men.
Labels: Aspen, Enid, Ewan, Ora 4, Ora 5
posted on Sunday, April 15, 2007
Aspen's been Googled
Enid received an email tonight from a Martindale family in Canada. (I wonder how closely we're related.) They have a daughter named Aspen as well and found our website when Googling their daughter's name.posted on Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Meet the Martindales in 3D
We went to see Meet the Robinsons this morning and as you can see we got the goofy glasses.
The movie was great. Some parts were very predictable, but I didn't see the end coming. One interesting side affect of 3D glasses is that the villains are scarier. The hat is a villain and in a couple of parts flies toward the screen. This scared Aspen a bit.
At first I was looking at the screen and trying to decide if the whole movie was 3D or if only seemed that way because it was a 3D animated movie. I quickly realized that the entire movie was going to be 3D and wondered how the did it. I soon saw the answer on the Disney Channel: When animating a 3D movie, you create a scene by placing all the characters into a set in the software. You can manipulate them however you want to create the scene. Then you place virtual "cameras" in the scene to capture what is going on. By adding a second camera beside the first, you create a 3D affect. One camera records the image the left eye will see and the other records the image the right eye will see. The further you pull the 2 cameras apart the more the objects appear to pop out of the screen. Using this technique, it is easy to make any computer animated movie 3D. The only changes that have to be made is deciding how far apart to place the two cameras for any particular scene.
I also noticed that 3D technology has changed a lot over time. This was my first 3D movie (not counting theme park rides like Spiderman, Terminator and Captain EO), but before the movie they ran a 1953 Disney short film with Donald Duck and Chip & Dale. I took my glasses off briefly during the short and you could distinctly see the 2 images that were on the screen giving a very blurry affect. When I did the same thing during Meet the Robinsons, the 2 images were much closer so it looked out of focus, but you could still watch it. (Now that I know that they can move the two cameras apart for certain scenes, I'm curious if those scenes would look much more blurry than the scene I saw without my glasses.) Now, both movies use different degrees of separating the images; however the same glasses worked for both. My children both had "kids packs" and on the back was the older style, blue and red 3D glasses. I tried watching the movie with those. I saw 4-6 separate images which made it so blurry that I couldn't see a thing.
Anyway, very cool movie! Very cool experience in 3D.
Labels: Aspen, Enid, Ewan, movies, Ora 4, Ora 5
posted on Saturday, March 31, 2007
But he didn't tell me
Ora was at the Library playing with a little boy. Ora left for a moment and Enid heard the little boy tell his brother: "Hide me. I don't want to play with that boy."When Ora came back and looked for the boy, Enid had to explain to him that the boy didn't want to play with Ora.
"But he didn't tell me," Ora protested.
As Enid related the event to me, I looked back at Ora. His face showed anguish over it even now. My heart broke for Ora. I was reminded of going to a small school with only 3 boys in my class that didn't want to have anything to do with me. Now I know why mom took it so hard.
You never have to teach children to be cruel. They're born knowing how to do it.
posted on Thursday, December 14, 2006
Mom's Day Out
Enid took the kids out today. The first went to JC Penny's and looked for shoes for Ora.She then went to McDonalds and found that Aspen was missing a shoe, so back to JC Penny's. There was no sign of Aspen's shoe. Enid said that the shoe department was such a mess, I imagined her asking if they had found a missing shoe among rows of unshelved shoes and getting disbelieving stares.
While at JC Penny's, Enid noticed that Aspen's diaper need changed, but no diapers! So she drove to Wal-mart and bought new shoes and diapers.
What a day!
posted on
