Today my wife (Karen) needed to get a music record for a piece of artwork. So we headed over to the local Flea Mall or whatever you call it.

It's one of those stores that run a flea market all of the time in an old grocery store. Though I don't think that explains why the place smelled like fresh cut potatoes.

Anyway, walking through places like this always remind me of my childhood because of the old crap that's always for sale.

Today was the final day for the adoption. We met with our attorney and the Judge at the court house and every went beautifully.

We now have a new daughter, Sierra Jones.

Karen and I were going through some old boxes yesterday and I saw something that I hadn't for years. Karen pulled it out of the box and said "Look, it's travel Pooh".

My daughter (Allyson) had two Winnie the Pooh bears, a large one and a small one. Whenever we would leave she would always grab the small one because she wanted to hold it while in the car. After a few times of that happening the phrase "Travel Pooh" was coined.

From that point forward we would say don't forget your travel Pooh.

It's funny, I probably used that phrase every day for a couple years and then all of the sudden it's been a couple years since I had even heard it.

Sometimes I'm annoyed because I know I've forgotten stuff that meant a lot to me. And I have no idea what they are.

My wife (Karen) and daughter (Allyson) went to a Choices for Women Annual Banquet today. They arrived early because Rose, the center's Executive Director, picked them up on her way.

Allyson always likes to sit in the center row up front. When others began to arrive, they grabbed a couple drinks and sat down. A woman Karen's knows from church was sitting at the table behind us and began talking to her. Karen was turned around and didn't notice when the seats across the table from Allyson and hers were taken. When Karen finished talking with the woman, she turned around to find Allyson talking with the gentleman that sat across from her.

He was in his late 50's and well dressed. He didn't appear to be with family. Allyson didn't have a clue who he was. Karen introduced herself and extended her hand, which he shook, but he didn't tell her his name. He told her he had been having quite the conversation with Allyson. He mentioned they talked about homeschool and he thought she was very mature and ladylike.

We were interrupted by the blessing prayer and everyone was invited to the buffet tables. Allyson and Karen went for something to eat and brought it back to our table. During dinner, the man continued to talk to Allyson. He showed her his cufflinks which were a gift from our current president. He explained to her that he was just with George W. on March 23rd giving his opinion on immigration. That's the kind of thing he does.

Promptly after dinner, the man was introduced from the podium as the keynote speaker for the evening, Richard Land, President of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission.

My daughter just left for the American Girl store in Chicago with my wife her friend and daughter. They're going to be there over night and do stuff, my daughter is extremely excited.

When they were all in the car only seconds from leaving my daughter said "Momma, can I bring my computer?" I just started laughing. I'm so proud.

I knew it would happen I just didn't know I would be partially to blame.

We were riding together on Monday and I noticed she didn't have good riding shoes, the ones she was wearing were too slick so I suggested we would get some the next day.

I forgot.

So yesterday when she was riding she stood up on her peddles and her left foot slipped off. She then proceeded to fall to the left on the side of her knee and spraining her thumb. Her thumb turned blue and her knee is scrapped pretty good. Her bike has some scratches but it's a bike, who cares.

So when I got home yesterday we went and got her some new shoes and she was back on that bike within minutes, standing up and everything.

It'll take her knee about two weeks to heal but I'm annoyed with myself, if I had taken care of the shoes when I noticed I could have at least avoided this from happening.

The girl had outgrown her 16" bike and it was time to get her a new one.

I picked it from Toys-R-Us yesterday and assembled it after Allyson (my 8 year old daughter) had gone to sleep. No one makes a decent girls bike so I bought her a boys 20" freestyle bike.

Consideration for the Mongoose and Schwinn stopped not because they were 50% more expensive but because they were heavier.

The bike was easy for me to assemble (I have a history with freestyle bikes), what took the longest was removing all of the stickers of barbwire it had on it. And it was a lot.

The bike specs: Dynacraft-Rhino single speed BMX bike (not normally my first brand choice but had lots of good reviews at Amazon), 20" Aluminum frame (only a few pounds heavier than her 16" bike), freewheel (this is when you can't use the peddles to brake like on a 10-speed), stem rotor (for spinning your handle bars all the around). I was impressed for $100 and knew that she would probably never push the bike to the breaking point.




She really likes it and doesn't seem disappointed that the bike has no feminine attributes. I was showing her how to spin the bars while riding, I don't think she's ready for that yet.

This is something our church does for the community.

http://www.familyfunfest.net/

Lots of fun and the children love it. It's a lot to do with volunteers only

Tags: FAMILY FUN FEST

Well it turned out the game was very difficult for her and a little for me.

So after spending some time at Amazon.com reading reviews of GBA games I picked Dora the Explorer, The Search for Pirate Pig's Treasure.

It's been much more enjoyable for her, she's already completed a level and on to the next.

Tags: GAME BOY

After working and doing chores for four months she finally had enough to buy her GBA SP.

You have to remember that she is only 7 and has already bought a dorm fridge that she worked and saved a year for.

So today is her payday (Saturday), and she has enough including tax to buy her GBA SP, I told her several months ago that I would buy her first game when she earned enough to buy the GBA.
She originally wanted a portable DVD player and I said no, but suggested a GBA instead knowing that they have those new GBA Videos out like Dora.

I had a credit at GameStop from returning a game so I thought I would surprise her with a video too.

You know you're a geek when you're proud of your child for being excited about video games, we've played DOA but she mostly liked changing their costumes.

We wanted to show her how to shop for the best price so I chose three stores that were close together to shop at.
We had to go to each store before buying anything, she did very well, she told me that they were all the same price.

When we got home she had acquired a lot of loot.

So Karen and I bought her the Dora GBA Video, a case, headphones, and Lilo and Stitch game. The game got great reviews for a license, which is unusual.
Karen said her first game should be something she's familiar with and I agreed.

At first she watched the video and I was thinking that maybe the game was a little to fast paced for her but after a while she really started to figure stuff out.

She didn't want to put it down, as a geek there's a weird kind of pride in that.

I'm proud of her for buying the GBA SP herself and she's already wanting to save up for other games.

Tags: GAME BOY

Saturday we decided to stop at my Mom and Dad's before going to Home Depot. We walked in and my Dad (Jack) was sitting at the table. I told Allyson to say her alphabet in Spanish.

I then went to the restroom, when I stepped out she had just finished and my Dad was talking about places he had been like Hong Kong, he asked Allyson if she'd ever been to Mexico or China.
She said no then immediately said that she'd been to Texas. I just stood there completely puzzled trying to remember taking her to Texas or any trip or vacation we've been on, you have to remember that she is only 7.

So my Dad said "You've been to Texas?" and Allyson said "Texas Roadhouse" and smiled, then we all laughed for a minute.

I was amazed, from a 7 year old this was a very intellectually misleading statement. She knew Texas was a place that people would visit and used Texas Roadhouse (which we do eat at a lot) to turn the conversation into a joke.

I'm so proud.

I don't normally get the Sunday paper but I did this morning.

Everyone was feeling bad this morning (stopped up), so I ran out before they got up and picked up some Claritin (and ummm, some doughnuts).
I went ahead and got a paper while I was there for something to read and coupons.

Allyson and I played outside for a while (riding bikes, flying kite), we went in so I could make me a cup of coffee. While I was in the house I went in the bedroom to see if Karen was feeling better.

When we came out of the bedroom there was Allyson sitting at the table reading the Sunday comics (Blondie). She read the whole thing and giggled, so I asked if she understood what she read.
She said she thought so, so I asked her to explain it to me. She didn't entirely get it but she did understand that Daisy did not want to go to the Vet.

I am very impressed with her ability to read only after less than a year of learning to do so.

I was only nervous about how my daughter thought I did.

Allyson is in first grade and yesterday I had 20 minutes to describe what I do for a living.

It wasn't really that hard and I had a lot of loot to pass out. I got some stuff from the different companies I do work for so I had a little bit of everything.

After it was all over and the next parent was coming in to present I got my stuff and left, and I said to my wife whom was with me "I forgot to say good bye to Allyson". Which made me feel bad.

So from that moment until the moment I picked her up after school I was nervous about how she thought I did.

When I picked her up from school and as she was getting in the car I said "So how did Daddy do today" She looked at me with a huge grin on her face and said "You did great", then she followed that up with
"I think you were the best".

Happy Daddy.

We slept through church this morning and now they are making clay thing with pens. I've made two pots of coffee and am feeling good.

Karen picked up Allyson today from the lock-in at 8a.m. She had a really good time. While she was there Karen and I went to see "50 first dates", we had a great time.

Both Karen and Allyson slept until about 4 today and while Karen gets ready (for what I'm not sure) Allyson is outside riding her bike.

She's gotten really good since the I first started teaching her how to keep her balance (pictured below).

Allyson sees last night as the first night she has slept by herself. She's doing really good. We finally got our bed setup and Karen slept in it instead of Allyson's bed.

Chuck-E-Cheese's is OK, but it's way too loud and the whole place is token driven, as a parent I hate that. Allyson had fun with Lydia, and she saved her tickets instead of spending everything.

Tags: Chuck-E-Cheese

I think everybody had a good time at this one. All the kids played forever, I like the tunnels better than the other places. I got video of it and Karen took pictures.