True North

The Cub House
Originally uploaded by Jagrap

After shopping for our groceries, we decided to eat lunch at Whole Foods. While Alex was eating his cheese pizza he pointed out which direction was North, South, East and West. He was correct on all four; Jen kept trying to figure out how he knew it, but as far as I can tell he knew what the directions were at our house and was able to transpose those in his mind to Whole Foods. Both boys understood the trick is to know where North is, but Alex actually knew where North was.
RAP (8.30.2006)

Home

Coming Home
Originally uploaded by Jagrap

The boys made it home safely this week; Alex with his bears, and Michael with Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (which, I would like to add, he finished on the flight). It is good to be home. Home is more than a place though, it is an idea, a state of mind. I could have taken the boys to Tae Kwon Do anywhere in America this morning, but it would not be the same. Where else could I turn on the on the radio at 9:35 am Saturday morning and be blessed with the replay of the Ohio State Miami 2003 Fiesta Bowl? Where else would I have hit the button and be popped into the the end of the first over time, and stay with it all the way to the end? It is good to be home.
RAP (8.29.2006)

We Can Be Heroes

We Can Be Heroes
Originally uploaded by Jagrap

While we were in L.A., we went to the local Science and Industry Museum to see the Science behind Marvel Heroes. It seemed to reinforce the science concepts we saw at the Star Wars science exhibit, especially the concept of magnetic levitation for Michael. Speaking of Michael, his Captain America Shirt (the one we got him for taking his super soldier shots) was a big hit; I had people ask me where they could get it for their husbands and sons.
RAP (8.23.2006)

Meet You Halfway

MeetYouHalfway
Originally uploaded by Jagrap

Alex gets lots of credit for Alex-isms -- his observations of the world that are amusing, and show us a different perspective of reality. Alex does have a lot of them, but he also spends a lot more time with his mother than Michael does, which allows her to observe them and pass them on. Michael has been in school all day, so Jen does not spend as much time with, but last week while swimming Michael had a Michael-ism.

He told Jenny that it was too bad that this Hotel was not around when God was around. Jenny was confused, so Michael explained it would have been a nice place to be born. So Michael thinks that the nativity should have happened at the Ritz instead of in a barn.
RAP (8.22.2006)

Two Brothers

Two Brothers
Originally uploaded by Jagrap

Jenny's Uncle Bill is a Magician, and that allows him to be a member at a club in Los Angeles named the Magic Castle. With his membership he took us to a brunch there on Sunday (children are only allowed in on Sunday). Being a fancy place, we had to dress up, and that means pictures!

Since Michael has read two Harry Potter books and is in the middle of the third this was a good time to see a magic show. The kids were very impressed with the card tricks, magic pianos and slight of hand.
RAP (8.18.2006)

Welcome To LA

WelcomeToLA
Originally uploaded by Jagrap

Micheal's reading prowess continuess to increase. Last week he read "Harry Potter: The Chamber of Secrets" in a handful of days. He started it on the weekend before we left and finished all the 347 pages by Thursday. The great thing is he is now interested in another reading challenge, and was even up for "Harry Potter: The Prisoner of Azkaban," but we have decided to steer him towards something else in order to broaden his horizons. Perhaps Judy Blume's "Ramona the Pest" or "Tales of a 4th Grade Nothing". Whatever we choose I am certain he can do it.
RAPatton (8.16.2006)

Dodgers win!

Dodgers win!
Originally uploaded by Jagrap

Michael loves the Dodgers, so each summer we try to attend a Dodgers game . This yearI tried to get tickets to see them defeat the nefarious Giants, but I had to settle for tickets to watch them crush the odious Rockies. After seeing the game, "settling" would be the wrong term; the Dodgers won the game at the bottom of the 9th when Kenny Lofton's double created the game winning RBI to break the 3-3 tie. What you see in this picture was the moment of jubilant celebration as the speakers blared "I love LA" and the crowd (including our guys) went wild.
RAP (8.15.2006)

Triumph

Triumph
Originally uploaded by Jagrap

I had been moving around this morning finishing packing and getting reading for work. Finally, a tad before 7, I came back out into the great room and the lights were on. I looked at the couch and their was Michael reading "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets." It is a 330 page book and he is halfway through; he only started Sunday. Jenny and I were talking last night and think that Michael might already read faster than Jenny! Not only does it do it quickly, he retains it and enjoys it!
RAP (8.14.2006)

Banshee

Banshee
Originally uploaded by Jagrap

Last Sunday we went to the Irish Festival. We went early because they had mass (in Gaelic and English), it was free if you entered before 11am and it was going to be a hot day. Despite our efforts to avoid the heat, it was so warm we bypassed most of the kids activities.

To hide from the heat, we ducked into an Irish Magic Show. Michael really wanted to be picked, but fate had other ideas. However, Alejandro was able to be a volunteer for "Tears of the Banshee." Actually, I think it was Alex trying to figure out how the trick worked that black-balled Michael; Alex was supposed to hold a sign flush to a funnel, so as to catch the Banshee's tears that streamed out. Alex, being a curious young man, kept separating the poster and funnel because he wanted to see the banshee cry.
RAP (8.11.2006)

Can We Dig It

Can We Dig It
Originally uploaded by Jagrap

Alex has had many one liners lately, but unfortunately I can not remember any now. The important thing is that his wit and wisdom are not waning at all. He always has a zinger or two ready, and usually they provide some sort of insight. Alex prefers to have others read to him, but he is reading quite well for his age. Some of it is memorization of favorite books, but he read the subtitles on the TV the other night.
RAP (8.10.2006)

Water Warriors

Water Warriors
Originally uploaded by Jagrap

The last week of July/first week of August is typically the hottest time of year, and 2006 has been true to form. In addition to cooling off at the pool there are other options, and on this hot, hazy day Michael and Alex went to the Homestead Park with their friends and their squirt guns. If you inspect the image you can see that Alex's shirt is soaked which either makes him the big loser (got hit the most), or big winner (was smart enough to allow himself to be hit to cool off!). Michael chose the smartest path; bathing suit only. It was cool as it could be, yet dries fast.
RAP (8.9.2006)

Candy Stop

Candy Stop
Originally uploaded by Jagrap

have been working all weekend in preparation for our trip to Los Angeles. However, I made time on Saturday to take the boys, Michael's best friend (John) and his clone (Luke) to see "Barnyard." Instead of buying popcorn, I took them to Kroger's, in the same way that my dad used to take me to the IGA on West Broad Street.

I think the kids liked it; all the kids chose skittle's gum, but they also got one other item each. Alex picked a Nestle Crunch bar, John and Luke chose Hershey bars and Michael brought some Whole Foods dark chocolate. Besides costing less, the absence of soda and popcorn had another benefit: they all made it through the movie without having to go to the bathroom!
RAP (8.8.2006)

Let It Rip

Let It Rip
Originally uploaded by Jagrap

Once we had exhausted the Star Wars Exhibition, we enjoyed as much of the rest of COSI as possible. Of all the different things we did, the boys seemed to dig anything that made something levitate the most. It did not matter if it was floating on magnetic force, air or a stream of water; it was floating they loved it. This picture is in the area where plastic balls floated on air; Michael was having fun pitching them high and watching them be sucked into a giant contraption.
RAP (8.04.2006)

Triumph

Triumph
Originally uploaded by Jagrap

Back in June I had to prod Alex off the diving board, but not anymore. I may have mentioned it before, but now Alex is a deep end diving fool. He runs off at top speed, gets out and lines up again. It has been good to see his confidence and swimming ability grow.

His reading has also been growing this summer, but we have been having a hard time finding enough age appropriote material; he has read the stuff he can that we have, and goes through his library books too quickly. His reading is by no means perfect, but he is getting better every day.
R.A.Patton (8.03.2006)

Star Wars

Star Wars
Originally uploaded by Jagrap

Friday night we went to the Star Wars exhibit at COSI. Columbus is the second town after Boston to host it; it has been a very big deal and the museum has received a much need boost from it. The exhibition has been here since Memorial Day, and will leave on Labor Day.

It was a worthwhile adventure; the kids rode a speeder that floated on air, were lectured about Robots by C3-PO and rode in the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon. Plus their were hundreds of props from six films. The kids had a good time, but their mother, despite the wheelchair, seemed to enjoy it even more!
RAP (8.01.2006)