What I did last night.

 
 

 Isn't this super fun photography?  The older kids and I were invited for quite the adventure with the ultra-genius artist Kerrie E. and her family.  We braved a steep descent, train tracks and the possible threat of sea lions to get these night shots.  That is me flinging fire above my head and below are the glow-sticked outlines of the kids and I.  Hopefully this is as close to a rave as any of us get.

Make sure to check out this website, you won't be sad: www.photosbykerrie.com

These are some of my captures from the night below, it doesn't hurt to get tips from a pro:

 

 

 

 

 

March Madness

While the kids were having a little dunk contest at home...I got to go and meet up with my dad and sis for a little Sweet Sixteen action in Indianapolis.

In between the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 competitions we took a little drive to Hoosier town - Milan, IN.

 Check out this bracket.  It was handwritten and probably about 6 feet tall by 3 feet wide.

Indiana - “work hard, have fun and be kind”

Going back to Indiana this month I remembered that I never posted my last trip there, which was in 2009 to celebrate the life of my grandfather Hank.  Going back just isn't the same without him there.  It is far less delicious for one.

Here are some words from his kids that were read at the service:

As far back as we can remember our dad (my grandpa) was a hard worker. But when not working he enjoyed having fun with his family and friends. He definitely believed in giving 100% or more to whatever he was doing. In fact, his work ethic has probably been our curse in that we have trouble relaxing or being idle. This is also a trait in our children and grandchildren. Of course, this shouldn’t be a surprise to any of the Lyons family since it has been recorded that our ancestors were also like this. A book on “early pioneers of Johnson County” stated that Robert Lyons, who settled near this cemetery in 1823, was hardy, industrious and friendly to a fault. We have seen this trait over and over in our family and definitely in our father.

Some of the early memories we have of dad was the thrill of sitting next to him on some of the heavy equipment he would operate. We can still remember the awe we felt as he could move those giant machines around so easily. Even today we still marvel at how smoothly and efficiently he could operate any machine. It was so easy for dad that Mark thought he could do it (Mark was a teenager who thought he could do anything). So, Dad gave him the chance to operate a bulldozer to level some ground. When Mark was done the ground was as flat as an old washboard.  Mark remembered another worker on the project asking dad if Mark was his kid. In spite of the obvious lack of coordination dad said yes.

When dad wasn’t working there were many fun times. And what was unique about these times was that whatever we were doing almost always involved many other family members (grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins) and friends. We thought that was pretty normal, but as we got older we realized that being together as an extended family, as we were, was not that common. There were family gatherings, picnics, camping, boating, fishing and hunting. Each “get-together” almost always turned into a memorable event. There was just something about the mixture of those family members and friends that could turn your average gathering into a story that would be told a hundred times. We are sure this is a genetic trait.

We learned many things from Hank but three things stand out and have become kind of our motto for living. This is “work hard, have fun and be kind”. We loved our dad and will miss him. We are proud to be part of his heritage – the Lyons family.

The Lyons Farm.

 My dad and his sister.

What I am guessing to be my first trip to Indiana. 

Avery's first visit (second if you count in utero)

Avery's second visit.

                                        

If you don't come back from a trip to Indiana 5 lbs heavier than something is wrong.

My step-grandma Faye. 

My paternal grandparents. A mismatch if there ever was one :)

I was gonna say look for the ears to find our family members but there are quite a few good sets here  (#10).

                                                   

                                     My paternal grandparents. A mismatch if there ever was one :)

Me and my dad in Indy, 2009.

White Castles, Beer (any) and Corn (smuggled over from Iowa).  It's what's for dinner.

This is what happens when you eat too many White Castles...

Headstones from the Lyons cemetery.

Winter Recital

We just got back from a lovely two hours spent listening to beginning violin students.  Each time I look forward to these performances and then each time I am reminded that there is indeed something worse than listening to your own children trying to tame the strings...and of course that is listening to other peoples children.  I had to do it, now so do you.

Avery will will playing an 'Ode to Joy' remix for you, followed by Miles with a Norwegian childrens song 'Klokken Atte' played with a very out of tune E string for your enhanced listening pleasure.



I personally like this snippet of Miles enjoying the other performances.  The music is actually not half bad on this one. 

DIY Week

 

 

I am confident that I learn at least one new thing everyday.  At least.  This week was particularly enriching.  I picked up some awesome new skills.  Nothing I can put on my resume just yet but small victories nonetheless.

Project #1 - Radiant Heat repair.  Our radiant heat mat shorted out about 2 years ago.  I thought it might be time to remedy this.  I did not locate the short and repair it.  I hired someone who had really fancy equipment to come in and do that.  It was pretty cool.  But he identified some potential trouble spots where the wires crossed over so we were going to have to pull those up and rearrange them if we wanted the repair to last.  So using some tools that I hadn't touched since a sculpture class in college (I know it probably seems like yesterday but it was oh, 13 YEARS AGO!!) I took up the remaining tiles. 

 

 

Unfortunately in the process one of the wires got mangled in the process. So I got a quick phone course in splicing wires and I was off to Radio Shack for some butt splice connectors (The fifth-grader in me was embarrassed to ask for them by name - and the fifth grader in the cashier snickered at me when I did.)

The primary insulation contained three teeny tiny wires which each had to be spliced individually.   They were too small for the smallest divot in the wire cutters so I had to use an exacto-knife. This was probably a job for a surgeon...but as Avery said "mom, it's so sad you had to do all of this work and dad just watched t.v.")

After exposing the six wires, I used the connectors to get them all joined together.  This wasn't easy either.  The wires were really hard to clamp down on due to their size, eventually they all got connected and voila when I turned on the juice the floor heated up.  I then put a heat shrink wrap on and hit it up with the blow dryer to get on there nice and snug.  Then we tiled over it and so far so good.  (I know it looks like this was all done in one setting, but it really was a process over three weeks time)

 

 

Project #2 - Highlights

 

About every fifteen years or so I get the urge to give myself highlights at home.  Even though this did not turn out well last time I did it, after watching a few YouTube videos I was pretty sure I could do this. We didn't have YouTube last time I tried.  I am needing to go in for a cut anyway and I figured I could either pay $100+ to have my boy Jose sunkiss my locks or I could try to highlight them myself and if I messed up I could either do an all over permanent color or pay $100+ to have my mistake professionally fixed.  A few months ago Chelsey had taken me darker and let me have a little ombre fun which I really liked, but Chelsey lives too far away to have her touch it up. 

 

After an intellectual conversation with the girl from Sally Beauty I had the confidence and the equipment to go for it.  All for under $10, and that includes the conditioning repair pack she upsold me.    So, with one package of Clairol peroxide powder, some 30 developer, a sheet of foil, a plastic bowl and a disposable toothbrush courtesy of my local dentist, I was in business.

I thought I might have to deposit on a blond to get what I was going for and I was really expecting orange but I was totally happy with the results.

 

 

Also somewhere in this week I successfully represented myself in court against an unwarranted speeding ticket.  I don't have any pictures of this project but I learned some things about requesting discovery and raising reasonable doubt that I hopefully don't have to use in the future.

 

And, if you have a Brother printer and want to know how to get those ink cartridges to last longer, I have a hack for you that I will post when I get back from being a mother.