Sunday, September 27, 2009

This Week with Mr. Mom

My wife asked me to guest post a couple of times this week (editor's note: mainly because you all requested it!!), but I was hesitant since I didn't think I could match the quality of work on my last guest post. But, she did ask me to post what we have been up to since she was in Nashville so here it is...

Heather left Tuesday so we hung low on Wednesday and just did work around the house. Thursday we drove to Rochester and enjoyed the always enjoyable Strong National Museum of Play. E11 and I7 had been waiting to go again so they could enjoy the Videotopia display, a working arcade of 80's video game classics. For those 80's arcade enthusiasts, here is a list of the working games you can play there. While we were there, I convinced the kids to go into the Butterfly garden since I had not been in there before. While there we got to see the Atlas Moth, the largest moth in the world.

Friday, we got a call from the local library. Apparently, between me and the kids, we had requested so many books online that they needed us to pick them up since the front desk was running out of room. Sometimes it feels like we have more books from the library in our house than the library has in its own building. Anyhow, since it was a beautiful day, that afternoon we went hiking on a local trail. The trail has benches on it so I stopped a few times to read to the kids Alice in Wonderland. A recent film I had seen drew heavily from it so I was interested in reading the work that I only know bits and pieces of. I got out 'The Annotated Alice: The Definitive Edition' from the library and had been enjoying reading and learning more about it. One interesting fact about Lewis Carroll is that he was apparently a borderline pedophile... He had quite a love of little girls (although not boys), but all information seems to indicate that his unusual and often long-term and close relationships with the many little girls he befriended was purely platonic. In our more modern times I am sure he would be on some state's public register...

Recently, I had been reading about using a map and compass to sight positions so I was eager to try it out and show the kids. So, we stopped at a point on the trail where we could see points on the map and took two compass sightings, one on a nearby microwave tower, the other on a hilltop we could see. From each sighting you can get a Line of Position (LOP) which should intersect at (or at least near) your position on the map. The pencil line is a bit faint, but it shows our LOPs crossing very close to where we were on the trail!

Saturday was spent at Soccer, doing yard work, and then watching (on TV) Virginia Tech destroy Miami in a pouring rain in Blacksburg, VA! Go Hokies! Today we are all happily awaiting Heather's return and the return to our normal level of chaos.

Editor's Note: Does Dan totally rock the dad thing or what?! What he left out was that when he took the kids out hiking he knew they'd be back late enough that he should start dinner ahead of time. So, he put some potatoes in the oven on timer to have loaded baked potatoes for dinner. The only dinner they had out was the day they went to the museum.

Plus, I returned home to a clean house clutterwise, clean dishes, and plenty of clean laundry to be put away. He didn't want to brag so I did it for him. Dan you are amazing! And thank you honey!

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yes, Heather, your dear husband totally rocks the Dad thing! He is amazing and he didn't learn all of that at his home!

love,
His proud Mom!

Morgan said...

Hope you had fun Heather. Looks like your hubby rocked the whole Mr. Mom thing!

I have something for you at my teaching blog!

http://fromthedeskofateacher.blogspot.com/2009/09/first-blog-award.html

Morgan

Anonymous said...

While stopping on your hike, you had the energy to read Alice In Wonderland. Wow.

I guess I have a few more rungs on the ladder to climb.

What a great dh & dad!

BTW, I loved the moth. Greatness.

Lisa in Ft. Worth

Unknown said...

I read your blog daily and think he did a fine job in your absence.
Blessings,
Diane

SC said...

don't worry Dan, my dh looked at me in shock one day after a trip from the library. He said, there's actually books left at the library you haven't read?

looks like you guys had fun!

Anonymous said...

I've often said that the one thing missing from Heather's blog is pedophile trivia. I knew we could count on you Dan!

Maybe you should buy Dan a shirt that reads, "The father of my children rocks!"

Best guest-post ever.


Jana

Dana Leeds said...

Enjoyed the guest post and loved that Dad found so many interesting things to do!

Fairly local said...

Dan, you had hard shoes to fill but you did a great job with the blog post.