35 posts tagged “ashli”

Took the girls to radnor lake this weekend to enjoy the fall colors and natural cool temperatures.  We did a hike of around 2.5 miles and took some pictures.

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So Ashli was watching Terminator:TSCC with me on Friday.  Her new favorite song is Donald where's your trousers.  She made me print off the lyrics and she already has them memorized.  She is teaching Ally too. 

Last night I got two stripes on my belt.  I now out rank my four year old daughter, Ally.  The two stripes I have let me know that it won't be long before I test to get my green belt.  Unfortunatly, Ashli is really close to getting her blue belt. So I will have to work twice as hard as her to catch her. 

Hey Ashli,  you hear that?  Those are footsteps.  My footsteps.  Are they getting closer? 

Family Math Night is a school function at my daughter's school where the whole family can come together and have fun doing math.  This is actually very popular at this school.  It doesn't differ much from Family Meth Night at the school across town.  Well, except for the educational value of the event. 

They actually have Elementary Ed. students come over from the university (MTSU) that is located directly across the street.  It is part of one of their classes to make a game out of math and present it at Family Math Night.  I think dropouts and PoliSci people run Family Meth Night.  There were at least 12 game stations for each grade level.  The 2nd grade stuff was too easy for Ashli so we moved on to the 3rd grade where things got challenging.  Ally had fun in the Kindergarten area.

Apparently there is a prerequsite to getting in the Elem. Ed. program at MTSU.  You have to be A) female, B) young, C) very attractive.  It made escorting the girls around to all the booths an enjoyable experience for all. 

I don't think letting these students run the program at Ashli's school is fair though.  They probably walked away from the night thinking kids are smart and like to learn.  If this had been held at a normal school, I don't think turnout would have been as good. 

Family Meth night ran much longer but was eventually broken up by the police. 

As a parent, I go through my activities hoping to influence my children in a positive way.  Hoping that the things I do will be more influencial than the things they learn from their friends, television, or the world in general.  The times when I see these influences come through are rare and memorable. 

I am in a book club.  Once a month a few friends and I meet at an eatery and discuss a science fiction book.  My wife works nights, so I usually carry the kids along for the ride.  They get bored, but I have usually brought something for them to do while they wait. 

At this months meeting, my oldest suggested that we read some Magic Tree House books so that she could get in on the discussion.  Then, last night, she came up with the idea that she start her own book club.  She had a list of friends that she wants to be a part of it.  She wants the meetings to be at McDonalds (I agreed with her that a place with food makes it better).  She was very excited by the idea.  I asked her if they would read only a certain kind of book and she said, "No, we will read all kinds."

I would be lying if I said that I wasn't proud of her.  Here was an activity that I enjoyed with my friends and I was setting an example of behaviour the whole time.  It just goes to show you that children are watching even when you think they aren't or they say they are bored.  Show your children positives and try not to be too suprised when they show you those positives right back. 

Yesterday, I took the day off work to take care of a few things.  The local theatre does free movies for kids during the days all summer long.  This week they were showing Firehouse Dog.  Since I was off, we took the girls and met a couple of others there for the movie.  The movie is about a dog that is a movie star (notably the star of "The Fast and the Furriest")  and he gets lost and is trapped in a building when an arsonist catches it on fire. 

The show the arsonist later making more of his timed fire bombs.  He sets one of them down on a table and the camera pans to show about ten more just like it on the table.  Also on the table are the remains of cigarettes and cigars.  When these were shown, Ashli states loudly, "uh oh, he smokes."  I almost couldn't stop laughing.