Back to Fort Smith

Feels like we've been here before. Kinda fun to visit again. The city has built a few more things...or maybe we are more observant.

We've managed to find a park nearby. Maybe tomorrow we can hit the pool!

Pictures to come eventually...

A mini reunion

Yesterday we traveled to Bartlesville, town where I spent most of my days. I had some friends that had a great alternative to their $40 buffet 10 years graduation... go to a restaurant with the people you're going to hang out with anyway and invite some other people that you used to hang out with (me).

We overestimated our drive time, and ended up getting there way early. Ol' Dad took advantage of the situation and bored the car occupants with boyhood hangouts and friends' homes which the friends probably don't live there anymore. Lots of houses and buildings have sprung up. And roads, that for years were non-existent resulting in T-intersections, were extended/built.

The old house is still there. The garage is now white/cream rather than brown. The redbuds that were my height when we left the house are now taller than the house. And the mailbox holder my dad built is still there (wood is getting pretty old, but still there!). Rose thought it weird that I feel the need to drive by my old house, but I like seeing what it looks like. It's fun to remember all the stories of how the house got to where it is, and to see some of the things we left (or didn't leave...as in the bushes we tore out) are being used by people behind us.

After hanging out in the mall we headed to Chili's to meet the gang. It's fun to see people you haven't seen in a while, and it's better when the kids allow it!
After we got the check and packed up I was surprised... we had been there roughly 2 hours! wow.

We packed up and I thought it would be fun to go to Kiddie Park, a place that has rides suited for the younger crowd...and is affordable! I am glad that I took the advice of my wife and just headed home! It was only 11 when we got home, but it felt much later. So many things I would have liked to see and do in Bville, but this 3 hour drive stuff makes some of them difficult.

For some reason I was reminded of European cities, Rome... 1000s of years in the making and still some original and old structures are standing/being used. Just over the couple of years I had visited Bville last new things are being built and street layouts have changed, but there is still lots of the old town. Wonder what Oklahoma would look like (road grid... cityscape... land) in a 1000 years...

Libraries are cool !!

Today we took a break from our normally scheduled lives to do something different. And , as Arby's reminds us, different is good.

Warning... today's post is heavy in links.... and If I had a camera that worked... those too.

Today the waits went to Mugglesfest in Norman and saw Harry and the Potters as well as Draco and the Malfoys. The day started off with Kelly, Mary, and Rosie heading off to Norman (yes we had visitors). So I find myself with the wee ones yet again as Rosie and the girls head off to have some fun. I figure the kids and I will go later for the concert as it would be easier to stay at home in the comforts of air conditioning. What could possibly be in Norman to keep us occupied.

Well, plenty. We traveled to Norman on a hot tip that we should get over to the library and get concert tickets before they 'disappeared'. So leaving at 1 ... concert at 7. Traveling with a 3 and 4 year old....insane I thought, but the time went fast! Walked around Norman a bit, and finally headed to the library. While at the library I never made it to the side that was handing out tickets. We managed to not travel much farther than the children's section. There were craft stations and wizard's around for 'Hogwart's Academy', but the toys/puppet theater/gerbils and their babies kept us occupied.

I did manage to get the kids to make some wands and get free stickers and stick-on tatoos, but never made it over to herbology to plant our own plants...doh.

Well, the girls got done with their quiz booth at the depot and came over to the library. I was then reminded of the limited supply of concert tickets. We quickly found that all the tickets had been claimed.... shows sold out!! I started to try to make the best of it and stay for the 'Meet the Band'. Again I was almost foiled by the kids trying to get playtime in a cool library children section, but we managed to squeeze in the door just after they closed it and got a family picture with the Potters!

But wait there's still hope! They declaration went out: Some of the tickets were reserved by phone, and if people don't pick them up they will be available at the Sooner Theater as the doors are opened. Note: Sooner theater is damn cool historic theater... the site linked actually has pictures of the ceiling and lights inside. SOoo we trekked over to the theater, Mary the kids and I, to stand in line for some tickets. I was not hopeful. I figured Mary already had an in, because Rose had reserved some tickets for Katie and Rick who were on their way. As the time got closer I was less optimistic ...Katie and Rick hadn't showed up yet ... Cian was asleep on my shoulder talking in his sleep ... and Jamie was falling asleep on the bench while sitting next to Mary.

LO! Extra Tickets there were! and plenty of them! Jamie woke up immediatley when we told her it was concert time! And finally Cian's half awake whining..."I want to go in there"... would stop. We got seated and waited. I, still not very optimistic, figured I would be lucky to see the bands start. I figured the kids would get tired and want to go home as there were winners to be announced and a costume contest to be had. They made it through just fine and seemed to enjoy it.

As the music started (Draco and the Malfoys), I had Cian in my lap (awake but unmoving) and Jamie seated next to me. By the end (after Harry and the Potters), I had Jamie passed out on my lap and Cian rambunctiously jumping around next to me.
The show was lots of fun. Jamie and Cian were dancing and clapping and singing... they had a great time. Cian slowly came out of his sleepy stupor... nodding his head in rhythm.... then clapping his hands... and finally all out getting off my lap and jumping up and down! Jamie started to slow down near the end... asking "can we go now... is it over?" after every song... to 'out cold' as the finale was being played.

Oh.. forgot to mention... Rose and Kelly (being they are the fangirls) had special backstage passes... that is why no mention of ticket crisis for them. And we did end up seeing Katie and Rick... they came down and rocked with the kids and I.

Funny story: So after Cian woke up he slowly got more comfortable with his surroundings. No longer wanted on my lap, but went to sit next to Molly...er Mary (you should see her Molly Weasley costume on her blog! Made it herself!) And then he headed out to come back to me..... I thought. "Where's Cian?" 'Oh he left to be with you' "uhhh not here". Quick look around. !!!! He's picking up chickS!!! There the little bugger was ... leaning over the seats between two girls talking and smiling at them... even managed to trick them into lettin him talk on their cellphone!!!

ahhh well good times for all! The kids passed out immediately (Jamie was already out). The girls are back (midnight)... time to find out about the after party!

Trouble for School Children ahead?

So, as I was reading the newspaper today I noticed and article about Pluto. (This may be old news, but was new to me)

...Have to subscribe to read the article online, Is a planet by any other name still a planet? 2006-08-01...

Basically it talks about how Pluto, discovered in 1930, has been long thought to be too small to be a planet. Recently some group has been pressured into defining "planet". And some new finds are larger than Pluto. Pluto is thought to be something similar to an asteroid on the edge of the solar system.

One of the 'new' planets I thought was interesting was one unofficially known as Xena... and it's moon Gabrielle. Yes ... directly from the TV show. I also found it funny that there is talk that the official name be something from the "Lord of the Rings" books.


So here we are on the verge of having new planets not associated with Roman gods/goddesses, and dropping one of the good-ol-boy planets. Think of all the songs and memory aids that will be totally defunct. At the same time the committee isn't wanting to just grandfather Pluto into planethood and keep others out because they were found later.

Hard decision, but I look forward to seeing some new planets and Pluto out if that be the case.... I don't have to remember them for tests anymore!!!

Puzzle time

I've recently started a 1000 piece puzzle which I've had since living in Stillwater. Bought it in a garage sale and I might as well find out if all the pieces are there. It's one of those pictures made up of smaller pictures... I forget what it is called... each one assigned a color value essentially. whatever.

This will be my second attempt to start it. First attempt was during the day. Cian wanted to help, but he got angry as I was keeping the flat pieces in a separate container as the others he was sorting through.

finally broke it out again... this time at night. One of Rose's old art frames is large enough for me to pick the whole thing up and hide on top of the tv. Meeper has generally been helping too. This has Meeper in his helpful location (he's usually good at choosing key puzzle piece real estate).