recycled content! - 25 random things about Aaron

In the interest of recycling content (and getting another post in since it's been awhile), I present to you my results from one of those "tag, you're it!" meme's someone zapped me with on facebook yesterday. 

(Hey, I recycled papers from hs to college...it's all in the name of saving brain cells, right?) 

Without further ado, "25 Random Things about Aaron:"

1. I was a voracious reader of encyclopedias, fiction, and nonfiction in school
2. I built a 2 story playhouse/castle (with stairs) for my kids.
3. I take great delight in teaching my kids how to take things apart.
4. I loved to climb trees as a kid.
5. When I was 12, I was in the hospital for 3 days with a compacted spine. (Due to the aforementioned love of climbing trees.)
6. When I was 16, I blew up the family bathtub.
7. I live unashamedly vicariously through my kids.
8. I live in fear that one of them will blow up our bathtub.
9. I’ve got a more-than-mild obsessive/compulsive streak.
10. I love to build with electronics, wood, metal, paperclips, string, wire, grass, pocket lint…
11. Opposites attract. I love my wife and she thinks I’m nuts.
12. I’ve dislocated my right shoulder 30-40 times.
13. Dislocated twice due to sneezing!
14. I used to repel down the side of the family house to exit my room.
15. One of my “things to do before I die” is convert a car to electric.
16. I watched 20-25 hours of TV/week growing up.
17. I watch < 1 hrs/tv a week now.
18. I’ve fired a fully automatic weapon. (but never been in the military)
19. Were I just slightly crazier (and wealthier), I’d move to SF to work for the Mythbusters…for nothing.
20. I don’t mind speaking in front of large groups.
21. In the last 3 months, I’ve purchased 5 cordless drills/screwdrivers for myself or my immediate family.
22. I’m allergic to cats.
23. I’m the oldest of 4. My closest sibling is 7.5 years younger, the next two are 9 and 11 years younger.
24. When we found out we were having another baby, I really wanted to name him “Gilgamesh”. Fortunately for the child, it’s a girl.
25. This is the first time I’ve *ever* responded to one of these silly memes. ;^)

Random activities

It has been an up and down week.

School got started and was going well Mon-Wed. We made good progress on the basics but need to find the math manipulatives....somewhere in the storage room.

Thursday G was with grandparents for a sewing morning and then horseback riding in the afternoon.

So I let the boys build legos while I worked on the family room, unpacked and broke down about 5 more boxes. Re-arranged the furniture just a bit and now the room feels more spacious and functional. I was feeling mental baggage from looking at all the boxes that were half-unpacked. Now I feel more organized and capable.

I then tackled the boys' room, the legos got put away in the tubs, books on the shelves, clean laundry on the right shelves. And LOTS of dirty laundy collected and tossed into the hamper. It is much safer to walk on their floor now and be able to see the floor. Each day it needs a little work to keep it maintained - true of just about everything in the house!

Unpacking is trickling along. This weekend the plan is to tackle a shed project. Still to be determined if it will be a kit or stick-built. I also need to re-set the living room and sunroom from the shuffled things that came from the family room.

We have also been trying to keep mommy resting a bit more than normal to keep the immune system from being so flared up. So one day at a time we do what we can!

C started basketball practice - he LOVED it, even though it was like dragging a donkey to get him in there. Once his friend showed up he was more flexible and then just had a blast. It is our first sport experience and is looking very good! I know that he also wants to do baseball this spring, so we will be checking that out next - I think that we have a sports-minded boy!

overheard outside the boys' door...

c (7 year old): "You'll probably have a girlfriend by the time you're 12."

(dad thinks to himself "not on my watch..!")

j (5 year old): "I already have a girlfriend."

c (intrigued): "Really? Who?"

j: "Sissy."

c: "Eww!"

j: "Or maybe Allie*..."

dad: (["whew"])

(*ed: his favorite stuffed animal is named "allie" after one of his cousins**)

(** cousins = kids of their aunt's husband's sister. Close enough. =^))) )