Children's Bookstore

My neighbor is now online! May I suggest that you take a moment and link to ChildrensBookstore.com. It's a site dedicated to kids' books, helping kids learn to read, sharing tips and ideas and looks to be pretty easy to navigate. It's been a collaborative effort for a couple of my neighbors, actually. One is the creative genius behind the content, and the other has put together all the nerdy back-end applications stuff. If you like either and would like to get in touch with them for your project, drop me a note.

In the mean time, read to your kids!

Vertigo is so Much FUN!

Vomit. Projectile vomiting. Nausea. Upset stomach. Happiest place on earth.

Marketing to Four Year-Olds

Nate just came in and informed me that I should get the "Power Rangers Motorcycle." I asked what that is, which he happily informed me was a motorcycle that helps you be a Power Ranger. He then provided me with the location of said motorcycle: "Dad, you can find it on the Power Ranger aisle at Target."

I told him I'd look into it.

The Good Dream Room

Last night the two big kids informed me, after watching a pseudo-scary program on Disney Channel, that our room was the designated "good dream room" and that they would have to sleep on our floor.

Over breakfast, I asked my daughter if she had good dreams while sleeping in the "good dream room" last night. She said with a smile that she had. Then she recounted how she was "in the middle of a really good dream" when Mom woke her up for school. Before I could ask the content of this "good dream," she shared this with me:

"I was winning another prize from the cereal box."

Why I Love Idaho #9

I decided for family night on Monday to take the kids and the wife and do a little picnic at Table Rock, on the north end of Boise. We grabbed a bucket of chicken from the Colonel and headed up Table Rock Road through some really gorgeous neighborhoods.

After we got there, we ate chicken, drank Capri Suns and looked out over the Treasure Valley's panorama. Then Dad decided to take the kids for a little hike. Nathan was reticent, but we all insisted it would be fun.

We got down on a dirt path that rings the Table Rock mesa and Nate was enjoying it. Having walked the short trail once before, I took Lauren in my arms and led the way.

Good thing.

About three-fourths of the way through our "hike" I encountered a snake on the path. The big kids freaked out and started crying. I looked for a rattle and told the kids to get behind me.

Long story short: one snake; two crying kids; an upset wife; an oblivious 18-month old and a Dad who's seen enough for one Monday evening...