Star Trek Interrupted

I was watching an episode of Star Trek (TOS) last night, which Tivo had picked up earlier this week. The episode was about halfway over, and we'd just returned from a commercial break. Then, mid scene, the screen changed to the G4 logo, with the message that G4 had moved. That is, they changed what channel represents G4.

Smack in the middle of a show.

Stupid Charter Cable.

New Lambs

As of June 19, my college roommate Jon and his wife Jessica are now the proud parents of Charles Rockford Lamb (6lb 10.5 oz) and Thomas Briscoe Lamb (6lb 5.9 oz).

The new kids share a birthday with EJP.

Congratulations!

Presents Post Script

Today, Nana took the kids up to her friend Wilma's house. Wilma and family had presents for EJP for his birthday, including a very cool bug habitat, like a habitrail for bugs.

Another present from his birthday was a bug catcher box. He opened it today and about half an hour later it was broken.

My Kids Aren't the Only Crazy Ones

Aunt Erin sent this update on Eva's world:

Eva climbed up on her rocking lamb for a ride today as she often does. Her dismount was a little off this time and she landed on her face. It was upsetting to her so we hugged and she told me about it.

Not five minutes later she was climbing back on the lamb and then almost instantly climbing off as if to prove she could indeed do it.

I marveled at this visual statement of her developing personality and wanted to share it with you.

Presents

Uncle DMP returned from Australia the other week. He brought a neat, hand painted boomerang for SKGP, and a petrified shark tooth for EJP.

This tooth lived in a pre-historic shark, then survived for 60 million years, then a trans-Pacific flight. It was broken the next day. Kids, don't put fossils in plastic boxes and shake them.

For his 4th birthday last week, Gram's friend Robin gave EJP a neat bug specimen in a viewing box. That night, EJP dumped the bug outside. We have a "no bug in the house" policy, and we encourage him to let the bugs go before they die, so I guess this should have been an expected outcome.

For his birthday, he also got his first Nerf gun (I made sure it works by shooting Uncle DMP), and a helmet that looks like Optimus Prime (the Transformer) that modulates his voice, and a bike, and some other cool stuff. Boys get more fun toys than girls. I can't wait until he's a little older.

PS: My editor informs me that the bug specimen was from last year.

Singing Rabbits

As I was driving the kids to Nana's the other day, we were listening to a kids mix CD. The children's song "Wynken, Blinken, and Nod," performed by the Bee Gees, was playing.

EJP said, "These are rabbits."
SKGP said, "They are?"
EJP said, "It sounds like it."

I thought it was cute.

Paypal Mobile

If you are ever out, and you end up owing someone for dinner or something and you don't have cash, you can use PayPal Mobile to text message money to them. How cool is that?

So I haven't actually tried it yet, but it seems like a very cool thing. First commenter gets a $1 sent to their phone...

Baby Talk

This weekend, we were in La Canada to see baby Oliver, RCP's cousin Sarah's 4 month old son. We got to spend some time playing with Uncle John, Aunt Erin, and Cousin Eva, along with Gram and Pop and Uncle Gavin.

We were talking about things that Cousin Eva, who is around 1.5 years old, is saying. When she wants more, she says "moy", which is something that SKGP used to say.

We also remembered that a younger SKGP would say "May I both be excused?" when she meant "May I please be excused?"

(What else did the little darlings used to say? Comments welcome!)

EJP the Giraffe

EJP, looking at the picture of the giraffe in his bathroom this morning, told me, "That was me when I was a giraffe."

Aunt Mycki is moving back to Morgan Hill

Jott:

Aunt Mycki is moving back to Morgan Hill. Hooray!

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She put an offer in on a place fairly close to my parents house. She has buyer's remorse right now, but my father tells me that is very common for her. Growing up, Aunt Mycki and Uncle Jim moved a bazillion times, and I guess she always second guessed herself.

I think its cool she's coming back, after being in Santa Barbara for quite a few years.

Recurring Nightmare

I just had my nightmare again.

I've enrolled in a non-major course, as well as my computer science stuff. Perhaps it is for GE credit or something. It is some sort of Indian mythology or history. I went to class once, and the professor said there was a giant research paper due at the end of the quarter. Then I stopped going, but I never dropped it.

When I realize I'm still in the class, I try to find when and where the lectures are, and what the texts are, and what the giant paper is on. I also try to figure out how to drop it.

Its very disturbing.

[Jott from James Pace] Hi, my journey has been successful, I am enjoying fine beer on a [...]. Tom is ...

Jott From James Pace

Hi, my journey has been successful, I am enjoying fine beer on a [...]. Tom is on his way to have a beer with me, life is good.

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[Jott from James Pace] I have found down old town Pasadena. I am now looking forward Garden Beer(?), g...

Jott From James Pace

I have found down old town Pasadena. I am now looking forward Garden Beer(?), get myself a beer, see how I am going to get out of here.

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[Jott from James Pace] I am now in Pasadena and I am wandering and looking for old town.

Jott From James Pace

I am now in Pasadena and I am wandering and looking for old town.

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[Jott from James Pace] I am now on the gold line heading Volta City(?).

Jott From James Pace

I am now on the gold line heading Volta City(?).

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[Jott from James Pace] I have now arrived in Union Station in Downtown [...] looking to find train to P...

Jott From James Pace

I have now arrived in Union Station in Downtown [...] looking to find train to Pasadena.

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[Jott from James Pace] I have made it on to the bus.

Jott From James Pace

I have made it on to the bus.

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[Jott from James Pace] Wish me luck. I am beginning my adventure using public transit to get from LAS ...

Jott From James Pace

Wish me luck. I am beginning my adventure using public transit to get from LAS to as close to Lakinyada(?) as I can.

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Notes from the Birthday

Adult: Is Ethan your boyfriend?
Emily: Yes, but I don't tell him, because he says "No."

Pictures available at http://picasaweb.google.com/jepace/EthanS4thBirthday

Crabby Dance

Admire Uncle DMP's fancy video skills.



We call this the Crabby Dance.

Last Day of School

Today was the last day of school. That means SKGP is a second grader, and EJP is only a year away from going to kindergarten.

I am flabbergasted at how fast time has passed for them.

SKGP got some awards, such as homework and reading and citizenship. She's a good kid, especially when we're not around.

Baby with the bathwater

Today EJP dumped a bunch of shampoo or bubble bath on the floor of the bathroom.

Toylet

EJP filled the toilet with toilet paper, and tried to keep it secret.

We made him pull it out himself....

Memphis

RCP went to Memphis to give a talk this week. I was in charge of the kids, and we all survived. We went to Costco, and we had spaghetti with Uncle DMP.

Her talk went well.

`Jericho' fans win

San Jose Mercury News - `Jericho' fans win; CBS may bring back show

This article says that the CBS show Jericho, which I watch, may not be canceled as was previously announced. Fans sent 19,000 lbs of nuts to the network executives because one of the characters said "Nuts!" on the show once.

So your weekly dose of post-apocalyptic drama will return sometime next year. Yay!

SKGP Frees The Fish

(I went on this field trip, too! -JEP)

GilroyDispatch.com of Gilroy California

Classes Go Swimmingly for Students at Rod Kelley

2:04 PM
By Christopher Quirk

		Rod Kelley teacher Eric Martin explains to a first-grade class how to release salmon fry into the San Lorenzo River in Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park recently.

Gilroy - When future hikers glimpse a steelhead trout darting upstream, it might be hard to imagine the threatened fish could have been wiggling around in a corner of a Rod Kelley classroom this past spring.

The first-grade class at Rod Kelley Elementary School released more than a hundred baby steelhead trout - a species in the same family as salmon - last week into the San Lorenzo River. The release, done on a field trip to Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains, ended a year-long study of water and marine life that featured more than a month of rearing the trout from eggs.

"They looked like eyed eggs,," said 7-year-old Jose Laneros, describing the steelhead fry when his class first received them. "Like they have one eye on them."

The eggs were primarily clear with one black spot in the middle where the growing fish floated. They became a treasured part of the classroom soon after the Salmon and Trout Education Program - a regional organization that encourages hands-on lessons on the importance of healthy watersheds - delivered them in mid-April. Needing darkness to grow properly, the eggs were kept in fish tanks covered by heavy towels or cloths - students were only allowed the occasional peek.

"They're all excited when they can see all the eggs," teacher Meghan Osborne said. "I'd have to hold them back some days."

When the eggs hatched, the class took fry out to the river to let them go. It was a bittersweet activity for the students, who had grown attached to the fish.

"We had them in our class for a long time," 6-year-old Lanai Garcia said.

Still, almost all students said the river was the best place for the fish.

"That's where they live and that's their home," said 7-year-old Gabby Avila.

"They want to see their friends and their family," Laneros added.

Personifying the animals does not trivialize the learning process, said Christel Morley a literary facilitator who brought the program to Rod Kelley 10 years ago.

"Six-year-olds have a great capacity for learning and they learn well when its concrete," she said.

Rearing and releasing the fish helps the students build a connection with local rivers and parks, and adds an emotional dimension tolessons about the effects of pollution.

It's "more than just the life cycle of fish," Morley said. "They learn about ... being stewards of their environment."

The release also brings the lessons out of the classroom, showing the applications of the year's education to not only the students, but also their parents and the community.

"Along with what (students) learn, they teach their families," Morley said. "And many of their parents don't know what they're learning. I just now talked to a parent and she said, 'We can no longer eat salmon.'"

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Christopher Quirk
Christopher Quirk covers education for the Dispatch. Contact him at 427-7240 or cquirk@gilroydispatch.com.