Lyrics of the Day

One Week by Barenaked Ladies

How can I help it if I think you're funny when you're mad
Tryin' hard not to smile though I feel bad
I'm the kinda guy who laughs at a funeral
Can't understand what I mean?
Well, you soon will
I have a tendency to wear my mind on my sleeve
I have a history of losing my shirt

Levi Videos

Since that last post was somewhat embarrassing for me, I had to get a new post up and fast.

I love you cutie

Tara is at a Relief Society activity and I just got done putting the kids to bed. It makes me think of all the things she does everyday to make our little home function.

I love you cutie. Thanks for thinking about us and making good choices for us that we probably wouldn't make for ourselves. You buy us good food, pay all the bills on time, get us to church, and put us to bed.

Thanks for doing preschool for Gem, teaching piano to 4 kids, holding down a calling in the primary, going to story-time at the library, getting holiday plans together, and managing the whole time to juggle a 3 month old baby boy.

Thanks for helping me to read the scriptures, our Sunday school lesson, the conference ensign, and O Livro de Mormon (in Portuguese). Thanks for encouraging me to write in my journal, have family home evening, and teach our kids to sing and pray.

Thank you for encouraging me in my choices at work and my decision to take a new job. Thank you for patiently waiting for me to get home each day. Thank you for still smiling even when I've been gone for bishopric duties way too long.

I love you. You're amazing. Our family is because you are. I have peace and confidence in my life because I get to be with you forever.

I love you.

Peek a boo with Daddy

Lyrics of the Day

What Mama Say
Jason Mraz
(My favorite song at the moment and click on the name of the song to listen to it)

Whatever mama say
You best do it
Whatever mama say
You best do
Whatever mama say
You better listen to your mama

Wash your face, use some soap
Make your bed, fold your clothes
Clean your dishes, chew your food
Don't talk back and don't be rude
Take your shoes off at the door,
Don't track no mud along that floor
Don't forget to take the garbage out
Don't want no excuses anymore

Call your sister, cut the grass
Think you're smart? Not so fast
Take your fingers off the remote control because Mama's watching that
Do the dishes, feed the dog
Put out the cat and praise the Lord
It wouldn't hurt you to go to church any once in a while, just get going

What mama say is what I'm gonna do
Mama said that I should settle down with a girl like you
I'm gonna work real hard, it's what I wanna do
I'm gonna give you all my lovin' and make you a mama too
Baby that's what I'm gonna do
I'm gonna make you a mama too

To prove he is ok.

The Fall of Man

Yesterday, Levi was happily jumping in his homemade, door-frame bouncer as he does multiple times each day (see the Oct 19th post for video). He's shown an aptitude for this that Gem never quite developed.

The bouncer hangs by a rope from a screw secured into the door frame above. The rope passes slackly through an 8-inch spring allowing Levi to bounce. This is secured to a sturdy rod using an eye-hook and a bolt. Levi's fabric harness then hangs from this rod.

It all happened suddenly. Tara wasn't there at the time and all I heard was a crack, bonk, and a bang, followed quickly by a screaming infant. The following is what our forensic analysis has determined.......(grandma disclaimer....The child is fine with no lasting injuries)

The dry-wall screw we had been using for the better part of 3 years finally failed due to fatigue (many small loads over an extended period of time). It didn't actually come out of the wall but instead snapped in half (see figure below). It's assumed that the screw broke during one of Levi's "down" cycles.

At this point we now have a physical system with multiple sources of built-up potential energy. We'll start from the bottom.....

There is a 19 pound "chunk of hunk" suspended in the air with very little ability of self support. Unfortunately there is nothing but a hard tile floor waiting to receive this bundle of joy. At least he was already partially touching the ground, thereby reducing the height of his fall.

Above the child is a stout wooden rod with a few pieces of hardware protruding from various locations. This is bad enough, but unfortunately it's attached to the fully extended spring that is instantaneously recoiling. This, in effect, launches the rod and the spring downward (think of letting go of one side of a rubber band). Sadly the first part of Levi ready to catch this hurled implement is the top of his head. It's actually likely that it hit him before he hit the ground. :(

After all was calmed, kissed, fed (Dad and Levi), and analyzed we realized that it was probably not prudent to hang one of our two most important possessions from a 1/16th inch drywall screw. So to remove all doubt, I went to the hardware store and bought a 3/8th inch lag screw. A picture is provided below for comparison.

Lyrics of the Day

The Ninjas Sung by Barenaked Ladies

I woke up this morning and everything was different
Something was strange in the air
I woke up this morning and everything was different
I knew that the ninjas had been there

The ninjas are deadly and silent
They're also unspeakably violent
They speak Japanese, they do whatever they please
And sometimes they vacation in Ireland

Comics for a Mom and Dad

When I was growing up I used to laugh at baby blues because it was semi-funny. I just don't know what to think of myself now that it is true.

On the other end of the spectrum is Tyler, who is obsessed with having two monitors. He will be working from home in a month or two. And he has asked me multiple times to buy two monitors when he sees them on the woot.

Lyrics of the Day

I am going with the semi-cheesy sentimental lyrics today. But this really is one of Relient K's best songs. I suppose to prevent any confusion I should also dedicate today's lyrics to Tyler.

Must Have Done Something Right by Relient K


We should get jerseys 'cause we make a good team
But yours would look better than mine 'cause you're out of my league

And I know that it's so cliched to tell you that everyday
I spend with you is the new best day of my life
And everyone watching us just turns away with disgust
This jealously, they can see that we've got it going on

I'm racking my brain for a new improved way
To let you know, you're more to me than what I know how to say
You're okay with the way this is going to be
'Cause this is going to be the best thing we've ever seen

If anyone could make me a better person, you could
All I gotta say is I must have done something good
You came along one day and you rearranged my life
All I gotta say is I must have done something right
I must have done something right

And maybe I'm just lucky 'cause it's hard to believe
Believe that somebody like you'd end up with someone like me

Halloween Costume

Gem was a princess for Halloween this year. When she got out of the bath in the morning I decided she needed some princess hair to go with her princess costume so I did my best, it turned out like a half bun thing with some ribbon out the back. Kind of princessy I guess.

I made Gem's princess costume, unfortunately I made it about a foot too long so I pinned up a lot underneath. But it means it can be worn when she is bigger too. She picked the huge pink rose for the front of the dress, it is way too heavy for the one little clasp I have holding the overskirt together, so that got pinned too, but all in all I think it turned out reasonably well.

Levi

When I got out of the shower the other day I found the Ross men enjoying a siesta. They were tuckered out, I mean, it was at least 7:30 in the evening.

Warning: The following video is full of three year old commentary and mom shushing said three year old.