Caut!on & The Bean

.. candy bars & catapults ..

2009-02-21T13:57:00.005-07:00

Back at the the first part of Feb. Collin brought home an assignment from his third grade class. A Science Project type of assignment that was required for all third graders. The assignment: Build a catapult that will launch a small load "like that of a mini candy bar, like a Snickers" - Yes, those were the actual words on the paper.. Catapult due on Thurs, 19th of Feb. so as to be ready for Competition on Friday the 20th... hmm. "Competition?" Apparently the goal was to launch said candy bar the farthest or the highest and places were to be awarded for each. That put a whole new twist on the project...

Collin and I finish his catapult the weekend prior to due date and test it a few times... It's launching fairly well, and I'm feeling quite proud of my amateur carpentry skills... Then, at one point Collin informs me that his buddy, Boston and his dad built a catapult that is as tall as Boston... "Hmm, well ours is only about 3ft long and 1 foot and a half tall" as i just kinda looked at Collin, wide-eyed and slightly dejected... "uhhh..." Then he says to me "Thats ok Dad, mine will probably still look the coolest.. I don't care if I don't win" and again I look at him wide-eyed, "thanks kiddo, but let's see what else we can do with thing to make it launch better" as my heart grew 3 sizes right then... A couple of extra pieces of wood, some more paint and an extra bungee cord later and we have come the end of our modifications. "Well, that's the best we can do with what we've got"...

Thursday rolls around and Collin is extremely proud of his black and orange machine as he walks up to the school... The only black catapult in the entire third grade!

Then.... FRIDAY! and as Collin tells it "DAD, DAD I got third place OUT OF THE WHOLE THIRD GRADE!!!" (thats probably 70-80 kids at least)... "I Beat everybody in just my class to go on the finals, with the best of the whole third grade!!" as he grins from ear to ear...

...me, i'm smiling and thinking...

...hmm.. Must've been the carpentry skills my Grand-dad taught me, back during that summer I spent in Virginia when I was just 10 or 11...

.. Grandfathers ..

2009-02-15T23:02:00.006-07:00

...Love and Positive Thoughts to both my Grandfathers...

You are incredible Men and I am proud to be your Grandson!

I LOVE YOU VERY MUCH!

-brandon

.. lenticular ladybugs ..

2009-01-22T21:40:00.000-07:00

A very good friend of ours, Mrs. Amber Milton, gave the kids an incredible gift this past December for Christmas... Being of bubbly, always uplifting, and outright loud (fun) personality, what better gift could she to give than a 500 piece lenticular (3D) jigsaw puzzle featuring hundreds of brightly colored ladybugs with all sorts of random dot patterns... The puzzle had been sitting a card table in the middle of our family room since Christmas. Well after many short sessions (gives you an enourmous headache if you sit and stare at it for too long) the kids have finally put the final pieces together... Enjoy this craziness... I love how the puzzle refracts the flash from the camera and explodes with color...

.. red birds and steel ..

2009-01-20T10:48:00.000-07:00

Sunday the 18th day of January in the year of 2009... A day that will live in infamy.. well maybe not "infamy" but it's one that most Arizona natives will remember for many many years. A day that decided the best NFL teams to send to the Big Game in Tampa on the first of February.
The family, minus one (Caution went ice fishing) headed up to Roy, Utah to enjoy the last NFL playoff games of the year with the other family. A great day it was.. The underestimated Arizona Cardianls (my home state) beat the Philly Eagles.. and the Pittsburp Stealers beat the Ravens to advance to the SUPERBOWL. Let's go underdogs. I've always had a special place in my heart for the underdog in any situation. Hell, I root for the Saints too. Anyway, here's to whats shapin up to be an interesting Superbowl.. and what was that statistic I read .. "The team in red wins more often than the team that's not" ...

.. walking with dinosaurs ..

2009-01-15T17:11:00.003-07:00

Workin for a TV station definitely has its perks. We tend to have a steady stream of free tickets to big events coming through this place on a regular basis. And every so often, I’m privileged enough to be on the receiving end of these fine gifts. Last night was one of those lucky nights. A few nights back a gracious co-worker said she scored a bunch of tickets to the Walking With Dinosaurs event and that she would like to give me four of them… Yup. Walking With Dinosaurs!! 4 tickets!! If ya haven’t heard of this show, you better check it out cause it’s incredible. Huge, true-to-life sized dinos walking around the Arena floor. I still can’t get my head around how they pulled it off. The way they moved and the sounds they made were so life-like. Collin and Sara were completely entranced the entire time… Five minutes into the show Sara moves to my lap ‘cuz she cant see around the big-head adult in front of her. 2 minutes after that, as she’s watching a little meat-asaurus try to eat some dino eggs, she turns her head and whispers to me, “Dad, are they gonna have a brontosaurus?” Me, “I don’t know little one, but I hope so”

Ten minutes later… Sara whispers, “Dad, where’s the Brontosaurus?” Me, “I dunno, keep watching”

Another ten minutes go by and the back curtain opens up to reveal a long necked dino… Sara, “Dad, Dad, look! The Brontosaurus!” as she proceeds to flash the biggest smile of the night so far…

The narrator then goes on the say that this is actually just a baby Brachiosaurus, (sorry Sara, no such thing as a Brontosaurus, but she doesn’t need to know that just yet) one of the biggest dinos ever. And it was HUUUGE. Just a baby, but still enourmous. Then another smaller meat-a-saurus, I think it was a Stegosaurus or something, starts threatening the baby Brachiosaurus… This goes on for a few minutes until the back curtain opens again and out rumbles baby Brachio’s GINORMOUS Dad charging right at the tiny Raptor… And as Sara eyes grew to the size of baseballs she shouts, “Dad, It’s the Daddy Brontosaurus!!!” It was Awesome! Truly a night to remember...

Like I said before, If it comes your way, I highly recommend it…

I'm such a slacker...

2009-01-15T09:52:00.000-07:00

I'll be updating very soon .. I promise!!

.. field trip ..

2008-05-27T22:56:00.000-06:00

Collin and his 2nd grade class went on a field trip to the Kennecott Copper Mine. And like the sponge that he is Collin was full of info when he came home. Some of the more amazing facts he filled me in on were; 1- Kennecott is the largest copper mine on the planet; 2-You could stack two Sears Towers on top of each other and still not reach the top of the mine; 3-The Mine can be seen by the space shuttle astronauts as they pass over the United States...

.. some batting practice and a "little" golf ..

2008-05-19T00:28:00.001-06:00

Collin struck out a few time in his last couple of baseball games, so i suggested we take him to the batting cages for some extra practice. Sara, of course, was all for the idea because we could play some mini-golf afterwards... gotta love how the little Bean thinks...

.. nana's birthday ..

2008-05-02T23:20:00.000-06:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NANA!!!

.. little red-sox ..

2008-04-15T22:50:00.004-06:00

Little League Baseball practice started yesterday. Collin was drafted to the Red Sox... which he is totally stoked about, 'cause they're his favorite team.

...and the Bean wanted to play too!!

..ziploc..

2008-04-08T23:54:00.001-06:00

What do you think of when you hear the words "South Carolina"? What about the word "ziploc"? Well after this little story you may think of something completely off the wall when you hear any of those words...
On Tuesday, April 1st, Collin and Sara's Grandparents took a trip out east. The company Grandpa works for took them to South Carolina for an annual business trip. I've been back east and its quite an experience; heat, humidity, lots of greenery, and nice beaches. Grandma took to collecting sea shells to bring home to the kids and even talked Grandpa into hiking down a rocky ledge to pick up one very special shell. Friday rolled around and Grandma 'n Grandpa came home to some very excited grand-kids.
"Wait 'til you guys see what I brought you!!" Grandma says, as she hands the kids a Ziploc bag filled with sea shells.
"Cool", they exclaim.
"'Bout killed myself tryin ta' get ya that one" says Grandpa pointing to the special spirally one.
The kids dumped out all the shells and counted them, sorted them, and played with them. When they were done they were good kids and put them all back into the Ziploc bag, but left them sitting on the living room floor.
The next morning Jodi and I were sitting around relaxing and watching some TV. When all of the sudden Jodi turns towards me and says, "Brandon! Did you see that?"
"What?" I ask.
"The bag..." she points to the Ziploc bag still sitting on the floor, "it moved!"
"What?"
"I swear it moved!"
"nah... the shells were probly just settling in there", I say, brushing her off like nothing.
The day goes on and that afternoon I sit down at my computer to do some freelance work (the computer is in the living room as well). Collin is layin' on the floor playing Madden 08 on his PSP. Every so often Collin hops up to show me a great replay on his game. "Dad, Dad, you gotta see this blah blah just ran 80 yards for touchdown" or " Yes! Check out this awesome catch" etc., etc. Then all of the sudden after a few minutes of gameplay i hear a small rustle from a plastic bag on the floor right next to Collin's head. Oh yes, Collin heard it too... Actually, he saw it move! He pops up off the floor faster then a startled grasshopper in the Arizona desert and he's white as a ghost, "I just... I just... there was.. I saw, I saw... something moved in the bag ... and it was black".
My eyes wide and my heart racing a little I bend over to pick up the bag. Looking it over thoroughly, I see nothing suspicious. Nothing at all. I take the bag upstairs and bring everyone around the kitchen counter to help inspect.
"I told you I saw the bag move! I told you!" Jodi shouts.
And Grandma says, "Oh there's nothing in here", as she picks up the bag and walks into the bathroom, where she proceeds to empty it into the sink. She pushes all the shells around and finds nothing. "The only shell in here that could hide anything would be this spirally one right here" She holds up the shell that Grandpa took a hike to retrieve. She flips on the hot water and waits for it to get hot. Once the water is scorching, she puts the shell under the hot water and waits. A few minutes go by... and... then complete panic and commotion come screaming out of the bathroom!
"What? Sara, what?" I ask the terrified child.
"There's something in the shell" she screeches through frightened tears. And I pick her up and hold her while she calms down...

So what was in the shell you ask? Well I'm sure many of you can guess... but this will make it much more fun. If you'd like to see a photo of what was in the shell... CLICK HERE to see what the kids have aptly named "Ziploc" from South Carolina.

..the miner painting..

2008-04-06T20:44:00.000-06:00

I know there's a few of you that will totally dig this... My nephew, Jacob, has a birthday on April 4th and I wanted to paint a groovy painting for him... He plays PeeWee football for the Bingham Miners and he's quite good... So what better gift than a painting of him playin some ball... Here's a couple of shot of the painting process... Enjoy!

..a brisk, late winter walk..

2008-04-03T18:36:00.000-06:00

Honestly... could you get any cuter than this ...

..can I give this away?..

2008-02-19T21:10:00.001-07:00

Every so often the family does a massive cleaning and sorting session, where we go through all the miscellaneous "junk" we've acquired over the past year or so and decide what can be given away to the Big Brother's, Big Sister's group , the MS folks, or whatever charity may be looking for donations at the time... and, believe it or not the kids really get into this... the thought of giving away some toys or books or whatever to someone less fortunate is actually a concept they both understand. They like the thought of doing something to make another person smile. Collin has even given away some of his most valued "treasures" in previous donations. And, as you can see Sara literally got right into the giving spirit today... (sorry, the picture's a little blurry)

..salt lake's smallest snow shoveler..

2008-01-07T15:43:00.002-07:00

She'll do your driveway too... for $100 an hour... and you know you'll gladly pay it!!!

Happy New Year!!!

..holiday havoc..

2007-12-25T22:50:00.000-07:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS all ya'll freeks and geeks!!

Ch. 37 - "The Night My Christmas Tree Came To Life"

2007-12-23T18:06:00.001-07:00

Man, I don't think my imagination was quite this vivid when I was eight... and published no less!

AWESOME!

Ch. 36 - Christmas Angels & Holiday Zoo Pals...

2007-12-08T20:57:00.000-07:00

Today has been an extra special day for the kids. It started off with building a snow-man in the fresh snow this morning. We got about 5 or 6 inches of snow last night and it was perfect for a snow-man. Then, after we came in and put some dry clothes on we went down to the nearest Macy's and picked an Angel from the Angel Tree .. We spent a few hours shopping for two little girls, one 4 and one 6. Pants, shoes, shirts and even some Barbies. And since my work, KUTV, is a sponsor of the Angel Tree program, they paid for it all. Pretty neat, to say the least. Later this evening we were instructed to take all the gifts we purchased to the drop-off point at the Zoo. Yup, that's right, the Zoo... Middle of December and we were off to the Zoo. The Hogle Zoo has, for the first time ever, put up over 2 million christmas lights throughout the park. Granted most of the animals are keeping themselves warm in their pens or dens... but it was still magical. A most wonderful way to end a wonderful day!

Chpt. 35 - Birthday Girl!

2007-11-18T20:01:00.000-07:00

Today was a beautiful day. A special day. 4 years ago today a small girl joined us all in this wild, crazy and often harsh world. This game we call "Life" can be tricky and cruel sometimes. Hah! Yeah, right! Not to this little spitfire. Nope, this girl has enough spunk and heart to give "life" a serious run for it's money... Oh my Sara-Bean... You are someone special. Sure, you can be a handful at times. But, that doesn't compare to the amount of heart you possess, at just 4 years old...
... Let me give a wonderful example: Just last week, after I received the dis-heartening news of my uncle's passing, I walked into my room and sat on the side of my bed... out of the corner of my tear-filled eye, I saw your little face peek around the door... then you walked in and, without a single word, you handed me your favorite little floppy, pink baby-doll... the same baby-doll that comforts you and gives you strength when you need it... you had no idea what was going on in my head or that I had just lost a very special person in my family... and yet, somehow, you did know something. Something that was very heavy... and the moment that pink baby-doll touched my fingers, a little weight was lifted... Thank you, my little sweet-heart... Thank you so much for being my little girl... Always!

So without further ado ... The Princess Birthday Tea-Party! ... The planning for this amazing event was immense. It's a good thing Jodi knows a thing or two about Tea Parties and Princesses, cause I wouldn't have been able to pull off an party like this... Complete with food, "tea", games, dancing... Oh, and we can't forget the bestest part of the day: A visit from the one and only Princess Belle of Beauty and the Beast. (Thank You so much Aunt Kristie)

Happy Birthday Sara-Bean! I Love You My Little Princess!

Chpt. 34 - "It's You, Dad!"

2007-11-06T21:58:00.000-07:00

Sara did a wonderful portrait of me a few weeks back...

Chpt. 33 - Hallowen

2007-11-06T21:28:00.000-07:00

I'm a few days late , but here's the Halloween Pics from last week. Great costumes this year.

Chpt. 32 - Flag Football Highlights

2007-10-14T22:19:00.000-06:00

Diving Catch!

Run the Reverse!

Bootleg Delay!

Chpt. 31 - Good Game! Good Game!

2007-10-09T22:50:00.000-06:00

I don’t have the video’s ready to go yet… But I just can’t wait to post on this evenings events…

As I’ve stated before, Collin’s been playin Flag Football for a couple of weeks now. So, after last week’s first loss of the season to the Bears, (by a last minute TD) we got wind that we would be playin another tough team this week. The Bengals are a team of bigger guys with some serious speed. So our brilliant coaches spent a little extra time and effort in practice this week to prepare them for the big game. Well, that big game was tonight… and what an incredible game it was.
Bengals had first possession. Packers (that’s our team) came up with a big defensive stop which resulted in change of possession. A few plays on offense and then a quick handoff to the left outside and we were on the board first. The Packers decide to go for 2… They run Collin’s favorite play: the “bootleg delay”… Collin lines- up at center… snaps the ball to the QB… stays in his position for 2 seconds as the rest of the team goes downfield to the left… then after the QB fakes the handoff, Collin, bolts out angle right as the QB rolls right…Boston, the QB, tosses the ball perfectly to Collin… he makes the catch beautifully, on the run, and cruises in for 2 points! (Yes, I have this on video. should be up tonight).
This sort of intensity continued for the entire game, back and forth from both teams. It was a well played, high anxiety game with plenty of parents and coaches hollering at a bunch of little guys on a short football field. Then in the final seconds of the game our Packers are up by 8. 26-18. The Bengals snap the ball. Their QB fumbles and picks it right back up. Should be a dead ball in Little League Flag rules. But the refs say play on. He tosses to an open man, who runs downfield for the TD. Ugh! Of course they would go for 2. Of Course, they would get the 2. Tie Game! And the ref shouts, “THAT’S TIME!” … and it’s Game Over…

Collin you played your heart out tonight and were dealt a raw deal. But I think I was far more upset about the call than you. You were a true sportsman… you didn’t think twice about the garbage call from the refs. After the intense game you played you were more focused on the fact that you and your team stayed together and executed well enough to tie with that tough Bengal team. You were absolutely glowing for the rest of the night. You are a beautiful human being. You seem to know where to focus all your energy. Even at eight years old. I know a few adults that could learn a thing or two from you, my dear boy. Don’t you ever change.

HEY! Good Game!

Ch. 30 - A Birthday.

2007-10-01T22:41:00.000-06:00

So, My son, you had yourself a Birthday. 8 years ago you entered our lives and changed us forever. A silly little boy with a great attitude and a big heart. You're no longer that little round faced kid bouncing around the place. Nope. You're quite the little man now. Smart. Friendly. Courteous. And a perfect big brother to such a booger of a little sister (love you Sara). You know, I couldn't be a more proud father. I love the way you can't wait to tell me everything that happened during your day, when I come home ... all in the span of sixty seconds or less... and that's while I'm still standing in the doorway.You make me smile. You make me run. You give a hard time. You remind me what life is all about. Collin, you inspire me! Happy Birthday, Monkey Man! I love you...
-dad

-------------------------------------

You're Birthday Party was quite a success. Even though we had to move it all inside because IT WAS SNOWING OUTSIDE!!! Yeah, can you believe that?! No big deal... We still had fun,with a few kids from school, some kids from your football team, a couple cousins, a few close friends and a real life mountain man... What A Great Day!

B's Big Heart!!

2007-09-28T09:06:00.000-06:00

I got a call from a friend Wednesday morning asking if Brandon had time to do a portrait of a little girl. "Of course" I say. The job is a 4yr old girl who has just passed away this past week and the family would like to have it for the funeral and viewing on Friday as a tribute to this beautiful child. She had both Brandon and I crying! Needless to say Brandon stayed up all night Wednesday and Thursday to finish this precious portrait, it turned out perfect! My husband has so much love, and he is so talented. Brandon I want you to know how much the kids and I love you, you make me so proud, the kids and I are so lucky to have you. You make everyone in your life want to be better, you set such a good example for Collin and Sara. I know this baby girl is looking down from Heaven thanking you for this wonderful gift you gave to her family. I love you!
-J

Ch. 29 - Big Brother

2007-09-19T23:31:00.000-06:00

This is mom, and this is my first post, so bear with me.

So today, Collin's school offered a program called "Ident-A-Kid", where Police Officers fingerprint and take ID photos of the kids to put on ID cards that the kids can carry with them. Good to have in case of a dire situation (god forbid). The school also offered this to younger siblings.
So, I filled out the envelope (they only provided room for one child's info) with Collin's information and put in enough cash to cover two kids; a 20 dollar bill.
I tell him "$10 is for you, $10 is for Sara. So please let your teacher know that she is coming."
"OK, Mom" He says.

Sara and I show up at 10 am and go to the gym. We get in line, which by that time was with the 4th grade girls. They all wanted to play with Sara like she was a Barbie or something. After a long wait in line, it was Sara's turn.
The officer says, "You're a bit small for a fourth grader". And she just smiles!
I tell the officer that her Big Brother had her money and he looks at Sara and asks "Is your big brother's name Collin?" Sara was so surprised that this strange man knew her brother's name. "You must be Sara."
With her eyes wide she says "Yes, my name is S - A - R - A." She was so proud!
The officer then proceeds to tell Sara that her big brother was looking out for her and paid for her earlier.

That just about brought me to tears.

I am so proud of my big boy. He loves his sister so much!

Thank you Collin for looking out for your baby sister today. And every other day that you think of protecting her. I love you both to pieces.

-Mom

Ch. 28 - "I put my underwear on, Mom"

2007-09-19T21:09:00.000-06:00

So I'm just sittin' here working on the computer and Jodi's sittin' over there watching some TV. Sara's gone to bed and I just heard Collin turn the shower off.

Jodi turns toward the bathroom door and shouts,"Collin, just put your underwear on and then bring me the lotion so we can lotion you up, Mr. Dry skin"

A few minutes go by and I hear the bathroom door open, "I put my underwear on, Mom!" Collin says with a little giggle.

We both turn to look and see a buck-naked kid standin' there with his underwear on his head!

Classic!

Ch. 27 - Firsts!

2007-09-18T21:22:00.000-06:00

The sun is hiding behind some heavy clouds, making the evening feel later than it is. There's a small chill in the air as Summer is giving Fall an early peek. As I walk across the grass field, I can see 5 little guys in green jerseys huddled around their coach. I reach the sideline of the little league football field and find two beautiful ladies sitting on the grass.

"Here's the blanket you wanted. I didn't miss anything?" I inquire.

"Nope, they just finished warming up" Jodi says as she spreads the blanket out for her and The Bean to sit on.

I bend down, grab the video camera that I had Jodi bring, and pop in the battery. Disc Error? What the...? Do I want camera to recover missing data? Uhhhm... Yeah sure, I guess so and I click the "OK" button. A tiny hourglass starts dancing in circle as the camera tries to fix itself. I look up to see the boys still huddled in their own end zone. A whistle blows. BBRREEEEE!!

"Time starts now" hollars a young man standing in the middle of the field.

I look down at my video camera and I still see that silly little hourglass twirling. C'maahhnn! Why now? My head snaps back up to the green shirts as they are walking to the 5 yard line where they will start their first ever drive down the field. One boy bends down and grabs the ball... A second boy, lines up behind the first as QB... A third and fourth boy jog out to opposite ends in the Wide-Out positions... And Collin lines up three or four steps behind the QB in the Running Back position. ...

Then it happens...

"Dooowwn, Set, HIT!" QB receives the snap. Receivers bolt down field. QB turns to his right and extends the ball. Collin is there to receive the hand-off. Two defenders close in. And Collin doesn't juke, he doesn't spin, he doesn't roll out... he turns on the Turbos and runs right between both defenders. He runs right past the rest of the defense. He runs the entire length of the football field for the first touchdown of the game, of the season, of his life!!!

And I look down to see a stupid little hourglass disappear!

Ch. 26 - Last Chance Lagoon

2007-09-15T23:55:00.000-06:00

One last trip to Lagoon before Summer's over!

Ch. 25 - Football Season Has Begun...

2007-09-11T22:39:00.000-06:00

Caution had his first flag football practice today... enjoy the vids...

. . : : 0 9 1 1 2 0 0 1 : : . .

2007-09-11T22:21:00.000-06:00

September Eleventh Two Thousand One

R E M E M B E R .

Chpt. 24 - Caution's Concussion

2007-09-06T21:26:00.000-06:00

Yup, you read that right. The lucky boy gets his first concussion at the tender age of "almost eight". Let me give you the low-down... Last night we all decided to go for a nice little family walk. Except the little ones didn't want to walk, they wanted to ride. Sara on her Monster Trike and Collin on his little razor scooter. Winding through the neighborhood sidewalks, Collin was doing little bunny hops on his scooter the entire time. Until finally the scooter got the better of him and tossed him face first to the concrete with a loud thud! Jodi and I were in a complete panic. Surely, he had just busted his nose... or smashed in his skull...or... or... if your a parent you'll understand the kind of thoughts that can go through your head in these few split seconds (and it's all worst case scenario stuff). Long story short; today Collin was diagnosed with his first ever concussion. Which, in turn, led to his first ever CT Scan. I've been told that Mom was even more of a basket-case than the boy was... At one point he had to tell Mom that he would be fine by himself because Sara couldn't go in the CT room with them...

No worries, the results came back with only minor bruising of his gray matter and a small concussion. Not to mention the fat lip, and numerous contusions on his face and hands.

Hey Collin, I love you monkey man. I know how you feel... I've been there myself before. But, you're quite the little ninja and I know you'll bouncin' around on that scooter again in no time.

Chpt. 23 - 84 Years

2007-09-02T18:31:00.000-06:00

Yesterday we all piled in the car, and took a trip to a beautiful small town called Tabiona, Utah for a pleasant little celebration. You see, Monday marks the 84th Birthday of the kid's Great-Grandma, Florence Turnbow. The day was perfect; warm, sunny, and full of family... not too mention hiking, horses and four-wheelers...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GREAT-GRANDMA FLOSS!!!

Chpt. 22 - Bedtime Story...

2007-08-29T14:30:00.000-06:00

Last night, as I was tucking her in, my beautiful little Sara-Bean looked square into my face and says, "Dad, you have a rash!".

My eyes got big and I replied "What? Really? Where?" with a slight sense of panic.

She reached up and pointed at my face. "Here..." indicating the area around my upper lip and chin, "fuzzy black rash..."

Realizing what she was talking about, I bent down and rubbed my fuzzy rash on her cheek. As she giggled I said, "Guess I better shave and get rid of that rash, huh?"

-b

Chpt. 21 - Inspired by the Girl...

2007-08-15T15:27:00.000-06:00

I just finished up this design a few nights ago... I've made enough designs for the guys, that I though it was about time for the ladies to get a nice little design. Inspired, of course, by the one and only
Sara Bean!

Look closely... I'm sure you'll see the Heart, but do you see the Crossbones as well. I painted the little Heart and Crossbones symbol on the Pink Monster Trike as well...

Chpt. 20 - Happy Birthday USA!

2007-07-04T23:57:00.001-06:00

Chpt. 19 - Transformers Illustrated

2007-06-27T22:22:00.000-06:00

Ohhh boy! Someones got Trasformers Fever... and so does Caution! Have a looky at the drawing he did the other night. We found some pictures online and printed them out for reference... Not bad... Not bad at all...

"Autobots, ROLL OUT!!"

Chpt. 18 - Sunnin'

2007-06-24T17:45:00.000-06:00

.
.

.
.

Chpt. 17 - LAGOONIES

2007-06-23T23:49:00.000-06:00

Lagoon: The local amusement park in Farmington, Utah. Just a quick 20 minute drive north of Salt Lake.

10:00 am . . .
Jodi packs a cooler full of water and snacks, cuz its a Friday and I'm still at work. Strap the kids in the car and throw a wagon and the cooler in the trunk and she's off to meet-up with Aunt Stacie and cousin Landen at the amusement park. But Dad's still at work...

Noon . . .
"Hey boss (I didn't really say boss but it sounds better for the story) How would you feel about me cuttin outta here early? I want to go goof around with my kids at Lagoon."

"Well I think that sounds like a great idea. Tell you what: Just keep your phone on ya, in case we need to get a hold of you for some reason. Go have a good time!"

"Awesome! Will do! Thanks!"

And, with as much excitement and enthusiasm as Caution and The Bean themselves, I was off!

A great time was had by all!

Chpt. 16 - A Father's Day

2007-06-17T22:18:00.000-06:00

A day like today... An entire weekend like this one... makes me all gooey and mushy inside... To know that these two little innocent spirits look to me for strength and inspiration. A day like today makes me realize just how important and rewarding being your father is... I know how important you are to me... I can't imagine my life without my two greatest works of art...

Collin & Sara, you are my masterpieces . . .

I love you Sara. I love you Collin.

Thank you for a wonderful weekend!

-Dad

Chpt. 15 - Pre-Father's Day Greeting

2007-06-15T23:08:00.000-06:00

Collin got a little excited for father's day a few days early... and he just couldn't wait to share some warm wishes with me...

Chpt. 14 - Summertime Swim

2007-06-14T17:56:00.000-06:00

Time to blow up the infatable pool and get wet, catch some rays, expel some energy and show-off for the video camera...

Chpt. 13 - Chocolate Mud Pancakes

2007-06-10T22:16:00.000-06:00

Mmm Good!

Chapter 12 - Art Vader

2007-06-08T22:38:00.001-06:00

Check out what Darth Caution found while fartin around on the InterWeb... Can't say the boys got bad taste...

Vader Project

I sure wish I coulda takin part in this!

Chapter 11 - Today is someone's Birthday!!!

2007-06-06T13:04:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday to the most beautiful and most loved person in our lives.. You are a wonderful mother to these amazing kids... You are an exceptional wife to put up with such a forgetful, brain-dead husband... I searched and searched for a fun, unique way to say Happy Birthday in this message... But after a while I realized that the best way to do it, was to give to the Sesame Street gang...

[push play]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY -J!

We Love You,
-b, -c, & -s

Chapter 10 - Gravity Vs. Egg

2007-06-05T22:22:00.000-06:00

1- Build a container to house and keep safe one raw egg.
2- Give container an outer space theme: Alien. Planet. Spaceship. etc.
3- Take container to school and proceed to let faculty and staff drop, throw, kick and even hit with a baseball bat off of the roof to test the safety of said container.
4- Retrieve container.
5- Assess results of test.

Chapter 9 - The End Is Near...

2007-06-01T22:14:00.000-06:00

…the end of the school year that is. Collin’s school put on a great end-of-year carnival, complete with colored hair spray, Cotton candy and my personal favorite; the rubber chicken slingshot. I was even lucky enough to witness the Collin’s performance of the Chicken Dance with his first grade class… hhmmm… I feel a strong chicken theme developing here…Bawwwkk, bawwwk…

I feel summer nostalgia comin’ on strong!!

Chapter 8 - Emmett, Idaho.

2007-05-29T21:25:00.000-06:00

Ever been to a small town? Yeah? Ever been to a small town in Idaho? It’s actually quite fun, if you’ve got the right friends in that small town. One of Jodi’s best friends from childhood (yes, I believe you can have more than one best friend) celebrated her 30^th Birthday in small town Emmett, Idaho, where they currently live... And we were there for all the swimming, four wheeler-ing, dutch oven cooking (Dan, you da man!), cold refreshments, and S’mores galore!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LAUREN!

Chapter 7. Batting Average?

2007-05-20T20:53:00.000-06:00

After a heartbreaking conclusion to a less than specatacular Little League season, I felt Collin could use a little pep up. In his league, the machines pitched at 25 mph. I took him to the batting cages and didn't tell him how fast the ball would be pitched at him. It only took a few pitches for him to get dialed in. After that I'd say he was hittin' about 75-80% of the pitches he swung at. I don't know alot about baseball, but I thought that was pretty good.

I think he may have had more fun in 45 minutes at the cages than he did all season long.

..35 MPH..

Chapter 6. Sunday Funnies

2007-05-13T00:53:00.000-06:00

Here's a little comic strip I threw down as part of a challenge from the man behind the curtain over at Jake and Brady Central. The challenge was to see which of us could better capture our kids in comic strip form. Not just in the drawing aspect, but with the writing as well.

I don't know how good I did... but... I think it's funny... and, yes, the strip is loosely based on actual events. Enjoy.

PRACTICE!
[click pic to read strip]

And HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to all the wonderful mothers out there!!
XOXO

-bv

Chapter 5. Late Night Jazz

2007-05-10T00:08:00.000-06:00

Collin stayed up extra late tonight with his Grampa. It was a special occasion of course, The Jazz being in the playoffs and all. Unfortunatly, I was working downstairs where the ladies were watching their TV show (love ya ladies), so I didnt didnt get to see much of the 4th quarter. No big deal tho. I could hear Collin and Grampa hootin' and hollarin' (or moanin' and graonin') upstairs the whole time. I pretty much new what was happening, without actually watching the game. Jazz beat the Warriors in OT, 127 - 117. And Collin went to bed at 10:15 with a promise that he wouldn't be grumpy in the morning... We shall see... Good night, my boy!

Chapter 4. The Pink Monster

2007-05-06T22:02:00.000-06:00

It is complete... The Monster Trike has a fresh new paint job. Rain and cold weather postponed the project for a few days. But today was perfect for the last few coats of clear and then re-assembly. Sara is thrilled to have a bike that matches her shoes. I love you, my little one!

Chapter 3. Your Friendly Neighborhood...

2007-05-05T16:41:00.000-06:00

Last night, Caution got his Dad all to himself, courtesy of your friendly neighborhood Spider-man 3. and it was Awesome!! Yes... I’m a big fat geek. Venom has been one of my favorite comic book villains, since I was a kid. I guess that means he still is… since I can’t seem to grow up. There’s a few theaters in the Salt Lake Valley that are doin’ this new Reserved Seating thing, and I gotta say it’s a bloody brilliant. Well, except when you look at the seating map backwards. I thought I was getting 2 seats in the second to last row, when in reality I was actually getting 2 seats, two rows from the front. Brilliant!
No worries though. The picture was crisp and clear and the chairs quite comfy. A giant pretzel and root beer got Collin started before the movie began. Then he broke into the tub-o-popcorn as the movie commenced. Movie goodies are a beautiful thing. Thank you Collin, for a wonderful time. I will never forget it.

Have a look at great Spidey 3 Wallpaper put together by a close friend in Vegas. Thanks Mikey! You done some great work here!

"Spidey sense is tingling!!"

The summer movie line-up is shaping up to be one Home-Run hitter after another. First up was Peter Parker last night, who knocked it out of the park… then Shrek’s on deck with Jack Sparrow in the hole. Later in the line-up we got Captain Jack Sparrow, Optimus Prime, and Harry Potter. That’s a line-up even the NY Yankee’s can’t afford.

Coming Soon! More movie fun…

Chapter 2 – Satin Pink Paint and The Green-Foot

2007-04-30T13:00:00.000-06:00

WOW! What an incredible weekend. After countless weeks of wet & cold, mother nature finally graced us with a weekend full of serious sunshine. Bare with me here, in order to get in all the details, I’m gonna’ hafta’ go back a few days…

FRIDAY- Apr 27th

The Family piles into the Honda.. Dad opens the sunroof, Mom inserts Gwen Stefani newest album into the CD player, and Caution & the Bean perform a beautiful sing-along serenade of “The Sweet Escape” … WOOOO HOOO, YEEEEE HOOO!!!

As we arrive at our destination, I begin to feel the excitement in the air…Franklin Covey Field is alive, as fans cheer for their Salt Lake Bees minor league baseball team. I can sense an extra bit of energy radiating in waves from my son as we walk into our sweet suite, complete with complimentary snacks and drinks (all courtesy of my new place of employment). Seriously! Free popcorn, free Bees T-shirt, and an incredible view of a great game. This was Collin’s personal heaven.

What about Sara? Well, Sara fell in love that evening. No, not with the game… No. Sara fell in love with a 6 foot tall, fuzzy bee named Bumble. That’s right. When the Bee’s mascot made a personal visit to our box, Sara became his newest, bestest friend ever.

Hugs, High Fives, and Bumble’s personal signature on Free T-shirts for the kids… “Thanks Bumble!!” But then… the biggest, saddest tears I’ve seen in a long, long time rolled down Sara’s little cheeks when Bumble had to say goodbye…

“I want Bumble to stay, daddy”

Ugh… Heartbreaking!

Bees win, 7-5, over the Sacramento River-Cats.

SATURDAY – Apr 28th

Saturday awoke with beautiful blue skies. I spent the day sanding and priming Collin’s old Monster Trike in preparation for a new pink paint job. Collin’s far too big for the tricycle now, so, it’s being covered in girlie colors for the Sara-Bean. Should be cool. I’ll post some good photos when it’s done.

Collin and his Mom played some catch and knocked around the Tetherball. Needless to say, Collin got the better of Mom in both games. It seems someone’s a bit rusty. Never-the-less Mom has vowed to come back with a vengeance…

Sara dumped all her dirty, outside toys into a bucket full of soapy water. Wash, wash, clean, clean.

“Dad! Look. I’m washin’ all my toys. See, There all clean… I’m gonna go play with ‘em in the dirt now”.

That night after their showers and baths and the bed-time stories, the dynamic duo fell asleep faster than speeding bullet (how’s that for super-hero references?). Then 10 pm rolls around and Jodi goes to check on the kids. She finds Collin drenched with sweat, and as she removes his blanket, Collin stirs. . .

He sits up half way and speaks.

“M, L, N…No… M, I, N.”

He shakes his head.

“Forget it”

He lies back down.

Mom laughs, fixes his pajamas, and gives her sweet-heart a kiss.

SUNDAY – Apr 29th

Pink has now been applied to the Monster Trike (Fret not, my confused friend, for when I posteth thy photos of the finished project, said term “Monster Trike” will then become quite clear). A few coats of Clear Coat and it’ll be ready to re-assemble. But that may hafta wait a few days…

Sunday evening brought together extended family for a barbeque. Collin and Sara’s cousins from both sides of the family were in attendance. McCayla the Monkey Collector, Jacob the Green-Foot, and Dominic the Grass-Stomper, all graced us with their presence on this glorious day. Caution and Green-Foot took to the badminton Court with their oversized racquets and proceeded to give any worthy opponents and run for their money. The Grass-Stomper did his best to take over the world- err, I mean, yard – with his wide-eyes and a big Tonka Truck while the Monkey Collector did her best to defeat any one who dare challenge her at the Tetherball pole (Grandma included). And lest we forget The Bean…Well, she continued in her efforts to successfully tackle and take-down the Mighty-Tall One; Uncle Steve-Dave! …And successful she was! The Mighty Tall one fell like King Kong off the Empire State Building.

“ ’Twas beauty that felled the Beast.”

What A Wonderful Weekend!

Chapter 1. Donkey-Kicks, a Double Play and a Mallilla Frosty.

2007-04-23T11:25:00.000-06:00

Sara recently started a tumbling class in the cafeteria of the local middle school. Kinda’ crazy cause it’s the same cafeteria where I ate my soggy Ham n’ Cheese in the 7th grade. Today, Collin I had the pleasure of taking Sara to her class. I’d argue there’s nothing more precious than a bunch of tiny 3 years olds rolling, hopping, skipping, and cart-wheeling around an ancient school cafeteria floor lined with big puffy blue mats. And the Donkey-Kicks, ha-Ha! Just writing that name makes me chuckle. I can tell you, Sara wasn’t the only one with an ear-to-ear grin.

After Sara’s tumbling we had to zip up the hill to Collin’s Little League practice. Today was picture day. Hopefully the monkeys had their cheesiest grins on, despite the ominous black cloud that rolled towards them. Pictures were finished and it was time to play some ball. Collin seemed to have a little extra mustard on his throws today; a little extra zip in his swing; his wheels were spinning with an extra shot of Nitro! Whoo! What might be the reason for this? I’m not sure. But he did get to witness his favorite Red Sox hit four consecutive Homers with four consecutive batters the night before against the rival Yankees. Impressive? Yup. Inspirational? Possibly. Motivational? To a seven year old? Absolutely…

Collin went on to be the only one to catch a pop-fly. Awesome. And, after the catch, he stepped on second base to get the runner out that didn’t tag up. DOUBLE PLAY!!

“All right! You two have had a great day! You guys Hungry? How ‘bout some Wendy’s”

“YAY!! Can we go inside and eat?”

After some careful consideration… “I guess we can do that”

And when the gentleman behind the counter asks what kind of Frosty they would like with their kids-meals; Chocolate or Vanilla?

COLLIN: “Chocolate!”

SARA: “Mallilla!”