A blog about Activities.
Real Name: Kevin Morrison Gender: male Date of Birth: December 19, 1973 Member Since: April 10, 2008 Last Signed In: July 25, 2008 Profile Views: 423 Blog Views: 1700 Disneyland Strollers? Disneyland New Illustrators! churches It's not Fruit and Cake I guess I am a conspiracy theorist It's official! Happy Anniversary, Jill Miss Hollywood's Dance Recital It's been a while... April 08 May 08 June 08 July 08 
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Today was Layton's last day of Kindergarten at Castle Elementary. Now it is on to 1st Grade! It's been a great experience watching him develope a social circle on his own, and watching him learn and excel.
Congratulations Layton!
And super thanks to Mrs. Laura Ziemer, who loves all her students like her own children. She provided the perfect experience for my son as he entered school life. We couldn't have been happier!
bonus points if you just sang a few lines of the Europe song from the 80's. Great song.
On Friday, Jill completes the school year. She counts thursday as the last day, because it is the last day her 4th and 5th graders are at school with her. But Friday, after she "checks out" at Fairview Elementary, we are going camping for the weekend with some friends, sans kids, to celebrate the end of the school year... and her birthday, but the end of the school year is more...
Some of you may remember that I previously blogged about going down to Mexico over Easter Break and helping to build houses.
Yesterday, I took my 5 year old for the day and it was an experience he can't wait to repeat. I was so proud of him as he got right in there and worked along side the rest of us. I didn't care that he was done after about half an hour. He spent the rest of the day playing with Mexican kids. He took some of his own hand-picked toys to give...
My six year old wants to learn tennis. Does anyone have any experiences with local tennis lessons or camps?
Yesterday I completed my four-day visit to Fairview Elementary school as an author, sharing my stories and even teaching a bit of writing method. I had a blast! I don't know why I get so worked up about these things. I have a constant need to impress people, and with that, a constant fear that I won't. If I can get over that, I can actually enjoy the experience. This week I did.
I only sold about 15 books to kids. In my previous school visits this year I...
Some of you may have heard the news this morning like I did, or maybe you haven't, about the tragic death of Steven Curtis Chapman's youngest daughter, five year old Maria, adopted from China. Click here to read it if you haven't. The summary is that one of the family's teenage sons hit her in the family driveway with his SUV. It was entirely unintentional, but I doubt there is much comfort in that.
I wish wish wish that I could use the phrase, "I can't...
Location:
13701 Stockdale Hwy,
Bakersfield, CA 93314
Christ's Church of the Valley, partnering with Focus on the Family Ministries, will be hosting a live-by-satellite training seminar on the riveting study series, "The Truth Project." "In a recent study, the Barna Research Group revealed a stunning statistic that continues to reverberate throughout the evangelical world. Only 9 percent of professing Christians have a biblical worldview. Because of this, today's believers live very similarly to non-believers. A personal sense...
Or at least I didn't. I'm spending the next four days at Fairview Elementary, visiting as an author. I'll be going classroom to classroom, reading to the kids and sharing my experience with writing. I even teach a bit with the older classes, sharing a simple version of my writing formula, and creating a story with them. Simple, right? Except that for some reason I am worried about impressing the teachers even more than I was when I was an elementary student...
In the last six weeks, I've gotten my cholesterol down from 305 to 170, and my triglycerides down from 900 to 140.
I didn't know it was possible to do it that quickly!
now we'll get them down even farther!
My daughter, Holly, and I were swimming in our little backyard pool. I was really just sitting, not swimming. It's barely 3 feet deep. She said,
"Dad, let's play ring around the rosey."
"No, I just want to relax."
"But I don't know how to relax."
I try to avoid getting all political, but it was just announced that the California Supreme Court overturned a VOTER-APPROVED ban on same-sex marriage, to become the second state in the Union to allow it. I don't know if we can have this discussion without ruffling some feathers, or if people even want to have it at all, but tolerance is a slippery slope. My children will be taught that as great as our country is, mistakes are still made.
In honor of counting down to summer vacation, what vacation memory from your childhood are you looking forward to reliving with your children AND do you think they will enjoy it like you did?
I always love the multi-family road/camping trips. We drove one summer with three other families, all pulling camp trailers, from L.A. to Yellowstone Park. It was a blast. Not only being with family, but having friends my age on the trip was awesome. I'm sure it was more hassle...
I've caught myself recently having conversations in which my ex-wife is mentioned in front of my kids. I have not had a conversation with my kids about that and I don't think they are ready to fully understand at 5 and 3. So I have been wondering when is the appropriate age to discuss it? I have nothing to hide, but I think there are some things that need a little more maturity to fully grasp.
I was going through some paperwork of my grandpa's one day several years...
Not that anyone needs to rush out and get them, or wait in line for a midnight release like for Harry Potter, but my books are now available at Russo's in the children's or local authors section (or both). Thanks Mike! Check out their website for lots more local authors too. Who knew Bakersfield was such a literary hot spot?
Click here to go to Russo's
Just signed the contract for my third official book, fourth total! And the feeling of receiving a contract offer doesn't diminish with each book. God's Garden, will be available late this year, published by Paulist Press in New Jersey. I'm excited about this book because it serves a very specific purpose, helping kids understand what is really happening when someone passes away from this life. I know from many years previously working in the funeral industry that it is...
Have a wonderful day. You deserve it.
There have been several posts about how crazy busy we get, including posts from me. I came across MemoToMe.com, and it's pretty useful for my type, and maybe yours too. Being a writer, I spend mucho time in front of my computer. I have two screens running and one is pretty much full-time email. When a new email pops up, I jump like a kid at christmas. Now my email can also tell me to get back to work or remind me of important appointments or meetings.
Check it...
When I look in my daughter's eyes, I see my own (they look much better on her). When I look at her, I see a bright future that can be anything she wants. My goal from day one of fatherhood is that when she looks at me, she can also see a bright future for her that can be anything she wants.
I went with my son's kindergarten class on their field trip to CALM today. I realized that there are some times we need to just watch the kids from a step back. With his friends, he is in his world, and it is really cool to watch him be who he wants to be. So I didn't say much today like I normally would as a parent volunteer. I just enjoyed watching my son be a kindergartner. Remember when all you had to worry about was what kind of sandwich you got for...
Never had much use for them. In fact, I've never even opened one, including all the ones given to me by well-meaning friends or relatives who put their creativity aside when shopping for father's day gifts. I firmly (maybe "stubbornly" is a better word?) believe that no two parent-child relationships are the same, so how is a book supposed to apply to millions of those relationships. Adam didn't have a book. Although that might be a bad example... ...
The following is an article I posted in the Northwest Voice about our Spring Break trip to Mexico, so some of you may have read it.
Let me tell you about my house. It's 1,350 square feet, including the garage and it is much too small. The paint is chipping, the trim is rotting, the master shower doesn't work, and there is too much yard work. I wish I had granite counters, real hardwood floors instead of laminate, a washer and dryer that match, a pool, a three car...
Do any of you cook like I do? Open the pantry, the fridge, the freezer and just start grabbing stuff to creatively throw together? Here were the contestants from last night. From the freezer, frozen Tilapia. From the Fridge, Italian dressing (the cheap "Sunny Select" brand). From on top of the microwave, because I never put it away last time, Kirkland brand Herbed Seafood Rub from Costco*. And a glass dish. 400 degrees for 30 minutes...
Too much stuff going on, and I'm behind on all of it. You'd think being behind would be a good motivator. Not for me. Some day, I'll write a book on procrastination. So why do I take on so much? I'm not leading to an answer with that question. I really don't know.
I cancelled a meeting tomorrow so I could go to... another meeting, both of which would keep me from going on my son's field trip, with which I told his teacher I would help.
I am working...
For anyone who missed previous posts, we are adopting from China and had our social worker visit today to update our home study file. Jill and I have been nervous since the appointment was made and we've worked ourselves into a tizzy trying to get the house just perfect (or at least in outward appearance).
Silliness.
The key was that it was the same social worker as before and we were approved before. Like most of us (I guess I should only speak for me and not lump you all in...
I attended a Christian youth leader conference down in LA yesterday, and the theme of the day was "Transformation," including the notion that if we want to transform kids' lives, we have to be transformed ourselves. Agreed. We got onto the discussion of how youth and adults go through the transformation process differently. I came up with this thought: we all view transformation, both spiritually and physically, based on what our bodies are doing at the...
Stress, stress, stress. Our social worker is coming today to update our home study. Thanks to the slow adoption process in China, this is an ongoing process. We've done it before, and we were recommended for adoption as capable parents. So why am I so stressed that we have to go through it again? It's the same social worker, the same house, and the same us! We haven't started a meth lab in the garage since she was here last. We haven't removed all the...
We're expecting our "stimulus" check from President Bush any time now. I was talking to a friend yesterday who plans on giving her kids' share of the check to them. I'd never thought about that. And I'm still not thinking about that. :-) How many people have spent that check already? I'm going on a writing vacation with a writer friend of mine. And paying bills. So I guess there is a little stimulus in there, but mostly we'll be...
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