deck the hallway

The kids are anxious to put up the Christmas decorations.  Me... not so much. 

So, Dylan, Zachary and Lily decided to do their own decorating.  Dylan made this Christmas tree out of K'NEX and construction paper.  They added tissue paper snow and the boy's Geo Trax train.  Lily contributed one of her teddy bears, a shoe box "gift" wrapped in red construction paper, and a plate of plastic cookies and milk for Santa from her kitchen set.

The exhibit can be found on display, for the rest of the year, decking the (yet to be finished) hallway between their bedroom doors.  Oh, and although it doesn't show in the picture, the exhibit also includes a K'NEX stand to hold a strategically aimed flashlight, placed on the other side of the hallway, to light the display in the dark.

Don't you love the creativity of kids?

underwear bandits

This would have made a great blog post... but, I just can't do it.

I had their (some of the smaller people in our house, who shall remain nameless for their protection) permission to take the photo.  They thought it was funny and wanted me to post it to the blog.  It involved underwear... and Nerf guns (but the photos were in no way indecent) and it was funny. 

However, I don't think they thought it through very well.  So, good Dad that I am, I did some of the thinking on their behalf. 

You see, I recently picked up a new "follower" on my blog.  She calls herself "Leezard".  (Welcome, Leezard!)  I told them about Leezard following my blog and they had a blank look as they thought about it for a moment.  When Leezard's actual identity clicked with them, they got a slight panicked look on their face... and, they changed their mind very quickly about the "underwear bandits" post! 

"You didn't post that, did you , Dad?" 

No, I didn't post it (you're welcome)... but, I am keeping the picture... and you just never know were the underwear bandits might show up again!

have you considered...

Have you considered... over 130 million children worldwide have lost one or both parents?*

Have you considered... at least 16.2 million children worldwide have lost both parents?*

Have you considered... every 18 seconds another child becomes an orphan, without a mother or father?*

Have you considered... every 14 seconds a child loses a parent due to AIDS?*

Have you considered... it's not their fault?

Have you considered... what you can do?

"I am only one, but still I am one.  I  cannot do everything, but still I can do something;  and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do."  --Helen Keller

Lily recently talked to me about being an orphan and I asked her what "orphan" means.  Her reply:  "It mean you not a family.  You all alone."

November is National Adoption Month... have you considered?

(*statistics copied from http://www.showhope.org/Resources/TheNeed.aspx where specific sources are cited.)