High Fructose Corn Syrup

This week at We are That Family there is a special themed version of Works for me Wednesday. It's a backwards rendition of WFMW. You present a dilemma and the rest of the readership tells you what works for them. It's a backwards rendition of WFMW.

My dilemma is this: I wrote a post for WFMW over a month ago for this particular edition. If you go back to my WFMW post back in the Rocks in My Dryer era circa 2-18-09, you will note that I said I had post ideas planned out through 4-15-09. You will also note that Shannon was not running themed editions on the first week of the month for the last few months of her WFMW run. So, I came up with this post and thought it would be terrific for the 1st Wednesday in April. So what do I do? Do I post my original idea or come up with a new post entirely. Here is the post I intended to run today...

High Fructose Corn Syrup

It is so hard to get our children to eat healthy these days. Especially hard to get them to eat their vegetables. That's why I am so glad for high fructose corn syrup(HFCS).

There has been a lot of misinformation coming out about HFCS, and I for one was so deeply moved that the corn refiners association would battle this misinformation with advertisements like this one.

What I especially like about HFCS is that it's in so many products. Because of it's ready availability, it is so easy to eat in moderation.

So, High Fructose Corn Syrup works for me. To see what other sweet ideas are out there go to We are that Family for the April 1st edition of Works For Me Wednesday.

Next Time: Father and Son Ski Trip

Turtle Soap is Best

8 or 9 years ago a good friend of mine and his oldest boys were visiting Amy, Emma and me. We were headed somewhere, perhaps a White Sox game. This was back in our apartment days and we had recently moved across the hall from a 1 to a 2 bedroom. I was showing them around and we got to the bathroom. We had the aquarium soap dispenser with the sea turtles pictured. One of the boys asked their father why we had turtle soap. Without even missing a beat, my friend cheerfully responded "Cause turtle soap is best!"

I am not sure why he answered this way. I am equally unsure why, but I really liked his answer. It was anything but ambiguous. It was a proclamation, that has stuck with Amy and me all these years. About a year ago, I mentioned this exchange to my friend. He had totally forgotten it and really had no idea why Turtle soap was best. My friend had 4 children at the time of the remark and now has 9 with 10 on the horizon. He answers a lot of children's inquiries and I do not expect him to recall each and every one of his answers.

It got me to thinking, though. To me, this was a memorable, if not, defining remark of his, and he had no recall of it. There have been many occasions when I have remembered something as a highlight reel type memory and the other participant had little or no memory of it. It is also very common, when someone else has an indelible timestamp memory of me, that I have not thought of for years.

Now, when these moments are light turtle soap memories that is fine. As a father and specifically the teacher of my children, I hope the snapshots my children choose to remember are of a positive nature rather than words I'd rather they forget. Today, for example, my daughter recalled my oft spouted phrase of my main job being keeping my children safe. She even made a joke about it (It doesn't pay much, but it's worth it!). She also made a comment today about all the times I yell at her. As parents we build memories, as sinners many of those memories we wish could be forgotten. As a believer in Jesus I know those sins and those memories can be washed cleaner than turtle soap ever could.

Next Time: High Fructose Corn Syrup

Go ask my Dad.

My last post was about a give-a-way at Mama Archers Blog. I posted it because that is how one enters the give-a-way. Today, I am posting about a post that appeared on her blog last year. Again, my motivation is to earn another entry in her give-a-way. But more than that it gives me the opportunity to broach a topic on this blog that I have not as of yet brought up.

Some of you may know that I would someday like to write a book. I often say I am working on a book, but that does not do justice to my friends who are actually working on a book. I have ideas for a book on relationships. From time to time I may talk about some of those ideas here.

Mama Archer's post was about relationships. In the post she linked to something she wrote in a blog called Weekend Kindness. What she shared was actually from a paper her daughter had written about finding a spouse. Many of the standards her daughter mentioned are those I am imparting in my daughters. Specifically, a courtship model, that involves the active role of the parents especially the father.

When my 9 year old was younger, I taught her what to say if a boy ever wanted to marry her. The response is "go ask my Dad." She still remembers it, and has not fought with me about it, yet, but that day may come.

My youngest child, also a daughter, is 3. She is leaving what I call the "save them every day" stage. The part of their life when you seem to be keeping them from physical peril at every turn. We spend so much of their early child hood keeping them from physical harm, making rules to keep them safe. Before they use a tool that could hurt them, we instruct them, and give them careful supervision while learning new skills.

I am not sure why with all that care giving I would be willing to withdraw all that guidance when they become of dating age. Many parents seem to think they have no chance of asserting control in any of those areas, so they do not try. I was greatly encouraged to read that Mama Archer's daughter plans to allow her parents an active role in determining her future husband. I will write more about these issues in the future.

Next Time: Turtle Soap is Best

Science isn't science 'til you give it away

Mama Archer is hosting the following give-a-way on her blog. I have found a most excellent review of the product on Christianbook.com. As you know, from a recent post, song parodies work for me. In Lyrical Life Science tunes like "The Yellow Rose of Texas" are used to teach science on an approximate 6th grade level. Mama Archer is giving away the teacher book, c.d, and two student work books.

Next Time: Go ask my Dad

Taking Time Off

I am not here right now. I am out celebrating my 11th wedding anniversary a few weeks early. Actually I count that Amy and I have three wedding anniversaries: The actual anniversary is April 11th. We were married the Saturday prior to Easter in 1998. So I always count the Saturday prior to Easter as a second wedding anniversary. Amy was employed as a school psychologist when we were married and we chose our wedding date to coincide with her spring break. So, now that she is employed as a school psychologist again, I count her week of spring break as an anniversary of our wedding and honeymoon.

As you are reading this Amy is on her spring break and that is the anniversary we are celebrating. Extended time alone with Amy is not very common these days. I had no intention of blogging in any way shape or form while she is gone. So I simply am writing this post a week early and scheduling it for the 25th.

Taking some time off with the woman I love works for me. While I will not be linking this post to We Are That Family I encourage you to go there to see what works for others.

Next Time: Science isn't Science 'til you give it away.

Crazy Dave's Giveaways: Announcing the quarter winner.

Today, is my Dad's birthday. I think that's one of the reasons why I ended the contest today. Last year when my Dad turned 70 I, along with my brothers and sisters attempted to give him him all the American coins minted in his lifetime. Not all, just 1 of each. We came very close and I think he really appreciated the gift because he had been a coin collector earlier in his life. I did the lions share of the collecting and really enjoyed it. I think that's why I am still collecting coins.

I must say I really appreciated the excellent turnout for the give-a-way. I noticed how many people so eagerly wanted to win this collection. Unfortunately, there is only one winner and that is Mub from the Netherlands. Congratulations Mub.

For all those out there who did not win let me share a few quick quarter collecting tips. Today, I went to the bank and got 3 rolls of quarters. Of those 120 quarters, 54 were state quarters. And of those 54, 30 were of different states. That's right if I was just starting collecting today I would be 60% finished after going though only 3 rolls. Those very 30 will be among the quarters being sent to Mub.

Another idea for collecting is use cash for purchases as much as you can. What cash gives you is change, many quarters are found in change. We call that change for the better. After getting the quarters today, I stopped by Taco Bell for dinner. I used cash and do you know how many state quarters I got back in my change? None. It's not foolproof. What I did get back, was a little more uncommon than a state quarter. That's right, in my change from Taco Bell was a bicentennial quarter. And in honor of Mub, my father, and the United States of America and their original 13 states, I am going to give Mub not 12.50 worth of quarters, but $13.00 worth. That very bicentennial quarter that I got at Taco Bell today and the new Washington DC Quarter as well as 1 of each of the 50 state quarters.


For all those who did not win. this was so much fun for me, I am sure I will be giving away quarters again on this very blog. Until then here is a fun video of me actually catching 30 quarters in midair.


In other give-a-way news, the Counsil's never contacted me in regards to the book I attempted to give them last month, The Power of an Encouraging Word. So I have redrawn from last months entrants and the winner is ... DG. Congratulations to DG and Mub. I have contacted them and hopefully they will get their prizes in the very near future.



Next Time: Taking Time Off