Sammy's First Audio Story (copycat!)

Not to be outdone, Sammy also wanted to record an audio story (if you haven't heard Aaron's yet, it's in the post below from yesterday). Aaron was concerned because Sammy couldn't read, but I just said Sammy could just make one up on the spot. Sammy's 47-second story, called "The Bear Adventure" is almost point by point the same as Aaron's "The Mountain Lion Adventure" except Sammy came up with a surprise spiritual twist with Aaron in the role of hero rather than Daddy and Mommy. I also tried to come up with a unique soundtrack for Sammy's to capture what I felt was his spirit. Sammy's narration is sure to get you smiling again. Post a comment!

Aaron's First Audio Story

Probably about 6 months ago I told my sons that we could record a story in my studio, with sound effects and music and such (at the time I was recording an audio book project for an author friend--see my recommended links). They were really excited and kept asking about it for weeks, only to give up since Daddy was too busy all the time. Last night I was recording something for my upcoming recital and I opened my studio door and told everybody "Be quiet now, because I need to record some vocals." Next thing I know, Aaron gets all excited thinking that meant that I was finally ready to record one of his little stories. Well, he finally got me! Even though I didn't have much time today, I decided we'd better record, since he was home sick from school and I was beginning to feel guilty.

It's basically a one-minute story Aaron wrote that I made a quick soundtrack for. Fun enough for a little project (I remember making a few similar recordings with my Dad on his little recorder when me and my siblings were little). Aaron's reading is sure to make you smile or even laugh in parts. Have a listen, and post a comment if you enjoy it.

Insane Front Yard Sled Run 2008

My best ever effort at building a "sled run" for the kids. Originally inspired by Uncle David the previous year, but then pumped up on steroids for an even wilder (dangerous?) ride. Off the front porch, down the steps, berm off the fence, snake through the yard, berm against another fence, up against the house, and the wind down at the bottom of the yard.

The thing Sammy had going for him was that he was really loose and low--and good at hanging on for dear life. Okay, so it wasn't all that bad! But he was going down backwards a few times to lessen the fear factor until I told him to go forwards. Apparently he figured what he couldn't see couldn't hurt him.

Aaron's balance made me feel better about him in spite of his more edgy, radical riding style. Plus he kept his helmet on. This is probably the last time we'll ever do this kind of front yard track because it only works for little kids. The bigger you are the higher your center of gravity and the harder it is not to eat it on the first berm. Plus, I hate to have to keep denying the neighbor kids who sit and watch from a distance like I'm some kind of stingy meanie. Kids, go look up "liability".

A Story by Aaron (10/12/07)

THE SILLY SISTER AND BROTHER
by
Aaron Vanderschuit
(with help and typing by Daddy)

Once upon a time there was a mirror that seemed like it has another world in it. Along came a girl that was really silly. She thought that the mirror was another world with her friend inside it. She went to try to hug her, but it wouldn’t work. She thought her friend was stuck in solid ice. And she knocked on the glass (she didn’t know it was glass) until it broke. And then she was ashamed of what she had done.

And then along came some other girls, and they saw what silly girl had done. And the girls watching nearby said, “You silly girl! Why did you even think that was solid ice? It was glass! You could have hurt yourself real bad.”

Silly girl answered, “I just didn’t know that. I thought there was another world inside it. I thought, ‘What’s my friend doing in there?’”

The girls said to her, “It was actually you! You should have known that was your reflection! Didn’t you see that she looked just like you, was wearing the same clothes as you, the same belt as you, the same eyes, the exact same hair? And what about all of the moving? Didn't you see that she was moving exactly the same as you?”

“I just thought that was my friend doing the exact same thing as me, that’s all. And I thought there was another world in it, or maybe another world that does the exact same thing as this world. Even the trees. Even my globe looks the same when I put it up to a mirror. I did notice all of the words were backwards on my shirt that said ‘EXPLORATION KID.””

The other kids made fun of her, teasing and singing, “You thought it was solid ice, but it was your reflection! You thought it was your friend, but it was your reflection!”

Silly girl felt bad and said, “Maybe I should be more careful next time I see myself in a mirror.” And then she remembered that her mommy had told her not to play with the mirror. And her mommy also told her that the mirror cost $500.

And then also in her house was her silly brother who did the exact same thing as his sister. He looked at the reflection in the mirror and thought it was his friend and tried to hug him but it was too hard. So he knocked on the glass, and he knocked until it broke, and he remembered that his daddy told him not to do that, because they were really poor. And the Daddy said it costs $1, and they didn’t have any money. They had no pennies, no nickels, no quarters—no nothing. The Dad had spent his last $500 buying his wife the first mirror for her birthday.

THE END

First Soccer Game of 2007

It was actually Sammy's very first game, and and the first game of Aaron's second season. I coached again. Very different from last year's "all star" team. Aaron was the only kid with experience. As the season unfolded I began to see that most of the time it was going to be "Aaron versus the other team". His teammates played a tiny bit of defense, if only by just so happening to be in the way while picking flowers or chasing their shadows. Actually, it's a blast with the little kids because it really doesn't matter since there is no score keeping and they really are just having fun.

For the Sammy footage, if you look closely, you can see that he does this "wind up" thing with his arms before he starts running. A real crack up. He later said he was trying to go as fast as Bugs Bunny (note to self: remove Looney Toons from training videos). Watch him instead of the ball, since by the time he gets wound up the ball is far away from him, and then by the time he gets there the play is over. He does make one run with the ball, only to get stopped, and then he gets down on himself (Elisa stopped the video literally a second before he got down in the fetal position in the middle of the field. Play on!)

For the Aaron footage, I was amazed at the ball control he manages. For the "play of the day," watch him go the wrong way--intentionally--gather his poise (and some teammates as if by some magnetic force), and then Aaron's fireworks begin: body shielding, body feints, quick cuts, and ending with a goal. Enjoy!

Castles in the Sand

[We originally sent this out as an email exactly one year ago. Elisa's mom happened to comment on this today and reminded us about it, worthy of posting here. Photos were from my camera phone.]

It's man against nature as we build a fortress to protect us from the wind and the waves--built close enough to the water that we know it will be put to the test at high tide. This one lasted the longest of all the ones we've built so far (three of 'em this summer, probably about 2 hours against some good sized waves once the tide rose. (UPDATE: exactly one year later this is still our best fortress). It also helps the kids to keep warm from the wind so I won't be bothered to leave earlier than I want to. Actually, the boys keeping those wet life vests on is part of what makes them so cold, but they don't want to part with them. Fear of the waves, I guess (they take after their mother).


Sammy prepares for action as Aaron stands
guard against a rogue wave. There's actually
a tunnel under the blue boogie board.



So far so good, but where's Daddy?



Ah, there he is! Probably doing maintenance
from all the sand we kicked in (on "accident").
You skeptics should note the wave line left
in the sand (upper left) for proof that this wall
was really withstanding the waves. You can
actually see how the water made it to the very
top of the wall also.

In case you're wondering, Elisa just watches while we work and then walks over to take a few easy pictures. Hmm. And before you start lining up to give me awards for Dad of the Year for all of this (I know, I know), please note that I do spend most of my time in the water, so this is the kids' consolation prize. Keep 'em warmified and occupied so I'm justified on the surfside. Can you dig? (Pun intended).

Blaine

Phil Keaggy - Great Guitarist

Phil is one of my favorite guitarists. Here's a great Irish tune of his (part of it anyway), called Shades of Green. He's more than just a guitarist, but a great songwriter and all around good guy. He's sort of like a Jimi Hendrix on Jesus. Very entertaining, and he never does a song the same way twice. Been around since the late 60's.

Christmas 2006, from Aaron's Heart to Yours

The following is a true story, straight from Aaron's heart and not prompted by me or Elisa at all. I was so moved by what Aaron had done this Christmas that I decided to paint pictures (on my computer) to tell his story more fully. So the letter he wanted to write became a kind of illustrated story, written directly to Kendyl, his friend who had moved to Oregon earlier that year with her parents, our great friends Nathan and Jamie Hynum. He enclosed the letter (here presented in video form accompanied by a Keaggy tune) in a box along with two presents....

TEXT ONLY:
For the first three months of Awana Sparks, I saved all of my Sparks shares. The last night before Christmas break was store night. I thought to buy you something, Kendyl, because I love you. I decided to buy you some rainbow mittens and an orange slinky. Little did I know that I would also get a slinky for a present from my old Awana Cubbies teacher, Mrs. Cornell. She gave me and Sammy each a silver, metal slinky. But when I was playing with your slinky and mine, I got them horribly tangled together. It was so bad Daddy had to cut my slinky in pieces to get it apart from yours. We didn’t cut yours. Then later when we were making Christmas cookies with Mommy, somebody got the rainbow mittens all covered with flour, and also took them apart. But we cleaned them off so they would be nice and new again. The next day, can you believe it, Sammy got his metal slinky all tangled together with yours, and Daddy had to cut his in pieces to get them apart, just like he had to do for mine. Daddy couldn’t believe it! It started getting close to Christmas
and we remembered we didn’t send the slinky and mittens to you yet. So we found a nice little metal box to put it in for a little present for you. Don’t you think it fits just right? Daddy couldn’t find a nice shipping box, so we’re sorry we could only find a messy cardboard one, but it’s what’s inside that matters, right? So I hope you have a wonderful, merry Christmas. And remember that I am your friend and that I’m thinking about you and that I pray for you. I hope you have wonderful presents for Jesus. He is the Son of God the Father. Worship Jesus this Christmas! Love, Aaron

Coolest Summer Video Ever (uh-huh) 2006

Created during the summer of 2006, one of my favorite video edits. (All my videos are short and to the point, sort of the "best of reel", so don't be afraid to watch 'em).

SCENE 1: We had this little pool on our deck (ultimately bundled up on the garage floor and then burned by the undercarriage of our car), and Aaron learned to swim in it. Interesting swimming style. Mom's and Dad's, swimming goggles work great to help get kids over their fear of swimming.

SCENE 2: Beach montage. Aaron and Sammy befriend this 8 or 9 year old girl at Newport Beach. She let them play with her kite for hours.

SCENE 3: Sammy decides the little girl is more interesting than her kite, and it's a real crackup how he takes her hand and walks her to the shore "surf style". He manages to keep the kite, too.

SCENE 4: Aaron sort of skim boarding, but rather standing on his boogie board on shore and letting the dangerous Newport shore-break speed under him (life jacket included).

FINAL SHOTS: More of Sammy and girl. My second day trying skim boarding. Sammy gets hit by it (not so bad), drops the kite string--never fear, all is well.

Best of Aaron Trying to Hang a Towel (Crackup)

Aaron (just before turning 3) repeatedly trying to hang a little hand towel up. Maybe he was just stalling to avoid going to bed, because this literally went on for about like 8+ minutes--but I boiled it down to a 1 minute best-of reel. My favorite part is when he makes a song about it, "Sing a song, put a towel up." Also when he tells the stool to "stay right there" and then moments later seems to be disciplining it for it's failure to cooperate. You have to admire his can-do spirit all the way through till the end whimper when he puts his li'l head down after Elisa unfortunately has to tell him she doesn't think he can do it, that it's time for bed.

FYI, I'm still updating the blog with old stuff, keeping it chronological by when it happened. But if you've never seen this, and you're not cynical (if so, why are you reading this?), it's worth a view.