Anticipating getting "Lost"

Yes...I have been waiting for months for the new and final season of "Lost", which starts in 1:19 minutes. (Of course, the previous seasons' roundup starts in 19 minutes!) I am thrilled, and honestly anxious, because I have loved this series for years, and I am longing for a really satisfying conclusion. I am looking forward to hearing about the new story-telling format, whatever it is.

I just wanted to note a few questions & storylines I would like to hear more on or have resolved:

Juliet and Sawyer...I didn't plan to love it, but I did.
How are all the the characters related, and why were their dads all such bums?
Where did Hurley's dad go when he disappeared for so many years of his life?
What about the numbers already?
What about Aaron and Ji Yeon? And for that matter Walt?
Why did the Others wear beards and hillbilly costumes?
Is there any more Dharma beer?
Who shot at Juliet and Sawyer in the boat?
Where is Vincent? I miss him!
Libby, Libby - why were you giving away boats one minute, then in a mental hospital the next?

One other thing...I think Richard Alpert was on "The Black Rock." I can't wait to see his back story or learn more about him!

Too much Food Network?

The evening of July 4th, we decided to relax and just grill some burgers. When we were getting the cheese for the burgers, Daniel asks what types of cheeses we have, and selects provolone. When we construct our burgers, he adds mustard, ketchup, sweet dill pickles, shredded basil, and tomato, and for the final topper, 2 olives on a toothpick through the top. I do believe that all the cooking shows are rubbing off on him!!

Sweet smells remind me...

One of my favorite childhood memories is of the delicious family fish frys we would have whenever we were lucky enough to catch enough fish to feed a small crowd (which was fairly often!) It was a communal effort to catch, clean and cook the fish, as well as the hush puppies & fries, and there had to be cole slaw, freshly sliced tomatoes, and ice cold watermelon. For July 4th, my brother & his wife hosted a fish fry, and all those memories came flooding back as we smelled those delicious brim frying in the old cast-iron skillet. Fantastic!!

I am raising a vegetarian?

This is the meal that Daniel prepared for himself this weekend: a peanut butter, jelly and carrot sandwich, blueberries, more carrots, olives, and pretzels. Yes, he filled his sandwich with carrots, and yes...he ate every bite. Nine times out of 10, he'll choose to have no meat at all. (He does love meatloaf & steak, though!) He loves his fruits and veggies so much, it's amazing!

It's in the Bag

Daniel's homework last night was to fill a paper lunch bag with 3-5 items to help tell his new classmates about himself. These are the items he picked and chose himself:

1. Photo of Daniel & his cousin Matthew from Christmas 2005 (his best bud)


2. The book "Flat Stanley" (he loves to read)


3. 3D Glasses (he loves to watch 3D movies)


4. Little baseball figure (he loves baseball & other sports)


5. Little salt packet (he loves salt - seriously!!)

It's got to be the meatloaf

So tonight Shawn was out of town, so I decided to take Daniel to Wednesday night at church since this was their big kickoff for activities for the school year. Daniel fussed and complained about going until the minute I dragged him into the Family Life Center, when he recognized several of the kids, including his good buddy Chandler. Then, once he discovered that they were serving meatloaf for Family Night Supper, he was thrilled and hooked. He ate all his dinner, then went through one hour of children's choir, and another hour of R.A.'s (Royal Ambassadors). He declared the evening great fun, and asked if we could come again tomorrow. He seemed satisfied when I told him we'd return next Wednesday night, so we may have a new schedule forming. He's still not sure about the choir (he LOVES singing to himself, but NOT for other people), but we'll keep trying and see what happens! One thing is for sure - if you need to bribe my son, use meatloaf!

First day of school

So...classic first day of school photo, and I snuck the good 'ol school bell into the background of the photo. It was a great day, with a new teacher, new friends, and new rules to learn. He likes his teacher, and said she was nice. He said lunch was great - the choices were chicken rings (Daniel's, the classes, and the school-wide favorite) or catfish sticks. Recess was great, computer lab (today's related arts class) was a lot of fun, and everyone was nice to him. I guess you can't ask for more than that!