Kirsten - Burritos for lunch....no....dinner

I don't remember what happened yesterday. The only thing I really remember is that I made burritos for lunch....no....dinner....yeah dinner. That's all.

Jacob - Tomorrow's the Picnic

I was supposed to have a picnic on yesterday. But some people were missing so we have the picnic Friday and tomorrow is Saturday.

Dad - getting my feet wet

A float went bad at the fountain today so the water got low. When the water is low the main geyser loses its venturi effect and blows the water 40-50 feet into the air. It looks really cool but in spite of the automatic controls to lower the pump speed when the wind goes up the smallest breeze blows tons of water out of the pool. So it drains the pool even faster. There are actually 2 floats to keep the water from getting too low. But both had problems.

I got the problems resolved and filled the pool back up with water, but I had to go wading in the pool a few times before I was finished.

We stopped by the fountain this evening to be sure it was still working right. All was well.

Kirsten - South Park and Casa Bonita

By far, one of my favorite television shows is south Park. South Park is one of the only TV shows that is not afraid of "going too far". Another would of course be family guy. south Park uses a combination of modern comedy and brilliant allusions to classic stories and ideas but gives them a twist. For instance, in the episode "Cartmanland" Cartman alludes to the story of The Grinch in several instances. There is also the episode about Chef joining the Super-Adventure Club which clearly alludes to Scientology.

Of course, it is clear that South Park may create some debate. although conflict may rise, South Park displays ideas and themes that the viewers can relate to. Even I can relate to South Park to a certain degree. Last night for example, we went to Casa Bonita. This made me recall the episode of South Park that shows Eric Cartman's obsessiveness with Casa Bonita. This episode depicts the enjoyment kids have when visiting the restaurant and makes the whole event funny for those who no longer feel the glory of the almighty Casa Bonita.

Anyway...enough silliness.

Casa Bonita was really THE most exciting thing that happened yesterday. I have to say. Casa Bonita is the largest pink building I have ever seen. It sticks out like a sore thumb. The thought makes me laugh.

John-Michael - Day Poem

Yesterday I woke up late,
Then jumped into my clothes,
Then hurried out the door,
To the cafeteria closed.

Then open in
And to the trays,
To get my food
And it lightened my mood.

"John-Michael and the adventure of the Shell Hunter" by John-Michael

Once upon a time, John-Michael was walking. Then the Shell Hunter and his robo-dagget were walking at the same time. Then the Shell Hunter said to John-Michael, "Hey! Have you lost your shell?!?"

"Well, how could I loose my shell if I don't have one?!?" Then they both cracked into laughs. Then the King Turtle's shell showed up.

Don't miss our next exciting adventure: "John-Michael and the King Turtle's Shell and the Shell Hunter"

Matt - Casa Bonita

Yesterday was exciting! First when I woke up I did as usual; I went to my...wait not mine...THE shower. After I was finished using it I got dressed and did my jobs. I started to get to work on my man, I knew I was very close to the end of algebra, the beginning I mean. After that, the boys came home.

The boys started doing their jobs. then we started getting ready to go somewhere, which was Casa Bonita. When we were in the car, we started driving. We went down to my dad's work, to Dad's work I mean. Me and John-Michael used the bathroom. After that Dad came out of his work. He took the electric car. The electric car runs on electricity. He took it to his work. He took it to Casa Bonita. We drove in the suburban. When we got to Casa Bonita we saw the fountain. It was beautiful like always. there were many pennies in it. You know how people put pennies in fountains. It was quite full because we were having some rain.

We went inside, we waited in a very big long line. It reminded me when there was just about no line at all once. It was very beautiful there. Casa Bonita was pretty big! It even has a tower of it's own. Well at the top of it of course. When we finally got to the cashiers (there were only two) when we got to the cashier, we...we started buying our food. We lined up in the next line, which was much shorter and went faster. I was glad of that.

When we got our food we slid down the...we slid our trays down the....whatever it's called. Finally we had been seated by our waiter. We got to our seat, right then no play was started (because Casa Bonita has plays). We sat sown with our food and we started eating.

There's this guy who talked with the kids and were entertaining them while they were getting ready. They kept on telling him to dive. Because they wanted to see him dive. He does lots of cool tricks when he dives. I think it's pretty cool. I tried to tell him but he was too far away for him to hear me. After that one of the plays started.

A guy came out and fired a gun, it wasn't real. It just made a loud "pop" when fired. He said, "Ha! I scared ya!" Then he started talking to everyone about that he was going to have a gun fight with the sheriff. and out of the darkness came the sheriff. He kept on saying that they had to have a fair gunfight. then the bad guy said, "But that's not fair!" Then the sheriff said, "Yes it is because we're doing fair and square."

Then he tricked the bad guy to fall down a waterfall, and that was it. So, the sheriff won. After a couple more plays, we started getting ready to go home. As we drove, then when when we got home I got in my pajamas and read this book called "The Supernaturalist" to Dad. Dad fell asleep and I went to bed and that was my day...I mean yesterday.

Ben - The day we went to Casa Bonita

Yesterday I got up and went to school as usual. At school I had breakfast and then I went to class where we did math and then moved on to math. After math we started cleaning out of desks because it was the end of the school year and then we worked on reading and spelling.

In reading we worked on some plays we were going to do. After which we went on to recess and lunch. We worked on the roller coaster project in science. After science it was time to end the day. So John-Michael and I were driven home by Jennifer.

Later in the afternoon we went to Casa Bonita. After Casa Bonita we went home and I cleaned up the kitchen. After cleaning the kitchen I went to bed.

The End

that's it...

Jacob - The Super Casa Bonita Day!

Yesterday I went to Casa Bonita twice and this is no fun. I went to a field trip at school AND I ride in car with Jennifer to Casa Bonita at night. I "boooed" the guy jumping over the rock. He got scared of Jacob and then he was stuck. (Jacob is laughing.) It was funny. (more laughing)

Let's go tell a story...

Episode 3 - "Professor Poopy-Pants on a Dinosaur"

Jacob and Captain Underpants go to jail but Professor Poopy-Pants froze the police with cold. Jacob got an idea to go to dinosaur place and then they just did. Professor Poopy-Pants is on a dinosaur and then Jacob did.

The End

Dad - a rough day

Jacob came home from school yesterday and said he had a rough day. He had a field trip to Casa Bonita that apparently didn't go very well, I figured that we would hop right back on that horse and so the whole family went to Casa Bonita for dinner.

Casa Bonita is an iiiiinnnteresting place, the food is less than average and the prices aren't that great, but it has an atmosphere like no other restaurant. There is the scary walk through Black Bart's cave, a puppet theater and cliff divers doing various shows that invariably end up with the bad guy falling in the water below.

When I was a kid my family took us to Casa Bonita. They used to have audience members participate in the show. I was called up to be the hostage in a Sheriff and bad guy's shootout. My line was to yell "Help, Help" I threw in a third help, I was such a ham.

Jacob really enjoyed the cliff divers and other entertainment. It worked really well to give him another chance at his field trip. The others had fun too.

The food made me a bit sick, so when we got home I fell right asleep.

Jennifer/Mom - No haircuts

Well, we had a change of plans. I have been sworn to secrecy however and I am not allowed to even hint at what we did tonight instead of what was originally planned. Chris wanted to be the one to post about it and so of course I agreed!

Suffice it to say no hairs got cut and Ben and Matt didn't get a chance to blog. They'll be first on the list tomorrow so no worries!

I did run the car conversion to ship idea by John-Michael when he got home from school. He thought it was fantastic. He was thrilled to donate his pirate flag to the project and even had some cool ideas to discuss with Chris about how to rig everything up so we could still get the car into the garage!

John-Michael - Early to Bed

Go home in a car,
Walk in through the door.
Walk up on the stairs
And into my room.

Up the ladder.
Onto my bed.
Fall asleep fast.
Snooze, snooze, snooze.

Jacob and the Attack of the Talking Toilet

Jacob will find a toilet but the toilet is in the school. Turbo Toilet 2000 is trying to take over the world and fan club. Captain Underpants will go to the toilet and find the toilet. Jacob followed Captain Underpants and then Captain Underpants found talking toilets. Captain Underpants will plunger the toilets until Turbo Toilet 2000 is angry. And then they will battle the Turbo Toilet 2000 and then Captain Underpants and Jacob did battle the Turbo Toilet 2000. Captain Underpants and Jacob defeated the Turbo Toilet 2000.

Don't miss out on the next exciting adventure..."Jacob and Professor Poopy-Pants with a Dinosaur"!

Now, for what happened yesterday.

It was a school day. I'll write more tomorrow.

Kirsten - Ugh

I don't know what to say. I haven't thought about it at all.

--laughing and giggling--

(Note from the typist: She is just laughing and giggling now because she knows I will write down every word she says)

--alternately smirking and then giggling--

(Another note: She knows she must be careful...she's even beginning to blush about the whole thing. Soon I may just start making things up and attributing them to her if she doesn't get going. LOL)

--more giggling and smirking while looking over the typist's shoulder--

No I am not smirking and giggling. No I am not smirking and gigg....oh that is what I said. No that is not what I said exactly...you are getting it wrong....you don't have enough "no's"

(ANOTHER note from the typist: Ok, seriously now....we are starting anew....So, Kirsten will begin her "official" post)

Jeez-Louise Jennifer. Anyway....

Yesterday was quite boring. Or was it....I don't remember....hmmmm.....

I did help the boys get off to school yesterday. Oh yes, and then I took a nap. But I don't really like naps so that was very hypocritical of myself. But I plopped over so I guess it was ok.

For dinner we had egg-salad burritos, which were quite odd. I would not actually suggest them but it was ok. It was my own concoction. Then Ben went to scouts last night and I watched the remaining boys in the house and did a whole bunch of laundry. So much laundry in fact that I probably did not need to take a shower that night. I was literally swimming in laundry.

The only other thing I did was call my boyfriend (note: she means her ex-boyfriend in Bolivia...it was a LONG-distance call) and then I went to bed after my swim.

Jennifer/Mom - An update of my own

Yesterday and this morning I was given a hard time because I hadn't posted in a few days. The truth of the matter is I am totally intimidated by all the great posts everyone has been putting up! Further I am irked that Chris is so much funnier than I am.

Still, I guess I should update myself and John-Michael as Chris gave updates for everyone else yesterday.

John-Michael - Reading up a storm! At a party we all attended a couple of weeks ago, the neighbor the boys get a ride with in the morning told me he has never seen anything like the way John-Michael reads. He gets into the car reading and gets out of the car reading. He is just reading ALL the time. John-Michael also loves playing World of Warcraft. His character is a hunter and he has just learned how to tame beasts! He now has to get some gold coming in so he can get a collection of tamed beasts and afford to stable them as you can only have one "pet" active at a time.

Me - I started re-reading parts of a book I really like last night. Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged" Recommended by a friend, I read it about this time last year for the first time and I really enjoyed it. Very insightful and illuminating and very helpful in dealing with some of the challenges I faced at the time. I highly recommend it.

I just got off the phone with Chris and apparently we are going to begin a program to do a greater part for decreasing global warming by increasing pirate activity. I shall explain further....going into a headwind with the electric car operating on low battery charge inspired Chris to suggest a sail be added to the car. I responded with enthusiasm that I thought that it was a fantastic idea! I was sure that John-Michael would be thrilled to lend his new Jolly Roger to the project. We could put a bumper sticker on the back that says "Honk if you love Pirates!" and another that says "Doing our part to decrease global warming!" (If the global warming thing confuses you just look at the chart we posted on Wednesday, May 16th. That will help clear things up.)

We haven't quite figured out how we would successfully tack back and forth across the freeway without annoying the other drivers. We are fairly confident however, they will be understanding for such a sound cause as decreasing global warming. I am sure Chris will figure out a solution though. He is a brilliant engineer!

Ok, time for me to go and get the dictations from Kirsten and Matt plus get more progress done on my own "LIST". Lots to do! Lots to do! Including haircuts this afternoon (if I can fit it in)!

Dad - In case you hadn't noticed

We have a veritable funny farm, here. I used to answer the phone "Runyan's funny farm, chief nut speaking" until the court evaluator called and I forgot to check the caller id. Fortunately the kids were laughing themselves silly at the time and it actually was appropriate to answer that way. She got quite a kick out of it, still I was quite embarrassed.

Besides being a bit loopy, some of us have "special needs", even so, Jacob insists that he is the only normal one, and has lots of patience for the rest of us.

Update ----

Kirsten was recently grounded for smooching, and lost her birthday privileges. She has promised a life of celibacy and plans to become a Nun and so the birthday is back on. Her now ex-boyfriend has moved to Bolivia.

Jacob is getting ready to start High School. He has the cool new sunglasses a cool leather jacket, and looking to get a car of his own, maybe the "new" Jeep after it is finished being converted (can never have too many electric cars)

Ben is going to a new (new for him) Boy Scout troop. He even went on his first campout a couple of weeks ago.

Matt is making improvements in his 3 Rs by leaps and bounds.

Andrew, loves to watch lobster and crabs swimming in a tank, before I eat them, yumm yummm. He is also becoming quite the photographer, next month we will get even more "New York" footage for our project.

Me, I've lost 15 lbs and then gained them right back, eating out last weekend. I love a good steak, mmmmmm.

I've been taking some classes for a new profession/volunteering, I've just recently finished at the top of my class. I even out gunned, so to speak, a young hot shot with actual field experience.

John-Michael - The fun day.

I woke up then I went to school in my ride as usual. I had a lot to turn in and so I turned in all of it. Then I did lunch. And I came home in my friend's mom's car. Then I did my blog later in the day and had a fun time and I went to bed. And that was my day.

Jacob - The Bus

I got up and then I took a shower and I got dressed. I combed my hair and then I waited for the bus. And then I went into the bus and then I waited for school to get here until I went into the school.

And then I ate breakfast. I had my food for breakfast. And then I went to P.E. class. And then I went to advisement class. And then I went to math class. And then I went to reading class at Language Arts class where I got spelling words out. And then I ate lunch when I was hungry.

And then I had free time class. And then I did do science. Later, I went to the bus. And the bus carried me until I got home. And then I ate dinner. I had lasagna and then I went to bed.

The End

Ben - A typical school day.

Yesterday I started off by getting up and going to school in the morning. At school I had a breakfast of cereal. After breakfast I moved on to class where we did music. After music we went off to do math class and we worked on subtracting discounts from prices and then adding taxes. After math we moved on to reading class where we read a story and did some spelling. After reading and spelling we read our books until it was time to go to recess.

After lunch and recess we moved onto science where we worked on our roller-coaster projects. After science we moved onto social studies where we watched some movies about South America. After that we went home.

At home I did some reading for a while and I cleaned up the kitchen. After that I went to bed.

Matt - Starting Algebra

Ok, let's see....

When I woke up I started moving the engine a little bit because I like to move it. I didn't move the motor. There is a certain gear that sticks out of the front. If you turn it one direction it will turn all the parts that move in the motor. I didn't move it a lot because the motor wouldn't let it go too far.

After playing with it, it was time for my shower. After my shower I did all of my jobs, I started doing my schoolwork...I'm in algebra on math. Algebra is quite fun. It is much more fun than the normal math I did before such as multiplication, division, subtraction and addition. I know why I didn't do algebra first. It was because I needed skills in the other subjects that I just mentioned. I'm not going to be in beginning algebra for long because I looked ahead in the book and noticed that I only have about 15 more pages until the next subject.

When the boys got home, after I finished my list, I played around but not for too long because it took me a while to finish my list. Because right after I finished folding the laundry I got sidetracked.

I didn't play Warcraft last night. I read. I read "The Day My Butt Went Psycho". It is the weirdest book I have ever read. I haven't finished it yet. It also is one of the funniest book I have ever read. It may be THE funniest book I have ever read. I just haven't decided yet.

Kirsten - I Don't Remember Yesterday

OK. Hmmmmm......trying to remember. Oh yes, yesteday was Monday. So, I woke up and I didn't eat breakfast. Then I went down and read for four hours and then I came back up because I felt like a hermit and I ate some Easy-Mac with Bologna. Then I picked up the house and made a lasagna to be heated up later for dinner.

Around 5:00 I put the lasagna in and heated it up and then we all ate it and then I went to bed.