The Guthrie Gang

Snow days

2012-02-14T12:25:00.001-06:00

The kids are having a great time with Rodney in Illinois, visiting Grandma Peggy and Grandpa Paul. It snowed yesterday, so there have been snowball fights and snowmen.

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Grandma Peggy's Surprise

2012-02-10T19:03:00.001-06:00

Grandma Peggy got a surprise today... watch the video to see what it was...

Choir boy and 15 seconds of fame

2012-02-08T18:10:00.001-06:00

I don't have any pictures yet, but Will was excited to announce that he made the school choir. I'm sure we'll have a performance or 10 to attend, so photos and video coming soon...

Also, Xan's Wall of Fame milestone was commemorated at school on the school TV announcements yesterday. He got his 15 seconds of fame and was beyond excited. Unfortunately, no photos or videos of that, either.

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Rodeos, Super Bowl and the Wall of Fame

2012-02-06T21:08:00.001-06:00

Friday night Professional Bull Riding was in town at the civic center, so we went. Xan loved it, Will not so much, but we were there with a group of Marines, so the evening was entertaining regardless of your opinion of bull riding.

On Saturday the boys tried out for baseball so they could be assigned to teams. Xan will be playing for the same coach as last season, and the team will probably be the Reds again - a fact he is very happy about. Will has been assigned to the White Sox, the team his teams of the past have always tried to beat. Heis just fine with that, however.

Sunday, was of course, the Super Bowl, We headed over to a colleague of Rodney's for a party. Some of the group was playing beer pong prior to the game, but leave it to Xan to play Dr Pepper pong in preparation for his college years. Apparently he was winning when I got this photo.

Pong playing aside, Xan read enough books to get on the Wall of Fame today. That's 30 easy reader books, for a total of 15 Accelerated Reader points. He is very excited because his name will be announced on the morning announcements at school tomorrow.

Will is also doing well in school, working on fractions now. It's a complete coincidence, but he is doing lessons on the Khan Academy online. I just introduced this to my colleagues at the credit union to consider as we continue financial education seminars through 2012. Here is a cool 20-minute video about the founder of the Academy and why he started the free online resource for students of all ages: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gM95HHI4gLk

Be sure to check out both kids' class web sites so you can keep track of the achievements and activities.

Xan's Class

Will's Class

"Baby" and babies

2012-01-29T19:03:00.000-06:00

We hung around close to home this weekend, venturing only as far as Academy Sports across town where Rodney spent some Christmas money on a bat bag and shoe inserts. Here is a video of the family singing Justin Bieber's "Baby" in the car. Xan is a huge fan of the Biebs and Will is a huge fan of singing. In fact, he tried out for the chorus at school but has not yet heard if he made it.

http://youtu.be/umTZMrFzbGA

We hosted the UFC fights at our house last night and had a fun group of people here. Two of which were 10-month-old boys, Kaleb and Justin. They ignored each other for most of the evening, until Xan brought out a beach ball for them to play with. Here's a video of the baby beach ball battle:

http://youtu.be/sv79oTSucHY

Valentines Day shopping

2012-01-28T14:04:00.001-06:00

The kids thank grandma Nancy, grandpa Mark and GG for their gifts.

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We're counting Japanese!

2012-01-25T17:53:00.002-06:00

Konnichiwa!

Actually, the title is a bit misleading. The boys and I are counting IN Japanese now. It's actually a pretty simple system. We learned through the Japanese Society (an organization based out of New York) and the videos they have posted to YouTube. Here is the link to the 5 minute video that has you counting from 1-100. Seriously, we caught on pretty fast! We thought you'd like to give it a try, too...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOUqVC4XkOY&feature=plcp&context=C32fddeeUDOEgsToPDskLOARDoVE-uQHkkEch3nOt-

Here is a video of the boys practicing their numbers while they eat dinner. Talking with their mouths full!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjNkVyn3VVE

Siyonara!

Xanagrams

2012-01-24T19:39:00.001-06:00

Rodney and I find Xanagrams on our nightstands, bags and bathroom counter a couple times a week. Can you tell who they are? And guess in which picture we're a family of ninjas? And what's with me always wearing a dress?

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Straight As and Ss!

2012-01-24T18:37:00.001-06:00

Report cards came out today. Both boys did the best they could do!

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Learning Japanese

2012-01-23T07:51:00.000-06:00

Here is a video of Will and Xan learning some Japanese phrases. The ones we are focusing on are konishiwa (hello), arigato (thank you) and siyonara (good-bye).

http://youtu.be/_2XWPSlpvwM

Xan does get a little stressed out in the video, but he is having fun with these new words now. He just hates not being perfect from the start! I wonder where he gets that from...

Go Argos!

2012-01-22T15:41:00.001-06:00

New update: Argie's Club has a Facebook Fan Page. There are some picture of the boyson there from the clinic they went to:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Argies-Kids-Club/280681348653869?ref=notif&notif_t=fbpage_fan_invite&sk=wall

We are enjoying UWF Argos basketball and the boys, as members of the Argie Kids Club, got to go to a clinic for softball, golf and tennis. Followed by a pizza party. The UWF women won their game and we are waiting for the men to start as I post this. New update: The men won, too!

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Location:UWF Fieldhouse

Next stop: Japan

2012-01-15T12:10:00.001-06:00

Cherry blossom path in Iwakuni.

Documents provided by the military to prepare us for a move overseas, as well as Rosetta Stone for Japanese.

I realize it has been two weeks since I last posted. I have no excuse other than the fact that the Guthrie's have been busy - even busier than usual. The kids started back to school after the holiday break on January 2. Rodney started back to work January 3. My classes and instructing started up January 9.

But the biggest news for the four of us is the fact that Rodney received orders - to MCAS Iwakuni in Japan! Click on the link the some info about it. We report in July. This base is the only Marine Corps base located on mainland Japan. The rest are all located on the island of Okinawa, which is where Rodney was stationed in 2003-2004 while Will and I lived with Rodney's parents in Illinois.

Iwakuni Castle

Map of Japan - note how close we are to Gina's homeland of Korea!

Kintai Bridge in Iwakuni

Arial version of MCAS Iwakuni in 2004. That sandbar-looking area in the bottom left corner is now a new runway.

Rodney is absolutely thrilled to be going back, he loved it there and can't wait to share it with the rest of us. The kids are more excited than I thought they would be. Will wants to see the Pokemon museum in Tokyo and Xan just wanted to make sure that he didn't have to learn Japanese before he went to school there. I am sure we will all have moments of sadness when we leave, but I think we all have the mindset that this will be an adventure! We have gotten Rosetta Stone for Japanese, levels 1-3, so, hopefully, we will have picked up enough Japanese to get ourselves from America to base. As we get more info, we'll let you know. Right now we are busy trying to figure out what to do with our house (sell or rent?) and our cars (must sell, but how and when?).

Also, on a sadder note, Rodney's Dad, Paul has been diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor, which has affected his mobility and some memory. He has undergone surgery to remove a large portion of the tumor and is now going through daily rounds of radiation. Rodney has been going home for about a week each month since November to help out and his family could use your thoughts and prayers.

The kids are busy with school. Will has been studying the moonrise, and, despite the fact he is not fond of reading, has finally caught up on his Accelerated Reader (AR) points. He is also working on his writing for the Florida standardized test given to 4th graders in the spring. Xan has taken to reading like a fish to water, already reading on a mid-year first-grade level. He's gotten through all of his sight words and is now working hard to earn a place on the Kindergarten Wall of Fame for AR. Both boys will be registered for baseball later this month, and Xan is especially excited. He wears the baseball pants he got from Grandma Peggy and Grandpa Paul for Christmas as often as we let him. Will also got a new bat for Christmas and he's excited to try it out.

Rodney is working on getting in to better shape, running a lot, working out with a friend of his who is a bodybuilder and playing basketball in the weekends. He tweaked his knee playing yesterday, but seems to be on the mend. He is now in charge of Block 3 at work, which means he's responsible for the management of all of the Marines and sailors who teach students about air traffic control radar.He plans to assistant coach the boys' baseball teams this spring.

I am still working part time for the credit union's marketing department, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and we are launching a new campaign for 2012: The Pen Air Patrol. Click the link to see what my CU life has revolved around fro the past 5 months. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I am still teaching two sections of speech, or Basic Communication Skills for the University of West Florida. I am a lot less nervous this semester and have adjusted the class slightly to better ensure the students actually read the assigned chapters ahead of time. It seems to be working so far. I am also scheduled to graduate with my master's degree in Strategic Communication and Leadership May 5, provided I finish the three classes I am registered for now. One is a traditional class, meeting in Thursday nights, and we are studying how the media portrays alternative medicine. Since I know very little about this subject, I should learn quite a bit. The second class is new for the school. It is a sort of advertising agency for the different schools and departments within the university, to help them promote the speakers and events they host on campus. I am not sure what I will be doing with that yet, but will hopefully find out next week. And, finally, I will have a capstone project, something I work on individually as the all-encompassing final project. I am not sure what I am going to be doing, but I have some ideas. Hopefully one of them will be approved by the department.

New Year's Eve 2011

2012-01-02T20:36:00.001-06:00

A friend of Rodney's from his Yuma days, Michael Trejo (second from left in the photos below) was in town with his wife and daughter, visiting Julie and Nick Hendges (far right). We went out to lunch (at Cactus Flower, of course!) with them, and then joined them to ring in the new year. More details are on the Hendges' blog: http://www.hendgesherewegrow.blogspot.com/

Illinois odds and ends

2012-01-01T15:06:00.001-06:00

Aunt Sam found a huge wreath and bow for 90 percent off and added it to her barn for a traditional Christmas look. I tried to do some time lapse photography to capture the entire homestead's festiveness, but it was tough to do. This photo and the one below were the best of the bunch.

Grandpa Paul and Xan

Rodney's cousin Melissa (seated on the floor next to Paul) and her son, Cody (showing the boys his high school wrestling moves on TV, back to the camera) came by to see us before we left.

Ben

2012-01-01T15:01:00.001-06:00

Abby and Joe's baby boy, Ben, is 3.5 months old and a real sweetie. He was quite the popular guy the week we visited.

Christmas at Grandma and Grandpa's House

2012-01-01T14:57:00.001-06:00

We celebrated Christmas with Grandma Velma and Grandpa Bill on Momday Afternoon, the day after Christmas. All of the Grand and Great-Grandkids were there, for a total of 28 people.

All of the Great-grandchildren: Lauren, Drew, Will, Ben, Kara, Xan and Hannah.

Christmas Day 2011

2012-01-01T14:34:00.003-06:00

We were in Pittsfield by 4 p.m. Christmas Eve. Christmas Day started at 7 a.m. with a very excited Xan running in to our room to wake Rodney and I up. "It's time for Christmas!" Some of the highlights:

The Guthrie's live Christmas tree on Christmas Eve.

Boys being silly with Grandma Peggy prior to the gift opening melee.

Xan and his doghouse Happy Napper.

Paul with the new phones Rodney and I got them for Christmas - he can hear the receivers on these much better, he said.

Will ad his new skateboard.

Xan and his BMX biker set he had is eye on at Sam's Club.

Luke's new favorite shirt.

Peggy and her framed photo of Will as a swim team member.

Rodney and his food Ninja.

Peggy and her memory blocks.

Will and his new feather pillow - he just loved Aunt Jill's this summer!

Peggy and her August quilted table runner from my mom.

Rodney and his double driver... apparently these were sold out at Lowes across the southern region.

Luke and his Illini sign.

Jill and Xan

Peggy and Will

New clothes

2011-12-24T18:25:00.001-06:00

Will and Xan in their Christmas finery from Aunt Jill and Uncle Luke.

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The kids on Patrol

2011-12-23T11:21:00.001-06:00

The kids are huge fans of the credit union's new marketing campaign.

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Will on his new bike...

2011-12-18T19:40:00.001-06:00

...and Xan on his old one.

Xan's Christmas show

2011-12-17T09:33:00.004-06:00

Xan's class ( and the class next door) had a Christmas program yesterday morning, and I was able to get some of it on video. I've uploaded it to YouTube - just click the links below.

http://youtu.be/TbcJIvoF28g
http://youtu.be/JGUF-YT65jA
http://youtu.be/upvQGO9d1_4

Christmas came early

2011-12-17T08:51:00.001-06:00

Since we are going to be Illinois for Christmas, the kids were worried Santa wouldn't find them. Well, he found them... A week early. Santa left their gifts with a note explaining how Mom emailed him to explain the situation. The each got what they had asked for: Legos or Xan and a bike for Will.

Some more MATSG-21 Party photos

2011-12-12T21:36:00.002-06:00

The official photos from the MATSG-21 Christmas Party were published to the web... here you go:

Dental work

2011-12-12T21:29:00.001-06:00

Xan has two cavities, and the first one got filled today. He did very well. Rodney said there was no mental trauma at all. The next one gets filled Dec. 19.

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Will's new glasses

2011-12-08T16:08:00.001-06:00

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Grad Night

2011-12-06T11:44:00.001-06:00

I organized a no-host dinner get together at a local restaurant Saturday night for the Comm Arts Grad students. Here are some photos of my fellow classmates.

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Holidays USMC style ...

2011-12-06T11:35:00.001-06:00

With Rodney in Illinois with his family, it was up to Grandma Nancy and I to take the boys to Rodney's facility's holiday party Friday night. It was fun. Here are the pics:

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Peggy's boys

2011-11-30T22:41:00.001-06:00

Grandma Peggy got her birthday present a few days early. And it looks like she likes them.

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Decorations are up...

2011-11-27T21:13:00.001-06:00

In true Kasal tradition, the holiday decorations went up this weekend. Rodney and the boys took care of the outside while I took care of the inside (with some help from the boys as they put their own ornaments on the tree) on Saturday.

2011-11-27T20:54:00.001-06:00

So the kids have created somewhat of a Christmas list as they walked through Sam's Club this weekend. Also, we took a trip to Game Stop. Here is what was mentioned:

Movies: The most recent Pirates of the Caribbean (actually, we don't own any of them), the new release of The Lion King, Pixar short films
Wii games: Mario Cart, Pokemon
DS games: Spongebob, Mario Cart
Other items: Lego sets (Ninjago are popular and they haven't collected too many of these), iPad

For Will: Diary of a Whimpy kids books 2,3,4, and 5.
For Xan: MXS race track (see photo)

The boys also tried out the DS 3D, but neither saw the value (thank goodness - it requires a different kind of games!).

What was not mentioned was clothing. Here is info from a post from earlier this fall:

Will
Will is in a size 12 slim jean. Old Navy seems to fit him the best and don't shrink up as bad as other brands. Do not by loose-fitting jeans, they just bag up. Will would love some long pants, jeans and cargos. He is a 10/12 in shirts and could really use some nice long sleeve, button-down and polo shirts. He is drowning in long sleeved tees. His shoe size is 6.5 mens.

Xan
Xan is in a size 7 SLIM jean. And I mean slim. Old Navy seems to fit him best, also, for the same reason as Will. This are pretty baggy on him already, since he is a twig, but the length is great. He is fine on pants. Actually, he is fine on everything because we have a bunch of Will's hand-me-downs. The only thing he might need in the pants area is one or two pairs of jeans for school. We have some new ones, but the hand-me-downs from Will have holes in the knees - that was Will's sliding-across-the-floor-on-his-knees stage in life. But shirts (he's a size 6), PJs, etc., he is just fine. He is a size 13 in shoes.

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-24T22:10:00.001-06:00

Mom refused to smile because of a puffy face from a bad tooth, but other than that, we're a pretty happy bunch. Thank you to mom for cooking dinner for us and I was happy to use my a few of my new family heirlooms: From G.G., the Thanksgiving tablecloth and the silver from Mom.

Cheyenne is now on the wall!

2011-11-24T22:05:00.001-06:00

She's only 16 months old now, but my niece Cheyenne had finally been added to the wall hanging I created for the dining room. She's featured twice... eating, of course!

Pilgrims and Lunches

2011-11-18T22:06:00.001-06:00

Aside from being Rodney's and my 11th anniversary, the boys had some exciting activities today. Xan had a morning Thanksgiving pageant, where he played a pilgrim (with a rather large hat!). Later in the day was Will's "Lunch with a Loved One."

Science Fair

2011-11-17T19:31:00.001-06:00

We went to science project viewing night at school today to see Will's science project, which Rodney and Grandma Nancy helped him with. His project was about evaporation. He got third place!

As we walked through the gym and looked at the other projects on display, Xan told us his class did a project, too, about jumping jacks. Sure enough, we found his class' project and he was featured in a number of photos. Their project was about heart rate.

My classes

2011-11-17T19:29:00.001-06:00

My students were good sports and let Mom take a photo of me with them. The first photo is my 8:30 a.m. class, followed by my 11 a.m. class. The majority of the students are freshmen.

Xan's lunch with a loved one

2011-11-17T19:26:00.001-06:00

Grandma Nancy and I went to Xan's "Lunch with a Loved One" event Wednesday, when family and friends can go to the school and eat lunch with their student. Will's is Friday.

Xan thinks this is a cool pose.

158 words in 24 hours

2011-11-16T20:43:00.001-06:00

After learning all of his site words and getting a 100% on his test yesterday, he was assigned 158 more words to learn. Grandma Nancy went over the words with him last night and he took a test today. And got a 100%!!! Amazing! Now that he has done these short vowel words he has about 50 long vowel words to learn. We are putting the list on his pillow to see if he will learn them by osmosis tonight.

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Marine Corps Ball

2011-11-13T15:23:00.002-06:00

Mom watched the kids while Rodney and I attended the 236th Marine Corps Birthday Ball last night in Destin at the Sandestin Resort. Here are some photos. The official portrait will be in in a few weeks.

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Xan's artwork

2011-11-12T11:40:00.001-06:00

Xan's interpretation of what Rodney and I will look like at the ball tonight. First off, I love how he makes triangular people -always has. Second, the detail is great... I am in my multicolored dress and Rodney has on his medals. And Rodney has his big head. :)

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2011 NAS Pensacola Airshow

2011-11-11T20:33:00.004-06:00

If you can't read this, it is celebrating 100 years of naval aviation.

Redneck bluetooth. :)

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Marble says it's cold

2011-11-11T20:29:00.001-06:00

Once it drops below 60 degrees, Marble says it's winter time.

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Shirts from Aunt Jilly

2011-11-11T20:28:00.001-06:00

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Child labor

2011-11-04T15:36:00.001-05:00

The boys helping out at work, getting ready for next weekends airshow, putting stickers on packs of earplugs.

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Crashed

2011-11-02T23:06:00.001-05:00

This is a photo of Xan that Tyler texted me while I was in class and he was watching the kids. apparently Xan had an absolute meltdown when Tyler suggested they read sight words and he fell asleep this way.

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Report Card Time!

2011-11-01T18:54:00.000-05:00

Both boys did very well... they even got Perfect Attendance ribbons and Will made A-B Honor Roll (Kindergarteners don't have the same grading scale, as you'll see below).

Halloween 2011

2011-10-31T20:49:00.000-05:00

We started at 6:42 p.m., took a break at about 7:30 and handed out candy, and then went back out for one more circle through the neighborhood. Here are the highlights:

They got their school sweatshirts in!

Guess who's in the house?

2011-10-31T18:31:00.001-05:00

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The first of the Halloween loot

2011-10-28T18:16:00.001-05:00

Thanks to all four Illinois grandparents! Just FYI, Xan says he is saving all of his money for a car and college.

Me: Why do you want to go to college?
Xan: I don't know. I just do.
Me: well, what if it is boring in college?
Xan: then I'll come back here and never go there again. Or I'll go to Texas.
Me: Texas? Why Texas?
Xan: (shrug) There's a museum there.
Me: What museum?
Xan: I don't know, but it's Texas, so there's a museum. And I'm saving for a car, too.
Will: I'm going to get a Porsche.
Xan: is that fast? I want something fast. Like Dads. Only blue.

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My presentation video

2011-10-21T11:28:00.000-05:00

Here is part of my Assessing Organization Dynamics class presentation for the non-profit agency we are working with this semester, Families Count. I start at about minute 3:00.

http://youtu.be/6uenbtHqUos

School Pics...

2011-10-17T19:51:00.000-05:00

4th Grade

Kindergarten

Gulf Shores Shrimp Festival

2011-10-16T18:50:00.001-05:00

We headed over to the Shrimp Festival in Gulf Shores, AL, for some family time. It's about a half hour from our house and the weather was beautiful. We checked out the arts and crafts booths and the kid area. The boys made sand sculptures and each chose an activity to do. Will chose the rock wall and climbed to the top with little trouble. Xan chose the inflatable slide.

Then we played some of the free games. Xan tried golf while Will and Rodney faced off in the beanbag game. Rodney won.

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Hellen Caro Fun Run

2011-10-15T22:01:00.001-05:00

As a fundraiser, the school had a 1-mile fun run. I had class, so Rodney and the boys went without me. The boys each earned a medal for participating and all three said they had a great time.

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Finished floor...

2011-10-10T20:39:00.000-05:00

Marble's legs keep sliding out from under her a little bit... she can only stand still for so long before her legs start splaying (see above.) She is still walking around on the floor... click, click, click, click.

15 years and counting...

2011-10-09T22:13:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to Rodney. Yesterday was his 15th anniversary of enlisting in the Marine Corps. I love you and am so proud of you!

Floor, Day 2

2011-10-09T22:08:00.000-05:00

The children are perplexed by the new floor. Both of them asked Rodney separately: "When are we getting new carpet?"

Rodney: "That is the new floor. We're not putting a rug down."

When I came in to the room, they asked me, I think for verification.

Xan: "So, we're not getting a new carpet."

Me: "No."

Will: "Really? Darn. I like carpet."

Me: "Well, we're going to try this for awhile and see how it goes."

Xan: "That's cool."

Marble just keeps walking across it: click, click, click, click. I'd say she was simply enjoying the novelty of the new sound, but she's deaf, so there goes that theory.

These photos were taken at 10 p.m. today. Rodney has Columbus Day off and assures me the floor will be done and the furniture put back before I get home from work. Place your bets!

Homecoming and flooring...

2011-10-08T20:01:00.001-05:00

Rodney has been harassing me about putting laminate flooring in our living room for the better part of two years now. Thanks to two holes worn at the edges of the carpet, and a huge green silly putty stain that was not done by MY children, I finally broke down and gave him a budget. $300... no more. And he had Saturday to do it in... no more. Well, $320 later and about 5 hours left until midnight, here is where my flooring is (BTW, thanks to Jason (pictured) and Jeff for helping out):

What does a good wife do when flooring she doesn't even want is being installed in her home? She takes the kids to college for the day. Today was the end of Homecoming Week at UWF and there were activities advertised. Plus, I needed to get a paper done, Will needed to get some reading done and Xan, well, Xan was just excited to be going to college.

I rented a carrel for the day (a small, lockable study room) so we would have a secure "home base" an the fourth floor on the UWF library. The fourth floor was where the children's collection was... and was the library's quiet floor. No, this didn't make sense to me, either. But it worked out OK. Fortunately, my carrel was located in a secluded corner that had a collection of chairs in front of it, so we were good to go for the first two hours. Then the natives (children) got restless and we headed down and over a building or so to the Homecoming festivities, which were a lot of fun.

First was the inflatable slide - a big hit. Such a big hit that the normal jumping inflatable wasn't touched by boys at all. Then, they joined Argie's Kid Club - the UWF booster club for kids to support UWF athletics. It was free and they got T-shirts they didn't hesitate for a moment to put on. Guess who one of the main sponsors on the shirt was?

After the slide we checked out the student booths. The Anthropology/Archaeology tents were a lot of fun - great artifacts. The kids loved the drowned rat skull found at one of the local shipwreck sites and the Florida Archaeology tattoos the best. Will won a SGA (Student Government Association) t-shirt for me and they each got a slap-bracelet.

Then we had a free lunch... pizza and soda... while we listened to a band New Earth Army. Xan thought they were pretty good. Please note the SGA sunglasses. He got those from a coed. The boys were a hit with a number of the college girls, especially Will with the archaeologists. After lunch, it was time to head back in to the library so I could get some more work done. The boys played computer games.

Then it was naptime for Xan. He was getting downright grouchy, so I made him lay on the floor of the carrel. He was out in 10 minutes. Will is more than halfway through his second Whimpy Kid book. Hopefully we can get those AR points up to a decent level.

Oh, and I almost forgot: The boys and I each got a new tattoo. Will chose a skull with flames, Xan got a tiger and I chose a scroll design. Yes, they are real. Real airbrush. ;) They'll last about a week.

Some stray photos...

2011-10-04T21:48:00.001-05:00

The first of what I hope is a lot more photos of Xan in Raeanne and Andrew's wedding.

Will's official photo from the summer swim team in Pittsfield.

What teachers really want to tell parents...

2011-10-04T21:35:00.000-05:00

This is a must-read! I SO agree with everything in it! I am seeing these kids in college and it is not pretty. At all.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/09/06/living/teachers-want-to-tell-parents/index.html

Aquariums and Coke...

2011-10-02T22:59:00.001-05:00

Rodney offered to help a friend of ours move to Atlanta this weekend, so the boys and I went to tag along as a road trip to the Georgia Aquarium and the World of Coke museum. The boys and I went to the aquarium on Saturday afternoon while Rodney lifted furniture, we stayed at our friends apartment Saturday night, and then wen to the Coca-Cola museum this morning. Here are some pictures from the trip:

Of course, Xan refused to pet the cownose rays when we first got there, but then I couldn't get him away from them once he got over his fear. Will wanted to pet one of the bonnethead sharks, but none ever got close enough to the edge.

I really liked the Sea Dragons (above). They were about 8 inches long, very graceful and reminded me of sea horses.

Rodney fell in love with Japanese canned coffee that was dispensed hot when he was stationed in Okinawa. There was some on display at the museum.

The last place you stop (before the gift shop, of course) was a tasting area. It was split up by geographic regions: Asia, Latin America, Africa, Europe and North Africa. It was a lot of fun.

Will tried the Korean soda and thought of Aunt Gina.

Actual smelling shirts - they last 8-10 washes!

Open House at Hellen Caro

2011-09-25T18:39:00.000-05:00

Thursday night was Open House at Hellen Caro and both boys were eager to show us their classroom and what projects they had been working on over the past month. Here are the photos I took:

Rodney is touched by Will's essay about his hero - his Dad.

Will with his teacher, Mr. Sublett, a retired Marine helicopter pilot.

Xan checks out the salt crystals Will made in class.

Will shows Xan some of the cool stuff that was on his desk for Open House.

Will's "I Am" poem.

Will's class fish, who keep breeding more. The babies are kept in a separate tank.

Will is a little behind on his reading...

Xan at his desk in Ms. Williams' class.

Xan shows off the chart of the class accomplishments, If he could just master the word "the," he will have mastered the first nine weeks' sight words.

Xan stands on front of his work, which was on display for Open House.

Smiling through the scars...

2011-09-23T10:01:00.002-05:00

It is sunglasses day at school (fundraiser) and Xan was crawling around on the floor with other kids. He bonked heads with one and his sunglasses cut him. He is fine, Dad took care of him and, at his request, he went back to school. Now he has a scar to matcht he one on the left he cot a few years ago (you can kind of see it in this photo, above the outer corner of his eye). And I have no idea why he is smiling so big...

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Semper Fi 5K Run (walk)

2011-09-21T10:06:00.000-05:00

Here are some photos from this weekend's 5K USMC Semper Fi run in downtown Pensacola. Rodney said the boys did well, especially Will. Will didn't stop or slow down once. However, I was told "the boys did well" before I found out that Rodney left Xan at a Gatroade stand for a half mile. Maybe Rodney should actually train the boys for a 3-mile run before embarking on one....

I did not run, of course, but I did earn some extra funds manning the Pen Air booth with fellow co-workers Crystal and my new part-time counterparty, Libby.

Who is that tall, skinny kid in black?

Welcome, Ben!

2011-09-15T19:11:00.001-05:00

Rodney's cousin Abby and her husband, Joe, welcomed their son, Ben William Landolt, to the world at 4:04 p.m. today. 7 lbs. 7 oz. Mom and baby are doing very well.

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Xan's Kindergarten class

2011-09-12T12:40:00.000-05:00

Here is a photo that was sent home sometime last week but was just found on the kitchen table: Xan's Kindergarten class.

Last chance to support the school fundraiser...

2011-09-11T21:38:00.000-05:00

As I mentioned before, both Will and Xan have been turned in to little sale people yet again this fall. They both need to sell 5 items in order to get the first prize, which, of course, they both want to do. Any help you can give would be greatly appreciated. And, if you can't that's OK, too. Trust me, we know times are tough!

The deadline is Sept. 14, which is Wednesday.

Be sure to use one of the kids' codes for Hellen Caro Elementary School:

Will: 624969
Xan: 107061

Click on the link below to begin shopping...or cut and paste the following into your browser's address bar if you can't click on it. http://www.charlestonwrap.com/shop_now.php

When you purchase items, you will be allowed to assign 1 point per item purchased to the child whose code you used after you check out. They each need five points (items) to get the first prize.

Thank you!

Raeanne and Andrew's Wedding

2011-09-10T21:49:00.000-05:00

Raeanne and Andrew got married today. The ceremony went off without a hitch... Will was in charge of the guestbook, and did an amazing job, as I am sure you would expect. Xan was the ring bearer and was actually quite the ham today - the complete opposite of Zombie Xan that existed at the rehearsal yesterday. Will and Xan were pretty impressed with themselves in their tuxedos... and rightly so - they looked very sharp.

The boys said they thought they looked like Men in Black, or secret agent men, so I posed them as such. They were sure to bring their sunglasses to the church.

We attempted to get a Christmas photo, but Xan forgot how to smile at this point in time.

Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Loyed

Will did a great job manning the guest book table

I repurposed some of the centerpiece flowers for a display on our mantle.

Xan decided to go all "Saturday Night Fever" on us this afternoon and was not just cutting the rug, but shredding it. He was definitely a crowd pleaser with his moves.... especially the fast spins where he ends with a point to someone in the crowd.

The chocolate fountain was YUMMY, as you can see.

I couldn't use my flash during the ceremony, so I did my best with my iPhone.

Where's Xan? This is when the new couple is announced.

September so far...

2011-09-09T23:34:00.000-05:00

Creating his own superheroes on the Marvel web site.

My dining room table with my parents' wedding silver on it.

The laptop is as big as Xan is...

Will getting suited up for the bungee jump in the mall (it rained all Labor Day weekend, thanks to Tropical Storm Lee, so we were all going a little stir crazy!).

Xan getting suited up for the bungee jump. He started to cry at this point and refused to jump. I made him stay there since he had wanted to go up until that point. The guy next to me, with sarcasm, said that I was going to be up for Mother of the Year. Obviously he doesn't know me very well.

Will not only jumped, but flipped.

Xan., stiff as a board, crying and refusing to jump. I asked the worker to bounce him a little (they often pull the kids down to go higher).

It's official and in writing: I am a graduate teaching assistant at UWF.

The boys getting fitted in their tuxes for Raeanne and Andrew's wedding.

Xan looking debonaire.

Will looking dashing.

Will and Xan with Raeanne at the rehearsal dinner tonight. Xan cried and barely participated. Hopefully he will do better tomorrow.

Yes, their wedding colors are blue and orange.

Small, Medium and Large impatient wedding guests.

Don't let this photo fool you. The minute he had the pillow in his hand and had to do it"for real" he because a zombie who refused to move or talk.

The luau themed rehearsal dinner was a hit with the kids - especially the mini umbrellas.

Andrew and Rae with the frame room divider and altered for them. It was on display in the dining hall.

All tuxed up

2011-09-09T15:53:00.001-05:00

The boys were fit into their tuxedos for my friend Raeanne's (Miss Pensacola) wedding tomorrow. Here is a glimpse:

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Will's class web site

2011-09-07T21:52:00.000-05:00

I have photos to post, but no time to post them in! I promise to get to it... eventually! But here is a post to keep you happy for now: Will's class website.

My children are little Amway people again...

2011-08-29T18:25:00.006-05:00

If you are family, you may have already gotten an email about this... check your junk folder if you have not. Both Will and Xan have been turned in to little sale people yet again this fall. They get their first prize by emailing 10 people each... which is why you got an email. However, they both need to sell 5 items in order to get the first prize, which, of course, they both want to do. Any help you can give would be greatly appreciated. And, if you can't that's OK, too. Trust me, we know times are tough!

Be sure to use one of the kids' codes for Hellen Caro Elementary School:

Will: 624969
Xan: 107061

Click on the link below to begin shopping...or cut and paste the following into your browser's address bar if you can't click on it. http://www.charlestonwrap.com/shop_now.php

When you purchase items, you will be allowed to assign 1 point per item purchased to the child whose code you used after you check out. They each need five points (items) to get the first prize. Thank you!

Jill and Luke are engaged!

2011-08-23T06:07:00.001-05:00

Luke popped the question Sunday! No wedding plans yet, but here is a photo of the ring:

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First day of school 2011

2011-08-22T07:03:00.000-05:00

The school bus arrived at 6:17 a.m. this morning, and the kids were ready to go. Will said he was excited to go see his friends and meet his teacher, and Xan couldn't wait to ride the bus for the first time. Here are the photos from this morning:

New shoes, new clothes and official sizes...

2011-08-21T12:23:00.000-05:00

Well, it's official: my kids did get taller over the summer and are skinnier than ever. But not for a lack of eating! I know some of you family members like to get the kids clothes. This is very much appreciated, but we have a lot of some things and not enough of others. So, if you are inclined to purchase clothing items for Will and Xan this fall and winter, here are the sizes and what they could really use:

Will
Will is in a size 12 slim jean. Old Navy seems to fit him the best and don't shrink up as bad as other brands. Do not by loose-fitting jeans, they just bag up. Will would love some long pants, jeans and cargos. He is a 10/12 in shirts and could really use some nice long sleeve, button-down and polo shirts. He is drowning in long sleeved tees. His shoe size is 6.5 mens. Not the easiest size to find, but he has two pairs of sneakers now (thanks Aunt Jill! See the video below), so he should be good. He's got new underwear, too.

Xan
Xan is in a size 7 SLIM jean. And I mean slim. Old Navy seems to fit him best, also, for the same reason as Will. This are pretty baggy on him already, since he is a twig, but the length is great. He is fine on pants. Actually, he is fine on everything because we have a bunch of Will's hand-me-downs. The only thing he might need in the pants area is one or two pairs of jeans for school. We have some new ones, but the hand-me-downs from Will have holes in the knees - that was Will's sliding-across-the-floor-on-his-knees stage in life. But shirts (he's a size 6), PJs, etc., he is just fine. He is also doing well with size 13 shoes. He has three pairs. And he also got new underwear.

If you would like to see the kids opening their shoes from Aunt Jill, here is the link to the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MxXzolTkok

School begins in T-minus 33 hours...

2011-08-20T22:31:00.001-05:00

Will and Xan went to Hellen Caro's orientation Friday morning to meet their teachers (Paul, Peggy and I went, too!). Xan has Ms. Williams, who has been a teacher a Hellen Caro for 19 years. Xan was quick to give her hugs and really seemed to like her. Side note: Peg liked her, too. Here is a photo of Ms. Williams and Xan together. He is thrilled he knows how to spell her name already!

Will is in the self-contained gifted program and Mr. Sublett is his teacher. Mr. Sublett was sick on orientation day, although he did call on Thursday afternoon to say how excited he was to have Will in his class. He had heard good things about Will from last year's teachers. Mr. Sublett has taught at Hellen Caro for 9 years and is a retired Marine Corps helicopter pilot. He was also Hellen Caro's teacher of the year two years ago.

The bus driver also called this evening and will be picking up both boys on Monday morning - between 6:15 and 6:20 - yikes! Xan is excited to be riding the bus with his brother - he's been looking forward to this for years.

I met with my teaching mentor today at UWF and think I am geared up for teaching this semester - at least for the first week! Peggy and the boys went with me and got a short tour of the campus. The kids were very inquisitive about how it all worked. They also got to play with the children of my department chair and teaching mentor's children (the Dr. Kellys are married and have three kids: 11 year old girl, 8 year old and 5 year old boys and I have had both as instructors) in the computer lab in the communications building. Peg talked with the male Dr. Kelly for quite some time while I met with the female Dr. Kelly. Confusing, yes, which is why I usually call the female Dr. Kelly by her first name, since that's how I was first introduced to her.

California so far...

2011-08-15T20:30:00.000-05:00

I left Thursday to fly to California to pick up the kids and the weather has been gorgeous since I got here. Either that, or I have forgotten how nice California is in August, thanks to the hot humidity of Pensacola! Either way, I have been outside a lot and my tan has made an appearance. Meanwhile, I have been spending time with the kids and the rest of my family, especially G.G. Yesterday we headed over to the Starbucks on the Lake at Rancho Santa Margarita. I happened to post to Facebook about it and my oldest friend (as in length of time as friends, not age!), Corrin was there, fishing with her day and two youngest sons. Here are some pictures:

Clockwise from top left: Josiah, Joshua, Will, Xan and Brandon.

Corrin and me

Today was a trip to Disneyland: The boys and I tagged along with Joseph, Gina and Brandon to the Happiest Place on Earth. We got there at 8 a.m. and managed to get through Autopia, Pirates of the Caribbean, the Haunted House, Splash Mountain and Indiana Jones in less than two hours! Also managed to fit in lunch, Star Tours, Toontown and Small World. We were home by 4:30.

Xan was not a fan of the Indiana Jones ride.

Fun on Splash Mountain

The Sorcerer and the Jedi

An altercation with the storm troopers outside Star Tours.

In Tomorrowland they have the Innovention building. Inside they have the "High School Reunion" computer generation of your image - so you can see what you will look like decades later. All three of our images were pretty freaky:

Will

Xan

4th of July in Pittsfield...

2011-07-10T20:35:00.000-05:00

Some of my favorite photos from the week:

Boys' Birthday Wishes

2011-06-27T09:49:00.001-05:00

This photo was texted to Rodney this morning as a Happy Birthday message.

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Where's the Guthries?

2011-06-24T16:12:00.000-05:00

Pen Air FCU won as finalist for Pensacola News Journal's Best of the Bay Readers' Choice Awards for "Best Place to Work" in Pensacola. Can you find me and the boys in the ad?

Bummer...

2011-06-23T14:55:00.001-05:00

My baby (vehicle) got a booboo. I pulled into a parking space next to a coworker and she opened her door at just the wrong moment. Just hoping I'm not at fault. Can't afford the repair bill. ;p

Her car:

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Will's artwork is featured....

2011-06-21T11:49:00.000-05:00

... on a Pen Air blog... Be sure to scroll down to the coloring contest winners. Will is saving up for "collage."

http://www.pennysaversclub.com/

Photos from Pittsfield...

2011-06-20T22:00:00.001-05:00

Thanks, Jill!

Will's flying....

2011-06-13T12:50:00.000-05:00

Well, sort of. Here is a photo that the Williams emailed over today of Will piloting a remote controlled airplane.

Good and bad around the Guthrie house...

2011-06-05T13:32:00.000-05:00

Bad:

The A/C broke on Memorial Day and the company the insurance company chose could not get out here until Thursday at 3 p.m. Guess what? A part needed to be ordered and that would take another 3 business days at the least. Guess what else? Pensacola is experiencing record heat this weekend: 102 degrees. Fun stuff!

When the A/C guy was out here Thursday, the washing machine broke. Yay! Rodney found one on Craigslist from a guy who has a side business of fixing and reselling them. So far so good on the new washer...

Good:

Will got STRAIGHT A's for the first time this year! We are so proud of him! His report card is below:

Peggy and Paul were here this week and we had a lot of fun together trying to stay cool! They and they boys left at 4 a.m. and arrived in Illinois last night for their summer adventure. Rodney and I have spent that time installing a new washer, bowling for charity and cleaning out the refrigerator... so far.

My first retirement ceremony...

2011-06-05T13:26:00.000-05:00

I hadn't seen a USMC retirement ceremony before, and it was fun to see a friends' Joe Sachse retired and Rodney played a big part in the organization and execution of it. He was the commander of troops. Basically, he got to yell at 50 students telling them how to walk and stand in unison. Here are some pics:

Belle and the Boys

2011-05-27T22:11:00.000-05:00

We babysat Belle Sachs tonight and the boys had a great time with her. And she seemed to like them a lot more than she liked me, which probably doesn't come to a surprise to anyone. There is also a video of the interaction and Xan's comparisons of Belle to Cheyenne.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQo3yUOo8w0

A collection of photos from this week...

2011-05-22T16:22:00.000-05:00

This is the baby bird on the back porch, two days before he flew away.

Xan's new (used) bike from the Nunez's complete with training wheels from his old bike.

Rodney's plaque for coaching the Braves, Will's team, this season, from a local scrapbooker, Mary Anderson. She is also the mom of a kid on Will's team.

Can anyone catch the big grammar no-no on this billboard?

The (Preschool) Graduate

2011-05-22T16:13:00.002-05:00

Xan graduated from Blue Angel Early Learning Center's PreK program Saturday with high marks. Here are some photos and videos from the event:

Stage fright before the event, but Miss Brenda helped out.

Xan with his grad cupcake

Xan's diploma

Front side of Xan's report card

Back side of Xan's report card

Xan on graduation bridge

Xan waving from graduation bridge

Xan walking across stage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuiF3QL5Ewo

Xan hugging Miss Nina, school Administrator

Xan handing Miss Nina a card

Xan with Miss Stephanie

Xan giving the teachers gifts: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqls0a3XZvI

Can you find Xan?

How about now?

Xan's slide in the slide show.

Here are a couple of videos from the car ride home:

Xan messing with his cap: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJmzIqGgFFk
President's Song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3Xp4VOruWs

Registered for Kindergarten!

2011-05-18T09:09:00.001-05:00

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Xan and Miss Pensacola USA...

2011-05-17T15:32:00.000-05:00

Xan made his pageant debut this weekend and it's all on YouTube. Unfortunately, you have to watch to the end of the 6:37 minute video before you get to see members of the Guthrie Gang... but, you can see more of my friend, Miss Pensacola USA Raeanne Lawrence.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nQNMfH8G-4&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Video of Xan's baseball swing and Marble playing...

2011-05-15T20:17:00.003-05:00

... enjoy!

Xan:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwV1kY_dLdY

Marble:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HzFNlqCLjY

Will got third place!

2011-05-13T23:10:00.000-05:00

Will got third place on his science project! The entire grade level was judged together (about 120 kids in the grade level, I have no idea how many entered the fair) and three were selected for each first, second and third place (9 kids total got ribbons other than 'participant'). Will was one of the third place children! A huge thank you to Grandma Nancy, Aunt Jill and Uncle Luke, Will says!

Will pitching...

2011-05-13T23:07:00.001-05:00

We have some video footage of Will's pitching for the third time this season. You can see it on our YouTube account:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBIpfelK-Ks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T50PlGuFPT8

And both kids were selected as All Stars! Three kids from each team are hand-selected to be on the summer club team to represent Perdido against other leagues in the area and both Will and Xan were selected for their age groups! Unfortunately, they will be gone all summer and cannot play. But just knowing they are top players in the league is wonderful!

How many people can say they know Miss Pensacola?

2011-05-13T23:04:00.002-05:00

My friend and co-worker Raeanne was crowned Miss Pensacola tonight, She;s never competed before, but this was on her "bucket list" - to compete in a pageant. Since she is getting married later this year, this was her only chance to compete in the Miss USA circuit. The boys had been excited to go, since the love Rae and will be in her wedding. Co-worker Crystal was also there. Here's the video of the news segment... keep an eye out for the Guthrie Gang in the b-roll... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ru7So6MITUg

Guess we're just getting one fuzzy baby this year...

2011-05-13T22:59:00.000-05:00

Mother's Day

2011-05-08T23:12:00.001-05:00

Since Rodney had duty, it was just me and the boys today, pretty much just puttering around the house. I did get a lovely collection of cards and gifts, the funniest being one that Xan did at school. It describes me through his eyes.

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The sleeping mask story...

2011-05-08T22:48:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago Xan said he wanted "one of those things that covers your eyes so you can sleep." I have no idea why, but I figured it might make a great stocking stuffer. I had no idea where to find one, so I figured it would take me awhile to find. But, it did not. Target had them in their dollar aisle today, so I bought one for Xan. I gave it to him and he said reminded all of us the Squidward on Spongebob wears one to bed. When it was time for bed, Xan said he did not want to wear the sleeping mask. OK, no problem. $1.00 down the tubes, but oh well. But then, when I went in to check on the boys, I saw that someone else thought the sleeping mask would be useful. And, in fact, it was. I was able to use the flash for this photo, and Will didn't move a muscle.

One fuzzy baby...

2011-05-08T22:43:00.000-05:00

Our back porch nest has one fuzzy baby and three unhatched eggs. One of the five eggs is missing and I have no idea what could have happened to it. There is no evidence in the plant or below it.

Will's Saturday game

2011-05-08T22:40:00.001-05:00

Saturday, Will had a morning game, which actually started (nearly) on time. So, I was able to get some good photos of his team. Below are a few of the ones of him. The rest you can find on the Picasa web album.

Will's Thursday game...

2011-05-08T22:36:00.000-05:00

Started nearly half an hour late, so it was too dark to get any good pictures. But this is one of Will getting the game ball (third one for the season) for hitting in 3 RBIs in two base hits. Plus, he does an excellent job at first base. His team lost this game, but that wouldn't be the case on Saturday.

Xan's Thursday game...

2011-05-08T22:33:00.001-05:00

For the first Thursday in months, I did not have class, so I got to watch both my boys play. Below are a could of photos of Xan, but I took over 100 pictures at the game. So, for the rest, log on to my Picasa album.