Kraken Kronicles

Hey Everyone,
As usual, the Christmas cards we bought are still in the box sitting in the closet. They have joined the two boxes from last year.

So, here are our Christmas Card pictures to you!!!

Merry Christmas to all!!!



Above is a picture of the kids right after Christmas Eve Mass. I think they were singing Happy Birthday to Jesus....



Songs over! Blow out those Advent Candles!!!!



Here is the Children's Choir. Emily is giving her pretty smile (second row, first girl in red dress) and Connor is..well..being Connor.

Now for the BIG DAY!!!!

Here are the little Cherubs enjoying the spoils of Christmas.


Here we are sitting down to a wonderful Christmas Dinner. First in our new house.
Cheers!!! Nice photo Mom!!!
I know Connor looks a little tipsy, but he is only drinking sparkling juice.



Nicholas and Emily



Mary and Connor



Have a Joyous Holiday Seaon everyone!!!
Be Healthy, Happy, and Have a Great New Year!!!

(2006 is almost over Downingtown Schmidts!!!)

When we were down south for Thanksgiving, the kids got a kick out of this camera built into Judy's laptop. Here are some of the more 'stimulating' results for your viewing pleasure.



Connor, playing with the artsy type stuff. Rather mild, but he thought it was pretty cool. That's me trying to look all Wharholian behind him. Not really working, is it???




Here is Emily Pin Head showing off that rather pronounced forehead of hers.



Here is Nicholas, looking rather satisfied as he KNOWS he has the biggest brain bucket in the family, and is obviously not afraid to show it off.....



Then there is Mary....Bet you didn't know that kids skulls stay flexible until they are five or so. You can squeeze the top of their head and everything just slides down to the bottom! (Just kidding Anna, don't try this with Joe's kids).

The scary thing is, when she does this she looks like kind of like Bill Clinton....don't do that again Mary!!! You'll scare the Kraken!!!!

Connor is very proud his sketch was chosen to be one of the program covers for the Christmas Concert this past Thursday. They selected two students from each grade. (about 50 kids in each grade)

It says, "Snow Sleet Slush Hail" from his favorite song they sang titled "It Comes Out Snow" which goes a little like this....

"Snow! Snow! Sleet! Sleet! Slush! Slush! Hail! Hail! Snow Sleet Slush Hail Snow Sleet Slush Hail Snow Sleet Slush Hail You take a little H 2 O, make the temp'rature real low. A little bit of dust is a snow-flake must. From the cloud, it comes out snow. No! Yo! Snow? From the cloud it comes out snow. Slush Hail Snow Sleet Slush Hail Now just let me be precise; that cloud is chockfull of ice..... Hideeho! Ev'rybody is makin' snow. We're swingin' to and fro, down from our ice caps to our frozen toes. Oh, now we know, how to make a snowflake grow. Ev'rybody look out below. Here comes the snow. Here comes the snow. Here comes the Snow Sleet Slush Hail Now we're makin' snow! Yeah!"

This pic is from about three weeks ago. The first snowy day of the season. The kids are on the freshly shoveled pile of snow at the end of our driveway. They had a blast, of course.

That's Mary (age 3), Nicholas (age 4), Emily (age 9 or 17, depending on her mood), and Connor (age 7). In front is Jillian, our next door neighbor's daughter. It was a balmy 45 degrees today and almost all of the snow is gone. The kids are hoping for more by Christmas!

QoD Award

The Question of the Day award for today goes to Nicholas. I was working on one of the kitchen cabinet doors while he watched (as usual). Out of the blue, Nicholas asks me:

"Dad, it would be pretty funny if all the screws in the whole world just fell out of what they were holding together, wouldn't it?"

I suppose it would be pretty funny Nicholas.

Just imagine!

The semester is almost over, I'm at work and I'm bored. Here are some pictures from the past few months. More to come (maybe).

We've seen spectular Pittsburgh sporting events.


I got a new hat.


Dynamic Technology Solutions is still running strong.


We've attended a few parties (and met some really awesome people).


And I spent a great deal of time here, studying.

I think Waldo's other name should be 'Money.' Where does it go??? Why does it leave so quickly? Money used to stick around much longer. I feel so used and neglected in our relationship anymore.

Kraken Writes:

As the years pass I notice many people feel the desire to own an animal. Now, I can sort of understand this need, when the children are in their formative years, the PET is just another toy.

However, as some of these folks reach later life, the need to have a barn yard animal living in their house is beyond my comprehension. Mind you, an animal that is fed and cared for without any intention of eating it, or of getting meat, eggs or milk from it boggles my mind. Of course I can accept hunting dogs, watch dogs and sheep dogs, which, I might add, do not dwell in the house.

I have a certain amount of pity for these superficial folks, who, apparently, have never cultivated love of family and/or attained the respect of friends. I suppose these folks really don’t like themselves or even enjoy being alone. They alter their attention between their pampered beast and the remote.

Can they not sit and ponder a beautiful painting, hatched from an artist’s mind and transferred to canvas with great skill? Can they not saver a well-written story from an author who is at the top of his/her craft? Can they not marvel at the arrangement of notes that produce a pleasing and uplifting sound? Can they not create something with their hands that will justify their very existence?

Alas, I think not. More is the waste and the pity.

In any food market, you will find an entire section devoted to worthless barnyard animals, living in homes. These fortunate chemically and genetically* altered beasts eat and live better than 80% of the world’s people. The contribution of these people to society is nothing more than economic, that is, nothing of lasting value.






That’s my opinion!

KRAKEN
12/1/2006
*Too bad this methodology can’t be applied to the more savage members of our society.