my swim lessons

My swim lessons are very good. I stopped them yesterday because I'm going back to Texas next week. There was a lazy river in the pool I went to. It was at a big giant rec center, and it was supposed to look like a river, a real lake. Cause on top of the walls there was stone rock and some of the things things that were high up had rock on them that looked like a mountain. And there were metal pools that had plastic wood cylinders on them to look like wood to hold up the things. There were two waterslides and the pool was inside, and all year round you could come in the winter. It was heated and the pool's water was warm. Almost every lesson we got to ride down the lazy river. It was really fun. I was thinking, "I haven't tried walking in the lazy river. How do I know I'm not tall enough?" The lazy river is a circle roundabout water thing that pushes you like a river. It has a current and my brother calls it the crazy river.

Well, goodbye.

Arthur

SNOW BLIZZARD!

It snowed last night and playing in it is fun.Hey! Texans!(not myself)Its cold here! It snowed last night!whats your weather?(probaly about 90-120 degrees)No answer?Well I am having a good time in Coloado.

David
P.S.I cannot wait to make a snow man.
P.S.2Arthurs is ecited about it too.

things to do on the boat

We listened to the Furled Sails podcast interview with Lin and Larry Pardey, and it's got me thinking about things we really should do to improve the boat before we leave.

First of all, I think we should get too ambitious with our improvements, so there will be money left over for living expenses, and also time. Easy items to overlook until it is too late.

We need a haulout and paint job. Yes it will cost more to hire it out, yes we should try to do ourselves what we can, but we need to be realistic about how much time we can spend there (leaving the kids at grandparents' house only is good for so long). Also it has been years and years since we painted the bottom, it might be wise to have someone look it over who knows what they are seeing. While that is going on we can clean the mold and paint the inside, paint our name on back, and install things like lifeline netting.

The L & L interview was a good reality check. I think we're making the right decision not setting too much of a goal (if we make it only as far as New Orleans, it will still be the adventure of a lifetime). They make a good argument against having a shower which is fine with me. I think that we'll probably just plan on visiting shore showers while the weather is cold, and using our galvanized tub for baths when it is warm.

The thing that impressed me about them, that always impresses me when meeting or reading about long term cruising people, is their calm attitude. We're trying to get better at moving slowly, acting rationally, being civil to each other. You've seen the crusty old people who shuffle down the pier to wind a line around a cleat, never raising their voices or getting agitated. It's much easier to adopt the clever stragegy of "When In Danger, Or In Doubt, Run In Circles, Scream and Shout". I probably think of this phrase every time we pull into a slip. Our boat is so heavy that it is hard to slow when started. I worry as much about plowing through the middle of someone's sparkling new Beneteau, as I used to feel pulling onto the Interstate when I was first driving. So it will be great to get a lot of practice maneuvering Contrail around channels, buoys, and other moored objects.

The Pardeys expressed a wish that people would focus more on the sailing capabilities of their boats (as opposed to floating RVs) When we had the Capri and went out every weekend I had a good feel for how to make the boat go the right way, I have forgotten most of it. But I suppose it's a riding-the-bicycle kind of thing.

One more week and then we'll have a more formidable issue to tackle. Friends and relatives trying to attach a number of anchors to keep us on the homeland. If we can brave this passage the next one will be a snap.

Oh yeah, and it's Par-dee. And Tal-iss-en. They really ought to change the spelling of their name and so many people wouldn't be confused. Ha ha.

lego.com

lego.com Is very neat,it has very cool games and you can get you a homepage there!My favortite game there is a game with Voya Nui.And I really like lego.com.

David

Dads good spaghetti

Dads spaghetti is the best in the world and everyone likes it. The same to his sauce and they are both waiting for me to eat them. So I must go.


David

How Hagrid Got Fluffy

This is my story about how Hagrid got Fluffy. Hagrid and Dumbledore are owned by J.K. Rowling but Tikatif is not.

Arthur

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HOW HAGRID GOT FLUFFY

Hagrid got Fluffy before Harry came to school. He wanted a dog but he already had Fang. He wanted two dogs. He wanted a specific dog -- a three headed dog -- because she was so neat and so interesting.

He ran across her in Diagon Alley. It was a busy day. Lots of people at the stores. Hagrid was going shopping for Hogwarts school supplies. That's where Dumbledore got the vase that Harry fell into -- the pensieve.

Hagrid was going with a bag full of wizard coins, and then Hagrid headed to the place where he got the pensieve. He was coming out of the pensieve store and then it wasn't as busy as before. He was in there for a short time.

A man was standing right in front of the store. The guy had a hood, like Hagrid told Hermione and Ron. He was sitting on the side of the road. He had Fluffy but she was a baby. She was as small as a puppy -- not any bigger than a jar.
"Hi, I'm selleeng thees dog."

Hagrid said, "A dog?"

The hooded guy was called Tikatif and he was from France. He spoke in a calm voice and pronounced his name "teek-a-teef". Hagrid could only see his hands. Tikatif said, "I only know a leetle bit of Eengleesh." and told Hagrid that he just had his first lesson of English this day.

Hagrid said, "How many heads does Fluffy have?" He didn't know because Fluffy was in a cage. You couldn't see through the wall of the cage but there was some light.

Tikatif said that the dog had three heads and Hagrid said that he'll take Fluffy. Tikatif said, "Eet weel be three galleons, please. One for each head."

Tikatif gave him Fluffy in the box. And then Hagrid said "bye" to Tikatif. Hagrid felt like he was going to get Fluffy a new cage. He liked her and he would take good care of her.

Tikatif yelled to Hagrid "good bye good bye good bye --- and mu-seek quiets her down."

And Hagrid bought a cage for Fluffy. Hagrid looked at all the cages and saw the one he wanted. it was an oval shaped cage. He wanted to get a leash for Fang and a collar. Hagrid goes to the counter and he gives the person the money. Because he has some money left over from buying the pensieve. And he also bought a food bowl for Fluffy.

The store was a pet shop, and it was called "The Three Creators" because there were only three people who worked there. Hagrid talked to Sammy the Creator. He looked like the person in the Knight bus (Stan Shunpike). That is because Stan Shunpike was his brother. Sammy was a young guy. He had a kind of round face, and he had three pimples on his forehead. He had straight hands and regular shaped teeth. He had thick blondish-brown hair.

Hagrid asked Sammy Shunpike "Aren't you the ticket taker of the Hogwarts Express?"

Sammy said, "I used to be, but I got fired. I accidentally didn't take three tickets. So they casted a spell that made me have three pimples on my forehead."

Hagrid said "Wow." Hagrid paid Sammy Shunpike his leftover money and he set off back to his hut.
He fell into a ditch in Diagon Alley. It looked like sand but it wasn't really. There was a hole under the sand. There was sand everywhere else on Diagon Alley but there had to be a disguise. Mad-Eye Moody had set a trap to catch a thief who stole from Gringotts.

There was wood underneath that made Hagrid stuck. That was making more wood and more wood and more wood come. There were a few bits of wood, and it just made more wood, and it covered and made his legs struggle. And his legs were at the very bottom. But he got himself out. Because the ditch was too short and his legs were tall.

He used a portkey to get back to Hogwarts. It was a portkey that muggles wouldn't think was something. It was a tire. Hagrid touched it, and waited for ten minutes to be over, and he was right in front of his doorway.

He went into his cabin, to show Fluffy to Fang. And that's how Fang made friends with Fluffy.

Hagrid went to Dumbledore's office and gave Dumbledore the pensieve. They talked. Hagrid told Dumbledore that he got a new dog, and he said that Fang and Fluffy liked each other. And then he went back to his hut. And then it was nighttime.

So he got into bed and then he had gone to sleep.

THE END

fun math game

A very fun math game is snakey math,for the demo it is in multiplication in the demo,but it is in addition,subtraction,multiplication,and division,and lots of different numbers,in the full game witch is $9.99 individually and $99.99 for a school.


David

My story

I am making a story called ''The squriels big adenture''it is a story about squirels who hear that dangerous formulas will now be tested on squirels and other animals at the empire state building.So they go from Colorado to New York to blow up the empire state building.this book contains hiliarous laughter and action and lots of squirels.



David

some new questions

With the weather getting colder up here, our thoughts are turning to how cold it will eventually get this winter, on even the Gulf Coast. There is a nice propane heater that looks like a fireplace and only measures 5.5 inches deep. It even comes with a heater coil for water, which would be a nice bonus. I'm looking into the pros and cons of pressure water. After last year in the pop-up we really want it, but everything I have read says pressure water systems are notoriously problem-ridden.

Other concerns: can we hang our pots and pans from the ceiling? How can we maximize our storage space for food, books, and toys? Will the quarter berth be big enough for the kids to sleep without kicking each other? I'm investigating different food staples that don't require refrigeration. We will undoubtedly have some stuff that needs to stay cool, but the less the better. When we have put things in the ice box they always wind up floating in water as the ice melts. I guess in winter time this is less of a concern as we will have plenty of cold storage on deck. I suppose at least at night it will be plenty cool enough for meat if not ice cream.

I think that it would be really really wise of us to get Oliver toilet trained before we go, but I haven't mustered up the effort that it takes. I don't welcome the thought of lugging giant packs of diapers with us, and hanging onto the soiled ones until we have a suitable place for disposal. On the other hand we currently only buy diapers every other week or so, and will probably need to visit a grocery store at least that often. Maybe a non-issue? Probably a bigger concern is for us to minimize how much garbage we generate. Currently we are keeping the trash down because we truck everything down to the reccyleing site. Unfortunately we found while camping that, without constantly running water and in house washer/dryer, we used a lot more packaged items like paper towels, etc. Will have to figure this out.

How realistic is it for us to use one of those on-deck showers? I don't want us filling the inside of the boat with spray, we are messy enough already. Maybe we'll just get by using showers on shore, whenever we encounter them.

It's Hard to Be Five

It's Hard to Be Five is a great, great book, and it's funny because the narrator, which is a five year old says "if it's including dirt, I will say "Yes!" And at the very start he's got a five-O-meter, and his badge says "systems off" and at the end, when his five-o-meter is under control, his badge says A-OK. And when he hasn't got it under control, the button on the front of his five-O-meter is "panic". And when he's got it under control it says "running smoothly". He tries to sit still but it's just really hard. Close to the end, he has a license and his body's his car. I don't want to tell you too much so if you want to buy the book, you can.

Arthur

I can play the piano

As said in my last blog,I am a good piano player.I can even play Jingle Bells!Today was even my lesson!It really always is fun.I have even made a song!And in my next blog there will be a picture of the song I made.



David

What I will do when I get back to Texas

I am in Colorado,but I am going back to Texas. I am going to play with my friends. When I get back me and David are going to start a gameboy club. Also I am going to visit my oma and papa, grammy, and my cousins while I'm at my oma and papa's house.

Arthur

Mattam Fez

For my parents anniversery we went to Mattam Fez,it was just like Morroco.Well,almost, Morrocos food was a lot better!

David

Fun and interesting facts

here are a few interesting facts:
1.Stephen was the 7th British ruler.
2.My brother (Oliver) is 2 at the moment(2006).
3.I am a good piano player.
4.I have lost my Mario and Luigi superstarsaga game at the moment.
and 5. Moms phone ring sounds like a huge,big,smelly fart.

David
P.S.this is supposed to be funny.

fun on the boat

For fun on the boat, I will go fishing, and play the computer and GameBoy in the cabin when it gets rainy. I will help Dad sail the boat and I'll sit down on the side of the boat looking up at the stars when night comes.

Arthur