We Saw the Pope and HE Didn't Wave At Us Either

Ok! We are back from our European trip and are almost fully recovered, have Chase in our possession and are waiting for our girl Hannah to get home on Monday and tell us about her adventures in Hungary. Got home just in time to give our grass emergency attention. Tomball has a water ration on right now, it has been more that 100 degrees in Tomball the last couple weeks and we are praying for rain. While in Europe, the temperature wherever we were never reached higher that 73...I know, I know....

We flew into Rome first, from Newark. Kani arranged this entire trip as I sat back lazily, and she did an excellent job. We stayed at a B&B near to the Asian district and had access to Metro and great restaurants, our neighboring guests were German, Russian, and Danish, and we made quick friends. We stayed three nights in Rome and got a whirlwind tour, although based on brother-in-law Kerry's assessment, not enough time to see any of Renaissance Rome, etc. So we have agreed to go back with Kerry & Maria in tow as our tour guides, asap!!

Next stop was Budapest, Hungary. Kani did a great job booking for us and got us the West End Hilton, a rare chance for us to stay in a 5-star hotel, and we loved it. The W.E. Hilton is attached to a great shopping mall in a cool trendy part of Budapest, and also conveniently near to the Metro, so we had the best of everything. We took Hannah to Castle Hill, the Chain Bridge, govt buildings, saw a cute wedding take place with pigeons released, went to Market Square, and saw 'Carmen' at the Budapest Opera House!! Great fun, and there is still more to see of Budapest in the future, such a great city with so much history, etc. We stayed 3 nights before hooking Hannah up with her mission group, on their way to Mischcoltz to work with an orphanage...

Then Kani and I continued on to Brussels. We stayed in a hotel just adjacent to a gothic church and just a short walk from the Grand Place, a square in the center of the city with beautiful old Renaissance architecture and flowers. This was Kani's favorite place of all. After touring a few days in Brussels, we became itchy to come home, were missing our little boy, and had the unexpected expense of having to buy new glasses for me! So we skipped an extra day to see Waterloo, (I have already toured it), and came home a day early. It's great to be back in the land of iced tea and endless refills!!

Adventures In Babysitting, Canada: Be Sure To Pack Some Mittens

Not since Hitler's 6th German Army capitulated just outside of Stalingrad in the Russian Winter of '42 has there been such a weather debacle as faced by our innocent little lamb of a 14-year-old daughter, Hannah, on her trip to Calgary, Alberta, just days ago...

Dutifully obedient and eager to please her Dad...(?)....and her Mom, Hannah packed her brand new REI backpack with some capris, tennies, sandals, t-shirts, and, yes, some unmentionables, anticipating fair, sunny weather in Calgary, just as she had enjoyed on a recent trip to same. Unbeknownest to her, and us, and the Lonards, (her hosts), a snowy storm blew in on the day she arrived, like some gail out of a Gordon Lightfoot song, and nearly froze our poor little Hannah to death. Imagine, if you will, the pathetic picture of Hannah sitting on a bench at the airport, waiting for her ride, her lower legs unprotected by her cheery denim capris and turning blue, her shoulders shivering violently from the cold, her bathing suit strapped to her face, like some kind of makeshift mask, to keep icicles from forming on the tip of her sweet little nose....

It really pulls at your heart-strings, doesn't it, dear friends? But there's more pitifulness....on the first day of her 'job' as nanny, Hannah was locked out of the house by the dastardly Lonard boys, eager to test the metal of their new household mistress. Outside the warm house, once again vulnerable to the elements, but this time without her bikini, and, as the Lonard boys stood at the windows of their home, licking icing off forbidden cake in open defiance, Hannah kept her cool and did what she does best. She got on her cell phone, contacted the lady of the house, Erin, and narc'd on the two mischevious little munsters, just as she often tattles on me to her mom. Erin immediately came home and set things right.

Please stay tuned for further updates on Hannah's Canadian adventure, perhaps her next experience will not be so poignant...

Somewhere That's Green

After ignoring our dear blog for so long, it's time to announce that we have moved to a new house in downtown Tomball! (new for us). Actually, the house is a bit smaller than what we had before, a 60's era simple brick house with porches in front and back, a car port, and a detached garage that I have converted into a family room. We love living in this neighborhood, everyone is so friendly and there are so many conveniences. (Tonight Kani and I went to our favorite Chinese place and the drive was about 2-3 mins.) Our house is in an old neighborhood that branches off of Main Street in downtown Tomball, and we are within walking distance to all it's shops and eateries. The whole atmosphere reminds you of small town America, and this is exactly what we were looking for all along since moving back to Texas from Florida...

Hannah & Chase have a huge fenced back yard to play in and practice flag work(for Hannah's color guard). I love having a room to putz around in (garage) that I have deemed 'The Wolf's Lair.' If I get in trouble with Kani I will just go have time out in my Wolf's Lair... There are lots of cool old houses around us in our neighborhood of differing shapes and sizes, but all tastefully done, and there are even a few eccentrics, which every great town needs.

We are having a great time and look forward to lots of cookouts with family and friends, small group meetings, and just relaxing around our house.

Spam Jam? Thank You, Ma'am...

Here is a quick rundown of our activities on our Hawaii anniversary get-away. Bear in mind that this was intended all along as a low-key few day escape from our kiddos, and originally we were to go to Bahamas, but figured out that HNL was likely cheaper and no surprises...

THURS: Flew to LAX and stayed the night at Travel Lodge, in the same room where our minister & wife stayed 4 years ago, on our way to HNL for our wedding. (Kind of fun to sleep in the same bed your minister did....) Ate at one of our favorite romantic restaurants.....Denny's......in the Travel Lodge building...

FRI: Flew in Bus First to HNL, ate steak & lobster, slept like babies. Once in HNL, got off bus and went to Chan's chinese buffet near HNL airport. Tummies full, went to Waikiki on city bus, coincidently called 'The BUS.' (we are big spenders). Once in Waikiki, went to beach, and waited for dusk hula show which has always taken place before. Show did not take place, perhaps due to city budget cuts, economy, etc. (Hula beach shows are now just on Tues/Thurs/Sat...) Took some great sunset pics on beach, then went strolling about Waikiki looking at nightlife and shopping...later, we split up, Kani to Intl Marketplace, me to go find her a special gift for next day....

SAT: Picked up rental car, went to breakfast at Pete's Smorgy, then took Kani to Ka-akako State Park, where we had our wedding in '05, and surprised her by wearing my wedding shirt, re-stating my vows to her, and giving her a pearl necklace bought secretly night before. Kani was very happy and I earned big-time points... Then, went on a wonderful driving tour of Oahu beginning in Waikiki and driving counter-clock-wise around island. Just wonderful!! Highly recommend it. Stopped at Dole Plantation but blew off going in. After most of day touring, went back to hotel, freshened up, went to 'Spam Jam,' a street festival(of many)held in Waikiki annually. Watched sweet little girls' troupe put on wonderful hula show. After festival, once again strolled nightlife of Waikiki and went to one of our favorite romantic restaurants........Denny's......where we romantically split the chicken fried steak....

SUN: Went to Chinatown and had dim sum. Kani was very brave and did not squirm when I ate a whole bowl of chicken feet. Kani got to try several dumpling variations, sesame ball filled with bean curd, steamed bun with minced pork inside, and Chinese tea. A feast!! Then , tummies full, went to DiamondHead and climbed up and down in 1 hour. Last time we did this, Kani was 5 1/2 months preggy, and we began our hike from central Waikiki, not base of DiamondHead Volcano... We still can't believe we did that. (No wonder Chase turned out like he has)...Checked out of hotel, went shopping at Aloha Tower stores and Ala Moana Mall, then feast at Bubba Gump's. Then on to airport and a whole other adventure getting home....

Again, this trip was a low-end affair but was much needed and we both agree has been perhaps our best to Hawaii: no wedding or kids or relatives to worry over, etc... Just relaxing....Ahhhhhhhh.........

Just Give Me a Copy of the Playbook, Coach...

BIG IMPORTANT EARTH-SHATTERING NEWS: Jack Elway, son of legendary NFL quarterback John Elway, has decided to (gasp) quit college football after his redshirt freshman year and (gasp) just be a student who goes to Arizona State simply for the joy of higher learning....what is he possibly thinking?!!?

My own high school experience went like this: attended Dulles, largest public HS in the state of Texas at the time, was happy just to be on varsity my junior year, rotating in as a defensive end, and started as an OT my senior year. Luckily, my team was a good one and we lost no home games my 2 years of varsity, going to regionals both years and finishing up both seasons with regional loses at Kyle Field in College Station. Could not tell you who we played in these two games to save my life. Had to work up some tears after each of these two losses to appear adequately disappointed...

I have forgotten the names of my coaches. After stepping out of the field house after watching film/wrapping things up after our last game of senior year, I have not seen any of these coaches again in the flesh, at all, even on the DHS campus. Once, I helped one of them pick out a screen door, when I worked at the local lumber yard. I remember being perhaps brighter than the average kid on squad, but could not remember my plays very well. My individual coach, Ricky, also did not remember our plays and/or assignments very well, and often told us to 'wait' while he ran across the field to ask the other, smarter coach what we were supposed to do. (He actually ran more windsprints than we did). He was, however often frustrated with me and my football savvy, or lack thereof(I guess we were supposed to figure it out ourselves), and I felt a warmth of satisfaction when later, in my first job out of college, I met one of his former teammates, an attorney, who told me that their squad once wanted to make Ricky walk home from a game, because he botched an extra point/field goal which cost his team the victory, and habitually made bone-headed plays....

When it was close to HS graduation time, a few smaller universities expressed a vague interest in me playing for them. One particular Christian university actually came to Dulles campus and requested to see me. My head coach, always thinking of his players first, actually sent the recruiter away without seeing me, perhaps because I did not have the interview channeled through him, thereby preventing him the chance of having something useful to do. The same college interviewer then later chatted with me on the phone, and when I politely told him I had decided to attend a larger university just to study, he repeated to me some petty remarks my head coach had aimed my way. I then reminded the interviewer of how conveniently this was all going to work out, since we didn't know each other, and I wasn't planning on playing anyway...

I specifically chose not to be a 6 ft tall, 300 lb small college offensive lineman, the idea just didn't do alot for me, and I'm satisfied with my decision to this day-call me crazy. Somehow, I am thinking that things will work out ok for Jack Elway, even if he misses out on the grand example of yet more football coaches in his life. There are other men he can learn from and emulate...professors, leaders of his church, and yes, even his dad.

Herrington Kids Top 10 List of Future Profound Resentment

10) Once unwittingly ate Hannah's leftover doughnuts she was planning to have in the morning, causing her to weep with grief(4th grade)...this was Hannah's first bitter realization that Dads are bottomless pits...

9) Do not allow Chase to choose 'candy' as his breakfast food-he only gets some soon afterwards.

8) Force Chase to wear clothing...

7) We do not allow Hannah to leave our home wearing shirt she is plainly coming out of. Have explained that if I were a boy in her class, I would have to carry a dishtowel to collect the drool...

6) Chase is not allowed to drive his motorized car into an immovable object, just to see the tires spin and spin...

5) Hannah is only allowed to watch about 50 hrs of TV a week............(?)

4) Chase's time-out chair is put away until needed, otherwise he will use it to do things that put him in time-out....

3) Chase knows that when we spell something, this usually means 'having to do with Chase' but he is otherwise in the dark and must play a guessing game...

2) Hannah is only allowed 10 pair of jeans(that is, 10 for every day of the week)...

And finally, reason # 1)Now we only go to McDonalds every other day...

Clunkers Have More Fun....

Hannah has instructed my to write about her home-made, balloon-propelled car that she built for 8th grade chem/physics class...It is the only time I have ever received a good grade in either subject. Observe our resourcefulness:

(Car Body): McDonald's to-go cardboard drink tray

(Axles): Wooden dowels suspended in McDonald's drink straws

(Straws then anchored to body using dollar story toy rings(straws thru the loops, etc)...

(Wheels): Walgreens medicine bottle caps pinned to dowels

...We blew air into the balloon many times, would not roll. Then Hannah told me she would get an 88 just for following building rules. I said "Take it and run." Hannah shows up to class and gets 90, 2 extra points for originality. Hannah and other 'Clunker car' friends have 'races' and H's wins because it travels about 5centimeters...Dad has a good laugh, thinking "I've taught her well. My work is done here..."

Chasey-isms (Age 2)

1) "Dad-gumit Lamby, lay down!" (Chasey instructs his stuffed animal to 'Sleep!')

2) "Jus a minute, I be right back..." (Witnessed by Marti H & Karen Z at Pinecove)

3) "I want some decorations...(?)" ('Operation'(board game)fruit snacks)

4) "Hee-hee, you crack me!!" (Sister, your funny faces are making me laugh)

5) "Dad, I really, really need candy corns, RIGHT NOW!!" (self-explanatory)