Chaos before bedtime

You are my sunshine

Nicotine Jr singing like a pro.

Over 1000 hits on Youtube

Two of my videos have done very well. This one is above 1000 hits and the Humpty Dumpty video (also Nicorette) is almost at 10,000 hits. I guess I need to make a really good one of Nicotine Jr so he doesn't feel left out...

Spring Show

Nicorette did three songs at her spring show. She's the 7th over, doing the "Mi" part. The other songs were cute, but not as cute as this one.

Hula Hoop Kid

A favorite photo (taken 1/19/08)

I played in Photoshop and made it "watercolor". I think it turned out cool. I may just order a print...

Surfing Indoors

5 Year Old Surfing from Nicotine Jones on VimeoShe had fun...and was uninjured (despite the wipeout)...[updated with better version from Vimeo instead of youtube]

In the car (at a stoplight)

Nicorette was entertaining Nicotine Jr with a balloon while the wife was still out of town.

Today at Disney's Animal Kingdom

For Nicorette's birthday. Behold, the Leopard Girl. $2 per view. Behold the very tired father of two after 10 hours, trying to drive home in a tornado watch. Made it, got 'em to bed. My turn...

Happy Birthday Nicorette

Nicorette turns 6 today. We had her birthday party last weekend since the wife was going to be out of town (for 10 days of new job training). So today, I am taking her and Nicotine Jr to a Disney Breakfast and the parks. Hopefully, it will go smoothly! This was taken yesterday. Her babysitter (I had to work Thursday evening) double braided her hair...

Mick-otine Jr.

Or something like that. We had Nicorette's 6th birthday party (pix to come, no doubt). Her birthday isn't until next week, but since the wife will be out of town for work training, we had it early. We went to a paint pottery place and had about 8 little girls. Nicotine Jr will celebrate his birthday when the wife returns. And, we'll probably skip mine since it's not too important. On Nicorette's actual birthday, I'll be taking the kids to one of the Disney character breakfasts. Then, we'll hit the parks since we have annual passes. Should be fun...if I don't go INSANE...heh, heh.

TGIF

This is a favorite photo of Nicotine Jr. I feel the way he looks today. The little one was up all night (and so were we). Got him to go to sleep at 3 or 4 and Nicorette got me up. She was sick and so nobody got much sleep. I think I might have totaled 2 hours. I think I'll have to call out sick today since I doubt I can drive the 200 miles that my job will require today. Glad the week is over. Nicorette has her birthday party Saturday (a week early so the wife can go - since she's leaving for new job training for a few weeks). Nicotine Jr has a birthday (his first) soon, but we'll probably celebrate when the wife returns. He probably won't know the difference...

Hope everyone has a nice, relaxing, sleep-filled weekend!

Cold Florida

Yes, I know it's a bit of an eclectic outfit, though I definitely support the wearing of my Brown's hat. The wife is out of town for new job training (yeah for the new job) and it's damned cold in Orlando (and the rest of the country). Of course, the lows are only in the 30s so I'm our of line complaining when most places (including my old stomping ground in Cleveland) are getting hit by major snow. So I let Nicorette dress herself (as long as it's a warm outfit) since it's free dress week at school (ie. no uniform). Could NOT find a winter coat so she had to wear this pink thing...Oh well, at least she's smiling!

H.R. Pufnstuf

This is one of my daughter's favorite songs. It's the Murmurs version of the theme song for H.R. Pufnstuf, an old saturday morning show. Anyone remember it? It's on DVD. She also likes the show...

Lyrics
--------

Once upon a summertime
Just a dream from yesterday
A boy and his magic golden flute
Heard a boat from off the bay
"Come and play with me, Jimmy
Come and play with me.
And I will take you on a trip
Far across the sea."

But the boat belonged to a kooky old witch
Who had in mind the flute to snitch
From her broom broom in the sky
She watched her plans materialize
She waved her wand
The beautiful boat was gone
The skies grew dark
The sea grew rough
And the boat sailed on and on and on and on and on and on.

But Pufnstuf was watching too
And knew exactly what to do
He saw the witch's boat attack
And as the boy was fighting back
He called his rescue racer crew
As often they'd rehearsed
And off to save the boy they flew
But who would get there first?

But now the boy had washed ashore
Puf arrived to save the day
Which made the witch so mad and sore
She shook her first and screamed away.

H.R. Pufnstuf,
Who's your friend when things get rough?
H.R. Pufnstuf
Can't do a little cause he can't do enough.

H.R. Pufnstuf,
Who's your friend when things get rough?
H.R. Pufnstuf
Can't do a little cause he can't do enough.

Over 5000 hits on YouTube

Hard to believe...but this video of Nicorette reciting Humpty Dumpty has received over 5000 hits. This is by far my most popular video. If you look closely, you can see that the car is moving and I'm driving while taking this video. Don't try that. Really. I was lucky to frame her in the video since I was watching the road while filming. But it all worked out. I still find it amusing. Anyway, if you haven't seen this one, join the crowd and check it out...

Pledge of Allegiance

I felt I was neglecting Nicorette so I gave her an assignment. She had to do the Pledge of Allegiance in 15 seconds. She hit it with a few seconds to spare and was so happy. Watch her reaction...

Me and Nicorette video

This was taken somethime this year. Not much video of me posted, but I thought I'd share this one. Nicorette was acting like the camera was taking a still photo. Oh well...

Daddy is so cool

This coming weekend, fresh from a little family vacation to S. Florida (still tired from that), I am taking 5 1/2 year old Nicorette to see "High School Musical on Ice". I bought two tickets so that the Wife and Nicotine Jr would have some ALONE time. Now, I don't know what the hell I was thinking. I like HSM enough (as much as a 42 year old father should), but this might have overextended the brand. I'll report back, but somehow I think that I'll be unhappy with the purchase. When I reminded my daughter that we'd be going next weekend, she asked about souvenirs already. After Disney Princess on ice, we went home with a Cinderella cup that had been filled with a snow cone. She is expecting to pick up a Troy or Gabrielle (not sure if that's right) snowcone mug. I think it's a little creepy to eat a snowcone that seems like it's someone's head. Like eating their brains...

Next trip that makes Dad a hero: Build a Bear, followed by Mickey's not so scary Halloween. Any costume ideas for me? The Beat costume I wore up in Ohio is way too warm for Florida. I almost had a stroke last Halloween...

Nicorette doing Jumping Jacks