Photography by Mason

While we were in AZ for Christmas, my cousin's kid, Mason, was playing with my camera.  Here are some of the results. 

Desi gets his cleaning genes from his mom

I didn't even acknowledge the existence of brooms until I was 35.


Brooming...or Swiping...or, something. from Jason Pankow on Vimeo.

Stupid Daycare crap

I swear...someone in the house has been sick since November.  Just when we think we're getting over something, we get nailed with something else.  Desi has had a cough forever.  Now, I'm all phlemmy and coughy, again. 

Daycare is nothing but a garden of viruses.  Any given day, when I go to pick up Des, I look around at the kids.  Every single one of them has something disgusting dripping from some oriface in their face.  Nose, eyes, ears, mouth.  It's disgusting.

Supposedly, this is supposed to strenthen Desi's immune system.  I'm not sure I buy that.  I mean, I've been through school and all the diseses that come with that.  Yet, here I am suffering from the same Daycare sludge.  I think we'll all be passing this back and forth until Desmond is out of the house.

Molly Hightower

By now, everyone has heard about the tragedy in Haiti. The earthquake that has claimed tens of thousands of lives, and counting.


Today I learned about one casualty. Molly Hightower. Molly is the niece of a friend of mine, Therese Hightower, and an old Gonzaga acquaintance, Craig Hightower. Therese and I met at Washington Mutual. We're not close, but I like to keep tabs on her. Last year, we happened to be together in San Francisco to get drunk watching the Zags lose in the NCAA tournament. Craig was a baby J (a Jesuit priest in training) while I was at Gonzaga. He is now a Campus Ministry leader at Gonzaga.

Anyway, Therese and Craig are siblings. Molly is the daughter of their brother Mark.

She died in Haiti when the building she was in collapsed. She was on the 7th floor. Miraculously, her friend, who was with her, survived.

I am very very sad for the Hightower family.

I am also sad that Molly had to leave so early in life.  But, she has left me inspired.  And, I am sure I am not the only one.  Her story is amazing.

You may wonder what she was doing in Haiti. She was working at an orphanage. Caring for children and babies that were abandoned. Often abused or neglected. She was truly doing God's work.

She kept a blog, if you're interested. http://mollyinhaiti.blogspot.com/  It's seen a ton of hits since we all learned of Molly and her fate. Take a look through it. It's great.

Few people inspire me. However, the Hightower family seems to produce many people that do. Craig, a Jesuit priest. Therese, a successful HR professional, and now Molly, a 22 year old graduate spending her post college years helping people in a 3rd world nation who can't help themselves.

Death is terrible for the living, and my heart goes out to the Hightower family.

But, while we grieve and long for the ones we lost...I have no doubt that Molly is with God, now. And, God is so so proud of her. She is at peace and she is happy.

This is a piece done by Ron and Don, a couple local radio hosts. It had me in tears, this afternoon.

More audio at MyNorthwest.com

I'll get it back...I'll get it back...I'll get it back

This is what I have to keep telling myself now that I am participating in the Dependant Care Flexible Spending Program at work.  I'll get it back.

Here's how it works.  I am allowed to set aside up to $5000 from my paycheck, tax free, to be spent on child care costs.  Pretty cool, right.  5 grand tax free!  At the end of the day, this means that we will save about $1400 in taxes.  What could be the problem?

The problem is...I don't get it back from benefits until I spend it.  Therefore...for about the next 5 months, I will be spending $1000 per month on daycare, as usual.  AND...Microsoft will be taking $416 out of my paycheck every month. 

$416.  That's a substatial amount of cash.  I just got my first paycheck with the deduction and, sure enough...$208 less.  Ouch. 

Ouch ouch ouch.

But...I'll get it back.  I'll get it back and the Feds won't get any of it!!!  I'll get it back and I'm saving $1400 by doing this.  It's like having a savings account that gives me 28% interest.  Actually...it's not like that.  It's my money, I just get to keep more of it.

To do this, however, I just need to spend the next 5 months eating Ramen and Mac and Cheese.

Babycenter's Top 100 names of 2009

http://www.babycenter.com/top-baby-names-2009?scid=momstodd_20100105:2&pe=2UvmyQf

W00T!  Desmond is not on the list!  That's 2008 and 2009 where Desmond is not one of the Top 100 names.  Mission to pick a rare, non-made-up name, accomplished!

Trip to LHC

Went back to AZ for the holidays.  Leave tomorrow.  I'm not allowed to help pack because Shaundar is what the French call "Anal."  So, I'll post some pictures.

These are most of the good ones from my camera.  Flashes were going the entire trip, so if you got some good ones, let me know.

Plane Ride!

"P-P-P-Poker Face, P-P-Poker Face"

Playing with Mason

Eating at his very own little table.

Mason

Melissa

Uncle Steve

Mason and Ryan

Mason and Des

With some homeless guy

Opening presents with Mommy

More playing with Mason

Presents on Christmas Day

With Grandma Pankow who I'm sure will love that I am using this pic. But, it's the only one I have.  If somebody got a better one, send it my way.

With Uncle George

Grandma Kathy and Aunt Jennie

Hugs for Grandma Kathy

I have titled this one "Rabbit Between a Tire and a Hose" $450, if you want a print.

Des was having a blast putting rocks onto bigger rocks.

Des and Mason

Palling around with Ryan and Jacob

Brandon

Jayden

With Grandpa John

Getting a hug from cousin Brandon

 Brandon and Jayden

John and his grandkids.

Jayden and Des

I said, "I'm testing the timer, so this isn't for real."  This is what I got.

Time for an intervention?

Desi is learning new words.  I was talking about them in an earlier post.  Some new ones are Caligula (sp?) and this morning he said Ninja.

But...he's got some real words, too.  Among them are Yellow (Yell-la), Blue (Boo), Lights on (La-La), Thank you (La-La) and Daddy is the coolest dude in the entire universe (La-La). 

His favorite word, however, is also his favorite thing to eat in the world. 

Cracker.

Either that...or he's racist toward white folk.

I'm not sure if the addiction began when he learned to say the word or if he learned to say the word because he was an addict.  I imagine that it could be trial and error.  I'll keep making noises until I get close to something that makes them bring me that crunchy goodness.  Oh, Look!  I put these two noises together (Ca-Ca) and they get all gooey and excited and they bring me my favorite thing.  I'll have to keep doing this.

Anyway...first thing in the morning, right after milk, "Ca-Ca."  First thing, once we get home, "Ca-Ca."  First thing when we sit him down for dinner, "Ca-Ca."  Immediatly after he eats the cracker we just gave him, "Ca-Ca."  It's becoming a problem.  We were worried that all the carbs were blocking him up.  There were a couple periods of multiple days without poop followed by a painful one.  But, I think he's moving past that.

Still, it never fails.  Ca-Ca, Ca-Ca, Ca-Ca.  We may have to hide the box in the garage.

PEPS Birthday Party

Our PEPS group got together, today, to celebrate all of our babies birthdays!  Since all of them were born within a month of each other, it was only fitting.  The party was held at the Seattle Aquarium.  We hung out in a conference room where Sammie the Sea Lion came to visit followed by some starfish for petting.  After that, we had some birthday cake and purused the aquarium. 

Following that, Shaundar and I hung out with our pals and fellow PEPS parents, Tom and Jodie and their son Braden.  Here are the pics.

Upon arrival of Sammie the Sea Lion

Touch Tank

Jodie made these cute little picture boxes for all the kids.

Blowing out his candle. I realized today, that he's done this 3 times, now. I think we're done.

It's hard to see, but there are jelly fish in the tank.

Desi, Braden and an octopus.

Same picture, but with flash. I can't take very good pictures in low light.

This fish wouldn't stop staring at Desmond. (upper right)

He's supposed to be a Jelly Fish.

With Braden on the carousel

Daddy's boy.

Random nothings

Nothing exciting to this post.  The first pic is Desi looking at all the people at the MS Halloween event in my building.  The second is the service award I just received for 5 years at Microsoft.