Daniel and Lauren Attempt Dog Training

With the help of Vic Garcia and his dog, Pete (above), Lauren and Daniel attempted to take Pete for a walk around our backyard last week. Results were, um, mixed.





Lauren's training method was to try "running screaming from the dog in terror"!

Rock on, son!

My son Daniel asked me after church yesterday if I would get down his toy guitar (see picture below from Christmas morning 2005 when he first got the guitar ... note how he's already expertly bending the notes) so he could play with it. My wife and I were pretty tired and wanting a little quiet and relaxtion, so we told him no. We said he could play with his other toys and play with his guitar some other time.


Daniel appealed and said, "but I need my guitar so I can rock!"

That's my boy.


Daniel improvising a drum set from a toy ironing board

Daniel playing with Christmas toys

Daniel, at Stephen and Tami's house for Christmas 2008, doing his best impression of the Borg from Star Trek. You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile!

Good luck trying to get your kids to smile for portraits!

This Christmas and New Years holidays, many attempts to take family photos will be made. For families attempting this with younger children, this can be tricky. The only tip I can offer is to take thousands of shots in the hope that you'll get a couple of good ones.

Here's a couple of recent attempts I tried with Daniel and Lauren. They're doing that "fake photo smile" I taught them perfectly!

Daniel visits The Domain

I took Daniel with me one afternoon on a recent day off from work to look at nice watches at Ben Bridge Jewelers in The Domain shopping center in North Austin. Daniel agreed with me that the Omega Speedmaster moon watch was the way to go.

If one were to do a GQ style labeling of his fashion, it would be as follows:
-- Texas Longhorns cotton t-shirt, Target, $5.
-- Mister "The King" toy car, Target, $10.
-- Omega Speedmaster Chronograph, $4000.