Go Sox...

They may have lost but it was awesome.

Fenway was amazing.

The Fenway Frank was very close to being worth $4.00.

I love my co-residents!!!



(Welcome to Shelly who is visiting from SF)

Summer Refreshment (Part 1 of 2)

I drive past at least 3 or 4 of these things as I make my way through the ghetto each day. They are so tempting and I have resisted "Catching the Flava" each time until today. These delicioso refreshments are somewhere between an ice cream cone and a snow cone. The Latin server packs this flavored ice in a little dixie cup and it takes the edge off of the hot humid weather! I tried the passion fruit, but there are many other tropical and non tropical fruit "flavas."

Fun? I'm not sure.

Saturday was filled with potential: eggs benedict, say goodbye to visiting ohio friends, garage sells, library, and the tall ships festival in Newport! (Lots of tall masted ships come to port from all over the world: Germany, Canada, Indonesia, etc.) in Newport and you can go on them and tour them.) And we did all that. So, was it fun, exciting and wicked awesome? It certainly was until it got a little fuzzy around 2 or 3 O'clock in Newport. The weather was hot, yet nice. Newport was gorgeous, the ships were majestic. However, the best way to sum it up is: the investment made was > the return. Sammy was a bit pekid, Newport was crowded. We had to park and take a bus to the docks. No stroller + 3 kids + hot day= tired arms, sore back and low blood sugar. In summation, it was a fun trip and everyone actually behaved well, including Em and me, but too much had to be expended. Once we stopped at Panera bread and got some dinna we all pepped up and were able to make it back to the bus.

Next year, it may be more rewarding to simply watch it on TV. I'm a little nervous about trying to go to the Bristol Parade on Wednesday, but it is the nation's oldest 4th of July celebration! Wish us luck.

The resulting feet from wearing sandal on our day trip. (Sam's only seem clean in comparison to Max's.)

P.S. the ship with max and the cannon was in Pirates II. It is the merchant vessel that gets eaten by the Kraken around the 18th minute of the movie. Her name is Providence out of Providence, RI.

Weekend

Beautiful Em with The Fae, and the cute little Gabriel too, at his blessing.
Kayaking in Apponaug Cove...which is connected to Greenwich bay...which is connected to Narragansett Bay...which is connected to the Atlantic. A very beautiful weekend indeed!

Got Gas?

Father's Day

I woke up after being able to sorta (half sleep while I heard screaming fighting boys in the background) sleep in a little yesterday to find a wonderful breakfast spread laid out on the table. Max, all by himself, had prepared my Father's Day breakfast and was extremely proud of himself. His face was beaming with excitement. He had a bowl of Lucky Charms, a banana, toast, and a cup of milk with a chocolate straw (a straw with chocolate beads in it, so that as you suck up the milk it becomes chocolate milk, a good idea but not the best tasting chocolate). He and Sam were very excited for me to eat it. Sam sat right next to me taking half of all the food, while Max protested his every bite: "Dats Daddy's!"
It gave me a great start to a wonderful Father's day despite the high sugar content!



At church there were some good talks about father's and how they influenced the speakers so much. It made me think of my conversation with my father on Friday. I asked him what he was going to do on Father's Day. He answered: "Go to Church. Worship Heavenly Father."
It was a simple answer and an obvious one, yet it was profound. How many times do we wish God a happy Father's Day, He being the Father of us all? This thought stayed with me this Father's Day and helped me to honor my Heavenly Father. Thanks DAD!

Just a couple photos...

Just a couple photos of Saturday's fun.
The slip and slide says it is not for adults and its probably true. The few times I went down, I flew off and gouged the grass pretty badly.
We also had our kiddie pool out and put a sprinkler under the trampoline. Then, as if that wasn't enough summer outdoor fun, I took the boys down to the beach with an inflatable raft, tied it to our 80 year old friends' kyack and paddled them around the bay! (Max only capsized once!!!) It was so beautiful yesterday, hot but not too muggy. Max found a big Dora house for $5 at garage sale and he and Sam love it (it came with Diego too, so its not all feminine!)

Old Cape Cod

Wednesday and Thursday we spent falling in love with Old Cape Cod. We spent one night in Provincetown (Known as P-Town) at the edge of America, the tip of the Cape. We were a bit worried as we drove there in the rain. The weather report said mostly sunny and partly cloudy, though I'm not sure what that means. Our road trips, especially with kids, take 2 to 3 times longer than normal. Of course traveling with kids adds a lot of time on, but the DVD player has helped a lot with that. We tend to stop at lots of "cute little" (emily's term) shops and see the towns along the way. Such as the art studio of a lady who makes creations out of drift wood, very cool. Or stopping at the Friendly Fisherman for the best/freshest fish and chips I've ever had (lightly breaded and cooked to perfection). They were "so fresh they aught to be slapped." Or browsing/dwaddling at the Christmas Tree Store, I think this was Fae's highlight.

Luckily as we reached the northern part of the cape and went out to see Highland Lighthouse, it had stoped raining and the sun began to shine. When we got into P-Town it was warm and "mostly-sunny." Cape Cod is so gorgeous. It has some of the most breath taking views. The scenery is very diverse: sand dunes, beaches, moors/marshlands, lighthouses, lesbians, bay, ocean, lakes, gays, cliffs, transgenders, pilgrim monuments, fishing villages, lobster cages, forests. Most of the area is national seashore and its beauty is presevered/protected. The cape extends off the southeast corner of Massachusettes and curls to the north.

Our hotel room had a beach just outside the back door, and a view across the bay of a lighthouse, Wood End Lighthouse. There's a dike made of giant granite bolders that extends for one part of the cape to another as the cape curls back along itself. Em, Max and I walked along it all the way out to the lighthouse. It was so pretty and the combination of the sun and clouds gave so many different views of the lighthouse as the sun set.
I highly recommend the Cape for your next vacation and you can stop at our house on the way. There is no other place like it! Simply amazingly incredibly stunningly beautiful!

If you would like to see more pictures you can check out the web album at: http://picasaweb.google.com/warnerDDS/TheCape?authkey=7KeegmdLXkg.

pesce bianco con pistacchio e salsa di granchio

Last week with the visit of Faezer, Em's mother, we took a trip up to Federal Hill in Providence. Federal Hill is beautiful Italian district know for its great restaurants. Em's idea was to stop and ask at a local grocer and ask for a recommendation (she got this idea for Food Network or the like). So we pulled over and I went into a little store. Mistake. It was more Latin than Italian and specialized more in soft porn then restaurant recommendation. So I decided against asking them for a recommendation. Next we tried to go to Venda Ravioli down the street, because it looked nice and had ravioli in the name. It turned out to be a store and closed. However they had a cafe'/ristorante across the square. Naturally, they would have recommended it so we took their unspoken recommendation and went to Venda Ravioli-Costantino's Ristorante and Caffe'.

I was very nervous as we entered the restaurant proportionally became nicer as we increased elevation up the stairs to the dining area. It was a very nice place and it was slightly scary to have three boys in tow. I must say however, that they were practically perfect during the fabulous dinner.

Now I mention all this for two reasons: First, to introduce you to another part of RI. Second, because the meal I had ranks on my top three great meals I've ever had!!!! This is saying something since we lived in SF for 4 years. My top 2 are the seafood tostada from Mustard's grill in Napa Valley and the a fabulous steak from Chou Chou in SF.

So number three on the all time palatal pleasures list was: Pesce bianco con pistacchio e salsa di granchio. Fresh filet of Chilean sea bass encrusted with pistachio nuts, pan seared and finished with a delicate yellow pepper and fresh crab meat sauce.

Every single bite was amazing and sent thrills through out.

Trip To Wright's Dairy

We made a trip to Wright's Dairy Farm today. You could see the cows milked taste the byproduct in the form of muffins, creme pies, choclate milk (coffee milk too), eclairs cookies and other wicked baked goods. So how come the boys favorite part was "cow peeing"!?

turning japanese i think i'm turning japanese

i really think so.

I recently met with my USAF superiors and finally got some long sought after answers:

I will find out around December where we will be stationed.

There is close to a zero percent chance of being deployed. Yeah!

There are four overseas openings projected for 2008. And new pediatric dentist always go overseas.

There are also four pediatric dentist completing training in 2008. (Me being one of them) (Me also being the one with the lowest rank/seniority, this will be pertinent later)

The four openings are in Lakenheath England, Misawa Japan, Yokota Japan
(Tokyo,) Kadena Japan (Okinawa).

We can request where we want to be stationed, but if more than one wants a given duty station it will go by rank.

Therefore, I conclude that it is most likely going to be JAPAN. I have already purchased a Japan travel guide and am doing daily mental therapy sessions for Emily. (The mental therapy is new and only for the thought of living in Asia). I myself am excited about the prospect. I'll probably be disappointed if we do get England.

My Personal Music Evolution

Yesterday as I was cleaning the bathroom listen to my ipod playlist "Saturday Rock," Amanda by Boston came on. Emily and I did an excellent duo vocal along side of Brad Delp, (who I just learned died earlier this year.) As that ended and I skipped forward to Right Now by Van Halen, I began to reminisce about the types of music I enjoy and how I got to be the well refined musical being I am today.

My taste for music was a little delayed in its development. It wasn't until my freshman year at Armijo High School, go Indians!, that I began caring about and liking music. I remember it being one of my sister Kris' tapes that I began liking. Garth Brooks "No fences" if I'm not mistaken. I listen to that tons.
(Now before Dave picks up on this evolution beginning at Garth Brooks, I'll say it wasn't so much an evolution as a transition or a simple path. I in no way will agree with him nor my wife that Country is inferior.)

I also was being seduced around the same time by rock, especially 80's rock. Dave, my bro, is probably responsible for keeping me out of the third row of the parking lot (that's where all the hicks parked and chewed tabacy and practiced their roping skills). So I also became a die hard Van Halen fan. This was around the time of their at that time new album "For Unlawful..." came out. Soon Dave and I were also immersed with such great bands like Led Zeppelin, Def Leppard, Scorpions, Journey, Cars, etc. It wasn't until I got married that the other side of the 80's music era came into my life in the form of every Erasure and Depeche Mode CD from Emily. (That side of the 80's I will admit to being inferior to true 80's classic rock!)
Anyway, after my mission I was once again influenced by my brother to the great music of Smashing Pumpkins. (I remember him being embarrassed when I asked him, in front of his friends, who Billy Corban was.) Then onto Radio Head. Emily has also brought softer music like Dan Fogelberg to the table, but that has only brought mockery and shame to her life. I mean who sings about spilling a purse in the frozen food section of a grocery store, and why do people insist on passing it off as a Christmas song?

My tastes are still about the same these days. I like my occasional country, classic rock, alternative rock. However, I can sing along with Akon and Fergie. (That raises yet another question. Why do the assistants insist on playing inappropriate music in a pediatric office and also Why do the kids in the pediatric office already know the lyrics?) Some of Em's and my favorites these days include Rob Thomas, Natasha Bedingfield (Max loves Unwritten), and anything else that might be part of the Grey's Anatomy music library.
Well that's a look into my likes and dislike of music. To honest, if you see me with my ipod and headphones on, its a good bet that I'm listening to a book and not music. I actually get sick of music pretty quick, especially the radio. What can I say I'm Dougalicious.

Dedicated to the Greatest Mom(s) on Earth

So who is the greatest mom on earth. I would have to now say that my wife is. Sorry mom all loyalties switched to Em when we got married. My mother is awesome and I am glad she got to spend so much time with us in RI. She was sooo patient with my boys and read books all day to them only stopping often to play Candyland. She is very patient and wise. She has mastered the the behavior management technique of distraction (that's the pediatric dentistry term) (i.e. instead of yelling at the kids like I do she says "Oh is that a tree outside?" then they both look outside and stop fighting in the process. Way to go Sue!!

Anyway, back to Em. I wish I had time to go into all the reasons why I love her and why mothers are so special, but I need to hold my baby. I do want to say one thing: I married Em because I knew she would be a great mother. And she is that and more. I am so happy that my boys have her. She is so full of love, kindness and tenderness to them. I am so lucky to have her. both for me and for the boys. Her heart is so big and they love her soo much.

Thank you Em for living up to my expectations! I wanted to marry a girl as good as my awesome sisters and mom and I found one, dare I say better!!! I love you lots!!!!!

A Few Musings (if I may borrow the term)

I don't usually remember my dreams when I wake up. So the fact that I can still remember the dream I had two nights ago means it must be pretty darn important (or maybe just weird).

First a little background: We have a groundhog living on our premises. Specifically, in the backyard behind the trampoline. (You know...the one I got for Em for our 6 year anniversary.) So the dream goes as follows: I was walking around a yard (I think in my old home in CA) with (I believe) my mom and a sister or maybe two. We walked down a path and I moved back some bushes to reveal a cave. In it I saw a large groundhog and a Mrs. Groundhog.
With lightening celerity, the Mr. Groundhog rushed at me.

Now the only way to describe his movement is to liken it to the bunny on Monty Python and the Holy Grail. However, instead of attacking my jugular he was tearing at my midsection and I was trying to defend myself by pummeling his head. That's all I remember.
So today I was removing the foliage from around the groundhog borough. We're trying to discourage this (seemingly) cute animal from sticking around as he has decapitated our tulips and we fear for our newly planted garden.

Fortunately, there was no attack during this procedure.

On another note:

Sammy has become very whinny since the birth of Baby Gabriel. The other day he was in timeout and I was very frustrated with him. I said to him: "Sammy you need to start behaving!" Sam: "OK." He then proceeded to wave at me with a big smile on his face.

At first I thought he was mocking me, until my mind processed what he must have understood. "Sammy you need to start waving!" It immediately made me smile and give him a big hug...all past transgressions forgiven. He's done the same thing a few times since.

What are the other boys doing?

Max has started a T-Ball class... and is enjoying Karate. Why teach such a hyper and naturally violent child to punch and kick? I'm not sure. Hopefully he can learn to listen and a little self-discipline. If nothing else he can count to three in Japanese!!!
Bammy is taking a gymnastics class. Finally he can do good somersaults! He did really well on the balance beam, but then fell off at the end. Now he is terrified of getting on it again!

He Shall Be Called...

We finally came to an agreement about this child's name. We named him:

Gabriel David

They are both doing very well. This seems to have been the best delivery and recovery of all three!!! Em is very happy, beautiful, and in heaven holding her little flea!!!!!!

P.S. He has such a little head that is soft as can be!! Max said today in regards to his head: "It's so tickly! Dad, do you feel what I do!"

Happy Birth Day!!!!!

Boy, 7 lbs 8 oz, 18 3/4 inches, TOB: 10:58 am EST, Cute As Can Be, More detail including official name will be forthcoming!

Emily and baby are both doing magnificent. The doctor was wonderful and the Epidural was divine.

Its Begun....

Here is the final belly photo!















And the drop off at the Hospital to begin the induction!

My Favorite Author

Jonathan Stroud is an amazing author. Specializing in fantastical writing, he combines humor, mystery, intrigue in a captivating fashion, not to mention giving the reader plenty of vocab words to look up each day. His books leave you fully satisfied, yet you want to keep reading more. I was so excited when I found today that there are more books!

I have only read his three books in the Bartimaeus Trilogy and absolutely loved them. I came across the first one, The Amulet of Samarkand, on CD in one of the SF Libraries. The books are similar in genre to the Harry Potter series, but I have to admit that I like this trilogy twice as much, if not thrice. They currently rank as my favorite books!

Wherefore, I was so excited today when I googled my favorite author and found his website. I had visited one of his other websites before, http://www.bartimaeustrilogy.com/, but hadn't come across his own yet, http://www.jonathanstroud.com/.

I was wicked excited to find out that he has three other books not in the series. I immediately looked them all up on the RI library system and all three are currently underway to our library!

When you start the Trilogy, and I implore you to do so quite soon, I suggest getting the first on audio CD. The narrator is fabulous and the humor and flow of the writing is vivid and fun to listen too. Plus, it helps to have a British accent as well as know how Stroud intended names, places, etc. to be pronounced.

While surfing his site I saw that one of his other books, Buried Fire, had just been released in Germany and an except of the audio book was available online. I really like the German narrator!

I can't wait until my next trip to the Library!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why can't a woman be more like a man!?

"Let's Go" she calls down stairs. We are planning to go garage sale-ing on a beautiful sunny Saturday. I suggested she take a shower before we head out so she'll feel a little better during the day's activities, but it took 20 minutes longer then I expected. So I called "OK" back up the stairs and a few minutes later carried Sam upstairs to get him cleaned off. When to my surprise I found out that "Let's Go" doesn't mean what I thought it meant. Mentally I run though a few different languages to see if I understood the phrase correctly: gehen wir! vamanos! (confirmed with Dora!) So at least in German and Spanish it seems to imply leaving the house very soon/I'm ready now after a long shower.

Why then is the said woman not even dressed at the time of saying Vamanos? I can't explain it. No, meow meow meow meow was going through my mind when spoken to, I didn't miss anything. It must just get lost in translation from the female to the male. Even the many Der Die Das/masculine feminine neuters of the German language is nothing compared to understanding the complexity of the female language. Unfortunately, once this is posted I will be a Das Mann instead of a Der Mann.

This brought to mind a most noble and truth telling song from My Fair Lady: A Hymn to Him.

Here are a few of the Lyrics:

Women are irrational, that's all there is to that! There heads are full of cotton, hay, and rags! They're nothing but exasperating, irritating,vacillating, calculating, agitating, Maddening and infuriating hags!

[To Pickering]Pickering, why can't a woman be more like a man?

PICKERING:Hmm?

HIGGINS:Yes... Why can't a woman be more like a man? Men are so honest, so thoroughly square; Eternally noble, historic'ly fair; Who, when you win, will always give your back a pat. Well, why can't a woman be like that? Why does ev'ryone do what the others do? Can't a woman learn to use her head? Why do they do ev'rything their mothers do? Why don't they grow up- well, like their father instead? Why can't a woman take after a man? Men are so pleasant, so easy to please; Whenever you are with them, you're always at ease.

Anyways, we did make it to two garage sells and got some excellent deals, including two dolphin squirt guns for a dime!!!!