Volume 12 Ped & Eggy’s TIMES December 2006

Max’s Life Inside Stories (told by Daddy)

Now that I am 4, I sure am learning all about the world. I graduated from the “baby” preschool and have moved on to Foothill Montessori preschool. It was a tough transition and I missed my friends at first. But, WOW! I’ve made some giant progress. I am able to count to 100 (as of this writing!) and I know about thousands and millions already. I can even write my name. I have been making books about birds, turtles and trees. On the cover I write the name of the object, and then on each page I color and write the name of a part of the object. I even had to tell Daddy some of the parts of the turtle that he didn’t know!

I’ve gotten really interested in dinosaurs and can’t get enough of them. I also really like bats. Then other thing I like to do is put together puzzles. I am very good at it. Daddy was impressed when he took a 24 piece puzzle that was getting to easy for me, flipped it onto the back side (all white!) and I was able to put it together quite quickly! I also like computer learning games, and Papa (grandfather) gave me a computer desk for my room. I am such a big boy now!

Jackie’s Life Inside Stories (told by Mommy)

I’m 3 and beginning to have my own identity, that’s what my mother says. I have always been fascinated with construction stuff like my brother, but recently fell in love with Hello Kitty. My mom and papa brought me to the Huntington Beach Board fest where I met Hello Kitty and had a picture taken with her. Recently we went to Disneyland and met some of the princesses and that was exciting too.

Max and I go to the same school. I can easily count to 30, I love to cut at school, pin out shapes, and I’m beginning to write my name and numbers. I’ll catch up to my brother in no time!

I belong to Wildfire gymnastic school and just began my Embers class with coach Jason. I hop like a bunny, walk backward and forward on the balance beam, we jump in the foam pits, tumble on the tracks and swing on the bars. I look forward to each class and don’t want to leave.

Peggy’s Life Inside Stories

August was quite a month; Ed and my Mother were hospitalized at the same time. So, I became a single parent without babysitting as well as concerned for them both. I found out that you can get a lot done when your unable to sleep and wake up early in the morning. The most important thing was that the kids did not mind staying in preschool a longer day. So, this fall they started 5 days a week. The best thing is how much they are learning and growing into very independent beings.

Our vacationing this year was camping. We certainly have some stories. The kid’s love it and the adults are a bit out of shape for the set up. But for now I’ll say we are still trying to figure this one out. Gives us some ideas for New Years Resolutions…

I think the highlight of this year was throwing Ed a surprise 50^th party. Yes, how I did that I wonder, my shopping was limited to Costco and Walmart. As well as using my Mothers credit card for reservations. It was very fun. Ed’s college friend John, had his band play which made the party.

Ed’s Life Inside Stories

It’s been quite a year for me. Selling the boat was hard at first, but “upon further review” it was the right call. Chartering from now on!

My surprise 50^th was really something. Though I monitor the bank accounts almost daily, Peg was able to pull it off, God Bless her! Not to mention she only had a few hours while my buddy John and I went out for a couple of beers. I had no idea until we pulled up to the house and saw all the cars and heard the band. Kudus to Peggy – she’s the best!

I had a minor knee surgery in June that went very well. But somehow I ended up getting a staph infection in my left knee. It was very nasty and I ended up hospitalized for a week just before Labor Day. Hospitals are no fun. I was at Peg’s hospital, so at least I was treated pretty well. It was a painful experience. I am just now riding my bike to strengthen my knee up. No pain riding – so the surgery overall was a good thing. Otherwise, I am mostly healthy except for my back. I was to undergo a surgery over the holidays, but that infection nixed that. Next year…

Business is more of the same – Kodak may sell the health services unit of which I am part. No one knows what effect that will have. I have been kept extremely busy keeping up with FDA documentation requirements. Our software program now directly controls the Kodak dental X-ray units. The FDA is very fussy about software that is connected directly to an X-ray machine (as they should be). Job security, definitely!

Chmiel’s Boatless!

Yes, it’s true. The Chmiel’s are (almost) boatless at the moment. Knot Kidding was sold in June to a kindly older couple as a live-aboard. May she serve them well. We kept a small Sabot sailboat for Daddy and Max to work on.

It was the right move since it was near impossible to use her, much less maintain her properly with the two kids. After some looking about, it really will be better to charter a boat where and when ever we like. Ultimately it is less expensive, and certainly far less hassle. Ed hopes to be taking sailing certification lessons to enable us to take out charter sailboats. They’re all over the world, and plenty of them in SoCal too, so this seems like a good plan for the few times we actually get to Catalina Island. Plus, we do can do really fun boating in places like the Caribbean or the Puget Sound for a vacation, which was something we could not do before. We can’t wait!