Category Archives: SuperPizzaBoy

Playing Pranks

Our 10 year old son, SuperPizzaBoy never fails to amaze me. He is one very complex little dude who I don’t ever think that I’ll figure out but enjoy just listening to and learning from him. He has Asperger’s Syndrome, a form of autism, that makes the process that much more interesting.

We found out something about him a few weeks ago after Sunday School. Our church has volunteers, called “Buddy’s” who help the kids with special needs during Sunday School so the parents don’t have to worry so much about their children and can more fully participate in the life of the church. The Buddys rotate so they don’t get burned out either. It is a wonderful program.

After Sunday School one day I was chatting with one of the buddys about SPB and he mentioned that PizzaBoy had been in a little bit of trouble basically trying to sneak in places that he wasn’t supposed to be. Sweetie and I were a little concerned because usually we hear about good he is. I asked him about what was going on and after some discussion he said that he just wanted to play a prank because he felt mischevious. So we talked about that and later I talked with Sweetie. We basically agreed that we look for places he could play a prank but it had to be where nobody was hurt, nor property damaged, nor add undue work to anybody.

We had an opportunity today. We went on a shopping expedition today and at about the third store I noticed him kind of sneaking around. I asked him what he was doing and he said that he was going to play a prank by putting a bunch of clothes on the floor. I said, nope, won’t work. That will get the clothes dirty. So he started moving clothes between racks. I figured what the hey, many clothes are switched by regular shoppers so I said that is an ok prank.

He had a high old time doing that. After about five minutes I pulled the camera out and got him in video mode. I noticed afterward that my reflection is in the mirror on the right side of the image.

The kid cracks me up. His prank did genuinely seem to make him happy. I apologize to the employees of Kohls for them having to straighten his mess out.

Christmas 2008

Every year it seems like there is a theme for Christmas in the Yogi family. This is not a theme that is thought out beforehand. It just kind of happens on its own. This year was the year for critters. The Yogi family loves dogs and cats. We have two, Ginger and Abigail, and one, Chrissy, respectively. Sweeties Mom, Nana loves critters also she has Fiona, a shi-tzu.

Well this year we each added one animal. So we went from a combined four animals to six. SuperPizzaBoy got a kitten, yet to be named and Nana rescued a black lab – hound dog puppy named Snowflake. He is a loveable pupply, all legs, who is getting along well with the other dogs.

Below is Sweetie, SPB, and Nana with Snowflake.

Sweetie and I took all the mutts on a walk Christmas Eve. Snowflake ran out of gas and then got cold when I was carrying him back so I got to do the kangaroo thing with her. She really liked it.

Here is SPB with the yet to be named male kitten. He also got videogames, books, bakugans, bionicles, a digital camera, and other stuff but he said the kitten was his favorite.

Below are the two new critters together.

We have a giant Maine Coon cat named Chrissy. She isn’t quite sure of what to think of the new cat. I just hope that she doesn’t sit on it.

I for one am having Christmas hangover. Too much food, not enough sleep, too many animals. What a zoo.

Wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Last Pack Meeting

SuperPizzaBoy’s Cub Scout careeer is winding down. Last night was his last Pack Meeting. He started five years ago as a Tiger Cub and is now a Webelos II. We still have a Pack Christmas Party next week and in January a Pinewood Derby Meeting and then he graduates during the Arrow of Light Ceremony.

I don’t know if he is going on to Boy Scouts or not. We’ll just have to see. What he would like his some sort of videogame ranger organization.

Below is Cubmaster (and Patrol Leader) Rick leading the kids in a song. Rick has really been a blessing. He has a heart for scouting and the kids and has worked very hard, along with many of the other parents, to make sure that SPB had a good scouting experience,

After the meeting, I chatted with a few of the parents and then couldn’t find SPB. I found him outside the gym in a reading nook that the school had. SPB used to go to school there and it seemed to me he spent most of his time in the nook. The kid always has his nose in a book.

Chocolate Martinis and Pancakes

John and Donna came up from Little Dixie to impart a little culture to us Rubes in Tulsa. I hope that we didn’t embarrass them too much.

First, we ate at the Cheesecake Factory. Two in our party got a little carried away. I don’t what these two are doing except Sweetie was talking about her favorite television show as a child was “The Flying Nun.”

Then we went home where John taught Sweetie how to make chocolate martinis. Back in school I took all sorts of chemistry labs. I had never seen anything so complicated as the preparation of these drinks. It was taking them a lot of time. I was having to drink beer in between rounds to keep my buzz going.

I don’t know what all the fuss was about. Those martinis were not any good.

The next morning after we came to, I mean woke up. I made pancakes. My one or two readers know that I’m very particular about the 1/4 cup rule and face centered cubic structure and all that but there is one exception. The “dog cake” traditionally the last of the batter is made into a large pancake and given to the dogs.

I changed the tradition some time ago, to the consternation of the dogs. Now, I get the dog cake. Of course I eat in honor of the dogs so the spirit of the dog cake is preserved. Just to make sure that nobody gets confused about whose pancake it is I monogram it.

All good times must end so we had one last party pic. SuperPizzaBoy and I were headed to a Cub Scout Meeting. Unfortunately Mr. Rick wasn’t going to have us work on the bartending merit badge. SPB might have been able to meet the requirement for Specialty Drinks.

More Thanksgiving Weekend

Gramps continues his visit from Idaho for the Thanksgiving Holidays. As far as the critters are concerned he ought to stay permanently.

I made pancakes this morning. I do a pretty good job. These are healthy for you. They have oatmeal, egg beaters, skim milk, brown sugar. My Mother gave me the secret to pancakes way back when I was a young boy. She always told me not to turn them until 97 bubbles came up. I gave away the family pancake secret. Darn!

Also from an engineering perspective. I like to use 1/4 cup of batter per pancake. The face centered cubic pattern I use on placing the individual cakes results in the maximum area of pancake to area of grill ratio for the 1/4 cup batter portion.

Later on we went to the Gilcrease Museum. Lots of photographs by Ansel Adams and of course western art. Its a family favorite. Take a look at the sculpture of the Native American with the bow behind SuperPizzaBoy. That image is going on our new license plates.

Twilight Something

I feel left out. Half the posts in the blogosphere since late last week have Twilight in the title. Twilight dreams, Twilight this, Twilight that. To add to it all Sweetie decided to go see the Twilight movie with some other ladies Sunday night. She said that she and I couldn’t go together sometime because “I hadn’t read the book so I wouldn’t understand.”

Enough already, there is no law that says that I have to have read the book or go see the movie in order to have a blog post that says “Twilight” in it.

SuperPizzaBoy decided to go have a burger while Sweetie was watching the movie. So we head off to Fuddruckers. It is not one of our usual spots but its close to the house. We both ordered burgers and SPB ordered a shake. They shook him up on the shake by bringing a glass with the shake and the “extra” in the steel blender. He told the guy that there was a mistake.

Poor kid had never run into that before but he got used to it very quickly.

Afterward he played with the “King” for a little bit.

Then we went home. Don’t want to miss Sunday night football.

Kids World

Big weekend for SuperPizzaBoy. Birthday party Friday night and then his friend Q had a sleep over at our house. After a nutritious sprinkle donut breakfast and a mentally stimulating multihour videogame session we headed to the fairgrounds for Kids World International Festival put on by the Tulsa Global Alliance.

Its kind of an old school idea, that understanding cultures besides our own is of some benefit. I am not sure it leads to world peace or whirled peas but it was fun today.

Each child gets a passport and then goes to booths representing many different countries and organizations to get their passport stamped and maybe engage in an activity. Everything from trying out wooden shoes from the Netherlands to crayon rubbings to coloring to receiving a sample cd of songs from the Tulsa Opera. We spent a couple hours there and saw it all.

SPB and Q showing off their fish rubbings.

SPB showing some karate moves at the Japan booth.

Dum dum, you give me gum gum!

Hope

One reason that I know that Sweetie loves me is that she married me despite my total lack of dancing mojo. Sweetie loves to dance and is great at it. I’m completely hopeless. I get on the dance floor and guys smirk, and women giggle. I don’t let it stop me. If I can bring a smile to somebody’s face, then great. I do feel sorry for Sweetie though. Stuck with such a loser. But I’m sure that she finds consolation in all the geocaches I’ve found.

So, I’ve been worried a little about the dancing DNA of SuperPizzaBoy. Did God sprinkle him with dancing dust or not?

He might have it! We were at Johnny’s downing burgers, shakes, onion rings and other diet food when SPB busted a few moves.

HallowZooEen

Early this week we went to the Tulsa Hallowzooeen. We go every year. This year we went earlier in the week than we normally do. We were rewarded with no crowds and more pleasant people. The folks handing out the candy were a lot less stressed and more generous.

We were in and out in less than an hour. It wasn’t like we were in a hurry.

SuperPizzaBoy likes the pretty girls. (Don’t say that, its embarrassing Dad!)

Grrrr, I’m not Robin Hood, I’m Link. Can’t you see the shield?

Making off with lots of candy.

Stab attack on the Tigers on the way home.

Fall Fest

In Oklahoma Geocaching the two big events every year are the Fall Fest hosted by the Tulsa Area Geocachers and the Spring Fling, hosted by the Oklahoma City cachers. Both groups attend each others events plus many people from out of state attend each event.

This year’s Fall Fest is at Western Hills State Park on Gibson lake near Tahlequah. We had not been to an event in a year and a half so SuperPizzaBoy and I attended this years’s yesterday. Usually we camp, but you know it only about 40 minutes from our house and I like hot showers, my own bed, and Sweeties cooking. So we just attended for the day.

We had an OK time. The people are all very friendly and helpful plus lots of families are there. It is an occasion for nerds to be together with their swans, so to speak.

Anyway, pictures

“Headache” cache.