Monthly Archives: September 2021

Pinball Thursday Rundown

Posted on by
Reply

Are you getting a taste of autumn yet? I can sense it coming around these parts but we are still enjoying warm days. Here is a taste of this week’s Thursday Rundown…

Pinball Wizard – When Sid, Sloan, and I went to Silverwood last weekend, we played at the Retro Arcade. It was filled with arcade games from the 1980s and 1990s such as Donkey Kong, Street Fighter, NBA Jam, Pac-Man, and many more. Best of all, it had a row of classic pinball machines! Some of the game themes included Wizard of OZ, Twilight Zone, and AC/DC. However, the one that Sid and I played was called Arabian Nights. Sidney and I each took a couple turns on the machine with my wife actually setting the high score for that day.

Sid playing the Arabian Nights pinball game at Retro Arcade in Silverwood

Sloan’s Board – On Tuesday I wrote about Sloan’s first day of school and shared a photo of her posing with her back to school board. I have decided to devote some time and space from this Rundown to give you a closer look at the board’s design and content. Sid purchased the design from Etsy, filled it in with Sloan’s information, and had Walgreen’s print it out. We then placed it in a frame and let Sloan pose with it. You didn’t go to school on the first day if you didn’t have a board, right?

This is the board we created for Sloan on her first day of Pre-K 4.

Dollar Tree Ice – And if you don’t know, now you know! Over the weekend, my sister and I both discovered that bagged ice is now offered at Dollar Tree stores, at least the ones in Spokane. I wish this product made its debut at the start of summer because we certainly would have taken advantage but better late than never.

It is true! Dollar Tree now has ice. I took this photo at the Dollar Tree on Sullivan in the Spokane Valley on Sunday.

9/11 20th Anniversary – It seems like as the years go by, it gets tougher for me to watch September 11 programming and re-watch the horrible events from that day. I tried watching the first episode of “Turning Point: 9/11 and the War on Terror” on Netflix but had a real tough time. With that said, my admiration and sympathy for those individuals who showed bravery beyond words that day hasn’t wavered a bit. As we mark 20 years on Saturday, let us pray for those who lost their lives and their families. Let us also be thankful that an attack of that scale has not occurred on American in the two decades since that Tuesday morning.

It isn’t just a cliché….we truly must never forget.

Dollar Dollar Coins, Y’all – I can’t believe it has already been 7 years but on Sept. 9. 2014, I wrote about a surprise I received from a vending machine…and I am not talking about a bag of chips I didn’t select. When I inserted a $5 bill for a $1 item, my change was distributed in the form of four $1 coins. These coins happened to be of the Presidential $1 Coin Program variety, something I had never heard of before but sure was interested in once I had. In this blog post I posed multiple questions, including whether people would look at me funny when I tried to re-insert them into circulation (they really didn’t).

Me holding the four coins I was given from the vending machine.

———————–

Time to wrap things up on my end. Thanks for reading and remember…Never Forget. Don’t Blink.

The Youngest He Will Ever Be

Posted on by
1

Beau can definitely be challenging at times. Although he hasn’t reached the “Terrible Two” (at least by age), he keeps us very busy at 19 months. He is an endless ball of energy that can turn any room inside out in a matter of seconds.

We can “kind of” contain him when he is strapped in his chair.

He is a food throwing-hair pulling-toy destroying-non-edible swallowing-sister aggravating-mess making-electronics pushing-pantry raiding toddler.

Yesterday, Sloan took her back to school photos on the porch. Beau decided that he wanted his photo taken too.

But, on the other side of the coin, he is the sweetest, most affectionate little boy there is. When Beau decides he wants to cuddle or sit down on the couch and watch TV with you, there is nothing better.

I never know what random thought is going to enter my head when I wake up in the morning. They come from all angles, ranging from work-related to weekend planning to memories from my past. This morning, something inside of me kept saying these exact words: Beau will never again be as young as he is today.

He won’t be any younger than he is today.

For all the craziness he can pack in a single day, there is currently nothing more endearing than his smiles, gobbled words/sounds, and willingness to give kisses. His baby-ish cuteness and innocence will not last forever. Tomorrow, he will wake up a day older so it is best to savor Beau in his young state today. Don’t Blink.

Back to School for Sloan

Posted on by
Reply

It’s back to school in the Reser household! After a successful Pre-K 3 year, Sloan returned to St. Mary Catholic School today for the beginning of her Pre-K 4 year.

Photo we took of Sloan prior to her first day of school as a Pre-K 4 student at St. Mary Catholic School in Spokane Valley.

It is bittersweet now that Sloan’s summer has come to an end. I enjoyed having her around the house five days per week. But this is a situation that is more sweet than bitter because I know Sloan was so excited to return to the classroom. St. Mary had its welcome back orientation last week and Sloan connected with her new teacher and couldn’t contain her enthusiasm seeing all of her classmates’ name tags.

Sloan cruising in the car to her first day of school.

So it goes without saying that Sloan was chomping at the bit this morning. We carefully put on her uniform and loaded her backpack. When it was time to head to school, she didn’t show the least bit of nerves as we helped her into the car.

Sloan confidently held her mommy’s hand as she skipped through the parking lot and into school.

Once at St. Mary, there was no hesitation. We walked her to the classroom and without hesitation she ventured into the big world…ummm…I mean ventured to her desk.

Sloan standing inside St. Mary Catholic School right after arriving. She was ready to go!

When she returned home, Sloan was still ecstatic about school and ready to return tomorrow.

Once Sloan sat down at her desk she was in the zone and ready to learn!

Please pray for a fruitful school year for not just Sloan and her classmates but all students returning to school. May everyone learn lots! Don’t Blink.

Labor Day Weekend 2021

Posted on by
2

Looking back on this Labor Day weekend I feel thankful. Thankful for the break. Thankful for the opportunities. Thankful for the weather. Thankful for family. In my holiday weekend wrap up post, I figured I would just highlight one item from each day.

Friday, Sept. 3 – I took Sloan to her first high school football game and it wasn’t just any ordinary high school football game. We drove out to watch my alma mater play its home opener in its brand new digs, Union Stadium. The facility technically opened during last spring’s COVID-adjusted season but this was the first time that it was open to the entire public. What a beautiful night to watch football in a gorgeous stadium! As Sloan explored the nooks and crannies of the facility with her cousins, I sat in the stands with my mom, sister, and brother-in-law watching high school football under the lights on a pleasant Friday evening. Doesn’t get any better.

Sloan stands for a photo prior to the Mead vs. Ferris football game in Union Stadium on Sept. 3.

Saturday, Sept. 4 – As a reward for a reading program Sloan completed in the spring and to celebrate the end of summer, Sidney and I took our daughter to Silverwood. The theme park is located in Idaho but is only about 40 minutes from our house. Grandma and Papa took care of Beau as Sloan got to be “the only child” for a day. We spent the morning at Silverwood’s water park, Boulder Beach, and then used the afternoon to go on the rides. We also managed to eat plenty of good food, try our luck at the carnival games, and play in the retro arcade. When we left the park at around 8:30 p.m., Sloan had played hard for more than nine hours straight. Needless to say, she fell asleep in the car on the ride home.

Sidney and Sloan at Silverwood. Great time!

Sunday, Sept. 5 – As much as I couldn’t believe it, my niece turned 7 on Sunday! It seemed like just yesterday when I wrote this blog post about her birth. Shock aside, we had a wonderful time at her birthday party. Warm weather, games, cake, and plenty of fun to go around. Here’s to a great year, Mik!

As birthday girl Mikayla looks on, Sloan is spun around as she tries to pin the tail on the donkey.

Monday, Sept. 6 – Ryan and Allyson, our good friends we met through our Catholic Adult group, invited us for breakfast at their house. It just seemed right to conclude the summer with them on Labor Day weekend as we started the season at their lake property over Memorial Day weekend. What a nice morning it was catching up with them and admiring their beautiful baby girl, Aria.

Don’t mind the mimosa, but Beau covers up a plate of waffles while Allyson cooks.

What a weekend it has been! And, believe it or not, it isn’t over just yet. We are about to head over to my parents’ house for a Labor Day cookout. I hear grilled sausages are on the menu so I got to run. Time for one last hurrah! Don’t Blink.

Lucy and Virginia Thursday Rundown

Posted on by
4

I think it is Thursday, right? Well that means it is time for the Rundown. Thanks for hopping aboard, let’s get right to the five topics…

Chuck E. Cheese Wrap Up – I know you are probably sick of me writing about Sloan’s adventures at Chuck E. Cheese but just one final note. Last weekend we went to the fun center for the final time this season. I purchased Sloan a summer pass that allowed her to go once a week for 30 minutes of unlimited play. We made Saturday mornings our special time to play together. We played a lot of games, earned a lot of tickets, and won a lot of prizes. We had tons of fun that went far beyond the $40 I spent for the pass.

After we exited Chuck E. Cheese for the last time for the summer on Saturday, I took this photo of Sloan. The pass we purchased provided a lot of entertainment.

Happy Birthday, Grandma – I always like to mark my grandma’s birthday in this blog when it comes around. If she were still alive, she would turn 104 tomorrow. My grandma was a quiet but strong Italian woman who was devoted to her faith and loved a good joke. To get a better sense of the tough lady she was, consider reading this post I wrote in 2017.

Before my grandma was an “amazing lady” she was just a girl. Here is a photo from her earlier years.

Gourmet Ramen – Every now and then, Sid and I decide to have Top Ramen for dinner. However, we have different approaches. I just add a couple cups of water and throw it in the microwave. Sid, on the other hand, cooks it on the stove and adds numerous ingredients from sauces to spices to sesame seeds. She truly goes gourmet. Last night she added teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, garlic, honey, and more. Our kitchen smelled like an Asian bistro and her ramen tasted like it was straight out of P.F. Changs.

A look at Sid’s ramen she made last night.

Let’s Talk to Lucy – Although it won’t make my top five Sirius channels, the new Let’s Talk to Lucy format on 104 is pretty interesting. Lucille Ball had a radio talk show in the 1960s where she interviewed a lot of people—some famous and some not so famous. After the show ended in 1965 no one heard the recordings again…until now. I personally like listening to the channel because although you can get a sense for how different people were back then, you gain a greater appreciation for how similar they are to us today. And Lucy herself is a hoot—enjoy listening to her express her own personal views and talk to her guests like they are old friends. The channel is worth 10 minutes of your time.

You might consider giving the “Let’s Talk to Lucy” Sirius channel a listen.

Overthink – This is so me! I have a true disdain for these online security measures that “test” to see “if you are a human” and the ones that force you to choose boxes with objects in them are the absolute worst. Many of the grainy, random photos are so ambiguous that it is more like a guessing game than a simple security measure. Can we please get rid of these things forever?

These online tests are terrible.

————————-

That will wrap up things for tonight. I hope you get plenty of time this weekend to watch some college football…let’s hope for an exciting and uninterrupted season. Don’t Blink.