Happy 21st Birthday JP!

This nostalgic trip down memory lane took place about 8 years ago in May 2000.

The Notorious Al-gebra Movement

In light of recent airport security measures:

At New York 's Kennedy airport today, an individual later discovered to be a public school teacher, was arrested trying to board a flight while in possession of a ruler, a protractor, a setsquare, a slide rule, and a calculator.

At a morning press conference, Attorney General Gonzales said he believes the man is a member of the notorious al-gebra movement. He is being charged by the FBI with carrying weapons of math instruction.

Al-gebra is a fearsome cult," Gonzales said. "They desire average solutions by means and extremes, and sometimes go off on tangents in a search of absolute value. They use secret code names like 'x' and 'y' and refer to themselves as 'unknowns', but we have etermined they belong to a common denominator of the axis of medieval with coordinates in every country.

As the Greek philanderer Isosceles used to say, 'there are 3 sides to every triangle'."When asked to comment on the arrest, President Bush said, "If God had wanted us to have better weapons of math instruction, He would have given us more fingers and toes".

In Red Chair Series

I'm six months old!!!! I can sit up by myself, I like to stand and dance if someone is steadying me. I like to eat apple sauce, rice cereal, oatmeal cereal, avocado, apricots, green beans, banana bits, teething biscuits, apple juice, cranberry juice and white grape juice. Mom sometimes lets me chew on a fruit popsicle if my teeth are hurting real bad.

I weigh in at 14.5 lbs...almost double my birth weight! I gained 2.5 inches in height since my last check up! I like to see how loud I can scream, just for fun and also like to have coughing contests with mom and dad. We all take turns coughing...it's just hilarious...I crack myself up!

Free Summer Events in Frisco

Frisco is hosting a variety of family friendly, pocketbook friendly activities this summer. There is Frisco Grooves, a summer concert series every Friday night in June. Friday, June 20 the Sisters Morales are playing at 7:30 p.m. and Friday, June 27, the Derailers are playing. The concerts are at the Warren Sports complex, so bring your own chair or blankie.

Another cool event is the movies on the square. There is a large projection screen setup on the square every Saturday night. The featured film starts at 9:00 p.m. and families are encouraged to bring blankets and snacks and enjoy the show. The movie schedule is:

Saturday June 21 Willy Wonka
Sunday June 29 Dreamer
Saturday July 5 Spiderman
Saturday July 12 Superman Returns
Saturday July 19 Bee Movie
Saturday July 25 Flipper

Also, not a free event, but a worthwhile excursion is the Frisco Farmers Market. Usually open just Fridays and Saturdays, one vendor has decided to share his produce on Wednesdays! (This is great for me because I like to do all my shopping on Wednesdays.)

If you're looking at each other in boredom and thinking that there's nothing to do...check out your local city events...you're sure to find something to strike your fancy.

3rd Annual Celina Balloon Festival

This will be the third year I attempt to go to the Celina Balloon Fest. Last year, it was rained out when we arrived...and the year before we got there too late. I remember going to the Mesquite Balloon Festival yearly growing up, and it was always such a sight to behold.

Hot air balloons are one of my favorite things. Every Saturday morning I pass ballooners working to get their balloon airborne, or watch the skyline for drifting balloons. The land between Frisco and McKinney seems to be prime ballooning territory. Getting up early and working Saturdays the last 3 1/2 years has not been quite so bad knowing that on the drive in I get to see the colorful balloons in flight.

The Celina Ballon Festivities start on Friday night, June 27 for a balloon glow. This is my favorite part of the whole balloon festival. The baskets are all tied to the ground and the crew inflates them after the sun's gone down. The enormous balloons all lined up and glowing, full of hot air is such a beautiful silhouette against the night sky.

Saturday the activities include launching the balloons, arts and crafts, a skydiving team, another balloon glow once they land and a fireworks show to complete the weekend.

Let's just hope it doesn't rain!

Mr. Plagge

We're on "vacation" all week. Technically we're not going anywhere or doing anything. Walker is using this week to search for another job. He's applied to about 20 schools/school districts to work as a high school English or Art teacher. He's not completely certified yet, but he just finished taking a 3 hour exam that, depending on his score, tells him if he's eligible to be certified. He passed, and we're celebrating!! No interviews with schools yet, but this is a step in the right direction. He can't wait to get out of banking/finance and use his degree and pass his passion for learning onto his students. We may have to start addressing him Mr. Plagge around here.

Congratulations, Graduate

Our cousin, Logan is now a high school graduate! We attended his graduation this past weekend, and Rémy screamed real loud for him. Then she slept through the other names called.

The Lippoldt's had a crawfish boil at their home afterward. I've never been to one, but I liked 'em and I would eat them again. Here's some memories from that day.

Squirming Crayfish before the boil...

Ken & Walker peeling & eating crawfish

Opa Plagge holding Rémy