1st College Football Weekend In Review / Labor Day Weekend

I hope everyone had a great Labor Day weekend whether you were at home, the beach, the lake, a movie theater, San Francisco or in the one of the greatest venues for college football - Death Valley, Clemson, SC.

A recap from Thursday Night - SC vs UNC

• JD looked like me trying to play with my kids on the floor - wore out in 2 minutes; 8 days to get in "game" shape 
• According to a fan, "He's sandbagging"; well send him an Oscar because he is a heck of an actor
• Backup QB Thompson - you will be staring at some point this year because Mr. Shaw continues to fail to slide and someone is going to ring his bell again this year.
• Get the DL guy a bigger jersey - I couldn't get a number because all I could see was his belly and it wasn't exactly a 6-pack more like a big bowl of jello and it will be a personal foul if his sweaty belly comes in contact with an opposing player

• The Gamecocks looked good for the 1st game and handled an over matched UNC club.  Doesn't look like any fall off at RB with Lattimore gone.

Friday Night and Saturday thoughts...

• FBS School AD/Coach:  Get out the check book.  Let's get an easy win on week 1 and schedule a FCS school.  Great idea until 
• #25 Oregon St pays $450,000 to Eastern Washington and loses
• South Florida pays $400,000 to McNeese State and loses
• McNeese State scored 53 points the most by a FCS school against a FBS opponent and ties the largest margin of victory (23 points)
• Just 3rd time a FCS school has beat a ranked FBS school since 2000
• Kansas State pays $350,000 to North Dakota State and loses
• Iowa State pays $350,000 to Northern Iowa and loses
• San Diego State pays $300,000 to Eastern Illinois and loses
• UConn pay $275,000 to Towson and loses
• South Alabama pay $225,000 to Southern Utah and loses
• These schools failed to read the fine print about putting up a good fight but under no circumstances should you win
• Alabama - I did not see the game but from the highlights I did see they looked beatable by a better team than Va Tech - (insert Clemson or SEC school).  Two scores off special teams (which is great but that isn't happening every week against a quality opponent).  Offensive line didn't look as strong as in the past.  They still have my number 1 vote because I follow the until you beat the champ they are number 1.
• Championship Belt - Baylor 69 - Wofford 3 
• Wofford got spanked with the belt
• JFF - I am starting to agree that he is the most scrutinized football player in history.  This kid can't take a crap without there being a video of it and it being scrutinized (how many squares did he take, how did he wipe it and then half say he did it wrong).  Without twitter/facebook all you have are stories about him from other college kids that may or may not be true but his legend grows because the stories start out "Did you hear..." and you reply "no way...he is cool" but because of twitter/facebook/instagram, camera/video phones are recording his every move and all his stories start "Did you see..." and you shake your head and move on.  He went overboard this weekend with the gestures (and I appreciate his coach for chewing his arse and sitting him) and it will not end there unless he grows up a lot in short period of time.  The SEC schools A&M plays will be relentless on him - both players and fans.  I would like for him to show up, put up the numbers and shut up (and think about staying at home to party with his inner circle - if I don't know you, you don't get in).  

Clemson vs UGA (Peach State Dogs)

• It was as expected - electric.  Day games are never as exciting as night games and especially at Clemson...must be something about the orange under the lights.
• The Goodyear Blimp was in the house providing coverage from above

• ESPN College Gameday was on Bowman field
• My sign didn't make it because I wasn't there yet and they couldn't get the remote feed to work - my sign said "Aaron Murray was in my room last night signing autographs"
• Here are links to some of the signs that made it on Gameday and others that didn't 
•  http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1757093-best-signs-from-espns-college-gameday-week-1
• http://network.yardbarker.com/college_football/article_external/the_10_best_signs_from_espns_college_gameday_week_1/14426231?linksrc=home_back_head_14426231
• You have to check out the above link - it has what could be the best all time sign - Miley twerking on Murray - The person who created it just got an A for their graphics class or expelled for using all the ink from the computer labs printer - college kids have two things you and I don't have - unlimited free time and access to the best computers, software and printers
• I was joined at the game with LA, Alex, Ant, Wesley, Karissa and 83, 825 of our closest friends 
• Evidently prior to the game ABC did a story on Howard's Rock and showed the team getting on the bus and getting ready to run down the hill and Brent and Herbie were on the call with Brent remembering calling it "the greatest 25 seconds in college football"  Here's the video:

• Danny Ford will now live forever in the Clemson's Ring of Honor

• The game I think held up to all the hype of a #5 and #8 playing.  It was not perfect with both teams making mistakes and turning the ball over but for week 1, I will take it.  
• Offensively, we will again this year score points
• Defensively, again this year we will give up points
• We just have to make sure we continue to score more than we give up
• Offensively, I was pleased with the running game and passing game with the exception of Byrant.  Hey has been in the system for 3 years surely he must catch the ball in practice or he wouldn't  get as much playing time.  He has to make it happen on the field.  We will not continue to win if he can't catch (especially the ones that hit his hands...those are the toughest to catch) the ball in big situations like third downs to keep drives alive.
• The funniest play was the onside kick by Georgia when Bryant jumps in front of Sammy to catch the onside kick - his only catch of the day.  
• 76 plays "The Chad" won't be happy about that number 
• However, when the defense is getting told to drop to slow up the pace, it's difficult to get a rhythm.  I want their training staff because they can get players who can't get up to walk and back in the game in two plays.
• Defensively, we won so they did their job by getting stop when they had to get them but it could be a whole lot easier if they
• Don't give up 545 yards in offense / 7.6 yards per play
• Could limit the "chunk" plays (plays greater than 20 yards)
• When <= 5 yards for a first down, if you are in soft zones (10 yards off the receiver) you are telling the other team that you are willing to give them a first down
• Linebackers and Secondary have to play better
• Tackling while improved for the most part, has to continue to get better
• The good - 3rd down conversions - UGA 4-14
• Special Teams
• Game ball to #92 Bradley Pinion - He kicked the ball into the end zone on every kickoff - trust me that is an accomplishment for us
• Must have had a new cannon firer - He got trigger happy and fired off a premature shot - when butter fingers Bryant dropped a touchdown pass.  
• All the talk about SEC speed and I agree Georgia is fast especially their fans leaving the game.
• So here's my issue - Why do people leave before the games ends? Like halfway through the 4th quarter with your team down 10 points, or when your team is winning. If someone can explain that phenomenon, I am ready to listen. 
• Listening to Georgia fans after the game, you would have thought they just lost to a FCS school.  I know Clemson is in the ACC but goodness gracious we are not the Sister of the Poor.  I said going into this game, winning would be nice (and it is) but this one game isn't the whole season.  Next week for UGA could be the whole season, if they lose to the chickens.  Here's the audio of the UGA fan that called a talk show after the game and starting crying.  Get a grip man...
  
  

• Clemson did not rush the field, okay they did BUT we rush the field after every win because the pinnacle of game day is running on the field for kids and college students.  The thrill of jumping over the wall and running on the field and not getting arrested.  I imagine it is pretty intense.  The ACC doesn't have rules on running on the field after the game so until there are rules it's not rushing the field, it's doing what is allowed and being a kid and fulfilling a dream and having a story to tell - remember when we ran on the field after beating Georgia in 2013.
• It's a long way to December and there are 11 more hurdles and you can't trip up on one of them or you will be disqualified and not finish the race.  We cleared the first hurdle.  Hurdle number two is SC State (more on that game later this week).

For Those...

For those that are traveling this weekend be safe and watch out for Smokey taking your picture.  

For those that made your pregnant wife work overtime and left her at home, while you went to a college football game on a Thursday night, I hope you make it to Labor Day.  It could be a couple of long days making up for that and expensive.

For those that don't have any plans might I suggest a road trip to Clemson, SC for a Saturday you will never forget (or was it a Saturday you never be able to remember) with 80,000 of you new friends.

For those looking not looking to travel, how about a date night with a chick-a-dee or friends on Saturday night, might I suggest your TV tuned into ABC at 8:00pm for Clemson vs the Peach State Dogs

For those that don't like football, may God bless you and turn your heart.  I am praying for you.

For those that are heading up to San Francisco for the Labor Day weekend show...  

College Football , Miley, and Johnny Football

College Football Season 

It the south's favorite time of the year college football season.  Didn't you learn the four seasons in school - Spring, Summer, College Football, Winter.  It's 18 weeks (regular season and silly season (bowl season) when everything takes a second place to college football.  If you decide to get married, die, or have a baby('s) (you should be making babies during this time not having babies) from the last week in August until the first week of the new year you better make sure it isn't happening on a Saturday.  If you decided to proceed forward, plan for half the guests, don't get your feelings hurt when your best man or pall bearer doesn't show and contact your mother or mother in law to fill in the labor room (your husband is going to at the game or watching it on TV).  Everybody has been counting down the days since the final snap in the National Championship game between Ala-freaking-bama and Notre Dame.  It has been a busy off season - fake girlfriends, autograph gate (more on that later), signing day, and run ins with the po-po.

Clemson

Here a video on what it's like to be a Clemson Tiger and Run Down the Hill



Here is the gauntlet in front of the Tigers:

Week	Date	Opponent		Time (ET)
1	Sat., Aug 31	Georgia		8:00 PM ET
2	Sat., Sep 7	South Carolina State		12:30 PM ET
4	Thur., Sep 19	@North Carolina State		7:30 PM ET
5	Sat., Sep 28	Wake Forest		TBA
6	Sat., Oct 5	@Syracuse		TBA
7	Sat., Oct 12	Boston College		TBA
8	Sat., Oct 19	Florida State		TBA
9	Sat., Oct 26	@Maryland		TBA
10	Sat., Nov 2	@Virginia		TBA
12	Thur., Nov 14	Georgia Tech		7:30 PM ET
13	Sat., Nov 23	Citadel		TBA
14	Sat., Nov 30	@South Carolina		TBA

There is talk about a special season - National Championship run and I agree that Dabo has been building up to this year since he took over - good recruiting classes, hired a great offensive mind in "The Chad" and hired a defensive guru in Venables last year (hasn't had as much time as "The Chad" or the talent).  I agree that there is potential this season for something special.  As a fan you have to be realistic - every year you are not going to win your conference or contend for a National Championship - unless you just delusional (and every fan base has those fans).  It will take a flawless effort every week and no half ass efforts.  

Here's how I see the season:
Hurdles - Georgia, Florida State, South Carolina

Wins - SC State, Citadel, Wake Forest, Syracuse, Boston College

Favored To Win But You Never Know - @NC State on Thursday night - trouble written all over it, @ Maryland - remember the last time we went to Maryland - offensive fireworks, shootout - don't expect it this year but..., @UVa road game to the place we used to own but they are on the upswing, we out talent them across the board but they will be fired up, Georgia Tech on Thursday night - trouble written all over it.

To be considered one of the best teams in the country you have to beat all the teams you are supposed to beat.  We did this last year and broke the Tammy B trend of losing one or more of those games.  We have to continue this or the special season turns sour real quick.

I will cover the other 2 hurdles closer to the game.

Georgia vs Clemson - ESPN Promo Video


The first test is a stiff one prime time with College Gameday in town with Brent and Herbie on the call.  Both offenses are potent and both defenses are under construction.  I am looking for a victory in a dawg fight and for Death Valley to be LOUD - there are few places as special as Death Valley at night (that's why I will be there in person).  If we slip up, it is early in the year and we can recover.  A loss to UGA hurts but it's not the end of the road.  The National Championship is damaged but a great season can still be had.  This game should be a good one.  Get all your work done in time to sit back and enjoy.

Another reason to be there live if you a Tiger fan, Danny Ford and Bill Wilhelm will be inducted into the Ring of Honor.  It is the highest honor for a student-athlete or coach to receive.  It was often wondered if Danny would every be selected.  He is deserving of the honor and to have it be done on the opening weekend when we are playing UGA is a perfect fit, good job Clemson.  Nothing much to be said about Bill Wilhelm except he was a legendary baseball coach for Clemson.

South Carolina  
 

Week	Date	Opponent		Time (ET)	TV
1	Thur., Aug 29	North Carolina		6:00 PM ET	ESPN
2	Sat., Sep 7	@Georgia		4:30 PM ET	ESPN
3	Sat., Sep 14	Vanderbilt		7:00 PM ET
5	Sat., Sep 28	@UCF		TBA
6	Sat., Oct 5	Kentucky		TBA
7	Sat., Oct 12	@Arkansas		TBA
8	Sat., Oct 19	@Tennessee		TBA
9	Sat., Oct 26	@Missouri		TBA
10	Sat., Nov 2	Mississippi State		TBA
12	Sat., Nov 16	Florida		TBA
13	Sat., Nov 23	Coastal Carolina		TBA
14	Sat., Nov 30	Clemson		TBA

     
The Gamecocks seem to have a lot of cupcakes until their first challenge of the season on 11/30.  I thought last year was their chance at a run for a National Championship.  This year might be one also and their fate could be determined on 9/7 @UGA.

Preseason polls are nothing but guesses and

AP Top 25
RK	TEAM	RECORD	PTS
1	Alabama (58)	0-0	1498
2	Ohio State (1)	0-0	1365
3	Oregon	0-0	1335
4	Stanford	0-0	1294
5	Georgia (1)	0-0	1249
6	South Carolina	0-0	1154
7	Texas A&M	0-0	1104
8	Clemson	0-0	1083
9	Louisville	0-0	1042
10	Florida	0-0	894
11	Florida State	0-0	845
12	LSU	0-0	802
13	Oklahoma State	0-0	755
14	Notre Dame	0-0	748
15	Texas	0-0	677
16	Oklahoma	0-0	579
17	Michigan	0-0	531
18	Nebraska	0-0	382
19	Boise State	0-0	328
20	TCU	0-0	323
21	UCLA	0-0	286
22	Northwestern	0-0	199
23	Wisconsin	0-0	185
24	USC	0-0	134
25	Oregon State	0-0	129

• Clemson's highest ranking since 1988 (4)
• SC highest ranking since last year (2012) 9
• Clemson ranked in Top 25 for 30 consecutive weeks
• 5 out of Top 10 - SEC
• Over the last 3 years and average of 8 teams ranked in preseason end season unranked - Who's it going to be this year?

Predictions

• Atlantic - Clemson (Clemson defeats Fl State at home)
• ACC - Clemson 
• Record - 11-1
• Orange Bowl - vs West Virginia - w/ Clemson winning 73 - 10 (revenge)
• National Champion - Oregon (going out on a limb, don't think Alabama repeats and I will never pick Ohio State and I am not picking UGA because we are going to beat them in week 1)

 Championship Belt

The belt currently resides with Baylor.  It is going to take a miracle from the Wofford Terriers in the opening week to get the belt back in the South where it belongs.  The earliest I see the belt changing hands is October 5 when Baylor takes on West Virginia.  Stay tuned for belt updates throughout the year.
 
Johnny Football

So let me get this straight for the last month all I heard about is autograph gate with Johnny Football and it comes down to a half game suspension.  What a great waste of time.  I never thought he was going to be suspended - unless they were hiding the smoking gun and had the money trail figured out.  You are going to have a hard time convincing me that Johnny Football or any other college athlete doesn't know what they are doing when they are signing large numbers of items in a hotel room.  I thought the guy had 200 kids and lived in a shoe with his wife.  I wasn't born yesterday - they are getting paid somehow, directly or through a third party.  The problem is that they are paid in cash and unless you can trace the cash it never happened.  The same thing happens in the business world - how many servers are claiming all their cash tips on their tax forms.  I'll answer it for you ZERO.  Why?  Because it's cash and you can't trace it. I don't have the answer for going forward - paying athletes in some other way but I do know that the NCAA rulebook is antiquated and needs a major overhaul.  I think one issue is that paying the non revenue generating sports becomes expensive.  However, with all the TV money now coming in, it is probably more possible today than ever.  All the schools athletic departments are saying they can't afford it but I say BS - how about cutting back the MTV cribs locker rooms, training rooms for football players - google Oregon or Alabama locker rooms.

Miley

I didn't see the MTV Video awards (when do the show videos and who's watching them...honestly, I didn't think they made music videos anymore) live but I have seen the video.  I didn't think you could shock me but she did it not just once but it seemed like every 30 seconds I was saying "No she didn't".  I don't even know what to say except my worst nightmare come true.  In 2 years she has become one of the greatest living train wrecks.  I don't know if she makes it to 30 and that is sad.

PS

Cam took the cash money...but guess what they couldn't find it.

Happy Birthday Momma! (and a few other events)

Breaking News...

Before we get the unimportant stuff, I need to give a shout out to my momma.  She is the one who brought me into this world and on more than one occasion said "she could take me out of this world."  Thank goodness that hasn't happened....yet.  I am not going to directly give away her age but if you are interested you can figure it out.  She turns 0x4C (hex) or Ob1001100 (binary) today.  If your better at roman numeral she was born in MCMXXXVII.  To be honest, either the hex or the binary sounds a lot better than her actual age (probably because you have not context on how much either of them really are).  I think we should all start referring to our age in hex or binary.  Remember, you heard it hear first.  You can find out all you want about her from my prior birthday post in 2011.  Happy Birthday, I hope this day is great and that you enjoy purchasing a new refrigerator.  That's some birthday excitement!  I kind of want to tag along...that's how you know you are old when you are excited about a refrigerator purchase (but to be honest, I don't think she's to excited).  Thank you for all you do for us.  YOUR THE GREATEST AND WE LOVE YOU!  The kids made her a video:

I wanted to update my last post - KC and LA's - Baby Best Of .  I left of a pretty important category.

Doctors

• There are plenty of them in the area and you can choose from general practice or pediatric doctors.  You will either go on recommendation of other parents and/or "meet the doctor visits" prior to babies arrival. We skipped the "meet the doctor" because it felt weird asking to interview the doctor prior to picking one.  We decided to go with recommendations and then our gut feelings/first impressions after our first visit with Aubrey which typically happens a couple of days after birth.  We choose Plantation Pediatrics in West Ashley.  Our primary doctor is  John Traynham.  However, I would suggest asking around about the other doctors also because unless you can pick when your child is going to get sick, you are going to be seeing the other doctors in the practice.  We haven't seen all the doctors in the practice but have been pleased with all of them we have seen.  Dr. Traynham has been great to work with and will answer all your questions (even the dumb ones that you might ask and the on call doctor will call you back and answer your questions/concerns after hours).  Now that there is Peds After Care in N. Chas (MUSC), we might have chosen differently but Roper/St. Francis also has Peds After Care and the doctors from Plantation fill in a few shifts when needed.  When needed the doctors at Plantation admit to MUSC - which goes unsaid as our choice for Pediatric Hospitals.  
• Plantation Pediatrics - It's a commitment because it's in West Ashley and takes 35 minutes to get there and another 35 to get back home but the care of the doctors has been outstanding.  I would use Dr. Traynham or Vasko as primary care doctor (McGaha or Kornegay would be our next choices).
• Sweetgrasss Pediatrics - We considered them but they didn't have an office in Summerville but one was coming and we figured if we had to go to N Charleston, we might as well go to West Ashley.  I will say that we hear nothing but great reports from the Summerville practice.  I would consider changing because of Dr. Kelly Rodgers.  She is one of Aubrey's Sunday School teachers at Bethany and Aubrey loves her.  

UNIMPORTANT NEWS

• I have received confirmation from our resident statistician, Jeremy from an earlier post  on what were the odds of two golf balls in a professional tournament hitting each other with one coming from another fairway while the other ball is about to be struck is....drum role please is infinity + 1 

• The other day an employee (Rex) and I were heading to Columbia for a meeting on I-26 traveling in the westbound lanes.  I was the pilot and he was riding in the seat assigned to the navigator/lookout.  As we approached the Orangeburg exits at the 145 mile marker, me being observant and constantly aware (while my navigator, was doing something on his phone instead of watching for threats and enemies approaching from the rear...he said he was watching the radar for enemy approaching...I think he was playing Angry Birds) of my surroundings noticed smoke in the far eastbound lane.  The next second, I saw the reason for the smoke.  A car was now speeding across the passing lane and heading for the median at a rapid rate of speed.  At that instant, it is amazing how your mind works.  It went into hyper mathematical/physics mode and instantly figured out that at my rate of speed, their rate of speed and direction of both vehicles that we were going to collide and become a tangled mess of steel without an intervention or some miraculous NASCAR type move (head to the last place you saw them).  (I think I have a math teacher waiting to release my final grade in their class because I still haven't figured out when two trains - one leaving Orangeburg at 9:30 and the other train leaves Summerville 8:31 and both are traveling 79 MPH when will they collide?  I can now tell her @ 9:31 at the 145 mile marker.  I can't show the math to prove my answer but I know it is correct.  I immediately did three things hit the brakes, made quick lane change to the open right lane and said "Holy Sh*t!" which finally got the attention of the navigator (thanks for finally joining the wreck...got any last minute words of wisdom before we crash...needed you 3 seconds ago).  The car hits the median grass and the strikes the wire barrier (the same one you always wondered if it would stop a car) and the car immediately turns 90 degrees to the right and comes to a complete stop in the median.  A potential disaster was avoided by 3 cables that you look at mile after mile while driving and always wonder it they could actually stop a car.  The good news is that I can tell you from a view of less than 10 yards that they can stop a sedan size car (Accord, Camry, Taurus...etc) or smaller (a mini might be able to go under the wires, we will have to measure).  The jury is still out on a large SUV or 18 wheeler.  I am must thankful they worked this time.  The other good thing is I am glad my mind didn't enter the super slow mo mode.  Where just before something major happens time almost stands still and happen frame by frame and then when the accident/event/thing happens it immediately reverts to real time.  (PS - We didn't stop to render aid, because by the time we could have stopped we were too far past (and had already stopped to empty our pants and say a few prayers) and other cars on the east bound side were already stopping.  We did call the HP and report the accident and near miss).

• Over at I'm Just Sayin', he has killed yet another cottonmouth snake.  When I first heard about it, I was thinking a small cottonmouth snake.  I am not sure what his definition is of small but this snake hasn't been small in a long time.  It is way bigger than I would ever attempt to kill using any hand tools - shovel, hatchet, ax..etc (the only hand tool for this job is gun and I would have to call a friend to borrow a gun and then LA would have to shoot it because I ain't getting that close).  My actual solution would be to immediately run in the house, call a real estate agent and start packing boxes.  Especially since this isn't his first confirmed snake kill in is backyard and neighborhood - he is up to at least 3 confirmed kills that count.  I have 2 confirmed kills at our house (and one scare the crap out of me, when it raced about 2 inches in front of my feet while weed eating...I quit for the day.  It was too close and I wanted to give him time to get where he was going) but neither of mine count - both non-poisonous and one was a baby snake but I still say "the best snake is a dead snake".  I am like (old school, funny) Eddie Murphy is about ghosts "too bad we can't stay baby"....

   
     I had friends that went out in the woods turning over old logs and pieces of tin looking        for snakes.  I found new friends.  Greg your my official snake wrangler but I have a real       estate friend that will be giving you a call.

Nannie Camp - Water Park Day

The water park day at Nannie Camp turned out to be a bust.  The kids got to ride a few slides before it was shut down because of the weather - there was a lot of potential fun washed away that day...at least so we thought.  Our ride home from Whirlin' Waters was quite an adventure with massive amounts of rain falling.  When we crossed the canal on Richardson just before going underneath the BGM Parkway, I had a feeling, we might have an issue at our house.  When I saw the water at Central Avenue and Pine St, I knew we had water in the yard.  When I took a right onto S. Laurel and twenty yards of the road was flooded, I knew we had more water than the first time.  I rode past the front of the house and turned onto E 2nd S St, I saw exactly how much water.  LA had also saw how much water was in the yard.  LA and I conferred with Nannie and decided that our water park was open for the Nannie Campers.  The water was twice as deep as the first time in flooded a few weeks ago.  I arrived at the house prior to the campers and when they arrived you would have thought it was Christmas.  They hit the water full stride and had a blast. As we played, people were stopping in the street watching us playing in all the water and I am sure thinking..."rednecks".  LA and I are turning this into a business venture and have created a listing on VBRO for a waterfront rental retreat in Summerville.  Here's a few pictures and videos from last Thursday's adventure:

LA came out and played in the water for a little bit with Ansleigh Grace but I am glad she went back inside.  If she would have been out there and have what happened to me, I would have had to call the coroner (didn't I mean 911?, nope wouldn't have been a need...she would have drown and it would only have been a recovery mission).  At around the 45 second mark of the video below, you will hear Wyatt screaming about a spider.  I will be honest I wasn't paying attention to him about the spider because I thought it was in the water.  I was wrong.  The spider was on me and it wasn't as big as a banana spider but it was large enough to make LA flip out/pass out and drown.  I calmly flicked him into the water and thanked God it was on me and not LA.  I love Wyatt, he is passionate and when something is really wrong you can tell my the tone of his voice. 

Soccer Camp

Aubrey and Wyatt participated in soccer camp at ARHS a couple of weeks ago.  This was both of their first involvement with team sports not in a backyard.  I don't think we have the next Cory Rogers, Mia Ham or Wayne Rooney on our hands but they looked good and had a blast.

KC and LA's - Baby Best Of

LA and I are not experts but I will go on the record and say we have 4.5 years of real life experience with 3 kids now ages (1, 3, and 4 and is still hold a Providence record in the race to 3...there are still a couple of contenders...Woods, Wrights and a few others - time will tell if they are up to the challenge).

We have tried products on our own and received recommendations about products from many people.  I realize that all kids are different shapes and sizes and every parent will develop a list products that they love but I wanted to share with our readers a list of products that are our Best of the Best.  We have used, loved and will continue to use these products until we exit out of that stage.  We are getting closer everyday to being out of the weeds and we are retiring items at what seems like a much quicker pace these days.  

The writer of the blog did not receive compensations in any form (cash or free products - not that I would not take either, it wasn't offered) for there inclusion in this list.  No animals or infants were hurt while using any of these products.

Formula 

• We were fortunate to be able to start our kids off on the good stuff from mommy.
• Our Number 1 favorite formula Generic - Target brand Up and UP formula or Walmart brand Parent's Choice
• We used Enfamil and Similac when we had coupons or free samples from the hospital or doctors office.  The brand names are so expensive and we found out quickly that the generic's compared exactly to the name brands and were much cheaper and the kids didn't know the difference.

Diapers

Let's be honest up front, if we got free diapers our kids wore them and they liked it.  However, our free diaper tree died and then you have to spend your own money on them.

New Born - Pampers Swaddlers 

• A favorite for the umbilical cord notch, wetness indicator
• To be honest, for infant diapers we didn't really care who made them, especially if they were free  

Infant - Huggies - Little Movers

• We have tried them all and we always came back quickly to the Huggies-Little Movers.  We like the way they fit our kids.  If you've changed as many diapers as we have, you will find a favorite.  It might not be Huggies for your kids but it was for ours.  At least give them a try.

Overnight - Huggies - Overnights

• They hold a bunch of liquid and have Winnie the Pooh on them.  You can't go wrong with Winnie the Pooh.

Swimming - Huggies - Little Swimmers

• I like to call them poo catchers, because that is about all they are effective in doing.

Wipes

• Huggies - Just pick one of the many different types, we eventually graduated to whatever Huggies type we could buy in bulk at whatever store we happened to be in when we needed them

Diaper Cream to battle diaper rash

• There's many on the market but there's only two to use
• Eucerin Aquaphor - buy it by the case and use it for the minor cases
• Flanders Buttocks Ointment - buy it by the case and use it for the major cases
• This one can be tricky to find, if you can't find it on the shelf you will have to ask for it in the pharmacy department.  CVS has it in the pharmacy department.
• Both of the these products have our five star testing rating...don't put anything else on your kids backside, you are wasting your time.

Bottles

• New born stage - Medela bottles that went with Medela pump (not in our best of list because I don't think there's any competition - Medela makes a work horse for pump - ours has supplied meals to 6 kids)
• Infant - Dr. Brown's 
• They worked for us.  They make a bunch of claims that I can not confirm occurred when we used them but I will say they worked and our kids weren't fussy after eating (maybe the claims are true).
• It took us awhile but we finally figured out the bottle thing.  If you have one child you need a minimum of 9 bottles, unless you get some thrill out of washing baby bottles constantly.  We found that nine gave use two days of bottles and worked best in our schedule and didn't break the bank account buying bottles.  Buy as many as you can afford, think of them like underwear.  Washing your clothes is directly related to amount of underwear you have (at least for a man).
• We washed our bottles in the top rack of our dishwasher and used the extra heat cycle.  We washed them by hand when needed but washing bottles all the time will eventually brake your soul.

Car Seats

• We have been a Graco family.  They typically have good rating and have worked good for us and the wife can find a color and/or pattern that will work.    

Strollers and High Chairs

• The only requirement with these two items - find one that you like
• Strollers - too many choices here, we ended up with a Graco stroller that was compatible with our car seat,  umbrella strollers and have now graduated to sit and stand stroller 
• High Chair - too many choices here (plastic, wood all shapes and sizes) find one you like 
• You will need/want a bumbo (although Ansleigh didn't use it much) or feeding chair -they can travel with you if needed.
• Personal Comment - if you have two that will be in a stroller at one time, you will need to make a decision - inline or side by side.  We didn't have this problem, ours graduated to an umbrella stroller when the next child arrived.  I can't make an official recommendation but I will suggest from my 4 years of observing moms and dads that you will need both.  The inline for ALL shopping and the side by side for all outdoor activities.  You can use the side by side for shopping but most of the isles are not made for the extra width and will cause you to get "looks" from fellow shoppers.

Diaper Bag

• Men stay out of it.  You get to carry and use it but this is you wife's territory.
• It doesn't matter at this point you are getting ready to have a kid that is going to spit up, throw up, pee or poop on you.  The diaper bag is the least of your concern.

Sippy Cups

• They all suck.  They each have their individual issues (leaking, bad for kids teeth...etc).  Save yourself a few trips to the store and buy one type of each and see which one your child likes the best and which one you can stand with its issues.  We ended up with the flexible straw type - don't like them but we tolerate them.   

OTL - 'Carry On' - Why I Stayed

I woke up last night on the sofa sometime after 11:30 after getting in my evening nap with the TV on ESPN's Sportscenter.  I quickly realized that I had awoke not during a highlight of a sporting event from earlier during the day but at the beginning of a segment titled "Carry On".

I will go on the record along with many others and say that this was without a doubt some of their finest work.  It was a follow up to a 2009 story about two high school athletes that became linked together through circumstances you and I could not imagine. The best part of the story was that it didn't end in 2009 and has continued and hopefully will continue.  I am not going to retell the story but provide the video and a link to an article written by Lisa M. Fenn. She's the female in the middle below.


In this article, Lisa shares in her own words "Why I Stayed".

I think the only thing that could have made the story better was if Paul Harvey told it and ended it in his iconic way "and now you know the rest of the story".

What an awesome story...someone who crossed the street and helped their neighbor out  and made a difference.  

Happy Birthday America

We have much to be thankful and to celebrate each day in this great country we live.  However, we must never lose sight of our past and who we were, if we are to remain "the land of the free and home of the brave".  Here's a couple of pieces of gold to help celebrate the 4th of July.

Nobody has ever or will ever sing "America The Beautiful" better than Ray Charles

One of the best ever performances of the Star Spangled Banner by Whitney Houston (live, not Milli Vanilli style)

The Pledge of Allegiance by Red Skeleton

From the Encyclopedia my kids will use (Wikipedia) (until I bring the 15 book, 200lb Encyclopedia set I used to the house) 

July 4, 1776 the day 13 colonies declared that they regarded themselves as independent states (including the great state of SC) and no longer part of British empire and formed the United States of America.  This declaration was contained in the "The Declaration of Independence" which outlined the issues we had with King George III and put forth many of the principles that would become the US Constitution.

The declaration is not divided into formal sections; but it is often discussed as consisting of five parts: Introduction, the Preamble, the Indictment of George III, the Denunciation of the British people, and the Conclusion.^[75]

Introduction Asserts as a matter of Natural Law the ability of a people to assume political independence; acknowledges that the grounds for such independence must be reasonable, and therefore explicable, and ought to be explained.	In CONGRESS, July 4, 1776. The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
Preamble Outlines a general philosophy of government that justifies revolution when government harms natural rights.[75]	We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.
Indictment A bill of particulars documenting the king's "repeated injuries and usurpations" of the Americans' rights and liberties.[75]	Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world. He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good. He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them. He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only. He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures. He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness of his invasions on the rights of the people. He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected, whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within. He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands. He has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers. He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries. He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance. He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures. He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power. He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation: For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us: For protecting them, by a mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States: For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world: For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent: For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury: For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences: For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments: For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever. He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us. He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people. He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation. He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands. He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions. In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
Denunciation This section essentially finished the case for independence. The conditions that justified revolution have been shown.[75]	Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.
Conclusion The signers assert that there exist conditions under which people must change their government, that the British have produced such conditions, and by necessity the colonies must throw off political ties with the British Crown and become independent states. The conclusion contains, at its core, the Lee Resolution that had been passed on July 2.	We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.
Signatures The first and most famous signature on the engrossed copy was that of John Hancock, President of the Continental Congress. Two future presidents,Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, were among the signatories. Edward Rutledge (age 26), was the youngest signer, and Benjamin Franklin (age 70) was the oldest signer. The fifty-six signers of the Declaration represented the new states as follows (from north to south):[76]	New Hampshire: Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton Massachusetts: Samuel Adams, John Adams, John Hancock, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry Rhode Island: Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery Connecticut: Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, Oliver Wolcott New York: William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Lewis Morris New Jersey: Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, Abraham Clark Pennsylvania: Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, John Morton, George Clymer, James Smith, George Taylor, James Wilson, George Ross Delaware: George Read, Caesar Rodney, Thomas McKean Maryland: Samuel Chase, William Paca, Thomas Stone, Charles Carroll of Carrollton Virginia: George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson, Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter Braxton North Carolina: William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn South Carolina: Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, Jr., Thomas Lynch, Jr., Arthur Middleton Georgia: Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton