life through the eyes of ben

The Magic House

2010-02-06T15:55:00.005-06:00

On Wednesday, Webster Groves Parents as Teachers sponsored a night at the Magic House in Kirkwood, MO. I would like to assume that everyone reading this has been to this magnificent place for kids, and dads, but I'm sure some of you have not. Every summer a sibling and I would visit my grandparents for about a week. They would take us to the St. Louis Zoo, MOBOT, The Science Center, Grant's Farm, and the always loved Magic House. I remember when it was just an old residential house of 3 stories packed full of mirror mazes, magnets, and technology to make your hair stand on end. Boy how has it changed. A new addition was completed a little over a year ago and it more than doubled the existing facility. It is a very impressive desitination that rates in the top 5 for child satisfaction in the country.

Mara and Jack have been there before, but never as a team. Jack is now 3 and can keep up with the big kids. He and Mara crammed the entire experience into 2 hours which included, the 3 story slide, sand box, fishing, car repair, magnets... you name it. They slept very well that evening.

Christmas in the DR updates

2008-12-25T00:57:00.001-06:00

This has been a wonderful Christmas experience for my family. Last night, Kathleen, John, and I attended midnight mass at the oldest churchin the western hemisphere here in Santo Domingo, DR. We got to see the Bishop, listen to beautiful music, and experience Christ in a new culture. For those of you that have never attended a mass in a different language, I highly recommend it.

This morning we woke up and opened presents with the four kids, well, three. Ransom was in need of a nap. The kids had lots of fun opening gifs and playing together. I have posted some pictures at my Google Photos site for everyone to see. Please check in over the next week to see updated photos of the Niesen Christmas Vacation in the Dominican Republic. Feliz Navidad!!

PHOTOS

Christmas Vacation in Santo Domingo, DR

2008-12-22T07:21:00.006-06:00

Good morning to all from sunny Santo Domingo. Kathleen, Mara, Jack and I arrived on Sunday at about 4:00 PM after 11 hours of travel. We began our journey at 3:00 am in St. Louis, Missouri and 8 degrees. Talk about a morning that you don't want to get out of bed, early and cold. We flew into Atlanta, about 45 degrees, and tried to get lost in the airport. We didn't but let me tell you, it was quite an ordeal getting from gate A-4 to E-29 to E-16. You have to land and de-board in gate A-4. Then you have to walk to gate A-18, take the escalator to the underground train. Ride the train to Corridor E, walk to gate E-26 and then have them chance it 20 minutes before boarding to gate E-16. For those of you that plan to fly international through Atlanta, be sure to have a reasonable layover, you will need it if you are not familiar with Atlanta. Here we are beginning our journey through the Atlanta airport.

The flight to Santo Domingo was a little unpredictable with 2 little kids. We prayed for them to get a nap, and it happened. Mara was very well behaved with Sesame Street on Kathleen's Ipod.

Well, enough for now. John and I are going to Santiago this morning to pick up a delivery for the missionaries on the island. It is about 850 pounds of cargo with Christmas gifts and necessities for those in need. I will try to keep the blog updated throughout our trip with more pictures to come. All is well. Buenos dias!

Leaf Fort

2008-11-29T22:31:00.007-06:00

Today the kids and I walked to Sappington's Farmer's Market, our everyday grocery store. It is newly purchased by Missouri Farmers Cooperative. We had to get some essentials; soap, bread, cookies, Dr. Pepper, and juice. We had a great time between Mara shopping for everything she saw and Jack trying to weasel his way out of the stroller. We had a really good time.

Following the successful shopping trip, the kids and I built a leaf fort to break up the monotony of raking leaves. They were excited. They really wanted to hide from cars. I figured that building a leave fort wouldn't really take any additional effort, but the kids would get a kick out of it. The hill in front of our house is a perfect location to make a U-Shaped Fort. The kids can duck down behind the leaves, hide from cars and pretend they are in a castle. Mara loves castles.

I enjoy pretending with Mara and Jack. We play tents inside, (a way for daddy to get some additional shut eye early in the morning), by draping blankets over the couch and chairs in the living room. The kids love "hiding" from the monsters and Ginger, our 60 pound golden retriever. We have a lot of fun. I wonder what we will do tomorrow. I hear snow may be in the forecast. How exciting!

Halloween

2008-11-08T14:30:00.000-06:00

What a wonderful Halloween. Mara was the prettiest witch I have ever seen (I am bias of course) and Jack was Woody from Toy Story. They had a blast. We went around the block, once, short legs don't travel fast and it doesn't take too much tire them out. Mara had a joke that she practiced all day, here it is....Why was 6 afraid of 7? Cause 7 8 (ate) 9. And guess who told the joke all evening, daddy. It got laughs, I don't know if it was because I was telling the joke or because it truly is a funny joke. You will have to provide me feedback on this issue. Mara and Jack collected enough candy to last Kathleen and myself about 3 days, way to go kids. Just another great thing about being a parent. It was a lot of fun.

st. louis symphony orchestra

2008-09-22T21:35:00.000-05:00

For those of you who have not attended the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra in Powell Hall, it is incredible. Powell Hall is a beautiful symphony hall without a bad seat in the house, at least for a concert. Sound travels up to the terrace just as it would to the main floor. Kathleen and I sat in the 3rd row from the top and enjoyed every second.

We went to see the Lord of the Rings concert on Friday, September 19th. I have to say the highlight of the night was my ability to befriend an orc.

Okay, for all of you wise guys out there, I am on the left <--, and the orc is on the right --> . I know who my readers are. I could have made a joke about Kathleen being in the picture, but that would have just been mean, she looked dazzling on Friday.

It is always nice to have a night just to ourselves every once in a while. I know we intend to more often, but it is easy to be too busy or just want to stay home. What a wonderful treat the symphony was though. We were able to sit hand in hand for 2 1/2 hours and just absorb the music and each other. I don't think Kathleen and I have sat next to each other like that for, How old is Mara?, over 3 years.

LOTR (yes I am a fantasy dork, that means "Lord Of The Rings" for those of you who may not be up to speed on the fantasy acronyms) has a nice variation of pieces ranging from quite intense and hand breaking, to "The Shire" pieces which are much more relaxing. Please, if you get an opportunity to attend the SLSO, do so. If you need a place to say, I am formally making the invitation right now, you can stay in any of St. Louis' fine hotels around the city or the county. Just kidding, you can sleep on our floor.

week of professional sports

2008-09-14T14:35:00.005-05:00

Last week was an exceptional week for St. Louis sports. My dad and I attended the PGA BMW Classic that was played at Bellerive Country Club, September 1-7. Cathy Gutjahr offered us tickets for the third round on Saturday. Luckily enough for us, Thursday round 1 was suspended due to rain and flash flooding so they decided to play 36 holes on Saturday to catch up. Dad and I arrived at Bellerive CC at 7:15am and the first tee off was delayed due to fog until 9:00am. After seeing 12 hours of golf, 69 golfers, and 18 beautiful holes, my legs were tired. Jim Furyk led the day shooting 12 under for 36 holes, Sergio Garcia, Phil Mickelson, Vijay Singh, and Ernie Els were others leading the way. SLIDESHOW

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On Thursday, September 11, 2008 I attended the Cardinals vs. Cubs baseball game with a herd of people. Mom and Dad, Chuck and Susan, Cathy and Gary, Bridget, Chris Keller, and Larry Price (SBU Mountain View) were all in attendance on Thursday. We did not all sit together, but we could see each other across the stadium. Dad sat with Larry. Mom, Bridget, Chris, and I sat in the upper deck on the 3rd base side, and Chuck and Susan and Cathy and Gary sat about 8 rows behind Dad. Cardinals lost 3-2 to the Cubs, but it was a very exciting game. SLIDESHOW

fun with boxes

2008-09-04T21:00:00.000-05:00

It is truly amazing what entertainment a cardboard box can bring. Who needs a toy box when you have the container it came in. Please prepare yourself, a tissue may be an order.

My stomach hurt when this half hour was over. Mara was a dancing ballerina in a box and Jack was a tank who likes to "SMASH AND CRASH", just like his favorite book.

Festival of Nations & Japanese Festival

2008-09-02T17:00:00.001-05:00

Over the last week Kathleen, Mara, Jack, and I have experienced the world from our community. What a wonderful place St. Louis is. On August 23rd we attended the Festival of Nations in Tower Grove Park with Grandma Julie and Granddad Bob. While strolling through the various countries from India to Brazil we ran across Equador and bought Mara a new dress. She calls it her princess dress, as are all of her others. "If you wear a dress, then you are a princess."

On Saturday, August 30th we all attended the Japanese Festival at Missouri Botanical Garden. It was quite the experience. There must have been 2000 princesses all decked out in their traditional, kimono, or dresses as Mara thought. She never knew a man could be a princess until we attended the Japanese Festival. Thank you Grandma Joe for the family pass to the Missouri Botanical Gardens.

SLIDESHOW

Together We Can Repower America

2008-08-28T20:29:00.010-05:00

Together, We Can Repower America

"The goal of the Alliance is to build a movement that creates the political will to solve the climate crisis -- in part through repowering America with 100 percent of its electricity from clean energy sources within 10 years. Our economy, national security, and climate can’t afford to wait." wecansolveit.org

This is a very moving campaign, both optimistic and realistic. You always hear that it can never happen. As my uncle noticed while driving through Kansas, we have already started this campaign. Kansas has created 364 megawatts of wind power, with 100 megawatts at Smoky Hills scheduled for completion by December. The state has a long way to go before joining the elite company of Texas with 2,768 megawatts of wind, California with 2,361, Iowa with 936, Minnesota with 895 and Washington with 818. One megawatt produces enough electricity to serve an average of 250 to 300 households for a year. That is 2,197,200 cleanly powered households. Well done and keep up the campaign. Please support Wecansolveit.org if by doing nothing else than keeping an open mind and spreading the word. We can solve it and we WILL.

The Municipal Pool, a Thirst Quenching Experience

2008-08-26T22:30:00.011-05:00

Nothing like a good trip to the swimming pool to quench your thirst. Jack and Mara love the pool. It is nearing the end of summer and the pool passes will expire on Labor Day. It has been a wonderful summer and the kids have grown more courageous with every trip to the municipal pool. Mara was afraid of the water slide in May and Jack didn't even think about it. As you can see in the following slide show, no fear anymore. I love to see the look on the kids face when you ask if they want to go to the pool. It is priceless. No individual should miss the opportunity to see a child is such excitement. The pool is the ideal place for a thirst quenching experience.

SLIDESHOW

Sparta's New Police Chief is a Grandma?!

2008-08-25T22:30:00.007-05:00

In case you haven't heard...Sparta Missouri appointed a new police chief. To my surprise, she is a GRANDMA?!! And not just a one time grandma. She has 3 grandchildren, 2 girls and 1 boy. Is Sparta a retirement community? How is a grandma going to be able to maintain law and order? This....Sparta.....must be near Branson.

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What do you know, IT IS! Sparta Missouri is located in Christian County, approximately 19 miles southeast of Springfield, with a population of 1,144. While Sparta sounds like a metropolitan community, it doesn't compare to the size and magnitude of its neighbor, Saddlebrooke (pop. 15). The Police Chief goes by the name of "MOM". She is black belt in Shorin-ryu karate, a hand gun instructor, been sprayed with mace, graduated with a degree in criminal justice, broke her pinkie toe on a vacuum, knows how to count to 10 in French, likes to read romance novels, loves rose bushes, and is a mom to 4 tough kids where headlocks were a frequent discipline procedure.

Congratulations on the new position, Mom. I know that you are qualified. You policed your kids for over 20 years, and we turned out okay. Good Luck and please stay safe.

Biking Grant's Trail

2008-08-23T22:13:00.016-05:00

Today Mara, Jack, and I thought we would challenge the grandparents to a bike race. Mom and Dad, or Grandma Julie and Bob as the kids like to say, were wonderful sports. We decided to make the outing on Grant's Trail.
For those of you who do not know Grant's Trail, formerly known as the Missouri Pacific railroad line, it runs from Kirkwood (Big Bend and I-44) to Union and I-55. It is about an 8 mile bike ride along a paved asphalt trail. We were not that ambitious today with the heat wave that came through this afternoon. We cut the distance in half by starting at Watson Road and turning around in Clydesdale Park, for a total of 8 miles. If you live in St. Louis and have never been on Grant's Trail I would highly recommend it. It is a popular outing for bikers, runners, roller-bladers, walkers, adults, children, and pets. It is a wide trail, 2 lanes totaling about 10 feet, and doesn't crowd very easily due to the extreme length and multiple parking lots and access points. Thank you St. Louis County Parks. TRAILNET

Kathleen and I take the kids on bike rides regularly, whether it is to the local farmers market or downtown Webster Groves for an afternoon of shopping. We have a double bike trailer that Mom and the kids model below. They look cozy in there, but they love it. I always hear them saying, "Bike faster Daddy!". It is quite the incentive for a good workout. We had to take a break today at about the 6 mile marker. We stopped at Grant's Farm and watched the Clydesdales graze as we ate crackers and drank water. It was a wonderful outing. I invite anyone coming to visit us to bring their bikes. Grant's Trail is not the only trail in St. Louis County and City that is of this quality. St. Louis is working to increase the local bikeways for commuting and entertainment. Please come visit us.

Let's get started.

2008-08-21T22:06:00.013-05:00

This is probably going to be the most difficult post to write. How does one start? Do I say something funny, meaningful, or just informative? Posts from here on out will most likely be about family and the incredible journey it is to live a married life and raise offspring.

Kathleen Carson, the love of my life. We just had our 5th Anniversary on August 16th. Let me tell you, you blink, and you are there. Did you know that the average marriage only lasts 4 years? Kathleen and I are striving for at least twice that. Okay, if you don't know me, I have an odd sense of humor, you'll figure it out. Kathleen is currently attending SLU in pursuit of a PhD in Public Policy. I see perpetual student in her future. Kathleen and I have 2 children.

Mara (Moo) is 3 years old and weighs ~32 pounds. Jack (Tank) is almost 20 months old and weighs ~33 pounds. Together they are quite the team. They love to read. Mara's favorite book is Fancy Nancy, everything French is fancy. Jack's is Smash Crash, a self explanitory car book. Jack is your typical little boy who loves cars and baseball. More about them to come.

I am excited to share this blog with everyone. It will vary in topics from family, politics, environment, and work. Please keep in touch and we will see how this works.

I'll leave you with an engineering saying: The glass is neither half full nor half empty. It is twice as big as it needs to be.

-Ben