Team Tinnaro :: Family Life

Resentment

noreply@blogger.com (Gabriel Tinnaro) — Sun, 23 Mar 2014 23:54:00 +0000

Overheard this evening:
My fingers are bossed around by my hands, but they don't like it.

A good Idea

noreply@blogger.com (Gabriel Tinnaro) — Thu, 20 Feb 2014 12:27:00 +0000

Sitting at the breakfast table, Eli brightens up like he's just had a great idea.

Eli: Hey, Dad I bet you'll like this idea. Do you want to get a dog?

Nice try, keep at it, Eli.

As seen on the bathroom mirror

noreply@blogger.com (Gabriel Tinnaro) — Mon, 06 Jan 2014 00:05:00 +0000

Thank you, Ana Tobin.

Ana Tobin on Persuasion

noreply@blogger.com (Gabriel Tinnaro) — Fri, 22 Nov 2013 00:05:00 +0000

"I don't plead. I argue."

Tinnaro Family Holidays

noreply@blogger.com (Gabriel Tinnaro) — Fri, 08 Nov 2013 15:03:00 +0000

The holidays in the Tinnaro household just got extra awesome.

15-7

noreply@blogger.com (Gabriel Tinnaro) — Sun, 13 Oct 2013 16:28:00 +0000

Here's how Eli thought through 15-7 while he was doing it (as a part of a larger subtraction problem) this morning:

15-7 = 7 is 2+5, and 15 is 10+5. So if we remove the 5 from the 7 and the 5 from 15 we have 10-2 which is 8.

While I am sitting next to him, counting it up on my fingers.

D#@$% Birds

noreply@blogger.com (Gabriel Tinnaro) — Fri, 11 Oct 2013 21:09:00 +0000

Eli asked an interesting question last night...

"What if we could understand what animals say. Like birds. Maybe we wouldn't like bird songs anymore if we knew what they were saying. What if they are saying mean things about us, or cussing?"

I will never hear a cuckoo the same way ever again.

Ana Tobin on Politics

noreply@blogger.com (Gabriel Tinnaro) — Thu, 10 Oct 2013 23:00:00 +0000

"I love the political season. Those people say terrible things about each other."

For Marie Copeland... 93 years and it still ain't enough.

noreply@blogger.com (Gabriel Tinnaro) — Fri, 27 Sep 2013 17:14:00 +0000

Early this morning, my dear grandmother Marie Copeland passed away.

93 years old - I got to have her for 42 years of them - and greedily I still feel like it wasn't enough. We love you, Grandma. Thanks for bringing your love, your humor, your strength, your wonder at the natural world to us. Thanks for your love of science, and thank you so much for doing everything you did to foster that same love within me. I very much would not be the man I am without your influence, example, and nurturing.

So thank you.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELI!

noreply@blogger.com (Gabriel Tinnaro) — Sat, 06 Jul 2013 17:23:00 +0000

Holy moo, 8 years ago Lesley and I were marveling at your chubbly little sleepy face and remarking on how much you looked exactly like a tiny, adorable Emeril Lagasse. And now you're action packed! Wild, loud, and whip-smart (as regularly demonstrated here). Eli loves ANIMALS, particularly his beloved stuffies, and still loves to know how the world works. We're so proud of you.

Footsoldiers in the War on Entropy

noreply@blogger.com (Gabriel Tinnaro) — Thu, 04 Jul 2013 00:00:00 +0000

A recent Sunday afternoon at the Team Tinnaro world headquarters, and the Tinnaro Family is having our weekly debate on the Philosophy of Cleanliness...

Edison: Dad, why do we have to clean?

Dad: Entropy. Systems in order tend towards disorder, and its our job to battle against entropy. Entropy is why a hot cup of coffee eventually becomes cold. Because of entropy, our house will fall down if we don't maintain it. Entropy causes us to grow old.

(Cue inspiring music - back up kids, dad's on a roll..)

Dad: We clean, children, becuase we are footsoldiers in the war against entropy! We struggle against chaos and destruction! We clean in order to fend off the cold darkness of the grave, and the eventual ruin of our home!

Eli: So why don't we just kill entropy?

Thor is a Bastard

noreply@blogger.com (Gabriel Tinnaro) — Sun, 30 Jun 2013 16:00:00 +0000

Edison: Can I play Minecraft?

Dad: No, we're going to take the bikes to the bike store and get a new tire for mom's bike.

(BOOMING PEAL OF THUNDER)

Dad: Ooooookay. You can play Minecraft.

(THREE MINUTES LATER - BRIGHT SUN SHINING THROUGH WINDOWS)

(DAD SHAKES IS FIST AT THE SKY)

UPDATE: OK, so it did rain. I feel better now.

Quote of the day

noreply@blogger.com (Gabriel Tinnaro) — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 14:22:00 +0000

"I've never smelled a spider fart. I wonder if they fart at all?"-Eli

Found this on my bedroom door...

noreply@blogger.com (Gabriel Tinnaro) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 16:35:00 +0000

I guess I wake up kinda cranky.

Count Off!

noreply@blogger.com (Gabriel Tinnaro) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 00:47:00 +0000

Riding bikes with the kids today, I was chastising Edison and Ana Tobin for not replying when I asked them to sound off. I like to know that they're near, and they're listening, and I don't need to hear Eli because... he's still in the trailer.

Eli had another idea about why I don't need him to count off...

Eli: Dad, I know why I don't have to count off like the other kids.

Dad: Yes? Why is that?

Eli: Because I never stop talking anyway. You always know where I am.

A Good Goal

noreply@blogger.com (Gabriel Tinnaro) — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 23:30:00 +0000

Yeah, like that...

WINNER!

noreply@blogger.com (Gabriel Tinnaro) — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 13:49:00 +0000

Ana Tobin took the 4th grade essay contest at her school very seriously. When it was assigned, she come home from school, and went down to it. Complained when she had to break for dinner, skipped stories, complained about taking a bath, and stayed up late working on it -- all by herself -- all for the sake of her beloved Florida Panthers, since the winner gets money donated to an organization supporting their cause.

SQUEEEE!

Ana Tobin's hard work paid off, because SHE WON!

So, kudos to you, our little writer. Keep up the great work, and you'll go far.

If you want to see her reaction to winning the award, I took a little video of it and you can watch it here.

And now, without further ado or grown-up interference, the AWARD WINNING ESSAY:

Florida panthers are a rare and beautiful animals. Unfortunately, these wonderful beasts are disappearing all the time. If we don't act quickly, they could become extinct. The Florida panther is a majestic hunter, a caring mother to its young, and all together, an amazing creature. If I had $100, I would donate it to Big Cat Rescue, to help the Florida panthers.

My first reason I would donate money to Big Cat Rescue is because if Florida panthers go extinct,a lot of other animals die too. Hear, let me explain. Say panthers eat hogs. There is probably a LOT of hogs because there is not many panthers to eat them. So then there wouldn't be a lot of what ever the hog eats because there would be too many hogs. Then it happens over, and over again.

My next reason would donate money to B.C.R. is because it helps more than panthers. Big Cat Rescue helps other big cats such as leopards, tigers, ocelots, and lions. Florida panthers are rare, but other species need help too. A lot of big cats need help, including Florida panthers. It's important that other endangered felines get help too.

Florida panthers are endangered, and all most extinct. These beautiful cats need OUR help to re-start their race. Programs like Florida Panther Society introduce other species of feline (Such as cougars and pumas.) to breed hybrid panthers. These cats are a LOT tougher than the regular Florida panther. With these hybrid panthers,the original Florida panthers have a better chance at avoiding extinction. The more money donated, the more panthers breed.

Florida panthers are wonderful, awe- inspiring creatures. With our help, these graceful cats can, and will, be returned to their former glory as top predator of Florida.

Good Kitty.

noreply@blogger.com (Gabriel Tinnaro) — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 01:54:00 +0000

I don't know any good ways to say this, so I'll make it quick. After almost 19 years of spectacularly performed pet-hood, Lunar Spacecat Ki'ten Stuart Tinnaro; All-Star Cat; Mousebane; Destroyer of Paper Bags and Threat to Birds; Lapwarmer and Occasional Nuisance has left the building. Lunar was very, very old and slowing down but ultimately passed away immediately after an altercation with a car. It was apparently mercifully quick. Knowing her, she probably thought that she could show the car who's boss.

For those of you who are wondering, it was in the alley, not in the street. I told you she was smarter than that.

We love you, and you are missed already. Good kitty. Well done.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ANA TOBIN!

noreply@blogger.com (Gabriel Tinnaro) — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 03:47:00 +0000

I know, I know, all the parents say it, "I can't believe my little angel is X years old, it seems just like yesterday..." but... it does, sweetie. It DOES seem like it was almost yesterday. And although you've grown so much and are becoming so sophisticated -- I guess you're not a "little" girl anymore -- you're still as special to me as you were when you were just a little weird squalling baby who liked to grab on to my finger. Edison said it when he first saw you, and he said it best -- "wow".

Thanks for being such an amazing kid. We sure do love you.

Eli Quote of the Week

noreply@blogger.com (Gabriel Tinnaro) — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 03:59:00 +0000

"What if we had FOUR NOSTRILS? What if EVERYTHING had FOUR NOSTRILS?!"

I... I don't know, Son.

Revisiting "A New Hope"

noreply@blogger.com (Gabriel Tinnaro) — Sun, 11 Nov 2012 03:01:00 +0000

At dinner tonight, Ana Tobin mentioned that she hadn't seen Star Wars in a very long time, so insteadnof stories, we pulled out "A New Hope".

Some observations:

1) Maybe it would have still been an amazing movie without John Williams. But a lot less amazing. The fact that it wasn't the standard 70's bleepy-bloopy Moog-driven standard sci-fi fare probably plays into the way that it doesn't seem dated in the same way other old sci-fi movies do.

2) I totally married Princess Leia, only prettier.

3) The kids haven't seen it in so long Eli and Ana Tobin don't seem to remember it. I'm not sure if Eli remembered it at all.

4) The kids laugh out loud every time they hear the WIlhelm Scream.

5) We watched the re-issue versions, so there WAS a point that I had to stop the movie and apologize to the children for showing them something offensive and inappropriate, and explain that what REALLY happened was Han shot first.

6) The Clone Wars really is a bummer. For a story that I spent most of my childhood wondering about, I really feel like we got robbed. Of course, I would have killed to have a Star Wars T.V. show, and as a kid I would have loved it unconditionally.

It's kind of amazing how much I remember of my first impression of Star Wars, as I was 5 at the time, but it became SUCH a big deal for me... and back then, we didn't get to see movies over and over. I remember what my mental image of "sand people" was, and how I thought the ad in the newspaper didn't look like something I would like, and how we borrowed 2 bucks from Heather's birthday loot to buy my ticket. I probably only saw it 4 or 5 times as a kid. But the books... and the comic books... and my beloved 8-track, those for worn out. Although they know the story inside and out, it was fun to go down that road with the kids again, and see it in another new light. It was exciting again.

I don't know if I ever gave Heather her 2 bucks back. But that 2 dollars changed my life. Thanks, sibber, and thanks to Mom and Dad for convincing me that it would be worth seeing. It was.

BEST. WAFFLES. EVER.

noreply@blogger.com (Gabriel Tinnaro) — Sun, 14 Oct 2012 01:44:00 +0000

I took the kids to the Saturday Morning Market this morning, we had a good time, and of course, they got waffles from Sylvia's Belgian Waffles, which are truly a splendid thing. Eli had this review:

"These waffles are delicious but not as good as Pepa's. Pepa's taste just as good but his are made with LOVE."

(Pictured: Edison tucks in while Eli eats his not-as-good-as-Pepa's waffle... with a straw.)

Only 8 Months to Go

noreply@blogger.com (Gabriel Tinnaro) — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 12:57:00 +0000

Eli's first words as I woke him up this morning were a question: "Longboat Key?"

Eli Quote of the Day

noreply@blogger.com (Gabriel Tinnaro) — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 03:24:00 +0000

We join the conversation already in progress, where Dad is trying to describe the physical sensation of having Strep to Eli...

Eli: So is it like feeling crazy?

Dad: Well, feeling crazy isn't a physical sensation, is it? I mean, what does crazy feel like?

Eli: Like being me.

THAT EXPLAINS EVERYTHING.

A Highly Modern Extravagance

noreply@blogger.com (Gabriel Tinnaro) — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 22:06:00 +0000

We've decided to break down and invest in a highly modern extravagance at the Tinnaro household.

In times gone by, we have only had telephones dedicated to each individual person who needs one, but now we have decided to go with ONE MORE EXTRA PHONE that belongs to NO ONE IN PARTICULAR. The extravagance is almost embarrassing -- this phone is so unnecessary and impractical that you can't even take it with you, you just LEAVE IT AT HOME. As if the house itself needed a phone.

The only reason that I could come up with to justify this preposterous falderal is to make sure that the kids are up-to-date on their telephone etiquette. As their Aunt Heather can attest, the kids' Skype etiquette could be called "rough around the edges" only if things that don't exist have edges.

Granted, it's the merest scrap of cover, less adequate than the fabled "Yellow polka-dot bikini" but it will have to suffice, because... what the hell, it was free for a year and the kids need a phone. BACK, I SAY! BACK, TO THE FUTURE!