Good Times

What Catching a Baseball With my Teeth Taught Me About Achieving Goals

noreply@blogger.com (Ken, Ginger, Aidan and Aubrie) — Mon, 30 Nov 2020 18:33:00 +0000

As the nurse prepared to stitch my lip, I made a joke with my newly acquired lisp, “At least I’ll be able to lose my final 2 lbs.”

For the past few weeks, I had been trying to lose 2 lbs to arrive at my weight goal.

As Thanksgiving approached, I had decided to release myself from my food protocol and prepared to brace myself for the inevitable weight bump.

Then on Thanksgiving Day, I caught a baseball with my teeth, jarring them loose. My brother-in-law took me to the emergency room. That’s where I made my joke to the nurse.

Instead of feasting on turkey, dressing, and pumpkin pie, I drank a smoothie and slurped mashed potatoes. Not too bad because the smoothie was awesome, but still, it was a suboptimal experience.

The irony struck me when three days later, I weighed myself and discovered I had lost...precisely 2 lbs.

If you believe in silver linings outside of Totino’s microwavable pizzas, this feat was pretty cool. But it also reminded me that the glory is NOT found when we arrive at the destination--the goal--it’s during the journey itself.

One of my original reasons to lose weight was to increase my agility on the tennis court. I coached myself to losing 15 lbs in 70 days. (The extra 2lbs above was an additional goal after this goal.) I could cover the court like my 18 year old self. And I admit to a bit of vanity when my partners complimented me on my slimmer appearance.

But the greater benefit was derived from all the lessons I picked up along the way. I wrote down five in my journal. Here’s an excerpt of #3: “It’s possible to look at food completely differently...Today, for the most part, I’m not tempted at all to eat fast food. I eat at the right time, I eat a lot less, and I'm able to forgo sweets and snacks.”

Can you see how powerful that is? Especially if you consider the junk food, fast food ways of my past. In fact, during each of those 70 days, I learned something valuable, especially when the scale went the wrong way.

It’s these lessons that have the potential to transform you - that make you better. The goal gives you a yardstick by which you can measure yourself. But arriving “there” won’t make you any happier.

So, don’t try to make a goal at all costs. Don’t catch a baseball with your teeth. Remember the journey is what really matters. Enjoy it, and you’ll enjoy life.

The hospital's "get well" card.

Spring Break 2018

noreply@blogger.com (Ken, Ginger, Aidan and Aubrie) — Sat, 31 Mar 2018 23:35:00 +0000

San diego 2018 from Kenneth Li

Welcoming Stock Photo Boy

noreply@blogger.com (Ken, Ginger, Aidan and Aubrie) — Thu, 07 Dec 2017 00:20:00 +0000

Inspired by cheesy stock photos, Aidan and I created an Instagram account to showcase whether he has the chops to make it as a stock photo model.

Stock Photo Boy: World Conquest

A post shared by Ken Li (@kclgingr) on Dec 6, 2017 at 3:56pm PST

Halloween 2015

noreply@blogger.com (Ken, Ginger, Aidan and Aubrie) — Sun, 01 Nov 2015 02:18:00 +0000

This year's haul: 404.5.

Completely Random Observations:

Kids took home four "Take Fives," their fave.
Aubrie likes the original Almond Joy wrapper better. (Yes, this was what she told me to write when I asked for her observation.)
I've never seen so many golf carts zooming around. Ginger and I thought: "Rex Eckert would love living here"
Looking back at Homewood trick or treating, there was an absence of Smarties, Dots and Charleston Chews. #1 candy in 2012 was Suckers. #1 candy in 2015 was Twix. You know where the kids liked getting their treats!

Cute pic of them with their stacks of candy forthcoming.

Elder Bednar Talks

noreply@blogger.com (Ken, Ginger, Aidan and Aubrie) — Sun, 20 Sep 2015 13:29:00 +0000

Elder David A Bednar, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, spoke with our congregation in northwest Indiana last night.

Unlike General Conference wherein an Apostle speaks to the entire Church membership, Elder Bednar's talk was designed for us in this geography. He mentioned this was a big break from his typical speaking circuit: he rarely gives talks in the US or at these kinds of local meetings. So what he said to us last night was extra special and sacred.

Before continuing, I want to make two small observations not related to the talks themselves:

Small Observation 1

Elder Bednar paid close attention to each speaker as if THEY were the Apostle. He leaned forward most of the time.

Small Observation 2

When the interlude music started playing, and the congregation sat stuck in their seats, it was Elder Bednar who motioned for us to rise.

Elder Bednar's talk was beautiful. He has an elegant style that is "simple and clear," the terms he uses to describe how he wishes to communicate. It's always refreshing to hear an Apostle provide his candid thoughts. For example, when he was the president of BYU-Idaho, students would always complain about the dress code. In response, Elder Bednar wishes he could have said something like this: "You are messing with the wrong person."

Elder Bednar's talk was divided into two parts. First, he taught doctrine based on the 2nd and 4th Articles of Faith and expanding the concept of moral (not "free") agency and its relationship to covenants. He said this part might be a "snoozer." It wasn't. However, it's best if I let Elder Bednar publicly articulate this doctrine in his own way in his own time, and not share/butcher it by disclosing further details.

However, I feel I can talk about Part 2, which was not about doctrine, but equally profound and captivating. Elder Bednar contrasted his experiences with Church members inside and outside the US. He made it clear he was not trying to give us a "guilt trip." It wasn't. But it was eye opening enough to change my worldview on what's really important in life and sketch out tonight's family home evening lesson.

Indian Gem in Michigan City

noreply@blogger.com (Ken, Ginger, Aidan and Aubrie) — Fri, 04 Sep 2015 13:38:00 +0000

It took a banker asking Ginger and I how long we were married for us deduce we both forgot about our wedding anniversary. We made up for our error by lunching at India House in Michigan City. It was love at first bite. We were so inspired that we wrote our second ever yelp (and Google) review.

We seldom write reviews -- this is our second one ever -- but my wife and I immediately looked at each other during our meal and said we should write a review. We love Indian food, and had gone to India House for our wedding anniversary meal. So we feel like we know our Indian food.

Ever taste a watered down Indian dish? Not in India House. The food was creamy and tasty. The selection was more varied than most Indian buffets. There were the exceptional samosas, the best pakora we ever had, chicken tikka masala, butter chicken as well as a great assortment for vegetarians: Dal Makhni (lentils), saag paneer (spinach), channa masala (chick peas), punjabi bhaji (veggie fritters) and aloo gobi (cauliflower and potatoes). Also: fresh naan made to order, either plain or garlic, which is an offering unique to this buffet. The majority of patrons at India House were Indian, which is always a good sign. The food may be a little Americanized because the heat is toned down, but it has plenty of flavor. A bit less salty, and the food would have been perfect -- we were gulping water the rest of the day, but it was worth it.

Please patronize this restaurant to keep it in business. Indian restaurants are so few in Northwest Indiana.

The yelp review is here. The first-ever, overwhelmingly less positive yelp review is here.

So for the three of you who follow this blog, we command you to try out this restaurant. You might see us there, celebrating our next wedding anniversary!

Aubrie's Volleyball Adventures [Week One]: A Surprising Start

noreply@blogger.com (Ken, Ginger, Aidan and Aubrie) — Mon, 16 Mar 2015 03:40:00 +0000

After two days of volleyball practice, none of which I had personally witnessed, I had no idea how Aubrie was going to do in her first volleyball start. She plays in a girls volleyball league run by a local Nazarene church*. Reports from practice weren't very promising, so I went in with low expectations, with the hope of being pleasantly surprised.

One thing I did know: Aubrie looks great in a pink t-shirt and knee pads.

Aubrie served first for her team, and nailed the first three before dropping one outside the lines. She ended up getting one more point during game 2. This was great considering the night before we practiced serves using a kid's inflatable ball. No equipment failures were going to hold Aubrie back!

Aubrie launches a serve behind the back line.

Slideshow here.

Not to be biased, but I thought Aubrie was the best player on her team. Ok, I'm biased. But she did strike balls that were clearly hers pretty cleanly, and called for them every time. The balls she missed would be difficult for any level player. One came straight down from the ceiling, another landed between her and another player and one was stuck in the net.

Aidan, Ginger and I had a great time cheering Aubrie on. Though her team lost two games to none, we're confident we have a little volleyball player on her hands -- though she's not quite convinced she herself is quite good enough. Ironically, despite Aubrie feeling bad about her performance, she earned a start for enthusiasm. Most of all, along with progressing her skills, we feel Aubrie becomes more confident in her abilities and cheerful overall.

Aubrie in action

Shout out to the Nazarene church of Chicago Heights for running this professional and fun program for the girls. The church is also teaching the girls about the gospel of Jesus Christ after each practice, which is pretty cool way to combine religion and athletics.

Charge!

noreply@blogger.com (Ken, Ginger, Aidan and Aubrie) — Tue, 09 Dec 2014 05:12:00 +0000

It's Christmas cookie baking season. This weekend, Ginger baked healthy pretzels topped with melted Rolos and pecans and peanut butter Hershey Kiss cookies (with Xylitol of course), among other delights.

Meanwhile, Aubrie and I fashioned works of art with the leftover Hershey Kiss wrappers.

Charge! A multi-color knight launches into battle.

It's obvious that this is a foil man on a foil horse, right? Right after I took this photo, Aidan crumpled it up, saying it looked like a bunch of wrappers. He clearly doesn't recognize art when he sees it.

Picture Perfect: A Look Back at 2014

noreply@blogger.com (Ken, Ginger, Aidan and Aubrie) — Sat, 06 Dec 2014 21:53:00 +0000

Season Greetings from the Li family from Kenneth Li

Three Act Summer Vacation

noreply@blogger.com (Ken, Ginger, Aidan and Aubrie) — Sat, 30 Aug 2014 16:01:00 +0000

This summer’s vacation was the best of times, multiplied by three. We used the family reunion in Tulsa, Oklahoma to pack in vacations to Nauvoo, Illinois and Branson, Missouri. It’s a lot easier when your spouse drives. Thank you, Ginger.

Act 1 – Navigating Nauvoo: Sunday, July 13 – Monday, July 14

There’s nothing that says summer better than a pool, even one with trihalomethanes. Regardless of these activated radicals, that’s why I chose the Nauvoo Family Inn & Suites. As luck would have it, our room was across the pool’s entrance – two Robert Barone strides from our door. The kids swam both nights we were in Nauvoo. Aidan liked soaking himself in the hot tub, so he could feel the chill when he jumped back into the pool. (Okay, that’s not why he did this, but it’s what happened.) Aubrie enjoyed doing back flips off my knees, then swimming underwater and tapping my stomach with both hands – thump, thump. Where was Ginger? Somebody had to watch the Food Network. Just kidding. Remember those trihalomethanes? She did “sacrifice” herself at least once.

Somewhat Ironic: The Nauvoo hotel served coffee.

This was our first time at Nauvoo, the last city the Mormons settled before heading west. It’s also 30 minutes away from where prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum were martyred in Carthage. Thirty young performing missionaries (YPMs) of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 200 missionaries overall, staff Historic Nauvoo, as well as act in and stage all of the musicals and pageants. Brass bands and groups of merry men performed impromptu concerts and songs around the city.

With two of the cast of "Just Plain Amanda," one of the many shows performed by the young performing missionaries.

The kids loved (=fought foolishly over) the free souvenirs offered at many of the historic sites. We got prairie diamonds (a bent horseshoe nail) at the Web Brothers’ blacksmith shop and a Nauvoo brick from the Brickyard. Aubrie loved that brick. We saw – and loved (or at least I did) – “Just Plain Amanda” (where everyone is “important”) and “Sunset by the Mississippi” variety show. The last skit, the Audition, in which the YPMs replayed a scene in a variety of ways—fast, slow and with cheerful pep—was our favorite.

Wonder Twins Power: Activate. The Li family shows off their "prairie diamonds."

We also took a “two horsepower” ride, to quote the senior missionary tour guide, through the village on a horse-drawn wagon that leisurely took us through the village and along the Mississippi River. We ate (free) gingerbread cookies at the Scovil Bakery and home spun rope at the Family Living Center (also: found out what a cooper did, saw how bread was made and learned how a loom worked). We toured the Brigham Young home where the 12 apostles of the Church met and were quizzed about various pieces of pioneer equipment at the Stoddard Tin shop. We also walked on the grounds around Nauvoo temple, a destination temple. It was amazing to see the temple overlooking the hillside from the village below.

Making rope at the Family Center. One of the many freebies are kids got to take home as souvenirs.

Destination: Nauvoo Temple. Rabbit ears courtesy of Aidan and Aubrie.

Our intention was to see a couple of other shows, including “The Promise” and the “Nauvoo Pageant” (American & British), but are kids were “showed” out. That would presume they actually liked the shows. However, I suppose if Aubrie was playing with stones during “The Promise” and neither kid really got into “Amanda” (at least not like the other kids when they were asked to do the motions for Primary songs), they probably never liked the shows in the first place. One day they’ll be able to appreciate musical entertainment. Maybe when they’re 65.

Where's Aubrie? Playing below Ginger's knees during the "Sunset by the Mississippi" performance at the outdoor theater. Bonus question: Who's that man? I don't know, but he's about to step on Aubrie.

Act 2 – Tussling with Tulsa: Tuesday, July 15 – Friday, July 18

It was an 8.25 hour drive to Tulsa. It could have been faster, if not for the Mississippi River flooding the roads, which forced some detours. We quickly found out gas stations no longer sell maps. We relied on directions from a friendly local who overheard me talking to the gas station attendant. He was wrong. But at least he sent us in the right direction, until the GPS brought us back on track.

Kathleen Crockett is Ginger’s sister. She’s married to Richard Crocket and they have five children, two of whom are still living with them, Annalise and Emerson. They live in Broken Arrow (B.A.), a suburb just outside of Tulsa. The rest of Ginger’s family also converged on B.A. for a family reunion. Altogether, there were 26 folks staying at the Crockett home. In addition to the families of Ginger’s siblings, this included Janice, Ginger’s mom, and David, Ginger’s father, as well as David’s wife, Rayito. Jose, Melanie’s husband, was abroad on a tour of duty and the only one not presented and accounted for.

Here's 24 of us. Can you tell who's missing?

Aidan in his Batman pose on Ginger's bed at the Crockett home

Kathleen (and Ginger) did an incredible job of feeding everyone three square meals a day. Among my favorites were a ham omlette and beef brisket. You also can’t go wrong with grilled cheese. I ate some Lay’s potato chips that the teenagers had snuck in at the Dollar Store (snuck in because Kathleen likes to have healthy foods around and chips don’t count as healthy). Most of my time was spent with the kids. There were three age groups: the teenagers (14 – 18 years old), the young’uns (9 -13 years old) and the super small (4 – 8 years old). And then there was two-month old Marcus.

Ginger's sister Kathleen feeds 26 people. No miracle loaves and fishes. Just a lot of cooking. Thank you Kathleen!

I loved playing Ultimate Frisbee with the boys at an elementary school: Ethan and Christian Coffeen, Nolan Stout, and Aidan Li. Their dads Jared Coffeen and Bryan Stout played too. Emerson Crockett played too while his father watched over the little ones at a nearby playground. Emerson was fast and all the kids caught and threw the Frisbee extremely well. Aidan sometime heaved it up for grabs when he panicked. We also played a Frisbee accuracy game with Bryan, Aidan, Nolan and Ethan in the cul-de-sac and a couple of rounds of whiffle ball where some of the girls joined us in the “park”. Said park was really the backyard of a few of the houses. The first day we were there, Kinsey Coffeen, Shelby Coffeen, Annalise, Ethan, Aidan and I played Ultimate Football.

One of these kids likes baseball. The other likes giving air high fives.

It was great seeing the girls express their creativity through video (finding link...). “The Interview” has a smart nerd (Annalise) and a beautiful girl (Kinsey Coffeen) both vying for a job. The nerd had an amazing application; she did invent sliced bread after all. The gorgeous applicant has hand-drawn pictures of a cat on her resume. Shelby plays the semi-mannish interviewer. When the boss (Aidan) sees the beautiful girl, you know who gets the job. I was the cameraman because I can’t act.

The cast of "The Interview." Aubrie and Ethan didn't participate, but they did visit the set.

The little kids and I played a game where we threw a pillow onto different objects such as a couch or on a certain step on the stairwell. I was able to get away with playing this game repeatedly. But the runaway hit of the trip was the card game Slap Jack. Not to brag, but I was undefeated. My reflexes are faster than a cheetah’s, and that of a five year old (and even a 17-year old). As we departed for Branson, the last scene was seeing the kids played this card game. It’s my legacy to them. When they share the game with their kids, even though they might forget, it’s because I taught it to them. I have to boast about this because I don’t have any practical skills to teach them like hunting with a bo staff.

What the Eighties Left Behind: Ashley Coffeen and Aubrie.

Shelby (pink shirt) watches Kinsey, Ethan and Nolan play a rousing hand of "Slap Jack."

Act 3 – Burning up Branson: Friday, July 18 – Saturday, July 19

First off, don’t you love the names of these different acts. Aren’t they dripping with cleverness?

There’s a lot to do in Branson. Hundreds of options. It’s like Vegas, but kid friendly. Trip planning was made easier because of our kids’ love for musicals – as in they don’t love musicals. This eliminated 99% of the choices. Goodbye “Jonah the Musical.” Technology also helped make the decision a cinch. Trip Advisor listed Silver Dollar City, a theme park based on the 19^th century American frontier, as one of the top choices. Then on the SDC website, they promoted a package that I couldn’t refuse: tickets for the entire family for two day, including a hotel room (with a pool, of course). Mom would love the bargain, the kid’s would enjoy the roller coasters, and I was done planning.

After an eight-hour drive to Branson, we arrived at 4p at Deer Forest Inn, which was (literally) right next to the park. We drove to Parking Lot 5 and took the tram in. Our first stop was a one-hour, one mile guided tour of Marvel Cave that was just starting. Not one complaint from the kids. We rode out of the cave on a train pitched at a 45-degree angle. Next, we rode on a wooden roller coaster called Thunderation. I’m not a roller coaster kind of guy, but it was fun. That evening around 9p, Aubrie, Aidan and I swam in the hotel pool and watched local fireworks. Well, we didn’t really watch the works, but they could be seen shooting up over the evergreens.

Tram on the way into Silver Dollar City. We were pleased by the efficient transportation and friendly staff. Except those photographers who waylay you and take your photo -- for a price.

We crammed a lot in on day two. The highlight of the day was probably the final rollercoaster: Outlaw Run. It’s the fastest (68 mph), steepest (16 story drop at 81-degree incline) wood coaster in the world. Aidan wants me to mention that I couldn’t keep my eyes open the entire time. Yeah, it was that intense. Yeah, I’m tht chicken. I’m not sure how the kids survived; they said the loved it. Ginger really delighted in Riverblast (sarcasm font on) in which we got totally drenched squirting other boats and passersby at the edge of the ride who were also armed with squirt guns. Aidan and I manned one side while Ginger and Aubrie took the other side. We also went on Wildfire, Powder Keg (not me, since I was still dizzy from the Wildfire), and the Grand Expedition (just Aidan & Aubrie) coasters. We saw the “Illusions of Brad Ross.” He was cute with the kid volunteers, but I think the family and I have been spoiled by the show “Magic’s Biggest Secrets Finally Revealed” since he did some of the same acts. Is it just me, or should magicians do their own acts, and not copy. It’s like me sticking my tongue and pretending to be like Michael Jordan. Fake. The Flying Ace All Stars, three aerialists plus one former Olympian who had skis on, looked like they had a lot of fun on the trampoline. The best segment was when one dude timed his jumps on the trampoline to propel another aerialist really high in the air. Other rides: Lost River of the Ozarks, a white water tube ride that had an hour wait time and the kids trying to steal things out of my pocket (another Ken Li wait-during-the-line game); Magnificent Wave Carousel (vertigo inducing so I stayed grounded); The Flooded Mine, a laser gun attraction where poor Aubrie’s gun didn’t work and Aidan racked up the points; Grandfather’s Mansion, a fun house; and Fire in the Hole, an indoor coaster that was unique in that it killed someone. We also sampled some peanut butter brittle at Brown’s Candy Factory. I was approached by an elderly woman after I mistakenly said out loud that a 6-pack of Coke cost $3.00. I don’t blame her for accosting me. The park was selling Big Gulp-sized containers at $10 plus $3.50 per refill. So if you got three drinks, that’s $20. That’s just beverages! Fortunately, we had several thermos to keep us hydrated and protect our wallets.

Aubrie and Ginger (2nd from last row) on the climb up the Powder Keg. Ken chickened out on this one as he was still a bit dizzy from the Spitfire.

Ginger, obviously cringing in fear, on one of those rides where it swings you around in circles. Kids on the ride too, but their grimaces weren't as photogenic.

Ginger's favorite ride: Mystic River Blast. You get a little wet!

Sunday, July 20

After eating a continental breakfast that sounds better on paper (biscuits and sausage gravy – ‘where’s the sausage?’), we took 11 hours to drive what should have taken eight hours. All the rest stops added up, as does a pit stop to visit the world’s largest rocking chair. When we got home, it was neat to see the kitty and the cat greet us with so much affection.

Our last tourist attraction before heading through St. Louis on the way to Homewood.

Coda

Dining (not) out: Guess how many times we ate out during our seven-day excursion? Twice. Ginger made a lot of bean dip and crackers and chips. Plus we restocked at Kathleen’s and an Aldi’s on the way to Branson. Kathleen, Ginger’s sister, provided all the meals in Tulsa. We ate out at a dinner buffet at the Nauvoo hotel. The middling Midwestern fare included scalloped potatoes, fried chicken, and raw broccoli (not green beans because they’re deprived of nutrients). Ginger called it the worst buffet she’s never eaten at. We also grabbed a late night snack at Buckshot Annie’s as Silver Dollar City was closing during Midnight Madness. Aidan, Aubrie and I split a mixed order of succotash (sauteed corn, squash, okra, peppers and onion chicken) and a harvest skillet (stringed beans, carrots, redskin potatoes and ham chunks).

Aubrie’s favorite activity in the car was Farkle, a dice game similar to Yahtzee. She also wanted to play “Spoons” at night, but we had better things to do, like watch Animal Planet.

On the iPod: Louis Sachar (author of Sideway Stories from Wayside School) books, including “Someday Angeline,” “Pig City,” and “There’s a Boy in the Girl’s Bathroom.” We also enjoyed “My Brother is a Big, Fat Liar” by James Patterson, an adult fiction author. Ginger tried to get us into “Cheaper by the Dozen,” but we just weren’t cultured enough to be entertained by it.

Overall, I give the trip two enthusiastic thumbs up. The polar vertex in Oklahoma kept things cool when we played outside. We saw family. We hung out as a family. The kids got to ride on adult roller coasters. We enjoyed some Church history. Sub in the bad buffet in Nauvoo with a different dining experience, and it would have been perfect.

Squeaky: Where Art Thou?

noreply@blogger.com (Ken, Ginger, Aidan and Aubrie) — Mon, 12 May 2014 02:45:00 +0000

On Squeaky's third birthday -- Friday, May 2 -- he did an unusual thing. He left the house. And he never came back.

In honor of our lovable, cute, soft-belly fur tabby, we created this photo mosaic using a free service available on the internet. Ginger reports that when she was on the computer late at night, he would often stand on his hind legs and hug her with his front two paws. He truly was a 'sweet guy.' We think about him every day.

Squeaky in a moment of repose exposing his cute belly fur.

Anatomy of a Birthday Party

noreply@blogger.com (Ken, Ginger, Aidan and Aubrie) — Sun, 11 May 2014 02:17:00 +0000

Aidan turned 12. Here's the plan bringing it to life. (Click to enlarge.)

Aidan turned 12 on Wednesday, April 30 and we held his birthday that Saturday. You can see the hastily drawn battle plan above. Actually, it just looks that way. My handwriting is atrocious. Hopefully, the typewritten explanation gives you (and me) a clearer understanding of what our intentions were.

Let's start at the beginning. During Aidan's Sports Fest themed birthday party last year, one of Aidan's friends bounced off a giant inflatable ball and smacked his face on the gym floor. (I cringe writing that sentence.) So this year, we ditched the big ball. In fact, we axed the sports theme altogether in favor of games we've played as a family. UNO, Spoons, Bluff, Slap Jack etc. Stuff where nary a body part makes contact with hard objects.

However, we had another "problem." Our main concern was whether kids raised on video games would have a good time doing things that don't involve a screen and a joystick (even though joysticks no longer exist, you know what I mean). I can't get preachy here because I do play video games, and Ginger will read this blog post and give me a pouty face. I can say we wanted to provide an experience for both Aidan and his friends that actively engaged them, and made them engage each other.

Turns out our worries were unfounded. Everyone had a blast. Thankfully, they're still kids at heart. We had fun too. Interestingly, the "worst" activity was watching the movie "The Amazing Spider Man" As it progressed, people started peeling off and playing darts and floor hockey on their own. Of course, it's only fitting that one of the few photos we took was of the kids watching the movie.

Pizza, pretzels, dirt dessert and ice cream help Aidan and his friends power through the Amazing Spiderman. From left: Aubrie, Ethan, Jamie, Kevin, Paul, Sam, Aidan, Luke (on the ground).

Homemade Softserve Pretzels

noreply@blogger.com (Ken, Ginger, Aidan and Aubrie) — Sun, 09 Feb 2014 23:01:00 +0000

I don't really need to describe what you're seeing, except to say that Auntie Anne's has nothing on Mama Li. Well, maybe a Facebook Page. I prefer Ginger keep twisting dough into contorted shapes. I'll do the hanging out on social media!

This is an email worth reading

noreply@blogger.com (Ken, Ginger, Aidan and Aubrie) — Mon, 13 Jan 2014 01:28:00 +0000

Here's an email my son sent tonight while eating Raman noodles. I clearly use content from anywhere I can find it!

Hello from the other room again! I hope this isn't a waste of time for you and you find it worth reading. Anyway, I was writing to tell you that a stegosaurus named Fred is about to travel to the future and squash your workplace. I am telling you this now because I suggest you soon find another line of work in advance before Fred destroys yours. If you become a doctor, maybe you can get me an Ipad. The reason I am telling you this by email and not by just telling you is because reading this will make you a better reader and it will be experience typing for me. It will also take up more time that you will have spent working so you can get used to not being in that line of work anymore. Don't go to work tomorrow. Instead try to beat that Zelda game for me. I hope this a good warning and you will take my advice.

Sincerely,

--
Aidan Li

This is the email he sent immediately prior to the above email:

Subject:

Hello from the other room!

Inbox
x

Aidan Li

6:44 PM (1 hour ago)

to me

Hello. I just told you to check your email, so here's a new message to delete!

Top 16 Moments in 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Ken, Ginger, Aidan and Aubrie) — Sun, 22 Dec 2013 23:03:00 +0000

GroupCation

noreply@blogger.com (Ken, Ginger, Aidan and Aubrie) — Sat, 20 Jul 2013 18:29:00 +0000

This annual fourth of July vacation in Solon was brought to you by GroupOn.

We bowled, ice skated, safari-ed, and ate at a Cleveland Heights restaurant -- all courtesy of half-off internet discount packages that Ginger had researched in advance.

The best of the quartet was probably the African Safari where we fed carrots to domesticated deer as we drove around in a circle. It sounds a little lame writing it down, but the kids loved it.

The second best GroupOn was the Mad Greek restaurant and these two words that were part of the deal: "dessert included." We downed cake and ice cream like it was our first time ever. One was baklava ice cream and the other was chocolate chip cake and ice cream.

The kids also seized every chance to play ping pong on my old table in the basement. In one week, Aubrie added a backhand to her repertoire and Aidan mastered a low, fast serve. At my friend Vinay's house, Ginger and I also faced off for our first ever match after 13 years of marriage. I won't say who won, but feel free to go by the stereotypes.

With ye ye and nai nai, we packed in a lot of stuff, including watching a movie by Growing Pains star Kirk Cameron. Maybe next year, the waterfall will be just a little bit warmer. But we're not complaining.

Created with flickr slideshow.

Max and Mariah Get Married

noreply@blogger.com (Ken, Ginger, Aidan and Aubrie) — Tue, 16 Jul 2013 03:31:00 +0000

The photo below clearly shows that our guinea pigs, Max and Mariah, married this past weekend.

In reality, this was a "sorry we couldn't make the wedding" card we made for our niece Mariah Crockett. She's our first niece (or nephew) to be married. Ginger and I are officially old geezers.

Aidan's First Campout

noreply@blogger.com (Ken, Ginger, Aidan and Aubrie) — Sun, 23 Jun 2013 13:36:00 +0000

Aidan and I had a blast at the Grissom Air Force Base in Peru, Indiana on June 20-22 as part of the 2013 LDS Centennial Encampment to celebrate the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saint's 100th anniversary with the Boy Scouts of America.

Highlights included:

A "mad scientist" squirted magnetic ink on Aidan's face right after the scientist said "I won't spill this on you."
The first and only time I've seen Aidan turn down bacon.
Aidan spending less than a minute on the toilet.

DAY ONE

On Thursday, Aidan and I left the Chicago Heights chapel at 8.30a CST. We rode in the Pasco mini-van with Chris Pasco, the assistant 11-yr old scout master and his family (Timothy, 17 yrs old; Matthew, 14 yrs old; and William, 11 yrs old) and Connor Elmore, a 13-yr old scout. Scoutmaster David Smith met us at there. The kids watched Madagascar 2 while I kept Chris awake by talking to him. We arrived around 12.30p EST.

Our camp area was adjacent to the Midway field where all the activities were held. There were about 20 airplanes from the WW2 era through modern day, including a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, a Grumman F-14 Tomcat, and a Boeing C-17 Globemaster III transport. Can you imagine a more awesome stage backdrop?

Due to the Pasco's handicap permit, we were able to park the minivan next to our tents. This gave us a convenient place to store our food, and more importantly, a place to watch Gravity Falls during downtime on Friday night. (At 10p, the schedule called for firesides led by the stake encampment director, but we didn't have one so we had some extra free time.)

After unloading our supplies, Aidan and I quickly set up the tent thanks to practice earlier in the week under Ginger's watchful eye. David Smith lent us his tent stakes because we forgot ours. Under my direction, Aidan drove the tent stakes into the loops holding the tent down. Unfortunately, it was Aidan's mistake to listen to his dad. The loops should have been fitted under the tent stake hooks.

Eager to contribute, I filled up a Hinckley springs water jar from a fire hydrant about 100 yards away. The hydrant was "tapped" wtih an armlike device. Out of this device, hoses jutted out to a wooden structure that held knobs to control the water flow. I thought it was a clever contraption. This water would be used for cooking, cleaning, and drinking.

For lunch, we had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, canned pears (opened by these MRE can openers that Chris' wife gave me) and oranges. Lesson #1 for next camping trip: bring a chair. Aidan and I stood while everyone sat. We next headed to the Midway.

Activities included:

Dunk tank. Aidan's football struck the target on the first try and some random Boy Scout dropped into the dunk tank.
Plutonium transfer. Aidan, William, Connor and Timothy stationed at four corners. They pulled on strings connected to hook, steering one bucket full of "plutonium" (a bunch of rocks) from one stump to another.
Zip line. Aidan was more interested in climbing the scaffold to reach the zip tower's top than zip lining down. We passed.
Tower. The kids climbed a defunct air traffic control tower that provided a tremendous view of the museum.
Soda sucking competition. The troop was challenged to suck up their favorite pop as fast as they could with a straw. Aidan had barely started his when somebody won. He was then able to drink the rest of his orange soda at his own pace. So who was the real winner?
Line 'em up. The troop lined up on a log and then the leader asked us to organize ourselves by height, and then by our middle name, without the ability to verbally communicate. Aidan's stature came in handy as a few of the bigger guys were able to pass him around. (The intent was to show that we need to communicate with Heavenly Father in our lives to keep order. In the second exercise, we were able to step on planks representing the "bishop" and "parents." When the leader asked us what we learned, I told him our parents were more useful than the bishop because that plank was more useful.)
Rules. The goal was to pass five objects placed on two tables to the opposite table. But there were a lot of rules, including how many people could touch the object at the same time (one), our position (2 standing, 2 kneeling, 2 sitting) and how we had to pass the object (over our shoulders). We were doing well, but somehow Aidan lost one of the objects, a BB. Yes, I'm blaming our son. We finished the exercise in three minutes. The record was one minute.
Army obstacle course. It consisted of 20 sit ups, a 10-yard crawl under two-foot high netting, carrying a 20-lb PVC pipe 10 yards, climbing a 10-ft wall, a 30-yard shuttle run, swinging on a rope, hauling a 10-lb sandbag 10 yards, running through 14 tires and then sprinting about 30 yards to the finish line. Aidan ran the course in 1'45". The record for 11 year olds was around 1'30". (William ran it in 2'05".)

For dinner, the troop ate chili hot dogs with grilled onions. His mom wanted us to eat sardines instead of the hot dogs due to the possibility of mad cow disease. I told Aidan he could eat one hot dog, but to eat sardines instead of a second hot dog. Does that count? We had to trash the cucumbers because they were spoiled.

After the flag ceremony and general announcements, we had an orienteering event. The goal was to introduce yourself to three strangers, form a group and fill out a questionnaire about the airplanes on display. I kept Timothy, and grabbed two others: Harley from Terre Haute and Akeem from Indianapolis. They had a terrific attitude, deducing which airplanes matched the description on the questionnaire and finding the answers on the placards. I also put my model airplane experience to good use. We finished last, but we all had a good time, and I can tell the future of the Boy Scouts is in good hands with these kinds of scouts. For our efforts, we each got a folding frisbee with the encampment's name. (I found people for Connor, Aidan and William while Chris stayed with Matthew.)

During the campwide fireside, one of the speakers sang a rendition of "There's a Hole in My Bucket" in which his voice became increasingly strained and weird. I still don't know the point, unless it served to make all the other speakers look better by comparison. Another speaker brought his ukelele on stage, talked about how he taught someone how to play ukelele on the plane, but never played the ukelele. Such a tease.

One talk I did learn from was someone who wore a "Nitschke" Green Bay jersey on stage. He said he always wanted a Ray Nitschke jersey, and was fortunate to find one for a cheap price. Except the jersey was for a different Nitschke. His point was that if you want to get a Ray Nitschke jersey, you have to pay Ray Nitschke prices. He related this to the gospel story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abendengo and how they were "all in" to the extent that they would sacrifice their lives for praying to God. This was in contrast with the rich young man who would not give up his riches to follow Christ.

In the evening, our neighbors played cards. Kemps seemed to be the most popular one. Lesson #2 for next camping trip: bring playing cards (but don't play at the expense of other activities -- see CONCLUDING REMARKS). We tried playing UNO, but only Connor and Aidan wanted to play. So Aidan and I retired to our tents to sleep around 10p. One problem: our neighbors didn't want to sleep. I ended up staying up past 3a. Kids!

DAY TWO

We woke up at 6.30a. David Smith cooked bacon and I helped with the French toast. It's the first time I've ever seen Aidan throw away bacon. Maybe because it was so burnt the kids called it "coal." With the small amount of leftover egg batter, I intended to make eggs for myself. Turns out that William and Aidan also wanted the eggs, so I gave it to them.

After breakfast, Aidan, Connor, and William and I tossed the football, then played 500. Nobody really stood out, unless you count absolute values. The ball hit Connor's hands, then bounced off William's hands. Negative 100 for both! Aidan put up his hands as if he were going to catch the ball, then shied away at the last minute.

During morning announcements, the food guy announced a Smoked Pork Chop musical contest in which the winning troop would receive a smoked pork chop dinner.

Aidan and I immediately hammered out a rap based on our experience with Ginger's Birthday rap and revised it while eating free peanuts at the Trading Post. (The encampment director sat next to us and commented about the how girls working there. They were his daughters.) After we refined the lyrics, I borrowed a pen from the museum staff to write it down on the back of my program. The final result, earned us two gigantic, delicious ribs as recognition for our participation:

There was once a piglet named Porkins.

We cooked him until we could put our fork-ins.

We ate him, but he was a little Chewie.

Not like the one in the movie.

So we put him back on the grill

Until he was finally still.

We had such fun.

We decided to eat his son.

We looked forward to watching the mad scientist since his flyer promised lasers, radioactivity and explosives. As he was setting up at his booth, I introduced myself. He said he needed to get a bucket of water to douse any fires. This I could do.

The kids loved the science demonstration, much of which I can't report on because it's too sacred. Just kidding. I was doing something for Aidan that required my return to the campsite. Or I had an urgent pee break. Regardless, when I returned, the scientist (a guy who works at Eli Lilly) was holding a magnet underneath ferro fluid, which is used to visualize magnetic fields.

At this point, Aidan and William leaned in to get a closer look. The good doctor reassured them, saying "I have a PhD in chemistry and molecular biology. Don't worry, I won't spill this on you."

Then he (accidentally) squirted the fluid on Aidan's face and William's uniform.

[PICTURE OF AIDAN'S 101 DALMATION-LIKE FACE GOES HERE]

He apologized repeatedly and during our third visit to his booth later in the day, he gave me a science kit to make up for it. Aidan was a good guy and didn't cry. (The tears would come later.) I cleaned his face off with soapy water back at the camp site, though I left a little black spot on his ear so we could show it to mom when we returned home.

While Aidan and I were cleaning ourselves up, Chris took the boys to shoot potato guns and throw hatchets. On our way to rejoin the troop, Aidan and I played a quick 2 vs 2 game of wooden box hockey. We lost 3-2. I tried hacking my opponents arms with my wooden stick, but they were undeterred. (Just kidding, but I'll try it next time.)

At lunch, we ate Ramen noodles. I over-estimated the kids' appetites, which had waned from the heat, throwing the entire 12-pack into the water. To balance the meal nutritionally, we also served warmed up canned mixed vegetables, green beans and carrots.

In the afternoon, we headed to the tower to participate in the Airplane Contest for Accuracy and Distance. Aidan flew his airplane outside of the airfield! Granted, the tower was right next to the fence. The furthest plane landed about 350 yards away. I heard it was a crumpled up piece of paper. I always knew crap could fly far.

As William waited for his turn on the zip line, we sat on the ground floor of the tower and played Frisbee 500 with a kid named Nathan from the Bloomington stake. On one side, it was Nathan, me and Matthew sitting on a bench. Timothy and Connor sat two feet away. Nathan won every game and seemed to really get into the impromptu game. Matthew enjoyed clawing at my hands and wrists whenever I caught the frisbee, and then punching me in the arm and back. He hit Aidan once too. Aidan started crying, so Aidan's participation was short-lived.

We arrived on time at 4p to watch the mad scientist perform Mentos Madness, but all the soda rockets were shot and nary a 2L bottle was left by the time we arrived. Except aha, I knew where to get soda -- from the soda contest dudes from the day before. Aidan inserted the mints into the 2L bottle with some sort of device inserted at the top of the bottle that allows them to fall in all at once. Then what did he do once he recognized he possessed a deadly weapon? He chased after me. Not wanting to get a sticky substance splashed on me without the ability to shower off, I ran for my life. Thank goodness, I'm still faster than Aidan. Aidan and I made up by drinking the Mentos/soda concoction left in the bottle.

At 5p, we had some more grub, which was complemented by pork chops. One kid from the nearby Griffith camp looked longingly at the pork chops, so I compassionately gave him two small pieces. (Incidentally, our Griffith ward neighbors cooked all the best meals in their Dutch oven, including a mountain-man breakfast that contained eggs, hashbrowns, sausage and ground beef topped with layers and layers of cheese.) I also cut up a delicious watermelon, and shared it with our neighbors because some of our troop didn't like it. Stunning!

The evening camp-wide fireside was cut short due to predicted thunderstorms. The sky turned dark, but it could only squeeze out a 15-minute drizzle. We watched asdf movie 6 and Disney's Gravity Falls, the "Bottomless Pit" episode, on my Android in the Pasco minivan.

I left the van to talk to our Griffith neighbors and Chris. I didn't realize I was hobbling until they asked me if I was "okay." I gave my standard "I'm old" answer. This is somewhat acceptable at work where almost everyone is younger than me. But not at a Boy Scout camp where I'm one of the younger adults. But they were nice about it.

I also had a 15 minute chat with the bishop of the Griffith ward about parenting. He knows more about patience than I do since his son has Asperger's syndrome. He said to some degree we have to accept that our kids come into the world with their peculiar personalities. What we can do is provide the right opportunities and environment. Wise advice. As an environmental lawyer with the government, he also said we shouldn't throw plastic into fires. This was in response to a kid who came up, wanting to throw plastic into the fire.

Later that evening as the Griffith ward was preparing smores, I "invited" our troop to eat with them. (We didn't bring smores.) After the marshmellow roasting was finished, Aidan got the biggest oohs and aahs from his smoke bombs that he had made earlier at the mad scientist booth. Aidan had generously created a big bag of equal parts potassium nitrate and powdered sugar.

By 10p, Aidan and I were pooped. Thankfully, our noisy neighbors must also have been feeling tired since they didn't make a peep.

However, at 2a, I woke up with an urgent need to pee. Unfortunately, shooting pains in my right leg made it very painful for me to get out of the tent. I hobbled over to the port-o-potty, did my business, then found a bench at the nearby trading post. A staffer happened to walk by. He offered me a ride, but I insisted I just needed some time. Eventually, I hobbled back and went to sleep around 4.30a. Later that morning during our send-off devotional, some staff saw that I was walking like a three-legged lama and brought out a lawn chair for me. (Ginger insists that a diet of hot dogs did me in.)

DAY 3 AND CONCLUDING REMARKS

On Saturday, there was a devotional meeting. I couldn't hear much because I sat in the back on a stump (before I got the lawn chair) trying to rest my feet. After the flag ceremony, we left at 11.30a, which was perfect timing because the day was turning very muggy. The kids watched Spiderman 2 on the way home and I talked to Chris about the Son of Svengoolie, zombie films, why Morgan Freeman is a great actor, great 80s TV series (NOT Bonanza), some of his "interesting" relatives and friends, and what growing up in the southside was like.

During one of our evening chats, Aidan said he enjoyed the campout, but didn't like "working." When I asked him to elaborate, he said that meant setting up the tent and washing dishes. Son, your "work" has only just begun.

Another strike against camping according to Aidan was the port-o-John's. This was our first experiences with these disgusting waste receptacles. And it's the only time I've ever seen Aidan poop and pee under two minutes. I'm thinking about installing one in the yard and making him use it.

Without Ginger present, I had to play mom and take care of Aidan's needs, including getting his baking soda (to neutralize acid after eating), put on his mosquito repellent, clean his glasses and all that good stuff. It was a good experience for both of us, and I think it taught me to be more helpful at home.

I saw quite a few boys sitting around while activities were going on. I'm glad Aidan and his fellow scouts were able to try new things and not just talk about why DC superheroes were better than the Marvel ones. Also, I never heard Aidan say "I'm bored" during the encampment.

It's also important to put yourself in a position to help out. When I retrieved water for the mad scientist, we drove together to the fire hydrant. I learned that he was an Eli Lilly scientist, which might be helpful one day. Aidan and I jumped feet first into the musical contest. When I was a summer camp counselor years ago, I wouldn't have been as keen on writing a musical even though it was my "job." Maybe I've learned something over two decades since then.

Finally, I'm grateful that was I able to participate in Aidan's first campout. I know that deep, deep in his heart that he appreciated it too. It's also nice to be able to say that you get along with your son. After all, in his Father's day poem, even though he said I'm not good at math or Starcraft, he still wishes I would come home earlier. I must be good for something!

A: Ken, My Dad

noreply@blogger.com (Ken, Ginger, Aidan and Aubrie) — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 04:38:00 +0000

Q: What is your biggest pet peeve?

Guess who answered this question with "Ken, My Dad"?

a. Aidan
b. Aubrie

If you guessed (b), you're correct. (Aidan was playing Settlers of Catan.) This answer was part of a game* we played at the Stouts during their Swinging New Year's Eve Party in Wilkinson, Indiana. The game asked participants to respond to questions such as:

What's your biggest fear? (Aubrie said she's scared of being 'pooped in the face.')
What's your biggest accomplishment? (Aubrie said 'doing the splits.')
Draw your favorite childhood memory (Aubrie drew a picture of her pooping.)

*We call it the "Alabama" game based on the location where we first played it.

Here's a photo that has nothing to do with poop.

Ginger and Aubrie Dance Dance Revolutionizing!

Sneaky, the Sequel

noreply@blogger.com (Ken, Ginger, Aidan and Aubrie) — Sat, 29 Dec 2012 17:13:00 +0000

With all of the excitement surrounding Christmas, the day after Christmas can be a little bit of a letdown.

This year, the kids received a surprise on Dec. 26 that they won't forget soon (at least a week).

PS. Ginger and I even went to a pet store with the kids on Dec. 26, looked at a few kittens and walked away. That's how cruel we are. (We had already adopted "kitty" from a different pet store on Dec. 24.)

Aidan's First Concert

noreply@blogger.com (Ken, Ginger, Aidan and Aubrie) — Sat, 15 Dec 2012 18:26:00 +0000

Aidan played a "Practice Concert" this past Thursday at Millennium School. This was a way for him and his fellow band members to show off the skills they've rehearsed in their first year of band.

We're very proud of him for his desire to be the best bells player he can be.

Aidan strikes a pose that only bells players named Aidan Li can appreciate.

Aidan stands "short" amongst his Cadet band peers.

(Can you find him?)

A sample clip.

Aidan's band teacher challenges parents to play their children's instruments. Ginger responds.

Top 10 Moments of 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Ken, Ginger, Aidan and Aubrie) — Sat, 15 Dec 2012 17:45:00 +0000

Here are our top 10 moments of 2012. While most of these photos represent times of joy, we also say goodbye to a beloved family member.

Enjoy, but don't become a stalker.

PS. We also like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Be grateful for your many blessings, count them one by one.

Top10 Moments of 2012 from Kenneth Li

P.S. A copy of the Microsoft Word version is stored here.

Fun Foos-ing

noreply@blogger.com (Ken, Ginger, Aidan and Aubrie) — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 03:49:00 +0000

Fun Foos-ing, a photo by Kenneth Changkuo Li on Flickr.

Forget about high school football. This is how Friday night should be spent: foosing around with your family at the office, then watching Goosebumps (a Twilight Zone for kids) on the big screen plasma display while drinking a mug of dark hot chocolate and scarfing Halloween candy.

We know how to make the most out of delivering Aidan's Cub Scout popcorn to my work colleagues! (Thank you @Kuna_5 for shooting the photo!)

Mrs. Anderson

noreply@blogger.com (Ken, Ginger, Aidan and Aubrie) — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 19:02:00 +0000

Mrs. Anderson is Aubrie's second grade teacher.

I've never seen her instruct a lesson, and my daughter never talks about her (more of a reflection of Aubrie's shyness than her teacher's skill level).

But I wanted to meet her during parent-teacher conference earlier this week. Why? Because she emails everyday about what Aubrie has for homework and what we can do better to help her as a student. One email, daily. This is an excellent use of email.

My good vibes toward Mrs. Anderson were reinforced when she had Aubrie lead the parent-teacher conference. Aubrie shared her strengths, weaknesses and goals -- and even set a date to accomplish that goal.

We all benefited from Aubrie taking ownership of the conference, but most of all, Aubrie. It gives her confidence and lets her know that in this world, it's not about waiting for somebody else to take the first step.

You can do it.

P.S. Aubrie's favorite subject is reading. She needs improvement on math, especially adding and subtracting within a time limit. Her goal is to work on her writing and handwriting by Dec. 4.

Aubrie's New Handshake

noreply@blogger.com (Ken, Ginger, Aidan and Aubrie) — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 03:52:00 +0000

When Ginger took Aidan to a birthday party on Sat. Nov. 3, Aubrie and I decided to invent a new way of greeting each other. Voila.

Steps:
1. Double high five with your partner.
2. Clap your (own) hands.
3. Cross over right hand with your partner, then cross over left hand with your partner.
4. One partner spins the other.
5. Two finger snaps.
6. Shuffle feet right, then left. Repeat.
7. Fake back flip (an Aubrie specialty).
8. Low (right) hand to the partner.
9. High (right) hand to the partner.
10. Partner moves forward while you move back, then reverse.
11. Kick up your feet to your right.
12. Stick out your tongue emphatically!