The first feature that strikes you when you start the app is the News. NPR has high quality news as you know and now it is right at your fingertips. The stories are updated all day long and at times have accompanying audio. The audio can be listened to immediately or added to a playlist for later. The news is broken into three main categories – Top Stories, More Stories or Newscast which is a 5 minute piece that is updated every hour.

In addition to standard news articles and the newscast, NPR makes all of their shows available to you. If a show is on the air at that time, there will be an “on-air” logo next to the program and you can tap into it live!

The NPR iPhone app also lets you listen to live broadcasts from any NPR member station. You can search by state, by zip code, or let the iPhone GPS app locate the nearest one for you. The stations will let you listen to the live stream or any other program from the recent past.

To download the free app, go to iphone.npr.org/recommendnprnews or search for “NPR News” in the iTunes App Store. I hope you enjoy it like I do!

-Dana

So, after a brief discussion of the logistics of how we manage the kids as we bushwacked our way along side Stony Creek, we headed into the woods. As usual Brennan repeated a number of times that he didn’t want to go his way or that and Claire eventually convinced Jill that she should be carried instead of walk through the woods. All that said we did make our way through successfully.

Brennan did great for the most part and seemed to enjoy the time in the actual woods. Jill explained to him that when she was younger, she used to call rotting trees – chicken – because they pulled apart like chicken. Brennan took a few moments to pull of a few pieces of chicken. After a little bit of time we climbed over some other trees and brush.

Brennan ran quickly over to some fallen trees to find the cache! Claire was very excited to see what was in the ammo box and Bren was too. When Jill opened it up, the kids eyes popped open wide. Claire was immediately ecstatic when she saw a McDonald’s Doc car in it. Jill convinced Brennan to take a key chain level on her behalf because she “didn’t have an iPhone level like daddy”. Brennan loved it but I bet Jill ends up with it – clearly yet anoher power struggle to occur in the Edwards house. For those wondering how Kentucky fits into the picture, the cache was apparently named for the musical University of Kentucky bottle opener which was in with the loot and yes I did test it and it does still play some music.

A couple of pictures later and we were on our way. Jill and Claire’s first caching trip was a success and I am pretty sure that they had a blast.

Oh, and yes we did get Brennan registered for tee ball!

- Dana

- Dana

So, your first thought is probably “that flies?”  It sure does.  It’s actually pretty fast and travels a long distance, all things considered. It took all of a few minutes to build.  Needed a few things:

• Tape
• a 3×5 index card
• a straw

To build was very simple:

1. Cut the index card into three 1 in wide strips.
2. Make 1 strip into a circle and tape on the inside and outside
3. Take the other two strips and make into a circle, also taping inside and outside.
4. Cut the flexy part off the straw.
5. Attach the hoops to the straw at either end. I bent the bigger hoop a little bit so that it would sit upright.  Look at how it is attached in the first picture on the left.

Using it is pretty simple too.  Throw it hard and watch it zoom.

I’ll post a video of results tomorrow when he wakes up.

Dana

1. Take better care of myself
   1. Find an exercise I like
   2. Determine frequency of exercise
   3. Do the exercise on that frequency
2. Help the environment
   1. Find a way to save water by the end of January 2009
   2. Do that way of saving water
3. Build stronger relationships with my kids
   1. Spend 1 day per month with each kid solo
   2. Build a science experiment each month with Brennan
   3. Attend all of my kids’ school events
   4. Attend all of my kids’ sports events
   5. Enroll Brennan in soccer
   6. Coach Brennan in basketball again
   7. Help Brennan learn to swim
   8. Help Claire learn to swim
   9. Take the kids to the snow
4. Help around the house more
   1. Find a chore that needs to be done better by end of January
   2. Pick that chore up and do it for the year.
5. Be home for dinner 3 nights per week
6. Call my parents once per week
7. Build stronger relationships with friends
   1. Restart “guy’s night”
   2. Restart the bi-monthly gatherings
8. NEW ADD: Attend all of Bentley’s meetings.

Well, that is my list. I tried to stay away from the “lose ten pounds” and “be better” resolutions as those never get done.  If you read this and have any thoughts, please feel free to post them.

Dana