A nose job

Greg had a little surgery this morning. He has been a mouth breather all his life, and often times his nose is stuffed up. His doctor recommended a surgical removal of his adenoids. It is a simple procedure that only took 30 minutes, even though it required a complete anasthesia. 

Greg was back home by 10:30 this morning, and he's doing well.

The Alamo

We doing a short tour of Texas with stops in Houston and San Antonio to apply for new passports, do the riverwalk, visit some friends and to see the Alamo.

Originally named Misión San Antonio de Valero, the Alamo served as home to missionaries and their Indian converts in San Antonio for nearly seventy years. Construction began on the present site in 1724.

San Antonio and the Alamo played a critical role in the Texas Revolution. In December 1835, Ben Milam led Texian and Tejano volunteers against Mexican troops quartered in the city. On February 23, 1836, the arrival of General Antonio López de Santa Anna's army outside San Antonio nearly caught them by surprise. Undaunted, the Texians and Tejanos prepared to defend the Alamo together. The defenders held out for 13 days against Santa Anna's army. Today, the Alamo is remembered as a heroic struggle against impossible odds — a place where men made the ultimate sacrifice for freedom.

300 dollars or an iPhone

Dear Santa,

I want 300 dollars or more for Christmas please.

Please Santa, I don't think I'll save enough. :-(

Greg

Flacco please

Dear Santa, 

this is all I want for Christmas,

Love

Sammy

Third Monday Trade Days

Greg and I went to Third Monday Trade Days, a flea market that's held once a month a few miles from our house. Greg was looking for airsoft guns. I was enjoying the wild collection of Texas memorabilia. Carly was getting lots of attention - everyone wanted to pet her.

A winter concert

Greg is playing violin in the Cockrill Middle School orchestra. Tonight they are performing at the McKinney High auditorium. They will play Twinkle, a theme by Mozart and a Christmas march.

A Sinterklaas surprise

Once a year, Greg and Sam consider themselves to be really Dutch. In early December they have a lot to gain from being Dutch. Despite that, I had to remind them last night to put out their shoes, just in time for Sinterklaas who traveled to the US overnight to deliver the last remaining presents.

Sammy was surprised to learn that Sint made his own giftwraps. When you deliver that many presents, it pays off to do your own. He obtains his giftwrap designs at sinterklaaspapier.nl .

Joep Maatje

Sammy has been playing Fifa 09 on his Nintendo DS. He is usually playing with Sweden. With the Swedes, Sammy has beaten Italy, England, Germany, and Argentina countless times. But mostly he's playing against the Netherlands.

There's something strange about the Dutch team. Unlike other teams, the Dutch players' names have been changed into fantasy names. I looked them up on the internet -- my favorite is Joep Maatje:

Starters

Arie de Baer - Edwin van der Sar

Henk Kleynhans - Jan Kromkamp

Hans Balabaster - Khalid Boulahrouz

Albert Peers - Andre Ooijer

Giuseppe de Horenbout - Giovanni van Bronckhorst

Michelangelo van der Poel - Rafael van der Vaart

Casper Zeeburg - Clarence Seedorf

Pim Steinmets - Wesley Sneijder

Ron Kieslaer - Klaas Jan Hunterlaar

Hans de Noteboom - Ruud van Nistlerooy

Bert Ronhaar - Arjen Robben

Subs

Michiel Terwilleger - Maarten Stekelenburg

Jurgen Googstra - John Heitinga

Mies van Joppel - Nigel de Jong

Bastieen Kennen - Boudewijn Zenden

Joep Maatje - Roy Makaay

Laurens Montanje - Hedwiges Maduro

Kasper van Koperen - Robin van Persie