SparkDad

Spring is a wonderful time if you are a baseball fan. Especially if you are a little league player, parent or coach.

 

Most little leagues organizations are beginning to organize, take applications and get coaches lined up for the big season ahead.

 

As I was thinking about coaching again this year I was offered the opportunity to write an article about and promote Radar Sports.

 

Radar Sports has some great products for everyone from professionals to little league fathers who want to see just how fast their kid can pitch.

 

The radar gun that I like is a a very affordable $176.95. Not only do they carry the entry level guns from Tracer but you can move up to higher end guns from Stalker.

 

All of Radar Sports systems come with free UPS shipping in the continental United States and all items are always in stock.

 

They are not only specialized in baseball however, carrying radar equipment for every sport including soccer, hockey, golf, softball, tennis and remote control cars. These radar guns make a great gift for coaches and parents in any sport!

 

In addition to sports radar equipment, they carry radar equipment for police and traffic applications. I could imagine using the radar to catch the crazy teenager at the end of our cul-de-sac speeding down our street. His father would love to see the speeds I can imagine I could clock him at!

 

So all of you reading this post that know me personally, be sure to mark a radar gun from Radar Sports on your list of gift ideas for me : )

 

For cake makers fondant is one of the most wonderful concoctions ever created. Fondant is a mixture of marshmallow and confectioners sugar. It is fantastic for making edible creative items for cakes.

I found this awesome cake at the OvenHaven blog.

Mama had recently used fondant to make a very cool Mario Bros. cake for Skeeter’s 9th birthday. You can see the photos below!

I have included a recipe for the fondant below, courtesy of AllRecipes.com

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 (16 ounce) package miniature marshmallows
• 4 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 pounds confectioners’ sugar, divided

Directions

1. Place the butter in a shallow bowl, and set aside.
2. Place the marshmallows in a large microwave-safe bowl, and microwave on High for 30 seconds to 1 minute to start melting the marshmallows. Carefully stir the water and vanilla extract into the hot marshmallows, and stir until the mixture is smooth. Slowly beat in the confectioners’ sugar, a cup at a time, until you have a sticky dough. Reserve 1 cup of powdered sugar for kneading. The dough will be very stiff.
3. Rub your hands thoroughly with butter, and begin kneading the sticky dough. As you knead, the dough will become workable and pliable. Turn the dough out onto a working surface dusted with confectioners’ sugar and continue kneading until the fondant is smooth and no longer sticky to the touch, 5 to 10 minutes.
4. Form the fondant into a ball, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. To use, allow the fondant to come to room temperature, and roll it out onto a flat surface dusted with confectioners’ sugar.

Skeeter’s 9th Birthday Cake

This is a joke that my friend Ken from Boston sent us, enjoy!

  

Husband Store A store that sells new husbands has opened in  New York City , where a woman may go to choose a husband.

 

Among the instructions at the entrance is a description of how the store operates:You may visit this store ONLY ONCE! There are six floors and the value of the products increase as the shopper ascends the flights. The shopper may choose any item from a particular floor, or may choose to go up to the next floor, but you cannot go back down except to exit the building!

 

So, a woman goes to the Husband Store to find a husband.

 

On the first floor the sign on the door reads:

 

Floor 1 – These men Have Jobs

 

She is intrigued, but continues to the second floor, where the sign reads:

 

Floor 2 – These men Have Jobs and Love Kids. ‘That’s nice,’ she thinks, ‘but I want more.’ So she continues upward.

 

The third floor sign reads:

 

Floor 3 – These men Have Jobs, Love Kids, and are Extremely Good Looking.

 

‘Wow,’ she thinks, but feels compelled to keep going.

 

She goes to the fourth floor and the sign reads:

 

Floor 4 – These men Have Jobs, Love Kids, are Drop-dead Good Looking and Help With Housework.

 

‘Oh, mercy me!’ she exclaims, ‘I can hardly stand it!’ Still, she goes to the fifth floor and the sign reads;

 

Floor 5 – These men Have Jobs, Love Kids, are Drop-dead Gorgeous, Help with Housework, and Have a Strong Romantic Streak.

 

She is so tempted to stay, but she goes to the sixth floor, where the sign reads;

 

Floor 6 – You are visitor 31,456,908 to this floor. There are no men on this floor. This floor exists solely as proof that women are impossible to please. Thank you for shopping at the Husband Store.

 

PLEASE NOTE: To avoid gender bias charges, the store’s owner opened a New Wives store just across the street.

 

The first floor has wives that love sex.

 

The second floor has wives that love sex and have money and like beer.

 

The third, fourth, fifth and sixth floors have never been visited.

 

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This Christmas break has started off with a bang! Over Thanksgiving Break Skeeter had hunted some birds, sparrow and finch, around Tia and Tio’s house. He managed to shoot three birds that week. You can read about his bird hunting here. He was very proud! While home Skeeter had decided that he would like to try his hand at some larger game.

 

Papa has hunted for years. Taking me hunting and all of the grandkids. He is a successful hunter who really knows where and when to hunt. Papa lives in a small West Texas town where he knows everyone. He had arranged years ago to hunt at a ranch near town where he has a hunting blind set up as well as a feeder. Many feral pigs frequent the feeder as well as white tail deer. Papa and I decided that Skeeter could take a crack at a feral there.

The big question about this entire hunt was if Skeeter could manage a rifle large enough to take down a large game animal. I knew he was a good shot. In Cub Scouts he had earned the Junior USA Shooting Team patch in 2007 and 2009 with his BB gun. He would have to shoot a .243 caliber rifle at least to knock down a feral hog.

On Monday morning we took Skeeter out to a rural shooting range. We set up a target at about 50 yards and let Skeeter take some practice shots. The first shot was a little scary for Skeeter because the gun kicked a lot and it was very loud. He hit 5 out of 8 in or very near the bulls eye. At 9 years old Skeeter was able to shoot the gun! An accomplishment already!

That evening we set out on the big hunt. We arrived at the ranch at about 3:30p.m. and put corn in the feeder. Skeeter and I climbed into the hunting blind and got situated by about  4p.m. We set up the video camera and loaded the rifle; a Browning .308 semi-automatic.  Skeeter put the rifle out the window of the blind and looked around through the scope to make sure he could make a comfortable shot.

After settling into the blind, we sat for about 45 minutes before we heard the feral pigs coming! The snorting and squealing was coming from our south. After about 30 minutes the first sow arrived on the scene. She scouted out the area and after a few minutes 10-15 other pigs arrived. They wandered around the clearing and ate the corn from the ground.  In another few minutes a big boar arrived. He was a nice 150 – 200 lb. male with tusks visible with the naked eye at about 1 1/2 inches.

Skeeter pulled the rifle up and took aim at the pig.  After several minutes he felt comfortable and took his shot! A miss! The pigs all ran away as fast as they could! Skeeter was disappointed. We sat quietly in remorse over the missed opportunity.

Within 10 minutes Skeeter pointed ahead and told me that there were deer arriving on the scene. Four does and a eight point buck entered the clearing. They rummaged around the area eating corn for about 15 minutes. Skeeter in excitement drew his rifle and took aim.

Bang! The buck arched his back and I heard the tell tale “pop” that signifies that you hit a deer. The does ran fast and hard over the fence and into a cotton field to the northwest. The buck ran as well, but much slower. I was sure that he hit it.

We left the blind and headed toward the area where we thought the deer ran to and we found it! What a day! Skeeter, Papa and I were very proud!

Life is good ! Merry Christmas!

For more information on hunting check out these great products:

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Christmas is my favorite and most dreaded time of year.  Not only is it a wonderful time to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, but to enjoy fellowship with family and friends.

 

The only part about Christmas that I do not like is all of the things that have to be done. We normally travel for part of the holiday so we are always trying to get everything done two weeks earlier than everyone else! It can be very stressful!

 

Packing for the trip, buying gifts, wrapping, making cookies,etc. Whew! I am tired thinking about it!

 

This year we heard about The Elf on the Shelf. You can read more about it at the Elf on the Shelf Website . You get your own personal scout elf for your home during the Christmas Season. This elf moves around every night to different places, because he visits Santa at night to report how the kids behaved!

 

Skeeter was a little speculative of the elf business, but Pork Chop bought it hook line and sinker!

 

I think that we have found a new tradition in our family. It is fun and exciting to find the elf every morning as he moves around the house! Today he is on the shelf waiting for Santa to come to our house for an early visit!

 

Thanks for coming to Spark Dad and enjoy your Christmas Season!

 

Get your mom a plastic spoon

 

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