The Grigg Family

Our Family Picture

2010-01-01T14:23:00.000-08:00

Wow, after a year we finally have another post on this blog. By the way, click on the picture and you can see it up close. And if you look close enough at me, William, then you can see my mustache (which I have shaved off).

... and Justus for All

2009-02-08T15:14:00.001-08:00

The world became a better place at 9:12 a.m. last Tuesday morning (February 3) with the birth of Justus Samuel Grigg. He weighed a touch more than seven pounds on his arrival at Holy Rosary Hospital in Ontario, Oregon. He strongly resembles his older brother William, although his very full lips remind us a little of Isaiah.

Justus has five older siblings who are entirely besotted with him. Jefferson, in particular, seems nearly beside himself with joy over having a baby brother. Sophia, our little Baby Lamb, loves her new brother but displays a touch of envy over being displaced as the baby of the family. I suspect this won't last long.

He delivered the other Grigglings: Egyptian-born Dr. Rami Kaldas.

The delivery here at Holy Rosary went off well, but Korrin missed the very gentle and capable ministrations of Dr. Rami Kaldas and the staff at Theda Clark Hospital in Neehah, Wisconsin, where our other children were born. Everyone at Holy Rosary was thoughtful and professional, but they did things a little differently here. When a mother is undergoing a c-section, little things can make a pretty significant difference.

There are other complications as well: This is the first time we've had a child without employer-provided health insurance, which means time, trouble, expense, and the enduring joy of negotiating the ever-thickening thickets of medical paperwork.

One detail of many we had to handle on our own, rather than letting an HMO take care of everything, was the, ahem, circumcision. We had to shop for our own specialist in this field, and price estimates were a little daunting.

Justus holds court with his admirers (l-r): Jefferson, William, Isaiah, Sophia, and his grandma, Angie Grigg. (Click to enlarge.)

Obviously, this isn't the sort of thing one wants to leave to some -- if you'll pardon the expression -- hack.

I mean, we weren't going to turn this job over to the local Benihana chef, or somebody from Clem's Cut-Rate Circumcisions or Benny's Budget Briss.

We eventually found a Pediatrician who was very capable and charged a reasonable price, but he wanted the money up-front, in cash (no checks). Given the delicacy of this procedure, we were willing to do what was necessary to ensure that the surgeon was in good spirits as he performed it.

Brother in arms: Isaiah, aka "Tweety-Boy," holds his baby brother Justus (nickname pending).

So far, Justus has been our most tranquil child. He sleeps almost incessantly, waking up to eat and cast an occasional wondering glance at his new surroundings. Letting him get his sleep is a bit of a challenge, owing to the fact that his less-than-stealthy sibs constantly want to see him.

The name Justus, for those who are interested, is of biblical origin. There are at least two individuals of that name in the New Testament, one of whom was named Jesus (or Yeshua), the other an early disciple known as "James Justus," or James the Just. The latter is generally identified as the son of Mary and Joseph, and thus a step-sibling of Our Lord.

Samuel is also a Biblical name, of course. It also pays homage to two different ancestors on the Grigg side who were notable non-conformists: One of them was an English Puritan who was burned at the stake for the purported crime of reading the Bible (thus "giving much satisfaction to the holy," as a self-satisfied chronicler of the event wrote). The other was a Seventh-Day Baptist in Rhode Island who was subject to official persecution for worshipping on Saturday, rather than Sunday.

(I'm constantly amazed by the perverse sense of supposed righteousness that compels some people to harass and persecute others for reasons of religious disagreement; nobody has cornered the market on this form of foolishness, and it doesn't appear headed for immediate and well-deserved extinction, alas.)

As things stand right now, our children are evenly divided between what William -- innocent of the historic connotations of the expression -- calls the "brownie" and "whitey" sections: We have three of each, and are thus a perfectly symmetrical Oreo Cookie family (with dark children at the beginning and end of the parade).

One somewhat interesting development: Justus is the only child who exhibited the "Mongolian Spot" (please forgive the photo that illustrates that entry), which is very common among American Indians and Latinos with Indian ancestry. I noticed it as the little guy was being cleaned up in the hospital nursery. There was a nurse trainee present during the birth and aftermath (she looked a little ashen-faced from the surgery), and she seemed a little freaked out by the spot.

Korrin is healing nicely, and she really has to be considered heroic: She's given birth to six children by way of c-section, and the thought of that achievement is enough to make the toughest man flinch.

Birthdays and Beautiful Music

2009-01-26T01:14:00.000-08:00

Our brace of angels, Katrina and Sophia, celebrated their birthdays this past week -- the former turning six, the latter turning four. Both of them remain firmly embedded in the delightful "Princess Phase" (or, as their brothers would say, "dreaded" Princess Phase; Dad thinks it's pretty cute). We'll post photos pretty soon.

The voice of an angel

This is 7-year-old Connie Talbot from the UK, an authentic child prodigy, singing Josh Groban's "You Raise Me Up." She finished second in the first season of "Britain's Got Talent" (which is sort of like an English "American Idol," except the contestants in the British show can actually sing) back in 2007.

Tuna Casserole

2008-11-13T18:21:00.001-08:00

Tuna Casserole

16 oz. pkg. wide egg noodles, cooked
2 10-3/4 oz. cans cream of mushroom soup
2 6 oz. cans tuna, drained
1 4 oz. can sliced mushrooms, drained
1 8 oz. pkg. shredded sharp shredded cheese

Combine all ingredients. Put in a 9x13 baking dish. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Serves 8.

Will loves this dish and he doesn't really like tuna fish. The great thing about this dish is that it will save you a lot of money at the grocery store.

Yummy Chicken and Tasty Pop Tunes

2008-11-06T19:28:00.000-08:00

Foil Baked Chicken

2 lbs. chicken tenderloins
2/3 cup ketchup
2/3 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup melted butter
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup worcestershire sauce
4 tsp. salt, paprika, chili powder
1/4 cup cornstarch

In a 9x13 glass dish put all the chicken tenderloins in and all the sauce and cover with foil and bake at 350 for about 1 hour.

When I made this dish I didn't have lemon juice so I left it out and it turned out delicious without it.

Tunes we love

"1234" by Feist. Try to ignore the banjo. The video is marvelous; it's sorta like what would have happened if Ethel Merman had choreographed a flash mob involving living Muppets.

"Mushaboom," by the same artist. I originally thought the title referred to either an edible fungus or an exotic dessert. Turns out it's a town in Nova Scotia; who knew?

2008-10-18T07:45:00.000-07:00

After Thanksgiving Salad
I used chicken in place of the turkey and it turned out just as good I think.
1 1/2lb. diced cooked chicken tenderloins
6 celery ribs, sliced
6 green onions, sliced
1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1 large chopped sweet red pepper
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tsp. dill weed
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
lettuce leaves, optional
In a large bowl, combine the chicken, celery, onions, pecans and red pepper. Combine the mayonnaise, lemon juice, dill, salt and pepper; stir into the turkey mixture. Refrigerated until serving. Serve on lettuce if desired.

Thai One On

2008-10-02T22:56:00.001-07:00

One night in Bangkok, and you're spoiled for anything else: Thai food rules the world of pan-Asian cuisine. It does. Just deal with it.

Our family is odder than most in many respects, not least of which is the distribution of eccentric tastes in food.

Korrin and Isaiah are near-omnivores. Katrina and Sophia are likewise quite open-minded -- perhaps "open-mouth-ed" is a more suitable expression -- when it comes to new culinary experiences. William and Little William are picky about what they'll eat but enthusiastic when offered something they like.

Jefferson is an enigma: He will eagerly devour some foods (generally anything in the pasta family) on some occasions, and on others will display no interest in them at all. And he generally displays the appetite of a tiny bird with severe self-image problems. I've honestly never seen a seven-year-old boy who eats less than Jefferson.

Obviously, finding a meal that will satisfy a family of such riotously incompatible palates is a bit like trying to unscramble an egg. But we've found something that seems to agree with everyone: Thai Stir-Fried Vegetables and Seafood over Pasta with Peanut Sauce.

Thai food is like Chinese, but at once more delicate and a little sinister. It tends to be spicier, but the impact of the spice is incremental: Unless you're a masochistic exhibitionist about it (as Will tends to be), Thai food won't nuke your taste buds, the way some Mexican and Indian food will. Its impact is gradual, so if you have a problem with spicy food you have plenty of time to adapt to it. And the flavors are so enticing you'll find it difficult to resist, even if the spiciness is a bit odd at first.

Here's the recipe for our family's favorite Thai dish, which is quite easily prepared with a few off-the-shelf ingredients available at the typical Albertson's, Safeway, or similar grocery store.
Bear in mind that the amounts below are calibrated for a family of seven.

1 lb. pre-cooked salad shrimp, or pre-cooked, de-veined cocktail shrimp;
1/2 - 1 lb. faux crab;
2-3 large bell peppers -- preferably one red, one green (just turning color, if possible), and one yellow;
1 head of broccoli, cut into florets;
4-6 green onions (or 1-2 leeks);
1 13 oz. can coconut milk;
1 package of Peanut Sauce mix (preferably "Taste of Thai" brand);
Scampi sauce -- either pre-bottled or improvised with melted butter and a touch of garlic;
Six packages of Ramen noodles;

Butter as needed; Soy Sauce

Slice the peppers Julienne-style; dice green onions; combine with broccoli florets in a non-stick frying pan with a hunk of butter. (Don't know how much a "hunk" is? Neither do I; sorry.) Stir-fry over medium-high heat until all the veggies have been cooked through, but retain their crispness. Add a large dollop (see description of "hunk" above) of soy sauce to the veggies, then cover and forget about them for five minutes or so.

Fill a separate pot with 12 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then add the noodles from six Top Ramen packages. When the noodles are done, strain them and place them in a large bowl (with a hunklet of butter, if you'd like). Then carefully remove the Ramen flavor packages and throw them away immediately. I hate that stuff.

Open the coconut milk and pour into another small saucepan along with the contents of the peanut sauce package(s). ("Taste of Thai" usually packages one serving inside two envelopes. Weird.) Stir the mixture well, and then cook over very moderate heat.

This concoction scorches very easily, rendering it into a clumpy, unsightly mess that's still delicious but looks ... unfortunate, especially to those of us who've lived south of the border and suffered the consequences of drinking the water. Enough said. And maybe just a dash extra. But I digress....

If you've followed the procedure carefully, and I admit I've done my best to make this difficult, then all of these separate ingredients should be ready at roughly the same time. Remove the stir-fry veggies from the pan and place them in a suitably decorative bowl. They're not ready for serving yet, and might be a little impatient, so be nice to them.

Now we come to the best part -- the seafood. Bear in mind that this is the easiest kind of meat to use, because it's simply a matter of heat-and-serve. But lean beef, chicken, or pork would work just as well. And the veggies themselves make a very good meal. Some people have used Tofu, for which they richly deserve to be horsewhipped. Anyhow, the seafood comes next.

Peanut sauce, the most exquisite substance known to man: It should look like this. Ours is perhaps a shade lighter, but the consistency is quite similar.

If you've selected cocktail shrimp, the tails must be removed. It's easier to use salad shrimp, which should be rinsed in a collander before cooking.

Place into the frying pan used for the veggies (hopefully, there will be a little residual stir-fry sauce left) along with about two tablespoons of scampi sauce. If you prefer, melt another hunk of butter with some garlic, which works nearly as well.

Cook the shrimp over medium high heat, and pay attention to it. Scorch this not, lest your seafood be rendered an abomination.

If you're also using faux crab (or "krab"), take each, uh -- what do you call increments of this stuff? Wads? OK -- take each wad and tear it up into small pieces and scatter them in with the shrimp. Stir this mixture up so that it is thoroughly cooked. Don't be afraid to use a little more butter -- butter is our friend -- if the shrimp and krab are a little dry. But don't let this mixture get all soggy, either.

When the shrimp and seafood scampi is ready ("How will I know?" you ask, your brows furrowed in earnest puzzlement; "My child, you will know," I reply in the fashion of a Yoda-like sage), combine it with the veggies, which by this time will be a bit petulant because of your necessary neglect. Stir them together vigorously; they're strangers now, but they'll quickly warm up to each other.

By this time the peanut sauce will be ready. Remember, it should be cooked at a very moderate heat. It really doesn't take much time to get it ready. It should have the color and texture of pudding before it sets. That's perfect for this dish.

The preferred presentation is to have the noodles, veggie/seafood mixture, and peanut sauce in separate serving dishes. Typically, each of us dishes out a small bed of noodles over which we pile a sizeable portion of the veggie/seafood combo, and then we drape a thin layer of peanut sauce (two tablespoons would suffice) over the entire mess. The advantage of keeping the sauce separate is that anyone who doesn't like it, or finds it a bit strong, doesn't have to have as much of it -- or any of it, for that matter.

The dish actually works all right without the sauce, but it's a crime against your tastebuds to have it that way.

"Daddy, I won't ask you again:

Make me Thai food!"

I stress anew the fact that everyone in our family loves this dish. Even Jefferson, who doesn't like anything and typically treats eating like an onerous chore, loves this dish -- especially the sauce.

Pretty Music...

2008-09-28T17:24:00.000-07:00

Mmmm....pretty.

Art Supplies (and Cute Kids)

2008-09-21T13:31:00.000-07:00

I found a terrific catalog called Miller Pads and Papers. It's an art supply catalog at its very best.

When I was homeschooling my boys I searched for an art supply catalog, that would meet our needs. This catalog was my life saver. I found art books in this catalog that were exceptionally well done. They were better than the art books that I found at Barnes & Noble.

I used one art history book from the catalog when I was homeschooling the boys called "Discovering Great Artists". It was fabulous! And by the same author I used the book "First Art" for the youngest kids in the family. It has a terrific recipe in their for play doh.

Miller Pads and Papers
Phone: 608-375-2181

Random Gratuitous Cute Kid Photos

Jefferson the Jedi!

This picture, which is about a year old, shows Jefferson in full Jedi mode -- lightsaber at the ready, casting force lightning from his fingertips as he does battle with a unseen Sith apprentice.

(Special visual effects by William Wallace.)

Football Lamb!

Here's little Sophia (aka "Baby Lamb") wearing her brother Isaiah's football helmet and shoulder pads.

An Animated Interlude

2008-09-19T18:01:00.000-07:00

If you don't mind the unfortunate subject matter, this classic "Tiny Toon Adventures" segment is priceless.

Little Plucky Duck (sort of an alternate universe Daffy) looks, sounds, and acts just like a toddler.

S.A.M. (Some Awesome Music)

2008-09-14T20:52:00.001-07:00

Tell me if you can withstand this!

W.P.S. THIS. IS. AWESOME!!!!!!

BCL (Books Children Love)

2008-09-12T14:45:00.000-07:00

If you have younger children - preschool age to maybe second grade level --
I recommend a glorious book called "Books Children Love" by Elizabeth Laraway Wilson.

The great thing about this book is that it describes in brief detail a little about each book and tells about the age level it's appropriate for and all you have to do is find the book it's describing in your local public library.

When my boys were younger I took this book with me every time I went to the library. It helped me find good books to read to my children. I took a laundry basket with me and filled it chock-full of books.

Sonlighting

2008-09-09T11:31:00.000-07:00

When I homeschooled my boys in Appleton, Wisconsin, I used the best book catalog on the market. Now that my kids are in public school, I still use that very same book catalog during summer months and while they are in school. The kids love the books I have found for them.

Our very favorite books come from the read-a-loud section of the catalog. When I first started homeschooling our boys, I ordered all the Kindergarten read-a-louds and read every last one of them to them and they couldn't seem to get enough and neither could I. It was pure enjoyment!

Order this catalogue for your families and you'll never be disappointed in the books you order from them. It's a great way to add to your families home library. William, my oldest reads at a college age reading level and he's only 10 years old. I know a lot of his knowledge comes from his dad and from genetics, but I'd like to contribute some of that brain know how from Sonlight books.

Sonlight Curriculum Ltd. can be contacted on-line, or call 303.730.6292

W.P.S. (William's post-script)

There is going to be a new video
from me coming out soon!

Oh, and I edited the blog for mom.
And yes, I do read at a college
reading level.

D.P.P.S. (Daddy's post-post-script)

William is a very quick study, but he's yet to learn the virtue of humility. Then again, that's pretty common failing; his Dad displays the same delinquency.

Willy-Wally In Stereo

2008-09-03T20:09:00.000-07:00

William has been busy in the cloning lab again:

Cloned?!

2008-08-27T21:07:00.000-07:00

S-W-E-E-T! I can't believe I actually did this. By the way, this is William Wallace writing, not mom. Isaiah and wanted to do a test project where he would snap his fingers and his clone would appear. The result was this. Oh, and there is the video of this below this picture. You may ask how we did this, but the fun of the trick is that the magician never reveals his secrets!!!! So don't even try. And by the way, more videos like this in the future!!!

Short post, isn't it?

Yet Another Recipe From Korrin & Family

2008-08-11T18:23:00.000-07:00

Delicious Pasta Dish

Pasta with Cream Sauce

1 package (16 ounces) bow tie pasta
1 small red onion, chopped
4 large garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup chicken broth
1-1/2 teaspoons minced fresh basil
1-1/2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup heavy whipping cream

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute onion and garlic in oil until tender. Stir in the broth, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; cook for 8 minutes or until reduced by about half. Stir in cream. Cook, uncovered , 8-10 minutes longer or until sauce is reduced to 1-1/4 cups. Drain pasta; toss with sauce. Yield: 8 servings.
Serve with zucchini, onions, fish sticks and tartar sauce.

More Recipes from Korrin

2008-08-03T20:07:00.000-07:00

More Recipes

Chili Mac
3/4 lb. ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
1 chopped bell pepper
1 can kidney beans, drained
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1 can tomato sauce
1 can chopped tomatoes
4 cups cooked and drained macaroni
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Cook beef, onion and bell pepper until browned. Add remaining ingredients.

Apple Crisp
4 cups sliced apples 3/4 cup flour
1 tsp. cinnamon 1/3 cup butter
1/2 tsp. salt 1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water

Place apples in buttered 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle with 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 cup water. Rub together flour sugar, and butter. Drop mixture over apples. Bake in 350 degree oven for 40 minutes or until golden brown.

More Yummy Recipes! (Plus a Video from William)

2008-07-29T16:48:00.000-07:00

More Yummy Recipes

Stew
1 lb. stew meat
1 can tomato sauce
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 can water or beef broth
salt, pepper, garlic powder

Add:
1 onion
6 carrots
5 potatoes

Cube the vegetables; place in Crockpot with
stew meat

Cook for 3 to 4 Hrs. on High. Serve with bread and butter.

Easy Banana Pudding

1 box Nilla wafers
2 pkg. instant vanilla pudding
3 med. bananas
3 cups milk

Mix milk and pudding in 9x13 pan pour
1/2 inch pudding put layer of cookies,
layer of bananas, pour more pudding over
1/2 inch.

More cookies, more pudding. Enjoy!

The drawings were done by Korrin

Here's the first installment of William's Crazy Videos!

This one is an ad for a product nobody really asked for:

Good Recipes

2008-07-20T20:12:00.000-07:00

Here are some recipes our family recently enjoyed

Creamy Chicken-Broccoli and Noodles

4 pkgs. ramen noodles chicken flavor
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 can milk
2 cups cooked cubed chicken
2 cups broccoli florets

In 10 inch skillet cook noodles according to pkg. directions. Add seasoning. Mix soup and milk in bowl. Pour over noodles, cooked chicken, and broccoli.

Layered Chocolate Vanilla Pie

2 boxes pudding vanilla small
2 boxes pudding chocolate small
1 container cool whip
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup melted butter
3 cups milk

Pour melted butter into a 9x13 pan. Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs over and pat down with spoon. Mix chocolate pudding with 1 1/2 cups milk. Pour over crust. Mix vanilla pudding with 1 1/2 cups milk pour over pudding. Spread cool whip over pudding.

These are two recipes that my family loves.

I'd love it if you'd share with me some of your family's favorite recipes.

Updated Music Extra

Here's a better version of the song "Don't Worry Baby," by BJ Thomas. This includes a brief intro by a music archivist who talks about the various renditions of the song by the Beach Boys, BJ Thomas, Keith Moon of The Who (that one surprised me), and Bryan Ferry:

(The drawings were done by Korrin.)

Creative Pursuits

2008-07-15T16:12:00.000-07:00

The name is Bond -- Tweety Bond: Isaiah (aka "Tweety-Boy") gets into character for his brother's digital movie, "Property of a Lady."

Our Aspiring Auteur: William Wallace was about six years old when he took his first crack at writing a screenplay -- an adaptation of a Star Wars novel. He recently learned how to use Daddy's digital camera to film brief episodes of a movie. So he rounded up the Grigglings and a couple of neighbor kids and -- ala Mickey Rooney -- said, "Hey, let's put on a show!"

William worked out a story outline involving a conflict of some sort between James Bond (Isaiah) and the vile Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Jefferson, who was cast against type). He put the kids through some rehearsals, blocked out the shots, and then let the camera roll. The results were actually pretty good; if we can edit the little clips together we'll upload the results to YouTube.

The picture above was shot in color and then processed into black and white (that was William's creative suggestion -- he's got some very interesting creative ideas rattling around in his head) to be used as a "teaser poster" for the movie.

In Memoriam:Chief the Dog, 2006-2007

He was a wonderful friend, and we loved him a lot: Chief, our departed German Shepherd.

In the Spring of 2007 we bought a German Shepherd puppy -- an inadequate term to describe a pet roughly the size of a small pony -- named Chief.

Blessed with a sweet disposition and limitless energy, Chief was a lot of unruly and occasionally destructive fun: He was almost impossible to keep on a leash (well, what intelligent creature wants to be on one?), and we soon had problems with our neighbor and the local PO-lice.

One morning about a year ago, Chief slipped his chain and took a quick stroll in our front yard, wandering briefly in the street ... just as some local State Police honcho drove past. By this time, Will had already corralled Chief and was putting him back on the leash. This didn't stop our tax-fattened hero from driving back and sternly bellowing, "You'd better keep that dog on his chain."

"Hey, thank you, Captain Obvious," Will snapped back in annoyance. "That would never have occurred to me."

On another occasion, an anonymous caller dropped a dime on us to file an "animal abuse" complaint. This resulted in a visit to our home by an officious little person called an "Animal Enforcement Officer" who threatened to charge Will with a felony (yes, a felony) because Chief was supposedly underfed. In fact, Chief -- while a bit skinny -- was within body type guidelines for a German Shepherd of his type and age (they tend to be skinny until they turn two or three, and then they fill out enormously).

If you're interested in reading more about that incident, look here.

Anyway, Chief proved to be too much for us to handle here in our duplex, and the landlord didn't want us to keep him in the house. So we had to relocate him -- first to Grandma and Grandpa Grigg's farm, and then to the home of another friend in Homedale. Early last Winter Will got a call informing him that Chief had died suddenly, as dogs often do -- most likely because he ate something that either poisoned him or choked him. At the time, we had been trying to find a new permanent home for him.

Chief was a loving and wonderful pet. It broke our hearts to lose him, especially the way that we did.

Music Picks

Appalachian Duet: Dwight Yoakam and Patty Loveless are both from Kentucky, and they've done a lot to preserve authentic Appalachian/Celtic country music. Yoakam has branched out into acting recently, but he's still plugging away on the club circuit. (He's also one of the most articulate country musicians in the business; he can give a graduate-level discourse on the Scots-Irish origins of country music at the drop of a hat). Loveless got married, started a family, and devoted herself to performing rustic bluegrass. Their duet "Send a Message to my Heart" is a splendid little song.

If you go to this version of the song, be careful to note the tall fiddle player in the background: That's the immortal Mark O'Connor, five-time winner of the World Fiddling Contest in Weiser, Idaho (a town of about 5,000 roughly fifteen minutes from here). He won those trophies between the ages of 12 and 16 (if I recall correctly), then they changed the rules to prevent him from competing. He ended up playing with legends such as mandolin virtuoso David Grisman and gypsy jazz violinist Stephane Grapelli, before moving to Nashville.

Oh, incidentally, Mark O'Connor was home-schooled in Seattle.

Lactose Intolerance Alert: "Xanadu," the exuberant theme from the failed 1980 musical, features a great performance by Korrin's favorite singer, Olivia Newton-John. Will played the song in dance band at Ricks (yes, he's that old) and remembers that the music chart was about twenty pages long.

This one was a bit of a split decision in the Grigg household. Korrin loves it, Will likes it, William can barely stand it but so what, and the other kids don't care. The video is certainly colorful but a bit over the top ("They lost me when they brought in the mimes," Will complains. "I'll gladly endure any trial the Lord sends me to make me a graver, deeper man, but I won't countenance mimes.")

A Modern Genius: Someday, long after he has departed the mortal plane, Stevland Hardaway Judkins-Morris -- more commonly known as Stevie Wonder -- will be recognized as a Mozart-level genius. His mastery of the pop music idiom is without parallel, sure -- but few people realize he can play literally anything. He can play any musical instrument with a level of mastery usually reserved only to those who focus on that particular instrument exclusively.

Will became a huge fan of Stevie Wonder as a child on the strength of classic pop offerings such as "My Cherie Amour" and "You Are The Sunshine of My Life."

One day in seventh grade Will mentioned to a friend how much he enjoyed Stevie Wonder's music.

"Yeah, it's amazing a blind man can play music like that," his friend replied.

"Stevie Wonder is blind?" Will exclaimed in astonishment.

Spy Tunes: As one might expect, the Grigg Boyz are James Bond fans. Korrin is a fan of A-ha and other 1980s techno. Will likes the first and can tolerate the second ... sometimes. But all of us really like the theme to the 1987 flick "The Living Daylights," starring Shakespearean actor Timothy Dalton as the redoubtable agent in Her Majesty's Secret Service. Dalton was criminally under-appreciated in the role, by the way: He looked exactly as Bond was described in Ian Fleming's books, and as a pure actor he blew all the other Bonds out of the water (with the provisional exception of incumbent Bond Daniel Craig).

Howdy!

2008-07-03T09:32:00.001-07:00

The trees abound in giggling Grigglings (from top left): Isaiah, William, Katrina, Jefferson, and Sophia. (Click on any photo to enlarge.)

Hi everybody! I hope you're all doing well. We went on a couple of trips to Los Angeles California this summer. Will was invited to give some speeches promoting his new book. He did a fabulous job and quite a few people bought his book.

William, Isaiah and Jefferson have been helping out on Grandma and Grandpa Griggs' farm and playing hard with their friends.

Isaiah just celebrated his ninth birthday on July1. He loves working on the farm best of all our kids. He also loves pretending he's a cowboy and playing laser tag.

Katrina and Sophia love playing dress up. They love to wear Hannah Montana wigs and pretend their princesses. They love to dress themselves up with dresses, mom's lace and princess crowns.

William is always thinking about a screenplay he could be writing. He thought one out recently and all his brothers and sisters acted in it for him. It turned out really adorable.

Jefferson loves climbing trees, playing hide and go seek and pretending to kill the bad guys with his action figures. He starred in William's recent film production as the arch-fiend Ernst Stavro Blofeld.

Korrin has been looking up a lot of music to listen to and to share on this blog since music is one of my passions. I hope you enjoy what I've found.

Budding screenwriter and precocious constitutionalist: William displays an autographed Ron Paul sign at a campaign rally in Caldwell.

We'd like to share some of the Grigg Clan's favorite music. This selection is incomplete, of course, and entirely whimsical.

The Corrs are a family band from Ireland. There are three sisters and a brother in the band.
They're gorgeous girls who sure know how to sing, and their brother is mighty talented too.

It's very refreshing to turn the radio on and hear a beautiful melody from Sara Bareilles. I sure enjoy her singing "Love Song" the best. She's a real talented gal.

I love Patti Page. She's from an older vintage. Dad introduced me to her when I was a little girl and I still love her. She sings one of my favorite songs, "The Tennessee Waltz."

Matt introduced me to Israel Kamakawiwo Ole, who was an appealing musical man-mountain among the Hawaiian population. Boy, did he know how to make a person smile when he sang Over the Rainbow. He was a glorious singer, and I'm sure the Lord loves hearing him sing in eternity. Thanks, Matt.

I just discovered the Lennon Sisters. My goodness, do they know how to harmonize or what? They remind me a little of my sisters, because they're all so beautiful.

One of Australia's worthier exports, the Little River Band is one of those acts that put out a steady stream of hit songs that everybody knows -- even though nobody exactly remembers who recorded them. This selection is entitled "We Two," as performed in Melbourne in 1983. The lead singer, John Farnham, is incomparable -- and all but unknown outside of his home country. He is literally too good for this band, which was the best in the business; his range is inhuman, and the power of his voice frequently pins the audience to the back of the auditorium. The dude's scary, y'all.

B.J. Thomas is still tearing it up four decades after he recorded "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on my Head." He also recorded the definitive version of the Beach Boys classic "Don't Worry Baby," and even today he can still hit all the stratospherically high falsetto notes.