This Old Man

The kids are growing up so fast lately, it seems that just last week they were still sleeping in cribs. This thought really hit home with me recently. With the kids' busy schedules, it is hard to find time to get both kids to their activities on time. Last Spring was one of those times when I was at work and Lady Di needed to get Sweet Pea to her dance lesson. Number One Son had homework and piano to practice and he really didn't want to get dragged to his sister's dance practice anyway. I would be home in less than an hour and N1S is old enough to be on his own a little bit. Many of his friends and classmates have been on their own at home for years, but we have been dragging our feet in this regard. It's not that we didn't trust N1S to be on his own, we just didn't want to let our child be so grown.

By allowing him to be on his own for an extended period of time has signalled the beginning of his independence. His lessening need for his parents assistance. His growing up.

I didn't want to face it. I wanted our kids to stay our little ones forever. When they no longer depend upon us for everything and anything, it tells me that I am growing older too. It won't be too long before we will no longer need babysitters. We'll be able to leave whenever we want, but will we want to? I know when the kids were little they would often drive me crazy by following me around everywhere I went and not allowing me a minute's privacy. Now I find myself seeking them out in the house when I realize that I've been sitting alone in front of the television for twenty minutes. I'm not ready to not be the center of their universe yet.

I know I have to let them go sometime, but I don't have to like it. One sign of N1S's evolution was a conversation we had recently. He had invited a friend to come over on Friday. On the day before, I asked him if he was excited that his friend was coming over to play the next day. He said, "Dad, don't say 'play' anymore. Say, 'coming over to hang out'." So now he's too old to play.

In the other bedroom, his little sister, like many younger siblings, is trying to keep up with her big brother in everything. She has already tried to set up her own playdates with her friends on many occasions. Without telling us anything about it. On one occasion, her friend's parent actually showed up to drop off their kid without calling ahead. Luckily, we were home at the time.

It won't be long before there are many things we, as parents, will be left out of. As the kids grow they need their own lives and privacy. We just have to hope that they know that they can always come to Mom and Dad when they need it. No matter how old they are, they can always be our little ones again.

This year I may let N1S light a few of his own fireworks for the fourth. And I'm sure Sweet Pea will right in line asking when it will be her turn.

Have a safe and sane fourth everyone. Celebrate with a big 4th of July family play date.

The Colors of Our Kids

To me our kids are comprised of many colors. I'm not talking about purple hair, or orange stripes on their skin. I'm talking about the many characteristics about our kids that involve color.

To start with, they each have a favorite color. I know that everyone has a favorite color, but when I ask most kids their favorite color, the answer is almost always blue for boys and pink for girls. Additionally, kids usually like to change their favorite colors often, sometimes multiple times per day.

Our kids chose their favorites early in life and have stuck with them without waver. Number One Son chose his allegiance to orange when he was very young. Sweet Pea has claimed yellow as all hers. Maybe it's just me, but those colors seem to usually be the leftover crayons in the box. I guess having orange as your favorite is pretty handy in October, but somewhat rare the rest of the year. Although N1S made good use of the color last summer when he had his expressive hair.

And Sweet Pea's yellow is good for drawing pictures of sunny days and I suppose that is why she likes it. Her room is painted a bright yellow so in the afternoon, when the sun shines in her room, our hallway is illuminated through her open door.

Even though SP's favorite isn't pink, she still likes to wear it. Lady Di and SP share a common interest in looking pretty. And SP is definitely pretty in pink. Her closet is three-quarters pink. And 99% of her pj's are pink. Somehow, a blue pair snuck in there.

Almost every kid grows up with a special stuffed toy or blanket. SP has her purple blankie. When she was a baby we had three or four blankies for her to use. Multiple blankies are necessary when the formula makes its occasional return trip. When she was just old enough to communicate a little it was clear that purple blankie was superior to all others. On more than one occasion, I tried to put her to bed with an impostor blankie. Her other blankies were the same size, weight, softness and all came from the same store. But even in the dark, she could tell which one was purple. Here she is with purple blankie in front of her yellow wall. Blankie is showing a little age around the edges but is holding up pretty well for a six year old blanket.

The last color associated with our kids is blue. As in the color of their eyes. Both kids were blessed with eye color that matches their mother's. All three of them have beautiful blue eyes which haven't faded to another color yet. I am the odd ball of the family (for more reasons than one) with hazel eyes. So, in our family, we have orange, yellow, pink, blue and purple covered. We will try to work in as many other colors as we have time for. I'm trying to develop a fondness for green but my bank seems to be at odds with me.

How to Annoy Your Kids on a Bike.

Last week, we had the most perfect night for a bike ride with the kids. It was warm with only a slight breeze and no bugs. Whenever we take the kids on a bike ride, I always keep our destination a secret until we get there. That way I can change my mind in the middle of the trip if circumstances warrant.

Like if I get too tired to bike all the way to Dairy Queen.

The kids are good about stopping at intersections and asking when and which way to go. This night, we just went straight.

At the first intersection, Number One Son looked back and asked which way.

"Straight" , I answered.

At the next street the answer was the same, 'straight'.

After a while N1S asked if we could turn.

"No! Straight ahead!, I commanded.

Sweet Pea then started to get a little annoyed with my generic route.

She asked, "How come we're not turning?"

"Because we're going straight."

"No, I mean where are we going?", she inquired.

"We're going straight, of course.", I answered.

Then I got a frustrated growl from her and a burst of speed on her bike to catch up with her brother, leaving me in the dust.

Later in our ride we passed a park. Sweet Pea is just starting to read on her own and is pretty good at sounding words out. We are also working on getting her to recognize more sight words.

So when we passed the big sign that read 'Walnut Park', she told her brother, "Look, there's Wal-Mart Park."

I knew it was incorrect but I still had to look at the sign to check anyway. Wal-Mart seems to own everything now.

Up On The Housetop

It's that time of year again. Time to risk life and limb in the attempt to properly show your Christmas spirit. I'm talking about putting up Christmas lights. Some people like to tastefully decorate their houses with a few strings of lights on bushes and trees. They usually use a balanced pattern with symmetry and artistry. My lighting philosophy is 'the more lights, the better'. I come from the Clark Griswold school of holiday lighting. If an airplane, flying overhead, cannot see my house, then I need another extension cord.

I tend to exasperate Lady Di. She is very artistic and creative and enjoys elegant white lights twinkling slightly in the winter breeze. I like color! Lots of color. Like a Crayola box with the stomach flu, kind of color. In the last few years I have been able to decorate the house my way. Mainly because I am still ignorant enough to climb up a ladder and hang over the edge of the roof to put lights up. Lady Di has been much smarter and avoids the ladder. She does keep the first aid kit handy and the speed dial set for 9-1-1.

When it comes to my holiday decorating tastes, anything goes. I don't mind mismatched nativity sets showing Baby Jesus playing wreath toss with Frosty. I don't mind a Santa sitting next to a camel with a gingerbread man on it's back. I don't mind candy cane lined driveways, or giant candles by the front door. A sleigh and reindeer on the roof always amaze me. I like flashing, blinking, and twinkling lights. So far, Lady Di has held me to 'lights only' on the house. But who knows, maybe a small army of toy soldiers will invade our yard this year.

I pretty much like any kind of holiday decoration, except inflatable displays. One reason is they seem too complicated for me to bother with. Anything with a motor and blower is not worth the headache for me. I also don't care for the way they lay on the front yard during the day when they are deflated. Plus, I'm sure, as soon as I put one up, the first strong winter wind will take it all the way to Mexico.

I probably get my love of holiday decorating from my Mother. She is a decorating demon every year for every holiday. At Christmas time, my Dad calls their house, "Little Vegas". They live across the street from a nursing home in a small town. The nursing home residents always tell my Mom that they look forward to seeing her yard at Christmas time. She even won her town's award for 'Most Festive Lights' last year. Whenever we go to visit we can usually tell when we are within 5 miles from Gramma's house by the 'Aurora Borealis' glow from her house.

So my goal is to create a winter wonderland before the winter comes. My plan was to get the roof lights done last weekend since we had nice weather. An extra work day put those plans on hold. Now I won't get another chance to plug in until Thanksgiving week. This is the latest that I will start decorating in quite a few years. I have decorated in the cold and snow before. I usually start with gloves until I realize it's impossible to untangle anything with gloves on. Then my fingers freeze and I have to descend the ladder to thaw my hands inside the house every half string.

Even if I don't find the time to light up the block this year, I will still get to enjoy holiday decorations. Every year, as a family, we pick a night or two to drive around town just to look at the lights in the neighborhood. I usually hear a lot of 'Wow, look at that one!' from the back seat from the kids. My sister and I enjoyed drives like this with our parents when we were young and I hope my kids enjoy them as much as I did. Hopefully, I can find the time to get our house up to a respectable level for viewing.

But it is worth it, right? Is it worth watching the electric meter spin like the Price Is Right wheel? Is it worth risking frost bite and/or a trip to the emergency room when I fall from the roof? The big payoff is when I make the whole family stand out in the street on the night after Thanksgiving and, with much pomp and ceremony, flip the switch. If I don't trip a circuit and put the whole block in a blackout, it's a success. I then bask in the glow of the kids' Oooo's and Ahhhhh's. Then they say, "We're cold! Can we go in yet?"

Emeryisms Part Two

Little Sweet Pea may only be five years old, but she has talked enough to pass right by her nine year old brother. I sometimes ask her if her mouth ever gets tired. It's no wonder that she says yes. One of the benefits of having a talkative child is enjoying the clever, funny things she says. I don't have a particular story, but here are a few of her most memorable utterances.

As we were driving past a lake, her brother Ethan said, "Look at all the algae on that lake."

Emery authoratively answered with, "No Ethan. It's allergy on the lake."

While reading a book about jobs, we came across a page about a beekeeper. Emery asked what a beekeeper does. "A beekeeper keeps bees and takes their honey to sell", I replied. "Oh, do they squeeze the bees?", she inquired.

We also read a different story about bees pollinating flowers. Emery asked why the bees liked flower polish.

We were attending a retirement party for a friend of ours who was a nurse. Ethan asked, "What does O/B mean?"

Emery answered, "Obi-Wan Kenobi."

When Emery was told there would be no snack tonight before bed, she wailed, "But I only got none!"

Emery said, "When I grow up I don't want to have any babies. I only want two kitties and a possum."

On a recent road trip, Emery saw a lot of mordacycles.

Emery's, Uncle Tom, had some wiring chewed up by mice at his house over the winter. Emery said, "Maybe the wires were yellow and the mice thought they were made of cheese."

The names of the three fish, Emery has had as pets. 1. Scraps 2. Nellie 3. Lovable Heart. Unfortunately all three fish are no longer with us.

When playing with Ethan's slot car race track, she got mad when Ethan had her 'troller'. (controller).

I was telling Sweet Pea that it was late and we had to go indoors for bed. She said, "Yup. The crickets are cricking."

At the supper table we were discussing what to be when we grew up. Emery said, "When I grow up, I want to sell watermelons."

Sweet Pea often has trouble staying in bed at bedtime. After the 34th time of telling her to go back to bed, in frustration she calls out, "I just don't know how to sleep."

When explaining what to do if you are on fire, she said, "First, stop, drop and roll. Then get the fire exstinglicker."

Emery observed Ethan's swim trunks as he jumped into the water and yelled, "Inflatable pants!" I think she got that one from a cartoon.

That's all I can remember for now. If I can remember to write things down when she says them, I can usually get a few pages per week.

Class of 87 Still Rules

This weekend I dragged the family to my home town for my twenty year high school reunion. I can't believe it has been two decades. I don't feel twenty years older. Well, sometimes my back feels that way after mowing the lawn.

I graduated with 29 other hopeful youngsters. Yes, I'm from a town where everybody knew everybody. We had about a 50% turnout for the reunion. I was hoping for a better turn out, but it was still nice to catch up with the classmates who were able to attend. Surprisingly enough, It didn't seem like anyone changed all that much. I know I am still the 'cool dude' I was in high school. My kids tell me that all the time. Most classmates had started families of their own and that is what everyone talked about of course.

We got to play some golf. Some of us just chased the ball from tree to tree before feeding it to the creek. It was a very loose game. The 'foot wedge' was used often and a few golf balls were thrown by hand with better results than some hits with the golf club. Golf etiquette was observed at all times. Except when we were shouting or laughing during someone's swing.

Those of us with kids got them all together with us at the park to play and get acquainted. After the kids had a hot dog picnic they were given over to their sitters, and we grilled steaks before invading the local tavern to jam to Outfield and Bon Jovi music. We acted like headbangers without the hair. It seemed some of us weren't used to having a night out sans kids. When 'no kids' was combined with seeing friends you haven't seen in ten to twenty years, it added up to loud evening. After a few drinks, some classmates started acting like they were still in high school. By the end of the night, a couple classmates actually thought they were still in high school.

Overall, the weekend was very fun. It was worth the five hour drive to reconnect with friends. It also made me realize that I miss my friends and I need to keep in touch better. We have all led such different and interesting lives. Many classmates went off in directions that no one could have predicted. Some have been around the world and have experienced different cultures. It also makes me re-evaluate my own life. Have I done enough and seen enough at this point in my life? Probably not. I now have email addresses that will allow me communicate better and hopefully learn more about where my former classmates have been.

Thanks to Christi, Kim, Maria and Mike and everyone else for all of their hard work. And if anyone needs a good pecan bar recipe, I'll get it from Carolyn.

By the way, I'm the old guy who's still 'got it' in the picture.

My Day

Happy Father's Day to all fathers. I had a great day with my family. After church Lady Di took the kids and I out to Perkins for breakfast. Yes, I did have the Heartland Omelet and yes, it was tasty. After breakfast we came home and Number One Son and Sweet Pea gave me a wonderful gift...a nap. I can't believe how good it felt. It has been a while. After that I didn't accomplish too much. I watched some baseball and played with the kids. The kids gave me their homemade cards and we all went for a family walk around the neighborhood. I hope all fathers everywhere were able enjoy their day with their families. Thank you also to my Dad for being a great Dad. I owe much of my father skills to my own father. My family really makes it easy for me to love and support them.

I couldn't have asked for a nicer Dad's Day.

Thank you and I love you.

Pay no attention to the date on picture.

Game On!

Our Number One Son had some ear surgery earlier this week. This was the second surgery he had to undergo since the first one didn't fix the problem. Ethan was a bit more apprehensive for the second go round. For some reason he was afraid to breath the anesthesia gas to put him under. In the end he was brave and put the mask on. His bravery did take a little cajoling though. We reassured, asked nicely, pleaded, bargained, used reverse psychology and negotiated. After about twenty minutes of this the doctor said, "Well, we always could do this another day." That was not an option.

Out of desperation we offered to get Ethan a new Gameboy, if he was brave. Ethan did a double take and said, "How about an X-Box?" This isn't a contract negotiation for a pro athlete. Suffice it to say, Ethan settled for the Gameboy.

I know it isn't always the best thing to buy things for kids when you want them to do something they don't want to do. But Ethan is a good boy and he graciously allows us to limit his video game time. He can only play for an hour or so on Fridays when his chores are done. He gets to choose either a game online, a game from one of those joystick retro games that plug into the television (aka Pac Mac, etc), or a game on his early nineties Gameboy from a garage sale. For as much as he likes video games, he really is appreciative of what he does have.

So after he went under the anesthesia the doctor said the medicine usually has an amnesia effect and he probably won't remember a thing. Cool!

A couple days later I asked Ethan if he remembered anything about his surgery. He said, "Yeah, I remember the Popsicle I got afterward." Alright, so far so good.

"Anything else?", I asked tentatively.

"Hmmm. No, nothing else."

Whew, we dodged a bullet on that one.

"Oh yeah, I also remember that you were going to take me to Gamestop for a new Gameboy."

Cue the 'Price Is Right' loser music. Whah, whah, whah, whaaaaaaaaah.

Alright, so we're caught. It's OK though. He really deserves one anyway. The next question was, when are we going. "We can go on Thursday. Is that OK?"

Everyday until Thursday was filled with Ethan telling everyone and anyone where he was going on Thursday.

Well wishers came by to ask how Ethan was. "My ear is OK. Did you know I'm going to Gamestop?", he repeated to all. That story was much more interesting to him than his ear.

When Thursday afternoon came, Lady Di called to the living room, "OK, get your shoes so we can go." Usually this needs to be said four or five times before the television loosens it's hypnotic grip on him. This time he had his shoes on and was sitting in the van before Lady Di finished her sentence.

On the drive to the store, he was very excited. "Are we really going to Gamestop? I can't believe we are going to Gamestop!"

As Lady Di pulled up to the store she noticed the 'door ajar' light on the dashboard. She got the van into park just in time to see an Ethan sized blur swoosh through Gamestop's front door. Lady Di said Ethan was like a kid in a candy (video game) store. He saw lots of things he liked. Lady Di picked out the game we were going to get him. Ethan then started a conversation with the sales clerk trying to talk the clerk into upgrading him to the game that was twice the price. Lady Di didn't fall for that. He picked out a Star Wars lego game and a Mario game to play on the way home.

That night, when I came home after work, I tried to play one of the games. I must not have good thumb-eye coordination, because I couldn't get the hang of it.

Well, we finally caved and bought him his game. I think this will have an overall positive effect on his chores. Now that he has a good game to play, we will be able to leverage that into more work. The driveway does need to be sealed.

This Old Closet

Today is my last day of vacation. What are good things to do on your last day? Nap, read a book, play golf? Nope. Put up wire shelves in my daughter's closet? Yes. We had a gift card for Menards, so we got some shelves and today is also the last day we have before Emery returns from Gramma's house. Lady Di will go and pick her up tomorrow. So it's now or never.

All of Emery's clothes and toys and books are now all over her bed and/or floor. I don't want 'Sweet Pea' to come home to that.

"What did you do to my room!!!" , "I want a different Daddy!"

OK, she probably wouldn't say that, but she wouldn't be happy.

So I asked Ethan to help me with this project.

"OK, Dad. What do we do first?", he asked.

"First, you get your radio from your room.", I instructed.

"To listen to music while we work?", he excitedly offered.

"Exactly.", I answered. "You do that while I get my tools."

Ethan plugged in his radio and couldn't find a radio station he liked so he put in his Wacky Songs CD. The one with Monster Mash, Short Shorts, and Purple People Eaters.

After my fifth or sixth trip to the garage, I finally had all the tools I needed. Lady Di mapped out where each shelf was to go and I started to work. So I marked a few spots, drilled a few holes, trimmed a couple shelves, remarked a few spots, redrilled a few holes, cursed a little, and a few hours later, my daughter had shelves. I now can't stand the song Monster Mash. Ethan was a very good helper. He got the music going. He resharpened my pencil. He actually took the broken pencil and returned with a different sharpened pencil. He thought this was pretty funny. He even made a 'Men Working' sign for the job site. We even got to whistle at Lady Di when she walked by. Just like real workers.

After we got the shelves in, it was Lady Di's turn to work on the closet. It was her job to put everything in place. She made sure the dresses were all together in the proper order. She also organized all of Emery's pants, tops, belts, socks, underwear and tiaras. Some books and Barbies also found their proper place. It is amazing how many clothes she has.

Ethan must have been tired after all of our work. We laid down on his bed to read a chapter in his book. When that was done, he pulled his shades and fell asleep. He may still be a little worn out from his ear surgery on Monday. Or he may be tired of watching movies all day and not being able to run around outside. Either way it was nice to get something done on my last day of vacation, and to have such a great partner to help me.

Let's Hit the Road

It's not fair! Number One Son isn't even nine years old yet, and he already has his own car. His great grandpa Roy collected and restored cars when he was alive. He had various classic cars that went to family members after he died. He also had a 1930 Model A Roadster with a rumble seat left in the garage. Now that Gramma Ollie is moving to an apartment, there is no room for the Roadster. Gramma Ollie said the car now belongs to N1S. Lady Di had the great idea that N1S and I should restore the car ourselves. A father-son project. Judging by my mechanical prowess, we should be able to take a Sunday drive to the lake by about 2097. I'm pretty good at checking spark plug fluid, and tightening the muffler belt. But that's about all. I did fix a pesky dashboard light that wouldn't shut off by covering it with a piece of black electrical tape once.

Although, this would a be a great time to get an awesome set of new tools. "Kids! Were going to Sears!"

The car is actually in very good shape for 77 years. Very little rust and only a few interior rips. The rumble seat still rumbles too. Grampa Roy took very good care of his cars.

We just had the Roadster towed from Gramma Ollie's house to ours last weekend. The next morning N1S and I were putting our shoes on in the garage. I asked him if he wanted to see his car from Gramma Ollie and Grampa Roy. He took a quick scan of the garage and asked, "Where is it?".

When I pointed to the bright red Roadster 6 feet away, his eyes grew to saucer size and he said, "That? Really?"

I nodded and he said, "Can I drive it?"

"Yeeeeah. About that. I don't think that's gonna work."

I then got two buckets and two rags and set N1S and his sister, Sweet Pea, to washing his car. The 40 year old dust mostly got moved around rather than wiped off, but they were excited to do it.

Now N1S wants to show everyone his new car. Which doesn't sit well with SP. She thinks it belongs to both of them. When N1S tells friends about his car, SP pipes up and wails, "I washed it too!"

She also likes to call the car, 'Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang.'

I guess there is a slight resemblance.

I think they will both get their turns to ride and eventually drive.
I guess I will treat this as a personal challenge. N1S and SP and I will learn about classic auto mechanics together. We may also learn the concept of the money pit. But who can put a price on bonding with your children?

Spring cleaning

Today the kids were bored so they wanted a job to do. I said, "You can clean something." So Ethan got a broom and started sweeping the deck. Of course, Emery always wants to do what her big brother is doing. So Ethan let her have a turn at the broom while he went to get a rag. He started wiping down the patio furniture. When Emery saw that, she wanted to use the rag. So Ethan had an idea to solve the whole problem.
He said, "Emery, let's pretend to be butlers. You can be the butler that does all of the raggin'. And I'll be the butler that does everything else".

That sounds a lot like the situation with Lady Di and myself. I'm not sure which one of us does more of the raggin' though.

"Honey! What are you doing with that rolling pin?!"

I don't have a story to go with this picture. I just thought it looked nice. This tree is in our front yard. We don't remember what kind of tree it is, but it's blooms are sure perty.

Here's a close up of a bloom.

Where's the Limo?

Our neighbor, Bridget, is a senior in high school this year. And last weekend was Prom. The kids were riding their bikes in the cul-de-sac when a car pulled in next door. A young man in a tuxedo got out and went to the door. When he came outside with Bridget, the kids were amazed to see the fancy couple. The rug rats aren't shy at all so over they went. They told her they liked her pink dress. Emery asked if they were going to get married. Ethan came back and told me her date looked like a butler.
When they finally drove off, Ethan turned to me and said, "Why does Bridget have a driver?"
I then had to explain all about dates and dances. (Hokey Pokey, Chicken Dance, etc). That's right Ethan, you're Dad had all the moves.

I like your sleeves.

A similar thing happened earlier in the day when Ethan and I were at McDonald's. Two Prom couples came in and stood in line. My back was to them so I pointed behind myself and asked Ethan, "Don't those kids have cool clothes?"
He looked and said, "Yeah! Their shoes are pretty cool."
After I had choked Dr Pepper through my nose, I spluttered, "What? Their shoes?" I figured he would have commented on the girls' brightly colored dresses or the guys' tuxes. I turned around to look at their shoes. They looked like ordinary Prom shoes to me. "What is so cool about their shoes?" ,I asked.
"They're cool colors."
I looked again. Ethan was talking about two toddlers, who had brightly colored Spongebob and Spiderman tennis shoes, standing next to the Prom couples.
"I was talking about the high school kids.", I said.
Taking a short pause from his sandwich, "Oh, yeah. They're cool too I guess."
This day we definitely were not on the same page.

Sleeping bag blues

A couple of days ago, Ethan and Emery's grandparents came for a visit. My folks, Lady Di's folks and my Grandma Peg came to see Ethan's play. It was a big weekend for everyone. On Saturday, after the play, we all went out to eat. When we came back home it was around 7:00pm. The kids then opened some Easter gifts from the grandparents since we won't be seeing them at Easter. After that, the kids were a little over stimulated and had some difficulty going to bed. Since we had guests, Emery slept in her Barbie sleeping bag in Ethan's room. This arrangement had worked in the past, but not tonight.
First, she had to come downstairs to tell us that Ethan was talking, and she couldn't sleep.
Then we heard some animal noises coming from the bedroom. I went up to ask what was going on. Ethan said, "Emery was roaring at me."
"Emery, why were you roaring at Ethan?"
"Because he was leaning over his bed and touching my blanket.", she replied.
"That's because she was touching my blanket.", was Ethan's immediate response.
Since this was about the fourth time I had had to go into their room, Emery was relocated. I put her and her Barbie sleeping bag in our room.
At about 9pm we could still hear her talking to herself in our room. Exasperated I asked, "Emery, what is the problem tonight?"
She said, "I'm sorry Daddy. I just can get the hang of my sleeping bag."

I hope she gets the hang of her sleeping bag for camping this summer.

Opening Day!

We're gonna win Twins, we're gonna score!
We're gonna win Twins, watch that baseball soar!
Knock out a home run, shout a hip hooray!
Cheer for the Minnesota Twins to-day!

Today is opening day. The Twins are on TV. The kids are making Twins posters for good luck. Emery drew a batter with a yellow hat. "Emery, the Twins wear blue hats.", I said.
"I know. I just like yellow better.", she replied.
"OK, as long as they win."
She also drew a picture for the cheerleaders. I don't have the heart to tell her there are no cheerleaders in baseball.
Ethan drew a pretty good picture of Johann Santana pitching with fire on the pitches. Notice the anti-Oriole sign. Most experts pick the Twins to finish third in the division. They did the same thing last year and the Twins won the division. How can they go wrong with the Cy Young winner, the batting champ, and the league MVP.
Win or lose, I love to follow the Twins. I especially enjoy listening to them on the radio. It will be different this year with the loss of Twins broadcasting legend, Herb Carneal. He had been the Twins radio commentator since the Twins were founded in 1962.
Touch em all Herb Carneal.

The Break Up

Our kids amaze me daily. Tonight, Ethan and Emery received a call from their cousin Sara. Sara lives in the south-east metro area but still makes the drive all the way here a few times a year just to see the kids. About a year ago, Sara and then-boyfriend Jake came to visit. They played with the kids and brought gifts and had a nice weekend.
When Ethan got on the phone tonight, the first thing he said was, "Hi Sara. I have a question for you." He then said, "How's Jake doing?". Then came, "You know, Jake, your boyfriend." And then, "You broke up? Why, what happened?"
You may be asking yourself, "When is the amazing part?" Well, I am always amazed when Ethan makes a small step forward with interpersonal interactions. Ethan's Asperger's Syndrome constantly affects his conversing with people. In the past, Ethan would have only talked about his interests, or if someone would change the subject, he would try to steer the conversation back to his topic. If he would have heard of his cousin's break-up then, he would have probably said, "Oh,.... did you know that I have 4 light sabers?"
Ethan has made great progress with some wonderful teachers and therapists. They work on empathy and trying to know what the other person is feeling. These are two things that Asperger's kids need to study and learn. We still have to work on which topics are OK to talk about and which ones may be social awkward or offensive. But, just to hear him carry on a conversation with someone, about their interests and actually wanting to know more about them, is an exciting accomplishment.
Our daughter, Emery, has no problem with conversation. The only challenge with her is getting a word in edgewise. When Ethan was done, it was Emery's turn to talk. The first thing she asked Sara was, "Did you and Jake break up?", from listening to Ethan's conversation. Then Emery said, "I remember when you and Jake were here and he gave me two dollars."

Amazingly subtle, isn't she?

Class is in

When I graduated from high school and then from college, I thought all of my learning was behind me. Then kids came. When I knew I was going to become a father, I looked forward to teaching my kids all about everything. I didn't know at the time that I was going to be the student and my kids would teach me more than I could ever teach them. Here are some of the things I've learned from my kids.
I've learned how to read books in different voices.
I've learned how to do pony-tails.
I've learned how to play chess.
I've learned boys have clothes and girls have outfits.
I've learned to coach.
I've learned that kids listen to what you are saying all the time.
I've learned that anything can be exercise.
I've learned to love absolutely.
I've learned to worry more about fewer things.
I've learned you can eat popsicles in the winter and drink hot chocolate in the summer.
I've learned how to play beginner's piano.
I've learned the house needs decorations for every holiday.
I've learned that time is accelerating.
I've learned that a driveway should have chalk drawings on it all summer.
I've learned that the kids are great helpers, even when the job takes longer.
I've learned that kids are expensive.
I've learned that kids don't need expensive things.
I've learned band aids are miracle cures.
I've learned my new name is 'Ethan's or Emery's Dad'.
I've learned pride on a much larger scale.
I've learned honesty and fairness.
I've learned that boardgame rules change.
I've learned, some messes don't need to be cleaned up immediately.
I've learned there are some darn good animated movies out there.
I've learned when they are hurt, I hurt more.
I've learned that I am happier when they are happy.
I've learned what is really important in life.
Mostly, I've learned near infinite patience. There is an endless list of more things I have learned from my kids. There is another endless list of things I have yet to learn from them. I hope I never reach a point in life where I think I know it all, and I don't have to learn anymore. These are life lessons that I can't afford to miss. I've never enjoyed learning so much in my life, and it only gets better each day. Well, I'd better get some sleep. I have 'school' tomorrow.