tuesday

digging the scene

got a text at work asking if it was ok to go to fridays. got confused as i was getting ready to respond that we were trying to get together with friends on friday before i realized we'd gotten gift cards for christmas.

we were pretty sure this was the first trip our kids had ever made there, though there was some thinking that maybe when the boy was still a toddler and kris believes we'd gone to one in cross lanes with him to meet some friends.

the curiosity shop chic that was the apparent go-to decor for any number of 90s-era casual dining bar and grill franchises was a source of fascination for the monkeys as they ogled the knickknacks festooning the walls and ceilings.

dinner companions

the array of street signs, pressed metal ads, pre-world war ii toys and vintage tools served to occupy them throughout the visit. as we walked out, i had to explain to the boy that the security camera he was trying to point out was actually an old movie projector. then i tried to quickly summarize how movie projectors worked.

if i knew what the joint's "specialty" was, i'd have probably have ordered it. barring that, the meal was serviceable. the "jack daniels burger" was mostly distinguished by its sweet sauce but otherwise unremarkable. the fries were about perfectly seasoned and nicely crisped. my favorite part of the meal was the "oreo madness," which featured an oreo crust and creme flavored ice cream. i could have eaten one by myself.

once we got home, the boy declared, "i've got fridays french fry breath." overall, friday's was a good end to an end-of-the-month tuesday.

(glad to have made that last day of the month post for the first time in a while. also a little dismayed that i've had to practice self-censorship as i look for a permanent job.)

moving forward

master builder in training.

this guy doesn't need his daddy's help anymore, even for a two-booklet, 187-piece lego set. he's got this.

all daddy had to do was remind him to be patient and careful and don't skip any steps. and don't drop anything on the floor. (thanks to his mama, he wisely deposited the pieces into a large bin.)

i was pleased, though, at bedtime, to have him ask if i'd help him build after work tomorrow. maybe he still likes my company.

this boy, though

and good night to you, too, wild thing.

seriously, doesn't seem that long ago he was this pukey, fussy, ear-achey puzzle wrapped in a conundrum wrapped in a larval swaddling blanket. now he's this kid coming up with alternative rhymes for children's books. God bless and keep you, my little man.

gonna miss these guys

Being your First Lady has been the honor of a lifetime. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. -mo pic.twitter.com/pahEydkZ5Z

— The First Lady (@FLOTUS) January 19, 2017

regardless of their politics, i appreciated these guys as trailblazers, people who were different from those that came before, maybe as close to a wonky, hip, generation x president and first lady as i'll ever see. i could identify with these two; i'm really going to miss that.

here's what i wrote at the beginning. i figure i should at the very least commemorate the end. thanks a lot, obama ;-)

weeds

doing dishes, then, august 2013 ...

... and now.

the kids. they keep growing.

my latest barometer for charting their growth has been the kitchen counter.

used to be everything above it required a step stool. now, the girl's long, wavy locks bounce just below it.

and the boy, holy crap, the boy yesterday reached over the sink, turned on the tap and got himself a glass of water. no more asking.

while the grownups are getting caught up in the raising of kids and the finding of jobs, the kids are just getting taller and taller.

as they say, it's too fast, man. too fast.

movies ii

ate cheese and crackers for a viewing of "bridget jones diary" this evening.

watching reminded me of my last breakup, because the movie was a favorite of hers. it's also a favorite of kris'. and as a fan of romantic comedies, i like this one as well.

i don't think i'd watched the movie since kris and i got married (or at least had children), but i do remember it was in heavy rotation on video in the months after my last breakup.

my life has changed so much since those sad, pitiable months. looking back at the scenes and storyline that provided such comic relief and, i'll admit, hope, i find they still resonate with the echoes of the anxieties and dreams of young love and romance.

such was the food that fueled our journeys and our struggles to find "the one," that person who would be our companion and comfort and joy. i'm blessed and happy to say that not only have i found mine, but the life we are enjoying is one that neither of us could have imagined.

thank you, Lord, for bringing to me the love of my life. amen and amen.

movies

i'm slowly polluting the minds/tastes of my children with movies i like, hoping they'll like them, too.

tonight, we watched "raiders of the lost ark" and on tuesday, watched "superman: the movie."

they're already they're invested in the "star wars" franchise and i've passed along to them a love for "pirates of the caribbean: curse of the black pearl." (that's the first one in the series.)

these are their first forays into "grown-up" movies: lots of action, straightforward storytelling, minimal adult language, plus just enough suspense to make them cover their eyes.

that last part is definitely a quantum leap from about two years ago, when the boy would insist we turn off the television once conflict began to build (the reception scene in "frozen") or an evil plot unfolded (lord business steals the kragle in "the lego movie.")

even now, they'll hop off the couch and run away to the hall and watch from a distance. but they watch. sometimes. sometimes, they wait in their rooms until the coast is clear, missing the great escape or the comic resolution.

i do notice that the boy closes his eyes to gore, while the girl is brought to tears by cruelty.

we watched "zootopia" on thursday. (mama was still recovering from her bout of the bug, so we've been taking in lots of movies this holiday.)

the film was so prescient when you consider the years gone into making it and making it to the big screen at a time when its lessons of tolerance and prejudice are so needed. anyway, the kids really hung in despite the conflict and cruelty and the suspense that arose.

we made it from start to finish without stopping. there was running into the hall and covering of the eyes and even tears, but they watched.

and i am watching them.

kvetch

i think my biggest gripe about my new year's bug was that i had in essence four days off and a plan on how to use them. come saturday night i felt like i was actually on schedule. then i spent the next two days off (plus a sick day) either curled up in a ball or on the toilet. i'm still kinda peeved about that.

for the record

me and the girl

that's the front of a card from my daughter. i'm the one on the left; she's the one on the right.

today, as i said grace before lunch, i felt especially grateful for my family — my beautiful wife and children, my parents and in-laws, and my brother and sisters.

i dunno. i think i felt overcome with the desire to count my blessings because, well, i guess i needed to remember that i have been and continue to be blessed with countless gifts of love.

thank you, Lord. amen and amen.

eve

pensive.

maybe i'm where i am now because i didn't know where i wanted to be 30 years ago.

the romantic could say such is the way of the man whose focus is on the journey and not the destination, which sounds pretty and profound and all, but is probably just another way of saying i was aimless and likely lost and was too ignorant and arrogant to know.

from me in my early 20s up until about about six months ago, i'd have said i trusted in God to lead me where i was supposed to be and i'd be ok with wherever that was.

then maybe three months ago, i got kneecapped crossing over into what i thought was the promised land.

i've come to accept that maybe it was more like sitting in a car seat and seeing the promise of neon lights and carnival rides appear then disappear from the vista of the backseat windows.

while i can't say my feeble faith wasn't unshaken, i can say now that probably wasn't supposed to be where we were headed.

well, here i am, still waiting to see where he's taking us. i hope i'll really really be ok with where my leap of faith lands me.

day one

spent in bathroom with round two of the christmas bug. good times.