Off the Pan, Into the Fire

Had to say something

2012-01-31T19:20:00.005-06:00

Putting pen to paper, or keyboard to ASCII, has not been at the top of my priorities. It has been quite some time since my perspective on upbringing had driven my to make commentary. Today is no different. I make quips almost daily on Facebook. But that is more reactionary, drunken BS so to speak. With a few exceptions that is not a place for mental digestion.

Raising kids is hard. Keeping a marriage relevant is hard. Keeping sanity amongst it all is hard. Christmas, New Years, school restarting, next year's school planning, upcoming taxes, bills, car repair expenses, dog chewing shoes, and crappy sleep all make for a grumpy, and not-in-the-mood-to-write-Leland.

The kids are fine, the dog is fine, Shanna's fine. Me, we'll see. I'll cope. I hope.

Questions of Love

2011-12-01T16:00:00.000-06:00

I love my Land Cruiser.
I love my dog.
I love my children.
I love my wife.
I love my parents.
I love the outdoors.

Love:

Noun: an intense feeling of deep affection.
Verb: feel a deep romantic or sexual attachment to someone.

How do we know if we are truly in "love?" Is it binary, on or off? Are there degrees? Seven degrees to Bacon?

How do we measure "love?" Is it absolute or relative? Do we use subjective or objective criteria? What's the baseline to measure? What's the interval? Do we benchmark others? Do we compare and contrast the "now" with the "then"? Is love here today and gone tomorrow? What about loving the person but not the behavior? Or inaction?

I love the burger at Gold Nugget. I Love my wife. Yet my wife has a physiological impact not even approached by a good burger. How can I "love" both?

How is love affected by time, proximity, paternal or maternal relation, shared activities?

I am not a philosopher, maybe it's best to not worry about definitions or contemplations. Time to quit the mental gymnastics and go have a beer.

Dust to dust

2011-11-20T08:00:00.001-06:00

Parents are not supposed to outlive their children, yet it happens. There is no answer to why, only pain, loss. I can't help but believe that when a parent is lost, the child feels pain as strongly. We humans are built to feel pain and joy, despair and elation, birth and death.

Why is that? Why do we need to be so attached that a loss takes away from our being? Love is the mechanism that gives us the strength to extend our species beyond today. Love is how we pair up, mate, and offer up the next generation.

Love offers the strength to suffer, rebound, and rejoice. Love is how we journey into the abyss and return.

What I learned at the Battle of the Balloon

2011-11-03T14:00:00.004-05:00

Galen and Liam decided that a balloon is a good toy, no surprise there. My guess is that Neanderthal children would have been amuse. Hell, maybe they were, just with balloons made of animal gut. Problem being was this toy implementation was a bouncy game of run around the kitchen table while daddy is trying to read the newspaper. But to be fair, I can be tolerant even as my cherished morning routines was being disturbed by happy children doing no harm.

But not this morning. And I blame sleep deprivation.

Last night I went to the theater and watched Rush's Time Machine Tour movie. It was filmed in Cleveland during last year's tour, the one I attended at the Minnesota Sate Fair. While it lacked the "live" sound ambiance, the view was much better. And at $7.50 it was cheaper, louder, and bigger than the soon to be retailed DVD could play out in my living room.

OK, that exposition is just to explain that I was out past my normal bedtime. Once home I needed to acclimate to a quiet house and watched a portion of Some Like It Hot. Marilyn Monroe has a way of trapping the eyes and keeping one awake. Goodness, the way she wore a nightie...

OK, moving on. I sloughed up the stairs to bed. The pillow, sheets, mattress, eyeballs, and nervous system were simpatico, I conked right out.

Hello 1:15 AM. Hello Galen. Hello ten or fifteen minutes of child-induced wakefulness. Problem being that when my head once again found the pillow, simpatico had migrated away to the battle of the brain electrons. Now I was thinking of things better left for the light of day, or things that did not need attention. After about thirty minutes I got up and went back to the boob-tube (damn Marilyn reference)...

I watched an excellent program by Nova, the Fabric of the Cosmos. It did not bring about the sort of stimulation brought on by Marilyn's physique, or Lemmon & Curtis's antics, it was an intellectually stimulating program discussing the make up of space. And it had the desired result, by the end of the program my mind was through with its mental gymnastics, my body was tired, and I was confident that sleep would prevail. And it quickly did.

Fast forward back to the balloon wielding, fun having kids dancing around my table as I futilely tried to read the paper. I roared, they acquiesced, and minutes later all was forgotten as the game started anew, and I eventually smiled.

As I sit here and contemplate the chain of events I am happy to state:

Balloons are fun,
Rush is an excellent band,
lack of sleep is no excuse for grumpiness,
the cosmos is complex, and
a circa 1959 Marilyn is still hot.

Two steps forward

2011-10-13T14:30:00.001-05:00

The kids have been in school for about a month. Liam's preschool is a bit more play than work, so no surprising feedback. He's happy to go, slow to leave, and has happy things to say about his day.

Galen is bored, school is too easy. I am not sure how to respond to a 1st grader's critique of the curriculum. He does his homework, on the bus, on the way home. More time to play he says. He's delving into geography, biology, and thankfully not given up his art projects.

Tomorrow is our first 1st grade teacher conference. I hope to find out how much is an act, or hopefully is true that classes are too easy. At least this year's behavior is improved, I think. So far only two notes for me to sign, no punch in the nose like last year... Progress.

Humble and insignificant

2011-09-06T15:00:00.001-05:00

This year we took an actual vacation, a withdraw from kids, cell phones, computers, TV, and other aspects of our normal life. It was a two-part vacation; part 1 was magnificent and sublime, part 2 was ridiculous and brash. I speak of two weeks rafting the Grand Canyon followed by three nights in Las Vegas, two extremes along life's experience continuum.

Part 1, magnificent and sublime
Just to be clear, Part 1 was rafting Grand Canyon. We purchased our trip from Canyon Explorations, a family owned outfit specializing in participatory Grand Canyon rafting. Our starting point was Flagstaff, AZ. This offered a luckily timed opportunity to eat lunch with many of our AZ friends as they returned from supporting the Flagstaff to the Grand Canyon Fat Tire Bike Ride. A huge shout out to Marshall, Dan, Travis, Andy, Steve, Keith, Ty and the rest. Hope your drive home was safe...

Rafting the Grand Canyon is not something easily accomplished. Permits, weather, duration, rapids, provisions, required skills, and lack of accommodations all conspire to limit total visitation to approximately 22,000 people per year. Thankfully, the payment rendered to the Canyon Explorations took care of most particulars. We signed on to the 14-day, full canyon hybrid trip. It was 225 miles of river via oar boats, paddle raft, and inflatable kayak.

Part 2, ridiculous and brash
This was the Las Vegas portion. We stayed at the Flamingo, ate at Fiamma Trattoria & Bar, Delmonico Steakhouse at the Venetian, and Sushi House Goyemon punctuated with the Cirque du Soleil's Ka.

Las Vegas bit us in several ways; 1) the aforementioned dinning & entertainment, and 2) shopping. We are not gamblers, but at some point we usually will feed a slot-monster a $10 or $20, but this is more to rest our feet than satisfy an itch. This trip's shopping resulted in more bag-carrying than previous visits, thankfully the impact to the hand, arm, and shoulder (and stomach, waistline, and bum) weren't nearly as aggravating as the impact to our accounts.

The canyon and Colorado River have put my life in perspective and I would be most obliged if Canyon Explorations has room to raft me again. I observed a portion of earth's history, starting at 270 million years all the way back to 1.8 billion years ago. I saw fossils made before dinosaurs, mammals, or even simple reptiles. I observed rock that was transformed by incredible heat and pressures of the Earth's interior. I felt the power of a 25,000 cubic feet per second of water pushing and pulling at our passing.

I was a mere speck on the water, a passenger obliged to follow the river's rules, its whims, and unflinching desire to get to the sea. In Earth's history, I am a member of a species that has yet to register more than a note, something barely registered in the geographic history of this planet. We have yet to create a fossil record, yet to have our buried past become sedimentary rocks. All are refreshing thoughts as I escaped from daily life. My life is humble and insignificant next to the life-cycle of the Earth and Sun, wind and water.

Hope the funnel is big enough

2011-09-06T08:30:00.002-05:00

Labor Day, the ending demarcation of summer. More importantly, it marks the beginning of school. Galen is off to 1st grade and Liam is off to preschool. The school bus stop was busy, more parents than normal, more cameras than normal. There was also the graduate, formerly the elementary school participant now on to middle school, waiting for her brother to disappear into the bus.

We summer-slacked, no vocabulary drills, no trips to the library, no Spanish speaking lessons. There was play, family, and fun. As the school day starts I wonder, will their ears hear the teacher? Will their eyes see the blackboard? Will their minds register the information? Today, a big ol' bucket of knowledge will be pored into those malleable, eager, and energetic minds. I hope their funnel can catch most of it.

As the other kids huddled, talking, no doubt, about something important, Galen watched. He made a gift for the teacher, he willed the bus closer. I think his funnel may do just fine.

The screech

2011-08-03T17:30:00.001-05:00

I don't know how, I don't know why, but it is usually Liam that flies out of the woodwork crying, in agony, inconsolable. My spying skills have identify two equally plausible causes: 1) self-inflicted aggravation or pain, or 2) Galen-inflicted aggravation or pain. The end result is the same, seldom is there a clear cut indication which cause was prevalent. Occasionally I hear a condescending tone from Galen that gives a hint. But I am usually clueless.

Today's screech was piercing. It was loud. And it was Galen.

Liam jumped on his head.

It was hard to not laugh at the possible retribution aspects of this episode.

Outside influences

2011-07-27T13:42:00.004-05:00

Galen, Boris and I went camping one June weekend. There were trees, bugs, trails, water falls, other kids, rain, and many items of interest. Galen was had sooo much fun that he decided to rest in the tent before bedtime, and then he decided that he was just going to go to bed.

The boys still have outside time, but the discomfort of sleeping on the ground, lack of amenities, and primitive exposure to Mother Nature is woefully inadequate. I have a goal, but just like all the others, it remains an illusive one.

For the other pics, please click HERE.

The solar system is blue

2011-07-22T12:15:00.002-05:00

Every teacher I've ever had is wrong, the solar system is blue, and here is Galen's proof.

And it includes Pluto...

Happiness is a YMCA Day

2011-06-27T09:00:00.001-05:00

Both kids are gone for the day, and week. Galen is in YMCAs summer day camp for 2st graders, and Liam is at their Wee Backpackers for pre-kindergartners. It's been less than half an hour and I still feel like I've misplaced the kids. Yet the music is LOUD, and I have a building sense of ease knowing that almost eight hours are ahead of me with no accidents, screaming, giggling, lunch squabbles, or play.

Hello summer.

Succumbing to the temptress

2011-06-22T09:00:00.002-05:00

TV is the symptom, I am letting the kids watch more. I have always understood the easy allure of the TV, in one easy press of the button no more turmoil, noise, fighting, or household destruction. But it comes at a cost; it minimizes the expenditure of energy, bottles up free play, and smothers imagination.

I have allowed myself to succumb to the temptress. The TV viewing over the past week or two, while not quite skyrocketing, is higher than in previous periods. My basic optimism, patience, and general glass-half-full outlook is at a low. For the past few months I have found myself responding to the kids much more harsh, quick tempered, and less patiently than I am capable of.

And this comes at a cost, Galen does not behave as well after periods of TV viewing. He becomes more defiant, aggressive, and less controlled. All that physical and emotional energy get bottled up, pressure building. And when I finally break the hypnosis, it all comes out and a good remainder of the day is spent deprogramming. Liam, not so much. He isn't as constrained by the magic.

The cause? Stress. I love my job, but it has been far too long without a chance to decompress. Day in, day out, there are always the kids. There have been escapes; lunch here, dinner there. But the next morning or evening the responsibility is still there. Whatever worked over these past years is no longer effective, time for a recharge and new approach to life.

I know the temptress, she is seductive, powerful. But I know what she is, I will begun to resist, and that is not futile.

I like to Move It

2011-06-20T14:30:00.000-05:00

What you can't hear is the music playing, I Like to Move It, and not the version from Madagascar...

We were killing time, waiting for Shanna to finish her run in the park...

Pick'n and a Grin'n

2011-05-11T16:37:00.001-05:00

Liam's latest field trip was to Orchestra Hall, home of the Minnesota Orchestra, for the Kinder Konzert. Orchestra volunteers introduce kids to orchestra musicians, guide them through some music, and let them play some instruments. The kids got to see and hear a bassoon, violin, bass, drums, trumpet, trombone, clarinet and harp. He told Miss Sarah that the harpest's music, "was beautiful."

Next they were ushered off to the music factory where they sang, wiggled, and played a few instruments. One cannot overstate my relief that he did not like the drum. However, he was drawn to the mini-cello and violin. His initial attempts with the bow were an exercise in frustration. After a few minutes of trying the cello he quickly dropped the bow, turned the instrument to face him and started plucking away. He was the only kid to use this approach. He went back to the violin and resumed playing using his new-found plucking technique. Smiles.

Dreaming of him growing up to be an orchestra musician is a wonderful mental vacation. Granted, this would not be a lucrative career path, but I believe it would make for a profoundly enriched life.

Dammit, he's not supported me in retirement...

Fill'er up and move'em out

2011-04-29T14:30:00.001-05:00

When the milk is empty, we but another gallon. Truck low on Gas? Stop by the filling station for a few bucks of petrol. We water the flowers, refill the wine decanter, more beer in the fridge, another stick of butter in the tray. For a few bucks, some energy, the vessel is full.

How do I fill up patience? Where do I go for a refill of calm, serenity? How do I get back the reserve needed to not take off Galen's head? How do I keep the steely calm required to defuse and move on? What will prevent me from sinking to their emotional explosiveness?

OK, just saying helped. There is light at the end of the tunnel - at 18, out the door.

Hoist the sail

2011-04-26T17:00:00.001-05:00

That's what happens when a 3 11/12ths year old opens an umbrella on a windy day. There was a momentary jerk, responsive lean backwards, and the sudden explosion of a brand new umbrella turning inside out. Another jerk and it was gone, tumbling across the yard, road, and neighbors tree.

Liam had a grand demonstration of physics.

Galen had a grand laugh as I chased after the aforementioned sail.

I swear

2011-04-19T09:30:00.003-05:00

Not really, but Shanna will. She was notified last week that yes indeed, she passed the bar. The swearing in ceremony is next month. Hip hip hurray! This pursuit is truly over. The hours of study, classroom, and paper writing have all been accumulated and will now be deposited into some piece of paper stating she can practice law. Kind of like dusting over the course of several years, saving the lint & dust bunnies and turning it into an elaborate scroll.

There will be more education in her future, though she has promised that this one will age for a few years before starting again. No, she won't practice law, but the education & bar certification will help with the career. And there is that nagging idea of taking Arizona's bar this summer...

I look forward to seeing my children's accomplishments. May they bring as much pride.

How one tries to rhyme their way out of trouble...

2011-03-17T08:00:00.001-05:00

"But Daddy, I said shit on me, not spit on me."

The party's over...

2011-03-06T10:20:00.003-06:00

The tour has begun. Next week it is Cleveland, the week after that is Tampa, and the following week is Pittsburgh. Yes indeed boys and girls, after a brief hiatus to finish school, change jobs, and sit for the bar, she is resuming her regularly scheduled frequent flier mile acquisition program.

I will be the first to admit that her presence has been welcomed. Help collecting the turtles/kids off to school, soothing me as I was sick, adult conversation, and the other privileges of marriage have all been the sort of thing one becomes accustomed to. However, the needs of her income producing activities can be kept at bay for only so long.

And so, with mixed emotion, I yet again congratulate Shanna for successfully completing law school and transitioning her career to yet more challenges. And to let her know that when the road most traveled brings her through home, laundry, kids, and I will welcome her home.

It's all about her

2011-01-29T11:30:00.003-06:00

Shanna completed her first marathon this morning, the Texas Half, in 2 hours and 17 minutes. I am happy for her, just as long as she doesn't become a marathon junkie. That, and if she has a 30 second head start I can't catch her.

Her time at Invensys is over, starting January 31st she will be working for Eaton. Invensys was good for her, it has been a bittersweet change. May her time at Eaton work out as well.

Candlelight

2011-01-15T10:30:00.002-06:00

Last night, just as I was dropping shrimp into the skillet, the electricity disappeared. The gas range kept on working as Shanna darted around to retrieve flashlights and candles. And then it was the dinner by candlelight, the kids thought it was special. The intimate light usage continued as we cleaned up, read books, changed into PJs, and brushed teeth. The fireplace was already radiating heat when the lights dropped, and we kept it going 'till the power returned - after three hours. Turns out a snowplow took out a pole, just the thing for 6,200 people on a cold, snowy evening.

And what else of the kids? The Christmas rush has been replaced by the normal tempo of life. Food is eaten, brothers tormented, clothes soiled, and smiles made. Just this morning Galen has been drawing for hours, hands stained by ink. Liam has been gazing upon books, and Boris is stretched out next to the fireplace in the morning sun. All in all an very satisfying Saturday morning.

Another year bites the dust

2011-01-03T14:00:00.001-06:00

The 2010 holiday seasons was a wonderful, torturous, and pleasant ending to 2010. First and foremost I need offer my condolences to Hamline University School of Law: they will be receiving no more tuition payments from the O'Brien's, Shanna has finished school. It has taken her several years to complete law school part-time. There was having Liam, traveling for work, and moving to Minnesota. I am proud of her persistence. Now she's studying to take the Minnesota Bar Exam. There's a glutton for punishment...

The kids thoroughly enjoyed the holidays. With cookies, presents, and family visitors, why not? Family is especially welcomed over Christmas time and this was no exception. Shanna's mom, Elayne, visited between Christmas & New Year's and she brought along her grandson (Shanna's nephew) Zion. We took Zion sledding for his first ever, the smile after his first run was radiant. There was good eats, good conversation, and good sledding. Life is good.

2011 has started. We have plans, wonder what will get accomplished? We foresee home improvements and a vacation along with the usual happenings. But at the moment I'll start small and worry about tonight's dinner...

Yes, yes of course

2010-12-01T16:00:00.001-06:00

This morning was cold, colder than an IRS auditor; colder than an indigent proctologist; colder than an angry significant other. So, I decided that Liam should still get some move'n around action and decided we would go to the mall for the pay area. That meant wrapping Liam in layers of protection. He's usually good about this, other than running around a bit between the boots and coat.

As I packaged him up he asked where we were going. I let him know we were going to the mall play area. He looked up at me and asked, "Can we go to the library?"

I smiled as the warm glow passed through. "Yes, yes of course we can go to the library."

Another year older

2010-11-19T10:00:00.001-06:00

Galen's birthday was last week. Because a) Shanna was out of town, and b) it was a weekday, the birthday itself was only a mellow celebration. He got a few small gifts, heard the ubiquitous birthday song, and he got to pick a dinner local, Famous Dave's.

We had a real birthday party Saturday. Several parents braved ten inches of new snow to deliver their children and for that we are appreciative, and so was Galen. It was kept short & sweet. Time enough to play build a tower with marshmallows and sting on a spoon, eat some cake-n-ice cream, and open presents.

We believe a good time was had by all. The kids definitely seemed a bit more amped up at departure time than upon arrival. And for Galen, it was the birthday of Legos.

Liam: Chucky?

2010-11-08T15:00:00.001-06:00

I turned around and saw Liam walking out of the kitchen with my 10" chef's knife. Ahhh. OK, don't panic. One agonizing moment later the knife was safely in my hands and Liam's devious grin had moved onto better (safer) endeavours. Not to self, keep knives in a safe place.

The stars aligned

2010-10-08T07:00:00.001-05:00

Convergence, alignment, serendipity, whatever. The bare naked wood is no more, now there is stained & sealed trim

The windows & trim were installed last year. It's been 12 months of viewing untreated trim, taped off to protect the wall for when we do the finishing. The week after it was installed was the prime time to finish; but no, I did not. Then there was winter, then spring, and finally summer.

Why did it take a year? Weather, kids, and adequate time are all reasons. But it really boils down to motivation. And over the past two weeks, the stars aligned. It wasn't too hot or too cold to have windows opened for extended periods of time. Kids were in school. And I was motivated.

I can get something done, once a year anyway.

Not to be outdone

2010-09-16T14:30:00.002-05:00

Liam took Galen's kindergarten attendance as a challenge, one not to be ignored. So, what did he do? He started preschool. Yeah, that'll show him...

Liam is attending Hopkins Montessori. His first few days were traumatic, he'd cry "Daddy, don't go," as I left. But when Shanna dropped him off Friday he said, "Liam no cry." Behold the power of Mommy. And now, come leaving time, he'll say "Daddy, don't go," with an all new meaning.

I quickly have begun to appreciate the new-found, though short, free time. I better appreciate it while I can, soon enough I will have to start on the to-do list that's accumulated over the past three years.

Another step down the road

2010-09-07T15:00:00.001-05:00

Liam started preschool today. Last week we visited, took him on a tour. There were kid-sized chairs, plants, toys (educational), and an aquarium. Afterward he went on & on with Shanna about his new school. He was excited, it was great to see.

This morning he was again excited, right up until I started to leave. He suddenly wasn't so happy. I parted ways, my last view was of him crawling away on the floor.

Fast forward to pick-up time. He was outside, happily playing in their playground. As I took him away, the crying began again. Crying, I had hoped for a better set of bookends to his first day. And me? Our youngest has begun a new journey, one that leads to his own life. Joyful, that's a good adjective.

The kid's first corpse

2010-07-24T15:00:00.001-05:00

Galen & Liam got to see their first corpse today. OK, not a dead body corpse. But a a corpse flower, Amorphophallus titanum. Gustavus Adolphus College, a Minnesota liberal arts college in St. Peter has one in full bloom. And his name is Perry.

Turning off of MN 169 presented a nice tree-lined approach of the campus.

We followed the signs, parked and climbed up to the greenhouse that housed Perry. We could see him through the window with no ill odors. Galen was apprehensive as we waited our turn. As the door was opened to let those before us in, and those complete out, he remarked that it smelled like "poop." The docent was amused.

Upon our turn, we entered and both kids promptly shared that it was "stinky." Galen was immediately ready to leave, demanding to do so as he held his nose. "OK, after I get your picture" I stated. Galen wanted nothing to do with this, but I held my ground. I was quickly rewared with one quick shot.

Watching the kids, in unison, hold noses was worth the drive. Finally smelling the imaginary rotten flesh was an experience not to be soon forgotten. Perry is from a world far away, native to Sumatra, Indonesia. As one might imagine this is a humid, hot local, and the greenhouse environment was set to match it. We waded into a figurative jungle with a figurative dead body, The smell, clamminess and heat all transpired to make it an uncomfortable place. And once I got my experience (and photo) I was ready to go.

And on the way hone we stopped at the Lion's Tap for lunch. Putrid flesh was forgotten as we munched on dead cow.

Those dashing young men in their flying machines

2010-07-19T21:00:00.002-05:00

We (the kids & I) went to the Eden Prairie AirExpo this past Saturday. There was a B17, B25, A10, Avenger and more. Liam laughed when he saw the bi-planes. They looked "funny."

Galen's highlight (other than mini-doughnuts) was going through the B17. He thought it was like a metal cave. Getting Liam through was a bit sketchy. Those planes weren't designed with guiding a 3-year old in mind. He would have made a hell of a bomb if I had dropped him out the bay doors.

Liam's highlight had to of been sitting in a helicopter. So many buttons, so far away.

And the whirlwind left the kingdom and all were at peace

2010-06-28T07:30:00.000-05:00

Galen starts YMCA camp today. The bus takes him away at 8 something, and returns him at 4 something. He gets a daily dose of bugs, swimming, canoeing with an occasional dose of archery & art projects. We expect Liam will be lonely, Boris less tortured, and a more relaxed me.

The kids got new stuff

2010-06-12T19:00:00.007-05:00

Jungle gym, cave, bed, playground, whatever, the kids got a bedroom set. By way of Craigslist we picked up a bunk bed & matching dresser for less than new. It's been a hit, they both seem to enjoy their new digs. Galen has the top bunk, and Liam the lower. And more than once we have found Galen asleep, snuggled up next to Liam. Lovely.

It's made the room smaller, and more cozy. All in all, a good change.

Camping and the epic stuck; or how I love my wife

2010-05-31T20:00:00.002-05:00

I needed some time away, so I went camping. No kids, no wife. I had beer, food, and Boris.

I escaped from Chanhassen on Friday. The afternoon drew me farther from my normal life and closer towards the North Shore. By Happy Hour I was passing through Duluth towards Finland State Forest. It was here that I could camp, away from people and developed campgrounds. As I approached Crystal Bay and my turn off, the stress of my life was creeping away and supplanted by the stress of exploration; where was I gonna camp?

My apprehension was growing as I turned off down the nondescript forest road. What would I find? How long would it take? It was close to dinner time and I had yet to park, set up camp, and open my beer. And I was thirsty. The first promising turn off was just an open spot off the road. "Yep," I thought, it would do. I know it's here, can I do better? So back on the road. It was just another mile and I saw a break in the tress, a bit of gravel, and an open space. I eased into the clearing, and eureka, it was free and on a lake. This was the place.

Boris and I were alone. We heard quite a few loons. A few geese. There were other chirps & squawks that I knew not the source, but it mattered not. I heard no cars, ringing telephones, or mundane conversations. No food, toys, or bedtime negotiations. I heard the sounds of the coniferous forest, breathing, pulsing, living. As I watched Boris strut around, sniffing, running, exuberant, I was reminded of Rocky & Natasha. They would have joined Boris in this joy.

Saturday morning arose; wayyyy to early. As I puttered around making breakfast, brewing coffee, and packing up, it came to mind that I hadn't seen Boris in quite some time. "Boris." And back to the tasks at hand. A little over an hour later, truck packed and ready to go, in come the thundering sound of paws. He was panting, happy looking, and perky. He spent the rest of the weekend chained up. Poor fellow.

At first I was wondering about the shoreline. Next thing I know I had decided to drive to Canada. Not quite sure why. The drive there & back turned out to be relaxing & beautiful. We drove & walked down to a few beaches. Gazed at waterfalls. Traipsed across boulders and points. A wonderful afternoon excursion.

We got back to the beginning and found our lakeside spot taken. Oh well, another night was too good to be true. So we looped around and I tried another road into the wilderness. One that every 1/2 mile or so got narrower, and narrower, and narrower. I went through a short dogleg and found myself driving an ATV track with mud on the left and pilings on the right. This was the moment that I should of seen the stupidity of going further while alone. But no, I went on. I made it no more than 20 yards when I slid off of a piling and was sucked into the primordial goo.

(Insert litany of curses, rants, and numerous other not-safe-for-children comments.)

Somehow I got out and commenced to survey my epic and stupid stuck. As I went around the left rear I sunk up to my knees. Backing out was not an option. Time to get busy. I strapped up to the first decent piling and winched myself mostly out. Then on to the next piling to finished the extraction and straighten the truck out. Then time for a beer as I aired down and started to figure out what's next.

I walked another 75 yards or so and the pilings be came more numerous, many to tall to drive over. At this point both sides were muck, no going around. Yep, I had to return from whence I came. I drove forward about two truck lengths to a gap in the pilings and executed a 20-point turn around. One must realize that the firm dirt wasn't much wider than the truck was long. One must also realize that this is when I learned that my newly rebuilt transfer case would not stay in 4-low. I knew who was getting a call Tuesday. As I slowly crept over the pilings and made my way out I slowly relaxed. I was getting out without a thousand dollar tow truck bill. And I also failed to take a single picture.

It was late, I was tired and coming off of an adrenaline rush, and I didn't have a camp site. I bee-lined out to the main road and circled south and east to another forest road. Finally, a place to clean up, stow the rescue gear, and drink a beer. That night turned out to be very satisfying evening. I had seen beautiful sights, survived a bout of stupidity, and finished off with a tasty brew, delicious steak, and a relaxing cigar. Life is good.

I awoke Sunday and decided the trip was already successful. Shanna was leaving on Monday, so I'll just get home a day early to spend more time with her before her departure. This time I took some detours through Duluth seeing the Canal & Lake streets along with the famous lift bridge. And then it was back on the road. We stopped at the I35 General Andrews rest stop for lunch & a stretch. Boris enjoyed baying at the other dogs. He so wanted to play. Back in the truck and off we go.

What's that sound? The Toyota usually purrs like an old Singer sewing machine. But it now had a warble of something that said upcoming mechanical failure. I jumped out, lifted the hood, and had that "Yep, that's not good" realization. It sounded like it was the AC pump, something I can live without. Off we go. We gained another 50 miles when the freeway was at a standstill - and I had to pee. So I turned off at the Harris exit, pulled into a dirt lot and did my business. The map showed a detour east and south, but I didn't want to drive the stop & go. So back to the road towards the freeway.

(Insert another litany of curses, rants, and numerous other not-safe-for-children comments.)

I had a flat tire. Goodness, I backed up to a driveway and commenced to change the front-right tire. One kindly lady, not fully understanding I had a flat, stopped and asked if I knew of a way around the freeway blockage. I shared my map and off she went. Not another five minutes later a kindly gentleman stopped and asked if I had a map he could review in exchange for his assistance. By golly yes.

We made short work of it and off he went. I packed up, got Boris stowed away and fired the truck up. SCREEEEECH, purr. The warbly sound of impending doom was gone, replaced by the cold silence of the alternator and brake light warning lights. Hmmm. This exit had only a bait shop, not exactly the place to leave a truck. So, knowing full well that it was a matter of miles I made for the next exit, hoping it would have something more substantial. Within minutes the water temp gauge was pegged. Nope, this was more than the alternator, this was water pump.

(Insert another litany of curses, rants, and numerous other not-safe-for-children comments.)

I made it to exit 147 and parked at the first gas station, a Holiday. I turned it off and the truck started spewing green water and steam, groaning as it cooled off. I wasn't going anywhere. Another kindly gentlemen came over. We chit-chatted. He happened to live in Chanhassen and offered to carry me and Boris home. Not much room for any of the camping gear though. I called Shanna, explained my need of assistance, and off she started.

That was yesterday. We got almost everything important transferred over and back home. When I came into the house I received a stirring welcome from Liam. After the kids were put off to bed, some of the gear put away I had another cigar and then to the shower to clean the weekend's grime.

If you have made it this far through my rambling description of my weekend, you are almost complete. As one might guess, details are missing. But this much must be made clear; I am a lucky man. I had:

Good camping. Great drive.
Been stuck & unstuck
Discovered incomplete transfer case rebuild.
Had flat tire.
Experienced mechanical failure.
Wife and kids happy to see me.

This was a Memorial Day weekend that to me, would be memorial.

Life is good.

He's so big

2010-05-26T19:00:00.001-05:00

With another birthday comes another doctor's visit. And so it was for Liam. He had his cake a couple of weeks ago, and now he had the needle & scale. To cut to the chase:
weight: 33 lbs 8 ozs
height: 37 3/4 inches

Another normal set of measurements for a normal boy.

Crying through coffee time

2010-05-13T11:30:00.004-05:00

I'm sorry my cry'n kid ruined your day.

When we entered the coffee shop I knew it was gonna be a difficult visit. Liam walked in and immediately wanted to leave. I went in anyway. He wouldn't stay with me so I had to hold him while I got the eats & beverages. He was fussy the whole time, but settled as we sat down. He then started acting shy & withdrawn, head down, hands over eyes, not too engaging. I thought we had turned the corner when he ate some muffin & drank some milk.

And then the other parent & child joined us. Ka-Pow. Crying, struggling to get out of the chair, not responding to me. So I lifted him out and placed him on the floor. He spent the next fifteen minutes crying on the floor. The people next to me all commiserated, they had kids, they understood.

But not the middled-aged business man. They were "trying to have a meeting," Liam's crying was disturbing them and he asked if there was anything I could do. Sorry bud. Five minutes later an employee asked. Hmmm, you mean I still have been intentionally NOT doing anything I could be doing?

We left.

I do empathize with the patrons, but sheez louis. He wasn't being a brat, no throwing, no screeching, no yelling. Just crying. Am I expected to time the crying and leave after some magical, arbitrary length of time? Is there some bit of etiquette that would have me depart after said time period? We have kids, it's enough to protect them from you, now I have to protect you from them?

Was that applause after we left?

First flirtation with flamboyance

2010-05-08T15:00:00.001-05:00

Galen got a Mohawk. 'Nuf said.

"Three Is a Magic Number."

2010-05-03T19:00:00.000-05:00

Such a wonderful song from Schoolhouse Rock. Even more so today, it's Liam's third birthday. He has words - one can almost have a decent conversation. He likes counting - to three. He grabs Boris by the collar and pulls him around. And he adores him brother. Life is good.

And he likes cake-n-ice cream. Duh.

The shakey spice of life

2010-04-10T09:00:00.001-05:00

We made a stealth visit to Phoenix for Easter. Well, not too stealthy, our family knew. And a few people that we hadn't seen since moving. Alas, there are many more that would of been wonderful to see. Our apologies to all that we didn't let know, it was our loss.

One indelible memory was formed Sunday. We were having a peaceful afternoon, after the big Easter egg hunt and before a family dinner, when I felt a vibration. And then a shake, and then a bounce. And a sway. And then, "Did you feel that? Let's get out of here." We had just experienced the Baja California earthquake. Being up on the 6th floor magnified the movement, it felt eerie and one I hadn't had since moving from the Golden State.

We visited a few of our favorite eat'n haunts from when we lived in Arizona. Friday's dinner was at Ninja with the spicy shrimp roll, Volcano, and Dynamite. Mmmm, yummy. Saturday night had us eat'n at Los Dos Molinos', I had the green salsa & chips with the Carne Adovada Enchilada style washed down with Margaritas. We finished with Sunday's Easter dinner at Abuelo's. Tasty. If I could transplant Ninja and Los Dos to Minneapolis I would be most happy. Though I doubt many of these Northerners would know what to do with all that spice.

And the Phoenix Zoo! What kid can resist the tree house? We met Shanna's Mom and sister-n-kids there for a day of fun, animals, and the Bunny Brunch. So many giggles, smiles, and feet-a-scoot'n.

It was great to see family. It was good to get some food fixes. And it was nice to feel warm. We do miss Arizona. When we got back home the daffodils were blooming, spring in Minnesota does have it's advantages.

Contemplation of a baker's dozen

2010-03-20T09:00:00.001-05:00

St. Patrick's Day has come and gone. For some, it signifies the consumption of green beer. For others, it signifies a dignifies celebration of a Saint of old. For me, for us, it is our anniversary.

In 1997 I was definitely with the green beer crowd. However, there were constraints. I was in pursuit of my bachelor's degree in business administration, that particular date was the first night of Business Law. As I sat and waited for class to begin, watching fellow classmates filter in, in walked a beauty with long dark hair and brown eyes. Life hasn't been the same since.

Shanna & I married a year-to-the-day later. We've had many a joy, and thankfully, not many tribulations. We've spawned some kids, acquired some memories, and had some wonderful adventures.

I like St. Patrick's Day. And I'll have a beer while I'm at it.

Things that go bump in the night

2010-03-13T10:00:00.001-06:00

"What are you doing?" No answer. And again, with more emphasis, "What are you doing?" Oh. Now wish I had added a "nevermind" in my best Roseanne Roseannadanna voice.

What a way to wake up, I had just accused my wife of being my son - I think.

And I blame it on squarely on Galen and Liam. My sleeping, unconscious brain clearly thought one of the kids was pillaging the closet. Without performing a verification protocol, without asking Shanna to check on the noise, hell, without rolling over to see if she was still in bed, I demanded "What are you doing?"

I do plead innocence, my defense is two-pronged:

Liam does like the closet. Galen does like opening doors.
My sleeping mind is trained to respond to possible kid-created noises.

Thankfully she recognized the humor. Thankfully I hadn't yelled some sleep-induced expletive. Thankfully she didn't harass me for enjoying last night's Tequila. No way it was booze; it was the kids.

Penis envy

2010-02-10T21:45:00.003-06:00

What do a pair of preschooler's do in a bathroom do? Compare swords of course.

Galen and an accomplice to remain unnamed were visiting the bathroom. The teacher, after a few minutes of strange silence, decided that a rescue party should be deployed. And what did she find? A couple of kids discovering that, yes, other boys have a penis too. And what fun it is to shake them in the wind.

I hope that neither one was left feeling inadequate. And I wonder of the joy of shaking one's sword free in the wind.

Blissful ignorance

2010-01-28T21:30:00.002-06:00

You know it: the scratch on the car; the dirty diaper; the dog shit on the sole of the shoe. All of these unknowns are great with the unknowing. But once uncovered - bam, action must be taken. And before my wife gets elevated blood pressure, no, her car was not scratched.

My ignorance was more benign. It started with a magnetic letter. The front of our fridge is covered with these, the kids love 'em. The letters becomes snakes, dinosaurs, mountains, and cars. Anything, everything. Then one fell and was brushed under the front grate of the 'fridge. And I looked.

Dust bunnies. A whole damn colony.

What does it take clean up a bunny colony? Well ya get to move a 'fridge. First get most off of the top, maybe a few things off of the sides. Then it finally gets slid out and the real cleanup begins. I found more magnets, more bunnies, dog food, broken glass, slime, and bottle caps. All in all, a glorious example of blissful ignorance. And the coild got cleaned too. Bonus.

It's clean underneath, for now. The kids got to see mess. The dof got to experience some fresh smells. And I got to be busy. Success.

Swimming & stinkies

2010-01-16T11:00:00.001-06:00

Galen went swimming last Thursday, and the one before that. He's taking swim lessons at Foss Swim School. He loves playing in water, but hates getting his face wet. After the first lesson his "homework" was to take a shower every day. So, for four of the next six nights Shanna sprinkled, sprayed, and misted him. A few nights he was even allowed to have an umbrella. The point of all this was to get him used to water on the face. He was somewhat better on the second Thursday, but he could use more water-in-the-face time.

Liam is letting us know he has a "stinky." I hope that he will soon let us know before the event...

A New Year

2010-01-04T09:30:00.001-06:00

We start off freezing after a wonderful holiday break. Shanna was on school break & not traveling for work, it was great to have her around. She & Galen got to shovel the driveway - on several occasions. New Year's Eve was spent at the Minnesota Children's Museum at their SparkleRama. It was a blast.

Now we are all off and running. Shanna left yesterday for a trip to DC and Boston, back home Friday. She still has two weekends before school officially starts, but there is reading for her to complete.

Galen is back at City Montessori for preschool. Yeh! He is also signed up for swimming lessons. Ten weeks of splashing and learning to kick on command.

And Liam? He & I are ready to have our mellow weekday mornings. Time to run errands, clean house, and sit in front of the fire.

Happy New Year all!

Merry Christmas

2009-12-24T13:51:00.002-06:00

Well, it's the afternoon before the Eve and all is quiet. Don't know how, but both kids are napping. Musta been the driveway shoveling experience that did them in. Last night we got somewhere between 6 and 8 inches. All four of us were out there over two hours trying to get to the concrete. And another 8 inches or so is expected. Goodness.

Galen shoveled, Liam scooted, and Boris chased after another dog after being released by Liam. All in a morning's fun. The kids did have a blast. Galen was having a great time right up untill I unloaded a shovel on him - he's not so fond of snow down the back of the neck. Imagine that!

Christmas will be tomorrow, I hope we make it through the Eve. Galen is getting worked up to a frenzy, Liam, well, he's just along for the ride. May we all have a safe holiday and make great family memories.

Excuse my laziness

2009-11-21T11:30:00.002-06:00

Another month has gone by. No, I don't think I've missed any major developments. Maybe. Galen's reading is improving, though he often fights it, he'd much rather be read to. He sometimes enjoys word flash cards, hat's helping with the easy vocabulary. He sometimes looks through his dictionaries and atlases. These pictorial books connect an item/thing with the word.

Liam is still struggling to talk. Little by little he adds new sounds. For the past week or so he enjoys walking up, looking at what's going on, and asking "doing?" It's his way of asking what we are doing, so cute. When asked his name, he will respond. And sometimes even will respond back with his age. Though he will pass doing either when in a group setting such as the Little Gym.

Liam is the more physical of the two. He loves to run up and tackle, or jump in the lap. Both are dangerous for a male, the private nether regions seem to be his preferred target to land of crash into. Some days I think seriously about investing in a cup.

Observations of a social experiment

2009-10-22T19:00:00.001-05:00

As explained in the last post, Liam has graduated from a crib to a toddler bed. And we eliminated the stairway gate. Some of the things we have learned.
1) Liam, alone in the room, usually goes to bed without roaming around.
2) Liam, when placed into bed the same time as Galen, will play.
3) The roaming starts again at about 5:30 AM, it used to be 6.
4) There are occasional night time raids by the restless children.
5) It is nice to be able to kiss a sleeping Liam - that was impossible in a crib.
7) Flow control for the kids is easier than flow control for Boris.
8) The room looks bigger.

Social Experimentation

2009-10-10T16:00:00.001-05:00

Today was a day of change. Barricades were tore down, furniture rearranged, and a bed replaced. Since we moved in the three primary levels have been guarded by a gate. We appreciated the flow control and protection it provided. Well, today it is gone. All animals, kids, and adults have free passage from one level to the next. Just in case we do have some portable gates laying around. If nothing else they'll help prevent Boris from pillaging the kids play room.

More monumental is Liam's bed change. We took out the crib and replaced with a toddler bed. He often stretches out in Galen's bed and says "night night." Well, tonight we'll see how he goes night night in a bed without borders. Some of their bookcases were also moved about. That seemed to be more exciting than the new bed.

Chaos, it's never ending. So why do just pile on more?

The difference between hell and heaven

2009-09-21T13:45:00.002-05:00

Last night, and the night before, and the night before, Galen ate his dinner, mostly, without too much fussing. What a glorious way to end the evening.

Prior to this, for the past month or so, at dinner he complained, resisted, and generally distressed my well being. Galen pushed the envelope for our acceptable dinner behavior. The easy way to get a pleasant dinner experience is to serve pizza or spaghetti, but that ain't gonna happen.

I have really enjoyed these past few evenings. Hope I haven't jinxed it all...

The end of summer

2009-09-06T09:00:00.001-05:00

Tuesday Galen returns to City Montessori for another year of preschool. Shanna's already returned, at least to school, and is off to Massachusetts for the week. And Liam? He and I only have a visit to the GMC dealership for some warranty work. Galen needs to be back in preschool, Shanna needs to finish her degree, and Liam needs time to blossom. The end of summer brings to end of unscripted days and the return of schedules. Drats.

Transistions

2009-08-25T18:30:00.003-05:00

Once again we are entering the unknown. Not so much me, well a little, but Shanna. Yesterday she tendered her resignation, today was her last day at the employer that drew us to Minnesota. It's been a good two years, but time and opportunities now draw her to another employer. No, we aren't moving, at least not this year, there will be chances for that in the future. Her travel will probably be about the same, and she's still trudging through school. As with any job change there are pluses and minuses. Of course we hope that the pluses outweigh the minuses, we'll know in a few months. But for now, there is nervous excitement in the air.

Congratulations Shanna. We are behind you.

My weekend jaunt

2009-08-18T09:00:00.002-05:00

The first weekend in August I went camping. I wasn't exploring the forests or waterways of Minnesota, I went to Arizona to revisit my past. Every August for the past eight years or so there has been a cross country bicycle ride from Flagstaff to the Grand Canyon that raises money for Toys for Tots. Those that have riden or supported the ride know it lovingly as "Fat Tire". The Arizona Xterra Club supports the riders, they sit throughout the 60+ mile trail and help those in need. I decided to show up unannounced, surprise a few old friends, and enjoy the festivities.

And how, might you ask, was I able to do this? With the support of my wonderful wife. The ride coincided with her last weekend before starting the fall term, she had frequent flier miles, and was willing to watch kids for the weekend while I play. As I said, wonderful wife.

The departing flight was late, the rental agency did not have my vehicle, but it turned out to be a great weekend. I met up with a non-Xterra or camping friend, Mike, and dragged him along. I surprised some friends, drank some beer, enjoyed some campfire and got extremely dusty. This was fixed when I arrived back in Phoenix by a dip in Pam's pool. There was way more I wanted to do, especially visit some family and eat at Los Dos Molinos. But time was limited, sacrifices were made.

I also performed a solemn and sad task. Saturday morning I went to Grandview Point and scattered the ashes of Rocky and Natasha to the winds. I sipped a beer, offered up the contents to their spirit, and remembered their life.

Summer has come and gone

2009-08-15T09:00:00.002-05:00

It all happened in about five weeks. June & July were very cool here in Minnesota, not that I was complaining. The high temps were in the 70's, the evenings were up 50's to low 60's. Lovely window-down weather, awesome play outside weather. And then August arrived and warmer temperatures. And Shanna returning to school with Galen to start soon after. Summer was nice while it lasted.

OK, I know it's not really over. Tomatoes are just beginning to ripen, mosquitoes are biting, the windows are closed and the AC is on, and the sweet corn is delightful. Galen still has one more week at the YMCA summer camp. We have things to do and food to eat.

And play, we still have more play in our future...

Library Storytime

2009-07-27T18:00:00.001-05:00

The kids and I went to the library's story time this morning. Galen perused the books, and Liam listened for about ten minutes and then was off to the train set. A fun morning.

Liam's tolerance for sitting there is increasing, slowly. It would be easier if that train set wasn't there. As for Galen, it's fun to watch him stroll around, looking into the book bins and locating that special book that's worth sitting with in a chair.

I look forward to the day when I can leave them in the kids section while I look at book of my interest. In the meantime I wish they sold root beer floats.

Caveman grammar

2009-07-09T15:30:00.001-05:00

Hmm. Ugh. Ohh. But there's more, there's also a plethora of "B" words, balloon, ball, Boris and Beast (as in our cat). It almost seems like everyday that Liam exhibits another hint of the ability to speak, the flowering of the next developmental step. It's so wonderful. And his GeGe for Galen brings smiles.

I don't think there's much he doesn't understand; all those grunts, groans, and simple pronunciations are a touching exchange.

I took Galen to the 4th celebrations: or, how I wanted to pass out and sleep

2009-07-04T19:30:00.002-05:00

Galen and I went to Chanhassen's 4th of July celebration. It started out simply enough, some lunch, the kid's roller coaster, and then the play ground for 45 minutes. Then it got muggy & hot. Then Galen wanted to ride the Tilt-a-whirl. Now as a kid, this was one of my favorites. I found that it is no longer true. The first rotation was innocuous, but then it got up to speed, and wooooosh, we were a twirling.

No, lunch did not come up, or even threaten to do so. But I got a headache, queasy and never quite recovered until I got home and into the comfort of AC.

I know what you are thinking - wimp. That's OK, but I stuck it out. After the Tilt-a-headache he road the kid-coaster yet again and went back to the playground. Then it was time for a snow cone (raspberry) and the parade.

Galen can now say he likes parades. There were horses, motorcycles, clowns, candy, dancers, cars, and even a airplane flyover.

I am ready for bed, but now it's time to go see the fireworks. Kabang.

The chaos of summer

2009-06-16T16:00:00.002-05:00

What does one do with two young rascals that; a) need to burn off excess energy, b) can't always perform the same activity, c) sometimes don't want to perform the same activity, d) need naps, e) don't always want a snack until it's too late, f) will let the TV suck them through an entire day, g) will only, sometimes give a 2-minute warning prior to a bathroom movement, h) love to climb things marked "off limits" by the authorities, i) when only one can scooter along, j) one is too heavy to carry distances, k) are way too enthused to play in the street, l) will terrorize a library if the stay is too long, m) can't climb trees, n) can't pump on the swing, o) won't pose for photos, p) think a hammer is a gentle instrument, q) walk at entirely different speeds, r) dislike charred marshmallows, s) think sailing requires no money, t) will stack almost anything into a building, u) think Grandma O'Brien's porch is the best place on earth, v) want to roam the entire neighborhood, unescorted, w) will eat anything from a restaurant but nothing from home, x) are too shy to shake Clifford the Big Red Dog's hand, y) go in different directions in the woods, and z) will go until restrained?

I know, most of those items are good things. Today we went to the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. We saw the big red cherry (without the snow) and the crane, ducks (not sure of the type), and a multitudes of other items. The big red cherry and crane were Galen's interpretive names. Over the course of the summer we will also visit (multitude of times) both zoos, the Arboretum, and the Children's Museum. Galen will also spend some time at the Little Gym and YMCA summer camps.

My, I'm exhausted already. I hope they get that way too.

Graduation, sorta

2009-05-29T22:00:00.001-05:00

Galen's preschool presentation/graduation ceremony was tonight. Goodness, he's come along way. He participated, sang, and enjoyed the ice cream afterward. How far he has come, and it's still only the beginning.

This fall he'll be a few months shy of the kindergarten cut off so he'll be back in preschool. That's OK: 1) he's out of the house for awhile, 2) he likes it, and 3) he learns things (and some are things I wish he hadn't). I look forward to next year's changes.

Growth rings

2009-05-14T19:30:00.000-05:00

Trees come with growth rings - kids should. What do we get instead? We get birthdays and milestones. Galen is now 4 1/2, and Liam just turned 2. So much for the birthday. What about the milestones?

Galen can read. He's been getting some of it for awhile, but he needed a critical mass of vocabulary and confidence before doing much for us. He still is hesitant, we all like being read to, be he can follow along much better now. He's also getting good balancing skills. The Razor so handily gifted by Grandma O'Brien has been zooming up and down the street. He no longed scoots with every push, he now glides.

Liam is on the verge of speech. More words are cropping up, Beast and doggie being the newest. He babbles and gestures directly at ya, he has things to say. And today I found him standing on the dinning room table swinging the chandelier - smiling. At least he wasn't swinging from it. He has finally conquered all couch and chairs. For awhile he has been able to climb when his feet & legs were uncovered, skin is great for traction. However, get him dressed and the climbing was thwarted. No more. His high chair should be next, in a month or three...

Natasha has passed away yesterday...

2009-05-06T09:00:00.002-05:00

Natasha was the messenger, whenever Rocky would alert, she would run back-n-forth to us and Rocky until we acknowledged him. You could see it in her eyes, "Did you hear him? He sees something, come check it out." She was quick, in a sprint she would fly across the earth.

When the kids arrived she transformed into the hovering nanny. She would watch over the kids, hardly interrupting. When she did, it was to nuzzle and get some loving. Galen never really tested her, but Liam did. He would tug at those ears - and she would push his face away with her tongue, licking his face to get him to stop. She had such a gentle kiss.

She passed away too early. We will always remember her prancing, speed, the quite gentle presence, the great joy and companionship. She was a loved member of our pack, one that will be missed. Rest in peace Girlie.

Lee! Could you help me?

2009-05-04T10:00:00.001-05:00

It was a beautiful spring evening and I was in the middle of the cul-de-sac, walking Boris around while watching Galen play with "his kids." I heard a voice from behind, "Lee! Could you help me?" I turned to Shanna and she started about the washing machine and water softener hoses being...

At this point I must relate back to last Friday evening. My latest batch of Irish Stout is about ready to bottle, a few cases worth of bottles needed to be sanitized. A few batches ago I realized that the utility sink in the laundry room would hold about half the bottles at a time - it greatly eased & sped up the time needed to sanitized batches of bottles. However, while doing so I move the washing machine and water softener hoses out of the sink.

Yep, you know where this is going. I had forgotten to replace the hoses, probably a result of drinking home brew while cleaning bottles.

So, instead of watching the glorious interaction of children I was moving a freezer, shelves, and the detritus that collects in a laundry room. I hope I learned something.

What's a safe haven?

2009-04-22T07:00:00.004-05:00

Batman had the Batcave. Presumably it was place where he wouldn't be bothered, his identity safe. There are rabbits in out backyard that consider our patio a safe haven. Google has about nineteen million results for safe have, many of the early results being for shelters for women and pets alike.

I wasn't thinking of anything nearly so important as shelters for women or pets, or even Batman's lair. For me, it places in the house that I can leave something unmolested by Liam. Or it's places where Liam won't get hurt. Galen is mostly OK for not bothering some of my things, though not perfect by any stretch.

Liam opened the refrigerator yesterday. This morning he climbed up on the dinning room table. I'm running out of safe haven's. It's only a matter of time before he discovers how to start the car and drive off.

Easter in Indy

2009-04-20T20:00:00.002-05:00

Shanna traveled, and so did we. Since she was going to be gone for a week, the kids might as well get some quality grand-parent time. Like over last year's 4th of July, Grandma flew up and helped me drive down. And then she helped with the return, stayed a few days, and flew home.

Galen and Liam were acquainted with some family, was photographed with the East Bunny, and participated in Grandma & Grandpa's famous Easter Egg Hunt. While I have a few other clips & photos, ya just gotta love a kid that's happy with what he's got.

In memory of

2009-04-03T10:00:00.001-05:00

This too, shall pass. It is true for all of us, friends, family, and pets. When a person dies, we all think we know the sense of loss, sorrow. But what about the longtime pet? I know the loss. I think I know what some in Arizona are feeling.

Goodbye Bali.

A pet becomes connected to us, or at least us to it. When they pass away, a connection is lost, and a bit of ourselves.

Sleep well Bali, and may your family remember your connection, grieve your loss, and celebrate your memory.

I (we) survived

2009-03-23T08:00:00.001-05:00

Spring break is over!!! Tuesday was our eleventh anniversary, the kids didn't run me ragged, and the weather was relatively warm. All in all, it was a good week. While not exactly jam packed with fun & adventures, we did go to the mall play area, Minnesota Childrens Museum, and the Minnesota Zoo. Oh, and the grocery store. And for what might be a first, MacDonald's with a stay at the playzone.

I believe this may have been the first trip to the zoo where Liam actually watched & enjoyed the animals. On previous trips he would gaze around, hard to say what was going on. This time he would run up to an exhibit, babble at the scenery, obviously enjoying himself.

Except for a chilly parking lot walk, I made Liam walk everywhere. He likes it. Strolling through the zoo tropical zone, and walking up stairs at the museum were at a slower pace. An enjoyable pace. I liked walking around, a boy at each hand, watching the animals, people, and flowers. A simple, well-made memory.

Spring...

2009-03-18T20:00:00.000-05:00

There have got to be parents from the select domain of my high school classmates, whose children flew off to Mexico this past weekend. I can imagine their angst. Is their kid traveling with confidence, enjoying the sensual input of another culture, or a flaky pleasure seeker about to have their entire physical profile displayed on youtube.

Me? Galen is enjoying the same spring break but without the plane ticket away from the parental units. He's right here, vocally, energetically, hungrily. I am enjoying his sweet innocence, but looking forward to the day when he'll get on a plane (or drive) to give me some peace and quite for a few days. And yes, I'll distress over over the balancing wishful ignorance and paranoia.

Just so happened...

2009-03-11T10:00:00.003-05:00

Shanna's traveling again this week, and the comic For Better or for Worse just so happened to have topical content...

(Click on photo to see a larger version.)

Posting this comic reminded me of another one I share, this one from Baby Blues.
(I'm sure the copyrights are with For Better or for Worse and Baby Blues.)
(PS, great comics by the way.)

What would you say?

2009-03-02T20:00:00.001-06:00

Liam talks. No, not in any language we understand, but there are syllables, phonemes, and most distinctly, intent. It can be seen in the eyes, the movement of the face, and body language - he is saying something. It's not a fleeting event. Sometimes he'll do this for minutes. I just respond, be interested, and ask questions. It's an amazing thing to see-n-hear.

It can only get better. Right?

2009-02-23T17:30:00.000-06:00

This morning, all within forty-five minutes, I had a nose bleed, Boris wretched up a toxic brew, and Liam dropped my new coffee cup from Dubai onto the floor.

It has turned out to be a good day, except for Shanna leaving on another trip. Though I imagine there are places she'd rather be than Iowa.

2009-02-17T19:00:00.001-06:00

I'm not sure about what's new, and what's not. Where to begin?

Galen: His recognition of words, reading vocabulary, is growing. He still hasn't reached the critical mass needed for reading much, but he's trying-n-learning. Not that it matters, sometimes he'll still sit down and look though a book. Between studying the words and drinking in the pictures, a book might keep him mesmerized for minutes...

Liam: His vocabulary hasn't changed much over the past few months. He is a singer/babbler, very melodic. Lately I believe he's concentrating on growing a little more. Physically he likes to climb up and down the stairs at home, the Little Gym, and at the mall play areas. And he likes spinning, makes me dizzy just watching.

Thy adore each other. I wonder how long that will last. Mutual hugs, Galen touching his brother's hair, Liam running and bumping, all so wonderful.

Boris: Seventy-two pounds of puppy. Arrr.

Eye piercing

2009-02-02T20:30:00.001-06:00

I was forced to step into Alex's world, my eye held open with an eyelid clamp. The horrible images though, were in my mind. As I sat there, unrestrained, imagining the worst of all possible outcomes. Beethoven's Ninth would have been a beautiful diversion. From here I shifted to the vantage point of Jean-Luc Picard as the borg drone's needle punctured his eye.

What is it with these images? My own condition. Mid-day on December 22nd my right-eye vision warped. Images were curved, and eaten by a dark, sinister hole in my vision. So, on 12/23 I visited the eye-doc and was prompted referred to a retinal specialist. With the holidays I had to wait a few days. Instead of spending the day-after Christmas shopping, sleeping, and whatnot, I was sitting in a retinal specialist's office.

The conclusion? I have histoplasmosis, a fungal infection that's normally of no concern. In a few people it causes histo-spots on the back of the eye. These are normally benign, however, when a "spot" springs up near the optical center (macula) it can distort or destroy central vision. You know the kind, what's needed to read, thread a needle, do detail work, and read street signs.

So, on December 26th I sat in a chair, eye propped open like Alex as a needle was pushed into my eye like Jean-Luc. This was repeated again today. Just a few years ago the treatment would have been laser: cauterize the offending blood vessels and hope the swelling diminishes. Me, I received a dose of Avastin, a colon cancer drug used to prevent growth of blood vessels.

Prognosis? Undetermined. The blood leakage has diminished, the swelling has lessened. The distortion isn't so pronounced as it was, though reading newsprint and doing detail work is still problematic. Doc say he can't predict the amount of improvement. And full term, there's a 30% probability it will reoccur. That means a 60% chance of stabilization and no more eye piercing needles. Guess which odds I'm for.

Bed Head

2009-01-26T16:00:00.001-06:00

And good posture too.

Kids

2009-01-21T20:06:00.005-06:00

What are you look'n at?

Thanks you Rose

2009-01-12T13:30:00.001-06:00

That's Rose Levy Beranbaum for her cookbook the bread bible. It started with Thanksgiving. We decided to attend a friend's house. But I wasn't totally off the hook, I was volunteered to make fresh bread. At least I had several weeks to experiment. After a so-so effort or two I stumbled across Rose's book and gave it a try. Success.

It hasn't all been good. I stumbled on her version of pizza dough so I'll stick to my old one. But the basic hearth bread, mmmmm. And the basic soft white sandwich loaf ain't so bad either. The book recipes make a sponge first to develop the flavor - so if you wanna try that, go by the book or bug me.

Now I need to figure out what's next, a brioche? What I really want to get started with is sourdough. Preferable one based upon the local fungi. But am I psyched up for the feeding and caring routine? No, not yet.

I wonder if the residual trub from my beer making would have any dormant yeast that could be resuscitated, and what would the resulting bread taste like...

End of, or New Year, Explosion

2009-01-05T09:00:00.001-06:00

Liam's communications skills are blossoming. In the past few weeks he has started using several more signs, and using words. Words that he understands the meaning, not just babble or a lucky outburst.

The signing looks so sweet. For "love you" he will almost cross his arms and add a sly smile. And there's no. Well, technically it may not be a true sign, but his current head and body shake leaves no misunderstanding. Help is almost the same as love you.

It's the spoken word that's the most endearing. He'll blurt out mommy, daddy, all righty, nap, and no no.

The 2008 holiday season drew another year to an end, one filled with wonder, growth, pain, and smiles. Our house is filled with noise, animals, chaos, kids, and love - and there is no place I'd rather be.

Next time, more wine & flour

2008-12-24T16:00:00.003-06:00

I made a batch of gingerbread cookies for Galen's Christmas party. He, along with Shanna were happy with the outcome. So for Shanna's workplace hallway munchy fest I made another batch. This time the dough was much more sticky and clingy to work with. When cooked, the cookies spread out as wide as the Mississippi River. The man-shape had turned into something more akin to the profile of a celery root. The dough wasn't frozen prior to cutting. And I measured instead of weighing the flour. I thought the vagueness of humidity, water content of the flour, temperature of the cooked dough had all made an impact. But they tasted OK - oh yes, we sample around here. That's a chef's prerogative.

The house elected that I make yet another batch of gingerbread cookies for Santa (my choice of peanut butter was overridden). First I measured out all the flavorings; ginger, clove, cinnamon, and molasses. Then I started the flour and brown sugar - and immediately realized why the second batch spread out as wide as the Mississippi River. The scoop I keep in the flour jar is 1/2 cup - and I used three of these in the second batch. The three-cup recipe was baked with 1 1/2 cups of flour.

No, I wasn't drinking when I made the second batch, or at least not as much as when I made the first batch. Lesson learned.

Checkups

2008-12-14T19:30:00.001-06:00

The kids were poked and prodded last week. Plus Liam got one of those confounded make-him-cry vaccinations. And to the data:

Liam 28 lbs 32 in
Galen 35 lbs 41 in

Yep, they be healthy weeds.

Kitty Licker?

2008-12-09T15:30:00.000-06:00

I left the room for just a few minutes, and what did I learn upon my return? That Liam can change channels.

Indooritis

2008-12-07T10:00:00.001-06:00

The winter isolation has begun. Well, not a total isolation. We still get out for groceries, transporting Galen to and from school, and Liam's Little Gym time. It's the kids-and-dogs yard time that has been diminished. With the temps below 20 I become a little more indoor orientated. I can't let Galen wonder around outside unsupervised. The dogs make short work of the yard requirements, and Liam won't keep on the gloves.

And in the immortal words of the Grinch, it's the "noise, noise noise noise!" Galen clanging symbols (pot lids) and singing, Liam pounding toys on the floor, and the dogs barking as they wrestle. Any of these alone might cause tinnitus (which I already have). When they all get going, the cacophony is enough to make me wish for the Bose noise-canceling headphones, wrap up in my coat, and escape to our icebox of a garage.

To be fair, there are times when the kids are napping, the dogs are resting, and the house is quiet. Both occasions are joyous and I wouldn't trade them for anything, I just wish the remote would switch it back and forth as desired.

As the battle unfolds

2008-11-28T12:00:00.001-06:00

Liam plays away. One might think Liam was deaf, inattentive, or maybe sleepwalking. Nope, he's just in a zone with his own thing happening. The chaos without injury can be quite surreal. Natasha & Boris will swirl around living room, biting, jumping, clawing, and growling at each other with a great deal of gusto. They'll run laps around the table and couch. They'll pick up and toss their chew toys. And then Liam will walk through their mist and they simply spin around him. Like I said, surreal. Hard to believe that such a maelstrom would not take him out. Not that I can take it too lightly. Liam has been knocked over, pushed aside like a rag doll. I guess he's just accustomed to physical chaos. Just wait until he can take on Galen such as the dogs do with each other.

BTW, about when this photo was taken the weights were: Liam 30 lbs; Boris 32 lbs; Galen 35 lbs; Natasha 80 lbs. None of your damned business how much I weigh...

I've changed

2008-11-16T16:30:00.001-06:00

I've never considered myself overly emotional. While I still feel that way about myself, I gotta say my movie viewing stability has changed. Recently, while Shanna was away, I watched a Showtime movie {title omitted, I take the 5th} . I watched this movie when it first came out and wasn't particularly impressed, OK plot & acting with OK effects.

So why do I believe my stability has changed? Well, I cried.

There were several plot points that forced parents to make some sort of sacrifice to protect their kids. This wasn't a SAW type of movie, these were sacrifices I could relate to, empathize with, and mostly oblige myself to thinking "I'd do that".

Way back when I was a twenty-something, I knew that my "future" kids would make me cry. Little did I know that it would be during a B-movie that they were not starring in...

Yes Linus, there is a Great Pumpkin

2008-11-08T17:00:00.001-06:00

Or, how we celebrated Halloween.

We went to to the Minnesota Children's Museum's Spooktacular. Not on Halloween, but the preceding Saturday. On Halloween we joined a neighborhood garage party complete with candy, ghouls, goblins, Pooh Bears, a fire pit, and adult beverages for those so inclined (an 21).

Both nights were fine family fare...

All's quiet on the; what was that beep?

2008-10-30T14:30:00.000-05:00

Of course this would happen while Shanna's traipsing around Washington DC. Liam was quite easy; dinner, play, PJs, bottle, book, and sleep. Galen wasn't too difficult either; dinner, play, draw, PJs, teeth, and sleep. Afterward I got the dishes done, a few other chores and settled down to watch some TV and wait for my sweetie's call. Boris settled down on my lap and Natasha was curled up in her bed. All in all, it was a peaceful household, exhaling and relaxing towards a good night's sleep.

Beep.

I know that sound, it's the high pitch warning that a smoke detector's battery is low. Arrrrggh. But where did it come from? Next step, wait at the stairs; upstairs or downstairs? Hmm, Downstairs. OK, down to the play room; is it in the playroom, basement, or the kid's room. Nothing. Wait some more, still nothing. Drats.

About half an hour later, beep. Pause the TV and it's off to the play room again. Beep. Ahhh, it's the kid's room. So I open the door, reach up to the detector, twist, and the whole assembly pulls out of the ceiling and into my hand. OK. So I go downstairs and discover that we don't have any 9V batteries. Well, tomorrow it is.

I went to Target and picked up a package of batteries. When I got home it was time to change a battery and find out that the detector's mounting ring won't budge. I can't get it off to remount to the ceiling. A fine piece of engineering there. Don't buy a First Alert model SA303 unless you want to keep the manual around to figure out how to remove the bracket.

Back to the detector. We just happened to have a few extras in the garage so a replacement went quickly. The kid's room is monitored again.

Both kids slept through the entire affair. Good for them.

2008-10-22T15:00:00.001-05:00

This past weekend was a treat. Shanna didn't have school so all of us were able to spend some good time together. On Saturday we tripped over to Deardorff Orchard. Galen & Liam got to wander around, playing on a haystack, stare at some horses, and eat some fresh apples. It was their last Saturday of the season and were out of apple butter. Nuts. And we got a wagon ride back to the car. One the way back home we visited At The Farm for some pumpkins, a gourd, jam, and maple syrup. It was a blue, crisp, and wonderful day to be out and about.

Galen arranged the pumpkins in our front yard, all seven. There are five small, one medium, and one large. Sunday's mystery was what happened to one of the small ones. It was found halfway across the yard, or at least half of it was found. It was plainly eaten upon. Monday morning it was missing all together, someone liked that particular pumpkin. Wonder why it was chosen?

Galen almost likes autumn. He likes the color of the leaves, and their subsequent carpet. He likes pumpkins, hay bales, and corn stalks. He doesn't like the cooler air. And Liam? He just likes to be.

Sleepless in Chanhassen

2008-10-05T10:00:00.002-05:00

May I introduce you to Boris. He's a seven week old male Rhodesian Ridgeback. We picked him up Saturday afternoon, Shanna holding him during the entire ride home. He had already met the kids a couple of times while we visited him at the breeder's house. And now he got to meet the matriarch, Natasha. All in all, that went well.

The crate must be pure torture. After dinner I placed him in while I did dishes. For fifteen minutes he filled the house with a soulful howl, so sad, so sad. And he hasn't attached himself to it yet. Just about every time he gets crated we get 10 to 20 minutes of singing.

His first night was better than expected. He didn't howl until 3 AM. A quick trip outside and he was back to sleep. But he was up again at about 4:30, just in time to ruin any expectation of additional Sunday morning shuteye.

Rocky passed on last October, we know that Boris will never fill his void. But he will create his own niche all the while rounding out our pack. We look forward to new stories, and getting a full night's sleep.

New photos

2008-09-26T16:07:00.001-05:00

I've uploaded some photos to SmugMug (linky linky).

Here's to home brew!!

2008-09-24T20:00:00.001-05:00

I am pleased, it is smooth, creamy, with a hint of chocolate and dry as advertised. This isn't my first bottle, the fourth actually, but this one is helping me channel the brew God's as I start the next batch. All in all, I'm looking forward to consuming a few more pints.

Chew and swallow

2008-09-23T18:30:00.001-05:00

It's almost 6:30 PM, we've been sitting here since about 5:45 PM. For the past 45 minutes all I've heard is Galen whine. "Daddy, I gotta tell you something. It won't swallow." He's been chewing on a piece of something since then and can't/won't swallow. We tried time; if you don't swallow by whenever, dinner's over, no applesauce. We tried water; wash it down. Nope, didn't work. Not even with a straw.

Is it control? Hard to tell. But now I'm sitting here with him, biding my time, keeping him sitting, keeping him from spitting it out. Watching fun time slip away...

Overnight Progression

2008-09-19T10:30:00.000-05:00

Tuesday afternoon: Picture a cherub face plastered with blue chalk. Teeth caked to look as a singular blue dental appliance. A smile to beat all smiles, a buoyant swagger, and eyeballs looking for another color.
Wednesday morning: A diaper filled with a bright-green goo, chartreuse if you will.

Driveway Art

2008-09-16T15:30:00.001-05:00

Galen likes to take chalk to the driveway...

What is that?

2008-09-13T08:30:00.000-05:00

I could see it happen, Liam was going to grab Galen's penis.

Galen was standing on the floor as I was changing him. Liam strolled over and his eye caught sight of the appendage. I could see the wheels turning; hmmm, what is that? Up goes the arm, open goes the fingers, Galen was oblivious, more concerned with getting back to toys. I quickly pulled up the underwear, viola, the near-exploratory moment was over.

Liam is awhile from any "private parts" discussion. How many more times will this happen before that concept sinks in?

Another place, another time

2008-09-06T20:00:00.001-05:00

That may be backwards, it should probably be another time, another place.

That was Arizona, back when I had but one lad to watch over, when I could more easily shop, wander, and do nothing. Maybe go for a drive, get an ice cream cone, or even a tasty adult beverage. Mobility was easy compared to what was gonna happen when the second arrived on the scene. Now, with Galen back in preschool, my morning seems like old times.

Liam gets more one-on-one with me, and he gets more time around the house without big brother watching over. Now to find some good ice cream. I already know where to find tasty adult beverages...

Parenting? an update continued

2008-08-30T09:30:00.001-05:00

Last night I bottled my brew, got 49 bottles. It had ten days of primary fermentation and twelve days in the secondary. I never did take three days of specific gravity readings, I figured it's been long enough to go ahead and cork away. I did make a stupid attempt to read SG last night, right after I had mixed in the carbonation sugar. Doh. But it wasn't an entire waste, that went down my throat. Yummy.

The carboy had about 8 ounces I didn't siphon out, and not too much trub. I like that second fermentation step, makes the brew much more clear. I shook the carboy around quite a bit to pick up the sludge. Made for a foamy-n-cloudy mixture that Natasha loved over her dog food.

Nap time?

2008-08-29T09:06:00.003-05:00

Tuesday is the beginning of another school year, Galen will going to City Montessori once again. This time, rather than starting mid-year, he will start the year with all the other kids. We already know that 3, maybe 4 kids from last year have moved on to kindergarten. This hasn't really sunk in with Galen yet, but it should soon enough. And he won't be the old-timer either, there are several kids older still.

What does this mean? I will have slightly lower blood pressure for one ting. The AMs will be for Liam and me, we'll get one-on-one time to shop, play, and read. Or maybe we'll both just take long, peaceful naps...

Parenting? an update

2008-08-17T18:00:00.000-05:00

I transferred my Irish Stout to a carboy for its secondary fermentation. When the wort was first brewed the SG was 1.046. Today, it was 1.017.

On the objective side, if I read the hydrometer right, and if I correct for temperature correctly, and if I got the calculations correct, my brew is currently: 3.79% abv. If the yeast is still active I might eck out a few more points, we'll see.

On the subjective side, the aroma from the primary fermentation bucket was hoppy, wonderful. The brew used to measure SG wasn't poured down any old sink, it went down to my gullet. So far, so good. A little more sweetness versus dryness than my target, we'll see how the secondary works out for us. Plus, I need to have some carbonation to see what I really believe. Stay tuned...

Does a bear $hit in the woods?

2008-08-17T11:22:00.003-05:00

Yep. And Galen does the same thing in the neighbor's yard. Ugh.

I though this battle was over, but there are times when he's just too impatient to go home. So he just drops his drawers wherever and let's it drop. Frustrating.

It all started when we were at a park, no commode around, and he had to go. Emergency. Nobody was around so traipsed down to the trees, had him drop, plop, and wipe. Done. I did the doggie-style cleanup and we were back to playing.

Since then he has repeated the maneuver several times in our, and the neighbor's yard.

I know, it's just a phase that will pass. But the theory applies to move than just when to drop one's drawers. Why do certain behaviors become OK in one context, but not another. When is an emergency truly an emergency?

Oh, and my apology to the neighbor that will be wondering if that pile was from their kid or not.

Parenting?

2008-08-07T16:00:00.001-05:00

It's been about two years, but I finally got around to making a batch of beer. Irish Stout, using a kit from Midwest Supplies, to be exact. The specific gravity started at 1.046, in about two weeks we'll see about the final SG and alcohol content. The house has a wonderful bouquet, we'll see if Shanna agrees.

While I missed the camaraderie of Mike E. as during our Az brewing sessions, I do have his spirit, and some of his equipment, around now. In the interest of full disclosure, I did not have a beer while brewing this batch. When I started it was only about 1:30 PM, during the kids naps, and a bit early in the day to have one without reinforcements.

Galen wasn't impressed with the taste of the malt extract. He described it as "jammy."

I'm not sure how this ranks up there in the annals of parenting, but it has mega-bonus points for the future potential of keeping one's sanity.

The Frankenstein, and no-bud-e

2008-08-04T08:30:00.002-05:00

Age fifteen months, that's when Liam started to walk. I should emphasize "start," because he's not quite their yet. The longest distance travailed so far is about eight feet. And it's a wonderful, clumsy, wobbly set of steps. But the best part? That face all happily scrunched up, hands balled into a fist held at shoulder height, and the nervous giggles. His initial steps haven't supplanted crawling yet, but I would expect him to quickly appreciate his new found skill.

His foray into mobility has an exciting feel to it.

I was told a story the other day. Galen was drawing and asked Shanna how to spell bud, so she spelled it out, b-u-d. She then had a chance to see what he was drawing, he had already spelled out "no" and had added "bud" right after along with a lone "e." He told her he had spelled nobody, know to Galen as nobude. What a beautiful step.

Here's one from a recent trip to Como Zoo.

Happiness arrived today, in a cardboard box

2008-07-28T20:00:00.002-05:00

We purchased our Cuisinart DCC-1200 coffee maker in 1999 or 2000 shortly after we moved into our Chandler, AZ residence. It served has served us well. I broke a carafe sometime in the '03 or '04, but we had a spare coffee maker back then. This past March I broke another carafe, but somewhere along the line we got rid of our spare coffee machine. A week later a replacement carafe, along with new gold filter, arrived. We happily placed it into service making our morning elixir.

Fast forward to July 2008 when, for the third time in eight years, and only four months after the last occurrence, the carafe was broken yet again. The sense of dread was immediate; the fore-knowledge of Folgers instant coffee, black tea, and a week without the wondrous scent of freshly brewed coffee was a known hardship. One that I was not keen to repeat.

Today UPS delivered the box, and I, with excitement rarely experienced outside of a kid at Christmas, opened the box to examine the contents. It was quickly cleaned, filled with water, and emptied into the coffee maker.

Tonight I shall sleep well, content with the knowledge that tomorrow morning will be experienced with the scent, taste, and warmth that only a fresh brewed pot of coffee can provide.

Oh, and the kids are fine...

Overreaction #337

2008-07-22T16:00:00.002-05:00

While I prepared last night's dinner, Shanna shared a humorous story learned while attending school. A business owner was being deposed and some of his responses are incredulous (my asterisks):

If you want to read more GO HERE.

Somewhere along the dinner preparation, the sharing of the day, and the humorous deposition Galen asked to be let downstairs to go potty. Now that's something that will almost always get action from one of us. So the stairs gate were opened and he was let through.

Now, back to the dinner preparation, the sharing of the day, the humorous deposition, and setting of table. I had finished warning, cooking, and placing everything out. Next I called for Galen and went about my business. After a moments I though to myself, "self, where's Galen?"

I went to the top of the stairs and noticed a lack of identifying sounds. That, as any parent quickly learns, is a sign of trouble. So, I walked down the stairs and heard a distinct sound of water as I approached the bathroom. I sped up, turned the corner, and

Overreaction #337.

The floor was soaked as he merrily cleaned a cardboard box in the sink. My left hand grasped the box and my right grasped his arm. I, not to gingerly, placed him into his rocking chair and put him in time out. As I went up the stairs to get rid of the box I passed Shanna and, not to politely, told her she got to clean the mess.

Two things:

Galen & I have had several conversations about water in the sink.
I was excessive toward Galen and Shanna.

While Shanna cleaned I fed Liam and myself.

Not one of my prouder moments. (Excessive with family that is, feeding Liam is OK).

With kids, angel and devil are the flip sides of the same coin. Today Galen has been an angel, not that last night had anything to do with it. But an angel is always preferable over the alternative. And I gotta remember he's still a Curious George.