What’s so bad about the garage?
Posted on July 14, 2010 - Filed Under Uncategorized
Our street is (or was, as of today seeing as how we moved out today in preparation for the big move) a cul-de-sac and we have the good fortune of living on the very end. In an effort to inspire confidence and competence, I started allowing Maggie to ride her scooter all the way around the cul-de-sac by herself if I or her mama were outside. That way, if she fell down, etc. we could hear her calling for us. Well, one day last week, she was on one of her little rides and got caught up at one of the neighbor’s houses. When she didn’t return in the normal amount of time, I went looking for her. I should pause here to say that, in our house it is a rule that children (ours or not) do not go into the garage by themselves; there are simply too many dangerous and alluring things to play with. Well, I found her—playing in the garage with those kids with no adult present. Needless to say, she was made to come immediately and was punished.
As I was continuing my yardwork after the incident, I started thinking about the ‘why’ of our rule and how to get through to Maggie about the good reason behind it. Then it dawned on me: I go to work everyday and bust my ass so that we can have money to give Maggie all the opportunities we possibly can and I don’t want to see that go up in smoke because she becomes handicapped or something else as a result of a freak weedeater incident. If she is going to incur some kind of physical limitation, I want it to be because of something uncontrollable, e.g. some kind of disease, or because she was doing something really cool and that she really liked, e.g. gymnastics or swimming. I don’t want it to be because of something like not being able to resist the temptation of a garage, of all things. Her mother and I work way too hard for her to jack up her life because she’s curious about a table saw.
I imagine some people who read this might see this as being very business minded—so be it. First of all, it is our blog; we pay the bills, we can say what we want. Secondly, there’s something to be said for every parent feeling as though they invest themselves in their kids and they want the best return they can get.
The other aspect of this that was especially striking to me was that I can still remember when I was a kid and I had one of my many ‘garage moments’. I was an absolute horrible teenager, needy for attention and acceptance from friends, family, etc. Therefore, I did a lot of things one should not do: drinking, drugs (less than I wanted to at the time, thank goodness), and general hell-raising (or at least weak attempts at such). I don’t think my parents knew what to do. I know they felt desperate. And now I know they felt great pain as they watched me piddle away my life’s potential, all because I really wanted what was in that proverbial garage. I remember the desperation on their faces, the sadness in their eyes. I didn’t understand it and pushed back pretty hard. I can’t be too hard on myself because it was my inexperience that made me so stupid and foolish, but I can say that life has now shown me I should have listened when told the garage was dangerous.
Another goodbye…
Posted on July 3, 2010 - Filed Under Uncategorized
The time has come to say goodbye, again, to a place we’ve grown familiar with, people we’ve met along the way, and a life we created in Idaho. I remember when we first arrived in this black hole of a town we wanted to turn right around and drive as fast as we could outta here. Our adjustment was difficult, to say the least. Strangely though, in these final days, I feel a bit sad to leave. Maybe it’s the friends we’ve made, the comfortable house we live in or the familiarity that comes when you live somewhere for a length of time? Surely, it’s not the landscape or the opportunities that this town offers. Whatever the reason, my feet and arms aren’t packing up our belongings as fast as I would’ve expected. I’ve spent many hours dreaming of the day we drive away from this town, imagining a huge grin on my face never to even take a glance in the rear-view mirror. Now though, as the end nears, I’m not so sure I’ll be smiling.
“All that there is is a slow road to freedom”
Posted on June 23, 2010 - Filed Under Uncategorized
“We’re All in This Together” by Old Crow Medicine Show…this is an amazingly beautiful song.
This is a very powerful article concerning many different issues but focused on one person’s struggle with the burdens of age. It is long but well worth the read.
Happy Birthday Boo!
Posted on June 18, 2010 - Filed Under Uncategorized
Wyatt turns one today! Maggie has agreed to be nice to him all day!
Our little ballerina
Posted on June 3, 2010 - Filed Under Uncategorized
We have been taking Maggie to a dance class for quite some time now, probably since the fall of last year. She has persisted in being interested and it is only $25/month, so we figured it was worth it. The big payoff is viewable below in the form of her first recital (sorry about the poor videography). It’s in two parts due to the size of the video—the top is part one, bottom is part two. She is the one on the far right.
Getting close
Posted on May 25, 2010 - Filed Under And your point is?, Parenting
We started a 100-day countdown to the day we will depart Mountain Home; tonight, we reached the half-way point in that countdown. The original idea was to use it as a way to teach Maggie her higher numbers. It hasn’t really worked out that way so much, but it’s still been fun.
Erin is sad about leaving because she has made a good friend who also happens to be our across-the-street neighbor. Wendy and her husband have a little girl named Ruby who Maggie has grown extremely fond of, so I imagine Maggie will be pretty sad when the time gets here. I, for one, will have no sadness whatsoever.
Being an adult really sucks
Posted on May 24, 2010 - Filed Under I AM an animal!!!
I write this tonight with a very heavy heart. Yesterday, while playing in the front yard, Wilson tore his ACL (a ligament in his back left leg). The vet is telling us the only two options are to operate on him, the cost of which will be roughly $2000, or to put him down. Erin favors the operation; I flat-out refuse. So, we are in the middle of trying to hash that out. Let me tell you, if you’ve never been through something like this with your spouse—a disagreement that reaches way down deep into each soul—it pretty much sucks.
I would write more but it is very late…
This is the last time I have to…
Posted on May 23, 2010 - Filed Under And your point is?, Adult swim
I don’t know that I will ever fully comprehend all of the benefit I gained by having taken this job. I suspect I will look back—2 or 20 years from now—and feel a little beaten up but stronger as a result, the way you do after a long, punishing run. That’s what it has been—a test of my will to work toward and achieve excellence, literally every day. I missed that mark on at least a majority of the days, but there are things I am extremely proud to have done and will hopefully take with me the rest of my natural life. But there have been things I have missed, namely time with the family, that I will never have the chance to experience because they are in the past.
If there is anyone who deserves credit for this job being a positive thing, it’s
A new car for Jason and Erin
Posted on May 22, 2010 - Filed Under Uncategorized
Well, we finally broke down and bought a minivan. It was a toss-up between the Toyota, Sienna or the Honda, Odyssey. We got a better deal on the Odyssey so that is what we decided to buy. It took us 4 hours and a little bit of haggling but we are really happy with the decision. All that is left to do is to hang the “Soccer Mom” ornament Jason’s Mom sent me onto the rearview mirror.
Yeah!
Posted on May 18, 2010 - Filed Under Uncategorized
In February we took Foo and Piggy to a no kill adoption center in Boise, http://simplycats.org. It was sad to leave them but we knew they couldn’t move with us. I have been checking everyday to see if one or both cats get adopted. Today I checked and Foo has been adopted! Still waiting on Piggy to be adopted!
keep looking »