A Childs Christmas

Is there anything more precious than a child at Christmas?
This was the first Christmas that K really understood what was going on and she did not disappoint. She was so fun decorating the tree. She broke several ornaments and her reaction was so very cute. Then grandpa broke one and her reaction was priceless.
She was asking everyday for weeks if it was Christmas yet. Finally, on Christmas Eve we were writing a letter to Santa and leaving some cookies and milk for him and carrots and sugar for the reindeer. She left about 8 cookies for Santa to eat. I guess she wanted to make sure he didn't go away hungry. I read the letter to her and asked if there was anything else we should say in it. She looked at me and said "Merry Christmas" with the cutest little impish grin. Then she said "Love mommy daddy K and J......... and a dog named molly". so that is what we wrote.
I rounded the corner Christmas morning just as she was coming out of her room. She had this look of curiosity on her face as if she wasn't sure whether it was me or Santa that she would encounter. She asked me if Santa had come. She had the most amazing twinkle in her eye as she rounded the corner to see all the presents under the tree. It reminded me of the pure excitement I used to feel as a child on Christmas morning. I could feel it emanating from her.
I am very thankful for the opportunity to see Christmas once more through the eyes of a child. What a gift from a beautiful little girl. You don't even know what gifts you and J give me daily.
Thank you for a terrific Christmas.
I Love you and J and Mommy so much.

Perspective

Life is so funny. We work all of our adult lives towards our careers. It starts in college. Becoming important, working towards being respected in our fields. We move on to work and start slowly, working small deals and forging ahead. We gradually move up to larger ones and project leaders, senior management and so on. Sometimes we get to feeling like we are oh so important and indispensable. Sometimes that our jobs are the most important in our families. It's hard not to feel that way when we are successful and making money for our companies etc.
Then we have babies.
No matter how important I feel at work or how many successes I find there or how much money is made by myself or the company, I come home to realize what is truly important.
I walk in the door and am reminded what is the really important work of my life. I must know the names of all my daughters stuffed animals. Lucy (pronounced Mucy), Emily, Charlie and Lola, Summer, Zachary, Dee Dee, Tigger, Elmo, Poo, Sally etc. Believe me when I say there are a lot of them. I must know why my son is crying or whining as he doesn't yet talk, all the while cooking supper and making sure K is not destroying anything. Then I look at N and realize that she has all that and a half a dozen other things going on at once and I realize I am truly outclassed. My wife stays home mostly with the kids except for a couple of days a week. She also holds down a job that ends up being about three quarters time even though we intended for it to be half. Somehow she manages to be a superb mother who is doing the lions share of the work of raising our kids. I do the best I can and feel as though I am definitely hands on with them but I don't kid myself about who has the instincts and training to make sure we are raising two independent thinking, polite,kind and respectful kids.
Humbling.

Down, But not Out

I like to think of myself as at least somewhat tough, but I do have my limits. Apparently 7 hours on the couch in the middle of the night with what feels like a knife being slowly twisted in my back is it. The Limit. Turns out you have to wait another couple hours at the doctor before they realize you need emergency surgery.
I've had kidney stones before. Usually they pass after a few hours of agony and a gallon of water. I only had one that didn't. It was the first one 12 years ago. Then there was this one. It was big enough that it blocked the exit to the bladder and my kidney swelled to about twice it's normal size. The x-ray was cool but I was in no mood for cool. Although the Demerol was working pretty well by then. An hour later I was in surgery. One day of sleeping it off while my awesome wife took care of the kids and me and everything else and I started feeling like normal again.
When I was a young man staring at the anesthesiologist, I used to think that if I didn't wake up then there were worse ways to go. Now I found myself thinking, I hope I make it through. I hope the kids will be OK if I don't. Thank goodness I did. I don't want to miss a single minute of this fatherhood thing.
Now, If my doctor is worth the money he has made off us this year alone, then he will figure out how to make it so N and I never get another one.
This is one thing I pray I won't pass on to the kids.

Favorite Bathtime Moments

I was giving J a bath tonight and he reminded me of one of my all time favorite moments.
I was slowly pouring water from a cup and he was watching inquisitively. Then he reached up to try and grab the stream. I love the look on his face as he tries to figure out why he can't hold it in his hand. I remember K doing the same thing. I love being able to see the wheels turning. And the sheer joy splashing can bring too.
Thanks for reminding me how insanely interesting the world is J and K.

The Big Take Off

J took off this weekend. He started walking in earnest. We went out to Mom's for an early Thanksgiving. It was a nice weekend, but never long enough. J and K have twenty or so cousins and it didn't take him long to figure out that if he was going to keep up he was going to have to walk. He has been taking steps for a couple weeks now but not really using it as his primary locomotion. I think mainly because he is so fast at crawling. But that all changed this weekend. little boy is growing up so fast. He got his first haircut this weekend too. Thanks Aunt Gi Gi.

Thanks everyone for a fun weekend. I haven't laughed that much for a long time.

Big Spooky Steps

Sorry K and J. I haven't blogged in awhile. It's not that you haven't been and done amazing things. It's just that daddy has been very busy lately and frankly, a bit stressed. Some very cool things have been happening around here. J, you took your first steps. You just up and went about 5 steps. It is pretty amazing to watch you cruise like that. You still like crawling more, but that is just because you are so fast at it. I'll post some video of you.

Halloween was a big success. K was a beautiful Princess and J was her Prince in need of one little kiss. We had fun with all the gang trick or treating. Then we were off to the mall to see Wyatt from Super Why. K was mesmerized by him. She just stood there and stared and stared. We got a picture with him and then tried very hard to get out of there. It was a mad house with all the trick or treating.

Mommy and Daddy are relieved this year. We elected a new President and we are happy with America's choice. We feel like we need to move in a different direction and I think we picked the person who has the best chance of taking us in that direction. Hopefully by the time you read this things will be better and we will not be having such a national crisis in our country. I know this post is dated before the actual election because I started it before but finished it after. Yep we have our elections on the fourth, even in the old days. :) We love you and only want to leave you with a world that is better than the way we found it.

I will try to blog more frequently.

J's First Birthday

I can't believe it. J is one already. We had the usual fanfare. Lot's of great friends and family. Food. Cake. The whole nine yards. It was fantastic. I just can't believe it's been a year already. J is the sweetest boy. He is so quick with that big smile. He loved his cake. He got it all over. It was great. It was like he was painted. I got to spend the day with him and K today. K went to dance class, so it was just me and him for awhile. We had the best time. We went out to the new swing that I got up today. He giggled and giggled. (see the video) Then we came inside and played together on the floor. He was so fun. He has such a good little personality. He likes to mimic what I do. I love those moments you have with your kids sometimes. You know the ones when nothing really special is happening but you want it to last forever. it's like nothing else is there. It all just melts away. I will always treasure those moments. Tonight was one of those for me and J. It was wonderful.