Eat our dust!

Christmas Day

I am beat so this won't be long. We had an awesome day. Long, but filled with smiles. The boys got some neat stuff from Santa. He even gave them some four-wheelers to ride in the backyard. At Grandma Mimi and Granpa O's they got loaded down with even more stuff and had a great breakfast. Then we came home and blew up the inflatable bed in front of the TV and watched Superman Returns. When we where done being cozy, it was time for Poppy and Ma's. The boys cleaned up once again and had a huge Italian meal. They played so much that it made my body hurt. Here's some pictures of our day. I am going to go melt into my bed now. Best. Christmas. Ever.

Giving

I am not telling this story as a way to gain praise or any of that junk. I just want the boys to know what they did for someone else this Christmas and remember to keep doing it.

OK, over the past 4 years we have collected a vast assortment of toys and toy-related products. Some of it got a lot of use, some it very little. All of it though was way more than enough. So, in preparation for this Christmas, Cindy and I decided to give away a lot of the boys excess to make room. We told the boys to pick a bunch of stuff they didn't want anymore or could part with. We told them it was going to go to kids who didn't have as many toys as they did. They got all excited and filled up three big bags full of stuff.

Now, I am a big fan of Craigslist, which is like the poor-man's ebay. You can get on there and list stuff for sale or just give stuff away. I put an ad on there last night about free toys and that I would leave them by the curb. Sure enough, not an hour later...they where gone. Then I got an email from a guy I will call Mr. F. Seems he came by but someone had already picked up the toys. He thanked us for giving him the opportunity and said it had been a very tough year for him and his family including his 2 year old grandson, but we had shown him the true meaning of Christmas. Whoa. Whoa.

So, tonight Cindy and I asked the boys if they could spare a few more toys. They were a little hesitant at first but they relented and we found some cool stuff to fill 3 more bags. I called Mr. F and he came and got them a little while ago. A few minutes ago we got this email;

Thank you so very much.. Our hearts goes out to you and your family. Your kindness will always be in our hearts...Thank You just don't seem to be enough to let someone as special as you know just how much you have done. When our 2 year grandson grows up; one of the stories he will hear will be how your family opened up your heart to help others around CHRISTMAS and how the true meaning of CHRISTMAS and LIFE is to help and give to others. May GOD bless and watch over you today and always and I pray that the world will see the light.

Sincerely,
Mr. F and Family

Boys, that is what you can do with very little effort on your part anytime you want. Give away what you don't need because there is always someone who does. You boys have made us both so proud of you. This was the perfect Christmas present.

Twas the night before Christmas

The boys might and might not be asleep by now. I am hearing suspicious footsteps every few minutes. Tonight, they can get away with a little nervous insomnia. I am just glad to see them so excited. I know it won't last for many more years, so while I can...

Earlier tonight we went over to see Great-Grandpa Voeller. We all got to see crazy Uncle Randy for the first time in a long while. The boys played with their cousins and ate some treats. Brady discovered a new treat for his vast palette, eggnog. The boy gulped down two completely unhealthy (nonalcoholic) glasses of nog. Mmmmm...heart disease.

Later, we went over to Grandma Mimi and Grandpa O's for some tamales. They were good, but they were store-bought and that means, not as good as when they make them from scratch. Yes, I am complaining. Yes, I know what day it is tomorrow. Fact of the matter is, my parents make the best tamales in the known universe and I will not settle for a continued break with tradition. Ahem. Anywho, the boys got to hang out and play and watch movies that Aunt Renee and Alex gave them for Christmas. Brady played a little piano. Jake got silly with the fart machine. Then for dessert they had...apples. Yeah, all kinds of sweets around and they chose apples. We must be the finest parents in the world. *Cough* Lucky *Cough*

So now we are back home, waiting for the footsteps and nervous chatter to die down. Then we can call Santa on his cell and give him the all-clear to mosey on down the chimney. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.

Christmas cookies

This is what we did this morning. Santa Claus should be very amused.

In case your mail is slow or we don't like you...

...here is the picture on the Christmas card.

Christmas Par-tay

Jake's class had their Christmas party yesterday. Which meant me and B got to go hang out and play all day with everyone. I swear that place makes you feel four-years old when you walk through the door. Not the bad kind of four, like when you get scolded at the post office for mislabeling a package, the good kind. Where all you want to do is run around and play with everything and get messy and sing silly songs.

He has arguably the finest group of teachers I've ever seen. Not only because they are great educators, but their patience level is the stuff of legend. Seriously. They work with two groups of little kids who all have widely varying degrees of development. They have to keep track of how each little handful is progressing and how they can better help them get to the next level. Add to that, four year olds are notoriously clumsy, which means someone spills something about every 5 seconds. And, they wait patiently while the kids clean it up themselves. In fact, the kids are challenged to do almost everything themselves.

I cannot imagine doing this job for ANY amount of money. I love my dudes and I have a flippin blast with them everyday. But, a lot of that is because they are mine. If I had to deal with someone else's little science experiment everyday at this age...I would go nuts. Loo-loo-looney tunes. What can I say, I have significant shortcomings in life.

Anyway, back to the party. The boys where pumped up for it the whole week and it did not disappoint. Songs, game, crafts, food, friends. Brady was in heaven being in school with his big bro. He wanted to try everything and sure enough he did. Even hit the john for good measure. Jake got to show Brady how and when they do everything. It was so cool to watch them together. For all the times they get angry or even downright furious with each other, seeing them like this makes me forget all that craziness. Almost.

The (Un)Sophisticated Gentlemen

It's the time of year when we get too busy to do normal things like...cook supper. And cook supper. So, we eat out a lot. Most of the time we can actually make it through a meal without making threats or giving one of the boys a firm talking to. As long as the waitstaff has their act together our little monkeys can eat their fill and be gone without making a scene. But, take forever to get us water, crayons, or food, and you are asking for a demonstration of civil-disobedience. Tonight, we had a rockin' waiter who never left us wanting for anything. He got a very healthy tip for getting us out the door with full stomach's and good intentions. Nice work my man.

Oh, and Brady ordered and killed baby-back ribs and a salad. He's 3. Ribs and a salad? Ribs and a salad. I think he gets a kick out of being able to get entirely coated in sticky goo without getting in trouble. Whatever though, he put on an impressive display. I may have found my match in rib eating. Not yet though punk...not yet.

Christmas is here

Christmas is almost here. The house is all decorated. Amazingly we have managed to finish all our shopping a week early. Nice. The boys are getting excited. I think I am getting more excited.

I remember how exciting it was for me when I was little. Let's hop in the time machine shall we?

1983-12-25 12AM

88mph....Flux capacitor kicks in....

Shreveport, Louisiana. Poleman Road. There we are. Our little house didn't seem so little then. 3 bedrooms. 2 bathrooms. Wood floors. Green velvet couch. Curtis-Mathis console TV. Smell that Christmas tree. It's cold outside but the dogs are loving it. Malamutes. They get excited when the weather turns colder.

My sisters share a room. I have my own. Except one of my walls isn't a wall, it's kind of a room divider, wooden drapery...thing. I like my bed. Sometimes though, I get freaked out by imaginary monsters and try to sleep in my parent's bed. Or the hallway. Not tonight though. Bad dreams and monsters are on vacation.

Earlier that night we'd been at Granny and Grandpa's. Everyone was happy. We ate until we burst. Every kind of dessert imaginable. My favorite is Aunt Linda's blueberry cheesecake. Dozens of people packed into a tiny living room heated by a fireplace. Grandpa can make a fire hotter than the sun. Nobody cares though. Crack the door, instant relief. There's couches against the walls for the grown folk. Two recliners for Granny and Grandpa. The floor is ours. The best place to unwrap presents anyway. Uncle Ernie goes all out and spends way too much. Granny and Grandpa just sit and smile and laugh. They have seen enough hard times in their life to know when to just relax and enjoy the good times.

The night winds down and we give hugs and kisses and say goodbye to everybody. I am tired but not THAT tired. I know what morning brings. The drive home is short and easy. Take a left. Follow the curves. Right. Left. Right. Left. We are home. Take a bath. Pajamas. Brush our teeth. Time for bed. Kisses. "I Love You, Goodnight." A million happy thoughts in my head as I drift off. Try to stay awake to see Santa...but sleep wins out.

Morning comes. It's all I can do to keep from running at a dead sprint to the living room. Santa has been here. All of our toys are all unwrapped and out the packaging already. Santa must not like to wrap presents. Oh man, look at that...laying on the chair over there. That's my stuff! Oh WOW! A Red Ryder. A case of BB's. Everything else is just stuff. I am the luckiest boy in the world. Metal and Wood coming together to make the most beautiful machine a boy could ever own. Santa Claus, how did you know? Momma tells me to be careful with it. Daddy is just as proud as I am. Annie and Katie got..dolls or something frilly, pink, or lavender...who has time to worry over that junk? I am a boy on the cusp of manhood!

The rest of the day is spent with family. We go to Grandma's house on Dalzell. More presents. More Cousin's, Aunt's, and Uncle's. I can't stop talking or thinking about my gun. I want to take it wherever I go. Oh how I want to have it with me now. I could show Mamar. Maybe we could snap off a shot at a squirrel. Oh man. Everything goes into fast forward now. Hugs. Kisses. Car. Road. Home. BB Gun.

We take a bath and talk about our day. The best day ever. Pajamas. Brush those teeth. I put my rifle by my headboard. "Goodnight, I love you." Lights out. I pick my rifle up and slip it under the covers with me. Tonight, it stays by my side. I sleep the sleep of the contented soul. Dreams of chasing outlaws on horseback and displays of uncanny marksmanship fill my head. I am as happy as I can be.

Phwoooosh!

Back to now.

That my friends, is magic. I will never forget how I felt back then. All the wonder. Everything was new and exciting. But you know, for a long time I forgot about it. Forgot the magic. The wonder escaped me. Everything was old, dull and boring. And then, my boys came. It's as if the magic never left. Through their eyes I see everything as new again. I can slip these old tired ideas and get back to the wonderment of it all. Christmas is here. The lights, the sounds, the smells, the pure unadulterated joy. They are feeling it and showing it and sharing it with us. And so again, I am as happy as I can be.

Oh My

Jake likes to make up crazy names for people in the stories he tells. He gets really into his own world and man is it fun to listen to. Tonight, he made up a classic name that...if I had to change my name and go underground because I had to testify agaist the mob, well...my name, would be Bobby Ribbons.

Jake you crack me up man.

Sandlot! Sandlot! Sandlot!

One of my all-time favorite movies is now the boy's all-time favorite. At least for the last two weeks. They know it line-by-line already. If you're a fan of baseball or heck, just a fan of little boys, buy it. Don't rent it, because you'll end up buying it later anyway. It's not new. The special effects...especially lame. But the acting, the screenplay, man it's top notch.

Jake and Brady have even gone so far as to request "Sandlot" stuff for Christmas. Not baseball gear. Sandlot stuff. A ball signed by Babe Ruth. A baseball shirt with green sleeves. Black tennis shoes. LA Dodgers cap. Brown baseball bat. Smores. You know, Sandlot stuff.

I could not be more pleased.

December in Hawaii

For those of you burrowing in for a long winter, here are some pictures Cin took from her trip.

Christmas Lights

4 hours ago, I had a different lighting scheme going on. I thought it looked decent. Jake thought differently. He told me," Daddy we need more lights, it doesn't look good. It doesn't look like the other houses in the neighboorhood." He's 4. Already he has learned to destroy my self confidence. Can't wait till he really knows what he's doing.

Dressin' Up

The boys are big into getting geared up as...whatever. Batman, Superman, Squints, Uncle G, whatever. Jake finally found my old cub scout uniform and he's decided it's his lightweight winter jacket. Brady goes for the 20 year old leather/fleece vest. Hey man, whatever gets them out the door.

Aloha

Mommy went to Hawaii with Aunt Julie last week. It was free trip provided by the hard work of Uncle Jarrod. He won employee of the year and this was his prize. Why he didn't go I will never know. Maybe he has an extreme fear of large bodies of water called "Oceans" and avoids flying over, swimming in, or even thinking about them. Oh wait that's me. Whatever the reason, good looking out bro.

Not that I wanted Mommy to go, but she needed a vacation. I have traveled all over the continent the last few months while she had the dudes all alone so now was my chance. To tell the truth, I was freaked out. Not that I can't handle being with the boys 24/7. That's not it. The problem is that for the past 4 years, I have given the boys exactly 3 baths. Seriously. I SUCK at bathtime and Jake is the first one to tell me. Loudly and with much passion. I don't do it just like Mommy does it and gosh darn it, that's not good enough.

So the tension was there. In warmer weather I could have just soaped them up and let them play in the sprinklers. If only. But no...it's too cold and I'm slightly too classy for such a move. When 8PM came that little timer in my head clicked. Oh $%#*, time for a bath. I ran some water while the boys got naked. Checked the temperature on the rubber ducky thermometer. Said a little prayer. Allright, here we go. That's when it happened. They smiled. They laughed. They had fun. No complaining. No fighting. Just...a bath. The whole week I gave them baths and we all had fun. I even got Jake to admit to Mommy that he likes my baths. Not as much as her's of course, but enough to let me do it again. Brady, well heck..he'd do anything to get in water so I don't think he gives a squirt who bathes him.

Hooray for me!

Thanksgiving

So, um. Yeah. It's December and I am just now getting around to the Thanksgiving post. Hmm.

Ok. So we ate "poultry" for lunch at Grandma Mimi and Grandpa O's house. That's an inside joke I will never let my Father live down. It was good and the boys had a blast. The boys always have a good time over there. I think because the house is filled with super nice furniture and knick-knackery all of which they don't get yelled at for touching and/or breaking. Our house is filled with IKEA furniture and toys they get to play with all the time...and unfortunately we have to discipline them when they break stuff. Such is the burden and hope of parents, that we will be grandparents some day and the word "NO" disappears from our vocabulary.

What was I talking about?

Oh yeah. So then we went to Ma and Poppy's house. Always a good crowd and good food. I gotta give big ups to Ma this year on the turkey. A fine, fine bird. The boys ate their weight in turkey and pie and played with all their cousins until they dropped. Turkey makes me sleepy. Eating turkey for 6 hours make me super sleepy. Mmmm...turkey burps.

We had a lot to be thankful for this year. I would love to list them all but that's a ridiculous amount of work and I am fully aware of my laziness. So, if you think I should be thankful for you, your family, your health, your favorite sports team's success, that good looking male/female who checked you out at the gas station and made you feel hot again...whatever it is...yes. I am thankful for you and all your peeps.

Most of all though, I am thankful for my family. We are healthy and we are together. What more do I need? Well, maybe a PS3 but thats it. Nah just kiddin...or am I?

Gross

While I'm shotgunning posts here, I gotta get this one down. One of my main reasons for doing this blog is to help me remember all the wild and crazy things the boys do so I can embarrass them later on. I got a honey of a story for you.

I was downstairs today working on the computer. Jake went upstairs to drop the kids off at the pool. After about ten minutes I hear both the boys laughing and giggling. I said," Jake are you done dude?" More laughing. Then, "Ewwww, do it again." Uncontrolled laughter. "Ewwww." I bolted upstairs. Jake is bent over and Brady is wiping his butt for him. I swallowed hard and tried to be firm. What do you say to that?

"Ewww. Don't ever do that again."

You guys are gross and I love you for it.

Halloween 2006

Scared? If you're a bad guy, you should be.

Halloween was fun. It was the day after got back from Louisiana, but we caught a sugar high and drove on. Uncle Jarrod, Aunt Julie, Makayla, and Ma and Poppy came over to join in the lunacy. The dudes put on those costumes and become Superman. Needless to say you don't give Superman just any candy..you give him ALL the candy. They had full buckets in no time. Ahh..try and put a three and four year old to bed after a half pound of sugar. Superman, where were you?

Louisiana

Allright, allright. It's taken me longer than it should have to write about it. However, it took me longer than it should have to make the trip happen so, you know...can't mess with continuity.

Allright. Frontier Airlines. I wish bankruptcy on them. Maybe that's too much. At least a hearty case of "the runs" though. That'd do it. I won't get into it because that's just too long and painfull of a story.

National Car Rental. You guys saved the day. An '07 Escalade with a flip down screen and DVD in the back for the dudes...all for $60 a day. Nice. Nice. See, when a major corporation screws something up, it IS possible to fix it.

Anywho, we had a great time once we actually arrived in Shreveport. The boys finally got to meet Granny and Grandpa. Grandpa is my man. Coolest guy I know. It made my heart full to see him with the boys. Granny is Grandpa's equal, except in the kitchen..she's better. The boys got to have some of her beans and ham for lunch. Mmmmm. I've never left their house with an empty stomach and now, neither have the boys.

After hugs and kisses they took off and played like I did when I was a kid. It was really strange to watch Jake play on the same stuff I used to. Since he is my clone it was like watching myself. Man, I'm good looking. Brady was real big into picking up pecans. Yes, he is allergic to nuts. Yes, we let him pick up the pecans...but with the shell on it. Turns out that hard shell didn't help..he broke out with a rash anyway. Lesson learned. DOH!

The boys got to see Aunt Doreen again and meet their Uncle Bruce. It's funny, most of the time when they meet someone new they can be a little aprehensive. Not on this trip. The boys went right up and hugged everybody. Brady even gave Uncle Bruce some extra hugs.

My Grandpa has a talking parrot. Chico. That's one crazy bird. Little boys love talking animals. Talking animals apparently love little boys. They just couldn't get enough of eachother.

Cindy and the boys also got to meet "Miss Karen" for the first time. After years of talking and video chatting she finally got to hug them. She's a real cool lady and the boys took right to her. Jake fell in love with her pumpkin pie. Brady couldn't get enough of her toy room. Having Uncle G there didn't hurt either. Full heart and a full belly once again.

I showed them Cross Lake. We ate Southern Maid doughnuts. Pondered the Red River and why it's not really red. Stayed up late, slept late. Ordered room service. All that jazz.

It was just too short of a time to do everything we wanted and see everyone we wanted. Oh but we'll be back. Yes we will.

Pitter patter

We have laminate wood flooring upstairs. We don't have rugs yet. YET. Anytime anyone walks around upstairs, you hear it. Heck, you almost feel it. Especially when the Jake and Brady show is in progress.

Thump-thump-thump...pat-pat-pat...slap-slap-slap...HAHAHAHA..thump-thump-thump...pat-pat-pat...slap-slap-slap...HAHAHAHA.

The novelty is wearing off. Quickly.

Happy Birthday Brady!

I can't believe you're 3 already little dude. Crazy. It seems like yesterday we just went and picked you up from the NICU to take your jaundice little booty home. You had to be the star from day one. Now look at you, the little poser on the stairs up there....what a goof.

Your party was awesome. You got to show off your new digs to everybody. You wanted a Curious George birthday so...you got it. Me and Mommy stayed up till 2:30 making your cake. Grandma Mimi made you a pinata. Plus you had the monkey bounce house in the backyard...pretty sweet deal. You played like a madman the whole time and made everybody laugh. You're one of a kind dude.

Happy birthday son.

Done

We are finally officially moved in. Well, moved in to the garage at least. Now we can spend the next month going through junk we never even knew we had. Oh joy. We used to have a really big garage out there, dadgummit.

The boys have been really good with the whole moving experience. I am way past crazy at this point, but they are just rolling with it. They finally got all their backyard toys today and even got to take quick dip in the ol' inflat-o-pool. Too bad the weather decided to turn cooler so the water was freezing, but they had fun anyway.

Ahhh, cooler weather. We can actually use our Zoo membership again. Brady is itching to go. Every night he wants a story about the zoo. He wants to see his animal buddies again. The snakes, Gila monster, pirranah, eels, python, and roaches. Yep, roaches. Oh and the "monkeys with the red booty's". Otherwise known as baboons. Can't forget about the goats that make "little black poopies". Jake is excited to go to but he's holding out for ZooLights. That's when the put up all kinds of Christmas lights around the zoo and have a bunch of cool displays set up. Even a lifesize talking Giraffe. Pretty dang cool.

It will be good to get back into our normal routine again. Buying a house is cool, moving is not. Now we get to relax again, and just enjoy the dudes. Well, relax up until Brady's party next weekend, but after that yeah...relax. Oh wait, Uncle G's coming to town and then we leave for Louisiana. OK, so relax after that. Uhh, we get back the day before Halloween.

I'll sleep when I'm dead.

All is well

The boys are sleeping soundly in their new rooms. Cindy is asleep on the couch. I am about to rouse her to join me in bed upstairs. I forgot how much moving into a house takes out of you. Especially when it has stairs. Ahh, I curse you stairs...but you're still cool.

We are about halfway done, and I am ready to quit. Visions of selling what's left at the old house for pennies on the dollar are running through my head. I mean, I like that stuff, but...I really don't need it that bad do I? We have our beds, the couches, the TV, the tables, ohh..wait, we need clothes I guess. And somewhere to put them. Hmmm. Dang.

Oh, and a word to wise. Do you have dog's? Cats? Furry shedding creatures of some sort? We don't, but the previous owner did. We thought it wise to buy a Dyson-animal vacuum. Best money I ever spent. Turns out she left us the gift of over 20 canisters of dog fur and dander in the carpets. Now, she only lived here 2 years, and the carpet is only 2 years old. And, she had one medium-sized dog. The house was otherwise clean to the naked eye. Doing the math yet? Beg, borrow, or buy a Dyson. We had the carpets steam cleaned for the sake of our little allergic dudes, but Mr. Dyson has himself a wonderful product to be enjoyed by all.

Home Sweet Home...Finally

That's My Family walking in to Our House for the very first time. Today was a very good day.

It hasn't fully sunk in yet that we finally have our own house. That may take a while. The boys can bang stuff up and make it their own. They have what every little boy wants in a house; stairs. I think they must have run up and down a hundred times in two hours tonight. That's fine though. Those stairs belong to them now. Heck, the whole house is their domain anyway...who am I kidding?

I can't say how pleased as a man, as a husband, it makes me to be able to provide this for my family. I've never been in a position to do it before and it has always made me feel a little less than adequate. My wife has a home she can call her own. She can paint, decorate, go silly with fixtures, window treatments, whatever...it's hers. She has waited long enough and put up with more than her share. She deserves it.

My heart is full and my mind is at ease. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Cuddlin Up!

When the boys aren't plotting on eachother they're just the best of friends. Mornings are a good time to catch them in a state of brotherly love. I snapped the shot a few days ago when they first got up. The dudes wanted to cuddle up and watch a little Playhouse Disney before breakfast. That's quality stuff right there. It almost makes me forget about thirty minutes later when Jake was chasing Brady around the house, growling at him. Ahhh...selective memory.

Happy Birthday Jake!

I can't believe you're 4 dude. No way. Well, from the size of you, I would guess 6 or 7 but...anyway.

This year you wanted a Superman birthday and that's just what you got. Your Mom and I stayed up late the night before making your cake. Well, I actually just cut it out and told her where to put the frosting so she is mostly responsible. When you boys are older I am going to miss making these cakes for you. It's more fun for the both of us than you guys can imagine.

Your party was a blast. Your cousins came over and played in the big-bouncy-house thing. We ate a ton of pizza and wings. You got a ton of cool presents and even two Napoleon Dynamite birtday cards. Cracked you right up. You blew out the candle on your cake. Well, Brady blew it out the first time, so we had to re-light it so you could do it. He's a sneaky fella. Then you ate a HUGE piece of cake, cut right from the center...as you requested.

This was such a cool birthday my man. I hope you remember what a great time you had. I always will.

Welcome home G

He's back. He's in one piece...for the most part. I assume by now he's eaten a good meal, taken a long shower, enjoyed a fine American beverage, and slept in a clean soft American bed. He certainly earned it. Welcome home bro.

9-11-01

Five years ago I was in bed asleep. Your mom was getting ready for work. She turned on the television, not a normal part of her morning ritual. What she saw was anything but normal. Chaos was unfolding on live TV. A horrible, terrible, historic moment in our Nation's history, and I was sleeping. She came in and told me to wake up, that I had to see this. That's all she said. I sat up, turned on the TV in our bedroom and watched. She left to go to work and we didn't even say goodbye.

When the TV came on I just saw flames in a tall building. I wish I could've closed my eyes. Maybe a minute after I started watching, I called my friend Mark and told him to turn on his TV. We both watched as a plane flew into another building. We maybe said 5 or more words in the next hour. We couldn't stop watching and we couldn't hang up the phone. Our Country, our beautiful Country, was being attacked and there was nothing we could do, but watch.

In a few minutes, we would learn about two other planes and two other attacks. Still, no words could express our emotions. We didn't need to speak. Everyone knew what was happening, but we didn't want to admit it. Like maybe we were all just watching a movie that would end eventually. It just never ended.

On that day, heroes were made and lost by the thousands. Firefighters, policeman, soldiers, ordinary citizens. All heroes. I felt shame that I couldn't help. I drove down to the blood bank and was turned away...too many donors. When your mom got home, we just watched. I don't remember talking. I remember crying. I remember being angry. I wanted it all to just go away. I wanted vengeance.

Tonight, I am sitting footsteps away, from thousands of soldiers who stood up and volunteered to bring vengeance to the doorsteps of those who perpetrated these acts. Men and women, who have gone into the face of certain danger time and time again. Your Uncle G is one of those soldiers. He is on his way back home from Iraq. He has spent over two years of his life there.

In those two years I have celebrated your birthdays. Taken you to movies. Told you bedtime stories. Kissed you goodnight and told you I loved you. Everyday. It is my privilege. A privilege paid for by better men than me, who have given their tomorrow for my today. There are Fathers who will never get to see their children. Never know the joys of parenthood I know. I am eternally grateful.

Monsoon Sunset

No camera tricks, just good ol Ma Nature doing her thing. The boys just bust out laughing when they saw this. Not that it was so funny...but I think it just shocked them to see the sky so colorful. We see pretty sunsets like this all the time here. However, I need to take more time to see it reflected in Jake and Brady's eyes. Beautiful.

Steve Irwin

I first saw this guy probably back in 1996 or so. I was watching TV with my buddy and we flipped on to see this nutty Australian dude, playing with snakes and crocodiles. I was hooked. We would sit and watch him all night. The guy just loved animals.

Sadly, he passed away today and the world will miss him. He was a family man, and I feel terrible for his wife and kids. What a loss. Thankfully though, my boys will have his show to watch and be entertained and educated by for years to come. Say a prayer for him and his family.

Batman

Brady will wear his Batman mask for hours at a time if you let him. He loves it. He turns into a different little dude when he puts it on. A short, fast, masked avenger...that's our B.

"44"

I was given this book a while back by my buddy, GW's, Mom. She said it reminded her of me and my boys. I didn't know at that time what a huge compliment that was. After reading it, her words really touched me and I am forever grateful that she presented this book to me. I liked it so much, I wanted my Daddy to read it, and he did. He liked it as much as I did, maybe more. Quite possibly more, because as fate would have it, we are now in the process of getting this book turned into a movie.

Uhh..What?!?

Yeah, I said a movie. It's something I never thought I would be doing in my wildest dreams. I like movies. Watched my fair share. I've even had a desire to write a screenplay for a long time. But NEVER did I think I'd be sitting here talking about actually making a movie. Life has taken another turn for the surreal. But a really, really good turn...don't get me wrong.

Right now, I can't say too much about it because we're just getting started so...really there's not much to say. I'm talking to a few screenwriters, and a few other people who actually know how to get a movie made. Which helps. If that's what you're in to. Making movies and all. Which apparently I am.

If you want to read the book, by all means pick yourself up a copy at amazon. Or you can go here for more background and ordering information. Or...I might let you borrow it. The point is, read it. It'll do your heart good.

Funny

This video cracks the dudes up to no end. Yeah, it cracks me up too. Grown-ups are funny.

Give it up dude

On a typical day, the dudes will fight over a toy 2 or 3 times. Which often brings tears, anger, and frustrated screaming from them. We do a lot of time/toy management. That has shown to be the most effective way of dealing with these volatile situations. There is almost never a clearly defined "had it first" person. So, whomever has it at the present time, keeps it for 2 minutes and then has to give it up, nicely.

Now, "most effective" only works when we pay attention to them. Sadly once in a while we just don't give the precious little snowflakes 100% of our eyes and ears. Amazingly, there are more pressing matters to attend to than supervising a session of wholesale lunacy. When that happens, we often get what we had tonight;

The boys were playing picnic on the kitchen floor. Had the whole thing set up. Dishes out, food going, condiments...condimenting. Dessert. The works. After about 15 minutes, the food must've run out because they got fully bent at each other. Jake apparently had the pepper, Brady wanted it. Jake wasn't giving it up, so Brady snatched it. Jake swiped it back. Brady screamed, said, "SMACK", then hit Jake in the head and took off running for his room. Jake ran after him screaming that Brady was a bad boy and was trying to hit him back when we intervened. Oh, brother.

So.....yeah, they had to be separated for a while. Ten minutes of alone time in their rooms bought us the rest of the night with no fighting. What a wonder ten feet and two closed doors can do for a relationship.

Awesome

Way to go O.

Mr. Mockery and The Aquaholic

Jake's newest trick is mockery. Well, it's not that new I guess...but it's becoming a problem very quickly. I don't think he intentionally does it most of the time, but he does it nonetheless. Sometimes (read; always) he gets a laugh from Brady so he keeps going. Which is only slightly annoying unless we are in public.

Most of the time he'll just repeat what we say to him right back to us. Bad but not embarrassing. If we are out and he hears someone, especially a teenager say something weird or slightly funny, he immediately turns to Brady, busts up laughing and repeats what they said, or says,"The Guy!"

He's a character that one.

Oh and Brady is officially addicted to water. He cannot be trusted to contain himself around even the smallest amount of the stuff. Puddle on the ground? Both feet. Both hands. Parents not looking for one second? Sneak to the bathroom and pour water on his head. And on the counter, sink, toilet, floor, brother.

Maybe he will be an Olympic swimmer one day. Or, maybe he'll be a Crystal water dude. Who knows? He may even discover a cure for prune hands. One can only hope.

He's a soggy character, that one.

Awwww...

The Dudes. Eat it up.

Phew...

My brain is mushy. This past month has been so nutty I haven't had time to stop and take it all in. I wish I had a pause button I could hit. I'd hit it. Then I'd stop and reflect on each moment that has flown by.

I feel like I need to be taking more notice of everything. Especially the small things. I want to document every little moment I share with the boys. That's entirely ludicrous, but I still want to. I have a fear that I won't remember something that turns out to be important to one of them. I'm retarded like that.

I play the "what if" game way too much. My mind is prone to thoughts of extreme situations and circumstances. Tonight, I read where next year it will cost over 30K to send a kid to Harvard for one year. Sweet fancy Moses. Now, I don't expect the dudes to go to Harvard but again...What if? At this point, all things are possible, and that scares the living hell out of me. I thought I had things all laid out. That's what I get for making assumptions.

Boy's, it is my greatest wish that life be a little more simple for you when you grow up. I'm not saying I want everything laid out for you. Far from it. However, I would like it if you just had to concentrate on a few basic things;

1. Providing for your family.
2. Educating yourself to the world around you.
3. Helping people.
4. Having as much fun as possible.

That's it. That's all you gotta do. Heck that's all I have to do. I just manage to complicate things until they seem impossible. Don't do that. Take the road less traveled and enjoy the scenery. Don't get caught up in your pride because that is the most foolish thing you can do. Trust me, I've been there and got the t-shirt to prove it.

Most of all though boys, heed this advice; don't do everything I tell you to do and don't take all my advice. I expect you to make mistakes. Huge mistakes. Mistakes you don't want to tell me about. That's the only way you're ever really going to learn, and I'm cool with that. Well, not all the way but I can deal with it.

Oh, and never try and put together rational thoughts when you are sleep deprived. That's a big one.

The wise man

11:40PM - Lunch with Mommy in her classroom

11:55PM - March on down to pre-school with Daddy

12:00PM - Kiss Daddy. Say, " See you later". Freedom at last. My own man. No Daddy. No Mommy. No Brady. Woo HOO!

2:30PM - Daddy, Mommy, and Brady come to pick me up. Kisses, hugs, smiles.

3:00PM - Rack out for some much needed sleep. All this knowledge makes me tired.

That's at least how I think his head works. He's a stud. No tears. No whining. He loves it.

Brady and I caught up on some drawing and tickle time. This turned out to be a very, very good day after all.

Dadgummit

That wasn't so bad. Not at all. I kept moving. Tried to look busy. All in a vain attempt to keep my mind from understanding what it was seeing. Jake was fine. Of course he was. He always is.

I am not fine. Today was only a preview, an hour of meet and greet. Tomorrow he's there for two and a half hours. Without me. With some cool ladies and kids no doubt, but without me.

It's not the first time we've left him somewhere. That's not it. I guess parents can understand my insanity here. If not, I would imagine I truly have lost my marbles. I don't want to hold him back but I don't want to let him go just yet either. Such is responsibility. Responsibility is such crap.

Ugh...

Jake won't take a nap today. Probably because he's excited for his first day of preschool tomorrow. I can't take a nap today because I am dreading his first day of preschool. He's excited, even if he doesn't fully get it. But he will, we both will and I think I might fall right the hell apart when we do.

He is not this old yet right? He used to take naps on my belly. I could fly him in the air without a back brace. He'd used to jump on my belly and it would tickle. Now he breaks ribs. He used to roll everywhere before he could walk. Now, he flies and makes swooshing sounds.

Time is getting away from me at an alarming rate. Jake, if I happen to lose my composure tomorrow and run away screaming, crying, and cursing the universe...tough. It's hard watching you grow up. I love you and it's these little milestones that don't seem so little anymore. They are big giant mountains and I have neither the equipment or the training to be attempting such climbs.

Good luck little man. Good luck to us both.

The end is nigh...

The end of summer that is. Today the realization hit me that I haven't updated in quite some time. This summer has been our best on record and I have been busy enjoying it. All of it. So let me give you the hightlights of Summer '06.

Disneyland. It was all we thought it would be times a million.
-Awesomely-short flight over. Jake and Brady ate it up.
-Supercalifragilsticexpialidocious hotel. Location, location, location.
-The dudes had bunk beds. Fun for all. Nerve-racking dangerous fun.
-Way too much food. Somehow though we kept right on eating.
-Way too many things to do. Our legs were sore for a week.
-Rode the cool stuff mutliple times. P.S. the Buzz Light year ride... superb
-Breakfast/Dinner with the characters. Worth the outrageous price. Almost.
-Pictures pictures pictures. Memories fade. Digital pictures don't. Or do they? Hmm.

We haven't gone on anymore trips but in a few months that will change. Besides that, we have mostly been chillin to the max Jack. Eating out. Going to the mall. Watching movies. Swimming in the trusty inflato-pool. The usual stuff.

I don't want this to end but in 24 hours or so...it's done. Well, at least we made the most of it. Next year...Super Bowl or no, I'm going back to Disneyland.

So now a few pictures from our Summer of Summer's. Enjoy.