Family Matters, Week of 7-3-05
And now it?s time for my favorite post of the week, all about the fam. Let?s see what?s been going on:
Annie
Where to start with little Mrs. Wonderful. How about the fourth of July? Sounds like as good a place as any.
Imagine this scenario? (insert wavy dream sequence graphics)
You leave your house around 9:40 to get a decent parking space in some non-descript lot near a museum. You get seated and your little girl is deliriously excited. ?I?m gonna see fireworks!? she exclaims. She giggles and claps in anticipation. People around you look and smile that knowing ?How cute is it that she?s so excited? smile.
About ten, maybe fifteen minutes in, the excitement begins to wane even before the fireworks begin. Your daughter begins pulling up huge chunks of grass and sprinkling them on your legs and in your shoes.
?Quit baby,? you tell her, ?the fireworks are about to start.?
But of course she doesn?t quit and begins to get squirmy. Then, at last, the fireworks begin. Your daughter then informs you that she wants to sit over here, on the other side of you, and you hesitantly agree. A disagreement means screaming and crying, and who wants that?
Sitting next to you she begins to look around, not even noticing the thousands of municipal dollars being spent on this light show. ?Watch the fireworks,? you tell her. She looks at the parking lot, the sky, then begins to pull up grass again.
?Honey?? you say under your breath, intensely, trying to indicate that you?re serious about her acting right. She pulls up more grass, and then you move her back to your lap. She begins to scream immediately. Those same people who thought her enthusiasm was cute now thinks she?s just ruining their fun.
?Annie, watch the fireworks. This only happens once a year.? As if she cares, or has any concept, of annual events. You might as well have told her the display was on account of Venus and Jupiter being perfectly aligned and she?d never see another show like this as long as she lived. Same results, either way.
More moves, adjustments, and arguments later, and your daughter is on the other side of her mother, as far away from you as she could possibly get. And she?s acting up. Did I mention that your other, younger, daughter in this scenario is also getting very squirmy at this point? You sigh and look at an empty wrist. The deep bass of exploding gun powder fills the night air.
By the time the finale begins (also known as: ?Let?s just fire all of these off and see how much smoke we can make, eh??), you sigh relief and receive no joy from the celebration before you. You just want to get home, avoid traffic, and get the kids into bed.
You wonder if the effort was even worth it. The joys of parenthood, perhaps, or, as the optimist, you simply hope next year will be better.
You can only hope. And sometimes hope is all a parent has.
Abby
Abbers has been in full effect with her language skills, rapidly working on saying two syllable words and able to tell you when she?s hungry (?Bite! Bite!?) and thirsty (?Bah-bah, bah-bah!?).
Thinking of this reminds me that I remain enamored with sign language and, as my children outgrow their ability to use it in a way that I envisioned, wonder if I?ll ever learn it in my lifetime. Maybe I just need more deaf friends.
Abs has been flying low on the radar due to Annie?s amazing potty prowess (total diapers used yesterday: 3, a new feat). So, instead of rehashing past accomplishments, here?s a cute photo (click for the full size pic):
Obligatory cute caption: ?I said in a minute!?
Ericka (her blog)
My wonderful wife has been enduring my terrible procrastination while I finish her business cards, and for that I thank her and wish her the best in coping with it in the future. It really is a terrible thing to put up with, let alone be married to. You?re a brave woman, babe.
Anyway, she recently made a jaw-droppingly awesome cake for my best bud Jeremy for his 28th birthday party. I, of course, had to give him a free ?You?re so much older than me? digs when I realize he?s only three years older than myself. Eek!
I just hope on my 28th birthday party I get a cake as cool as this one:
Yeah baby, that?s what I?m talking about! Ericka, of course, knocks it out of the park with another stunning creation. And she was worried it wouldn?t come out. Pfft. Just look at those details! The eyes, the hands, the number 28! (Okay, now I?m just being facetious)
But no matter what, this is a fantastic cake and I?m proud of my wife?s accomplishments. She surpassed all expectations with this one.
Etc
Yay! Random stuff time. Prepare yourself?
? Did you know?: That two of my CCG Design posts are included in a Rochester Institute Comp Sci class assignment? Yeah, me neither. Color me flattered!
? Cigarettes are bad: I quit smoking a little over a year ago. Yay! And shout out to Jeanne for doing so well in her own battles.
? Feeling Inspired? If not: Check out Language is a Virus for interesting tips, tools, and writerly stuff. I got a kick out of it.
? Have you been reading?: The Featured Posts over at Huffington Post? Some damn fine gems in there, if you?re willing to look.
Latest Feed Subscribed to: Mad Babble from a Church Planter
Until tomorrow, uh?look over there!
(Find more pics ?over there? at Ericka's place)
I put away your words
And see an empty page in my book
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