Cabin Time

Just a few shots of our evening at the cabin.

What Were We Talking About?

I'm sure my sister will forgive me for stealing her blog title. And picture. I'm sure my mom will forgive both of us for using her poster and the title of her new play on our blogs. But I wanted to write something about it anyway.

Twenty years ago my mom was cast in Steel Magnolias with a handful of other ladies from the community and the local college. The play was presented at Casper College, where my mom worked, and was directed by one of her dearest friends, Gretchen Wheeler. I was a student at Casper College at the time, and a few of my friends were involved with the show as well. From what I remember, the show was very good and well received in the community, but the most remarkable thing about this play was not the production itself. It's what happened after the play was over. Amazingly, the women in this play have continued to get together every year since the play was produced 20 years ago. Their get-togethers have included annual Christmas parties and a trip to Natchitoches, LA, where Steel Magnolias is set. Coincidentally, they have started calling themselves the "Magnolias."

As you can imagine, 20 years will bring a lot of life changes, and those changes are shared between friends as stories. During one of their gatherings, they decided to integrate some of those stories into a play. I can just imagine this conversation taking place. I've been involved in similar conversations, when a comment or incident will stoke the fires of a great idea, only to watch the enthusiasm fade away as life's circumstances crowd out creative space and the resilience necessary to invest in an endeavor that requires more than mere enthusiasm. Fortunately, this project involved four women who see things through until they are completed. They would get together and share their stories, discuss them, and consolidate them into a cohesive script. This process took approximately 4 years.

The play, which they named What Were We Talking About?, served two purposes. One purpose was to express the importance of story and friendship in processing life's good and bad moments. In that regard, the play was a walking testimony of the very thing it was trying to communicate: four friends who supported each other, held each other accountable and overlooked their differences for a common goal.

The other purpose of the play was to raise money for DEBRA, an organization dedicated to supporting families of children with EB. My niece, Ella, was born with the devastating disease, and her story is featured prominently in the play. I don't want to speak out of turn here, but to date the play has raised funds that greatly exceeded anyone's expectations. As is the case with many of my mom's projects, this story is still being written.

Since this is a blog, this post would not be complete without a list. Here are my take-aways from my mom's play:

1. Friendship should be a vital part of everyone's life. It isn't just a matter of convenience or happenstance; it's equipment for living ((I borrowed this phrase from Kenneth Burke)).
2. Social Networking is not necessarily the same as friendship.
3. You don't really believe in something unless you get some skin in the game ((I borrowed this phrase from Bob Goff)). If you want to make a difference, it will come at a cost: time, effort, pride, money. The Difference Mobile doesn't run on air.
4. If you're going to take a risk, take it doing something real ((I borrowed this idea from Steven Pressfield)). Don't tweet to the world that you want to write a play. Write the play then tweet that you've finished it.

Seeing mom's play come to life on stage with her friends was a great way to start our vacation in Wyoming. More than that, I'm sure it will be the beginning of many other things, as well.

Celebrating Gina

Last Sunday, I organized a family gathering in celebration of Gina's 36th birthday. We met at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden to walk around and take some family photos, then we went to the Garden Restaurant for Sunday Brunch. The photos turned out really well, and the weather was semi-cooperative for us. The sky was clear and there was no wind, but it started to get really hot and humid by about 11:00. Thankfully, that is when we went in for lunch.

The brunch buffet was excellent, and there was something there for everyone. They had chicken, pork, fish, pasta, a salad and fruit bar, and an excellent choice of desserts.  Even Sam and Nate, who tend to snub their noses at food that looks slightly different or odd, dug right in and ate until they couldn't hold anymore. All I can say is, I'm glad we took most of the pictures before lunch because I'm sure I looked like a balloon afterwards.

After brunch, we all came to our house for cake and ice cream. As if on cue, the sky opened up and it rained for about an hour or so. We definitely needed it, but I'm glad it came after our outdoor adventure was over. The cousins played, the grown-ups visited and watched a movie, and everyone had a nice time. It was such an honor to be able to host everyone and celebrate Gina's birthday in style. We're already looking forward to the next one, even if she isn't.  Here are a few more pictures of the event.

One fish, two fish ...

Four years ago, Gina and I took Sam and Nate swimming for the first time ever. We were in Williamsburg with my parents, and we took them to the pool one morning before it got too hot. We had swimmy diapers, sunscreen, matching swimsuits and little rafts for each boy. If I remember correctly, it took us about 40 minutes to get ready to go swimming, we were in the pool about 30 minutes, and it took us about 45 minutes to get dry and changed after we swam. My math tells me this was not the greatest return on our time investment. I seem to remember the boys having fun, or at least as much fun as a 5-month old baby can have, but it was definitely a lot of work.

Over time, thanks to awesome swim technology like life jackets and floating swimsuits, the act of swimming has become less of a chore and much more enjoyable. Each summer the boys make giant strides in their ability to swim and stay safe in the water. If the last two summers showed excellent progress, then this summer has been a quantum leap! This summer we finally moved from using flotation devices to swimming without any help at all. That's right, Sam and Nate are swimming completely by themselves. There are a few caveats to this statement. First, we only let the boys swim "freestyle" when Gina and I are in the pool with them. Second, we still use the life vests if we are in a crowded pool. But there is no doubt, they are both swimming independently. This is due in large part to their awesome swim teacher, Mrs. Sydnee. (The boys will quickly point out that this is not the same as Puppy Sydney, our dog.) She was a GREAT swim teacher, and she had the boys in the water swimming without floaties on the first day. She taught them how to use "big kickers...wide, slow arms...big breaths," and how to swim back to the edge of the pool after they jump in. Each week we could see them progress in their swimming skills from the week before.

One other thing the boys will be quick to point out to you is that swimming lessons are much different from going swimming. Mrs. Sydnee made each of the kids toe the line when it came to learning how to swim. This can be hard for a 4-year-old to remember, particularly one who desperately wants to go swimming. But overall, they did very well and have made huge improvements in their swimming. We are thankful for great teachers like Mrs. Sydnee, and we are also very grateful that swimming can now officially be moved from the "Physical Labor" category to "Recreation."

You can see some live action video of the boys swimming in our photo album.

Fourth on the Farm

One of the things Gina and I have loved most about raising a family is starting traditions. We have some Christmas traditions, some Easter traditions and a few others that we intend to hold onto. Another of our traditions is going to a parade on Independence Day, which we did again this year. The parade of choice this year was hosted by the City of Arlington, and we had a great time. We came to this parade a couple of years ago, and we decided to see it again. There's nothing really flashy or awe-inspiring about this parade, but it's made entirely of hometown folks who just want to get out and represent their group and city. It reminds me of the July 4th parade in my hometown, which I tried not to miss each year. After taking in the firetrucks, high school marching bands and mini-bike Elvises (that's for you, Aunt Katie), we headed home and packed up for the second leg of our journey.

 Our next stop was to Granny and Granddad's house to drop off our dog and have lunch. We only stayed for a little while because we had to head to the Gooch farm for a 4th of July dinner and fireworks show (provided by Chad and I!). The weather turned out to be pretty nice, and a heavy rain a couple of days before helped minimize the fire danger. Being rather new to the fireworks game, I did not really know what kind of fire crackers to get. Needless to say, my fireworks created quite a lull in the production. Thankfully, Chad was able to make up for my lack of experience with some exploding, colorful artillery shells. My favorite part of this whole activity was watching the boys run so hard after the fuse was lit that they would miss the fireworks. Maybe next year they can actually watch them.

After the July 4th celebration, we headed to Granny and Granddad's for a couple of days to spend time and go see Big Daddy (my grandfather). We spent a lot of time in the yard, resting and playing with the awesome train set. On Friday, Tommy and his crew stopped by on their way to Simpson, LA for the weekend. We had a great dinner and the boys got to play with their cousins.

On Saturday, we packed up and met them in Simpson for a weekend of fishing, playing in the creek and other farm-related fun. The boys' favorite part of the visit was riding the Gator with their cousins, as well as petting Dolly the Cow. We also got to attend First Baptist Church Simpson with Uncle Norwyn, but the boys didn't make it through the service. I know God understands how hard it is for a 4-year old to sit still for an hour after riding a John Deere Gator all weekend. After eating lunch, we packed up and climbed back in the car for our journey back to Dallas/Fort Worth. I think this photo sums it up pretty well ...

You can see more photos from our adventures in our photo album.

BRN2BWLD

Public Beware: Sam and Nate just got one step closer to going solo on the open road. Over the past several weeks, Sam and Nate have been fascinated with their tricycles. They wanted to ride them all the time: in the garage, in the driveway, to the park. We knew the day was coming when their knees would longer clear the handlebars of the tricycle and they would need something bigger. And bigger is what they got. In one day, they went from small little trikes to 2-wheeler bikes (with training wheels for now) with 16" wheels. What amazed me the most about these bikes was not how big they look, but how quickly both boys jumped on and took to them. One second they were in the store looking at them, and the next second they were half-way down the next aisle pedaling at top speed. I've never been kicked out of Walmart, but I was pretty sure this was going to be the day. Oh, and both bikes have Spider-Man on them, which adds a little attitude to this newfound freedom.

After tooling around the garage for the afternoon, we decided to take the bikes on a real ride at the river trail down the street from our house. This proved to be a great way to christen the bikes, and the boys looked like they had been riding for weeks. Of course, we did get to the trail a little too late, which meant it was getting pretty warm and muggy. And we went toward the direction of the trail where all of the 50-something weekend warriors training for the Tour de France ride. So, next time we will get there a little earlier and use the other half of the trail, which seems to be less crowded.

I must add, this whole shift for the boys was initiated by their weekend at Uncle John and Aunt Carol's farm in LaGrange. We went down last weekend and spent a couple of days with the Kelly family, and the boys got to play with their cousins, Max, Wes, Emma and Luke. There are all kinds of fun things to do at the farm, but what the boys loved most of all was riding the battery-powered Gator and four-wheeler. It almost made me start worrying about what's going to happen when they want a car. Almost. For now, I will just tell myself it's still cute and enjoy watching them drive circles around the house. I'm also pretty sure I know what they will want for Christmas.

You can see more photos of our bike riding and trip to the farm in our Web Album.

Saying Good-bye

The first time I dropped Sam and Nate off at Pebbles Preschool was one of the hardest days of my life. Up until that day, they had been home with Gina and I all the time, and the only time we left them with other people was at Sunday School or with the occasional babysitter. In addition to the anxiety associated with leaving them at school and driving 30 miles to Denton for work, I had no idea how the day would go for them. Gina and I spent most of our time and energy making sure the boys stayed on a schedule and did things that were good for them: eating healthy meals and snacks, taking naps, and playing nicely with each other, guiding and redirecting their behavior. Now, for the first time, those things were in someone else's hands. Would either of them eat the lunch we made for them? Would they take a nap? How would they interact with the other children? Would they obey their teachers? For me, it wasn't so much the fact that we were dropping them off for a whole 5 hours with someone else; it was more an issue of not knowing how they would behave in a school environment.

Gina was also reluctant to leave the boys at preschool, and in addition to feeling as I did about not knowing how they would do, she was grieving the fact that she would miss so many of the things they did during the day. She had spent the last year at home with them full time while I spent most of my days at work. This added a whole new layer of doubt and fear for her.

The day got off to a blistering start when Nate threw a fit as I tried to leave. I had a pretty good feeling he would do this because he did it almost every week in Sunday School. Still, it was hard leaving him not knowing how soon he would calm down. I hesitantly left for work and planned to call to check on him when I got there. Well, I forgot to call when I got to work, and the next thing I knew I was leaving to pick the boys up in the afternoon. Much to my surprise, both Sam and Nate were asleep when I got there. I was convinced they would not sleep at all, yet I found myself having a hard time waking them up.

The next day at school was a total repeat of the first day, and the seed of a thought came to me: Will Nate do this every day at school? The answer soon turned out to be No because the next day at school he went in just fine. This time Sam threw a fit, as well as the next day. This was quite a shock because he had never done this before.

Thankfully, things settled down after those two incidents, and the next two years were filled with everyday tasks (making lunches), special events (field day, holiday programs, parties) and daily updates about the other children in the class. We also got to see how both boys were learning and growing during this time, going from barely-verbal little toddlers to pre-reading preschoolers in just two short years.

As our life circumstances changed, we decided it was in our best interest to move closer to TCU and put the boys in a new school closer to home. This also meant our last day at Pebbles would be very soon. As it turned out, the last day of school was also the day of their spring program (you can watch the 10-minute program here). The boys got to show off some of the things they have learned, and we followed it up with cookies, juice and time with friends. At last, we had to say good-bye to everyone, and unlike our entrance into Pebbles, the boys were not the ones crying.

Our family has experienced so much change in the past four years, even I have a hard time believing our resiliency. Nearly every year since the boys were born has brought something new into our lives, whether it was a move across the country or a new job. Change is the one thing we could count on. During this time, Pebbles has been a rock for us (get it ... Pebbles ... rock ... sorry). As Gina and I dealt with new jobs, expectations, commuting and all of the other things that come along with working, we knew Sam and Nate were safe and happy with their teachers and friends at Pebbles. They learned so many new things, and more than that, they grew up during this time. Yes, they are taller, heavier and know more words, but they also know how to share, wait their turn and be polite to others. OK, we still have a way to go, but the change in the past two years has been quite dramatic. We will always be grateful that God put Pebbles in our path during this time of enormous change and uncertainty, and we hope to run into some of the folks from the school again. I know they will continue to make a profound impact on the lives of children because that is what they did for Sam and Nate. Thank you, Pebbles.

A Day Just for Mommy

This past weekend the boys and I had the chance to honor Gina for Mother's Day. This was her 5th Mother's Day, and we wanted to make it a good one. This involved several different trips to several different stores so we find just the right mix of presents for her. We had a lot of fun doing this, but it was even more fun watching Mommy open her presents. We also had a lot of fun cooking for her over the weekend. We made strawberry waffles for breakfast on Sunday, and we put a roast in the crock pot for lunch, both of which are two of Mommy's favorites.

The best part of Mother's Day is that we get to show Gina how much we love her. She is a wonderful mother to Sam and Nate, and I am blessed to share this adventure with her. She balances a lot, but you would never know it when she walks in the door every afternoon. She's always eager to sit down with the boys and play whatever they are playing, or read a book, or go to the park, or whatever. We're grateful for the example she is for all of us, how God uses her in so many ways in the lives of others. As God continues to stretch us and grow us into the family He wants us to be, we are thankful for days like this when we can stop and thank God for Gina and all that she means to us.

Soccer Lessons

Well, the Spring 2012 edition of soccer is over, and I am pleased to report it was a great success. I am also glad to report that this experience helped me redefine how I view success. Soccer took some getting used to for both boys, and they still have a lot to learn. I would love for them both become lifelong soccer fans like I am, but I am OK with it if they don't. More than anything, I found out that kiddie soccer is as much about teaching the parents as it is helping the kids learn the game. Here are some of the lessons I learned from watching Sam and Nate play soccer:

1. Stay in the game: This was harder than I thought it would be, but the most important thing I could encourage Sam and Nate to do was to stay in the game. Not to come off the field when they got bored or tired or frustrated. Stay in the game and try your hardest until the coach tells you to take a rest. We could all use reminders on this lesson from time to time. Such as when I post to my blog instead of grading final projects.
2. Sometimes you can make things happen, and other times you have to just watch them happen: This was the biggest lesson for me. No amount of cheering and encouraging and coaching was going to make Sam and Nate be more aggressive, kick harder or run faster. My job was to let them play in their own style, even that involved running laps around the other players, and praise them for doing their best. If they decide they love this game and want to get better, then I will start coaching them more. For now, they still think running is fun and if they get to kick the ball, it's a bonus.
3. There is value in the experience: I don't know how much the soccer skills improved for both boys, but I view the entire experience of playing organized soccer to be extremely valuable. They got to meet new friends, get a lot of exercise, learn to take instructions from a coach, play by a set of rules, wear the team uniform and compete with other kids who want to kick the ball as much as the boys do.
4. No matter how well you play, you get a snack and juice box: Not to mention a trophy at the end of the season. This was by far the best part of the game for both boys. Knowing they would get a treat after game gave them just enough motivation to push themselves a little harder. Actually, that's not how it worked at all. It's nice to know that there are some things in life that don't depend on performance. You get them just because. Love, acceptance, respect and encouragement also fit into this category.

So, there you have it ... Soccer 2012. I'm glad we did it, I hope we do it again, and more than anything I want the boys to find something they love to do and reach outside themselves to pursue it with their whole heart.

Spring Break 2012

Sam and Nate are finally back in school this week after having a week off. This is all great for Sam and Nate, but considering Gina and I did not have the week off, this presented several challenges. Thankfully, we were able to adjust our schedules to spend a lot time with the boys and do some fun activities. Here is a play-by-play of some of the fun things we did: Saturday: I took the boys to the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. There was a an exhibit on Grossology that they wanted to show me. It was pretty funny, and I was not nearly as grossed out as I thought I might be. We also got to see a cool 3D movie, and I ran into an old friend from FBC Euless. It was a great start to the spring break.

Monday: My class at UNT was online this week, so I stayed with the boys all day. We spent the morning at Firestone having the tire on Gina's tire fixed. While we waited, we went next door to Whataburger and ate lunch. This was the boys' first experience with waiting at an auto care place, and I think they did pretty well. We came home and took a nap, then we spent the rest of the day playing at home and being silly.

Tuesday: I had agreed several weeks ago to teach a class for a colleague, not knowing that this week overlapped with the boys' spring break. Gina teaches her class on Tuesday, so I knew she couldn't watch the boys. So, Sam and Nate got their first taste of college when they came with me to class. I have brought them to UNT before, and they did pretty well, so I thought I had a pretty good plan going in. I found out pretty quickly that there is a difference between a handful of faculty having a meeting and a room full of college students doing a noisy activity. The boys wanted to be right in the middle of the action, and they didn't think twice about interrupting me while I was addressing the class. After several awkward pauses, and me trying to gather my thoughts, they settled down and the day ended pretty well. We got to cap it off with a trip to McDonald's with Gerald and a couple of his doc students. The boys slept all the way home, and we spent the rest of the day on the playground across the street.

Wednesday: I had a very important meeting on this day (more on that in a future post), so Gina took the boys with her to the Amon Carter Museum of American Art and the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge. They had a great time doing some art activities with the visiting artist, John Singer Sargent. Of course, this was not the real artist, who died in 1925, but it must have been an actor or something. I didn't actually get the details from Gina or the boys. Anyway, they came home in the afternoon, and we spent the rest of the day at the house and on the playground.

Thursday: I had another class to teach at UNT for the same colleague, so the boys got a chance to redeem themselves in another college class. Having gained some wisdom from two days earlier, I took a different approach. Rather than plopping them in front of the same movie, I let them each watch different shows on two different devices. Yes, I know, go ahead and judge me. Oddly, both boys wanted to watch what the students were doing (building windmills out of paper and sticks), and they interacted much better. They got to munch on some of the Tootsie Rolls from the activity, and when all of the students left I put a movie on the big screen while I cleaned the room. They loved that, and we got some funny looks as students walked by (the room is all glass). We headed back to Fort Worth and met my parents and MawMaw at their hotel for a quick swim and dinner. They were passing through town on the way back to Casper. As Sam pointed out, this was their first swim as 4-year olds. They seemed to do a lot better and were able to paddle themselves all around the pool. We came to our house for dessert after dinner, then everyone crashed for the night. It had been a busy day, and everyone was spent.

Friday: It was just the boys and I again, and I wanted to do something special for the end of spring break. Because the weather was so nice, we went to the Fort Worth Zoo. The last time we went, it was so blasted hot we could barely breathe. This time, the temps were perfect, but there were about a million people there. I think everyone else had the same idea as me. The crowds didn't stop us from having a great time, and we got to see just about every exhibit. The boys loved seeing the gorilla and the snakes the most. I was a bit partial to the red wolves and the mountain lion. You can take the Poke out of Wyoming, but you can't take Wyoming out of the Poke. We ended the day with a train ride and a nap in the car on the say home.

Saturday: We spent the day at Uncle Tommy and Aunt Carol's house playing with cousins, eating, watching basketball and relaxing. It was a perfect way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. I was hoping for a few more upsets in the tournament, but alas, order seems to have been restored. The boys especially liked dancing to the Zumba game on the XBox 360 Kinect. I even tried my hand at it, and all I can say is, thank goodness there were no video cameras in the room (that I know of).

So, that is our week in a nutshell. Sundays were our official day of rest, which is why I have omitted them. :-) Now the boys are back at school and I am trying to catch up on my work. Which is why I'm blogging.

Singin' Sam and Nate

I'm not sure what it is, but for the last few weeks Sam has been singing a lot around the house ... A LOT. Sometimes he sings songs he has heard, other times he makes up his own. Nate is quite the singer, as well, but as you will see, he has a tendency to get silly when standing in front of the camera. We will work to capture some real footage of him singing. My favorite clip is the last bit, where Sam is making up a song, and Nate quickly learns it and starts to sing along. You  may not believe me when I say this, but this is pretty typical for our house. We aren't quite the Von Trapps, but there is a lot of singing and dancing. Here is a short glimpse of some moments I have captured.

Second Half

When I was coaching soccer a few years back, I learned the value of halftime. I can think specifically back to a couple of games that started off horribly, and no adjustments we made seemed adequate in shifting the momentum in our favor. The team would usually hang on for dear life until halftime came around. After a brief rest and some talk from the head coach, the team would take the field in the second half as a completely different group of guys. There were also a few games where this happened to the other team and things didn't turn out in our favor. It's amazing to me how a short break can change your perspective. You start to realize you don't have all the time in the world to do what you want. You see your failures, successes, values and pursuits differently. You get a fresh start with that first half of experience under your belt. You take the field, and the whistle blows.

This past week was such a moment for me as I celebrated my 4oth year on this big blue orb. Overall, I would say that most of those years have been pretty good, with some tough times mixed in between. I have no one but myself to blame for most of the rough spots. I've had some successes, a few setbacks, many disappointments and innumerable blessings that I never saw coming. And when I stop long enough to look around at what I have to show for 40 years of life, I see people surrounding me. More than anything, God has blessed my life with good people. People who have stood by and supported me, accepted me, put up with me and loved me no matter how hard I may have tried to push them away or leave them behind. So, it was fitting that my week of celebration started with the most important people in my life.

My mom and my cousin, Kelly have been planning this event for at least a year. The plan was to send Amy, my cousin of the same age, and I into our 40's in style. We had great food, funny stories, games, cupcakes and lots of laughter. It was fitting that we held this celebration at my grandparent's house, the site of so many wonderful memories. The weather was even warm enough to take a ride in the woods on Uncle Clay's new souped up golf cart. I don't know how to describe this thing, but just let me say that if Rambo played golf, this is how he would get around between greens. There were no machine guns or missile launchers mounted on this cart, but I'm pretty sure I saw the mounts for them. This day was everything I had hoped it would be, surrounded by all of the people in my life that matter the most to me. Of course, time, distance and prior engagements kept some people in that circle from being there, but I'll forgive them. :-) As we left to go back home, we got the ultimate sign that this day was a total hit: the boys were asleep before we left Merit.

I spent the next two days in Charlottesville for some meetings pertaining to the grant I work for at UNT. I still got to connect with some old friends and spend some time meandering through Mr. Jefferson's Academical Village. More than anything, I was just ready to get home to see Gina and the boys again.

I spent most of my actual birthday in Denton trying to play catch up after my trip to Virginia, but we did find some time to open presents, eat cupcakes and go to one my new favorite places in the Mid-Cities area: Itz. This place has it all: Pizza, video games, go-karts, bowling, bumper cars (which the boys are too small to ride) and midway games. They were running a Leap Year special where you could get a buffet for $2.29. The boys ate free and we had a coupon for extra points for the games, and we got out of there for under $30. Not bad at all. They even had one of those cool photo booth things, as you can see below.

Gina and I will complete the celebration this weekend by having dinner and going to see Rent at Casa Manana. No, turning 40 did not cure my musical theater fetish. I have never seen this musical (or the movie!), and I can hardly wait. One a technical note, I learned that if you use Google+ and enter your birthday in your profile, Google will give you a customized Google Doodle on your birthday (above). No, that is not Photoshopped.

To say I limped into halftime would be an understatement. I have found myself feeling kind of lost and confused for the past couple of years, trying to make the best out situations but believing that God's best for me and my family was yet to come. I don't know everything, but I have gained some insight along the way. I have learned that relationships don't have an autopilot function. Books don't write themselves. Bodies need to be exercised. Music is meant to be played everyday. There is always something new to learn. There is a difference between enjoyment and satisfaction: one requires time, the other requires effort. Both are necessary. God is speaking if I will listen. Simple acts of faith matter more than big acts of appearance. The only way out is through (I borrowed that one). I will look back one day and be glad I wrote all of this down. I'm sure I have some more wisdom trapped somewhere in my head, but it's late and I'm tired. I'm going to bed. I have a second half to play.

Gooooaaaaal!

[kml_flashembed publishmethod="static" fversion="8.0.0" movie="http://www.curbyalexander.net/family/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/soccer-2012.swf" width="640" height="480" targetclass="flashmovie"]

[/kml_flashembed]

This past Tuesday, the boys embarked on a totally new adventure: organized sports. I need clarify, this is 4-year old soccer, so "organized" in this case means scheduled games and matching uniforms. Soccer was by far my favorite sport growing up, and I would still love to play it again in the Old Men with Sore Knees league.

Gina and I have had discussions about when the boys might be ready to start soccer. On one hand, they love to kick the ball and run around the back yard. On the other hand, they are still "learning" how to follow instructions and be good listeners. We went ahead and enrolled them, knowing the other kids would probably be at about the same place developmentally. If nothing else, it will give them some more exercise and give us one more excuse to be outside. The only down side of this first practice was that I had to miss it. I recently was interviewed at the University of North Texas for a position in the Department of Learning Technologies. While Gina and the boys were outside running around and having fun, I was having dinner with the other faculty members and some of the doctoral students. Both activities were great and worthwhile, and it's just too bad I couldn't be both places at once.

No one mourns the ...

I'll admit it: I'm a musical theater nerd. I have the entire score to Les Miserables and Phantom of the Opera (and several other musicals) memorized, we have season tickets to Casa Manana, I used to act in musicals in high school and college, and I would love to do it again someday. Think what you want, but I will jump at the chance to see a musical 95 out of 100 times (I can think of about 5 situations in which I would not jump at the chance).

So, when I found out that Wicked was coming to Austin, I jumped. Actually, Gina jumped and bought the tickets. I heard some songs from this musical about a year ago, and I immediately looked online to see if it was coming to a city near Dallas anytime soon. The closest city in the near future was Austin, and it just so happened that we were able to get tickets and go. If you want to know the synopsis or hear any music, you can Google it. All I am going to say is that I was not disappointed. The music, the story, the stage ... they were all amazing. I hope to see it again the next time it comes to town. Below is a glimpse at some of the main songs.

Four years old

It seems like just a few months ago that I was writing about the boys turning 4 months old. We were living in Virginia, and the boys were still small enough to hold in one arm. I should clarify, you wouldn't have wanted to hold either of them in one arm for very long, but it could be done. Their favorite activities were riding in the stroller, bouncing in their air chair and getting tickled by mommy and daddy. Nate was still spitting up all over everything, and Sam was still having to do his neck stretches. Things weren't easy back then, but every day revealed a new joy that Gina and I marveled in.

The memories from those days are still very fresh, which is why it's so hard to believe our little baby boys are now 4 years old. I'm not sure what it was about this birthday, but it really hit me that they are growing up. They are starting to draw pictures and write their names, they know how to put their clothes on and take their dishes to the sink, and they play and interact like children, rather than being totally absorbed in their own little worlds. They will be in preschool one more year, and then it's off to Kindergarten. I can hardly believe the time is going so fast.

Besides being a time of unharnessed sentimentality on my part, this weekend was also full of celebrations, family, friends, goodies and gifts. On Friday, the boys opened their presents from Gina and I before school. They barely had enough time to play with them before we had to rush off to school. I'm pretty sure they were looking forward to getting back home all day so they could go right back to their new stockpile of awesomeness in the living room.  Gina brought cupcakes to the classroom for Sam and Nate to share with their friends, and it was a big hit. I had to go to Denton for some work, but they saved me a cupcake for when I got home.

On Sunday, we had a party for the boys at the Bob Jones Nature Center and Preserve in Southlake. We had been there once before, and they really did a nice job with the party. It involved crafts, a nature hike, games and of course, cake and ice cream. It was a lot of fun seeing the boys interact with their friends and cousins at this party, which was one more sign that they are growing up and becoming independent. Despite some cold temps, the party was a success, and we left from there to watch the Super Bowl at Uncle Tommy's house (which as a success for only half the participants). In that regard, I find it interesting that the same teams that played this year are the same two teams that played on the day the boys were born (New England Patriots v. New York Giants). I remember watching the last quarter of the game while the boys got their first bath. The game had the same outcome both times, which is not great for me since I like the Patriots.

We were so happy to be able to spend this weekend celebrating the boys' birthday with friends and family, and though it was a joyous occasion, I will not go so far as to say I am looking forward to the next one. Not yet. Here are some more pictures from the celebratory weekend.

[kml_flashembed publishmethod="static" fversion="8.0.0" movie="http://www.curbyalexander.net/family/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/february-2012.swf" width="640" height="480" targetclass="flashmovie"]

[/kml_flashembed]

Christmas Magic

This is one of those posts where I don't even know where to start. My sister wrote about this trip right after we got back, and she followed a day-by-day format. So, the creative snob in me is resisting doing the same thing. But I have to start somewhere, the beginning seems like a good place to do that.

About a year ago, my parents began asking my sister and I what we would like to do for Christmas this year, since it was an Alexander Christmas. We tossed out a few ideas (I suggested Circus Camp, but we all agreed that clowns are way to freaky), and we all agreed that Orlando would be a great place to meet for the Holidays. All of the grandkids are the right age for Disney, and they love the movies. At least at our house, Buzz, Woody and Lightning are still the main characters in just about every play session. Ella is very much into princesses, so this was a perfect match. To make things even better, my parents have a time share condo (or as Sam calls it, the "caddo") and we could all stay together. As you would expect, GiGi jumped on this and had our reservations set for the following December. After months of planning, saving and talking up the Disney experience with the boys, the day to leave on the trip finally arrived.

Things got off to a rough start because the day before we left three out of four family members had to go to the doctor (Sam, Nate and myself). I will usually tough out an illness and avoid seeing a doctor, but I was just way too miserable this time around. We all got put on antibiotics, and we were on our way. By the time we got to Orlando, I was already starting to feel a lot better, as were the boys. Did I mention we drove from Fort Worth to Orlando? Yeah, that was interesting, but not really that bad.

I will skip directly to our first full day in Orlando. We took the first day to rest and recover from our drive by saying in the condo that morning, then we went to Downtown Disney for the afternoon. From an adult's perspective, this is just about as cool as the theme parks. Well, at least for an adult who really likes food and people watching. If that is all you want, there is no need to go into the parks, but I'm pretty sure Sam, Nate and Ella were not going to agree with me on this one. Anyway, after a great meal at Raglan Road, we headed home to get rested for our first day in the parks. First stop, Animal Kingdom.

This is one of the newer theme parks that I had never visited, and I was curious to see what it was like. Is it a zoo? Is in an amusement park? Is it an educational experience? The answer to all three is YES. We saw real African animals, shows about animals (and fish), 3D movies about animals (and bugs), and actual Disney animals walking around the park. The highlight of this day was eating at Tusker House, a great restaurant where Donald, Daisey, Minnie and Goofy come to your table and dance around with loud instruments. The food was great (my favorite from the whole trip) and the atmosphere was a lot of fun. Remarkably, Sam and Nate actually ate their lunch.

Before moving on, I would like to interject an observation. Disney has made A LOT of movies. In fact, that is how they started and what they are known for. I thought I was pretty well-versed in Disney-ese, but I quickly found out I have a lot to learn. Yes, I am very familiar with the Toy Story monarchy and the Republic of Cars, and we still watch Monsters, Inc., Up, The Incredibles and Finding Nemo from time to time. But there are a lot of Disney films I have either never seen, or I haven't seen them in so long that I completely forgot about them. If a person isn't completely indoctrinated by the Disney library before visiting each park, you may feel a bit lost. There are a lot of Disney movies the boys haven't seen, so there were some things they didn't understand. They also didn't understand why there was not one thing at Magic Kingdom or Animal Kingdom about Lightning McQueen. Besides Woody, Buzz and that whole gang, the Cars characters are who they really wanted to see. Just sayin', Disney.

Anyway, back to the trip. We spent the next two days in the Magic Kingdom, and let me tell you, it was amazing. There is just too much to share about these two days. In a nutshell, our two days consisted of riding awesome rides, seeing Disney characters, watching shows, waiting in lines, scooching past massive crowds of people and planning which ride we would do next. Honestly, if you want to know what we did at Animal and Magic Kingdoms, you can see our photos. This was my third (and fourth) trip to the Magic Kingdom, and many of the things I loved about it have not changed. I was always a big Tomorrow Land fan, and it is very much the same as it used to be. Space Mountain, the People Mover, and the Astro Orbiter are all still there. They have added some new rides, as well, which the boys loved. Especially the Buzz Lightyear ride, in which you get to participate by shooting a laser at targets and accumulate points. Then of course, there were the standard rides that you MUST see if you are there, like Pirates of the Caribbean, The Haunted Mansion, It's a Small World, the teacups, Dumbo and African Safari. I was also disappointed to learn that some of my favorites rides -- namely 20,00 Leagues Under the Sea -- were gone, and are being replaced with new additions to Fantasy Land. I guess Disney has figured out a formula for getting people to come back! If I am allowed to put forth one criticism of the Disney theme parks, it is that they seem to be all about the movies now. I remember that the movie characters were part of the Magic Kingdom in the past, but there were also a lot of things to see that were there just because Walt Disney wanted them there. It has always been very commercialized, but now it seems to be all about the movies. OK, that's all I have to say about that.

Overall, this was the vacation of a lifetime. The boys still talk about the things we saw and did in Orlando, and I think they will love it even more when we go back. We had a great time spending time with GiGi and PaPa, and Uncle Joe, Aunt Katie and Ella. Seeing Ella's reaction to the whole experience, particularly the princesses, was priceless. It was exciting, over-stimulating, exhausting and exhilarating, and more than anything, it was everything we hoped it would be.

Christmas Wishes

This past Christmas (yes, I realize it was over a month ago), we entered a new era in our own personal Christmas tradition. This was the 4th Christmas for the boys, and this year we reached a milestone. I'm sure you are dying to know what this benchmark was. Did we reach the 200 mark on Hot Wheels cars? Did we set a new record on Christmas spending? Did I manage to survive on eggnog and candy canes or 25 days straight? No, it was nothing dramatic, but it does change things from now on.

For the first time, the boys actually ASKED for something for Christmas. As soon as all the turkey from Thanksgiving was put away and we had pulled all of the decorations from the attic, the Christmas advertisements started rolling in. Toys 'R Us, Target, Walmart. Every Sunday brought a new barrage of colorful, multi-page ads filled with just about every toy you can imagine: remote control gadgets, video games, riding toys, Disney toys, toys from cartoons I have never even heard of, girls' dolls dressed like prostitutes (sorry, Bratz, that is pretty much what you look like). For the first time, the boys pored over these catalogs and carefully examined each toy as if they were walking the aisles of F.A.O. Schwarz.

All of this perusing finally led to the big moment: The Christmas Wish. And what did they ask for? A blue S.U.V. At first, I was disappointed because we already have so many toy cars and trucks, we look like a miniature car lot. But the more they described it, I started to realize this was a toy they could actually ride on and not just another toy car. Gina and I already had something in mind for the boys, and we had to discuss this sudden change of plans a little bit. After some going back and forth, we decided that Sam and Nate would only be little boys once, and we went ahead with the purchase.

I will skip ahead to the big day, and I think we were more excited than the boys were. We had rushed back from Shreveport on Christmas Eve so the boys could open their presents at the house, and when they woke up that morning the blue jeep was sitting in the living room. Nate was very excited and jumped right in. Sam was not feeling all that well (nor was I), so his enthusiasm was more subdued. After some driving around in the house, we learned two things. First, this was going to be a lot of fun and we were glad we went ahead and got it for the boys. Second, they have a lot to learn about driving. In that regard, this Christmas is just a glimpse into what we can expect in about 13 years. For now, I much prefer the small plastic car that is driven on the sidewalk.

Christmas Joy

[kml_flashembed publishmethod="static" fversion="8.0.0" movie="http://www.curbyalexander.net/family/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/my_gallery.swf" width="640" height="480" targetclass="flashmovie"]

[/kml_flashembed]

As you can see from the photos, the boys have really been enjoying the Christmas season this year. We started things off with their Christmas program at school, which was very cute, but it ended kind of quickly. It took us about 20 minutes to get the boys dressed and slicked back, 10 minutes to get there, and the program was about 15 minutes. When I consider the alternative, I am grateful for a short program.

The next big activity was the boys' Christmas party at school. They got to have pizza for lunch, which is something they don't eat very often. By the time I got to the school, they had already eaten two pieces each, and Nate was on his third. After they ate, the class worked on making a craft with pipe cleaners and beads. Sam and Nate each made a candy cane ornament, which they promptly put on the tree when they got home. Their favorite part of the party was when they got to decorate their own cookie with frosting and other goodies. It was a lot of fun watching them put their cookie together then eat it. I was hoping they would ask the parents to join in, but I just got to watch this one.

The next day, the boys wore their PJ's to school because they were going to be watching The Polar Express. They were sick last year and missed this activity, so  they were looking forward to seeing this movie at school this year. I have to confess, we own this movie and they have seen it about a dozen times. But there is something special about watching it at school with all of your friends and wearing PJ's.

Today, we decided to take a trip to Sundance Square in downtown Fort Worth to see Santa. We had heard he took a break from his work to visit some children in Texas, and we wanted to see him before he had to head back to the North Pole to finish all of the toys. Sam and Nate took a few pictures with old Saint Nick, then he asked them what they wanted to for Christmas. Their answer is always the same: a blue SUV. I hope Santa was taking notes because the boys are pretty serious about this one. One funny thing I noticed about this Santa is that he had a Texas accent. Never knew that about the old guy. After we visited Santa, we went to a pizza place for dinner. We took one last look at the lights then headed home.

I know we will have a lot more memories before this holiday season is over, but things are off to a good start.

All Family

[kml_flashembed publishmethod="static" fversion="8.0.0" movie="http://www.curbyalexander.net/family/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/cousin_weekend_decembe_2011.swf" width="640" height="480" targetclass="flashmovie"]

[/kml_flashembed]

This is the phrase the boys use when everyone from our family is together. Typically we will mention to the boys that we are about to go see <<insert family member>>, and the boys will respond, "Is it going to be all family?" Well, last weekend was definitely "all family." We started out on Friday with Kendall and Zach coming to our house to spend the night. After playing for awhile and eating dinner, we went to Northwood Church for the Journey to the Manger. They had a live nativity, snacks and crafts for the kids, and a real petting zoo. I think the animals were everyone's favorite part. We came home and the boys went to bed while everyone else stayed up and watched A Christmas Story. Needless to say, I slept through most of it.

The next day we hung around the house during the morning and early afternoon. The boys loved playing with their cousins in the house and at the park. Later that afternoon, Uncle Tommy, Aunt Carol and Kierra, as well as Granny and Granddad, came over and we all went to a Mexican food restaurant in Fort Worth to celebrate Granddad's birthday. We had a great time enjoying wonderful food, conversation and time with each other. Afterwards, we came back to our house and ate birthday cake and opened presents. The boys still think that they need to help other people open their presents, which is kind of funny. Granddad was a good sport. After a very fun weekend, everyone loaded up and went home. We crashed.

It was a very eventful and fun weekend, and it got us excited about Christmas and all of the fun events we have coming up. It also made us want to stay in on Sunday and rest. Which we did.

Thanksgiving Weekend

[kml_flashembed publishmethod="static" fversion="8.0.0" movie="http://www.curbyalexander.net/family/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/november-20111.swf" width="640" height="480" targetclass="flashmovie"]

[/kml_flashembed]

This Thanksgiving Gina, the boys and I spent a few days in Garland with Gina's family. We also made some visits to see the Garland Gooches while were in the neighborhood.

The long weekend started with us going to Gina's parent's house on Thanksgiving morning. The boys were all decked out in their new sweater/shirt combo that we bought for a Christmas picture (that has yet to happen), and they looked pretty dapper if you ask me. I was pretty excited to get there, as well, especially for all of the delicious food. The first thing I saw when I walked in the door was my favorite strawberry jello salad, and I knew it would be a good day.

After spending some time playing and watching football, we sat down for lunch. We all went around the table to told everyone what we were thankful for. What I wanted to say is that I am thankful for strawberry jello salad, but I thought that might not set a good example for the children. I wish I had thought ahead to record everyone's comments, but I was too focused on the food.

We spent the rest of the day watching the Cowboys play, napping, playing, visiting and eating some more. After everyone went home and the house was quiet, we all crashed pretty hard.

On Friday, we went to Mayberry Gardens to visit Big Daddy, then we swung over to Uncle Clay and Aunt Gail's house to see them for a little while. Hal and Jessica both stopped by while we were there, and it was great to catch up with them. Jessica had just returned from her first round of shopping, which started at 6 a.m. That is real dedication! We went home so the boys could have a nap, then we took Granny and Granddad out for dinner that evening. For the second night in a row, we crashed once we hit the bed.

On Saturday, we wrapped up the festive weekend by heading out to Cedarbrake Farm for my Uncle John's annual Wing Ding. We had a great time catching up with folks we don't get to see very often, and the food was amazing. The boys loved playing with all of Callie Kay's toys, which was good because it was too cold and muddy to have a hay ride. By the time we packed up and headed back to Garland, we were all beat. We loaded up all of our stuff at Granny and Granddad's house, and made the final stretch to our house.

The entire week was a lot of fun, and we can't wait for Christmas to roll around so we can start the celebrating all over again.