They See Me Riding...

My friend, John, works at a library. He told me they were hosting a small motorcycle exhibition on Saturday, so Shane and I made the trip. We picked up Nana along the way, and the rest is history.

It turns out, Shane likes motorcycles. He clung to the purple and orange chopper. He pushed the horn on the boss hog's blue Harley. He showed zero interest in the police bike even though it flashed it's lights and blew it's siren.

That was a bit of a headscratcher, but the rest of it was fun!

Daniel's Birthday Party

Saturday was Daniel's birthday party! There was a big cake with a layer shaped like the number two and lots of kids running around.

Shane ran around and played his heart out. I had a small-world moment by bumping into a teacher from my HS/MS who used to work at my current school. She even talked about how she wanted her 7th grad daughter to go there! Too funny.

But the funniest moments of the night came from Shane.

He ran under Daniel's play-set and planted not one, but two brown bombs in the first 40 minutes of the party. Shane's 4 for 5 on playground visits this week. He dropped a deuce under Daniel's play-set on Friday night and another at Chick-Fil-A on Wednesday. The only place he didn't poop was the church playground (hallowed ground?)

Michael joked that he should put up a "Shane's Port-a-potty sign" and maybe charge per drop.

Thankfully, we're right across the street. It was easy to take Shane home to change him without a horde of children running amok. I took Shane home when I wanted to do my business in peace, as well.

Later, I pulled him aside. "I think your backyard has a special effect on us McRuari boys. Shane went twice tonight and I had to go home to take care of my business."

Michael laughed. "Well, you know how to get in our backyard. Just clean up if you make a mess!"

Carrie, Hero of Fuzzy-Tailed Rats

"Mike, I have something I need to tell you," she said.

"What is it?"

"I have a pair of baby squirrels in the car with me. I didn't want to surprise you."

I wouldn't have been very surprised anyway. That's how my wife rolls!

While Carrie was running her volunteer appreciation event, she stumbled across a pair of "severely dehydrated, five-week old squirrels." They were at the age they "had just opened their eyes recently" and "were big enough to fit in the palm of [Carrie's] hand!"

Naturally, my wife wasn't going to leave them behind.

Squirrels aren't high on my lists, but I am morally opposed to ignoring a problem you notice. Life is precious, so it shouldn't be wasted. I'm very proud of Carrie. She saw the problem, she didn't wait for someone else to own it, and she did what was necessary to solve it. She even drove 45 minutes one way back in the direction she'd come from to take the babies to a squirrel rehabilitation 'facility.' 

A job well done!

Personally, I would have been torn. Baby squirrels are cute. They're intelligent (like a rat) and can be social. 

On the other hand, I'm not a vegetarian.  

"Do you know a recipe for squirrel gumbo?" Pop asked. 

Carrie heard him over the phone. "I'm not answering that," she deadpanned. Jama, Pop, and I all had a laugh.

I prefer my meat raised to adulthood. It feels wrong to deprive almost anything of their childhood (mosquitoes and crickets that bother me are clear exceptions). 

My only regret from the whole incident: Shane and I never got to see the squirrels. 

Shane fell asleep at Nana and Pop's and by the time he woke up, Carrie was in full rescue mother mode. Carrie did run the squirrels across the street to Daniel's birthday party before she rushed them out. They were a big hit! There's apparently a picture of Daniel's dad, Michael, holding one of them.

Oh well. I don't think this will be the last time my wife's maternal instincts kick in. I'm sure there will be other animals in our future, too!

Why Does Shane Love Going to Nana and Pop's so Much?

You tell me!

A Random Video

I'm feeling tired tonight, so here's a random video from Friday:

Daniel and Shane running in circles.

Aren't little boys hysterical? May they always play so nicely together!

Thirsty

Shane needs to drink more.

His allergies are kicking in again. The nose is running; the nighttime coughs are putting me on edge. He's roused himself by coughing and/or gagging on snot far too often for my liking.

Rule #1 of colds and allergies is: drink fluids.

Shane doesn't like to drink fluids when he's healthy. I've noticed it. Carrie's noticed it. Nana and Pop have noticed it, too. Shane's pee is almost always that dark "are you trying to dehydrate yourself?" yellow.

You can offer him milk, juice, water, or what have you and Shane typically shows minimal interest. He'll chug a Capri Sun from time to time, but a boy cannot live on pouch drinks alone.

He's the total opposite of me: I love to drink. I dislike eating unless I have a glass nearby. I'm constantly sipping on coffee, water, tea or juice. I drink a 20 oz cup of coffee and milk on the way to work, refill it with water, and carry it around with me from classroom to classroom (and I leave it in the oddest places more often than I'd like).

I called Pop today to say "Hi," and somehow managed to bring up Shane's disinterest in drinking. He agreed, and then he said something profound.

Chocolate milk.

A great idea can be anything, can come from anyone at anytime and from anywhere. You just have to not be open to it and not so prideful as to think you have all the answers yourself.

The idea resonated with me and Shane and I bought a half gallon of chocolate milk on the way home. I'm going to see if the great idea leads to great success tomorrow. Otherwise, we're going to do a boys trip to Costco for more juice pouches.

Shane needs to drink more!

More Baking

Carrie's baking frenzy started around the time of her new job, then there was her work competition and it hasn't let up since.

From my wife's Facebook page:

"Newest creation: The Snickers Cupcake! 

Dark chocolate cupcake cored out and filled with a creamy caramel and salted peanut filling. Then dipped in tempered chocolate and then topped with a peanut butter and nougat buttercream. Finished off with chocolate sauce and Snickers bar shavings."

I snatched one the moment Shane and I got home.

My wife is a cupcake GENIUS. I was a big fan of the mocha and french toast cupcakes, but this one may be my wife's best concoction yet. After one bite, I grabbed a big glass of milk, a lactaid pill, and hid around the corner from Shane.

I did not want to share.

Besides, Shane had milk and cookies for PM snack at school. He got a cookie from Harris Teeter on the way home, too. That's plenty of sugar for a little boy.

I gave another to Daniel's parents, but the last few are in the refrigerator calling to me as I write this. Carrie's reserved them.

I hope I can restrain myself.

Carrie's Career

The position Carrie wanted is going to be advertised.

It's not the end of hope, but it's not the quick and easy transition we hoped for.

My wife plans on applying, but the process is going to take time. She wanted to start as soon as possible, so that she could be at home during the day and see Shane more.

Currently, Carrie works four 10-hour days. By the time she gets home, Carrie is tired and hungry, it's Shane's bed time, and she doesn't get enough Shane time in to her liking. The next morning, Shane rides away to daycare early with me and the process repeats.

The new position would allow Carrie to be at home with Shane during the day. I could take over night duties three nights a week (technically a cut-back for me!), and we could stop shelling out for daycare.

The next step is to apply. I told Carrie that I didn't think advertising the position was an indication from her managers that she wasn't qualified. She's only worked in her current position for four months. Her organization may not feel like it owes her a guaranteed slot yet. Or perhaps someone else in the organization wanted to slide into a position before and they already set the precedent of advertising the position regardless.

Organizations tend to like their processes.

I don't think anything is going to happen very quickly. It's taken a month for them to tell Carrie, "We're going to advertise."

I do know that my wife brought cupcakes for the woman who's leaving today! One of the head honchos said they were the best cupcakes he'd ever had in his life.

Carrie needs to write "Cupcake Genius" on her resume.

A Duh!

Apparently, I can't read a clock. I got caught up talking to several teachers at work, thought it was 4:30 PM and rushed out the door to get Shane.

I thought there was something wrong with my car when the clock said 3:30 PM. I pulled out my phone next and thought "When is daylight savings time?"

It was a gift. It was like I discovered an hour sitting around unused and claimed it! 

Reflection Questions

Every night, I ask Shane to tell me about his day before we say prayers. My goal is to get Shane to reflect.

It normally goes like this:

Daddy: "What did you do today?"

Shane: "I share with Conner Borg at school!"

It doesn't matter if it's Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, or Whateverday: Shane's reply is consistent.

He says it on days he wakes up at Nana's house and skips school; he says it on days there is no school and I take him to the library. He must have answered my questions that way once, it must have been correct, and I must have made a big deal out of it.

Oops.

It's the universal answer now!

I've learned to ask more specific, leading questions. Sometimes, Shane is spot on. He remembers what he did and tells me. Other times he supplies a different "universal answer."

"Where did you eat with Nana today?" or "Where did Shane and Daddy go after school today?"

Universal answer: "Subway"

"What did you do in school today?

Universal answer: "I share with Conner Borg!" or "Lorenzo hit me!" (which he's told me on days where Lorenzo isn't even in the building. Once again, I think it happened once and Shane's said it since. Trust me, I watch!).

"What day is today!"

Universal answer: "Tuesday! I want Subway!"

I'm pretty sure that last answer is more wishful thinking than anything else!

Shane has grown more intricate in his answers. He still has his catchphrases and almost standardized responses, but sometimes he says the funniest sentences when I least expect. He's usually on topic and spot on. Last night, he told me that he went to school, we went to get pizza, we played with trucks, and we played at Daniel's house. I wish I could think of some of the other times he's made me stop and laugh, but none come to mind. I'll have to add them in if I they come back to me!

Driveway Times

Shane LOVES Fall evenings. We sit on the driveway and play with trucks for hours. He calls the blue truck "Blue Hauler" and the green truck from Cars "Green Hauler" like they're out of Mighty Machines.

Shane uses the blue truck. He makes me use the green. The trucks like to say "Hi _______ Hauler!" to each other and share gasoline. Shane discovered he can roll them down the hill, too.

Sometimes the trucks "fly" when he picks them up and runs around.

A Date With the Scrapyard

Dan came by and installed the new hot water heater on the 16th. The old rust bucket (pictured above) didn't want to empty properly, so we waited a day. After enough 8.3 lbs gallons went down the drain, we hauled it up and out.

I want to take it to the scrap yard. I called and they'll take it, but they prefer if there's no water in it.

Well, it's been a week, the valve is open, and nothing else wants to come out. Dan told me that there would be "junk" clogging it, but I half hoped time would fix it.

It didn't, so now I get to break things.

That's FUN!

I love seeing how things work. I love solving problems. I love pulling out tools and getting hands on. Mix all of those together and you have highly preferred Mike work.

My next door neighbor, Lisa, pulled up as I was getting ready to go to town. She's mechanical too, and offered up a mini-sledge for extra muscle.

First, I tried flipping the tank over to see if anything would drain out the top.

Nope.

Second, I used a chisel to make a mark and then hammer a screwdriver in the side to see if it was an easy puncture.

The outer layer is thin, but the core is a little tougher. I could have drilled it, but I didn't want to make a huge mess if there was any refrigerant or coolant I didn't know about. Plus, it would have been work to look up schematics or fetch the drill.

Finally, I used Lisa's sledge and knocked off the front valve.

I found that "junk" Dan was talking about. I jammed a screwdriver around to clear out the hole some, but as you can see it's still less than pretty. No more water drained out.

"Good to know that's what you were drinking!" Lisa joked.

I gave it a quick try, and I'll just take it to the scrap yard as is. Maybe the liquid I'm feeling move around is coolant or something else. Maybe it's water. I don't really care. It was fun to poke around and I can show the scrap yard guys I fiddled with it. They probably charge a flat rate for reclamation anyway.

Good times! I was able to break something, check it off my to-do list, takes pictures, and throw up a blog post on it before leaving to get Shane from daycare. Great success!

Thank You Nana and Pop!

Shane spent the night with Nana and Pop tonight.

Carrie and I had a date night. We went to the Asian Mart and had a sukiyaki night. There were a couple of Dr. Who episodes and The Top 25 Countdown of Mythbusters before Carrie zonked out, so I could type this.

I'm sure Shane's enjoying himself, as well. Last we saw, he was playing with Magic Sand on Nana and Pop's driveway with them cheering him along. 

Thank you very much, Nana and Pop! Carrie and I really enjoyed our time together, and we love it when Shane gets a chance to be reminded he's part of a bigger family than the two of us. I hope you saved up a lot of energy from a week off, because he's going to run you ragged tomorrow! 

Genevieve and Chris' Wedding

Saturday was the day.

After months of planning and work it was time to bring it all together. 

It was time for cupcakes and costumes.

I don't know how long the actual bride and groom planned things out, but Carrie was busy!

Chris and Genevieve decided to throw a masquerade wedding. It was held in their backyard and guests were asked to come in some sort of costume. There was a pirate, a belly-dancer, a civil war reenactor, a silver man, and all sorts of other fantasy creations.

I doubt I'll ever attend another wedding like it.

Genevieve and Chris met in person at a masquerade ball in California. They'd known each other online beforehand, but that's where the magic/bond happened. 

This time, they donned cape, cowl, mask, and dress to make it official in front of friends and family. That's Chris' dad in costume behind them! It takes a different kind of guts to pull off something out of the normal like this. I can imagine that a parent or a grandparent somewhere must have arched an eyebrow when they heard the plan. It was a unique night and I'm glad we participated.

Here's a pic of Carrie and I in our costumes. Chris has a love of duct-tape like any real male and my wife thought it would be hilarious to make my suit jacket and mask out of the beloved material. I was a little scared when she held up the mask to my face in one hand and roll of duct tape in the other. There was no ribbon to tie it, and Carrie looked creative. She ended up rolling the tape to make a cord. I lost no more than a few hairs that night, but it could have been much worse!

I wish there had been more God in the wedding (the whole ceremony took less than 10 minutes), butat least I know they'll take their vows seriously. You could tell Chris suddenly got nervous when he had to put the ring on Gen's finger! I don't think you get nervous like that without realizing the commitment it entails. May they have many shared years and many shared memories together!

The rest of the night was a ball....a masquerade ball! Literally! 

It was a lot of fun talking to new people and spending time with my wife. Everyone wanted to talk to Genevieve, but Carrie was able to nab a quick pic with her good friend!

It was a ton of fun. Carrie and I were glad we got to see our friends tie the knot. We ended up leaving around 9:15ish, because Carrie's foot hurt and we're not used to being that active and social at night anymore! I'm sure the reception went on for much longer.

The night will be one to remember! Congratulations to Chris and Genevieve! WOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

PS - The decorative "potion" party-favors they made based off World of Warcraft were hilarious. Carrie grabbed the one marked "Bloodwine," because she's a trekkie. I saw the "Water Walking" one, decided to make it a personal Jesus reference and nabbed it. Plus, I remember using that exact potion waaaaaay back when in WoW to explore. 

Carrie the Cupcake Queen

Carrie offered to make Genevieve and Chris' wedding cake months ago. She's played around and tested multiple recipes since.

When Carrie decides she's going to do something, she doesn't do anything half-assed.

Genevieve and Chris got to do taste tests whenever they visited us, and after some consultation Carrie decided to make them breakfast flavored cupcakes. It was the only range of flavors they could both agree they liked!

Our kitchen was stockpiled the weekend prior. Sunday was for experimenting. Friday was Round 1, and Saturday up until an hour before go-time was a frantic Round 2.

Everything turned out well! Carrie was ecstatic and she had every right to be. God let it all come together neatly.

There were four types of cupcakes:

French toast cupcake with maple frosting and a chocolate covered, candied bacon garnish
Matcha green tea cupcakes with a lemon/citrus frosting
Cinnamon roll cupcakes with a glaze frosting
Mocha-macchiato cupcakes with whipped cream and a caramel drizzle.

I don't know much about the techniques used (I'm next to useless in a kitchen), but I do know Carrie substituted coffee for water in her macchiato cupcakes. I'm all for adding caffeine to things!

On the side, Carrie made fruit tarts, chocolate covered strawberries and two flavors of mousse cups to accompany her cupcakes: dark chocolate and peanut butter.

As I said: my wife doesn't do anything half-assed. I call her my "Passion," because I love how she gets fired up and into things. Carrie even haggled at Home Goods for the shelves she wanted for her display and spray painted it on our driveway, too.

The cupcakes were a huge hit. Carrie's catering service learned two lessons: 1) have a label or display of what's in the cupcakes means you don't have to repeat yourself all night (not that Carrie minded...she boiled with enthusiasm) and 2) if the room is really hot it will melt whipped cream and there's nothing you can do about it.

All-in-all, it was a wildly successful first attempt at catering. People kept asking Carrie if she was a professional. My wife's eyes beamed when someone ate a cinnamon roll cupcake and said "How did you do that? It takes exactly like a cinnamon roll!"

Shane and I enjoyed the leftovers at home.

I was only a little messier than he was.

Sick Kitty

Min and Shane make for a chatty pair. They're going to be cute pair growing up together...

...if Min makes it.

The Friday Nana, Pop, and Jama visited Min peed in a drawer full of Shane's underwear and socks.

All hands were lost.

Easy Night

Tonight was Carrie's late night, but it turned out to be an easy one.  The weather was gorgeous, so Shane and I spent the evening out on the driveway playing with trucks.

At one point, Daniel wandered outside with his mom. Shane yelled "It's Daniel!" Daniel saw Shane, and he dragged his mom across the street. Soon, the boys were playing and life was peachy keen.

Michael, Daniel's dad, got home from work and took over. We were going to take the boys to Chic-Fil-A, but Jessica, Daniel's mom, happened to drive off with both their child seats in her van. We ended up going over to Daniel's house and Michael cooked the boys chicken nuggets. We fathers spent the night talking and watching the boys play.

They were great together. We sat down in the kitchen and talked while the boys wandered back and forth dumping out cars and playing with toy trains. It was a far easier (and pleasant) night than I imagined. I really hope Shane ends up being fast friends with Daniel as he grows older like I became family with Billy and Daniel's family.

When Shane got cranky, we wandered home for bedtime. Carrie came home later and we just finished Season 2 of Dr. Who.

Have I mentioned that I love Fall?

That's a Mouthful

On Tuesday,a child bit Shane at day-care.

It was a solid bite, too. There was a red ring on his upper right chest visible hours later. It was mostly faded by the following morning, but there was still a small red line tracing the bottom of it.

Two to three months ago, Georgeanne mentioned that Shane didn't defend himself if another child took a toy. He'd bawl and tell a teacher and probably throw a fit, but he would not actively try to steal it back or hold on. Her notes coached us to practice with Shane to say "My turn!," offer a trade, and/or to stick up for himself without being aggressive. 

Tuesday, Georgeanne's report said "teachers report Shane is taking toys from other kids."

The incident report (from after she left) said Shane grabbed a truck from a 'friend' who got mad and laid the bite on him.

It's not the progress we were hoping for.

I talked to one of Shane's teachers the next morning. She said that some of the new kids with the new school year have been grabby. Shane's watched them and learned, sadly. Actually, his teacher seemed upset by the whole incident. She told me there were three adults nearby when the kids stormed over to the trucks and "it happened so fast!" 

I don't like that my kid got bit. As long as it doesn't happen again, though, I view it is a natural consequence. It does "happen fast" whenever something goes wrong. I've been there, done that.

No further bitings have occurred. It's exciting being the parent of a little one, no?

I Love Fall

There's a crisp, coolness to the morning air that grabs me when I step outside. It startles me to full wakefulness, and seems charged with promise. It makes me feel like something is about to happen. Something good. Something warm.

Often, the warm happening is literal. The afternoon sun rises high and warms air and skin without burning. A cool breeze complements and is greatly appreciated. Long sleeves worn in the morning are rolled up, and stay up until the coolness returns when light fades.

It feels natural to go inside and the cool air lets me pull out a big comforter to sleep under.

I love fall weather.

I love fall.

I love the start of the school year, the changing trees, the start of football, and the feeling of things to come. The falling leaves and the coming of winter should make fall feel like an ending. Instead, it feels like a time of new beginnings to me.

As a kid, each fall meant a fresh start. I like learning new things, and it wasn't (as) hard to wake up fos chool then. As an adult, it's still a different kind of fresh start. The honeymoon period is on. I've missed working, I'm fresh(er), and I'm ready to make a difference. The students are new and excited, the tests are low-stake/pre-tests, paperwork is minimal, and the workload is lessened. The late buses don't even start until the end of the first month. The weather was so nice during a fire drill, I rushed home after work to mow before picking up Shane.

Life has been busy this past week, but mostly for the better. There are always challenges woven in. Friday and Saturday were filled with Carrie baking and Genevieve and Chris' wedding. Sunday, Shane decided to produce another low-grade fever, and Dan came by to install the new hot water heater from way back when. He came by again on Monday to help me lift out the old one that was too stubborn to drain in less than a full day! Tuesday was filled with catching up on chores and taking Min to the vet; Wednesday the weather beckoned me to mow and Shane and I spent much of the evening outside.

Now, I'm trying to get back on track with my journals after falling behind for a week. Once I click "Publish" I'll be two journals back on track.

I love fall.

It's going to be interesting times up until that last great fall holiday, Thanksgiving.

You Were Throwing WHAT??

Wednesday night, Carrie and Shane were cuddled up on the couch. I was laying on the floor.

Bed time was fast approaching.

The TV was already off. I wanted to split the workload, so I asked Carrie to change Shane's diaper. I'd haul him upstairs.

My wife snuggled in next to Shane and poured on the cute. Shane, oblivious to her machinations, hugged right back.

Theoretically, I could have done both, but Carrie was closer. I grabbed a diaper and tossed it on the couch.

Carrie batted her eyes, but I resisted.

The diaper flew at me.

It missed wide. Surprised, I looked at my wife and saw two grins: Shane's ear to ear, and the corner of Carrie's hidden grin behind him.

Game on.

Carrie had thrown her one shot, but I was laying next to a bag of 'ammo.'

"First headshot loses!" I cried and started flinging. It was like we were kids again.

We laughed, we threw, and I scored. Carrie, ever persistent, didn't give up and more diapers flew.

Shane cackled throughout. It was a random, manic moment that left the whole family giggling as I carted Shane up to bed.

I hope the lesson he learned was "Mom and Dad really love each other and can find ways to play, and have fun with mundane items and random tasks."

If he learned "it's fun to throw diapers" we're screwed.

Twas a Good Night

I was on something of an emotional high driving home tonight.

I've always liked driving in the dark. The traffic is minimal, but moving; the dashboard and traffic lights glow and music fills the car. Shockingly, Shane was still awake in his seat even though it was already 9:00 PM. He melted onto me when I pulled him out of the car and carried him up to bed. 

I suppose Shane was on an emotional high, as well. He went to Jarrod's house today while I had Back To School Night. I let Jarrod in on a little secret (after he teased me about the Redskins losing and the Cowboys winning): Shane loves to watch garbage trucks on YouTube. Jarrod and Shane played around the house with the dogs and at the neighborhood playground until it got close to Shane's normal bedtime. Then Jarrod put Shane in front of a computer and made his week! Shane was still watching when I arrived to pick him up. Jarrod's mother returned home from a grocery run at the same time I did and insisted that Shane should have a bite or two of ice cream before he went home. She scooped him up and held him close for a couple of minutes before she let me have my son back. If her fiancee isn't careful Shane may cause her to want more kids!

What can I say? I have a lovable boy. Shane may butt heads and try to battle with me, but he's a charmer to everyone else! I love when people gush over him. Undeserved fatherly pride swells up and I can't help but smile. 

It means even more to me when it's people I care about who do the gushing and my tutor family certainly counts. They have a manic, excitable energy that reminds me of my own family growing up (large families are fun!).

Shane having a good time and being loved on helped make my night, but it wasn't the only reason I was on cloud nine. I had a few "small world" moments throughout the day. Several of my old students stop by to chat with me during the school day, and I bumped into a set of parents from six years ago that immediately recognized me. I bumped into several other parents of old students of mine throughout the night. They were all smiles and I got to feel like I made a difference. One of my boys from a few years ago even wrestled! I doubt I had much of an influence on that, but I usually say something about "if you really want to test yourself in high school..." every year. 

It was a good night.

Where was mommy during all this? Tonight was Genevieve's bachelorette party. Carrie RSVP'd before school started, so we didn't put two and two together that my back to school night was at the same time. That's why we had to have a babysitter pinch hit. I'm sure she's having a blast, and that's yet another reason to put me in a good mood. I'm looking forward to hearing how things went when we settle down for some much needed sleep.

A Typical Day

A typical day for me (2013):

6:15 AM - Wake up

6:18 AM - Wake up again

6:20 AM - Think about doing something since I'm up.

6:25 AM - Do it.

This can happen earlier or be accelerated if Shane wakes up early. The initial wake-up can be delayed to 6:25 AM before arriving-to-work-on-time anxiety boots me in the withers.

6:25 AM to 6:55 AM - Me: Put on clothes, make coffee, remember to grab badge. Wake up Carrie. Carrie often helps get Shane ready (potty, fresh diaper, food, and clothes), but if I manage to wake up early and coherent I try to let her sleep. She's been instrumental in getting me out the door all of this week.

7:00 AM to 7:05 AM - Drop Shane off at day-care. Try to avoid long conversations

7:05 AM to 7:30 AM - Constantly check the time and drive the Prius like I stole it....which means as slow as everybody else, because I don't want to cause an accident or get pulled over. I use a signal if I have to cut someone off.

7:30 AM to 4:00 or 4:15 PM - Check news, teach kids, stay sane, and get paid to make a difference or die trying.

4:30 to 4:45 PM depending on traffic - Pick Shane up from day-care. Tuesdays we go to Subway. Any other day we can stop at Harris Teeter, a playground, or go home. We don't go to playgrounds if it's over 90 degrees outside.

5:00 PM to 7:30 PM - Play with Shane. Try to shove some food in him. Hopefully, find something fun and cool to do, so I can be a good dad. I do my best to avoid using the TV unless I really, really, really need 24 minutes to do dishes or clean. That's the length of one Disney Jr show and enough to do a lot if used with a purpose. I can brew an evening cup of coffee to help power me until bedtime if needed.

7:30 PM - Turn on the TV. Carrie is either home, will be home soon, or it's a Tuesday or Thursday. She won't show up until after Shane goes down on those days. That's when her class to teach anger management and reduce domestic violence is.

8:00 PM - Final countdown. Bathroom break, final snack, attempts to poop and stall are made by Shane, and I try to get him to read a book with me.

8:15 PM to 8:35 PM - Bed time. If Shane is looking tired, I try to settle him down a little earlier. If Carrie's home she wants to snuggle with him on the couch and he gets to go to bed a little later. I take Shane up, ask him to tell me about his day, say a prayer, and kiss him goodnight.

8:35 PM to Bed Time -FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEDOM!

Which translates to Carrie and I having quality time to watch something on Netflix for about an hour (we're on Season 1 of the Dr. Who reboot since the first season of Enterprise didn't captivate). At the end of that hour, Carrie is either asleep on the couch, or pulling out her phone for Robot Unicorn Attack 2. I try to split my remaining wakefulness between chores, blogging, a quick game, and my reading. Ideally, I'm in bed by 10:00 PM, but I've been pushing it back to closer to 11:00 PM lately. Look at the timestamp on this blog!

Speaking of time: Carrie is zonked on the couch. I need to empty the house trash and roll the big one out to the curb. My next job is to sneak back in, lock up, and read. I ended up talking to John on Steam for a while and blogging took longer than expected.

It was a good day. 

It usually is.

Casualties

One model broke off at the legs and another had the base fall off. I put Shane on model restrictions until tomorrow morning, so their colleagues could mourn them properly.

They died with honor...

...at least until I buy some glue and put them together for round 2. Sorry boys! You ain't cashing in to the big toy box yet! No ETA on the glue, though. I was going to wait until Shane was a little older before I started building trains and terrain, but this could be an excuse to pretend to be artistic again.

Model Behavior

Thanks to that kickstarter I spent more money than I should have on, I started thinking about my old models. Carrie rearranged the furniture in Shane's room and found an unpacked box full of them. I pulled some out to reminisce and didn't put them away soon enough.

Shane saw them.

"Let's not play with Daddy's models, please. They break easy," I said.

Shane only saw them for a moment or two, so I hoped he would forget.

Nope. My sentence was burned into toddler memory. "I need models. I need to play with models!"

The models were hidden in the ex-guest/ex-office room where Shane's clothes dressers are. Shane found them while I was pulling out a fresh set of clothes and he was spellbound.

I couldn't say "No" when I saw how excited Shane was.

Half the pictures I tried to take featured blurs of fast moving models. The other half were mostly blurred little boys, but there were a few good ones of Shane examining finer details and shoving models into printers.

Yes, I spent hours painting them. Yes, they're breakable and more expensive than they should be. I cringed when Shane lifted a roll of painters tape over a bunch of the plastic ones. Maybe I'm more attached and proud of them than I should be.

However, they've been collecting dust in a box. My life was complete with them in the box, and my life would still be complete if they were broken or gone for good. In the meantime, my son was a ball of super-excited toddler-joy and that was enough to brighten my day.

Sorry, models! I hope they kid doesn't break ya! Shane's become quite attached to "Bubbles" and "Rocket." They're going to be a common sight in the living room until Shane loses interest.

I did sneak out a few pieces I spent a lot of time on to prevent a total Shane-tastrophe. I may get some practice with super glue before my Robotech models arrive for Christmas, though!

Pooping Out Progress

Monday night, Shane said "I need garbage trucks. I need to poop!"

Shane's getting with the program. I stuck him on the toilet and he went to work.

Ten to fifteen minutes later, he had a tiny turdlet slightly bigger than a garbanzo bean.

Carrie and I went ballistics. We hooped! We hollered! We cheered and cheered! Carrie gave Shane chocolate and I let him watch videos on Youtube with me.

Someone looking through the window would have thought my son accidentally scratched off all winning numbers on a lottery ticket. We made a huge production out of it.

Tonight, Shane tried again. He sensed bedtime was looming. I was getting ready to take him up and "I need garbage trucks! I want to poop!"

There was nothing to show for it ten minutes later, but progress is progress. Sitting on the potty and trying is the first step to a diaperless future!

A Different Kind of Church

Whenever we go to the 11:00 service, Shane likes to run around and tire himself out for bed time afterward.

Saved by a Toddler

Don't you hate it when you realize there's no toilet paper on the roll after you've already started your business? How much worse does it get when you realize there are no new rolls under the sink and you're trapped with your pants down?

Thank God, Shane was there. His whole life up until now was grooming to prepare him for my hour of need.

I called; he listened. 

Awkwardness avoided.

Hallelujah!

Next is mowing.

Family Visit

Friday, Jama, Pop, and Nana came to visit! Carrie ordered food from our favorite local Asian food restaurant. We even found a sushi roll Jama liked! It was a fried sweet potato in a rice roll with a sweet horseradish sauce - one of Carrie and I's favorites.

Shane kept insisting "Nana no visit here! I go to Nana-Pop's house," but he went bonkers with excitement when they arrived. As always, I love watching my son get that berserko happy. I love to see other people (especially family) getting just as happy and excited to see him.

I was also impressed when Jama scaled up and down the stairs to see Shane's room without issue. I guess she was trying to work off the sushi!

It was a good night. Carrie, Shane, and I were happy to share our home. Carrie and I were happy to share our son, too!

Yard update Fall 2013

I spent a large amount of my summer braving bugs and sunburns (lily-white Irish skin + red hair). I did not finish the yard to my standards, and the bugs, skunk, and groundhog ate a large haul of our crops, but I am pleased with how far the yard has come. 

I posted a bunch of pictures and left some comments on each. It gives you an idea of what our yard looks like. I'll add a few more of the side yard when I get a chance to photograph it.

Tuckered Out

Carrie's productive mode can wear her out. Max doesn't mind. She enjoys sleeping on her person.

Preparations

I would have caught up on some posting during Shane's nap, but I was busy posing. Genevieve and Chris' wedding is next weekend, and it's a masquerade ball.

Unconventional to say the least!

Then again, it also makes it interesting. I like people with strong interests. I like learning about new things. This wedding seems to fall in both categories. Carrie and I are looking forward to celebrating with our friends.

This morning was adventure/errand time. Carrie is in her highly creative mode. She's baking cupcakes, a groom's cake, and building our costumes from scratch. She made me stand still while she worked for over an hour during Shane's nap!

My wife has decided I look good in duck tape. I'm not entirely sure what that means, but it's on the cheap and original. It'll be neat to see what Carrie unveils by next Saturday!

IKEA Visit

Carrie, Shane and I went to IKEA for Labor Day. Shane got to crawl all over furniture, Carrie got to shop, and I got a work out chasing Shane! Thankfully, we got a free breakfast out of it.

IKEA rocks.

Daddy Dinner Take Two

Daddy cooked again. This time, I cut up a chocolate-chip bagel and smeared delicious peanut butter on it. Shane ate half and I ate everything he missed.

Update: No Fever!

Shane woke up Wednesday with no fever! 99.2 in one ear and 98.8 in the other. Thank you Nana-Pop-Pop-Indy-Jama for being willing to watch Shane if there was no projectile vomit! Carrie was (sorta) happy she got to go into work!

Feverish

Shane has learned to associate medicine with garbage trucks.

Several weeks ago, Shane began a two-week cold. The doctor said it could be allergies, but Shane shared. I blew out more snot for a week than I gulped down coffee (and that's an achievement). Carrie got zapped, as well. 

But I digress. Medicine has never been Shane's favorite. He would usually rather DIE than drink. However, God granted a small miracle through Grandma. When we were visiting, She coaxed Shane into taking some allergy meds by calling them "Grandma Juice." The name stuck. Carrie and I dosed Shane with "Grandma Juice" and we drank far more willingly than in recorded Shane history. It didn't hurt that we sweetened the pot with computer time.

Grandma juice worked for the orange-flavored allergy meds, but Shane came down with a fever last weekend (right before we were going to go out and see a bunch of people, too!). The ibuprofen we have is grape flavored and clearly NOT Grandma juice. Carrie and I tried calling it "Nana juice," but Shane wasn't fooled. We ended up having to do a little bit of runt wrestling, but Shane did accept the meds and keep it down once he realized it was futile.

Plus, he got to watch computer. 

Fast forward to tonight: it's almost bedtime and I wanted Shane to eat and drink something, so he wouldn't be hungry.

"Do you want a fruit bar?" 

"No."

"Do you want yougurt?"

"No."

"Do you want bread?"

"No. I want medicine!"

Huh?  "You want medicine?"

"I want medicine! I get garbage trucks!"

The boy learns. He ran to the couch and started bouncing and chanting. "Garbage trucks! Garbage trucks!" 

Shane was sick over the weekend. He woke up fever free, but in the 99s/low 100s Monday and today and he felt a little warm. I went ahead and checked his temperature (something else he normally doesn't like, but he was oh so willing when garbage trucks were on the line).

101.8 in one ear. 102 in the other. I would never have been able to tell from how he was acting, but I went ahead and gave him some fever meds. One, I want him to associate taking his meds with good things happening (especially if he ever gets really sick) and two, the better he sleeps the better I sleep! 

I hope Shane doesn't wake up with a fever tomorrow. I'll be praying for him to be cool and high-energy! Toddlers have to get a little sick from time to time to build up their immune system, but it's no fun for them or their worried parents. Plus, today was the first day of school. These are hard days to miss and Carrie doesn't want to get a rep for ducking out of work when she's thinking of shifting positions either. Shane's not acting very ill or showing any symptoms other than being warm to the touch. Maybe his body is mad he grabbed that day-old Capri Sun and got a quick slurp before I snatched it.

Life is definitely easier now that he wants the meds. The siren call of YouTube drives him to do things he would not otherwise do. Isn't that textbook addiction?  Ha! There's a reason I try to keep Shane's electronic usage around an hour each day.

The Married Thing

Carrie, Shane, and I had a fun morning. We visited Jama, ate breakfast and shopped at IKEA, and then we dropped by Nana and Pop's to play. Nana, Pop, Indy, and Jama missed Shane while they were at the beach and offered to let him stay with them for a bit.

Carrie and I came home to an empty house and immediately switched to married mode.

She broke out the tools and I vacuumed.

That's how it works around here at least! Carrie was gracious enough to split the IKEA furniture building with me and we watched some TV while we assembled. My wife switched to upgrading rooms and moving furniture and I threw in some laundry and cleaned.

Yup. There's nothing like a little alone time in a marriage! We spent the whole time Shane was going getting busy. BIZ-ZEE!

Call me weird, but it felt nice. It's the first day of school with students tomorrow and Carrie has to teach a night class, so it was great to get a lot of things out of the way. The house needed it, and Carrie's rearranging left a few rooms feeling brand new. I knew Shane was well taken care of, throughout.

Good day. There was adventure, family, adult conversation, some rest, and a productive feeling without feeling run down.

Maybe I'll rush upstairs after I post this, so we can do the next phase of the married life. You know, where we snuggle up next to each other, she turns on the TV, and I grab a book....

Room Upgrade (Shane's)

Carrie, Shane, and I went to IKEA today. Carrie snagged a few deals and got a few upgrade items for Shane's room.

We ended up moving the table away from the bed since Shane likes to play paratrooper.

Hammer Time

Shane grabbed a mallet I was using and took it for a stroll a couple of days ago. He carried it to the cul-de-sac before he lost interest and dropped it. Typically toddler attention span.

I didn't want to lose a good hammer, so I shoved it through my belt. I imagine I looked quite dashing walking around the neighborhood packing orange and yellow!

What do you do when you wander around with a hammer?

We decided to smash walnuts. It was a brainstorm on my part. It worked well, too.

I found out walnut fruits are really messy and stain your hands orange, so we moved on after bursting a few. Shane had a good time and I learned I don't want a walnut tree in my yard. 2 for 2!

Memory

I used to read to Shane all the time. He was more eager to eat the books back then.

Something must of stuck with him, though.  Shane asked me to read "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" to him after a long break from it. Part way through, he started "reading" the book to me!

Shane's exploits aren't limited to Eric Carle. He has an impressive memory. He's been "reading" to me for the past week or two and now I have proof.

The past couple of times I tried my phone was dead or nowhere to be found. Shane was proud to read for Mommy!

I did make one other try before that was ill fated.

Did you catch the end? "I'm wet, Daddy!" Shane was wearing big boy underwear and hosed himself. That's parenting!

I'm glad we managed to catch him in the act tonight!