Only with kids

How did that get there?

The cats could probably tell. Then again, they may be hiding in terror.

Bike-Go-Round

This is a real thing?

Certainly looked like fun!

Martha or Mary?

Life stays busy around here.

After work on Monday, I had an hour before I needed to pick up Shane.

I:

• Made tea.
• Called my allergist about my serum.
• Checked the bank accounts
• Made a new online account for our mortgage (it was sold to a different company)
• Checked with Carrie to get the confirmation # (they had her phone, not mine)
• Replied to Emily about moving out
• Picked up
• Emptied the dishwasher
• Collected Shane's library books
• and cleaned up cat throw up (took 2 seconds on hardwood, but it makes the list look longer!)

I don't say this to brag, but to bring up a point: Sometimes I wonder if I've become too much of a Martha.

The New Testament tells the story of Martha and Mary. Jesus came to visit. Mary sat with him, and Martha ran around to take care of everything and everyone. When Mary didn't help her, Martha asked Jesus to tell her to help.

So far, it makes perfect sense to me. Why shouldn't Mary help? Extra hands means done quicker. It's more fun to work with someone else, too. Once they're done, Martha and Mary would both get to listen to Jesus.

Jesus goes a different route.

41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one.[a] Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:41-42 (NIV)

Jesus didn't need or care that everything was arranged perfectly. He was more concerned with people, and Martha should have been more concerned with him than the list of things 'needed' to be done. We cannot be saved by works no matter how hard we try and whatever we accomplish - Only by grace (Ephesians 2:8).

The takeaway - Focus on what's really important. Don't get distracted by a million other things.

Yet it seems like there are always a million other things to do (see my list).

I like to work. I like to get things done. I want to be reliable. Especially for my family. Acts of service is a primary love language for me and I view it as a father/husband's job to lead by serving. It gives me the energy I need to do what I do.

Work is a good thing (it's Biblical!). I sleep well at night (Eccl 5:12!), but I want to make sure I don't lose sight of what's really important.

Just something I think about. I probably thought about it more this week, because I was too busy to write for a while. There's more to do than can ever be done (Lion King).

Then I write this and wonder if I put enough thought into it! Oh, Irony!. You're proof God has a sense of humor.

Barn Call

Shane and I accompanied Carrie to the barn on Sunday. It's the closest he's going to get to owning  a dog!

I hope all of the animal exposure will help teach him empathy. We wore out Calvin with fetch.

Meanwhile, Carrie went to Ponyville. If Pixel and Carrie didn't tire, she would have stayed there until the sun went down. Carrie loves her pony.

Shane got to sit in Pixel's saddle for the first time, too. I don't have a picture, because I was holding him while Carrie led Pixel back up to the barn. Carrie says Pixel is too green for him to really ride yet.

She's working on it.

Soccer Season Kicks Off

Soccer season started Saturday! We were ready!

As was the rain.

Toughness training.

We arrived early and ran around. Each field was assigned an animal and broken into mini-fields. Each mini-field had a colored t-shirt on the goals. Shane's a Navy Blue Elephant.

There was a group introduction before practice started. A program manager asked for volunteers. Shane didn't want to go out at first, but the words "blob tag" pulled him off the sidelines later.

It was love at first "blob."

Then came practice.

Shane was thrilled to run around with his teammates before it started.

But he had trouble when structure was added.

With a lot of encouragement (and the occasional shove) Shane got with the program.

It's hard work learning to be part of a team! I worked hard to stay positive and keep Shane on the field. He's sensitive.

One warm-up the coach asked the kids to dribble their ball to him. Then he'd kick it away. They retrieve, rinse, wash, repeat, and everyone's warmed up (and practicing dribbling).

It was also merrily chaotic. Shane kicked the ball while the coach turned away. The ball overshot and Shane stood ready. When the coach didn't kick his ball, Shane's shoulders slumped. "I don't want to play anymore."

I resisted the urge to yell "Go get it! Try again!" Instead, I asked "Do you know why the coach didn't kick your ball?" Shane shook his head. "He didn't see it and it was too far away. Kick it closer and he'll kick it this time."

It worked. Shane finished the first half of practice strong. When they played blob tag, he was in heaven. If there was a professional blob tag league, he'd join. Shane would have been happy never to play soccer again.

Which was ironic, because everyone gathered to play soccer next. Drill was over, and it was game time.

The kids looked like this:

Shane looked like this:

Someone kicked the ball before he could. Shane cried and refused to run around with the other boys and girls. He doesn't do well with competition when he's not clearly winning. I made him stay on the field and attempted to boost morale ("Stay with your team!" "It's fun to run!" "Your friends need you!").  He probably thought I was torturing him.

At the end of the game, everyone lined up to shake hands. Shane.....Shane hung back.

I ran out and made him walk with me to shake a few hands ("We always show respect!").

Then Coach brought out snacks and all was right with the world. His daughter offered Shane extra.

It was good to end on a high note. Shane and I explored the park and the playground while everyone else jammed the roads.

He napped very, very well!

My Life

Carrie told me to post this.

I don't know who made this, but the hair colors match and everything. 

Pop Rocks!

They gave out Pop Rocks as party favors last Saturday. Shane was a fan!

Mama Bear

Some things are funnier in retrospect. Shane had a small accident on the swing-set at Kim and Ryan's. 

Scrapes happen. May he live long and prosper.

There were lots and lots of bumps and scrapes in my family growing up. We were a rough lot. My friends and I would try to make Matt laugh whenever he got a bump, so he couldn't rat us out. Normally, it worked, too (he has one fantastic scar on his arm he convinced Jama was from a knife fight...). Megan and Kathleen weren't nearly as innocent as the normally appeared, either.

Carrie's family: Not so much. They were a lot calmer. They successfully kept glass in the house!

She wasn't too thrilled to hear how he got hurt.

A week later, the scrape was gone. Kids heal quick.

Babies and toddlers require constant protection. Shane's at the age where he needs the bruise to teach natural consequences. If he doesn't learn now, he'll do something stupid when he's older with more ability to hurt himself and less ability to heal. We need to be there to keep him out of the hospital, but it's a tough sell for Carrie at times. I'm probably too loose at others. It's not an exact science.

Carrie saw the video and laughed about it. She got past her initial reaction quickly. You can see her shifting gears to the white pumpkin before I cut the feed. I didn't want to post the video without her permission, though. I buried it a little ways back in the feed, too. I like to chronicle things, but sometimes time needs to pass. It was an honest reaction of a loving mama bear. 

I do pity the fool who ever tries to mess with her cub on purpose. 

The Siren's Call

Another Kickstarter campaign caught my eye. I've been watching and rooting the guy on. He's been a long time part of the online LOTR LCG and Boardgame Geek community.

I didn't buy in, but I almost did. The idea of helping someone fulfill a creative dream that's been a long time in the making is super tempting. It's more tempting than the product itself (and the product looked pretty slick!).

In the end, the guy was on course to make it and I didn't need another game. If he was one person away I would've prayed hard about whether or not I should chip in. I got swept up in the excitement and learned my lesson the last time.

And yet, there will be others. The creator of another universe from my childhood is about to launch a Kickstarter. He's delivered previously. That's worth a peek isn't it?

Emily's Exit

Emily gave her 30 day's notice on Saturday. The professor she works with is going on a retreat and asked Emily if she'd tend to his house. We're sad to see her go, but it sounds like a great opportunity.

We have not decided on our next step yet. We're going to wait to go down, clean up, and poke around before we advertise, upgrade, or set up a room of our own.

First Preschool Birthday Bash

Grayson turned four last week. His parents threw a party! A superhero themed one (if it wasn't obvious!).We went! 

I thought it was brilliant. Grayson's mom said she found it on Pinterest, but there's a big difference between having an idea and pulling off an idea! 

Carrie met Grayson's parents for the first time on Monday. She had to pick Shane up from school later than usual (car problems). Shane and Grayson were best buddies when she arrived. Shane even tried to climb into Grayson's car "for a play date" (his words). 

A birthday bash makes for one wild play date. Step 1 was to make a cape.

Absolutely, awesome.

A star fell off at home. When Mommy tried to put it back on, Shane was very specific. "The S has to be in the middle and the stars go around it. The flash is on the side!" He put some thought into the design!

After capes, it was general play time. There were lots of kids, lots of chaos, and lots of fun.

I liked a sign the family had on the wall:

Actually, I liked a lot of their decorations. They had another one about "Home is Where the Army Sends Us" and some Bible verses. Grayson's Dad is a Ranger and his mom is getting her Ph.D in nursing if I remember right. There was a lot of going on.

Sometimes too much for Shane.

Grayson's mom gathered all the kids upstairs for "Superhero Training." She had them do exercises, hit balloons, and some other stuff. I don't know what that other stuff was, because Shane retreated downstairs. He moped about before he rejoined the group later.

Then, when they left he said he was too tired to play and his stomach hurt.

I told him that if his stomach hurt he'd miss out on cake. He got better fast.

The next scheduled event was an egg hunt. The big eggs had ninjas. Grayson's mom traded pencils to anyone with a ninja.

After the egg hunt, the kids went on a "bad guy hunt." Each superhero got a can of silly string and hosed down pictures of bad guys in the trees. Grayson's dad, Taylor, came out in a cape and stormtrooper mask and they got him, too.

Finally, there was the cake. I had to make sure Shane didn't help blow out the candles.

Shane was a little bummed when he grabbed a piece from the vanilla side,...

...but he had no qualms about the frosting. He went home with a blue tongue.

The party thinned out some. Shane, Grayson, and Owen (another boy from Shane's class) played outside together.

They ran all up and down the yard together.

After two hours, I was wiped out. The party was organized pandemonium! Kids ran and screamed and played in every direction. Many good memories were made! Shane cried when I put him in the car, but I could tell he was wiped out. We watched a couple of 3-2-1 Penguins episodes when we got home to come off the excitement high. 

I bet Shane went to school today (Monday) ready to see his friends. 

Chapters

We set a record today. Shane listened through his first chapter book today.

It had a tornado on the front. Pretty epic for a four year old!

The chapters were short enough to keep Shane interested. The occasional pictures helped, too. Maybe Shane and I will look for more when we hit the library next. I never read any from this series as a kid, but I shelved enough to know there's a lot to choose from.

Kim and Ryan's New Locale

Shane and I drove 80 miles to visit Kim and Ryan's new house. They moved into their new house at the end of August. Now, they're closer, but in a different direction. Ryan started a new job as a band director.

According to Shane, there were two highlights:

1) The fuzzy toilets,

and 2) the riding lawn mower.

Honorable mention: The cat door and litter system in progress (I scared Shane when I grabbed his arm on the other side!).

But the fuzzy toilets...

...and the riding lawn mower were definitely the main attractions.

Mostly the mower. Uncle Ryan drove Shane up, down, and all around. Then he let Shane steer (Brave man).

Aunt Kim took Shane for a spin, too.

We spent a good portion of our day outside. At least two rabbits had to run for cover.

When we retreated inside, Shane played with the kitties, Buster and Berry, and watched some Little Einsteins (Ryan had to turn off his House Hunters!).

Shane and I said farewell at nap time. We had a birthday party to attend at three. Shane snoozed the whole way back!

It was a good day to go and visit. We could have stayed home and watched cartoons, but I want Shane to grow up with a "People first" and "Family matters" mentality.

Besides, driving a riding mower is way cooler than TV!!!

(At least, when you're four. Teenagers who have to mow may say otherwise.)

How to Enjoy Shopping 101

If trees are outdoor puzzles, shopping carts are indoors ones.

I can't tell you how many times I've sat around up front either coming or going. Shane marveled at the hinges and how the cart opened from the bottom the other day. Carts fascinated me as a kid, too.

Carrie and I have very different shopping cart policies. Sometimes it gets me in trouble.

Carrie's philosophy:

The 15-35 lbs is optional. Carrie prefers Shane in the seat over running off aisles at flank speed.

My philosophy:

Any bruises are a learning experience. 

Shane's learned:

• Don't climb on the front end of the tiny double-decker carts. They tip.
• Don't grab wheels. It wasn't as instinctive as I figured.
• Don't let your fingers get pinched playing with hinges.
• Daddy won't go if his son tries to stand on the roof of the car attached to some carts.
• The cart moves again when the son gets down (or is removed).

What I really need him to learn is "Don't try to apply Daddy rules when Mommy's shopping."

There's a time and a place for everything! Learning when and where which rules apply is another puzzle (and a life skill).

Climbing Dude

Trees are a great physical and mental puzzle for a kid. My siblings and I loved to climb. Shane carries on the tradition.

I call out all sorts of helpful (and mandatory) advice. "Keep your weight near the trunk!" "I want three points of contact! Two hands and one foot, or two feet and one hand!" "Don't break the branches! Feel if it bends!"

I hang close as a safety. Shane dangled from a stuck ankle for a moment on one early attempt to swing up. He's learned since.

PS - Carrie cringed as she read that last paragraph. I can't predict when or where she will, but I know it happened!

Size 9 Shoes to Fill

Two feet, one shoe. Shane pogo'd around until Carrie stopped him! I didn't help. I was too busy laughing and taking a picture.

Shane-Day Event

I can't believe I didn't post these earlier.

Shane met Pixel a while back (Did I ever post more about her?). After the introduction, Shane and I did what we normally do: Run around.

I took a video and pulled some screen shots. It's much less blurry that way.

With Carrie's coaching, he'll hit prelim level in no time!

Shane and I have visited the barn and Pixel multiple times since. We tried to see if she'd let him ride one time. She shied away whenever I picked him up, though. It's on the to-do list as "at a later date."