O Captain! my Captain!

Carrie wanted to introduce Shane to a new horse today, Captain.

Captain is the new Korra. 

Korra had started to become more finnicky and even aggressive whenever Carrie worked with her. On several different occasions, Korra threatened to charge on the lunge and narrowly missed with a kick once when Carrie was trying to pick her hooves. Her behavior was consistent with a horse who had been drugged for a long time to be calm who was slowly going through withdrawal. We never had her blood checked when we bought her (just a vet check), so there's no way to be sure. 

However, Carrie rides for fun and not for work. Horses are large and can do some serious damage, so she made the difficult decision to re-home Korra rather than put herself at risk.

Captain is the new guy. He's young, but already social and has gone for a trail ride up a mountain. He's the most demonstratively appreciative horse I've seen when it comes to scratching.  

Shane was interested until he found a rope he could swing from. 

Here's how it went: "Who's this?" --> "I miss Korra" sad face --> smiles and pets new horse ---> "Can I swing from that?"

At least everybody was happy. I drove Shane to TKD after a bit, so Carrie could ride without her little monkey spooking the horses to stampede.

Our First CHS Football Game

Free food? Count us in! Shane and I went to a grill and chill before a home game on Friday. 

Shane immediately climbed to the top of the bleachers.

I let Shane play on my phone when the game started. One of my students was in the game, so I didn't want to leave until I'd seen him play some. We were ahead when we left. I checked the final score the next day and it turned out to be a win.

Games, Games, Games!

I refuse to play Monopoly Junior anymore. I don't really want to play Monopoly either. I guess it's a good thing I have so many other board games.

I'll play the occasional card game of War or Go Fish, but there are much much better games out there!

I introduced Shane to Imperial Assault earlier this week. He's got zero clue about tactics, but loves the models and making sound effects. I'm just glad I got to use it! I got it from a fantastic sale, but it was a shelf decoration up until this point.

The variety of games help me avoid the games I don't want to play. Shane's been so busy with school, activities, playing outside, and the new games he hasn't asked me to play Pokemon at home in weeks.

I did play the last time we went to League Night. We stopped by this week on the way to Costco. I didn't expect to see any kids there, but Dick and his grandson, Brett, were playing.

We ended up staying an hour.

I don't know how often other kids (or we) will show up to League Night this school year, but it's nice when it does work out.

Afterschool Friend

Shane was under a table when I tried to pick him up from school today. He kept saying, "Pika!" as a little girl passed him toy food. 

Her name is Charlotte. She's his trainer.

Mass Egg Production

The silkies decided they do like the round bin after all.

Three were crammed in after they ignored it for months. They must have wanted a change.

We're probably averaging 8 eggs a day. It's more than we can eat and more than our neighbors are asking for. Carrie had to post online. She found 'homes' for several dozen.

U8 Maroon's Season Starts

A new year, a new team. Shane's on the team that meets at his school instead of another.

There was definitely some recognition going on when we arrived. Then there was climbing.

When the kids all arrived, the coaches started by asking some questions. "Does anyone have a nickname they go by?

Shane raised his hand. "My dad calls me Stink-Butt!"

Shane loved the attention. He was a ham for the beginning of practice calling out and non-stop chattering. Later, he told the circle, "Sometimes I cheat."

I've been to his games. Give up? Yes. Cheat? He'd have to learn how. You'd think Shane was attention starved with how much he enjoys the spotlight sometimes.

He looked good when practice started, though. I don't know how much of it is being older and how much of it is his previous practice paying off.

The coaches split the kids up for 2 on 2 games. Shane scored a goal and tied his game 1 to 1.

He would have been happy with the tie, but the coach started overtime.

"No more overtime. I don't like it," Shane told the coach. Still, I thought he looked good. Way better than I thought he'd be.

He looked decent in the four on four game, too. Shane was in the game. He participated, he made an effort....I was very pleased!

It was an auspicious start to the season. I'll need to buy Shane some new shin guards and a soccer ball. All of ours went MIA.

Air Show No Show

Woohoo!!!!!

Aw, crap...

I've been wanting to go to the air show ever since I heard about it. Carrie wanted to look at a trailer nearby and I said, "Let's go!......to the air show and then your trailer!" She agreed, I said, "God works in mysterious ways," and then the air show was closed after all.

Still, God works in mysterious ways. Carrie hopped out of the car and invited Shane to play mushroom baseball.

Despite his initial trepidation, it was a hit.

It would have been fun to see the show, but the day turned into an exercise in making the best of things. Carrie was on the phone the whole ride up talking with trailer people and found a better deal and rig than the one we were supposed to look at. We turned around, hit up the Moo Through, and started back home.

But not without a few stops first. We dropped by Target in Culpeper and picked up school supplies for Shane's classroom.

It was on our list of "things we've meant to do."

Carrie picked up a bunch of cheap water in case the next hurricane swings SC's or our way. I wasn't worried, but for 10 gallons for $8 if she wanted to have extras to help our neighbors just in case I didn't mind.

Then, we played.

The story felt oddly empty to me. I grew up with NOVA stores. When we shifted to Cville, the stores were the same size, but less occupied. It felt relaxed. Culpeper was another downshift altogether. Maybe that's not always the case, but their community board was near empty.

I don't expect a small store to be packed, but when there's a large Target with a Walmart across the way it felt odd.

Carrie bought a $4 tennis ball and velcro mitt kit we took to a local park. Shane tried to throw the mitt with the ball.

The results were less than spectacular.

Side note: Open carry country. It's nothing new, and I even agree with it in some circumstances. The idea of carrying a gun to a nearly empty playground so your five year old can play is weird to me. 

The velcro pads turned out to be super strong. Shane had trouble wrenching the ball off whenever he caught it.

The other two boys wanted to join in. Carrie was already playing, so I stood to the side and enjoyed the show.

She faded off when the mosquitoes discovered her. We didn't stay for too long.

Our last stop of the day was Downtown Culpeper. I wanted to check out the FLGS while it was half a mile away. Unfortunately, it was closed (a running theme).

There was some sort of beer festival in the park we could hear music from. However, we had already turned a failed trip into a something and it was time to go home. Culpeper is roughly an hour north for us. It's not a bad drive, but not one I'd want to make daily either.

Growing in Stages: Shane goals

I think this was my first goals post. Turns out, I like goals. Living in the moment is a necessity, but taking time to reflect and plan for the future are healthy, too.

Shane's early childhood

From birth to 6 years old:
1 - Survive.
2 - Let him know he's loved (by God and by us!).
3 - Connect with family, friends, and other people.
4 - Live a life worth living!

Different major milestones included: Sleeping through the night, solid food, crawling, walking, talking, singing, listening, reading, drawing, math-ing, going to preschool, going to school, making friends, playing sports, and learning to ride a bike.

Being a parent has been a blessing to my life. It's work, but it's worth it.

Starting (and surviving starting) school seemed like a major milestone when Shane was younger. Now that's come and gone and I felt like it was time to think ahead again. Carrie and I have talked about not moving again until Shane's at least finishes 4th grade. She wants a barn and land at some point, but we both agree the family is in a good place now. There are transitions for Shane to change schools to upper elementary and middle school based on how the schools work here that would make the most sense to move during if we're going to move. My work coincides with school years, too.

For the next chapter of Shane's childhood.....

From 6 years old to 12 years old:
1. How to respond to love and with love.
2. Identity
3. Learn
4. Experience

Some milestones to work towards:
-Read New Testament
-Well read in general
-Growth mindset
-Travelled (especially at least once out of country - preferably to non-English speaking majority)
-Second language practice (Spanish? French? Chinese?)
-Discover a gift/talent (and then nurture it!)
-Try music lessons (maybe art, too?)
-Find some sort of long-term club/activity that Shane can do and learn the value of persistence (currently looks like TKD).
-Know basics to major sports....
-.....and pick one to try in MS/HS preferred (Depends on who Shane is)

I hope Shane will play board games, video games, or some sort of games with me at some point, but the sports piece is to help challenge and build him physically as well as teach him discipline and how to get along with others. Knowledge of sports can be a tool to communicate and relate to others, too.

....and dare I go there?

The far future.......12 to 18 years old:
1. Develop independence
2. First job
3. Money management, budgeting, saving
4. Thinking ahead
5. Graduate HS

End Goal: Loved, loving, independent adult with a sense of purpose and some fun memories

It's a rainy, cold day here, so it's perfect for reflecting.

Some big happenings in general:
2012 - Move into our first house, beat hostile evaluation
2013 - Try to find tech job, go for 30+ credits of professional learning for raise and re-license.
2014 - No tech jobs, lose current position to de-staff, move to new HS position, asst coach wrestling
2015 - Carrie new job, Mike new job, Sell house, Move to Cville, Start MS wrestling team, Pixel
2016 - Survive 2nd year in Cville, Shane Kindergarten, Carrie promotion, Grow MS team, Mira
2017 - Enroll in PhD/EdD program, Shane 1st grade, Carrie starts as a travel agent, Nibs
2018 - Start doctoral program....eventually 2nd grade.....and who knows?
2019 - Now that's too far ahead to plan.

My job: If I get accepted and into a doctoral program, it will take me two or three years to finish. I should still be doing wrestling, too. I'm trying to start an afterschool club at the 5th and 6th grade school this year to feed into the middle school program (and thus, the high school). If I'm not exhausted by the end of all that, I would consider trying to be an adjunct professor and teach a class or two at the community college or a four-year one.

Carrie's job: Travel, make contacts with businesses, make contacts with people, join a fox hunt club, make connections, and start to grow her own client base. She's thinking of specializing in Ireland (travel agents usually have a specialty). Maybe she'll try to lead a group like her parents at some point (and maybe even Shane and I would go with.....eventually!)

There are other ideas out there Carrie and I have tossed around: A barn, livestock or a garden to make some of our own food, renting out the house instead of selling it, moving somewhere for a year way different than here, foster care, teaching riding.....as Tom Petty said it, "The future was wide open."

None of any of this is promised. "Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails." (Proverbs 19:21 NIV). I like thinking ahead some and having a generalized plan rather than none at all. I'm not married to any of this, though. If we have to scrap it, we'll scrap it.

Netflix and Snooze

Whenever Carrie falls asleep with the TV on downstairs, she never knows what will be on when she wakes up. Sometimes it's because a series ends. Sometimes it's because I have a little fun.

It Rained

Shane saw a moth on the porch this morning. He was fascinated, of course.

It rained the rest of the day. I let Shane play out in it for a little bit while we waited for Carrie to get home.

I stayed on the porch with the moth. We bonded.

It was too cold and wet for our liking.

Meanwhile, the boys had a balancing competition.