teaching moments

Every moment. Every day. We are surrounded by teaching opportunities…especially those of us who are parents. I can remember that some of the most mememorable lessons just happened, they weren’t planned in advance…no 3 point lesson…no planned lecture. And so, I want to be intentional in taking hold of these teaching moments in life with Luke.

Yesterday was our first moment. I siezed it! I “grabbed it by the horns” and wrestled that moment into submission and taught Luke a lesson that, I believe, was only my fatherly duty.

HOW TO SPLASH IN PUDDLES!! I liken this lesson to the adage “Stop and smell the roses.” Well, when life gives you rain…stop and splash in the puddles!! Obviously Luke is an all-star, but I must admit his form is a bit stiff. We will need more practice…yes, much more practice.

end or beginning?…definitely a BEGINNING!!!

A few weeks ago I philosophized (here) about ends and beginnings, depending on the hour and context. Well, I feel quite confident that this is a BEGINNING, regardless of what hour or context you catch me in

it’s that time of year again…

…when you get older

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MERE!!!

heart melter

Luke is old enough now (14 months) that we have developed a bit of a night-time routine. Meredith allows me to enjoy the ending part – taking Luke and putting him in his bed. I carry him into his room, turn on the nightlight, then hand him his snuggie blankie. I hug him close while whispering to him that we love him and a short prayer. At some point in the past few weeks, he has started “whispering” back to me. It is awesome!!! And adorably cute! Who knows what he is saying, but he does a great job of mimicking me   Well, last night he trumped this a million-fold…without the whispers. I was hugging him close and started gently patting his back while whispering to him. He cuddled his blankie with one arm, gently laid his head on my shoulder, and started patting my back…

I cannot even describe how my heart became absolute mush…I didn’t want to put him down…

end or beginning??

Every 3-4 months I am faced with the reality of another end…or is it a beginning? I liken it to the glass half full/half empty debate. The reality exists regardless of the perspective one holds. My perspective changes depending the hour and context in which you ask. If I’m motoring plastic cars around the floor with Luke, then it is definitely an end. If I am looking at the syllabus…yep, it is definetely the beginning, only the beginning too.

Another semester is lurking around the corner, just a few more days and it’s ugly time-consuming, brain mushifying face will pop out of thin air to the rhythm of my alarm clock early in the morning (right now it’s an end…an end to my no-studying-just-play-with-Luke evenings). Okay, it’s really not that bad. I am excited about my course selections and the progression of the degree. I figured I would give an update of my progress and how things lay out…so this would be a prime stopping point to avert boredom

Vintage Merriment

Mere’s mom found her old radio flyer wagon, which I think at this point is classified as vintage. Just in time, too, because we have been wanting to get a wagon for Luke! And what better than an original?? Yeah, originals need a bit of work these days, but what fun! This is project #1 for papa and son…okay for papa while son “helps.”

pasamos un viaje!!

It is finally here…I can’t say there has been months and months of preparations, and yet there has been a good amount of time spent corresponding with various people over the past year to solidify our trip to Guatemala. We are pumped!! Yet for us who lean more towards OCD, there is so much to do!!  In a little more than 36 hours…

surprise phone call

“Hello?”

“9-1-1…Are you having an emergency?”

(Oh my goodness!!) No, I am soooo sorry! My son had the phone…”

“Okay. Goodbye” (click)

What are the odds that Luke, playing with my cell phone, would press and hold the keypad unlock long enough and then dial 911?? Well, apparently pretty good odds!

one of those days…

…you wake up and you’re generally tired, but okay. You are slightly frustrated, but at nothing in particular. So, you get going…off to work it is. You should be mildly excited, it is Friday, after all!

memorial weekend fun

hiking & biking, 4-wheelers & water-balloon weilders – that’s what memorial weekend fun is made of!!