Sweet last night of 2014

Catchup

Heath is as tall at age 5 and a half as Alder was at age 6 and a half. 

Priceless, precious video

Instead of books before bed tonight the boys asked to look at pics and videos from when they were younger.  This one is so fun, no matter where you leave off.

It blows my mind, the weight of every detail in old pics and videos…

Winter rituals

Every morning Heath excitedly grabs a pillow and has some relaxing time next to the wood stove before breakfast. 

There are things about winter that I love. Sunset at 4:53 is not one of them. Cozy family time by the wood stove (something he requests on most evenings) is. 

A call from school today

I get a call from school today.  Everytime this happens, and its only happened a few times now, I get the nastiest chill and sinking stomach.  The woman's voice says she is calling from the clinic about Heath, he is not sick and he is not hurt.  They say this first for a reason… whew.

We dont know why sir, but Heath has two rather large tears in the back of his pants.  "Okay", I say", annoyed, I admit.  "Is he okay?" I wonder if he is upset, embarrassed, etc.  "Yes, he is fine, but we need someone to bring him some pants."  "Can I talk to him?"  "Yes, you can", almost like she is saying 'please do'.  I hear a little giggling, so evidently he is giving them a show of some sort.

"Heath, are you okay?"  

"Hi,  Dad.  I cant hear him."

"Hold the phone like this", she says.   He has probably never held a phone like that.

"Heath, how did you rip your pants?"

"Whujujusay?"  (I love how he enunciates 'what did you say' and we dread the day when he cleans this toddlerism up)

I repeat.

"I dont know."

"Are the rips really big?"

"I dont know Dad.  I cant see them!"

So, I curb my questions about how it might have happened, where it might have happened, and whether he has on underwear.  I do remember seeing him in some this morning.

"You sit tight and I will be right there"

"Okay, bye Daddy."

He waits in the clinic, a friend brings him his lunch.  His timing is really impeccable.  Frankly I would much rather do the hero driving mission to buy two pair of pants at Target on the way to his school, than attend the annual cluster of a holiday potluck at work, which was JUST beginning.  (I get back in time to give a small presentation to our entire staff, my boss and boss' boss.)

I get there, two new pairs of pants.  He is excited to see me.  I was really picturing a class of laughing kindergartners, pointing at his bottom which he couldnt see… and him being emotionally shaken…. no.  not nearly.  It is amazing the things that bother them and the things that don't, regardless of how much we think we know their sensitivities.  He couldnt give a damn, liked the unusual events and loved that I was coming to school.  The women told me he was obviously just fine, smiling.  So, I couldn't talk at all about the pants before getting a tour of the snow globes picture he drew in art class.  

Once past that I asked him again if he was okay, he was fine, clearly and I though it fine to go ahead flat out ask, "Were you a little embarrassed?"  "Daddeeee!  Noooo-wuuhhh!!"  He said this looking at the three ladies in the room and making the 'OMG-I-cant-believe-you-just-said-that' face.  Apparently my asking IF he was embarrassed was itself embarrassing.

Okay, but he did want to change in the bathroom, so we go in, I help him change his pants.  He is amazed that I produce two new pairs of pants from under my jacket (didn't steal them, I needed my hands), having just talked to him on the phone a few minutes ago.  He likes them, puts them on, I tighten the little elastic stuff in the waist and then he squats down and says, "Thats all I did.  In art class, I just got down on my knees and felt something break behind me."  "Yes, those pants were so thin.  We didnt know.  They just ripped", I said.  Then he said something like, "Daddy, I really like these pants!"  But I know all day I am going to be feeling back here like this, thinking that I am going to feel holes… but I think I'm not going to feel them.

I wish I could write all this the way it sounded; a precious riot.  Though a little "embarrassed" in the hall for me to take a picture, he did suggest, with kids walking all around, that he should make a sad face and not a happy one, because that would be funny.  I agreed.

I walked him to the cafeteria where his class was, as well as others, and he was in no way embarrassed to grab me down and hug and kiss me on the lips before I left.  What an unforgettable Monday, for me at least.  Why do they have to grow up?

Stop on by...

Only yard sale in the area today. 

Full moon

There is nothing like going out in a cool full moon night to get the week's dry wood. Easy old time fiddle just hangs in the air.

Could that be a haiku?.... Agh... Nope.

Craft night

Jason is sewing draft stoppers to keep cold air in the sunroom from invading the kitchen and I knitted and felted chair "socks" cause we hate those sticky felt things that don't work!  Six socks down and only 10 more to go....maybe by summer...

Hellbender video

Gotta share this, which the boys really seemed to like tonight: a video on hellbenders. In college I went out once in the Watauga River with a friend studying them and we found one he had tagged via radio telemetry.  Wonderful creatures. 

http://vimeo.com/108512185 

Today's Art

I wish I could quote all this. But I will paraphrase with bad grammar and punctuation:

Daddy this is a picture of an Indian. You know why it is so crumpully?  Because I wanted it to look ancient-timey. This an Indian and he is hunting this deer. This arrow is hitting him in the back, this one is going for his head and this one is going for his privates. Heath why is the Indian shooting the deer in the privates?  I don't know. Because Sam thought it would be funny. And that is the blood. 

He also told me that Ms Britt saw it too and she laughed when he told her that the third arrow was headed for the privates. But I don't believe that. 

More of Thanksgiving 2014

A select few here...

If the boys ever start a punk band, I will make sure this makes the album cover.

The weather was perfect for kite-flying.  

It was "cold" for the beach, but not too, by any means.  This was early morning Thanksgiving.  It actually got quite warm, especially out of the wind.

Jonah working on our project.  We had the forethought to bring three real (not beach toy) shovels...

Only one braving bare feet that early.

The project.  These three holes got so big that we tunneled between them, with tunnels so big, the boys could crawl through them.

Daddy (Travis) and Teagan.  She was getting over some sickness, but man is she sweet and sociable.  It  wa so nice to get to know her, and spend substantial time with Jonah too.  I cant wait to watch her keep this smiling reputation.

Amazing sunrises and sets...

Thanksgiving 2014

We met up with family at Emerald Isle, NC, for Thanksgiving this year.  Many more photos hopefully to come, but I wanted to get this one up first.  Perfect kite-flying weather and we dug holes so big and deep that we had tunnels in between that the boys could crawl through!

                                            

While on a birding walk

I also grabbed these gems from Lesley's phone.  While Heath was at a friend's house last Sunday, and while I was scavenging firewood from a roadside tree, (I am so happy that) Lesley took the opportunity to take Alder to Midlothian Mines Park to see what waterfowl was around.  They got to see lots of Hooded Mergansers in breeding plumage, displaying, diving for fish, etc. - quite a treat.  Other treats included a delightful Alder pose and two videos he grabbed:

Several of the many reasons I love my wife...

are captured in the fact that I found these pictures in this order on her phone (she knew I was looking):

Written note, pic taken, texted to sitter.

Idea for how we might do an island in the kitchen.  Or... the way she wants the boys and I to look and act?  Oh NOO!

looking forward to this!

not looking forward to this!! I think I was there for this actually.  We deduced Bear.

And for total contrast, ... a nice orchid from somewhere.

2014 Richmond Marathon

I am getting nervous, but mostly excited about the weekend coming.  Travis, Ana, Jonah and Teagan, and our friends Jason and Nicole are all coming to visit.  Saturday will be my first full marathon, which I have spent, with support from my wife and boys of course, many hours running/training for since the first of September.  I'll be running with the collective adrenaline of over 16,000 others running, starting in prime upper 20's temperature, with no rain.  I think Lesley and the boys at least will be able to make to the route to cheer some around mile 8 and/or 12ish.  I have warm clothes to start in and jettison as I need. All that is in my favor.

Who knows what I will feel like afterwards, but I must recover in time for a Neighborhood Fall Festival that we have been helpin to organize - live bluegrass, BBQ, bonfire, local brewery beer - as a fundraiser for our pool.  (the 7pm end-time on the flier is not true)  Locals reading this, come on out!

The marathon is also significant because (1) I have often said, I would never have the desire to do that.    I had no idea.   So far the worst part is the time spent training - many  many weekend mornings spent just running.  This in itself is good for some reasons, but it is a bit monotonous.  So far the best part is that I can hit the road right now and run anywhere from 8 to 13 miles with no discomfort at all.  I hope I can stay in this shape, to be able to jump out and run for an hour or 90 minutes whenever I want, and then justcarry on with the rest of the day.  Its also a significant personal goal becaue (2) a year ago I was not walking.

I cannot believe that through all of this training, my foot has given me zero problem.  I think this points to the importance of doing what the doc and Physical Therapists say to do.  And most of all, I think this goes to show that pretty much anyone can do this, or at least something like this.  It just takes the desire and training.  All that said… still knock on wood.  Alot can still go wrong.  Feel good though.

Fall Beach Trip

Oh!  Its been too long!  So, lets pick up with our 7th(?!?) annual Fall beach trip.  Every year we feel even more fortuante to be doing this so routinely.  Everyone is getting older, but the fun is relative.  Everyone gets back together, right back at it.  We love how it comes so naturally.

I love these of Katie.

Here are many others, picked from many more, that speak for themselves.  Every year, we get there, make sure we have all the food and drink we need, and we stay right there, between the beach and the house, plain and simple.  Its always more than enough to keep us looking forward the the next time.

Sand and water.  And kids can find endless entertainment.

The waves were enormous and brutal, still fun, this year.  And Alder never got enough.  

Heath stayed a little more shallow, but still enjoyed a mild beating from the breakers.