Tuesday, November 30, 2004

Back again!

Well I’m finally back at “The Distance”. I have posted a couple pages from my journal just to let you know how things went.

I was going to get you all a t-shirt, but I couldn’t remember the exact sizes.

Anyway I hope everyone had a safe holiday, and had as much fun as we did.

Big Fun!

11/27/04

Big day on Saturday!

After leaving Branson, we drove to my brother–in-law’s farm, just north of the Missouri and Arkansas state line. They just bought the place and there is nothing growing on it but hay, and that was all cut a few weeks ago.

So, what can you do with about forty acres of land?

You go 4 wheeling’.

I spent the day riding a big 500cc Honda ATV.
The older girls took turns riding with myself and their cousins all over the property. And yes, I was safe, careful and went slow.

Of course once I had dropped the girls off, and was on my own, things were a little different.

Did I drive fast and reckless on rough terrain?

Yes!

Did I manage to get all four wheels off the ground, in the air, at the same time?

Absolutely, and repetedly!

Did I make a spectacle of my self?

At this point do you really need to ask?

I never made it to Bass Pro, but after the past few months it felt great to just cut loose.

"To the bat cave!"

11/26/04
I’m sitting on a deck that overlooks more than a few miles of valley on the outskirts of Branson Mo. It’s a cool 48 degrees and a full moon hangs overhead veiled in thin clouds that move quickly across its light. Atop one of the distant hills, I can see a 10-15 story observation tower. It's draped in a curtain of lights all the way around, and is putting on a beautiful light show to Christmas music that sounds strangely haunting as it bounces off the hills around me.

Today has been a good day.

The first time a child experiences something new is a truly magical moment. I’m not taking about a new toy or movie, but something that makes the world a little bigger for them. Today my older daughters and I went to the local them park in Branson; Silver Dollar City.

K, Nana and Short Round went shopping.

The girls and I played games, and rode all the rides, but at the end of the day, all the girls wanted to talk about was their visit to Marvel Cave. Not a ride, but a massive natural cave beneath the park. Each day the park has several walking tours through the cave. The starting point is the Cathedral room. This vast area is 20 stories in height, and the circumference of a city block. Ten years ago they set a record by floating five full size hot air balloons in the chamber all at the same time. In all we walked half a mile and descended to over 500 feet below the surface, to the base of a huge underground waterfall. It was truly a world my girls never knew existed.

As a parent it seems I spend so much time getting on to my kids:
“Clean up your room!”
“Finish your homework.”
“Don't put your sister in the dryer!”

But experiences like today are the memories I hope they’ll hold in their hearts and keep with them.

Thursday, November 25, 2004

Extreme Makeover 2004

Other wises known as the twin’s seventh birthday party this past week. It was a big to-do at one of the local mega-malls at a place called Club Libby Lu’s. K, another mom and I, took eight little girls to this place where they all got to dress up, had their hair done (with rock star extensions) and have “big girl” make up applied in ample portions. Those of you with little girls will grow to know, and fear this place.

Yes nothing test your manhood like pulling a little tike wagon, filled with pink wrapped presents through a heavily crowded mall. Fortunately, there was a large cooler of fruit drinks I could throw up on my shoulder and carry part of the way in a somewhat manly fashion. Needless to say all the girls had a great time.

Today we are at the In-laws in Tulsa. In a few hours we will be making our way to Branson Mo. Yes, we will be spending Thanksgiving in the Hillbilly Holy Land. And, of course that means we are not to far form Springfield, Home of that modern marvel Bass Pro Shop. After spending the earlier part of the week floating in an estrogen ocean, that is exactly the boost I need.


Friday, November 19, 2004

Who’s your buddy?

Who’s your buddy?

That was a question I use to ask the twins a lot when they were just learning to talk. Of course, the answer was always Daddy.

As they get older, I know that’s not always going to be the answer. I’m OK with that. Fact is, they turn seven in a month and have already been pushing the envelop and away from being Daddy’s little girls. They’re getting bigger, and developing there own wants, likes and opinions. With which some of, I won’t agree. And now that they are in First grade, there are so many more influence pulling them this way and that way. Some days it seems their entire energy is focused on pushing their limits with their mom and I.

Now don’t get me wrong, they are great kids. Several times in the just the past few months, when the family has gone out to eat, total strangers have come up to compliment how well our children were behaving in the restaurant. I believe that this is because; we have been truly blessed with wonderful children, and secondly, we have made it plain how we expect them to act in public. And how they should respect others and themselves. This doesn’t work 100% of the time (big surprise, huh?). But K and I try to be consistent in the expectations we have for our children.

Now, being consistent doesn’t always mean I’m their "buddy", but like I said, I’m OK with that. My job is to love them as a father, and that can get in the way of being a "best friend". I have to help them become the best person they can be, and to keep them from appearing on any Jerry Springer shows in the years to come.

I don’t think I really understood what it meant to be a father until my own Dad passed away seven months after the twins were born. I was at his side, holding his hand when he took his final breath. Whether we agreed or argued, he was always my dad. He was an unyielding, ever present force of nature for me. Even when his health was failing, his presence was so strong that my mind couldn’t process the concept of his potential absence.
Hours later, after he had passed away, I was sitting, holding one of my infant daughters. I finally understood that in her life, for better or worse, I would be that force of nature. I wouldn’t be the same kind of father I had known. But still, God willing, ever present watching over her and her sister in the fragility of life.

I will, and have been a lot of things to them; buddy, disciplinarian, teacher, protector, nurse, idiot, Santa Clause, Easter Bunny, and yes, I’ll admit it, I’m the Tooth Fairy as well. All of these smaller roles make up one of the most important characters I will ever be.

Being a Dad.

Thursday, November 18, 2004

T.M.I.

OK, things have been more than a little hectic since my last post. That night, last Thursday, our two-year old starts throwing up in the middle of the night. K (my wife) and I spend the rest of the night switching out clean ups, and bath duties. The child had a really rough night. She went thorough three sets of pajamas. K and I dozed in brief spells on the couch and in a chair.

The next day, Friday, the pediatrician tells us that the child just had a 24-hour stomach bug, and it was very contagious. As we both had been thrown up on several times during the previous night, we pretty much knew what to expect next.

Yes! you guessed it; K started getting real sick Saturday afternoon. She stayed in bed the rest of the day and night, except for frequent and urgent trips to the bathroom.

No, wait it gets better!

Not wanting to succumb to adversity I did my best to carry out the weekend plans. Primary of these was to replace our two-year olds crib with a toddler bed. When we did this with the twins they did great.

Of course, now the little turkey is feeling much better, and decides to use this opportunity to be the freak'in NIGHTSTALKER. At 3 in the morning I hear this pacifier-muffled maniacal laughter, and the sound of all the books being pulled off her older sister’s bookshelf. I spent the rest of the night trying to get her to stay in bed, and in her room.

Sunday, K wakes up feeling a little better, at which point (without much sleep) I take her place in the bathroom, as now I have inherited the family stomach bug.

You can guess how I spent the rest of my day.

Monday after my miraculous recovery from near death, I retrieved the old baby gate from up in the attic. This pretty well limited the NIGHSTALKER’S access to other innocents in the house at night. Problem was, that night one of the twins got sick with the Bug. Another fun filled night for Mom and me.

The good news is, at this very moment nobody in my house is throwing up.

You gotta love being a parent!

*If nothing else, at least got to watch Shrek 2 and Finding Nemo, with my daughter Monday afternoon. That's gotta be worth something, Right?

Thursday, November 11, 2004

Veterans Day

It has been over a week since the political hoopla has ended, and today we observe a different kind of special day. Today is a day of solemn remembrance and prayers for those who have in the past, and today protect our freedom ,and us. Today we put the politics of war aside, and honor those who serve their country. We honor sons, daughters, husbands, wives, and parents, all of whom have put their personal lives on hold because their country needed them. Many never to return.

As you go about your daily routine, say a little prayer for those men and women who have answered their countries call to go into harms way. Forget the big buisness men. Forget the singers and actor activists. Forget the politics and politicians. Remember your neighbors who understand that our country can’t exist without those who are willing to give of themselves. Remember the solders of decades past that faced down true evil for the safety of generations to come. Remember all those who even now are fighting and dying, to protect us from terror.

To all those in the service of our country, our hearts and prayers are with you.

May we never forget your sacrifice.

Thank you!

Monday, November 08, 2004

Do you smell smoke?

OK, we have been through redecorating the dining room.

And, I have been up to my armpits in insulation fixing the air conditioner.

Well, last week the lights in the laundry area were giving me attitude. Not the light bulbs mind you, but the actual light fixture. How do I know this you may ask, well every time we turned on the switch there was a loud electrical crack and the breaker poped off power to a quarter of the house. (Just a little hint, huh!)

To be safe I had an electrition take a look at it to make sure it wasn’t the house wiring. He said he could fix it for just three million dollars, which was just an estimate. (could be more once he got in there).

Of course you and I know this could mean only one course of action.

A trip to Lowes.

The replacement fixture and glass globe were under $14.00, but what concerned me was connecting the right wires. In a house there is no red wire for hot and black wire for ground. Both wires are black. When I asked my helpful Lowes associate, he suggested I grab both wires with the breaker on and see which one gave a shock. … Yeah, right!

I asked if I needed to be standing in an aluminum tub knee deep in water, just to make sure.

He quickly led me to nice little voltmeter that would identify the hot wire, but without all the pain of my first option. (Cost three-bucks.)

I am happy to say we now have light in the laundry area. Once I found the right wire, I turned off the breaker, connected the wires and screwed the new fixture into place. In all it took twenty minutes and cost under $17.00. In all I saved $2,999,983.00. (That’s just an estimate.)

One word of advice never put a 100-watt bulb in a 60-watt fixture. Even if you wife tells you she needs it to be brighter, DON’T DO IT!

Saturday, November 06, 2004

Hang in there

This is a little unusual for me. This post is actually an extended comment to something written on another site; (Kiki Takes On Life.)

I read this post earlier, but I haven't been at my computer as much lately, so I apologize for not addressing this sooner. Also, I really needed to take time to write this comment.

And, I do feel a need to say something. I was touched by your words, Kiki. As a Father it is heartbreaking to think about any child suffering abuse. There is no excuse for anybody to bring harm to a child. After all, the wounds of childhood are always the lasts to heal, and we carry the scars with us always. Now, while I would never wish hardship on anyone; I do believe that the struggles we face play a major part in who we are. How we react to these challenges defines our character, for good or bad.

I mean this with all sincerity when I say; please don’t worry that the only people you can relate to are those who like yourself have suffered abuse. However I urge you to be cautious because too many times in life we set our own limitation. In my old education classes we called this a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you believe something for long enough, whether it is right or wrong, you can make it your reality.

I know I’m standing out here in left field, only knowing you by what I read in your blog, but I would like to make an untrained observation from the heart. I really believe that it is not tragedy that connects or draws you to these people. It is rather the strength of survivorship. The connection you feel with these others might be the depth of character shared by those who have had to deal with suffering, or the harsh challenges of life. The very fact that you continue to live and thrive beyond your own scars of abuse proves you have a strength that many others pray for.

There will always be the fortunate few who have not had to deal with the horrors that life can throw at them. I find, however, that as we get older, it becomes increasingly harder to duck the struggles of this world. There will be illness, hardship, and death. No one is immune. It is how we deal with these forces of nature that will shape our character. The more we can overcome, the more we can bend in the wind, the more we understand what is truly important to us, then, we may find a strength and determination we never knew we had.


I apologize if it appears I’ve stuck my nose where it doesn’t belong, my words are not intended to offend, but rather let you know you're not alone. Whether you ever know it or not, your words will serve as an inspiration to someone out there. It is as you once told me; "this is the nature of the blogging community".


Always keep the Faith!




Monday, November 01, 2004

BOO!

Well we've survived another Halloween.

Of course for us Halloween wasn’t just a one-night celebration. We have been at it all weekend. Friday night, merchants at the local Mall were handing out candy.

We hit every store!

Saturday night our church had their Fall Festival. There were a lot of games and activities for all the kids, and lots of candy to be given away. Afterwards some of our friends took us to their church, which was having a "Trunk or Treat". That's where everyone gathers in the church parking lot pops the trunk of their van or SUV, and you guessed it, passes out free candy! The idea is to make it safer for the kids to trick or treat with out going to strange houses.

Now by the end of Saturday night you can imagine we have a pretty big cache of candy at our house, and that is not counting what we have bought just to give out on Halloween.

Tonight was the icing on the cake. With empty pumpkins and a solid purpose, the rock star, the princess, the ladybug, and myself were unleashed upon our unsuspecting neighborhood. After a profitable round in the edition, we left the lady bug at home with Mom ,and the twins and I hooked up with five other kids for an all out candy raid in another nearby housing edition.

It was great!

One house had turned their garage in to a decent Haunted House. The girls and I had a blast! And we got to do it all just before the heavy rain started.

Of course, after all the activities of the weekend everyone is exhausted. As usual I’m the only one still awake. Now, the only way I’m still awake is from consuming a highly dangerous combination of Butterfinger, Reese’s Peanut butter cups, Snickers, and lots of Hot Tamales mixed with Smarties. Washing it all down with Dr. Pepper.

I need to finish writing though, as I feel a Diabetic Comma coming on.

I hope you all had a great Halloween.

P.S. my kid’s dentist is paying a Dollar for every pound of candy you bring in. So far I think I have enough left over to purchase a new DVD player. Yeah!