Backyard Camping

Tomorrow Andy turns 7.  Tonight, we camp... in the backyard.  When I got home tonight we set up the tent, in the rain.  We borrowed a couple dutch ovens from Jay and made dutch oven pizza.  Jack had one bite, claimed it made him sick and bailed on our outing.  He is sleeping in my bed and did manage to throw up a bit.  Thankfully it was in the toilet. 

Well, everyone is tuckered out and fast asleep.  I should join them.

Resting My Eyes

Growing up there was more than one occasion when pops was "just resting" his eyes.  That just resting may include sawing logs because there was some serious eye resting that snoring had no effect of him.  Seems I have been doing a little eye resting myself and am actually going to officially call it a night.  I am actually very much wiped out and not functioning very well.  Yep, have to go rest my eyes for a few minutes... or hours, whatever. 

Lawnmower Boy

I don't read a lot of books, it isn't a passion of mine.  One book I did read was The Lawnmower Man by Stephen King.  I don't know that you can call that a book.  It was actually a short story in a book that was a compilation of short stories.  I can't recall the details of said book nor can I remember much of the story.  I needed to do a book report and that story seemed like it would do the trick for me.  Lodging my best guess here 25 years later I would say it was roughly 13 pages long.  That could be an exaggeration however.  Anyway, that really has absolutely nothing to do with this post other than I thought about it when I recorded the title. 

Tonight I was out getting the lawn mowed.  Thursday is garbage day and that makes Wednesday the ideal day to mow your lawn.  That way there is minimal time where the garbage can is housing freshly cut grass that ends up breaking down, sweating everywhere and putting off some terrible order.  Anyhow, Jack came out back and was watching me mow.  On my headphones came the song Sweet Home Alabama and I started doing a funny dance whilst pushing the mower.  Jack was having a good laugh as was I.  He wanted to talk so I stopped the mower and let him listen to what I was dancing to.  He thought it was great and then he asked if he could cut the last strip in the back yard.  I told him he needed to get shoes on, that I would finish the back, empty the bag and then set him up to mow the front yard.  He thought that was a great idea and so did I.

On Saturday I was watching the Jenkins son John who is younger than Jack.  He was out mowing two yards and I thought, I need to stop being selfish and I need to teach Jack and Andy how to mow the lawn.  Andy may be a bit small for it but Jack managed.  He did fine actually.  Tis good to have a lawnmower boy in the family? 

 

Making a Move

As we consider our business and what we have done in the last 9 months since relocating, we can reasonably conclude that it has not been the best of moves for The Little Brick House.  Though the new location is much nicer, cooler, more comfortable in the kitchen and roomier in the dining area, the business has not increased as we expected it to.  Oh, the rent tripled and we really didn't see a dramatic drop in local business but we did lose a huge amount of Shakespeare Festival business this year.  Our summer has been a huge drop off compared to last summer and that has been a struggle.  A quick and simple analysis tells me that we are dying on the vine.  That said, we are still wildly popular among local business and we do very well with our lunch crowd.  We are picking up more and more of a dinner crowd as well.  That is all positive but we are not achieving numbers that we need in order to sustain the business at the location we currently reside. 

Moving the business for a second time in a year may not seem like the best idea but we believe we have found a great situation with a landlord who is interested in having us come in and who is willing to put together a lease agreement that will be affordable and will allow us to get established.  It is a great location that is right down town and services two hotels.  There is a large conference/meeting area upstairs that will provide opportunities for increased catering and other events.  The hotels are booked solid for months with the Festival and put us right in the middle of Festival traffic.  The location is back within walking distance from SUU and is located on Main Street Cedar City.  There is a huge sign and plenty of parking.  It is just around the corner from the last place and we feel really good about it. 

The downside - it is dated inside.  I say downside but really, I love fixing up and this will provide a great opportunity to do some demolition and some rebuilding - interiorly speaking.  There will be walls and booths to knock down, carpet to remove, tile to lay, wallpaper to tear off and a lot of painting to do.  What is dark and dingy now will become bright and inviting.  Oh, there are a few other exciting things like a salad bar - we've talked about doing a salad bar since the beginning but have never had the space.  No more talk, we'll have one.  There is a bar - we will not have a liquor license but I think it would be fun to put Root Beer, Cream Soda, Apple Beer and Ginger Beer on tap at the Prohibition Bar at The Little Brick House and serve other Virgin beverages.  That may not work out... we'll see. 

My goal would be to move in before October 1.  It would take a bit of work but really, the work needed is in the dining area.  The kitchen is in good shape with a little work needed here or there and figuring out a layout that will work for us.  Hopefully we have an agreement here soon and can get started on the project shortly.  I am excited about it and see it being a very positive thing for our business, and definitely a move in the right direction.   

Some Nights

It would seem that some nights it is just too much.  I'm talking tired kids here.  You know what I am talking about when your kids are tired to a point that they act in a manner that is not exactly pleasing to be around.  I am not a big fan of some nights.  It can be hard to maintain a nice demeanor when you are getting pulverized by a second grader.  We do the very best that we can do to be understanding and patient and full of love and all long suffering.  Some nights that is easy and some nights, well, some nights it feels like extremely long suffering.  Some nights all that your tired child needs to know is that they are loved no matter what and some nights it is pure joy to feel that same unconditional love from them.  I sure am grateful for some nights.

The TWF World Champion

Looks like I am going to have to go with 30 years on this one.  Yep, 30 years ago, well roughly 30 years ago I became the TWF World Champion.  What is the TWF you might ask.  Oh, well thanks for asking.  The TWF is the Trampoline Wrestling Federation.  I am not only its World Champion but I am also its founder.  I know, where do I find the time?  Well, the reality of the situation is that I am what you might call semi-retired.  Rarely do I set foot on a trampoline anymore and when I do it is even rarer that there is an opponent on hand that would challenge me.  Back in the early days, yes, way back in the early days I used to single handedly take on multiple opponents.  Sure they were supposed to be a tag team but that never seemed to work out.  No matter, I used my high flying, acrobatic routine to simply take opponents by surprise.  Besides, a tag team vs. the champ is never a legitimate title bout so my championship status was clearly safe.  Older brother and his friends trying to rob me of this prestigious position within my own wrestling federation... please. 

Over the years younger brothers came challenging yet they failed.  In due time the federation splurged for an actual title belt made out of only the finest cardboard box.  You better believe the younger brothers wanted that prized possession and so they kept coming and they kept failing.  I would not fail in my quest for complete trampoline wrestling domination. 

Today everything changed.  In a moment of great weakness I found my self in the not so square in circle.  I probably did not pronounce that correctly in writing but who really cares?  I climbed through the nylon steel cage with only the thought of showing Andy a few tricks.  A couple back flips (yes, still got it at 40) later and Andy was in the ring with me.  Next thing I know we're wrestling.  He's working some serious moves on me.  I showed him a few tricks of my own and taught him a thing or two about a massive leg drop - Hulk Hogan style.  Next thing I know Andy's running off the ropes and lays a double leg drop on me.  His nearly 7 year old body lay a crushing blow to my chest.  Next thing I know he's got me pinned and  'one, two, three...' I'm out.  Defeated by the next generation of the Trampoline Wrestling Federation. 

It's great to see a new era of the TWF begin.  Great to pass on the legacy to my own son and to keep this great organization in the family.  Even better, this was simply an exhibition match,  more of a pick up match, nothing official.  Yep, that's right, a non title bout - still the TWF World Champion...  perhaps I better retire before some serious embarrassment heads my way. 

Furniture Work

We got up this morning and went to the Elders Quorum breakfast where we enjoyed visiting with members of the ward.  It was at the Whetmans home.  The boys had fun playing in the yard and Natty enjoyed hanging out with Mack.  This was the annual breakfast that we started a few years back when I served with Ben Fawson in the Presidency.  The new Presidency did a great job with it.  Nice to see that continue. 

It was a good morning for a bike ride so that is how we decided to travel to the breakfast.  Other than a few angry outbursts from Andy all went perfectly well.  Andy finished strong and did a good job after being a little frustrated with an uphill start. 

We really had nothing else on the schedule today.  We had talked about going hiking but a storm had rolled in and by the time we got home from the breakfast the rain was upon us.  We hung out at home for the most part.  We played a few games, played with the micro-chargers and a few other things.  I also took the opportunity to play around with some furniture that I am refinishing.  I've got the dining room table we bought when we moved to Florida and I have this old Secretary that we bought from a lady here in Cedar.  I am refinishing the top of the table and will try to sell the set.  It is too big for this house and we might as well see if we can make a little money. 

The Secretary, that is a mess.  The lady we bought it from painted it and lets just say... why?  The paint is on there very thick.  It is not smooth, it is just thick and it is my opinion that when you are going to refinish and antique and you want to Chabbi Chic it, do very thin coats.  It will take a few coats to get it done but it will look so much better.  That is all I really have to say about that right now. 

Anyhow, fun times on the home front.  

Micro Time

The boys have been quite excited about these little race cars called micro chargers. I decided that we could use them as incentives for good behavior and staying focussed at school. We picked up a set tonight, the crash track I think.I am not the expert on these things. Anyway, they were very excited.  Now to keep them motivated and earning more cars. 

Here's Jack playing with it.  He also had me shoot a video of him providing an official Jackson Walter Fontano toy review.   Glad they are excited.

Excersizing Your Brain

Today I watched a master of special education at work.  It was a wonderful experience.  Jack and I gathered in the smile room at South Elementary with Sharon Coonan, Mrs. Sherratt and Mrs. Pelton.  Sharon lead the discussion and really did a fabulous job.  Let me step back for a couple of minutes.  I believe a recent posts discussed the plans for today being to attend the above mentioned meeting and to share with Jack a bit about autism.

Back to the visit.  We sat down and Sharon began teaching him with a select group of pictures.  They were cartoons not actual pictures.  The first two pictures were of a rather plump man and then a muscular man, a ripped man as Andy would say.  Sharon then asked Jack about each picture.  I thought for sure Jack would say "This guy is plump, like my dad".  He spared me that embarrassment.  Anyhow, Jack noted the difference and Sharon went on to discuss exercising and how the muscular man had to exercise to get into that kind of shape.  It was a lack of exercise that lead to the plump man being plump. 

Sharon then took out another picture.  This time it was of the brain and it detailed different parts of the brain.  Jack picked up fast on the brain and referred to it as our control panel.  Perfect.  Sharon talked specifically about some of the different areas of the brain and what they do. 

Writing - it is towards the center of the brain and she talked about how with Jack that part of the brain is like the plump man.  Jack hates writing and avoids it as much as possible.  This contributes to what I was saying in last nights post about homework being such a challenge. 

Hearing - if I remember correctly it is at the front of the brain somewhere over the eyes.  Sharon compared this part of Jacks brain to - a new picture - the hulk.  It is very powerful, to the point that little noises can be a huge distraction.  He hears them.  The movie theatre - way too noisy for Jack.  It wasn't the movie that scared him two weeks ago, it was the noise in the theatre that was simply too much. 

Sharon then introduced Autism.  Sometimes people with autism experience these kinds of challenges when writing and things like that can be very challenging while hearing and other sensory type things can be quite advanced.  She shared with Jack that he has autism and asked if he knew that.  Jack got a little emotional and said quietly "I always thought I was just different than the other kids".  I was choked up myself sitting there with Jack and it is a good thing I wasn't talking because I wouldn't have held it together.  Mrs. Coonan didn't let us linger on that long and quickly reinforced what a wonderful thing it is and how special Jack was.  She talked about all the things that are strengths with Jack and assured him, and me for that matter, that he could do whatever he wanted to do.  That autism would not hold him back. 

Back to the brain and writing.  Exercise.  Exercise is how the muscular man got muscular.  Exercising our brain is something we can do.  Another picture - two guys talking, one has a huge head and the other is asking "Have you been exercising your brain".  Jack loved it and it was all clicking.  Sharon talked about developing that writing part of his brain and how it will not happen in a couple of days but that he can make it strong through working on it everyday and pushing himself a little further each day. 

There were several different things that were discussed relative to the classroom and Jack managing himself when things get too loud or when he is overloaded.  Jack did give us all a little discourse on capacitors and how they work and it got tied in to him getting overloaded.  How does my 9 year old know all about capacitors?  It is that part of his brain that is hulkishly strong.  It is what easily clicks with him. 

Anyway, I should say that first thing this morning Jack came upstairs and said to me "The people that developed the mini cooper had to learn their times tables.  I have a new strategy.  When I sit down to do my times tables I am going to clear my mind and focus on just doing that".   He has made up his mind.  He also shared that plan later in our meeting. 

It is a neat thing for me to watch him grow.  No doubt it is filled with challenges that push me to the limit.  I seriously finished the day yesterday thinking this was the third day of homework, I don't think I am going to make it this year.  I talked to Sharon about it this morning and told her we would do our best with the homework but I was not going to worry about making sure it was all done and done perfectly.  She told me that she had discussed it with Mrs. Sherratt and said to her that I would help Jack but that if it was too much I would not push it to a point that it would get between me and the boys.  They were fine with that.  I was relieved to hear that cause it was exactly how I was feeling. 

I have to share what Mrs. Pelton said.  She talked about Jack's growth over the last few years.  Talked about where he was in 1st grade and where he is now.  In first grade he was in her room all the time and they worked on different behavioral skills.  He went to her room after he was in trouble.  Now he knows that when he is heading towards overload that he can go to her room.  He knows to set a timer for himself and he will sit and work on his work until he is ready to go back to the class.  He recognizes when he shouldn't have done something and can coach himself through it.  The other day he was getting overloaded in class and so he got up to go but instead of leaving the room he found a quiet place to sit by himself.  He stayed until he was able to calm himself down and then returned back to the activities.  I realize that this may not be a big deal for most kids but it is huge for Jack.  He is really a good boy and tries really hard to do what is right.   

I walked out of South today a bit emotional and filled with gratitude for a team of wonderful people who love my sweet Jack and who love little Andy as well.  They have been such a blessing in our lives and it is clear to me that we are exactly where we need to be right now.  I am very grateful to my Heavenly Father for his watchful care. 

I'm Beat

After three hours of trying to get Jack to do homework I fell, defeated, beat, nothing left.  At the end I was reading him the multiplication problem and helping him figure out the answer and then I was writing it down for him.  Where is that ultimately going to get him?  Nowhere, fast.  I was presenting a problem, helping him find the answer and then two questions later was asking the same question over.  He would have no recollection of what the answer was.  I was beaten at that point.  My efforts were in vein and I had no more energy or time to give.  I don't know how to do it?  I cannot give Jack all of my time every evening just to do the work myself.  I have two other kids who need some of my attention as well.  This was day three of homework like this and somethings got to give.  I don't have it.  I will seek divine intervention.  What else can I do? 

Big Jack

I've had a few thoughts about big Jack today, well, over the last few days.  We were reading last night for his homework and we had a special moment.  The book - You're Only Old Once by the good Dr. Seuss.  Norval is a fish that resides in an aquarium in a doctors office.  There is a point in the book when the main character, an old man, is sitting in a chair and talking to Norval who is staring at him with big eyes that have a look of great concern.  If I am remembering the words correctly I think it talks about Norval being sympathetic.  We paused from the story and I shared with Jack that Norval was a good listener, someone people could talk to about anything and be safe.  Jack's eyes got big and in complete seriousness he said "I could talk to someone like that".  He seemed to have great relief when he said it.  I told him that he could always talk to me about whatever is on his mind.  It was actually quite a special moment when all the tenderness of Jack's heart is right out there in the open, we both had tears in our eyes and had a little hug.  I sat and thought about the way he said that and how relieved he seemed to be that he could talk to someone.  It made me wonder what all does he have inside that he has not talked to me about.  How can I help him feel comfortable speaking about things?  Actually, speaking is not a problem for Jack, he can talk your ear off.  Is there something he is trying to communicate but cannot?  I don't know, maybe I am reading too much into it.  I just want to be the dad he needs me to be.

I stopped in to say hello to Mrs. Coonan this morning after dropping Andy off in his classroom.  We talked about Jack's day yesterday which was a bit frustrating for him.  He and I actually had a good conversation about that yesterday evening.  He did good recognizing situations and did his best to act appropriately, struggled a bit but it was ultimately a positive thing.  We discussed having a meeting where we teach Jack about autism and why some things a hard for him.  We will also discuss strategies that help him to best handle himself especially when things aren't going his way,  That is set up for Thursday.  Should be a good morning, nay, it will be a wonderful morning. 

Well Big Jack, we press on my boy.  I will do my very best to be like Norval for you.     

Duties

I am happy to say that I do not have dead guy duty.  I believe Nacho Libre is the appropriate candidate for that particular job.  I did have reason however to reflect this evening on what my duties are as the father in the home.  Following a conversation with my sweet daughter that didn't exactly go smoothly - because I got to be the parent and not the friend - I sought some direction on how to help her understand where I am coming from and why I make the decisions that I make.  I didn't really know where to go on that so I prayed for inspiration.  You know what, it came.  I searched Fathers Duties on the church's website (www.lds.org) and came across a lesson that quoted a talk from President Ezra Taft Benson on the role of father in the home.  What a fantastic talk.  I ended up sharing a Family Home Evening lesson on the very subject and used a portion of the talk.  It was a good reminder to me of what I should be doing and it provided great insight to my kids on what the prophets have instructed fathers to do to lead their families. 

Here is the portion of the talk that I shared:

Mothers play an important role as the heart of the home, but this in no way lessens the equally important role fathers should play, as head of the home, in nurturing, training, and loving their children.

As the patriarch in your home, you have a serious responsibility to assume leadership in working with your children. You must help create a home where the Spirit of the Lord can abide. Your place is to give direction to all family life. You should take an active part in establishing family rules and discipline.

Your homes should be havens of peace and joy for your family. Surely no child should fear his own father—especially a priesthood father. A father’s duty is to make his home a place of happiness and joy. He cannot do this when there is bickering, quarreling, contention, or unrighteous behavior. The powerful effect of righteous fathers in setting an example, disciplining and training, nurturing and loving is vital to the spiritual welfare of his children.

With love in my heart for the fathers in Israel, may I suggest ten specific ways that fathers can give spiritual leadership to their children:

1. Give father’s blessings to your children. Baptize and confirm your children. Ordain your sons to the priesthood. These will become spiritual highlights in the lives of your children.
2. Personally direct family prayers, daily scripture reading, and weekly family home evenings. Your personal involvement will show your children how important these activities really are.
3. Whenever possible, attend Church meetings together as a family. Family worship under your leadership is vital to your children’s spiritual welfare.
4. Go on daddy-daughter dates and father-and-sons’ outings with your children. As a family, go on campouts and picnics, to ball games and recitals, to school programs, and so forth. Having Dad there makes all the difference.
5. Build traditions of family vacations and trips and outings. These memories will never be forgotten by your children.
6. Have regular one-on-one visits with your children. Let them talk about what they would like to. Teach them gospel principles. Teach them true values. Tell them you love them. Personal time with your children tells them where Dad puts his priorities.
7. Teach your children to work, and show them the value of working toward a worthy goal. Establishing mission funds and education funds for your children shows them what Dad considers to be important.
8. Encourage good music and art and literature in your homes. Homes that have a spirit of refinement and beauty will bless the lives of your children forever.
9. As distances allow, regularly attend the temple with your wife. Your children will then better understand the importance of temple marriage and temple vows and the eternal family unit.
10. Have your children see your joy and satisfaction in service to the Church. This can become contagious to them, so they, too, will want to serve in the Church and will love the kingdom

To me that is a wonderful list that outlines clearly those duties that should be a priority in my life.  Some of those things we do a pretty good job with.  Others need a little help.  Anyhow, good reminder.   

 

Being Misrepresented

In the last couple of days I have had an experience that has not exactly sat well with me.  Sometimes we get to experience a certain level of stress in our lives.  Often that stress can be job related.  Running a business is not a stress free environment.  On Friday evening I was working through a few challenging things related to the business and was a little frustrated and muttered something about how I might need to get a real job.  I had basically finished what I was in the middle of and my muttering was to myself and happened as an employee was walking up to the front.  She overheard my comment and asked if I didn't like working with her and others.  I clarified that this was not the case and then made the mistake of trying to qualify my comment with a quick line.  Prior to this exchange and while I was in the middle of working on a few things I had a return call from pops regarding one matter I was looking at.  I needed clarification from him about a certain matter and was actually relieved when what I hoped was the case was confirmed.  That was basically all there was to our conversation.  This same employee had come up to the front while I was on the phone and was entering an order into the computer.  Note that there were customers in the shop throughout this time.  Anyhow, I finished up and went home.

Yesterday I got a text from Dave about a story he had been told by this employee who reportedly said that I was up front yelling at pops on the phone and she had to come up to see what the problem was and calm the situation.  She said I slammed the phone down (not real good on a cell phone) and yelled that I was going to get a different job.  He also mentioned that this employee had told at least one other person this story.  I was somewhat shocked.  Dave and I texted back and forth about it and spoke a little more at length about it this evening.  Pops was also there and so I asked if I had been yelling at him in our conversation on Friday evening over the phone.  No.  And then he asked if that was the conversation that this employee had told Dave about.  Yes.  We were scratching our heads.  I don't yell at pops and I certainly don't make a scene in the front of our own business when we have customers about.  I also don't like to make a scene in front of employees nor do I make it a habit of yelling at anybody.  Not saying that I haven't yelled at somebody before but the story that this gal was sharing was so off base that I feel completely misrepresented and truly don't understand what she was thinking to share such and elaborate story with my own brother.  She obviously doesn't know me or understand the working relationship that I have with Dave and Pops.  We are pretty much on the same page and we don't work anything like what she described.   

I am 40 years old.  I am a single parent of 3 kids.  I'm poor as poor can be, trying to run a business and I don't have time for this kind of thing.   I have listened to this girl tell elaborate stories about things that happen when we are not there and I always take them with a grain of salt because I have heard other reports on the same incident with very different and much less dramatic detail. Apparently she loves drama.  I do not.  Apparently she doesn't know how to be truthful, enjoys creative license and has no problem misrepresenting someone.  Apparently she isn't all that bright when she decides to elaborate on a very unexciting story to my brother concerning our family.  Apparently I will be having a sit down with this girl and I may even have to yell at her, just so she can experience what that is really like.  Apparently I really like the word apparently and apparently I was bothered by this situation enough that I decided to record it here.  Well, here's why.  Being misrepresented sucks.  I don't like things being said about me and about my family that are not true.  You wouldn't like it either.  When you're caught you're up the creek.  Do you think I trust this individual at all now?  Not really.  So where does that get her?  When we simply tell the truth we will find ourselves worthy of others trust and that is worth so much more.

Okay, done rambling.     

Fun With Andyboy

It was nice to sleep in this morning.  It was a bit needed after the week.  Looking forward to a little after church nap tomorrow, well, maybe.  Anyhow, we had a fine day.  Started out with a bit of cleaning.  Set Jack up in the bathroom, he's a toilet cleaning pro, and taught Andy how to operate the vacuum.  He did a fine job helping to vacuum.  I thought as we were working on it that I should get a picture of him and write a little something about it in the journal.  Vacuuming is a very important day in a kids life.  So important that I have no idea when I learned how to use the vacuum.  See, mom should have been keeping a blog way back then...  Well, I don't remember when I learned how to use the vacuum but I do remember Grandpa Jim staying at our house and teaching me all about good vacuum lines in the carpet.  He was thorough and I wanted to vacuum the same way he did.  Some days I might approach his standard.  Andy, well, he needs a little practice but for day one - fantastic. 

We did a few things around the house and took care of  a little shopping.  All together somewhat relaxing.  This evening however, out came the yard equipment.  I ended up with a number of apples on the ground and that gets pretty nasty with the edge trimmer and the mower.  I decided to rake the apples off the lawn.  When I got there I started shooting the apples off the lawn with the rake then thought it would be better with a hockey stick, it was!  Cleared the lawn with several good shots and then I was putting it away and Andy came out and asked what I was doing.  I told him, he thought it was cool and wanted to try.  We went for it.  He struggled with the hockey stick and gave up.  I picked up the stick and started clearing the rest off the grass when all of the sudden I was smacked in the head with a rottenness apple.  That started a fantastic apple battle between Andy and Myself.  We had a lot of fun.  Andy would throw apples at me and I would shoot them with the hockey stick at Andy.  I know, simple pleasures but that is good.  We had a lot of fun.  I highly recommend clearing fallen apples off your lawn with a hockey stick.
 

Did I mention...

Church softball began last night.  Last year it was a weekly occurrence for me to come home injured after the ball game.  This year my goal is to avoid injury.  Did I mention that I recently turned 40?  Well, I did.  My body isn't letting forget that I am getting older and my body wasn't on the same page as my goal to not sustain injury was made.  I did injure myself yesterday.  Seems I have injured my foot.  Not only that but my body has stiffened up some.  Not the funnest.  Yep, last year I was feeling older and this year I am definitely feeling older.  That is part of the joy of getting older.

Back to School 2013/2014

The kids went back to school today.  All went well this morning.   Andy had a hard time waking up but that is the norm.  Going to school wasn't a problem.  I took Andy in to class.  He did great.  Hopefully that will continue. Everyone seemed to enjoy the first day.  Happy about that.   

Back to School Eve

It is hard to believe that school is starting tomorrow.  I don't know that I am ready for that.  It will mean a fairly hectic schedule with school prep in the morning, work, dinner, homework with Jack and Andy, reading time, our regular family scripture time, getting the kids to bed, laundry, house cleaning, all the other stuff that has to happen like scouts, young women's, band concerts, my calling, home teaching and then perhaps a bit less sleep.  Okay, a lot less sleep.  People question why I don't date - there you go.  My life is busy enough as it is.  Dating is just one more thing though I need to follow the bishops counsel and if someone strikes me...

Anyway, on this eve of the school year we had back to school night at the middle school.  These back to school nights seem to me to be a big push to join the PTA and raise money for the schools.  It is nice to meet the teachers but really it is kind of a mad house and meaningful communication with the teachers doesn't seem like it is quite there.  I would imagine for the teacher it is a bit of a mad house with an overwhelming number of students and parents coming in to meet you.  I would hardly remember anybody in that setting.  Unless of course they were ordering sandwiches in which case I could picture them as a Philly, a Turkey, a Buffalo Chicken or a Muffalatta - among others.

True to form we had to hit the Wal-Mart tonight to finish getting supplies - no reason to be prepared ahead of time.  Naturally everything was pretty well picked over and the selection on some items was very thin.  We managed to get most of it but they are completely out of sheet protectors.  I guess they'll have to wait for a bit on those.  Hopefully they are not protecting a large number of sheets on day one. 

The greatest joy of back to school eve is giving back to school blessings.  We did so.  I am grateful to have those experiences.  Grateful for my wonderful children.  Though my days will be longer and my sleep a lot less I wouldn't trade it for the world.  Being a dad is one of the greatest joys of my life.  Another great joy is sleeping which I am fixin to lose a lot of so I am going to sign off now...

Kid Moments

Natty got braces today.  She has been really excited about getting them and this morning she finally got them on.  Pretty exciting stuff.  I intended to be with her while it happened but had to open the shop.  They told me it would be an hour and a half but I think it went a little faster because she had been sitting there a bit before I got back and I saw later that she had called me roughly 6 times.  I should really remember to take my phone off of silent.  Anyhow, she has started and I think she'll be pretty responsible with her teeth and cleaning.  We got her a few goodies at the store to hold her over for the next few days as she will have some pain.  She has already experienced some.  Grateful for Ibuprofen she is.  I was practicing my Yoda speak there. 

Andy seems to be a bit ill tonight.  I hope he is just tired and this isn't the beginning of something major.  I prefer to have him in school on day 1.  He did well at back to school night and he came in to the voting booth with me.  Primary elections for our local stuff was today.  He was pretty excited when they gave him an I Voted sticker. 

At the back to school event Jack saw Mrs. Coonan in the hall and ran to her and leaped into her arms.  It was pretty fantastic. 

Jack has been up with me, can't sleep so he wanted to watch some videos.  We watched a few that were absolutely hilarious and he was laughing extremely hard.  His laughter made me laugh.  It is moving just how much joy he gets out of it. 

Well, fun times with kiddos.  They are good kids and I am grateful for all they do for me. 

Cavity Free

We had a great visit with the dentist today.  I tried to prep everyone beforehand - mental prep is what I'm talking about here.  Jack is always a concern but I thought I had him on a good level, ready to visit with the dentist.  As soon as they called us back Jack remembered the x-ray machine and was up in arms about that.  No way was he going to have those pictures done.  They decided to start him with a cleaning.  Andy had gone through the x-ray portion and the hygienists did an excellent job at getting Jack to relax about the film that goes in his mouth.  It worked out well.  In a welcome report came the news that no one had any cavities.  Any time you can make it through a dental exam with three kids and no cavities, that is a great time.   

Whenever I Hear...

What a wonderful Sabbath day.  It feels wonderful to be at church with my family.  I was so happy to have them there with me once again, I have missed that.  We had a few challenges but we managed to make it through okay.  At the end of Sacrament meeting the boys knew it was time for primary and immediately started to complain about being sick.  I reminded them of a previous conversation when we committed to going to our classes.  I got Andy to go to Primary and Jack ended up coming with me.  Jack did say that his stomach was bothering him and he ended up passing quite a bit of gas for the remainder of the day.  Oh, to be young again and to toot anywhere like it was no big deal. 

Sara was telling me that Andy did a good job in his class.  He was really excited about singing time and was belting out the songs.  Sara said he was especially excited for one of the songs.  I don't know the name of this song but it is one of my favorites as well and I wasn't surprised that Andy likes it.  Again, don't know the title but it goes like this:

Whenever I hear the song of a bird or look at the blue blue sky. 
Whenever I feel the rain on my face or the wind as it rushes by.
Whenever I touch a velvet rose or walk by a lilac tree.
I'm glad that I live in this beautiful world, Heavenly Father created for me. 

Grateful that we made it through the day at church.  Grateful that everyone did a good job. 

A Raucous Environment

When the kids got home a few days ago one of the hot topics has been the movie Planes that came out yesterday.  Jack was very excited about it.  I was given a gift card to the movies for my birthday and decided that I would treat the kids to Planes this evening.  It was a good movie and most of us had a good time.  I can't quite say that Jack had a good time. 

It has become quite apparent to me that Jack does not enjoy going to see movies in the theatre.  That really should not come as a surprise as loud noises don't go over very well for him.  The dark, probably not the best when combined with loud noises.  He was nervous about going but thought it would be okay after Natalie gave him a pep talk - which she is expert in doing most of the time. 

Just a few minutes after the movie began Jack started having a hard time and shortly thereafter we were on our way to the bathroom.  False alarm.  Nothing happened.  He told me he was nervous and we should have just watched the movie at home.  We went back in.  After ten minutes or so we were back out to the bathroom.  After that visit we were back inside for a while and then he needed to go once again.  We talked about being brave.  He said he was really nervous so I asked if he would like to have a little prayer before going back in.  We did and then we went back and managed to get through the rest of the movie.  There were some arm squeezes and still some nervousness but he pulled through. 

At one point in the movie some of Dusty's friends help him.  Jack was very emotional at this point of the film.  It was a pretty special thing and I enjoyed watching Jack see and react to the goodness of his friends who were helping. 

After the movie we were talking and I asked Jack about how he felt.  He said he thought the movie was good but he wished we would have waited till it came out on DVD.  He mentioned a couple of times how it was loud in the theatre.  Then he said "It is quite raucous in there, too loud for me, we should wait for it to come out on DVD".  Raucous, really?  He is going in to the 4th grade.  How many other 4th graders use the word raucous or even know what it means? 

Well, grateful for family and for the things we experience together.. 

The Party

Love my fam.  Thanks for the party Laura!

Workouts and Wrestling

This morning I invited Andy to do a little workout with me.  He was so excited a couple months ago about getting ripped in the hotel's fitness center when we went to Salt Lake that I figured he would appreciate this invitation.  He did and together we knocked out some jumping jacks, some crunches, some squats, some bench press, bicep curls, tricep curls, and some leg lifts.  Andy did some good work and was excited to check out his ripped abs.  So funny. 

For the last two nights Andy has wanted to wrestle with me.  Tonight we managed to make it happen.  It was fantastic.  He is a bit of a trash talker and that is pretty fun.  I pretty much just laid down on the bed and let him jump on my back repeatedly.  Every now and again I would come alive and tie him up or drop an elbow.  It was a good time.  So great to have the kids home. 

Making the Turn at 40

For some reason I find it hard to believe that when I woke up this morning I had made the turn to my 40's.  It just seems strange to me and suddenly 40 years doesn't seem that long.  Of course I say that with constant pain in my lower back and shoulder.  No big deal.
The day was great.   Went and looked at a new building opportunity for the LBH.  It has potential.   Jack came with and got a kick out of it.  He found a g-scale Christmas train in storage and dreamed about playing with it. 
At work our employee Brook snuck a hot cookie sundae in front of me and suddenly began singing Happy Birthday.  It was pretty sneaky as they said it was for booth 2.  They were all in on it - Brook, Brittany, Jessica, Dave, Nate and A. Fantastic, thanks all. It was a great surprise.
Not much else in the way of partying.   I mowed the lawn for the relaxation party tonight.  Felt good.  Now it's time for this old man to go to bed.
Let me just add that I am so grateful to have the kids home.  I couldn't ask for a better gift on my 40th birthday then to be surrounded by my beautiful children. 

The kiddos are back

So very happy today.  The kids are back. I picked them up in Vegas at the Golden Nugget ... after trying to locate them at the Gold Coast.  Way to go.  They are wonderful and quick to forgive me for going to the wrong hotel.  The quiet and the loneliness, ummm, no such thing today and that is great. 

Appliance Repair Man

Some 20 years ago or so I used to mess around as a refrigerator repair man.  I believe Pete used to do it also.  It was an opportunity to drop the drawers a bit, get a little butt crackin out and act like a professional of all things appliance repair related.  On the mission I used to do the same thing as a car tire specialist.  It was all just a little act put on to bring a smile to someones face.  Today however, I actually got to perform in the role of a true appliance repair man.  We have had a few challenges with out commercial microwave or microwaves rather.  The one we had been using for some time just quit working.  We had a spare that pops had picked up but it needed a plug so a week ago I pulled both apart and switched the plug to the other machine.  That unit worked for a few days and then it suddenly stopped functioning.  I started pondering a few things about the first one and determined that the problem with it must have been a blown fuse.  There were additional problems that needed fixing - like a bare spot on the ceramic plate that caused a bit of a lightening storm inside the microwave now and again.  There may have been a little grease to clean off the unit as well.  Certainly the fuse was worth a shot as I knew where it was located and that would save us a bit of money I am sure.  Long story short, the new fuse did the trick.  I cleaned as much grease and grime off the thing as I could.  Put it all back together, sealed the ceramic plate inside.  Really hope that trick works.  The silicone I used has to cure for 24 hours so we won't actually know until either tomorrow  evening or first thing Wednesday morning.  Assuming I pull it off and the unit works without a problem then I can truly say, with confidence even, that I am an Appliance Repair Man.    

Bishop Ellison

Just a quick note tonight about Bishop John Ellison.  I enjoy him.  He is a good man and has a wonderful heart and testimony of Jesus Christ.  I am grateful to have him as my Bishop.  He grabbed me after sacrament meeting today and we sat down for a little chat.  He talked about my spiritual progression and counseled me that I need to be searching for a wife.  He talked about the time I spend with my kids and how finding someone, though it will cut back on my time with the kids, will share the load and will provide the kids with additional time and attention from whoever that person is.  He also said, and I appreciate this, that just because someone is single and I am single doesn't mean that we are a fit, that if I don't, I am trying to remember how he said it... basically if I don't feel drawn to someone that I don't need to pursue it.  That isn't the phrase he used, I wish I could clearly remember it, it wasn't something that I have heard a lot.  Anyhow, it was a good conversation and didn't leave me feeling too awkward.  I suppose I have work to do.  I guess I should start praying for a little less anxiety when it comes to the dating scene... 

Acceptable

I drove down to St. George this morning to attend the Temple with the Cedar 8th Ward Elders Quorum.  There were three members of the quorum there.  The other two were President Whetman and Jay, both of whom brought their wives with them.  I was attending solo. 

During the drive down I was listening to The Book of Mormon in the book of Alma when Captain Moroni hoists the Title of Liberty and then fortifies the cities against their enemies.  The fortifications proved their value during battle when the Lamanites failed to advance against their cities.  The heaps of earth and great works of timber protected the Nephite people.  Those of the Lamanite army who were gaining ground against the fortified cities were then attacked by the armies of the Nephites and pushed back. 

As I listened to this I thought about the fortifications that we make in our own homes.  We have the blessing of having the scriptures to sup from daily.  We call upon the Lord for strength and He provides.  We attend our church meetings and we hold Family Home Evening and are blessed for our faithfulness.  Can I stress that word faithfulness because sometimes these activities can be hard to do.  Sometimes instead of being great spiritual experiences they are our greatest trials and yet we press forward and we try in faith believing that the Lord will bless our families.  I testify that He does.  These are our fortifications but they do not catch all.  The adversary is crafty and he can find a way into our homes through a variety of ways and means.  It is not enough to rely solely on the fortifications.  The Nephites did not.  As their enemies advanced against the fortifications they were ready to attack those that gained ground against them.  We likewise stand guard and when we see the adversary advancing be it in the shows we watch, the music we listen to, the filth that can be found on the Internet and social media we have to be brave enough to attack those things and push them back and away from our families.  Sometimes our battlefront requires that we be the unpopular parent who doesn't allow our child X, Y or Z when their friends are all doing it.  Does that make sense?  I hope that it does.  It made sense to me. 

Well, anyway, I had a wonderful experience in the Temple.  Their is a new video for the Temple Endowment and my goodness, it was great.  Not trying to make light here but  have to report that Corbin Allred plays the part of Lucifer in the video.  He is one of our customers at The Little Brick House and, well, he's starred in a couple of movies - both the Saints and Soldiers movies.  Anyway, I was sitting there watching him and grinning not because I like Lucifer but because I like Corbin, he is a good guy and he did a great job.  I actually thought about what it will be like for him to attend the temple and watch himself in the video playing that role.  What about the guy sitting next to him in the endowment session?  He could have fun with that though I am not suggesting that he would.  I really don't know him other than he is a customer and Dave always talked about what a good guy he is.  Anyhow, loved that and just really enjoyed that session. 

I went in and did some initiatories after.  They are my favorite thing to do in the Temple and since I was there and had the time I felt I needed to do it.  That was a wonderful treat to me.  Before I get to that let me note that I enjoyed being in the Temple with Jay & Sara and Jake & Sister Whetman.  Our turnout was small from the Elders Quorum but it was great to be there with them.  I also saw Jerry Oldroyd there and thought of what a blessing it is to have my kids attending a school with a righteous Priesthood holder as the Principal.  Finally, I saw Doug and Sandra Maxwell and got to visit with them for a few minutes.  I love them.  They are such good people and have such strong testimonies of Temple work. 

So I go into the initiatories and I am the only one.  There were three fantastic brethren in there and the Spirit was strong.  I listen to the blessings as I go through and I feel this peaceful confirmation from the Spirit that my offering is acceptable to the Lord.  It was a bit overwhelming. My eyes are wet, tears running down my face and I think it will pass and I will be fine.  It didn't, I went through for 5 people and felt the love of my Heavenly Father the entire time, cried all the way through it.  It was a humbling moment for me and one that I will forever cherish. 

What was my offering?  I have attended the Temple every week since my children went up to spend the summer with their mom.  This is the third year I have done this.  I cannot be with them, I cannot be there to defend them against the adversary.  I go to the temple with faith that by consecrating my time to serve others in The House of the Lord I can call upon Him to be with and bless my children, to protect them when I am not there to do so.  I go with faith and trust them to His care.  Sometimes all we can do in our lives is look up and call upon God for help.  Today came a sweet confirmation to me by the Spirit that He knows my heart, that my desires are righteous and that my offering was acceptable.    

Finally let me come full circle and go back to fortifying our homes and protecting our families.  There are wonderful blessings in the initiatory that enable us to discern between truth and error and blessings that help us to defend truth and virtue.  There are also blessings related to protection against the adversary.  I am being careful so as not to share things I should not in this setting.  Let me just say that the entirety of these blessings is both beautiful and powerful.  These are gifts that we are given to protect against the adversary, to fortify our homes and to defend our families.  I am grateful for these gifts.  I am grateful for the Temple.  I am grateful for a Heavenly Father who knows us, who loves us and who stands ready to bless us.  I know that He does. 

Change

Only appropriate to follow up a post title Constant with a post title Change.  The back and the should are not in as much pain tonight as they were yesterday and I suppose that is a rather nice change.  Don't worry, I don't plan on discussing that any further.

Change is something that is happening all the time.  One of the things I can always count on in life is that things change.  Things we may anticipate going one way end up going a completely different direction.  Life can get a bit crazy sometimes and I guess the trick to change is in how we deal with it.  What do we do when things don't work out exactly how we planned?  I don't know what the correct course of action is there except to try and gather and understand the facts and take a logical approach to how you deal with change.  Sometimes easier said than done. 

Constant

For the last while I have had somewhat constant pain in my lower back.  I don't think I have pulled a muscle or anything, I don't remember doing anything like that.  I just have pain.  I suspect it may have something to do with standing all day.  It may have something to do with getting older.  It might also have something to do with putting on a few pounds.  I have been doing a regular workout centered around the abs and strengthening the mid-section.  I wonder how that is effecting the battle.  In the long run I hope it is a good thing.  I am also working on shoulders and trying to battle some constant pain I seem to be experiencing in my right shoulder.  Oh my goodness, it's like I am falling apart.  I'm fixin to turn 40 and I am feeling it.