Happy Happy Joy Joy...who's the birthday boy boy!?!

Dear Wubster,

First and foremost, I must offer you this sage advice: Save and Save Often! And then, when you think you're too good for that, bop yourself on the head and cut & paste your blog post into Word or some other program and save it there, too. Just trust me on this...and now, here's your birthday letter redux.
I don't know about you, but I was having a hard time waiting for your birthday to get here!

With all the changes over the past few months it feels like you've been three for so long already.

My impatience this year shouldn't surprise me, though. I was just as impatient three years ago as the summer ticked away, the school year growing closer and closer while I waited and waited and waited for the opportunity to meet you.

And just as my summer slipped away I finally did.

And you brightened our growing family with your vivid blue eyes and gassy grins!

And I was happy...even if I had to go back to work the day after I brought you home from the hospital.

In these three years you've grown so strong, loving, and handsome.

You're such a helper when it comes to yard work, whether it's mowing alongside your mom or I (with your bubble mower), transplanting roly-polys and worms, or harvesting veggies (and eating them immediately) from the garden.

Your laugh is infectious and that cheesy grin of yours...it drowns your face in a sea of adorability (thankfully it's no longer a gassy grin)!

I'm looking forward to all the adventures this next year will bring!

Happy Birthday, monkey!

Love,

Dad

Summer of S.A.H.M.M.

Okay...so, technically, it's the Summer of S.A.H.D (Stay At Home Dad), but I was a huge Michael Keaton fan as a kid, so I'm going to go with S.A.H.M.M. (Stay At Home Mr. Mom).

I know I've slacked on posting this summer. Admitting it's the first step in finding the motivation to rewire a DeLorean and travel back to tell my younger self to go to bed earlier every night...

Well, it doesn't seem to have worked...it's late and I'm still typing.

I didn't blog much this summer because by the time my day was over and the kids were snuggling on top of their covers (they don't seem to like the bottom side of sheets) asking for me to cuddle with them, I tucked my motivation to type in next to them and trudged out to the living room to veg out.

It's been a fun summer, but a busy one. I kept all three kids home with me on Mondays and Fridays and then had individual days with each one in between. I wouldn't change a thing about this summer...I also wouldn't want to do it all year long. Props to the real S.A.H.M.s (and D.s) out there! You're amazing...but I'm ready to head back into the classroom routine.

Now...one little secret for you: This post is a victim of circumstance. I'm so out of practice blogging I forgot to verify that the Wubster Birthday Post I finished typing ten minutes ago auto saved before I hit 'Publish' and the blogger gods laughed in my face with their "Oops...that link appears to be broken" practical joke.

For those of you who might be a bit slow...it didn't.

It's gone.

It was good, too.

Epic.

Novel worthy.

Now I'm just left with the early detritus of my first draft.

It sucks, too.

Epic.

Round file worthy.

I'll just try again tomorrow...if my motivation doesn't get tucked into bed with The Wubster, that is.

Happy Half-Decade, Mini-Me!

Five years ago, I wouldn't have spent an evening fighting a 4-ft Darth Vader.

Five years ago, I wouldn't have spent the rest of said evening attacking Lego snow troopers and destroying the Death Star.

Five years ago, I wouldn't have spent a summer morning playing video games...well, I might've, but by myself.

Five years ago, I wouldn't have spent a summer morning swinging as high as I could at a local playground.

Five years ago, I wouldn't have slaved away in the kitchen to shake-n-bake a gourmet smorgasbord of bean & cheese chip tacos (nachos, basically), baby carrots & ranch, grapes, birthday ca...er...rice krispie treats.

Five years ago, June 22nd was just the day (or second day) after the summer solstice...

Five years ago, though, I was lucky enough to stand in a hospital delivery room, accept you in my arms and welcome you into my heart.

Five years ago, you turned me into a father.

Thank you for all the adventures.

I love you!

Dad

Many Mini Posts about Mickey (TMNTK): Chapter 3

Disney World's considered The Most Magical Place on Earth.

Nothing could have been more obvious as we perused the photos of our trip...

Yes. It looks like it's time to change Mini-Me's name to Captain Sourpuss. After we woke him up early to catch the first bus to The Magic Kingdom the kid seemed to make a conscious choice to not show he was having fun all morning long.

But, oh...scowl as he might...he was having fun. We rode Peter Pan three times, Dumbo and Buzz Lightyear twice, and pretty much everything else appropriate for younglings once.

As we waited in line for the Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor, I explained the premise of the show and the laugh collection process to him (we're behind on Disney movies that don't involve Woody, Buzz, or Jack Jack). He sat straight-faced through the entire show while I was doubled over in the aisle (okay...maybe it wasn't that funny, but still). 

"Daddy, I didn't want them to have any of my laughs. I didn't want to feel empty inside."
But our laughter never runs out, bud. It's something we should always share with people...well, in appropriate situations, you wouldn't want to laugh at a...nevermind, I'll explain that later. They wouldn't steal your laughter and make you feel empty, Mini-Me. When we laugh, we're expressing our happiness and sharing it with everyone around us.
"Okay, I might have laughed a little on the inside."

Luckily, after a nap and dinner at the hotel, we ventured back to the park with greatly improved moods and the magic truly began...the fireworks helped...fireworks always seem to help!

Many Mini Posts about Mickey (TMNTK)*: Chapter 2

So the boys weren't outwardly surprised or excited about the announcement that we'd be heading straight to the airport.

In fact, Mini-Me actually reprimanded me:

"Daddy...it's not nice to keep secrets. You shouldn't have kept this secret from me. That's not nice."
But, buddy, it wasn't a secret, really...it was a surprise. We didn't tell you because we wanted it to be a surprise!
"No, daddy, it was a secret. And you shouldn't have kept it."

Point taken. No surprise parties or Cracker Jacks for Mini-Me.

The boys did great as we worked our way through security and down the concourse to our gate. Mini-Me was especially fascinated by the boarded up windows from the Good Friday tornado,  The Wubster was fascinated by the trucks driving around the tarmac.

On the plane I fought the good fight, constantly handing over coloring books and markers...different markers...no, daddy, different markers, V.Readers, iPods, apple juices, snacks, a half-dozen "Stop kicking the chair in front of you"s, a bakers dozen "Leave the tray up...or down...just leave it!"s, and umpteen dozen, "Shhh, please stop yelling...inside voice!"s.

By the end of the two hour flight, I was exhausted. I figured the boys, happy, but loud and hyper, had exhausted the patience of those around me, but then Mini-Me looked out his window on our final approach and announced he'd seen the moon. The man behind us tried several times to see the moon for himself to no avail, and instead struck up a conversation with Mini-Me before speaking to me,

"Man, your kids sure were quiet. I didn't hear 'em the whole flight. You really got 'em trained, dontcha?!?"
Yeah, I guess I do.
"Hon, did you even hear those kids in front of us? They must'a slept through that whole flight."
"No, they were awake. You were listening to your headphones the whole time. They were real good, though."
Well, thanks.

My mind danced between pride and confusion. My super-sensitive parenty-sense led me to believe the boys were incredibly loud, disrupting the entire plane, raising alarms that very nearly brought out the F-15 escorts and, yet, no one around me radiated exasperation in our direction.

Unfortunately, I still had to maintain control, usher the boys through the airport, find the Disney Magical Express line, keep The Wubster from whipping fellow travellers with the retractable lane markers, and wait 40ish minutes for a 30ish minute bus ride 120ish minutes past the boys' bedtime.

Luckily, the bus pulled up just in time...for Mini-Me to tell me he needed to "poop...real bad."

Many Mini Posts about Mickey (TMNTK)*: Chapter 1

You've seen the commercials, right? The unsuspecting kids open the pizza box to discover their pepperoni 'n cheese has sprouted a set of iconic ears. Or the sisters sitting on the couch opening a box out of which spring balloons with a sign announcing, "We're going to Disney World!". Surprising your kids with a trip to Disney World looks exciting and adorable and perfect. Heck, watching those commercials even teases a tear or two out of my ducts...ahem...or, I mean...ummm...I'm allergic to cuteness. Yeah, that's it.

Once we decided that I'd fly down with the boys to meet Rach at her conference in Orlando so we could visit the park, my mind started mulling over potential methods of breaking the news to them. Eventually, I decided that we'd keep the trip a secret until the day of the trip when I would pick them up from preschool with Mickey Mouse balloons and have Rach on the phone to tell them that we were heading straight to the airport. They'd be thrilled! Especially after a couple days of "I miss mommy!"s

Here's how it turned out (Be forewarned...this is two minutes you may never get back!):

I won't wait up for a phone call from the Disney Corporation about the boys starring in their next commercial.



*The Mouse Not the Kid...as opposed to Mickey (TKNTD) who stayed home because we're smarter than we look.

Many Mini Posts About Mickey (TMNTK)*: Prologue

Way back in January...

Rach: Hey...I'm thinking about going to this conference in June in Orlando. What do you think about bringing the boys down to stay with me and we could take them to The Magic Kingdom?
Me: [Apparently forgetting my brief visit to TMK in November during my own conference in Orlando when I swore the boys were too young and I was too impatient to haul them around the park like the frazzled parents I saw] Sure! That would be fun! They'll love it!

Over the next few days I'll regale you with tales from our brief adventures...be forewarned. It's about to get REAL!**



*The Mouse Not the Kid...as opposed to Mickey (TKNTD) who stayed home because we're smarter than we look.
** REAL CRAZY...cause we look smarter than we are!