Grandma Detox

Isaac spent the bulk of last weekend at my parent's place in Owatonna. This is the first time they'd taken him for that amount of time. Lori and I really needed to get to the several dozen boxes that we had not yet unpacked from our move to Northfield (over a year ago...).

All went well. Isaac had a blast (or so I'm told), Lori and I got to get ourselves organized, as well as reconnect as a couple. We went on a real live date to hear Kevin Kling speak, and then to a local tavern for a drink! We both slept completely soundly for the first time in over two years. It was blissful. We did start to miss the tyke though, and were excited for him to come back home.

Monday morning, Lori calls me at school to let me know that our wonderful little boy has turned into the "I want" monster. In the background of the phone, all I hear is "I want a cookie. I want a lollipop. I want to watch the Wiggles." followed by glass-shattering toddler screams. Grandma Detox had begun.

I'm so grateful that Isaac has such a strong bond with all four of his Grandparents. My folks are still very active and participatory in their grandchildren's lives, even well into their 70's. I'm also grateful that they spoil the heck out of him. That's their job. Give him everything he wants, whenever he wants it, in whatever quantity he requests.

Isaac's readjustment to a world that contains the word "no" has been slow. We're 72 hours in, and he's still pretty demanding. Don't get me wrong. The 36 hours of child-free time was well worth it. I can only hope that in the future, he adjusts back to reality a teensy bit quicker.

Perspective

I spent the morning observing and helping out some of the 2nd grade music classes at our elementary school. Jan Strand, our elementary music teacher, is amazing, and does amazing things with our students. We are attempting to align our sight-reading materials, so that the singers are better prepared for MS and HS level literature.

During my visit though, I observed something much more important than what the kids are learning.

I think that all elementary students want is to do their best. It does not matter what they are doing, they just want to be the best they can be. The best hand-raiser, the best at pretending to be a chick still in it's egg, the best at lining up at the end of class. Eager does not even begin to describe them. Why does this go away later in life? For most of us, it comes back in some form or another, but it's rare to find an adult willing to make a complete ass of themselves at any given time, solely because they want to be the best.

"I want to be the best vacuumer this house has ever seen" is rarely uttered by adults.

"I want to be the best toilet cleaner ever" is rarely uttered by adults.

Personally, I can say that I try to be the best father, husband, teacher, son, sibling that I can be, but I really think that if we all had the "I want to be the best at everything" attitude that those 2nd graders have, it would be a pretty sweet world...

Summer's Gone

Once again, summer has passed all too quickly. Lori and I are incredibly grateful for the fact that we have summers off, but once school starts up again, it simply feels like a long-ish weekend.

Over the course of the summer, we: Got pregnant, camped with a toddler in the Black Hills, put one cat down and took another to the humane society, recarpeted our lower level, spent a week in Northern Minnesota with family, went swimming, took naps, played golf, and had an abundance of family time.

There, now we're up to speed.

Another school year has started. Lori is again working part time from home, teaching math, and I'm back at K-W directing the choirs. This fall hit us like a ton of bricks. Two on one parenting is a dream. One on one for the bulk of the day (especially when you're pregnant) is a bit taxing...

Isaac is more active than ever. It's so true that kids either focus on the verbal or the physical. Isaac was speaking at a very early age, but was not climbing, kicking, throwing, wrestling as much. He's taken the last few months to catch up with that side of things. Now, not only is he talking a mile a minute, he runs around at about the same pace. Meltdowns are more frequent, as his independence is not always in alignment with things like safety, polite society and peace...

I'm hoping to blog more often now that the summer is over.

Stag Weekend

Isaac and I had our first weekend alone. Lori was tending to some teacher duties, as well as having some girlfriend time in the Metro, so that just left the men at home. We had a blast. We hit the driving range, mowed the lawn, watched some very manly Baby Einstein videos, and basically partied like rock stars. All went pretty well. He slept ok, not counting the 45 minutes of nap time on Saturday.

I'm continuously amazed at how much he is able to take in. He's an observer. There have been many occasions in which he sits and watches the goings on before jumping in. I hope he keeps this sense of analysis as he grows. I want to encourage a sense of adventure in him, but not recklessness. Isaac means "laughter", and we could not have chosen a more apt name. He already has a great sense of humor, and he makes all of us laugh all of the time.

Relief

One concert down, one to go. My HS singers had a fantastic concert last night. They have really grown into some fine ensembles. The community is incredibly appreciative, and the kids seem to be having a good time. Lori was able to make it, which is always great. I love that she is so supportive of my work, and love it when she is in the audience. She's the best critic, because she has the musical chops to know what's good, but listens as a regular audience member as well. Six days of school left. I think we're going to make it...

Getting There

Things are beginning to wind down. Golf season is (nearly) over, the last concerts of the year are next week, and there are 9 days of school left. I've never looked forward to summer more. Watching Isaac experience new places and things is probably the best thing in the world. Lori and I have an ambitious plan to get the house organized, paint a few rooms and put some hardwood in the kitchen. The idea that we will be in our house for the next 30+ years is one that I am still trying to wrap my brain around. For the first time in our lives, we know that we are settled. We know this is the town we will remain in, and know that anything we do here will remain with us for decades. I remember when that thought used to scare the crap out of me, but now, it's the most comforting thing ever. I've got this amazing wife, an incredible son, a wonderful town and family close by. We're both gainfully employed, healthy and (relatively) active. Life is good. We are lucky. I am lucky.

Swing Shift

A working mother on MPR yesterday stated that raising kids in a two parent home is like working the swing shift, with one parent passing the other in the hallway as the other takes over. I can relate to this.

We are in the middle of a two week stint in which I have golf after school nearly every day, and sometimes am not getting home until 9:00 p.m. This, coupled with the normal church duties, puts a big strain on both of us, with Lori solely responsible for all parenting duties for the vast majority of the daylight hours. Thank God golf season is pretty short. There is light at the end of the tunnel, though, as the school year winds down, one church choir ends its season and summer draws near.

Lori and I were eating dinner the other night (standing around the kitchen island, scarfing down food, and trying to get Isaac to finish his chicken nuggets), and she mentioned the possibility of she and I having a night out at a hotel sometime soon. I actually teared up. I don't think I realized how much I missed alone time with her until that moment. We absolutely love being parents, and the joy, wonder and laughter that Isaac brings us is irreplaceable, but man, a 24 hour period with just me and my wife...That sounds pretty great.