This past weekend was a busy one. Once again Ella had soccer. Watching these gals play is so fun. I’m not sure why they all want to be the goalie.
At one point over half the team was in front of the goal. Ella had her back to the other team because she was chatting up the goalie on the field behind them.
Later that evening, my niece was cheerleading for one of the youth football teams. The kids were like 5-7 years old and they were playing tackle football. That was really cool to watch.
The game was at the high school in our district, but my niece was cheering for the visiting team (who won). After watching her cousin, Ella wants to cheer, too.
On Sunday, we finally got out and “Falled up” the yard. Sam had me run up to get hay bales. I took her car and hay was everywhere. Needless to say, I went to the car wash to vacuum it out.
Sam put out the mums that she ordered, had me drag out the pumpkin inflatable, and moved her goose to the front porch. At some point we need to get some corn stalks, but it looks nice.
Our older cat, Maizey, has been scratching a lot. She’s also been licking herself. It’s been so bad that she’s missing hair on her back and the upper part of her tail. She’s also got scabs from where she was scratching.
Monday I took her to the vet. They were running behind because of a new computer system. She waited patiently for the doc.
They think it’s an allergy. They gave her steroids, an antibiotic and her rabies shot. Hopefully, it will get better in a day or two.
Andrew’s teachers are very good about posting pictures on their classroom page. Every now and then one will crack me up. Like this one…
I’m really not sure what he’s doing!
Yesterday, I was on my way to work and bumped into my old morning show partner, Steph. We chatted for about 45 minutes catching up and laughing. That was so nice. I hope it isn’t roo long before we see each other next. It’s always good to laugh!
I realize that it’s been a bit since I gave a life “update.” I feel like I haven’t had two minutes to even think about the past week or so. Here are some highlights…
The weather warmed up a bit last week and the kids were anxious to get outside. My wife bought them something to play with in the bathtub, but they wanted to play with it one morning outside. They were “mad scientists.”
It came with a beaker, droppers, tubes, a funnel, and a bunch of color tablets. Instead of the bathtub we grabbed a bunch of Tupperware bowls and filled them with water. They dissolved the color tablets in the water and then were able to mix colors to make new ones. I’m glad they chose to do it outside – it was quite messy.
________
I had to take Friday off to get something done and wound up having a couple of hours with my wife – alone. This never happens! It was nice. We had a nice dinner together at our favorite steak house, we snuggled and watched TV together like we did when we were dating, and we went on a Goose Hunt.
My wife has been wanting one of those “porch gooses” for a while. She doesn’t want to pay for one of those stone ones because they are so expensive. She saw some ceramic ones on the internet that were available at Hobby Lobby. The closest one of those that had one in stock was 30 minutes north of us. So we took a road trip.
After that she said we needed to go to Walmart so she could by a “fall” outfit for the Goose. I was stumped until she told me that we could get a pet costume for the Goose. So now, this is on our porch…
_______
Soccer for Ella started this weekend. It is very different than the soccer Andrew played in. His was just a bunch of silliness and “Red Light, Green Light” to learn skills. Ella is actually playing a game.
It is a long day for her though. They have an hour practice before the game. Then the game is about an hour. So she is running a lot. Her team is all kindergartners. When the game began, 4 out of the 6 girls were in front of the goal doing jumping jacks. I’m not sure what the rules are about having 4 goalies.
It was a hoot to watch her really going after the ball. Technically, they lost, but no one was really keeping score. At the end of the day, she loved every minute of it.
_________
You may remember I recently did a stress test. I passed with flying colors. However, I would venture a guess that if I had been hooked up for an EKG on Sunday they would have found some crazy arrhythmias! My second oldest and I were out driving and parallel parking.
Parallel parking still gives me a headache. I had set up spots in a parking lot that represented the front of one car and the back of another. His job was to park in between those spots. I’m glad that it was only cones he ran over, because if there had been real cars there, I’d be filing an insurance claim!
To be fair, he really got the hang of it after I made him do it over and over again. I remember my dad letting me drive his car around the neighborhood when I was 15 or 16. I was so grateful for that. I’m hoping to go out with him again this coming weekend.
___________
One more class and one more exam and I will have finished Year #2 in my Bible courses. I’m excited to get started on the third year which will feature classes on Ambassadorship and a deep dive into the book of Ephesians. There is so much to learn and I’m loving every minute of it.
____
Those are the exciting highlights of the past week or so. Thanks for reading!
I’ve never been a tequila man, but the picture fit the blog. This week the Nostalgic Italian reached 1800 posts! 1800 posts about music, television, movies, books, my wife and kids, and ME. I’m grateful that you find the things I post interesting enough to come back for more. Thank you.
My blog doesn’t have 20,000 followers or get mentioned much by other blogs, and I am ok with that. I have come to know you through your posts and I consider you a friend. I again thank you for making this site a “reading stop” every so often.
______
Over the weekend, I got to spend some time with the kids. On Sunday we went to the park, but they were the only kids at the playground. They played for a bit, but when no other kids came, they decided to take a walk on the trail that runs through the park.
It was a beautiful day with sunshine and nice temperatures. We walked down the trail looking for caterpillars, squirrels, birds, trees and flowers. Every once in a while, they’d walk ahead of me just talking about things. I love when they get along and treat each other good. Every once in a while, they get to a place that is perfect for a picture.
___________
Andrew started his Pre-K class this week. I feel bad for those teachers. There are 9 students and 6 of them are boys! I wasn’t sure how he would do with us leaving, but he actually has done really well. Many of the kids were all grabbing onto their parents screaming and crying. It was worse on the second day, which surprised me. Andrew, however, gave me a hug and said, “See ya later, Dad!” and walked right in.
All summer long he talked about not wanting to go to school. When my wife went to pick him up, he said he wanted to stay longer. Go figure.
One funny story: On the first day of school I was helping to get the kids dressed. I asked my wife if I should put Andrew in a collar shirt. He heard me and said, “A collar! I’m not a dog, Dad!”
Smart kid!
_______
I came across this on one of the social media pages this week. It is such an outlandish scenario that I truly wish that someone had made it happen! Ok, picture it with me:
The past few weeks have been crazy. It seems like every one of us has had doctor appointments for various things. Then Ella starting Kindergarten began an entirely new schedule for us. Andrew will start preschool after the holiday, so there are yet more changes coming.
_____
My father-in-law is the best! As you know, he has helped me with every project I have had to do at home. He is always bringing over tools to work on things because I don’t have them. Well, they sadly had to sell their place up north. When they went up to clean out their stuff, he found some things for me.
My brothers-in-law and my father-in-law each have just about every tool at home. So when they were cleaning stuff, they brought some tools to me.
I was super surprised when he brought home a couple saws (including a chain saw), an oscillating tool, a drill and an impact drill. It was like Christmas came early. I’ll have to rearrange the garage, or better yet, get a nice big tool box to put them in. Thanks, Dad.
___
Sunday I took the kids to the Children’s Zoo. The weather was perfect. The high was only in the low 70’s and there was plenty of sunshine.
We’re zoo members, so we can ride the train and carousel as many times as we want. We certainly did!
The animals were plenty active that day. The monkeys were bouncing all over the place, the penguins were swimming, and the prairie dogs seemed extra crazy. What thrilled the kids (and me) was the otter. They usually swim around and ignore folks, but Sunday one was putting on a show! He kept swimming by the glass, doing flips in the water, and following kids back and forth on the other side of the glass. He seemed to come right up to the glass to everyone who was there.
The kids loved every second.
____
Monday was weird weather wise. It went from sunny to cloudy and back to sunny. Every once in a while there was a small shower, but nothing big. My wife wanted me to grill burgers for dinner. So I went out, started the grill (as the sun was shining) and put the patties on the grill. within 5 minutes there was crazy rainfall. It was coming down pretty hard along with some good thunder. Me neighbors must have thought I was crazy!
Thank goodness my wife’s car was unlocked so I could grab her umbrella!
As the holiday weekend draws to a close, I hope you got the chance to enjoy it. We certainly enjoyed it, though it was toned down from previous years.
We didn’t have the entire family with us this year. Some of the family was sick and some were invited elsewhere or had something else going on. We tossed a few burgers and dogs on the grill and enjoyed a bonfire.
It’s been awhile since we have been able to enjoy a bonfire, so this was really nice.
The fireflies were plentiful and beautiful that night. Ella and Andrew loved catching them.
They had a little Tupperware container they were trying to put them in, but I think the lid wasn’t on right. Every time they came back to drop one in, the others were gone.
Sam bought us all matching shirts to wear. July is National Hot Dog Month, and she’s been thinking a lot about her sister Grace who passed away. The shirts have Mickey Mouse on them and say Hot Diggity Dog on them. Grace loved Mickey Mouse.
We were missing some of the cousins, but quite a few were with us and they had a blast.
We get to watch the fireworks right from our backyard every year. This year they were not too bad. They had some new ones, but I felt other years were better. For what it is worth, the town raises ,money every year to do them. Maybe they were short on donations this year. You still can’t beat a decent show…
Oh, and incidentally, I was able to get my yearly flag photos. Six Fourths of July for Ella and four for Andrew.
Every year I have put little flags up around our yard on the Fourth of July. Over the winter, the box must have fallen off a shelf in the garage. While cleaning the garage I found that box with my flags in it and it must have gotten wet. Those darn squirrels probably got in there and knocked it over.
I may have to run out late tonight or early tomorrow to grab a couple. If I don’t, a tradition will be broken. We’ve always gotten pictures of the kids with an American flag in their hands walking down the sidewalk. Ella was just about four months old in 2020, so we didn’t get one that year. Every year since, we have.
In 2023, I put together a collage…
We continued that tradition last year, too.
I love seeing all the pictures progress from year to year. The time just keeps flying …
I mean, it seems like we just celebrated America’s bicentennial, doesn’t it? LOL
Update: They finally came and picked up the dryer we’ve been trying to send back. Now we have to wait for them to refund the money so we can purchase the correct dryer. In the meantime, there have been a lot of laundromat trips.
Andrew came to the laundromat with me one day this week. He wanted a candy bar from the vending machine. I bought him a Hershey bar. As he sat on the bench with me, the older gentleman who worked there said, “Oh boy, that looks good. Can I have a piece?” Without thinking twice, Andrew held up a piece for him. He politely declined and said he was joking, and thanked him.
5 minutes later, he came back and said “I have something for you. You are such a kind boy, I want to give you something special. He pulled out a brand new and uncirculated $2 bill. He said he gets them for his grandkids for Christmas. Andrew was thrilled.
The craziest thing that happened this week? I preached a funeral. For a bird.
Andrew kept talking about a bird. I told him I didn’t see a bird. So he walked me over to this bird that was, as Monty Python says, “no more.” I told them not to touch it and that I would take care of it. I found my shovel in the garage, returned to the yard and scooped it up. They asked if we could take it to the “bird doctor” like on Bluey. I said that it was a little late for the bird, because it had passed away.
I had never seen this particular kind of bird before. I searched the internet and it appeared to me a “Michigan Bluebird.”
I made the mistake of trying to dispose of it in the trash. I didn’t really think about it. They were visibly upset at the thought of this bird going in the garbage. Thinking quickly, I told them to both follow me. They asked what we were doing. I told them we were going to a have bird funeral. So I took the bird to the back of the yard, prepared a “grave,” and placed the bird in it.
So the three of us are all standing around this hole with the bird in it looking down at it. Ella said that we should pray for the bird. I asked her if she wanted to pray but she said that I should. So, I looked around at the back yards around me. I took a deep breath and while the neighbors to the left and right of me were out in their yards, I sent up prayers for the poor little black/brown and blue bird.
An “amen” followed afterward. I scooped up and replaced the dirt, covering the bird and we walked away. Ella said, “That was very nice, Daddy.”
As ridiculous as I felt, after she said that, I knew I had done the right thing.
Happy Father’s Day to my “Dad” friends! I hope you are being celebrated today.
Andrew and Ella couldn’t wait for today, so they gave me my gifts yesterday. When they got up today and Sam reminded them that it was Father’s Day, Ella said, “That was yesterday.” Ever since, she has referred to yesterday as “pretend Father’s Day” and today is the “real” one.
I was presented with some books to read:
Ella read one of them to me! That made it even more special. Then, they presented me with a pretty cool Father’s Day Gift Set.
I plan on taking the tumbler to work to keep water in. I have already hung the dish towel in the kitchen and I will wear my “dad” socks to work this week!!
Later today, my son’s and I will be meeting for dinner. I’m excited as I love getting ally kids together.
I have written many times about my dad and his instruction and influence. Along with him, I have had many men who have proven to also be mentors and “father figures” to me. Their wisdom has proven to be invaluable. I pray that I do the same for my children.
In thinking about what to write today, I stumbled on some great quotes about Fathers. Some of these I may have shared in the past, but they are worth repeating.
If you are a Father – you are so important to your children. If you doubt that, read on.
“The power of a dad in a child’s life is unmatched.” —Justin Ricklefs
“Dad: A son’s first hero, a daughter’s first love.” —Unknown
“No music is so pleasant to my ears as that word―father.” —Lydia Maria Child
“A father is someone you look up to no matter how tall you grow.” —Unknown
“Dads are most ordinary men turned by love into heroes, adventurers, storytellers and singers of song.” —Unknown
“A dad is someone who wants to catch you when you fall. Instead he picks you up, brushes you off and lets you try again.” —Unknown
“My father didn’t do anything unusual. He only did what dads are supposed to do—be there.” —Max Lucado
“She did not stand alone, but what stood behind her, the most potent moral force in her life, was the love of her father.” —Harper Lee
“A father is neither an anchor to hold us back, nor a sail to take us there, but a guiding light whose love shows us the way.” —Unknown
“A father is the one friend upon whom we can always rely. In the hour of need, when all else fails, we remember him upon whose knees we sat when children, and who soothed our sorrows; and even though he may be unable to assist us, his mere presence serves to comfort and strengthen us.” —Émile Gaboriau
“When you need real understanding, when you need someone to care, when you need someone to guide you … A father’s always there.” —Thomas J. Langley
“Every son quotes his father, in words and in deeds.” —Terri Guillemets
“A man knows when he is growing old because he begins to look like his father.” —Gabriel Garcia Marquez
“A father is a man who expects his son to be as good a man as he meant to be.” —Frank A. Clark
“By the time a man realizes that maybe his father was right, he usually has a son who thinks he’s wrong.” —Charles Wadworth
“When you’re young, you think your dad is Superman. Then you grow up, and you realize he’s just a regular guy who wears a cape.” —Dave Attell
“[Fatherhood is] the greatest thing that could ever happen. You can’t explain it until it happens; it’s like telling somebody what water feels like before they’ve ever swam in it.” —Michael Bublé
“My father didn’t tell me how to live. He lived and let me watch him do it.” —Clarence Budington Kelland
“The thrill of being a great father is not seeing your children go on to become successful adults. The thrill of a great father is the journey, experiencing your child’s successes along the pathway to their greatness.” —Reed Markham
“A man’s worth is measured by how he parents his children. What he gives them, what he keeps away from them, the lessons he teaches and the lessons he allows them to learn on their own.” —Lisa Rogers
“Grandpas bring a little wisdom, happiness, warmth and love to every life they touch.” —Unknown
“We never know the love of a parent till we become parents ourselves.” —Henry Ward Beecher
“My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person: he believed in me.” —Jim Valvano
“A good father is one of the most unsung, unpraised, unnoticed and yet one of the most valuable assets in our society.” —Billy Graham
“It is admirable for a man to take his son fishing, but there is a special place in heaven for the father who takes his daughter shopping.” —John Sinor
“Any man can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a dad.” — Anne Geddes
“Becoming a dad is one thing; being a dad is many things.” — Steve Chapman
“The imprint of a father remains forever on the life of the child.” —Roy Lessin
Life just never seems to slow down. sometimes I get to the end of the week and even after doing all kinds of things, I feel like I’ve accomplished nothing.
The last two weeks have been really messed up for me. I took Thursday and Friday off last week for Ella’s surgery. The week before that I took Thursday and Friday off for what I thought would be my son’s graduation and Ella’s dance recital. Honestly, I still don’t know what day it is…
A week out, and Ella is recovering quite well from her tonsil surgery. I think the hardest part about surgery days for me is having to be the one to go back to put the mask for anesthesia on my child. Granted, Ella did really well this time. But there were a couple times when I was back with Andrew that just broke my heart to see how scared he was
She thought it was great that we both had matching hats. I will tell you this, though, that little bunny suit that they make the parent get in before going to the ER that is supposed to fit everybody… It don’t. I know I’m a big guy, but that thing makes me feel like I’m extra large trying to get into a small.
_______
As I said earlier, my daughter had her dance recital about 2 weeks ago. The one thing that they all have to have for the recital is their hair up in a bun. To do that her hair has to be long.
Towards the end of school she was saying how her hair was bugging her and that she wanted to get a haircut. We told her that she had to wait until after the recital to get it done.
So after the recital and just before her surgery, she was able to get her haircut the way she wanted it. I think it looks cute, Even though it makes her look older than she is.
I’m really not sure what my son is angry about behind her in that picture, but it makes me laugh.
_____
Last weekend was the final weekend of soccer for my son. Honestly, I couldn’t be happier about that. You may remember I got suckered into coaching.
I don’t know diddly squat about soccer. I told them that when I was asked to coach. I had another guy who was coaching with me who was in the same boat. Luckily, we had a coach who was able to work with the two of us so that the kids at least learned something. I have to tell you though, I really felt pretty useless out on the soccer field.
The team that he played on wasn’t really playing games against another team. It was a lot of basic stuff like kicking the ball, rolling the ball back, passing the ball to another player, and throwing the ball in for play. Those things were accomplished with games like Simon says and stuff like that.
The coolest thing for all of the kids was that they each got a medal with their names engraved on it. He couldn’t have been more proud.
I was pretty proud of him, too.
As for next year, I’m hanging up my coach’s whistle!
I apologize for not giving an update sooner. Thank you for your prayers and well wishes for our daughter. Ella’s surgery went well and she came home Thursday evening.
They wound up not taking the tonsils out completely. They basically shave them down, which leads to an easier recovery. I’m not sure it’s been easy for her though.
It’s important for her to keep drinking throughout the day. She is allowed to eat popsicles and ice cream and other soft, cold things. The hard part is getting her to drink or eat.
Obviously, it hurts to swallow anything, so she’s being very stubborn about eating and drinking. What makes it even more difficult is that she doesn’t want to take Tylenol or Motrin when she has to. It’s a fight to make that happen.
Over all, she has been resting. She did want to go outside yesterday because it was nice. She wound up sitting on the porch most of the time. She did ride the Big Wheel for a little bit, probably because she doesn’t like to sit still.
They say days 3-5 are the most painful. That’s today, tomorrow and Monday. I’m hoping that it isn’t too bad for her. I hate seeing her hurt.
Sam signed her up for summer dance classes. I know she wants to feel better ASAP because she is excited to dance.
Thank you again for thinking about and praying for her. I will keep you posted on her progress.
Various Ramblings of a Nostalgic Italian 