Life’s Little Moments

Looking back at the past seven days, it’s been busy!

Still Kickin’

We had some issues with the soccer league that we signed Andrew up for. The communication prior to the actually first day was a mess. Do we need a uniform or not? Will the coach be there or not? It was not very well organized.

The first week, there was no coach. They texted the night before saying that neither the head coach or the assistant coach would be able to be there. This led to a mess of text messages wondering what the kids were going to do. They had two teen players lead the kids through some drills. For not knowing what they were supposed to do, the teens did OK.

The following week, the coach showed up. She had some drills planned, but she was the only one there. She was obviously overwhelmed. It was hard for her to keep the kids attention. With 30 minutes left, she decided to let the kids have “free play.” That basically meant that most of the left.

Week 3, the coach texted to say that neither coach could make it again. Andrew decided to stay home that week. We were totally ok with it, too. This led to an email from a league bigwig. “We noticed that only 5 of the 12 players showed up this week. Is there any concerns that you have? Is there something wrong?”

He opened up a can of worms. I wrote him a scathing e-mail back. I told him about the communication and the things that were never explained properly. I complained that we had to buy a uniform, when we were told that Andrew’s age group was going to be given a T-shirt to play in. I complained about the coach and the fact that there was no plan whatsoever for what was happening each week. I expressed my disappointment with the league and the poor planning and communication.

I never got an email back. However, the team got a new coach. He was texting us early in the week and keeping us abreast of what was in store. It was night and day when we got there last week. This coach was GOOD. He kept the kids engaged for the whole time. They had a blast. He even encouraged siblings to come and play, too, which Ella loved!

After those first couple weeks, Andrew kept saying that he didn’t want to go to soccer. He really was hating it. The new coach was supportive, and encouraging to every kid on the team. Andrew loved being able to help him and all of a sudden, he is loving soccer. Go figure.

Sign Here

School has been the absolute best thing for Ella. She comes home with stories every day. She talks about her friends and what they did at school. She tells us who the day’s “helper” was and what everyone wore to school that day.

They have her working on writing her name. She’s getting pretty good at it. First name now and last name next week. I love seeing how hard she is working …

As I got in the car to head to work today, Sam stopped me. She handed me a rolled up piece of paper. Ella had painted a picture at school. She wanted Sam to give it to me to put up at work. I don’t have my own office. I share the tech room with the rest of the staff. A beautiful work of art like this should be shared, so I put it on the bulletin board!

90% Done

I posted recently about finally being able to stain my deck. This week I stained the posts white. It looks great. I really thought I was done, but noticed in this photo that blue under the wood. I think I am going to stain that white, too. Very happy with the way it looks.

Winning!

It’s been nice to have some winning teams in Michigan lately. Monday night, my Detroit Lions wowed folks on Monday Night Football. I love the new black uniforms.

The last time the Lions beat the Seahawks was back in 2012! They had lost the last six games they played against them and that worried some folks. There was no need to worry, as Jared Goff had a stellar (and perfect) day! It was a record day for him, completing all 18 of his passes for 292 yards and two touchdowns.

Before Monday, only six players in NFL history have finished a game with a 100% completion rate with at least eight attempts. Goff is the first QB to finish perfect with more than 10 attempts and first to do it with over 200 yards.

What was even cooler was that Goff caught a 7-yard touchdown pass from Amon-Ra St. Brown on an end-around pass. Goff said that the pay has been in the play book for awhile, but they never seemed to have the right time to use it.

The Detroit Tigers surprised every one over the past few weeks. Back on August 11, they Tigers were 55-63 and 10 games out of a play off spot. Their chance of making the playoffs was 0.2%!!! When they clinched a Wild Card spot, Tiger’s announcer, Jason Benetti, had the perfect thing to say:

“A city that doesn’t care about the odds has a baseball team to match.”

In the Wildcard Playoffs, they faced the 2nd hottest team in the American League – The Houston Astros. Since August 11, the Detroit Tigers are 33-13! Yesterday, they swept the Astros and will face Cleveland in the American League Divisional Series! Game 1 is Saturday!

Friday Photo Flashback

I’m not going to go back too far today, just a few years ago. While we were outside this week, the kids were talking about the leaves that were falling. They’ve been picking them up and coming over to me and showing me the different colors in them.

Fall, as you may be aware, is my favorite season. We’ve got a trip to the pumpkin patch planned for later this month already. This got me to thinking about the first time we took Ella to the local orchard.

It didn’t take me long to find this picture. This was such a fun day! Dimitri, my second born, came with us that day and we rode the hayride into the pumpkin patch to pick pumpkins.

I remember that Covid was only about 6 or 7 months old at this time. Everyone was masked on the hayride and there was plenty of social distancing. Despite that, it was one of the first real outings we had had in a long time and it felt so good to be out and about.

As I look at Ella in the photo, I can hardly believe it is her. She is so tall and thin now and all the chubby cheeks are gone. It’s amazing how much she has changed. That shirt is folded up and in her memory bin in the basement. I will resurface in about 13 years when she graduates! I think we may have saved that bow, too!

I cannot wait for the trip this year. Andrew’s former speech therapist is coming along with us and bringing her daughters (who Ella calls her older sisters). It will be a wonderful time and I hope to be able to get some great photos while we are there.

Life’s Little Moments

It seems odd to do a week in review “highlights” post on Thursday, but it really is the day that I get an extra minute or two to look back, so here goes.

Kicking Kid

While the days leading up to it were extremely unorganized, Saturday morning Andrew got to play soccer. It was quite a mess in the days prior as we had no idea what time to be there until the day before. Next, there was confusion about whether or not they had to wear cleats (They did. Thankfully, Ella’s baseball cleats worked.) Then there was confusion about whether or not we had to purchase a uniform (We did at $75). To top it off, hours before we were supposed to be there, the coach texted to say that she wasn’t going to be there – and the assistant coach was also not going to be there!

Thankfully, the guy in charge had a couple people who were there to run the kids around doing drills. So, technically, there was no game, but they got to “dribble” the ball up and down the field and shoot at the goal.

It was pretty chilly that morning and I wish we had all dressed a bit warmer. As much as we thought he’d love running around, he (and the rest of the 2-3 year olds) were done about 30 minutes in. He did love when they sat up some cones in front of the net and he had to try to know them down.

Sam was the “pin setter” for the soccer bowling.

Sam was stylin’

When we got home, we all relaxed around the house. Sam was sitting on the couch and Ella asked if she could brush Sam’s hair. This led to an impromptu hairstyling session.

All I could see was the front, but Andrew and Ella said I really needed to see the back…

Holy Bows!

Ella was sad that I have no hair to put bows in. Sam suggested she put them in my chest hair. I will spare you from having to see that photo!

Will I Walk ‘Round in Circles?

Yes. Yes I will. 17 circles in fact. The indoor track I told you about at Ella’s preschool is not a full size track, and so you have to go around 17 times to walk a mile.

The track is on the second floor and goes around the top of the basketball court. The day we walked it without headphones on, it was weird. The track is almost like a plastic/vinyl type material. My shoes were very loud as I walked on it. Now, when I drop her off, I put on my headphones and don’t even notice it.

There is also a gym/work out center there that I could join if I wanted to. I’m thinking about it, but I’d have to do everything before I head into work and I am sure that my coworkers would not want to sit near me post workout.

For what it is worth, it is a nice 30-45 minutes lost in music, a book, or my thoughts. It is very nice!

James Earl Jones

It was sad to hear of the passing of James Earl Jones. Man, did he have a voice! What a great actor, too. He made every role his own. As a child, I had no idea that he was the voice of Darth Vader (who gave me nightmares after seeing Star Wars).

James doing comedy was funny because he almost always played it straight. There is a scene in the Naked Gun 33 1/3 where Leslie Neilsen’s character is mistaken for Phil Donahue. At one point he see’s something that makes him ill at The Academy Awards show and he runs out on stage as James Earl Jones and Olympia Dukakis are at the podium. He leans over the band stand and vomits into a tuba. When Olympia asks James “What is that?” James says, as serious and straight as possible, “It looks like Phil Donahue throwing up in a tuba.” That never ceases to make me laugh.

David Letterman always had him on his show to do silly Top Ten lists and more. Here are just some of them:

Of the many tributes to him this week, I loved this one:

He was such a part of the Star Wars Universe and to have him amongst those who had passed away before him is simply beautiful.

Speaking of beautiful

My baby girl not only started preschool this month, but she also started her dance class. She will be learning ballet and tap. She had her first class this week. I was at work, but Sam kept me posted on the happenings. Even though there are no parents allowed in the dance studio where they kids are, Sam said you could hear the tap shoes tapping away.

She called me at work after he first class and was so excited to talk about it. They got to dance with tambourines and maracas and she loved every minute of it! I can’t wait to see her perform!

I guess I am officially a “soccer dad” and a “dance dad” – and I’m ok with that!

Friday Photo Flashback

Yesterday, I blogged about my daughter’s first day of Preschool. She is having so much fun there. She is making friends and sharing stories about her day, which has been awesome to listen to.

One thing I didn’t do was get a picture of her and I together. She was probably “pictured out” by the time we got there. We got a lot before we left the house, including the traditional “holding the first day of school” sign. Little brother, Andrew, had to have his own sign too.

I held it together pretty well when we dropped her off yesterday, however, that wasn’t always the case. My oldest boy was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder when we was very young. with therapy and lots of work, he started to come out of his shell and was then diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome. At one point we didn’t think he’d be able to talk. So when he was finally at the age to enter Kindergarten, he went to a regular education class with an IEP.

I cried like a baby when I dropped him off at school that day. He had always been fascinated with trains, so I had to smile when I found his first day of school picture.

I am sure that he did some preschool, but I’m not sure I ever thought to take a picture. Wow, to look back to this day and know all that he has accomplished since then, is overwhelming. What a journey!

My second son went to preschool. I got a little emotional when he walked in that day, too. He didn’t have the same issues as my older son, so he really looked forward to school.

What I remember about this picture is that his backpack was a monkey. He loved that thing! This year, he is a senior and is on his way to graduation!

I also remember being that skinny! Sigh. I need to get back down to that weight.

It took me a while to find the photos of my sons. After the divorce, my ex kept almost everything. I have some photos, but not many. I’m glad that I did have these on a flash drive.

Another Milestone

It’s going to be hard going back to work today. I took a couple extra days off because Ella started Preschool.

Friday, the teachers did a home visit at our house. She was excited to meet them. It was a half hour visit to answer questions about her likes and dislikes and to get to know her.

Tuesday, they had an open house where we could go and tour her classroom with her. She was so excited because other kids in her class were there too. She’d say, “Hi! I’m Ella, what’s your name?” It was hard to get her to leave.

Yesterday was her first real day. She woke up ready to go! Mommy did her hair, we had breakfast and were off. We got there early so we could get some pictures before she started. All she wanted to do was go in her classroom!

I was worried about her being upset when we left, but she walked in and never looked back. She couldn’t wait to get the day started.

There is an indoor track at the school, so Sam and I took the stroller and walked a mile with Andrew. This will be awesome for me because I can walk this everyday before work.

While Ella did great, it was Andrew who didn’t know what to do. He kept saying he wanted to go to Ella’s school to play. He truly missed her being away. I’m sure he will adjust and hopefully come to enjoy his alone time with mom.

When we picked her up from school, a teacher pulled Sam aside to say, “You guys are doing something right.”. Sam asked what she meant by that. I guess there were some kids who were very upset that their parents had left. They cried a bit, and Ella made it a point to go to them and tell them it would be ok and asked if they could play together when they felt better.

As a parent, that is the kind of thing you just love to hear. She is such a good kid and I hope that her loving and caring nature continues as she gets older.

I surprised myself and didn’t cry. The night before, however, I was having a very hard time.

Have a wonderful year, my sweet girl. Daddy and mommy are so proud of you and love you to infinity and beyond!

Friday Photo Flashback

I’m not trying to rush into Fall, because Lord knows most of us want to enjoy what is left of Summer! This is that time of year when you start seeing the posts about summer not being over and to stop talking about pumpkin spice lattes!

I was looking for a specific photo this week for another piece and stumbled on some early Ella photos. I probably blogged about this when it happened, but it is worth a repost for those newer followers.

My wife is the Tik-Tok-er and Pinterest-er in our house. She is always saying “I saw this great idea on Pinterest” or sending me Tik-Tok videos on how to do a home project. That being said, She had seen a baby photo shoot on Pinterest and thought we should do it with Ella. We needed apples, small pumpkins, a tub, and milk.

Ella is about 7 to 8 months old in this picture.

We have this huge tree in our yard, which allowed for the “fallen leaves” look on the lawn. We filled the tub with warm water, added a splash of milk for the effect and floated some apples and gourds in the water. This photo is one of my favorites from this session.

I have to be honest with you, I’m having a really rough time this week. I shouldn’t be, as I have been through this twice before with my two oldest boys. My brain just can’t comprehend that Ella is starting pre-school next week. How did this happen so fast?

Wednesday night, she was awake when I got home from work. I’m not sure if she had a bad dream or what, but Sam told me to go check on her. When I walked into her room she was on her tablet. Mommy had told her that I was close to home and that she could wait up for me.

She smiled when I walked in. I crawled into bed next to her and asked if she was ok. She told me she was and asked if she could finish what she was playing on her tablet. I told her she could play for 5 minutes and then it was time for bed.

When I told her that her time was up, she turned off her tablet, snuggled up close to me and asked me to hold her. I kissed her on her forehead and she asked me to sing songs for her. Her new thing is to hold my hand while I sing to her. I sang all of her favorites: The Alphabet Song, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Mr. Golden Sun, Let Me Call You Sweetheart, You Are My Sunshine, and our song, Vieni Su. She was still awake and asked for more, so I pulled out some other ones that I used to sing to my older boys: Cruising Down the River, Watching the World Go By, On An Evening in Roma, Bouna Sera, Blue Shadows on the Trail, and more. I think I had to go back to sing songs from the first list again before she fell asleep.

As I sang those songs, I was painfully reminded that my little girl is becoming a big girl way too fast. I am still blessed that she wants to snuggle with me, sit on my lap, and hold my hand. All too soon, those things slip away. As I laid there next to her, I took in the love that was in her eyes every time she opened them to look at me. When she fell asleep, I continued to hold her and thanked God for bringing four amazing children into my life.

The emotional state I am in may or may not have been kick started by the barrage of “First day of school” photos on social media this week. My old radio boss posted a photo of his daughter who is now in 5th grade and talked about how he couldn’t believe it. I wrote under the picture, “With each passing year, Kenny Chesney’s song Don’t Blink takes on a whole new meaning.”

As I posted that, I realized that I wasn’t just saying that to him, I was reminding myself of just how precious time is. I was also reminding myself of just how fast time can fly.

“Don’t Blink.”

Life’s Little Moments

Good Mood

This week, Andrew woke up in a particularly good mood. He was talkative, silly, and a very joyful boy. My wife, Sam, said to him, “You’re in a really good mood today!” He looked at her and said, “That’s because I didn’t wake up with my mean eyebrows!”

I’m not sure where he gets those from!

The Joy of Reading

Bedtime at our house always seems to be crazy. It got a little crazier this week when I walked into the bedroom with books to read, only to find that Ella was already reading … to our kitten!

She seemed to enjoy it, despite the lack of kittens in the story.

Flip Flopping Around

Speaking of the kitty, Bitsy is making herself right at home. She has no problem standing up to our pup, Daisy. It’s quite humorous to see her swat her itty bitty paw at Daisy’s nose.

Watching her this week has only enforced the phrase, “Playful as a kitten.” She loves to play. We definitely have to get her a few more kitty toys. Until the, I guess she will continue to wrestle with Sam’s Flip Flops.

Special Shopping Trip

This week, Andrew graduated from his speech class. His speech teacher, Miss Christa, has been instrumental in helping us get the right services for him. She has been become more than a teacher to us, she is a friend. We told the kids that they could go to the store to pick out gifts especially for her.

We told each of them that they could pick five things for her. When we walked into the store, they were off. They did a great job. They got her a calendar, new pens, a pumpkin solar light, plastic cups with their favorite things on them (Disney Princesses and Paw Patrol), nail polish, and a couple fall figurines. They also made sure to get her some pretty flowers.

The fall figurines they got her were a fox holding an apple and a squirrel holding an acorn. When she pulled out the squirrel (which was from Andrew) she said, “Oh wow! What a cute squirrel! What should I name it?” Andrew, without hesitation says, “Pickle Nuts!!”

At the end of the day, she sent us photos of where she placed her gifts around the house …

Pickle Nuts looks happy to be there.

Summertime Imagination

Despite the humidity, the kids loved being outside this week. They love to ride their scooters up and down the street and play in the backyard. I usually pull up a lawn chair and grab a spot in the shade and watch them play.

They must have been hot, to, because they were a bit more stationary than usual. They grabbed four of their chairs and put two in front and two in back. Next thing I know, they were “driving” to the store, to the park, and to go get ice cream. Naturally, they had to have their butterfly nets with them…

I love listening to them play together.

Doggin’ Around

Monday was National Dog Day. As much as she drives me crazy, Daisy is a good pup.

Now What?!

As I was walking to my car to go to work today, an Amazon truck slowly passed my driveway. My wife is always ordering things from there, so I never know what is coming. I thought I’d survived another delivery when the truck stopped and started backing into my driveway! All I could think was, “What the heck did she order now!? And why do they have to back in to delivery it!?”

My fears went away as the guy walked out with a simple little package with a shirt or something in it. Whew! I truly was expecting the two back doors to fling open and the driver come out with a huge box on a dolly or something!

You gotta love life’s little moments!

Dressing Up

You may remember a week or so ago that my wife bought a bunch of costumes for the kids to dress up in. Can I tell you that this has been so much fun for them, especially on rainy days.

A few more costumes have been added since the original post, but what I love is that they have found ways to mix and match as they play. The results have been …. humerous.

Edna from the Incredibles was quick to say, “No Capes!” However, the kids seem to be using them as accessories to various costumes. The hospital exam glove on Andrew’s hand is there for no reason in particular. Believe it or not the yellow had Ella is wear is a cowboy hat. How it got mangled into that shape is beyond me. Daisy had a hat on, but it fell as I snapped this photo.

My favorite outfit of the week is the ensemble that Andrew put together to go “scooter riding.”

First, Ninja Turtle pajamas. Next, we have Ella’s T-ball cleat on one hand and his baseball glove on the other. Top top it all off, he has a regular baseball cap on his head and on top of that, the hat from the Paw Patrol Chase costume. I do not have to wonder why people driving down our street slow and stare at him as he happily rides his scooter up and down the driveway.

Bitsy

The thing about our new kitty is that she is so tiny. She hides everywhere. She snuck out when the kids had the side door open this week and didn’t go far. As a matter of fact, she sat in front of the door meowing.

She can get into tight spaces and since she got out once, when we can’t find her, I freak a bit. I could not find her the other day and thought, “Ok, maybe she is sleeping under a chair or in the basement.” So I sat down with a cup of coffee and out of the corner of my eye, I looked at the shoe rack. Sure enough …..

She’s a sneaky one.

“The smallest feline is a masterpiece.” – Leonardo da Vinci.

A Purr-plexing Cat-astrophe?

So a co-worker came in last week and sat down next to me. “Keith, do you want another kitty?” Without any hesitation whatsoever I gave her a firm, “No!” She showed me a picture of four kittens who had been abandoned at a relative’s house and said they were trying to find them homes. I said that was sad, but I couldn’t do another cat.

She posted the photo on Facebook asking for folks who wanted to give these kitties a new home. Within five minutes, I received a video call from my wife and kids. When I answer the phone, Andrew says, “Daddy. Can we please get the tan kitty?”

I forgot that my wife is friends with my coworker on Facebook. I turned and gave her a dirty look. She started laughing and told my wife that she had already asked me. I told her that I had politely declined, but that was not ending the conversation.

When Andrew goes into a meltdown or starts crying, we can usually get him out of it by suggesting he find our cat Maizey. He will find her and hug on her and all is better. So the argument was that the new kitten could be a therapy cat for Andrew. (THERAPY CAT?!?) Then my daughter came on the phone and said she wanted a kitty, too. I told them I would think about it.

My coworker called the lady who was taking care of the kittens to let her know I would be by the next day to pick up this kitten! I didn’t stand a chance …

So we piled into the car on the day before International Cat Day and drove the short distance to pick up the new kitten. Andrew was ecstatic! He went into the house with me and couldn’t wait to hold the kitty. We put her in the cat carrier and he wanted to carry it out to the car. I had to take it from him though, he was so excited he was shaking that poor kitty up on the way to the car!

There were many names tossed around and she was almost named Pickle! Then the kids remembered this cartoon show called Super Kitties that the watch on Disney. There is a cat on there that they like, so they named ours after it – here’s Bitsy.

As much as I was against getting a new kitten, to see the kids loving her makes it worth it.

Maizey isn’t quite sure how to take the kitty yet, but they seem to get a long. Daisy won’t leave the kitten alone! She’s always right by her.

The kitten is becoming a bit more playful and she’s already started swatting at Daisy’s nose. When those claws start to get bigger, the dog is in for a big (and painful) surprise!

Bitsy is already using a litter box and having no trouble making herself at home.

Last night she clawed her way up the blanket on my bed and began attacking my hand. She is obviously going to be very playful.

Of course, after running and playing, eating, and running away from the kids and the dog, she needs to find a place to sleep. Honestly, I’d prefer she lay on a blanket or something, but I suppose this is ok … for now….

Welcome home, Bitsy!

A Day To Celebrate the Kids

Today is National Son’s and Daughter’s Day, so be sure to celebrate yours today!!

I am lucky to be the father of three boys and one girl. I became a father in 2002 when my oldest son, Dante’, was born. My second son, Dimitri, was born 5 years later.

Dante’ (on the right above) had some developmental issues as a baby and was eventually diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum. We got him into loads of therapy and he began to thrive. He has Asperger’s Syndrome, but it hasn’t stopped him from anything!

He is a hard worker who loves his job. He has a core group of friends who all love hanging out together. He grew up to be much more than we expected when he was first diagnosed and I couldn’t be more proud of him.

Dimitri (on the left above) is about to enter his senior year of high school. As a student, he’s a bit like I was in school. I really only focused on the classes I liked. By doing that, I barely got by some of those classes! Senioritis is real, so I hope he is able to stay on track this year.

He loves to read and, of course, play his video games. Recently he was telling me that he discovered old radio shows. It was an instant bonding moment. I started to tell him about ones that I loved and he couldn’t wait to listen to them.

The divorce was hard on him. He struggled a lot and still does. I don’t get to see him as often as I want to, but I love when we do. It’s a weird thing for a teenager to start asking serious questions of their parents, so I do my best to always answer and offer advice. The last few years have been tough for him, but he continues to move forward. I’m proud of him, too.

13 years later, I was to be a father again with the birth of my first (and only) daughter, Ella. The chances of me having another baby was about 4% according to an urologist, so Ella is our Miracle baby.

She is an amazing gift from God. Those things I didn’t get to do with my boys, I get to do with her – daddy daughter dances for example.

Raising a girl is a whole new thing for me and I will forever be learning. She keeps me on my toes, for sure. She’s smart as a whip! I see wonderful things ahead for her.

Her smile makes my heart want to explode. Her laughter has gotten more boisterous and I love to hear it. Reading books to her, snuggling with her, or just singing songs together are just some of my favorite things to do with her. She’s ready for preschool this year. Where did the time go!?

Andrew made his appearance in 2021. He’s certainly kept us on our toes. It seems like from day 1 we’ve been at doctors for one thing or another.

Much like with Dante’, early intervention was key. His speech is about where it needs to be. He’s sleeping better, but still not great. OT/PT and other services have brought him to the place he is today.

He’s a happy, helpful two-year old. He loves tools, being outside, playing in the pool, and running around in general. He’s a bundle of energy and he thinks like an engineer! This kid is going places!!

My four children could not be more different from each other, but in many ways share many similarities. I love them all dearly and am so happy to be their dad.

Happy Son’s and Daughter’s Day, kids!! I love you all forever!!