Oh, Christmas Tree (2025)

*The majority of this blog was written in 2019 and has been updated with additional photos and stories.

(2025) The kids were watching some Mickey Mouse holiday special on Disney+ recently. I cannot recall the name of the song, but some of the lyrics are a perfect lead in to this blog:

“Every time I see a Christmas tree
Something lights up inside of me
My heart is filled with electricity
There’s reason to cheer
Christmas is nearly herе“

Radio stations across the country will often begin playing all Christmas music after Thanksgiving. The adult contemporary station I worked at always did. Of course, Sirius XM’s Christmas music channels also start popping up around the same time or earlier.

(2019) One song always really sticks out to me each Christmas, mainly because it really isn’t a Christmas song – Linus & Lucy (AKA the Charlie Brown theme) from the Vince Guaraldi Trio. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a fun song that immediately makes be think of Charlie Brown and the gang, but it is a song that is used in basically every Charlie Brown special. Personally, the soundtrack to the Charlie Brown Christmas special is one of my favorites.

O Tannenbaum is the instrumental that kicks off the album. Many know the song as simply “Oh Christmas Tree”. (In case you were wondering, a tannenbaum is a fir tree). It’s one of my favorite versions of the song. I had the chance to hear it over the weekend and it got me to thinking about the Christmas Tree. I recently had the chance to go through a bunch of family pictures and I was surprised at how many of them included the Christmas tree. This blog is sort of a “pictorial” blog featuring some of those pictures.

As I looked through the pictures, it was fun to see the various decorations and the toys under the tree. Bear with me, as some of the years I am guessing on …

The above picture is of my dad in 1951. He would be 5 here. As I look at this picture, I see a little of me, my brother, and my oldest son in my dad.

The above picture is my mom. Just a guess, but this is probably from 1953 or 1954, as she looks 5-6 years old here. I think it is cute that she seems to be in pajamas and wearing dress shoes. Tinsel seemed to be really big in the 50’s! There’s quite a bit on this tree. I wonder what that “Little Painter” set is worth today….

The above picture is my dad, home on leave from Vietnam. The date is 1967. I really have no idea what that tree is made of. Eventually, my grandma had a ceramic tree that my mom made that stood about as high as the one in the photo. That would sit proudly in the same spot in the front window. This one looks … fluffy, and seems to have a strand of lights on it. Anyway, there are other pictures of my dad with both his mom and his dad next to this tree, too.

My folks told me that the local paper used to put names and addresses of servicemen who were overseas in the paper for people to send letters. Both of my parents were from the same city and my mom sent my dad letters. That is basically how they met and eventually marry. With those letters, occasional pictures were sent back and forth.

I think the above picture is one my mom sent to my dad. I am not 100% sure. I am not sure because I don’t know where this was taken. It would seem to me that this would be a picture that she would send to my dad overseas. There are some things that really jump out at me in the picture. Note the “sunbust” clock on the wall – I know my grandma had one of those. Also, note the cool Hi-Fi with the ceramic cat on it. This was a record player and radio. It probably also played 8 track tapes and stored records. I know my dad, and my grandpa each had one of them.

I know for a fact that this was taken at my grandma’s house. I know this because of the fireplace and the huge wooden fork and spoon on the wall behind the TV. In my lifetime, I don’t recall my grandparents ever putting a tree on the TV, so I am guessing this is before I came around.

One thing that really caught my eye is the “paper rack” between the fireplace and the TV. It seems like everyone in my family had one. After you finished reading the newspaper, you’d put it in the rack. Magazines would sometimes go there, too. When it got too full, they’d pull out a paper grocery bag and put everything in it to go out to the garbage.

I was born in May of 1970. I was 7 months old for my first Christmas. I am thankful that my folks took lots of pictures. A few of my favorites all come from 1970, all for different reasons.

The above picture is my and my great-grandpa. He passed away shortly after this. It is the only picture I have of him and I.

I am not 100%, but I believe this picture was taken in my mom and dad’s apartment. My dad can correct me if I am wrong. I remember that stuffed Bugs Bunny to my right very well.

I am pretty sure that this is at my grandma and grandpa’s house. What I love about this picture is a little foreshadowing. One of my favorite sports to participate in is bowling. I love that I am propped up next to a balling ball bag in this picture.

This is absolutely one of my favorite pictures of my mom and me. It was taken at my grandparents house, probably Christmas Eve. I love this picture so much, because it reminds me of another … which I will share in a few pictures.

The above is obviously from the same year. This time, I am with mom and dad. My grandma always kept her house hot, so mom took off her vest. Dad, who is ALWAYS hot, must not have felt it was too warm, because his is still on here.

One more from the same year (and you won’t have to look at that brown bowling ball bag anymore!), here is my and my grandpa. I always loved this picture of us. I was his first grandchild, and you can see just how happy he is here.

Grandpa and Grandma Davidson Christmas 1970 (2)

These are my mom’s parents – Grandma and Grandpa D. The date on the picture says 1970, but another scan from my brother says 1967. Not really sure. It could easily be 1970, though. It is one of my favorites of them. The tree is in the corner where my grandpa’s recliner used to always be.

The date on the above picture is October of 72, which means I am 1 here. This is at Grandma D’s house. That is my Aunt Jodi holding the bear. She is 5 years older than me. Note in the background, another Hi-Fi. My grandpa used to have big band records that I used to listen to with headphones.

The above picture was taken at our old house on Brandywine. I am about 4 here and my brother is probably just 2. The thing that stands out in this picture is the ornaments on the tree. See those diamond crocheted things? Yeah, my mom made them. She had many hobbies and this particular year, she was crocheting everything! I remember a maroon vest that she made for me. At any rate, those ornaments were two squares, with a piece of an egg carton in the middle, and a tail hanging down. I am sure she made these for many people. I remember seeing them on other family members Christmas trees.

A year later, same house, and same ornaments! You can see them a little better in this picture. I am probably 5 here, while my brother is 3. This would be the last Christmas at this house, as we moved the following year. A couple things (besides the ornaments) stand out in the picture. First, there is the organ I used to play, and mentioned in a past blog about my music lessons. Next, I remember those Ernie and Big Bird stuffed animals! Then there is that picture above the organ – it’s two horses. I think everyone in my family had that picture. Maybe a family member painted it? Finally, and this should get my wife’s OCD going, note that I am wearing the pants from one pair of PJs and the shirt from another in this picture! Good Lord!!!

The picture above has to be from 1977. My grandma bought us each a set of Star Wars figures that year. I think there were like 20 issued the first year. I remember my grandma having trouble finding the Jawa figures. This picture would have been Christmas morning, and we had gotten the figures the night before at grandma’s. If I remember right, we had the big Han Solo and Jawa dolls (pictured here) and Boba Fett and Princess Leia.

What I love most about this picture is that my mom is in it wearing this yellow robe. I have written about her yellow robe in previous blogs. She wore this thing SO much that it was stained and had tears and holes in it. She loved this robe. Eventually we bought her a new one for Christmas one year and she wore that. We assumed that she threw this one away, but after she passed away, we found it in the back of the closet! I have a “memory bear” made out of this robe.

The above has to be from 1978. If you can look past my brother’s golf pants and my wacky shirt, you will see a Tie Fighter and X-Wing Fighter. You can see the tree set up on the TV, but cannot really see the amazing display on my grandma’s mantel. Every year, she put up angels, Santa, reindeer, trees, snow and more. There was one piece that always stood out – a little mouse that was in a flower arrangement that I sent her when she was in the hospital. She put that up every year!

It obviously took my folks awhile to develop film! This is from Christmas of 78, and was not developed until August of 79! First, I love how skinny I am in this picture! Second, I remember having the sliding wooden doors that covered the doorwall. I have to chuckle because of the bowling trophy and chalice sitting on top of the door frame.

I also remember the bad paneling in the living room! I can see the Polaroid camera on the TV, the candy jar, and the glass candle sticks that my mom had. I wish I could make out more of the presents under the tree, but I remember really wanting this game. I also remember that star on the tree. It was made of hard plastic and the ends were very sharp! So sharp in fact, that it could probably be used as a weapon.

The above picture is of my dad’s folks, my Grandma and Grandpa P. This was in 1979 – I remember that was the year that everyone was taking Polaroids! At family gatherings, everyone took pictures and wrote their last name on the bottom, so they knew what pictures belonged to what family! A couple things I notice right away: The tree topper, I never understood just what the hell it was! It wasn’t a star, it was just this spaceship shaped thing that lit up! I remember the musical angels on the wall. They moved from room to room as I recall.

Then there is my Grandma’s beehive hair. She wore it this way for SO long! I also notice the pack of cigarettes in my grandpa’s pocket – you could bet they were either Lucky Strikes or Pall Malls. It looks like he is wearing a bracelet in this picture. I don’t remember him wearing one, but he did here. Just love this picture!!

The above is from 1980. This is my brother and me, with my cousins Arin and Melissa. This is at my Grandma and Grandpa D’s. A couple thoughts on this one – I am holding the very cool Coleco Head to Head Baseball game which I loved. I do not remember that bear I am holding! This is probably the year that my grandpa bought me my cribbage board, too! What is sad about this picture, is knowing that my grandpa would pass away in less than a year after this picture was taken.

Jumping many years ahead now for the above picture. Remember the picture of my mom and me by the tree from earlier? It reminds me of this picture. This is my mom and my oldest son, Dante’. This may not have been her last Christmas, I think Dante is 2 here. She loved him so much and I see the same joy in her smile here as I do in the picture of her holding me.

The above picture is about a year or so before my divorce. It’s my sons, Dante’ and Dimitri. I just love this picture because these two guys (no matter how much they may fight) really love each other. This was such a spontaneous picture and it remains one of my favorites of the boys!

The above picture is from Christmas Eve (2018) morning. Christmas Eve was always bigger than Christmas on my dad’s side of the family. The fact that I get the boys every Christmas Eve Morning to open up gifts is so special to me. I cannot wait until they can celebrate it with their sister (which would happen in February of 2020). They are going to be such great brothers to her.

The above picture is from 2018 (on the right) and 2017 (on the left). When we first got Moe (left) he got up in the tree! When Maizey came along in 2018, the fact that she was almost in the same exact spot as Moe the year before made me laugh. So I put together this comparison picture. It still makes me laugh!!

This picture (along with the song I mentioned earlier) was the reason for this blog. As I mentioned, so many favorite pictures involve the Christmas tree. I took this picture of Sam just the other night. It was her idea. The silhouette of her baby bump against the lights of the Christmas tree is just beautiful!! I posted it on Facebook (she did, too) and I mention how I cannot stop looking at it!

The reason is that it brings about so many feelings: Feelings of love for my beautiful wife. Feelings of joy and nostalgia – because it is Christmastime and the Christmas Tree. Feelings of excitement and anticipation – because the baby will be here soon. Feelings of happiness – because the picture brings a smile to my face every time I see it.

In the years ahead, I hope that more and more wonderful pictures will be captured near the Christmas tree … so I can reflect on them, too!

(2025)

Above are the boys in 2019. Dante’ would be graduating in June. Ella would be making her debut in about 2 months. I can see the ornament we got that year from Bronners. It is the cup of Hot chocolate with 5 marshmallows. Each marshmallow has our names on it – for the 5th one, it says “Baby P.”

Christmas in 2020 was strange because we were still technically in the middle of the pandemic. I was glad that everyone was well enough to be together on Christmas Eve. Ella’s first Christmas was extra special to me because with her being so young, it brought back a renewed love and excitement for the Christmas magic experienced by her.

Christmas of 2021 was fun because Ella was finally at a point where she was aware or presents and wanted to open them. It was Andrew’s first Christmas, and he was just a little over 2 months old. What I love about the above photo is her reaction to the presents under the tree. It has that “How did all these presents get here?” feel to it.

My wife almost always has the tree up Thanksgiving weekend. In 2022, Andrew was a little over a year old and he was curious about everything. Both kids were helping me that year. I was sure to give Andrew the honor of placing the tree topper that year.

I’m pretty sure that the kids had us up super early on Christmas morning of 2023. They both were excited that morning. The Barbie Castle and train table were huge hits. This photo reminds me of having to put them together into the wee hours of the morning. I just love their matching pajamas. I have to chuckle about the “cage” around the bottom of the tree to keep them and the cat away from the tree.

Last year, Christmas Eve. I love that Andrew and Ella are wearing Bluey pajamas. Bluey was a big show for them. Andrew was happy that they finally got to hold Twinkles, their elf, before he went back to the North Pole.

The boys were over earlier in the day. We always tried to get a picture in front of the tree every year. By last year, they’d grown so much that you can barely see the tree in the back. You can, however, see the snowman’s hat from the top of the tree – it makes Dante’ look like he is wearing it.

Surprisingly, I haven’t taken any picture of the kids by the tree this year. I’ll have to be sure to make that happen. I know we are trying to figure out when the boys will be able to get us all together.

The Christmas tree. It will forever be connected to warm feelings and memories for me. So that lyric I quoted earlier … it really expresses the truth:

“Every time I see a Christmas tree
Something lights up inside of me
My heart is filled with electricity
There’s reason to cheer
Christmas is nearly herе“

I Tumble For Ya …

The above photo, done by AI, probably has the look on my face correct. However, I actually fell INTO the house (and I’m not talking about inside).

On Friday, my wife ordered groceries online. She asked if I would run up to Meijer to get them. I knew the wagon was still in the back of the car, so I decided to take it out to make room for the groceries. I had my wallet and keys in one hand, the wagon in the other, and I went to put the wagon on the porch. Here is what I think happened.

As I started to step up onto the porch, the tip of my shoe must have hit the edge of the porch. The forward momentum caused me to begin to lose my balance. I could feel myself starting to fall and I had no way to stop it. As I fell forward, the wagon also caught on the porch, causing it to twist toward me. I’m sure that is how the handle ended up hitting me in the mouth and giving me a fat lip. As I tried to process that pain, I continued to fall forward. It was a millisecond after being hit in the face that I felt the top of my head slam into the side of the house.

The entire family was at the front of the house, so they never even heard me fall. I was seeing stars for a minute, but was able to get up. I picked up my wallet and everything that spilled out of it, picked up the keys and began to drive to Meijer. The more I drove, the more I began to hurt. My lip was swelling up pretty good and I had a headache. I didn’t think too much on it, until the guy loading my groceries said, “Looks like you took a nice hit to the head.”

I looked at it in the mirror and I had taken a slice or two of skin off the top. When I arrived home I had Sam look at it and she told me I should go to the ER, because it was a hit to the head. I took some Tylenol and said I would wait for a bit. My headache was bad, but there was no other sign of a concussion. Saturday I woke with a pretty nasty scrape.

On Wednesday, the kids got their early Christmas present. I went and picked up the puppy.

She is a St. Bernard and Poodle mix. So, I guess you call them a St. Berdoodle or a St. Benardadoodle. I’m not sure. The breeder was calling her Holly, which I liked because of the holiday season. However, the kids decided that she is Mabel.

She seems to be fitting right in …

I forgot how much I love going outside in the cold so that puppies can go potty! The adventure begins.

Cue The Music …

It does not take long for my wife to get into the Christmas Spirit. Longtime readers of this blog know that she listens to Christmas music all year round. Once November is here, the season is “officially” underway according to her.

I took advantage of a semi-warm day over the weekend and took down all of the Halloween decorations. I hadn’t planned on putting up Christmas stuff, but there is this big archway we have and I figured I would get that out of the way. Once it was up, that was the last I really thought of doing anything more.

Then, we woke up to the first snow of the season.

When the kids saw snow on the ground they went crazy! They HAD to go out and play in it!

They played outside for a little while in the morning and came back in for breakfast. As the morning changed to afternoon, the sun took care of what snow was left on the ground. It actually wound up being a bit mild the rest of the day, so I decided to put the rest of the outdoor lights and decorations up.

Our Christmas tree was given to my wife when she moved into the house a few years before we got together. It was old and on its last legs last year. We had talked about getting a new tree last year after the holiday and just never got around to it. We really didn’t want to spend more than about $100 on a new tree and most are a lot more than that.

My wife heard that Home Depot was having their Black Friday sales until the 26th of this month. One of the deals was a 7.5 foot tree that was pre-lit with LED lights. It was on sale for $99. I went and checked it out and decided to bring it home. What is really nice about it is that because of the LED lights, you can make it all solid white or multi-colored if you wish. It’s actually very nice.

It was a pretty good deal and I’m glad that we won’t have to look for a new tree for some time.

Perhaps this year we can put the ornaments on the tree. So far, the cats have stayed out of the middle of it. I may wait a week or so before deciding for sure ….

Sometimes You Gotta Do What You Gotta Do

My doctor is not going to be happy. That’s why I am waiting to tell her about my latest life change.

I’ve been on second shift for over a year now and I love it. My blood pressure is good, my mood is better, and I actually get to enjoy an hour lunch. However, after the first week of Ella being in kindergarten, I got a picture of what things were going to be like over the next few years.

In total last week I saw her for about 25 minutes in the morning on school days. That’s it. Yes, I got my normal evening video call from the kids, but it isn’t enough. My wife reminded me of all of the summer activities I missed because of work recently. This led to a lot of deep thinking and discussion.

Last week, I went to my boss and asked what the possibility of going back to nights would be. She looked at me in shock because she knows how much I love my shift now. “I would love to have you back on nights. You are a great educator to both patients and the students. But is it really what you want to do?”

I had told her if it was not possible, I would stay at my current shift and I’d be ok with that. I then explained how hard I thought about it. My boss has always understood that “family comes first.” I told her that working midnights would allow me more time with my kids because I would have four days in a row off each week. She said to take the weekend to think it over.

Tuesday, we talked more and she once again asked if I was sure about the change. I said I was and the change was put in motion. In the next few weeks, I’ll be showing some of the staff some of the stuff that I was responsible for on days. Then I will transition back to the midnight shift.

Things are a lot different than when I was on nights before. There are some good people who will be working with me and they will make the transition and easy one. We have three students who are learning the ropes and getting ready to take their board exam, too. So I will be able to help them prepare for that as well.

I have a feeling that it will be a challenge to make the switch back, but knowing there will be more time with my kids makes it worth it.

Life’s Little Moments

I’ve said this numerous times, but it is so special when I can get all of my kids together. My oldest had called and asked if we could go to dinner on Father’s Day. I told him that I would like that and suggested we go somewhere cheap. My thoughts were to go to a place that had one of those indoor playscapes in it for the little ones. That was the plan, anyway.

About an hour and a half before we were supposed to meet, he texted and asked if we could go to Applebee’s instead. I told him we could, but I wasn’t sure how the little ones would behave. I shouldn’t have worried as they did well. They truly love seeing their big brothers. They always seem to rush them for hugs when they see them.

The lighting was not so great for the above picture, but I love that they are all together. Before we left the restaurant, I was able to grab a waitress to take a picture of me with them.

After dinner, we went to Dairy Queen (after seeing how packed the other ice cream place was) and grabbed dessert. It was a very good way to wrap up Father’s Day.

I did have one “sad” moment. Both older boys were like, “Wow, they are getting so big,” and such. All I could think of was how much I wish they’d get together with them more often. I do understand, however, that I cannot force them to do anything.

It’s been raining pretty good the last couple days, so the kids have been cooped up in the house. On Monday, the kids wanted to take a walk, which I loved. I need to get out and walk more, but all too often, they just want to stay home. Our walk, or should I say, MY walk, was me playing “catch up.”

Ella had her evaluation for kindergarten this week. She is way above what is expected. Her reading is at like a 2nd grade level, math is about 1st grade, and there was one more thing that they tested where she is at a 2nd-3rd grade level. They asked if we wanted her placed in 1st grade. We said no, as we feel that kindergarten “interaction” is something that she really needs (the social stuff).

It’s gonna be a big school year!

Father’s Day

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

Happy Father’s Day!!

Friday Photo Flashback

Last week at soccer, one of the drills that we did with the team was like bowling. We set up cones with one in front, two behind that, and three in the back. The kids had to throw the ball overhand and try to knock down the cones. Then they had to kick the ball at the pins to try to knock them all down.

The other coach with me asked if any of the kids had ever been bowling before. Ella raised her hand as said that she had, “but I had help rolling the ball.” I laughed because I knew exactly what she meant.

There is a bowling alley close by and I took my oldest sons and Ella there. She had to be about one at the time. The boys were so helpful that day. She loved watching the ball roll slowly down the lane and hit the pins.

I remember how cute those tiny bowling shoes looked on her. I honestly didn’t think they’d have them in her size! It’s been too long since we all went bowling, and we should go soon. I doubt I could even throw the ball anymore, but it’d be fun to watch the kids….

An Udder Disaster

This past Sunday was interesting. My wife had to work that night so she was asleep. The kids were playing in the living room, so I decided it was a good time to shower. I told the kids I would be jumping in the shower and I’d be out as quick as I can.

Now, when I’m the only adult awake, my showers are super fast. I’m in and out in 5 minutes because you never know what toddlers can accomplish in a short amount of time. Well, I found out the hard way.

I got out of the shower and was drying off when my daughter came in and said, “Daddy, Andrew is trying to give chocolate milk to my baby doll and she doesn’t want it.” So I wrap myself in a towel and go to the front room. There I see Andrew with a huge grin on his face. I look down to see an empty gallon of chocolate milk next to a HUGE puddle of chocolate milk.

His spill was much bigger than the spill above. I freak out and grab the towel from around me and throw it down on the milk. It wasn’t enough, so I had to run and get another one. I am now on all fours wiping up this chocolate milk. I asked him why he poured it on the floor, which led to him crying.

His crying is not really crying as much as screaming. I told him he needed to stop crying before he woke up his mom. This led to more screaming and crying. So I’m wiping up this milk and my wife finally comes out. “What is the world is going on?!” I turn to her and say, “Andrew dumped an entire gallon of chocolate milk everywhere.”

She then says, “How in the world did the milk get on the ceiling?!” I looked up and couldn’t even believe that it was all over it! I asked how that happened. Ella said that they were using a toy syringe from their doctor kit to suck the milk up into it. Once it was in the syringe, Andrew was shooting it onto the ceiling.

I’m sure it was a sight watching me in nothing but underwear on a step ladder wiping milk of the ceiling. I guess I need to take shorter showers!

Life’s Little Moments

I feel like it’s been forever since I posted a personal update. My wife’s surgery, her recovery, the daily features, and this week’s Share Your Nostalgia, I’ve been a bit busy. So let me bring you up to date.

My wife is recovering nicely. She will be heading in for another post op check up next week. Her hope is that they clear her to go back to work. She had made it no secret that she is bored and hates laying around. She’s already been her stubborn self and doing things that the doctor told her not to do. That’s how I know she is ready to go back!

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Our photographer, Beth, at Enjoy The View hosted a Spring Mini session recently. We love taking our kids here. The session is 15 minutes long, which is about how long they will behave. Beth had a dog that the kids loved named Roxie. They asked her where Roxie was when they walked in. Beth whispered to us that Roxie had passed away a few days before. Ella heard her and after the session, she told us she had to get a card for “Miss Beth” because “she has to be really sad.”

When the session started, they were ok. However 5 minutes in, they started to get crazy. They were moving SO much. I cannot even believe the great shots she got of them. Sam and I looked at each other when we saw the photos and asked, “Were we at the same session? I could swear they never stood still!”

Here is one of my favorites:

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My brother came up for a visit over the weekend. The kids have been cooped up and wanted to get out of the house. We decided to take them to the Sloan Museum, which has a lot of fun for kids. They have this huge water area for them to play.

They also have a cool treehouse that they can climb in.

When we pulled in, we could see just how busy they were, but we ventured in anyway. It was packed. We had the two kids and four adults and it was a challenge for us to keep them in our sight. They love playing with the other kids, but for us, it was wall to wall people and I was afraid we’d lose sight of them. In the end, they had fun and I was glad to be out of there!

We all went to dinner afterward at our favorite steakhouse – Lucky’s. My brother had never been there before, and we have never taken the kids there. Andrew was a hoot.

They brought out a salad and he was eating it when he found a leaf of spinach. “What?! A leaf?!? Who puts leaves in a salad?!”

There was a bottle of wine on the table and they asked if they could have some. We said that it was not for kids and it was alcohol. Andrew says, “Alcohol?!? People die from that on Dr. G!”

(Dr. G Medical Examiner is a show that follows this doctor doing Autopsies!)

Despite the 30 minute wait, the food was excellent. My brother and his partner decided they would go back to the hotel because it was close to bedtime. Sam and I walked in the door and we were ready for bed.

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My brother has read just about everything on Anne Frank. Sam knows that I read a lot of World War II books. She had asked if we’d ever been to the Holocaust museum here in Michigan. I had no idea that there was one. We looked and they were open on Sunday, so we met there about 1pm. We took the kids to Nana’s.

When we walked in, the first thing I saw was a train car. As many know, German soldiers loaded many Jewish people on these cars and took them to the gas chambers. I had read about these cars, which many books describe in detail. I felt it was smaller than I pictured.

This museum not only looks at the events of WWII and the Holocaust, but it takes it a step further and features the stories of survivors who moved to the US and to Michigan. I was disappointed when we found out that one of those survivors was there doing a talk an hour before we arrived. Her name was Irene Miller.

She has written a book about her experience and they had copies in the museum shop. My brother and I both bought copies. When I got home, I noticed she had autographed them. I cannot wait to read this.

It took us about 90 minutes to go through, but I can see where it might take longer. There are many of those codes you can scan with your phone and it takes you to videos with more information. As you get to the end of your trip, there is a hallway with Michigan survivors.

It truly was a very moving experience. I am so glad that we all decided to go. I hope to go back again soon and revisit some of the things we didn’t do.

One of the most sobering facts was that there were over 6 million Jews died during the Holocaust. A quote on the museum website from a Midland High School student makes a good point:

“The Zekelman Holocaust Center shows how much of an impact the Holocaust had on the world. Looking at the number six million in history class doesn’t show much, but seeing the impact here does.”

On the outside of the building are six peaks. They represent those 6 million lives.

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My brother’s visits are never long enough, but I am always glad to see him. We’re hoping to make the trip down to see him over the summer, if possible.

Life’s Little Moments

I want to take a moment and say thank you to those who have emailed or commented asking about my wife. She is recovering nicely and has her two week follow up this week.

I returned to work on Thursday. I was supposed to be off Thursday and Friday, but my wife decided I was driving her crazy being home and sent me back early. While I really wasn’t ready to go back, it did allow me to put back some hours in my PTO bank.

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Saturday, my wife said she was going crazy being in the house. She asked to go to Target to walk and shop. We packed every one in the car and spent a good hour walking through the store. As we walked, my kids were literally tossing item after item into the shopping cart! We told them that they could each get one thing. Apparently, they heard one “PILE” of things.

When we got home, my wife went into our room and laid back in bed. It was a lot for her to be out and on her feet that long. I suppose that is why I was surprised when Sunday she asked to go to the Barnes and Noble. I asked if she was sure she wanted to do that. Her answer was a resounding YES.

Again, we packed up the kids and headed to the book store. The kids each got to pick a book and Sam found the one she was looking for as well as another that was recommended to her. There has been a book that I have been waiting to hit the Libby/Hoopla apps, but it hasn’t. So I decided to treat myself to it. I just hope it is as good as all the reviews I read about it.

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We had some nice weather this week, which was great for the kids. They couldn’t wait to get out on their scooters and ride them up and down the sidewalk. They are already asking for their bikes, which are all the way at the back of the garage. At some point, I need to start bringing out the spring/summer stuff so I can get them out.

It will be the annual “Seasonal Shuffle.” The Christmas stuff, which is currently in the front of the garage, along with the snow blower, will have to come out. Then the Barbecue, and other spring lawn furniture will come out. Then the riding lawnmower and lawn tools will come out. That will get me to the bikes and motorized car the kids have.

Once it is all out, I shuffle the winter stuff to the back of the garage. I’ll put the Christmas stuff up in the loft. Finally, I will bring the spring/summer lawn stuff back to the garage so that it is in the front and I can access all of it. It will stay that way until it’s time to shuffle again in the fall. Fun stuff!!

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Ella has been working on her reading. Her teacher says she is really excelling. Other kids in her class are working on sounding out words, too, but Ella is reading.

Tuesday, the teacher sent a book home for her to practice. Yesterday she got to read it to the class. She did it without help! The teacher said her classmates watched her and listened in awe.

We are so proud of her!!

The worry now is that she will be so far ahead in kindergarten that she’ll get bored. I hope that isn’t the case.