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.
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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.
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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.
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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!
Tomorrow morning, I’ll be taking a 2-3 hour trip to a children’s hospital on the west side of the state. Andrew is having an MRI.
We’re hoping that this will finally give us some answers. The neurologist suggested that we get this done to rule out some of the possible issues. If it is a normal MRI, we’re not any closer to figuring things out.
Can I ask that you keep Andrew in your thoughts or prayers? I pray for safe travels and a few answers.
You may remember me mentioning my kids painting with colored ice recently. I was surprised this week when a “postcard” arrived for me.
He had a bit of help from mommy, but his message warmed my heart.
He calls me “Big Fella” all the time now. The kids on Bluey called their dad that once and it has stuck with him. I started calling him “Little Fella” now, which makes him laugh.
One morning he had crawled into bed next to me and said, “Time to get up, Daddio!” That had me cracking up! All of a sudden he’s a 50’s hipster!
Now, to be clear – I’m not necessarily sharing my tools. Recently I went out to the garage looking for a pair of pliers and they were gone. They were in HIS tool box. Also in his tool box was a hammer, my crescent wrench, about 6 screwdrivers and my box of drill bits!
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.
18 years ago today, I became a father for a second time, when my son, Dimitri, was born. It is truly amazing to watch them grow from this…..
….to this….
“Don’t Blink” they say. True words.
He was always a bit more athletic than my oldest son. He loved to play T-ball, and I got to be his coach.
In high school, he took an interest in golf, and I loved being able to get out and shoot 18 holes with him.
There was never a dull moment when he was around. I was DJing an event one time, and had some music programmed ahead of time. I had left the stage for a minute to give out prizes and when I returned he had donned my headphones, put on some gold shades, and was acting like he was spinning tunes!
After my wife and I got back from Florida (and getting married), the first day back and went and watched him in his first play. He was actually very good and even sang on stage.
18 years have flown by, son. I know that life hasn’t always been easy, but I want you to know that no matter what, I love you. I am behind you 100%. If you need to talk about anything, you can come to me and I will listen without judgement. I can promise you that I will always be here for you.
You are officially an adult today. As you begin this new phase of your life, remember that the world is good at throwing you curveballs. Keep your eyes forward. Get up when you are knocked down. Never let emotions influence a decision. Forgive. Love. Be YOU.
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
I have mentioned how messes raise my anxiety levels. When the kids are playing in slime, or with play dough, or painting I am anxiously awaiting the mess.
They have a sandbox that they love to play in. Naturally, the sand winds up on the side porch, in their shoes, on the driveway, in the road, and in their hair. My wife, Sam, decided that they needed a “Mud Kitchen.” The idea is that they can make mud pies, etc…
Andrew and my father-in-law built the frame out of scrap wood. I ran up to the store to get bags of top soil to fill the frame. My wife went to the dollar store and bought containers, bowls, spoons and such so they could play in it. At first it wasn’t so bad. They the added some water.
They had mud all over themselves. I had to spray them down with the hose before I could even let them inside the house. I know that someday soon I will put on a shoe that will be filled with topsoil – or mud!
Mother’s Day was full of surprises, even if my wife had to sleep through it, because she worked the night before. Ella brought her home a flower from preschool for her. She was so happy to give it to mommy.
The kids and I had to run out to Home Depot on Saturday (more on why in a paragraph or two). While we were there we walked through the garden area. Andrew saw a hanging flower/plant that he though mom would like, so we bought it and actually got to hang it from the shepherd’s hook in the yard.
Sam has always loved gnomes. For her birthday one year I bought her a birdbath with a gnome sitting in front of a mushroom. The mushroom stem goes up to hold the mushroom top, which is the actual bath for the birds. There was a cute gnome that had mushrooms rising up around him that light up at night. So we bought that to put by the birdbath.
Earlier in the week, our dryer stopped spinning. It made noise when you turned it on like it wanted to spin, but it didn’t. After Googling, all the sites pointed to a broken belt broken pulley or a bad roller. I ordered a kit online and after watching YouTube, decided I could do this job myself.
The first thing I had to do was shut off the gas. So I went downstairs and found the only shut off valve I could find.
After I turned that off, I went upstairs to disconnect the hose from the dryer. As soon as the nut was loosened, I could hear the gas pouring out of the hose. It took me a bit to get it back on, and now the entire house smelled like gas.
It took me almost an hour of following pipes around looking for another shut off valve. There is a space right above the furnace that is like a dark hole. There is no light up there, and it is such an odd place for a valve, but it was the only place I hadn’t checked. After getting up and in a position where I could shine the flashlight, sure enough, there it was!
I watched step by step and did exactly what the video showed me to do. I kid you not, I almost had the dryer completely taken apart for this job. I pulled the drum and checked the belt, which looked ok. I looked at all four rollers and they looked ok, too. The pulley for the belt looked like it might be going bad, so I thought maybe that was the culprit.
After replacing the belt, the rollers and the pulley, I watched the video on how to put it back together. Once it was together, it was time for the moment of truth. I turned on the power and selected a cycle. I hit start and ….. it was still making the noise and still not spinning. I was devastated. I truly thought that I could fix it.
The aftermath of a wasted afternoon
Monday after we dropped Ella off at school, Andrew asked if I wanted to take a walk. I was thrilled that he wanted to do that! We walked the entire neighborhood and he talked almost the entire way. He asked questions, pointed out dogs, talked about which cars were the same colors as ours, and watched squirrels run around.
It was a highlight of the day.
Tuesday, Ella had her first T-Ball game. I’m going to have to find days to take off so I can watch her play. Sam says she is like a different player this year. She is hitting pitches that the coaches pitch and catching/fielding balls like crazy. I’m thankful for mommy taking pictures for me.
Yesterday was one long list of things to do. My wife and kids were out almost all day doing something. When they got home they all went to bed.
This morning, Andrew had an early doctor appointment. It was close to where I work. So Sam suggested that before this work training meeting I had to be at meeting at a park. There is one about 2-3 miles from work. Ella and I met Andrew and mom there. The kids got to run and play with new friends and Sam and I got a little time to sit and enjoy each other’s company.
Being stuck at work is not the way I wanted to spend my birthday, but at least this morning I got to be with some of the most important people in my life!
On Friday of last week, we had temperatures in the mid to upper 70’s. On Saturday, they were in the upper 30’s and low 40’s. There was also a lot of wind, so it felt colder than that. This was the first day of soccer for Andrew and me.
He was so excited that I was going to be coaching his team. There was another dad who volunteered, too. Neither of us know what we’re doing but we tried to keep it fun. We played red light green light (they kick the ball around fast/slow/stop), Simon says (Put your knee on the ball, kick a goal, etc…), soccer bowling (the have to knock down the cones with the ball), and “Ouch” (The kids job was to kick the ball at the coaches and when we got hit, we had to say “Ouch”).
It was so cold out, but the kids did a good job. We held their attention for almost the entire hour. Some kids were too cold and left, but that’s ok. Completely understandable.
Ella was there with us and she played all the games, too. She actually played more games than Andrew. Why? Because at some point he decided he was done.
When we got home, we had hot chocolate and relaxed. I made myself some coffee and Ella came up behind me and said, “Dad, look.”
She is such a sweetheart.
Saturday night was the Senior Prom for my second oldest. At one point he wasn’t going to go, but later decided to go. I asked him to send me a picture of him all dressed up. He looked great!
The first thing I noticed was the watch chain. He confirmed that it was indeed a pocket watch. I always wanted one to wear when I dressed up, but never got one.
Hard to believe he is in the final weeks of high school.
Sunday morning, I made some muffins for breakfast. I mixed up the muffins and placed them in the muffin tin to bake. After the timer went off, I pulled them out of the oven. When I looked in the oven, there was something melted on the rack.
It took me a second, but I realized what it was. My kids love playing with these magnatiles. If you look at the photo, you can see the magnets. They use them to build things.
Thank goodness the magnets, when it melted, stuck to the rack of the oven. Apparently, Andrew put the tiles in the drawer and when we put the tin away, didn’t see them. They were stuck to the bottom of the tin.
Monday it was beautiful. On the way home from school, I took the kids to get ice cream. We were the only ones there at 12 noon. It was nice to just hang out with them enjoying a treat.
To wrap up the week, I was able to get out and mow the lawn for the first time. There is always something about that first cut that makes me feel good.
Various Ramblings of a Nostalgic Italian 