Jayson is my delightful son, who just turned three. He is polite, helpful, thoughtful, and full of energy. Earlier today, he wanted to help me empty the dishwasher. I showed him where the various items of silverware go in the drawer, and he got most of them right. He sometimes says very sweet things. My recent favorite is, "Daddy, you're my good friend." Yesterday, we went to Lowe's together to pick up a replacement spark plug for the lawn mower (which, unfortunately, is dead). We also went to Toys R Us and played with the trains.
Now lest you think I have the perfect toddler, let me assure you that I have no such delusions when it comes to my son. He can also be crabby, stubborn, and mean to his sisters. He's been going through a phase where he likes to push, hit, and kick. I'm hoping it is a very short phase. In the meantime, we have a couple of consequences set up (yes, I'm getting to the point of my post eventually, bear with me :-). Sometimes I will sit on him, particularly if he has hit or kicked. He really doesn't like that. If he gets pushy, he gets sent to his room with the door shut.
I had an unexpected opportunity to show Jayson that consequences apply to all family members. Just before we went to church, I called downstairs for the children to come up and put on their shoes. In fact, I called down several times. I was already a bit crabby, and the fact that I got no response from downstairs did little to improve my mood. I stomped downstairs, and got there just in time to see Jayson knock Lizzie down. I'm sad to admit it, but in my anger, I went and knocked Jayson to the floor also. I immediately felt bad about it.
Jayson went upstairs, crying, and told Mommy what I had done. I came up right behind him, and admitted what I had done, and that it was wrong. I knelt down to apologize to him, and suddenly had a flash of inspiration. Since he usually gets sent to his room when he does that, I should get sent to my room. So I went into the bedroom, and invited Jayson to close the door on me, which he did with some enthusiasm.
A small, silly little incident? Perhaps. But it also teaches an important lesson. Daddy is not exempt from the rules. Consequences should be fair when possible, and that includes me. It shows that the rules are important to everyone, and everyone needs to follow them.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Sunday, August 24, 2008
August has been better than July
Hello, all. Gee, it's been awhile since I've written anything! That may be good or bad depending on your point of view. Of course, I'm not twisting anyone's arm to read this, so I won't worry. :)
We had an enjoyable vacation earlier this month. We went up to Aspen Grove, which is run by the BYU alumni association. They do marriage retreats, conferences, and family camps (both full and half week). We did a half-week family camp last year, and really enjoyed it, so we signed up for the full week experience this year. It's really nice, because the price (which is quite reasonable, by the way) includes lodging, food, and all activities! And there is so much stuff to do, that there isn't time to do it all.
Of course the best part from my point of view is that they have activities for every age group, and they take your children for part of the day each day. :D I love my children very much, and I love them even more after I have had a break from them. It's nice to do things with just Susie, and by myself.
Some of the things that I did included racquetball, archery, air rifle shooting, a Dance Dance Revolution contest, frisbee golf, shuffleboard, and taking naps. I also had ice cream from the store for four days in a row. Yummy! We also took part in the family talent show on Monday night. We did a story called "Browniecurls and the Three Lairds" (any relation to a similar story that you may have heard is purely intentional). That one was a big hit, including our running gag about the youngest Laird ("Lizzie who was two. Enough said."). People commented about it to us for the rest of the week.
Some of the things I may try in future years include the ropes course, a GPS course, a nice long hike, arts and crafts, and going to the guest lecture (none of the offerings appealed to me this time around). Definitely an enjoyable time.
Sadly, we came back to the real world with a bump (literally), and at rapid speed. As we were packing up, I took Lizzie with me to the truck with a loaded luggage cart. After unloading it, I thought she might enjoy a ride back to the room on the cart, which she did...at first. Unfortunately, as I was going around a corner, I heard a thump, followed by a loud scream. Lizzie had rolled off of the cart, and landed face first on the concrete! I also inadvertantly ran over one of her fingers with the cart! Needless to say, I felt terrible. We took her to the Instacare, and found out (fortunately) that the bump was not serious or concussion-inducing. The finger, sadly, is taking longer to heal. But she seems to be okay overall, and she has been able to express herself with the words, "Owie" and "That hurts."
Anyway, on to other topics of interest. Esther will be starting kindergarten in a week. She met her teacher Ms. Thompson on Friday. The whole family went to meet her. Esther was understandably nervous. After all, she was in a building she'd never been in before meeting a person she'd never met before. I figure it was much like I would feel at a job interview, except Esther's interviewer is nicer. However, Esther warmed up to the teacher by the time she started the assessment. Susie and I were both very impressed with the teacher. Jayson and Lizzie enjoyed playing with the toys in the classroom.
Esther did very well on her assessment. I was watching a listening from a different part of the classroom whilst trying to keep my younger two from destroying the place. Ms. Thompson asked Esther about letters, numbers, patterns, colors, and shapes. She also had her read some short words, and asked some story comprehension questions. The teacher confirmed what we already knew: Esther is very intelligent. Her focus in kindergarten will be on the social aspect, moreso than the academic.
Again, no surprise there. The poor thing takes after her father in that regard. If nothing else, I will be able to be compassionate and understanding as she grows up. I know exactly what it feels like to be intellectually gifted and to struggle a bit socially. However, Esther will have several advantages that I did not have. This is a comfort to me. Esther has a brother and a sister, so she has already had practice at socialization to a degree. Esther also has a father on the earth. My father died when I was one and a half, and I know that made a difference for me, just as I can make a difference for Esther. Third, Esther attends church. This gives her further opportunities for social interaction, as well as an additional support network.
Although Esther will certianly have her challenges in school (don't we all?), I think she will turn out just fine. She's a strong girl, and a very good girl as well. I don't think she will struggle socially as much as I did. And to paraphrase Gordon B Hinckley, when talking about one of his sons, "He has a wonderful mother. I wish I could recommend his father to you." :D
What else has been going on? The new "Clone Wars" movie came out in theaters a week or so ago. Although the critics panned it, I enjoyed it. Certainly not the best Star Wars movie I've ever seen, but if you can take the show for what it is, an introduction to the upcoming TV series, it is enjoyable in its own right. Besides, I got to see more of Count Dooku, who is one of my favorite characters (big surprise there). In fact, I was able to troop the release with my Star Wars group (the Alpine Garrison) on Saturday, the day after we got back from Aspen Grove. I hadn't worn my Dooku costume in some time, so it was nice to put it on again. I had more fun at this event than I had had trooping in some time.
My favorite part of the troop was at the end. As I went out to the front of the theater for the final time, I met a young boy and his father getting tickets. I leaned down to shake the young boy's hand. As I did so, his father pointed out the lightsaber in my other hand. To which the young boy replied, "Wow! Cool!" I saw him a moment or two later with the rest of his family. I heard him say, "Mom, look at that guy! Look at that guy!" It's the moments like that where I can connect with a child that makes the trooping worthwhile.
My second favorite moment of the troop was when a girl approached and solemnly informed me that I should leave the Dark Side. Staying true to character, I thanked her for her concerned and informed her that I was happy where I was. :D
I also had the opportunity to see some old friends briefly last weekend. J.D. and Gina Williams are friends of mine from my days in the singles ward. J.D. and I were roommates for a year or two. They married, and now have four children! They were in the area, and called me, asking if they could stop by and visit. Although the visit was less than an hour, it was sure good to see them again. Their children are beautiful, and quite the characters! It's always good to see old friends again. I've known them for a long time. Now I just need to track down some of my other old friends.
I think that covers the main highlights of the month. If you've made it this far in this blog post, I salute you! Thanks for reading. Until next time!
We had an enjoyable vacation earlier this month. We went up to Aspen Grove, which is run by the BYU alumni association. They do marriage retreats, conferences, and family camps (both full and half week). We did a half-week family camp last year, and really enjoyed it, so we signed up for the full week experience this year. It's really nice, because the price (which is quite reasonable, by the way) includes lodging, food, and all activities! And there is so much stuff to do, that there isn't time to do it all.
Of course the best part from my point of view is that they have activities for every age group, and they take your children for part of the day each day. :D I love my children very much, and I love them even more after I have had a break from them. It's nice to do things with just Susie, and by myself.
Some of the things that I did included racquetball, archery, air rifle shooting, a Dance Dance Revolution contest, frisbee golf, shuffleboard, and taking naps. I also had ice cream from the store for four days in a row. Yummy! We also took part in the family talent show on Monday night. We did a story called "Browniecurls and the Three Lairds" (any relation to a similar story that you may have heard is purely intentional). That one was a big hit, including our running gag about the youngest Laird ("Lizzie who was two. Enough said."). People commented about it to us for the rest of the week.
Some of the things I may try in future years include the ropes course, a GPS course, a nice long hike, arts and crafts, and going to the guest lecture (none of the offerings appealed to me this time around). Definitely an enjoyable time.
Sadly, we came back to the real world with a bump (literally), and at rapid speed. As we were packing up, I took Lizzie with me to the truck with a loaded luggage cart. After unloading it, I thought she might enjoy a ride back to the room on the cart, which she did...at first. Unfortunately, as I was going around a corner, I heard a thump, followed by a loud scream. Lizzie had rolled off of the cart, and landed face first on the concrete! I also inadvertantly ran over one of her fingers with the cart! Needless to say, I felt terrible. We took her to the Instacare, and found out (fortunately) that the bump was not serious or concussion-inducing. The finger, sadly, is taking longer to heal. But she seems to be okay overall, and she has been able to express herself with the words, "Owie" and "That hurts."
Anyway, on to other topics of interest. Esther will be starting kindergarten in a week. She met her teacher Ms. Thompson on Friday. The whole family went to meet her. Esther was understandably nervous. After all, she was in a building she'd never been in before meeting a person she'd never met before. I figure it was much like I would feel at a job interview, except Esther's interviewer is nicer. However, Esther warmed up to the teacher by the time she started the assessment. Susie and I were both very impressed with the teacher. Jayson and Lizzie enjoyed playing with the toys in the classroom.
Esther did very well on her assessment. I was watching a listening from a different part of the classroom whilst trying to keep my younger two from destroying the place. Ms. Thompson asked Esther about letters, numbers, patterns, colors, and shapes. She also had her read some short words, and asked some story comprehension questions. The teacher confirmed what we already knew: Esther is very intelligent. Her focus in kindergarten will be on the social aspect, moreso than the academic.
Again, no surprise there. The poor thing takes after her father in that regard. If nothing else, I will be able to be compassionate and understanding as she grows up. I know exactly what it feels like to be intellectually gifted and to struggle a bit socially. However, Esther will have several advantages that I did not have. This is a comfort to me. Esther has a brother and a sister, so she has already had practice at socialization to a degree. Esther also has a father on the earth. My father died when I was one and a half, and I know that made a difference for me, just as I can make a difference for Esther. Third, Esther attends church. This gives her further opportunities for social interaction, as well as an additional support network.
Although Esther will certianly have her challenges in school (don't we all?), I think she will turn out just fine. She's a strong girl, and a very good girl as well. I don't think she will struggle socially as much as I did. And to paraphrase Gordon B Hinckley, when talking about one of his sons, "He has a wonderful mother. I wish I could recommend his father to you." :D
What else has been going on? The new "Clone Wars" movie came out in theaters a week or so ago. Although the critics panned it, I enjoyed it. Certainly not the best Star Wars movie I've ever seen, but if you can take the show for what it is, an introduction to the upcoming TV series, it is enjoyable in its own right. Besides, I got to see more of Count Dooku, who is one of my favorite characters (big surprise there). In fact, I was able to troop the release with my Star Wars group (the Alpine Garrison) on Saturday, the day after we got back from Aspen Grove. I hadn't worn my Dooku costume in some time, so it was nice to put it on again. I had more fun at this event than I had had trooping in some time.
My favorite part of the troop was at the end. As I went out to the front of the theater for the final time, I met a young boy and his father getting tickets. I leaned down to shake the young boy's hand. As I did so, his father pointed out the lightsaber in my other hand. To which the young boy replied, "Wow! Cool!" I saw him a moment or two later with the rest of his family. I heard him say, "Mom, look at that guy! Look at that guy!" It's the moments like that where I can connect with a child that makes the trooping worthwhile.
My second favorite moment of the troop was when a girl approached and solemnly informed me that I should leave the Dark Side. Staying true to character, I thanked her for her concerned and informed her that I was happy where I was. :D
I also had the opportunity to see some old friends briefly last weekend. J.D. and Gina Williams are friends of mine from my days in the singles ward. J.D. and I were roommates for a year or two. They married, and now have four children! They were in the area, and called me, asking if they could stop by and visit. Although the visit was less than an hour, it was sure good to see them again. Their children are beautiful, and quite the characters! It's always good to see old friends again. I've known them for a long time. Now I just need to track down some of my other old friends.
I think that covers the main highlights of the month. If you've made it this far in this blog post, I salute you! Thanks for reading. Until next time!
Friday, August 1, 2008
Mark and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Month
I'm very glad that the month of July is over. It has been a rotten month in many ways. Here are some of the "highlights" of my month:
- Our main server at work became unstable, and was down for most of a week. When it was down, I was literally unable to do any work. Now don't get me wrong, some days I don't get much work done anyway, but I at least like to have the choice!
- Less than a week after our main server came back up, the people who provide the main file for our process made some upgrades to their system. After the upgrades, the file was unavailable for almost a whole 'nother week.
- For those of you counting at home, that means almost half of the month, I was unable to do work at work.
- Two of my team members left the company for other opportunities. One of them is my former boss/team lead, who is a good friend, has been there the whole three and a half years that I have been there, and takes with him a vast amount of domain knowledge. I'm happy for his new opportunity, but I'm still ticked that he left.
- Emotional turmoil within the family. I've had a couple of very difficult therapy sessions in July, and so has Susie. It's part of the healing process, I know, but it still sucks.
- Dental work. During my twice-a-year checkup, the dentist found six cavities. While filling them, he discovered two more. Yep, eight cavities total. And when I went in the first time, they were running late, so I got to make a return trip to get the rest of my teeth drilled on. Oh joy of joys.
- As a possibly related side note to the last item, I am flossing more regularly now, for the first time in a long time. Did I mention that most of the cavities were between my teeth?
- Truck repairs. The truck was due for 24,000 mile inspection, and needed a few things replaced. It's still in very good condition, but auto repair is never inexpensive.
- Car repairs. While picking up supplies for pack meeting near the end of the month, I stopped at my last stop to the disconcerting sight of my windshield fogging up. From the inside. On a 100 degree day. When I came out of the store five minutes later, I saw antifreeze pooling on both sides of my car, and a trail of antifreeze going back all the way to the parking lot entrance. Apparently, my car decided to empty the contents of the antifreeze system on the road. At least it was in civilization, rather than in the middle of nowhere. I was able to limp into the repair shop, and I got out of there with my wallet mostly intact. But I was without the car for three days, and I had to walk home from the repair shop in 100 degree weather, carrying pack meeting supplies. At least the auto repair place is close the my house.
- Car repairs - part 2. I came out of the house a couple of mornings ago to the lovely scent of gasoline. I looked under my car to find a small pool in the general vicinity of the gas tank. Needless to say, the car repair guy (Paul) was surprised to see me again so soon. And honestly, I was hoping to avoid paying a second visit to his establishment so soon after my previous visit. So now I will be needing a new gas tank. Again, my wallet will survive the blow, but I hope the next visit to him is none too soon.
- Truck repairs - part 2. When my wife got home from Salt Lake last ngiht, she took me out to show me where an individual had added a dent to the rear bumper of the truck. I guess he thought that remodeling our truck would be appreciated more than paying attention to the road. I need to give him a call, but next week would be a better time for that. I can tell you this much. He can pay me directly, or I will go through his insurance. I've had this happen twice before, and gotten stiffed both times. I am not footing the bill this time.
- Technically, this last item became apparent in August, but the cause happened in July, so I'm counting it. This morning, the first thing I woke up to was my daughter telling me, "Daddy, Jayson threw up." Just how I wanted to start my day. So my morning consisted of cleaning barf off of the carpet, and watching the children so that Susie (who also paid a visit to the porcelain throne this morning) could rest. Not exactly my idea of a three-day weekend. And the kicker was that it was Jayson's birthday today. It sucks to be sick on your birthday.
I'm very glad that July is over. I'm looking forward to a much better month in August.
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