The Amalgamations

Genesis 2:24 states the following:

For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. (NIV)

I don't understand how that is possible, but it is sure true, and the boys are the proof. They are an incredible amalgamation (good SAT word there) of our respective family genetic codes. Almost every day I notice some new combination or permutation manifesting itself in one of the boys. Today it was Daniel. I realized that he has his mother's situational awareness. More accurately, her lack of situational awareness. Suzy's toes have to be covered in bruises, because she is constantly stubbing them on things. She will turn around in the kitchen and be completely surprised that I am standing there (that happened just yesterday). I think it has to do with her incredible ability to focus, she can be so absorbed in something that the background just sort of fades out. I, on the other hand, have trouble focusing on one thing, and tend to have my mind wander. But that is balanced by the fact that I am pretty aware of my surroundings. Daniel, not so much. You could walk right past him with a marching band and he would just keep on keeping on. There is one thing though, that will always tickle his brain into paying attention, mention the word 'Lego' and his little brain radar zeroes right in on your conversation.

Our little amalgamations running around wreaking havoc in our house are strong points of evidence that there are some profound truths in the Good Book.

Edward

Exemplary

Determined

Wise & Witty

Authentic

Reader

Devout

Daniel

Dependable

Affectionate

Nice

Intelligent

Entertaining

Loving

Samuel

Smart & Sensitive
Always Adventurous
Mischievous
Undeniably Cute
Expressive
Lots of Love

Cherish

"Children will not remember you

for the material things you provided

but for the feeling that you CHERISHED them."

~Richard L. Evans

Love this quote. And isn't it true of adults too? At the core don't we all want to be loved and cherished above all else?

Do my boys know how much I cherish them? I think so. I pray so. Because I do so, so much.

Photos from Our Staycation

The view from our room at the Omni Hotel. We spent a lot of time walking and eating in the Gaslamp District.A nice day for a walk along the bay. Lots of art sculptures.Historic ships. Me looking really happy with a Ghiradelli's mint fudge sundae. It was awesome!Where shall we go?Paying tribute to a baseball legend.Padre game. Great pitching, extra innings, an exciting Padre win and fireworks.Is it over already? It flew by too fast!

Staycation

Suzy and I are on our first multi-night getaway vacation without the boys in seven years. My mom graciously volunteered to watch the Cannibal and the Pirate for a couple of days, so we traveled far afield and ended up in Downtown San Diego.

We are staying in my dream location, the hotel that is connected to Petco Park, the home of the Padres. It is quite the posh location, and Suzy and I are very much enjoying the digs. Tonight we get to see the Padres face off against the Pirates in a battle of two terrible teams, but I don't care, I get to go to a game! Right now we are just waiting for the morning gloom to burn off before we go on a walk along San Diego Bay. Maybe some pool time a little later, lunch hopefully at a friend's sandwich shop down here. What a day.

[I just had a Google Chat with Daniel's teacher. I noticed that she was online, so I checked to see if they made it to school on time (nice job, mom, sorry I checked up on you). It was a bit of a strange experience because Daniel's teacher brought him over to her computer and I chatted with him for a few minutes. My first online chat with my child. Modern technology is pretty cool.]

Read In

Daniel's class had a 'Read In' today. All the kids got to come to school in their pajamas, curl up with blankets and pillows and read/be read to all day long. How cool is that? Since I help out on Wednesdays I also got to participate (and yes, I got to wear my pjs too). I got to read 'Little Bunny Foo Foo' (can you believe Daniel was the only one who knew it?) and 'The Lorax' (I actually got through the whole book without crying - a first for me).

I thought the day would last forever, but it just flew by and the kids loved it. Parents, teachers and staff all dropped in to read to the kids. What better way to teach kids the love of reading?

Cupcakes All Around

I turned 36 years old today. It was a good birthday. Time with my family, burgers, cake. What more could a guy ask for? It was also my first birthday while on Facebook. That produced an interesting phenomenon. I got well wishes from across the globe. From the East Coast to Hawaii, from here in San Diego up to Portland, Oregon, I had people from various parts of my life wishing me happy birthday. It was surprising. It was nice. I was telling a friend ('telling' is a loose term these days, it was via a Facebook message) that it reminded me of being in elementary school, your mom bakes cupcakes and everyone in the class wishes you happy birthday. Just your whole day is a celebration. So, thanks everyone for the well wishes. I appreciate it. It was a good birthday.

On another note, since I have had kids I have come to the opinion that someone's birthday should really be a party for that person's mom and dad. To that end, thanks Mom. Thanks Dad. I appreciate all you have done for me over the years. I appreciate the sacrifices that you both made that I never knew about. I appreciate the fact that you put up with me through good times and bad. Thank you for being there for me for the first 36 years. I look forward to what you can teach me over the next 36. Thanks.

Beware

He may look all cute and innocent......but beware! They don't call him toothless, ruthless Dan for no reason. Argh!

Squeamish? Please move on....

DISCLAIMER:
If you are at all squeamish or not used to the strange things that come out of the mouth of children, please move on. You have been warned. Last chance. Too late.

Scene:

Living Room Sofa. TV is on.

Characters:

Sammy, a young boy of five.
Dada, an old man (yikes, almost 36) who happens to be Sammy's father.

Act 1: Scene 1:

Sammy and Dada are sitting on the sofa watching TV. Sammy is gently touching Dada's ear.

Sammy: 'Dada, when you die I am going to eat the fat part of your ear.'

Dada: 'You're going to do what?'

Sammy: 'Eat the fat part of your ear.'

Dada: 'Do you mean my ear lobe?'

Sammy: 'Yeah. I am going to eat your ear lobe.'

Dada (trying to remain calm): 'Uh, Sammy, I don't want you to eat my ear lobe when I die.'

Sammy: 'Why not? You'll be dead already.'

Dada (trying to sound reasonable): 'We don't eat people, Sammy, not even when they are dead. It's just not OK.'

Sammy (with a disappointed tone): 'Oh, all right.'

Scene closes with Sammy still staring at Dada's ear lobe in a way that just makes Dada uncomfortable.

Act 1: Scene 2:

Hopefully Scene 2 never takes place. You guys are strange to have read this far. Oh, and if you ever catch Sammy staring at or touching your ear lobes be afraid. Very afraid.

Beautiful View

A 15 minute drive, a 45 minute hike, a stunning view.

Kwaay Paay Summit, Mission Trails Regional Park. April 2009.

Just beautiful.

TGIF

It's the weekend! Yippee! Do I dare hope to sleep in tomorrow morning? And pancakes with whipped cream on top? Mmmm. I can hardly wait.

Shades of Yellow

Daniel loves taking pictures, so one evening, to keep him busy while I cooked dinner, I gave him my camera and told him to photograph as many yellow things that he could find. He happily took the camera and searched inside and out for shades of yellow. So here are some shades of yellow from our home to yours.

Mixed Bag Uncle

Having me as your Uncle can be a mixed bag. I was undoubtedly heroic when I saved my niece's life when she was being attacked by a child eating goat at the Petting Zoo. I am there for my nieces and nephews when they need someone to chase them around with a lightsaber. I will even (please don't tell anyone) participate with my nieces in the strange tradition of putting little outfits and accessories together for little doll things. I don't understand that part, but I like spending the time with those little girls when they find just the right thing for Princess Whomever to wear.

So, those are the pluses. The minuses, not as fun to talk about. I stink about things like birthdays, cards, stuff like that. Thankfully Suzy is great about that stuff, so she covers my flaws nicely. The problem arises, however, when Suzy is too busy to cover for me. Last month, when Suzy was knee deep (scratch that, neck deep is more like it) with City Tree Gala stuff, not to mention church stuff, my nephew Alex's birthday rolled around. I was perfectly aware that his birthday was there, and perfectly aware that Suzy was incapable of dealing with one more thing. That is the point at which I should have done something. 'Should have' being the operative phrase. I did nothing. Yikes. What a bad move. So, here we are a month later. Still nothing. Yikes. I actually tried to get him something last week, I was looking for a Stephen Strassburg San Diego State jersey (don't ask, it's an obscure gift that only about 2 people in the world would understand) but I couldn't find one. Now I am back at square one. Yikes. My only hope is that while we are at Legoland tomorrow Sammy and I will find something that not only Alex will want, but will also sufficiently convince his parents that I am not a complete jerk for being a month late on the present. Better late than never, right? Right? Anyone? Please?

In summary, I am sorry Alex. I am working on it. Hopefully before Christmas I will get something out to you.

Engaging

Twelve years ago today I proposed to Suzy while we were on a walk along the beach in beautiful San Diego. That was the best decision that I have ever made, Suzy brings joy to my life daily, and I thank God for granting me the privilege and honor of sharing her life.

I distinctly remember the nervousness I felt when I picked her up at her apartment that she shared with some Navigator friends. One of her roommates, Carol, even gave me a weird look as we walked away, like she knew something was up. Suzy, thankfully, was blissfully unaware.

As we came to a bench I asked her to sit, I got down on one knee, and she started smiling nervously. I pulled out the ring, said some profoundly romantic things, and proposed. And her response? Well, you know the rest, coming up on 12 years of wonderful marriage, so she must have said 'yes', right? Well, not exactly. Her response was to laugh. Not a giggle, though it may have started out there. But a true laugh. She didn't take the ring off and chuck it in the ocean, so that was good, but she never really said yes.

I was kind of operating on faith for the next few months as the wedding plans got made. Happily she never backed out, and the lack of a verbal commitment never became much of an issue.

Thank you, Suzy, for not saying 'no'.

Show me the Money

The boys have been into money recently. Mainly because they both bought 'European Handbags' (as Dan makes the boys call them) at the Bible Buck Store. And their new 'European Handbags' have places to put all your cash.

Normally they don't have much money in their possession, but on Sunday the very generous Easter Bunny (Tutu) left a wad of cash in each basket. The boys of course were very excited and quickly stashed their loot into their 'European Handbags'.

That night Tutu and I were getting the boys ready for bed. Daniel had a dollar in his hand and while looking at it he said, "You know, I once tried to counterfeit money... It didn't turn out so well."

Daniel, you are too funny!

Happy Easter!

All in a Day

A good day.

A morning hike to a beautiful summit. Pancakes with whipped cream on top. The arrival of Tutu and Papa. Playing, reading, dancing and sharing. Fresh baked chocolate chip cookies. Sushi feast. The looking forward to Easter.

Yes, a very good day indeed.

Ready & Waiting

The boys spent a good part of the day dipping, re-dipping and re-re-dipping their Easter eggs to achieve just the perfect color for each and every egg. I watched on the sidelines trying not to stress about cups full of dye being knocked over. Each year as the boys get older it gets easier and easier. The boys especially liked dipping the eggs in different colors to see what new colors they could create.

Now we just need that Bunny to show up and hide these bad boys.

Eggy Day

Today was an egg kind of a day. Lots of hiding of eggs, cooking of eggs, eating of eggs and even an egg that exploded in the microwave. Very exciting.

Tomorrow we will continue with our emphasis on eggs as we dye and decorate our Easter eggs. And I am sure there will be more hiding and eating of the eggs, but hopefully no more of the exploding. It will most definitely be an egg-cellent day.

Things Heating Up

You might think that this blog entry is going to be about the warmer weather that we are experiencing here in San Diego.

You would be wrong.

You might think that this blog entry is going to be about the fact that RCK Controls (where I work) has been getting lots of good business news recently.

You would be wrong.

You might think that this blog entry is going to be about the fact that baseball season has started and the Padres have a bullpen that is full of hard throwers.

You would be wrong.

OK, enough already. I have a child that has an unusual tolerance/desire for spiciness. We had nachos for dinner tonight and Sammy decided he wanted some jalapenos on his nachos. Normally he gets one, and enjoys it. Tonight Suzy plopped three down on his nachos, and tried to resume her conversation with me. Approximately four seconds later we look back over at Sammy as he furiously is downing water. The little tamale scarfed those three jalapenos like they were candy, and was paying the price. He looked at me, and gave me this really big smile. If I could peer into his brain I imagine he was thinking,

'Wow, that was hot! Hey, that was kinda cool. I wonder if they would give me some more?'

The Shores

Sammy really wanted to go tide pooling again so we headed down to La Jolla Shores this morning. Unfortunately the tide was too high and we couldn't make it to the tide pools. Still, the boys had fun running along the beach, jumping waves, collecting & washing rocks, finding sea shells and just getting sandy and wet. It was another beautiful day and surprisingly not very crowded at the beach.

I love going to La Jolla Shores not just because I love the beach, but because it is where Dan proposed to me. On ones of these benches that the boys are sitting on. Maybe even this bench. The boys were pretty excited to be sitting where Dada proposed to Mama over 11 years ago!

I don't know what fun thing is in store for tomorrow. I'll have to see what the boys have planned.

A Trip to the Pool

What better way to start Spring Break than a dip in the pool? It was a beautiful, hot and sunny day, just perfect for a swim. The boys were so excited about going swimming today that they slept in their swimming suits last night. And they sure did have fun. It was a big moment for Sammy as he can finally stand in the shallow end (3 feet) and have his head completely above the water. He now can venture from the stairs and sides without fear of drowning.

Daniel was all over the place. Diving for sticks, kick boarding, swimming and doing cannonballs. That kid is a fish.

A perfect pool day!

Peace

Today was a bit of a rough day. One of the boys (not me) was a bit too squirmy in church this morning, and they both were less than optimal during their Sunday School, so they started the day off wrong. That continued when we got home, so there was a lot of stress and consternation in the Walls home. Peace was not in our house. So, when Suzy and I were discussing what to blog about tonight, and she suggested Peace, I was a bit confused. Then she reminded me, reminded me of a time when there was peace, peace like a river. A time that was this morning, on the ride in to church....

There we were, deeply involved in a bizarre conversation with our boys, when the Peace overcame us.

'I've got peace like a river, I've got peace like a river, I've got peace like a river in my soul.'

My eldest was serenading us with a song that he remembered from a CD that he liked. Sammy, not wanting to be left out of the conversation, piped in with,

'You gotta pee like a river?'

Tide Pooling

Sammy and I got to go on a tide pooling adventure down at La Jolla Cove today with Sammy's preschool class. I was a beautiful day (I say that a lot don't I? Because, well, it usually is.) and Sammy loved every minute of it. Luckily I was in 2-hour parking or I would have never been able to drag Sammy away. We found all sorts of shells and sea creatures, even a rather large lobster. Sammy liked sticking his finger in the sea anemones (we call them 'squishy things') and finding hermit crabs. But his favorite part was taking off his shoes, rolling up his pants and wading through the shallow pools (that kid loves to get wet). Mine was just being close to the ocean and enjoying the sights and sounds of the sea.