Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Move it!

The two older mancubs went with me on my business trip a couple of weeks ago. After work, we had about an hour of daylight and decided to walk down to the beach.

Side Note: We were staying in Pismo Beach. It's February. We were at the beach. Yep, February. Ahhhh.....California!

The tide was beginning to roll in. Cade, Matthew, and I started collecting sand dollars and shells. This lasted about 5 minutes before our combined ADD caused us to drop shell collecting and start a game of tag. I was "it" and chased them along the beach. The mancubs quickly went right and into the Pacific Ocean. Regardless of the time of year or the temperature outside, the Pacific Ocean is flippin cold. I gave up chasing them and I guess I'm still "it" as I write this blog. I pretty much just stood in the water not going past my calves. I say my calves, but I wasn't quite sure because I really had no feeling below my knees. Cade went in almost to his waist. And then there was Matthew......the only dry area on him was his head! I yelled to him, "Matty, aren't you freezing cold?" In a very warm, happy, and almost nurturing tone he responds: "Dad, you can't just stand there! You'll go numb! You have to keep moving!" And then jumped up over wave so that it wouldn't go over his head.

His words hit me about as hard as the biting cold Pacific water. Of course, I started moving and quickly warmed up. I was flooded with thoughts and questions as jumped around in the ocean. Matthew had no idea that he just spoke something way more profound than how not be cold in the water. I did a quick inventory of what in my life was numb due to inactivity. Am I "moving" and active with my relationship with my wife? With the mancubs? My job? Friendships?

If you're feeling cold and numb in areas in your life.....maybe you just need to move around!

Monday, January 4, 2010

Mancub Sayings from the Road: Pt 1

I've compiled a list of some of the utterances, gnomic verses, observations, silliness, etc from our Christmas Roadie to Texas:

This is part one and in no special order:

1. "Dad, it smells like fish and gravy". Cade commenting on the El Paso air.
2. "Me". Jacob's response anytime you ask him his name.
3. "Why are we running again?" Matthew in full stride after we lit some fireworks in New Mexico.
4. "I need to pee-ah". Luke's announcement about every 20 minutes on the road.
5. "Why is the moon also the name for someone's butt?" Cade's question late the first night when we stopped in AZ and stared into space.
6. "I am not happy with you, dad". Luke's phrase every time I told him "no".
7. "Why can't you and mom sleep on the sofa bed?" Matthew's question at just about every Marriott.
8. "Train fall on (insert any of the following names: Mommy, Daddy, Matthew, Cade, Luke, Meme, Big Dad, Oma, Opa, Doggie) ____________'s head?" I respond with a "no" and he giggles.....Jacob's question every time he sees a train.
9. "Dad, I believe in Santa and Rudolf and all, but not the way this show says. There's no such thing as the Abominable Snowman". Matthew's comment during the Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer television special.

I'm finding laughter is one of the greatest gifts of all.