Okay, after having consulted dictionary.com, "idyllic" is really not the most appropriate word I could use to describe our evening, but I'm going to use it anyway. Because I like it.
Tonight, I arrived home from work late, and walked into a quiet house. That's unusual, unless Jude and J.P. are gone for a walk or to run an errand. Her Honda Pilot was parked in front of the house, though, and both strollers were in the hall. I hung my suit jacket on the back of a chair, walked into the kitchen, and looked out the window above the sink, into our backyard. I saw Jude sitting on the deck in one of the wrought iron chairs, J.P. reclined contentedly in her lap, eating dinner off a small tray. I paused for a moment, quietly, and just watched them.
I walked outside, sat down and J.P. ran over to say hello. We sat on the deck for a while, talking, while he ate. Then, we went for a walk in the neighborhood. Jude and I talked about our days at work, taking turns pushing J.P. in his stroller. As darkness fell and we approached our house on what was a glorious, beautiful spring evening in Nashville, I looked at Jude and told her this was exactly what I had envisioned, long ago. Walking with my wife, hand in hand, pushing our son in a stroller. Now, I didn't necessarily think I'd be 43 years old when I lived that dream, but I'll take it without complaint. I am truly a lucky man.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Two!
It's late Sunday night, Jude and John Patrick are upstairs, asleep, and I'm sitting at my old desk in our office, listening to John Coltrane and shaking my head in amazement as I wonder how could it possibly be that my son turned two years old today. It seems impossible, but the past year, his second , passed by more quickly than his first. How can that be?
John Patrick, or J.P., as we call him most of the time, has grown and changed so much in the past year. So many firsts for him, so many accomplishments, so many new activities.
Not too long after his first birthday, as he and I sat in our front yard on a blanket on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon while Jude napped upstairs, he crawled after my cell phone when I tossed it away from him. This doesn't seem like such a big deal now, but at the time, I was so excited, I called Jude on my cell phone, woke her up and told her to come downstairs and watch J.P. crawl.
A couple of months later, on a spring evening, Jude, J.P. and I were playing on the back deck while I grilled out. Jude said, "watch this," and he walked across the deck to me, smiling all the way. Now, he was reeling, at times, like a drunken sailor, but he was definitely walking. He walked back and forth between us, over and over again. Jude and I laughed and laughed. Man, were we proud.
J.P. fell in love with the "Baby Einstein" dvds (we have several). As a rule, we don't let him watch much television, but when we do, it's almost always "Baby Einstein."
Actually, J.P. fell in love with "Thomas the Train," too. For a while, that's almost all he played with. We have some train tracks, of course, and several different trains. While my favorite is "Percy" (a name I suggested, but Jude rejected, before J.P. was born), he loves the caboose, probably because he can push a button and it plays music. On many occasions, while I strolled him down to Bongo Java for coffee, he sat contentedly in the stroller, caboose in hand, music playing. Yes, the same song, over and over again. I can hear it right now and it makes me smile.
Favorite places for J.P? Several. The children's book section at Davis Kidd Booksellers at the Green Hills Mall, Bongo Java (he is fascinated by the barristas making coffee drinks), the Nashville Zoo, the Green Hills Mall (good for walking and lots to look at), Frothy Monkey (where he can run up and down the wheelchair ramp), Ayden Elliott's house (swingset outside and play kitchen inside) and Sevier and Centennial Parks.
Just like his old man, my son seems to love music. In the car, he points at the stereo and says, "Mu! Mu!" In the kitchen, he points at the ipod and says the same thing. I could probably mark time the past year just by thinking about all of the different music he's been into, then quickly out of. He's emphatic about what he wants to hear on the ipod. Early part of the year, Barenaked Ladies - "Snacktime" and Rilo Kiley - "Under the Blacklight." Middle of the year, Caspar Babypants - "More Please," last part of the year and lately, Lisa Loeb - "Catch the Moon" and Johnettte Dowling - "The Second Line." Most recently and to my delight, J.P. has insisted on listening to Neil Young - "Dreamin' Man Live '92," one of my favorite albums my one of my all time favorite artists. If he continues to dig Neil Young, we're going to get along just fine.
Jude and I took J.P. to his first hockey game. Playing with the seats was a lot of fun - bouncing them up and down. He particularly enjoyed watching the zambonis in between periods. The first time the Predators scored a goal, however, he was so startled he literally jumped off the ground when the horn sounded.
Books, books and more books. The kid loves to be read to, which is fantastic. I love to read and I think he's going to love it, too. As with the music, he'll insist on a book or two for a few days, then be on to something else. The "Good Night New York," etc. books are almost always a hit when I'm reading to him. He loves "Where the Wild Things Are" and "In the Night Kitchen," both by Maurice Sendak. For some reason, a regular for him, too, is a Kwanzaa book Jude's brother, James, got him (and me) as a joke. The Dr. Seuss books are a hit, too, although they're so nonsensical and long, it pains me to read them to him, at times, especially when he wants to hear a book two or three times in a row.
He had his first popsicle, from Las Paletas, on a late spring afternoon while Jude and I walked with him through Sevier Park.
Food, of course, has been a huuuge change in the past year. In the mornings, it's yogurt, toast or pancakes, cheerios or kix, kiwi or strawberries and bacon. No eggs of any sort on his tray or anywhere near him. Milk to drink, of course. Lunch is deli meat, normally, fruit and vegetables (green beans, corn, etc.). Dinner is ground beef, ground turkey, grilled cheese, fish sticks (a favorite) vegetables, pasta (he loves macaroni and cheese), fruit, etc. Milk, milk and more milk. Crackers, potato chips and especially gold fish crackers are big for snacks.
J.P. knows his colors, though he won't say them. He can, if you ask, go into the kitchen and pick out a blue (or red, purple, etc.) straw and bring it to you. He comprehends what we're saying pretty well. He'll say "Da da, Mama, Ma (grandma), and Pa (grandpa)." More words and sentences are coming, soon, I think. Just last night, after I said to him, "let's go get ready for bed, big guy," he looked at me and said, "big ga." The rest of the night and all today, he kept saying "hey, big ga" and "hey maaaa (man)." Really funny stuff.
He caught a couple of colds or sinus infections, though nothing serious, thankfully. Still, it was a little scary, at night, when he coughed a lot.
He also learned to head butt Jude (or me) when he's told no. As a result, he's quickly learning about "time out," as we try to break him of the head butting habit. With two headstrong, stubborn parents, that may be a tough one.
I could go on and on and on about all the firsts for J.P. in year number two. So many memories. Suffice to say I'm blessed, truly blessed to have spend the past two years with my son and my wife.
John Patrick, or J.P., as we call him most of the time, has grown and changed so much in the past year. So many firsts for him, so many accomplishments, so many new activities.
Not too long after his first birthday, as he and I sat in our front yard on a blanket on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon while Jude napped upstairs, he crawled after my cell phone when I tossed it away from him. This doesn't seem like such a big deal now, but at the time, I was so excited, I called Jude on my cell phone, woke her up and told her to come downstairs and watch J.P. crawl.
A couple of months later, on a spring evening, Jude, J.P. and I were playing on the back deck while I grilled out. Jude said, "watch this," and he walked across the deck to me, smiling all the way. Now, he was reeling, at times, like a drunken sailor, but he was definitely walking. He walked back and forth between us, over and over again. Jude and I laughed and laughed. Man, were we proud.
J.P. fell in love with the "Baby Einstein" dvds (we have several). As a rule, we don't let him watch much television, but when we do, it's almost always "Baby Einstein."
Actually, J.P. fell in love with "Thomas the Train," too. For a while, that's almost all he played with. We have some train tracks, of course, and several different trains. While my favorite is "Percy" (a name I suggested, but Jude rejected, before J.P. was born), he loves the caboose, probably because he can push a button and it plays music. On many occasions, while I strolled him down to Bongo Java for coffee, he sat contentedly in the stroller, caboose in hand, music playing. Yes, the same song, over and over again. I can hear it right now and it makes me smile.
Favorite places for J.P? Several. The children's book section at Davis Kidd Booksellers at the Green Hills Mall, Bongo Java (he is fascinated by the barristas making coffee drinks), the Nashville Zoo, the Green Hills Mall (good for walking and lots to look at), Frothy Monkey (where he can run up and down the wheelchair ramp), Ayden Elliott's house (swingset outside and play kitchen inside) and Sevier and Centennial Parks.
Just like his old man, my son seems to love music. In the car, he points at the stereo and says, "Mu! Mu!" In the kitchen, he points at the ipod and says the same thing. I could probably mark time the past year just by thinking about all of the different music he's been into, then quickly out of. He's emphatic about what he wants to hear on the ipod. Early part of the year, Barenaked Ladies - "Snacktime" and Rilo Kiley - "Under the Blacklight." Middle of the year, Caspar Babypants - "More Please," last part of the year and lately, Lisa Loeb - "Catch the Moon" and Johnettte Dowling - "The Second Line." Most recently and to my delight, J.P. has insisted on listening to Neil Young - "Dreamin' Man Live '92," one of my favorite albums my one of my all time favorite artists. If he continues to dig Neil Young, we're going to get along just fine.
Jude and I took J.P. to his first hockey game. Playing with the seats was a lot of fun - bouncing them up and down. He particularly enjoyed watching the zambonis in between periods. The first time the Predators scored a goal, however, he was so startled he literally jumped off the ground when the horn sounded.
Books, books and more books. The kid loves to be read to, which is fantastic. I love to read and I think he's going to love it, too. As with the music, he'll insist on a book or two for a few days, then be on to something else. The "Good Night New York," etc. books are almost always a hit when I'm reading to him. He loves "Where the Wild Things Are" and "In the Night Kitchen," both by Maurice Sendak. For some reason, a regular for him, too, is a Kwanzaa book Jude's brother, James, got him (and me) as a joke. The Dr. Seuss books are a hit, too, although they're so nonsensical and long, it pains me to read them to him, at times, especially when he wants to hear a book two or three times in a row.
He had his first popsicle, from Las Paletas, on a late spring afternoon while Jude and I walked with him through Sevier Park.
Food, of course, has been a huuuge change in the past year. In the mornings, it's yogurt, toast or pancakes, cheerios or kix, kiwi or strawberries and bacon. No eggs of any sort on his tray or anywhere near him. Milk to drink, of course. Lunch is deli meat, normally, fruit and vegetables (green beans, corn, etc.). Dinner is ground beef, ground turkey, grilled cheese, fish sticks (a favorite) vegetables, pasta (he loves macaroni and cheese), fruit, etc. Milk, milk and more milk. Crackers, potato chips and especially gold fish crackers are big for snacks.
J.P. knows his colors, though he won't say them. He can, if you ask, go into the kitchen and pick out a blue (or red, purple, etc.) straw and bring it to you. He comprehends what we're saying pretty well. He'll say "Da da, Mama, Ma (grandma), and Pa (grandpa)." More words and sentences are coming, soon, I think. Just last night, after I said to him, "let's go get ready for bed, big guy," he looked at me and said, "big ga." The rest of the night and all today, he kept saying "hey, big ga" and "hey maaaa (man)." Really funny stuff.
He caught a couple of colds or sinus infections, though nothing serious, thankfully. Still, it was a little scary, at night, when he coughed a lot.
He also learned to head butt Jude (or me) when he's told no. As a result, he's quickly learning about "time out," as we try to break him of the head butting habit. With two headstrong, stubborn parents, that may be a tough one.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Never Been Kissed
I particularly like the expression on Rob's face.
Birthday Party
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Athena
Tonight, I attended the Athena Awards ceremony and banquet at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center, downtown. Jude was one of twenty-four nominees for the 2009 Athena Award, given annually to an oustanding women in Nashville in the fields of business, leadership and service to their community. It's a true honor to be nominated and as I watched Jude sitting up on stage, surrounded by so many accomplished women, my heart was bursting with pride.
Jude didn't win, but I have it on very good authority that she was close to winning. I'm biased, of course, but I think she should have won the award. I have a front row seat to see the work she does to make a difference in our community, day in and day out. I am so proud of her. As I told someone tonight at the event, she's the best person I know.
Jude didn't win, but I have it on very good authority that she was close to winning. I'm biased, of course, but I think she should have won the award. I have a front row seat to see the work she does to make a difference in our community, day in and day out. I am so proud of her. As I told someone tonight at the event, she's the best person I know.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Vegas
I'm in Vegas, with my friends, on our annual NCAA Tournament trip. And I miss my wife and son. Badly.
That's all. I'm having fun, but I can't wait to get home to see them.
That's all. I'm having fun, but I can't wait to get home to see them.
Monday, March 8, 2010
The Meaning of Life
As I lay in a chair at my dentist's office for more than three hours this morning, staring up at the ceiling, I had an epiphany of sorts. I decided that the meaning of life, really, is shared experiences. It was mildly comforting to consider that almost everyone, at one time or another, has had the exact same experience as I was having this morning.
I'm not a big fan of going to the dentist for routine procedures, like getting my teeth cleaned, so I sure as hell wasn't very excited about having a cracked molar repaired with a crown. Nonetheless, after breathing nitrous oxide for a couple of hours, I was pretty sure I had it all figured out . . . life, death and everything in between.
I'm not a big fan of going to the dentist for routine procedures, like getting my teeth cleaned, so I sure as hell wasn't very excited about having a cracked molar repaired with a crown. Nonetheless, after breathing nitrous oxide for a couple of hours, I was pretty sure I had it all figured out . . . life, death and everything in between.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Michael J. White
I've been remiss for not mentioning the fact that Jude's cousin, Mike White, just had his first novel published. It's called "Weeping Underwater is a Lot Like Laughing." Jude and I read it together and enjoyed it immensely. Mike is a wonderfully talented writer and we're extremely proud of him.
It was really a thrill to stop by a local Borders bookstore and pick up Mike's book, the day it was released.
The story, set in Des Moines, Iowa, is a coming of age tale about 17-year old George Flynn, and his first love, Emily. Here's a link to one nice review, though there are many others.
http://monkeyread.wordpress.com/2010/02/17/weeping-underwater-looks-a-lot-like-laughter-midwest-connections/
It was really a thrill to stop by a local Borders bookstore and pick up Mike's book, the day it was released.
The story, set in Des Moines, Iowa, is a coming of age tale about 17-year old George Flynn, and his first love, Emily. Here's a link to one nice review, though there are many others.
http://monkeyread.wordpress.com/2010/02/17/weeping-underwater-looks-a-lot-like-laughter-midwest-connections/
Centennial Park
Yesterday morning, while Jude took John Patrick with her to run a couple of errands, I embarked on a 10 mile run through downtown, over to Five Points in East Nashville, and back home. Killer run, although the long hill up 8th Avenue near my house is always a tough way to finish.
After I showered and grabbed a quick bite to eat, Jude called to say she and John Patrick were at the Centennial Park playground. I hopped in my truck and drove over to see them. The playground was packed, with everyone seemingly enjoying the nice Saturday morning weather. I quickly spotted John Patrick, as he climbed all over the playground equipment.
His eyes lit up when he saw me and he yelled "Da da!" It that doesn't warm a man's heart, I don't know what will.
We played for a while, then he slid down one of the slides several times. Next, it was off the swings, then home for lunch. Here's a couple of photos of John Patrick on the slide.
After I showered and grabbed a quick bite to eat, Jude called to say she and John Patrick were at the Centennial Park playground. I hopped in my truck and drove over to see them. The playground was packed, with everyone seemingly enjoying the nice Saturday morning weather. I quickly spotted John Patrick, as he climbed all over the playground equipment.
His eyes lit up when he saw me and he yelled "Da da!" It that doesn't warm a man's heart, I don't know what will.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Hockey Night
Two nights ago, Jude and I took John Patrick to his first hockey game - Predators vs. Edmonton Oilers. Going into the game, my thought was that if he made it through two periods, we'd have a real hockey fan on our hands. How'd it turn out? Well, I think we have a real hockey fan on our hands.
We arrived at the game a little late, but got to our seats without any difficulty. My friend, Peter Klett, was already there with his wife, Charity, and their son Cort. Cort is 1 month younger than John Patrick, so we were interested to see how they would do together at the game. Over the past 10 years, since the Predators have been in Nashville, Peter and I have seen a lot of hockey games together. This, however, was the first game we had been to together with our sons. Wow, times have changed.
Although John Patrick seemed to enjoy the game, what he really enjoyed was playing with the empty seats on our aisle. The seats fold up, so he spend a great deal of time with his back to the ice, bouncing an empty seat up and down with his hands. The first time the Predators scored, the horn sounded, loudly, and John Patrick jumped into the air, startled. He looked at Jude and started crying. She scooped him up, hugged him and he calmed down. When the Predators scored again, I was able to quickly cover his ears so the horn wouldn't scare him.
Between the first and second periods, John Patrick was fascinated by the zambonis as they drove around the rink, preparing the ice for the second period. I leaned toward him and said, "zamboni," and he laughed and laughed. Apparently, the word sounded funny to him.
At the end of the second period, we left. The Predators won, 4-3, and John Patrick did great at the game. A win all the way around, I'd say.
We arrived at the game a little late, but got to our seats without any difficulty. My friend, Peter Klett, was already there with his wife, Charity, and their son Cort. Cort is 1 month younger than John Patrick, so we were interested to see how they would do together at the game. Over the past 10 years, since the Predators have been in Nashville, Peter and I have seen a lot of hockey games together. This, however, was the first game we had been to together with our sons. Wow, times have changed.
Although John Patrick seemed to enjoy the game, what he really enjoyed was playing with the empty seats on our aisle. The seats fold up, so he spend a great deal of time with his back to the ice, bouncing an empty seat up and down with his hands. The first time the Predators scored, the horn sounded, loudly, and John Patrick jumped into the air, startled. He looked at Jude and started crying. She scooped him up, hugged him and he calmed down. When the Predators scored again, I was able to quickly cover his ears so the horn wouldn't scare him.
Between the first and second periods, John Patrick was fascinated by the zambonis as they drove around the rink, preparing the ice for the second period. I leaned toward him and said, "zamboni," and he laughed and laughed. Apparently, the word sounded funny to him.
At the end of the second period, we left. The Predators won, 4-3, and John Patrick did great at the game. A win all the way around, I'd say.
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