Monthly Archives: August 2007

Family matters

Sister Golden Hair

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I am a very blessed man.

Every day, I have the chance to spend time with my wife and daughter. I usually get home around 6:00 in the evening. Nichole is usually busy making dinner or she’s in the living room playing with Poppy. When I step in the door, I hear,”DADDDYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!” and this small whirlwind of hair and flailing limbs comes running around the corner to meet me at the toddler gate next to the kitchen.

“Hi Poppy!”

“Daddy, up?” she says with her arms reaching up.

And so I pick her up and much silliness ensues. Sometimes we play in her igloo/tent, tickling and laughing. Sometimes we read books in the floor. Sometimes we finish watching a show she’s been watching. Usually we wind up slumped in the floor from all the silliness. I usally have enough energy for one more tickle.

Whatever we do, it always makes me smile. It’s the best part of my day. I come home, and I realize why I go to work everyday, why I put in those crazy hours, sometimes sleeping only a couple hours a night. I do it so that Nichole can spend everyday getting to know her daughter. I do it because I love them so much.

On Wednesday, Poppy turns 2. I can’t really wrap my brain around it sometimes. She has grown so fast, she says so many new words everyday. I remember the way she came into this world: emergency C-section on a rainy Monday afternoon in Missouri.

I remember seeing her for the first time and realizing that nothing would ever be the same.
I remember how small she was.
I remember driving 80 miles an hour down Providence Road in Columbia to get her to the hospital when she was dehydrated from the flu and needed fluids.
I remember wondering if she would sleep through the night.
I remember wondering last weekend if she was ever going to wake up so I could play with her.

******

My good friends Chris and Sinead are about to be parents. I can’t really say what it’s been like for Nichole so Sinead, I’m sorry, you’ll have to ask her for more particulars. Chris, you need to enjoy each and everyday. Read all the books you can to your child, play with them in the floor, push the stroller, take them with you wherever you go. This little person will cling to you and love you like no one else ever will and the bond you share is stronger than you could ever imagine. Make the most of every opportunity you have to be with them. Give Sinead a little extra help after the baby arrives because she’s going to be a little tired for a while. Get up and change those diapers and do the late night feedings. Don’t act like a Dad, be a Dad.

I have every faith in you, Chris.

*******

Ever since Poppy came into our world, I’ve been much more emotional. I cried at the end of “The Bridge to Terabithia” when I watched it on an airplane. I’ve also gotten much less tolerant in what I allow into Poppy’s presence and surroundings. We have a strict no potty-mouth policy. And pretty much we watch mostly Sesame Street and Clifford’s Puppy Days. Anyway, I find that song lyrics really get to me more than they did before. By this I mean, I tend to get weepy when I’m in the car alone driving to work listening to Dan Fogleberg sing “The Leader of the Band.” Combine this with my love of ’70s-era singer song writers and it’s a recipe for Dr. Phil. However, I know that my love of music must be wearing off on Poppy. Here is a list of her favorite songs:

Bread – Guitar Man (much to the chagrin of Nichole)
Wilco – Either Way, Shake It off, Kingpin
Gerry Rafferty – Baker Street
James Taylor – Mud Slide Slim and The Blue Horizon
Sufjan Stevens – Sleeping Bear, Sault St. Marie
Elizabeth Mitchell – Peace Like a River
America – Sister Golden Hair

I guess I should stop rambling. It’s just that when the topic is Poppy, I could write volume upon volume about how much I love her. So I guess I’ll end with this from Bob Dylan:

May God bless and keep you always,
May your wishes all come true,
May you always do for others
And let others do for you.
May you build a ladder to the stars
And climb on every rung,
May you stay forever young,
Forever young, forever young,
May you stay forever young.

May you grow up to be righteous,
May you grow up to be true,
May you always know the truth
And see the lights surrounding you.
May you always be courageous,
Stand upright and be strong,
May you stay forever young,
Forever young, forever young,
May you stay forever young.

May your hands always be busy,
May your feet always be swift,
May you have a strong foundation
When the winds of changes shift.
May your heart always be joyful,
May your song always be sung,
May you stay forever young,
Forever young, forever young,
May you stay forever young.

I love you, Poppy. Happy Birthday.

Screen time

Today is already better than yesterday

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I’m a little embarrassed to admit how excited I was roughly 20 minutes ago when I realized that there’s a new episode of “Sesame Street” on today. It seems like they’ve had the same five episodes on rotation for the last year.

But today? It’s the first day of Season 38. And the first skit features Tina Fey with the Bookaneers. Pirate puns abound. Good stuff.

Here are a few things I’m looking forward to from this season:

  • a John Stewart episode.
  • the drama that’s certain to ensue in Episode 4141: Big Bird breaks Elmo’s tricycle!
  • what’s certain to be a fabulous Phil muppet in Episode 4154: The Amazing Alphabet Race.

    Ah, and Brian Williams just said, “That’s not a squid. That’s a French poodle.” This is going to be an awesome season.

    update: Be still my heart. “Rhyme Scene Investigation.” Featuring Joe Doe. A Horatio Caine-based muppet. This is the best “Sesame” ever.

    • Flotsam / Jetsam

    A very irritable day

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    Today’s been a pip. I’m not sure exactly what’s going on, but it seems like we’ve been saving up all of our Let’s Deal With Irritations chips for today. And so I’m turning into Ranty McRanterson, just for this post.

    1. Our e-mail was down for a good part of yesterday and then again this morning. I’d sent in a support request yesterday afternoon. When I looked at the “ticket history” this morning, though, it said that no one had even looked at the request. So I called the support call center. I was on hold for 40 minutes before they (“they” being either the support center or my cell provider) dropped my call. Oh, I was not pleased.

      After I’d showered and had breakfast, I called again and was only on hold for about 20 minutes. And they found the problem and fixed it pretty quickly. Everything was blue skies and bunny rabbits again.

      Until …

    2. First, a little background: A few weeks ago, around 9:30pm, our floor started to shake. I’m pretty sure we’re not on a fault line here. And even if we were, I don’t think earthquakes are accompanied by any sort of kickin’ guitar riffs. So after about 20 minutes, I went downstairs to ask the neighbors to turn down their stereo. The response wasn’t, “Sorry about that; we’ll turn it down.” Which was sort of what I’d expected. Instead, the girl said, “Oh, are you the one with the little girl? She was running around all morning, and it was really loud.”

      I was a little irritated then, and I’ve been irritated a couple of times when they’ve cranked up the tunes since then. But today, I think steam actually came out my ears.

      One of the downstairs neighbor dropped by this afternoon to say that Poppy “or your dogs or whatever” had been running around for two hours and it was disturbing him. He said he had talked to the property manager about it (I’m not sure when, and I don’t know why he didn’t come up here first) and she told him we were moving out soon. But, he said, he “just couldn’t take it anymore.” Rockford told him he was sorry, but there wasn’t much we could do about it, seeing as we live on the third floor in an apartment with wooden floors. And we have a toddler. To which he responded, “When I was little, I wasn’t allowed to run in the house.”

      I’m glad we’ll be moving soon, because I really don’t know how to respond to such complaints. I’m thinking about suggesting to the property manager that they don’t rent this unit to anyone with children after we leave. I don’t know. What do you think? For now, I’m just chanting “Only two more weeks … two more weeks.”

    3. Rockford had a buy-one, get-one-free coupon for Starbucks that he tried to redeem today. The cashier said he couldn’t use it because he wasn’t ordering two of the same item. Rockford said, “You’re kidding me,” and the girl went to get her manager. “Can you deal with these people?” she asked. “I just can’t take this.”

    We must be putting off some very strange and intolerable vibes today.