Pets

I was talking to my mom on the phone tonight, and she told me something I never realized before--that she never had any pets growing up, and she has never had a fondness for animals. Apparently my poor grandfather got bit by a dog at some point, and--I don't know the whole connection there, but, she never had a pet, okay? Actually, she said she did have a cat for a short time, which they took in as a stray, but it immediately had kittens, which they then had to euthanize. You start to get the picture.

So my mom has never had a thing for animals. This despite the fact that we always had an animal, sometimes multiple animals, running around our house when I was growing up. As of tonight I realize that was all my dad's doing, and my mom quietly went along with it. Hmm.

Well, I've gotta say, I love dogs. My brother loves dogs. My sister loves dogs--and trains horses for a living. My kids love dogs. It's difficult for me to imagine not loving dogs. It's difficult for me to imagine anyone not loving dogs.

So to my mom and dad I say, thank you for having pets in our household when we were growing up. It's added an undeniable amount of happiness to my life. And to my mom I say, you're a trooper. And to my dad I say, you owe Mom a nice dinner.

Samuel's Thanksgiving Solo

Samuel sang a solo at the Studio School Thanksgiving Feast. He has always had such a sweet voice. I have to believe he was nervous, but he won't admit it. He did a great job, and I'm proud of him.

Thanksgiving Feast

I've spent the last 12 hours figuring out how to use the editing software that came with my new camcorder to edit our Thanksgiving video (a parody of "The View," with special guests Clay Aiken, Kelly Ripa, John Mayer, Jessica Simpson, the Mark Foley Scholarship winners, Lee Majors, Jennifer Beales, Christie Brinkley, and a token black guy). I finally got it edited and uploaded to You Tube, but I'm unable to save it on a DVD. That task is for tomorrow. Oh, and I'd provide a link to it, but Jennifer insists on keping it private--doesn't want to be publicly associated with it. But here's the outtakes.

Christmas Photo Costumes

I'm finished buying our Christmas photo costumes. The last purchase came through on eBay tonight. Check out this "Bobby & Cissy" vest. I got one for me and one for Sam & Ethan; there was only one kids' size available, so we'll have to shoot their photos separately and Photoshop them together. Also got white, flared-leg slacks and red satin shirts for us boys--they are actually women's/girl's, so that they'll look a little sissier. Or is that Cissyer?

Very psyched. Very psyched.

Iowa Hawkeyes

NCAA wrestling season has begun, so Jennifer has to put up with me listening to matchs on the Internet, punctuated by phone calls to my friend Steve in Iowa. My productivity falls 10% between November and March.

I trained and wrestled in Iowa for 4 years after college. Cursed at the top of my lungs more than during any other 4-year period of my life. So far anyway.

I took Samuel to an Iowa-Okie State match in Iowa City 5 years ago, when he was 3. We sat on the team bench at the edge of the mat--5,000 screaming fans, pure adrenaline. I sensed that Samuel didn't love it, but I was so swept up in it that I didn't really notice, or didn't want to notice. He later confirmed that he hated it. He hated the noise of the buzzer.

Now that he's older and I know his personality well, I know better. He's a quiet guy. He enjoys mechanical things, books, puzzles. He loves the MagiQuest at Great Wolf Lodge. He would sit in the front row at a robot exhibition and love it. But he does not share my love of wrestling. And that's okay.

New Hat

All is right with the world.

Ethan's top hat

Poor little Ethan came home bawling his eyes out. He had left his magic top hat in the cab on the way home. There is nothing sadder than a 5-year-old who has just lost the thing that is most precious to him in the whole world. If you're an adult it's easy to dismiss, but if you think about what it would be like to lose the thing that is most precious to you--and for me that would be Ethan or Samuel...well, that must be what it feels like to a 5-year-old to lose his magic hat.

So we're going on to eBay to see if we can find another magic top hat for Ethan, and hopefully, soon, all will be right with the world again.