John achieved yet another level of advancement in kickboxing last week. You have to look fast, though. He dashes up for the certificate and is gone in lighting fast time. Congrats, John. (Time to get some shoes….)
Kicking it even higher
August 8, 2009 by
Schlitterbath: an OTO experience
August 7, 2009 by
There are events you want to experience over and over again. There are others that either stand as singularly special by magnitude of worth or mistake. Heading to the waterpark with the kids on the last weekend of summer vacation was most certainly the last of these. I therefore brand it OTO: One Time Only. Schlitterbahn is a great park. It’s step-child
in Galveston has the unmistakable sensation of being a fenced in parking lot pool. Just as Walt Disney winced at seeing the outside world from Disneyland’s Matterhorn, I felt like a caged human when surveying the totality of the park from atop one of the rides.
The kids had a great time, but all agreed: Splashtown is a better deal because it has better (and more) rides. I bit my tongue rather than telling them it also had more lines. I love lines. For the record, next time I want an up-close and personal water experience with that many folk, I’ll go on a cruise ship and hope for an iceberg.
Wordsmithing with Kate
August 5, 2009 by
When Wizard Academy announced a second Young Writer’s workshop, I jumped at the chance to take Kate. Peter Nevland exceeded all expectations with a program that opened up young writers, encouraging them to follow where their pen takes them.
Kate blew me away with her economy of verse and potency of image. Her gift is a breathtaking gift and seeing her realize it was a blessing to witness. I couldn’t be more proud of Kate. If you’d like to see what she wrote, you’ll have to ask her.
I can’t wait to see what she does next. After all, she’s already a published poet. One of the last tasks: outlining a complete book project. Here’s our class photo (Ask Kate the meaning of our class nickname, The Volunteers):
Stella comes home
July 24, 2009 by
It didn’t seem that long ago that Stella and I planned her Summer Girl Scout Camp activities. Two weeks of fun: one at Misty Meadows, one at Agnes Arnold. Her BFF’s folks handled the transportation on week one. So, this week it was my turn to deliver and fetch them after. There’s a certain sadness to dropping kids at camp; a foreshadowing of future departures. They hit especially close to home for me. On the plus side, their returning home is a savory treat. Stella and Kerry; inseparable friends. Enjoy the full amplitude of the pick up experience by watching this:
What a difference ten years makes
July 18, 2009 by
Parenting surprises fall snowflake light in unexpected moments. Dropping Stella at Camp Agnes Arnold for her second Girl Scout camp experience, I turned to snap a shot of her with Kate.
They’re adorable, each in their own way. I didn’t give the shot a second thought–until I got home and was going through some old photos. I came across this one:
It’s about ten years earlier, same two girls. Left me a tad misty-eyed thinking of the many twists in our road since then. And yet, the same sparkle lives on in their eyes. Proud moment for the DaddyMom.