(Father) Turning Tricks into Treats

We can't say Halloween for some reason.  I think it has to do with the fact that it satan's day.  Just like Christmas is Jesus' birthday so we can't say Christ.  Not that Autumn Festival or Winter Holiday is not just as awesome as the other labels.  It just suprises me that people actually give a damn.  Because a rose by any other name is still a rose.  We still celebrate it as we would any other thing.  At least I hope we would.  I don't want to say Christmas because there could be a chance I would become a Christian or at least be perceived as one.  And I can't say Holloween lest Satan scream in delight at our honoring him in such a respectful way or that the mere mention of the word Halloween would cause people to worship him.

I dont have the names of Holidays up on my top five agendas so it may appear silly to me.  I'm sure there are things people could poke fun of and I would frown, stick my lip out, and pout for a cuple of minutes.  But for this I don not write.  I am writing about candy.  I have heard about car truk candy give-a-ways where kids roam around a parking lot and receive candy from people who have backed their car up to create a cirle of cars in a designated parking lot.  They decorate them in such a way as to inspire, even the cold hearted among us, to be thankful for waht we have.  Hold up, that's next month.  I think it is meant to keep kids safe and to receive candy from people they know.  I also like that you don't have to walk as far. 

I think there should be new traditions like egging houses that have their porch lights off.  They are obviously not giving out candy and should be duly punished for being unprepared and or in oppostion toward cute little kids who

There is something seriously wrong with this computer.  I'm going to throw it out the window now.

(Father) It's me

I get my kids out the door 4 out of the 5 weekdays whether it be to the park, school, or daycare.  It's not easy and sometimes I don't leave as early as I would like.  Picking out the "socks that don't feel funny" or refusing to put their seat belts because "I don't know how" when they have done it a hundred times before.  I will show up to meet a friend and say, "Sorry, getting the kids out the door was a little more hectic than usual".  I receive a sympathetic, "Don't worry about it.  It's a hard job" and then we go about our activity.

But I have realized something.  I am the problem.  One, it is their job to push the limits.  It is unfair of me to expect complete obedience to my requests.  I am not talking about defiance that deserves time-outs.  I'm talking about grumbling as they slowly move about a process they don't want to do.  Why should I expect them to feel the pressure of getting somewhere when they are not motivated to be there in the first place.  It's like the way we might show up 10 minutes late to work.  Two, I try to get as much sleep than I possibly can.  I think, "Maybe if I am really on top of things I can get 10 more minutes of rest.  Besides, they are quiet and watching cartoons.  They really don't want to be disturbed either."  Snooze button hit once unrealistic compromise has been made.  They are the ones that have woke up early.  Not me.  Three, I have failed to do the prep work the night before.  "I really want to watch the rest of this show so I don't have time right now.  Besides, I need my rest.  Please refer to snooze button explanation.  Four, I can't get them ready and then spend time getting myself ready at the same time.  I also can't get them ready first and expect them not to get into trouble while they are waiting for me.  Of course I can't have a close shave when every 10 seconds they are in the bathroom asking, "Can I have Ice Cream?  Beast is hitting me!  Fire just took his shirt off! Fire just went outside! Can you read us a book?"  Frustration will come.  And what if they really push the limits and a punishment is in order.  A three minute time-out is three minutes we don't have.  So empty threats come out, for extra compliance of course. When those don't work then you have to unempty the threat and follow through.  Another three minutes of throwing the blanket down the garbage disposal plus a tantrum.  I end up putting the seat belt on them which just reinforces their expression of incompetence and feel annoyed on the way to wherever because of the sucking sound on the dino-vitamin because my patience level has reached maximum capacity.

My bad friends.  So when I show up at my next thing a more appropriate explanation is the kids had a hard time getting me out the door.  But I'm not going to do that.  Because it is easier to blame them for my problems.  Just like they will in their future therapy sessions.  It's a win win.

(Husband) Daisy is Evil

I'm on our old computer that just took almost a half an hour to load up everything.  I wonder how much time we wasted just getting to our e-mail alone.  Daisy could have spent her time getting her Masters Degree in........um........I don't know..............like..........awesomeness?  Whatever.  Anyway, she is using our good computer to watch Parenthood, which I guess is a good show for thirty something parents.  Now that I think about it, there was a show when I was young called thirty something.  We are at an interesting age.  But that is not why Daisy is evil.  She is evil for so many more reasons than I can mention but this is one of them.  She makes cookies that are very good.  Now I purposely stayed away from the, "My wife makes the best cookies ever!!! You have not tasted a cookie until you have tasted hers.  Your wife, mother, sister, or daughter would burn their recipes and hang their heads in shame if they were to even smell the cookies from a half a mile away."  I stayed away from saying it because it is annoying.  But I have to be honest, I can't think of many I like better.  We went through many recipe's over a number of years until we found the recipe we have now.   We figured out if we took the cookies out when they were hot dough they would turn out really well when they cooled down.  That way, we could eat the fresh dough, hot dough, and then the baked dough that has cooled. 

I will try to eat the dough when she is mixing it and then when she is putting it on the baking sheet and then when they are in the oven, out of the oven, on the cooling tray, and then the finished product.  I will eat roughly ten of them and then feel sick to my stomach.  The next day I will not have learned my lesson and will eat some for breakfast and pack some for lunch, a snack when I get home and for dessert after dinner.  I will hide them from the children by eating them when they are playing.  If I need to come out for any reason I will hide it behind my back or leave it in the kitchen with a napkin over it.  If they see any kind of movement in my mouth that looks like anything related to a chewing motion they will ask what I am eating.  I won't lie but we will share a cookie together like a big happy family.  I will give them each a quarter and I will get a half.  When they protest I will trump them by saying daddy is bigger.  I will then tell them I don't need them on any kind of sugar rush.  Today I came home and there were three cookies left.  A good husband would name them Daisy, Beast, and Fire.  I had Daisy's because I knew she would understand.  But the other two have been screaming at me from inside their little Tupperware container.  Taunting me like a little schoolgirl.  Pulling my pigtails and sing songing, "You can't get me!" Flapping their hands while sticking their their thumbs in their ears." 

I hate those cookies.  Hate them.  And I know that I shouldn't think this but they really are the spawn of Satan.  Now you say, "Goose.  That is raising your hate to a while 'nother level.  And it sounds like you are calling your wife Satan."  I'm not saying she is Satan but perhaps she is possessed by him during the time she is making them.  All I know is that once the last two are eaten I will want more.  And Daisy will make excuses not to make more just to increase my temptations.  And I will curse her.  And when she suggests I can make them, "your own damn self" I will give a short chuckle and say back, "You'd like that wouldn't you." and go off to sulk.  It's just a bad cycle and she is to blame.  And that is all I have to say about that.

(Father) Love for them from you is love from me to you

I can't believe how long it takes me to log in.  I have tried every which way but basically I have to create a new password every time I want to post a blog.  Which means I don't have any time to write now.  Which means I am very angry.  Which means I'm going to throw this computer out the window even though it is not her fault.

Basically, I don't care who you are, where you have come from, what you have done, and how you act toward others as long as you genuinely, sincerely, and in the most healthy of ways, love my kids.  I will, in turn, love you.  I think that is why people don't let the people they date meet their children.  Because that person will bring an awesome something to the kid, the kid will love the person, and they will persistently pester the parent to have the person they are dating back for dinner because that person is the most awesome person in the world.  And if the person acts as if they like the kid back and they end up having a blast when they are together and maybe even have their own outing without you then they have no choice but to marry them.  Because that is what I would do.

(Father) Monkey Beast

The kids were going nuts today.  They are little basket cases if they are prevented from gong outside.  Living in the NorthWest has it's disadvantages in that area.  I would much rather have snow falling from the sky then rain dripping from my chin.  So, when it looked like it was simply very cloudy we took our chances walking to the park.  Made it!  There was only a simply structure with nothing else around it.  It was the closest park and I had never taken the children.  A 20 foot high structure that held an entanglement of ropes that came down like a pyramid.  With the kids standing next to me it felt like a lot higher and the ropes a lot smaller than when Daisy and I happened upon it a couple of weeks earlier.  Besides that, it had rained and the ropes were much more slick.  It took Beast 2.5 seconds to climb to the second tier.  I was in between STOP! and allowing him to be a boy which meant holding my breath and looking like I had just smelled bad eggs.  My stomach was turning in knots as he was almost skipping up the treacherous tower of death.  I am not kidding when I say it was 20 feet.  I used to play a lot of basketball and could touch the rim at 10.  Standing on the 10 foot high rope gave me another 10 foot high perspective. 

I was holding myself back from being the overprotective parent but the chances of Daisy asking me 20 questions left me choking on CAREFUL! I could see her asking me probing questions as we sit next to Beast's hospital bed that would leave me stuttering for answers that would never be satisfactory.  But when Beast reached the very top he said the famous last words of, "Hey Dad!! Look at this!!  I looked up and saw him standing on a rope without any hands on anything else.  My words whispered it of me.  It was like a dream where you are trying to run away from Satan but are stuck in the mud.  If I yelled he would startle and fall and if I didn't say anything then how could I answer question 2?  It was only two seconds until he leaned toward the pole and caught himself but it feel like eternity.

Beast is the child you see doing completely dangerous things and you wonder if the parents are negligent in watching their child.   I'm at the bottom of whatever apparatus he is climbing to catch him when he falls.  The thing is, he instills a bit of confidence in me because of the calm he exudes while he doing these crazy things.  Today he climbed a 30 foot rock wall, with harness of course,  but let go of one hand and leg to look around to see me.  I want him to do active things and not suppress what seems to come so natural but dear God please don't let him die before I'm gone...................please?

(Father) Bear Cubs

I love going to conferences that have to do with my field of study.  It makes me feel less weird about being a Psychologist because I'm with my peeps.  My buddies who all laugh at the same stupid jokes.  Well, we also learn a lot too.  One of the things the speaker mentioned was the way boys (who are over diagnosed with ADHD in my opinion) wrestle around and get energy out.  Sitting in a classroom in not conducive to such behavior and is with more emphasis on meeting standardized testing requirements, may not be getting enough time at recess.  But there is still another piece of this puzzle.  Boys are discouraged from wrestling altogether. It seems there is only the appropriate time to make contact and that is in the context of sports (which is great) but what about the kids who don't have the resources (Time, money, transportation) for such. 

Michael G. Thompson is an author (30 years of research, therapy, and teaching on boys/men) who wrote Raising Cain which is a book about boys and growing up in today's world.  In another book I just read he tells a story about two boys, who were friends, but got in wrestling match that got a little heated.  The parents were called and the teachers, principle, and both sets of parents made a treatment plan to keep them apart since "fighting" was sure to ensue.  Despite the boy's attraction to one another they kept them apart. Because, when they did make contact, they would wrestle and it could turn ugly.  Thompson's argued that this was not in the best interests of any involved.  The lecturer this past Saturday agreed.

She explained (researched based)that boys are fine in wrestling as long as their is shared power struggle in that no boy gets the upper hand above 60 percent.  A 60/40 split is fine but once it goes above then the problem arises.  That is where people rush in to say that the wrestling is wrong altogether.  Let's take no chances in anyone getting hurt and how dare your child hurt my child.  Now granted, the problem of bullying is not lost on me.  and any kid that goes above and beyond the 60 percent on a regular basis should be dealt with.  But I must tell you it was refreshing to hear.

I have two boys and they fight.  Sometimes they fight dirty so when I watch Beast shove Fire into a chain link fence I stand up to reprimand.  after coming back from the conference I became aware of holding back until I saw the 60/40 split happens.  Fire came back and tackled Beast which gave Beast reason to stand on Fire's back.  This all looked like it hurt.  I was then worried that if I let it go on the problem wouldn't be hard feelings toward one another but the bruises I would have to explain to the school. 

I think the difficult part would be for teachers to let something go on even if the boys did not have much of a problem with it.  Because the risk it too much if things get ugly.  The school could be held liable as well as the parent of the child who gets the upper hand.  And, in fact, I would be among the first dad's who gets angry.  I want to protect my children at all costs.  But what is the real cost in the long run?  I s it worth putting our faith into the research or do we let them run around the block a couple of times as an alternative.  I will say that Fire brought some wonderful qualities to the brother factor.  Even though he is 22 months younger he would tackle Beast to the floor and pick on him quite often.  I felt sorry for my little tender hearted boy.  Everybody witnessed the struggle Beast had.

One day they were over at Grandpa and Grandma's house. Daisy and I had gone out of town for the weekend.  Daisy's sister and her husband were over to visit.  Fire stole something from Beast and ran into the living room where everyone was seated.  Laughing of course.  The way they describe it was this.  Beast came out of the Kitchen with a distressed look on his face.  Before everyone's eyes his face turn into a fierce looking animal.  He ran over to Fire, got him in a headlock, and dragged him to the ground.  On impulse, everyone cheered.  Beast had finally had enough.  And Y'know what?  I don't have as much fear of him going to school.  I say, "as much".  Because I don't think Beast will be a bully.  He will just be more confident.  Oh yeah, and he will have Fire in the next classroom to back him up. 

Forgive any writing errors.  I did not read this over.  I need to watch Bridesmaids with Daisy.

Father/Husband (Reflection)

It's strange how much influence this blog has had on me.  I was looking for an outlet to express myself and to find a new perspective on my identity in my relationships to Daisy and the boys.  I was telling Daisy how we have never really documented any stages of change in the boy's lives and then remembered this blog.  It has added a new perspective and reminded me of snippets of memories I would have long forgotten. 

I didn't ever set out to stop writing these past two months but it took its natural course given time restraints.  In many ways the blog reduced my stress during hard times because I could always reframe the situation into positive thoughts and entertain myself, and maybe others, in the process. 

Something I have learned is that we are organic creatures who learn and grow and that our expressions can reflect the internal working of our spirit.  In many ways the writers of blogs do this but need to stay within a certain framework that the readers expect.  I'm not sure that applies to me.  If you are reading this then you have stuck with me in spite of my respite.  I will be back.