Lasting Memory

Sage, sick with a cold, sleeping like an angel on Mommy's shoulder while Seth sits on the opposite side stroking his little brother's hair. I could watch this for hours.

Memorable Quote

A couple of weeks ago, Seth made a comment on the way home from school that he was very hungry. I told him to tell Mom when he got home that he was so hungry he could eat a horse. “Why?” he asked. I told him that she would think it was funny. We got home and he didn't say it.

So this weekend, we are coming home from Taekwando and he says... “I'm so tired I could sleep on a horse.”

Believe... That you're always on my mind. Believe... That you got here just in time.

Dear Seth,

I am here for you. Your mother is too. I know it can be hard and we will help in any way we can. Do not doubt our commitment, love and support for you as you figure out who you are and what your place is in this world. You are a deep and fascinating child at the ripe old age of five. You seem to be wrestling with emotions and impulses that may be too challenging for a five year-old. I hope that you will lean on us. We are never going to turn our backs. You simply mean too much to us.

I see the potential in you that I hope you will soon see in yourself. It hurts me to see you struggle at such a young age. This will pass, that much I know. You are a special, special young man. Never lose sight of your true believers, the ones who will brave any storm with you.

I love you.
Dad

Headline from "Believe" by Quietdrive, 2008

I'm your ice cream man, stop me when I'm passin' by

We had just gotten back into the car after a trip to a new place called Culver's for ice cream. Big boy...as you sat there playing your DS, your little brother reached for your just-out-of-reach chocolate malt, making his familiar grunting sound and looking at you full of hope in his big brown eyes.

Without looking up from your game you spoke. “That's a problem. You're not getting mine, dude.”

Classic.

Headline from "Ice Cream Man" by Van Halen, 1978

Looking for some truth, dancing with no shoes... The beat, the rhythm, the blues... The pounding of your heart's drum together with another one

Your dad saw yesterday just how important it is to live every moment of your life because you never know when it will all be taken away from you. We get one shot. One. I know from personal experience that is easy to bogged down in the mire and forget what is truly important. It's something I work hard to change about myself but without excuses, it's something I've had ingrained in me for a very long time and I have found it difficult to break free from.

I want you boys to live a life of intention. Be calculated and have a plan...but also allow spontaneity to let you live life to the fullest. We're here for a relatively short time and it would be awful to look back on a life full of regrets. I know I don't want to do it and most certainly want a fuller life for the two of you than I have had.

Living a life of intention is a concept everyone would admit that they want but few go about creating. Be one of the few, not the many. It's too easy to become lax about living one's life. Don't do it. Be extraordinary. Never let that heart stop beating.

Certain images will stay with you for your whole lives. I have a sad one from yesterday. I also can say with complete honesty that my two boys looked as beautiful to me yesterday as they ever have before.

Headline from "Sweet Old World" by Lucinda Williams, 1992

Not zuchinni, fettucini or bulghar wheat, But a big warm bun and a huge hunk of meat

There are few things more rewarding than the taste of the perfect burger. As ubiquitous as the burger is...when done right...it is life changing. For me, my burger holy grail is In-N-Out Burger and it is a crime that Texas is unrepresented by this establishment of goodness. There is something about a Double Double with cheese, ketchup and grilled onions that is fast-food nirvana. A couple of months ago you guys had the privilege of having your very first taste of In-N-Out on our trip to San Diego. Although you guys liked it, you probably didn't understand the magnitude of the experience you were taking part in. I think Sage threw his on the floor. What else is new. Don't worry, I memorialized the whole thing in pictures. We may use them on our Christmas cards this year.

So today I decided to give a new place a try that has gotten all kinds of rave reviews. We just had a Smashburger open near us and after a failed first attempt with you guys on their opening weekend, today was the day. I ordered my 1/2 lb. Create-Your-Own Smashburger with pepper jack cheese, lettuce, ketchup, grilled onions... and a fried egg. What's that? Yes, a fried egg. It's on the menu, so how bad can it be? My quest in life from here on out will be to get your mother to eat one. Based on her aversion (terrified panic and revulsion) to any of her food touching, I'm betting she's not going to let a fried egg within 3 feet of her burger. Call it a hunch.

So how was it? Ehh. First off, a burger should not be scalding hot. My tongue is now horribly disfigured from the 450 degree squirt of grease that shot onto it with my first bite. They call these things Smashburgers because they aren't all perfectly rounded like a normal burger. They are, well, smashed. Kinda flat and malformed. Not unlike some of the girls I dated in high school. Now I like a juicy burger as much as the next guy but this thing was dripping. So much so that the bun literally disintegrated into a sloppy pile of mush. The fried egg tasted good on it but didn't seem to affect the flavor of the burger as much as I thought it would. I guess I just expected to go “Wow, that's the best fried egg burger I ever ate!!” I think if I didn't know there was a fried egg on it I wouldn't have noticed. Or at least that's the statement I'm going with to try to trick your Mom into eating one. The Smashfries did rock however. Made with olive oil and rosemary, they were um-um-good. The place was crowded, even for a rainy Friday afternoon. I don't know if it's the reputation or the urban legend of the place that drew the crowd. I'd go back but it was not the WOW experience I had hoped for. Winner and still champion... In-N-Out Burger remains my cheeseburger in paradise. Good God almighty, which way do I steer...


Headline from "Cheeseburger in Paradise" by Jimmy Buffett, 1978

One Week in the Books

Big Boy-

What a great first week of school! You were a little tentative on Monday morning but by Tuesday you were an old pro at this Kindergarten thing. “Do you want me to walk you to your class?” asked your Mom. “No, you can drop me off here,” you replied. You are growing up so fast.

I'm so proud of you. Your new teacher says you are doing great and a pleasure to have in her class. Attaboy!

Keep it up kiddo. Big smile from Daddy.

I'll be there when you get in a rut, that's the beauty of livin' my life. Hold on baby, I'm taking you back to school.

Tomorrow you start kindergarten big boy. Wow... I can't believe this day is here already. I am so amazingly proud of you and I just know you are going to shine like the star that you are. Sure I'm biased, you're my son after all, but I sense a difference in you from other kids your age. A wisdom so far beyond your years. Continue to cultivate that and you'll write your own ticket in this world.

Study hard, dare to ask “why?”, and never, never accept the world the way someone else tells you it should be. You can have it all.

I love you boy. Knuckles.
-Daddy

Headline from "Back to School" by Jude Cole, 1986

Random Awesome Moment

Both boys absolutely rocking in the backseat to the Aquabats' “Martian Girl”. Seth singing along to every word and nailing the “Whoa-oh-oh-oh-ohs”. Epic.

The king of all of the world

Seth's Spanish class was choosing each kid's Spanish name last week. Seth was advised that since his name started with the letter “Esse” that he should pick a name that starts with that. His response?

“I'll take Esse.”

He's Esse.

Headline from "King of All of the World" by Old 97's, 2001