I think that the boys enjoy school, but the way they coax snow days into existence would make one think they were trying to evade the devil himself. At the hint of a possible snow day, elaborate rituals are invoked; first, and foremost, pajamas are worn both inside out and backwards. Furthermore, while donning this fashion, they dance on their beds, beseeching the universe for snow as our ancestors once did for rain. Being a sort of enchantment, they use an avatar of the cold in their invocations and send ice down the sink and toss ice cubes out the front door. Eventually they must sleep, but their effort is not suspended; under their pillows, where their heads lie, are spoons. Why? I don't know, but there are part of the rites. Perhaps school is awful, or maybe, just maybe, playing in the snow on a day when you are not supposed to be is a little bit magical.
RAP (1.30.2009)
Friday, January 30, 2009
Friday, January 23, 2009
The Coldest Dawn of the Year
Early last Friday morning the mercury plunged to the lowest depths of the year; the fridge would have been balmy at 37, and the freezer would have provided relief at its solitary 1 degree. In the hours before dawn, the temperature's perigee reached -11 degrees.
As cold as it was outside, there was warmth inside our home as Michael and Alex each had a friend spend the night. Christopher and John came over, played games, had a Nerf war and watched movies late into the night. However, we were cautious about the cold, and fortified all four boys with hot chocolate topped with whipped cream and chocolate shavings just to make sure they stayed warm.
RAP (1.23.2009)
As cold as it was outside, there was warmth inside our home as Michael and Alex each had a friend spend the night. Christopher and John came over, played games, had a Nerf war and watched movies late into the night. However, we were cautious about the cold, and fortified all four boys with hot chocolate topped with whipped cream and chocolate shavings just to make sure they stayed warm.
RAP (1.23.2009)
Monday, January 19, 2009
Joy and Delight
After many near misses, we finally had enough snow to go sledding on Wednesday afternoon. It turns out we weren't alone our enthusiasm, for it felt as if the whole town turned out, braving the nearly undrivable roads.
Michael has always loved the trappings of winter, but in recent years Alex has come on board. I think that is important to embrace each season for what it is; enjoy the storms of spring, the pools of summer, the leaves of autumn and the snow of winter. All of them pass before you know it, so it pleases me to observe they both are enjoying what they have, while they can.
RAP (1.19.2009)
Michael has always loved the trappings of winter, but in recent years Alex has come on board. I think that is important to embrace each season for what it is; enjoy the storms of spring, the pools of summer, the leaves of autumn and the snow of winter. All of them pass before you know it, so it pleases me to observe they both are enjoying what they have, while they can.
RAP (1.19.2009)
Friday, January 16, 2009
Chop Pong
From the black sand beaches of Hawaii to the merry making of Mardi Gras, the boys have been to many places and done a great number of things in past few years, but that doesn't mean we discount local attractions. Last Sunday we journeyed to the Wexner Center to see a foreign animated film, "Azure and Asmar." It was different from the standard fare, in both style and construction of the narrative. After the show, we escorted them through the Warhol exhibit, highlighting the pieces they knew of, and those we believed they would take an interest in.
Those were good experiences, but the best moment came while doing nothing; as they waited for lunch, the boys used a crumpled paper from a straw, napkins and chopsticks to invent "Chop Pong." You never know what will come of idle time, but I hope that by exposing them to more and more that the possibilities will be endless.
RAP (1.16.2009)
Those were good experiences, but the best moment came while doing nothing; as they waited for lunch, the boys used a crumpled paper from a straw, napkins and chopsticks to invent "Chop Pong." You never know what will come of idle time, but I hope that by exposing them to more and more that the possibilities will be endless.
RAP (1.16.2009)
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
New and Different
Many of the people we know stay in a relatively small geographic area at home, and go to the same places over and over again. It is nice to enjoy a familiar place, but if you go to the same place over and over I would argue that you should explore, do new things and take in the best of the place. At least, that is what we try to do with the boys.
At the end of the year we were in Los Angeles once more, and I took the opportunity to show the boys two of its noteworthy comic shops (Secret HQ and Meltdown), its most famous record store (Amoeba) and a shop that features gluten free and gourmet churros (Xooro). I can't claim that the entire experience wasn't all new; we ended our day trip at the Santa Monica pier which we have haunted before. It may not have been new, but it was different; for the first time the boys rode the roller coaster.
RAP (1.14.2009)
At the end of the year we were in Los Angeles once more, and I took the opportunity to show the boys two of its noteworthy comic shops (Secret HQ and Meltdown), its most famous record store (Amoeba) and a shop that features gluten free and gourmet churros (Xooro). I can't claim that the entire experience wasn't all new; we ended our day trip at the Santa Monica pier which we have haunted before. It may not have been new, but it was different; for the first time the boys rode the roller coaster.
RAP (1.14.2009)
Friday, January 9, 2009
The Happiest Place in the Orange County Metro Area
To me, going to a theme park is like stepping back in time and being young once more. After all, everyone is a kid at Disneyland! While it may make us feel young, it also offers a child a chance to feel older as they are able to participate in more of the attractions.
Michael and Alex are now of sufficient stature where they are able to ride all the rides at Disneyland, but there was one attraction that Alex was wary of: California Screamin.' It instantaneously accelerates its passengers to 55 mph and, even more daunting, has a loop to loop. Alex has never experienced a loop to loop and was skeptical to say the least. In order to save face, he claimed he might lose his glasses and that is why he should not ride it, but he eventually relented. Ironically, his glass did fall, but he caught them. In that single ride his fears evaporated, so much so he and Michael rode it until the sun set, a grand total of three times. Me, I was only able to ride it twice; I must be getting old.
RAP (1.9.2009)
Michael and Alex are now of sufficient stature where they are able to ride all the rides at Disneyland, but there was one attraction that Alex was wary of: California Screamin.' It instantaneously accelerates its passengers to 55 mph and, even more daunting, has a loop to loop. Alex has never experienced a loop to loop and was skeptical to say the least. In order to save face, he claimed he might lose his glasses and that is why he should not ride it, but he eventually relented. Ironically, his glass did fall, but he caught them. In that single ride his fears evaporated, so much so he and Michael rode it until the sun set, a grand total of three times. Me, I was only able to ride it twice; I must be getting old.
RAP (1.9.2009)
Thursday, January 8, 2009
A Vocation Vacation
Due to time constraints, and some dissatisfaction, the boys are studying religious education at home this year. We still have to follow the curriculum, fill out workbooks and do the same tasks, but now we are the boys' instructors and they do not have to show up at St. Brigid's at an appointed time each week.
Alex is our spiritual child, and we have often called him "Father Alex," so this week's lesson about "vocation" was one that we were curious about. Alex was proceeding in the lesson about vocation, which he kept reading as "vacation." He learned that it is when God calls a man to serve, and that that man must have utter obedience and take vows of chastity and poverty. Alex needed a better explanation of this, to which he was told, "No breaking the rules, no girls and no money." Without a millisecond passing, and without being queried, "Father Alex" responded "No, Thanks!"
RAP (1.8.2009)
Alex is our spiritual child, and we have often called him "Father Alex," so this week's lesson about "vocation" was one that we were curious about. Alex was proceeding in the lesson about vocation, which he kept reading as "vacation." He learned that it is when God calls a man to serve, and that that man must have utter obedience and take vows of chastity and poverty. Alex needed a better explanation of this, to which he was told, "No breaking the rules, no girls and no money." Without a millisecond passing, and without being queried, "Father Alex" responded "No, Thanks!"
RAP (1.8.2009)
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