Daddy’s Big Book of Truly Incredible Tales and Adventures

Almost all of the stories I have told to Noah over the years (with the exception being our ongoing Star Wars sagas) have sprung from one book.  It is a very rare book, indeed, as only one copy exists; not only so, but it is also a magic book.  Among the tales of Hookleg Jack, Sir Noah the Brave, the Ten Little Ninjas, and Jetpack Jackson lay tales yet to be told, friends yet to be made, mysteries yet to be solved, quests to be embarked on, and so on and so forth. 

The book seems to grow in proportion to the amount of stories read – the further we get into the book, the more we discover there is yet to be explored.  With each telling, the stories develop more life, depth, and detail, seamlessly adapting to Noah’s increasing imagination and wit.

Lately, more often than not, Noah has been enthralled with Star Wars adventures taking place in our own expanded universe, but the book remains nearby, a special treat for those bedtimes when the pirates, knights, and other adventurers are clamoring for attention.   These are the times we take the dusty book down from the bookshelf, twist the key to unlock its secrets, open the creaky binding, and let the imaginary words begin to take shape as, together, we step forth into other worlds and times.

I love being a dad!

Too Much Social Networking, Too Little Blogging

I am a late arriver to Facebook.  I’ve had an account there, along with MySpace for some time, but I only used them sporadically, mostly to keep in touch with the younger members of my extended family.  Over the past month, however, my wife and I have suddenly found ourselves connecting with more and more of the people we know, as well as reconnecting with old friends, classmates, and acquaintances from our past.  In many respects, it has felt like one great big reunion, and has been a wonderful experience.

The downside is that in getting so connected is that I have realized just how much I have neglected the online activities that have meant the most to me, such as writing regularly in this blog.  Looking back over the dates, I am embarrassed to see such gaps in time, as if those gaps suggest periods of my life where I just didn’t care about what was happening in my life.  That couldn’t be any farther from the truth.  I love to chronicle everything in some way or another, usually by photographs or by my ever-present video camera, but I have always had a special fondness for words.

I’ve written far too many posts in the past (most of them deleted in hindsight) vowing to do better and to write regularly, so I know better than to do it again.  In my heart, I would write everyday, or at least once or twice a week, but I will let this post serve as my yearly reminder to myself to step up the pace a bit.  I only get to go through this life once, and if I write down the memories, thoughts, and feelings for no one else, I write them for myself.  Unfortunately, that particular audience tends to be the harshest of critics of my efforts…

Parent/Teacher Conferences…

In just a couple of hours, Shelly and I will be going to our very first Parent/Teacher conference at Noah's school.  This is one of those life moments when again I think of just how fast life seems to be streaming by.  I can't seem to wrap my head around the increasing brevity and fleetingness of life, and honestly, I don't even try all that often.  It either gives me a headache or depresses me for the rest of the day.  It feels to me like the first day of school wasn't that long ago, and yet, here we are, just three weeks away from Christmas!

Almost every time I walk into Noah's school, I am reminded of my own childhood, and I find myself sometimes imagining what life was like for my parents when I was young, and wondering if Noah will have similar thoughts someday.  When I was young, I thought parents just somehow knew all there was to know, as if that knowledge came instantaneously upon reaching adulthood.  I was well into my 20s when the harsh reality hit me -- they had been "winging it" all along, trying to do their best with what they had.  That knowledge was revelatory to me.  It helped me to understand them on so many levels, and to forgive and let go of their perceived mistakes.

Now I am the parent of a 6-1/2 year old, who thinks much the same of me and his mom, that we know it all, that we have a solid grasp on what we are doing as parents and as adults.  I just hope that someday he comes to the same conclusions -- we loved him fiercely, and tried to make the best decisions for him and our family.

Life is filled with the "letting go" moments.  From the day that children are born, they are beginning the long journey toward independence, and we, as parents want desperately to hold on to him for as long as we can, all the while knowing we have to slowly let him go, little by little.  Today we will be conferring with his teacher, as we continue the process of sharing him with the larger world in general, but we will hold him tight for as long as he is willing to be held.  I may not be able to stop, or even slow down, time, but I can appreciate the moments for what they are.  It is, after all, the small things in life that comprise the big things.  There would be no forest if not for the trees...

Most Loved Dad

As part of our family tradition, we always spend part of the weekend before Thanksgiving decorating the house for Christmas.  Noah took a great deal of pleasure out of trimming the tree this year with his cousin, and did a great job!

Noah took time out, though, to pose for this picture with this ornament he found in the box…

Being a dad is the one of the greatest joys in my life!