The afternoon play by play December 2, 2008 11:03 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Amy, Cathy, Daily Life, Evan, Family, Noah, Of Being Dad, Sarah , 5commentsCathy had a debilitating migraine today. She had to hide under the covers in a dark room. I keep the television off as much as I could and Evan had imaginative self-play most of the day allowing me to work. Amy had Girl Scouts until 3:45. I decided I needed a quickie dinner tonight and called spaghetti. Everyone eats it except Noah, and the preparation and cleanup is minimal. Noah, the great consumer of ketchup and meat, on spaghetti nights chooses to ignore the stringy pasta covered with tomato based sauce usually with ground beef mixed in and instead cooks himself Ramen noodles. I left slightly early to run by Butler & Bailey for the sauce for tonight’s meal before picking up Amy.
I arrived at Girl Scouts as they were closing. The girls formed a circle and sang a song of friendship. As the circle formed, I noted the girls were down some steps in an amphitheater part of the school library leaving one girl in a wheel chair abandoned. I started to ask if she and I could join the circle but hesitated assuming this had been prearranged for some reason. I was wrong. The wonderful leader working hard, with only one other adult assistant and so many girls, had simply overlooked the wheelchair bound youth. I mentioned it to her and could see that she acknowledged her error. I didn’t want her to feel bad but am hoping that the girl won’t be left out of such an important part of the meeting. I feel sad for her. This is just the beginning and she will have to learn to be tough for a world that will intentionally and accidentally exclude her. I spoke to my daughter about it and encouraged her to speak up whenever the girl in the wheelchair is overlooked expressing that the leaders and the girl will really appreciate her actions. I don’t think she got the message.
It was now 3:58. We had to get from the elementary school to the high school by 4:00 to pickup Sarah and her friend. We arrived at 4:10 and I received a text message from Noah begging for fish food for SuperGuppie, the fish that swims in green water with 100 snails and never dies. The high school girls jump in the car and I ask, "How was practice?" to which I got a quizzical answer that they hadn’t gone yet and had to be at Hardin Valley High School at 5:30. That’s BFE West through rush hour traffic to the uninitiated. I tried to shortcut through the student lot to be close to the pet store but the security theater at the high school had already closed that gate. Cars cannot get through without a $12 bolt cutter but vandals can slip right through the gaping hole between the two gates. So I u-turn and head to Kingston Pike, slip past Margarita’s restaurant joking with the girls that we’ll eat there, then speed behind the buildings because it is fun and avoids speed bumps while passing the delivery trucks and smoking employees finally arriving at the exotic pet store. I leave all 3 girls in the car and grab an unusually large container of vegetarian colored flakes for the fish which is either 1) guaranteed to be spilled merciless all over the place by Noah or 2) through some great cosmic joke to cause the immortal fish to croak tonight. I return to the car to find the teenagers listening to one of XM’s comedy stations–aka "George Carlin influenced all these comedians." I suggest to Sarah that she find something more child friendly lest she wants to explain a little too early to Amy about the birds and the bees.
On the way home I torture the girls with Pink Floyd. I remember we have no milk and I stop at Weigel’s again leaving the teens in charge of the 6 year old. When I return with 2 gallons of cow juice the radio is still on Floyd. "Do you like Pink Floyd?" "NO!"
It’s 4:40 and water is on the stove. It’s 4:58 and the water still isn’t boiling. Sarah explains that we have to leave in 5 minutes and I give the girls the run down of the leftovers in the fridge which turns out to be a remarkable amount of decent food that needs to be eaten. They turn down my Aloo Sag and request McDonald’s. We turn the water off and hit the drive through. It’s 5:07 and we are turning right from Northshore to Morrell and we can hear the large Dr. Pepper falling out of its drink holder and pouring onto the girl’s flags, book bags, coats and streaming stickiness onto everything in the car. It’s 5:10 and the damage isn’t terrible but to return to McD’s for a new drink will make the girls late. They opt get her one from the drink machine at the school (I thought we did away with soft drinks at the schools).
It’s 5:28 and the girls arrive right on time despite the best efforts of Knoxville’s rush hour drivers and a wide load poking down Pellissippi Parkway. Once back at the house, Amy reminds me I promised she could help get the Christmas tree out. A little effort, a lot of happiness. The separate parts of the tree work their way upstairs. The bottom third is in the stand and I declare dinner time. I veto spaghetti, heat up some sliced carrots and bring out the leftovers getting plates made for the little two and leaving the other people to make their own choices. Evan declares he has to go potty. I rush him off for a little book reading in the "library" when I hear a thwack and a holler from Cathy. Once again she’s gone and kicked the middle part of the tree that I left in the middle of the living room. I leap out of the bathroom leaving Evan to his own accord so that I can remove the problem. Instead I see Cathy dripping blood on the hardwoods and a pile of glass below her foot. Amy and Noah leap from the chairs (barefooted) to rush to her aid. I raise a hand with a magical energy field that would have made Gandolf proud and command them back to their feets. Quick lecture about the goodness of helpfulness but knowing to ask if help is needed first. I’m in the process of cleaning glass from the floor while watching Cathy’s foot bleed and commanding the springs to get back in their chairs over and over when out of the bathroom a giggling Evan comes bounding toward the mess. All I can picture is a bottom covered in poo about to be spread everywhere. Noah is up again and rushes to the bathroom with one of his great nosebleeds. Amy is up to help him with instructions, "lean forward, pinch hard." I direct her back to her seat and encourage Evan to eat. Soon Noah returns. By this time the floor is clean of glass shards, the two blades of glass protruding from Cathy’s foot have been removed, I’ve tortured her with rubbing alcohol, and applied a bandaid provided by Amy.
You know…it’s a bit like juggling. Cathy says it more succinctly.
5commentsFrom the mouths of babes December 2, 2008 12:46 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Daily Life, Evan, Family, From the mouths of babes, Of Being Dad , add a commentJust rip my heart out with a spoon!
Evan, 3 years old: "Go playground Dad."
Dad: "We can’t do that right now."
Evan, weeping: "Go playground Dad. Pleeease. Go playground. Go playground now. Goooo playground puleease."
Dad: "I’m sorry. I have to work."
Evan, hurt and mad: "I not play [with you] anymore!" and stomps away from Dad.
It’s snowing! Quick, turn on the A/C! December 2, 2008 12:23 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Daily Life, Evan, Family, House , 3commentsThe house is 14.4°C right now. It was snowing today. Seems that the 3 year old has learned how to work the thermostat. I am now adding a digitally controlled, programmable, lockable thermostat to my wish list.
Temperature conversion by http://www.onlineconversion.com/
3commentsFrom the mouths of babes November 21, 2008 5:17 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Daily Life, Evan, Family, From the mouths of babes, Noah, Tommy , add a commentTommy has returned from college for a 9 day Thanksgiving break. Noah is home from school. Evan is up from his nap. Cathy has taken Sarah and a friend to the movies.
Evan, raising one finger then another like a peace sign: "I have Noah at home. I have Tom at home."
Love and importance!
add a commentHow’s dinner? November 10, 2008 10:05 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Amy, Cathy, Daily Life, Evan, Family , add a comment
Bad Dad November 9, 2008 9:13 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Daily Life, Evan, Family, Of Being Dad, Philosophy , add a commentI am trying to work. Evan comes downstairs carrying a game CD and a case for Mart Kart Wii because he likes playing Mart Kart Wii with me. Instead of acknowledging the cuteness and giving him the 4 minutes it takes for him to get bored with the game, I got frustrated with the distraction and angered that a CD/DVD was out of its case being handled by a three year old. Don’t ever forget, they just want your love and your attention! To give a child what they want often takes very little. Make the time.
add a commentFrom the mouths of babes November 3, 2008 3:47 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Evan, Family , add a commentEvan: "Dad, let’s get dressed as pirates up there." (Up there meaning up stairs.)
add a commentFrom the mouths of babes October 31, 2008 11:31 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Daily Life, Evan, Family, From the mouths of babes , add a commentMy son has experienced his first ever Emergency Alert System message on the television..and it wasn’t a test!
Evan, 3 years and 5 months old: "Daddy! Come look at tv."
Dad, hears that an Emergency Alert System message is on: "It’s okay. It’ll go away in a moment."
Evan, turns television off then back on and message is gone: "I fix it!"
The Dark Side of Working from Home October 28, 2008 4:06 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Daily Life, Evan, Family, Of Being Dad , 1 comment so farI’m under a lot of pressure right now. I’m trying hard to close out a project. The end of projects are always the most difficult because time and budget is usually running out. Often the client realizes they want features that either were never requested or not implemented for whatever reason. In using the product during testing, user interface issues arise or the enduser finds it would be easier with just this "one simple change". Those are generalizations to "many projects" and not necessarily talking about the one I am on. But today I have been really trying hard to reach a couple of very specific goals and it hasn’t gone as fast or as smoothly as planned.
Enter the children. Since its nearing 4pm, Sarah has to be picked up from the high school, which is right across the street from Party City aka Halloween Depot. So Amy and Cathy are off to get Sarah, costumes, and accessories leaving me with my computer and Evan until Noah gets home to babysit. Of course, Evan just wants to play with Dad so he comes down to my desk and starts moving things around. In his cuteness, he wants to help so while I type on one computer, he starts typing on the other and unknowingly messing up my test bed. I lose it. No tv Dad for me today. I’ll reserve 50 lashings for myself later when in great self-flagellation when I punish myself for my loss of temper. Of course, that won’t change the fact that I sent a crying 3 year old packing to an empty upstairs. I feel like crud. I should work at night while they sleep. I just cannot figure out when I’d sleep. Time to go make amends and give some hugs.
1 comment so farOh, Nebraska, not Target! October 26, 2008 10:23 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Amy, Cathy, Daily Life, Evan, Family, Noah, Of Being Dad, Sarah , add a commentBig families should use the buddy system and we do. In the parking lot, before entering a store, Cathy chimes out the buddies: "Amy, you’re with Dad. Evan is with Sarah. Noah is with me." (Tommy is at the border of Kentucky and Tennessee) As the children have grown older, they gain a little independence. For instance, in Target, Noah in the Middle is allowed to hang out at the video games on his own leaving him buddyless. Unfortunately, this hasn’t worked out too well for him. Today we shopped at Target for Amy’s homework supplies to decorate a pumpkin as Fancy Nancy. After checking out and loading the car, Sarah questions, "Uh, where’s Noah?" We forgot him! Again! One day Target is going to gain a night employee. Sorry Noah!
add a commentFrom the mouths of babes October 18, 2008 2:39 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Daily Life, Evan, Family, From the mouths of babes, Of Being Dad , add a commentI’ve been ratted out regarding this tweet.
add a commentOf Being Dad October 14, 2008 12:23 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Daily Life, Evan, Family, Of Being Dad , add a commentDora the Explorer trumps Sunny Patch..in case you were wondering.
I have been trying hard to limit the children’s television time these past couple of days. Evan…rather I…am getting a break while he watches some tv.
add a commentSuperDad! October 14, 2008 11:17 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Daily Life, Evan, Family, Of Being Dad , add a commentThis sippy had chocolate milk in it yesterday so we can just rinse it out and put more chocolate milk in it right?
I took Evan to the IRS office today in the John Duncan Building and we played with cannons, walked a maze in the courtyard of one of my favorite downtown churches, played on benches, took pictures with statues, and generally had a nice little adventure downtown. Almost got our paperwork turned in too! Time to call the levy department and beg one more day then get back to coding.
add a commentFrom the mouths of babes October 14, 2008 7:38 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Daily Life, Evan, Family, From the mouths of babes, Of Being Dad , add a commentMy son has a love/hate relationship with our Roomba. He loves to start it and watch as long as someone else drags it out of the Roomba hiding spot but he still finds it the robot scary. This morning, the brisk air outside and the full moon made the dogs extra frisky so as they wrestled they simply ignored the Roomba trying to join in the game by bouncing off their feet.
Evan: "Robot clean Molly and Dharma!"
Now why did this child wake up at 7:15am? I was really hoping he would sleep in! Thank goodness he does self-play really well. He and I will have an adventure today as I will take him to the IRS office in the John Duncan Federal Building. "And Homeland Security detained a local man after his feral children ran rampant through security…"
add a commentEvening Status October 13, 2008 8:11 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Amy, Daily Life, Evan, Family , add a commentWe survived the day without much of a productivity hit to my coding. After getting 3 children off to school, I hit the keys. Recovered the pre-schooler and did an errand on the way. Let the tv do some babysitting until the 6 year old came home and then she babysat fought the 3 year old. Then the 12 year old came home, the tv was turned off, and he was placed in charge of his siblings until it was time for dinner. Everyone ate and the 12 year old was ushered off to bathe and prepare for scouts. I slipped in some more programming while the two little ones played nice upstairs. Noah’s ride took him to scouts. I bathed and jammied the two little ones. And now I’m debating just how horrible it would be to take a 3 and 6 year old in pajamas into the Weigel’s to buy milk for the morning.
