I don't remember if we had Zach yet or not, but if we did, he was young. I remember my sister in-law telling a story of her son, who was around nine, thinking that he slept about twenty minutes every night. It was my first introduction to a child's inability to understand and conceive lengths of time. It makes sense right? It is not until children are older that they can conceptualize a length or period of passing time. They just don't have the capacity ... right?
I have another theory, that arose tonight just before bedtime. Julie gave the, "Five minutes to bedtime" warning and then, about 75 seconds later announced, "OK, time for bed." Of course Zach immediately called her out on it and bedtime was delayed for a few more minutes. But how many times do we do this. "I will get you a drink in a minute" ... forty-five minutes later, still an empty cup. "I just need five minutes to relax and check my e-mail" ... ten e-mails, five Facebook posts, some online shopping, a few YouTube clips and two hours later, you wonder where the baby is, why there is water all over the floor and who made the mac and cheese that is on the stove.
No wonder our children are so screwed up when it comes to time. Children are the most literal people that I know. What was the first thing Zane did when opening his new Buzz Lightyear action figure at his birthday party? He threw him across the yard (popping Buzzes wing right out of joint). When I asked him, "Why did you do that?" His response to me, "I thought Buzz Lightyear could fly."
So for the sake of all of the children out there suffering from the terrible ailment of Horologagnosia, let us work to be more diligent in accurately blowing our children off.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Friday, November 19, 2010
Not for the squeamish
Most likely if you are reading this you are familiar with my previous blog, My life as a stay at home dad. If you are not, I have 4 children. Zach, 8, Zane and Zoe, 3 year old twins, and Zadie, 1. Zane tends to be my wild card as you can read in, My Wonderful Nemesis, The Zane-Meister, among others. Here is a story from Zane that happened recently. I hope that you enjoy.
Our church, now that it is coming on winter, has popcorn and hot chocolate available after each service. As we were settling into the car I saw in the rear-view mirror a small white piece of popcorn perched at the base of Zane's right nostril. Being the diligent and attentive father that I am, I asked, "Zane, what is that in your nose." This of course caused him to instantly inhale deeply through his nose, causing said popcorn to disappear from sight. Again, playing the role of diligent and attentive father, I thought, "what harm could it do," and I started the trek down the road toward home. About five minutes into the ride home I heard a big sneeze from the rear of the car. I looked in the rear-view mirror and saw a large amount of snot running down Zane's upper lip (I warned you, it was not for the squeamish). I thought in my head, "well at least it probably got the popcorn kernel out." This was confirmed when Zach piped up from the back that, "Dad, I see the popcorn kernel. It came out when he sneezed."
He followed this up later in the day by sticking a piece of pretzel chip into the same nostril and extracting it in much the same way.
I look back on this experience and I laugh (and I hope you do too). But it amazes me when I think back to the actual moment of it happening and thinking how commonplace and ordinary of an experience it seemed to be. I think that is part of the joy of having multiple kids. A family with a single child may have headed to the urgent care or emergency room if there was a popcorn kernel lodged in their nostril. Families with multiples say, "Oh I am sure he will be fine, thats why God gave us two nostrils."
Our church, now that it is coming on winter, has popcorn and hot chocolate available after each service. As we were settling into the car I saw in the rear-view mirror a small white piece of popcorn perched at the base of Zane's right nostril. Being the diligent and attentive father that I am, I asked, "Zane, what is that in your nose." This of course caused him to instantly inhale deeply through his nose, causing said popcorn to disappear from sight. Again, playing the role of diligent and attentive father, I thought, "what harm could it do," and I started the trek down the road toward home. About five minutes into the ride home I heard a big sneeze from the rear of the car. I looked in the rear-view mirror and saw a large amount of snot running down Zane's upper lip (I warned you, it was not for the squeamish). I thought in my head, "well at least it probably got the popcorn kernel out." This was confirmed when Zach piped up from the back that, "Dad, I see the popcorn kernel. It came out when he sneezed."
He followed this up later in the day by sticking a piece of pretzel chip into the same nostril and extracting it in much the same way.
I look back on this experience and I laugh (and I hope you do too). But it amazes me when I think back to the actual moment of it happening and thinking how commonplace and ordinary of an experience it seemed to be. I think that is part of the joy of having multiple kids. A family with a single child may have headed to the urgent care or emergency room if there was a popcorn kernel lodged in their nostril. Families with multiples say, "Oh I am sure he will be fine, thats why God gave us two nostrils."
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Purpose
How many of us are living the life that we imagined as kids. I am a bit of a daydreamer. When I was young I would imagine myself a baseball or basketball star. Perhaps a professional golfer, or president of a very prestigious business. Kids imagine themselves doctors, fireman, teachers, police officers. They could be veterinarians, astronauts or a movie actor. But who envisioned themselves as an accountant, a sales clerk or the client services manager for a signs and graphics company?
My goal, my dream, professionally, was to own my own business. This dominated my thinking starting in high school and on through college. I had the opportunity to achieve that dream, but sadly it did not work out. I still have thoughts or inklings to try again, but to tell you the truth, I don't think that I was very good at it. Plus, the thought of someone else paying the bills and dealing with the headaches and me receiving a consistent paycheck sounds pretty good at this point.
Ever since I realized that my dream was a fading reality, I have tried to grab on to a new sense of purpose. A new idea to chart my next course by. I want to matter, and I want to do something that has purpose and will impact the masses. I search my fading memories as to how I decided it was my purpose to become a business owner. I find my vision clouded. But I think it is easier to see when you are younger. Four kids, a wife, and a mortgage tends to cloud the crystal ball.
I had an interesting conversation with my brother on this topic. He has dreams to be a full-time, professional photographer. Whatever job he may be doing at the time, he has that dream in the back, front or middle of his mind (depending on the day, I am sure). He lives in the San Francisco area and has found that he can make a pretty decent living as a bartender at an upscale hotel. While he strives to pursue his photography, he had such an interesting take on his current station in life. I made a comment about doing something in life that matters and has real purpose and he said that he looks at it like this. "I see, typically weary, business travelers and people coming off a long day at work, come in, sit down to relax. I offer them a drink, a smile and help them to relax and wind down after a long day. Right now, that is my purpose, to help them relax."
Maybe it is not about saving the world or impacting the masses. Maybe it is finding a way to be purposeful where you are. We have dozens of interactions everyday with some people that we know well and others that we do not know at all. We have the opportunity to impact the masses every day. We can be the most sincere accountant, the friendliest sales clerk and the most helpful and contientious client service manager we can be. And maybe, just maybe, while in the thick of the daily grind and daily minutia, we can find our purpose and acheive our dreams.
My goal, my dream, professionally, was to own my own business. This dominated my thinking starting in high school and on through college. I had the opportunity to achieve that dream, but sadly it did not work out. I still have thoughts or inklings to try again, but to tell you the truth, I don't think that I was very good at it. Plus, the thought of someone else paying the bills and dealing with the headaches and me receiving a consistent paycheck sounds pretty good at this point.
Ever since I realized that my dream was a fading reality, I have tried to grab on to a new sense of purpose. A new idea to chart my next course by. I want to matter, and I want to do something that has purpose and will impact the masses. I search my fading memories as to how I decided it was my purpose to become a business owner. I find my vision clouded. But I think it is easier to see when you are younger. Four kids, a wife, and a mortgage tends to cloud the crystal ball.
I had an interesting conversation with my brother on this topic. He has dreams to be a full-time, professional photographer. Whatever job he may be doing at the time, he has that dream in the back, front or middle of his mind (depending on the day, I am sure). He lives in the San Francisco area and has found that he can make a pretty decent living as a bartender at an upscale hotel. While he strives to pursue his photography, he had such an interesting take on his current station in life. I made a comment about doing something in life that matters and has real purpose and he said that he looks at it like this. "I see, typically weary, business travelers and people coming off a long day at work, come in, sit down to relax. I offer them a drink, a smile and help them to relax and wind down after a long day. Right now, that is my purpose, to help them relax."
Maybe it is not about saving the world or impacting the masses. Maybe it is finding a way to be purposeful where you are. We have dozens of interactions everyday with some people that we know well and others that we do not know at all. We have the opportunity to impact the masses every day. We can be the most sincere accountant, the friendliest sales clerk and the most helpful and contientious client service manager we can be. And maybe, just maybe, while in the thick of the daily grind and daily minutia, we can find our purpose and acheive our dreams.
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