Like Weeds

I had a date tonight with my youngest, Kylie. She is five-and-a-half and the baby of the family. But not as much, I am noticing. She is really starting to grow up and mature. She is incredibly polite suddenly, going so far as to say "no thank you" or "thank you very much." Its always fun watching your children blossom to the next stage.

So earlier this evening we are at Bob's Big Boy in Burbank when Kylie announces that she can go to the bathroom all by herself now. Mind you we were talking about something else and she casually mentioned it. I asked her if she would like me to walk her to the front of the restaurant to use the ladies' room and I got "yes please Daddy." What a relief, no more awkward moments in the mens' room trying to shield her from the other guys. No trying to convince her to use the stall with me in it. All of that seems to be over now. Sweet! She did her business and we went back to finish our dinner.

Paying the bill Kylie got a balloon to take home with her. I carried it to the car and tossed it in the back seat for her. As we drove the wind blew it around so she tied it to her wrist. At some point in our ten minute drive home she untied the balloon and it slowly crept its way towards me. As destiny would have it, in the blink of an eye the balloon floated out the open sunroof and into the sky. I braced myself for the wailing and meltdown that was imminent. I waited a beat and then asked her what happened. She said she had untied the balloon and that it was ok she didn't want it anymore. She said she would make a wish on it instead. What? Who is this kid? Brand new balloon lost at sea and no tears, no tantrum, no orders to go back to Bob's for another balloon? Nope, just my baby-doll looking out the back window watching her balloon sail away into the sky. Gazing all the way until it was gone from her view.

I told Kylie how proud I am of her that she is growing up and acting like a big girl. The positive reinforcement was so meaningful to her that she announced I that should come up with a reward system to acknowledge everytime she doesn't have a meltdown. Sounds to me like paying farmers not to grow crops. I love parenthood!

Have No Fear

I am still a geek. "Finally" saw the new Star Wars yesterday. I enjoyed it but it was a tad long for me. It does put a period on all six chapters of the series and I did like Obi Wan's homage to Wallace and Gromit. The film ties it all up leading back into the first one quite nicely. Glad I saw it so I can discuss it with the hard core geeks who went at midnight on opening morning.

Also saw Mekhi Phifer of ER and John Tesh at the theater. Mekhi Phifer looks exactly the same as he does on screen only he was shorter than I expected. John Tesh on the hand should not leave the house without makeup and was much taller than I expected. Go figure.

Eh!

Revenge of the Sith, still haven't seen it. I am ok about it. But I do plan to see it sooner than later. I hope it is still out by the time I get to the theater.

Silly Dog

I have a nightly routine with BlackJack, our 10 year old Schipperke. One of the last things I do before going to bed is to put him out on the service porch. BJ is a house dog when we are home but we lock him out when we leave the house or go to bed. Normally, he knows what's up and complies....mostly. Some nights it takes some prodding or some machismo stare downs to get him out. Then you have a night like tonight when he is downright pitiful. A night where he should be embarrassed to be a dog.

Not only did he not want to go out, but he just layed on a blanket in the living room playing possum hoping I'd give in and let him stay in. Nope. I picked up all 11 pounds of black furball and carried him like a baby in one arm, belly up to the porch. Or at least I started to, and then the tongue came out. The tongue that he stuck out like he was high on pot in a daze at a Grateful Dead concert. The tongue that you would swear was mocking you. The tongue he licks himself with. Everywhere. He does this often, but tonight, even with me blowing on his face and talking to him, he kept it out. He was laying in my arms so passively, trying to play me that I did what anyone would do, I took pictures of the silly goof. He was so unfazed that I took two photos pretty close to him with a flash and moved him around and the tongue never retracted. See for yourself:


He is one of the funniest animals I have ever been around and a great family pet. But you know what? His furry butt is on the service porch with the cat. Cute only goes so far with me.

Caption Contest

"I can't believe he licked the ball with that thing!"

What's yours?

The Power of Prayer?

Can someone please explain prayer to me. I mean does it really work? I came home at lunch today and there was a message on the machine for Debby from someone in her prayer chain. Apparently someone is having surgery after an accident with a car door and the caller was telling Debby to pray for her. From previous experience I believe Debby is supposed to call the next person in the chain. And so on. Got it so far?

Now I try to be respectful of other people's ways, especially when I am married to them and they read my blog, but come on! Do people actually think this works? I mean puh-leeeeeeeeeeeeeeease. Why not just pray for nothing bad to happen in the first place thus alleviating the need for praying for a successful surgery and recovery. I realize that I am cynic and have no faith in higher beings et al. so of course I am skeptical. But it is hard to believe (hence no faith) that this prayer chain produces tangible results. Ironically, look at how stung the people in Duluth, GA feel about the runaway bride who prayed that she only got cold feet and was not abducted. After their prayers were "answered" they felt let down that she faked her disappearance in the manner that she did. But they had prayed for it. What's that saying, be careful what you wish for...because you might get it.

I understand that faith in something greater than us mere mortals is a huge part of people's beings. It is the essence that guides them and how they live It adds value and meaning to their lives. Again I respect that it is important to many people including my wife. And I can see that having something to hang on to keeps people from feeling desperate and giving up and in that I agree that there is a tangible benefit. But if Debby were to break the chain because I deleted the message (I did not) or because she did not call the next person in the chain (which she forgot to do the last time she got a call), is the outcome really going to be impacted one way or another? These are the kinds of things I ponder having married into such a practicing Chrisitian family. I love them all and respect their beliefs, but I really struggle with some of their rituals.

The best thing for me that I have ever heard on this subject was from the classic TV series M*A*S*H. In one particular episode, a wounded GI tells the doctors that he is Jesus Christ, the actual savior. He is so true to this belief that a psychiatrist is brought in to examine him. The defining moment for me is when the wounded soldier is being interviewed and is asked, "is it true that God answers all prayers?" GI Jesus Christ replies, "Yes, but sometimes the answer is no." Maybe that's just the way it goes.....