Adoptive parents do more, study says
Despite the fact that the study excluded same-sex parents, I feel good about how we’re raising G!
Golf is back…
and I just played the best 9 holes I’ve ever played. Grace came with us, and had plenty of fun of her own.
My favorite improvement? Out of the 5 holes that caused me problems off the tee box, I only lost a ball on two of them — and I only lost one ball on each hole.
I’m now making good contact on about 35% of my swings — coming closer and closer to my goal of 90%. Not quite to my 60% I had with my previous bad stance, grip, and swing.
Cy is getting adamant that we both should go to Golfsmith and get our swings computer-analyzed. I think I’m now at a point where that could help me improve — even better than more lessons could at this point.
Kite practice worked beautifully.
We took Grace to the park. She chose to get dressed in her soccer uniform, and we brought the soccer ball to the park with us.
She spent plenty of time running around, and played much soccer with Daddy Cy as goalie.
Before leaving, she chose plenty of time to climb on the playscape. Each time I reminded her that we needed to leave soon, we got negotiation to extend the time.
I’m sure she will be a fantastic negotiator when she grows up. Sigh.
Go fly a kite
Something to remember — this is important!
The Zilker Kite Festival is coming on the 4th of March. It’s supposed to be windy and warm today, so I may try to take G out to practice locally.
And just how often do I remember to blog about things that are upcoming? How often do I remember about the kite thing before it happens?
This must be a daddy thing.
Then again, you must also remember to not use razor-sharp string.
Busy day in the cold, cold north…
Grace and I have been busy.
She made snow angels.- We had a snowball fight.
- She went sledding.
It is now 14 below. We’re staying warm, watching the game, and eating chili.
Wow, it is cold.
We’re in Antigo, WI. It’s -40 with the wind chill. Do I need to point out that it doesn’t matter whether I say that in Fahrenheit or Celcius? If you don’t count the wind, it’s only 15 below (F).
Why am I here? My airline miles from all the travel I did starting in 2000 were about to expire. Grace hasn’t really seen snow. There was a super-saver fare, and Diane’s father’s 85th birthday is coming up.
Need I point out how painful 40 below is? We packed 5 bags for 3 of us for 4 days, and it’s not enough.
Grace was outstanding traveling. I’ve gotten to spend lots of time with her, and she’s behaving extraordinarily well! The worst part of it all was when the plane was landing, and her ears hurt. She didn’t believe that chewing gum would help, and wouldn’t try yawning for me.
While driving from Chicago to Clintonville, WI, we stopped for provisions. Grace got out of the car to stretch her legs, and walked over to the snow by the parking lot. I stopped her and zipped up her coat, then she walked into the snow and picked some up — without gloves. Presumably to try and make a snowball. That’s her big thing about this trip — she wants to have a snowball fight with me!
She only did that once, go figure! It’s so cold that the snow is really dry and powdery. I had her stomp her feet all the way back to the car, so that the snow she walked in wouldn’t melt and get her socks and shoes wet.
Last night, on the way from dinner in Clintonville to Antigo, we saw the non-wind-chill temperature drop to 19 below
. I’m quite certain that that is the coldest I’ve ever experienced in my life, and I am more convinced than ever that I will never choose to do this kind of winter travel ever again, nor will I ever move further from the equator than I do now — about 4100 miles.
A big step in not trying to lose…
So, Grace has been big on playing tic-tac-toe. I try to let her win.
The other day, we started playing connect-4. The real one, that drops checkers into the plastic maze. I didn’t let her win. She lost 5 games in a row.
Then, she started to win. She won 4 games in a row before we had to go to Grandma’s…
A sad day.
Unfortunately, the man who created Scooby-Doo died.
Almost another scooby movie…
We took Grace to see Happy Feet, and there were previews and commercials.
Of course, there was the clip about buying snacks from the concession stand, the only thing was this one was themed to look like Harry Potter. That’s when it occured to me, so I leaned to Cy and said:
Hey! It’s Harry Pot-head, and he has the munchies!
And that’s what makes it almost like Shaggy and Scooby.
Important day…
Not only is Cy 41 (no clown this year), but Grace’s namesake would be 100 today…
Those Italian deer…
So, Grace had a birthday. She got lots of presents, including Sly Cooper 3 for her PS2.
Then, Cy had his Big Band thing again this year. Grace and I went to eat first, then we all went to eat afterwards, at the Y Bar and Grill.
Since G and I had already eaten, we only got some appetizers — some cheese bread, and some venison skewers. As long as the venison had not been in the spicy sauce they served it with, she loved it. We talked about how venison was deer meat, and she ate more still…
Then, the next day, she and Cy were playing Sly3. Where is Sly, in the world? Why, Venice, of course! So Grace demonstrated her mastery of word roots by asking
Is Sly inside a deer?
Yes, I’m bragging.
The end of soccer… for this year!
Musical puns
So, we’re driving home after desert last night, and Grace asks for “Kids music” (preset 4 on the satelite radio).
A song called “Lonely Broccoli” comes on, in a 1950’s style.
I couldn’t decide if it was “broc-a-billy” or “do-wok”.
Two minor firsts
- Grace swam across the deep end of the pool without stopping. Multiple times
- She also dove all by herself for a diving stick.
Revisiting “The Inner Light”
So this morning Grace comes home from Grandparents, stopping with Daddy Cy at the store to get fingerpaints. Oh, some food, too.
Anyway, she’s using a paintbrush with the fingerpaints (Yay! Less mess!) when the brush falls off the table.
Paint-valanche!
she called out. I still hear myself whenever she opens her mouth…and I find myself wondering if she even knows the word “avalanche” that this particular recurring wordplay derives from.
Now, we go back to Friday. Conversation turned to ST:TNG, in particular, the poem about Data‘s cat, Spot, Ode to Spot. Why, you might ask? Oh, yes, now we go back a few weeks. We Grace got a new kitten 
, and named it Thunder. End second level of recursion, so back to last Friday…
While researching the Spot Ode, I pulled out the one and only DVD of ST:TNG edpisodes we have, The Picard Collection. The entire reason we bought it was for The Inner Light – the only Hugo award winning television episode of anything in the past 35 years.
I haven’t watched this episode for years — I can tell from my emotional state. I remember it being good, but not this good. Especially the scene with the daughter growing up (which everyone is still quoting 15 years later).
Seize the time, Meribor. Live now; make now always the most precious time. Now will never come again.
I love you, father.
That scene hit me like the proverbial ton of bricks after the “Paint-valanche” moment.