of working from home AND homeschooling. I was in my office yesterday afternoon hunched over my laptop (as per usual). For once, I was NOT on a conference call. I looked up to see Dear Daughter 2 (age 5.5) standing outside the door on the deck clearly holding something in her hands. I waved her in (she very politely waited for an invitation before coming in) and she slowly opened her hands so that I could see her lizard! It was really cute; a blue-tailed lizard about 3 inches long. Actually, it was a tail-less blue-tailed lizard since our cat had already relieved him of his tail.
DD2 was so pleased with herself and couldn't wait for me to see her treasure. If I had been stuck in an office tower somewhere, or if she had been stuck in a classroom at the local elementary school, this could have never happened.
I love our lifestyle!! I am so thankful that I have the flexibility to work as I do.
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Monday, April 30, 2007
Quotes of the Week (v3)
When we remember that we are all mad, the mysteries disappear and life stands explained.
- Mark Twain
“Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it.”
- Helen Keller
“It is well that war is so terrible -- we should grow too fond of it.”
- Robert E. Lee
“It's impossible to awaken a man who is pretending to be asleep.”
- Navajo Proverb
“No institution can possibly survive if it needs geniuses or supermen to manage it. It must be organized in such a way as to be able to get along under a leadership composed of average human beings.”
- Peter Drucker
“They that sow in tears shall reap joy.”
- Psalms 126:5
“Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart. Who looks outside dreams. Who looks inside awakens.”
- Carl Jung
“He does not believe that does not live according to his belief.”
- Dr. Thomas Fuller
“All those who seek to destroy the liberties of a democratic nation ought to know that war is the surest and shortest means to accomplish it.”
- Alexis de Tocqueville
“The only people you should try to get even with are those who have helped you.”
- Unknown
“Insults should be written in the sand and praises carved in stone.”
- Arab Proverb
“Tell me and I'll forget. Show me, and I may not remember. Involve me, and I'll understand.”
- Native American Proverb
“When walking through the "valley of shadows," remember, a shadow is cast by a Light.”
- H.K. Barclay
- Mark Twain
“Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it.”
- Helen Keller
“It is well that war is so terrible -- we should grow too fond of it.”
- Robert E. Lee
“It's impossible to awaken a man who is pretending to be asleep.”
- Navajo Proverb
“No institution can possibly survive if it needs geniuses or supermen to manage it. It must be organized in such a way as to be able to get along under a leadership composed of average human beings.”
- Peter Drucker
“They that sow in tears shall reap joy.”
- Psalms 126:5
“Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart. Who looks outside dreams. Who looks inside awakens.”
- Carl Jung
“He does not believe that does not live according to his belief.”
- Dr. Thomas Fuller
“All those who seek to destroy the liberties of a democratic nation ought to know that war is the surest and shortest means to accomplish it.”
- Alexis de Tocqueville
“The only people you should try to get even with are those who have helped you.”
- Unknown
“Insults should be written in the sand and praises carved in stone.”
- Arab Proverb
“Tell me and I'll forget. Show me, and I may not remember. Involve me, and I'll understand.”
- Native American Proverb
“When walking through the "valley of shadows," remember, a shadow is cast by a Light.”
- H.K. Barclay
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Random Thoughts on Raising a Son
As my profile notes, we have three wonderful children. The youngest ("the boy", age 3.5) is the subject of this particular post.
Much to my wife's chagrin, The Boy has been totally enamored with all things "dad" for some time now. He wants to do everything with Dad. I thought at first this may be a factor of my frequent business travel (absence making the heart grow fonder, etc etc). However, two things suggest not.
1) my daughters, while always ecstatic to see me return home, don't lavish attention on me to the point of ignoring their mother. EVER.
2) I had a period of about four weeks recently with absolutely no travel (that NEVER happens). During that time, The Boy never abated in his contant quest to spend time with me / have me do things for him / etc.
Don't get me wrong - - I'm not complaining in the least. I'm just processing and developing some thoughts around this. Please note that I am not a university-trained sociologist or psychologist, so feel free to disabuse my hypothoses and certainly go ahead and try this at home.
Thought One: Girls and Boys are different. (please do not notify any mainstream media types that I have stated such blasphemy in the public realm; I don't have time to deal with them!). I think that The Boy naturally wants to spend time with his Dad because he knows we're both guys. Note: this is not unlike the natural affinity that his two elder sisters have long had for their mother. "Nature" is obviously at work here.
Thought Two: While I've known this for some time, his steady presence has reminded me of the enormous responsibility that I have to role-model for him a responsible man / husband / father. He sees how I act around other adults (including other men as we visit at church, soccer practice, etc). He sees how I act around his mother and how she and I communicate and treat one another. He sees how I treat him and his sisters. Because of nature, but through the experience of nurture, he is learning at least one possible way to fill those various roles. The knowledge of that influence on him has certainly impacted me in how I respond to stressful situations in his presence!!
Thougth Three: There are literally millions of young boys (if not tens of millions) growing up with no consistent male figure in their home. Where are they getting their role models? How are they learning how to be a man, a husband, a father? Please don't get me wrong - I remain in awe of anyone able to be a single parent. But in the end, what is the consequence? There are a lot of reasons for this to happen. I'll not comment on any except one. For the fathers who wake up one morning and decide that they don't want that job and just walk out - there is no punishment too great for such perfidy. And unfortunately, that pathetic instance happens all too often. What jerks.
My, what an uplifting post! I'll try to lighten up next time!!
Much to my wife's chagrin, The Boy has been totally enamored with all things "dad" for some time now. He wants to do everything with Dad. I thought at first this may be a factor of my frequent business travel (absence making the heart grow fonder, etc etc). However, two things suggest not.
1) my daughters, while always ecstatic to see me return home, don't lavish attention on me to the point of ignoring their mother. EVER.
2) I had a period of about four weeks recently with absolutely no travel (that NEVER happens). During that time, The Boy never abated in his contant quest to spend time with me / have me do things for him / etc.
Don't get me wrong - - I'm not complaining in the least. I'm just processing and developing some thoughts around this. Please note that I am not a university-trained sociologist or psychologist, so feel free to disabuse my hypothoses and certainly go ahead and try this at home.
Thought One: Girls and Boys are different. (please do not notify any mainstream media types that I have stated such blasphemy in the public realm; I don't have time to deal with them!). I think that The Boy naturally wants to spend time with his Dad because he knows we're both guys. Note: this is not unlike the natural affinity that his two elder sisters have long had for their mother. "Nature" is obviously at work here.
Thought Two: While I've known this for some time, his steady presence has reminded me of the enormous responsibility that I have to role-model for him a responsible man / husband / father. He sees how I act around other adults (including other men as we visit at church, soccer practice, etc). He sees how I act around his mother and how she and I communicate and treat one another. He sees how I treat him and his sisters. Because of nature, but through the experience of nurture, he is learning at least one possible way to fill those various roles. The knowledge of that influence on him has certainly impacted me in how I respond to stressful situations in his presence!!
Thougth Three: There are literally millions of young boys (if not tens of millions) growing up with no consistent male figure in their home. Where are they getting their role models? How are they learning how to be a man, a husband, a father? Please don't get me wrong - I remain in awe of anyone able to be a single parent. But in the end, what is the consequence? There are a lot of reasons for this to happen. I'll not comment on any except one. For the fathers who wake up one morning and decide that they don't want that job and just walk out - there is no punishment too great for such perfidy. And unfortunately, that pathetic instance happens all too often. What jerks.
My, what an uplifting post! I'll try to lighten up next time!!
Friday, March 30, 2007
Quotes of the Week (v2)
“Most people have the will to win, few have the will to prepare to win.”
- Bobby Knight
“The truth is that many people set rules to keep from making decisions.”
- Mike Krzyzewski
“I asked a ref if he could give me a technical foul for thinking bad things about him. He said, of course not. I said, well, I think you stink. And he gave me a technical. You can't trust em.”
- Jim Valvano
“If all I'm remembered for is being a good basketball player, then I've done a bad job with the rest of my life.”
- Isiah Thomas
“Not only is there more to life than basketball, there's a lot more to basketball than basketball.”
- Phil Jackson
“We have a great bunch of outside shooters. Unfortunately, all our games are played indoors.”
- Weldon Drew
“My priorities are family, Lord, profession - And that's not the order it should be, but I think No. 2 understands.”
- John Wooden
“Good, better, best. Never let it rest. Until your good is better and your better is best.”
- Tim Duncan
“Fans never fall asleep at our games. They're afraid they might get hit by a pass.”
- George Raveling
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
- Hebrews 11:1
“It’s not what you tell them that’s important. It’s what they hear.”
- Red Auerbach
“God had a plan for me and I'm just fulfilling that plan, ... Just like HIV. I was the one that was supposed to go through that challenge and go through that period because that brought light to HIV and AIDS. They needed somebody and it was me, and I feel really good about what I have accomplished.”
- Magic Johnson
“First master the fundamentals.”
- Larry Bird
“The only mystery in life is why the kamikaze pilots wore helmets.”
- Al McGuire
“The strong take from the weak and the smart take from the strong.”
- Pete Carril
“Consider the rights of others before your own feelings, and the feelings of others before your own rights.”
- John Wooden
- Bobby Knight
“The truth is that many people set rules to keep from making decisions.”
- Mike Krzyzewski
“I asked a ref if he could give me a technical foul for thinking bad things about him. He said, of course not. I said, well, I think you stink. And he gave me a technical. You can't trust em.”
- Jim Valvano
“If all I'm remembered for is being a good basketball player, then I've done a bad job with the rest of my life.”
- Isiah Thomas
“Not only is there more to life than basketball, there's a lot more to basketball than basketball.”
- Phil Jackson
“We have a great bunch of outside shooters. Unfortunately, all our games are played indoors.”
- Weldon Drew
“My priorities are family, Lord, profession - And that's not the order it should be, but I think No. 2 understands.”
- John Wooden
“Good, better, best. Never let it rest. Until your good is better and your better is best.”
- Tim Duncan
“Fans never fall asleep at our games. They're afraid they might get hit by a pass.”
- George Raveling
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
- Hebrews 11:1
“It’s not what you tell them that’s important. It’s what they hear.”
- Red Auerbach
“God had a plan for me and I'm just fulfilling that plan, ... Just like HIV. I was the one that was supposed to go through that challenge and go through that period because that brought light to HIV and AIDS. They needed somebody and it was me, and I feel really good about what I have accomplished.”
- Magic Johnson
“First master the fundamentals.”
- Larry Bird
“The only mystery in life is why the kamikaze pilots wore helmets.”
- Al McGuire
“The strong take from the weak and the smart take from the strong.”
- Pete Carril
“Consider the rights of others before your own feelings, and the feelings of others before your own rights.”
- John Wooden
Friday, March 16, 2007
What a morning!
My alarm was set to go off at 7:15 this morning. Amazingly, I only hit "snooze" twice before finally getting up. Due to a short commute (down one flight of stairs and through the playroom), I don't have to get up early.
This morning was particularly beautiful. The mountains around us were shrouded in gray mist with a whiteish cloud nestled down in the valley below us. I sat in the living room looking out at the view and listened to the quiet of the house. I was the only person up. It was 7:45. If our kids were in public school, they would have already been at school for 30 minutes. Given the fact that it's a 25 minute drive to the "local" elementary school, we would have had to leave at 6:45, which means we would have ALL been out of be before 6:00.
Instead, I was sipping coffee quietly at 7:45.
Now, school is going on upstairs with well-rested students and a well-rested teacher.
Life is good! Homeschooling isn't always easy, but days like today sure remind us that it's worth it.
This morning was particularly beautiful. The mountains around us were shrouded in gray mist with a whiteish cloud nestled down in the valley below us. I sat in the living room looking out at the view and listened to the quiet of the house. I was the only person up. It was 7:45. If our kids were in public school, they would have already been at school for 30 minutes. Given the fact that it's a 25 minute drive to the "local" elementary school, we would have had to leave at 6:45, which means we would have ALL been out of be before 6:00.
Instead, I was sipping coffee quietly at 7:45.
Now, school is going on upstairs with well-rested students and a well-rested teacher.
Life is good! Homeschooling isn't always easy, but days like today sure remind us that it's worth it.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Quotes of the Week
My father-in-law sends out an email blast weekly with quotes. Some great, some good, some so-so. I thought I would start sharing them here.
“Absence of proof is not proof of absence.”
- Michael Crichton
“Two monologues do not make a dialogue.”
- Jeff Daly
“Love thy neighbor as yourself, but choose your neighborhood.”
- Louise Beal
“The key is not to prioritize your schedule but to schedule your priorities.”
- Stephen R. Covey
“Until you value yourself, you won't value your time. Until you value your time, you will not do anything with it.”
- M. Scott Peck
“A wise man never knows all, only fools know everything.”
- African Proverb
“The real guarantee of freedom is an equilibrium of social forces in conflict, not the triumph of any one force.”
- Max Eastman
“Vietnam was the first war ever fought without any censorship. Without censorship, things can get terribly confused in the public mind.”
- General William Westmoreland
“Do what's right. Do it right. Do it right now.”
- Barry Forbes
“It doesn't matter what temperature the room is; it's always room-temperature.”
- Groucho Marx
“Teamwork is neither 'good' nor 'desirable'. It is a fact. Wherever people work together or play together they do so as a team. Which team to use for what purpose is a crucial, difficult and risky decision that is even harder to unmake. Managements have yet to learn how to make it.”
- Peter F. Drucker
“A classic is something that everybody wants to have read and nobody wants to read.”
- Mark Twain
“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?”
- Martin Luther King Jr.
“If your plan is for a year, plant rice.
If your plan is for a decade, plant trees.
If your plan is for a lifetime, educate children.”
- Confucius
“Possession of the ball is the key to winning in football, basketball, and the game of life.”
- J. Laing Burns
“What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?”
- Marianne Williamson
“Absence of proof is not proof of absence.”
- Michael Crichton
“Two monologues do not make a dialogue.”
- Jeff Daly
“Love thy neighbor as yourself, but choose your neighborhood.”
- Louise Beal
“The key is not to prioritize your schedule but to schedule your priorities.”
- Stephen R. Covey
“Until you value yourself, you won't value your time. Until you value your time, you will not do anything with it.”
- M. Scott Peck
“A wise man never knows all, only fools know everything.”
- African Proverb
“The real guarantee of freedom is an equilibrium of social forces in conflict, not the triumph of any one force.”
- Max Eastman
“Vietnam was the first war ever fought without any censorship. Without censorship, things can get terribly confused in the public mind.”
- General William Westmoreland
“Do what's right. Do it right. Do it right now.”
- Barry Forbes
“It doesn't matter what temperature the room is; it's always room-temperature.”
- Groucho Marx
“Teamwork is neither 'good' nor 'desirable'. It is a fact. Wherever people work together or play together they do so as a team. Which team to use for what purpose is a crucial, difficult and risky decision that is even harder to unmake. Managements have yet to learn how to make it.”
- Peter F. Drucker
“A classic is something that everybody wants to have read and nobody wants to read.”
- Mark Twain
“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?”
- Martin Luther King Jr.
“If your plan is for a year, plant rice.
If your plan is for a decade, plant trees.
If your plan is for a lifetime, educate children.”
- Confucius
“Possession of the ball is the key to winning in football, basketball, and the game of life.”
- J. Laing Burns
“What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?”
- Marianne Williamson
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Life Happens, Part 2
Or, more aptly titled "Life's been happening for the last week and here's at least part of what that entailed!".
DW's car: back from the dealer with new brakes and some new cooling system seals buried deep within the engine (and therefore very expensive to replace). However, the AC is still not cold, so it goes back this week for a boost of freon.
My car is "outa here". Last Sunday, while DW's mom kidsat, we went car shopping in town. We'd been researching online and had narrowed down our requirements. Mid-size SUV, decent gas-mileage, all-wheel drive, three rows, low miles, preferably with leather seats. We're not picky. Plus, DW's van has On-Star and she's a big believer in it, so she preferred that we get a GM that was so equipped. Our choices might have been a little limited.
Fortunately, I drive a lot of different cars when I travel on business. While that has mostly exposed me to a lot of cars that I really don't want to own, I have had several pleasant experiences with the Buick Rendezvous.
Back to last Sunday. We headed to the closest Carmax. Great place to test-drive lots of makes and models of cars, plus they buy your car whether you buy their's or not. While the were checking my car out, we looked over the lot and drove a few options. No Rendezvous' on the lot, but we tested some other 3-row SUV's; no takers. After getting their quote for buying my old car (old Lexus' really do hold value!), we headed to the new Buick dealership down the street. They didn't have anything in the used lot, but we test drove a new Rendezvous and really liked it. Not too station-wagony, not too truck-like.
Back home we started checking out EBay and other auto auction sites. We found a 2006 with just over 2k miles on it; totally decked out with options (even a DVD player). It was in Cleveland (OH), but I figured I could always fly up there and drive it home. Let's sleep on it and make an offer tomorrow morning. Guess what was already sold the next morning. Back to the computer. Look around. There are amazingly few 3-row Rendezvous' on the market; even fewer with less than 50k miles (my top threshold).
Then, I found one only 75 miles away! Almost everything we wanted. No AWD, but we'll survive. We made an offer, they countered, and by Mon night we had a deal. Yeah!!! We headed back to Carmax on Tuesday to sell the Lexus. What a seamless process. If you ever need to sell a car, check out Carmax. Then, we picked up the new one on Wednesday. I'm so pleased. Great car, great price. Mostly, great that the whole process is done! Even if we do own an Oldsmobile and a Buick. What happened to the Porsche I was supposed to have about now?
Tomorrow, maybe we can get back to "normal".
Oh yeah, my parents and my two aunts (visiting from Illinois) are coming to dinner. Never mind.
But, I did get to play golf this afternoon. I love where we live!!! And I love our lives, even when they don't go according to our plan.
DW's car: back from the dealer with new brakes and some new cooling system seals buried deep within the engine (and therefore very expensive to replace). However, the AC is still not cold, so it goes back this week for a boost of freon.
My car is "outa here". Last Sunday, while DW's mom kidsat, we went car shopping in town. We'd been researching online and had narrowed down our requirements. Mid-size SUV, decent gas-mileage, all-wheel drive, three rows, low miles, preferably with leather seats. We're not picky. Plus, DW's van has On-Star and she's a big believer in it, so she preferred that we get a GM that was so equipped. Our choices might have been a little limited.
Fortunately, I drive a lot of different cars when I travel on business. While that has mostly exposed me to a lot of cars that I really don't want to own, I have had several pleasant experiences with the Buick Rendezvous.
Back to last Sunday. We headed to the closest Carmax. Great place to test-drive lots of makes and models of cars, plus they buy your car whether you buy their's or not. While the were checking my car out, we looked over the lot and drove a few options. No Rendezvous' on the lot, but we tested some other 3-row SUV's; no takers. After getting their quote for buying my old car (old Lexus' really do hold value!), we headed to the new Buick dealership down the street. They didn't have anything in the used lot, but we test drove a new Rendezvous and really liked it. Not too station-wagony, not too truck-like.
Back home we started checking out EBay and other auto auction sites. We found a 2006 with just over 2k miles on it; totally decked out with options (even a DVD player). It was in Cleveland (OH), but I figured I could always fly up there and drive it home. Let's sleep on it and make an offer tomorrow morning. Guess what was already sold the next morning. Back to the computer. Look around. There are amazingly few 3-row Rendezvous' on the market; even fewer with less than 50k miles (my top threshold).
Then, I found one only 75 miles away! Almost everything we wanted. No AWD, but we'll survive. We made an offer, they countered, and by Mon night we had a deal. Yeah!!! We headed back to Carmax on Tuesday to sell the Lexus. What a seamless process. If you ever need to sell a car, check out Carmax. Then, we picked up the new one on Wednesday. I'm so pleased. Great car, great price. Mostly, great that the whole process is done! Even if we do own an Oldsmobile and a Buick. What happened to the Porsche I was supposed to have about now?
Tomorrow, maybe we can get back to "normal".
Oh yeah, my parents and my two aunts (visiting from Illinois) are coming to dinner. Never mind.
But, I did get to play golf this afternoon. I love where we live!!! And I love our lives, even when they don't go according to our plan.
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