A conversation at the dinner table between The Lou and I after she said the blessing:
The Lou: Amen.
Q: Amen.
Q: Lou, you said a beautiful prayer, but you forgot one thing.
The Lou: What did I forget?
Q: You forgot to ask for the food to be blessed.
The Lou: (Confused) So, because I forgot to bless the food, Jesus doesn't know we're eating?
Q: Nevermind, I'm sure he knows your heart.
The Lou: Phew!
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Websters Has Nothing On The Lou!
New words brought to us by the clever mind of The Lou:
- Handitizer - Hand Sanitizer
- Disastrophe - A Disastrous Catastrophe
More to come.
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Just Perfect
Saturday was a long and emotional day.
My little girl is turning 5 and the birthday party with her friends was that day. Just the fact that she was turning 5 was stressing me out. Where had time gone? I can't believe my little girl was growing up! I was both happy and sad. I spent the day before at work looking at her pictures from the day she was born and the weight was a burden on my heart.
Adding to the stress of that little girl growing up was that little girl acting like a spoiled little brat! It amazes me that The Lou can act so mature one moment and then so immature the next. Her tantrums and defiance of anything coming from Mommy and Daddy were adding to my anxiety. It seemed all I did for the last 48 hours was correct her, reprimand her, threaten her and chastise her. It made me feel awful. But I believe it was required.
Or was it? Pooh throws the most amazing parties. She enjoys putting them together and does a great job at it. I believe she shows her love through these parties. Unfortunately, it consumes much of her time and much of our house. For those who don't know, I have issues. HAHA! Most of you could assume that, but more specifically, I have issues with anxiety and OCD. I realize it is my issue and I try hard to not let it surface and become the issues of others, but it does. Pooh works very hard to hide the clutter and the interim mess between beginning the project and the finished results. Nonetheless, it affects me and sometimes other aspects of my life such as parenting. For this reason, I felt bad about constantly being on The Lou's case...even if she did deserve it.
Friday night, Pooh and I stayed up late getting ready for The Lou's party. I was also up much of the night with health issues and fussy kids. We had to wake up early in order to tie down the finishing touches of the party. So, operating on little sleep and much anxiety, we opened our home to The Lou's friends and cousins and their parents. The party was a smashing success and the love and support for my little girl (and us) was overwhelming. As the blog title states, I am the most blessed man, and my daughter is the most blessed daughter. She was spoiled with presents as Pooh spoiled her and her friends with sugary treats and tasty snacks.
In the end...a mess. Of course, I went immediately back to work to bring my home, or at least a portion of it, back to normal so I could sit and relax in normalcy. Not for long though. We had family in town. We rushed off to My Aunt and Uncle's to visit The Lou's Great Grandpa, Herb. He was traveling through with my Grandma, but was unable to attend any of the family events due to his declining health. It was important for us to see him and let him know that we love him. So, out of our way, sleepless and with no time to spare, we drove a total of an hour and 15 minutes to visit with him for 45 minutes. It was worth it.
Unable to relax when we got home, we immediately changed clothes so that we could attend the reception of my cousin Jake and his new wife, Dani. Here at the reception, The Lou, all hopped up on sugary sweets and over stimulation of friends, presents, balloons and such, began to dance to the music over the speakers. Several times, she had accidentally bumped into a person or gotten in the way, and I continued the trend of the last couple days and barked out commands to her in an effort to control her and eliminate the stress that her little girl happiness was bringing me. Then it hit me...
The Lou approached me and politely asked, "Daddy? Can we go outside to dance? That way I won't be in the way." "Absolutely", I replied as we walked out the double doors to the patio where the music could still be heard. The patio overlooks the fairway of the golf course where the reception was held and had hundreds of light bulbs strung back and forth above it. There was a rod iron gazebo with small white Christmas lights all around it. This is where The Lou wanted to dance. After dancing one fast song together, a slow song came on and she stood on my feet as we danced together.
Most of my tiredness and anxiety had immediately fled when she asked if we could go outside to dance. The rest was going away as we danced. She concentrated on my feet and keeping her feet on top of them. I concentrated on her and how pretty she was and how grown up she was becoming and on how important she is to me. God gave her to us by an angel 5 years ago and I fell in love the moment I set my eyes upon her. I knew she was special then and was being reminded of it again at that point, under the lit gazebo, as we danced together.
Then, she looked up at me, as if reading my heart, soul and mind and said, "Daddy, this is just perfect." I replied that it was indeed perfect. A moment later she said, "Daddy, I love you." I cried a couple tears which were already well on their way and told her that I loved her too.
I could have died right then and would have been totally happy. Fortunately, I did not. Kids are amazing. They can be the source of your grief and misery one moment and the total source of your happiness and joy the next. After telling her I loved her too, I proceeded to lecture her that she should never forget this moment and that she needs to remember forever that she will always be my little girl...even when she is dancing one day under a gazebo with her new husband, she will always be my little girl. After rambling on in this manner for a few minutes, she looked up at me again and said, "Daddy, you're silly!" And then the tempo of the music changed and she danced off across the patio. I simply stood and watched and wiped a tear from my cheek.
She was right. It was "just perfect". Sunday was another story altogether!
My little girl is turning 5 and the birthday party with her friends was that day. Just the fact that she was turning 5 was stressing me out. Where had time gone? I can't believe my little girl was growing up! I was both happy and sad. I spent the day before at work looking at her pictures from the day she was born and the weight was a burden on my heart.
Adding to the stress of that little girl growing up was that little girl acting like a spoiled little brat! It amazes me that The Lou can act so mature one moment and then so immature the next. Her tantrums and defiance of anything coming from Mommy and Daddy were adding to my anxiety. It seemed all I did for the last 48 hours was correct her, reprimand her, threaten her and chastise her. It made me feel awful. But I believe it was required.
Or was it? Pooh throws the most amazing parties. She enjoys putting them together and does a great job at it. I believe she shows her love through these parties. Unfortunately, it consumes much of her time and much of our house. For those who don't know, I have issues. HAHA! Most of you could assume that, but more specifically, I have issues with anxiety and OCD. I realize it is my issue and I try hard to not let it surface and become the issues of others, but it does. Pooh works very hard to hide the clutter and the interim mess between beginning the project and the finished results. Nonetheless, it affects me and sometimes other aspects of my life such as parenting. For this reason, I felt bad about constantly being on The Lou's case...even if she did deserve it.
Friday night, Pooh and I stayed up late getting ready for The Lou's party. I was also up much of the night with health issues and fussy kids. We had to wake up early in order to tie down the finishing touches of the party. So, operating on little sleep and much anxiety, we opened our home to The Lou's friends and cousins and their parents. The party was a smashing success and the love and support for my little girl (and us) was overwhelming. As the blog title states, I am the most blessed man, and my daughter is the most blessed daughter. She was spoiled with presents as Pooh spoiled her and her friends with sugary treats and tasty snacks.
In the end...a mess. Of course, I went immediately back to work to bring my home, or at least a portion of it, back to normal so I could sit and relax in normalcy. Not for long though. We had family in town. We rushed off to My Aunt and Uncle's to visit The Lou's Great Grandpa, Herb. He was traveling through with my Grandma, but was unable to attend any of the family events due to his declining health. It was important for us to see him and let him know that we love him. So, out of our way, sleepless and with no time to spare, we drove a total of an hour and 15 minutes to visit with him for 45 minutes. It was worth it.
Unable to relax when we got home, we immediately changed clothes so that we could attend the reception of my cousin Jake and his new wife, Dani. Here at the reception, The Lou, all hopped up on sugary sweets and over stimulation of friends, presents, balloons and such, began to dance to the music over the speakers. Several times, she had accidentally bumped into a person or gotten in the way, and I continued the trend of the last couple days and barked out commands to her in an effort to control her and eliminate the stress that her little girl happiness was bringing me. Then it hit me...
The Lou approached me and politely asked, "Daddy? Can we go outside to dance? That way I won't be in the way." "Absolutely", I replied as we walked out the double doors to the patio where the music could still be heard. The patio overlooks the fairway of the golf course where the reception was held and had hundreds of light bulbs strung back and forth above it. There was a rod iron gazebo with small white Christmas lights all around it. This is where The Lou wanted to dance. After dancing one fast song together, a slow song came on and she stood on my feet as we danced together.
Most of my tiredness and anxiety had immediately fled when she asked if we could go outside to dance. The rest was going away as we danced. She concentrated on my feet and keeping her feet on top of them. I concentrated on her and how pretty she was and how grown up she was becoming and on how important she is to me. God gave her to us by an angel 5 years ago and I fell in love the moment I set my eyes upon her. I knew she was special then and was being reminded of it again at that point, under the lit gazebo, as we danced together.
Then, she looked up at me, as if reading my heart, soul and mind and said, "Daddy, this is just perfect." I replied that it was indeed perfect. A moment later she said, "Daddy, I love you." I cried a couple tears which were already well on their way and told her that I loved her too.
I could have died right then and would have been totally happy. Fortunately, I did not. Kids are amazing. They can be the source of your grief and misery one moment and the total source of your happiness and joy the next. After telling her I loved her too, I proceeded to lecture her that she should never forget this moment and that she needs to remember forever that she will always be my little girl...even when she is dancing one day under a gazebo with her new husband, she will always be my little girl. After rambling on in this manner for a few minutes, she looked up at me again and said, "Daddy, you're silly!" And then the tempo of the music changed and she danced off across the patio. I simply stood and watched and wiped a tear from my cheek.
She was right. It was "just perfect". Sunday was another story altogether!
The Gazebo on the right is where we danced. I will always remember this spot.
Friday, September 13, 2013
He Is Me ~ An Attempt at Poetry
As I sit and watch him sleep,
I realize then, He is Me.
The way he sleeps.
The way he doesn't sleep.
The tossing and turning.
The snoring and churning.
He is Me.
I see the same light in him
that I feel in me.
I recognize his smile
When I look in the mirror.
That smile.
His laugh.
He is me.
His short, strong legs.
His barrel chest.
His upturned nose
His hair, neither blond nor brown.
Again, that Smile.
His contagious smile.
He is Me.
He is Me?
Will that always be?
I want him to have a love of life
And of family and friends.
I want him to be happy
and positive and free.
Just like me.
He is Me?
I want him to be smarter.
And braver.
To live life with no regrets.
And to pursue his dreams
With no restraint.
As I should have.
But for now I love him.
For all he is and all he will be.
And in spite of the fact that
He is Me.
~ Q (aka, Dad)
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Fight On, Jim!
Just about anybody who knows me, or really, within a short period of time, within minutes of meeting me, most know that one of my passions is USC football. Some assume it is because I am from Southern California and am the typical local sports fan. Others, during SC's most recent successes, believe I am a band wagoner and have only recently become a fan. I always proudly explain that I have been a fan of the Trojans since 1984 and it is because of Jim McAlpin.
Jim McAlpin, to me, is the original Man of Troy. I can honestly say that I don't think USC was even a blip on my radar before Jim. Jim was among many other things, a disabled person and a die hard Trojan fan and I have thanked God for that many times! As I reflect back, I couldn't tell you what his disability was or what caused it. Initially, that makes me sad that I didn't get to know him better, but really, that says so much about who he is. I don't recall him ever being bitter or upset about it, but rather he made his disability his and he owned it. If it was ever his identifying trait, it was only because he made it a positive one.
Being a disabled Trojan fan poses a unique problem on game day. The Trojans play in the outdated and dilapidated Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. A true sight to behold on game day, however, it is not what one would call, "ADA Friendly". There are no elevators or escalators, or at least there were not back when I remember. Jim was a season ticket holder and could not alone navigate the long uphill corridor ramps to the wheelchair seating half way up the coliseum seating. This was quickly turned from a negative to a positive when he asked one young man in the ward to assist him by attending the game with him and helping push him up the ramp. I was that lucky kid and it changed my life.
The fanfare surrounding USC football games is simply AWESOME! The tradition, the historic Coliseum, the Olympic torch, the national title banners, the PAC conference title banners, the Rose Bowl banners, The Spirit of Troy Marching Band playing "Conquest" and "Fanfare", Traveler running around the perimeter, the Song Leaders, The Cardinal and Gold, the "V", the fans and the football. It left quite the indelible mark on this impressionable 14 year old boys mind. A mark that would never be erased. A mark that instantly planted itself in my soul and continues to grow to this day.
Blessing or curse, this is a result of one man, who to me embodies all the great things about USC. I wish I knew him better. Really, other than the occasional service project to attend to his lawn or the cheerful greetings at church, I don't really know him. I am sure he was a great man in many ways, but regretfully I did not learn first hand. He was always friendly to me and appreciative for the help on game day when I was lucky enough to go, but I always had the feeling that it was less about him needing my help and more about him sharing something he loved.
And he loved USC football. From his tricked out elevator van painted Cardinal and Gold to his personalized license plate that read "DP4USC" (Disabled Person for USC). From his Cardinal colored wheelchair to his USC watch that he showed me proudly. He bled the color of champions. To me, what I knew of him, he embodied excellence. Good or bad, he is to blame for this passion of mine and I will be forever grateful. Two days ago, he passed from this life and as one person put it, "I am certain he RAN into the arms of his Savior. If God is not a Trojan fan already, and I'm pretty sure he is, with Jim there, he will be soon.
Fight On, Bro. McAlpin. SC4LIFE!
(Photo stolen from Valerie McAlpin Huebsch...sorry, Valerie)
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Conversation on a Love Seat
This post was written two weeks ago, but I forgot to publish it. Better late than never.
Tonight was one of those times in a parents life when you realize just how much you love your child and how wonderful it is to be a Dad. The Lou is amazing. She is so smart! She is so strong! She is so funny! She is so talented! She is so cute! And she is so beautiful! Upon realizing these things, the following conversation took place as we cuddled on the love seat of our family room.
Q: "Lou, how come you are so smart?"
The Lou: "Because I love you, Dad!"
Q: "How come you are so strong?"
L: "Because I love you, Dad!"
Q: "Why are you so funny?"
L: "Because I love you, Dad!"
Q: "How did you get so talented?"
L: Because I love you, Dad!"
Q: "How come you are so cute?"
L: "Because I love you, Dad!"
Q: "How did you get so beautiful?"
L: Because I love you, Dad!"
If that truly is the case, I am so happy to be loved by that little girl and apparently she is the benefactor of her own love for me. She is amazing.
Tonight was one of those times in a parents life when you realize just how much you love your child and how wonderful it is to be a Dad. The Lou is amazing. She is so smart! She is so strong! She is so funny! She is so talented! She is so cute! And she is so beautiful! Upon realizing these things, the following conversation took place as we cuddled on the love seat of our family room.
Q: "Lou, how come you are so smart?"
The Lou: "Because I love you, Dad!"
Q: "How come you are so strong?"
L: "Because I love you, Dad!"
Q: "Why are you so funny?"
L: "Because I love you, Dad!"
Q: "How did you get so talented?"
L: Because I love you, Dad!"
Q: "How come you are so cute?"
L: "Because I love you, Dad!"
Q: "How did you get so beautiful?"
L: Because I love you, Dad!"
If that truly is the case, I am so happy to be loved by that little girl and apparently she is the benefactor of her own love for me. She is amazing.
Conversation on a Birthday
As I was leaving for work this morning, I went through my normal routine of giving hugs and kisses. The following conversation between me and The Lou then took place.
Q: "Let me kiss your forehead."
*Kisses The Lou's forehead*
Q: "Baby, you be good today and take care of Mom and #2, okay?"
The Lou: (With confused look on her face) "Where are you going?"
Q: "I am going to work."
The Lou: (Still confused) "Uh...it's your birthday. You can't work on your birthday." (stated matter of factly)
Q: "I wish it were that way, babe. I wish it were."
If only life were that simple.
Q: "Let me kiss your forehead."
*Kisses The Lou's forehead*
Q: "Baby, you be good today and take care of Mom and #2, okay?"
The Lou: (With confused look on her face) "Where are you going?"
Q: "I am going to work."
The Lou: (Still confused) "Uh...it's your birthday. You can't work on your birthday." (stated matter of factly)
Q: "I wish it were that way, babe. I wish it were."
If only life were that simple.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)