Wil Wheaton mentioned something in a recent blog entry that I thought was very interesting, something that makes me think about the movie The Karate Kid. What Wil said was this:

"... until I take time off and recover HP. Problem is, I always feel guilty, like I'm being a deadbeat while Anne does real work during these times."

He was referring to the need as a creative person to take time off for himself, to recharge - and that it makes him feel guilty because his wife still has to work at her "real" job. I think this is likely a common feeling with creatives, and I know my wife Melanie feels this way sometimes, too. But what you creative people out there have to realize is that we partners with "real" jobs most often do our own recharging through you.

I love it when Melanie has creative bursts. It's a joy to watch someone you care deeply about be so into their creativity - so into life. We do what we do because you can't, and you do what you do because we can't. It's all about balance, just like Miyagi says to Daniel. Two creatives can make a life together work, just like two non-creatives can. But to have one of each - that is beautiful balance.

About 6:30 this morning I could smell someone making breakfast. At my house, that was unusual. I figured Katie must be cooking, although that was far too early for her.

About 7:20 there was a knock on our bedroom door that it was time for us to get up. We opened the door to be greeted by Sydney and Marissa and a big breakfast waiting on the table! Pancakes, muffins, toast, eggs, bacon (real and veggie), and lemonaide. It was all quite delicious and the girls were just brimming with excitement over our reactions.

"What's your favorite part?", Marissa asked a couple of times. And of course we were regaled with the tale of it's preparation and how they set their alarm for 4:45 to start the planning process. Those crazy girls!

By 10:30 they were both soundly asleep in the family room, of course, for a well-deserved rest!

Sigh...what thoughtful girls I have.

My brother's family recently went to the awesome Henry Doorly Zoo, and took Marissa along. And of course, there are lots of photos!

I just read a great article by Josh Waitzkin titled "Multitasking Virus in our Classrooms". It's a terrific piece, and I especially love this line:

 "Too many primary, elementary, and high schoolers are being boxed into
the mold of conformity required by big classes, competition for grades,
tests with multiple choice questions. The first grader who leaps to his
feet when he figures out the math problem is diagnosed as ADHD and
medicated to sit quietly with the class."

 I still haven't picked up his book, The Art of Learning, but I am certain it is a must-read.

 

Here's a song I used to sing to Rissy when she was little (you can guess the melody):

Rissy da Pooh, Rissy da Pooh,
Tubby little baby all stuffed with love,
She's Rissy da Pooh, Rissy da Pooh,
Willy-nilly silly ol' girl.

A sister named Jenna is her friend,
With Katie, that makes two.
There's mommy, and daddy, but that's not all,
Most of all there's Rissy da Pooh!

Technorati Tags: family

I recently sat down with my 12 year old daughter to have a good daddy-daughter talk. As she's getting older we're not as close as we once were, and that's natural. I won't go into details, but it seemed to really mean something to her, that I both recognized our growing apart and the desire to bring us closer together.

We decided to have a couple nights a week where we set aside time to do things together, one night she gets to choose the activity and the other I do. We used to have daddy-daugther nights but they were haphazardly scheduled. I'm not much of a scheduled person, but I'll just have to overcome that so that she can count on this time, no matter what is going on.

Where did the time go?

Technorati Tags: family

I remember there was time when i was in college when I would ride my bike to classes. Not exactly a shocker is it, a college student riding a bike to campus. Of course I lived 25 miles from campus, so it was not a minor undertaking.

I remember one semester I had Latin at 7:00 Monday through Thursday. The instructor was a very kind older woman who we all loved and respected a great deal. I got up one morning at 4:30, as I always did on days I would ride to campus, fixed myself an egg and cheese on toast sandwich and got on my bike by 5. This particular day it was raining steadily, and needless to say I was quite thoroughly soaked by the time I reached class. Despite the rain I made good time this morning and arrived well before anyone else. I sloshed into my normal front-row seat and put my head down in the mostly dark classroom and promptly fell asleep.

I was awoken by my kindly professor - at the end of class. She gently told me that perhaps that night I should get more sleep, because she liked it when I participated in class.

Technorati Tags: memories

Today at the 2UU we celebrated Earth Day. At the end of the service people related what places on the Earth meant the most to them. I was filled with memories of two places that were important to me from growing up.

The first was the woods behind our house. I loved to go out there in the winter after a fresh, heavy snowfall. The snow was beautifully pristine upon the trees and the ground, and I always found the woods to be the most still and serene at such times. I could hike back there for 2 hours at a time, all alone in the snow-covered woods and hills, wandering without reason, want, or worry.

During that time and for years following, I found a similar sense of connection to the world (and not people) though riding my bicycle. In high school in the summer I would often get up on a Sunday at sunrise and ride my bike into town - about 4 miles over gravel. I would just ride though the still and silent small town of Louisburg, Kansas, with absolutely no point or destination whatsoever. I enjoyed being totally alone in the middle of a population of people I knew were there but would not see, unknown and unseen to them. The gentle click of the coasting 10-speed bike was all that could be heard, and all I wanted to hear. I'm not sure why even now, looking back from a distance of 30-odd years. I did it for the simple joy it brought to me, and maybe even because it had no point.

For years after high school I rode, reveling in the solitude of my thoughts on the open road in the middle of nowhere, with my heart pounding in my ears as I struggled against the Kansas and later Nebraska hills and wind. It was not enough to merely be alone - I had to be struggling against my own physical limitations as I would ride 50 or 100 miles in a day for no reason other than to have that time for my mind and for my body. As I got older it became mostly just riding 12-15 miles in a day to and from work, but it was time I can realize now I needed for me.

I can't say I miss these things, really. All of our experiences bring us to who and where we are now - and you can never really go back again, except in your memories.

Technorati Tags: childhood, memories

Kent can't remember #$&@, but I can! Happy birthday, mom!

(Rush Hour)

Just in case anyone is wondering who the little birthday girl is in the 2008.04.12 Lost in Fun photo album, that's the 4 year old daughter of the owners of Lost in Fun, some friends of ours, whose birthday party we had been invited to attend.

Vika and Rissy had a ton of fun, playing hard and getting all sweaty. I just love taking Vika and Rissy places like this for Vika to experience for the first time - stranger in a strange land and all. Makes me feel like a kid again!

Marissa made me this cool pen for work - she knows my favorite colors are yellow and green! She takes Sculpy clay and molds it around the pen and then bakes it (sans pen core or you get a mess). The creation process is pretty cool in itself with all the interesting ways she makes swirls and patterns with different colors of Sculpy.

Wish you had one? My little entrepreneur will make you one for $1!

listening to...
How Deep It Goes from the album "Dreamboat Annie" by Heart

Technorati Tags: Marissa, crafts

I'm listening to one of my favorite albums of all-time, Heart's seminal Dreamboat Annie from 1975. I remember so vividly listening to this song at the Louisburg swimming pool that year. They played the radio over the loudspeakers, and Magic Man from this album was the sort of song that would come on and just make you get up off your beach blanket and hit the water - it infused you with energy.

1975...33 years ago this summer is when these memories were made. Sigh....

listening to...
Magic Man from the album "Dreamboat Annie" by Heart

Technorati Tags: memories

Uh, dude, I don't think that's a proper use of company resources.

(Puss N' Boots, Shrek 2)
Especially after a relaxing weekend at my mom's with my brother and his family. Some might consider the hopscotch and night-hide-and-seek-running-around soreness as a bit stressful at 47, which I personally don't. Of course if I don't get into better shape by Thanksgiving (when we traditionally all gather at mom's) it will probably be the death of me, however. Those spunky kids.

Technorati Tags: family, hide-and-seek, hopscotch, Shrek

As I'm writing this, my Mom, Melanie, Kevin, and Natasha are across from me looking through childhood photo albums. So many old memories, and much laughter. It's interesting how as adults our lives are so fully of worry and responsibility that it can consume our thoughts and lives, but in our memories of growing up our lives were carefree and filled with play, adventure, and discover. I miss being a kid.

Technorati Tags: childhood, Kevin, Melanie, memories, Mom, Natahsa