Snowfall

So Brady and I come downstairs late this AM, still groggy from our 'Guys night' with the women of the family in Boston. We stayed up late switching channels between the age appropriate 'Wedding Crashers' and the timeless family classic 'The Punisher' (he chose 'The Punisher'). He waddles into the living room to put on 'his show' and I head to the kitchen to fulfill my master's demands with a fresh sippy cup of milk.
When I see the thin covering of snow on the porch I call to him to come look outside. He enters the kitchen with an inquisitive look, cocks his head and asks 'Huh?... Where?'.
'Outside, Buddy. Go to the sliders and tell me what you see.'
Brady runs to the sliders and examines what's before him.
'Well, I see a bug right there.' He says while peering intently on the glass and pointing at the little insect clinging outside.
As I laugh I say, 'No, No, Bubba..', I know I hardly ever call him by his given name, '...look outside, what's ON the porch right now?'
After a few beats he excitedly declares 'Oh! Snow! Yeah! And lil bit rain too.... Where me milk, Daddy?'

Ahhh, the excitement of the first rain/snow mix of the season as we say goodbye to the last bug of the fall. It's great to enjoy those same memories with our kids as our parents did with us.

Turducken Day Traditions

With 2008 coming to a close and the holiday gorging season well under way I am reflecting on traditions past and present. Some I am sad to see go, some just never had a chance to survive and others need to be rebooted... or just booted.

Football

• Reboot - Does anyone care to watch the Detroit Lions do anything on a Sunday, let alone Thanksgiving?  Not since 1957 anyway...
• Boot - Phil Simms 'Iron Man' award (which is actually a bronzed iron).  He gave out 4 of them this year to Titans players... For playing the Lions.  Why not give out 70,000 of them to the fans that actually endured that pitiful display.  Bring back Turducken!!

TV Specials

• Reboot - Raise your hand if it took you more than 10 minutes of watching the Peanuts special before you realized it wasn't 'The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown'.  Have they always had a Thanksgiving Day special? It has no defining moment that I know of like 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' ('Lights please...'), 'The Great Pumpkin' ('Never jump into a pile of leaves with a wet sucker.') or that one in France where Snoopy is flipping off the other bad drivers on the road.
• No chance - Rosie O'Donnell's Variety Show...  you didn't watch it?  Yeah, no else did either.  Bye, Bye, Rosie.

Family Time

• Keeper - Drinks and appetizers Turkey Day morning.  I am not much of a drinker these days but beer, shots, Frosted Flake chicken, cocktail weenies and this year a twist... homemade Enchiladas...  Screw Turkey... THAT's the meal I look forward to each year.  Several years ago we used to all meet at a bar in Everett, MA but since most of my in-laws moved to NH we've been having it at my brother-in-law's house.  It's close, it's comfortable, it's friends and family... the perfect holiday setting.  Plus, since my bro is a neat freak, I am not afraid of someone making me laugh in the middle of a shot, forcing me to spit my beverage into the air and onto anything within 5 feet of me.  Spontaneous outbursts of "Boobies, Boobies Boobies" is a sure fire to get a shot of grape crush to fly out my nose.
• Keeper - Family Dinner.  Especially with stuffing and pie.  That's all you need.  Stuffing and pie.  Family is optional but suggested.  You need someone to cook the food and clean the dishes while the game is on.  Unless the Lions are playing early.... then you fake a tryptophan coma and hide out in a spare room somewhere.

Black Friday

• Reboot - This year my wife stayed up for approx 37 hours because she went to camp out at Best Buy with her sisters.  She enjoys the time, it's her favorite day of the year... I'm cool with it... my wallet isn't.
• Repugnant - Stampeding for deals at 5am.  How would you feel receiving a gift from someone that was purchased at the expense of someone's life?  Was a $20 Cuisinart worth it?
• Shameful - Wal-mart.  You can't honestly tell me that the store was prepared for that crowd of shoppers.  This same situation existed at 1000s of stores that same morning yet this was the only one where someone died.  Just because 100s or 1000s of people are at your door, doesn't mean you let them in. 

What traditions do you have?

'Ashaly Goes to School' by Natalie (age 7)

Once there was a girl named Ashaly.  It was her first day of school.  Ashaly was scared.  

Her mom said, "Come on."

She did not come on.  Ashaly's mom pulled and pulled, then she finally came.

Mom and Ashaly pull up to the school.  Ashaly wanted to get out, but she was way too scared.  Mom helped her to get out.  

Ashaly figured out her teacher was awesome.  First they did some math, then they ate snack and then did some coloring.  Next they ate lunch but a mean little boy sat next to her.

"He's a big bully!" said her friend.

The little boy said, "She kicks people."

She ignored him and went outside.

Last they got picked up by their mom.

The End

Dad's note: Not bad for a first story.  We are going to add a little to it and make a short film out of it over vacation.  Look for it to be posted sometime this spring.  I'll post revisions as they become available.

The Great Depression Part Deux

I am wondering if the news stations already have catchy slogans in case of another depression. Here are some that I bet they've already thought of:

• The Greatest Depression (Tom Brokaw's special report)
• The Great Depression II: This time it's personal (Hollywood News/Variety)
• When Good economies go bad... (Fox News)
• The Bush Effect (MSNBC)
• The Banking Betrayal
• Panic for Pennies
• Apocolypse Now Redux Again
• Cents and Sensibility (think about it)
• The Audacity of Fiscal Responsibility

IF we ever get to that point and of course, once we get beyond it, I hope there is a book written that will be titled "Self-Fulfilling Prophecies and the News Outlets that cause them. How panic and turmoil is fueled by the quest for ratings."

The Boss

So I am watching the kids this AM so Lynne can go to an appointment with her dad. I tell Natalie (7) and Brady (2) that I am going to go shower and that Natalie is 'the boss'. Well, this sets off a protest by Brady."No, no, Nana, Boss! Me Boss!" I respond with controlled amusement that "Nana is in charge, you do what she says." (Bad choice of words, I know)
At this point, Natalie proves once again that she is most certainly my daughter when she gets a devilish grin on her face (obviously drunk with her newly anointed power), turns, points at Brady and says "HA HA, Dance, Brady, Dance!"
Brady immediately retorts in defiant anger "NO! No Me dance! Bad, Nana.. Bad BAD, NANA!!"
At this point I can't help but chuckle at him as I tell him to be good for "Nana" and that I will be right back. On my way out of the room I can hear Natalie over my shoulder "You heard him, Brady... C'mon... DANCE!"

LOL - I've been the younger brother before. It's fun for her now, but soon the tables will turn, he will live to torment her, he will find strength in her frustration and she won't even remember this day when she asks herself "Why? Why does he do this to me?"

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