When you know it's worth it

I struggle constantly with whether I'm doing this parenting thing the "right" way. I want to do all the things my parents did "right" and improve upon the things that could have been better (at no fault of their own... they... like me... didn't inherit some magical "How to be a Good Parent" handbook). And, you know... I struggle with questions and doubts almost daily... Am I spending enough time with them? Am I showing them that I love their mother dearly and that her needs come first? Am I being firm with discipline while giving grace when grace is warranted? Am I passing down "character" traits to them that I want them to "inherit"? Am I teaching them and showing them by example what it means to be a "Christian" and that it's not a list of rules but, rather, living by grace through faith? Ahh... all these doubts, fears and realities make me second-guess myself all the time....

Well, today just before dinner.... Reagan said something very sweet to me. I've mentioned before that I whistle all the time. Anyway, Reagan said (about the weekend Kelly and I went to NYC)... "Daddy, when Uncle Aaron was here and you were gone, I liked when he whistled, because it made me think of you."

AHHH.... moments like that make you feel like you are doing something right and all of the hard work is worth it.... even if it only lasts until she pitches a fit over dinner.

OK... completely unrelated topic... well, it's related because it deals with Reagan. I wrote a few months ago that Reagan taught herself to read (yet another shameless link to a former blog entry). Well, today, she checked out a Junie B. Jones book at the library... she was very excited about this book because she read one that her cousin Caleb had (there are lots of them, apparently... kind of like a "Sweet Valley High" for 2nd graders) and it's a "chapter" book. Anyway... she read it today... the WHOLE stinking book.... AT NAP (or what we call "rest") TIME!!!! The whole thing! All 71 pages.... she just turned 5. So cute. Kelly had her call me at work and tell me that she read the whole thing.... and, my initial thought is that she just scanned it and didn't really "retain" anything... but... that's not the case at all... She gave me the entire blow-by-blow account of Junie B. Jones and her shenanigans. She's so smart... I often tell Kelly how I was in the "Dolphins" in first grade and then "Eagles" in second grade... they were the dumbest kids at reading... and I was glumped in there with them.... So, to tie this whole thing in with the "When you know it's worth it" title of the blog:

Knowing my daughter is not headed for the same mistakes of my youth... that makes it all worth it.

That's it for now... Kelly is watching the Bachelor right now on Tivo and I'm trying really hard... really, really hard not to make a smart ass comment such as the one saved for posterity here (the fourth and final link to a previous blog entry). Must. Resist. Urge.

Proof that gas prices are too high (and other random thoughts)

Proof that gas prices are too high: It's Memorial Day weekend... so, naturally... something is going to get grilled at the Faircloth house and I'm going to crack open a beer. It's a given. It's set in stone. Nothing will change it from happening... ever. It just is. So, I run to the store to pick up something to grill... but, on the way, I make a stop of at the Costco Gas Station (which, by the way... is NOT cheaper than any other gas in town.... so, I don't know why I keep filling up there) to fill Kelly's Explorer up with gas. Final tally... a mind staggering $70. That's going to make any man pause and re-evaluate things. $70 bucks used to buy you a nice date with the wife. It used to get you groceries in college for an entire semester (ok... slight stretch... but, at that time, I was a card-carrying member of the Farmer Jack Savings Club... NEVER underestimate the savings power that was brought to the table when you would wield that at the cashier). It used to buy you a pair of shoes that would last months. Now, it gets you one measly tank of gas.


So, needless to say, I was thinking budget when I went to the grocery store to pick out the much anticipated and aforementioned items: (1) Something to grill and (2) Beer. First off, I picked up hamburger meat.... that's the first clue gas prices are too high. In a perfect world, I would have been slow-cooking baby back ribs all day long... but... at $3 for a pound of ground beef vs. $30 for baby back ribs... it's a no-brainer... I am, after all, paying $70 to fill up my tank now.


Then, on the more important decision. Unlike food... I can live without beer. So, this adds much more pressure to the situation. I know what you're thinking.... this shouldn't be such a difficult decision... I could do without.... right...??? Well, again... let me remind you of the "Faircloth Memorial Day Weekend Axiom"... that is... something will be grilled and beer will be consumed... I simply have no choice. Now, that's not to say that I don't understand that times are tight and must make a wise choice. So, I mosey on up to the beer aisle.... and I'm instantly torn in two. Everything in me is telling me to pick up Sam Adams Summer Ale or the Sierra Nevada Summer Ale and just be done. But both of those cost upwards of $10 just for the sixer... and... I'm trying to be conscious of the $70 I just spent at the pump. Finally... I do it... I just do it... I make a decision to make a selection and move on. It's not one I'm proud of... but... desperate times call for desperate measures. I reach up and grab a six pack of............ BUDWEISER... ahhh... I can just feel your disappointment in me as I type that. Bud -freaking - weiser. Might as well have bought bottled water, I know. If it makes you feel any better, it was in bottles (not ghetto cans or 40 oz' ers)... and I did go with Budweiser "Select" (which, I thought would surely taste better -- umm... it doesn't). However, at $4.57 for a six-pack, thanks to my $70 fill-up... I really didn't have a choice now did I?


Other Random Thoughts


What's that Medeival torture device you just brought home?: A year or so ago, Kelly came home excitedly from a MOPS sale (a flea market kind of thing for kids clothes) and showed me this contraption she bought. It's called a baby bjorn and it's basically a baby carrier that straps the baby to you via about 1,000 straps, buttons and velcro. Well, since we didn't have a baby at the time, I never got to see it in action. That all changed today... Kelly wore it when we went down the Potomac River (as I've mentioned before, short walk just behind our house). She got Will all hooked up into this complicated thing and carried him like he were a couple of Biology books... seemed to work out well.... but that thing just looks kind of silly.... I've seen dudes wearing them and... seriously man, I just couldn't do it. I'll change diapers, push the stroller, carry the diaper bag, make cutesy faces at the baby... but... I can't... I just can't carry my child around in some pregnancy-mimicking getup. I just can't. I sense a good excuse to insert a picture... so... picture of us down at the Potomac (if you look closely, the baby holding contraption is visible):





Lastly, I got this Sporting News in the mail the other day:



Now, I don't know if they intentionally did this... but when I first saw it, instead of reading "RARE HEIR"... I read it as: "RAPE HER"... now.. perhaps this is an unintended "Freudian Slip" or something.... but... given Bryant's well-publicized trial a few years ago... I'm circumspect on that one... I did a quick google search to see if anyone else noticed... and, thus far... nobody said a word that I can tell. Am I crazy on this one?

Well... I gotta run... my Budweiser Select is getting warm.

10th Anniversary in New York City

It's hard to believe.... it really is... but Kelly and I celebrated our 10th Anniversary on Friday. Much has changed over the last 10 years from a worldly, pop culture, technological, and political viewpoint. What hasn't changed, however, is how much Kelly and I enjoy being with one another... making each other laugh... sharing our thoughts over a nice dinner and glass of wine (well, no wine for Kelly).... and just taking a moment to pause and enjoy "life"... and that's exactly what we did this weekend.

My brother-in-law and sister (who is, honestly, one of the most giving people I know) were kind enough to come up for the weekend and watch our babies so that we could get away on our own. Knowing they were in good hands, we set off for New York City early Saturday morning by train. That's right... by train. And, let me tell you... that is the way to go. Amtrak has a weekend deal where it cost about $175 (total) for both of us to go roundtrip from DC to New York City. And the best part is, the train drops you right off in the heart of the city... it was great. I would absolutely do it that way again. No long security lines at the airport, no stress getting there 2 hours early, no cramped seats, no extortion-like taxi fare from JFK to downtown -- oh... and they had a "dining car".... that was awesome... I thought those were only on TV shows and children's books. Anyway... I'm a convert to "train travel"... next time I travel... I'll definitely look at taking the train.

One thing to point out... the train is a "people watchers" paradise. It's just immensely fertile ground to observe some really unique people. I think all the conformists travel by air... that leaves this odd mix of train enthusiasts, deal seekers (like us), hippie wannabes that see some sort of integrity with train travel, and then an assortment of all kinds of characters that span virtually every culture, ethnicity and economic level. One favorite was the guy that sat behind us on the way back. He was jamming.... and I mean jamming... to an eclectic assortment of 80's music. I heard... at least 3 times.... "Hold Me Now" by the Thompson Twins. Also heard "Mandy" by Barry Manilow a couple of times. It was ridiculous. I was ready to throw his headphones out the window... and he would have deserved it.

The "main event" of our trip was to see a show on Broadway. And the show we picked.... Hairspray. Now, more than one friend has asked: "How did Kelly convince you to see that?"... and, well, the truth is... she didn't... I picked it. I mean, it's not like "Gladiator" or "Braveheart" is playing on Broadway... this is, after all... duh... Broadway... not exactly a "Man's man Paradise"... so, I picked Hairspray... and, it was a really fun show. Kelly LOVED it... and, well... I don't think I have the capacity to "LOVE" a musical... but it was enjoyable.

After that, we checked into our hotel and spent the rest of the night in Times Square... shopping, going into the kitschy stores, people watching, bar-hopping, etc.

Speaking of bar hopping... at the first place we went to, Kelly didn't want to order a drink... finally after I finished a pint of stout (a delightful Oatmeal Stout from a brewpub called Heartland Brewery, I might add), Kelly decided to order a margarita. Anyway, this is the part that cracks me up... at some point (after taking a couple of sips -- and I mean sips)... Kelly says: "Don't tell anyone this... but I'm totally feeling this drink already." And I cracked up... I mean... she only took 2 sips... if you don't believe me... I took a picture of it:

See... I wasn't kidding. Anyway, the hardest part of our evening was not Kelly handling her 2 sips of the margarita.... it was deciding where to go to dinner. We had only one night there and we didn't want to blow it by going to the wrong place. So, right off the bat... all the "chains" were eliminated as we can go to those anytime. Then we eliminated those restaurants that are at every tourist mecca (Planet Hollywood, Hard Rock, etc.). We really wanted a locally run type place with good food that wasn't super uptight. In the end, I think we found the perfect restaurant just off the road from Broadway. It was a little Italian place that was quiet (I guess the chains and touristy places siphoned off the majority of the masses) and allowed us to enjoy a meal together at our own (slow) pace as we reminisced about the last 10 years. It was a good time and a very fitting way to celebrate a decade of Kelly putting up with me.

All in all... such a great time.... I'm excited for what the next 10 years of our life together will bring. We don't know what highs and lows await... but there is no one I would rather share those moments with than Kelly. One day when Kelly and I are old and decrepid and I'm recovering from another broken hip... I'm sure we'll recall with great fondness our many fine moments together....and our trip to New York City on our 10th anniversary will certainly be among them. For your viewing enjoyment, the rest of the pictures are posted here.

A Great Non-Sermon Sermon

I have heard too many sermons over the years to count. Though I pick up little things here and there and apply them to my life, the vast majority of them I don't remember. Every now and then, a sermon will de delivered that stays with me for the rest of my life.... though it may sound cliche... a truly life changing sermon. Well, a few weeks ago, I had the privilege of hearing one of those sermons. What's different, now, however... is that thanks to the Internet revolution, I can share it with friends.... So, friends (especially if you're a guy).... if you have a few minutes to spare... please, listen to this sermon.... it's just so sincere and so hearfelt (and, thus... so blog-worth) and made me (1) want to be a better father (2) be a better man and (3) made me more fully appreciate and value my own father. So, click here to view... you won't be disappointed.

50 Random Thoughts

Not much going on... well, not much worth putting into words. We went to visit my parents last weekend and that was cool... pictures are to your right... but, other than that, not much. So, I thought I'd just post some random "stream of conscience" thoughts (50, to be exact)... here they are.. in no particular order:

1. I googled my own name today... does that make me vane?
2. I spent 1/2 an hour trying to get the picture slide show (the aforementioned pictures to your right) to work correctly the other day. I'm not very computer savvy.
3. I'm never sure how to spell savvy. Is it savvy or saavy?
4. I wear size 11 shoes.
5. Kelly recently told me to throw away my gray Redskins t-shirt.
6. I will never throw away my gray Redskins t-shirt.
7. Kelly told me a few years ago to throw away my gray boxers that I wore on our wedding day.
8. I didn't throw them away... vowing that I would never throw away my gray boxers.
9. My gray boxers magically disappeared a few years ago, shortly after Kelly told me to get rid of them and I refused.
10. Before they disappeared, my gray boxers were full of holes and the waistband didn't really hold anymore.
11. I'm secretly glad I don't have to wear those things anymore... I really am better off buying new undergarments on occasion.
12. That's why it's good to be married.
13. In my office at work, I have a view of the 11th fairway of the Lansdowne Golf Course.
14. I used to work in a barn that was converted to office space.
15. The barn was cool, but I like my office better now.
16. I have a picture of me and (Supreme Court Justice and hero to Conservatives) Clarence Thomas in my office.
17. When I used to see pictures hanging on the wall of people I knew with famous people, I always assumed they were great friends.
18. Clarence Thomas and I are not great friends.
19. I met him once at some event and since he's one of my "heroes"... I elbowed my way to the front to get my picture with him.
20. I'm never "star struck", but once I got up there... I couldn't think of anything substantive to say to him. I mumbled something and turned and said "cheese"...
21. It was my "I carried a watermelon" moment... but I don't care.... because I've got a picture of me and Clarence Thomas hanging on my wall... like we're old drinking buddies or something.
22. Some guilty TV viewing pleasures include a lot of "Reality TV"... such as: Survivor, Big Brother, Top Chef, and Hells Kitchen.
23. One year, we watched the entire season of "Bachelorettes in Alaska."
24. We are both now dumber for having watched it.
25. However, nothing brings me viewing enjoyment like "The Office" -- but that doesn't qualify as a "guilty" pleasure because it's brilliant.
26. Kelly, by the way, still likes watching "The Bachelor"...
27. And, I still refuse to watch it.
28. I love Tivo... it spares me having to watch "The Bachelor."
29. Kelly is in love with the "Ellen" Show.
30. And Kelly is in love with Toby Keith.
31. Something tells me that Toby Keith is not in love with Ellen (and vice versa).
32. I married an amazing woman.
33. I really hate formulaic romantic comedies.
34. But, I really enjoy "Sleepless in Seattle".. don't tell anyone.
35. I love what the Dad tells Dr. Marsha Fieldstone when she asks him to tell her about his late wife.
36. He says: "Well, it was a million tiny little things that, when you added them all up, they meant we were supposed to be together... and I knew it. I knew it the very first time I touched her. It was like coming home... only to no home I'd ever known... I was just taking her hand to help her out of a car and I knew." Me too.
37. Kelly makes the bed with Egyptian cotton sheets and sometimes with flannel. I know, as a man, I should prefer the flannel.... but... I like the Egyptian cotton ones much better.
38. One of my favorite simple pleasures in life was a cup of good coffee with dessert.
39. Since my little heart thing, coffee is off limits. Woe is me.
40. I hate when people wallow in self pity... a lot.
41. Does that make me heartless?
42. I will probably watch "So you think you can Dance?" this summer.
43. That's a lie. I will watch "So you think you can Dance?" this summer.
44. I'm trying really hard to get to 50 random thoughts....
45. It's harder than you think.
46. I owned 4 microscopes when I was a kid.
47. Umm... and I was proud of them.
48. What a NERD!
49. You know you had a microscope, too.
50. Well, that's 50.... see you later.