A Student of the Month

Almost two weeks ago, a letter arrived in the mail.  A letter from the boy’s school. 

Sigh… Here we go again…. What is it this time?

When the Mother of Five opened the letter, she started reading it aloud (I was driving).  We were delighted to discover that #2 of 5 was chosen as one of the school’s “Students of the Month” for February!

Unfortunately, the letter also asked us to keep it secret (which is why you had not heard of this prior to today).  With #3 of 5 in the car, and having heard the letter – we swore him to secrecy. 

Today was the ceremony.  Parents were asked to show up in school, and hide in one of the classrooms until the gymnasium was filled with students.  Then the parents are brought in and sat down.  Students that were selected have no idea that they are about to be called.

Each “student of the month” is introduced not by name, but instead by a small paragraph about themselves (each student in the school is asked to write one when school year started).  When it came time for #2 of 5’s name to be called, this is what we heard.

Our third student of the month for the 8th grade was born in Burnsville on August 22, to proud parents Father of Five and Mother of Five.  

He has 4 siblings, #3 of 5, #4 of 5, #5 of 5, and #1 of 5.  He has 3 cats (Mimi, Moe, and Miley). His favorite food is pizza, and his favorite TV show is Mythbusters. He likes just about any music group or singer, and Adam Sandler is his favorite actor. In school, his favorite subject is history, and his favorite time of the day is lunch, but make sure you don't leave any chewed gum around him, because the sight of it irritates him.

His favorite sport is basketball, and when he's not in school he likes to play basketball, go skateboarding, play video games, and shop at Zummiz. He also likes to read his favorite books, which are the Harry Potter series, and he likes to play the game Risk.

His favorite quote is "Never give up," which he didn't, because he achieved his goal for the school year of getting student of the month. His plans after school are to go to college, and his dream vacation would be to take a trip to Peru.  His hero is Batman, because he's awesome.

This student says he is student of the month material because he likes to try his best. His three wishes for the world are to stop the wars, stop pollution, and stop racism. Please join me in congratulating our February student of the month, #2 of 5!

Along with the award, the above photo is placed in a trophy case, predominantly displayed in the school during the month of March.  He also was awarded a Whopper Value Meal coupon from Burger King, a coupon for two complementary soft drinks from Marcus Theaters, and a coupon for one free cookie from our local Subway store!

As a bonus… He was truly surprised because he could not see us enter the gymnasium from where he was seated! 

Reclaiming my space

One thing about living in Minnesota is how eagerly we anticipate, and appreciate being able to spend time outside again after a long winter. 

While winter in Minnesota is hardly what I would call complete (it’s widely held belief  that March is the snowiest month of the year) – the snow that we still may get will not stick around as long as the snow we received in December.  Some of the snow we received in December is still sitting on my deck…. Or WAS still sitting on my deck…

Last week we shoveled a little path from the door to the grill so we could BBQ (for the first time since… About November),  but that was not enough!  What happened was in the area where we shoveled, it had melted enough where I could actually see the DECK SURFACE!!  That made me bound and determined to take a little more of .

While using a meteorologically delightful day to take down our Christmas lights and decorations – I decided I wanted a little more of MY space back from Mother Nature! 

So, for the first time since December (I had kept the deck shoveled until then – but finally gave up) my deck is finally OPEN!   (I have no furniture out there yet though…) 

I am thinking of bringing my Adirondack chair back out just so I can say I am able to sit on my deck!!

Just watch out for the staircase…   It is still snow and ice covered (and yes, Bill, it is still missing a few 2x2’s)!

Still a work in progress…

I would call it 95% complete.  The first of the “About” pages is complete. 

Between the header and the title of this post are several “about” pages.  Click on “The Father of Five” link.  I have also started (with a recent photo) #2 of 5’s page.  You can check that out too! 

My heart skipped a beat this morning

My very good friend Lisa (from Many Things Do Not Fly) has been away on vacation.  Because of some complicated circumstances of that vacation, I have been following her Facebook updates closely, and commenting regularly. 

 

Then, this morning, I heard the news of the earthquake (and tsunami warnings) in Chile.  I did some quick news searches on line and saw that the epicenter was "WAY TO CLOSE" (apx 200 miles) to where she was staying (and aftershocks that were significantly closer)... Immediately, my mind started flashing to images of Haiti, and other recent natural disasters.

 

I (without hesitation) called her husband (who I awoke from sleep) hoping to hear good news - and thankfully, I did! 

 

Lisa is safe, and unhurt.  They had been able to communicate via text messaging. 

 

I do feel a little bad for calling him so early this morning - I had not considered the possibility that he was up, and communicating (or trying to communicate) with Lisa.  For that I feel pretty bad, but yet I am (very) thankful that he did take my call...

 

Please keep Lisa in your thoughts and prayers - for both success in her attempts to locate passage home, and her safety during that ordeal.

 

Once she is safe and sound back in the US, I will be eager to see / read / and hear her first hand stories of this tragedy - but again, I won't worry about that until she is safely back home. 

Transformations

For the first time in - um... well, I am not sure - but in all likelihood for the first time since they boys became Boy Scouts, I gathered up their uniforms, broke out their (formal) sashes, updated their patches, then cleaned and pressed all aspects of their uniforms.  They (the uniforms) looked GREAT! 

I did this because a few days ago, the Jordan Cub Scouts celebrated their "Crossing Over" ceremony, and that (formal) ceremony involves the Jordan Boy Scouts.

You hear all about "hockey moms" or "sports dads" (which I am not) - but I certainly consider myself a "Scout Dad".  I was never a Scout myself - something I still regret.  I am not a Scoutmaster, or even an Assistant Scout Master (which I would LOVE to do if it was not for my inconsistent work schedule).  I do involve myself  with my boy's troop as much as I can afford to.  I am fortunate enough to be able to share in their Scouting experiences.

The "Crossing Over" ceremony involves the young Cub Scouts on one side of a small wooden bridge with their parents, and the (older) Boy Scouts and their Scoutmaster on the other.  As the ceremony progresses, the parents remove the Cub Scout "colors" from their son's uniform, then they send him over the bridge where he is met by the Boy Scouts.  The Boy Scouts stand behind the candidate - then place the new Boy Scout "colors" on his uniform and give him his new Boy Scout Handbook - signifying his transformation from a Cub Scout into a Boy Scout, and the acceptance of the new Boy Scout into their Troop.   It's all very symbolic of a little boy becoming an older boy - and taking his first steps into manhood. 

As I watched this ceremony (as I have many times previously),
I really began wondering where the time has gone.

 

 

 

You see, #2 of 5 is only a few requirements away from earning the rank of "Life Scout".  As a Life Scout, #2 of 5 begins his preparation for becoming an Eagle Scout (The next rank following Life Scout).

 

 

 

 

 

#3 of 5 is right on his heels, and is only waiting for the next "Court of Honor" ceremony to officially be promoted to "Star Scout".  He is already working on some of the Merit Badge requirements needed to earning his "Life Scout"...  If I am lucky, I will be having two Eagle Scouts in my house in the next couple of years.  That also means that my boys are growing up... and (way too) quickly. 

 

 

 

 

As I watched the ceremony, it was the first time I really noticed how young these new Scouts appeared to me - I really noticed the significant age difference between (my) older Scouts and these (new) younger Scouts. 

Yet how can it be, that when I look at my boys, I still seem to see the same little guys I remember sending over the bridge as they took their first steps towards manhood.  When I look at my boys, time seems to have both stood still, and somehow fast-forwarded.

When did my little boys start becoming big boys, and even started taking steps towards becoming men?  

The Mother of Five was right all those years back... Back when I wondered what my boys would be like when they were older, often wishing they were older and doing older boy things.  She warned me to be careful - that it would happen, and all to fast.  I disregarded it as "maternal sentiment" - but now that I am REALLY starting to notice, I can see that she was right. 

Not only was she was right, but now it's too late to go back.

Happy Valentines Day

To be honest with you - Holidays (such as Valentines day) in my eyes are not a big deal.  Oh, I know they are important to the Mother of Five and the rest of the family - so I still try my best to make a "good showing" of the holiday for their sakes, but if the day rolled by with little or no acknowledgment, I doubt I would even notice. 

It is the small acts of kindness, love, and affection that one does for their loved ones throughout the year that (I believe) speak more of "Love" than anything you could do on a single day like "Valentines Day". 

 

It's all about when things get mundane, or stressful - yet you go out of your way to do something nice (a load of laundry, clean up a bathroom, stop at the grocery store when it's out of your way) or the ongoing sacrifices (like working extended shifts when you would rather not - so they do not have to spend as much time away from home working) that speak of true and unconditional love. 

 

I know I may have readers who disagree with me (and that's ok).  Valentines Day is nice to celebrate, but I'd rather receive small acts of kindness and love throughout the year, and forget about the one-a-year commercialized "special" day.  But that is just me.

As we approached Valentines Day this year, I was "prepared".  I had an idea on what I wanted to do, and I even did some of the preparation (shopping) ahead of time (one of our five can verify that, in case you doubt me!).  Then, life started working it's little "magic" on us (like it so often does). 

Basketball, Boy Scouts, dance class, sewing class, work schedules (both mine and my wife's) plus overtime shifts for me...  It's hard enough.  But when you add a sick child, then a second sick child into the mix - you cut back into "family survival mode" - maintaining only the necessary scheduled items.

Like I said, being the "realist" that I am - I was expecting Valentines Day (at least for me) to pass with nothing much more than a Happy Valentines Day wish, a warm embrace, and quick but meaningful kiss (which is EXACTLY what I like - A "perfect" Valentines gift in my book!) - after all, the Mother of Five works a shift today, and not only do I work my regular shift - I am working an extended overtime shift as well.  I am gone from 6am (when I leave for work) until 6:45 pm (when I return from work).

 

That was until low and behold, this morning (around 5:45am)  while  getting ready for work.  I went to the basement refrigerator to grab a soda (like I do everyday), when I noticed a little something "extra" in the fridge!

 

I grabbed my "Valentines day gift" (which put a big smile on my face) and headed back up to leave for work.  I then noticed a little note taped to the garage door!  The note wished me a happy Valentines Day, and told me to check both the refrigerator (which I had already done) and the freezer! 

 

The freezer?  What could be in there that I wanted?? 

 

I almost passed up going back down because I suspected an "ice cream treat" of some sort (which I would share with my wonderful wife later), but since it was Valentines day (and she went to the trouble to surprise me) I went down and checked.

 

My second surprise literally fell out of the freezer, and into my hands!

 

By now, I was smiling big!  This wonderful wife of mine had made my day!  So, packing up all my "stuff" for work, I headed out to my car - where (for a third time) I saw another surprise waiting for me on my dashboard!

 

It sure isn't grandiose or earth shattering by any stretch of the imagination - but I tell you what - It sure made my day!

 

Thank you Mother of Five!  You are the without a doubt the best wife I could have ever asked for!  You put smiles on my face, and for that I love you so very much!  Happy Valentines day!

 

 

 

 

A post almost seven years in the making

We built our house eleven years ago.  One of the “features” of the house Moen brand faucets.  Having spent just short of ten years working in a hardware store, and was familiar with (or I thought I was familiar with) the quality of Moen brand faucets.

Over the next three years, I had three failures of the kitchen faucet, one failure of the shower faucet, and one failure of the tub faucet.

Moen’s customer service has been GREAT.  All faucets were covered under their (extensive) warrantee, so it was only a matter of calling them up, and ordering the part at no cost.  Shipping was even covered!

The tub problem was that the faucet’s plastic handle cracked and broke.  To use the tub, I would have had to run out and buy a new handle, or order one for replacement.  By this time, I think I was on a first name basis with Moen’s Customer service, so I just called up and ordered a new one.

In the mean time, I broke out the trusty vice grip and continued using the tub.

Through a series of mishaps (needing a new stem because vice grip stripped the stem, multiple occurrences of misplaced parts, and (let’s be honest here) a severe case of procrastination)  days turned into weeks.  Weeks, turned into months.  Months turned into years.  (Yup folks… Years (plural))  More that six to be exact.

During Christmas, a family friend (who had moved to California) had come over.  She had not been to our house in four years.  After coming out of our bathroom, she jokingly teased me about the vice grip tub faucet handle…This motivated me to finally get this job done!  I promised her that next time she came, the tub facet would be repaired…

Not long after Christmas, the Mother of Five found the part I had misplaced!!  Huzzah!  I could finally repair the tub faucet!  After a couple of attempts to do so failed (because the washing machine was running, the dishwasher was running, the tub was needed) I finally had a day I could do it!! 

Moen faucets have a cartridge insert.  Replacing the cartridge is supposed to be only a matter of pulling out a pin and sliding out the old cartridge…  “Supposed to be” is the key phrase here folks… 

Murphy’s Law – An old saying that means "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong".  I think at times, Murphy wrote that law – JUST FOR ME!

I gathered up the tools needed, and began the process.  Vice grip removed with only a minor setback in that the inner workings had rusted together over the past “way too many” years.

Before long the vice grip was off, and I pulled the pin that held the stem in place… Now (I told myself) – I just need to “pop” the old stem out and push the new one in place!

Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha!!

Pull, and pull, and twist, and twist, and tug, and tug, and turn, and turn, and… Well you get the idea… I even hopped up on the little ledge, and tugged at the thing with ALL my might, it would not budge, until… 

>>POP<<  -  The stem busted off…  Sigh…

Now I had NOTHING to grip to get the old stem out.  Over the next couple of hours,  I had to carefully (did not want to scratch the inner brass liner that housed the stem) poke, prod, and chisel the old stem out of it’s housing.  It was a painfully excruciating and daunting task, But in the end, I was triumphant over the old stem.

Busting the old piece out (bit by bit) did eventually work, but it created a set of it’s own little problems.  As I dug my way down through the stem (and as the little bits broke off) some of the tiniest pieces fell down the inlets into the faucet, and back into the pipes of the house.  If I did not get them out of there before installing the new stem, they would get caught, and block water going to the valve.

You can see the inlet in the photo (with the red arrow).  Tiny pieces (like in the photo on the upper left) fell into two of the little slots.  To get the bits out, I had to fabricate a plastic “waterfalls” that would prevent water from going where I did not want it to go, then turn the water on (unrestricted - without the valve in place) so the water pressure would “blow” the bits out of the lines. 

Since “Murphy” and his law were growing tired of me – This portion of the project went very well!

Once the lines were cleaned, and the valve box dry, I had to use some emery cloth to remove as much of the mineral deposits (green in the photo to the left) from the housing.

The new stem installed pretty easily, but the stem holder (pin) did give me a bit of a struggle.  I ended up chipping a bathroom tile while tapping the pin back in place (Thankfully the chipped tile is under the cowling and not visible). 

I installed the replacement handle, and for the first time in just about seven years, laid my eyes upon the bathtub faucet as looked eleven years ago!  New!  Pristine!  Shiny and sparkling! 

With fingers crossed, I turned the water supply to the house back on, bled air out of the water pipes, and turned on the tub faucet.  NO LEAKS!  Works as well as it did the day we moved in the house, except…

The Hot and Cold were reversed!!

Since we lived with a vice grip for a faucet handle for the past (almost) seven years – We can put up with reversed hot and cold… at least for a while! 

Be sure to stop back sometime in the next seven years and ask me if my tub faucet is still running hot water from the cold setting, and cold water from the hot setting! 

Oh, and on a positive note!  I only lost one screwdriver down the hole where the faucet goes through the tile.  It’s about a two foot drop, and the hole is too thin for even the tiniest arms.  If you are ever in need of a small thin (and slightly warn) slotted screwdriver – I know where you can find one!

(All photos are click-able for larger views)

Housekeeping

…and I do not mean cleaning our house…

Earlier today I discovered Blogger has started a new product (in Beta) called “Pages”.  It’s one of the features that other blogging providers have offered that I wanted to see here in Blogger.

I quickly added the feature (as you can see right below my header…)  I removed “The Cast and Crew” from the sidebar and I added separate and special pages for “Father of Five”, “Mother of Five”, “#1 of 5”, “#2 of 5”, “#3 of 5”, “#4 of 5”, “#5 of 5”, and “Blogroll”.

For now, each of the pages has the info that was previously listed in the sidebar.  Over the next couple of weeks, I plan on dedicating some time to a special page for each of us…  Maybe a photo and my observations of  what makes that member of the family unique in their own special way!

I also removed the link to my blogroll from my sidebar and gave it a permanent page.  When I copied the info over, it was obvious to me that my blogroll was very outdated and is also in need of some updating. 

As I complete each of the pages, I will be sure to sent out an update to let you know.  In the mean time, I’ll be doing some other miscellaneous “housekeeping” here…  (Mostly in the sidebar)

Changed Plans

Saturday was supposed to be a day of ice fishing goodness.

Our local Boy Scout District (Rolling Hills District), sponsors an annual ice fishing derby.  In previous years, we have attended (LINK), and after managing to get the day off of work, I planned on attending.

When I brought it up to the boys, #2 of 5 told me he was not interested in going.  I’m not going to say I wasn’t a little disappointed, but he is 14 years old now, and starting to show signs of independence, and individualism. 

Yet another reminder to those of you who have children younger than mine…  Enjoy the time you have with them – it does not last forever.  You blink, and the next thing you know they are walking around with earphone in, listening to music you have never heard of, and looking at you like you were an alien from another planet when you ask them if they want to do something with you.

Anyway, after #2 of 5 told me he was not interested in sitting out in the cold, on an upside down five-gallon pail, trying to catch fish through an eight inch hole in two feet thick lake ice, his brother #3 of 5 told me that HE was STILL interested in going.  Not only was #3 of 5 interested in going, #4 of 5 (my 9 year old daughter) piped in and said she would like to go in #2 of 5’s place!

Hmmm… I lost one, kept a second, and added a third.  Two minus one, plus one.  I was still going with two of my brood.  That’s what a blackjack player would call a “push” – and I can live with that!

I also got the “Father of the Father of five” interested in going!

But then, we got the news…

Last fall #2 of 5 expressed interest in applying for a position with the Boy Scouts.  He was interested in becoming a summer camp “Councilor in Training” (or CIT for short).  The word got to us that his application was accepted, and that he was scheduled for an interview!  This would be his very first “interview”.  What a wonderful experience. 

The bad news was that his interview was DURING the fishing derby… 

So, like any good Father of Five would do, I pouted to myself, put on my happy face and took #2 of 5 to his very first interview!

Actually, it was not half bad.  In fact, it was a lot of fun.  It was a chance for me to spend some one-on-one time with him (which is getting harder and harder to do, and opportunities are getting fewer and further between).  Plus, once we finished the interview, we stopped at Chili’s for lunch, and shot the breeze for a good hour.  Nothing special – just hanging out and visiting.

From what I was able to ascertain, the interview went pretty well.  We will hear back in about a month weather or not he gets chosen.

Postcrossing

A little of a month ago, I brought up something new I had stumbled upon while surfing the world wide web.  It is called Postcrossing. 

For more info on Postcrossing, and how I found out about it, see my PREVIOUS POST. 

As of today, I have been involved in a total of five “Postcrossings”
(Five from various categories – sent, received, or “in transit”)

I have sent three postcards (Two have arrived and been registered, while one is still in transit)and have received two.

I have sent postcards to the following locations (links to the postcard’s page)  Finland, Ukraine, and Belarus.

When I first signed up for Postcrossing, I went out and bought a dozen “Minnesota” post cards.  They are not exactly what I wanted to send out, but they represented a little something about where the postcard’s journey began.

================

I have also received two post cards (and will receive a third, once my “in transit” card arrives and is registered).  Both cards I have received are from Germany (and not too far apart either!)

Neuss and Cologne Germany.

Here is a copy of my Postcrossing account map.  The pink lines represent SENT postcards (that have arrived and have been registered on the site) while the blue line(s) represent cards I have RECEIVED.  (It only looks like one line because the two cards I received were from separate sources so close it LOOKS like I have only been sent one card).

So far, the kids have been LOVING this!!  They love the idea of postcards coming from all over the world, and #4 of 5 is studying Germany in school right now – so she brought my postcards in and explained Postcrossing to the class!!

If you are interested in finding out more, please click through to the postcrossing.com website – or check out my Postcrossing profile HERE

Show Me Where YOU Blog!

 

Since “Best Bud Ed” was coming over to my house this morning, I cleaned up the “disaster area” that is USUALLY our computer desk.  When I was done, I stepped back, gazed upon my workspace – and began wondering about everyone else’s.

Call it creepy, or a tad bit voyeuristic – but I often wonder what type of setting the creative minds behind many of the blogs I enjoy work in or at.

So – I’ll start it off here.

Here is where the magic of “The Life of a Father of Five” happens. 

Where does the magic of YOUR blog happen?

 

For the record…  It does not “always” look this neat…  
And by “It does not ‘always’ look this neat”, I mean it RARELY looks this neat…

I Have a Theory

Often times elementary, junior high, and high schools have “theme days”…   A week where the kids all dress  in a different theme each day of the week.  Hawaiian day, Super Hero day, silly hat day, backwards day, or twins day.

Our little school is not immune to these fun little shenanigans.  In fact, because the kids wear uniforms, a day to dress “out of uniform” is likely to be more meaningful, and more anticipated than their public school counterparts.

“Catholic Schools Week” begins next week.  To be honest with you – I do not know the “theme” behind each of the days – with the exception of one particular day… 

Dress like a twin day.

Two (or more – as in triplets, quadruplets, quintuplets, sextuplets, septuplets, or octuplets) all dress alike. 

Both #4 of 5 and #5 of 5 have been working with their friends (i.e. the parents have been working together) to find outfits that match.  Since this is next to impossible – the parents have been talking about going out and finding inexpensive matching shirts.

Over the past two days, both my daughters have come home with cute shirts that one of the parents has gone out and located matching shirts for the whole group (thankfully, in both cases, the shirts have been from the clearance racks – which is where we usually shop) 

As I looked at my daughters new shirts (bought for “Dress like a twin day”) I realized that in once instance a group of 4 shirts were bought, and in the other, a group of 3 shirts were bought.  Seven shirts – all on clearance – and that was just from two groups of girls…

How many other schools have “Dress like a twin day” – and of all the schools having a “Dress like a twin day” – how many groups of girls (lets be honest here… How many 8-15 year old boys want to “Dress like a twin”???) how many groups of girls are buying groups of the same shirt?

That’s when the conspiracist voice within me starts whispering (and I start listening)…

I am pretty sure that department stores lobby the schools to host “Theme Days” to rid themselves of closeout clothing stock that is not selling.

They know that parents of large groups of kids will be out shopping for a bunch of the same shirts (at the lowest cost possible) for “Dress like a twin day”.

Think about that for a minute… It does not just stop at “Dress like a twin day”…  What about silly hat day (to get rid of the worst hats that no one else would buy), “Mismatch Day”, “Crazy Clothing day”, and who can forget Hawaiian day (Hawaiian shirts… need I say more?)

If you do not hear from me in the next 48-72 hours, call the police… I may have been “quieted” by the Department store closeout rack lobbyists… They are a silent but POWERFUL force – not to be messed with – and I think I may have just crossed the line by “outing” their dirty little secret!

I Finally Did It

Ever since I started "The Life of a Father of Five" (and even before), I have marveled at some of the AMAZING layouts of a few of the blogs I regularly visit.  A few of them even having their own "domain" name!

 

I started  "The Life of a Father of Five" on Blogger.  It is free, and full of the features that I wanted.  I knew nothing of HTML (and still know precious little), but because Blogger has such an easy to use format generator, and a built in post editor I did not need to know much HTML.  Blogger even allows you to choose a portion of your URL...  I say "a portion" because you will still have the "blogspot.com" on the end of the URL.

 

For a couple of years now, I have wanted to scoop up the domain www.father-of-five.com.  Despite finding a few other "father of five's" out there (in various other combinations) the one that matched MY blogspot.com URL was still available.

 

A little over a month ago, I finally did it.  I "bit the bullet" and scooped up www.father-of-five.com as my very own! 

 

The night I "purchased" it (more on that in a little bit) I was so excited - I started the conversion over at that very moment.  I do not know if it was because I was tired (I was still working overnights), excited (for actually getting the domain) or both - but the conversion was unsuccessful.  I followed the directions over, and just could not get it to work.  Since I owned the domain, I just pulled the plug on the project, and told myself I'd get to it in a little bit.

 

I pay approximately 0.85 (eighty five cents) per month for the domain...  So even if I could not get it running, I was not out too much to keep it my own.  Who knows what the future holds, eh?

 

Well, a couple of nights ago (just for the heck-of-it) I sat down and just started fiddling with the domain, and the blog again...  Immediately I noticed one tiny step I forgot and my excitement was rejuvenate!  - less than fifteen minutes later...

WWW.FATHER-OF-FIVE.COM came to life! 

Since the blog is still HOSTED at blogger.com, those of you who have book marked the old www.father-of-five.blogspot.com link can rest assured that your link will continue to work!  There is a "patch" in place that will send you from the blogspot.com domain to the "blogspotless" domain!  If you use an RSS feed in your readers to keep up, rest assured that your feed will continue to work!

 

I have also added RSS Feed buttons (one for posts and one for comments) in my sidebar for anyone who is interested.

 

Thanks friends and readers!  While I maintain FOF for my kids, it's you all that keep me coming back, and make maintaining FOF as much fun as it has been (and I hope continues to) be!

Test Post

Testing my feed.

Heritage? Throwback? Dublin?

While walking through my local Target store the other day, something caught my eye… Something I had not seen before.  HERITAGE DR. PEPPER. 

Heritage Dr. Pepper is one of three sodas also known as “Throwback” sodas that Pepsi has released on a temporary basis.  Throwback Pepsi, Throwback Mountain Dew, and Throwback Dr. Pepper.

The Heritage Dr. Pepper looked SIMILAR to something I had seen or read about MANY TIMES before…

(Like THIS EXAMPLE, and THIS ONE, and THIS ONE, and THIS ONE, and THIS ONE…  I think you get the idea!)

Had I actually stumbled across “The Good Stuff”, “The Nectar of the Gods”, “The Holy Grail of Soda Pop” (as I have heard it referred to over and over again)?? 

It was too close a coincidence to not even try it, so I shelled out the extra $$ this 12 pack cost me (compared to a “Regular” Dr. Pepper), and headed home with a mind whirling with the possibility!

“Heritage” Dr. Pepper is made with pure cane sugar (like Dublin Dr. Pepper) as opposed to the High Fructose Corn Syrup that most (if not all “common” soda is made with nowadays (and that includes the “regular” Dr. Pepper))

I could not wait!!  I rushed home and (while the soda was still warm) I cracked one open, and poured it into a glass of ice. 

Immediately, I did noticed a “slight” difference in taste.  I could not tell if it was stronger flavorings, a different recipe, or something else.  I drank half the can in a glass with ice, and took the other half of the can with me to go pick up #2 of 5 from basketball.

I subsequently forgot about the soda in the drink holder in my car.

The next morning as I got into my car to head to work, I was pleasantly surprised to find the Heritage Dr. Pepper still sitting in the drink holder (and still half full!) calling out to me with it’s sirens song. 

What is even better, is that when a soda is left in a car, in January, in Minnesota, the finder often discovers the beverage either a frozen popsicle, or chilled to the PERFECT temperature.

That morning, it was the latter.  Although no longer carbonated, the Dr. Pepper was chilled to PERFECTION!

(Little known FOF fact…  I do not mind soda that has lost it’s carbonation…  I even prefer it that way sometimes!  I often leave a soda opened in the fridge, sipping at it little by little over several days!)

Drinking the Dr. Pepper on the way to work, I experienced the same flavor as I did drinking it the evening before…  I could not tell if it was stronger flavorings, a different recipe, or something else.  Initially, I assumed the melting ice affected the taste, but in the case of the Minnesota Winter Chilled Dr. Pepper, it was not watered down liked the soda in the glass with ice.

I was looking forward to having another later that day (to try and narrow down the differences) but came home to find almost half the case gone… 

(Downside to having 5 kids…. “Can we have a soda” means half a 12 pack is wiped out!)

So, like any good father would do, I snatched up the remaining Dr. Pepper, and locked it in the trunk of my car.  (So the kids wont drink too much soda, thereby harming their teeth… Right??  That’s what a good dad would do… Huh?  Someone??? ANYONE???)

I have not partaken in another Heritage Dr. Pepper yet…  I am going to try and spread them out a bit…

In the mean time though, I started doing some internet searching, and discovered (to my dismay) that while the Heritage Dr. Pepper is different than the “run of the mill” Dr. Pepper (example, example, example) it is still not the same as “The Good Stuff”, “The Nectar of the Gods”, “The Holy Grail of Soda Pop”…  Dublin Dr. Pepper.

Tonight, the Vikings are in a playoffs.  The Mother of Five has a family football party planned (not something we do here very often…) – I plan another “Heritage Dr. Pepper” tonight during the game.

Watch for an update!

Geography Bee

A couple of weeks ago, #2 of 5 came home with a note from his teacher… 

Being the pessimist that I am, I immediately started thinking of the many ways I am going to have to punish him at home for whatever it was that this note was going to inform me about. 

But… NO, I was pleasantly surprised!

#2 of 5 was one of nine finalists (from a school of 500+ students (grades 5-8)) to have been selected to this year’s Geography Bee!! 

The students took Geography tests, and the top 2 students in grades 5, 6, and 7 along with the top three students (I think there was a tie) from grade 8 all moved on to the Geography Bee.

The sheet also asked each student to answer two “opinion” questions on Geography (as sort of a “bio” for the evening’s program…)

#2 of 5’s questions (and answers) were…

If I could travel anywhere in the world, it would be to: 
Rome.  Because they have many examples of great history there.

I believe that studying geography is important because:
We should know about other places and where they are located.

 

The Geography Bee was held tonight 
(Sorry the pictures turned out so blurry. It was a "low light" environment)

We were there (of course) along with my parents, and my in-laws – to support #2 of 5’s run for the championship.

The questions were tough…  I think I “may have” gotten about half of them (or less) myself.  #2 of 5’s interest and knowledge base of all things History / Geography surprise me from time to time.  I guess all that time letting the History Channel “entertain” him is starting to pay off, huh?

Well, #2 of 5 did not make it as Champion.  He did make it to the “second to the last” round, and he was the last eighth-grader standing as the Bee progressed!

 

 

I am still proud of his accomplishment…  Even though he did not make “champion” – he did finish in the top six students in the whole Junior High, and for that – I just aint gonna complain one iota! 

WAY TO GO #2 of 5!!

The Last First

Many years ago, back when I was in high school (and for the first time in my life high school is starting to feel like it WAS many years ago) I was a fan of the newspaper columns Dear Abby, and Ask Ann Landers.

I do not recall which one of these columns printed a specific letter, but I vividly remember reading it, and how it stuck with me all day.  When I came home from school, I actually CLIPPED the column out of the newspaper (the only time I ever did this), carefully folded it up and stuck it in my wallet.  The clipping was in my wallet for many years, but through too many times falling into a lake or pool, and trips through the washing machine, the article succumbed to the ravages of time.

Over the years (despite the miracle of the internet) I have never been unable to find a copy of that letter.  I do not remember which column it was in.  I do not remember the date.  I do not remember the exact syntax of the letter. 

The letter was written to help remind the readers, to take time to smell the roses.  Yes, that thought applies to everyday life, but in this letter it was specifically about raising children. 

Even back then, I always assumed I would be a father (of five??  Not so sure of that, but a parent non-the-less).  So, even though I do not remember the column, the date, or the syntax, what I do remember, was the message it conveyed…

As parents we frequently celebrate our child’s (or children’s) “firsts”.  The first time our baby rolls over, the first time our baby crawls, the first time our baby eats solid food, our baby’s first steps, the first time our baby says Mommy / Daddy (or their version of the equivalent).  Let’s not forget our camcorders, cameras, photo-albums, and scrap-books which are stuffed with videos and photos and memories of these momentous occasions…  

Yet somewhere along the line, we become complacent.  These events (such as rolling over, crawling, walking, eating solid food, or talking) become mundane.  They become the norm.  Then, we forget about the excitement we once had for these milestones.

As many of these things become everyday occurrences, they because all to easy to overlook as “lasts”… 

Sometimes lasts are a good thing - like that “last” diaper.  (Whoo-hoo!!  No more diapers!!!) 

But other times it’s not so celebratory – like the last time your baby calls you Mommy or Daddy (and you become Mom & Dad, then Ma & Dad, and finally around age 14 or so, they just grunt at you when they want your attention), or the last time your baby crawls, or the last time your baby sits on your lap.   Don’t forget the last time you are able to carry your baby in your arms, or the last time your baby is interested in having you read them a story, or give you a hug or kiss in public.  I use “baby” here, but in many of these instances, your “baby” is no longer a “baby”.

For every first, there is almost always a last.

Yesterday, we achieved one of those lasts.  After 16 years of being married, and five children under our belts, we experienced our last “first lost tooth”. 

Yes, #5 of 5 lost her very first tooth.

While it was exciting, it was (at the very same time) a little sad. 

When the kids were younger (much younger – as infants) I would frequently tell the Mother of Five something along the line of “I can’t wait to see what s/he is going to be like as a toddler”. 

As a toddler I would say  “I can’t wait to see what s/he is going to be like as a pre-schooler”. 

As a pre-schooler, I would say “I wonder what s/he is going to be like as a school-ager”, and

As a school-ager I told myself “I can’t wait to see what s/he is going to be like as a teen ager”…  

The Mother of Five would always caution me as to how fast they will grow up, and how when the time does arrive, I will want to take my wish back.

She used to read a book to the kids when they were younger (although I suspect she was reading it more for herself).  “Love You Forever” by Robert Munsch.  (If you are a parent and have never read this story… DO IT!  Do it for yourself.)

Now that I have an adult (or a close proximity to an adult) and a teen ager (who is everything you think of when you think teen-ager) – Just as the Mother of Five predicted, I am finding myself wondering where the time went…  Wishing I could take that wish back.

I am struggling to remember when #1 of 5 (now 21 years old) or #2 of 5 (now 14 years old) lost their first teeth.  Struggling to remember a time when it seemed like our house would keep the tooth-fairy busy - VERY BUSY - for a very long time! 

I do not get that feeling so much anymore…  The seemingly endless supply of children’s teeth from the FOF compound is showing signs of drying up…  And while it excites me, it also leaves me saddened. 

I often think of my parents (who I take for granted all-to-often) - and how independent a man I have become (which is, in many ways, a good thing – and speaks highly of how they raised me) – but how THEY must have felt as I grew up, and grew independent, and how they may have felt less and less needed – as I am starting to now. 

My solace kicks in (and I have always hoped my parents parents felt solace) when I remind myself even now, as a happy, successful, 40 year old, father of five, husband, and homeowner – that some of the sadness I feel about watching my children grow (or that I suspect my parents may have felt at one point watching my sister and I grow) comes from the signs of future successes yet to come.  The signs that my children are growing  into happy, healthy, well adjusted, and independent adults – just as I have.

 

It reminds me of why I started this blog. 

Why “The Life of a Father of Five” exists today. 

I write to help me remember the “lasts”.

For those of you who are new here, or who have never had the chance to read the inaugural post of “The Life of a Father of Five” (and are interested in doing so) you can find it HERE.

I have my own version of “Love You Forever”.  Harry Chapin’s “Cat’s in the Cradle” is my “Love You Forever”. 

I so seldom listen to this song.  It always brings tears to my eyes… Tears of joy, and tears of sorrow.

It reminds me of the “lasts”.

.

Enjoy the firsts folks… by all means!  But please do not forget to pay attention to the “lasts” too – they can be just as important – just as much a milestone. 

I am going now.  I need to wipe the tears from my eyes.  Thank you for reading.