Kid in School

In honor of my mom (who is so determined to give my brother and I equal treatment that she counts the number of pictures of each of us displayed in her house to make sure the number is exactly the same) I will follow up my previous entry about Lucas with this entry about Tori.

On Monday, Tori starts Kindergarten. Tonight we're going to the open house at her school to meet her teacher. My reaction: "WEIRD, WEIRD, WEIRD, WEIRD."

Having a baby or a toddler is one thing. Seeing your first kid now in school, wow, that's quite another.

I'll be alright, though. In fact, you can come by the old folks home and visit me any time you like.

Three Months Old Today

Lucas was born three months ago today. He has changed a ton over the past few weeks. He looks more mature, he makes more mature noises, and he smiles a ton.

Last night Rebekah and I looked at the pictures of him from the hospital when he was hooked up to all the machines. What a difference three months makes. I was too close to the situation to be totally freaked out then, but looking back, that was a frightening time. These are happier days.

The Ocean

Over the past seven days, the Ocean has breathed life back into my soul. (Of course, travelling with a five-year-old and a newborn has drained some of the life back out, but I think I'm still running on a fuller tank than I was a week ago.)

Oceanside's Beach is now one of my favories. I spent this past weekend there with Jim, Nicole, Keith, Maren, Samantha, Alicia, Summer, Joseph, Rebekah, Tori, and Lucas. (No, that's not us in the photo.) It comes in second only to the beach at Marco Island, Florida on my list so far.

Rebekah, Tori, Lucas, and I spent the five days before that at Mission Bay in San Diego. It was 99% a great and relaxing experience, and it was 1% "travelling with little kids" (did I mention that earlier?). I'd do it again with them in a heartbeat (well, mabye more like in five years).

Travelling, like the ocean, is in my soul. Over the past fifteen years, I have spent countless days and nights on the road for both business and pleasure. No matter whether the trip is stressful or blissful, I always come back with a better perspective on life and peace in my soul. I think I need the distraction of travel to snap me out of the routine of daily life. Maybe more so than the average person.

I didn't read or think much on this trip. That's unusual for me. I had no earth-shattering revelations on this trip. Instead, I had rest and fun. Not all bad.