Monthly Archives: January 2013
Dear Sam,
Happy Birthday, shining star in my life!
Dear Sam,
You turned 8 last night at 7:27pm, here in the Naval Base hospital, in Bremerton. I have told you for a couple years now that being #1 is a hard job. I bet you’re starting to agree, but you were Divinely created to be up for the challenge of teaching me how to be a good mom. I am trying! I am so thankful to be your mom. There are so many reasons why, but let’s just talk about today.
Today you are still sick – you have a nasty cold that would stop most people in their tracks. Yet you continue building domino structures with more than 700 pieces requiring hours of concentration and careful, steady hands. You play hard on your birthday with 8 other boys, learning to use map and compass, build an Eagle’s nest to keep an injured buddy warm off the ground while awaiting help (we had a really interesting party for you based on navigation, survival skills and lost-proofing all appropriate to 8 yr old guys who imagine they’re on an epic adventure fit for an 18 yr old). It was really fun, and there were many activities all culminating in a treasure hunt at your school which required reading maps and running all over the campus for whistles, ponchos, hand warmers and pencils. The guys had a grand time. Today you swam a 500 yard warm-up in swim practice after getting there early to work on your breaststroke. Then you did several more laps after the warm-up, totaling about 1/2 mile. You know that you are not the fastest swimmer, yet you never let it bother you. It seems you’re comfortable knowing they’re mostly several years older than you and have been swimming for years (swimming is huge here because the aquatic center is a warm, bright refuge during months of grey). You ask good questions, clarify lap vs length, speak up for yourself when you need better instruction, and race to do your cool-down walk around the pool so that the other kids don’t have to wait long to get back in. You are just one hard worker – in fact, when I stop to think about it, your work ethic is rather unusual. Other kids found reasons to fuss with their goggles at every length end. Not you. You kept going, and you got less rest than anyone else because they got to rest up while they waited for you. Then off you went again. You never complain and when you’re changing to go home, you say it was fine, no problem. I am learning not to worry about you. You are so solid, inside and out.
In other areas you’re so far ahead, no one can figure out how to keep you challenged. Your thirst for knowledge is insatiable. You were in a real mania
Look at your happy face, seeking the steepest cliff you could ride that saucer off!
today, in fact, jumping from dominoes to drawing a T4 phage from your college biology book (no kidding – do you remember buying it on base in Hawaii for 52 cents? It is so heavy you could barely carry it!). Those T4 phages are pretty cool looking, aren’t they? Like a space ship – their tetrahedron shape is other-worldly, with 6 little “legs” which they use to land on a cell and inject their DNA. You quizzed Ben on the numbers 11, 12, 13, 14 (I had no idea he could write those! Thanks, Sam!) and then drew him a Googleplex, complete with how many zeroes? We even did some fifth grade math today (I brief myself at night once a week so I can keep up with what they cover in the new Common Core curriculum scope and sequence). You understood the concepts quickly – mixed fractions, improper fractions, converting between fractions and decimals, creating equivalent fractions with factoring. You are so easy to teach and such a joy to share time with that I am learning to stop being resentful of the glass ceilings at school and be much more appreciative of the fact that God has given me a unique opportunity to remain relevant to you. Yes, I will still work on behalf of all kids like you so that school remains a place of growth even in their strong subjects, but you and I will remain the team that we always have been, bushwhacking our own way forward. For that I am profoundly grateful.
Sam, you are one incredible man already. I am so anxious to fast-forward and see what happens in your life, and at the same time I don’t want another minute to go by without being sure you know how special you are. I can’t wait until tomorrow morning. Yes, I’ll read this to you and cry, unable to finish. Thankfully you can read now, very well!
I love you, my son.
– mommy
Burns Night festivities
ODE TO A HAGGIS
Fair fa’ your honest, sonsie face,
Great Chieftan o’ the Puddin-race!
Aboon them a’ ye tak your place,
Painch, tripe, or thairm:
Weel are ye wordy of a grace
As lang’s my arm
CLICK THIS PHOTO FOR PICTURES...Matt had just awakened after a long night on duty down at Fort Lewis - he and Melodie came to celebrate Burns Night even though this was duty weekend. Poor guy! Matt did a great job tossing the caber to kick off the festivities.
The groaning trencher there ye fill,
Your hurdies like a distant hill,
You pin wad help to mend a mill
In time o’need
While thro’ your pores the dews distil
Like amber bead
His knife see Rustic-labour dight,
An’ cut you up wi’ ready slight,
Trenching your gushing entrails bright
Like onie ditch;
And then, O what a glorious sight,
Warm-reeking, rich!
Then, horn for horn they stretch an’ strive,
Deil tak the hindmost, on they drive,
Till a’ their weel-swall’d kytes belyve
Are bent like drums;
Then auld Guidman, maist like to rive
Bethankit hums
Is there that owre his French ragout,
Or olio that wad staw a sow,
Or fricassee wad mak her spew
Wi’ perfect sconner,
Looks down wi’ sneering, scornfu’ view
On sic a dinner?
Ben Emerson won the first round of the caber toss! He also manned the fire while I was up to mischief, hiding coconuts in Hemlock trees and things...thanks, Ben! Well done!
Poor devil! see him owre his trash,
As feckless as a wither’d rash
His spindle-shank a guid whip-lash,
His nieve a nit;
Thro’ bluidy flood or field to dash,
O how unfit!
But mark the Rustic, haggis-fed,
The trembling earth resounds his tread,
Clap in his walie nieve a blade,
He’ll mak it whissle;
An’ legs, an’ arms an’ heads will sned,
Like taps o’ thrissle
Here's April - founding member of the A team - back from Hawaii and living in WA now! It was SO much fun having her back. She is a hoot - trying both SPAM and haggis in one festive evening! Love you, April!
Ye pow’rs wha mak mankind your care,
An’ dish them out their bill o’fare,
Auld Scotland wants nae skinking ware
That jaups in luggies;
But, if ye wish her gratefu’ pray’r,
Gie her a Haggis!
blue and white awesomeness!
Sam couldn't get enough of the saucering, picking the steepest "cliffs" so he could get max velocity and even some air. I loved it, too! I am a screamer, though, much to the family's embarrassment!
We chanced heading up to Hurricane Ridge today given the road was open at least – we got turned away two weeks ago with Steve was visiting because the lot had filled up already. With 45 degree weather, sun and clear roads we figured we’d get turned away again but just had to try. We were lucky – we got a spot!!! Sooooo beautiful! Ang – reminds me of a romp we did up there in the tiny car, which was nearly out of gas, and Sam along for the ride as a baby. Where was Dave? Josh? What were we thinking??? We had a beautiful day, too, as I recall. And another time we were up there on a sunny day with Dad and Grammie shortly after Sam was born. So nice to be back again!!! It was totally socked in from the Pacific Coast to Snoqualmie Pass – lots of low fog. We climbed a few hundred feet and here’s what the world looked like. Enjoy!
Is he 4? Or 14? So cool. 🙂
Missing Uncle Steve…but we’re still up to no good!
Uncle Steve loved to mess with the boys while he was here, and they sure loved it! Here is Ben in the “bird cage”! We soon got Sam in there and covered it up – that is supposed to make birds go quiet. Having a big strong man around during the day to mess with the boys (while I was working, writing papers and such) sure made it a very interesting and boisterous house! We have so many funny memories.
Here are a couple things Steve always said, which we find ourselves saying all the time…
“Ahoy there!”
“How was school, Sam? Gooood?”
“You kids like stickers? Ah know ah do!”
“STOOOOOP!”
We miss you, Uncle Steve! Miss all of your humor, wit, insights into the world around us, your quiet browsing on your laptop at the table, bringing new farmer friends over, homemade pizza to die for, fires that are robust AND a work of art, and more Beatles documentaries (and Miles Davis) than one man should have ever endured. “HEY! My friends call me whiskers, becuz ah’m a worrier!” (that is a funny SNL episode – Harry Carray).
We have been reading about Shakespeare in another really great Landmark Series book – Will Shakespeare and The Globe Theater. The boys have been captivated. They started acting out the fall of Caesar – with me, and baseball bats, out on the driveway, in the dark and cold, after playing football. They didn’t care that they were falling down and lying in the gravel. It has been so fun to watch them. Ben has a very natural way of dying – he oozes down, one leg lingering in the air, then flops to his side, motionless. He won’t come to, either. But Sam figured out how to make him come alive – he tickles his cheek! Sam is very different when he dies – very calculated, deliberate hands reaching back, ensuring it won’t hurt. Ben totally commits – he’s closer to the ground, after all. When Sam pretended to be Caesar and said “Et tu, Brute?” it sounded like he was laughing. It was really hard for him to find a last gasping breath sort of voice. When they are a bit at each other at the end of the day, it is very interesting to watch the chemistry totally change when they act. We brought it inside tonight to show Dad, who Sam suggested be Mark Antony. Enjoy this video…
This is The Globe Theatre – in sand. Click to see video of the fall of Caesar by Ben and Sam.
3, 2, 1… ROCKET LAUNCH!
Uncle Steve enjoyed building and launching rockets when he was a kid, so we are very thankful to have this time with him and the incredible fun of launching rockets! If you look closely you can see the fire coming out of the tail (one of the videos has a slow-mo version embedded). Sam and Steve spent a couple days building the two rockets together, then we were afforded a day with sun and little wind (cold, though!) AND Dave off of work so we could go to the park and launch. Enjoy!
Holiday closing ceremonies
Holiday closing ceremonies - burning the gorgeous Christmas tree in the company of good friends. Ben loved the festivities, and now Neil is out chopping up the tree so we can keep feeding it. That is his gorgeous fiance in the foreground. Edie is a Scot so she totally understood the allure of fire time. Nice to have company, AND a new friend! 🙂 New pictures from December AND January are up in the album.
CLICK HERE FOR DECEMBER’s PICTURES.