I Don't Like Pain

This isn't about me and pain, its about the boys. It is interesting to observe children and pain. If they fall down while having fun it typically isn't a big deal. Having to endure planned pain, look out.

The first born is 10 and a few months back it was discovered he had a big wart on the bottom of each foot. He went to the regular doctor a couple times for the scraping and liquid nitrogen treatment. Every night we put some serious living tissue killing ointment on it for like 3 months. So it is time for Dad to do some surgery. After screaming and yelling and sweating while not touching his feet for about a half hour, I finally do a little trimming. A week later after the medicine does its job it is time for more surgery. After 10 minutes of cajoling he does the surgery. Upon discovering it doesn't hurt much and the fun of picking he digs the whole wart off of each foot. A couple days later we clean up the aftermath and no more warts. That half hour of trying to convince was unbelievably emotional.

So last night the 6 year old complains that his toe hurts. Upon inspection after a couple minutes of convincing it looks like the beginnings of an in-grown toenail. So he starts into the screaming and kicking and crying (real tears) and sweating from the trauma of it all. So mom say she will hold him and he can squeeze her hands while dad does the surgery. He's not convinced and demands we call the doctor to make sure the hand sqeezing will help. The ultimate push over the edge is to explain what the doctor will do to his toe nail if it becomes in-grown. So amidst kicking and crying dad does the minor dig the corner out. After which he immediately stops crying upon realizing it wasn't so bad.

The mind is a serious enemy. We had this same thing occur with climbing into the tree house. This is the kid that taught himself to do flips on the trampoline at age 3. He's worried about being 12 feet off of the ground! Pain and fears are interesting things to observe children working through. It makes being a parent stressful and comical. DMP

Vocabulary Evolution

If one steps back and reflects upon the changes their vocabulary has changed through the years it is an interesting study. The word choices for un-mentionables change with life phases. Here are a few of the stages:

1. The family you grew up with as a child.

2. Your school days (parallel vocab away from family).

3. Left the house and on your own.

4. Just a married couple.

5. Your own children.

6. A grandparent.

I am in phase 5. You don't say the "S" word, meaning stupid or shutup. The "H" word is hate. Poop has become "stinkers." Pull-up diapers have become "night timers" to allow kids to be more grown up. Boobs are "bumps."

Some comments on the other phases. For a period of time during phase 2 I could have been mistaken for a sailer or a construction worker. Phase 1 was very conservative. Phase 4 had the cute terms of endearment. Phase 6 is yet to come about and is at least 12 years ago. The things we do... DMP

Happy Gooey Hearts Day

Sixteen years ago today in a college town far away a young Engineering student proposed to a young Biology major in their favorite eatery. Whoa was that a butterflys in the stomach day. Through thick and thin, lose and win, boy 1 and boy 2, 3 houses, several dogs, and a cat or two we come to V-day 2006. We agreed this morning that we done right. Most others would have given up the fight.

Happy V-day all. "Love the one you're with." DMP

39th B-day - Is it a good thing?

Going to the source of most knowledge good and bad (www)here are a few snippits.

- Wow, I’m still alive! By reaching 39, I’ve outlived Jesus, John
Candy, Marilyn Monroe, and Natalie Wood (uh, check on the actual age when she
slipped off that boat. I’m guessing 38). Suddenly, I felt a surge of positive
adrenaline, enough to shake off the covers and start my day!

- But I gotta tell you, 40 is the new 25.

There isn't any really juicy stuff relating to 39. As a young person looking up 39 is the edge of the abyss. Looking at it while living it, 39 doesn't seem so old. Looking at it, standing way back, it is the mid point of one's life. That makes me feel tired. The first half was a challenge. I guess I just have to settle in for the long haul and be happy where I am at.

I think I need to start planning my mid life crisis. I have my hot rod project, my herd of goats, and a nice family. I'm not sure how goats fit into the mid life crisis... With my half-life's worth of experiences and knowledge, the best is to be satisfied with what, who and where you have.

My wife and boys just called and sang birthday songs to me. That sums it up. DMP

Sideburns Are Not Cool

I was a kid in the '70s. I was there when sideburns were hip. I have seen attempts, on people today, at sideburns as a fashionable patch of facial hair. Anyone who knows me knows that I am not against facial hair. I follow the 6 on/6 off concept where my beard is concerned. But sideburns were not cool in the '70s and they are even worse today.

A prime example of what I am talking about is a balding young fellow I saw recently had sideburns down to the bottom of his ears. If you are balding don't compensate by sprouting bushy growth where-ever else you are capable. Burns are bad. I have spoken. DMP