Pinch punch first day of the month

That title comes from my father-in-law, who in turn passed it on to the wife. She now tries every month on the 1st to pinch-punch all of us first in the morning. This is where you pinch and then punch the person first in the day and then say "No Returns." That means no one can "pinch punch you back!" There used to be serious competition between us when we were a bit younger. I kept a paper journal during the years and can even now go back to each 1st day of the month and see who won. I remember one successful year of mine: score me 10 wife 2. There were chases, screams, and even serious hiding that went on during these days. Now the wife has passed it onto the boys and they are totally into it. The oldest has a tizzy-fit if he doesn't get it first. The youngest is always trying hard, and manages now to get the wife in the morning. The middle boy just saunters around trying hard not to get pinched, and somehow always wins. (That might have to do with both the wife and I being middle children and knowing how it feels!) So this morning no one is up yet and I am plotting my way to victory. I know I can get the wife in the morning by bringing her coffee and waking her up, but that is so passe now. More intricate maneuvers need to be concocted. I'll let you know who wins in my next blog.....but I'm pretty sure it'll be the middle child yet again!

Last Day

Tomorrow I start my new position at the school I work at. It has been a long time coming to work to this place. Over 20 years working with children and education. I know it will be rewarding, but my biggest fear is the idea that I'll miss the children a lot. There is something about getting the excited butterflies on the night before the first day of school. There is something rewarding about seeing a student realize how to do a 2-digit multiplication problem. There is something wonderful about laughing in a group of 23 about the silliest things. Only once before did I take a position where I didn't have the same children in my care for 6 hours a day. It was weird and the adjustment never really took place. I know that was over 10 years ago now, but I still feel that not having that will be the hardest part. That and the organziation piece of it. Even the wife pointed that out. I usually start something gung-ho and then don't finish it. I can't do that now as most of my job description will be to think about how to complete projects. So, now I am offically an administrator (assistant director if I might add!) and it feels the same only pays better!

Newly painted

I can't believe how wonderful a new coat of paint looks and also changes your view of something. After doing the windows, it was clear that painting the house made sense. It took us a week or so but we found a wonderful painter named Jose Guitterez. He is reasonable and thoughtful and does a great job for the price. He is hopefully going to finish today or Monday at the latest. He has done the whole outside, including the garage door, the three doors and the black door screens. Wow! What a difference it makes. Now of course, there is more to do. It is clear that we should re-do our front walkway and put a fence/gate in on the driveway. So the spending continues. It is truely the first spending we've done on the house in a big way since we bought the place 10 years ago and did some initial work. I can tell you now, our house would sell so much more quickly now then it would have only a week ago. That is testament to the paint job.

Finishing Off

It's clear that trying each day to write is still not working. I guess that is part of the process. When you feel like there is something to write, then write it. I know that the house is beginning to chill out after an intense school year. It is non-stop in our house, what with meetings, music lessons, eating out and socialization. But as of today, we are starting to decompress, even if only for a week. Next week we start a short summer program at the wife's preschool. It will only run Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday's. But if this heat keeps up, it will many hours of staying inside. Today it is already in the 80's and only just going on 8 a.m. There is a warm wind, which causes so many fires in the region. Hopefully not today! Our youngest son had his birthday yesterday and is becoming so old in our eyes. What a lovely boy he is. So funny and so loving. His favorite activity to do is to "chub" cheeks. This action entailes him coming up to you with an open hand and placing just the finger section of his hand on your cheek. This is done in a repetitive motion once on your cheek. It is random and can happen at any time. So we've rightly named it "chubbing the cheek." Of course this does get him into trouble with his older brothers!

More Thinking

Blogger ettiquete is probably one that you don't harbor on about the same topic for two nights, but my head is still thinking about last nights topic. We had a nice Father's Day today. The wife and I went on a hike, the boys made me a cool picture frame and the letter J, and we went to a friends house for lunch and a chat. Yet I still can't get the father-in-law out of my head. I think about the times he and I sat early in the mornings while his wife woke up and my wife slept in. We sat in his front room as the sun broke through the clouds and talked about the boys, about his daughter (the wife to you) and then much about Manchester United. That was his team, ever since he was young. My father-in-law would know any player, any fact, and any goal scored against any opposing team (especially Liverpool) and even the minute the goal was scored. I learned so much from him, but one thing that stands out is how much I love Manchester United now. I can't wait to watch them play. I can't wait to see how they do. This year they won the double: their league and then also the most coveted award: European Championship. I know the father-in-law was cheering from above and laughing all the way to Liverpool. He was a devoted fan, and has made me one too. I know the team made sure to capture both titles in honor of him.

A Father's Day to Remember

Tomorrow is Father's Day, a day that should be one to celebrate, and yet I am thinking a lot about my father-in-law. He passed away only four months ago and I still haven't come to terms with it...and if I haven't, you can imagine how much the wife hasn't! He was the wife's life. They were like nothing I've ever seen in my long amount of years. They could read each other's mind. They could sit and hold hands and not talk all day and there would be this feeling like everything was right in the world. They could joke and laugh and sing and chat and moan and digress into a pretend musical world and everything was right in the world. They could be 6000 miles away and be right next to each other in mind and spirit. Everything that the wife did and still does filters through her dad. He was truly a spirit that could lift the corners of the universe. He was able to show you that one person could make you feel like you were the most important person in their life. I only got 17 years of him, the wife 41 short ones. It doesn't feel fair to be writing that it wasn't enough, and yet it wasn't. He was the truest person I ever met and feel blessed that I knew him. Although it is Father's Day tomorrow, my wish is to let my father-in-law send the wife a message that all is well and that he feels the boys, mine and most importantly the wife's love always and forever.

Pretty Well Finished

As the wife gets ready for her year end school party/graduation/father's day...not a small undertaking if you ask me, I am done with my school for the year. I have to say I really enjoyed this class. They were kind, considerate, and funny to boot. Not easy adjectives to describe a class nowadays. Anywhooo...as I write this I think about the amazing job the wife has done over the past two years. She set up her own school from scratch and had a wonderful set of parents, many of them who are moving on after today's party. Actually the one set who reads this is her biggest supporter in everything she does. The wife decided to open her own pre-school after many many years of working with children. She felt that the school she had been working at was not measuring up any more and also (and rightfully) acknowledged that she was a main attraction to the program. So after a change in the director, she licensed our house and began hearing much interest from families not too happy with the old school. After a fretful summer of getting everything together (and as stated above the biggest fans doing an incredible make over of our garage) she held an open house. It rocked and by the time the evening was over, she had so much interest, that she had a waiting list already. Keeping the size of the school to a very limited number and having an assistant to work with, she has established what I would consider the best pre-school in the valley. Without a doubt she understands child development and realizes how unique and special each child is. One of kind if you ask me! So today she celebrates 2 wonderful years of running her own school and she can't be more humble about it.