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I didn't care enough to see just how long it has been since my last post but I do know that it has been quite a while.

So, what has been happening with me and mine?


The 8 month old is now crawling and spending a good amount of time on his feet exploring what it is to stand. He is such a happy boy that it just makes us want to have more...but we know that every child is different so we can't be naive enough to believe that the next one will be just like the last.

The 4 year old is now also certainly developing more in his personality. He is anxious about school and actually does very well for his age. He has his own interest in getting involved, partly because he sees older sister doing it and partly because he likes his own personal challenge. He can be a challenge but more often than not, when I look into his eyes I can only imagine that I am seeing myself when I was younger. I know that visually there are enough resemblances to know for sure that we are of the same tree but there is also just as much personality to reflect it as well.

The 6 year old is getting ever so older and bigger each day. She is progressing in school. Sometimes it seems like a little bit more of a challenge with her but she eventually breaks through and climbs to a new level. Her math is coming along really well. What she may take a while to learn really sticks once it is in her mind. She is also reading at a higher level now than she was even a few months ago. She is also so very helpful with the baby. She loves to carry him around and play with him. She is a big help.

Right now as I sit here typing this little entry the older 2 kids are watching Dr. Seuss's Horton Hears A Who. I am really beginning to see that the Dr. is probably more of a genius than I ever gave credit to. I am probably not the first to acknowledge this though.

My job is coming along very swimmingly. I can finally say for the first time in a very long time that, even after almost 6 months, I love my job. I get to do a fair amount of travel which is very good for me in more ways than one. Let me count some of the ways:

I love to drive
I love to see differing terrain
I get a chance to distance myself from certain office politics
Time to think
Podcasts
Different schedules each week
Meeting a lot of different people
Working with my hands
Using my mind extensively for problem solving and future planning

I really feel fortunate that I am in a rare position to enjoy my job as much as I do. I know that most people dread going to work each day. I might have trouble getting up each morning but it is usually just because I have been up too late the night before. When I get to work and start in for the day I start to feel energized. [I know my good friend Gary Nebeker would appreciate that aspect]

Speaking of getting energized I have also gotten a formal membership at a fitness center. Anytime Fitness is now my sanctuary of physical activity. My goal is going to be to try and make it there 6 days a week, but even if I only make it 4 or 5 I will be happy.

Christmas is now breathing down our necks. I really like this holiday less and less each year.

From a religious standpoint it is not needed. A minority of Americans follow the Christian tradition of celebrating this day as Jesus' birthday. This is not a mandate that is found in their Bible; it is a cultural choice, but it is treated as though it is sacred. Perhaps it is sacred to the observer but it is only a personal sanctification of the day.

From a worldly standpoint it is silly. People decide that once a year they need to spend tons of money to arbitrarily buy things for people that they don't need. It is as much a commercial holiday than anything else, like Mother's or Father's Day. The day only has meaning because certain people give it meaning. I am thankful to have the day off work but I don't feel as though I really need it.

It snowed again today. Not much but yet another subtle reminder that the cold season is now fully here and there are no signs of it melting away any time soon.

So much for a lame post today; or did I achieve my goal?