Thanksgiving Rant

I try not to be a negative person. I really do, but there are some things in the world that just make me see red. What might make me so agitated that I have to write about it on my blog? you wonder. This. How people are conditioned to skip past Thanksgiving and move right on to Christmas.

For those of you that know me well, Thanksgiving is my favorite time of year. Not only does it happen in the fall (my favorite season), but it also is a holiday that can't be tainted by the commercial garbage that comes along with holidays like the 4th of July, Halloween, and Christmas. It's about giving thanks for the things you have, appreciating everything and everyone, and celebrating that fact with the ones we love. It's an "unselfish" holiday, and I think this is the reason people want to skip past it. They want to get to the "getting" holiday in stead of focus on Thanksgiving, which leads me to my rant.

This year Halloween came and went, and the following day I needed to stop by Target to pick up a few odds and ends. But as I walked into the door, I couldn't help but groan. There in front of me, were gigantic Christmas ornaments hanging from the ceiling. Red, green and silver were everywhere. Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas and celebrating the birth of our Lord Jesus...but only when it's CHRISTMAS TIME! Then, two weeks ago, which was the first week of November, Alli and I are driving back home to our apartment when all of the sudden we see three homes, lit up and fully decorated for Christmas. One even already had a tree up and decorated!

Think of this as a little food for thought.

Starting Christmas too early not only takes the focus off of Thanksgiving, but it also takes the fun and excitement out of Christmas. In my opinion, having to wait to decorate and open up all those Christmas boxes we have stored away for the year makes me appreciate them more because I only see them for one month out of the year. By doing so, it helps me really focus on giving thanks for my family, friends, and everything God has provided for us. So this year, keep the Christmas decorations in their boxes until after Thanksgiving. That way we can completely focus on what we are supposed to really be doing...GIVING THANKS.

The Flame

A little while ago, I was approached by Dania at our church if I would be interested in helping her write a short play for church.  I didn't know that this would really help me open my eyes to the fact that I am really beginning to enjoy writing.  Below is the video of the performance.  We really wanted to show that people need to take advantage of the gifts that God has given them, no matter where they are in their life.  I also had the pleasure of acting in it as well.  Enjoy.

The Crazies Come Out During the Holidays

Alli and I follow a few blogs and sites that are pretty funny, and with Halloween right around the corner it seems as if everyone is out to have some fun. This includes cats, cake makers, and an ewok that really loves Al Roker. Just see for yourself.

For cake madness, click here.

For zombie cats, click here.

And for frisky Ewoks, just check out the video below.

School, Sickness and Stones

What a beginning of the year.  It has definitely started with a bang.  My class is wonderful this year.  A little chatty, but I have yet to see any signs of defiance or any mean students.  But just like every year before, the beginning of the year came crashing down on me.  There's nothing like going from only interacting with a few people a day to having a school full of 600 plus kids that are all sniffling and sneezing.  So it didn't take long before I was feeling ill.  And then on top of that, the first Sunday of the year where I had to play was accompanied with severe back pain.  I honestly thought it was a kidney stone.  I was wondering if I had done something to deserve all of these misfortunes all at the same time.  Luckily, there was no kidney stone, I'm feeling better thanks to the doc, and the year is now sliding into it's groove.  Sheesh! What a beginning of the year.

But every bad thing always has a silver lining.  That silver lining came to me in the form of a song from one of my good friends, Jay McKenney.  It's entitled "Kidney Stone".  You can click here to listen to it.  Enjoy.

My Favorite

Through the summer, there has been a ton of pic of Clark...so many that I have to refrain from putting them all on the blog. But as the summer comes to a close, I have found my favorite. There's nothing like a boy and his dad both looking handsome for the camera at the Oregon Zoo.

An Unexpected Surprise

The zoo is usually the place where you go to see animals. But not this time. As my family and I were taking a break at one of the many benches in the Portland Zoo, I was busy watching people. But as I scanned the crowd, I came across a familiar face. But I had to be sure it was him before I walked up to him. So I waited to hear his accent. As soon as he opened his mouth and his Irish accent became apparent, I was already up and making a move to introduce myself. But as I got closer, I totally blanked on his name. I knew he was Badger on Firefly, Romo Lampkin on Battlestar, Tanaka on Dollhouse, and I even just recently saw him on an old season one X-Files episode as a pyrokinetic assassin named Bob the caretaker. But what do you say to an actor that you remember his characters and not his name? The answer is anything but "Hey, are you that guy from Battlestar?". But before I could stop myself, that was exactly what I said, to which his answer was yes. My inner fanboy was giggling with glee. He politely introduced himself as Mark Sheppard, introduced his family, and we began talking. He said he was in town shooting "Leverage" and that he was taking a break with his family. I explained that I loved his work on BSG and loved all of his characters. He was so friendly and humble. We talked about BSG, how he missed it, his work as a villain on Burn Notice, and his family. He was even kind enough to take a picture with me. What an awesome guy! I just hope he was the kind of actor that is flattered by people knowing his characters instead of his real name. Oops. Oh well.

Clark's New Obsessions

These last few weeks have really begun to show me that Clark is definitely my son.

Example 1: We've been trying to make him laugh by making odd noises and the only thing that will make him laugh is a fart sound. Typical boy.

Example 2: He loves to play. He also loves variety. Whether it be on his play mat, bouncer, swing, or sitting in his Bumbo, he loves to wiggle and giggle his way through the day.

Example 3: The boys already likes watching TV. But not just any TV. He loves cartoons. So this morning the two of us sat in front of the tele and watched Superman. As you can see, he couldn't keep his eyes off it.

Random Road Trip Moments

Lots of things can happen on a road trip. Some good, some bad. Now that we are done with the first half of our trip, I would like to give out a few awards to places and individuals we encountered on the way to California.

The Cheesiest Road Sign Award: This award goes out to the city of Weed, CA. As you enter the city there is a sign that says, "WEED like to welcome you!" This made both Alli and I groan. Clark, on the other hand, was speechless.

The Super Origami-Man Award: While stopping at a BK in Redding, CA, for lunch, we met a man who had the knack for folding paper. When we sat down he was in the process of making a little girl at the table next to us a T-rex. Then, as he was leaving, he gave Clark the gift of a dollar that had been folded into a tiny little collared shirt. It was so cool! I was totally inspired by this man who used his gift of paper folding to bring a little joy to others around him.

The Coolest Invention Award: Everyone has seen those vending machines that you come across in the bathrooms at truck stops. They dispense everything from aspirin to condoms to fake tattoos. But Alli and I saw a new one. Cologne. This machine had five different spray nozzles that will squirt your choice of imitation scents on you for only a few measly coins. The silliest thing was that in order to get your neck up to the nozzles, most people of average height would have to stand on their tippy toes. Sheer genius!

The Most Thoughtful Train Conductor Award: On the final stretch of road on the way to Fresno, we came across a train crossing our path. Not a problem...usually. With only one and a half train cars left to go, the conductor stopped the train. Just when we thought we were almost there, we had to turn around after waiting 15 minutes. Thanks a bunch, inconsiderate train conductor man!

The Ding-dong-McGee Award: This one goes out to yours truly. We made our first stop of the road trip at the Woodburn outlets, which was only about 45 minutes from our home. Alli pulled out a brand new container of formula for Clark. The tab to open the container broke off as she tried to open it. Without even thinking, I said, "Just hand it to me. I can open it." I pulled out my keys. The sharp edge of a key would be more than enough to pop the top of the container. So I took the key and pushed. Good news, the can was open. Bad news, in my rush to open the container, I opened it a little too hard. With a nice firm push, I pushed the key, and my fist, to the bottom of the can. Formula shot everywhere, coating Clark and the entire backseat of the car with a hefty dose of white powder. Clark stared at me in shock. Alli laughed out loud. And I, not wanting to curse in front of my child, began to spurt out the closest thing possible to what I truly wanted to say. "Ef! Ef, ef, ef, ef, ef, ef, ef!" One hour later, after a good vacuuming and a much needed cool-down period, we made our way to California.

It's Over

Finally, the school year is over. It was good to see the kids go, but as always a little tough to let go of all the kiddies as they go to the next grade. As you can see for yourself, they all turned out great by the end of the year. Don't they all look so smart?

Countdown

The end of the year is usually quite hectic.  The kids get wilder with each passing day.  They also keep track of the days that are left in the year.  Today makes it 3 days left of school.  I can remember making the paper chains and tearing a ring every day until I was down to the last day.  Students still do this today.  But the one thing that the students don't know is that teachers count down the days more than they do.  Man, I can't wait for Friday to be over!  Summertime here we come!