Tag...am I it?

Okay...I know that it has been a long time since I have posted. What can I say? I'm sure one of the things below will cover the reasons. Anyway, I was driving to work this morning and my wife asked me when the last time was I read my sil blog. It had been a couple weeks. Anyway, she proceeds to tell me that I've been tagged. Normally, I don't play along, but I thought this one was informative...so I'm deciding to play along. :)

By the way, in case you didn't pick it up...my sil tagged me.

1. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
2. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
3. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
4. Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them they're tagged, and to read your blog.

Off and away...

1. I was the fourth generation of my family to be born in WV. Sadly...my kids weren't the fifth.

2. Recently, I discovered I no longer have any hobbies. I am either working or hanging out with the family.

3. Growing up I wanted to be a church minister.

4. I have never tried any unprescribed drug or cigarette and haven't had a drink of alcohol since I turned 21.

5. I play the lotto twice a week every week.

6. I love to read and watch true crime stories...especially about the mafia.

7. If I can beat you at something, I cannot LET you win. Sorry kids!

8. My mother says after my second date (in high school) I knew I wanted to marry my wife...it was actually the first. I've been giving thanks everyday since.

Tagged your it...if you read this...start typing.

Oh Captain my Captain

I know most of you know L. He is the cutest three year old there is. He is also the worlds youngest pirate. Everday when I come home from work, I get to have a sword fight. Not just for fun either, because the boy is really swinging. Last week, he got my hand so well that I thought he broke a bone.

Yesterday, B & D gave him a toy hook and I got to fight against a swinging sword and a hook slashing at me. I wonder what's next?

The Soccer Game

Yesterday, my little Ms. M had her first soccer game. Well...it was supposed to be a soccer game except the other team's coach deciding running in the local marathon was more important, so it was simply an intra squad scrimmage.

Now today, little Ms. M wakes up and tells H and I that her little legs hurt. No wonder! She ran like crazy out there!! Except when she was twirling her pigtails and watching the soccer ball roll past her. But that was all toward the end when she was worn out.

She kept running over to me and asking if she was doing well...which of course she was. Then I'd get a, "Daddy...(heavy breathing)....I'm thirsty." So, I'd give her a little water and then she'd go sit with her team on the bench. No goals scored by her, but her goal is to get one more than E did when she played. That will be a tall tall order since E got a grand total of zero. I'll keep you updated.

I have returned

I know, it's been over a month since my last post. And I want to thank those of you that stopped me in my daily life to ask me where I have been. For those of you that don't know...I've been working...and working...and working. Mostly at my nine to five gig, but also at being Daddy.

I had forgotten over the last several months of trying to do two jobs at my nine to five job, what it is like to just have one of those responsibilities. I have a new direct report who took over my old position and it has been a real blessing. I still do work from home, but it is back to normal. I can go sign on after H has gone to work or everyone has gone sleep. I don't have to walk right in the door and hop back on the pc.

So...for the last few weeks, I've just been working on myself a little. Getting back to what I have been calling Justin organized. Not so dishelved that I felt like the world was spinning on a new axis. It's just been nice.

The Divine Ms. M

Yes, I have one of my own too. Mine is precocious, and sweet, a handful, a bundle of laughs, and a pleaser. The last part is what worries me as she gets older.

Earlier this week, Idol was on and I went into the living room to watch with the kids. E asked me a couple of times what I thought about a particular singer. I noticed that every opinion I gave M agreed. So then a few minutes later I asked her if she like the person...she said, "Daddy, what do you think?". I said, "I'm not sure. What do you think?" "Hmm...I don't like it.", she says. "Oh...I do like it M.". "Yeah...me too!"

I try to explain to her that she can have her own opinion. That she doesn't have to agree just because I tell her I like it. I tell her the only person she has to make happy is herself.

I'm going to keep my fingers crossed that she will realize this before puberty!!

I've run out of time

There just is not enough time in the day. If you have not already heard it through the grapevine, I was promoted a few weeks ago. It has been a long time in coming, but it is finally here.

Since that time, I have traveled to Tallahassee two times...next week will be the third. H and I have been like ships passing in the night, because she's been working quite a bit herself.

It's one of those things where I don't feel like I'm really giving anyone the time they need. I was sitting staring at H yesterday at dinner. I didn't really realize that I was doing that, but when she looked at me, she asked, "What". "I just miss you!", I said. The other night when she was at work I was on the computer doing work stuff and L comes up to me and says, "Daddy...I miss you when you in Tallahassee. You not going to Tallahassee tomorrow". "No Buddy, but next week I will". "Oh...Well I miss you next week when you in Tallahassee".

Here he is now..."Daddy...can I help you" He's helping me write this blog, by sitting over my shoulder.

Same thing at work...I don't feel like my staff is getting much...if any of my time. If I'm not in Tallahassee, then I'm in my office with the door shut on a call or in a meeting, or trying to set up interviews, or I'm breezing through the department off to another meeting.

And lastly, I haven't exercised in a week. I know...but I do it virtually everyday. So, what happened yesterday? Migraine. The worst one in the last two years...and the first one in six months. I still have affects from it today.

The bottom line of it is this. Every once in a while, I forget what it means to take time for myself and enjoy my time with the kids, with the staff, with my blogger, with my exercising and with the wife. Then my body in the way it likes to do, says....STOP!!

Today will be spent recuperating from yesterday. Building block towers with L. Playing catch and dodge ball with M. And spending some good quality H time...perhaps doing adult things, but you never know. :)

H liked that...you never know....she repeats. She says adult things like doing a cross word puzzle? We might become crossed, but it won't be on words. That one got me hit.

So...with that...I bid you a farewell until I return again.

It never goes away

I have finally come to the conclusion that the loss of a loved one never goes away. A few years ago, when my grandfather died; I was there by his side when he took his last breath. Moments before, he started to have tears run down his face as he gasped for air...then he was gone.

I still remember it vividly. I was shaken tremendously after he died. It took me the better part of two years to get to the point of when I was alone that I did not think about his last moments or wonder how death will be for my parents and other loved ones. Tonight though I was watching Grey's Anatomy on Tivo. Late in the show, George's father is taken off of his vent and is about to take his last gasps of air. As the music begins to play, I fast forward through the scene and H asks what I'm doing. I tell her I don't want to watch someone die. She reminds me that they are just actors and that its not real, but as I sit there thinking how familiar it all is to me and I start to get a strange feeling inside as I start to have tears go down my face and I realize as much as people say the pain will go away....it never does.

You do think about it less frequently, but it never really goes away!