I was reading the blog to Cam at bedtime last night and it's amazing how many fun things I have totally forgotten about. It inspired me to sit down today and chronicle some more minutia. It also made me realize that we may need to destroy the blog in short order before the boys are old enough to really process the content. So, let's just say that the blog is in a precarious point in its existence.
So much has happened. Carter is off to school twice a week, where he seems to bring delight and amusement to all. I know I am completely biased on the matter, but Carter may be the cutest living organism in the history of ever. And he fully realizes this. He has a way of turning on his charm that can get him pretty much anything he wants and leave you feeling good that you were able to supply it for him. I know I've written about this dynamic before, but it bears repeating because it only seems to be getting worse. I think the clearest example of his capacity for mind control exists in his relationship with Meals on Wheels. If you're not familiar with this organization, it's a program that supplies lunches for elderly or disabled people. So every Wednesday - Mindy, Mindy's parents, and Carter set out on their Cedar Park route to drop off lunches. Well, Carter has somehow found a way to transform this venture into year-round trick or treating. Every week he comes back with an assortment of candy. He's received stickers, books, DVDs, and snow globes. I wouldn't be surprised if by the end of the year he had organized a way for everybody to just contribute straight to his college fund. He doesn't ask people for things or carry around the things that people have given him to the next house. He just carries an aura of "I am special and you should bestow upon me gifts." Then he pretends to be ignorant of his powers and asks adorable questions like "why does everybody like to give me things." Carter is sweet and carter is smart. Carter is a major kiss ass. He watches his older brother's attempts at open rebellion and sees them as an opportunity to increase his standing in the familial hierarchy. He waits till the angry sibling has vacated the premises, then he'll cozy up next to you and let you know that he loves you so very much and you are the best parent in the world. It's so pathetically transparent, but it never fails to be effective. It's good to be the youngest. It's good to be Carter.
Cam is also sweet and smart; but they are different. Cam is determined. Cam is strategic. Cam is often serious. Here's a story that embodies Cameron. Shortly before the holidays I volunteered at Cam's school in the Watchdog program. As part of the day, I went to PE with Cam where they were doing the pacer run. The pacer run is a fitness activity where you have to cross the gymnasium in a timed interval. The time interval gets progressively shorter and you keep going until you can't make it across in the time limit. Let's just say that Cam is very serious about the Pacer run. Going into the day he held the individual record for the first graders. While waiting for his turn, a student from another class knocked him off his top spot. And you could just tell by the his facial expressions and nervous energy that this was not going to stand. The most amazing thing to watch about him running was that it was clear from the start that he had a clear game plan and he was going to execute it. While many of the other kids began by sprinting across the gym, he started barely jogging, conserving his energy for the long haul. When the intervals got quicker, he started anticipating the start signal and taking off a little early. By the time it was only him left running, he was basically sprinting across the gym. There was a real rhythm to it and he didn't even slow down or pay attention to the signals anymore; he was in a zone. The best part was he was running in a collared shirt and tie for his Christmas program later that day. And it seemed appropriate, because this boy was putting in work. It was truly inspiring watching him just flat out compete like that. He took back his pacer crown with a few extra laps tacked on. Then he ripped off his button-down shirt and did the Cam Newton Superman celebration. Ok, that last part didn't actually happen. But I like to believe it happened in his heart.
I'll leave you now with a quick story that illustrates the personalities of both boys. While on a road trip to New Mexico over the holidays we were playing the "Would You Rather" game. Mindy posed the question to Cameron that if he were sitting in his quiet classroom at school would he rather accidentally let out a loud burp or a loud fart. Cam laughed at the silliness of the question. He then thought about it for a few moments, carefully weighing which action would cause less embarrassment, before settling on the burp. When Cam had answered, Carter said "ask me" in a tone of voice that managed to both remind me of Don Corleon and make it clear that he was sure everyone was going to enjoy his answer. Then Carter waited for the question to be re-stated, paused poignantly to allow anticipation to grow, and said "both." And there you go... no shame in his game.
Now go to bed boys!
Father
Thursday, February 23, 2017
Monday, August 29, 2016
Graves Family Snapshot, August 2016
Carter's cuteness has reached silly levels. He is well aware of this fact and the powers that it affords him. Sometimes he is very obvious with his behavioral modification techniques. After the parent has acquiesced to his desires he will wait a good amount of time (in order to allow the effect of his charm to grow and appear more sincere) and then hit you with a words of kindness that melt your heart. Other times, he will get you to do his bidding while you have no clue that he has just played you for a fool. You'll do it with a smile and pine for an opportunity to please him again. But the worst part, is when you tell him no. He freezes in a state of shock while his face slowly morphs into the saddest expression in human history. This is followed by 2 to 3 full tears falling silently from his left eye and culminates in the sound I imagine killer whales to make when they are separated from their family. Trust me when I tell you that you do not want to be the cause of this. Just do what he wants. You'll feel a lot better about yourself.
So I know it's not uncommon for preschooler's to be quite obsessive. But it was a little odd when 3-year-old Carter became obsessed with girls. He rooted for girls on TV shows and video games. He carried around a small army of female super heroes wherever he went. He would ask you to tell him stories and sing him songs about Wonder Woman every night. Let me tell you there is only so much that you can rhyme with lasso of truth and bracelets. Things reached really bizarre levels when we left our summer vacation to California with some new biblical action figures. Mindy walked in to find Carter using Wonder Woman to tie up Jesus with the lasso of truth. I'm hopeful that some big theological questions were settled that day. And...I'm pretty sure there has to be some sexual fetish implications later in life. I would say we shall see, but I'm pretty sure that what happens on the invisible plane stays on the invisible plane...
On to Mr. Cameron. He started first grade last week. I remember a year ago and how big a deal it was for him to start school. Now it just feels like old hat. He has done great at school and I am super proud of him. It just feels like he is growing up so quickly. And I feel like we are entering a new stage in our relationship where I get to use him as an excuse to do/buy fun things. Recently, a California buddy and I decided it was time to introduce our children to the world of real video games. So we purchased some Play-Station 4's. But I quickly realized that the world of real video games has had quite a few upgrades since I was in college. I stared at the magical box for about 2 minutes trying to figure out how to put in the game. Then I played my first few games with the controller plugged into the unit, before I realized that it had wireless capabilities. Mind blown. But I quickly got the hang of it and fell back into form. And when Cam wandered out of bed at 3 am one morning and caught me still up playing NBA2k I felt a surge of shame that made me feel truly young again. In all seriousness though, I'm excited for these coming years and getting to re-experience childhood from a new perspective. And in a conversation with Mindy I would typically follow that poignant remark with something subtle like, "you know the new Madden came out last week." See what I did there? But then she caught on and started planning a surprise birthday trip for Cameron to Disneyland. Check mate!
Speaking of aging, it seems that I have definitely passed on my fear of death to both children. Cameron will randomly bemoan the impending demise of Reilly. This is an actual quote from Cam. "One day Reilly will just be running. And then he won't. Because he'll be dead. (loud sobbing, throw self on bed in dramatic fashion, and scene)." And this is all said directly in front of Reilly, while he just stares at Cam with a WTF look on his face. Now Carter has taken up the narrative. He has started peppering Mindy with questions like, "Who is going to be my mommy when you die?" Mindy told me her response to this and it sounded very caring and soothing. She probably should have just said Wonder Woman and been done with it.
So I know it's not uncommon for preschooler's to be quite obsessive. But it was a little odd when 3-year-old Carter became obsessed with girls. He rooted for girls on TV shows and video games. He carried around a small army of female super heroes wherever he went. He would ask you to tell him stories and sing him songs about Wonder Woman every night. Let me tell you there is only so much that you can rhyme with lasso of truth and bracelets. Things reached really bizarre levels when we left our summer vacation to California with some new biblical action figures. Mindy walked in to find Carter using Wonder Woman to tie up Jesus with the lasso of truth. I'm hopeful that some big theological questions were settled that day. And...I'm pretty sure there has to be some sexual fetish implications later in life. I would say we shall see, but I'm pretty sure that what happens on the invisible plane stays on the invisible plane...
On to Mr. Cameron. He started first grade last week. I remember a year ago and how big a deal it was for him to start school. Now it just feels like old hat. He has done great at school and I am super proud of him. It just feels like he is growing up so quickly. And I feel like we are entering a new stage in our relationship where I get to use him as an excuse to do/buy fun things. Recently, a California buddy and I decided it was time to introduce our children to the world of real video games. So we purchased some Play-Station 4's. But I quickly realized that the world of real video games has had quite a few upgrades since I was in college. I stared at the magical box for about 2 minutes trying to figure out how to put in the game. Then I played my first few games with the controller plugged into the unit, before I realized that it had wireless capabilities. Mind blown. But I quickly got the hang of it and fell back into form. And when Cam wandered out of bed at 3 am one morning and caught me still up playing NBA2k I felt a surge of shame that made me feel truly young again. In all seriousness though, I'm excited for these coming years and getting to re-experience childhood from a new perspective. And in a conversation with Mindy I would typically follow that poignant remark with something subtle like, "you know the new Madden came out last week." See what I did there? But then she caught on and started planning a surprise birthday trip for Cameron to Disneyland. Check mate!
Speaking of aging, it seems that I have definitely passed on my fear of death to both children. Cameron will randomly bemoan the impending demise of Reilly. This is an actual quote from Cam. "One day Reilly will just be running. And then he won't. Because he'll be dead. (loud sobbing, throw self on bed in dramatic fashion, and scene)." And this is all said directly in front of Reilly, while he just stares at Cam with a WTF look on his face. Now Carter has taken up the narrative. He has started peppering Mindy with questions like, "Who is going to be my mommy when you die?" Mindy told me her response to this and it sounded very caring and soothing. She probably should have just said Wonder Woman and been done with it.
Wednesday, January 13, 2016
Highlights from Christmas Vacation
1) Life is better when every day holds the real possibility that a shirt will not be necessary. Witnessing Cameron's love for sitting in his boxers playing video games makes me really fear for his success in college.
2) Speaking of video games, Mario Kart was rediscovered. There wasn't a day that went by where the whole family didn't engage in multiple grand prixes. Carter "races" by grabbing a steering wheel and assuming a dictatorial role in what characters and tracks are selected. Then he "steers" his way down the track and takes ownership of all results. Teaming up with Carter on team "Peach" is not something to be taken lightly. What is said if you miss out on the podium will not leave you feeling good about yourself.
3) It was about 2 days into our re-discovery of Mario Kart that I realized that Cam is better than me at the game. I knew the day would come when he would surpass me at just about everything, but I wasn't quite prepared for it to happen at the age of 5. It really is a little humbling when you are trying your best at something and consistently being defeated by someone who is still in a booster seat. So what did I do when I came face-to-face with the demise of my video game dominance? Well, those who know me well know damn well what I did. I alternated between whining about unfair playing conditions and hours of practice until I knocked that little punk off my throne. It took honest analysis of my weaknesses and a willingness to unleash a fury of shells on a Kindergartner, but I am proud to inform you that I am again a welcome member of team Peach. And there may have been a few occasions, early on in my return to glory, where I circled the living room mimicking Peach's victory celebration by blowing kisses in my opponents faces. But that is how we do. And in all seriousness, it is super fun to really compete with Cam. At this point it's pretty back and forth between us, but I shudder to think what will happen when he masters the drift. My hunch is we are not going to be seeing many kiss-filled victory laps for a while again...
4) Carter decided to potty train himself over the break. Such is the way of the second born I suppose. The first one was prodded toward the feat with an array of stickers and anxious encouragement. The second one stepped into the void of our indifference with nonchalant mastery. The dude just decided one day that he was going to henceforth relieve of his waste in the toilet. There you go. My favorite part of the experience is when he started calling the final sprinkle of his urine "raindrops." I've encouraged him to emphasize his catch-phrase with some "Along Came Polly" flair. So, if you here "raindrops" shouted from the vicinity of our bathroom you may want to wipe the toilet seat before you sit down.
5) I wasn't there for this one, but apparently Carter got knocked over by a bigger kid in a Chick-fil-A play area. When they got to the car and Mindy asked more about what happened, Carter declared that the next time they go to Chick-fil-A he's going to "fight that guy." This was then followed by Cam and Carter describing the exact methods of physical violence they were going to perpetrate on this kid. That's right kid, you better watch out because the Graves' boys are coming for you. At least that feels like a good idea from the safety of their mini-van. Maybe a next step in that direction would be a drive-by, where they could roll down the windows and let him hear their empty threats. I'm just saying...
6) Mindy and I spent about 10 minutes arguing about which direction was clock-wise on a ceiling fan. I still have no idea, but am certain I am right.
7) We had a garage sale in which we cleared our house of most of our baby stuff. Cam was super excited about it because he and Carter got to keep the earnings for their college funds. I'm often a little hesitant to get rid stuff, because a lot of things are associated with good memories and my inclination is to hold on. But, I liked the garage sale. It was kind of cool to see the stuff go to people who actually wanted it, rather than just dropping it off at Goodwill or something. And it was a good way to meet new people in our community. Garage sale people have an interesting culture. Most of the stuff we were basically just giving away to the first person who showed interest, but I did try my hand at haggling. My favorite moment is when I got in a heated negotiation over the value of a "dinosaur walker". I really didn't like this guy's general demeanor and wasn't about to part with this prize of toddlerhood for less than $3. But when he walked away unexpectedly from the bargaining table, that left me determined to sell that baby to somebody. The amount of hype that the dinosaur walker received that day was Tebow-esque. It still saddens me greatly that it didn't end up fetching more than $2. Ridiculous. Anyway, at the end of the day Cam and Carter have about 65 more dollars toward supporting their young-adult video game addictions.
Overall, fun was had by all. Monday was a hard day for half of the household as the reality of a return to work/school loomed. But Cam and I will be seeing a lot of each other this Friday as I will be joining him for a parent volunteer day. They have a program at his school where Dad's are encouraged to take on a faux security guard role and patrol the halls of the school. I'm not joking about this. And I am planning on attacking this venture with a Dwight Schrute like intensity. There will be a zero tolerance policy in the halls for student and teachers a like. And I'm excited to blog about my observations that day. In fact, I'm toying with the idea of live-blog from my patrol. But we'll see what happens...
Happy New Year,
Father
2) Speaking of video games, Mario Kart was rediscovered. There wasn't a day that went by where the whole family didn't engage in multiple grand prixes. Carter "races" by grabbing a steering wheel and assuming a dictatorial role in what characters and tracks are selected. Then he "steers" his way down the track and takes ownership of all results. Teaming up with Carter on team "Peach" is not something to be taken lightly. What is said if you miss out on the podium will not leave you feeling good about yourself.
3) It was about 2 days into our re-discovery of Mario Kart that I realized that Cam is better than me at the game. I knew the day would come when he would surpass me at just about everything, but I wasn't quite prepared for it to happen at the age of 5. It really is a little humbling when you are trying your best at something and consistently being defeated by someone who is still in a booster seat. So what did I do when I came face-to-face with the demise of my video game dominance? Well, those who know me well know damn well what I did. I alternated between whining about unfair playing conditions and hours of practice until I knocked that little punk off my throne. It took honest analysis of my weaknesses and a willingness to unleash a fury of shells on a Kindergartner, but I am proud to inform you that I am again a welcome member of team Peach. And there may have been a few occasions, early on in my return to glory, where I circled the living room mimicking Peach's victory celebration by blowing kisses in my opponents faces. But that is how we do. And in all seriousness, it is super fun to really compete with Cam. At this point it's pretty back and forth between us, but I shudder to think what will happen when he masters the drift. My hunch is we are not going to be seeing many kiss-filled victory laps for a while again...
4) Carter decided to potty train himself over the break. Such is the way of the second born I suppose. The first one was prodded toward the feat with an array of stickers and anxious encouragement. The second one stepped into the void of our indifference with nonchalant mastery. The dude just decided one day that he was going to henceforth relieve of his waste in the toilet. There you go. My favorite part of the experience is when he started calling the final sprinkle of his urine "raindrops." I've encouraged him to emphasize his catch-phrase with some "Along Came Polly" flair. So, if you here "raindrops" shouted from the vicinity of our bathroom you may want to wipe the toilet seat before you sit down.
5) I wasn't there for this one, but apparently Carter got knocked over by a bigger kid in a Chick-fil-A play area. When they got to the car and Mindy asked more about what happened, Carter declared that the next time they go to Chick-fil-A he's going to "fight that guy." This was then followed by Cam and Carter describing the exact methods of physical violence they were going to perpetrate on this kid. That's right kid, you better watch out because the Graves' boys are coming for you. At least that feels like a good idea from the safety of their mini-van. Maybe a next step in that direction would be a drive-by, where they could roll down the windows and let him hear their empty threats. I'm just saying...
6) Mindy and I spent about 10 minutes arguing about which direction was clock-wise on a ceiling fan. I still have no idea, but am certain I am right.
7) We had a garage sale in which we cleared our house of most of our baby stuff. Cam was super excited about it because he and Carter got to keep the earnings for their college funds. I'm often a little hesitant to get rid stuff, because a lot of things are associated with good memories and my inclination is to hold on. But, I liked the garage sale. It was kind of cool to see the stuff go to people who actually wanted it, rather than just dropping it off at Goodwill or something. And it was a good way to meet new people in our community. Garage sale people have an interesting culture. Most of the stuff we were basically just giving away to the first person who showed interest, but I did try my hand at haggling. My favorite moment is when I got in a heated negotiation over the value of a "dinosaur walker". I really didn't like this guy's general demeanor and wasn't about to part with this prize of toddlerhood for less than $3. But when he walked away unexpectedly from the bargaining table, that left me determined to sell that baby to somebody. The amount of hype that the dinosaur walker received that day was Tebow-esque. It still saddens me greatly that it didn't end up fetching more than $2. Ridiculous. Anyway, at the end of the day Cam and Carter have about 65 more dollars toward supporting their young-adult video game addictions.
Overall, fun was had by all. Monday was a hard day for half of the household as the reality of a return to work/school loomed. But Cam and I will be seeing a lot of each other this Friday as I will be joining him for a parent volunteer day. They have a program at his school where Dad's are encouraged to take on a faux security guard role and patrol the halls of the school. I'm not joking about this. And I am planning on attacking this venture with a Dwight Schrute like intensity. There will be a zero tolerance policy in the halls for student and teachers a like. And I'm excited to blog about my observations that day. In fact, I'm toying with the idea of live-blog from my patrol. But we'll see what happens...
Happy New Year,
Father
Monday, January 4, 2016
And the second one gets a whole paragragh
Carter has taken to calling me back into his room after his bed time routine to tell me, "sometimes I love you, sometimes I hate you." He says it with a smile, like he knows he's the cutest thing in the world. But I know he's putting me on notice. I better step up my parenting and stop messing with his eternal will or I will be deprived of his charm. It's a pretty effective strategy. And I don't know if a lot of two-year-olds are perpetual trash talkers, but this one is like Gary Payton in his prime. If he wins at something he lets you know. If he loses, he usually still thinks he won and let's you know. He mostly just works with the phrases "I win," "how you like that," and "yeah baby" in various sequences, but he also sprinkles in the occasional "in the face." I'm sure he is socially reinforced for all of this. Things Carter love include: Thomas the train, Peach from Mario Kart, puzzles, and his brother. That little dude adores his brother. He mimics his actions with cult-like fervor. And it seems like the cult mostly consists of rituals involving nudity and/or quests for parental attention. Carter is the sort of kid who is usually down to try new things, as long as those new things aren't food. He's already discovered the art of sarcasm and the power of withholding his affection. He's sweet and cuddly. He's smart and always paying attention. He can go 15 minutes without saying a word and then jump right into the middle of the conversation. He's a great kid. To know Carter is to love him. Unless you are on the losing end of a puzzle race with the little punk...
Tuesday, August 11, 2015
The Last Weeks of a PreSchooler
It's two weeks away and I'm already emotional about Cameron starting Kindergarten. It just feels like the end of an era. The mornings of playing football, building train tracks around the house, and mocking Morton on Mario Kart are going to be whittled down to an unacceptable amount. Cam and I took a father son day this past week where we dominated the pre-school haunts of northern Austin. The day is winding down and we are sitting on the steps of a pool talking about what we are going to grab for dinner on the way home. Cam looks at me in all earnestness and says "I just don't want this day to end." And that's exactly how I feel too. That's how I feel about this Kindergarten thing. It's an ending that we can't avoid. I look at my already too independent son and know that these days will soon be a memory. Never in my life will I know another person the way I knew pre-school Cam. I know the way that dude thinks. And I know in days to come he is going to stop sharing all those thoughts with me. And it makes me overwhelmingly sad. I am positive I will miss these days.
Cam did a soccer camp this past week at the YMCA. Whenever I drop him off at stuff like this I am struck by how little he is. And how brave he is. Cam has always been a pretty anxious and careful kid. And he's never taken separation / goodbyes easily. So I can see the stress in him as he walks into camp. He used to put his hands in his mouth and freeze. Now he takes a big breath and puts his hands on his hips, like a nervous super-hero in an oversized backpack. And he walks straight into this world of chaos by himself. On the first day of camp there is a wrist-band mishap, and he ends up playing volleyball with 9 to 16 year-olds. That night he is giddy. He was befriended by some 12-year-old girls who tell him "he is there new best friend." He said that he looked for them at lunch and couldn't find them. But he "likes sitting by himself." He also has a bag of chips with him, still sealed, that they were given that day. He says that he wasn't able to open it and the counselors told them they needed to do it on their own. I learned that volleyball coaches are hard core about independence in snack consumption.
Cam actually made it to soccer the following day and again comes home super excited. He gleefully told Mindy that he has a surprise for her; he has "found" something at camp. With a big smile on his face he reaches into his backpack and pulls out... red boxer shorts. My son has stolen someone else's underwear and is super fired up about it. He paints himself as more of a scavenger than thief, saying that he found them by his clothes at the swimming pool. But I'm not ruling out the origins of a fetish. And one can only imagine the conversation happening at home from the other side of this transaction. Better to come home with options in the underwear department than none at all.
He took Wednesday off from camp for the father-son day and there are two important things to note here. First, Cameron has basically mastered the game of golf. And when I say mastered, I mean he has already learned how to take an inordinate amount of time to line up his shot, throw his club across the course, threaten to quit while he just keeps playing, conduct dubiously favorable score keeping, and celebrate like a mad-man when he gets a hole in one. There must be something about golf that just intrinsically elicits all of this. There really is no other way to play. Second, even one day of hanging around with pre-teen girls makes you work the phrase "oh my god" into every other sentence. It was like playing putt-putt with the plastics from Mean Girls.
The next two days Cam finished out soccer camp. Friday after camp, Mindy notices another foreign item in his back pack. She cautiously reaches in and pulls out... a medal engraved with "Camper of the Week." Apparently the Y selects one camp member whom they feel has really stood out in a positive way. From the hundreds of kids at this camp they selected our little five year old. I think they made an excellent choice. I know that Cam is a special kid, but most every parent feels that way about their kids. It really makes me so proud and happy that on that day somebody else saw something special in him. I don't know if it was the dual sport talent, the spotty attendance, or the humility displayed by returning dirty stolen boxers; but something stood out. And I guess in all this is the good and the bad of him starting school. However hard it is to say goodbye to these days and let-go some of our control, I'm so excited to see who he is going to become. I'm excited to see how he evolves under the guidance of other people who will provide so many different experiences and perspectives. I think that Cameron is going to flourish out there. So watch out world and keep an eye on your underwear, because Cameron Graves is stepping out.
Cam did a soccer camp this past week at the YMCA. Whenever I drop him off at stuff like this I am struck by how little he is. And how brave he is. Cam has always been a pretty anxious and careful kid. And he's never taken separation / goodbyes easily. So I can see the stress in him as he walks into camp. He used to put his hands in his mouth and freeze. Now he takes a big breath and puts his hands on his hips, like a nervous super-hero in an oversized backpack. And he walks straight into this world of chaos by himself. On the first day of camp there is a wrist-band mishap, and he ends up playing volleyball with 9 to 16 year-olds. That night he is giddy. He was befriended by some 12-year-old girls who tell him "he is there new best friend." He said that he looked for them at lunch and couldn't find them. But he "likes sitting by himself." He also has a bag of chips with him, still sealed, that they were given that day. He says that he wasn't able to open it and the counselors told them they needed to do it on their own. I learned that volleyball coaches are hard core about independence in snack consumption.
Cam actually made it to soccer the following day and again comes home super excited. He gleefully told Mindy that he has a surprise for her; he has "found" something at camp. With a big smile on his face he reaches into his backpack and pulls out... red boxer shorts. My son has stolen someone else's underwear and is super fired up about it. He paints himself as more of a scavenger than thief, saying that he found them by his clothes at the swimming pool. But I'm not ruling out the origins of a fetish. And one can only imagine the conversation happening at home from the other side of this transaction. Better to come home with options in the underwear department than none at all.
He took Wednesday off from camp for the father-son day and there are two important things to note here. First, Cameron has basically mastered the game of golf. And when I say mastered, I mean he has already learned how to take an inordinate amount of time to line up his shot, throw his club across the course, threaten to quit while he just keeps playing, conduct dubiously favorable score keeping, and celebrate like a mad-man when he gets a hole in one. There must be something about golf that just intrinsically elicits all of this. There really is no other way to play. Second, even one day of hanging around with pre-teen girls makes you work the phrase "oh my god" into every other sentence. It was like playing putt-putt with the plastics from Mean Girls.
The next two days Cam finished out soccer camp. Friday after camp, Mindy notices another foreign item in his back pack. She cautiously reaches in and pulls out... a medal engraved with "Camper of the Week." Apparently the Y selects one camp member whom they feel has really stood out in a positive way. From the hundreds of kids at this camp they selected our little five year old. I think they made an excellent choice. I know that Cam is a special kid, but most every parent feels that way about their kids. It really makes me so proud and happy that on that day somebody else saw something special in him. I don't know if it was the dual sport talent, the spotty attendance, or the humility displayed by returning dirty stolen boxers; but something stood out. And I guess in all this is the good and the bad of him starting school. However hard it is to say goodbye to these days and let-go some of our control, I'm so excited to see who he is going to become. I'm excited to see how he evolves under the guidance of other people who will provide so many different experiences and perspectives. I think that Cameron is going to flourish out there. So watch out world and keep an eye on your underwear, because Cameron Graves is stepping out.
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
If you say it, I will blog it...
Sometimes your children can provide you with a clear glimpse of how you are seen by others. I listen to my eldest son chastise his pretend friend "Kiko" on the "phone" about the horrible fantasy football offers he is receiving and I can't help but realize just how cool I really am. It melts my heart to hear him negotiate with such a firm, yet inviting, tone. Kiko has no chance. Nor does his younger brother. Cam has already mastered the art of deniable aggression. The amount of "accidental" toddler assault that occurs in our house is impressive. It's like watching Blake Griffin roam the court of Staples Center. There is a lot of bulling over people accompanied by a blank facial expression. But, if his intentions are questioned, this expression seamlessly morphs into a mix of confusion and outrage. My favorite response from Cam though is when he tries to explain why he just spiked his brother to the floor by stating, "I was just curious what would happened." After all, who would fault such a sweet young man in his sincere quest for knowledge. He cracks me up. Although, I'm not going to lie, sometimes his words can sting. He has a way of trash talking that cuts straight to your core. Let me give you my 3 favorites of recent memory.
1. In a conversation about both of our upcoming birthdays, I ask him if he would rather be turning 5 or 35. Cam: "5, because I'm skinner." Boom.
2. While coloring with Cam, he comments that I am better at staying between the lines than he is. Me: "Well, I'm a grown up so I've had more practice." Cam: "Oh yeah, well you're going to die first." Later that night I made sure to go through his texts with Kiko to make sure he doesn't have any assassination plans.
3. At bedtime one evening Mindy asked him what he wanted for Christmas. Cam: "A new daddy." Dude! WTF? How does one respond to this? I took a page out of his playbook. I pretended I did not hear it and "accidentally" hip-checked him off of the bed. How you be feeling about that weight differential now?!?!
Sometimes I'm thankful that Carter can't speak. Like all great Grave's men he is somewhat delayed in the speech department, so Mindy has been taking him to speech therapy a couple of times a week. But I think she is wrong to be encouraging him. I don't need two of these tiny tyrants ganging up on me. Carter already torments me with his limited sounds. He almost always makes a distinct grunting noise as he is emptying his bowels. That's actually quite nice because it let's us know when he needs to be changed. The issue arises when he replicates this noise while you are changing his diaper and then laughs hysterically at your reaction. Verrrry funny Carter. It's not fun being punked by a 1-year-old.
In other news: Our household is becoming quite accomplished at Mario Kart. Cam just celebrated his 5th birthday in Ninja Warrior Style. Carter is following in his brother's footsteps with his disdain for gym childcare. We are looking forward to a fun spring and summer of getaways - including our annual pilgrimage to So-Cal for the 4th of July. And life (at least the short amount I apparently have left) is good.
Because I said so,
Father
1. In a conversation about both of our upcoming birthdays, I ask him if he would rather be turning 5 or 35. Cam: "5, because I'm skinner." Boom.
2. While coloring with Cam, he comments that I am better at staying between the lines than he is. Me: "Well, I'm a grown up so I've had more practice." Cam: "Oh yeah, well you're going to die first." Later that night I made sure to go through his texts with Kiko to make sure he doesn't have any assassination plans.
3. At bedtime one evening Mindy asked him what he wanted for Christmas. Cam: "A new daddy." Dude! WTF? How does one respond to this? I took a page out of his playbook. I pretended I did not hear it and "accidentally" hip-checked him off of the bed. How you be feeling about that weight differential now?!?!
Sometimes I'm thankful that Carter can't speak. Like all great Grave's men he is somewhat delayed in the speech department, so Mindy has been taking him to speech therapy a couple of times a week. But I think she is wrong to be encouraging him. I don't need two of these tiny tyrants ganging up on me. Carter already torments me with his limited sounds. He almost always makes a distinct grunting noise as he is emptying his bowels. That's actually quite nice because it let's us know when he needs to be changed. The issue arises when he replicates this noise while you are changing his diaper and then laughs hysterically at your reaction. Verrrry funny Carter. It's not fun being punked by a 1-year-old.
In other news: Our household is becoming quite accomplished at Mario Kart. Cam just celebrated his 5th birthday in Ninja Warrior Style. Carter is following in his brother's footsteps with his disdain for gym childcare. We are looking forward to a fun spring and summer of getaways - including our annual pilgrimage to So-Cal for the 4th of July. And life (at least the short amount I apparently have left) is good.
Because I said so,
Father
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
National Graves' Vacation
Let's get right to it. I'll supply you with a word or concept and then fill you in on every thing I've learned about that this summer.
Arkansas: Bill Clinton is a big deal here. People here are so obsessed with merging before a lane closure that it's like having your own 4 mile express lane if you choose to drive like a rational human being. However, the locals do not look kindly on this kind of rational thinking and making the choice to do so may put your life in danger. On another note, this state does not supply their public restrooms with toilet paper.
Best Western Hotels: This establishment sometimes decides to merge its breakfast dining area with a Jacuzzi super store. Using the spa to re-heat your entrée is frowned upon.
Dodger Stadium: Does not condone the consumption of alcoholic beverages in their parking lot. And my powers of speech / self-confidence automatically revert to that of a 13-year-old when I am approached by a bike cop.
Chris Harrison: Throws employees off balconies in fits of power-hungry rage after people have the audacity to refer to him as "just a host."
Mindy Graves: Turns 35 tomorrow. In honor of this event, she has trained our eldest son to refer to her as a "young lady." She is a beautiful young lady. She is obsessed with souvenir magnets and the magnetic attraction between Andi and Josh. She makes pretty much everything in my world better (possible exceptions include my pride in regard to trivia games and my enjoyment of Wes Anderson films).
Billboards in the South: Are awesome. This is a coffee table book waiting to happen. These were the three favorite I remember from our trip. 1) "Human Trafficking is NOT ok." Actually helpful, because I was torn on this issue before I saw the sign. 2) "Use the rod - save your child's life." Our children did not like this one as much. 3) An advertisement for Truck stop / Indian food that stood next to a burnt down building. I wouldn't have thought that those two things would mix well, now I know that they don't.
Southern Californians: Should be required to spend at least one summer day in Atlanta each year before whining about the temperature outside.
Cameron Graves: Is not lacking for self esteem. This week he expressed that he is "the best soccer player of all times" and "never makes mistakes because I am perfect." He is also constantly fine-tuning a comedy routine centered around the word "booty." Mindy does not appreciate his act so much, but I think she's missing the subtly of his genius. My hope is that with the right encouragement he will continue to practice this material on Mindy non-stop until he is the greatest comedian of all times.
Carter Graves: I am often amazed at his ability to know what he wants in life and communicate that so clearly. And he accomplishes this with a vocabulary of 3 words. I have thousands of words at my disposal and struggle with this daily. It should also be noted that Carter is at a stage of adorableness that words cannot describe.
Family: We are blessed with such a generous and loving extended family. I am very thankful that we got to spend time together this summer and look forward to many more summer vacations around the USA.
Mississippi: After our stay at the Motel 6 in Meridian, I was ready to crown it as the worst state in the union. But then I remembered my three days of gambling and pool-hopping in Biloxi, I remembered how the sweet waters of the gulf coast can make a man come alive, I remembered chanting the name of that black jack dealer on the $5 table and drunkenly falling asleep by myself at our hotel diner... and I hate myself for even thinking about putting it in the bottom three. So, you're welcome Arkansas. The honor is still yours.
No, we are not there yet,
Father
Arkansas: Bill Clinton is a big deal here. People here are so obsessed with merging before a lane closure that it's like having your own 4 mile express lane if you choose to drive like a rational human being. However, the locals do not look kindly on this kind of rational thinking and making the choice to do so may put your life in danger. On another note, this state does not supply their public restrooms with toilet paper.
Best Western Hotels: This establishment sometimes decides to merge its breakfast dining area with a Jacuzzi super store. Using the spa to re-heat your entrée is frowned upon.
Dodger Stadium: Does not condone the consumption of alcoholic beverages in their parking lot. And my powers of speech / self-confidence automatically revert to that of a 13-year-old when I am approached by a bike cop.
Chris Harrison: Throws employees off balconies in fits of power-hungry rage after people have the audacity to refer to him as "just a host."
Mindy Graves: Turns 35 tomorrow. In honor of this event, she has trained our eldest son to refer to her as a "young lady." She is a beautiful young lady. She is obsessed with souvenir magnets and the magnetic attraction between Andi and Josh. She makes pretty much everything in my world better (possible exceptions include my pride in regard to trivia games and my enjoyment of Wes Anderson films).
Billboards in the South: Are awesome. This is a coffee table book waiting to happen. These were the three favorite I remember from our trip. 1) "Human Trafficking is NOT ok." Actually helpful, because I was torn on this issue before I saw the sign. 2) "Use the rod - save your child's life." Our children did not like this one as much. 3) An advertisement for Truck stop / Indian food that stood next to a burnt down building. I wouldn't have thought that those two things would mix well, now I know that they don't.
Southern Californians: Should be required to spend at least one summer day in Atlanta each year before whining about the temperature outside.
Cameron Graves: Is not lacking for self esteem. This week he expressed that he is "the best soccer player of all times" and "never makes mistakes because I am perfect." He is also constantly fine-tuning a comedy routine centered around the word "booty." Mindy does not appreciate his act so much, but I think she's missing the subtly of his genius. My hope is that with the right encouragement he will continue to practice this material on Mindy non-stop until he is the greatest comedian of all times.
Carter Graves: I am often amazed at his ability to know what he wants in life and communicate that so clearly. And he accomplishes this with a vocabulary of 3 words. I have thousands of words at my disposal and struggle with this daily. It should also be noted that Carter is at a stage of adorableness that words cannot describe.
Family: We are blessed with such a generous and loving extended family. I am very thankful that we got to spend time together this summer and look forward to many more summer vacations around the USA.
Mississippi: After our stay at the Motel 6 in Meridian, I was ready to crown it as the worst state in the union. But then I remembered my three days of gambling and pool-hopping in Biloxi, I remembered how the sweet waters of the gulf coast can make a man come alive, I remembered chanting the name of that black jack dealer on the $5 table and drunkenly falling asleep by myself at our hotel diner... and I hate myself for even thinking about putting it in the bottom three. So, you're welcome Arkansas. The honor is still yours.
No, we are not there yet,
Father
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