Half a Decade Later

I pretty much forgot this blog existed.  I found my way back here this afternoon because I was curious if blogger was still up and running.  Good for you blogger.  But I wasn't expecting to be so immediately emotional reading those old posts.  I guess it's strangely validating to discover that you find yourself quite humorous and touching?  But what it really did, was make me feel disconnected from the person who wrote those posts.  It feels like I'm living a different life now; one that is going incredibly too fast.  One that has not been captured and celebrated appropriately through sarcastic blogging.  

I wonder why the blogging stopped?  I think the easy answer is that life gets busy. Anecdotes aren't as  cute as the kids get older.  It becomes trickier to write about things involving other people without feeling anxious about their reactions.  Our kids are going to read it and have their own reactions.  All these reasons feel true.  But today is really the only day that you can ever say fuck it and jump back in.  So Father is back baby...  

This entry needs to get you up to date on where things stand now.  I am old.  It's gotten to the point where people who haven't seen me in a while like to let me know that my hair is really getting grey.  Always a very helpful observation.  I also now experience pinched nerves in my neck that take months to heal.  I guess. at my age, when you are engaging in the high risk activity of sleeping on hotel pillows, you pretty much are getting what you asked for.  And when I play pick-up basketball, people now refer to me as the old guy.  But it's not all bad.  I've realized that I can use my advanced age as a bit of a super power.  If you just shuffle around stiffly for the first couple of possessions, you can usually lull the young people into a sense of mercy... and then reject their first shot attempt back into their wrinkle-free little faces.  I've also started to toy with the idea of carrying around Werther's Originals in my pocket so youth can see me as a more approachable elderly.  

Mindy on the other hand looks young and beautiful.  She is working at Carter's elementary school in the gifted and talented program, where she is surrounded by a lot of positive support.  I feel like kids are always giving her things or telling her how nice or pretty she is.  I guess that's what you get when you are nice and pretty.  Mindy is a sweat though.  I wish I had the term sweat when I was young, because try-hards and sweats have always been around but not until recently have they been properly identified.  I used to be a sweat at some things, but now I am content to settle into the sweet comfort of consistent mediocrity.  But Mindy still puts her heart into so many things and I really admire her for that.

Now to update you on the boys...  Cam is a sweat at basketball.  He is a 4'11" basketball stud, shining in a world of post pubescent 8th grade giants.  I am so incredibly proud of his fearlessness and skill.  That dude has fallen in love with basketball like his old man did.  I cherish that we get to share that and I'm excited to see what exciting moments he'll have along his journey.  And Cam is a good soul.  Underneath his irritated attitude and adolescent omniscience is a kid with a good heart.  For the most part he has learned to stay out of the drama of middle school life.  I see him as flying a little under the radar, out of the fray.  Which is probably a pretty wise place to be at that age.  But it really hit me when I was reading those old blog posts how much he is probably still his 5-year-old self on the inside.  He's still that kid with the nervous energy, some shyness, and an eagerness to do a good job so he can go home and relax.  Well one day you'll look back at this blog and read these words Cam and I want you to know that you are doing a good job.  You are a sweat in all the best ways, just like your mom.  And even when you aren't, I love you more than ever.

Carter is still a mini Cam (in some ways) and a completely different kid in others.  I love to see our boys together.  They are still each other's best friends.  Carter looks up to Cam more than he'll ever know, and Cam cares for and looks after Carter more than I ever could have expected..  I read some of those posts about Carter and how he carries with him the "special" aura of the youngest.  Well that definitely hasn't changed.  I feel like everyone likes Carter.  Part of that is because he's perceptive.  He figures out pretty quickly what people aren't going to like and he avoids doing that.  Part of that is because he's a kiss ass.  He figures out what people do like and he tries to do that.  And part of that is because he is genuine and funny.  He is shy too, but he is also comfortably himself.  He is curious about things and has a great ability to slow down and really take something in.  It feels like Carter could be content doing anything.  He just wants someone there with him sometimes to enjoy it with and scratch his back.  Carter is finishing up elementary school for the Grave's boys this year and it feels like the end of an era.  It's hard to fathom him already starting middle school.  We may just need to take a year off and stop and look around a little...

Thought I'd end this blog by saying some goodbyes.  Reilly, our first dog and OG contributor to this blog died a few years back.  The early rivalry was intense between Cam and Reilly, but in the end they became great friends.  His absence left a vacancy in the house that lingered more than I imagined. Mindy's longtime friend Lacy passed away last year.  Lacy and her husband Chris were two of the few  who actually read this blog.  I would often think about them when I wrote this drivel and wonder if what I was writing would make them laugh.  So Lacy I hope this post finds you in a wonderful place and can make you laugh today.  Thanks for always being such a great friend to Mindy.  Lastly, Mindy's mother Linda also passed away, ending a difficult period fighting dementia.  I find myself struggling to find the words to write about this.  I was touched watching Ed care for her through those last years.  It truly was the embodiment of what love and devotion to another really is.  Ed you are a person who I sincerely look up to and am so grateful for.  Linda, we love you and you are forever missed.

That's all I have for today.  This sentimental old man sends you forth with a mandate to be a little sweatier in loving the ones you got, because life is short.  Talk to y'all in 2035.

-Father

Inside the Odyssey

Summer 2017 has been one for the ages.  We embarked on an epic month long road trip that took us to Vegas, the top of volcanoes, approximately 13 Chic-Filets, and back in time to when Mindy was in high school.  We pushed the limits of the mini-van and the patience of our children.  We almost ran out of gas in the middle of nowhere in 110 degree heat and I pulled my hamstring at least twice.  The van increasingly got a lean toward the north because of all of the commemorative magnets Mindy collected along the way.  We emerged from the exhaust of the journey with a toughness forged by the road and longing to set out again.  But I'm getting ahead of myself, let me take you back to the beginning....

The first notable stop on the journey was Las Vegas.  We made a point to stop here so Cam and I could partake of the glory that is summer league NBA basketball.  This was a highlight of the trip for me and I'm hoping to make it an annual tradition.  If you are an NBA fan and haven't done summer league, then your life is incomplete.  But, Vegas with children is a totally "different" experience.  If you have found yourself late at night, sitting by yourself at a black jack table in Circus Circus then you have also experienced the most depressing place on earth.  For the most part, Vegas consisted of  a lot of sweating and shielding of little eyes.  And the only thing that was won was a stuffed crab from a carnival game.  I will say though, that Carter seems to dig the vibe of Vegas.  We arrived to the hotel pretty late in the evening and barely even walked through the Casino before heading up to our room.  As we were getting ready for bed, Carter leaned back, put his arms behind his head and exclaimed, "so, who's ready to go downstairs?"  It's times like these that I'm sure Carter is going to be a blast in college.

After Vegas, we worked our way up to the Sacramento area.  The centerpiece there was Mindy's 20 year high school reunion.  That night I mostly tried to separate from Mindy, so I could pretend that I had gone to school there and make people uncomfortably question their memories as much as possible.  After the reunion, we spent our days exploring the factory infrastructure of greater Northern California.  My main take away was that if Miss Grossman could have just gotten Ronald Regan to endorse her stickers instead, then most people wouldn't have even heard of Jelly Beans.  For most of you what I just said is gibberish, but trust me when I say that it could be true.  By night, we lived a squatters life; persistently taking advantage of the kindness of our friends and family.  A genuine thank you to everyone who housed us and took time out to hang out while we were there.  People be taking us sailing under golden gate bridges, to Giants games, to botanical gardens, to shooting ranges with handguns designed to kill bears.  It was a blast.

After Northern California we made our way down the coast to my old stomping grounds.  Everyone but Carter made an afternoon stop at Pizmo beach for a quick swim; Carter found his way to "Fizzmo" beach where he gleefully taunted the ocean until he was shivering too much to continue.  We spent a super relaxing week at my families house, where Mindy and I got to sleep in every morning out in a trailer while somebody else cared for our children.  During our time there, we swam every day, the Dodgers never lost, and we solved the mystery of the zodiac killer.  But I know the highlight of the trip for the boys was getting to play the video game Road Blocks Jail Break with their older cousin.  It takes a little while to get used to your children becoming criminalized, but after a bit it becomes quite cute.  I mean, how could hearing your 4-year-old talking about stealing a "Lambo" and completing a "heist" at a jewelry store not make you smile?  And honestly, I don't even know what a Bugatti looks like, but I do know that allegedly we saw about six on our way back to Texas.  And because the apples don't fall too far from the proverbial tree, I will concede that a highlight for me was playing a bunch of NBA2K with my friend.  And in reality "Playing" is more of a euphemism for what occurred while I was there; let's just say that I like to envision my friend having nightmares of John Wall relentlessly coming off a high screen and dicing up his defense like a hot knife through butter.  That thought really makes me smile.

So, needless to say, it was hard to leave the PS4 behind and head out to Maui to celebrate 15 years of being married to my beautiful bride.  Too many incredible moments to chronicle them all, but ones to remember definitely include the lecturing lifeguard, child masseuses, blow hole water parks, and secretly sipping the good stuff from our hydroflasks.  Mindy, I always have fun with you and am so blessed to get to share life with you.  Here's to the next 15 years and many more awesome vacations.

And then after Maui it was a return to reality.  That looked like a 20 hour car ride home.  And the next day back to work.  But in my heart the vacation never stops.  Plus, I learned you can always secretly sip whiskey out of a hydroflask.

Don't make me pull this car over,
Father

PS - Most special thank you to our parents for taking care of our dependents while we were off living the island life.  You guys are the best!

Life in the Fast Lane

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

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.

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

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...

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.