His First Art Show

My son is an artist, and now it's official. Ledger has been drawing since he could hold a pencil. He's been doodling and drawing for years now and has created his own unique style. His Grandpa Allen, a profession artist, has been encouraging him and amazed by his work for a long time. Recently he told us about an art show in South Bend that was taking submissions that didn't have an age requirement. He kept talking it up and trying to convince us that we should submit a few works of Ledger's into the show. Well, it finally worked. I submitted 5 different works of his, mostly in his favorite style: 9 panel comics. About a month later I got an email that three of them had been selected for the show! What?!? That is amazing! We had talked with Ledger about the process when we applied, but kept his expectations low, thinking it would be a long shot for them to be accepted- and wouldn't you know it, they chose three of them to be displayed! He was pretty proud when we told him. Now its official, our 10 year old son is a professional artist! We went to the craft store and got some frames and matted them so they would look nice and professional. They were sent down to South Bend for the show. We went down to the opening weekend of the art show with all the family. Barbara, James, Grandma, Grandpa, and Grandpa Allen all showed up to support our newly minted artist. The opening night was pretty packed, there were 80-100 people there through out the evening. We wandered around until he found where his was hanging; his face lit up when he spotted them. A proud beaming artist! He proceeded to stand by his works and explain them to everyone who stopped by to see them. Needless to say, Diana and I are very proud of him and his first (of many, I'm sure) showing in an art gallery!

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Brink's Cruisers

Every once in a while my dad will decide that we need a fun filled day at Craig's Cruisers! It's been quite a while since we did this, I think the last time was when Diana and I were still dating. We met there with Mema, Papa, Tim, Jill, and all their kids for a buffet feast and some fun games. Ledger had never been there before, and we hadn't been there since their huge renovation, so it was kind of new to all of us. We started with food because the restaurant part closes earlier than the rest of the place. Lots of yummy pizza and mac & cheese for Ledge. After that we went wandering around the huge place checking out all the rides. We started on the little indoor roller coaster thing, then headed to the obstacle course, Ninja Warrior style. After that we were all up for a ride on the indoor go-carts. I went one time with ledger and I sharing a cart, but he was all about driving one himself the next time we went on them. We went on the indoor carts about 5 times- it was such a blast! Eventually we made our way to the outdoor carts, which Ledge didn't like nearly as much. They have a huge zipline as well. Diana was initially scared to go on it, but overcame her fears and gave it a try. She was very glad she did! I went up with Ledger and we loved it too. Everyone had such a great time- thank you Papa for the great memories!

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Stress Free Birthday

Well, I made it another year. Unbeknownst to me, Diana had made some special plans for us too! I usually try to do something special for Diana every year and this year I planned a good surprise evening together, and it seems that she wanted to do the same for me! I was totally oblivious to it, so it was quite unexpected when I got home from work and she told me to get dressed, because we were going out!

We first dropped off the boy at Mema and Papa's, then we went to a really cool Japanese place for sushi! (It was a different sushi place than the one I took her for her birthday, but we both clearly love sushi!)  After we filled up on the good stuff, Diana directed me as we drove, careful not to tell me the actual location we were going to. We ended up in Eastown, which was actually the same area we went for her birthday! We pulled into a parking lot and I still had no idea what was going on. Finally she told me: she had booked us hour long sessions in sensory deprivation tanks! What? I know it sounds kind of weird, but we had had conversations about them months ago because she wanted to try it. I agreed and said that I thought that would be really neat to try someday. She remembered all these months later, and I was thrilled to try it out! We went in and they showed us to our own separate chambers. It was actually really cool, you float in the room temperature salt water and after a minute or two you cant really feel anything anymore! There is no light or sound, so its really like your senses are turned off. It was more relaxing than I could have imagined. The hour went so quickly and we were both completely stress free when we left. I've got to admit, I would totally do it again in a minute!

What a wonderful and special birthday Diana surprised me with, one I will remember for a long time!

Last Sandy Pines

The end of an era. We kind of knew it was coming for the past year or two. My parents finally pulled the trigger and sold their place out at Sandy Pines. They have had a place out there since the late 80's, so there is a lot of family history out there. Since I was about 8 or 9 we have spend most of our summers out there. Each year Papa would make improvements and update the site. We actually started off in a different lot way out in phase 5. It was basically just a field with dirt roads. That first year was one of the hottest summers in decades, so after about two weekends out in that head with no shade, they traded in that lot and got one that was nothing but trees! They then spent the next 30+ years improving and working on that lot making one of the best looking sites in all of Sandy Pines!

I have a lot of wonderful memories spent out there. I didn't necessarily love all the time we spent out there, I am after all, a bit of an indoor kid, not prone to love camping or outdoorsy stuff. I would make the most of it anyway. While Chad and Jill were out driving around on carts and mopeds with friends, I would hunker down at the table in the back of the trailer and draw or watch TV. We only got two channels out there, but I would always make sure to watch Star Trek (Next Generation and Deep Space Nine) on the little 12 inch TV that needed to have the antenna constantly adjusted. I would play with my Micro Machines, or pour over my comic books, only periodically taking time out to go on a cart ride or take the dog for a walk. They upgraded to a better trailer and I remember late nights reading Michael Crichton books in my room, sometimes even skipping sleep all together and reading straight on till sunrise (It was summer break, might as well, right?). I remember being home alone in the trailer while Mom and Dad were both at work; I would crank up the latest Michael Jackson album and sing along, trying to mimic his moves (and failing). As I got older I would push back against going out there all summer with my parents, opting instead to spend the week at the house alone and driving out to see them on the weekends. I had little to no interest in Sandy Pines as I was finishing high school or went off to college. It really wasn't until I saw the place again through new eyes, Diana's eyes, that I really started to realize how cool it was. Diana and I actually got engaged on the edge of that lake at Sandy Pines. We would come and visit regularly after we got married, sharing with Mom and Dad for the first time that we were pregnant with Ledger. He spent the first 10 years of his life going out there several times each summer and even learning to swim in the pools there.

We've got a lot of memories of that place and it will be greatly missed. Goodbye, Sandy Pines!

Brakes

 It's that time once again, dear reader, where I go and pester Aaron with my car repair needs. He never seems to mind, in fact he actually said he enjoys it. Who am I to deny my friend happiness? It was a relatively easy ask this time, I just needed the brakes done and he was happy to oblige. Don't worry, when we were done I treated him to dinner and a movie. As always, the highlight of these things is just getting the time to get together and joke around and have fun together. He's my best friend and has been since 2nd grade, and we still aren't sick of each other!

Sailors Reunion

 We seemed to have skipped right past 20 years and landed on a 25 year reunion! Recently an invite appeared on Facebook for a high school reunion. I remember a long time ago going to our ten year reunion which we had downtown Grand Rapids at a bar. I had been living out of town so it was kind of a big deal to come up and attend. Back then I was just a twentysomething bachelor living in Indiana. My how times have changed!

I wasn't sure if I was entirely interested in going. Most of the people from my high school I still stay in touch with, like Aaron and Dusty. I brought it up to Diana and she was kind of interested, so I talked to Aaron and asked him if he was going. He said he'd go if I go. Alright, I guess we're going then!

One of the girls from my class decided to throw the whole thing together, so we contacted her and let her know we were in. It was at a rented out room in a bar/restaurant in Caledonia. We dropped off the boy at Mema and Papa's, and headed over. On the way I was regaling Diana with different stories about high school and tried to let her know about some of the people she might meet. We got there right on time and were some of the first people there. Aaron came just a minute or two after us. I tell you what, it was so weird to walk in there and watch as people started to come in! It was really strange to see all the old faces- except now they are old faces! Not everyone brought their spouses, but then again, not everyone has such a beautiful spouse to show off... The two of us found a table with Aaron and sat down, catching Diana up on some of the people we recognized. Dusty and Carrie soon arrived and joined us. I have to admit, there were quite a few people I didn't recognize- guess I should have brought a yearbook! It was interesting to catch up with a bunch of them and hear about where life has taken them, but I can't say I really want to hang out with any of them any time soon. Now I see why they only do these things every 10-15 years...

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July 4th

Another trip out to ol' Sandy Pines! With it being the 4th of July weekend, we figured we'd head out there and enjoy the park at the height of summer fun! We went out and enjoyed a small meal with my parents, hung out and chatted for a bit, and then went out to find a place to watch the fireworks. Mema and Papa weren't really feeling it this year, so it was just Diana, Ledger, and I.

Last time I was at Dollar Tree I happened to see a bunch of fun 4th of July stuff there, so I stocked up. They were still in the car so I grabbed them before we headed out to see the fireworks. I got us a bunch of glowy stuff to make bracelets and necklaces! We cracked them to make them glow and then put them on. Ledger then hightailed it over to the playground equipment on the beach, where there were dozens of other kids playing. As it got darker and closer to firework time, it was really easy to see which one was our boy- he was the only one glowing! Once dark hit, we were all lined up in our chairs on the beach and sat back and enjoyed. Diana and the boy loved it, as always. We eventually made our way back to the trailer, said goodnight to my parents, and headed home, another national birthday properly observed.

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Growing Up

 Wow. Every once in a while you just need to step back and reckon with the passage of time. It just keeps going by without much notice until you take a moment and realize it. The reality of time passing by can be hard to deal with at times. There is so much we have to give up and move on from, whether we want to or not. There are times I still feel like that 12 year old kid coming home from school before my parents get home, watching TV in the living room. Some times I feel like that carefree college kid with so much hope for what's to come. Other times I feel every minute of my 43 year old self, exhausted with the world.

Another hard truth: my son isn't a little kid anymore. I recently took this picture of him and when I looked at it the next day I realized he is already a young man. He's not the little baby I bounced on my knee, he's not the toddler who loved to play on the floor in the living room. He's no longer the little kid who just wants to snuggle on the couch and have his daddy read to him. As I sometimes realize my age, I also realize his. It's bittersweet: I have a sadness that I will never again see that little boy, but a pride and excitement about the man he is about to become. Ah, the elation and devastation of being a father.

House Guests

After a fun weekend with Diana's family, I had to come back to go to work. We got talking with Alanna, who was still going to be in town for a few more days, and how she and Tavish had never been to our house. Well, we can easily correct that! We devised a plan: I would come back Monday night to work the next day, and Alanna, Tavish, Diana, and Ledger would all come up to our place on Tuesday and then have a day to show off our place and town. Ledger, realizing that it meant another day with his cousin, was all for it!

The four of them traveled up late in the morning and had a fun afternoon together. Ledge got to show off his room and stuff, and Diana got to show off our cute little house! I got hope and got to join in on the fun! We ordered some yummy dinner and had a lovely evening together hanging out and chatting. Finally it was time for them to go home, we said our goodbyes, and sank into the couch exhausted!

Tavish Back In Town

Its not very often Alanna and Tavish are in town, so we always make a point of going down to see them! Usually its during the week, so Diana and Ledger go down and get to spend time with them while I'm stuck at work, but this time I was actually able to come down and join them for a day or two!

The weather is pretty nice, so the boys were all about swimming in the pool and running around enjoying it. David even spoiled us with his famous clam chowder! Ledge and Tavish always have so much fun together right from the jump- they were already thick as thieves within a minute of seeing each other again. They are both pretty high energy and talkative, so with their powers combined, it gets pretty hectic! Ledge wanted to show him his latest animations and Tavish wanted to show Ledge a bunch of funny videos and games. They were all set!

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Sandy Fun

Now that summer is upon us, that means it's time to start going out to good ol' Sandy Pines! Mema and Papa invited us out for a nice Sunday afternoon at the park, along with Tim, Jill, and the kids. It was nice to get out there again and go for a cart ride and see the family. Tim took control of the grill, which Papa always appreciates; I certainly wasn't going to be the grill master. Sorry Papa, you didn't raise a griller...

After lunch we all helped to clean up, and then Ledger and I headed over to the water park for some swimming! Their annoying rules for allowing people in was super frustrating, causing us to wait about 40 minutes before we could even get in. Finally though, we got to enjoy the pool and slide for an hour! 

Let's Try, Sport

Now that school is over for the year, Ledger's got a lot of free time on his hands... Sure, we loosened the screen time limits for him, which fills up most of his days. But he still needs to get out and about sometimes. Neither of us are what you might call 'outdoor people', but we needed to do something. This has lead us to be a bit creative with filling the time. Back when Jeffrey Lee was with us, we would go together with Jon and do some disc golfing. A couple years ago Diana got me a set of discs to use when we went out, but it's been sitting in the basement collecting dust. I figured it was time to take it out and give it a try with the boy! We took the discs into the backyard, along with an audience of Diana and Wiggins. It took a little getting used to, but pretty soon he started getting the hang of it. Neither one of us is planning on turning pro, but we did have a fun time of it!

Another one we tried is tennis. Ledger showed some interest in it at the end of the school year, so I found him a racket and we picked up a sleeve of tennis balls. One afternoon we wrote our bikes over to school and used one of it's walls to do some tennis practice. Ledge was excited about the prospect of becoming an ace tennis pro. And then he hit the ball. It took about 10 seconds to realize that this was not the sport for him. He hit the ball three or four times and he was completely over it. I made him stick with it and keep trying (with my help) for at least 20 minutes, but it was very clear that he had absolutely no interest in continuing our little tennis lesson. Oh well, it was worth a try, right?

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Last Day of 4th Grade

The end of 4th grade. It was a good one, but I think he's ready for summer break! This year was good for Ledge, he started the year really excited. After taking a full year off and being homeschooled because of the pandemic, those first few weeks of school were thrilling for him to be among his friends again! There were some struggles getting used to being in a classroom again, and especially getting used to the long school day schedule again! He had gotten pretty comfortable with the 2 hour school days we were able to have with the whole 'distance learning' thing... He is, by nature, a very social kid, so the solitude of his year at home was pretty hard on him. 

Granted, his excitement to be back at the beginning of the year melted away quickly and he spent the rest of the school year doing his usual complaining about having to wake up early and not being able to draw and animate all day! He had a decent teacher this year, helped by his weekly visits with Mrs. Eckwielen (his beloved teacher from last year) as his math tutor. He has continued to develop his friendships and make a bunch of new ones as well! It's been a good year filled with good memories.

On his last day, all parents are invited to come and join the students in an end of the year picnic. Diana and I brought some delicious food for us to share, and had a great time talking about the end of his school year as well as watching him go play with his friends after we finished eating. 

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Busy Working

I had told my wife and son about all the things I have to wear while I'm at work. It's a food production plant, so sanitation is critical. That means that I have to put on a bunch of different things to maintain the level of cleanliness it demands. I wear a lab coat, a hair net, a beard net, safety glasses, and a hardhat every day at work. I told Ledge about it and he really wanted to see what that looked like. I figured I'd take a picture and show him what we have to wear when we are in the plant. Handsome, huh? 

Young Papa

Last time we were at my parents' house, my mom pulled out this old photo. With them moving recently, she had been going through all of their old photo albums and she came across this picture of my dad in sixth grade. We were all shocked at how much Ledger looks like him! Ledger's in the middle of sixth grade, so he is one year younger than Papa in this picture. So crazy!
You know how sometimes when you look at someone's child you can tell they are related just by looking at them? Growing up I would look at my dad and see that I definitely looked like him. I always assumed the same would be true when I eventually had kids. Well, here I am with a 10 year old and I look and him and don't see myself in there at all! Other people say they see it, but I thought it would be obvious to me too. Now that I look at this picture, I can see that Ledger definitely has our genes!

Dad's Show

Diana's dad had a few pieces in one of the bigger art shows in South Bend, so of course we had to go and support him! It had been too long since we went and saw Diana's family, so this was the perfect excuse to stop in and see everyone. Diana's dad is a really good professional artist and very active in the South Bend art world. We have gone to a few art shows that he has been in before, so we were excited to see his latest entries on the wall with other local artists. The whole family was there, including the Nolan's. They are part of James' family and they have kids Ledger's age, so he is always really excited when we get to see them! The kids wandered around as a pack and checked out all the different artwork (they are familiar with proper gallery etiquette, so we weren't worried at all letting them loose).

The rest of the family went out to eat after the exhibit opening, but I had to go to work the next day, so I left the wife and child there to spend the weekend with family. I wish I could have stayed!

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Egg Drop

A couple years ago Ledger missed out on his school's Egg Drop Challenge and he was really upset about it. We ended up doing it at our house from the garage roof, which was fun, but not as fun as being able to do it at school with his friends! Turns out, they had another opportunity to do it this year. Well, we weren't about to miss it twice! The night before we scavenged together a few objects around the house and build a soft home for an egg. We tried it once or twice out in the driveway with great success. Feeling certain that his egg would survive, we called it good and waited for the real thing the next day. That evening at the science night event, we brought our egg contraption. Everyone who brought one gathered in the gym and the principle took all the different creations and headed up on the lift. She got about 20 feet up and dropped them one by one. I asked Ledge if he was nervous about his; he wasn't. 'We are totally going to survive that fall!' Good to see such confidence! Finally she got to Ledger's and dropped it. He was right- the egg was still in perfect condition! He got a round of applause, which he rather liked...

Birthday Rent

Every once in a while I like to trick Diana into thinking I'm a good husband. Well, with her birthday this year I did just that! At the beginning of May I realized her birthday was just around the corner, so I started brainstorming. I did a little plotting and planning and came up with a pretty good good one, I think. Here's what we did (now keep in mind, she was unaware of any of it...):

First, we dropped off the boy at Mema & Papa's house so we could go out on a little bit of a  romantical adventure! We got in the car and I drove downtown Grand Rapids. She wasn't really familiar with the area, so I used that to my advantage... Our first stop? Spirit Dreams bookstore. A kind of independent bookstore that also specializes in crystals and rocks. Knowing how Diana loves geology, I figured this would be a hit. And boy, was it! She absolutely loved the place and spent a good half hour thumbing through the eclectic collection of books. She delightfully picked out a book and a small rock carving, and then we were off to our next destination. Now it was time to eat, and that meant stopping in for our reservation at Maru Sushi & Grill! It's a cute upscale sushi place that we had been wanting to go to. The AC in the place was broken, but there were enough wide open windows that the heat wasn't even a bother. The amazing food made us forget about the heat too! We had a really cozy time talking, laughing, and reminiscing as we filled up on some really great sushi and rice. With our tummies full, we walked out to the car. 'That was fun, huh? Should we go get our boy now?' I asked. 'Sounds good, that was a fun special day, thanks.' She replied. We did not go get our boy, dear reader, in fact the fun had just begun! I finally cracked and laughed, letting her know that I had one more special thing planned for us: tickets to go see a live performance of her favorite musical, Rent! A big theater in Grand Rapids just so happened to have a traveling tour of Rent coming through town- what luck! We drove over to the theater and pulled in. She was a bit confused about it but realized we were going to see a show. I held off telling her what show until she saw the banners for it in the lobby. She was shocked and absolutely pumped about it! She loves the movie and has the original Broadway performance album memorized, so the was really thrilled to see it live! It was a really great performance with clever staging. I had seen the movie years and years ago, so I had forgotten the story, but I was just as engaged as she was; we both really enjoyed it!

As we were walking out at the end of the night, she was absolutely glowing with delight at the fun surprise I was able to give her for her birthday! I'm pretty sure I earned enough brownie points to last me quite a while...

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Easter Hunt

For the first time in many years, I actually get to be home on Easter! The night before, Diana and I filled up and hid a bunch of plastic eggs for the boy to find. When we got up in the morning we gave him an Easter basket and let him know how many he needed to find. Off he went searching, giggling and delighted whenever he found one! Once he got all 24 of them, he started cracking them open to get the yummy treats inside.

Our big plan for the day was going to my parents' house with the whole family and have a great meal together. Jill, Tim, and the kids were there as well and a great Eastery time was had by all!