Mario & Sparkles came with me to some annual weekend meetings that were important for me to go to & report at. They came to continue to learn early on in life about leadership and also to get spoiled by their dad a little. We jumped on beds, had some meals together, stayed up late eating caramel apple, laughed in the car until our stomachs hurt, etc. (seriously St*rbucks - calling it a whoopie pie?!)
As we were driving home late last night, we drove past an oil refinery plant that was all lit up. Upon seeing it, Mario asks: 'Dad, is that Paris?'
Nice.
Later!
I.B.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Super Macho Dad & An Orange Juice Box
In the past 12 months, I really have not had a lot of injuries. 2 injuries from running (nerve in leg/back & painful feet) & 2 noticeable homebuilding injuries (air nailer into finger & falling/rolling down a ladder ending by landing on my back).
Those hurt, but not in the same way as last night.....
It's different when your child gets hurt.
I was working on the house last evening before our Sacred Marriage group and I suddenly got a hurried phone call from Super Lu asking me to come home as quick as I could. Sparkles had cut her finger. Deep. We needed to get her to a doctor soon. And for some reason, all Sparkles was yelling was 'I want my daddy!!!' (she hasn't really called me daddy for a while!). So I rushed home, got my muddy clothes off and rushed her to an emergency clinic. Usually Super Lu is the point person in these situations since she knows a lot more medical stuff and remembers instructions/details better.
As Sparkles & I head out the door:
Super Lu: Thanks for doing this. She really wanted you to take her.
Me: No problem.
Super Lu: Just keep an eye on her. She may F-A-I-N-T.
Sparkles: I can spell! I just don't know what faint means!
Fast forward to the room of pain....
Sparkles: Daddy, I want you as close as you can be. Can you cover my ears & hide my eyes?
Me: Sure honey - I'll do whatever you need. Don't worry. The doctor isn't even in here yet.
Fast forward a few minutes to the doctor examining the cut....
Me: (internal monologue) man it's hot in here. How can Sparkles be so cold? I need to take off my coat.
Dr: Aw... Shame. This looks like it hurts.
Me: (internal monoluge) hey! I haven't heard 'shame' used like that since spending time in (African country) last spring & meeting some new friends! (I wish you could met these women - we think the world of them)
Fast forward a few minutes to doctor leaving to get forms....
Me: (internal monologue) man it's STILL hot in here. I need to take off my bunnyhug (hoody for all you Saskatchewanites who caved to the pressure years ago). Sparkles is sure trying to hold it together well.
Fast forward a few minutes to doctor cleaning wound & giving Sparkles needles (for freezing)....
Sparkles: OWWWWWWWWWW!
Me: you're doing great honey. This is the worst part. It's gonna be ok. I hate needles too!
Me: (internal monlogue) why am I still sweating? It's going to soak thru my hat soon....
Fast forward a few minutes to doctor giving more needles & beginning stitches....
Sparkles: OWWWWW! Are we almost done? (she was really brave - despite what was happening)
Me: The worst part is over sweetie. Why don't you tell me more about your school day? (trying to distract her)
Me: (internal monologue) echhhh... I need to take my hat off. I can't believe how bad I'm sweating in here.... Why am I feeling so weak? Man.... Just breathe....
Me: Sparkles, you're doing great. Good job...um... Dr?.... Dr.... Umm... Could you just get me... a cold wash... I mean cold paper... you know.... cold.... from over there... comes from out of.... from the tap... a cold papertowel....????
Room starts getting smaller and everything starts going black.....
And just as the room is the size of a nickel I find my way to a chair....
And suddenly I'm super macho dad.... or just the opposite! Sparkles almost starts laughing at me as a nurse gets some oxygen started (yes, for me)....
Dr: Your dad just loves you so much that he doesn't like seeing you in pain.
Me: It's true Sparkles.... but that's a little... too... generous...
Me: (inner monologue) Is this stuff even on? Will they notice if I kick it up a few notches? Why am I still sweating?
Sparkles: Ohhhh.... Is that what faint means?
After we're all finished up & Sparkles is a little flush & exhausted from the experience:
Dr: Nurse, why don't you get a juice box for our patient, it will help her with a little energy. And you better grab one for dad too.
Me: (fist pump) Score! (Sparkles laughs)
And then, as Sparkles sits on a chair & I sit on a little step, we smile & visit & sip our orange juice....
Sparkles: And mommy was worried about me F-A-I-N-T ing! I can't wait to tell her it was you!
Me: (laughing) Almost! Almost fainted Sparkles!
Sparkles: I love you dad. Thanks for taking me.
And as I sit there I'm not embarrassed (although maybe I should be!). I just remember what my wife says on her blog (despite the pain & frustration & things that go wrong): We are blessed. And I thank God for the moment despite what got us to it. It was another one of those great moments where time seems to stand still for a little while.
Those final moments sipping our orange juice boxes & visiting were the highlight of a very long day where very little seemed to go right.
It looks like Sparkles will be okay. There was some concern about the possibility of a tendon being cut, but it looks good right now. We go back tomorrow to get the Dr. to check on everything.
Amazing how time with a loved one and an orange juice box can redeem the day a little.
And now you know how to get a free juice box!
Later,
I.B.
Those hurt, but not in the same way as last night.....
It's different when your child gets hurt.
I was working on the house last evening before our Sacred Marriage group and I suddenly got a hurried phone call from Super Lu asking me to come home as quick as I could. Sparkles had cut her finger. Deep. We needed to get her to a doctor soon. And for some reason, all Sparkles was yelling was 'I want my daddy!!!' (she hasn't really called me daddy for a while!). So I rushed home, got my muddy clothes off and rushed her to an emergency clinic. Usually Super Lu is the point person in these situations since she knows a lot more medical stuff and remembers instructions/details better.
As Sparkles & I head out the door:
Super Lu: Thanks for doing this. She really wanted you to take her.
Me: No problem.
Super Lu: Just keep an eye on her. She may F-A-I-N-T.
Sparkles: I can spell! I just don't know what faint means!
Fast forward to the room of pain....
Sparkles: Daddy, I want you as close as you can be. Can you cover my ears & hide my eyes?
Me: Sure honey - I'll do whatever you need. Don't worry. The doctor isn't even in here yet.
Fast forward a few minutes to the doctor examining the cut....
Me: (internal monologue) man it's hot in here. How can Sparkles be so cold? I need to take off my coat.
Dr: Aw... Shame. This looks like it hurts.
Me: (internal monoluge) hey! I haven't heard 'shame' used like that since spending time in (African country) last spring & meeting some new friends! (I wish you could met these women - we think the world of them)
Fast forward a few minutes to doctor leaving to get forms....
Me: (internal monologue) man it's STILL hot in here. I need to take off my bunnyhug (hoody for all you Saskatchewanites who caved to the pressure years ago). Sparkles is sure trying to hold it together well.
Fast forward a few minutes to doctor cleaning wound & giving Sparkles needles (for freezing)....
Sparkles: OWWWWWWWWWW!
Me: you're doing great honey. This is the worst part. It's gonna be ok. I hate needles too!
Me: (internal monlogue) why am I still sweating? It's going to soak thru my hat soon....
Fast forward a few minutes to doctor giving more needles & beginning stitches....
Sparkles: OWWWWW! Are we almost done? (she was really brave - despite what was happening)
Me: The worst part is over sweetie. Why don't you tell me more about your school day? (trying to distract her)
Me: (internal monologue) echhhh... I need to take my hat off. I can't believe how bad I'm sweating in here.... Why am I feeling so weak? Man.... Just breathe....
Me: Sparkles, you're doing great. Good job...um... Dr?.... Dr.... Umm... Could you just get me... a cold wash... I mean cold paper... you know.... cold.... from over there... comes from out of.... from the tap... a cold papertowel....????
Room starts getting smaller and everything starts going black.....
And just as the room is the size of a nickel I find my way to a chair....
And suddenly I'm super macho dad.... or just the opposite! Sparkles almost starts laughing at me as a nurse gets some oxygen started (yes, for me)....
Dr: Your dad just loves you so much that he doesn't like seeing you in pain.
Me: It's true Sparkles.... but that's a little... too... generous...
Me: (inner monologue) Is this stuff even on? Will they notice if I kick it up a few notches? Why am I still sweating?
Sparkles: Ohhhh.... Is that what faint means?
After we're all finished up & Sparkles is a little flush & exhausted from the experience:
Dr: Nurse, why don't you get a juice box for our patient, it will help her with a little energy. And you better grab one for dad too.
Me: (fist pump) Score! (Sparkles laughs)
And then, as Sparkles sits on a chair & I sit on a little step, we smile & visit & sip our orange juice....
Sparkles: And mommy was worried about me F-A-I-N-T ing! I can't wait to tell her it was you!
Me: (laughing) Almost! Almost fainted Sparkles!
Sparkles: I love you dad. Thanks for taking me.
And as I sit there I'm not embarrassed (although maybe I should be!). I just remember what my wife says on her blog (despite the pain & frustration & things that go wrong): We are blessed. And I thank God for the moment despite what got us to it. It was another one of those great moments where time seems to stand still for a little while.
Those final moments sipping our orange juice boxes & visiting were the highlight of a very long day where very little seemed to go right.
It looks like Sparkles will be okay. There was some concern about the possibility of a tendon being cut, but it looks good right now. We go back tomorrow to get the Dr. to check on everything.
Amazing how time with a loved one and an orange juice box can redeem the day a little.
And now you know how to get a free juice box!
Later,
I.B.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Building personality
I realized that I have a building personality.
Expert & Mouth are calculating types of builder - which is maybe why they are professional builders and I am not. I understand the importance of exacting measurements especially when it comes to foundation work, being level, walls being square, etc. But I get a little ansy and can't find enough other things to do sometimes. I'd rather my entry way was 1 inch smaller and make progress than remeasure & figure out how to get it perfectly right (i.e. a few weeks ago). I think I will be thanking these guys a lot at the end (I already am - they are great friends along with knowing their trades well - they've already been able to hide some of my measuring mistakes), because I'm the 'LET'S JUST WORK HARD & GET IT DONE BABY!' builder. Without people like that around, I'd probably be finishing the framing and have the inspector ask a lot of questions that go something like 'so what were you thinking here?' This is really not a shock if you know me. I tend to be fairly results and progress orientated. Details are important to me, but only in the context of 'getting it done'. Relating to that, January & February were frustrating months since the weather has been incredibly cold and progress was slow. It's been hovering around +1 the last few days, so it's been good weather finally! I realized already with the mud (and a little rain), that I would much rather gut it out in the cold than be out getting soaked & mucking around.
Here is Expert with Dude and I at a lunch break:
Putz has been out helping me a lot over the last few weeks - I think he is the 'everyone-else-has-plans-&-there's-nobody-cooler-to-hang-out-with-so-I-might-as-well-do-something' builder. At some point with all the help he offers I may start feeling guilty about calling him Putz all the time.... Not yet. But maybe someday.
A couple days ago Photoshop was back over to hang out & help. He was conquering his fear of heights again with me as we were putting insulation sheets on the underside of the floor for a few hours. It might have been a little too much in a day, but he made it up to the 3 step!! Ha! I need to heat the basement so that the frost thaws under my footings so that the company will install the grade beam for the garage (and I can begin construction of the garage & our room above it) - hence insulating.
Beyond that, the landing is finished! So now I get to finish sealing up the basement & get back to framing the upstairs and begin framing the front wall for the landing. I'll try to take a few pictures today or tomorrow.
Later!
I.B.
Expert & Mouth are calculating types of builder - which is maybe why they are professional builders and I am not. I understand the importance of exacting measurements especially when it comes to foundation work, being level, walls being square, etc. But I get a little ansy and can't find enough other things to do sometimes. I'd rather my entry way was 1 inch smaller and make progress than remeasure & figure out how to get it perfectly right (i.e. a few weeks ago). I think I will be thanking these guys a lot at the end (I already am - they are great friends along with knowing their trades well - they've already been able to hide some of my measuring mistakes), because I'm the 'LET'S JUST WORK HARD & GET IT DONE BABY!' builder. Without people like that around, I'd probably be finishing the framing and have the inspector ask a lot of questions that go something like 'so what were you thinking here?' This is really not a shock if you know me. I tend to be fairly results and progress orientated. Details are important to me, but only in the context of 'getting it done'. Relating to that, January & February were frustrating months since the weather has been incredibly cold and progress was slow. It's been hovering around +1 the last few days, so it's been good weather finally! I realized already with the mud (and a little rain), that I would much rather gut it out in the cold than be out getting soaked & mucking around.
Here is Expert with Dude and I at a lunch break:
Putz has been out helping me a lot over the last few weeks - I think he is the 'everyone-else-has-plans-&-there's-nobody-cooler-to-hang-out-with-so-I-might-as-well-do-something' builder. At some point with all the help he offers I may start feeling guilty about calling him Putz all the time.... Not yet. But maybe someday.
A couple days ago Photoshop was back over to hang out & help. He was conquering his fear of heights again with me as we were putting insulation sheets on the underside of the floor for a few hours. It might have been a little too much in a day, but he made it up to the 3 step!! Ha! I need to heat the basement so that the frost thaws under my footings so that the company will install the grade beam for the garage (and I can begin construction of the garage & our room above it) - hence insulating.
Beyond that, the landing is finished! So now I get to finish sealing up the basement & get back to framing the upstairs and begin framing the front wall for the landing. I'll try to take a few pictures today or tomorrow.
Later!
I.B.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Make Friends
THIS idiot at church was talking about how it's important to make friends (along with meeting God & changing the world - balanced relationships are vital). He's right - I've been realizing that good friends ARE hard to find & very important (despite writing a while ago that good help is not hard to find - there is a difference!). To be honest, I think I would rather have good friends over good help - but for some reason I have the best of both worlds! I've been fortunate to have some quality people around me - so thanks to all my friends (whether you are mentioned in this blog or not).
Saturday (yesterday) was suppose to be spent building, but I was behind with my work so that took up the morning & evening. Over the lunch hour we went to go get a few quick groceries at a bulk store and ended up buying laminate for the master bedroom and our oven! The oven is a funny story. To make a long story short, Super Lu has been watching online for it & in store for 3.5 months - only to have me accidentally stumble upon one of only 3 in the store (the lady there was shocked that they actually got some in - apparently they are a hot commodity in the chain of stores). So then we had to phone our bank from the store to get our point of purchase amount increased, buy it, find a truck, and find a place to store this stuff. Friends helping out again!
So here's to friends!
I.B.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Supper quotes
So I was cooking supper & hanging out with the younger 3 kids (Sparkles & Super Lu are setting up something for church) and here are just 2 of many quotes....
Mario: Dad, you wanna know what I'm gonna be when I grow up?
Me: Nope. What?
Mario: An airline pilot. Wanna know why?
Me: Why?
Mario: So I can go on free vacations!
And my dear, dear Spark Plug (she turns 3 this month):
Spark Plug: Daddy?
Me: What?
Spark Plug: When I grow up I'm gonna go to the principal's office.
Later!
I.B.
Mario: Dad, you wanna know what I'm gonna be when I grow up?
Me: Nope. What?
Mario: An airline pilot. Wanna know why?
Me: Why?
Mario: So I can go on free vacations!
And my dear, dear Spark Plug (she turns 3 this month):
Spark Plug: Daddy?
Me: What?
Spark Plug: When I grow up I'm gonna go to the principal's office.
Later!
I.B.
Things you never knew about dinosaurs
Ahhh. The imagination of kids!
Any guesses about what this picture is about? I'll give you a hint: it's a fossil of something that Mario made at school.
Mario's answer: A dinosaur looking through a telescope.
Later,
I.B.
Any guesses about what this picture is about? I'll give you a hint: it's a fossil of something that Mario made at school.
Mario's answer: A dinosaur looking through a telescope.
Apparently in Mario's world, the earth is only 400 years old! (Here's a history of the telescope in case you care). The penne makes a telescope easy to understand. I have no idea where he learned about a telescope (and neither does he - I asked). I know where the dinosaur came from: in Mario's world he has a pet dinosaur named Yoshi.... Wait. That's the video game.
To be honest though, we actually do have a pet dinosaur in our house. Her name is Molly and she is invisible but somehow has pink & purple spots. She's always getting into trouble and losing stuff around the house. Sometimes she takes stuff out again that the kids were suppose to put away. Silly Molly. I'll tell you this: someday Molly is going to be taking the fall for something I forget to do! Like celebrating an anniversary or something. I'm sure my wife will go for that excuse... I bought you flowers but Molly ate them? But until then, the kids are fortunate that she found her way over to our new house a few months after we moved. Who knew invisible dinosaurs were like homing pigeons?
To be honest though, we actually do have a pet dinosaur in our house. Her name is Molly and she is invisible but somehow has pink & purple spots. She's always getting into trouble and losing stuff around the house. Sometimes she takes stuff out again that the kids were suppose to put away. Silly Molly. I'll tell you this: someday Molly is going to be taking the fall for something I forget to do! Like celebrating an anniversary or something. I'm sure my wife will go for that excuse... I bought you flowers but Molly ate them? But until then, the kids are fortunate that she found her way over to our new house a few months after we moved. Who knew invisible dinosaurs were like homing pigeons?
Later,
I.B.
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