#119

Happy Hump Day!

Celebrate as you see fit.

So, I've been to Moo Moo Meadows and I've seen the Coconut Mall. Yes, we got a Wii and I've been racing my Mario Kart in to the wee hours. I don't sleep well when Neomom's away and this isn't helping.

She left Monday, and I was up until 2 a.m. Tuesday racing fellow Miis from around the globe. Kinda cool that I can play against people from Japan who, at 2 a.m., were probably playing at around 2 p.m. Must look that up.

Okay, so it's 5:41 a.m. here in Thompson right now, and it's 8:41 p.m. in Tokyo. So, let's see, at 2 a.m. here it would have been about 5 p.m. there. I was close.

Anyhoo, in Neomom's absence, I've removed the eyesore that was our Christmas tree. It was dropping needles at an alarming rate - literally a small pile overnight, every night. It had fulfilled its Christmas destiny and was ready for the bonfire.

I left the rest of the decorations in place, as I'm not quite ready for the Christmas season to end. Purolator arrived yesterday with the final gift for the boys - a little table with two chairs. It's kinda cool and I hope against hope the boys can enjoy it without battling over space. I doubt it, but you never know.

Neomom and I also received a gift membership to Zip.ca, a DVD-by-mail rental outfit that I didn't even know existed.

I've already created my zip list of movies I want to see and, apparently, the first two are in the mail. I'm told they come with postage-paid envelopes and, when I've seen them, I just mail them back and zip sends out the next two on my list, as available. It's kind of nice to have access to so many movies when you live in a place like Thompson. Yeah, we have a Blockbuster and a Rogers Plus, but they don't necessarily have all the movies I'm looking for. I'll let you know how this Zip.ca thing goes.

As for New Years, no plans as yet, beyond watching the Canada-U.S. World Junior hockey game and maybe racing through Koopa Cape on my Wii. I expect Neomom will be home by then, but there are not guarantees. She was hoping to be home last night, but I woke up alone, so I guess something came up.

Anyway, have a great Hump Day and, in case I don't blog in the next day or two, have a great New Year's Eve.

Celebrate as you see fit.

New Year ahead

Well, it's over.

The presents are all unwrapped, the tree is fading fast and there's a mountain of leftover turkey and trimmings in the refrigerator. Christmas 2009 is a memory.

Sonwun and Sontoo seem happy with their haul - and why not. They got more stuff than seems right. Sonwun was awake bright and early Christmas morning and stumbled down the stairs wide-eyed at the Christmas booty. "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh," he kept repeating. I'm not even sure where he came up with that expression, as it's not one Neomom or I use. Maybe preschool.

At four years old, Sonwun is at the peak (I hope) of the unabashed greed phase of his existence. He is not yet able to filter or stifle his verbal expressions of desire for everything he sees on television commercials or everything he sees under a Christmas tree. "Is that mine?" "I wanted that." "Can I open that one?"

I realize it's just part of being his age. But still, it's a little disconcerting on Christmas morning to watch him rip open one present with his eye on three others under the tree. We like to take our time opening gifts and he was having none of it. As soon as he was done shredding paper and identifying one gift, he was rabidly seeking the next, or seeking what his younger brother was holding.

I know, I know. He's just being a four-year-old.

Sontoo, on the other hand, at almost-two, is still happy to play with the wrapping paper; still happy to get one thing and go sit in a corner and play with it for an hour. He'd have been happy just with the colourful boxes cast off by his older brother. That's a little easier to watch.

Anyway, we survived and the big dinner on Boxing Day went off without any major hitches. No turkey disasters (in fact, compliments received on juiciness of bird - yay!) no drunken stupidity, children were well behaved. It was pretty good. Special thanks to Mom to J & J for the mashed potato suggestion. Worked very well and made the big day a little less stressful.

The New Year is approaching fast and I will admit it's always been one of the tougher times in my life. I think I spend too much time pondering the year gone by and, maybe, not enough looking ahead.

I guess I figure at the beginning of a new year, I should be able to look back at the last 52 weeks and be able to say I've discovered something deep and meaningful about life. I should have a better handle on happiness; how to achieve it, maintain it and pass it on to my children.

I guess that's a lot to ask of a couple of days of soul-searching. But here's what I've come up with for this year.

Make friends. Be a friend. Work to maintain friendships. Friends are important, as Sonwun reminds me on a regular basis. He is starving for friends, for people his age to come to his house and play with him.

And I realize, so am I. One good friend, I think, is worth his or her weight in gold.

And good friends are not easy to come by when you're changing your address every few years; when you're changing your lifestyle. Over the last four years, I have entered the married with children phase and have moved about 800 kilometres. I need a friend, or friends, who understand. I'm a stay-at-home dad and, as such, I need a friend, or friends, who understand this. These are not easy people to find.

On the plus side, I have many "virtual friends," most of whom were once real-life friends. But time and geography has changed that. We'll talk on the phone once in a while, swap emails a few times a year. But we can't sit down together and watch a football game. We can't go out and grab a beer and play pool. We can't smack each other upside the head when it's needed. Only a true friend will tell you when you're being an asshole and I think we all need to hear that once in a while.

Anyway, I have now officially entered the second phase of my annual New Year review. I'm ready to smack myself upside the head and tell myself to stop wallowing in the negative. Find the positive, reinforce it and forge into the year ahead.

I guess I have something to learn from both of my boys. From Sontoo, relax and enjoy the pretty paper. It's all yours and it makes cool noises when you squeeze it. It can be a plane, a ball or a hat. Life is what you make it.

And from Sonwun, if you want something, ask for it, chase it, earn it, go get it. Don't whine about it. Life is full of new and interesting experiences, people and potential friends. Yeah, enjoy what you have, but never stop looking under the tree.

Happy Monday!

No pressure . . .

Okay, I admit it. I'm a little worried about our little Boxing Day Christmas party.

I have never cooked for this many people before. And I've certainly never cooked Christmas dinner for this many people. And I've most definitely never cooked Christmas dinner for this many people who are, to me, acquaintances.

This, my friends, is another part of the RCMP lifestyle. You get moved around to new and exciting places (like Thompson) and you get to meet new and exciting people. And, based on shared experiences and separation from family and friends, you tend to bond with the other RCMP folk.

Most of the RCMP families in Thompson are well separated from their families. It can feel a little lonely, especially around the holidays. So we get together. When we first arrived in Thompson, there was a party. At Thanksgiving, we had a great turkey dinner with some of the Ident families in Neomom's unit.

And now, at Christmas, it's our turn.

I've met everyone who's coming Saturday. Some of them once, some of them twice and a few as many as 10 times. They are all great people, but the added pressure comes from the fact that we've only known them for a few months. I mean, how will they react if the turkey explodes in the oven or I forget a major ingredient in the stuffing? Do we have enough chairs and table space? Can I get this all done while, at the same time, playing the gregarious host? Do we have enough ice, pop, food, booze, entertainment?

To be honest, I'm not even sure I can get a big enough turkey in our small oven, although I do have a labour-intensive back-up plan should the turkey conundrum present itself. We never sold the old oven from Gimli. It's in the garage and, if I run into trouble, I can always wrestle that bad boy down the basement stairs and plug it into the dryer outlet, right?

To top this off, Neomom is working evenings right now and will be working right up to Christmas Eve. Then she's on call Christmas Day. If she gets called out to something major . . . I could be doing this alone. And not just alone . . . alone with two kids.

Maybe I'll feel better after I go shopping today and get Mr. Turkey and the trimmings. Maybe not. There's still the cleaning to do, sometime in the next 48 hours, while taking care of the kids, getting Sonwun to swim class . . . and the house is a bit of a wreck right now. And if these were "old friends" I wouldn't worry so much about the house. With those people, if they dared bitch, I'd show them the vacuum and tell 'em to knock themselves out.

And I'm sure no one will bitch. I'm sure that everyone coming Saturday is as nice and relaxed as our old friends. It's just that we haven't had the time to really get to know each other yet, so that level of comfort has yet to develop.

Bah . . . in spite of the pressure, it will be nice to share the time with people in the same shoes we wear. My experience with the RCMP folk is that, for the most part, they are easy-going, fun-loving and not too judgmental when it comes to each other's homes and lifestyles. We all move around a lot. We all have to make new friends every few years. Most of us have been separated from old friends and family for a long time and are grateful to have someone with which to share holidays.

Wish me luck. I think I'm gonna need it.

Space Ranger discovered hiding in Basement

This Santa stuff isn't as easy as I thought it would be.

I'm not sure if Sonwun is actively seeking and snooping or if he just got lucky . . . twice. The little bugger located a stash (presents people, stay with me) in daddy's closet last week. All wrapped or boxed, so no major damage done. We moved the booty to a more secure undisclosed location.

But last night he discovered the unwrapped, but bagged, stash in the basement. That was the stuff that was supposed to go under the tree. And it was that discovery that makes me believe he was looking.

I mean, as he tells it, he just wandered into the laundry room, in the basement, into the furthest, darkest corner and innocently started poking at a green garbage bag. And lo and behold, Buzz Lightyear started talking to him. Coulda happened to anyone, right?

He went running straight upstairs to Sontoo's bedroom, where Neomom was putting the little one to bed, and told her Buzz was in the basement. She yelled from upstairs and I worked damage control. Told him he was dreaming, accused him of being drunk and offered him chocolate.

I didn't say I was good at damage control.

We kept him out of the basement for the rest of the night and, this morning, I moved the stash once again, to a more secure and undisclosed location. I then filled a new green garbage bag with, well, garbage, and put it in the basement for him to discover this morning. And if I catch him, we'll open it together just so he can see that Daddy was right - he was dreaming, or drunk, or high on chocolate.

Anyway, three more sleeps until the big day. And Neomom was right. We should not have put the tree up so early. I was wrong, she was right, I was wrong, she was right.

Every time someone walks near it now, you can hear the sound of an ever-increasing spruce needle avalanche falling on the presents below. I vacuum twice a day and still can't keep up. I'm pretty sure that by Boxing Day, when we're hosting the big dinner, that tree is gonna be a big stick with lights on it.

Oh well, if that's my biggest problem at Christmas, I'm doing okay. Neomom has to work evenings on Christmas Eve and is on call Christmas Day. Join me in knocking on a big ol' piece of wood and pray for peace on Earth so that we can enjoy the big day (and the cooking chores) together.

Happy Tuesday!

Date Night II

So, in spite of several roadblocks thrown into our path, Neomom and I made it out last night for our second date night since we arrived in Thompson.

Roadblocks seem to be a date night theme.

Anyway, yesterday morning, we were set. Babysitter was booked and we had tentative plans to call another couple to join us for a night out. Doing what? We weren't sure as there is not exactly an active nightlife in Thompson for those that aren't gang members.

Must look into membership.

So, at noon, we had planned to take the boys to the swimming pool here in town, to get them all nice and tired for the babysitter. And, as we were putting the boys jackets and mitts on, the phone rang. I foolishly answered it. It was Neomom's boss. There'd apparently been an assault on a reserve about an hour from here and she was needed. Ugh.

Neomom headed to get dressed while I undressed the boys and tried to explain to a very disappointed Sonwun that we were not going swimming. I then called and cancelled the babysitter, as odds were good Neomom would not be home until very late.

I then put the boys down for their naps.

An hour later, Neomom called from the office here in Thompson. Seems her services would not be required after all. Soo . . . we rebooked the babysitter and, after nap time, headed out to the swimming pool, where a good time was had by all.

And, to make a long story short, after supper (and after getting a very uncooperative Sontoo to sleep) Neomom and I headed out with no particular destination in mind. We grabbed ourselves a couple of Tim Horton's coffees and drove around to check out the Christmas lights. And there were some really nice displays on some of the houses here in town. Yeah, I should have taken the camera.

We finished the evening off at Boston Pizza watching football and hockey with a cold beer.

Upon arrival home, however, I made the mistake of sitting down to watch the Survivor finale - all three hours. We've been fans of the show since the first episode - sorry if that bothers you. Seems folks either love the show or think it's the dumbest waste of time on the planet.

Anyway, I won't waste too much of your time on the finale, other than to say that the majority of folks this particular jury were the most self-righteous, sore loser types I've ever seen.

Russell should have won. That coat-tailing, did-nothing-but-ride-the-wave blond did not deserve the million. But the wusses on the jury just couldn't get over themselves and the fact that they'd been outplayed, outwitted and outlasted by one of the best players in the history of the game. End of story.

Anyway, big week ahead. We've invited a bunch of Neomom's colleagues over for Boxing Day dinner. Shopping, cooking, cleaning ahead.

And if any of you have suggestions for things I can cook ahead of time, feel free to leave a recipe. I need to cook a big turkey and I have a small oven, which ain't gonna leave any room for side dishes in there. So, recipes for side dishes that can be cooked on the stove, or cooked in advance and nuked on the big day, would be appreciated.

Have a great Monday!

Karma?

My head is spinning this morning. Someone asked me if I believe in Karma, the old what-goes-around-comes-around thing.

Well, someone asked the question on my favourite Stay-at-home-dad website. I read the responses of others and my head swam some more.

And I guess, on the minor, insignificant levels, I do believe in Karma. If you're nice to others, they'll be nice to you. If you avoid trouble, it is less likely to find you. If you don't steal cars, you're less likely to end up in prison. Do good unto others . . .

But then, having been a newspaper reporter and having married a police officer, I've seen and heard about too much bad, bad, bad shit happening to kids to buy into Karma. Take the recent case of Phoenix Sinclair in Manitoba. What could a five-year-old have done to deserve to endure a lifetime of beatings, being shot with a pellet gun, stomped on and left to die on a cold basement floor? Nothing. Belief in Karma takes a big hit.

And if Karma is a reality, it would have to be a global reality. And that's where my belief takes another blow. In North America, it seems, we look around at those with more and spend way too much time asking, why not me? What did that asshole do to deserve so much? I only have one car, he has two. I only have two cars, he has three. My house is smaller than his, he takes vacations twice a year . . . and on it goes.

If we step back and take a look at the global picture, most of us in North America are doing exceedingly well. And what, exactly, did we do to deserve it? Most of you reading this are, by global standards, disgustingly wealthy. You have a roof over your head, food on the table, clothes on your back and a computer upon which to read my morning ramblings. You don't really have to worry about your kids being taken and used as soldiers, or prostitutes. You don't really have to worry about them starving to death. And you don't really have to worry about a bomb falling on your house. What was the great Karmic accomplishment that set you apart from some poor bugger in, say, Iraq, Sri Lanka, Somalia, Darfur? Some sucker who, like you, just wants to live his life, believe his beliefs, have a roof over his head, food for his family . . .

WOW, I really wish I hadn't read that question this morning, and I'm guessing you wish you hadn't opened this page for your morning smile.

Can I pull something positive from this? Can you? Help me out here.

I guess, for my part, I can continue to live as though Karma exists. Continue to do unto others as I would have the do unto me, so to speak. But I can't dwell on, or wait for, that something to be done unto me.

I have so much already, I guess, that I'm behind on the wheel. It's already been done unto me a thousand times over. And maybe I just need to catch up. Maybe that's the point. Maybe I need to stop spending so much time thinking about what I don't have and realize that what I do have is spectacular.

Anyway, that's where my head's at this morning.

It's -29 in Thompson this morning, going up to -18. That, my friends, is a beautiful day here. My boys woke up smiling, they're healthy, happy and life is good.

Happy Thursday.

Housebound

With temperatures in Thompson approaching absolute zero, the last few days in the house have been, well, interesting. Being locked up with an almost two-year-old and a brand new four-year-old has been, at times, annoying as hell and, at other times, a real hoot.

Sonwun, at four, is really testing his limits and, therefore, testing my limits of late. He actually used the words "I don't have to!" recently after being assigned the menial task of taking his dirty socks to the hamper. Um, when daddy says you have to, you have to. End of story.

He'd actually been working up to that little declaration of independence for a while; ignoring me when I spoke, taking his sweet time to do what he's been told . . . yeah, I know. Testing his world, testing his power levels, testing my patience.

In any case, he's now understands that his world and power levels and several steps before "I don't have to!"

But it's not all bad— not entirely bad.

Yesterday the two monkeys were playing downstairs when I heard Sontoo starting to squawk. It wasn't the blood-is-flowing-move-your-ass squawk. More of a my-brother-took-my-car noise. Yeah, I can tell the difference.

Seconds later, Sonwun runs up the stairs and into the kitchen. I figure he's distancing himself from the scene of the crime. But instead, I get:

"Dah-da-da-da-da-daaah. SuperSonwun to the rescue. Daddy, Sontoo's crying. His head is stuck."

And while I appreciated the heads-up on this one, I really need to go over the order in which we present information. Sure, the fanfare and announcement of SuperSonwun's dramatic and sweeping arrival was impressive (his batman pajamas have a cape). But when your brother's head is stuck between two couches, that should really be the first bit of information offered. Just saying.

Sontoo wasn't hurt, just annoyed and he quickly recovered and promptly tried to do it again, as it earned him some attention. I moved the couches.

Sontoo's language skills and lexicon are improving daily and I gotta say, it's really cute. From his "morning dada!" in the crib to his "night night," he's taking every opportunity to exercise his abilities and make himself heard.

Many of his new words are coming from Sonwun. He loves to repeat things his older brother says. He pulls out his most effective and go-to phrase "I miss you mama," at almost every opportunity, as it melts Neomom's heart.

At diaper change time, he compliments my work when complete. "Poofit" is his version of "perfect" which apparently describes my Pamper replacement technique.

And with every new word, he is very proud to point out its meaning. This morning it was "Fum daddy, see? Fum." Which, of course, means he's found his thumb and the correct word for it. It's an exciting time in his life and I am having a great time watching and listening.

Anywhoo, it has warmed up to a much more comfortable (and I really do mean that) -25C here in Thompson this morning, with a windchill at -38C. Doesn't feel all that bad after the -40s. Sunrise at 9 a.m., sunset at 4 p.m.

Have a great Tuesday. It's garbage day here!

Just some Stuff

Happy Monday!

Getting a late start writing this morning, as I enjoyed my coffee with a new James Patterson novel just a little too much this morning.

Okay, the novel is not new, but it's new to me. It's Mary Mary, for you Patterson fans, and I picked it up at the Thompson Library last night, along with Cradle and All. I have them for three weeks, but it usually only takes me two or three days to get through one, depending on how active the boys are. When they are really quiet, I can finish one off in 24 hours, but it's rare.

It was my first successful trip to the library here. I've taken the kids one other time, on a Monday at 11 a.m., and it was closed (??). Last night was a solo trip, part of my half-hour of freedom after Neomom got home from work. But now I have a copy of the library's hours of operation and plan to make it a more regular thing, not only for me during "free time" but with the boys as well during the long winter days. I hear they have a Friday afternoon program for kids. Must check it out.

For those keeping track, it's -31 this morning with a windchill of -43. It's supposed to warm up to -24 later today. Sunrise in Thompson is now at 8:54 a.m. and sunset is at 3:58 p.m.

So yesterday, I actually went for a nice, brisk half-hour walk. Yes, it was on the treadmill, as I'm pretty sure the boys couldn't handle more than five minutes outside right now. And it's not worth the 10 minutes it would take them to dress for the occasion and the 10 minutes of undressing after.

The treadmill, which was purchased two or three years ago, has been used sporadically since its arrival. It's been virtually unused since we moved to Thompson.

But with the furniture and a television in the rec room now, I can plunk the boys down with some toys and a video and get a little exercise while they are otherwise occupied. It is good and it is something I really need to continue.

It's not only good for the overall, general health aspect, but it's great for helping to keep my blood sugar levels stable. I hope to walk and run five days a week, taking breaks on Wednesdays and Fridays, as it conflicts with playgroup.

Anyway, that's all I've got today. And, due to my reading this morning, I didn't even get a photo for the day. Sorry if you enjoy that part.

It is now 6:18 and I hear Sontoo squawking. My day begins.

Heat Wave

Well, it would appear the cold snap has ended. After a few days in the high -30s and low -40s, I awoke to a spring-like -26 this morning.

Environment Canada has lifted its windchill warning, apparently because the -43 windchill forecast for later today does not merit alarm of any kind. Phew, and I thought it was gonna be cold.

The little chill we experienced in the past few days was a first for me. I had never experienced naturally occurring windchill levels like that before. Yeah, I created my own a few times while snowmobiling at 80 mph across Lake Winnipeg in -30 temperatures. I also got my first experiences with frostbite during that time.

But this latest freeze taught me a few new and exciting things.

1. The vent for the clothes dryer in the house is a wonderful conduit for cold. And the dryer doesn't like it. When I fired that bad boy up yesterday, I thought for a minute the cat snuck in while I was loading it. Horrible noise. Oh, and never, ever, under any circumstances should you throw in a load of wet clothes and forget to turn the dryer on. Big ball of fabric ice. Enough said.

2. Much to my disappointment, spit does not freeze before it hits the ground at -40. My sister suggested I try it and I did. It landed with a wet "splat," not the "crack" I was looking for. Probably just as well as I would likely have frozen something playing that game if it had worked.

3. The block heater in the truck is up to the task. This is good news. Yeah, it complained and made some interesting noises (not as interesting as the dryer mind you) but it started. The doors did not operate as cooperatively as usual and the "low tire pressure" light came on, but I'm pretty sure that was all due to the shrinking metal and air. It got Neomom safely to work and home again. That's all I ask of it.

4. Not sure if the van is up to the task, as I chose to keep the boys indoors for the last couple of days. I'm just going to believe it will be there when needed.

5. And finally, that goofy, Gomer-lookin' hat I bought as a joke several years back? It is fantastic in -40 weather. My deepest thanks to the rabbit that made the ultimate sacrifice for my head. I'm thinking it will be the go-to headgear in Thompson. At these temperatures, I don't care how I look, as long as I'm warm. Must look into junior sizes for the boys. It's never too early to start looking goofy.

Anywhoo, it's Sunday, Neomom's gotta work and, in spite of the warm weather, I think it'll be another indoor kinda day. But we'll see. It's -26 now, but it's supposed to warm up to -25.

Have a great day.

The aforementioned Gomer hat.

Christmas, Cold, Green Poop

I'll admit I'm suffering from a little writer's block, which is why I didn't fulfill my pledge to blog daily last week. And so, this morning, I decided to just sit down and write. I'm told that writer's write. We'll see where this goes.

It's Saturday and I find myself somewhat stumped yet again. It seems there's only one thing going on right now, and that's Christmas prep. We seem to have everything in order and the Christmas tree went up Thursday night without anything hilarious happening.

Sure, it's the ugliest little lopsided Charlie Brown Christmas tree we've ever had. But remember, it was free and I didn't have to order it six weeks in advance. And hey, with the lights and ornaments on it now . . . it looks like an ugly little lopsided tree with lights and ornaments.

In other news, three out of four of the occupants of this house seem to be fighting some sort of digestive bug. Things are not as solid as they usually are. That is causing some concern, but these things usually clear up on their own. Sonwun, however, after announcing his morning poop plans, headed upstairs and deposited something very green in the bowl. I'm talking cartoon green, bright green, electric lime green.

Experience has taught me to think back to what he ate in the last 24 hours. Blue icing on a birthday cake, for example, will often produce this kind of thing. But he didn't have any cake last night (I checked the fridge) and I have never seen this particular shade of green. It's practically glowing.

But he did have some grape pedialite (stuff for kids with diarrhea to restore electrolytic balance) and I suspect this is the result.

But this stuff was soooo green I was actually tempted to photograph it and make it today's picture. I don't think I'd even need a flash in the dark. But I'll spare you.

And finally, water's wet, the sky is blue and it's cold in Thompson, Manitoba in December. We're at a crisp -40C this morning, which, you might be interested to know, is where the Celsius and Fahrenheit scales meet. So it's also -40F. There is a windchill warning in effect as well, and we're currently sitting at -52C (-61.6F) with the windchill. So I think this will be an indoor kind of day for me and the boys.

So that's all I've got this morning. Have yourselves a great weekend!

My Time

Okay, that was worth it.

The new furniture that we picked up on the weekend is paying dividends. Yes, the new stuff, that was supposed to be in the rec room is upstairs in the living room, but the old living room stuff is now downstairs, around the gas fireplace, two floors away from my sleeping family.

And this morning, before writing this, I spent a wonderful hour alone with a cup of coffee, a blanket, Oliver (our cat) and a James Patterson novel. The fireplace quickly chased away the chill in the basement room and gave off a nice, warm glow.

It's my time.

I have always found comfort in morning solitude. At 18, when I had to be at the construction site at 7 a.m., I liked to be out of the house by 6 and at Tim Horton's, with my newspaper, for half an hour or so before work. While there were other people in the coffee shop, I was still alone, with my paper and my coffee, relaxing before work.

When I worked at the newspaper, I was there by 7:30 or 8, an hour or so before everyone else. I was the one who put the coffee on and spent the time alone, quiet, reading newspapers, drinking my coffee and, when inspiration hit, writing. The phones weren't ringing yet, no one was asking questions or demanding answers. Deadlines did not yet exist. I was alone in the office, with my coffee and my paper, relaxing before work.

And I guess now it's not that different. As a stay-at-home parent, my day is full, in spite of what some believe. From the time Sonwun stumbles down the stairs at 6 a.m., until he goes to sleep at 8 p.m., there is always something to do.

But at 4 a.m. or, if I'm lucky, 5 a.m., I am awake. And no one is whining, no one is asking for juice, the laundry can wait and the kitchen can be a mess.

It's my time.

Everyone sleeps through the sound of the coffee grinder at 5 a.m. I check Facebook, read my news on line, see what the guys are talking about on Dadstayshome.com and, now, I can curl up downstairs, by the fire, alone, with my coffee and a book, or in the kitchen with my coffee and the computer, relaxing before work.

And, believe it or not, there has been one constant through the years' morning rituals. The plastic Super Tim mug, extra large, has followed me through career change after career change. It's faded, old and cracked on the bottom. But it's been with me for more than 20 years.

But, it's now 6:04 a.m. and Sonwun has stumbled down the stairs, announced his plans to poop, and is now back upstairs making good on his promise. The paperwork is not far behind. I've had my time this morning and now responsibility is calling.

But even as I completed my first chore of the day, I got to hear, "Dad, you know what?"

"What?"

"I love you."

Never got to hear that in any of my other jobs. Life is good today.

Have a great Wednesday.