This year, Easter weekend was simply fantastic!
Today marked a special Easter in our family in that it was also a celebration of my God son's first birthday. Oh, he's a right handsome little man.
We enjoyed a great afternoon of sunshine and egg hunting and then a late lunch with all the local cousins back inside. Here's my God son again, this time with me.
And lest I forget, here's my beautiful daughter Hailey in all of her Easter dress splendor.
As expected, I rolled out of bed this morning to the dulcet tones of my daughter's voice. I'm now the parent of a 6 year old girl. She had her pick of any breakfast she could have in town: Picadilly, IHOP, Waffle House--anything. Hailey wanted "Papi" to make her french toast. Aww... Life is good!
This post is dedicated to my wonderful daughter Hailey on her birthday. It is also inspired by my "foodie" friend who's blog I sincerely enjoy reading and have tried to emulate in this post.
This is only my 3rd time making french toast. I can say with certainty that I've never felt terribly comfortable in the kitchen. Sure, I love to eat (and it shows). It is easy to appreciate the difference between good and great meals. Suffice to say that learning to cook well was taken for granted. However, when you cook something for your child--even as simple as this--and they love it, you are inspired to make it better.
My first foray into french toast a while back was coincidental: I had eggs and bread, not much else and a little time. I whipped it up and served it to Hailey in a press for time and obligation. She ate it all without even one "finish your breakfast, honey" from dear ol' Dad. Hmm, now that is interesting. I'd made enough and it turns out that everyone in the house had eaten their french toast with no words of encouragement. Cool.
A week or two later I come home and Maria has been to the grocery store on her way home. There, next to the whole wheat and whole grain breads we usually enjoy, is a loaf of texas toast. It does not really register until I open the refridgerator and see a new dozen organic eggs, prominently placed to be noticed. Ahh, gotcha. French toast good. French toast with proper ingredients that Maria does not have to actual cook herself is even better.
So all of the leads us to today. Like last time, I assemble the ingredients on the counter and ease through the cooking process.
I crack two organic eggs into a dish and add 1/4 cup of 2% milk. I whip this vigorously until well mixed. One at a time I soak the toast, first one side and then the other--twice. I place the egg covered toast into a non-stick pan pre-heated to medium. The cooking time is just a few minutes per side.
Off the heat and onto a plate, I add a light coating of powdered sugar and then syrup to taste. Today's batch--my best so far--was received with smiles and appreciation.
Happy birthday breakfast Hailey!
8:45pm on a Friday night. But this isn't any ordinary weekend. No, this is a Hailey birthday/Superbowl weekend extravaganza! Tonight I've already been to the K-1 cheerleader end-of-season party. Fuddruckers may never recover from the chaos that a couple of dozen little girls created.
And folks, that's the warmup.
I fully expect to be up with the sun to either cook or take Hailey a mega-breakfast. It's gonna be french toast or pancakes or waffles or some such. Mmm...
Later in the day will be a gymnastics-themed party with a gym filled with kids. Some of my "dad crew" will be there so it will probably be as great for me as it is for her!
Sunday... Oh, Sunday. Too much to deep-dive into so let's go bullet points:
Let me tell you a little story. It will ramble a bit but bear with me.
A couple of weeks ago I had let Maria know that I wanted my 40th birthday to just come and go. I expressed an interest in a nice dinner out for the 4 of us but no party or big deal. No need to rally the family for the cause. Maria encouraged me to at least take the day off. Nah, it'd be just another day at work in the life of "Papa Goose" (a story for another time).
About a week before my birthday, my life-long friend and suburban Atlanta neighbor Lee wrote to ask for help. On the Friday after my birthday he needed help to pick up a large grill and move it to his house. The email thread amongst his family discussing the details was lengthy. He was reaching out to us locals, like Joey and Wayne, for assistance. I'd just taken several days off over the Christmas and New Year's holiday and did not think it was a good plan to turn around and take the next Friday off too. Plus, I had a vendor coming for a lunch meeting that day. Anyway, as Wayne made a commitment to help, I said I could meet up after work that day.
So Thursday, my actual birthday, comes. I enjoyed a great breakfast and card from the family that morning. At the office I got a nice card signed by everyone in the department. At lunch, Maria came with me to Papi's in Midtown for our monthly Cuban lunch date. During the afternoon I took several birthday calls from my sister, mom and others. That night it turned out that Ash had to work but Maria, Hailey and I went our for a great seafood dinner. All told, it really was a low key, easy day. Nice.
Friday I am back to normal with Hailey and carpool in the morning and work. The vendor I'd been expecting shows up and we step out for a light lunch and to discuss our latest agreement. At around noon I get a call from Maria's principal. She tells me that Maria has fallen on the travertine floor and hurt her knee. It is not terribly bad, she goes on, but Maria needs to go the a local clinic to get checked out. She adds that they cannot take her (some kind of worker's comp issue) and that I need to come pick her up and take her. Can I be there in 30 minutes? Egads...
The vendor I am meeting with accepts the news and we work quickly to get our check and move out. The traffic back to the office is extra bad while I continue to take periodic phone calls from the school checking on my whereabouts. At the office I tell my boss the short of it and leave my desk as is with the intent to come back later after all is taken care of with Maria. The "beautification" (i.e. major construction) project on Peachtree takes a while to navigate. I mean it's Friday, right? Running terribly late I shoot up the highway exiting on the 6 lane that takes me to Maria's school. Guess what? It is down to 1 lane on my side (more construction--thanks Atlanta!) and it takes nearly another 30 minutes to go the last 2-3 miles. Suffice to say between the stress, traffic and worry I am fit to be tied.
I arrive at Maria's school and circumvent their efforts to keep cars out of the bus lane. A locked gate? Ha! A nice lady inquires as I walk into the school as to whether I will be parked there long. Nope, just here to pick up my injured wife who could not get to clinic by any of dozens of teachers and staff I see coming and going. Hold it together, Ashley...
I am met at the door and whisked quickly through the front office and into the clinic. Maria is there, as are many faculty and staff buzzing around like bees at the hive. She is sitting with her leg propped up and loosely bandaged. There is not even any ice on it. Maria tells me it's not as bad as she thought. She adds that these "three guys" looked at it and think it's probably going to be ok. What three guys? She points behind me to Lee, Joey and Wayne who have come into the clinic through a side door. Still stressed and edgy, not really processing it all well, I can only ask, "What are you all doing here??"
Dang, you got me!
L2R: Joey, Maria and Wayne
Maria shows me the camera.
Well it seems that Maria, my friends and the folks at her school had been in collusion behind my back--for weeks. They had taken great lengths to craft elaborate stories and plans all in an attempt to get me my for my 40th birthday. They even roped my boss into it.
Maria proceeds to tell me that I'm a hard person to get one over on. That urging to take Friday off? I wouldn't bite. The email thread about helping move a grill Friday afternoon? Nope. I've fallen and I can't get to the doctor? Well it took far too long for me to get there but I guess that was the ticket. I tell you what, they are some tricky, conniving, sneaky jokers... and I love them all.
There are cheers and hugs and handshakes and happy birthday wishes all around. I take some heat for taking so long to get there but all the stress and worry has washed away. But that ain't all!
Maria goes on to tell me that she has reserved a cabin at Elijah Clark State Park for the weekend. Lee, Joey and Wayne are all here because they have taken the day off, packed up and are ready to speed me away to the lakeside cabin mountains for a guy's weekend--right now. Outside she gives me a packed bag of clothes--bathroom stuff included--and a poker jar. Go and have fun she tells me, completely happy to have orchestrated a successful trip for me. I am the luckiest guy on the planet.
I will work on part 2 of the story soon. In the mean time, and especially for those of you who were in cahoots with all this, please feel encouraged to leave your own comments and perspective.
Yesterday my wife sent my friends and me on a guys weekend getaway at Elijah Clark State Park for my birthday. More to come!
Ashley H, a long-time friend from work (affectionately referred to as "the other Ashley") sent me a birthday eCard!
You can click it to enlarge. Aww... ain't it cute?
It has not snuck up on me. Quite the contrary...
In fact, if you have spoken with me in the last year you have probably heard me mention it ad nauseam.
Let the black balloons fly--Ashley is turning ::gulp!:: 40!
Now not a single one of you has asked me to wax nostalgic. Oh, I could tell you stories about what it was like "back in the good old days." My first job. My first motorcycle. My first kiss.
There has been no request to impart my wisdom on you. I mean, come on, take a lesson from your "elders" and don't make the same mistakes in life I have. It is not about regrets at all. It is about knowing now what you didn't know at the time.
If anything, I have begun to notice that I am being systematically sidelined in my career as the young, hungry, work-for-less whippersnappers begin their rise. And you know what? It's their time.
At age 10 my dreams were centered around me. They were fanciful and without boundaries--just as all children should be.
At age 20 my dreams still centered around me but with hints of realism and the stark understand of my limitations.
At age 30 my dreams were about "we". As a husband and father, I understood that sometimes there were things more important than me.
Now, on the cusp of turning age 40, my dreams are about you. I soon cross the middle of my life (if I'm so lucky as to live that long). My mind travels back to appreciate the past as much as it yearns for the future. I may need glasses to read now. Or maybe they call me "mr" or "sir" more often these days.
But you know what?
I'm ok with that... :-)
Superbowl--schmooperbowl. We've got BIRTHDAYS!
Hailey had her birthday party today at Jumpin' Jamboree, an indoor play gym. It was GREAT! Here is Hailey way up on top of one of the inflatables.
Later on there was pizza, cake and drinks.
Here is the "oldie but a goodie" song "Happy Birthday (Hailey)"
Happy Birthday Hailey!
We are very proud to tell you all that we have a birthday in our family today!
She is saying, "I am 5 years old today."
My sister and her family came into town today to do a few things around Atlanta related to their home building project. All of that pales in comparison to what we did tonight.
Around 6pm or so we headed up to Discover Mills in Lawrenceville to do something I've wanted to do since it opened: go to Medieval Times. Yeah! So we shell out the big bucks for tickets and head in.
First let me tell you that this place holds about a thousand people. The stage is a giant oval and the whole seating area is only about 6 rows high. That means that every seat is a good seat--Hazzah! Their plates and bowls are metal--and there are no utensils. Everyone inside is in character from the beer wenches to the King. The show is a massively choreographed event meticulously timed to the lights and music. I don't want to tell you the details of the show but suffice to say that the 2+ hour event is pretty cool.
So, advice.
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| From Medieval Time... |
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| From Medieval Time... |
For the handful of people who actually read this site, my apologies. Since my last post I have been quite busy with a host of life altering events to which I have been, more or less, self absorbed. Now that the holidays are behind me and I have sufficiently settled into the new year, it's time to reach back out and reconnect with both friends and family alike.
Work: I've heard (and probably quoted) that the only constant in life is change. Well it is that way in work too. A couple of months ago I was directly impacted by back-to-back reorganizations. The good news is that I survived with a job at my current company--even though it is not where I expected to be 3 months ago. It has been an interesting time of soul searching; of reaching out to family and friends for support and seeing who is really there for me. I'll spend more time, and more detail, on this topic in a future post.
Holidays: For the first time since moving to Atlanta 16 years ago, I spent Thanksgiving in Atlanta. It felt odd--but not necessarily bad. Christmas was the same as the recent past. Christmas Eve with the in-laws and family in Atlanta. Christmas morning at home with the kids. Leave in the afternoon for down south to spend Christmas night with my family. Again, more details in a future post.
Resolutions: I've decided that this is not a good thing. When you make these lofty goals it seems that about 1 in 10 actually work out. And when they do, it probably isn't because I made it happen. Instead I plan to focus my efforts on what I more (and better) I can do to support and help my family and friends. I've seen what support (or lack of it) can do. I'll spend some time wrapping a framework around that idea and then see how it looks. Future posts will come I'm sure.
Tomorrow is my birthday. My gift to myself is this: Tomorrow I turn a corner in my mind and heart.
I will take time to understand myself, and those whom I hold dear, more clearly.
I will try to listen with greater attention--and speak less.
I will try to accept with less resistance--and more trust.
I will try to become the husband, father, son, brother and friend that I should be.
Wish me luck.
The extended birthday celebration for Ash's 16th wrapped up today with an evening pool party. Several family and friends came to NUSC to enjoy the food and fun.
Since this year's birthday celebration for Ash seems to keep on going, I'm breaking it up into events. Ash had a small family party with cake and ice cream. Here he is getting ready to blow out his candles:
There are a few additional pictures here. More to come as his birthday journey continues...
This month my Granny Hardin celebrates her 80th Birthday. On a recent trip to Atlanta, here she is with the Grandkids from the Miller/Morgan side of the family. Left to right: Jaycee, Hailey, Granny Hardin, Ashley and Chance. To see some additional pictures of this day you can go to our gallery page.
Happy Birthday To You,
Happy Birthday To You,
Happy Birthday Dear Hailey,
Happy Birthday To You!
Yesterday we (belatedly) celebrated Ashley's 15th birthday. He had several friends and family over for a "quiet night at home". Yeah, right! The kids played lots of Xbox and Game Cube and even some cards. We enjoyed pizza, cake and ice cream cake and washed it down with lots of sugary soda--yum! The biggest hit was the Xbox game where you dance on the game pads on the floor. They had 4 pads hooked up and everyone gave it a try at least once. See more at photo gallery for the event.
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