Haven't done one of these in awhile! Even though everybody seems to hate it when I do this type of blog, I thought I might just go ahead and do one for old time's sake! I'm actually thinking of doing this type of post every day next week. Just to drive my readership even lower. I'm such a rebel.
Alarm woke me up a little after 6:30. Desperately wanted to sleep some more, but Finley heard the alarm and decided it was time to get up. Laid on the couch for a few minutes while my body woke up, then I went in to get Jonah up for school. We're pretty fortunate that Jonah is a morning kid. I don't think any 7-year old ever wants to get up for school, but after four or five minutes, Jonah is usually wide awake and ready for the day.
I grabbed a shower while Krist got Jonah dressed and packed up for school. He and I actually left the house a bit earlier than usual, which was nice because I didn't have to drive like a maniac to get him there on time. After I dropped him off, I stopped by Donut Palace. Don't judge me.
Now, listen. We've all been to a Donut Palace. There are some certain similarities that we all probably understand. I love our local store. I love it even more when the guy is working. Because when his sister (or wife) works, I honestly cannot understand what she's saying. Most of the time, I think she's asking where the kids are. Or if I really meant to order 4 cinnamon rolls. Either way, I just chuckle. Usually I leave with an order that's pretty close to what I requested, so that's good.
Got home, handed over the donuts, checked email and such and then I didn't lay back down for a long morning nap. Not me - just thought I'd clarify that.Then when I woke up I mean after I finished working out, Finley and I watched some of those weird TV shows she likes. (Ni Hao, Kai Lan, Yo Gabba Gabba, etc.) We sang "Wheels On The Bus" and her special renditon of "The Grady Bunch."
I actually did exercise...popped in a DVD of Battlestar and hit the treadmill for about a half-hour. Worked on my situp challenge...no, I will not divulge my status. Grabbed a shower and got dressed. After a while we headed out to pick up Jonah from school. Once we got Jonah,we headed into town for some Andy's Frozen Custard, ice cream that's so good, you willingly pay way too much money for it.
After Andy's, we went to Target for a few groceries and then took Jonah to soccer practice. Finley and I stayed at home while Jonah got all practiced up. Finley went to be around 7. Jonah finished The Clone Wars on DVD while Kristen did some stuff to get ready for Sunday's home group. Ate some supper, "played wrestling" with Jonah and threw him in the tub. Normally, he stays up a little bit later than normal on Fridays, but tonight got away from us. After his bath, he was ready for sleep.
After he was down, Kristen went to bed. I hit the treadmill again. (Dedication) Watched some more Battlestar as I ran, showered and hit the sack.
My son, Jonah, has always loved super heroes. He's never been a "train kid" or "sports kid." Ever since he was old enough to know the difference, he's been fascinated with the supernatural. Heroes, Star Wars, aliens, robots...the kid digs.
When he was really small, he got a lot of hero stuff for Christmas. In fact, Marvel used to make these kid-friendly hero action figures...little squatty versions of Captain America and Hulk and Wolverine...all smiles and age appropriate. He dug the Spider-Man movies because the commercials played constantly. Pretty normal hero fan stuff. Until we rented an animated Avenger's movie.
The movie was filled with heroes we had never heard of. Jonah enjoyed the movie, but he was most fascinated with a hero called IRON MAN. Suddenly, our four-year old could think of nothing else but Tony Stark's titanium alloy hero creation. The problem was that no one else seemed to know who Iron Man was. You couldn't find toys or movies or pajamas or anything with this little red man on it. But strangely, as Jonah turned five, we began to see more Iron Man toys. Why? Because Marvel knew something that we didn't.
When Jonah heard that there was an actual Iron Man movie being made, he lost his mind. It was a dream come true, and trust me, now we have the Iron Man pajamas. (They even light up.)
I found a strange pride in it...like my son had some sort of unique sense of what was cool long before the other kids did. (I'm kinda' messed up.) But we didn't dwell on it.
Chapter 2....
When we moved to Tyler, Jonah discovered a video game at a friend's house. The game was Marvel Ultimate Alliance. It had all the guys Jonah liked. But he didn't come home talking about Hulk or Iron Man. Suddenly, he was all about Deadpool. I'd never heard of Deadpool. I researched it a little, found out that Deadpool was one of the more creative, if lesser known, Marvel characters, and didn't think much of it.
And then, I see this...
Did you see the guy with the two swords? Red shirt? Flying around like a crazy man? Yep, you guessed it.
When you move to a new house, there are always those moments where you are frustrated by the lack of familiarity.
Where did we put all the photo albums?
You're putting silverware over here?
Are you sure we packed the kids' summer clothes?
Some of these moments happen immediately or a few days after moving in.
Others take awhile.
Like realizing you have know idea where your bathroom plunger is.
And you really, really need it.
I miss Lufkin. There, I said it, okay? I miss it. Miss the people, miss the places, miss Abe Martin Stadium.
Okay, I don't miss Abe Martin Stadium. (I already have a church, okay?)
So, when I get a call, it's a good thing. I love seeing "DAD" or "PAPA" or a similar ID. This past week, my phone rang and I noticed "MOM" on the screen.
Naturally, I answered it, glad to speak to my mother. Would she be just checking in? Would she be heading up to Tyler soon to spend some time with my children? Was she calling to tell me she loved me?
No.
None of these.
ME: "Hey, mom."
_______________________________________________________________________________________________Newest episode of "The Dean Jones Show." If you've got questions you'd like for Dean to answer, shoot an email to toddwrightband@gmail.com.
And now...the show!
todd vlog ep 51 from Todd Wright on Vimeo.
This will be fun...
I'm guessing that there are a few of you (at least) who have thought about something like this.
What do want your funeral to look like?
What do you want them to sing?
What do you want them to say?
Where should it be held?
What sort of overall "theme" would you want?
Comment below!
When Kristen was pregnant with Jonah, I remember a mentor of mine pulling me aside and saying,
This is Finley performing last Sunday with "Snapshots," her Sunday morning class.
SNAPSHOTS Performance 12/14/08! from Bethel Bible Church on Vimeo.
She's on the far right.
Take note of a few things...
Jonah wasn't content to let Finley have all the fame for internet dancing, so he made his own. This video started kinda' impromptu in Finley's room, but Jonah BROKE IT DOWN. Enjoy!
Dancing Family from Kristen Wright on Vimeo.
I was a very serious young man. I'm not sure why - I think it had something to do with my perception that "artists" were required to be introspective and distant.
And then I met her.
I'll admit that it took me my surprise. When I first met Kristen, I remember being amazed at how funny she was...how much she and her family laughed. She seemed like the silliest, sweetest girl I had ever met. And while it's true that I immediately knew she was the girl for me, it's also true that I also realized that I needed her.
I needed her smile. I needed her joy. I needed to learn how to lighten up and find the fun in life. And she did all of that. Without even trying, she changed me into a better version of myself. I'll never be able to repay her for teaching me how to laugh.
But what's more - every couple of days, I realize that I'M STILL LAUGHING.
She is funnier now than ever. Sillier than she's ever been. And it's obvious to me that the laughter we share now is somehow more funny and rich than it's ever been. After 10 years, we've learned how to laugh together, how to cheer each other up and how to find joy in times where it seems invisible.
I don't know what the future holds, but with Kristen by my side, I know we'll find a way to enjoy it.
Thank you, Kristen, for being you. Thanks for saving me from myself.
It happens to us all.
If you're a parent, you're going to be watching some television programming for children. Granted, some parents limit their kids' TV intake to a very thin stream. Others pretty much let their kids watch whatever they want, whenever they want.
But unless you're the most strict parent on the planet (or) you have a child that doesn't watch TV, you're gonna' see some of this stuff.
Jonah has always been a TV kid. He's always loved it...and we have to be careful with how much he watches. Here are some of his favorite shows (right now.)
BEN 10: ALIEN FORCE
Jonah loves Ben 10. I think were three seasons of the "normal" Ben 10, but now Cartoon Network has created a new version. Ben 10 Alien Force involves the same characters, but takes place 10 years later. At this point, Ben and his pals are older, wiser and more powerful!
THE SECRET SATURDAYS
Jonah got interested in this through Cartoon Network's "cryptid" promotion. The Saturdays are a superhero family that seeks out strange and unusual cryptid creatures around the world. Oh, and they fight evil.
THE MIGHTY B
This show is hilarious. Mainly because of Amy Poehler's fantastic voice work. (Poehler used this voice on SNL for a sketch about a hyperactive pre-teen.) The voice alone is worth thirty minutes of my time...plus I love the simplicity of the animation. In a high-tech world, the Mighty B looks almost like something created in my day.
DRAKE AND JOSH
This show isn't in production anymore, but that doesn't keep Nickelodeon from cashing in on it!
There's some funny stuff on this show, but it tends to make Jonah wild. (Josh tends to yell a lot. Or is it Drake? The one who lost all the weight tends to yell a lot.)
This one can pretty annoying.
STAR WARS: CLONE WARS
I don't know any six year old boy who's not into Clone Wars. Jonah and I caught the movie when it hit theaters. We loved it. Imagine his shock when the new Friday night TV series was unveiled. Watching Clone Wars is fast becoming our Friday night tradition.
iCarly
I love iCarly. It's hilarious. Great characters, great writing, great online presence/sub-culture. I'm partial to Sam. She's awesome.
SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS
This one is, by far, the most popular. I don't really have a problem with Spongebob. Sure, sometimes it's a bit crude, but six-year old boys like crude. At least, mine does. Other than that, it's a pretty silly show that can be, occasionally, pretty funny. (I've found that it gets funnier the more you watch it. Lunacy is like that, I think.)
No, my problem is that this show is on ALL THE TIME. Shortly after we got our DVR hooked up, Jonah tried to setup some recording. Being new to the remote, he picked "all" instead of "once." A day-and-a-half later, we had 18 episodes recorded.
18 episodes.
That's too much Spongebob, gang.
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So, moms and dads....what are YOUR kids watching?
Do you find yourself enjoying THEIR shows?
Trip To The "Deer Least" from Todd Wright on Vimeo.
Jonah calls it the "Deer Least." And so, now we all do.
I was telling Jonah some "Christmas stories" from my youth the other day and I started to wonder what would be some of my best Christmas moments.
Like most of you, I've got tons of memories about gifts I received or meals I shared or funny stuff that happened in our family.
But one memory still hangs on with startling clarity.
I was a teenager and old enough to drive. Upon receipt of my driver's license, my dad presented me with a little red truck. I loved that truck. It was the stuff of country songs and folklore - it was freedom.
I can't remember if it was the Christmas immediately following my birthday or the next year, but I remember my parents handing me this big box on Christmas Eve.
I tore into it, my mouth gaping open as I realized what they had given me.
A CD stereo system.
Now, if I was lame, I'd make some sort of stupid joke like, "You know, kids, back in my day, cars didn't come with CD players."
But I am not lame.
I am cool.
Now that gift was great, but that's not the memory. The thing I remember most is what happened when my Dad saw the look in my eyes.
He got up from his comfortable chair, threw on his boots and led me outside where we installed that CD player and speakers that very night.
It was a complicated process and luckily, I was only responsible for handing him stuff. (Some things never change...) But we worked into the night to get it all hooked up and finally, I popped in my brand new Mortal disc and cranked it for all it was worth.
I'll never forget the fact that my very tired father went out of his way to do something so generous for me. I'll always appreciate my dad for that.
Now, it's your turn. Take a second and share one of your best Christmas stories in the comment section below!
