Lost Jack

Jack is really into tractors right now. Mainly becuase in Cars (the pixar movie) Lightning McQueen and Mater go tractor tipping. It is one of his favorite scenes.

For thanksgiving we spent the holiday at my grandparents old farm house in the giant metropolis of Winters. In the pasture beside the house there is a lot of old farm equipment including one old tractor about 75-100 yards from the house.

We had been at the farm for about 2 hours, when someone, I can't remember which one of us starting looking around for Jack. He was no where to be found in the house. At this point my heart sank, because this place is in the middle of nowhere. (For thouse of you who wandered out with me while at ACU maybe you remember). Anyway I and the rest of us start running around the house yelling for Jack. I then see that the gate to the fence is open and start running out into the pasture screaming "Jack" at the top of my lungs...hoping for a response from somewhere.

Then through the trees I see the familiar stripes of the shirt he was wearing sitting high atop an old rusty tractor that he had somehow walked to and climbed up on without any shoes on. Of course there wasn't a scratch on him, and the whole episode may have lasted only a few minutes, but it was a harrowing few minutes. The sight of that striped shirt through the trees was a wonderful uplifting feeling.

I probably lean a little on the overprotective side anyway (or maybe a lot - you might disagree with my self assessment),but I couldn't believe that 5 adults had been able to let a 3 year old of our sight and escape the house and felt horrible that I had. I also wonder, just when did Jack even see that tractor - it is not that visable from the house or the road leading up to it. Did he just decide to wander and then came upon it or did he see it all along.

I don't know what drove him to it, but I will give him credit. After scaring his parents to death that we had lost him, he at least asked us to go out and see the tractor every time after that. It also helped that Jodi went around making sure the doors were all locked every thirty minutes or so, that kind of put an end to any extraciricular outdoor activities.

All in all it was a good holiday with wonderful weather, a peaceful setting and a lot of my family around. I missed the Bain half and look forward to being together at Christmas. There is so much in life to be thankful for!

The Dr. will see you now...

A new thing in our house is going to see Dr. Molly. Her Nana and Papa gave her a doctor's kit complete with stethoscope, scalpel, thermometer, clamp, tweezers and who knows what else. So now Dr. Molly will come over and diagnose you as being "sick". So if you are "sick" it is then time for "pration" (or operation to you and me).

An operation by Dr Molly is very efficient. Frist you have to lay down. If you resist, and it is futile to resist, she will just push you down. Then she checks your heart with the stethoscope, then asks for you to lift your shirt so she can properly operate on your stomach. She then searches for the scalpel and make a few precision cuts (and yes a plastic scalpel can still hurt a bit). While she makes the cuts there is a little sound effect along with it...kind of like a "swish" sound.

So after a few cuts then she will sew you up and check your heart again and send you on your way. Although every time I go see her she just tells me I am sick again and I have to have another 'pration. I think she is in cahoots with someone at an insurance company.

The other day when I was having my 'pration I pretended to be scared and cry. Out of nowhere Jack runs over and lays on top of me and says "Don't cry Daddy, I am here. You don't have to be scared." I can't tell you how much I loved that reaction from him. I know he was just replaying out what I said to him when he had to go to the hospital and get stitches, but those unexpected outpourings of love are something to treasure.

I hope that whatever my kids grow up to be, whether a doctor (Molly) or salesman (Jack is quite the deal maker) they don't lose the ability to love others as freely as they do as children.

Get out and vote!

Remember that tomorrow is voting day...be sure to get out and get your vote cast.

For my tenessese and illinois friends, just think if you were in texas you could be voting for this guy.

An interesting irony

While viewing my regular sites today I came across this interesting article on McSweeny's. It is part of a convergences contest (for info on the contest look at the older links...cool idea...this is one of my favorite things on this website).

McSweeney's

Today's seems very topical. Don Rumsfeld has made it known that opponents of the war in Iraq don't know what kind of enemy they are facing and are essentially acquiescing to another diabolical regime (ala the photo of the prime minister of England, Chamberlain, shaking hands with Hitler - agreeing to Hitler's taking possession of land between Germany and Czechoslovakia prior to WWII).

The irony here is that just a few short years ago Rumsfeld himself was shaking Saddam's hand telling him that the US supported him in his war on Iran, even though at the same time the US had signed an accord denouncing his use of chemical weapons on his own people.

Obviously time gives perspective to look back on these things and see these interesting convergences. I hope you will find the write up as enjoyable as I did.