• Cheryl is still pregnant, Beth still lives here too.

    At times Cheryl will tell you, with no small amount of frustration in her voice, that Beth is definitely my daughter. I lie here on Tuesday evening, finishing this entry with Beth at my side. She is busy with children’s television. I’m busy with one of my hobbies. We are both sitting mostly quiet, absorbed in our activity. But we are together, offering the occasional reminder that we are present: a question about something not understood or the sharing of something found amusing. It may not seem like much to many of you out there not reading this, but it is moments like these that I am stricken by how much I love my daughter. It is also times like these that I am stricken with the feeling that I have more in common with my daughter than I do with other adults. I know that you think this should be obvious, but you may not know what I mean. I’m thinking of the way I see myself. The evolution of my self image is stalled at big kid. I don’t live life thinking of myself as a working adult, parent to another human being. At the same time, the reality of having another child on the way is starting to settle. I find myself turning unfolding events in our lives into lessons for Beth, preparing her for a younger sibling. I hope they will be more than siblings, I hope they will be friends. I hope we will foster this development instead of hinder it. I hope my relationship with Beth will not suffer. I hope we will handle the pressures to come with grace and patience. I hope that there is enough adult in me to be a good parent, but enough child in me to make a real connection with my children. I hope I’m not hoping for too much.

  • Workplace Story.

    There is a guy at my office that has been given the opportunity to have his own office. To this point in his career, he has almost exclusively shared an office with someone. He has confided that he thinks he may prefer sharing an office to working solo. This isn’t just talk. He’s been offered his own office on several occasions and every time he has turned it down. Now, everyone in his office is getting a private office (well, almost everyone). Now there is little choice. He is excited about the new opportunity, but he will miss the camaraderie of sharing.
    This is my story.

  • The Sixth of July.

    We did not spend Independence Day doing any of the traditional things. There was no cook out, there was no fireworks. However, on Saturday evening we headed out to Bush Gardens and caught the last night of their holiday fireworks. It was a little late, but still a lot of fun. Beth had reason to be thankful on that night, she got to go to the park with her new friend Cory from down the street. It turns out that there is only one thing she likes better than going to Bush Gardens: going with a friend.