Venting my disgust

Some of you may remember the name Pierre Pierce. He was a fairly good basketball player for the University of Iowa in the early part of the 21st century. Pierce’s actions off the court, his unrighteous dealings with multiple women, and how his coach, Steve Alford, handled those transgressions did not make them very popular figures in Iowa City. At the time, I was in my early 20s and I was less mature, more foolish, and did not yet have a sense of mortality. I backed Pierce, and his coach’s handling of the situations.

Fast forward to last weekend. It is a Saturday in November. Iowa has just upset Michigan; beating them for the third consecutive year, which has never before happened. Alabama is playing LSU, number one against number two; it is being referred to as the game of the century and it ends up being decided in overtime. These are the things that my Twitter feed should be talking about, but it isn’t. There is a story breaking about a twisted old man (who was a former Penn State assistant football coach), his dealings with young boys, and the enabling allowed by the Penn State football program and university.

I believe that there is only person who is allowed to judge others, and therefore I try not to judge anyone. I do not believe in the mentality of an eye for an eye. That being said the Jerry Sanduskys of the world are some of the most despicable types of people in existence. Very soon, Jerry Sandusky will, deservedly so, never again be a free man. As for those individuals that knew of his actions and did not blow the whistle on him, in my opinion, they are criminals as well.

It is because of stories like these that I do not like watching the local and/or national news. Nonetheless, I have been caught up in listening, reading, and watching the horrible stories that are coming from Penn State University. I was relieved when Joe Paterno was dismissed as Penn State’s football coach; due to his (lack of) actions, he deserves to have his privileges hindered. I just wish that he would come out and blatantly say that he was wrong for not pursuing Sandusky’s wrong doings more than simply notifying his superiors.

The most disturbing story from this mess that I came across was while I drove to work Wednesday morning, and I was listening to Colin Cowherd on ESPN radio. A listener, in his forties, called in to the show to discuss how being a victim of sexual abuse stays with you for the duration of your life. Cowherd had to go away to a commercial break before continuing his show after the caller was done; when he came back his monologue addressed the fact that there are male predators and they usually don’t look any different from any other male. He talked about trying to keep his children safe and other children safe. I drove to work with tears in my eyes.

I am glad that Ryne is too young to comprehend what is happening when the reporters are live from Penn State. This is a blog entry that he should not read until he is MUCH older; I’ve just been thinking about this so much this week, it feels good to write out my thoughts. Ultimately, I guess it comes down to this – how do you keep your children safe from this happening to them? I fear that it is something that you do not have total control over. Not all people are who we think they are. Nonetheless, you have to have faith in people and trust that people are of good nature. You have to have an open line of communication with your child. Though, first and foremost, you have to educate your child about the possibilities, good and bad, the world has to offer.

With the burden of this Penn State situation still fresh in everyone’s minds, if your team wins this weekend it won’t be as satisfying and if your team loses this weekend it won’t be as depressing. I love sports. They are entertaining, and they contain numerous learning experiences. But they are just games. It is unfortunate that it takes situations like these to put everything into proper perspective.

You Want Good Luck? Go Get It!

I often think I’m a lucky guy. I have the perfect wife; a handsome, healthy, and well behaved son; a job that I enjoy going to each morning; I’m as healthy as I’ve ever been; and our family has enough money that allows us to do the things that we want to do. I keep thinking (dreading) that my luck is going to, has to, run out soon. I don’t know why I think this. I don’t even believe in luck. I believe that luck is what you get when hard work meets opportunity (unfortunately, I did not coin that equation).

So, Ryne, if you are ever down on your luck, promise me that you won't let it keep you down. You see, just as easily as we sometimes put ourselves in situations that bring us bad "luck" we can also create opportunites for ourselves to prosper from good "luck." If you exhibit/practice the following four traits, I promise you - your fortune will change.

1. Work hard. This is the easiest of the four. Anyone can work hard. And when you start working hard you are setting yourself up for “luck” or success. However, unfortunately, hard work does not ensure good fortune.


2. Be patient, and don’t quit. This is difficult; being patient can be much more difficult than working hard. Good things don’t always happen overnight. It is frustrating to be working so hard and not see any immediate gains; most people can not sustain the hard work because of this. You not only have to work hard, but you have to give the benefits of your hard work time to bloom. So in the mean time, you have to keep working hard, be patient, and don’t quit.


3. Take advantages of the opportunities that you are presented when they are presented. Opportunities for success don’t come around everyday. They will come, but it is hard telling when or in what form. That is why it is so important to maximize the opportunities that you get. Because who knows when you’ll get another one?


4. Have faith. This goes hand-in-hand with being patient. Believe in yourself. Believe that good things will happen for you/to you. If you keep working hard, remain patient, and take advantage of the opportunities that you get, good things will happen for you/to you.

Choose Your Heroes Wisely, Ryne

It has been very disturbing to me the excerpt from the new biography of Walter Payton that was written by Jeff Pearlman that was published in Sports Illustrated recently (Sept. 29th, 2011). I have been angry with Pearlman for exposing Walter’s less than glorious activities, I have regretted the fact that it was written, I have felt bad for Walter’s children and his widow, and I have spent much time reflecting on what this does to the image that I have of Walter. (Yes, I realize how good my life is when this issue is the number one stressor that I am dealing with.)

Walter Payton has always been a larger than life, almost mythical figure. Physically he looked very human (he stood under 6’ tall), but his accomplishments suggest that he was anything but human. Upon retirement from the National Football League, Walter Payton had rushed for more yards than any other player. However, running the ball was not all that he did. Walter blocked. Walter caught the ball. Walter even threw halfback passes for touchdowns on occasion. He played every Sunday (all but one actually throughout his 13 year career), and he never ran out of bounds - he instead looked to punish his opponent. On top of all of this that Walter did, he did it for BAD Chicago Bears teams throughout most of his career; by the time the Bears were good (early 80s), his best years were behind him. Regardless, even though I was four when Walter played his last season in the NFL, I have always accepted Walter Payton to be the best all around football player that has ever lived.

But Walter’s football talents didn’t even tell his entire story. I have read plenty to know that he was a jokester, the “class clown” of the Chicago Bears, and the one man responsible for ensuring everyone was always in good spirits. He was such a good person that the NFL, each year, names a Walter Payton Man of the Year right before the Super Bowl, an award that honors all of the great work a player has done both on and off the football field. And he died much too young; tragically, cancer took his life when he was 45 years young.

Walter Payton was one of my heroes when I was a child. In the blog entry where I recommended books for you to read, Walter Payton’s autobiography, Never Die Easy, was one of those books. In the Sports Illustrated excerpt from Pearlman’s book, Sweetness, it is accuses Payton of being unfaithful to his wife, suicidal, and abusing pain medication. He was my hero? Let transition into telling you who my other childhood heroes were: Roy Marble (Iowa basketball player), Ryne Sandberg (Chicago Cubs), Michael Jordan (Chicago Bulls), and Dennis Rodman (Chicago Bulls). These heroes were all flawed individuals. Marble ruined his career by abusing drugs. Sandberg had a messy divorce that caused him to retire early (he later made a comeback to baseball). Jordan had an addiction to high stakes gambling that caused him problems, he was a jerk to most of his teammates early in his career, and he, too, could not make his marriage last. Rodman? Where do I begin? I don’t have that kind of time; just know that he is a flawed and strange individual.

Is there a message in all of this? I hope so…I think there is. Choose your heroes wisely, Ryne. We only get a small sampling of who these celebrities are as individuals, and that small sampling does not give us the whole picture as to who they are. These people may let you down; we only get a small sampling as to who they really are. Realize that all people are flawed, and that includes famous celebrities. Admire and respect what these people do as athletes, entertainers, politicians, etc. However, keep that admiration and respect in perspective; take it with a grain of salt.

I am going to read Sweetness. It is not going to change how I feel about Walter Payton; I will still think of him as the best football player that has ever lived. I will continue to admire athletes from afar; I will try to pick their best characteristics and qualities that deserve celebrating. At the same time I will remember that all people have flaws, no one is perfect, and at the end of the day there is only one person that is qualified to place judgment on others and that one person is neither you nor me.

Thank you

Mom (Amy) thank you for being a great wife and a great mom. We, as a parenting team, are about the equivalent of Michael and Scottie or Batman and Robin - pretty impressive company. Being a parent with you makes parenting easy, I can't imagine doing this alone. Thanks for ALL that you do. I love you.

Grandma Janlyn and Grandpa Ron thank you for being great parents to me. I did not become who I am by accident. I was blessed to be born into the situation that I was born into. You guys set me up to be successful, and I am trying to maximize the opportunities I am offered. I am thankful for all that you have done, and all that you still do.

Grandma Janlyn thank you for putting this impressive (and long) book together. It looks great, and I hope that it one day becomes one of Ryne's most prized possession. You did the time consuming leg work, and for that I am thankful.

Grandma Gail and Grandpa Scott thank you for being great parents to Amy. She did not become who she is by accident; you two obviously played a huge role in helping her become the person that she is. You molded the person that I will spend the rest of my life with and for that I am both excited and thankful.

Aunt Britney and Uncle Kyle thank you for spoiling Ryne and for future roles that you both will play in Ryne's life. A while back, Kyle, I gave you a cork that read something along the lines of "an Uncle is like a Dad, but gets to have more fun." Don't ever forget that.

Gary and Jay thank you for being great with Ryne. We don't refer to you as Grandpa, but it is without question that you both love Ryne like a grandson. Thank you.

Ryne thank you for being who you are; I am blessed and I am thankful. Your Mom and I could not have asked for a better person to come into our lives; for the gift that we received - you - I am eternally thankful.

Ten Years Ago...

A couple of days ago was September 11th, 2011. That means that ten years have passed since September 11th, 2001. 9/11 is a big deal. You weren’t alive when terrorists hijacked airplanes and flew them into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and a failed attempt that ended up in a field in rural Pennsylvania. You weren’t alive, but I am sure that you will learn about it. You see, this was, unfortunately, a tragically historic event. Your Mom was still in high school (a senior); I was a freshman in college, sharing a dorm with Nick Scott at Cornell. Most people remember quite a bit about where they were on that Tuesday of September 11th, 2001. This is what I remember.

I had just woken up, and I was headed to the shower when I was told that the first tower had been hit. At this point it was unclear that we were under a terrorist attack so still groggy from my slumber I proceeded to shower and go to breakfast. Around the time of my 9am class with Ed Timm, the second tower was hit and it was clear that neither strike was an accident. Professor Timm cancelled the remainder of our class, I remember going back to the dorms and watching coverage of the events for the next several hours. It was debated as to whether or not we would have football practice that afternoon; we had our second game of the season coming up that Saturday against Wartburg. Wartburg was traditionally good. We were traditionally not good. Most of Wartburg’s coaches played at Cornell. This was a big game. We had practice the afternoon of September 11th, 2001. I don’t remember anything in-particular about that practice other than we had a team prayer, and Coach Miller let individuals share how that day’s events had personally impacted them.

Major universities postponed football games for that following weekend, and so did the NFL. We (Cornell) played our game. I remember that the National Anthem was a big deal prior to that particular game, more so than most anyways. We beat Wartburg. I remember that due to the fact that Iowa and Iowa State postponed their game until after my season at Cornell was over, I was allowed to attend my first road Iowa football game. Otherwise, I don’t remember too much. Part of my grogginess is due to the fact that I, like so many other people, was shocked by what had just transpired. That and, I was still very youthful so I failed to completely comprehend the scope of what had just happened.

I am not going to go on and on about what heroism or patriotism or anything like that is. If you want more of that, you will have no problem going to Google and finding whatever you are looking for (as there has been no shortage of heroic or patriotic acts following these tragic events). I just wanted to let this serve as my platform to let you know where I was and what I was doing on September 11, 2001 because throughout your life I am sure you will hear many of times “everyone remembers what they were doing on September 11, 2001.”

It has been said by wiser mouths than mine that this event is my generation’s Kennedy assassination. I shutter to think about what your generation’s Kennedy assassination will be.

I forgot...one more additional thing in regards to my last post

I can’t believe that I forgot this one…this one is one of the most important ones from my list –

13) Do not be too stubborn to forgive or say two of the most important words that someone can say, “I’m sorry.” People are going to make mistakes and do wrong, which will sometimes hurt you. Don’t ever rule out forgiveness; you will feel much better inside without the burden that holding a grudge creates. And when you do something wrong – you will do some things wrong, apologize for yourself. Let people know that you are remorseful, and it will be that much easier for others to forgive you and go forward without any hostility.

Dear Son

Ryne -

Almost a year has passed, now, since you were born (actually, 11 months has passed). Wow! What a difference a year can make in someone’s life. At this time last year, if I recall correctly, I was scared, nervous, excited, and curious, you name it – if it were an emotion, chances are I felt it. I had no idea what to expect once you were born. I do remember how desperately I wanted you to be born during the Iowa Hawkeyes bye week (that didn’t happen). I remember thinking how they (the Iowa Hawkeyes) were going to have a dream season to coincide with the year that you were born; what a year it was going to be the Iowa Hawkeyes were going to win the Rose Bowl the very first year that you were alive (that didn’t happen, either)! Oh well, the sun kept coming-up; life went-on. Last year turned-out better than I could have ever planned. Ryne, you entering your Mom’s and my life has been the greatest thing that has ever happened to us.

Everyday you bring us so much happiness. The little things that you do are the best: your smile when one of us first gets you out of your crib in the morning, the way that you open your mouth in anticipation of every bite of food that we feed you, the sly grin that you give when you want someone to chase after you right before you take-off, your little eyes barely peeking out the screen of the front storm door when your Mom or I go outside, I could go on… You have only been alive and with us for one year, yet I don’t remember what our lives were like prior to you joining us. I can’t imagine our lives without you. I’ve said this previously, but it merits saying again, ‘you can not describe how great being a parent is to someone who is not a parent,’ they just couldn’t and don’t understand. You are the greatest gift that I have ever received. Thank you.

I started this blog to convey my emotions regarding the pregnancy leading up to and the birth of you, Ryne. You see, Ryne, there are very few people who I feel comfortable discussing my emotions with, but at the same time I am quite an emotional person. I had a feeling that you would bring out the best of my emotions and I wanted to give a larger scope of people an idea as to what I was feeling in regards to you. And I wanted you to know how you make me feel. I want you to know without a doubt how much I love you. I am not an openly affectionate I person, and I am not a lovie (not Smith, bad joke) person. However, I hope to never shy away from showing you how much I love you. I want to be able to hug you, and tell you that I love you as you grow-up and into adulthood. Nonetheless, these words that I write, and that you read, are my feelings; they are my thoughts expressed for you, to you.

You have changed me, Ryne, and it has been for the better. I hope that I can return the favor and help mold you into an exceptional citizen/person. To steal from my favorite book, I want to raise you to be ‘a man built for others.’ I am optimistic that these blog entries will serve as a reminder of a) how to do that (be ‘a man built for others’) and b) just how much I love you. Hopefully, when you are a bit older, you will be able to reference these entries and to use them as a guide, to give you strength when you are in despair, and to remind you that you have always been and will always be loved.

The 12 Commandments

This past summer I’ve been doing a lot of running as I get ready to run my first half-marathon at the end of September. While I’ve been doing all of this running, it has given me a lot of time to think (one of the reasons that I enjoy running so much). A lot of the time I think about you. I think about how quickly you’ve developed and grown over this first year, I think about what the future holds for you, I think about what kind of Dad I want to be, and I think about what I need to do in-order to raise you as best as I can.

I don’t consider myself a teacher or an administrator; I like to consider myself an educator. Being an educator is not my job, it is the career that I have chosen. The greatest pleasure that being an educator brings me is helping young people become better people. I see these people on a limited basis, during the school day for a year/a couple years and then that is it. I get to see you everyday. Helping you become a better person, Ryne, is my number one priority, and it is something that excites me very much when I think about it.

On one recent jog, I started a list in my head. This list that I started I will call My Twelve Commandments that I hope can serve as your guide you to living well. I’m sure that I have written something similar to this over the past year, but I find these traits to be of the utmost importance to possess so I will reemphasize them.

1) Be open-minded; try new things; don’t just hear, but really listen to what other people are saying
2) Be humble, yet be confident in your self
3) If something is worth doing then it is worth your best effort
4) If something is worth starting then it is worth finishing
5) Discipline yourself so no one else has to – if you have the inner-strength to discipline yourself no one else will need to discipline you with consequences
6) Love - don’t ever be afraid to love
7) Be comfortable being independent; don’t think that you have to go along with the crowd just because it is the popular thing; if you don’t believe it, don’t do it
8) Believe in something greater than yourself; have faith with those beliefs through good times and bad (I recently read a tweet from Larry Fitzgerald that I liked, it said, “Faith isn’t not being afraid to go on, faith is being able to go on when you are afraid.”)
9) Be honest, be trustworthy, and don’t lie. My Mom emphasized this to me so much when I was younger that I actually thought ‘Thou shall not lie’ was one of the Ten Commandments
10) What you do matters more than what you say; actions speak louder than any words
11) Respect – if you want to be respected, you must respect others. Respect those that are younger than you, respect those that are older than you; you were once in the younger person’s shoes, and you will someday be in the older person’s shoes. Respect people that are different than you. Respect women.
12) See the glass as half-full; be optimistic. Realize that yes, things could usually be better, but they could always be worse; be thankful that things are not worse, be hopeful that things will get better.

Goals vs. Wishes

Herman Edwards has said a lot of great things. He said, “Playoffs?!” He said, “You play to win the game.” And he said, my favorite, “Without a plan, a goal is just a wish.”

I am a goal oriented person. I work best when I have goals to achieve/complete. I have always set goals for myself. Midway through college, I set myself a lot of goals. I have attained all of them except for two, and I am currently working on one of my remaining goals. The goals were:

1) Graduate with an Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree. Check
2) Get a teaching job. Check
3) Get a coaching job. Check
4) Marry Amy Kelling. Check
5) Own a home. Check
6) Get an Educational Administration Master’s Degree. Check
7) Become a head coach at the high school level. This is the one that I have abandoned
8) Become a principal. This is the one that I am working on; hopefully by next year it is a 'Check'

Anyways, I have two new goals. Big goals. Important goals. Goals that I will work towards fulfilling for the rest of my life.
1) Raise my child (hopefully, in a couple of years this becomes children) to become exceptional citizens/people.
2) And love my wife at last sight. You all know that I claimed love at first sight when I saw Amy Kelling in our introductory elementary education course at the University of Iowa. I love her more today (I love her more right now as she sits in sweats all cuddled up in a blanket on our couch reading The Help while Ryne sleeps and I type this) than I thought I did on that January day in 2004. It is my goal, my determination to love her more at the very end of our lives, at last sight, then I do today.

Books for Ryne to Read

As an educator, there is nothing more important than teaching a child how to read – how to read for understanding, how to read for practical application, how to read to evaluate critically, and how to read for pleasure. I want Ryne to be able to read for all four of these purposes. I really want Ryne to want to read for pleasure. It is understood that reading correlates positively with intelligence. I recently saw that the Educational Testing Service reports that 90 percent of a school’s proficiency can be explained by five factors; two of which, are number of pages read for homework and quantity and quality of reading material in the home. Therefore, if you want to be smart, read.

Amy and I try to read to Ryne as much as we can (as much as his restlessness will allow). We will continue to read to him, as well as doing other things to make him literate. I want to give Ryne a small reading list of books (for when he is older) that I strongly recommend that he reads. (They are listed, from top to bottom, in the order in which I have enjoyed them – top being the favorite.)

Season of Life: A Football Star, A Boy, a Journey to Manhood
By Jeffrey Marx
Joe Ehrmann was a larger-than-life party guy and star defensive lineman until the death of his younger brother changed his life. This is the story of Ehrmann's inspirational career--and his effect on Marx's life. Most amazing are the stories of the high school team Ehrmann coaches--a football team on which life lessons are more important than tackling fundamentals. A sports story, yes, but much more, too.

Quiet Strength: The Principles, Priorities, and Practices of a Winning Life
By Tony Dungy
How is it possible for a coach—especially a football coach—to win the respect of his players and lead them to the Super Bowl without the screaming histrionics, the profanities, and the demand that the sport come before anything else? How is it possible for anyone to be successful without compromising faith and family? In this inspiring and reflective memoir, Coach Dungy tells the story of a life lived for God and family—and challenges us all to redefine our ideas of what it means to succeed.

It’s Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life
By Lance Armstrong
People around the world have found inspiration in the story of Lance Armstrong--a world-class athlete nearly struck down by cancer, only to recover and win the Tour de France. His actions will melt the most hard-bitten souls: a cancer foundation and benefit bike ride, his astonishing commitment to training that got him past countless hurdles, loyalty to the people and corporations that never gave up on him. It's Not About the Bike is the perfect title for this book about life, death, illness, family, setbacks, and triumphs, but not especially about the bike.

Never Die Easy
By Walter Payton
This isn’t a traditional autobiography at all. It's an oral history disguised as autobiography that reveals Payton, the most exquisite running back in NFL history, as a man of great skill, decency, passion, and charity: a man beloved.

Have a Little Faith: A True Story
By Mitch Albom
This is a remarkable, true story of contrast, of two men of God; one an aging rabbi, and the other, an African American pastor working in a ghetto. In the end, the message is clear: Faith ties us closely together and can give us the chance to accomplish things we never dreamed possible. The book carries an inspirational message for anyone, regardless of religious affiliation, or lack thereof. Albom helps show the true definition of `Church.' It is not the building, it is the people and their faith. We come away with a better understanding of how life can be so meaningful, if we'll only give it a chance.

Bad as I Wanna Be
By Dennis Rodman
The first adult book that I remember reading...probably when I was in middle school, and I loved it (because I was in love with the Chicago Bulls and Dennis Rodman more than any of the other Bulls.
Everything I do is about confidence. After years of struggling with my identity . . . I've become totally confident about being who I am." There is only one basketball player in history who could make that statement--Dennis Rodman. Readers will be surprised to find that Rodman has a fascinating coming-of-age story to tell: the saga of a skinny street kid who grew nine inches in the year after high school, who blossomed as a basketball player because of his willingness to do the game's grunt work, and who reached stardom only to contemplate suicide and, later, vow to face the world and the game strictly on his own terms. We may tire of his repetitious rants, we may reject his wild nonconformity, but finally, only the most inflexible of readers will fail to admire Rodman's unabashed honesty and irrepressible energy.

(The synopsis of these books were taken from Amazon)

Baby Bix Video

Ryne got his first taste of competition last week when Mom and Dad entered him into the Diaper Dash race that was taking place in conjunction with the Junior Bix. Like Dad, Ryne did not win his Bix race, unfortunately. However, he finished (so did Dad)! Ryne started something and even though it became clear once he started that he wasn't going to win, he finished it anyways.


So since none of you were able to see Ryne's race, we filmed it. Enjoy the footage shot by Uncle Kyle (thanks)...

And as us Cubs fans always say, there is always next year!

Shared photo book from Eric

Click here to view this photo book larger

Summer Vaca

Back in the winter, when we (I) were planning our summer vacation it sounded easy enough. It was my turn to pick our destination and I was deciding to build a summer road trip around visiting a couple of new baseball stadiums. I knew that I needed to pick places that were drivable, I needed to pick places that in between there would be places worth stopping (because I was aware that with Ryne we would not be able to drive straight through), and I needed to pick places that there wouldn't be too much to do because with Ryne we would need to accommodate his nap schedule. So I picked Cleveland and Pittsburgh; I had heard really good things about both teams' baseball stadiums, and I knew there wouldn't be much else to do in either city other than go to a baseball game. Furthermore, we planned to stop in South Bend, Indiana (home of Notre Dame University and the College Football Hall of Fame) on the way out, and Canton, Ohio (home of the Pro Football Hall of Fame) on the way back. While it was still many months away the vacation sounded very doable.

As the vacation got closer, I realized that we may be brave, crazy, stupid, all of the above, or at least a combination of those and some other adjectives. We were about to drive 10+ hours across country with a 8 1/2 month old baby. This was going to be an adventure. Maybe on of the most adventurous things I'd ever done. (Note: I'm not a very adventurous person)

Fast forward to now...

The vacation was wonderful! Everything went better than we could have possibly hoped for! No, we didn't break any world's fastest driving time records going from Bettendorf to South Bend, or South Bend to Cleveland, or Cleveland to Pittsburgh, or Pittsburgh to Canton, or Canton to Bettendorf. But we did make it to each place that we needed to with plenty of time to do what we needed to. In fact, by the end our trip, Ryne was so exhausted (from such a fun trip) that he slept a majority of the way home and allowed us to drive all 10+ hours in one day. Let me emphasize that. We drove 10+ hours in one day with an 8 1/2 month old. We drove from Pittsburgh, PA to Bettendorf, IA with an 8 1/2 month old in one day. It was a long day.

We are so lucky to have such a happy baby, such a go with the flow baby. For those of you who have traveled with me in the past, you probably know that I like to stay busy when I am at a new place. I usually create a pretty detailed itinerary to keep busy with new things for the entire trip. I didn't do that for this trip, nor did I mind. We weren't always as busy as I would prefer, but that was fine. It was really just an unbelievable vacation with my wife and my son. I can not wait for many, many more vacations with them.

(I am not posting photos to go along with this blog, sorry. If you want to view any of the photos from our trip, they are all on Facebook.)

Ryne Bailey Ewald's Alphabet Book

In honor of some of the alphabet books that Ryne has...I have decided to come up with a list of all of the things that either a) describes Ryne or b) Ryne loves. Enjoy!

Aquarium - Ryne absolutely loved all of the brightly colored, constantly moving, and new things that he saw when we took him to the aquarium in Tampa Bay

Aunt Britney - In a couple of years, Ryne probably won't mind that Aunt Britney lives so close to so many cool things: Disney World, Sea World, Universal Studious, the ocean, the Grapefruit League, etc. So visiting on a regular basis doesn't appear as though it will be a problem

Big/bright eyes - The first thing that everyone notices, and everyone is quick to compliment how gorgeous they are

Clapping - He loves it when people clap for him, and he loves to clap with people (this should be a very good skill as a spectator at/of sporting events)

Confidence - From the ultrasound photo where he held up his little index finger showing everyone that he is number one, Ryne seems to be a self-confident little boy. Hopefully, this self-confidence never goes away

Dad's shoulders - One of Ryne's very favorite places to sit

Early mornings - Ryne almost always wakes up between 5 and 6am to spend the early mornings with his Dad

Firetruck - One of the three toys that Ryne has really attached himself to throughout the first eight months of his life. He loves to be pushed around on this little toy

Frog legs - Not so much anymore, but as an infant Ryne would always lay/sit with his little legs tucked up so that his knees were near his chin. Mom and Dad thought that when he did it that he resembled a little frog

Good luck charm to the University of Iowa men's basketball team - The Hawkeyes have not had a good basketball team for several years now, but they are 1-0 (they beat the #5 ranked team in the country!) when Ryne is in the stands! I have had multiple friends offer to buy him a season ticket to continue bringing the Hawks luck

Grandparents - all of them, who love him and spoil him very much!

Herky mobile - Again, not so much anymore, but when he was a little bit younger he would always just sit and stare as the Herkys would move around above him and the Iowa fight song would play. Now, however, he just tries to pull it down

Ice-cream and Popsicles - like his Mom, Ryne loves these cold treats! Although, the look on his face the first couple of times that we let him try Popsicles was priceless

Joy - It is awfully hard to be in a bad mood when Ryne is around. He is just always so happy, innocent, and loving

Kids - Ryne loves being around other kids. He is so interested in them and what they are doing

Low maintenance - Amy and I were blessed with a baby. On top of that, we have been blessed with a baby who is very rarely fussy and extremely easy to take care of/please

Mom's singing and dancing - Mom's number one fan is her son. He loves her singing and her dancing, and she loves to sing to him and dance for him

Naps with Mom - After the early mornings with Dad, or just any time of the day really, Ryne sleeps best when he is napping with his Mom

Oral fixation - Everything goes in his mouth!

Parents' love - Ryne has two parents that love each other, and love their son unconditionally

Phones, computers, iPads, etc. - These are things that Ryne is not supposed to have, but he is always quick to get his hands on them when they are left laying around (or, quick to get them in his mouth)

Q...I am completely stumped!

Rain forest mat - The second of three toys that are on this list that Ryne loves (loved). When he was still small enough for this toy, he would lay and play on it for great amounts of time

Rhyming stories - He doesn't have much of an attention span to listen to stories, yet, but he does like to hear rhyming stories like Chica Chica Boom Boom or most stories written by Dr. Seuss

Sharon, his babysitter - We lucked out when we found Sharon. She immediately took a liking to Ryne (how could she, or anyone, not), and he did the same with her. It was always pleasing when dropping him off on the way to work to see a smile appear on his face upon seeing Sharon

Tolerance of pain - He is a tough little guy. He doesn't cry, much, and when he does it is doesn't last long

Uncle Kyle - Kyle likes for Ryne to be fashionable (as does Ryne's Mom), against Dad's wishes of Ryne dressing in tee-shirts that represent Dad's favorite teams. Ryne likes the bed in Kyle's apartment that always seems to bring out the very best in his playfulness

Very handsome - He has two attractive parents, he was bound to be a handsome boy. But this handsome? I am confident (maybe this is who he gets his confidence from?) that he could easily win cutest baby contests if we would enter him

Watching a ball rotate through the air as Dad plays catch with himself - Ever since Ryne was born, I can lay on the floor and throw one of his balls into the air to myself and Ryne just fixates on the ball. This is one of the few remaining things that he has yet to grow tired of; hopefully he never does

Winnie the Pooh - The third toy on the list. This is probably his current favorite as he is able to pull himself up, stand, and push the buttons and listen to its sounds

X, Y, Zoo - We are taking him to the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago this week. HOPEFULLY, he likes the zoo as much as he liked the aquarium

Two Lists for Ryne

While I was recently bored at a professional development, I made a couple of lists because I'm lame and I enjoy making lists...

My first list is my "bucket list" of things to do with Ryne (in no particular order) (and yes, a lot of these are things that I enjoyed while growing up):

1. Go to a Chicago Cubs game in Wrigley Field once a year


2. Watch him get autographs at the Chicago Cubs spring training


3. Play hooky from school/work to go to a Major League Baseball game


4. Go to a baseball game at Fenway Park


5. Go to a Chicago Bears game at Soldier Field


6. Watch him get autographs at the Chicago Bears training camp


7. Go to a Chicago Bulls game at the United Center


8. Go to a Chicago Blackhawks game at the United Center


9. Go to an Iowa Hawkeyes football game at Kinnick Stadium


10. Take him golfing


11. Take him deep sea fishing (in the Gulf of Mexico with Captain Jesse as our guide!)


12. Take him to Disneyworld before he gets too old to think that it is lame


13. Coach an athletic team of his (but only if HE asks me to)


14. Begin a "baseball" card collection for him


15. Buy him his first beer as a 21-year old


16. Enjoy a beer with him in the Wrigley Field bleachers - when he is of legal drinking age


17. Enjoy a beer with him while tailgating for an Iowa football game - when he is of legal drinking age


18. Spend an evening with him in the Pedestrian Mall in Iowa City


19. Hug him, and tell him that I love him every day of his life


20. Watch him graduate from a four-year university (Iowa or an Ivy League school...just kidding, he can go wherever he wants as long as it isn't Iowa State...just kidding, no - I am not kidding about that)


21. Be in attendance for the best day of his life - when he gets married


22. Be in attendance for the new best day of his life - when he becomes a parent


23. Play catch with him


24. Teach him how to shoot a basketball


25. Continue to get him his favorite player's/team's jersey as he outgrows them


26. Attend Iowa football's children's day so that he can get autographs (August 13th, 2011! Minus the autographs)


27. Attend Iowa basketball's summer league games so that he can get autographs


28. Take him to an Iowa football bowl game


29. Begin a Father's Day tradition to celebrate with him


30. Run the 50th anniversary Bix race (2025 - I'll be 42, he'll be 15)

My second list is the goals that I have in regards to raising Ryne (again, in no particular order):
- I will pass on my love of sports to him
- I will be comfortable when he moves away knowing that I raised him to be capable of making good decisions
- He will consider himself to be a Christian
- More importantly he will live as a good Christian - open minded and forgiving
- He will always see the glass as being half-full
- He will have a job that he considers a career, he will enjoy going to work, and it will reward him adequately financially
- He will always put forth his best effort, and he will never quit the tasks that he begins
- He will respect all people, regardless of their differences
- He will become a life long learner who reads for pleasure
- He will live a healthy lifestyle

And again, for pictures see Facebook...they take to long to load onto the blog...sorry.

Best Week Ever

Does anyone remember the VH1 tv show, Best Week Ever? It was televised around the time that I was an undergraduate so I had what seemed like an unlimited amount of time to watch such garbage television. Oh...wait...what??? I should have been using that down time to study, really? That would explain why my undergraduate transcripts look the way that they do.

I had a GREAT time while I was an undergrad, but I would not go back to that time in my life. I am lucky. I have enjoyed each stage of my life a great deal, but once each stage has ended I've never wanted to return to any of my previous stages of life. I am lucky. I sometimes wonder why I am so lucky and/or when my luck will run out. Then I remember what Branch Rickey, the man behind bringing Jackie Robinson into Major League Baseball, said about how luck is a byproduct of preparation. I have a great wife, a great son, a great family, a good job (for now), a great boss, good friends, a good education, and a great bill of health. I am lucky.

This brings me back to my first sentence of this blog. I am about to embark on what very well could be my best week ever. Starting on Sunday (the 19th) during a six day span I will enjoy my first ever Father's Day as a Dad and then on Friday I will celebrate my 28th birthday. I have yet to encounter any diminishing returns that age will eventually bring. In fact, my life seems to keep getting better and better the older that I get!

We don't have a ton of things planned for Father's Day this Sunday, but that is fine. We will wake up in Iowa City due to the fact that we have a wedding there on Saturday night. I plan on waking up early and getting some coffee at Starbucks where I am hopeful that I will, again, run into Kirk Ferentz (I have seen him there the past two times that I've been there). Then we are going to have breakfast at the Hamburg Inn with my Dad. After breakfast we will head home to relax until Amy's Dad joins us for dinner at our house.

Now that I am a father, I have realized that Father's Day isn't about the father. It is a chance for the father to be thankful for his children; thankful that his children have allowed him to be a father. More or less, Father's Day is a celebration of the children in a father's life.

I'm not sure what this next year will bring to my life...maybe a new home, maybe a new job (hopefully!), I don't know. What I do know, though, is that as long as Amy and Ryne are around it will be another great year!

Oh The Places You'll Go!

I write this blog for two reasons: 1) graduation season is upon us, and 2) Ryne was just given a pretty cool University of Iowa tee-shirt that portrays my topic.

In the past, when I had a class of students and a little bit of extra time at the end of the school year I would read aloud two stories. One of those stories is one of my all-time favorites. It is written by Theodor Geisel (most likely Ryne’s favorite author), it makes for the perfect graduation gift, and it is an excellent story with many great messages. The story that Geisel (you probably know him Dr. Seuss) wrote is Oh! The Places You’ll Go! I am going to highlight some of my favorite parts, and aim the messages toward Ryne.

You can steer yourself any direction you choose. And you can do anything that you want to do with your life. The excitement of having your whole life in front of you is unmatched. The sky is the limit, Ryne.

With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet, you’re too smart to go down a not-so-good street. Your Mom and I are raising you in hopes that you will make good decisions…even in difficult situations.

Wherever you fly, you’ll be best of the best. Wherever you go, you will top all the rest. I know that there are at least two people (your Mom and your Dad) that hold you above all of the rest; remember that, and have confidence in yourself knowing that we believe in you.

Except when you don’t.Because, sometimes, you won’t. I’m sorry to say so but, sadly, it’s true that Bang-ups and Hang-ups can happen to you. It is true, Ryne. You will not succeed all of the time, and that is okay. Because while your failures may sting when they take place, experiencing those failures make your successes so much more rewarding.

You can get all hung up in a prickle-ly perch. And your gang will fly on. You’ll be left in a Lurch.You’ll come down from the Lurch with an unpleasant bump. And the chances are, then, that you’ll be in a Slump.And when you’re in a Slump, you’re not in for much fun. Un-slumping yourself is not easily done. When you are in a slump, for whatever reason, you may get depressed and think that things will not ever get any better. However, I promise, that things will get better. Slumps don’t ever last forever. Time heals all wounds so be patient. Over time you will come out of your slump and good things will start happening to you, again.

You can get so confused that you’ll start in to race down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space, headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.The Waiting Place…for people just waiting.Waiting for a train to go or a bus to come, or a plane to go or the mail to come, or the rain to go or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow or waiting around for a Yes or No or waiting for their hair to grow. Everyone is just waiting.Waiting for the fish to bite or waiting for wind to fly a kite or waiting around for Friday night or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake or a pot to boil, or a Better Break or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants or a wig with curls, or Another Chance. Everyone is just waiting.Tom Petty once sang, “The waiting is the hardest part,” and he was right, Ryne. Whether you’re waiting for a girl that you like, or an outcome regarding your education, or an employer that you want to work for, or any other important decision that will impact your life; I am sure that you will have to suffer through waiting throughout. Remember, although the waiting is hard, as the cliché says, “good things come to those who wait.” You must learn to be patient, and you must learn to see things/think of things in an optimistic light (it will make the waiting so much easier).

Oh, the places you’ll go! There is fun to be done! There are points to be scored. There are games to be won. And the magical things you can do with that ball will make you the winning-est winner of all. Fame! You’ll be famous as famous can be, with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.Except when they don’t. Because, sometimes, they won’t. Due to my love of sports, I hope that you will love sports equally. The best part about being involved in sports is the lessons that you learn that you will be able to apply to your life as you grow older. If you decide to participate in sports that will just be icing on the cake. I will not ever pressure you into signing-up for any particular sport. I will only coach you if you want me to; and if you want me to I will be very careful about how I go about doing so. My only request is that if you begin a sport, you stick with it at least until that sport’s season is over and then you can give it up if you’d like. If you decide not to participate in sports all together, and you decide to participate in other things or have other hobbies – I’m sure that I will fall in love with those things whatever they are.

I’m afraid that some times you’ll play lonely games too. Games you can’t win ‘cause you’ll play against you.All Alone! Whether you like it or not, Alone will be something you’ll be quite a lot. Being comfortable alone is a good thing; it is called being independent and it is a fine quality to possess.

But on you will go though the weather be foul. On and on you will hike. And I know you’ll hike far and face up to your problems whatever they are. Perseverance. Don’t ever give up Ryne; work hard and be determined to finish what you start. There is a short little poem that I like a great deal because of its message says, “If a task is once begun, never leave it till it’s done. Be the labor great or small, do it well or not at all.” If you are going to start something, commit yourself to doing it well; and once you start something, don’t give up on whatever it is that you’ve started until it is completed.

You’ll get mixed up, of course, as you already know. You’ll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go. So be sure when you step. Step with care and great tact and remember that Life’s a Great Balancing Act. Don’t ever be afraid to go against the rest of a crowd (probably your peers), if you don’t believe in what they are doing. Being able to go against a crowd of your peers when you know that what they are doing is wrong is so hard to do and requires so much inner strength, but it is the absolute finest way for one to exhibit strength.

Kid, you’ll move mountains!So…be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray or Mordecai Ale Van Allen O’Shea, you’re off to Great Places! Your name is Ryne; Ryne Bailey Ewald. You will move mountains, you will do great things, and you will be off to great places!

A Belated 'Happy Mother's Day'

Last weekend was Mother’s Day. It was Amy’s first Mother’s Day. At our house, we kind of decided to turn it into Mother’s Day Weekend. Why shouldn't Mother’s Day get an extension? After all, how great and important are mothers? They carry our children for three-quarters of a year as the child develops inside of her. They then go through, what I have heard, is one of the most painful processes that a human being can go through to allow our children to enter the world. I must admit that I am a little envious of the natural bond that this creates between a mother and her child that a father does not have; however, I am also very thankful for the sacrifices that mothers make during this process.

Think about all of the other sacrifices mothers make. I know that my Mom cooked at least one meal a day, and usually prepared two more for me. My Mom made sure that I had stylish enough clothes that allowed me to fit-in, and then she made sure that they were always clean. My Mom put up with me through my teenage years when I exhibited jerk like symptoms that most people would never forgive (this is probably the number one thing that I hope Ryne does not inherit from his Dad). My Mom would (and will) always listen to me when I need to vent. My Mom sacrificed her evening and weekend time to attend all of my basketball and football games (minus my first game during my freshman year of college, but that was in Wisconsin…); I never made a big deal of that while it was happening, but now that I am older and I’ve coached children whose parents never come to their games – that sacrifice is/was a really big deal – thank you! I could go on and on listing all of the great things that my Mom has ever (original wording here was a typo; it is now fixed) done for me, but I want this blog to be focused around Ryne’s Mom.

I knew that before Ryne ever joined the two of us that Amy would someday make a great mom. Nothing since Ryne’s arrival has happened to make me change my mind of that thought; in fact, my prediction of Amy being a great Mom has been confirmed each and every day of Ryne’s life. He is a very lucky boy. So, we (Ryne and I) wanted to make this a very special first Mother’s Day weekend.

For Mother’s Day weekend, it was my goal to do all things that Amy would enjoy/like. Our weekend started Friday after-work with Ryne, Amy, and I going to watch game three of the Bulls/Hawks series at one of Amy’s co-worker’s house (they have children that go to the same daycare as Ryne). On Saturday, Ryne, Amy, and I went to the “Opening Day” of the Davenport farmer’s market, I watched Ryne and baby-proofed our house while Amy went dress shopping, we had an outside picnic for lunch, Amy was able to take a nice long nap with her son, and then Amy and I went out for dinner, the two of us.

The next day, Mother’s Day, I woke up with Ryne at 5:30 and let Amy sleep. When Ryne became tired as he normally does around 7, I took him in to bed with Mom and the two of them received additional rest. While they slept, I prepared for Amy a Mother’s Day breakfast of bacon, eggs, and mimosas. When the two of them awoke, breakfast was served in bed with the Sunday ads.

After breakfast was finished, Ryne and I gave Mom her present. When I was told that Mom wanted, not a store bought gift, but a homemade craft for Mother’s Day I was less than thrilled. I don’t like crafts, and I don’t think that I’m good at crafts. But I take pride in my gift giving so if a craft is what was wanted, a craft is what was given. Ryne and I made picture frames with his hand print on the frame. Getting the hand print on the frame was an adventure. I got some red paint on a paper plate, and then I got Ryne undressed to minimize whatever mess was about to be made. I tried to dip the palm of his hand in the paint, but he wanted to make a fist. This was a two-handed job. It ended up turning out pretty good, I think, but he did, towards the end, grab the paint filled plate with his free hand (again, remember, I was using both of my hands to control his paint covered hand) and toss it onto the floor. The plate landed face up, but there was red paint in the carpet; fortunately, it cleaned-up with a little bit of scrubbing and cleaner product…I hope/I think that Mom liked the craft.

Next came time for a nice long morning nap, Ryne and his Mom together. Once rested, they went out for a Mother’s Day lunch with Amy’s Mom. The rest of the afternoon was spent resting and, per Amy’s request, a quick trip to the mall. When we returned home, I grilled Amy a nice steak and cooked her some baked beans and a baked potato to go with some red wine for our dinner. The weekend finished just like it began with our family watching the Bulls/Hawks (game four); unfortunately they didn’t win the game Sunday night…

Hopefully this was the best Mother’s Day that Amy has ever had!

I am finishing this entry with a YouTube link to a commercial that really has nothing to do with Mother’s Day.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAJjauEtDXE

However, this commercial did air on TNT while Amy and I were watching the Bulls/Hawks game for our Mother’s Day finale. I just like the commercial, and the guys in the commercial kind of remind me of Ryne with his head that is in the 99th percentile for six month olds (although I think that the rest of his body is starting to catch-up with his head; regardless, he is adorable).

From the Masters

This past weekend Amy, Ryne, and I were visited by some of my family that we don't often see. I was asked what has been the most surprising thing that I've learned from parenthood so far. I thought, and I answered (the answers came to me quite easily, actually). There are two things: 1) You can not explain how great parenthood is to anyone who is not a parent - they'll never understand (I would have never understood prior to Ryne). 2) All of a sudden you regret all of the stupid things that you did when you were younger because you realize the enormous amount of stress it must have put on your parents to worry about you so much. The Masters also took place last weekend. I like golfing; I like watching golf when Tiger Woods is competing for wins. The Masters was just completed this past weekend, and it was entertaining on Sunday because Tiger was wearing red and he was in contention for another green jacket. Anyways, there has been a lot written regarding the Masters, and I wanted to share a couple of the things that I read. I came across the first article from a Scott Van Pelt (ESPN anchor) tweet. It is a MUST READ. It is about a son and his father, but it doesn't matter if you are a father, mother, son, or daughter - it is a wonderfully written emotional piece. If it doesn't bring a tear to your eye, questions will be raised. http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/eticket/story?page=fathersday The following paragraph is from another Masters related story written by ESPN reporter, Bill Simmons - The Sports Guy (I LOVE the Sports Guy - he loves all teams Boston/New England - Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox - and he gets paid (a lot) to cover them). The Sports Guy is talking about Tiger Woods... "I am supposed to think that he's a poor role model -- that he's an adulterer, that he's selfish, that he's a phony, that he behaves badly on golf courses, that he's someone I wouldn't want my son to emulate some day. That's horses---. I want my son to know that people screw up, that nobody is perfect, that you can learn from your foibles. I want my son to watch "The Natural" someday, hear Roy Hobbs say, "Some mistakes you never stop paying for," and know that it's not just words in a movie. I want my son to know that you haven't lived until you've fought back, that you haven't won until you've lost, that you can't understand what it's like to relish something until you've suffered, too. I want him to understand that it's the 21st century, that we sit around picking our heroes apart all day, that we expect them to be superhuman at all times, that we get pissed off when they aren't, that it's hypocritical if you really think about it." Ryne has already watched "The Natural" with me, but I have yet been able to teach him Hobbs' lesson.

Happy Birthday Amy

Today is my wife's birthday so I dedicate this blog entry to random thoughts of her; even though I usually blog about Ryne, I haven't forgotten about you...Happy Birthday!

As I am applying for news jobs, and being interviewed...one of the most frequent questions that I am asked is name three adjectives to describe an educational administrator, or three adjectives to describe yourself. Well, here are my three adjectives to describe Amy: caring, kind, and nice. Amy, you might well be the nicest person that I know. You are the go to person for all of your family and friends when they have problems, and you help/listen to all of them. I hope that our son inherits these traits from you!

Ever since I moved to the Quad Cities, (Amy and) I have watched Mike & Mike in the morning on ESPN2 as we get ready for work. Anyways, one of the two Mike hosts, Mike Greenberg, tells a story about rapidly walking down the halls of the ESPN studios with the legendary college football coach, Lou Holtz (whom I do not like). Holtz asks Greenberg if he has children. Greenberg tells Holtz that he does. Holtz then tells Greenberg that the number one best thing that he can do for those children is to show them that he, Greenberg, loves his wife, their mother. I have heard this same piece of advice from another legendary football coach, Tony Dungy (whom I really do like). It is great advice. Amy, I love you, and hopefully my actions speak this to you every single day.

After watching them perform with Bob Dylan at the Grammy's, one of my favorite new bands is Mumford and Sons (thanks for their cd, Kyle). In one of their songs, Winter Winds, there are the following lyrics: "We'll be washed and buried one day my girl And the time we were given will be left for the world The flesh that lived and loved will be eaten by plague So let the memories be good for those who stay." I love those lyrics. And while it is sad to think about one day being gone, I think it leaves you with an excellent perspective. We, unfortunately, will one day be gone. Therefore it is important to leave those that we leave behind with the memories of us having fun together, loving each other, and being respectful towards each other. Amy, although our definition of fun may have changed over the years, I still have great fun with you (even when we don't do anything). I love you, and I respect you. (Here is the link to the Winter Winds video on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KCg_QEHtkY the verse that I mention begins at the :55 second mark.)

Amy, you are a great Mom. You are a natural Mom. You seem to know all (or at least most all) of the answers to questions that I have. You do your homework so that you can be as knowledgeable as possible in regards to child development and raising a child. Ryne is lucky to have a Mom like you. I am lucky to be raising a son with a Mom like you.

Happy Birthday Amy! I love you! I hope that you have a great day today, and I hope that you have a great time with your birthday gift...it is for all of those times that you have gone to sporting events with me; thanks!

Big Day at CHA

Prior to writing what I really am meaning to write about, I need to write two brief paragraphs to put this narrative in its proper context.

When Amy told me that she was pregnant, one of my (many) thoughts centered on the fact that our child's life would be beginning during one of the greatest seasons ever for the University of Iowa football team (I like many others was, unfortunately, wrong regarding this prediction). How lucky for Ryne, to have his birth year associated with the '10 Hawks (this is the kind of stuff that I really do think about...). Then we brought Ryne home from the hospital; that very day, the first Iowa game of his life, they lost a heartbraker. You know how the story ended for the Hawks this year; they lost close game after close game to finish with a slightly above average season. Not the type of season I had dreamed of for the year my son was born...

I sometimes have quite a bit of anxiety. I like to have things planned out well in advance. Because of the unpredictable outcomes of taking Ryne to an Iowa men's basketball game at Carver Hawkeye Arena for the first time, I was (while very excited) nervous. If it didn't go well, our whole summer plan of taking Ryne to multiple Major League Baseball games (three) was in serious jeopardy. Regardless, our biggest adventure with Ryne, to date, took place yesterday...

The Iowa men's basketball team has not had much success the past 10 years. They had not beat a ranked team since 2006. They were tied for last place in the Big Ten. Purdue was ranked as the number six team in the country, and they were in contention for a Big Ten Championship if they beat Iowa yesterday. Notice I used the past tense verbs: had, were, and was. Purdue did not beat Iowa. The Hawkeyes upset the number six team in the country yesterday when they beat the Boilermakers 67-65. Ryne's first ever trip to Carver Hawkeye Arena, his first ever Hawkeye game that he was in attendance for was a monumental victory.

But it wasn't just an outstanding day due to the outcome of the game. This game would have been great regardless of how it ended (although the ending was icing). This was the first ever athletic event (and a Hawkeyes game, nonetheless) that I was able to take my son to! I think I'll remember it forever (even though he won't). I can not wait to take him to many, many, many more throughout his lifetime (and especially when he can really start to enjoy them!)!

And Ryne did great while at the game. He did not cry once (not surprising). The loud cheering did not really seem to bother him, although he did not sleep through any of the game even though he appeared to be extremely tired. Ryne is a great little Hawkeye fan.

Three adjectives to describe the day: memorable, fun, and exhausting!

Four-Month Check-Up

We just returned from Ryne's four-month check-up at the doctor's office, and things are going great! Here is a little update on his well being...

Ryne's head is 46.5 cm around, which is in the 97th percentile for head size(meaning, out of 100 four-month old babies he would have a head bigger than 97 of them). He weighs 16.6 lbs, putting himself in the 75th percentile for weight. And he is 25.5" tall (2'1"), which is in the 60th percentile for height. The doctor said that these were all excellent numbers! He is a big, and rapidly growing young boy.

We lucked-out with our near-last-minute babysitter find! The sitter loves Ryne. The other kids that go there love playing with Ryne. And Ryne seems to be happy every morning that I take him there. I can't imagine us being happier with our service from Sharon.

Prior to the little stomach bug that he recently had, he is eating quite a bit. He usually eats seven ounces every three to four hours. I put his high chair together over the weekend, and it may make its debut tonight. The doctor just told us that we could start feeding him rice cereal, and in a couple of weeks Ryne can advance to level one baby vegetables (yum!).

Mom and Dad had their first weekend away from Ryne, and it went well. We missed Ryne, terribly, but we had a lot of fun. It was, however, unfortunate that Ryne was suffering his stomach bug the weekend that we were gone.

On top of the stomach bug that I speak of, Ryne had a little cold previously. In his four months alive those are the only two times that he has ever been sick. He is lucky; Mom and Dad are lucky. Even when he is sick, though, he doesn't get terribly fussy. Aside from his diarrhea and loss of appetite you would have never known anything was wrong with him. He is always such a happy baby.

Ryne is learning some new tricks that he enjoys quite a bit. Rolling over from his stomach to his back is done fairly consistently. He can roll from his back to his stomach, although he always ends up getting one arm stuck underneath him. But his favorite new trick seems to be wiggling his way (much like a clock) around on the floor. We will put him down with his head facing north (for example) and before we know it he will have turned 180 degrees. Ryne thinks that this is quite an accomplishment, as he is usually laughing and smiling all the while. Mom and Dad think it is terribly cute (because it is).

Four-months isn't that long, but I don't remember what life was like prior to Ryne. Life is great with our little family of Ryne, Amy, and me.

A Lucky Little Guy

For those of you who don't know, I work at a Title One school. A Title One school is a school with a large low-income student population. The school where I work has approximately 90% of the students receiving free and/or reduced lunches (and breakfast). Grooming and hygiene is a big issue for a lot of the students that I work with, and the clothes that some of these students come to school in is often depressing.

I digress...Amy and I each have too many clothes. We like clothes, and we like shopping for clothes; it is somewhat of an addiction. Because of this, we are often cleaning out our closets and donating a lot of the second hand clothes to students at my school. I often end up seeing students wearing clothes that once belonged to Amy and myself for days on end. It is sad. Our worst things that we are willing to depart with become these students' best things.

Ryne is lucky. He is loved. He has two educated parents. His parents each have jobs that allow them to go without want. He has parents that are advocates for him. He has an extended family that loves him. He has plenty of clothing. He has a stockroom of diapers. He always has formula to keep him fed. He has plenty of space for himself and his things in his home. He has a ton of toys to keep him entertained. I could go on. He has everything that he needs; furthermore, he has parents that are able to provide him with the things that he may need, but doesn't have yet.

I see a lot children on a daily basis that are not this lucky. They aren't ever exhibited love from family members. They don't all of their family members involved in their lives. Their parents are distracted by the negativity that occupy their lives. These children come to school hungry. They come to school early and stay at school late because school is a much better place than wherever they call home. They never want snow days because that means they don't get to come to school; school is guaranteed to have the heat turned-on. They are crammed into small living quarters with brothers, sisters, cousins, and others.

The disparities are depressing. I thank my parents for raising me to work hard, and be able to work for what I need. However, more than the ability to work hard is needed in most instances. Too many children are born into situations that lack the resources that will allow them to prosper. And for that I thank God. I was blessed to be born into a great situation, and I am blessed to bring my son into a great situation.

Weekend Away

This coming weekend is going to be both fun and sad at the same time.

It will be a lot of fun because Amy and I are taking a two-day trip to Chicago, our favorite city. We have not been to Chicago since August, which is a very long hiatus for us. While in Chicago we don't plan on doing very much at all. We will stay right downtown where we will do some shopping, try-out a wine bar on Michigan Avenue that we held-off of going to while Amy was pregnant, dine at Sunda (where we will probably run into more than a few of Chicago's "A-listers"), eat brunch at a trendy spot that Amy read about in one of her magazines, watch the Blackhawks game and Derrick Rose play in the All-Star game from our favorite Chicago sports bar, and probably get some deep-dish pizza. We can't wait to get away and spend the time relaxing, just the two of us. Very excited...

You might have noticed, in the previous paragraph I mentioned that, "we can't wait to get away...just the two of us." That is correct. Ryne will be staying behind. We are not going to be introducing him to the greatest city in the world until the weather gets warmer (we have a mini-trip planned for June to take Ryne to the Lincoln Park Zoo and his first Cubs game!). It will be the first time that we are away from Ryne overnight. I am sure that it will be difficult for both Mom and Dad. However, we are very lucky to have very good babysitters (grandmas) volunteer (beg) to watch Ryne overnight; thanks.