A Whole New Ballgame

The other day, at school, there was a substitute teacher in our kindergarten classroom. I happened to be in the classroom when a little kindergarten girl asked me if I could put a hair clip into her hair. I had no idea how to do this. I’d never done this before. I balked. I passed the job along to the classroom’s associate.

I am about to be in unchartered territory. Growing up, the house was always dominated by males. My Mom accommodated us, it wasn’t the other way around. Our house is going to be a 50-50 split. I can’t imagine that the living room and the play room remain filled with strictly sports equipment and superheroes. Change is on the horizon.

That being said, I am excited about having a little girl. I’m really excited, actually, and as I think about this more in-depth while I am writing, I get even more excited…goosebumps. Having a little girl will bring a whole different set of experiences that I will be able to have with her that a father and son are not able to share.

Some of the experiences that I am looking forward to more than others include:

• Showing her an expectation for how men should treat women
• Once she finds a man to marry that loves her and treats her how she deserves to be treated, walking her down the aisle and giving her hand away to marriage
• Believe it or not, I can’t wait to take her to a father-daughter dance
• Taking her to downtown Chicago to buy her her own American Girl doll
• Learning about new sports such as volleyball, women’s basketball, softball, etc. (I think my next post will be dedicated to sharing my passion for sports with my daughter)

I wanted our first child to be a boy. I was indifferent in regards to the gender of our second child. Since we found out that we'd be having a girl, I've had several people tell me how having both a daughter and a son is the perfect combination. The more that I think about that concept and the different experiences that a parent will be able to have with both his/her daughter and son, the more in-line my thinking becomes. 

Come June I'll have a little girl. For the rest of my life I'll have a little girl.

Team Gleason - No White Flags

"To me, there are three things we all should do every day. We should do this every day of our lives. Number one is laugh. You should laugh every day. Number two is think. You should spend some time in thought. And number three is, you should have your emotions moved to tears, could be happiness or joy. But think about it. If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day. That's a heck of a day."

The above quote is from Jimmy V's infamous ESPY's speech given just months before cancer took his life. I could listen to that speech every morning, and it would fire me up every time.

I was moved to tears last fall. Not just teary eyed, but actual crying. I was watching ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown when they previewed a segment featuring my all-time favorite band, Pearl Jam, that caught my attention.

The beauty of this post is that I don't have to write much. Watch the clip. It speaks volumes.

Nothing is promised to anyone. Someone is going to tell your story. I want to be the narrator of my story.

This blog is for my children. I love them so much.

Time is Running Out

I've been putting this off for a long time now. The new baby is less than five months from being here!

It was last fall. Amy had told me that she was...we were pregnant. I was training for my half-marathon, and therefore going on long runs where I have nothing but time to reflect and think. It was during a run that went into double digit miles where I had almost an epiphany of all of these briliant ideas worth writing about. As soon as I got home, I grabbed some paper and a pen and started to get my thoughts onto paper. I'm working "late" tonight...translate to I have a meeting later, and I don't want to spend the gas money and/or time to drive home only to turn around to come back...and we just found out the new baby's gender (it's a girl!)...so now seems like an opportune time to begin crafting some of these thoughts into writing worth publishing.

Throughout Ryne's arrival into our world I devoted the time to write about it. I don't think that it is justifiable for our second child not to get that same treatment. Yeah, I'm busier now than I was while Amy was pregnant with Ryne, but busy is a horrible excuse. I was busy then. Everyone is busy. We make time for what we value. I value this baby's arrival. I'm still no good at telling people how I feel so I'm going to write about it. I think that it is important. I'm making time.

I just mentioned that I'm still not very good at telling people how I feel. Expressing myself through this avenue is much more comfortable for me. Up until yesterday, prior to finding out the new baby's gender, the pregnancy still didn't feel very real to me. Nothing had changed for me. That feels different now that we know that we are expecting a girl. All of a sudden it feels real. Let me spell this out for you, I am excited about this addition to our family!

Earlier today I sent Amy a Tweet talking about a father/daughter dance that was being advertised in the corridor. She mentioned that she was excited to see 'a whole new me.' This is unchartered territory for me; nonetheless, I'm excited. I have no idea what to expect; however, I can't wait to experience all of it.

There are a couple of things that I can say with certainty at this point in time upon the new baby's arrival: this baby will be perfect, she will be loved, and I'm going to need more coffee.

Amy and Eric's Relationship Timeline

I've been thinking about blogging again; I've been wanting to start blogging again. Amy isn't home, and Ryne is asleep. Today is our five-year wedding anniversary. This seems like a great opportunity to resume blogging!

I'm really good at remembering things. I'm even better when it comes to remembering things that include numbers (think dates). In honor of our five-year wedding anniversary, I'd like to give a brief timeline of some major dates/events in our relationship while I still remember these things to make sure that this information gets recorded.

January 1, 2004 - The first time that I ever saw Amy. It was in an Orientation to Elementary Education (it seemed far fetched at the time, but I made an excellent decision when I decided to become an elementary education major) class on campus at the Lindquist Center. She was blonde, very tan, wearing a white columbia coat, and I was immediately attracted to her.

March 4, 2004 - It was Thursday night and I was at the Sports Column for $1 you-call-it (this was referenced in my rather lengthy wedding speech) when I ran into Amy and mustered the courage to ask her for her phone number.

March 7, 2004 - Vince Vaughn, in his role in Swingers, taught me that you have to wait a little bit before you can call a girl. So on a Sunday night, while I was "studying" at the library, I made a call to Amy and asked her out on a date.

March 23, 2004 - Our first date was interrupted by spring break, and Amy being out-of-town, but we eventually got together. I had borrowed my Mom's car and I either had a new Usher cd or Michael Jackson's #1s cd playing in the background. I thought (why am I using past tense?) that I was so cool. We went to Los Portales for dinner, and then went to go see Starsky and Hutch the movie (our second choice for movies was Club Dread, which we later watched and Amy hated).

August 12, 2007 - I proposed to Amy on a Sunday morning after we'd had a date at the Button Factory in Muscatine the night before. She was still sleeping in bed; I made her heart shaped muffins for breakfast, and brought them to her along along with the question/ring. I wish that I would have put more thought into how I went about proposing so that there was a GREAT story to go with it...

July 12, 2008 - 11 months after we got engaged, we got married on what was probably the most fun day I've ever had.

February 14, 2010 - Right before we were about to leave to head to Galena, Illinois to celebrate Valentine's Day, Amy gave me a pregnancy manual for me. She was pregnant. I was...um...surprised. Knowing what I know now, I wish I'd been more unconditionally excited.

October 21, 2010 - Amy gave birth to Ryne. If our wedding day was the most fun day I've ever had, this was the best day that I've ever had (as, if you follow me on Twitter, I've made public when #bestmomentofmylife took over everyone's Twitter feed/timeline on Monday night).

It's been a great eight and a half years knowing Amy, and it's been a great five years of marriage. She is the most beautiful person (inside and out) that I've ever met. She is strong in areas where I am weak, and therefore I think that we compliment each other well. I know that she makes me a better person. Thank you for being you, Amy. Thank you for everything that you do. I love you more today than ever before. And I look forward to our future, together!

Holy Spectrum of Emotions, Batman!

I was discouraged as could be. I’d interviewed for jobs eight times in a one year’s span, and not been offered any of the eight positions. I was frustrated as could be.

I don’t know why I thought of this Japanese proverb/Dwayne Wade commercial, “Fall down seven times, get up eight,” but I did.  I knew that with persistence I would eventually be told that, ‘Mr. Ewald, we would like to offer you the job.’ And then it happened. On the evening of my ninth interview, I got a phone call offering me a job. Holy spectrum of emotions, Batman!

I was proud of myself. I was proud that I never quit looking for jobs. I was proud that I will be signing my first principal contract before I turn 29 years old.

I was happy. This is what I’d wanted since I was an undergraduate at the University of Iowa, to be an elementary principal. I wanted to be east of Des Moines, check. I wanted to be along a major highway, check. I wanted to be in a bigger city (Iowa standards) or right next to one, check. This position fits the criteria that I was looking for.

I was relieved. I don’t have to look for jobs anymore. Looking for jobs is an exciting process and there are lots of highs involved, but there are a lot of lows and there is a lot of waiting. It is an exhausting, grueling process.

I am nervous. Now is when the work actually begins. Ultimately, I am responsible for the almost 300 students that my school is responsible for educating. I will have to lead my entire staff to make sure that student learning is maximized on a daily basis.

I am scared to death for my family’s sake. What have I done to Amy and Ryne? Amy has been absolutely wonderful throughout this whole process, but I have not made her life any easier in the present. Now I am putting her through the job seeking process; fortunately, she has experience in the jobs she will seek. I am committed to doing whatever I can to assist her in finding employment. On top of that, it is because of me that we will have to take Ryne away from our daycare provider, Sharon – someone whom we love and trust entirely, to find some place brand new.

I am sad. I wanted the administrative openings that I interviewed for in Davenport this spring more than anyone will ever now. For whatever reasons that did not work out. Everything happens for a reason. Nonetheless, this is sad. The Quad Cities has been home to me for six years, it has been home to Amy for much longer than that, and it has been Ryne’s only home. I was nervous about Sharon’s reaction when I had to break her the news, I should have been worried about my own reaction – my eyes were definitely watering. It will not be easy to leave all of our family, friends, and memories in the Quad Cities.

I am excited. Along with the two people that I love the most, we are starting a brand new adventure for our family. This will bring a lot of new and exciting possibilities. Plus, we will only be a little over an hour from the Quad Cities. We will be only 10 to 20 (depending on where you are going) minutes from Iowa City.

And I even feel pressure. Pressure that is entirely put on myself by myself. That isn’t a bad thing, though; it holds me accountable. It ensures that I will be successful at/with this. I have no other option. I’m asking too much of my wife and son for this not to work. I know it will work. I took this job after considering my family’s best interest. I would have never taken this job if I did not think that it would benefit my family.

The journey continues…to Riverside, Iowa!

The Grueling Process that is Searching for a Job

I’ve been searching for a new job now, as a principal, for over one year. I have applied for a countless amount of jobs all over the state of Iowa, east of Des Moines. I have been reached out to by District’s such as Sigourney and Gooselake. I have interviewed in Columbus Junction, Davenport, Des Moines, and Mt. Vernon. I have turned down an opportunity in Mt. Pleasant. Searching for a new job is an exciting, exhausting, depressing, and gratifying process; it is like riding a roller coaster with the climbs to the highs and the drops to the lows. I want it to be over. I hate it. I hate not being the successful candidate. I hate not knowing where I (and my family) will be six months from now. I hate not being in control of the process. It is so stressful. I just want to be offered a job, a job that I want to accept.

This process has reinforced a lot characteristics that I think I possess (patience, persistence, and optimism), and even introduced me to a new, valuable characteristic (humility). I want to use this blog entry to talk to Ryne about the three things that I am most familiar with: patience, persistence, and optimism.

1) Patience – be prepared to wait. A job will become open that is of interest to you, but you have to wait for it to become posted as available. Once it is available to apply for, and you have applied for it, you have to then wait for it to close. After the posting has closed, you have to wait for the employers to sort through the applicants. If you are lucky enough to get a call for an interview, you have to wait for that opportunity. And then finally, if you were interviewed, after the interview, you wait to see if you are the chosen candidate.

2) Persistence – don’t ever give up. When you don’t get selected for an interview, don’t give up on yourself. After your interview, when you discover that the employer has hired a candidate who goes by a name different than yours, don’t give up on yourself. Consider yourself fortunate enough to have made it as far as you did as a candidate, and then determine what you can do to improve yourself. Ultimately, there are certain things that are out of your control so no need to waste energy dwelling on those things; focus your efforts on what you can control. Get Better, Not Bitter.

3) Optimism – always believe in yourself. Never have I thought that I wasn’t the most qualified person for a job, and never have I thought that I would not be offered a job until the job was actually not offered to me. Staying optimistic is hard. I am usually discouraged for about a day after I find-out that I was an unsuccessful candidate. However, a new job opens and, again, I think that I will be the successful candidate for that job.

I keep waiting for the perfect opportunity. I keep waiting for a District that wants me, as much as I (with my family in the front of my mind) want that District/job/town to call home.

Florida Vacation/Spring Break '12

Oops! I forgot to publish this post...

Recently, we took a vacation to Florida to see Britney and Cadence. Now this was not Ryne’s first vacation, but it was his first vacation since he was nine months old and a lot has changed between months nine and 17. So I apologize if this blog entry is redundant in any way, but this seemed like our first vacation with this “version” of Ryne.

Highlights/Memories:
How Ryne screamed during his first up-close encounter with Atticus (Britney’s dog) and practically jumped up my leg. However, it is safe to say that Atticus was Ryne’s best friend by the next day and for the remainder of our visit. Most of you have seen (if not, check Facebook) the great photo of Ryne pushing Atticus around in the baby stroller.

Ryne not liking the beach, Gulf of Mexico, sand, etc. He didn’t want his feet in/on the sand, and he didn’t want to go into/near the water. This is fine with me because I don’t want much to do with the beach (other than looking at it from afar) either.

Ryne loved swimming in Scott’s hotel pool. He wanted to get into this water whenever he had the chance. I loved, when he would be swimming in the pool, and he would dip his little face into the water.

Ryne hasn’t napped much with Mom and/or Dad since he was just a little baby. Ryne fell asleep on me for a nap not once, but twice. Not only did he fall asleep on me twice, the first time was on the beach and the second time was at a baseball game! Needless to say those two moments were enjoyable.

Ryne going nuts on John’s Pass after dinner on Tuesday. It was liked he morphed into someone else. The amount of energy that he possessed after a day in the sun was quite odd (although funny). He wouldn’t stop moving, err running, through the boardwalk…this then led to him not calming down/going to be until somewhere around 11pm!

Scott and I took Ryne to a spring training baseball game (Phillies/Twins in Clearwater). I will admit that I am over-ambitious when exposing Ryne to these types of things at such a young age. He is much too young to sit through them/appreciate any of it, but I love it. I love the idea of going to a game with my son. Ryne was restless, he was tired, and his incoming teeth hurt. It was a beautiful day, and what better way to enjoy a beautiful day than at a baseball game? I didn’t really get to watch much of the game until Ryne fell asleep in my lap during the sixth inning, and we left after the seventh inning stretch to beat the traffic (that was so bad coming into the game). This was fun, it was work, but it was fun. Unfortunately, Ryne will have no recollection of this day, but I always will.

“Sleeping” with Ryne in the hotel the night before we returned home. Ryne is a bed bully. He tosses, he turns, he hits, he kicks…it is impossible to get much sleep while in the same bed as him (I am reaffirming what Amy already knew ☺). I did enjoy it, though. Because of his constant movement in the bed (that cost me my sleep), I know/remember that he did sleep cuddled up next to me. I would not want this sleeping arrangement to happen on a regular basis, but once in a great while is okay.

The vacation was exhausting. We could never get Ryne to nap on his normal nap schedule. We could never get Ryne to go to bed at his normal bed time. He would sleep instantaneously whenever he became so exhausted that he could not remain awake any longer. Nonetheless, it was fun; a lot of fun. Like I said previously, Ryne won’t remember any of these vacations, but Amy and I always will.

Happy Valentine's Day, Amy

Valentine's Day will always be special to me because I will always associate the holiday with you giving me the Expectant Father book two years ago. I must admit that on that day I was hesitant in regards to what our future held, but two years later...my life has never been better!

Amy, we have now known each other for almost 10 years (January 2003 was when we first had class together). As most people know, I fell in love with you when I first saw you. My love for you continues to grow each and every day. I don't ever want our marriage and/or relationship to become stale so I should make a point to tell you things like this each and every day, not just when Hallmark tells me to.

Thank you for cooking dinner every night - and often times making the meal extra cheesy and extra spicy, just how you know I like it

Thank you for allowing me to sneak out of the house early in the morning to squeeze in a work-out

Thank you for being in the field of education. You were meant to be an educator/teacher because a) you are unbelievable with children, and b) it is how/why we met

Thank you for taking an interest in sports (both in person and on TV)...you still have room to grow ;-) but you've come a long ways and I realize and appreciate that

Thank you for making me want to be a better Dad. Seeing you be such a good Mom all of the time pushes me to try and be an equally good Dad

You are the most genuinely nice person that I know, Amy.

You are my best friend. I love you.

Books, on books, on books

I wanted to compile this list so that Ryne can refer back to it (later, when he is older, and maybe his children of his own to read to) and remember what his favorite books were during the first two years of his life.

All of the Duck and Goose books

Little Blue Truck (the farm one, not the city one)

Mr. Brown Can Moo

Goodnight Moon

Baby Bear, Baby Bear and Brown Bear, Brown Bear

The Mixed Up Chameleon

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

Baa Baa Black Sheep

Chica Chica Boom Boom

I love reading. I love to read for my own entertainment. I love to read to gain knowledge. I love ending my day by reading a book. I value reading. As an educator, I know how important reading is. I love that Ryne has taken a liking to books. One of my absolute favorite things is when Ryne brings me one of his favorite books, plops himself down onto my lap, and lets me read him one of his favorite stories.

Ryne and his Dad

Whoa! Haven't written anything since early November...two reasons for that: 1) I don't go on long runs anymore (typically when my mind wonders to think up things to write about) - it is too cold so I use the cold months to let my body recover/rest in preparation of training for another half-marathon (in Chicago!) once it gets warmer. 2) Last year, when I blogged much more regularly, I was not nearly as busy at work. This year I have much more responsibility and many more tasks to occupy my time, which results in my mind not being able to drift and think about much else outside of work. Anyways, I've had this topic in mind for quite sometime so here we go.

Ryne is starting to expand his vocabulary. As his father, I am proud of EVERYTHING that he does/is able to do, but let me share some of his spoken "words" that have me feeling especially proud: "Batman," "ball," "football," "basketball," "baseball," "Bulls," and "touchdown." He is my son. And because he is my son, here are some of my favorite things that we have in common:

1) We share the same middle and last names - Bailey Ewald - it is crazy how you really start to appreciate your last name so much more once you pass it along to someone else

2) We both tend to be "early to rise"

3) We share a liking for sports, iPods/iPhones/iPads, books, and Batman, and MOST IMPORTANTLY...

4) We both LOVE his Mom/my Wife ;-)

It is too early to tell who he is going to take after, looks wise. His appearance is constantly changing ever so slightly. At birth I thought he looked like Kyle, sometimes people say he looks like Me, sometimes people say he looks like Amy, sometimes people say he looks like a combination of his parents. Regardless, he is devilishly handsome!

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)