How to Simultaneously Succeed and Fail as Parents

DH: "Whose hat is that?"
L: "Adam's" (meaning Adam Savage, of Mythbusters)
Us: [facepalm]
Currently feeling: not sure if we're doing something right or something wrong

Wordless Wednesday - August 26, 2015

Currently feeling: how did people plan things before post-it notes?!

High Dive

Luke went to the pool after school with a neighborhood friend today. Around 3 PM, I received the above picture with the following text message: "Luke jumping off the high dive. Didn't faze him at all!" And by "high dive," she means a 3 meter springboard, which is about 10 feet above the surface of the water. Pretty sure I never did such a thing! Most public/non-collegiate pools these days don't even have a diving board that high, so the opportunity to even do it is rare in and of itself.
Currently feeling: so glad he isn't afraid of the water

Wordless Wednesday - August 19, 2015

Currently feeling: Star, demonstrating perfect cataloaf form

Luke's First Football Game

Luke attended his first Atlanta Falcon's game tonight. Actually, it was his first football game of any kind. The Falcons were hosing a "Scout Night" for a pre-season game, where packs and troops could get discounted tickets and a special patch. Decent seats at a decent price? We'll take it!

He liked it for about the first half, then started losing interest. We're just not a big football family. Too bad, since we would definitely go to more baseball games if they were indoors! LOL Still, there was popcorn, funnel cake, and Dippin' Dots, so it was worth the trip.
Currently feeling: celebrating another first

Wordless Wednesday - August 12, 2015

Currently feeling: hi Mommy, what are *we* having for lunch?

TV Time: Star Trek (The Original Series) - Complete!

Quite a while ago, we started watching Star Trek: The Next Generation with Luke. I didn't really think it would be that big of a deal for him to skip the original series, figuring we could circle back to it later. The episodes are about 48 minutes (3-5 minutes longer than today's shows, thank you extra commercials), so we don't always have time to watch them, and there are plenty of other things he likes to watch, too. That's okay, I'm not really in a rush.

Anything we felt like he might be missing from the original series, such as the Prime Directive, we felt that we could easily explain as we came to it. That is, until we hit Season 3, Episode 23: "Sarak." It wasn't necessarily that Luke wouldn't know who Spock was, though that would take away some of the poignancy of the episode. The problem was actually much bigger than that: he didn't know what a Vulcan was! And I knew just trying to explain about logic and no feelings (suppressed feelings, to be precise) wasn't really going to get the point across to him. The easiest way to explain it, quite frankly, was to show him. So, we immediately stopped with Next Gen and started with the original series, which is thankfully on Netflix.

As of today, we have officially seen every episode of the original Star Trek series. I realized during this viewing that there were a couple of episodes that I had either completely forgotten or never actually seen. Sadly, watching it with Luke confirmed what I've always suspected about him: he's Team Kirk! LOL I guess that leaves Picard for me, then. Darn. ;-) We should be resuming with TNG very soon, though it's been so long, I think we'll have to review some select episodes that will popping back up in the near future.

Currently feeling: boldly going back in time

What Lies Beneath

Wow! I just learned something incredibly interesting, and I stumbled on it completely by accident. Did you know that the movie What Lies Beneath was written by Clark Gregg? Yes, *that* Clark Gregg, as in Agent Coulson!
Currently feeling: shocked!

First Day of 5th Grade

I can't believe it's here, the first day of his last year in elementary school. Where on earth has the time gone?

Mostly into those legs, I think. Here is the required comparison between the first day of Fourth Grade and the first day of Fifth Grade.

A fair bit of growth, to be sure, but I'm more amazed at how different he looks. And it's more than just the glasses. He just *looks* different, to me. But remember how I've mentioned a couple of times recently that he seems to be growing all of the sudden over the summer? Check this out:

That is the comparison between the *last* day of Fourth Grade and the first day of Fifth Grade. That is literally how much he grew just over the summer. I was pretty shocked! I mean, I knew it on some level, obviously, but the picture evidence is rather amazing. I'm starting to wonder if I'll make it to my goal of still being taller than he is at the end of elementary school. I won't if this pace continues!
Currently feeling: he grew how much?!!

Hometown Meets Braves Game

Naturally, when you go to a Braves game, you run into people you know from your hometown that's 300 miles away! I didn't think to get our picture with them (I'm not into the whole selfie thing), but it was really bizarre to be on a MARTA train and see people you went to church with growing up standing across from you. Hello to the Beardens and the Lipthratts!

 
We also did not know until we arrived that it was alumni weekend. They were just finishing up the veterans softball game when we arrived. Smoltz, Klesko, Maddux, Eddie Perez, Javy Lopez. It was like old times!

Luke was also very into the game for the first time ever. He was asking all kinds of questions about the intricacies of the rules, he was clapping along with the organ, and he insisted that we stay for the whole game. Who are you and what have you done with my child who is usually ready to play on a phone by the 2nd inning and ready to leave by the 5th? He also ate half a large popcorn, a very large slice of pizza, and and ice cream cone, plus 2.5 large bottles of water. He's going to be taller than I am before the end of the year if he keeps this up!
Currently feeling: take me out to the ballgame!

Wordless Wednesday - August 5, 2015

Currently feeling: those crossed legs sure do look familiar

Operation MCU Catch Up

Image from FernbyFilms.com

We want to try and make sure that Luke has seen all of the necessary Marvel Cinematic Universe films by the time Avengers 3 hits theaters in 2018. He should be old enough to go to PG-13 movies sight unseen by then. We saw Ant Man in the theater last week and figured that would be a good one for him, but we had already discussed that Captain America should be his first Marvel film, and I really had my heart set on that (Cap is my personal favorite). So, I guess it's time to get that ball rolling. Tonight, Operation MCU Catch Up will commence with Captain America: The First Avenger in 3... 2... 1....
Currently feeling: ready to avenge