Durrington Family

2010-04-07T19:41:00.001-07:00

4 BR
3 BA
2-Car Garage
2 Living Areas (with built-ins & projector/screen)
Formal Dining
Updated Surfaces
Gas Log Fireplace
Water Well
Covered Patio
Large, Shaded Back Yard
Large Master Suite w/ cast-iron soaking tub, dual-head shower, walk-in closet & dedicated water heater in Master Bath
Rock Exterior
Approximately 2575 square feet including improvements added in 2008.
Austin/Mann/Abilene High
Great neighborhood
Quiet street
And much, much more!

$189,900

Please call for an appointment.
325.733.3367 or 325.698.3675
NOTE: No unscheduled drop-ins or unaccompanied peeks, please.

Ripples

2009-03-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

People have been very kind in their expressions of concern since Dad passed away a few weeks ago. Our family has benefited from many meals, cards, flowers, memorials and the like and all are appreciated. Perhaps one of the more touching things we have received, though, is the letter below. It’s especially meaningful in light of how Dad thought his attempt at teaching high school was a pathetic failure. This letter, however, shows how even when we may think our efforts are miserable or unnoticed or influence may have more impact than we ever realize. Still waters may run deep, but maybe that lets those droplets of influence travel that much further.

Dear Family of Victor Durrington:

I am writing to express my sympathy to you for the recent death of your loved one.

I knew Mr. Durrington briefly during the 1954-55 academic year when he taught in the Republic, Missouri, High School. I was a freshman in high school at that time and enrolled in a general math course taught by him. Thanks to his effort, that turned out to be a very special course for me - one of the most significant courses I took in high school. Three of us in that class benefited from special pains he took on our behalf. He recognized that the three of us - two boys and one girl - were more talented and knowledgeable in math than the rest of the general math class in which we were enrolled. He offered us the opportunity to study trigonometry book, I assume from his personal library, and let us work through those books at our own pace. We sat in the general math class, but read and did homework problems from the trigonometry texts. It must have taken considerable courage on his part to risk his teaching reputation by allowing us as very immature high school freshmen to chart our own course that year. I marvel that he did this at a very young age – I calculate he was 21 or 22 at the time – and with very little experience at teaching. The Republic position must have been his first teaching position after graduating from college.

The seeds he planted in that course surely were significant in pushing us toward our eventual education and careers. The two boys in that group each went on to earn PhDs in physics: mine from the University of Missouri at Rolla and the other boy earned his PhD in physics at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. The girl in that group earned her degree from Indiana State University in Terre Haute (I think, although I am not certain) and went on to marry a gentleman who became president of a small college. I recently retired from a 39 year career teaching physics at what is now Missouri State University. The three of us acquired a strong interest in mathematics and a head start on our mathematics education thanks to Mr. Durrington’s insight and daring. I think the results of his teaching are pretty remarkable, considering we were members of a freshman class of less than 40 students in a small high school in a somewhat isolated farming community in Southwest Missouri during the mid-1950s, well before the population and technology explosions that have occurred in the Springfield area in the last 40 years.

It is somewhat ironic that last Wednesday (March 4), I think the day before Mr. Durrington passed away, I had visited the other boy in the group who studied trigonometry, and in the course of our discussion we reminisced about the trigonometry we learned in that freshman math class. I have not seen Mr. Durrington since that freshman year, and I regret that I never got to thank him in person for the contribution he made to my life.

Sincerely,
Bob Thurman
Emeritus Professor of Physics
Missouri State University

3/9/2009

Funeral Arrangements

2009-03-06T12:11:00.000-08:00

The memorial service for Victor Durrington will be Monday afternoon at 2:00pm at the Southern Hills Church of Christ auditorium.

Visitation will be Sunday afternoon at 4:00pm at Piersall-Benton Funeral Home.

Internment will be Wednesday morning at 10:00 at the Riverview-Swinney Cemetary near Buffalo, Missouri.

March 5, 7:50

2009-03-05T17:47:00.000-08:00

Dad passed away this evening at 7:40. We are a strange cocktail of angry, thankful and wracked with grief. Thank you for the prayers for our family. While what we feel right now is a pain greater than we could have imagined, knowing someone like my Dad makes this and every other trial we will ever face easier and more hopeful.

Val

March 5, 7:00pm

2009-03-05T16:55:00.000-08:00

None of us can know how close Dad is to leaving us, but about an hour ago they called a code on him. He is still hanging on, but barring some event none of the doctors or nurses can fathom we are now standing as sentries to his passing in the coming hours. We appreciate the prayers many of you have offered to this point and hope that now that you know with a bit more specificity what is happening you can offer whatever prayer you feel is appropriate.

Val

Victor's Status

2009-03-05T16:52:00.000-08:00

Many have been asking about the situation with Dad and, honestly, I forget to whom I have told what. To assist in this rather cumbersome process, I am dragging out the old blog idea once again. This particular entry will remain at the top of those listed. Thereafter, the newest entries will be at the top (directly below this one).

In August of 2007 Dad was diagnosed as being severely anemic. This diagnosis was incorrect (good catch, Gene). Shortly thereafter he was diagnosed as having leukemia. We're still not sure if this was exactly right but it seems like the eventual diagnosis they landed on was a sort of lymphoma/myeloma hybrid. Whatever it ends up being called, it's basically a cancer that doesn't follow the rules. In the several months since, it has been treated with some chemo and a LOT of transfusions. In more recent months he has been getting two units of blood per week.

His treatment has been under the guidance of an oncologist here in Abilene and specialists at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. A few weeks ago he and Colleen had been there for several days of tests- some due to the fact that Dad had been experiencing a new development in the form of pain. The tests they ran showed nothing that would indicate the cancer was progressing in a way that would cause any pain. The day after they got back to Abilene, however, the pain had reached a level where Colleen texted me during church asking if I could help her get him to the hospital. We got him to the ER where they gave him morphine and sent him home. A few nights later he was still in pain and had grown weak to the point where he fell. Wednesday mprning Colleen and I got him up and to the hospital where he was admitted.

Though many think people go to the hospital to get better, Dad's condition merely spiralled downward. His kidneys were looking like they might be failing, he had double pneumonia, he was too weak to stand and Monday evening his oxygen saturation level was well below critical level. I truly did not think he would see Tuesday.

Tuesday dawned, however, with a new diagnosis. A blood culture had suggested he had Cryptococcus Neoformans and a spinal tap confirmed it. Essentially this is a fungus in his blood that had attacked everything- lungs, brain, kidneys, central nervous system- you name it. The doctors said this condition was most commonlyseen in people who had exposure to birds or bird droppings. Dad has no birds, is not a bird hunter, has no guano-centric hobbies... He did grow up on a farm and they had chickens so it could be that this fungus was basically dormant for years until the diminished immunity common in cancer patients allowed it to flourish.

Now a team of doctors including (but not limited to) oncologists, infectious disease specialists, pulmonologists, nephrologists, neurologists and urologists are in a process of guiding dad through at least a few month of intense antibiotics to work on the fungus, breathing treatments to work on the pneumonia, IVs to work on the kidneys, transfusions to work on the cancer, etcetera. At least a few more weeks of this will be in the hospital and then a few months more will be on an outpatient basis.

I am not a doctor, of course, and I apologize for the gaps and errors in this narrative, but one comment that stuck out among the things the doctors said was that the first signs of success in this course of treatment would be from the neck up. Sadly, however, this seems to be the area of the least amount of progress. Dad is showing signs of improvement in his lungs, kidneys and general strength, but frankly, he is not exactly with us mentally. He has moments that are better than others but those moments are rare and short-lived. I have no idea how many days are ahead but suffice it to say they will be difficult.

Thanks for checking in. Updates will not be regular nor very intelligent but I'll try to let you know if there are at least any significant changes.

Val

March 5

2009-03-05T09:28:00.000-08:00

Attempts at sedation are still proving unsuccesful. Dad has been completely incoherent for a few days now but the crying out and moaning are back and constant. Another lumbar puncture (spinal tap) revealed more infection and tests are being done to see if perhaps more cancer as well. Grim...

March 4, Cont

2009-03-04T13:15:00.000-08:00

I have been here with Dad for 3 hours and he has been sleeping the whole time. It's awesome! I, on the other hand, cannot figure out how all of these nurses became so chatty.

March 4, Cont.

2009-03-04T08:46:00.000-08:00

For whatever reason the doctors do not want to move Dad to ICU but they have said they are recommending hospice to make him comfortable.

March 4

2009-03-04T05:56:00.001-08:00

Last night was a horrible night. Dad is suffering a great deal, though he is so incoherent we are not sure exactly how. He appears to be in a lot of pain but morphine was not doing the trick and the sedatives being tried were not working either. His fits subsided around 5:30 this morning and he had been asleep for around an hour when I came home. How Colleen continues to function blows my mind. I, myself, have not slept in over 29 hours. Pray for Colleen and pray for Dad's peace.

March 3, 2009

2009-03-03T15:05:00.000-08:00

Tests indicate a much lesser degree of the fungus but his condition is not improving at all. His metal state is deteriorating further and he seems to be in a great deal of pain. Frankly, the doctors seem to be at a bit of a loss for what to do. True to his nature, however, he keeps insisting through the haze that he's "gotta get up a do something." He never was good at sitting still...

Correction

2009-03-02T14:41:00.000-08:00

Correction: The cancer that doesn't play by the rules has a better name than what I gave before. It is a hybrid of T-cell Lymphoma and B-cell Myeloma.

Staph

2009-03-02T11:14:00.000-08:00

We can add a Staph infection to the growing list.

Update

2009-03-02T10:27:00.000-08:00

I'm afraid Dad looks pretty bad today. He is extremely tired and confused today. He is also not wanting to eat. This follows on the heels of a pretty rough night. Oncologist will be here later.

2007-03-27T06:47:00.000-07:00

"Well, that may work with your mom, but it will not work with my mom."
Addie to a friend.

Gotta love that girl.

Spring Break 2007

2007-03-21T07:08:00.000-07:00

Okay. I admit it. We arrived home worn out and sore, but skiing was awesome this year. The weather was absolutely beautiful and just look at the picture- the company I kept was great. Beautiful wife. Great kids. And you know I love the mountains. We are indeed blessed.

Guess Where We Were

2007-01-11T12:20:00.000-08:00

Sometimes we were on an island- like for this picture...

Sometimes we were among lots of animals, like these:

Or these...

There were flying boats...

Spaceships...

And more...

2007-01-10T20:08:00.000-08:00

We also rode rides like this...

Which actually went inside this...

We saw a beautiful house that looked like this...

And like this at night...

In a land populated by giant rodents; like these...

Fight the Urge!

2006-12-05T07:32:00.000-08:00

Michal Kate went home from school yesterday with a friend. This friend's middle school sister and her friend decided to share a few life lessons with the younger girls. They even had the foresight to put it in writing:

CRUSHES
H2G: Play Hard To Get
Never tell your crush you like them.
Never ask them out.
DO NOT ignore them.
Don't hit, slap or chase them on the playground (fight the urge!)
Talk friendly (make them approach you)

Next week's lesson: RELATIONSHIPS

I was a little startled when Michal Kate initially started telling me about this conversation but all in all I think these girls did a pretty good job! When I think of all the things a middle school girl could have told MK I actually feel very blessed (check back after next week's lesson).

My Favorite Picture of the Moment

2006-09-22T16:32:00.000-07:00

Pardon Me for Staring

2006-06-09T11:47:00.000-07:00

I really like driving the kids around town. I mean, once you get past the battle for "shotgun" and get everyone loaded and get on the way to whatever destination is on the agenda, it is as though the kids sometimes forget there is an adult in the car. The conversations are quite enlightening if I can resist the urge to chime in and simply listen. The other day we were leaving Dixie (our baseball complex) and I had Michal Kate and Addie in the car. In this particular case they were both in tha back seat talking about some little girl who apparently had a desperate crush on Connor.

Addie said, "She just kept staring at him and staring at him and I told her, 'Stop staring at him!' and she said 'I can't help it' and I said 'Stop staring at him' and she said 'I love his smile' and I said 'Quit staring at him' and she said 'I can't stop' and I said "Stop staring at him. Give up. Just get him out of your mind!"

(Note: I know that was a bit of a run-on sentence, but that's how Addie talks.)

Anyway, it cracked me up so I relayed the conversation to Connor. Suffice it to say, I did not get to see that pretty smile as a response.

2006-05-24T16:33:00.000-07:00

Here is an interesting picture of a certain family member who shall remain nameless. Does anyone want to offer any possible captions?

2006-04-28T12:36:00.000-07:00

Whose child is this anyway?! Anyone who knows Connor knows he typically tries to stay out of the spotlight. Normally there isn't much difference in Connor's regular picture pose and his silly picture pose. Connor learned this new silly picture pose during 50's day at Austin, thanks to his friend John Henson. Our apologies to all the boys who are blocked from view because of my son!

More Spring Break in Pics

2006-03-24T18:31:00.000-08:00

Spring Break in Pictures

2006-03-18T05:50:00.000-08:00

2006-03-02T14:15:00.000-08:00

Today on the way home from school I hear Connor and his buddy talking about the new Chick-Fil-A that opened today.

Connor: "The first one hundred people at Chick-Fil-A get free meals for a year."

Blake: "Huh."

Kendra: "Connor, that's what we were talking about when we drove by there last night and there were all those people camping in the parking lot."

Connor to Blake(not too sure about that): "Well my dad said it was just because they were freaks."

And yet, if I ever wanted him to remember something truly important that I had told him I would be totally out of luck.

Field Trip Foiled

2006-02-19T20:03:00.000-08:00

Last weekend Kendra and I were going to go the ranch for some time away. Addie approved of the idea, saying we "deserve to go on a field trip and get away from our naughty children." I like the way she was thinking, but our plans fell through when the friends lined up to take care of our "naughty children" ended up with a few cases of the flu in their house. Now we begin an extended run of no free weekends. Oh well, maybe next fall...

By the way, neither Kendra nor I could think of time we have ever referred to our kids as "naughty." We decided we had Nanny McPhee to thank for that one, but with Addie you can never tell. She is like a box of chocolates that way.

Hey! If you happen to see the most beautiful girl...

2005-11-18T22:14:00.000-08:00

Tell her HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KENDRA!!!

Who would have thought that this little blonde beauty that I met at church camp twenty something years ago tomorrow would still be a hot blonde beauty this many years later? And yet, she obviously is. But here are some things you might not have known about her in no particular order.

1. She is absolutely addicted to Diet Cokes.
2. She is extremely patient.
3. She is a terrific mom.
4. Her left buttock gets sore when she goes bowling.
5. She is very frightened of rodents.
6. She was once convinced that Crystal Wolfe (a former local news
anchor) was a dwarf. (That may have been my fault.)
7. She is now suspicious of things I tell her.
8. She is extraordinarily calm.
9. She is underconfident about her voice.
10. She loves children and is one of their best advocates.
11. She can still do flips on the trampoline.
12. She is gracious.
13. She likes to watch TLC.
14. She exceeds all expectations when she takes on volunteer projects.
15. She is brave.
16. She really loves babies.
17. She is competitive.
18. She refuses to go along with the crowd.
19. She is fiscally responsible.
20. She saved my life once when I fell asleep driving.
21. She likes reading blogs but she's not too crazy about writing them.
22. She is a wonderful teacher.
23. She really enjoys Harry Potter books.
24. She takes more baths than anyone I know.
25. She was volunteer of the year last year at Austin Elementary. (I'm
gonna pay for that one.)
26. She absolutely loves naps.
27. She deserves better, but never complains.
28. She is an encourager.
29. She is both quiet and well-spoken.
30. She is poised.
31. She would do anything for our kids.
32. She is generous.
33. She is fun.
34. She loves Jesus.

There is so much more one could say about her, but I'll stop at that number for some reason.

2005-10-06T18:35:00.000-07:00

Val left this afternoon to go to Dallas for one of his graduate classes that meets through Saturday. Being a single parent for a few days always makes me grateful for all the help he gives me with the kids, house, carpooling, etc. Less than a few hours after he left, I became aware of yet another reason to be grateful.

First though, a little background information. Last weekend, our next door neighbor babysitter offered our kids their hamster which her sister brought home from college this summer and left at home. I am NOT a hamster person, but for some reason agreed to let my kids keep Ralph for a trial period. If at the end of the period, they had proven that they could take care of him, then we would consider keeping him. I figured that if it made them happy and they could indeed be responsible pet owners, then I would have to learn to tolerate the hamster. Well, much to my surprise, Ralph was incredibly cute, cuddly, lovable, calm, friendly and just fun to have!

Now back to this afternoon. As I went in Connor's room to put away some laundry, I noticed that one of the tubes to Ralph's cage had come apart. I checked all the other tubes, nooks and crannies of his cage, but he was gone! Before I alerted the kids, I took a thorough look around Connor's room (he needs to clean under his bed!). I couldn't find Ralph, so I called for Michal Kate who was the only one home at the time to help me start looking. We got flashlights and frantically started searching the house. My biggest fear was that we wouldn't find Ralph before bedtime. He suddenly didn't seem so cute and cuddly after realizing he could be on the loose while I was in bed - alone! After looking for ten minutes or so, I hear Michal Kate say in a rather odd voice "Mom!" So I headed towards her and heard her say, "I found Ralph, but I think he's dead." Apparently, we weren't the first to find Ralph.......Zoe (no relation to Brandon Scott Thomas), our miniature schnauzer was! I'm sure you'd rather be spared the details from here on out, but suffice it to say that I have one more thing for which to be grateful to Val - dead animal disposal.

Being the good mom that I am or bad mom depending on your opinion of what we did next, we loaded up the van (after Addie stopped wailing) and headed to the pet store to pick out a new hamster. We discussed on the way that Ralph was one of God's living creations and couldn't be replaced, but since they had proven to be responsible pet owners they could choose another hamster. Within minutes of arriving back at home, I have now learned that hamsters are NOT created equal. Ralph II hisses, screeches, bites, jumps and basically scares the bejeebers out of me! I hot glued all the tunnels together so that they can't come apart (for my safety as much as his). My hope is that Ralph II just needs a little time to adjust to his new surroundings and that within a few days he will become cute and cuddly. I'll keep you updated...

P.S. I apologize to Val for calling him with this upsetting news only moments before starting a test.

P.P.S. On a brighter note, Addie has her first loose tooth!!

Gettin' Jiggy

2005-08-25T13:11:00.000-07:00

I love this picture of Michal Kate. I don't know if it's the blue Band-Aid or the goofy stance or the look of wild abandon but it is a frozen moment in time where my little girl seemed to be care-free and loving life. And for her daddy, that's just awesome.

(Thanks to Anita Green for capturing this.)

Last Days of Summer

2005-08-08T12:40:00.000-07:00

Playing games with the neighbors.

Grilling in the rain.

Hamburgers, hot dogs and s'mores.

Hanging out in the camper.

Addie catching minnows.

Michal Kate playing with the minnows.

Frisbee Golf

Connor, Val, Addie and Zoe going for a paddle boat ride.

All-Star Tournament Game 3

2005-07-06T10:11:00.000-07:00

We lost our game last night to Snyder. My mind has blocked out the score, but suffice it to say, it wasn't even close. I'm not really sure what happened, because I think we were the better team. Many of the boys had a great game, but we had a few errors at pivotal points in the game that we couldn't seem to overcome. We also went through 4 pitchers and never really got into a groove as far as pitching goes. Connor had an amazing game and although I know I'm biased as his mom (I'm supposed to be, right?!), I think others would agree. All of our boys should be proud of their abilities. We truly had a very talented team.

I'd also like to thank our coaches Trey Yarbrough, Brad Cranford and Matt McMillon. I doubt any of them read this blog, but regardless I want them and others to know that they are greatly appreciated. They remained professional and postive throughout the season. All the boys learned a lot and had a blast doing it. Thanks to the coaches for making the boys feel respected, important and talented.

Now, we get a 4 day break from baseball before summer league starts on the 10th. Summer League is a little more laid back. There is only one practice, then a game every night for 2 weeks straight. All players play an equal amount of time and get to try all positions. We are still looking for coaches if anyone is interested :)

All-Star Tournament Game 2

2005-07-04T14:36:00.000-07:00

We lost our game last night to Sweetwater 12-5. We were really off and they were really on. Our next game is tomorrow, Tuesday, July 5th at 6:00 at Northern Little League.

All- Star Tournament

2005-07-01T21:48:00.000-07:00

Tonight we played Clyde in our first game in the tournament. We won 18 - 3. Connor got to bat 3 times in a single inning! He even got a "homerun" on a walk. He loves to steal bases. All the boys on our team had a great game tonight and most importantly seemed to be having a great time. Our next game is this Sunday, July 3rd at 8:00 pm at Cedar Creek. GO DIXIE!

Family Update

2005-06-21T21:35:00.000-07:00

I am so sorry I have not done very well in keeping up a pseudo-journal of what is going on in our family. I especially apologize to you extended or otherwise distant (geographically) family who have been using this as a way to keep up with us. Anyway, here is a little of what's been going on.

As far as the tadpoles go, we are down to our last one. It turns out they are not all that sturdy under the rigors of frequent handling (extra points for the use of the word "rigor'). I am not sure which one it is, but I think I see a look of fear there.

Addie took a few weeks of swimming lessons already this year. She is swimming pretty well and the weather has been giving the kids plenty of opportunity to use the skill.

I often have people ask for an Addie story and sadly I have a hard time thinking of them off the top of my head. I think it may be because we get used to her weirdness and can't think of something that particularly stands out. I do remember something from last night, though. I was walking past the master bathroom and I heard lots of conversation:

"...13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 23, 24..."

"No, wait. It's '20,21,22,23,24,25..."

"That's what I said!"

"Okay (matter of factly). 21, 22, 23..."

"Ewww. Nasty! Hmm. So that's what was in my bottom (again, matter of factly). 24, 25, 26, 27, 28..."

I couldn't take it any more and peeked through the door. Addie was all by herself having one of the strangest conversations I had heard in a while (and that's really saying something).

Michal Kate is going to KidQuest camp at ACU this week. She is loving it. And, as near as I can tell, the counselors are loving her, too. It is so great to see her do something fun like that on her own. She is having a fun summer and I get giggly-happy just thinking about it. One thing that is neat is getting to see her be ornery with other people- especially college aged kids. She is so unpredictable that way. You just think looking at her that she is this sweet little demure thing and then she pulls a prank or breaks out with that evil little laugh and your realize your should probably keep an eye on this one.

Connor is still involved in baseball. He made the All-Star team and the practice schedule is pretty heavy. Right now they are practicing every day from 6:00 until dusk. Since today was the longest day of the year, that meant around three hours. Still, all of the boys seem to be loving it and the team genuinely seems to have a special bond. I think there is an obvious difference when every team member wants to be there and is a proven hard worker. Not only that, I think there is an unspoken respect among the boys since they all had to have talent to get where they are. It has been cool to watch and help out. Most of the coaches are great with the kids and the parents (moms and dads) are very involved. The team snacks at practices are better than your average picnic in the scope and quantity of food and people sit and watch entire practices. And this is just the 9-10 year old team. It is even more serious at the 11-12 year old level. But, like I said, Connor is loving it and wishing it would never end.

Kendra is tying up the loose ends from running the concession stand. It was a long season as far as that goes, but at least our league is done hosting tournaments, so we're through. I know that one should never say "never" but suffice it to say: NEVER AGAIN.

Val is just boring and has nothing exciting to talk about.

That's a brief update for now. We'll have more later as the summer progresses.

Our Dad

2005-06-18T23:21:00.000-07:00

For fun our dad likes to...
...be silly. ~ Addie
...wrestle and tickle us. ~ Michal Kate
... pop me with a towel. ~ Connor

My favorite thing to do with my dad is....
....go eat ice cream with him. ~ Addie
... run errands. ~ Michal Kate
... play catch. ~ Connor

He smiles when I...
...show him my secret handshake. ~ Addie
...just look at him. ~ Michal Kate
... pass gas. ~ Connor

I know Daddy loves me because...
...he's my daddy. ~ Addie
...he tells me all the time. ~ Michal Kate
...he’s my dad of course. ~ Connor

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!
WE LOVE YOU!

Ten Years

2005-06-14T19:46:00.000-07:00

Hey boy.

I cannot even comprehend that it has been TEN YEARS since we first saw your face. We were so young and naive and convinced we wanted to wait several years before we would begin having kids. However, you and God apparently had other plans and I am so glad He is smarter than we are. I am a little intimidated by the fact that you are, too.

I remember hanging out in the hospital room at Hendrick and watching the stream of people coming in and staring at you in amazement. Almost everyone responded by saying "He is so pretty!" And you were. Many times since I have tried to tell you how pretty you are because it really drives you crazy. I do have to remind you, though, that you won a prettiest baby contest in Muleshoe so it must be true.

Over the years I have been so impressed by you- and like I said before, a little intimidated by:

You are very mature. Often, I have wondered how someone as goofy as I might relate to someone as quiet and serious as you. I think I am rubbing off on you, however, because you are loosening up.

You are extremely competitive. You have even been quoted as saying "Competition is my life." It shows in your interests. You love things where people keep score- sports, academics, etc. Arts, on the other hand, hold very little of your interest. We're different in that, but I love it. I love to watch you play and enjoy sports. You are a very good athelete.

You are very active and as one might expect from someone who constantly exercises, you have zero body fat. Your constant six or eight pack makes me sick.

You are very smart and perceptive. I love our conversations and I love to watch you think. I still remember when you were very young (pre-K I think) and one of our neighbors came over a little freaked out because you were correctly adding three digit numbers in your head.

These are all great things, but there are other things I like about you that do not intimidate me, but bring me great joy:

I love that you are content to do your own thing and not chase the crowd relentlessly. I see some of your buddies trying so hard to impress one another and in doing so already walking out onto thinner ice, but you are confident in your decisions. Hold on to this.

I love how you and your sisters are bonding. I know you like to pester them because you are a big brother and it is your job. But I also know you care about them and have their back. They will be your friends for life and the three of you are bonding in a way that makes me overjoyed.

Finally, I love that you are growing in your concern for others. I was worried that I would never be able to instill in you a desire to help others, but God has stepped in and I have seen you grow in this area in the past several months. A cool element of this has been that a few times you have tried to help others without getting noticed. This is where it's at, my boy, and no other trait can make me more proud because this is Jesus alive in and through you.

So, here we are after 10 years. After a few rounds of stitches, broken bones, fun times, sad times and just life in general I am so proud of you that I could pop. Thanks so much for being a great boy, I look forward to the years ahead and only hope they pass very, very, very slowly.

Happy Birthday, Connor!

Dad

The Best Part of Waking Up

2005-05-26T05:16:00.000-07:00

This morning I got to watch Michal Kate wake up. As one eye opened slightly in my direction she immediately smiled. No matter what else happens today, that was pretty cool.

Jeremiah was a Pollywog First

2005-05-12T19:32:00.000-07:00

Today, as a bribe, Addie was promised a treat if she agreed to a haircut. She agreed and chose, believe it or not, tadpoles. Unless you have shopped for tadpoles lately, they are apparently rather exclusive- only sold at the most high-end amphibian boutiques in places other than Abilene. The pet shops were no help. Then I had an idea and we called a bait shop.

"Yeah, we got 'em," said a voice that even over the phone was obviously not encumbered by teeth getting in the way.

Addie and I walked in, immediately looking out of place among the typical bait shop patrons, and asked for the tadpoles. A man took us to a tank and reached in with a net and proceeded to take out five of the biggest tadpoles I had ever seen. I was convinced that they were yesterday's catch o' the day and they were playing a trick on the city slicker until I saw tiny legs in formation on a few of them. Although they were large enough to steal my truck, I decided their legs would need another day or two to operate the pedals so I took a chance. The guy told me what to feed them (surprisingly not chicken fried steak) and sent us on our way. The little home Addie had chosen for them looked more than a tad (rimshot) too small and we dug up a large aquarium instead. I have already told the kids that as soon as one croaks (the out loud kind of croak) they will be heading to:

1) a wilderness release at the ranch or whatever body of water is nearby the home of someone who made me mad. Apparently bullfrogs can be quite loud.

2) a game of real-life Frogger on the Winter's Freeway.

3) a high school biology class.

4) a French restaurant.

or

5) a princess convention.

If you have a better idea, I'd love to hear it. But I don't plan for them to be here very long, so get hoppin'.

Is competition really healthy?

2005-04-30T13:36:00.000-07:00

With baseball season in full swing, I find myself analyzing the pros and cons of competition. I admit that I am a competitive person, a trait which I've passed on to my son ten-fold. I think for the most part, competitiveness is something you're either born with or not. I've seen this in my classroom over the past 12 years and I've especially noticed this with my own children. Connor has been heard to say that competition is his life, while Michal Kate and Addie don't seem to have a competitive drive at all. Maybe it's years of having to compete with Connor on everything - - who can get buckled first, who can finish their breakfast first, who can brush their teeth first (in this case the winner is really the loser), etc. Connor is smart enough to only pick competitions in which he feels fairly confident that he'll succeed, so the girls have learned to become good losers over the years. Thankfully, now they rarely step into the ring with Connor anymore.

There are pros and cons to being competitive. Connor for instance has no interest in art, music, drama, etc., because no one keeps score. Instead he excels in grades and sports. My girls love art and music. They don't mind, or even seem to notice, if their soccer teams win or lose. Michal doesn't want to make bad grades, but she is also not shooting to make a 100 on every assignment either. Competition can bring out the best and the worst in people. So, my question is, how do we bring balance? I've told Connor that in every game half of the people there are going to win and half of them are going to lose and that on both sides there are great people regardless. Connor says he understands this, but deep down, I don't think he buys it. We've had many a conversation (and I'm preaching to myself as well), that no one wants to lose, but the nature of the game is that someone has to. It's okay to be upset or even mad about it (although there is no crying in baseball), but you still have to be a gracious loser. It's not easy for either of us. It's still a work in progress. If only I could somehow make it a "best loser competition" then I'd be onto something! Until then, I'd appreciate your prayers as we all try to be good sports and remember that it really is only a game.

2005-04-26T20:50:00.000-07:00

Yeah. He hit it it. (Double.)

2005-04-26T20:48:00.002-07:00

After this steal I'll be right back.

2005-04-26T20:48:00.000-07:00

Take me out to the crowd

2005-04-26T20:47:00.000-07:00

Take me out to the ball game...

Dragon Slayer

2005-04-13T21:52:00.000-07:00

Well, Connor pitched his first regular season game of the year last night. He had a great night. He had 4 or 5 (I can't remember) strikeouts and made a couple of great plays as well as going 3 for 3 at the plate. He only had to pitch three innings before the game got called. More than all that, he had an absolute blast. He was so comfortable and good natured on the mound that I felt almost giddy. I love it when he is having fun.

My previously mentioned friend got to cross the plate, too. He got on base by being hit by a pitch, but he's so big I doubt it was a big deal. I took him home again and asked him about it and he said he barely felt it. The funny thing was, he seemed every bit as proud of getting hit by the ball as he did in getting a 3 RBI hit. I think he was also proud of the new baseball pants Kendra got him.

Connor and Michal Kate got their report cards today. Everyone got A's again except Michal's teacher asked for improvement in her handwriting. A few months ago she told us a story about when Michal was writing something.

"Don't you want to try to make that neater?" the teacher asked.

Michal looked intently at her paper then shrugged, saying "No, I'm good," and went on writing. At least she is content. Right now she is the only one in her class being tested for the Accelerated Learning Program (some sort of gifted crap). Apparently she did very well in the test, but we don't have any results yet. Whether she qualifies or not, it is up to her if she wants to pursue it or not.

Addie registered for kindergarten on Tuesday. It's a bit sad for the last one to take that step. It's also somewhat sad because Connor and Michal's teacher will not be teaching kindergarten next year. Not only that, Austin Elementary is being remodeled and Addie's kindergarten year will actually take place in a recently closed middle school. In any case, with whatever teaching in whichever location, I know she'll have a great year. Just don't try to talk to me on her first day. I may be a bit veklempt.

This weekend would have been the Family Retreat for Highland. Several families are going to be unable to go because of baseball so we are going to have a mini-retreat at the ranch instead. It is shaping up to be a pretty good crowd and I think we'll have a lot of fun. I'm going tomorrow to get a load of hay for the hayride, but several other activities may also come about. I think it will be valuable time.

Well, I have rambled long enough, but I got a request today for general family info and this is the kind of mundane stuff they asked for. Thanks to the everyone else for indulging me.

Casting Shadows, Aspersions, Crowns, Whatever

2005-04-10T19:50:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I took one of the kids from our team home after the game. It was an interesting ride. This kid has found an interesting place in my heart. I feel pretty safe in saying he is the only kid playing Dixie baseball who has a tattoo. I won't mention his name, but it is on his wrist forever if you're curious.

I think there may be a few reasons why this guy intrigues me. First, he's bigger than me (not saying much except he's only 12) but quiet and seemingly gentle. He is mildly disabled mentally, something I came to understand more later. As such, he was upset during one game when he mentioned to me that one of the coaches on the other team had laughed at him. That is inappropriate in any case, but especially when the coach was someone I knew. I was sad and disappointed.

As we drove along yesterday, I tried several times to engage him in coversation but each effort was met with a quiet but polite, "Uh-huh." He had managed to get a great hit (any contact from this giant would send it into the outfield) and drove in three runs. I told him how proud I was of him and asked if he was proud of himself.

"Uh-huh," he said and a slight grin appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"You should be," I told him.

"Uh-huh," he said again.

As we continued to his house I asked if he could change shirts when he got home so I could go get a number put on his. You see, the shirt he got was way too small and I had given him my coach's shirt. He agreed with another shy "Uh-huh."

I was a little surprised by my emotions when we pulled up to his house. It is in the shadow of where we go to church. It is a two bedroom home to an estimated 7 or 8 people. His mother greeted me very warmly with the unmistakable appearance and sweetness of someone even more mentally disabled than her son. Her older son, who also appeared, was also clearly mentally disabled. A man who seemed to be the father figure also came out and greeted me thanking me for bringing their son home. I told them of his heroics in the game and the mom began a funny conversation regarding food that left me puzzled but also offered an opening to invite them to a neighborhood picnic Highland was having that afternoon. They seemed excited, but I don't know if they were able to go. I told them I would be glad to take their son to church with us some time if they were interested and the dad (very much in control) said he'd think about it.

The emotions I mentioned were quite a mixture. I was sad and angry all over again about this young man having been ridiculed. I was also encouraged by what baseball had been to this young man on Saturday. I was disappointed to see someone living in such rough conditions in the shadow of our church but hopeful for what might come out of our relationship.

So, why did I ramble on about all this? I don't really know. But at the very least, I hope this is a situation you might add to your prayer list. I fear there are some pretty bad elements at play here that I should not discuss, but at least we might all be able to pray for the situation in general. I will.

Maybe Next Time

2005-04-01T20:24:00.000-08:00

Well, the offer was rescinded. We'll keep trying.

Then there was the time...

2005-04-01T07:20:00.000-08:00

In honor of this day of foolery, be it for Tom or anyone else, I can't help but remember a few pranks from the past. A few from work were pretty fun, but mild enough to relay here.

When my buddy, Scott, and I were tellers we were alone and closing up the bank one night when we realized the next day was April 1st. It snuck up on us so we weren't prepared, but we could not just let it go. On such short notice all we could think of was to switch out all of the pictures in the frames on everyone's desks. In other words, they kept their frames, but the pictures were changed. We figured it would take longer to notice, thus adding to the level comedy we were undoubtedly going to establish. The president of the bank had a picture of another guy's bird dog in the frame where his wife had been. Other people's grandchildren were now gracing someone else's desk while they were sporting images of fishing trips or college friends. Scott and I looked on the subtle charm of what we had done and saw that it was good.

The next day, was quiet; too quiet. I think at first it was because no one had noticed anything was different. As the day went on, however, Scott and I began to notice that pictures were quietly getting back to their rightful places. We also noticed that we were getting the silent treatment from everyone.

That evening Scott and I were closing again and it was also the night where at least a dozen bank employees would stay and play cards in the drive-thru where Scott and I worked. It was always a lot of fun. We would break open rolls of coins and everyone from the top brass down to lowly tellers like Scott and I would talk and play cards and shoot dice or whatever. Everyone was late showing up and stayed pretty quiet. I noticed that there was commotion near the door and people started to try in vain to supress grins and laughter. Finally everyone was laughing. The president of the bank tried to explain. Everyone had decided the way to get back at Scott and me was for Ray, the president of the bank, to pretend to fire us while everyone was there in the drive-thru. Everyone was there anticipating that very thing but Ray, usually a pretty hard-nosed guy, could not keep a straight face and the whole thing fell apart.

The next year, I decided to get him again. It turned out that I was a junior commercial lender by then and we were taking a large seven-figure loan from a bank in Lubbock. I was going to Lubbock on April 1 to pick up several stock certificates, vehicles titles and other chattel. Before I left I told Ray's secretary that I would call later in the day and say that I had car trouble and while I was getting the car taken car of someone stole my briefcases. She thought it was risky but agreed to go along. Well, the truth of the matter was, as I was heading back to Abilene just outside Post, Texas, the car it front of me flipped several times. Another guy and I jumped out and pulled the girl from the car and got it turned off. We called the Highway Patrol and an anbulance but we ended up being stuck there for over an hour. I called the bank to let them know, but they would not believe me. I never got the chance to pull the prank I intended to, but nobody believed the truth anyway.

Those were a couple of memorable April Fool's events for me. Happy April Fool's Day to you.

Put me in Coach

2005-03-28T05:12:00.000-08:00

Well, tomorrow is the first game of the pre-season for Dixie Baseball. After all of the preparation, we are all ready to finally get started.

Connor, upon some encouragement from his coach, has agreed to pitch again. Last year he had decided not to pitch anymore because I was trying to steer him away from it. My argument was that some coaches would not be sensitive to the longevity of his arm, but would instead try to get as much out of him for a season rather than protect it for a lifetime. I also happen to think that pitching will over time throw off the timing of a batter and Connor is one of the better base runners I have seen in this league. Kendra didn't want him to pitch because of all the pressure and what it does to her nerves. Still, we told him it was his decision and he chose to pitch this year but make no promises about future years.

Preparation for the season has been as involved for Kendra as it has for anyone in the league, if you ask me. She signed up to be one of the people in charge of the concession stand. The truth, however, is that she has basically been the one person in charge of the concession stand. I know this will sound like an exaggeration but it is actually a conservative estimate based on actually trying to add it up. She has spent at least 150 hours getting that thing ready: Getting the place cleaned up, getting it ready for the health inspection, scheduling all of the volunteers to work the stand for the season (and re-scheduling and re-scheduling), buying supplies, establishing procedures for the volunteers to follow, going to countless meeting, looking for equipment that has walked away, and on and on and on. It is certainly a test of my devotion to her, but its one I know I will pass with flying colors.

I am sponsoring a team. One of the coaches is my next door neighbor and a great guy. The other coach is such a jerk I was literally checking my bank to see if the sponsorship check had cleared as I looked for a way out of it. I am afraid this will make for a very long season. Nevertheless, GO SIDEWINDERS!

2005-03-03T21:58:00.000-08:00

This picture always makes me grin. I just thought I would pass it along in the hopes it has the same effect on you.

Booty is in the Eye of the Beholder

2005-02-22T17:46:00.000-08:00

The other day Addie was watching Kendra get ready and she said, "You look just like Barbie."

"Thank you, I think," Kendra said.

"Wait," said Addie studying her even more closely and then seeming to arrive at a definite conclusion. "Yep. You have blue eyes. You're just like Barbie."

I, on the other hand, don't seem to garner comparable sentiment.

This evening as I was leaving the room after putting the kids to bed I heard my middle child sweetly say, "Daddy, why is your booty wider than the rest of you?"

Stunned and a little hurt I said "I beg your pardon???"

"Why is it whiter than the rest of your skin?"

Connor took over at this point and explained the lack of exposure to the sun because he heard her right the first time and knew she was using a generic form of "you." I merely sighed with relief and enjoyed my current status of being safe from any odes by Sir Mix-a-lot.

"Baby got back" my- well, you know...

You take my breath away!

2005-02-15T11:40:00.000-08:00

Just a glimpse of one of the many interesting Addie conversations.

Kendra : "Addie, if you don't have anything nice to say, then please keep your mouth closed."

Addie: "Then how will I breathe?"

Apparently she has nothing nice to say.

Hey there, Sport!

2005-02-14T12:16:00.000-08:00

Saturday was the last regular season basketball game for the Wildcats. Connor's team this year has been one of my favorites. Made up of 3rd-5th graders, this is the team largely composed of misfits that did not even have a coach during the draft. Finally, a few ACU students agreed to coach them led by a young lady named Macy. Well, Saturday they finished the regular season in first place.

Connor is (I'm pretty sure) the youngest kid in the enitre league to play on the "A" squad. He is quite small for his age, but had a great tryout and was highly ranked in the draft. At the beginning of the season he really struggled with his confidence level but as Macy worked with the boys he really came along and became one of our top scorers. Saturday he made a buzzer beater from outside the circle that would have made the whole season, but he has done very well beyond that. As he gets down in the lane for rebounds up against guys that are literally two feet taller than he, he is not at all intimidated but instead becomes a scrapper intent on playing big even if he can't be big. I have been proud of his resolve.

So, this week is the end-of-season tournament. It will no doubt be a barn burner because many of the teams are closely matched, but no matter what I have learned:

- There are some great kids at ACU and I really appreciate the time and effort they sacrificed for these boys.

- Sometimes its better to see big than be big.

- My boy is one of the biggest blessings in my life and whether he is good at sports or not, I love him dearly.

- My days of being able to beat him at basketball are numbered and dwindling quickly.

- Baseball tryouts are in two weeks.

2005-02-07T12:04:00.000-08:00

Then, back at the truck we take them out of the can and put them in a large flat box. It got a little hairy at this point becase we got 35 snakes and they kept trying to climb out of the box while the boys were putting others in.

2005-02-07T12:02:00.000-08:00

After catching them, we put them in a can, like so.

2005-02-07T12:01:00.000-08:00

Here are Connor and his buddy, Blake with a few they helped catch. That's Fluffy on the left and Snowball on the right.

2005-02-07T12:00:00.000-08:00

Here are a few of the snakes we caught on our hunt yesterday. The pretty red one is the one that I crawled into a hole after. I think that is pretty high up on the list of crazy things I have done.

2005-02-05T19:24:00.000-08:00

These are the subjects of this blog.

Ewwww....

2005-02-05T13:15:00.000-08:00

Today as Kendra and I passed each other, we took the opportunity to give each other a hug and a few kisses. Addie who was walking by seemed disgusted.

"You did that right in front of a five year-old!" she scolded and kept on walking.

And I'd do it again.

Reality Check

2005-02-04T05:47:00.000-08:00

Our son Connor is what you might call "hot-natured." He wears clothes for the rest of us, but I doubt he really wants to. At night, no matter the season, he is shirtless and in boxers. Even on cold days he wants to wear shorts to school. On one particularly cold day he and Kendra were arguing this point. He insisted that he simply does not feel cold wearing shorts.

"But Connor," Kendra said. "If people at school see you wearing shorts on a really cold day they are going to think I'm a bad mom."

"Um," he said, looking on her with pity. "Do you really think you're that popular or somethin'?"

Editors Note: My wife is the best mom and the most popular person in our house, no matter what Connor might think.

Here we go...

2005-01-27T06:51:00.000-08:00

Kendra and I had Connor to ourselves last night for a quick stop at Whataburger. A routine thing we do with the kids is ask them questions about their day- what was the best thing, the worst thing, how did you help someone, did you accidently eat a bug. You know, the standard fare. Anyway, when the subject of the worst thing came up, Connor was quick with an answer. He told us how he had told his buddy, Blake, how the worst thing had happened to him but he didn't want to talk about it. Blake said if Connor would tell him and it really was a bad thing, Blake would give Connor $2.

"Well," Connor said. "Emily told me that her mom thinks I'm cute and that she should like me."

"Dude," said Blake. "I owe you $2."

I thought that was hilarious. Let me clarify, Emily's mom is very sweet and always comments to us how Connor is polite and intelligent. The whole thing was very innocent, but revolting to a 9 year-old boy. We told him that his opinion would change soon.

"Come on! I'm NINE! I've got, like, 62 years before I have to worry about this stuff!"

If only...

Perspective

2005-01-21T17:17:00.000-08:00

Today as Addie was being a bit of a stinker, Kendra took Addie by the arm and leaned down to get in Addie's face and scold her. When she finished, Addie spoke (surely to verbally process the lesson she had just learned) saying, "When you do that, your nose looks HUGE!" One more failed "teaching moment."

Events of this week

2005-01-13T22:08:00.000-08:00

The funeral is tomorrow in Muleshoe at 3:00. We are going up and back in one day. The most interesting element of this story is the way Kendra's grandpa died. See, he was diagnosed with colon cancer around the same time Kendra's dad was diagnosed with brain cancer but he outlived him by about 2 1/2 years. Then Kendra's grandma died earlier this year, but he never really understood that and kept asking where she was and when she would be back. On Sunday, the nursing home staff began preparing his room for a new roommate and the loss of his wife clicked with him. That night he went to bed and did not wake up. He was in a coma until Wednesday when he passed away. He was cowboy to the core and a sweet man.

Addie is starting to be a little more proud of her battle scars, but recoiled at the thought of going with Michal Kate to show her teacher after school. Kendra asked her why and she said she was annoyed because "everybody keeps blessing my heart." Kendra tried to explain what that meant, but that's something that seems to get lost in the translation to a five year-old. The doctor today said that it was entirely possible for bruising that severe to take as long as six months for complete absorption. She is starting to step over the line for milking it and I thought I would let it pass, but six months? I'll just ask her to put on a ski mask before I try to scold her.

Family Loss

2005-01-12T15:10:00.000-08:00

Just a heads up- Kendra's grandpa, George Mitchell, died today. We'll be going to Muleshoe for the funeral when we find out what the arrangements are.

2005-01-12T08:58:00.001-08:00

She's pretty tough, though.

2005-01-12T08:58:00.000-08:00

Family Flatulence

2005-01-10T09:53:00.000-08:00

Odd title? Maybe. But I think it fits the topic. Occasionally there are things that need to come out even if it might be unpleasant. That was the case with Kendra's family over the holidays. I can think of many more incredibly fitting analogies butt they would be disgusting, so I'll just let it go. Anyway, the whole situation is a little weird right now, compounded by the fact that Kendra's grandpa is in a coma and apparently declining. Nothing like a funeral enhanced by conflict to make your week.

Family Life

2004-12-30T21:32:00.000-08:00

I have been home much of the last week or so with occasional trips into the office. It has been great riding bikes with the kids and seeing some movies together. Today as I was going through the den Dr. Phil was talking to a family with monster children (including a 4 year-old who cussed like a sailor) and I really thought about how I appreciate my kids. They're just cool and so much fun to be around. They aren't very outgoing, so many people may not actually know how great they are, but Kendra and I do and we know we are blessed. They are the best thing I have ever been a part of.

Today Connor and I went to Lowe's and then to see "National Treasure." I know there are flaws in it because I saw some. Nevertheless, I loved it! It was fun and clean and exciting. It gives me hope for the future of movies. I read recently how Disney is going to very obviously suffer in the coming months and years because their animation department has really faltered in recent years and the relationship of saving grace they had enjoyed with Pixar is coming to a somewhat disagreeable end. In light of that, the writer of this article thought that live-action family fare was going to be the new emphasis. If that means more movies like "Nat'l Treasure," I think that is cool. It is the kind of movie that adults will enjoy as well as kids without having to endure some of the mind-numbing elements often present in kids' movies. I grew up in a household where boycotting was encouraged. I never completely bought into all of that, but if it is remotely true, it seems we should also support the positive choices we have even if they are products of companies with a checkered past. I am not always an optimist, but sometimes positive re-imforcement might work.

Coming this weekend, a trip to Muleshoe for a Christmas gathering with Kendra's mother's family. They are great people, but they are all huge and all involved in ranching or agriculture. I don't exactly fit. "Looks like I picked the wrong time to stop sniffing glue..." (Airplane)

The Reindeer and the Bees

2004-12-16T13:48:00.000-08:00

There comes a time when I wonder if keeping alive the magic of the jolly fat man from the North Pole is actually being blatantly dishonest. Kendra and I have talked about that some lately and how it relates to our kids. A part of us wants to explain the truth if for no other reason than to erase suspicions of infidelity after our kids hear the song "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus." But it is so hard to initiate one more paragraph in the chapter of their lives wherein they grew up. I had such a weird childhood that I recognize my tendancy to live vicariously through my kids, but I really want them to have a great childhood. However, I also want them to be able to trust me.

In light of these concerns, after a discussion on Mr. Kringle the other night Kendra told Connor that if he had any questions about anything, he should feel free to ask us.

"O.K.," he said. "Where do babies come from?"

"Santa Clause!" we blurted.

No, not really. That just might have further confused both issues. Instead we stammered a bit and finally asked him if he really had questions about that. He got this "I bit off more than I can chew" look on his face and quickly said he didn't have any questions.

Well, last night, after a few weeks had passed we asked him again if he had any questions about anything. Again, and I think in a calculated effort to get us to leave him alone he said, "Well, have y'all figured out where babies come from, yet?" Then he went on, missing the look on Kendra's face.

Kendra and I talked about it later. Could it be that the fact he brought it up twice in recent weeks mean that he is, in fact, curious? Pursuant to that, if so, should we have "the talk" before he is misinformed by someone else? Does the fact that he is even asking such questions mean he has already heard something? Could it be that he knows more than we do and is really just torturing us? All of the above are very real possibilities, but I am still flummoxed. I am not sure what the ordinary age is for this type of thing, but it may not apply since Connor is far from ordinary. He is very quiet, clever and analytical. He is aware that girls exist but is not convinced they are worthwhile outside his family. He is further aware that some are interested in him but he just finds them to be annoying unless they are good athletes.

As I go back on forth on the issue, the nagging thought I keep having is that in our society, innappropriate message about male/female relationships abound and kids are getting exposed to such things at earlier and earlier ages. Even if his questions are based only in curiosity of the science involved and the innocent question of where babies come from, perhaps it is better if his question opens up conversations that plant greater seeds. Seeds that hopefully develop a healthy respect for women instead of objectifying them. Seeds that encourage appropriate behavior. Seeds that help build healthy families. Seeds of what God's plan is for our lives. I must confess that I do not know the right approach is to this, but I hope I find it.

Maybe I'll just ask Santa to bring him a book explaining the whole thing. And maybe- just maybe- Connor will let me read it when he's through with it.