Didn't get much of a response back in comments regarding the bridge pictures. Thanks to Mom and Joanie for playing along! I'll have to be the tie breaker unless one of the other 40+ people per day who visit my blog decide to join in. You know who you are. :)
Kendra asked me a strange question and I responded with a truthful, but equally strange answer. She said, "what is one thing you want me to do if you died?" I interpreted her time frame as in the near future, but didn't bother to clarify before answering. I responded, "Find another man to be a husband for you and a father for the twins... quickly. Don't wait 10 years and think it honors me in some way. Easton and Layla need a mother AND a father as they grow up so don't put off finding that special someone. At least wait until after my funeral before beginning the search for Mr Right 2.0."
I mean every word of that. The next 10 years of Easton and Layla's lives are critical to their development. Going through that as a single Mom is courageous and possible, but not what I want for Kendra and the twins. My answer was straight from my heart without any hesitation or deep thought required. Easton and Layla are my legacy in this world and I want them to have the best example of a father they can get even if that isn't me. Layla will choose her husband and Easton will treat his wife in a manner based on what they see in their father. If that's me, then great. If that's another Godly man because I die, then great. However, having NO father as a model (either due to death or an absentee dad or divorce) is a sure-fire way to put kids in a fight against the odds for the rest of their life. That was a random story, but just thought I'd share while it was fresh on my mind.
What's been happening in NorCal? Kendra and I split up for some boy time and girl time separately. I did some research and discovered the National Train Show is in town for one weekend only. How fortuitous! Big Time and I drove downtown for his surprise. On the trip he did his best to guess. He said, "When I walk inside will I see dinosaurs? animals? firetrucks? toys?" I kept saying, "nooooo, just wait until we get there."
We walked inside the convention center to find more model trains in a single building than I've ever seen... and they were all running around winding, lengthy tracks. Imagine an open area the size of a football field with hundreds of miniature trains chugging and whistling along miles of track.
Here's one example of a very detailed train Easton particularly liked. His facial expression is real. Perma-grin from the moment we walked inside.
My back is two weeks into the healing process from when I injured it so lifting is low on my list of things to do. However, 95% of the tracks are 5 ft. high so I spent the afternoon lifting Easton up to see the trains going around. he became so used to the routine that when we finished with one display we would walk a few feet to the next one. He put his arms above his head like a monkey and waited patiently for me to muster the strength to lift him up.
This track was incredibly long and detailed. Made completely from Lego pieces! The train, the trees, and even the entire bridge was all Lego.
The thing I liked most about the show was how close Easton was able to get to the trains. The scaled model trains were intricate in design and chugging by only inches from his face.
I wasn't sure what kind of crowd would attend a train show, but it met my expectations. Lots of 60-75 year old guys who still remember the hey-day of trains. The rest of the minority was fathers like me with little kids. These guys represent the average folks in attendance.
A track was setup with chairs next to it and a line of kids. I jumped in line without even knowing what it was for. To my surprise, each kid had 5 minutes of stick-time to drive a train around the tracks. The lever Easton has his hands on was a three way switch (forward, reverse, and stop). He flipped the switch back and forth watching the train go around and around the track. This was the experience he enjoyed the most about the day.
I know this because on the way home we had ample time to talk and he pointed out his highlights.
Layla went shopping with Ouma and Kendra for their girl time. She came back with several new toys as one would expect of Ouma's giving nature. Since I'm the only one with a camera there are no pictures of the girl's outing. Since I'm the only one who blogs, there are no stories to tell. So there. Anyone complaining of inequality should tell Ouma and Kendra to jump in here and help me out once in a while. :)
What's so significant about this picture of the twins running? Well, we went for a walk to breakfast and for some reason the two of them were way out in front of us. They turned and charged towards us for no apparent reason. Easton couldn't find his brakes in time. He plowed into my leg, spun around backwards and fell on the pavement with a thud. I guess kids just do stuff like that from time to time until they figure it out?
The booth seating works out perfectly for us because Kendra and I get one kid.
and Ouma and Oupa get the other.
Works out well and I'm very content with the ratio of kids to adults. I like to shake things up when it comes to who is with whom doing what. For example, Layla can have the complete attention of Ouma and Oupa when the three have some special time together. Easton can have Oupa time and Layla can have Daddy time. Breaking it up like that creates opportunities for the twins to bond with us adults. I'm very grateful this trip has afforded several occasions to split up various ways.
The thought of walking to breakfast in July is foreign to Phoenicians. The cool mornings and slight breeze is worth the effort to be here. Sharing our time with Kendra's family and friends in this climate is a real blessing.
Date night! Kendra and I will always be dating for the rest of our marriage. The concept of a mother and father going out alone seems like a relatively new phenomena. I don't remember my Mom and Dad or Grandma and Grandpa going out together alone. Maybe one week per year or something for vacation, but not on a weekly or bi-weekly basis like many couples do today. This time alone is critical to a marriage strength and doesn't cost a penny if deals are worked out with other couples/families who can trade babysitting nights. I'll have to ask Ma and Pa how they managed to find time alone when we were little kids... Anyway, this is us NOT missing the twins at home with Ouma and Oupa.
Kendra and I are taking every opportunity to spend time together. We joined Megan and Santiago for dinner at Crush 29 and an evening stroll downtown. We ate at this place for our anniversary last year and gladly went back again for a special evening out.
The other not-so-successful outing was the concert in the park. I decided to brave the crowd alone with Easton and Layla, but I had no idea how large the crowd would be. It seemed like the entire city turned out for the Friday night concert. After walking about a half mile (no joke) we weeded through the crowd to find my friends. The twins lasted about 20 minutes listening to the band and then fell apart from sheer boredom.
As you can see they still had happy hearts, but then we were forced to pass the bounce houses and park area on the way back to the car. The challenge was convincing them to keep marching towards the car. We made it home safely, but I wish we hadn't bothered even going. Oh well, you can't have adventures unless you go adventuring!
See you soon.
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