There is a place where giant oak trees are silhouetted by the a pastel painted horizon. The sky shedding its last light of day. The trunks and branches, naked, twisted, and majestic. The clouds are dashed across the sky in a lacy network of gray with intense highlights of crimson, orange, salmon, and chartreuse against a deep blue backdrop.
This place, may not be all that extraordinary. It may not even appear as nice to others as it does to me, but for me, I am all about the sensory experience. In this place as I watch the pallet of creator unfold before my eyes, I slip into the greenish-blue, warm, and inviting, glowing pool of water before me. Yeah, maybe it is just the swimming pool at our club, but in this moment, it is paradise.
It is not only the beautiful sky, or the warm water, nor the quiet serenity of a weekday winters eve, but it is that time stands still here: No phones, no computers, no tv, or any other media. Just me, my boys, and 500,000 gallons of warmth all to ourselves.
The water is steaming in the cool evening air, and Apollo and Orion are laughing, splashing, and climbing all over me. I have a smile on my face that won't go away. This is our time; our random school night in the pool. Melanie soon joins us, and the moment reaches perfection. No incoming text messages, no emails, no Facebook...nothing to distract any of us. Our muscles ( Melanie and I) are typically sore, and the warm weightless feeling is a welcomed reward. This is our post workout treat and for Apollo and Orion, it is pretty much the best night of the week.
I find that it is all too easy to become distracted these days. The years are screaming by at an ever accelerating pace, and for me the moments that I find are the most rewarding is the time I spend with my family. Apollo and Orion are growing like weeds! Apollo weighs in at 57 lbs and is 49" tall and lost his first tooth on February 5th. He is so skinny right now and actually lost nearly 2 lbs since Christmas (due to colds, eating less, and increased activity level).Orion weighs 38 lbs and seems to have grown a couple inches overnight. He can now stand in the 3' end of the pool and keep his head above water.
"Orion," I tell him, noticing he is taller, "I can't believe how big you are getting!"
"I am bigger," he replies, "but if you want me to stop getting bigger, you have to stop feeding me." The wisdom of a 3-year-old.
I have found that what my boys value most of all is my time. They just want me to be engaged with them no matter what it is that we do. It can be as simple as reading them a book, sitting with them on the couch watching Polar express for the 40th time, pulling them 37 miles on a bike ride, or playing with them in the pool. It means the world to them...and to me. I am making a conscious effort this year to put my iPhone aside, stay off my lap top more, and to just get out and spend time with them. My guilty pleasure is biking and if it means that I have to pull them all around Sonoma county to indulge them and my passion, then I will do it.
Apollo is really in tune with how I spend my time. He makes sure that I balance out any individual interactions with him and his brother. As a 6-year-old, the world is swirling around you so fast and time is judged only in one day increments. I get nightly bedtime reports from Apollo on how I am doing; "Dada," he says with deep concern, almost whining, "How come you never play with me anymore."
"What are talking about Apollo?" I ask very surprised, "I always play with you."
"Yeah, but you tickled Orion for a really long time, and you didn't tickle me, and you always play with him more in the pool," he replies solemnly, "I want you to make me laugh."
"Ummmm, don't you remember why I was tickling Orion?"
"No, you were just tickling him and you never tickle me anymore!"
"Apollo, I was tickle-torturing you when Orion jumped on me so I started tickle-torturing him while you escaped and ran away," I explained, "Do you remember that?"
"Oh yeah! I forgot," he says with a sigh, one hand twirling his hair as he recalls the interaction, staring blankly at the ceiling, "but you tickled him longer so I want to make me laugh right now."
You can imagine with what ensues next, but how it always ends is...
"BOYS! It doesn't sound like you're going to sleep!" Melanie shouts from the other room, moments later appearing in the doorway. "Apollo needs to go to sleep! Why do you always have to get him riled up like this at bed time?"
"I don't know what you are talking about," I reply arrogantly and dripping of sarcasm, " I was just trying to calm the boy down."
To this Apollo bursts into laughter.
"Out!" Melanie demands which is really more of an ultimatum than a statement.
"Good night Apollo," I climb to my feet and head to the door while Melanie's look of disapproval pierces the semi-darkend room.
"Good night dada," Apollo yawns pulling the covers up as he rolls on his side, "I want to go swimming again tomorrow."
This place, may not be all that extraordinary. It may not even appear as nice to others as it does to me, but for me, I am all about the sensory experience. In this place as I watch the pallet of creator unfold before my eyes, I slip into the greenish-blue, warm, and inviting, glowing pool of water before me. Yeah, maybe it is just the swimming pool at our club, but in this moment, it is paradise.
It is not only the beautiful sky, or the warm water, nor the quiet serenity of a weekday winters eve, but it is that time stands still here: No phones, no computers, no tv, or any other media. Just me, my boys, and 500,000 gallons of warmth all to ourselves.
The water is steaming in the cool evening air, and Apollo and Orion are laughing, splashing, and climbing all over me. I have a smile on my face that won't go away. This is our time; our random school night in the pool. Melanie soon joins us, and the moment reaches perfection. No incoming text messages, no emails, no Facebook...nothing to distract any of us. Our muscles ( Melanie and I) are typically sore, and the warm weightless feeling is a welcomed reward. This is our post workout treat and for Apollo and Orion, it is pretty much the best night of the week.
I find that it is all too easy to become distracted these days. The years are screaming by at an ever accelerating pace, and for me the moments that I find are the most rewarding is the time I spend with my family. Apollo and Orion are growing like weeds! Apollo weighs in at 57 lbs and is 49" tall and lost his first tooth on February 5th. He is so skinny right now and actually lost nearly 2 lbs since Christmas (due to colds, eating less, and increased activity level).Orion weighs 38 lbs and seems to have grown a couple inches overnight. He can now stand in the 3' end of the pool and keep his head above water."Orion," I tell him, noticing he is taller, "I can't believe how big you are getting!"
"I am bigger," he replies, "but if you want me to stop getting bigger, you have to stop feeding me." The wisdom of a 3-year-old.
I have found that what my boys value most of all is my time. They just want me to be engaged with them no matter what it is that we do. It can be as simple as reading them a book, sitting with them on the couch watching Polar express for the 40th time, pulling them 37 miles on a bike ride, or playing with them in the pool. It means the world to them...and to me. I am making a conscious effort this year to put my iPhone aside, stay off my lap top more, and to just get out and spend time with them. My guilty pleasure is biking and if it means that I have to pull them all around Sonoma county to indulge them and my passion, then I will do it.
"What are talking about Apollo?" I ask very surprised, "I always play with you."
"Yeah, but you tickled Orion for a really long time, and you didn't tickle me, and you always play with him more in the pool," he replies solemnly, "I want you to make me laugh."
"Ummmm, don't you remember why I was tickling Orion?"
"No, you were just tickling him and you never tickle me anymore!"
"Apollo, I was tickle-torturing you when Orion jumped on me so I started tickle-torturing him while you escaped and ran away," I explained, "Do you remember that?"
"Oh yeah! I forgot," he says with a sigh, one hand twirling his hair as he recalls the interaction, staring blankly at the ceiling, "but you tickled him longer so I want to make me laugh right now."
You can imagine with what ensues next, but how it always ends is...
"BOYS! It doesn't sound like you're going to sleep!" Melanie shouts from the other room, moments later appearing in the doorway. "Apollo needs to go to sleep! Why do you always have to get him riled up like this at bed time?"
"I don't know what you are talking about," I reply arrogantly and dripping of sarcasm, " I was just trying to calm the boy down."
To this Apollo bursts into laughter.
"Out!" Melanie demands which is really more of an ultimatum than a statement.
"Good night Apollo," I climb to my feet and head to the door while Melanie's look of disapproval pierces the semi-darkend room.
"Good night dada," Apollo yawns pulling the covers up as he rolls on his side, "I want to go swimming again tomorrow."
