Another winner!

I could be talking about the football game, though today's game against Indiana left much to be desired, and may prove to be a real harbinger of doom (especially if, as it looks, Forcier is nursing an injured throwing arm), we can actually add it as another W on our schedule.  It was a dismal reminder, though, that we are relying on the courage and convictions of a freshman quarterback or two.

It does not, however, take a winning game to enjoy a fantastic pregame party, and this was one of my favorites.  At least once a season we rock the tailgate world with a full on made to order breakfast buffet, with eggs (plain, scrambled, or omelet? And would you like green pepper, mushrooms, or onion on that?  And what kind of cheese?), pancakes (would that be blueberry, chocolate chip, or plain?), bread (feel free to use the toaster, and help yourself to butter or homemade jam), and, of course, the usual sides of fresh fruit, sausage, bacon, cheese, crackers, taco dip, and chips, not to mention mimosas, beer, and wine (those are not all breakfast foods, you say?  Not a standard breakfast, maybe, but this is a tailgate, after all).  This is by far my favorite tailgate of the season, and as I walked back from the game I pitied all the people who were cleaning up the pizza or sub boxes from their own pregame revelries.  We love our tailgating crowd!  But alas, we've been spoiled for all other tailgating experiences.

Big boy class

As time marches on we repeatedly find ourselves face to face with childhood milestones (first tooth?  Check.  First step?  Check.)  There was a time, I believe, when I thought that we were running significant milestones to achieve (first word?  Check.  First haircut?  Check.) and it's true that they are now fewer and farther between (first bike?  Check.), but they are becoming more momentous (first ER visit?  Check.) and more meaningful (goodbye diapers?  Check.) as time goes on.  And that brings me to this morning when I all but dropped Calvin off at his first big boy class (first parent-free social situation?  Check.), a special 2 hour art, dance, and music extravaganza with the same fantastic teacher he's had for music since he was only a year old.  Of course, you'll notice that I said "all BUT" dropped him off, and that's because it was, after all, the first day of class and all moms were invited to stay and observe.  So I did.  I stayed, and I observed my son completely ignoring me while he played musical games, created three very saturated washable paint masterpieces, made a hat out of a paper bag and insisted on wearing it, snacked on all the foods offered (including the garbanzo beans and broccoli that were shunned by the other kids), built a very imaginative train station out of wood blocks, and became totally engrossed in his teacher's very spirited reading of books for some calm down time right at the end.  At that point, after the final book closed, he remembered that I was there.  What a very fantastic first class.  For both of us.

Tailgating: a Calvin's-eye view

At the tailgate on Saturday Calvin decided it was time that he learned to use my good camera, and, because he's always so careful with his own things, we let him have a go at it.  The first picture came from my dad's iPhone, the rest are entirely Calvin's doing.  In other news, holy moly we're beginning the season with a 3-0 record, and that's great news!

Morning again?

We found this on a driveway in our neighborhood on one of our mailbox walks this week.  I'm not sure what it means that we didn't see it until rather late in the day–about 8pm, say–but the sentiment is one to which many can relate, and I think I must be getting on in years that it no longer holds the same meaning for me that it once did.  Throughout the summer especially I love the coming of morning.  In our house morning means waking up to Calvin's little voice singing the tunes of his childhood (the fact hat it's as often an Air Supply tune as it is the ABCs means nothing, I tell you); it means me going out running before the household is officially stirring, and returning to the smell of coffee and toasted muffins (of the english variety); once a week it means a visit from the milk man (I can't get over how cool that is); and after Jon leaves for work it can mean anything from a walk in the rain to exploration with paint on the easel.  There is absolutely no doubt that it is hard to get up the morning, but when the day is just starting there are so many roads open to us, so many opporutinities for the day, that it's hard not to greet the sun with a smile.  Good morning!

Hello 2009 Season...

...and Go Blue!  Both last week, then again, and especially, this week, have brought back to Michigan fans that once familiar enjoyment of watching a good football game.  There are still improvements to be made, but that just adds to the air of excitement.  We wouldn't want the season to be boring, would we?  Go blue.