Dear Abby, Again
Four years ago, I wrote a blog post called Dear Abby. It was a fun reference to the old advice column that ran in the daily newspapers when I grew up. In my post I shared simple advice that I left with my daughter as I dropped her off at college. Time has flown. This week we drove to Southern California to celebrate that same daughter as she graduated from college. I thought it would be fun to revisit my original blog post and revisit the advice as she prepares to embark on her next life adventure.
***
“Dear Abby, four years ago we dropped you off at college. At the time, I recognized that the years of active parenting were done. The day-to-day conversations we shared as dad and daughter were not going to happen as easily as when you were home. Instead, they were replaced with hand-written letters and the multiple text and video messages we have come to rely upon. At the time I left you with very simple advice: It’s all about Jesus!
Four years ago, I wanted you to know that no matter what college provided in the form of blessing or challenge, from relationships to education to religion to behavior, none of them would provide you with an identity or hope like you can find in Jesus alone.
Jesus is always the better choice.
I believe those four years that you lived on campus brought you all of those opportunities. Your faith was challenged. You were forced to ask questions as to what you believe. Your relationships were refined. Friendships were deepened. You grew up and away from your upbringing and were allowed to become who you are today.
Now, with your diploma in hand as you leave your undergraduate education to become a grad student and begin focusing closer on your career, allow me to remind you again. It’s all about Jesus! Sorry, the advice doesn’t change. As you face opportunities and make life choices, Jesus will always bring the better choice. I realize that this can sound either trite or confusing, so let me explain.
Choosing a career is very important. Where you choose to work and what you choose to do are important decisions. You will be enticed by salaries, benefits, locations, and jobs that seem amazing. Those are all very good things, but they are lousy places to put your hope. Unlike college kids from anytime in recent history, your education was disrupted on a global scale and you were given a front row to see how this statement rings true and just how quickly all of the promises of a career can disappear. Education can fail us. Financial systems can fail us. The government can fail us. Even your communities of friends can fracture over simple things.
However, when you put your hope in Jesus and remember that because God loves you, then you can live as loved and know that He will meet all of your needs. Putting your hope in Him frees you to follow Him and trust Him. Throughout 2020, I hope you were able to witness how when it comes down to the basics: It is all about Jesus.
It’s not a formula, but when your life is centered on the gospel (the belief that Jesus saves you and you don’t save yourself) and that God loves you and wants the best for you, then you can live in the center of that love and make decisions out of freedom. Your relationships change. Your desires change. How you live out your life changes.
Abby, if there is anything I want for you as you graduate this week, it is this: Live in the freedom that allows you to love and serve God wherever He leads you.
Mom and I love you. We are so proud of you.
It’s all about Jesus,
Dad
Dear Abby
On the pier at Newport Beach
Dear Abby,
Well that was painful.
That makes kid #4 and it has not gotten any easier to have someone move out. For those people reading this who have not dropped a kid off at school, I'm warning you. It goes faster than you think.
Abbydabs, as we dropped you off at the curb of your new 7 story dorm in Southern California and each hugged you goodbye through tears and promises that we'd miss you like crazy, I was reminded that active parenting is over. There will be no more daily conversations, face to face encouragements or nightly kisses as I pass through your bedroom. I have spoken into your life on a daily basis for 18 years and the "in the moment" parenting has come to an end. Sure we still have phone calls, text messages and all of your visits home, but the "teach them diligently along the way" lessons that we know about from Deuteronomy are wrapped up. I can only hope you remember all those things as you take off on this new adventure.
So, I decided to repurpose some advice I had given to your brother and I hope it's the one thing you stole from being in our home: It’s all about Jesus.
What? You expected something else?
Experience? Four years of university life will certainly be filled with both positive and negative experiences, but to chase after the college experience will leave you empty when school comes to an end. No, it is all about Jesus.
Relationships? Since you were born, you were raised in our home and surrounded by our friends and stories of our friends that we had made during our 4 years at college. Certainly, we hope you cultivate lifelong friendships and build great memories during your college years.
These relationships you make will be valuable and provide opportunities for networking during the rest of your life. However, relationships can fail. Friendships will be strained by distance after college. I want you to surround yourself with people who believe that life is all about Jesus and to not be afraid to reach out to others who don’t know Him yet. It is all about Jesus.
Education? Your grandparents love to inflate the idea that college is all about getting a good education. You know that education is a means to an end, but a lousy substitute for Jesus. It may open a few more doors and provide a few more opportunities, but shifting your hope from God onto education is a deceptive trap. We have encouraged all of you to pursue an education, but that always comes with the warning to not put your hope in education. Nope. It is not about an education, it is all about Jesus.
Religion? You are attending a Christian college. You are surrounded by teachers and administrators that want to mentor and guide you! That’s great and it is certainly a blessing, but I want you to remember more than labels and descriptions and much more than outward religious behavior it really is all about Jesus.
I remember being corrected once by a religious pastor for suggesting that it was all about Jesus. He warned me that it stopped short of what scripture teaches. For nearly an hour he expounded on scripture and theology to explain to me how that statement could lead people living a life void of the sanctifying works God requires. His argument and his theological slices reminded me even more: It’s all about Jesus.
We shift our hope so quickly. We have talked about that for years in our church and in our home as we’ve seen relationships implode and college educations lead to endless/hopeless job searches and layoffs. Abby, you know this. Shifting your hope onto the college experience, onto relationships, onto education or even onto religious behavior might satisfy you in the short term, but in the long run it is all about putting your hope in God. It is all about the Gospel. It’s all about Jesus.
Paul, in his letter to the church of Corinth, says this:
“For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.”
Abby you are loved! By God and by me. Study hard! Love others well! Call, text and come home often! :)
But more than anything, remember that it's all about Jesus!
Quietly making noise,
Dad
Signs
This is what it looks like when we began to surround ourselves with the truth of the gospel.
I can probably stop saying this, but our older children can affirm that above and beyond the typical household rules they were raised with strong undertones of religion and the rigid behavior associated. That was before we woke up from our gospel amnesia.
This sign stares down on our kitchen table. A daily reminder to all of us as to whose we are!
I have noticed a change though. The other day I grabbed my phone and took a few pictures of the art and posters that we have hanging around our house. Kendra has always been purposeful in what we hang on our walls, so I was particularly interested in a few of the signs and what they communicate. I am pretty stoked to see the change and what words are placed around our home, especially the ones that communicate to us that God's love is abundant and His grace is scandalous.
The idea behind a lot of these signs is to saturate our family with the gospel. Notice: I did not say saturate our kids. I said saturate our family. Long gone are the days that dad and mom have this all figured out and we put up things to teach the kids. We need the gospel communicated to us on a moment by moment basis just as much as our children. We need to learn what it looks like to be the chief confessors in our home and then model that in front of our kids. I want them to see that we fail and we need Jesus just as much as them.
These little signposts are used to help remind the entire family that we are all part of the same journey. We are all seeking after God. Compared to previous days in our home, these signs can help us to remember that we are pursuing Him and the righteousness that only Jesus can provide.
We sometimes need to remember that we serve a very big God who holds all of time and space within the palm of His hand. We need to remember to dream big and ask God to help us think beyond our limited resources. It is also okay to fail. Dream big. Let God fill in the gaps and meet the needs. It's good to watch Him open the doors that we think are shut tight and shut doors that we are trying to pry open.
Hey readers! I'm not writing this out to sound prideful. I'm not showing off. I'm not saying, "Hey look at our cool family and the stuff we put on our walls. You should be just like us." That's a bunch of crap and I don't play the comparison game. Nah, I just thought it was cool to see a physical change around our home that complements a non-visual change taking place in the family that lives in that home. That being said, are you looking for positive inspirational artwork? Consider the Fletchifesto!
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
Dropping Nate At College
I wrote a blog post over at Homeschooling In Real Life today. I shared a little of my experience dropping Nate off at college and the advice I gave to him as we parted ways. Are you wondering what we talked about?
Let me give you a hint. It's Fletch, all my conversations boil down to the same thing: The Gospel.
Click on the picture to read: What I Said To My Son When I Dropped Him Off At College.
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
Mr. Amazing
A few weeks ago, my oldest son Hayden began blogging again. After going through a very stressful year, it has been really good to see him writing again. Like me, I think it is natural for him to turn to writing to help him work out his thoughts on paper.
A few days ago he wrote a blog post about his frustration with disappointment and boredom. I was pleasantly surprised today to read on Facebook about an adventure he created downtown. Instead of focusing on his boredom, he got out of the house and created his own amazing situation. Check it out!
Great job Hayden! You are amazing!
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
Reverse Engineering at the HSBA Post
I'm blogging today over at the HSBA Post on New Year's and how to reverse engineer your goals!
2014 Strategic Planning For Dads
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
Guest Blogging for Father's Day
I was invited to write a guest blog for The Homeschool Potpourri Online about Father's Day. I share the ONE AND ONLY THING all homeschool dads need to remember. Check it out here: Homeschooling Dads: Don't Miss The Big Lesson.
Earlier this week I gave a nod to Father's Day in a blogpost I wrote at my other regular homeschool writing gig at The Homeschool Post. It was a fun look at lessons that any dad can learn from famous television dads. Here: Father's Day: Top Ten Lessons From TV Dads. Take a look at my take on Howard Cunningham, Andy Taylor, Mike Brady and more.
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
Homeschool Heartbea
This week on Homeschool Heartbeat...theMangoTimes!
I was recently interviewed by Mike Smith for five short snippets that begin airing this week on HSLDA's Homeschool Heartbeat. During the interview, I answered questions about homeschooling from my perspective as a dad.
I really had a great time sharing how I have practically been involved homeschooling our eight kids. Like a lot of dads, I work outside of our home full time, which for me means leaving the house before anyone wakes up and not getting home until dinner is being placed on the table. Let's face it, I'm not there for any of the schooling.
I was able to share a few ways that I have been able to encourage my wife and practically help her with school. I also shared why I believe my main responsibility is to keep us focused on the gospel and how I try to encourage all of us not to shift our hope in Christ onto homeschooling, curriculum or the best educational philosophies.
First time visitors to theMangoTimes? Here are a few recommended posts:
More information on the FourOneOne teen study that was mentioned : Four One One
More on family traditions: The Longest Day
A 3-Part series on Homeschooling Dads at my wife's blog: Part One, Part Two, Part Three
A snapshot at our dinner conversation/laughs: Dad's Death and Cannibals
Just in time for Christmas: The SkyMall Catalog
A Brilliant Invention: The Hands Free Coffee Cup
You can also check out any of the categories on the sidebar on the right. Also, If you missed the interviews you can link to the Homeschool Heartbeat Interviews directly by following the links below:
11/5/12 - Homeschooling Dad, Apologist
11/6/12 - Dad's Job Starts with Mom
11/7/12 - Making Memories
11/8/12 - Enter 4OneOne
11/9/12 - Mentoring Young Men
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
Classic Repost: "Raising Boys"
From November 2006:
Tonight's post-dinner conversations...the fine art of cannibalism.
Mangoboy#1: "Dad, if we were cannibals...what part of the body would you eat first?"
Me: "I'd probably start with the hands, because they'd be easy to hold and you could eat them a finger at a time and dip them into ketchup"
Mangoboy#2: "It would probably taste like chicken...everything tastes like chicken."
Mangoboy#3: "Would we eat people like chicken...you know...breasts, thighs, and would their arms/legs be like wings and legs?"
Me again (because I am getting "that look" from Kendra that seems to be asking me how old I am behaving):"Okay...that's enough of this wonderful discussion...let's focus on a better topic."
Mangoboy#3:"If I had to eat you dad, I'd eat your eyes...because they are very wise and have seen a lot of things."
Me again:"Thanks, that's good to know you have my preferred body parts chosen...but this topic is now officially over..."
Mangogirl#1:"If i was a "can of bull" I'd hate to eat dad...I'd rather eat McDonalds."
Me: Launching nose contents as I laugh at my lovely daughters phonetical learning style...
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
It's Really That Easy!
Based on very minimal research, the light switch seems to have been invented over 100 years ago. It is the easiest device that I can think to use...you push it up if you want the lights "on" and you push it down if you want the lights "off." For the seriously lame, who do not recognize the change from darkness to light, they've made it super easy and preprinted these switches with the words "on" and "off." Really, if you struggle with directions on a light switch, there are probably bigger issues in your life, but that is not the purpose of this post!
Energy output? Well, I'm not sure what the caloric output is involved with a flick of a finger tip, but I'm sure it's pretty low (down on the list near blinking or swallowing). Actually, I don't think you even need to flick the switch, because I often just rub my hand down the wall until the light goes out. Either way, energy output is a non-issue!
Location? Also not an issue. It's not like we hide light switches in our house. No, we typically put them right on the wall at hand height, conveniently located near the door for you to flick on your way in and out...
Memory? My kids always remember to turn the lights on when they enter a dark room, so it can't be memory.
So, can someone tell me why I find well lit empty rooms throughout my house every single day? Spare me any comments about how I sound like my dad. For those of you that know my dad, he has used automatic motion-detector light switches for the past 25 years. I've commented in the past that he always looks like a wounded seagull walking around his house as he attempts to get the motion detector lights to "notice" him.
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
She's Home!
Caroline Joy (minus her appendix!)
After 21 days in the hospital, we were very excited to hear the surgeon say we could go home a day earlier then expected! Thanks Dr. Tam for the great surprise!
Praise the Lord with us for His healing hand as He used surgeries, scans, doctors, nurses, drains, and bags upon bags of antibiotics to help restore our little girl!
How many people does it take to help care for a sick eight year old? A quick thank you to the following folks:
Doctors: Tam, Clark, Olson, Barry, Blankenship, Terzo, McGrew, Lenser, Morris, Im, Imanaka, Tran, Liu, Hung, Lin, Montes
ER Room: Gayle, Kit, Jessica, Jessica, Dan
ICU: Trina, Gemma, Thuy, Lorie, Kelly(daytime), Kelly(nighttime), Dama, Sherry, Hilary, Karen, Margaret
Peds: Bianca, Jessica, Amanda, Rossie, Surinder, Elizabeth
...and everyone else that I forgot to mention...I tried to write down all of your names!
Surrounded by her biggest fans!
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
Friday Night Update
"Eye See You"
Hello from the ICU! That's right...you heard me...I said it...the Intensive Care Unit. The exact same room that we left three days ago. More on that below...
I appreciate all the communication and requests for updates, thank you for loving my little girl through prayer...it has been one very long afternoon/evening. Caroline went in for surgery at 3PM. It was a very positive experience. We had a great pre-surgical discussion with both her primary surgeon and her "interventional radiologist." He showed us that the fluid had again shrunk in size, but was still large enough to attempt to drain. They were both super confident, light-hearted and very encouraging as we talked.
Her surgery lasted about an hour and a half. Results were mixed. They had no complications getting to the pocket of fluid, but it was too thick to drain enough with the tube size they needed to use. :( They are hoping the fluid will liquify and drain in the next few days.
Now she has two drains leaving her side and belly. They are uncomfortable, but they are both working. As soon as the infections clear, she will get them removed. It could be many weeks! Yikesy!
Recovery tonight has been a little sketchy. Her heart rate and breathing have been way too fast, so the surgeon ordered her to the ICU for observation. Her spirits and attitude are great though! (On a personal note, this has become my home away from home and I'm enjoying my nights here with private nurse care...except for the 5am wake-up call from one of her doctors, it is not a bad gig...tonight it's Nurse Margaret, she's not Nurse Kelly, but Caroline and I really like her).
So...
We are working on breathing and trying to get out of here.
We are praying for good blood tests each day.
We are praying for a stabilized temperature.
We are praying for her ability to eat and keep food down.
We are praying for effective drains
God was very good to us today! We are thankful for all the ways he cared for our little girl!
Hope that answers it. Let me know if you have any questions.
Quietly making noise,
Fletch (and Caroline!)
Friday Plan
King Solomon said, "Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many advisers bring success." - Proverbs 15:22
We just hit the two-week mark in the hospital. Pesky little appendix!
The first drain procedure on Tuesday has been successful. Caroline has been more comfortable and her infection has been slowing. The only problem is that it is not slowing fast enough or completely. So, the surgeon has decided to go after the second large collection of fluid in her lower abdomen. This is the trickier of the two areas I mentioned.
After speaking with several "Interventional Radiologists" the conclusion was made that the least invasive approach was to go after it with a catheter drain. Risky? Yes. After weighing all the risks, this option contains the least amount of risks and the greatest chance for success. In reality, surgical risk is somewhat determined by the experience of the surgeon. The IR doctor performing today's procedure was confident that this is a routine procedure. Tuesday's IR doctor, based on experience, was much less confident in his ability.
Her drain procedure is scheduled for this afternoon and our prayer request is simple:
Pray for a safe, effective procedure
Pray for her as she goes under anesthesia for a fourth time in two weeks.
Pray for this to work
On a very happy note, we asked the doctor to give us wheelchair privledges, so we get to cruise around the hospital and even bring the brothers and sisters in to see her...big pre-surgical boost for Caroline!
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
Surgery Results
How many fluid-filled areas does she have?
Like I mentioned, she had two areas of infection (actually more, but two big areas). She was out-cold for the procedure and they were able to re-scan both lesions Tuesday morning. The first pocket was drained easily and they left the drain in place. Prior to draining it was the size of a softball. The second lesion was tricky and it really isn't until you see the CT scan live and in person that you understand the complexity.
Why did they leave one of fluid pockets?
The pocket of fluid is at the base of her abdomen. It is precariously tucked behind her bladder and uterus and in front of her rectum. On the sides it is flanked by minor arteries toward the back and major arteries toward the front.
In order to drain, they guide a needled into the middle of the pocket, place a tube into the pocket and leave a drain in place for a few days.
The safest approach is from the back/side, but she would have a tube going through her butt muscle (I'm not trying to be graphic, but imagine a pencil going through your butt-cheek while you are sitting in a hospital bed...not very comfortable huh?).
The decision was to leave it, because it had shrunk from the size of a lemon to the size of a lime. Not great, but it was shrinking...and the surgeon did not feel comfortable plunging through arteries and leaving a drain through so much muscle.
Now what do they do?
They drain the big abscess and see if her body kicks in to attack the second smaller one and the remaining little ones. They have her on a full compliment of antibiotics through her IV.
How long until we know?
Every day they draw blood and check her numbers. By last night, her white blood cell count dropped in half, which means that her body is not "fighting" as hard or it is not working so hard on infection...in simple terms...her body is winning! Her surgeon was pleased with that fact.
On Thursday, they will take another scan to evaluate the size of the remaining pockets and decide how to attack them.
What can we do to help? Do you need anything? Can we watch your kids? Do you need food?
We are taking this one day at a time. We share sleeping responsibilities at the hospital and there have been a few we've asked to relieve us over night, so we can stay home with all the kids.
So far, the kids have been doing well in the midst of worry and just plain missing their sister.
We have food!
So many people have asked and I promise we will ask you if we think there is something that we need, but until then...choose an hour every day that you will go to the Lord in prayer for healing, for peace, for rest, and for all of us to learn from God.
What about your other kids?
The other 7 Fletcher kids have been taken care of by some good friends and family. They are all worried about their sister as we reach the two-week mark with her gone. Over the years, we've had people that consistently love our children and enjoy having them in their homes. For us, knowing that our kids will be somewhere they are being cared for by people that actually like them (not just watched or nannied) has been great.
Having two teenage boys has also been a great blessing. These guys have been diligent to keep school work going, play with little siblings, handle change on the fly and understand the pressures put upon two weary parents. I can't say enough about these guys.
Can we visit Caroline in the hospital?
Hospital rules dictate no children, apart from family. Other than that, since each day is different, just text us first and we can let you know if it is a procedure day or a rest day!
...and now for the unspoken questions or comments...yes I've heard about these too..."
-No, there was no lesson to learn. The flu hides appendicitis remarkably well. We took her to the ER as soon as we thought we should have... :)
-Yes we know what our kids are doing/not doing while we are gone. I'd act funny too if my parents were missing and stressed. It may seem like they are watching movies, playing video games, texting (us), and spending a lot of time with friends! We know...and we're cool with it! Like your mother always tells you - don't judge a book by it's cover! :)
Thanks for the love and care you've shown for all of us with facebook messages, text messages, emails, and phone calls. We do our best to update facebook or the blogs, but we forget and it gets busy and we get tired...yet it is important to proclaim the accomplishments of God and I don't want to forget!
Lastly, remember our hope is not in doctors or in antibiotics or in surgeries or in timing. Our hope remains steadfast in God. He can use any means necessary, including modern medicine, but it is always Him that heals and always for His purpose and for His Glory!
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
Prayer Request - Tuesday Morning
Our eight year old is in the hospital recovering from a ruptured appendix.
Over the past week she has developed a few fluid-filled infected areas in her abdomen and her surgeon has made the decision to go in and drain them non-surgically. Sounds easy enough...but one of the areas is precariously located near some arteries, so getting to it with a needle/drain is complicated and risky.
The procedure will take place Tuesday morning at 10:30AM under general anesthesia.
*Please pray with us for a safe and effective procedure.
*Pray for safe anesthesia...going to sleep and waking back up.
*Pray that they find the target and can drain the infections.
*Pray that Caroline's organs and arteries are protected from injury.
*Pray for peace while we wait to hear the results.
I have no estimates on how long this procedure will take, how effective it will be, or when we will be home. I have been told that due to the nature of the infection, that it will be weeks to months before she is back to 100%
Thanks for praying!
11 Things You Don't Know About My Dad
In honor of Father's Day, I asked Mangoboy#1 to be a guest columnist for theMangoTimes. Here is what he came up with:
Dear theMangoTimes Readers,
As I was composing this list of eleven things that you don't know about my dad, I realized the complexity of this subject. You probably know (being the MT readers) that dad once came up with a quiz about himself which let out a few "secrets" about his life that I could have revealed here. For instance, you most likely know that he originally wanted to be a judge, not a dentist. You also probably know that he actually does not like mangos (shoot, that would have been a good one). And there are lots of other things that he has written about over the years on this blog/site, things which I could have used.
Needless to say, it has taken a lot of digging to unearth these ten secrets that you don't know about my dad. So, in honor of Father's Day, I present to you The Official List of Eleven Things That You Don't Know about My Dad/Fletch:
1. He goes into the strangest conversations with us whenever we give him a back/body/foot rub (for example, I remember one particular instance when we asked him why we couldn't finish the rest of a movie we were watching and he said, "Because the muffins ate dinner." Huh?). This, however, is very good for getting to play video games, as the answer will typically be what you want it to be (yes).
2. His favorite apparel for going to the grocery store is a ripped tie-dye t-shirt that he homemade and a pair of shorts with a hole in a very "uncomfortable" place. Oh yes, and let us not forget the orange sun bleached "Grumpy the Dwarf" hat.
3. When he actually plays my brother's and my video games, he does not take pleasure in the fact that he has passed a level. Oh no; he would much rather stay up for hours to beat our butts by getting an unbeatable high score.
4. He does not like chocolate and fruit combos.
5. His cooking specialty? French toast. But that's not all: when mom is gone at a retreat or something, he likes to "spice things up a bit" by making up his own food "creations" for our "enjoyment." To name a few, there were the "Pizza-dillas," quesadillas with pizza sauce in them, the "Pesto-dillas," quesadillas with pesto sauce in them, and lots of other "Blank-a-dillas" (we have lots of quesadillas when mom is gone, I notice).
6. He drives me around in an open-topped VW Thing at 6:30 a.m.every morning in the freezing cold and he sings (screams) at the top of his lungs to fellow work-goers with windows rolled down and he likes it.
7. He messed up his shoulder a few years ago and it still hurts him to this day.
8. He does these things that my brothers and I refer to as music stages. When he does these, he sticks to listening to one genre of music for like a month, and then he switches to another genre for about a month. For example, there was the "Foreign Music Month," composed mainly of Italian and Mexican music, which shortened to the "Mexican Music Month," which transferred to the "Classical Music Month," and so on and so forth.
9. He really, really likes to make up his own versions of popular songs (Happy Birthday, I had a Little Turtle, and others). These songs are typically about us (his kids) and they are typically not good. Like the ever popular "I know a girl named ____, she is very sweet. But when she takes her shoes off, she has real stinky feet." And the bad thing is that he's actually good at adlibbing or singing. Seriously, he should record some of these things. That would get him quite a few hits on the MT.
10. He has this lame joke that one of his friends emailed him and uses it on practically every patient that comes into his dental office. It goes something like this:
Dad: Knock-knock.
Gullible patient: Who's there?
Dad: I'm a pile up.
And now you can fill in the blanks (wait about five seconds, deep sigh accompanied with a few stifled giggles).
11. He's a better dad than your dad.
So there you have it: a list of eleven things that you never knew about my dad. Well, unless you're me, who has to live with him and endure this stuff every day. And who am I? Well, he refers to me as "MangoBoy #1" on the MT, so I'll stick with that for now.
Sincerely,
MangoBoy #1
At the End of the Day
"Tired Boys"
Last night I was able to share a few minutes with Christian (between his late night meal and his bedtime). I realize that I am rarely on this side of the camera lens here, so sitting in my office with my MacbookPro (favorite all time computer) sitting in front of us, we snapped a few pictures as we were falling asleep together...
Quietly making noise,
Fletch