#87 - A real family Saturday

Saturday, April 7

Today I am thankful for the cool little people that live with me.

I got up this morning to prepare for Terry's departure and my escalation meeting for work.  Thankfully, we had figured out some things and the meeting went pretty well.  Katrina took mom to the airport, the kids and I had a leisurely breakfast, then we got busy.

First, we had the kids clean the hotel rooms - dirty clothes, garbage, toys, the whole deal.  By the time they were done, it was 10:30, and Katrina was back.  I took the kids down to the pool.  They were done around noon, we came back and hung out at the room.  I had a date with Aria to see The Hunger Games.  We have a rule that if a kid wants to see a PG-13 movie before he or she is 13, they have to read the book first.  Aria did that.  So we went to see the movie.  Wow.  It is unrelentingly intense.  No attempt at silly humor - the team that made the movie understands that it's a serious movie with serious themes, and there is no attempt at making it a circus.  It's deadly serious from the starving people in the opening montage to the closing credits.

Really a stunning movie.  Well made, well-produced.  Stark, gritty.  Makes you feel different having watched it.  It reminds me of seeing the video from the Vietnam war where the military guy shoots a guy in the head point blank for no apparent reason.  We saw that in US History in high school.  It's always stuck with me.  This movie shows just how ugly people can become.  Even the good guys have serious trouble hurting others.  There's no James Bond remorseless killing going on, no inconsequential violence like in a superhero movie.  You get a very real sense that these are real people dying, and that their deaths matter. Nothing gratuitous in any of this.  Wow.

I got back and started to write my talk for church tomorrow and Christian came in and plopped down on a chair.  "Dad," he said, "I want to do something." 

"Something that is not staring at a rectangle in the other room?"
"Yes.  I want to go somewhere and run around, do some physical exercise.  Can we go?"
"Sure.  I know just where I want to take you."
"Okay!  I'll go grab anybody else who wants to go!"

So Jakers and Libby wanted to come, too.  Aria was watching TV, Katrina was napping.  We took off to the park in Beacon right next to the train station.  It's an awesome place.  We spent a long time strolling along the beach, then spent time in the play grounds.  Beautiful place, stunning setting.  Here is one of many beautiful pictures I got there.

We left the park at 7, hit Wal-Mart for some dinner and other things.  The boys did not have church shoes, and Jakers' tennis shoes were destroyed.  The boy got good use out of them, I can't complain about him or the shoes.  I got some Voila! in the freezer section, and a few other odds and ends and we got home at 8.  I made some dinner, and the kids went to bed. It was really nice to finally spend a whole day with my kids.  I love these people, and I have missed our time together.  I love their enthusiasm and excitement.  I miss discovering things with them, and teaching them new things.  Teaching curious Christian about the world around him, and him asking followup questions is one of my favorite things in the whole world. 

Katrina has been busy putting together Easter baskets in the other room while I write in here.  Need to finish my stuff now.  Tomorrow morning should be nice.  The morning meeting for work might be cancelled, and we're heading off to church at 9.  It's going to be a good day.