The Four Ring Circus

In this corner
One little one is crying
Because she woke up.

In this corner

One little one is yelling 

Because she wants picked up.

In this corner

A bigger one is whining

Because he wants a snack.

Daddy is trying to give Mommy

The status update before he goes to work.

Shouldn't there be one more, she asks.

Oh yeah, sorry.

He is at a friend's house, playing.

They have fewer corners.

Fame is Fleeting

For a few seconds,
While he and his little league team
Walked across the infield
Where the Major Leaguers play,
Their pictures flashed up on the Jumbo-tron
Fifty feet high!
And they were famous!

Clusters of little boys
(and occasional girls)
In matching hats and shirts,
With mismatching shorts and pants.
As if someone unleashed a shrink ray on
The Cubs, Cardinals, Orioles and Royals.

Smiling!  Laughing!  Waving!

Days were made.

Happy Father's Day

On Father's Day,

The only mowing
Should be Dad mowing down donuts.

The only "because I said so"
Should be in response to, "Why are you having two pieces of cake?"

The only "Time out"
Should be time outside with the kids.

Happy Father's Day to all the Fathers and Grandfathers and Stepfathers!

Practice Makes Perfect

It's something I do everyday
At least twice.
Sometimes I do it four or six times a day,
Without any hint of emotion

But today,
When I saw you
TIE YOUR SHOES
for the first time,
it made me cry.

You looked up
as if you too were surprised
That you could.
There was a glint,
a sparkle, in your eyes,
That said,
(before your voice)
"I did it!"

I know it's a little thing
One more new skill
In your ever expanding list of abilities.
Allow me to celebrate it,
And you,
With pride.

Size Matters

My three-year-old likes to name things

Goldilocks style.

Big things are the daddy.

Medium things are the mommy.

Little things are the baby.

Grandma and Grandpa and brother and sissy 

Can add granularity to the scale.

She does this for everything.

Even poop.

A Matter of Time

It was a matter of time.

Lego, Lego.
Tick, tick.

Reading, reading.
Tick, tick.

Baseball, baseball.
Tick, tick.

Piano, piano.
Tick, tick.

Climb tree, climb tree.
Tick, tick.

Time from the start of summer vacation to the first,
"I'M BORED"
less than 4 hours.

A Day at the Beach

Sometimes
When a 9 year old boy doesn't think you are looking
He will stand at the water's edge of a great lake
Feet perpendicular to the crashing waves
Arms out at his sides
Hips swiveling
Pretending to surf
Smiling

Focus

I sent him downstairs
To bring me up the laundry basket
He said he knew right where it was.
It was not hidden
or full.

That was twenty minutes ago.
Now I hear drumming.

Prognostication (Faded Memories)

There will be a day in the future
When my wife and I are sitting and drinking coffee
At a little side table on a busy street
In some far flung European city.

One of us will turn to the other and say,
"Do you remember when our little one
used to throw those colossal fits?"

The other will pause
and think for a moment before replying,
"Oh yeah.  I kind of do.  Huh.
Those were sure something."

Important Message

Talking on the phone with a friend

Talkity
      talk
        talk.

Beep!  Beep!

Call Waiting!
Caller ID!

My kids' school!
I need to take this to make sure
That they are okay!

Please listen to this important recorded message
About the upcoming school fundraiser.

Are these the people responsible for teaching my child
The definition of the word "important?"

Moon Shot

Hey dad can I have this box?

It is sitting by the back door
Waiting to be broken down
And taken to the recycling.
It has no idea it is about to become

A Spaceship!

He recruits his sisters
To become his fellow cosmonauts.
The spaceship is ferried to the
Living room launch pad.
The three of them cram into the box
For their long journey to the moon.

A countdown and blast off.
The box shakes and the astronauts bounce around
As they shake off the coils of earth's gravity.
One of the younger travelers tumbles out into open space in the process
But is quickly rescued by the mission commander.

The paper eagle
Sets down on the moon's surface.
The explorers delicately exit their craft
And tip toe around the craters.

The science officer, the youngest of the crew,
Makes an observation
"Boy the moon looks a lot like our house!"