Christmas is around the corner

There are now 20 days until Christmas.  It is interesting as the kids have grown older how the emphasis of Christmas has also shifted.  There was the one perfect Christmas when the kids were 10 and seven years old.  They were the perfect age and Christmas morning was magical, full of smiles and wonder!  It was the year that Andrew set up the video camera to catch Santa and the year the Delaney pulled a whole bike out of Santa's sack that he leaves every year.

This December, the big event for Andrew is in 10 days when he gets his braces off and he can eat popcorn.  He is more excited hanging out with his friends on Christmas break then any of the Christmas family things we have planned.  Delaney is not quite that into to her friends, yet, but she is looking forward to movies and sleep overs almost as much as Christmas day.  And if it snows, that will be the most bestest, perfect day ever!

So, for now, I have taken joy in simpler Christmas events like hanging lights on the house and taking old Christmas keepsakes down from the attic so it can enjoy the month of fun that is the Christmas season.  We are looking forward to going to the Grotto, seeing the Christmas lights, and hearing choirs sing.  I look forward to going out with the kids and getting a hot fudge sundae more than presents on Christmas morning.  Although, a day of fun in the snow falling out my front window would be good too.  I am not a total Scrooge.

For now, 20 days 'til Christmas, the most wonderful time of the year. I know because I got a sign out of the attic last night to remind myself.

What are my plans for the next 50 yearsl

I have spent the last few months looking at articles about what I should do before I turn 50 or things I need to do after I turn 50, or a whole list of "Bucket List" items to put on my bucket list.  It has been interesting.  I did find it funny that a couple of the items that showed up on more than one list were to be healthy, to travel, and to go skinny dipping.  An odd trio to be sure.  I like to travel and skinny dip ( especially with Dana and other beautiful women ), but the staying healthy -- losing 100 pounds -- is more challenging and more work than fun.

I also came to the conclusion that all the things I want to would be impossible to complete before I turn 50, so here are some of the things I want to do before I turn 60. And if I ever run out of things to do on my bucket list, than I am just waiting to die. I hope to never reach that point, ever. 

My list of things to do before I turn 60:

1. Fix a bobbing head. I collect the kitschy bobble head dolls from various sport team.  I buy them on eBay as I find them, but recently the price has gone through the roof. So, I am hoping to find one that needs minor repairs and I can repair and restore one. 

2.  Frame Hockey Tickets. So I have a set of season tickets to the Los Angeles Kings for the '93-94 season.  There was a hockey strike that year so I still have the complete set. I kept them because the looked really nice and figured it would fun to add to my random sports memorabilia collection.  That was 22 years ago and I figure if I can't get them framed in the next ten years, I should just give up. 

3.  Raft the Grand Canyon. I want to float the river at the bottom of the can you and look up at the red walls. I want to go to Elves Chasm and see the waterfall, swim and take some fabulous photos. 

4.  Stand on top of the Great Wall of China. That is it. I want a selfie of me standing on top of the Great Wall of China. That obviously means that I will have to travel to China, and there will be more to that trip, but I want picture on top of the wall. 

5.  Go to Paris, eat at a cafe, and see the Eifel Tower. And now that I have met Tanguy, I really want to spend at least a week in Annecy. Mostly, I want to take my wife to Paris. I want to see a world famous city and all the sights, museums, and landmarks. I want to see why it is called "the city of light". Vacationing in Paris always seemed like when you did that, you had made it. You were a success. 

6.  Las Vegas High Roller weekend. I want to park valet. I want to rent a pool cabana, or even better a villa in back with a butler. I want a big bed with a big window with the lights of Vegas shining below. I want a fancy dinner followed by a show and then betting a $100 on the hard eight. Hopefully, I win, but mostly I want to be a high roller for 48 hours. 

7.  Stay in Hana. I want to explore the bamboo forest and beaches of Hana. I want to swim in the Venus Pools and see the waterfall of the Blue Hole. I can stand by Lindbergh's grave and drive the forbidden road. Hana seems like the most isolated original Hawaii that I can find. I also want to stay in a thatched roof bungalow over the water, but that is a different trip. Not Hana. 

8.  Repair the old radio. 

Summary of Spring Break

Another Spring Break has come and gone.  There were no vacations to France, no scuba diving in Hawaii, just a day at the Art Museum looking at French fashions, a day trip to the beach to have bland clam chowder and an unsuccessful hunt for glass floats, and dinner at an Indian Casino buffet on the way home.

We always think that Spring Break will be an amazing week filled with unforgettable moments, but they generally turn in to lazy days at home hoping the rain isn't that heavy.

Top Coat

I went to Target today with my daughter for top coat nail polish.  Probably not the last trip for such an item, but this was the first time we went for a specific beauty product and not for any other reason. Yes, it is a sign of her growing up and a sign that my time with her is getting shorter and a sign of the great American marketing machine at work, but just simply a trip.  I spend less time with my children as they grow older. That is normal, I know, and necessary as they become their own independent being creating their personality and decisions of the future. It is not that I want to control their decisions and how they grow, but just love to observe the changes.

It is not just my children, but I have observed their friends as they have progressed through high school. We observed with our oldest that the friend group that starts middle school, almost turns over completely before they enter high school. I know, I am stretching from a simple $4 bottle on nail polish top coat, but the times are changing.

So much for New Year's resolution

It is almost Memorial Day and it is my first entry of 2016. 

Soccer season has come and gone and tryouts for the new season happened last week.  Andrew continues to get better and Delaney ended up getting glasses. After watching her get hit in the face more than once, it was obvious her eyes were challenging her depth perception. 

This next soccer season, Delaney will finally play with her friends. Thanks to US Soccer or Timbers or OYSA or someone that changed the stupid playing by grade level rule. 

Andrew tried out for the Timbers Academy and wow, what a difference in skill level. He did not make it, but he can play at that level. There were 14 goalies and all of them were good. Not this year, but he has a new goal. The experience was invaluable, and now we are on to ODP Tryouts. My fingers are crossed. 

I guess the biggest thing since January is hat we hosted a French exchange student for 3 1/2 weeks. We met Tanguy in the Target parking lot on Thurssay night. He fit in great with our family. 

Almost 50

The title is "Almost 50", "Almost Famous". Way back when, I had alsways wanted to be famous, but now l just want the four people that live in my house are happy, healthy, and successful. When I was younger I wanted to be a famous athlete, a politician, or a super successful businessman that everyone knew like Elon Musk or Michael Eisner or Steve Jobs. Now, I am happy to be someone's dad or husband. That is all I want 

So I am a week from 50 years old and I could never have predicted my life. I live in Oregon. I am married, I have two kids, and two dogs.  I had never envisioned leaving California and I was to be a famous businessman living the high life.  There were a couple of left turns and side streets to get here, but overall I am happy with where I am on the journey.   If there were any changes, it would be to explore roads I passed by and find out where they did go to, but is time I didn't have. 

It used to be about me.  If I wanted to go to Niagara Falls, kayaking on the Channel Islands, or to the World Cup in 1994, I did it.  It was fun, made me happy, and I wanted to try all sorts of things. 

Now, it is about my wife and children. It is more fulfilling to me to see them happy than anything else. There is a picture from one Christmas morning a few years ago, where the kids are coming down the hallway and see the living room decorated, the lights on the tree, and Christmas presents waiting for them. I think Delaney had wanted a bike and Andrew wanted a Wii. The joy and wonder on their face was the best Christmas present I got the whole year.   I wish I saw that look more often on Dana's face, but I guess it is all the more special when I do see it.  I want to show my children things that I value -- Yosemite, the Eifel Tower, a fantastic sunset -- and when I am gone and they see a sunset, a nice thought about me will be included.  At 50, my perspective has shifted. 

So, what do I want to do differently to make my next 50 years worthwhile and I don't spend the last 25 of the waiting to die.