My sister gave birth to a boy yesterday, my new nephew! Mom and baby are doing great. I’m sure he digs poetry, so I wrote him a birthday haiku:
Reid Phillip Wagner
Happy birthday, little dude
Think you’ll like it here
Congrats to Lisa and Phillip!
Category Archives: Family
Highlights from My Week Off
The Baylor Line rushes the field after the clock runs out. Had the goalposts not been surrounded by security guards, the freshmen would have torn one down and hauled it back to campus. This was a HUGE win for us.
It’s been a very full and fun week, as expected. Here is what you need to know:
Most Thrilling – My Baylor Bears shocked TCU on Friday night 50-48 in one of the wildest games I’ve ever seen, in person or on TV. Honestly, I went to the game hoping not to lose as badly as we did at last year’s 45-10 schooling by TCU. Instead, I got to share in one of the biggest wins in our football program’s history. Sic ’em, Bears!
Jenny and me at the game
Jenny, Jon, and Amber. Yeah, the Seastrunks were pulling for the Frogs, but nobody’s perfect.
Best Upgrade – Our friends Jon and Amber convinced us to upgrade to a Waco bed & breakfast instead of a moderately priced hotel. The Cotton Palace is an excellent b&b in a converted Waco mansion on Austin Avenue, maybe a mile or two northeast of the stadium. Our beautiful room (Emily’s Room) featured a king-sized bed, jacuzzi tub, homemade cookies, and free wifi. I was sorry we couldn’t spend more time there. The innkeepers are Waco locals and very friendly and accommodating. Becky’s delicious breakfast (sausage and cheese quiche with fresh fruit, bacon, and a biscuit) filled me up without making me explode, and Dutch kept us all entertained while we ate.
Lowlight – After driving to Richardson Bike Mart to get my bike, after confirming via their website and a phone call that the bike was in-stock, I was told that the bike had been recalled due to a fork problem. Instead, I ordered my bike from Bicycles, Inc. in Keller. It should arrive sometime this week.
Best Surprise – My knees haven’t bothered me during my runs this week. Perhaps my decision to get a bike has scared them into compliance.
Jenny at Rangers Ballpark just prior to the Texas-Tampa Bay game
Most Important – As planned, I got lots of good family time this week, including fun with the boys, dates with Jenny, and a birthday party.
Weirdest – Tie: Either seeing my kids dressed up as pirates while wearing Mardi Gras beads (?)…
and pushing a doll in a stroller (?)…
or 2) Being back on campus 10 years after graduation, thinking about how young everyone looks, and feeling more like a parent at the game than a student. When the freshman rushed the field after the game, I decided to stay put and let them have their moment, as if I didn’t belong down there anymore. I’m not complaining at all – I just found it interesting.
Most Unexpected – Our kitchen faucet’s water flow had dropped significantly. I assumed that something was clogging the line, so Wednesday around lunchtime I investigated. Unfortunately, I found no problems in the lines and pointed the finger of doom at our two-year-old kitchen faucet itself. Since I could replace it myself for roughly the cost of a visit from the plumber, I bought and installed a new kitchen faucet. I actually like this one better than the old one because the spout pulls down, which feels quite Southlake to me.
A Week Off = Awesome
As of this morning, I’m off for seven days and plan not to dispatch a single aircraft until next Sunday night. (Or maybe Saturday night if they offer overtime) This should be a great week because…
- I plan to go get my new bike on Monday or Wednesday. I’ve decided on the Specialized Sirrus Elite hybrid and just need to figure out which size frame would fit me best. Richardson Bike Mart has both the large and extra-large frame in stock, so I hope to try both and bring home the winner.
- Tuesday is Daddy Day, which means I watch the boys all day while Jenny gets some time off. We might play in the park in the morning before it gets too hot. Then our home group meets that night. We’re currently halfway through Donald Miller’s Searching for God Knows What, which has prompted several interesting discussions.
- On Thursday Jenny and I will cheer on the Rangers thanks to a BOGO coupon that Carter Bloodcare gave me. This will be our first and probably only baseball game of the season. Earlier that day, we’ll have lunch with my family.
- On Friday we’ll drop the boys off with Jenny’s mom and drive down to Waco for the Baylor-TCU football game. Our friends the Seastrunks are going with us. Mr. Seastrunk went to TCU for grad school. Last year we all attended the Baylor-TCU game in Fort Worth, sitting in in a sea of purple. (We don’t need to discuss the outcome of that game) This year we’re making them sit in the Baylor section. We booked a cool B&B called The Cotton Palace for that night. We might visit the Baylor Bookstore or run the Bear Trail while we’re there. Sic ‘Em, Bears!!!
- On Saturday we’ll enjoy a quick breakfast at the inn, rush to the Mid-lo to pick up the boys and put on their pirate costumes, and continue to Grand Prairie for my niece Reagan’s third birthday party. She has decreed that her party shall be a princess party, but apparently pirate costumes are acceptable substitutes for the boys on the guest list.
At some point during all this fun, there will also be at least one or two naps.
Time for a Break
I’ve worked a lot so far this month, but I’m finally on a six-day break, and I intend to enjoy it. We don’t normally do a big summer vacation, largely because the flights are so full. So instead we’re staying home and doing a variety of things that I often can’t do because of work.
Friday – We’re having lunch with my side of the family at my parents’ house. Then Jenny is dropping Brenden off on his own mini-vacation at her parents’ house in Midlothian. He’s been talking about it all week. Jonathan is spending Friday afternoon and night at my parents’ house. It’s rare these days for either side to get time with just one of the boys, so this will be a treat for all concerned – including me and Jenny, who are going on a date!
Saturday – I’m planning to run the Sizzling Summer 10k in Arlington at 7:30am. Due to the heat, even at that hour, I won’t be trying for a record time, just a good run in the race environment that I enjoy so much. They’re expecting 500+ people combined for the 10k and the half-marathon. Saturday night, Jenny and I will play video games. I married well, in case I haven’t mentioned that lately.
Sunday – Our friend Randie is a trained opera singer who is singing a solo at her church, White’s Chapel United Methodist Church in Southlake, so we’re going to visit and hear her that morning. Then we’ll go back to our regular church that night and see our people.
Monday – Brenden and I have a tennis date right after breakfast. Then the four of us will do something fun together – maybe a bounce house or water park – before it gets too hot.
Tuesday – Jenny gets the day to herself while the boys and I hang out. I hear a Girls’ Breakfast is on the agenda, followed by whatever she feels like doing.
I might blog a bit if I get inspired. I hope to get plenty of rest. A movie or two and some man cave time are also likely. Time off is good.
One Minute There, Then He Was Gone
By now, some of you have already heard about the Texas Rangers fan who died Thursday night. He fell over a railing while trying to catch a ball, probably for his son, and died at the hospital shortly thereafter. He was at the game with his son. Still conscious for a time afterward, he asked the people helping him to look after the boy since he was still in the stands by himself.
This sad story got me thinking. The same thing could happen to me. As a husband and father, I try to be more careful these days than I might have been as an invincible youth. But weird stuff happens, like falling over a railing trying to catch a ball at a baseball game. What would happen to my family? I’ve made arrangements so they’ll be fine financially, but what about all the other facets of life? Will Jenny feel free to remarry if she meets someone special? Who will take Brenden to play tennis? Who will teach Jonathan how to charm the ladies? (okay, he already has that one down, but you get the point)
But I don’t want to dwell on unpleasant thoughts like those. Instead, I’d rather treat this as an important reminder to treasure the time I do have with the people I love. Maybe to spend less time screwing around on my phone and more time building soon-destroyed block towers with the boys or talking with Jenny about subjects beyond pottytraining and dentist appointments. More time really living and less time just getting by.
Summertime with the Box Boys
Today we went to Jenny’s parents house and spent most of the time in their beautiful backyard, which includes a crushed stone path, a table for six, a garden, lots of open grass, and huge pecan trees for shade. After lunch we stripped the boys down so they could play in the sprinklers. Then we busted out the Slip and Slide. When the water alone didn’t quite cut it, we added baby oil. Everybody had a blast. Then everybody took a nap.