My Son's First Car

My son is turning 11 (?!) in a couple of weeks and we have already started to talk about getting him his first car.  I know it sounds strange to think about something that he won't use for another six years, but these kids grow up fast and before you now it he will be a 17 year old kid driving himself to high school.  The thought of those two things makes me want to cry, but life just doesn't seem to be slowing down anytime soon.

The reason that we have been discussing his first car is because my wife has been talking about getting a new car herself.  The timing seems to be about right.  She owns the car for the next six years and then we hand it down to our son when he is ready to drive.  You might think we are spoiling our kids, but even I was handed down a car to use when I was young.  He will have to pay for things like insurance and gas, but a six year old car that will hopefully still be in good shape will be his, assuming he wants it.  And what teen ager looking for a little freedom wouldn't?

I can remember my first car. My parents used to drive nothing but K Cars.  I think my dad said it was because they were easy to fix and the parts were cheap.  After we got rid of our green Chevy Nova and our Ford Station Wagons with the rear fold out seats, it was nothing but K Cars for the next 10 years.  

Ain't she a beauty?

So that's what I ended up with when I got older.  It was this beauty of a wagon with the paneling and also a grey sedan.  Shockingly I have no pictures of that vehicle whatsoever... who would?  This wasn't the coolest car, but when you are 18 does it really matter?  It had wheels and when it wasn't in the shop it got me from point A to point B.  A babe magnet it was not, but it was a conversation piece. There's a sense of freedom you get by having a car, even one as ugly as this one.

The only picture of the two together, what a moment.

The first car that I ever bought myself was a Dodge Neon.  They no longer made the K Car at that time, and this seemed like the next best option.  It was cheap and it was red.  It lasted about seven years until the brakes went and the floor started to leak every time that it rained.  It stunk like mildew because it never seemed to dry out.  My wife and I bought a Volkswagen Jetta after we got married.  I was so sick of driving the Neon that I would take the Jetta work every chance that I got. It was fun to drive.

A couple of years ago when my niece was old enough to drive and needed a car we gave her our old Jetta.  At that point we had bought a new car and instead of getting rid of it, we handed it down to her.  It needed a little bit of work, but for a first car it's been great for her. Not surprisingly 13 years after we bought it, it still runs.

This is the day we took Carter home from the hospital

Perhaps my favorite car that we have owned was the first car that we had as a family, a Honda Pilot.  We brought both of our kids home from the hospital after they were born in this car.  At the time neither of us were ready to get a minivan, but our thoughts on that have changed.  We are now a minivan family.

So I don't know what kind of car we are going to get my wife and in turn my son.  My wife kind of wants a two door convertible, but I just don't think that's practical and I can't send my son to school driving a nicer car than I would be.  Part of me just wants to go and find a 25 year old K car and force him to drive around in that, but my son is way cooler than I was at his age and that wouldn't be fair.

Of course with any vehicle we need to think about safety first. When my son is ready to drive we will have to stress to him that auto accidents are the number one killer of teens in America.  They account for over 5000 deaths annually and the summer period between Memorial Day and Labor Day are often referred to as the deadliest 100 days for teen drivers.

Michelin wants us to know that of the 2.2 million accidents that occur with inexperienced drivers annually, 12% are caused by tire related issues. Driving on under inflated tires or tires with low tread depth can lead to safety issues on the roadways.  Fortunately accidents due to improperly maintained tires can be preventable.  By checking your tire pressure monthly and knowing how to judge your tread depth, Michelin knows they can reduce the yearly number of accidents caused by tire related issues.

So what was your #FirstCarMoment?  I assume it was as ugly as mine was?

Disclosure: I have partnered with Life of Dad and Michelin for this promotion. I have received compensation for my participation, but my first car memories are my own.

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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11 Things I've Learned About Christmas in 11 Years

Its' hard to believe that this is going to be the 11th Christmas that my wife and I have spent with kids. We are still in the grasp of Santa Claus, but I fear that this will be the last year the jolly old elf gets all of the credit for the big day.  Tyler is in the fifth grade now and I am shocked that he still believes in Santa or is at least still playing along.  I suspect that he has known for a couple of years now, but just won't come out and tell us.  He's a smart kid, perhaps smarter than us.  Some fourth grader told Carter on the bus that Santa isn't real, so who knows what he thinks.  He's never really been into the whole holiday as much as his older brother.

I've noticed some things in 11 years.

1. No Christmas is as exciting as when your kid is two years old.  Christmas peaked that year.  The first couple of years the kids have no idea what is going on, but at two they expect something will happen and Christmas morning when you are two is an explosion of excitement. Tyler dressed up as Santa to go see Santa that year.  Walking through the mall that year is something I will never forget.

2. The first Christmas really is a waste for the kids.  It's nothing more than a photo opportunity with a new "Baby's First Christmas" outfit.  Kids can't open anything at that age and they really have no clue what is going on.  just give your kid a box.

3. The first Christmas is anything but a waste for parents.  It might be a photo opportunity, but never again will your kid wear the "Baby's First Christmas" outfit.  Christmas changes when you have a kid.

4. Kids react differently to Christmas.  Our oldest loves everything about Christmas, our youngest is pretty indifferent.  He makes a list, he checks it twice; he'd be happy if a big box was delivered on a random Tuesday afternoon with a bunch of toys and games.  He could do without all the Christmas trimmings.  The first couple of years Carter was fine with Santa, the next few he was scared to see him.

5. Christmas turns into a game. Part of me just wants to spill the beans about Christmas.  The kids find random presents that were supposed to be from Santa.  They see our browsing history on the computer.  Presents have to be switched from Santa to Hanukkah.  It's not easy nowadays hiding everything.

6. Every Christmas special on TV talks about not believing in Santa. It puts doubt in their heads.  Why would a young kid have any reason to not believe?  Yet, every show starts with some kid questioning the existence of Santa only to be convinced in the end that he is real.  Maybe it's the parent in me that wants to make it last as long as possible and I'm thinking about it too much, but I can almost see the wheels turning in my kids heads whenever it gets brought up.

7. It's not easy to shop anymore. We used to be able to get the kids anything and they would love it.  Throw some Legos or Star Wars stuff under the tree and the kids would be thrilled. Now?  They love their tablets and they don't really play with toys that much anymore.  It's all about video games, but you can't have EVERY present be a video game.  They just don't NEED as much stuff, but they WANT a lot of stuff.

8. Whatever they want they will no longer play with by New Years.  Like a lot of kids last year, Tyler had to have a million rubber bands last year for his Rainbow Loom kit.  Two days later they were forgotten about.

9. Christmas lists can't be made out until Thanksgiving.  Sure kids can wish for things throughout the year, but I learned my lesson with Pokemon two years ago.  It's all Carter wanted in October, so we bought a bunch of them online.  By mid November he wanted nothing to do with them.  We still have those cards and he actually is starting to play with Pokemon again, but that wasn't a fun holiday.

10. It is indeed the most wonderful time of the year.  Amazingly I'm happy not getting anything for Christmas.  Seeing my kids open all their presents is good enough for me.

11. The moment after all the presents are opened is the saddest time of year.  You have no idea what Christmas is going to look like the following year.  How will the kids change?  Will they care about Santa anymore?  How much Christmas magic will still exist? Every year the kids are less and less excited about the holidays. A lot changes over the course of a year's time.

Who knows what next year will hold, but I suspect I will learn a little more.

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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A Toy Story

I've been putting toys away that the kids no longer play with since seemingly the day they were born. No sooner you get them a toy to play with and they grow out of it and move on to something else.  My kids have always gone through phases where they like something so much that they have to have every toy ever made.  Then as soon as they do, they find something else that piques their interest and the process starts all over.

Long since forgotten

The truth is I have a lot of stuff sitting around that I know they will never play with again.  My boys, it seems, have outgrown playing with toys all together.  Tyler will be 10 in a couple of months and Carter just turned seven and their interests right now lie in video games and sports.  That's not necessarily a bad thing as it is something that we can all enjoy together, but the memories wrapped up in those toys sitting in boxes is what keeps a lot of them around.

I can just imagine the toys, like in the movie Toy Story, are just sitting there waiting to get played with one more time.  Chances are they won't, but I kind of would like them to remember the fun they had with their Sheriff Woody doll or their Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger.

There is something magical about kids playing with toys.  They use their imaginations to create these complex story lines that only they and the toy would understand. Then somewhere a long the way they lose interest and the world of imagination disappears. Why do they have to get older?  Why can't they just stay a certain age forever?  Why can't this fantasy world be the world in which we live?

As I put these toys in storage boxes, I don't know what is going to become of them.  I haven't fully decided if I want to donate them to some needy kids or hold onto them to let my grandkids play with them.  Our old toys deserve the best because they are the best. The ending of our toy story hasn't been written yet, but I hope they don't mind waiting around to find out.  

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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Timber!

It's my least favorite time of the year.

The house seems so barren now and not quite as cozy as it was the previous month. The sun shines through the living room window a little brighter now, but the nighttime darkness is what I focus on. The warm glow has been replaced by the emptiness of the outside world.

It will be 11 months until we get that all back, but how much are we going to lose in the process?  How much of the boys innocence and belief in magic will wane in the coming year.  I can already see it, the looks of wonder and the huge smiles are being replaced by looks of indifference and non-caring grins. The truth is it all peaked a few years ago and now we just hold on to what's left.

Will they even care next year?

So down it comes. Packed in the basement for another year having no idea what lies ahead. Farewell oh Christmas Tree… such pleasure do you bring me.

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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(Le)tting (Go)

For the past six years they have meant everything to my two boys.

Now I don't know what will happen to them.  My kids are growing up and they seem to moving on from something that has really become a part of our family.  

Legos.

They are part of our family

Thousands upon thousands of little plastic bricks and hundreds upon hundreds of minifigures just sitting by waiting for their turn again. But will it come?  The truth is my boys go through phases like I'm sure a lot of kids do and we as parents have fed their obsessions.  Whether it's been Toy Story, Star Wars, or Cars my kids get so wrapped up in it, that that's all they ask for for Christmas or their birthdays.  While some things have come and gone, one thing has remained constant... Legos.

You could always count on the boys to ask for them as gifts and I was always happy to oblige.  But things are starting to change.  Carter didn't ask for any sets for his birthday; he only wanted things that involved basketball or football.  I don't know how much he actually liked playing with them from the start, they sort of frustrated him. But Tyler was different, he could sit for hours and pretend that these guys were his friends.  

In many ways they have been. 

Tyler's birthday is this weekend and he is turning nine(!?) and this is the first birthday since he started to ask for presents that he hasn't asked us for Legos.  I knew that this day was coming, but I don't think I was fully prepared for it to arrive.  I could always count on going to the store and picking up a few sets as presents, but now the Lego aisle is starting to be one that I skip, just like the ones that have all the Star Wars, Toy Story, and Cars toys in them.

His latest obsession is baseball and more specifically the New York Mets.  While I am thrilled that he is able to find new things to love, especially something as fun as baseball is, I just wish he wouldn't move on from things from his past so soon.  

If it is so easy for him to let go, why is it so hard for me?  

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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A Drawer Full of Teeth

At some point I guess they have to go.

But when?

As it stands right now I have I have nine teeth sitting in my sock drawer in my bedroom.  They will be joined tonight by another one.  Tyler lost another tooth this morning.  Each time it happens now there is less and less fanfare involved.  There were no crazy outbursts like there used to be when he lost a tooth. He simply got a ziploc bag from the kitchen, put the tooth inside and put it under his pillow.

The tooth fairy is coming tonight.

Instead of whisking those teeth off to a far away place, she puts them in my sock drawer.  Then it's up to me to decide what to do with them.  So far I haven't a clue, much like a lot of the stuff I keep from when the kids were little.  Their first hair cuts, their first pair of shoes, even some of my favorite shirts of theirs from when they were babies.

I collect a lot of things.

But why?

Sure all of this stuff might be fun to look back on one day, but I honestly don't know if I will want to.  The thought of being an old man and rummaging through a box of teeth and old shoes might be too much for me to take.  Them getting older is something that I struggle with now, what will it be like in 20 years or even 50 if I'm still alive?

After tonight there will be ten teeth in my drawer.  Since Tyler is almost nine and learning the ways of the world, I don't know how many more teeth the Tooth Fairy will put in there.  One day that phase of our lives will be over.  Then what?

A drawer full of teeth... I might just have to leave them there.

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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The Clothes That Make the Man Cry

There are some things I hate about being a stay at home dad.  Organizing just happens to be one of them, and it's not for the reasons you might think.

Today I decided that I needed to move out all of the old clothes in Carter's closet.  A lot of these clothes have been with us since Tyler was his age, which means they have been with us for almost five years.  As you can imagine, there are a lot of memories wrapped up in these old duds, and since Carter is most likely our last child, these clothes will never be seen again.

Part of what I struggle with now is the fact that HE WILL be our last kid.  When my wife and I first decided to have kids we always assumed that we would have three.  We each come from families of five so it would only make sense that we would continue that trend.  But Carter is five now and the idea of adding another child to the mix some six years after giving birth to him just doesn't see likely.  A family of four works just works for right now, and it looks as though life will move forward the way it is.

Which brings me today and putting the clothes away.  

There are a lot of memories here in this closet.  With every shirt I can picture a different part of our lives, whether it was trips that we have made or weekends that we have spent as a family.  Some of them haven't been worn in years, and part of the reason is that I just wasn't ready to close that chapter of my life.  Once they go into storage, that's it, five years packed away, just like that.

This was Tyler's shirt.  He wore it everywhere.  I can remember him wearing it to Niagara Falls and Disney World just to name a couple of  places, but the place I remember it most is Point Pleasant Beach and his second birthday.  Tyler turns eight in a little over a month, but this shirts reminds me of that little diaper wearing kid walking on the beach almost six years ago.  It really is unbelievable to me how quickly that time has gone.  

Then there is Carter.  This was his fancy shirt for almost four years.  Yeah I know it's ridiculous that he could wear the same shirt for that long, but when he first started wearing it around his first birthday it was pretty big on him.  Since he is smaller than most kids his age it still fit him when he decided himself to wear it this past Thanksgiving.  This shirt has been all over the world including trips to France and Italy.  Quick side note, Carter thinks that any shirt with a button is fancy.

I only got through the closet today.  I couldn't bear going through his drawers.  He has the cutest little butt and the thought that he might need bigger underwear is just too much to take. We'll save that for another day.

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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Death to TiVo

He's cute, don't let him fool you

I know this is wrong of me to say this, but TiVo has made my life a living hell.  Now don't get me wrong, I love the DVR, I couldn't live without it, and I really have no idea how I survived watching TV before it existed.  In many ways it's the greatest invention of our time, I mean who really wants to sit through commercials and the annoying parts of reality television.  Just get to the good stuff and lets go. Do I need to see Neil Lane and his overpriced diamonds?  I just want to know who the Bachelorette picks, I know you are with me on that.  Half hour shows are now 22 minutes long.  You don't need me to tell you how awesome it is, or how it works, everyone loves the DVR.

That's a lot of tuna fish

But I have to say it's not all peaches and rose petals though.  My kids have no idea what life was like before this invention, so they only know that they can get their show, whenever they want.   That's fine, but the problem that I am having is that they think everything works that way. They want a piece of candy that I don't have, they think it will magically appear out of thin air.  They want a snack out of the pantry, well they can get anything they want on TV, why not any food that they want. My pantry needs to work as some sort of Digital Food Processor. There is no concept of me not having what they want WHEN THEY WANT IT.

You see what I mean?  Kids nowadays are spoiled.

Snow was even on the TVs

I fear that the DVR is slowly becoming this generations walk to school. How may times have we heard the story from an older relative about walking to school uphill both ways in knee deep snow.  By the way did you not learn anything in school?  You could have just walked through Mrs. Johnson's yard and cut that walk in half.  But you see where I am coming from, we had a lot to endure when we were kids: knobs on our TVs disguised as furniture, things called rabbit ears, and the VCR.  Now the VCR was only used is special occasions like watching the Bad News Bears or Smokey and the Bandit and the only thing that was ever recorded on it was Professional bowling.  That left us watching whatever was on the Glass Sandwich of Love at the time we wanted to watch it.  So I was forced to watch Quantum Leap at 8:00 on Wednesday.  One time per week and that was it!  I know, I was a loser, but somehow I survived.

Could you even imagine kids nowadays having to suffer the torment that we went through?

Oh, what we had to go through

This all brings me to my point. With things like DVR's, Netflix, and On Demand, we get what we want NOW. They want Johnny Test, poof there he is with his Turbo Charged Backpack.  Phineas and Ferb? Certainly.  What about Scooby Doo?  Sure here he is with his meddling friends.  What could be worse for kids nowadays then being forced to wait for something?  Could you even imagine your kid coming up to you asking for milk, and having to tell them that you don't get any until Thursday at 8:00?  I mean when I was a kid if I wanted milk I had to go find the nearest cow, and milk it.  In the snow no less.

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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Dreams of a Father

"Help others achieve their dreams and you will achieve yours"  - Les Brown

I have to say, I live a pretty charmed life. I have a nice house, two kids, a great wife, and the best job a guy could ask for. If you asked me two years ago what I wanted to be when I grew up, my answer would have been simple, exactly what I am doing now. How could any job compete with being a stay at home dad? I get to play with my kids while they still want to play with me, I get to teach them things while they still want to listen to me, and I get to be with them, while they still want me around. What could be better than that? My boys are getting older everyday though and I know that one day, my dream job will come to an end.

From first grade to college

I get sad sometimes thinking about the day my oldest son goes off to college. He's seven now, but I can't help but think of the day he is no longer living under my roof. How do you prepare yourself for a moment when you send your best friend on his way to chase his own dreams?  Seeing him everyday of his life, and in an instant he's not there anymore.  

Daily chats on the couch turn into phone calls, texts, and e-mails.  I know how it works though, all of those get less and less as he builds a life of his own.  Who am I going to cuddle at bedtime, play catch with in the yard, or push on the swings. One day you are holding their hand as they cross the street and the next you're walking through traffic all by yourself.

Life is really going to kick me in the ass hard that day.

He's getting stronger too

And what of my other son? I can see the innocence disappearing every day. Sure he still gets scared of bugs and spooky things will cause him to jump into my arms, but his fears are slowly starting fade into distant memories. The scared looks are becoming less and less. 

He's getting a whole lot smarter too. In the past week he has gone from counting to three, to counting to five. I know it's only a matter of time before he can count to a million. What used to be simple words have become whole sentences, even paragraphs sometimes. I hope some of that is because of the time I spend with him. He's getting bigger -- too big if you ask me.  Soon he's not going to need me to carry him everywhere, and I'll be left arms empty hoping just one more time he'll run into them.

My only dream is for them. I hope they get the same joy out of being a father that I have gotten from them.  It's really the only dream a father can have. I want them to call me in thirty years and tell me all about my grandkids and how awesome it is to spend time with them.  Everything else is gravy.  I want to see them succeed, but there is more to life than having shiny new cars and a house the size of the White House. I've realized something in the seven years I've been a dad; these kids really do grow up fast. Here one day, gone the next, off pursuing their own dreams, and what am I left with?

A lifetime of dreams fulfilled.
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This was my Blogger Idol entry for week six.  I was asked to write about what I wanted to do in life when I grew up.  It's hard to do that when all I ever wanted is what I have right now.  If you care to see what the judges had to day you can click right HERE.  But needless to say they were not happy I took this approach.  Obviously so weren't a lot of people as I was voted off the island, or out of the house, or however you want to say that I am no longer in the competition.

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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High School Reunion

Geneseo Central Class of 1991 Now

I haven't seen most these people since the moment they were awarded their diplomas, which is strange to think about because I went to school with a lot of them since Kindergarten.  But after graduation people went their separate ways and without things like Facebook or even email it was hard at the time for you to keep in contact with anyone.  I have been fortunate over the past few years to reconnect with a lot of them over the internet.  I actually joked that I knew a lot of them more now than when I was in high school.  You show up at an event like this having not seen a person or spoken to them in 20 years, but you know who their spouses are and if they have kids or not.  It really was kind of strange that way.  

Eric W., me, and Ryan M.

I didn't know what to expect walking in. Would people even remember who I was? Now I wasn't Mr. Popular, but I wasn't a total loser either.  I was stuck somewhere in the middle. I did play football, basketball, and baseball, but we weren't the type of school where if you were the captain of the football team you were the Big Man on Campus, I mean I am only five feet eight inches tall, hardly someone that could run with that title.  And besides you can't really call our school a campus, we had 75 kids in the entire graduating class.

I didn't go to parties until very late my senior year.  I was more content playing sports and doing my own thing.  It would have been nice to go and hang with some of the "cool" crowd, but it didn't bother me that much.  I was probably known for being a sarcastic jerk at times, something I still am to this day.  I need to shake that label, I mean sarcastic, really?  Me?

Jason J., Tracy A., me, Kelly H., Eric W.

I was worried too that I would totally blank on who a lot of these people were.  But even after 20 years you see someone for the first time and it's like you have been talking to them all your life.  All of a sudden visions of high school start rushing into your brain.  Things that you haven't thought of in years are now in the forefront of your mind.  There were guys that I played sports with, others that I worked with on the school newspaper, and it's as if we're living that life again.  It's like that with my college buddies, we head back to Syracuse and all of a sudden we are a bunch of 20 year olds, only we wake up the morning after partying, as 20 year olds in the body of a close to 40 year old, it can be rough.

Me, George D., Jason J. Jackie S.

Hearing stories of what these people have been doing the past 20 years can be kind of weird.  People that you don't ever remember talking to in high school are all of a sudden discussing their life stories.  I wish I was able to hear everyone's tales of the past two decades, but trying to fit it all in over the course of two days can be a little difficult.  You want to talk to people longer but that would be at the expense of someone else.  It makes me wish that the reunion was like a week long.  Of course by then though we probably would have been sick of each other.

Ryan M., Virginia S., Kristen Z., Kelly H.

It was great to see the success of some of these people.  A lot of them have gone on to get advanced degrees, mostly everyone seems to be happy with what they do, and those that were married have awesome spouses, including my own.  The other thing that I noticed is that we all produced some pretty good looking kids. There is definitely something in the Conesus Lake drinking water.

Some people have some crazy stories to tell, whether or not we choose to believe them is another story.  I for one have no reason to think why someone would make up a story, so George I know you have your doubters, but I want to believe that one.  It's just too good of a story not to.  

Kate B., Kelly H., Paul C.

Not everyone was able to show up for this event but it really was nice to see those who were there.  Some people that you just assumed dropped off the face of the Earth actually still lived in town.  We all looked a little different, some like myself have gained a little weight, there are a few more wrinkles, some gray hair, a couple of people actually have grandkids.  But in the end it didn't matter what we all looked like or what we did for a living, for the most part we were just happy to see each other and we had a great time.  Sure some people tended to talk with others more often and some of the same groups that formed back in High School were forming once again, that's just to be expected, but not something that got in the way of a great weekend.  Some were not happy to see their tormentors, but hey it's 20 years, we were all young and stupid.  I certainly wasn't going to let someone I hated back then destroy a weekend that I was looking forward to.  I know I have grown up a lot in the past 20 years and I am sure everyone else has too.  Looking back, there are probably some things that everyone regrets doing, but like I said 20 years is a long time to let things bother you.

Tony J., Paul C., Matt D., Eric W.

We'll probably have another reunion sometime in the future, some people were even talking about a 21st which I know won't happen, and not everyone who showed for this one will be able to attend. While it sucks to say this, I am sure I might not see some of these people ever again, but maybe others that didn't show up this time will decide to go.  It would have been great to see EVERYONE from the class but I know that sometimes life gets in the way of making that happen.  I for one would like to see everyone a little more often but if it ends up being five years from now, I'll take it.  The fact that so many people DID come back to town to attend this reunion was just awesome.  There are not that many people that can say they were in the Geneseo Central Class of 1991.  I for one am glad to have been a part of it.

Geneseo Central Class of 1991 Then

Special thanks to those that were responsible for making these festivities happen.  I know the hard work you all put in to make it possible.  I offer Johnna, Jason, Eric, and Tracy a most heartfelt thank you for everything.  To those we lost; Bob Berry and David Boutell you will be missed.

Please take a moment to support me in my bid to become Blogger Idol 2011.  Click here and scroll down to where the voting box is.  This week I (John Willey) am paired with Mama Mash so make sure that the vote is for the two of us.  Thanks so much!  Voting ends Thursday at midnight.

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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Time... It Does Go By Fast

"Time sure goes by fast huh daddy?" - My son Tyler this morning

Yeah Tyler, it sure does.

It seems just like like yesterday I was sitting outside the operating room crying hysterically both scared to death and happy all in the same moment.  Scared to death that your mother was having an emergency C section but also happy because it meant that you were on your way out.  I was also scared to death because my life would change forever, I was now going to be a dad, and I had no idea what that was actually going to mean.  Time sure does go by fast, I remember the first night you were home from the hospital, you were crying your little eyes out and we had no idea what the problem was.  The only thing that we could think of was to put a binky in your mouth, it worked wonders.  It still took you a long time until you slept through the night, but look at you now, you sleep like such a big kid, although you could go to bed on your own sometimes.

Time sure goes by fast, I can remember sitting in your bedroom late one night and you rolled yourself from your back to your front.  It was just you and me and I thought that nothing could be better than that moment.  Then you started to crawl, albeit like a wounded army man, and you could now get around on your own.  You didn't need me to carry you everywhere.  Look at you now, you are faster than a speeding bullet and you run everywhere you go.  We have had a lot of nights like that one in your bedroom, a lot of great moments.

Time sure does go by fast, you used to need us to read everything to you.  You didn't know your ABC's or how to count to ten.  But you figured that all out, you turned into such a smart little kid.  The smartest in fact!  You used to just scribble everything, before you knew how to write or draw.  But look at you now, look at what in incredible artist you are.  You amaze me everyday with that little brain of yours.

Time does go by fast, you used to be the only baby that we had.  It used to be only you, but then along came Carter.  We had an idea that you would be a great big brother, but seeing how you are with him, you really turned into the best big brother in the whole world.  He loves you so much!  You have gotten to be such an awesome little kid in these past seven years and you grew up so fast, it makes me wonder sometimes where it all went.

"Time sure goes by fast huh daddy?  I came into your room at 6:30, (fell back asleep) and now its already 7:45.  How did that happen?"

I have no idea Tyler, I have no idea.

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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