Autumn/er/Fall, Baseball, Stewardship, and Fevers - 7QTF
Ahhh, autumn is here. Oh give me a break. Who calls it that? I tried to call it that yesterday, and my wife, Stephi, promptly scolded me in her best Jim Mora impersonation, "Autumn? You've gotta be kidding me! Who calls it autumn?"
Me (secret astronomy nerd wannabe) - "Autumnal Equinox? Days same length as nights? Because I'm cool?" I replied. Tongue click and eye roll later... Well we live in central Florida, so it sure doesn't flipping feel like fall. At least not for another month. Hopefully, it won't be like last year when "Fall" didn't arrive until January.
I suppose "Fall" is much more common. I mean it is almost time for the Fall Classic. That's the um, World Series, for those who would rather watch football. World Series, BASEBALL... Not that this dad is paying too much attention since the Rays are terrible, and the Yankees are probably not going to make it in the playoffs.
Anyway, since summer raced by, here's my quick take recap of summer, and the hectic start to Autumn... I mean FALL.
~ 1 ~
So since my last post, our 4yo turned 5, our 2yo turned 3, and our baby turned 1. Wow, life does fly by. These guys aren't quite so little anymore. The 6yo, who's almost 7, 5yo, and 3yo are now all at Catholic school. Hooray for almost having all of them in one place. Shout out to our Catholic School, and our parenting (of course, ahem, cough, chest thump), because I heard my 6yo singing along to praise and worship in the car last night when a song they sing at Mass played on the radio. Priceless.
At Mass my 3yo recognizes church praise and worship songs now because, "Dats my teacha's song. She sing it to us when we walkin!" "Lawd, I need you, I need you..." Yes, we live in the south, and my children are developing a slight adorable southern drawl. Y'all be quiet now, y'hear? Is it more funny that our Pre-K 3 teacher is singing Lord, I need you each day, or that my child says it's her song. Either way we love, with a capital L, heck all caps LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, Mrs. H. She is an awesome Pre-K teacher and my 3yo leaves me at the door and doesn't even say good-bye. "Dada, I busy. I gotta do my mornin' wootine."
~ 2 ~
Baseball. Why, oh why, in Florida do we start the fall baseball season in AUGUST? How about October/November? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?
Anyway, I've been roped/duped/sweet talked into managing our 6yo's team, by my ever persuasive, yet charming wifey. "He'll have more fun with you coaching." "You'll get out of concession and garbage volunteer duty."
How is it volunteering if you have to pay $200 if you don't do it, I say? Something's fishy about that notion. I did it though. I've signed up. It's a rookie league - 6 and 7yos. Good heavens we had a draft. A flipping DRAFT. We had tryouts. A whole day of 1st and 2nd graders baking in the August sun, trying to catch a ball, or hit off a machine that launched a ball faster than they've seen in their lives yet.
We're a few weeks into the season now, after a myriad of rain outs, like no one could have foreseen that starting in August/September, but it's fun. Wifey was right. I'm really 110% enjoying being able to work with a good group of kids. They're my kids. Of course they are. I drafted them!
~ 3 ~
School. School started early this year for us. Aug 10th. This also means that the kiddos also have all come down with their first case of the school crud that much sooner! Joy.
This week, wifey and I have enjoyed a bout of double ear infection, cough, scarlet fever, and that followed up the previous week's single ear infection, athlete's foot, a few throw ups. Wonder what next week will bring... HEALTH, God, I pray. Good health.
~ 4 ~
Stewardship. The past few weeks, our pastor, priests, me, the church team, we've been distributing our annual reports, stewardship commitment/pledge cards, and really focusing on all the good things we are doing. Of course, this is only possible if the good people of the Church are contributing and being an invested part of our mission.
Pray, Serve, Give. That's our theme this year. Pray, Serve, Give. Giving is a goal to move towards and hopefully achieve % giving. 5% to Church, 1% to our Diocesan annual appeal, 4% to our own charities. It's hard, but you're blessed. You really are. Every time wifey and I have increased giving in anyway, God just drops a blessing it seems in another way.
Stewardship can be simple things really. For example, I myself have actually made a personal commitment to God to be better at saying grace at every meal, and remarkably I've done much better at it so far. Serve - I've decided my service right now, for the fall is going to be to my kids with coaching, and starting up piano lessons again with the older kiddos. The latter hasn't happened yet, but maybe in October we'll get back to normal. Wifey is going to serve giving a number of faithful citizenship presentations. Teaching Catholics what to think about when they vote. She likes election years.
~ 5 ~
Uber. I actually am thinking that in a few days, when I'm out of town at a conference I might actually take my very first Uber ride. I don't know why I am excited to turn my life over in a complete stranger's car. Then I thought, heck that's what I do if I took a cab right and I never thought twice about it. I downloaded the app and everything. I'm all ready. I'm pumped. I'm psyched. Let's do this! Maybe they'll be a cool driver, and I can talk about the cool Catholic conference I'm headed to?
~ 6 ~
Work - I don't often talk about it, because I have worked for the Catholic Church for 12 years now. For those who don't know, finances, budgeting, fundraising, HR, operations, and now marketing, website, helping with social media, all under my umbrella. I had a panic attack moment the other day, when the pastor and his associate pastor came into my office and sat themselves down in the chairs on the side of my desk. You see, they had to sit on the side of the desk. When we renovated the upstairs of our offices a bit this summer, all our team taking a part, and my new computer setup - WELL, I have FOUR beautiful big monitors that block me from the door. I promise I have a very well thought out, amazing explanation of why I need my four monitors that is directly correlated to my work efficiency and productivity. My peeps tell me, they can't see me behind the "starship." Their point...? I'll take a picture for next time maybe so y'all can laugh. I digress.
So, they sat down, closing the door behind them, very serious looking. Two priests have actually never come into my office together, on such a visibly evident mission. I'm never really nervous at work about much, so I quipped as I detached myself from the Enterprise, "Is this the end? Shall I start packing my things?" They burst out laughing, "Oh no, If you go, we go right behind you! We just need to talk about this other thing..." There are many many times, I thank God I work for a Church.
~ 7 ~
To close out the QT, here's a parting thought for any dads, moms too. If there's one thing I'm learning as my kids get older, it's that they learn fast. Even though you think the little brats are the worst listeners in the world, they hear everything. What you say to them, to your spouse, to anyone. They listen and watch. If you keep that thought in the back of your mind, hopefully you'll start filling your own with more happy thoughts, so that happiness can filter down. It's a daily challenge, believe me I know. But together, we can do it!
Happy Fall! Thought I was going to say Autumn didn't you?
