kai-turner.com - the joy of fatherhood

three

noreply@blogger.com (wine daddy) — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 00:53:00 +0000

We made it to three. Rather, Kai made it to three years old.

The celebration at one of the Baldwin Park pools was awesome. Kai hasn't even opened three-fourths of his presents, he was so over-stimulated.

He is swimming quite well now, able to propel himself through the water by himself. He can't pick his head up out of the water that well, so it is still an exercise in vigilance for us. But he is completely fine with being underwater and looking around.

So this wraps up a crazy week for us. I had an old friend in town, who is now a business associate, Erin had a birthday, started a new job, and then we had Kai's birthday.

Stick a fork in me.

Swim lessons

noreply@blogger.com (wine daddy) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 00:38:00 +0000

Kai started his first swim lesson this past Monday. It's going, well, swimmingly. Sorry, but I had to use that pun.

summer lessons

noreply@blogger.com (wine daddy) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 01:24:00 +0000

Our awareness and vigilance as parents was put to the test on Sunday. Kai was playing in our friend’s hot tub which is attached to their pool, while we sat at the patio table about 10 feet away. He could easily stand waist deep on the wide ledge around the pool, but once he lost his footing and went into the deeper middle section, the top of his head was just under water. He kicked and thrashed reflexively, and held his breath. Erin was seated closer to him than me and she quickly pulled him out, and he was less than happy about being underwater. He finally calmed down and we went back in the water together, and he was very careful about where he stepped after that. One lesson down.

And coincidentally he starts swim lessons next week, a two-week course that should have him able to swim to the wall if he should fall into a pool. While I consider myself to be extremely aware and vigilant, I can’t be everywhere with him, so this is the next best thing.

And I couldn’t stop him from passing his little cold on to me. I have been basically useless for the past 48 hours. A huge bowl of homemade chicken noodle soup, a bunch of vitamins, and a large shot of oh-so-disgusting Nyquil later, I’m ready to call it a night and be well in the morning. I can’t afford to be out of commission any longer. Summer is here.

noreply@blogger.com (wine daddy) — Sun, 31 May 2009 19:38:00 +0000

mothers day

noreply@blogger.com (wine daddy) — Sun, 10 May 2009 14:20:00 +0000

Bubbles in the morning

noreply@blogger.com (wine daddy) — Sat, 09 May 2009 13:05:00 +0000

potty time

noreply@blogger.com (wine daddy) — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 14:02:00 +0000

Erin reported that potty-training did not go so well yesterday. Kai has generally been on a slower developmental cycle than other kids his age – he takes his time with everything. He didn’t walk until 14-15 months, and couldn’t hang on the little bar above every slide in America until a couple months ago, so this phase will probably be no different. And this too, shall pass.

noreply@blogger.com (wine daddy) — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 15:31:00 +0000

Erin is attempting potty training again. Wish her luck. I've definitely got it easy compared to her.

sleeping in

noreply@blogger.com (wine daddy) — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 02:56:00 +0000

What's funny now is that during the regular Monday through Friday week, I get to sleep until about 8 or 8:30am, which I now consider sleeping in. I'm looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow.

I have a crazy week ahead of me. It's the last sales week of the month, and I'm within reach of setting a sales record. Recession be damned, I am selling wine somehow!

And what a great day for NBA basketball. Chicago ties up the series 2-2 against Boston in a double-overtime thriller, the Cavs sweep the Pistons, and the Magic win makes their series 2-2 on a last-second three. And that's just the Eastern division.

weekends

noreply@blogger.com (wine daddy) — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 18:15:00 +0000

Since Erin has gone back to work, just weekend evenings, my weekends have completely changed. While I cannot sleep in, ever, I do get to spend a lot of one-on-one time with Kai.

As Erin now works until 2am or later Friday and Saturday evenings, I get to wake up with Kai at O-dark-thirty and spend the morning with him until Erin wakes up.

While I do cherish the time with Kai, I am quite tired... I have got to start going to bed earlier or he has got to start sleeping later.

tasting

noreply@blogger.com (wine daddy) — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 22:11:00 +0000

noreply@blogger.com (wine daddy) — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 20:35:00 +0000

Well I've figured out how to blog by txt and email now, so my writing should be more regular, if not briefer than before.

to or from nothingness

noreply@blogger.com (wine daddy) — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 20:25:00 +0000

"Things are either devolving toward, or evolving from, nothingness. As dusk approaches in the hinterlands, a traveler ponders shelter for the night. He notices tall rushes growing everywhere, so he bundles an armful together as they stand in the field, and knots them at the top. Presto, a living grass hut. The next morning, before embarking on another day’s journey, he unknots the rushes and presto, the hut deconstructs, disappears, and becomes a virtually indistinguishable part of the larger field of rushes once again. The original wilderness seems to be restored, but minute traces of the original shelter remain. A slight twist or bend in a reed here and there. There is also the memory of the hut in the mind of the traveler—and in the mind of the reader reading this description. Wabi-sabi, in its purest, most idealized form, is precisely about these delicate traces, this faint evidence, at the borders of nothingness."
- Leonard Koren

v-day

noreply@blogger.com (wine daddy) — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 21:44:00 +0000

Another Valentine's Day is upon me, and I am tortured.

One side of me knows that this really is a "Hallmark Holiday" that has been commercialized and bastardized. It is no more important than another day of the month, except that somehow a large portion of our society has agreed to celebrate it. Why should I show my appreciation for my wife on this particular day?

On the other hand, I now know that in our daily routine of living, it's very easy to take each other for granted. Erin really does make our family work. She is the engine, the core. I merely put fuel into the fire.

So what is a husband to do? I usually create a homemade card, or buy a blank one, and put some heartfelt sentiments into it. I have not fallen into the trap that one must spend a ton of money on some rushed dinner in a crowded, overbooked restaurant and on cut, overpriced flowers that are dying slowly in a vase.

I do this every year now, and yet I always wonder if it's enough. Valentine's is a bitch.

new digs

noreply@blogger.com (wine daddy) — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 14:18:00 +0000

To create a new future, sometimes we have to let go of our past. As part and parcel of developing our family, we have moved into a new home. The new place is a mere mile down the road from the old house, but is huge leap for us.

The old house served its purpose for sure, but we had simply outgrown it and it was becoming a maintenance nightmare. The pool was unusable for all of 2008 - it sat green and murky and all sorts of wildlife was starting to make their home there. We even had an egret that would come and dine there on a regular basis. So out with the old, and into the new.

The new place is nice - on paper it's only a few hundred square feet larger, but it feels much more spacious. Kai loves it. The very first day he figured out how to get up and down the stairs much more quickly than actual walking. When he wants to up quickly, he crawls. Coming down, he goes feet first, on his belly and kind of does a worm flop. It is amazing cute, but it doesn't look comfortable. I'm not planning on trying it.

The next step is a newer car. We replaced Erin's old car awhile back with a roomy, reliable Toyota Camry. My old Acura needs to go next. Whatever the next car may be, it will certainly not be a minivan. I don't even want to go there yet.

Selling wine in this market environment has been interesting, to say the least. My volume has been great, although my dollar volume has not increased in accordance with my cases sold. People are definitely trading down in their wine purchases or trading out entirely for beer and spirits. The time and effort I'm spending now are definitely an investment in the future - I've developed some great business relationships that should serve me well when the market rebounds. Meanwhile, we're making it happen over here in our new home.

So we're loving the new digs. I'll get some pictures up soon.

insomniac writing

noreply@blogger.com (wine daddy) — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 09:04:00 +0000

I'm not good at sleeping. Don't get me wrong, I can sleep, and I do sleep, yet I'm pretty sure I don't get enough of it. For instance, it's 4:04am as I type this, and I'm awake. I've been awake since 3:30 or so. I don't know why, I just wake up and sometimes it takes awhile to go back to sleep. Sometimes it's five minutes, sometimes it's 2 hours. Tonight is looking like it's closer to 2 hours. Or maybe I'll fall asleep on the keyboard right here.

The problem is that my mind starts racing about all of the things that I need to do. Anxiety is a bitch. It comes from my insecurities, of course. What if this, what if that. I know, at least on a conscious level, that things are going to be alright, and that we're going to make it and we are going to be successful.

But damnit if that voice in the back of my head does not shut up.

Erin is running the OUC half-marathon this coming Saturday. I couldn't be more proud of her. Since we joined the YMCA two years ago, she has really come a long way. When we started, she couldn't do a single military push-up, and today she can easily do over 20 real push-ups. Pull-ups, squats, you name it, she can do it. No machines, real weights. She joined a running club a few months back, and here she's about to go for 13.1 miles this Saturday, in under two hours. Impressive, eh?

I call her a mom unleashed.

I need to get my ass back in the gym. This working two jobs thing is killing me physically, and I've got to start managing my time better. My Outlook is about to get a little more crowded. Time to schedule some more sleep as well.

gratitude given

noreply@blogger.com (wine daddy) — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 09:39:00 +0000

Erin keeps beer in the fridge for me. Raises our kids. Gets Isaac to school on time. Teaches Kai good manners. Taught Isaac how to be a man. Makes this household run. Cooks like a champ. Is my best friend. Brings a smile to my face.

Kai warms my heart. Is pure joy. Is SO polite. Keeps me honest. Makes me a better man.

Isaac impresses. Is so talented, and so modest. Is focused. Keeps me on my toes. Makes me a better father.

Those are some of the many, many things I am thankful for. And stuffing. I LOVE stuffing...

what I've learned

noreply@blogger.com (wine daddy) — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 14:41:00 +0000

...it's about quality, not quantity.
...that being said, I'll take a large quantity of quality.
...Yes of course I wish I spent more time with Kai and Erin.
...Raising a family is, indeed, hard work. And it's very rewarding.
...I know that one would seem obvious, but you never really know it until you experience it firsthand.
...My heart melts every time I hear Kai say he loves me. I'll never get tired of that.

no sleep til 09

noreply@blogger.com (wine daddy) — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 02:17:00 +0000

Thanks to Dave for the great evening at Morton's the other night. True generosity is so rare these days. The steak was delicious, and the 1997 Beringer Private Reserve Bancroft Ranch Merlot was legendary.

The distribution job is really becoming a lifestyle. It's amazingly easy to get consumed by this job, it really can be 24/7. I wake up in the middle of the night wondering if I put all the orders in, or if I did everything I was supposed to do. Luckily so far I've been on top of things, and my insomnia-inducing fears have been unfounded.

Another milestone reached today: I tasted my first Thai wine. Yes, Thailand. Monsoon Valley White, a blend of the indigenous Malaga and French Colombard grapes, vinted about 2-3 hours west of Bangkok. I had no idea what to expect, and the wine was outstanding. Crisp, dry, citrusy with racy acidity and a nice chalky minerality. Definitely unique.

I've never been so tired as I have since I started the second job back in September. I'm tired all day, every day. My body-clock is going haywire. But as a new sales rep, it takes time to pay back my draw and build a territory. So I have to tend bar to make ends meet for awhile. We're way behind in rent and still scrounging for every penny, and stressing over bills, but damnit we're making it.

Sleep can wait.

absence

noreply@blogger.com (wine daddy) — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 22:12:00 +0000

From Kai 10/28/08

Sorry it's been so long. I've been working two jobs and trying to stay awake when I'm not working, so my blog has definitely taken a backseat lately. The distributor job is starting to click, and now I'm bartending again, as well. I have approximately 10 free hours a week left, so I'm looking for a way to fill up those free hours as well. Not really.

Anyways, above is a sneak preview of Kai's second Halloween costume. This year, I believe that Erin is going to actually take him out trick-or-treating, however the candy will be allocated to Isaac's room. We've pretty much kept Kai off of processed sugars up until now, and are going to keep it that way for as long as possible.

Well, I plan on having another free moment in about three weeks, so I'll update you then.

communication

noreply@blogger.com (wine daddy) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 03:47:00 +0000

I took some time off from blogging. Life threw a couple curveballs at me, so frequent updates to this blog had to take a back seat for a little while.

At Kai's two year checkup, he weighed in at 31.5 pounds and 36 inches tall. The doctor said he may be speaking two to three words at a time, and climbing on everything. Kai speaks in full and complete sentences containing seven or more words, using past and present tense verbs, using personal pronouns like "I" and "you." He regularly sings entire nursery rhymes by himself. He is the great communicator - Reagan would be proud.

The cut is healing, and hopefully there won't be much scarring, for any of us.

I'm moonlighting now - bartending weekend nights at a bar downtown. The wine distributor job is blossoming as well. As we head into prime season the hard work I did over the slow summer months will begin to pay off. Things are kicking into high gear, and I couldn't be happier.

So many stories to tell from the two jobs. Let's just say that common sense is still uncommon, and ignorance is running rampant. I'm busier than I've ever been with work, and I'm probably going to just get busier. And more tired. I'm teaching my body to run on 5 hours of sleep. It's not easy, but it's worth it.

e.r.

noreply@blogger.com (wine daddy) — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 01:57:00 +0000

I'm driving down I-4 when the phone rings. It's Erin.

"I'm just calling to let you know that I'm taking Kai to the emergency room."

To say I nearly died would be an understatement. I found out where Erin was headed and immediately ran into an impenetrable traffic jam. Maintaining my composure, I navigated the backroads as quickly as possible to Kai's destination. I was nearly sick to my stomach the entire ride.

The cut was deep and the tears were real. About an inch above his right eye, an inch-long and quarter-inch deep cut revealed the blood-red muscle fibers below. The bleeding and his tears had temporarily subsided. Mine had just started.

From kai turner

The staff at Winter Park Memorial Hospital was extremely accommodating. One of the volunteers got Kai a popsicle, which is definitely the most sugary-sweet thing he's ever tasted. But I figured, a trip to the hospital was grounds for lifting the sugar-ban. He tasted it hesitantly, and pronounced it "cold." And then, "tastes good." After every bite, he uttered "tastes good."

The nurse found us a room with a TV, perhaps best for everyone in the building. The doctor took one look and said we didn't need stitches, just "superglue." Apparently, modern technology has replaced traditional stitches with some kind of glue for less-severe lacerations.

Kai was simply playing with Isaac and tripped, as toddlers are known to do. I guess it was bound to happen. Cuts and bruises are a part of life for little boys. But it's little solace.

I guess it's just as much a rite of passage for parents as it is for toddlers.

fay

noreply@blogger.com (wine daddy) — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 02:06:00 +0000

In 2004, I went through four, well, three, major hurricanes with little planning except for the amount of alcoholic beverages that would be needed to endure the storms.

When they say everything changes when children are involved, I've never once thought about dealing with a major storm with a child. Kai is not at an age where he understands the concept of power outages, and not having air-conditioning. So we bought some water, and went to the library.

We live in an old neighborhood, built in the 50's, with above-ground utility lines and lots of old oak trees. Not a good combination for storms. I figure we will most likely lose power for some substantial period of time. The challenge is, what are we going to do with Kai for that time? The gym will probably be closed, as will most of our usual haunts. TV and computer will not be available. So with my brand-new library card in hand, we went to get some books for Kai to read.

Erin and I are pretty much very well-prepared for life's usual challenges, but Mother Nature has forced us to look beyond our usual repertoire. The thought of days at a time without electricity with a toddler is mind-boggling, to say the least. We are so locked into our daily routine that this could definitely mess up our world. I guess we needed another challenge. Wish us luck.

we'll always have paris

noreply@blogger.com (wine daddy) — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 02:40:00 +0000

Generally speaking, I'm not the biggest Paris Hilton fan, but this video is damn funny.

Paris for President Campaign Ad Video

And oddly enough, the energy policy she reads is quite genius...

two

noreply@blogger.com (wine daddy) — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 04:01:00 +0000

Oh my it's finally here. Kai is now two years old. It's hard to believe how it really has flown by. Everyone says it, but now I know why.

We're having a modest birthday party at a community park with our closest friends and family. Photos to follow.

If you're in the mood to send presents, he currently wears size 3T and loves Elmo, music, and animals. Just don't send any live animals.