| > | | | | mouths.. |
| My wife, my two preschoolers, and I recently drove | | | | So instead of blowing a diode and risking the safety |
| from Canon City, Colorado to Readstown, Wisconsin | | | | of everyone in the car, I began to engage the boys |
| in a 4-door dodge neon. I’m happy to report | | | | in a question and answer session about what they |
| my children are still alive. Believe it or not this was | | | | loved about our vacation to date. Questions like, |
| one of the most enjoyable times I’ve | | | | Duncan, what three things did you like most |
| experienced in the past year. My family grew closer | | | | about spending time with greatgrandpa Gayle? |
| and I learned to experience joy in that most | | | | Within minutes, both boys were chomping at the bit |
| exasperating of questions, Are we there yet? | | | | to answer the next question; I was back in control, |
| I learned that it is better to be creative than it is to | | | | and in the process learned a great deal about the |
| be frustrated and angry. One of my boys would ask, | | | | loves, goals, and thought processes of a three and a |
| Are we there yet? | | | | five year old. It turned into one of the highlights of |
| I would answer, Yes, but only in our existential | | | | the trip. |
| and ethereal lives. Which bought about 10 minutes | | | | I learned that creativity and patience provide much |
| of silence as they tried to figure out what I’d | | | | more joy and control than loud volume, and |
| just said. There was one point as we were | | | | intimidation. I learned that our family has a lot of |
| approaching Onowa, Iowa on our return trip at which | | | | great things to share with each other if we take the |
| I found myself wanting to use every expletive | | | | time to get over being tired and allow even the |
| I’d learned in my eight years as a correctional | | | | youngest to have their say. I learned that I too, am |
| professional as well as wanting to try my hand at | | | | not immune to threatening to pull this car over, |
| creating a few. The boys were tired, loud, talkative, | | | | right now! Finally, I learned it is imperative to pay |
| and only barely listening as I and my wife attempted | | | | attention when your son tells you he’s got a |
| to speak rationally to them about shutting their | | | | yucky tummy and feels like throwing up. |