Why Evan Will Rule the World Someday

First I have to explain the chocolate situation carefully. Otherwise this post will make even less sense.

Alu came to Austin yesterday for my birthday (what a sweet bro!). He came bearing gifts (thanks, Michelle). In the chocolate department, the kids got chocolate pops from Sweenor's of Rhode Island. They also got a nice box of halloween themed chocolates. Jo and I got a similar box, but it had fall themed chocolates. Vivian got to eat her chocolate pop yesterday. Evan ate his after he got back from school this afternoon. I wanted something sweet too, so I asked Jo where our (her and my) chocolates were and I took one (and then two and so on) and popped it in my mouth.

Evan: "Daddy can I have one?"
Me: "No, you just had chocolate. Later may be"

He started bawling. Jo sent him to his room. He bawled his guts out for a while. Meanwhile Vivian played away unconcernedly, close by. After a while, still bawling,

Evan: "Vivian - this is something you should be concerned about too. Daddy is eating our chocolates."

Jo explained to him that we grownups had a similar box of chocolates and I had eaten from that box and not the kid's box. He went from bawling hysterically to "Oh" instantly. Then came over smiling sheepishly, and gave me a hug.

From friend to foe to rabble rouser and back to friend in less than five minutes. This guy could be a tyrant.

110010

Dear Vivian and Evan,

32 in hex. L in roman. Not impressive.

But 50 conjures up images of rectal exams and AARP (my card showed up last week, no word on the exam - yet). I was at a party a few weeks ago. This guy was turning 40. "ITs all over, isn't it?", he asked.

Yesterday evening you and your cousins called me. I went and found y'all outside the front door with carefully made and decorated mud pies. You wished me a very happy early birthday. The smiles on your happy faces will keep me going for another 50 (or 5 or whatever).

I woke up this morning in a tent (itself about 25 years old) with the two of you. We were camping in Grandma's back yard. Vivian woke up and she and I whispered for a while till Evan jumped up with a start and asked where the Ninja turtles were. It was still dark outside. I told him he was dreaming. He went back to sleep for a few more minutes. Then we read Harry Potter till the it was almost sunrise and we wandered back to the house.

A little bit later we drove down to Sweeties in town for our customary Sunday morning breakfast of donuts and kolaches. I spent the rest of the morning puttering with a chainsaw. Vivian did some homework. Evan pretended to do homework. Then y'all played outside. Mommy and Grandma looked crossly at a medicare web site.

We drove back to Austin in time for a bubble bath for y'all, a hurried lunch and a trip to the Scottish Rite Theater's production of "Bunnicula" - a story about a Dracula themed bunny. Vivian sat up front with the other kids on the carpet and laughed the loudest (and often the only one). Evan sat on Jo and had his hands over his eyes or very close by in case he should need them suddenly. After the show Vivian went up to the stage and got her program autographed and met the actors. Evan stayed close to Jo.

In the evening we went and got dinner at China Cafe. Then another short bout of Potter and then you hit the sack. And that's what I did on the last day of my 40's. About as tame as can be. And about as much fun.

There's no denying that more of my life is over than is left. That's not a bad thing in itself. Gerhard's favorite quote about living too long was "Hunde, wollt ihr ewig leben" (Dogs, would you live forever). There is something to be said about quality over quantity. Specially in this regard.

And thanks to the people around me, mine has been excellent. I wouldn't re-live these years any other way. And in the end (or the beginning or the middle or anywhere else) time is what we have, and yet we never know how much or how little of it is left. Spend it so you don't regret it and that will make you happier than any thing else.

The Big Fifty is a state of mind (isn't everything?). You are as old as you feel. Love. Laugh. Don't take things seriously. Specially not yourself.

your Dad
Oct 5 2014
(That's a picture of me when I was just shy of three. Snappy shoes).

The Man

Evan lives life extra large at Vivian's school.

A word of explanation. They go to the same school - but different campuses - an effect of a fast growing new school. Evan is in the pre-school campus. Vivian's campus has the rest of the school. They are a five minute drive from each other. For convenience, the pre-school campus starts and ends a few minutes after and before the other campus. We get to enjoy a quiet and reflective chat with him after dropping Vivian off in the mornings. And an excited rant of how the day went in the afternoons when he gets picked up first.

The other day Jo walked in the house with Evan after school. He was clearly unhappy about something. Turned out that Jo had picked up two bags of snacks from a lady at school that I needed for Vivian's class the next morning and Evan was angling for some of it.

"Evan - why are you grouchy?" I asked.

He considered the question carefully. Then he said in a small voice "I'm not grouchy, Daddy. I'm sad". I had to give him extra points (but alas no snack) for being so precise and clear (he got the snack the next afternoon).

So Evan gets to run around Vivian's school and playground when we get there. He seems to know everyone. One day he was chatting with the coach. Another time the librarian and he were in a long conversation. Yesterday he was sitting on some lady's lap. When I got there, she was saying "Ok, Evan - have a nice play date tomorrow". I don't know who she is.

Several of Vivian's girl friends seem to be among his fans too. One calls him "Gumball". They ask where he is on Taekwondo days when he doesn't come over. They run around and chase him and he tickles them in turn.

He usually runs up and gives Ms. Mara, Vivian's teacher, a huge hug. And Ms. Mara scoops him up. She's already told him that she's waiting to be his teacher - in three years.

Virtual Reality

The last speaker for this unit at Vivian's class was Natalie's dad. He told them about 3D and started them off with glasses and the classic two-color version. Then he took them one at a time and showed them how to use the Z Space immersive virtual reality setup.

Here is Michael helping Vivian hold up the stylus which, in the screen in front of her, becomes a twig that a hummingbird sits on, but only if she holds it still. Then, as she moves the twig towards her, she reaches out to pet the hummingbird. The display constantly adjusts the 3D image according to her position and gaze using sensors on her glasses and cameras on the screen. It was pretty neat, specially the look on the kids' faces when they discover this fake 3D world materialize in front of their glasses - a lot more enthralling than their actual (and immersive) physical  3D world..... 

So, as this unit of enquiry comes to a close, Vivian knows her five senses. Evan is trying to not get left behind. Today he drew her a picture of his senses. "And here is the stomach that has the sense of eating food".