Fore

Today, Jax started Pee Wee Golf Camp. It's a 3-day crash course offered within our community for kids ages 4 - 7. The goal is to teach the kids the fundamentals of game, but the instructors quickly discovered that all 9 of their pupils are already somewhat experienced golfers thanks to overly eager fathers that dream of producing the next Tiger Woods. The kids, however, were just there to have some fun.

Jax took a seat front & center when the class was called to order. I can only hope that he'll show the same enthusiasm when it comes to math & science classes!

First, they went over safety and etiquette. Makes sense to me. Nine little boys swinging golf clubs with all their might just screams trouble. Then, they briefly discussed the rules before moving on to their first skills lesson: putting & chipping. This was when the boys got excited. It was time to actually play golf!
As with any sport, the kids displayed different levels of dedication. Some, like Jax, were intensely focused. Others were more interested in playing with the sand in the bunkers. I think their parents should probably accept the fact that their kid won't be wearing a green jacket. At least not the one that matters.

Although, the fun and games did come to an abrupt end when the instructors announced the day would conclude with a putting competition. All the kids snapped to attention at that point! Sadly, our children live in politically correct world. There was no winner! They were all winners! Say it with me now...BS!

Breaking Point

Breathe, Grandfather! Breathe! For the rest of you that may not understand the significance of the photo above, let me explain. This activity table and the floor surrounding it are usually COVERED in Disney Cars toys, but yesterday, I reached my breaking point.

I walked into a complete disaster. Actually, disaster doesn't even come close to accurately describing the mess. There were Cars EVERYWHERE! It wasn't the sort of mess than occurs because the toys are being played with either. It was just a mess made for the sole purpose of making a mess to see your parents' heads spin around while they breathe fire.

Jax has been warned about this sort of behavior before. In fact, he was warned less than 3 days ago about what would happen if he ever made a mess like that again. Well, I don't make empty threats. Every single vehicle was packed into a storage bin & placed in the closet. Did you finally take that breath, Grandfather? You thought they were in the trash, didn't you? I wouldn't do that to you...Jax? Maybe, but not you.

Maybe, and that's a big maybe, the Cars will be unpacked in time for your visit. We'll have to see how the rest of the week goes.

Photo Craziness From the Weekend

This weekend, we went photo crazy! I think it's safe to blame our behavior on a good friend, Farid. He flew down for a quick visit this weekend ,and that pretty much sent us into tourist mode with the camera. Actually, it's nice when that happens. Not only do we end up with new family photos, we are forced to take a break from our usual routine and enjoy our little beach town. Too often we get caught up in same ol' day-to-day activities.

On Saturday, Anh and Jax treated Farid to a whirlwind tour of the sights around town. Then that night, we met up with Jay, Lisa, and the kids to celebrate Jay's birthday. It was nice. We ate at a popular seafood restaurant on the Intercoastal that we had all been wanting to try, and I now understand why it's such a big hit with the locals. We had driven past several times, but were scared off by the ridiculously packed parking lot. Factor in a less than impressive exterior, and we just didn't see what all the fuss was about.

Well, behind that shabby exterior is a lovely outdoor patio, shaded by a beautiful canopy of old oak trees, overlooking the Intercoastal. There's even a section of beach complete with a tire swing. Turns out, the food is yummy too. I think it's safe to say that we'll become regulars, along with the rest of the city!Sunday morning, we decided to treat ourselves to another nice meal and headed up to our clubhouse for brunch. After all, it just wouldn't be right to send Farid off to the airport on an empty stomach. Afterwards, we lingered on the lawn overlooking the golf course and once again the cameras were brought out to document the lovely surroundings. I can't believe we didn't do this sooner, considering that we live here.I don't know whether Anh was determined to give Farid the complete neighborhood tour or whether they just wanted to walk off a little of our very filling brunch, but that afternoon, the boys took a stroll along the boardwalk. We joked with Farid throughout the visit about him being the "location scout" for his wife and the kids. If he reports back favorably, then they will book a trip for the entire family. Hopefully, we receive high marks, and we'll see them all again soon. It was so nice having a chance to catch up.

I Knew This Day Was Coming

I've learned to dread the school newsletter. If they aren't announcing some new fundraiser that is going to cost me a fortune, they are sharing news of some illness that is being passed around. Usually there's a description of the symptoms that the sick children are displaying and a reminder that sick children are to be kept at home.

I've actually become somewhat indifferent to the notices because Jax (thankfully) has a decent immune system and manages to avoid contamination. (I just knocked on some wood, by the way.) This week, however, I got the newsletter I've been dreading. Moms, you know the one I'm talking about...head lice! No, not my kid, but someone in his class has head lice, and now, we're all to be on alert. Great! Just what we all need!

Lord, Help Us

Baylor has mastered climbing the stairs and now is working on the descent. And I thought watching him go up was stressful!

TPC

I'm quite jealous of my husband. Yesterday, Anh had the opportunity to play golf at TPC Sawgrass. The outing was in honor of Jay's birthday, and let's just say there's no better motivator to improve your game than hearing about your husband's awesome experience at a top-notch golf course. Seriously though, it sounds like the guys had a great time.

However, the experience may spoil any future golf outings that don't involve a caddy. Sounds like a luxury one quickly gets used to. Factor in the beautiful landscaping & facilities, and it seems like an extremely tough act to follow. Of course, it does come with a hefty price tag. Maybe that's the competitors' saving grace.

Daddy's Shadow

Yesterday, Jaxon "shadowed" Anh. It wasn't planned, but when Anh realized he had a relatively light day scheduled at the office, he offered to take Jax with him to work. Jax, of course, jumped at the chance to go with Daddy. As they headed out the door, I heard Jax say, "Look, Dad, I have a bag just like you!" I looked over, and he was wearing his little red messenger bag that Aunt Glenda gave him. Inside was his toy laptop. Indeed, Jax was just like Dad. At that moment, I knew Anh would come home with some funny stories to share.

That night at dinner, I heard all about their father & son day at the hospital. After stopping by the office briefly, Jax went with Anh to round on a few patients. Jax hung out with the nurses' at their work station while Anh was in with his patients, but occasionally, Jax would linger in the doorways "observing." The patients all seemed amused by his presence, and the nurses were equally entertained by the little doctor. Oops! I meant surgeon.

After visiting with the patients, Anh took Jax up to the doctor's lounge for lunch, but Jax could hardly focus on eating thanks to a rather intense ping pong match that was underway. I know. You're thinking, ping pong? I guess they consider that a form of stress relief or something. Well, Jax told Anh, "Daddy, when I grow up, I want to be a doctor so I can play ping pong." I'm quite sure Anh is completely happy to let Jax go on believing that it takes a medical degree to play ping pong.

They spent the afternoon back at the office. While Anh made some calls and took care of some charting, Jax kicked back on the waiting room couch watching tv. Boy does he have a completely distorted view of a typical day in Daddy's life! Wait...or does he?