Bye-Bye, 2014

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Left to right: Captain Imperfecto, Nico and Christopher lazy day.

December 27, 2014

Will my kids remember anything of 2014? They're just 5 and 6. So much has happened this year, but the only thing that was important to them was their 100-yard safety zone, which expanded the circumference of the house.

"Dad, where's the boat?" Daddy, what happened to the boat?" "Daddy, is the boat broken?"

That may be my quote of the year. It's good to know that in my boy's short life span, the only concern for them is the horror of the boat being gone. Just to remind you. This year, I invested in a 30-foot boat. It's a money pit for some but a lifestyle for us.

But there were other terms used by my boys this year.

"Daddy, shut up." "No, daddy." "Leave me alone, daddy!"

This has been the year of sitting down and trying to talk or even compromise with my boys instead of applying corporal punishment. I did my best to ignore the "shut-up" overtures, but I could only ignore them so much.

This year marked the year of the iPhone for my sons. They both wanted to play with the device at the same time. Now the last time I had an iPhone was when I let it go after my first purchase in 2007 for an Android Note. But to my boys, it will forever be an iPhone.

The struggle is real with my sons. Especially when it comes to applying the seat boat.

"Put on that seat belt," I said. "Okay daddy, in a minute."

"No, put that belt on now!"

"Okay. Dad, wait a second."

"Don't make me start. Put it on now!"

My five-year-old is on a candy binge. He'll eat candy no matter where he finds it. I mean anywhere. He definitely got the sweet tooth from his mother.

"What do you want for dinner, Christopher," I said.

"Candy"

"No, no candy, eat."

"Candy"

"We aren't going through this, Christopher. Eat your food."

"Candy."

You're going to bed without dinner, I mean it."

"Candy."

"Candy."

"Candy."

The nightmare.

Then, of course, there was the worrying about an injury. My oldest son had a partial seizure. I calmly called 9-1-1, the calm traits of being a cop. The fire rescue guys (every cop hero) told me to go to my primary. So we left and went to the primary pediatrician. I was told that since I had no appointment, there would be a two-hour wait. So we went to a children's hospital. They admitted him, but he did not have a neurosurgeon on, so I had to go to another children's hospital by ambulance. Three days later, when we got home, my youngest son caught the croup, and I had to go right back to the hospital.

Wow, bye-bye 2014. Hello, 2015. Hello January. Be good to us. Allow us to grow and prosper. May my sons and everyone's kids enjoy the youth and innocence that child brings and may we parents remember the innocence we lost so long ago. May we dream of better times to come and hope that those are the dreams that come true. Allow 2015 to be the time that we truly love our neighbor.  

Boys, if you don't remember much about this past year because of your age, I'm here to tell you that we did pretty well, and I'm looking forward to 2015. Now "go to 

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Let Christmas

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Left to right: Sugar, Christopher, Champ and Nico

December 23, 2014

I’m attempting to extend the Christmas holiday. I’m strictly playing Christmas music in my car. I’m looking at Christmas lights, on the neighborhood houses, longer then I use to, and dare I say, I’m sitting through Christmas commercials in their entirety.  

I have never been into Christmas in such a way since my youth. As I got older and more into my police career I had to work holidays and weekends. The days I worked Christmas numbed me from all the nostalgia I once had as a child. 

For a kid growing up in the tradition of Christmas I simply didn’t want Christmas day to end. What kid ever does? The food, the joy of writing a Christmas list from Service Merchandise catalog, the lights and Christmas trees made the time more memorable. The time felt magical more so than religious.

Being a product of divorced parents Christmas was about the only time having two households paid off. My situations of having two families even made my friends jealous when It came to Christmas time. Although I was more jealous they had both their parents I felt great knowing my pre-teen friends envied me!

Christmas seemed to last forever when I was a child. We would have Christmas morning at our dad’s house. Where my sister and I lived. Then our mother would pick us up and we would celebrate Christmas at the house. After we opened our gifts, there, we’d head down to Miami and spend Christmas afternoon with our grandparents and open, more gifts! But I'm older now. I have kids. My brothers and sister have kids. 

Nico and Christopher are getting big. Reaching the ages of 5 and 6 in the blink of an eye. At this current age they're finally understand what those lights and music represent. 2014 is officially the, “Dad, I want this and dad I want that” season. And it’s not because they’re spoiled. The boys aren’t only into Christmas gifts. They are very considerate with thank you's and no thank you's. And I do my best to teach them that this time of year is a joyus occasion for all of us to share. We should reconize peoples hard work and dedication and pray for good will towards their fellow man (and women).

Now, as my kids grow bigger each year, I just want Santa Claus to stay a little longer so I may enjoy this time of year again and rekindle the excitment of Chrismas morning. And maybe slow down my and their aging. I know Christmases haven't been the same since their mom died and it never will. But we have to make new traditions as well as keeping her memory alive in the spirit of Christmas. 

So let this Christmas be prolonged. Let’s listen to the music a little longer and savor the food, wine and spirits. Let’s enjoy each other’s company while we pray for peace in the world.  Let Christmas not just be the religious day it represents, but a day, that we can all share, inclusively, the joy of life together while we all prepare for another year.

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