Hope you all don't mind the format change to the blog page here. Had to get it into the same format as the rest of Dixbert.com - I am teaching again at Rasmussen this fall. I can't have my students see my site in such disarray if my class is on HTML and design, now can I?

Weeks and weeks of torturous chasing and falling and trying again were replaced with about 15 minutes of effort on Saturday night. Lucas started riding his bike without training wheels and he really didn't need much help. I remember falling off my bike for days, maybe even weeks after the training wheels came off. I am pretty sure I have memories of my Dad helping me along with his hand on the seat of my bike for at least 3 or 4 sessions.
We went for a walk on Saturday night. Lucas rode his bike with the training wheels on. When we got home, he wanted them off. So I took them off and we went to the cul-de-sac across the road from our house. Once I ran down the street behind him, holding either the seat or his shoulders. He never had a serious fall, just one or two when he tried to stop and realized that the training wheels were no longer there to keep the bike upright with no momentum. The second or third time I pushed him off, I let go and just ran beside him, holding on to nothing. His grin when he realized that he was doing it all by himself was priceless. He exclaimed "I am balancing! I am doing great!". He was. Sunday he was out of bed and wanting to go do it again before the sun came up. Eventually, after the Sunday morning grogginess had worn off, I put Sam in the stroller and Lucas walked his bike to the corner and got on. He tore down the road leaving Sam and I to watch. I got down to the cul-de-sac and asked him if he needed help. He said no, so Sam and I went home to mow the lawn. He rode to his freind's house, then to another friend's house. Then I don't know where he went, we had to call around the neighborhood to find him. I remember about 2 days ago when I had a little 5 year old that wasn't in school yet and had training wheels on his bike. I don't know who this new kid is.

Lucas is resting now. So is Sam and so is Caleb. In fact I just checked on Sam and he is in a somewhat fetal postition in his crib, but he is laying on his front side with his legs up underneath him. All the boys are tired from playing here at Shirt Lake this morning and at Crosslake this evening. My Aunt has a place there right now, and like the place at Shirtlake, it is crawling with Grandkids. We are having a fire in the cast iron chimenea and I am going to go out there and write on the laptop..this pc is indoors and I don't want to be indoors right at the moment.

Lucas wants to be a lot of things. His outlook on life is that of limitless possibilities. When I was growing up, I remember wanting to be lots of different things. Funny how it all sort of revolved around which TV show I was watching at the time.
Lucas doesn’t watch much TV for a five year old. He watches pre-recorded videos mostly. Not a lot of five year olds have most of Liar Liar memorized, but he does. Try to look past the fact that he watches movies that are PG-13 or higher. He has goals. He sat down next to me in my office downstairs today and asked me if I knew what he was going to be first when he grew up. I told him I thought he was going to be a teacher. He explained that yes he was going to be a teacher, but that was just not what he was going to be first. I am going to be a policeman first. You know, when you drive too fast and you get so many tickets that they will take you to jail? (A scene from Liar Liar) Then, after that he will be a doctor, a teacher, a fireman, an astronaut, and a coach. Not necessarily in that order. The order he lists them is always different, but the multitude of roles is always represented. I know he isn’t old enough to understand that although people do switch careers several times during their lives, on average, you don’t see that kind of variance in vocation very often. I certainly know that he won’t understand the sheer terror that a major switching guru could potentially cause a parent to experience, at least not yet. But my sociological question is this; when did we make the transition from kids wanting to be one thing at a time, and changing their minds frequently to kids expecting that they will be able to “do it all” during their lifetimes? I think it speaks directly to the culture we live in. Gone are the days of following in your father’s footsteps, being an accountant because that’s what Dad was. Notice that Lucas’ list does not contain any reference to computers or the Navy? I think Lucas knows he lives in a world where a lot is expected of everyone and work is sometimes placed higher on the priority list than it should be. I think I will have to start adjusting my priorities a bit, I feel like I might be part of the reason he is perceiving the world the way he is. I will teach him. He just told me he wants to learn how to be a grownup. I think he is rushing things a bit. I will have to write more about that later.

Minnesota Vikings: The Official Team Web Site Korey Stringer Passes Away
They are saying on the radio that Korey Stringer was a role model. That he was trying to "tough it out" and make it through the practice. Korey, you threw up three times during that practice. The heat index on the field was 110 degrees f. You missed the end of a previous day's practice with heat related symptoms. Your body temperature was 108 degrees when you collapsed and they took you to the hospital. I am sorry you died, but you are by no means a role model. When your body screams stop, over and over, making you vomit, making your head feel like it will explode, stop damn it.