“I promise not to turn the blog into JNack’s Kiddie Kavalcade,” I promised five years ago today as Margot & I welcomed young Finnegan Liggett Nack into the world. I think I’ve kept my word, though my Twitter account (which didn’t even exist back then*!) hasn’t fared quite so well.
My God, do I ever love these little guys (Finn & his sequel Henry, codenamed “El Segundo” in utero & thus dubbed Goonie by his bro). A few sleep- and oxygen-deprived thoughts (as we’re celebrating Finn’s Fifth at 10,000ft):
- I’ve heard it said “It’s not amazing that adults make children, so much as that children make adults.”
- A friend remarked that when it comes to raising kids, “The days are long but the years are short.” Yes, days can be so long indeed—and yet, dang, five years??
- Work-wise, I’ve sometimes likened having kids to having suffered some kind of traumatic brain injury. I used to work all. the. time. Now I’d guess we spend ~40 hours per week kid-wrangling. “Work smarter, not harder,” blah blah. Whatever: there’s no potion to just restore that time & energy. Things do seem to be getting better, little by little. It’s a game of inches, man…
- “Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.” Bingo. (And no, Steve Jobs didn’t coin the phrase.)
And lastly I’m reminded of some Paul Simon:
Well, that was your mother
And that was your father
Before you was born dude
When life was great
You are the burden of my generation
I sure do love you
Let’s get that straight
Well said, Paul. And happy birthday, my magnificent little Finnster. Thanks for everything 🙂
*to say nothing of theirs
Well said, John! My boys are 21 and 18 now, and I look back, wondering where the time went!
Happy Birthday to Finn. Enjoy it to the fullest, John (and you seem to be). The years do pass more quickly than the days. But, if you get your parenting up to the “pretty good” level, the boys will someday bring you grandchildren. I would have skipped the kids and gone directly to the grandkids if I’d known how much fun this was going to be. 😉
Your ref to Paul Simon caused this thought to squeeze out of my head: “The Eastman remnants took our Kodachrome away, but CMOS & Photoshop let us still play.”
I was gonna post that as a comment here, but compared to the things your boys say, mine just isn’t good enough…
As a grand father – will also share that it gets better and better ! Hoppy Bird day to Finner Finner Chicken Dinner, and keep that MicroNaxx blog machine churnin’.
Great to see a Dad so proud to be a Dad!
Best wishes to you,
Glyn
Awesome John, my heartfelt congratulations. The description of “long days and short years” Is so true, therefore enjoy every minute and let yourself be immersed into this mysterious magic of these little beings. Then these memories will be the best you ever have for the rest of your life.
Happy Birthday to Micronaxx Snr!
AH John, I know how it feels. Being a Dad is the second most delightful and wonderful thing that I am (right after Husband). I am five months from my second, and last, child heading off to college. So i get a little more sleep now but its a new melange of emotions at the other end.
Best to you.
Really well said John. My boys are now 19 and 20 years old…and damn if those years don’t keep getting shorter as the time passes. Happy birthday to Finn, congrats to you and Happy Labor Day to momma!
Hey John. Well done and all best wishes to you and your family. You are experiencing joy but you won’t get pure undiluted and absolute joy until the grandchildren arrive (way to go yet)….and children grow up SO fast. Treasure (and record) every single moment. Children are excellent but grandchildren are excellent++. You have much to look forward to.
Richard