Category: Patrick

  • What Am I Doing?

    I’m embarrassed to say that the last I posted was on May 27th…That Lincoln review below was the topic. And since? Bupkus. Zilch. Nada. Not even through the momentous events of the last few weeks, which are so brilliantly documented in those postage stamp-sized photos to the right. I have spared you nary a drop of…

  • The College Hunt

    For those not in the know, Patrick is (theoretically) graduating from high school in June. Because of this expectation, he took the ACT test and has been receiving e-mails from schools trying to encourage him to apply to them. It’s interesting how far this process has come in 25 years. I remember literally having a…

  • Then and Now

    We went to the fair on Friday afternoon. It was hot, crowded, tiring, but still fun for the five-plus hours we spent there. We’ve all gotten to the point where there are just a few things that each person wants to do, so we hit those, eat what we want to eat, and leave. No…

  • Seventeen

    It’s a little daunting to think that my son, this once little, delicate life that I saw come into the world in a crowded hospital room in Bismarck, just turned seventeen. As I said last night, it’s astounding that he’s a senior in high school this year. And it’s amazing that he can drive. And…

  • The Lesson Here…

    It’s been a busy several days around here, so I’ll use that as the crutch when I place blame for not writing here for the last couple of days. I was up at the crack of doom on Saturday morning–4:30, to be precise–in order to make sure the rest of the herd was awake, fed,…

  • Prom

    I have to admit that up until the last couple of weeks, I’d never really realized that prom night for your children is a marker in the developmental timeline of your kids. But it is. It’s the first “grown up” date that your child will go on. Their first formal affair built entirely around them.…

  • Talent

    Yes kids, conclusive proof that I’m the talentless hack in the household… So, for the three of you out there who haven’t seen the videos on Facebook, I’ll bring them to you here, but first the setup, so you know what this was all about. The kids are heading off to our family’s favorite state–Wyoming–this…

  • Warning!

    This is your one and only warning. Patrick is in Driver’s Ed. Which only means that he is weeks or perhaps months away from actually piloting a vehicle across the pavement of our fine metroplex. Is he prepared, you ask? More so now than on Monday when he was nervous about the class. That, I’m…

  • The Concert

    Last night, Patrick had his Winter band concert at school. They played four songs, and all are presented here for your enjoyment. Some may still be processing at YouTube’s site, so they may still feature our patented ShakyCam technology.           Enjoy!   See you tomorrow (or later today, as the case…

  • Older

    So if I ever needed proof that I’m getting older, it would be those pictures on the right. Go ahead and look. You can even click over to Tumblr for a bit to check them out in their embiggenated form. I’ll wait.   So what you’re witnessing there are a few shots from Patrick’s first…

  • Changes

    This past weekend was the great lowering of the ears around Lathropworld. And all three kids decided to make some changes to their ‘dos.   So, in the laziest possible way I can present this post, I give you the before and after pictures…     …And the after.     Yeah. I think they…

  • Celebration

    A wonderful day today here. We had family over for a great afternoon of some great food (if I do say so myself), good conversation, and a great time together.   Oh, there was part of me that wondered about the effort we have to put into having gatherings: cleaning, preparing munchies and a meal…

  • Coming Soon

    Okay, so here’s the deal.   It’s actually Thursday afternoon as I write this, but I won’t schedule it to post until later. But tonight, we’re off in multiple directions: Jenni and my mom off with the girls to their choir concert, and my dad and I over to Patrick’s school for his band concert.…

  • Compression

    To those out there who are parents, this entire entry will most likely come as no surprise. For those who are not, consider it a lesson in reality. And, as a supplemental note, this first bit of news will is news only to those who aren’t in the loop around here…   Patrick has a…

  • They’ve Come A-Callin’

    The boy suddenly has become awash in mail at home: mail from colleges far and wide, trying to get into his head and convince him that they’re the best place for him if and when he makes the next move.   He’s squirreled away the pamphlets and letters in his room somewhere, probably not to…