Happy Birthday, Treaker!

Did you know that you're the only kid in our family who actually invented his own nickname (and a reciprocal nickname, at that!)?  It seems to me that this says something about you... With your brother and sister, it was just random, silly trial-and-error:  "Can I call you Floogy Scrooter?" or "Can I call you the Mishawaka Matador?"  And only after several silly attempts over the course of several years -- only after so many suggestions had been denied without any alternatives offered -- were we able to settle on Charlie Bogantz and My Little Chippy Chuppy.  But with you, Cor, it was so different!  You were still just learning to talk when I asked if I could call you some totally nonsensical name, and you immediately said no.  But when I asked my standard follow-up question -- "Well, what should I call you, then?" -- you didn't just shrug it off or state your birth-certificate name.  Instead, you confidently replied, "Treaker."  And when I went into your room to wake you up the following morning, you greeted me from your crib by saying, "Hello, Treaker!"  And in that moment, I knew that we had discovered the perfect nickname for you, and indeed for each other.

So at any rate, from one Treaker to the other, I wish you a very Happy Birthday!

You've really come into your own, over the course of the last year -- your third year of life.  It's not just dictating your own terms for nicknames, either.  In all different kinds of ways, you've learned to assert yourself as the wonderful person you are.  I can imagine that it's something of a survival skill for a third-born kid like you.  You tend to push back, when you get jostled around.  You tend to yell out-loud, when someone tries to pull something over on you.  And you tend to hold your opinions, even in the face of the most persuasive arguments.  You're your own person.  You're not just a little kid.  You're not just "Elliot's brother" or "Olivia's brother."  You're not just some little blond kid in the crowd.  You're Cor William Asp, and you stand on your own two feet.  You're strong and tough, even though you're still small in stature.  And I respect that about you.  I appreciate that about you.

But I will say that you need to be careful with such strength, Cor.  Use it wisely!  As time goes on, you'll see that you can use such strength and toughness to push others away and distance yourself, or to throw yourself headlong into the thick of things -- to become an embracer and wrestler and protector of others.  You can use it for your own glory or for the glory of God.  You can use it for folly or for wisdom.  Your mother and I are doing our best to teach you the ways of wisdom, so please listen well!  Like wise King Solomon instructed his little boy:  "Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you" (Proverbs 2:11)... "Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil" (Proverbs 3:7)... "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight" (Proverbs 3:5-6).  I know that I'm slipping into preacher-mode here, a little bit, but I'm just saying:  I recognize great power in you, Cor -- even at the tender age of three -- but I also recognize a great need for guidance in the application of such power.  I've been reading and meditating on the Proverbs a lot this year, usually just before that beautiful moment (one of my favorite moments of the day!) when I come into your room to wake you up in the morning; and it's occurred to me on multiple occasions that the Proverbs have a lot to offer you, Cor, as you grow older and stronger.  I pray that, in time, you will adapt the wisdom of the Proverbs as your own -- adding your strength to it and channeling it well.

But enough of this seriousness!  This is your birthday, and a time for celebration!  We need to play some Michael Jackson songs -- maybe "Beat It" or "The Way You Make Me Feel" -- and let you show us how to feel the music and enjoy the moment.  You're a fun kid, Cor.  Wherever you go, there seems to be laughter and music and dancing.  You bring such passion and conviction to your music -- whether it's on the computer, playing your guitar on the brown chair, or belting out the theme to the Muppet Show from your crib after you've been put in bed for the night.  Your joy gives us joy, and I'm glad to say that there seems to be a lot of that to go around these days.

I love you, Cor!  I love you more than words could ever say.  I'm proud to have you as my boy -- and it's abundantly clear that Olivia, Elliot, and Mommy feel the same way.  Thank you for being my Treaker-Boy.  I hope you know that I am and will forever be...

Lovingly,

Your Treaker-Daddy

The summer is officially over.  Elliot and Olivia went back to school today.  Buckets and buckets of rain soaked us on the way from home, but we made it.

Cor doesn't actually start pre-school until next month (which, I'm sure, will warrant its own post), but he wanted to put on a backpack and join in the photographic fun.

Olivia is now in Group 3 (1st grade), and Elliot is in Group 5 (3rd grade).  It's absolute lunacy to see how quickly time flies.

Down to our last week in Ohio... We're definitely trying to make the most of it.

You can find a few more images in our Family Pictures section.

Sometimes I can feel kind of sad about the fact that my kids have been forced to grow up as city kids.  It's so different from my own childhood -- building forts in the woods, stomping through streams, being free to walk "all the way downtown" (in small-town Midwest America) by myself with little concern for my safety...

I recognize, of course, that there are advantages to growing up in a big city, where something is always happening, where you're close to world-class museums, where you're able to build relationships with people from so many different walks of life.  But there just seems to be something aesthetically lacking, when you're constantly surrounded with concrete and brick and metal and all manner of man-made scenery.  It can feel like a certain element of beauty is missing.

This weekend, though, I felt inspired to go out for a walk with my kids and deliberately seek out the urban grit in our neighborhood.  I took along our camera and tried to capture the beauty of life as a city kid.  The pictures didn't turn out quite as well as I might have liked (I had a bunch of problems with getting the exposure right, given the shifting weather conditions and the significant contrasts in shade and color) -- but I still thought it was a beneficial experiment in finding the unique beauty of our world, and particularly my kids' world.

As usual with this type of post, in case you're interested, you can see more pictures from the weekend's "photo shoot" in the Family Pictures section of the website.

Marci and I finished working out in the basement -- a grueling, gut-wrenching abdominal work-out -- just prior to getting the kids up for the day.? We opened their doors breathlessly and retreated to the dining room to catch our breath, while pouring bowls of breakfast cereal for the children.? As they started to emerge from their warm, tousled, sleepy stupor, the kids marveled at our hot, sweaty condition.? They could tell that we had worked ourselves especially hard.

Cor, in particular, seemed concerned.? He put his hand on Marci's leg to express his support.? Immediately, however, he lifted his hand and exclaimed, "Are you wet, Mama?!?"

Before Marci could answer, he switched to more reassuring tones.? "Dat's okay... Dat's fine, Mama."? He retrieved a nearby sponge and wiped his mother's leg, mimicking an action that he's seen performed a thousand times in his young life.? "I clean it up."