Flavor Enhancing

I am aware that many of you know that I attended the U2 concert in Tampa on Friday. And you probably are thinking that I am going to talk about that in this post. And while I promise I will do that soon - I am reserving that for something special. (Just keep your eyes open on ye olde blogge.) Instead, I am going to talk about something even more important that I did on Friday.

I ate a bat.

Well, in the interest of complete honesty, I didn't eat the entire bat. i only ate a forkful. But people at my table consumed an entire bat. Mostly it was Greg. But my sister, nephew, and even my mom scarfed some down. Now before you go and start wondering if there are strange practices afoot at Hacienda Staples de Lutz, let me explain that the bat was eaten at Hot Rod's BBQ and Grill in Lutz, FL. I am attaching a handy link, in case any of you fine readers are interested in visiting that establishment.

As I talked about in my Nobel Prize winning post on restaurants, I like to try new places. One of the joys of traveling is eating at different restaurants you can't find back home. And I also am a big fan of the whole "support your local business owner" mindset. The local owner is what gives an city or town its personality. Any city can throw up a McDonald's or Subway. That is what makes so many drives seem like there is just a movie loop running out the window. Walgreens, CVS, McDonald's, Exxon, Burger King, Subway, Walmart, Publix, SunTrust Bank, repeat. We all know exactly what you are going to get at places like that - which is part of the reason they became so popular. And it definitely is the reason they became so boring.

Local places bring depth of personality and regional taste. It is fun to find a new place and try it. Sometimes you meet the owner. You get to experience something unique and new. You can walk into a Sonny's BBQ and order a boring and predictable sliced pork dinner. OR, you can find a place like Hot Rod's and find grilled bat. I am teaching my good buddy Greg this approach to food. For much of our friendship, he sticks to the same things. And that's fine - that is the way some people operate. But when he is with me, he is forced to think outside of that mindset. Sure, it is to make me happy - and maybe because he's afraid I'll jam my finger into his sandwich. Today, though, I think he had enjoyed our weekend of food exploration.

Thursday, we drove down to Orlando after Greg got off work. We grabbed dinner at 1 Fresh Stir Fry - a local Tallahassee company that I documented in that aforementioned Pulitzer Prize winning post. It was as awesome as I had hoped - actually better than usual. 1 Fresh had been gaining extra points since I tried their peanut sauce a couple of weeks ago. We both definitely gave our bacon cheese burger rice bowls two grunts up.

On Friday, a free breakfast buffet came with our hotel stay. I used to be a guy who could put a real hurting on a breakfast buffet. The Shoney's in Tampa used to fear me and my friends as we drove in. Since I developed my egg allergy, though, breakfast is not a huge deal. I usually just eat something so I don't feel sick later on. [Side Note: If you are going down to Disney or Orlando and looking for a hotel, try the Comfort Inn on Park Parkway in Lake Buena Vista. It is right outside of Downtown Disney and costs $29 a night on their fall promo - $39 with two adult breakfasts. You can definitely do worse.] Anyway, the buffet was what I have come to expect from most of this sort of place. Pan of bacon, pan of sausage, pan of lame pancakes, cereal, blah blah blah. It is really a picture of what is wrong with mass produced food places - and national chain restaurants. Boring, predictable, serviceable, unmemorable food.

For lunch, we were driving between Maitland and Oviedo and decided to stop in at Famous Uncle Al's Hot Dogs in Winter Springs. Now, this was not a new discovery. It was one of our favorite places when we lived in Orlando. It has awesome food and it is very reasonable for what you are getting. We sat at the counter. Greg got a jumbo beef dog with cheese and fries. I had a cheesesteak and mozz sticks. The food took like five minutes to come out. We were completely in and out in less than 30 minutes. Greg's food cost like $6. (Mine was a little more due to the appetizer.) I noticed they had changed the bread on the sub, so I asked the lady at the counter about it. She explained their thought process and asked what I thought. The grill chef asked where my kids were, since we usually went with them. I explained we had moved. You don't find that at most places - the personal touch. The waitresses there always remembered our drink orders. The grill chefs recognized me. That is an awesome feeling - and adds even more points to a restaurant.

For dinner, we would be in Tampa. I had heard about Hot Rod's BBQ and Grill a few months ago when my sister sent me a web article about the place. I found a coupon for the place on Restaurant.com and we were set. We had reviewed the crazy menu online and seemed ready. (I know it was a bold choice for right before the U2 concert, but it paid off.) The restaurant is a small building that is made to look more like a run down shack than it is - kind of feels like it belongs in a Louisiana swamp or the Everglades. My mom and Greg ordered the turkey leg. My sister and I both got the pulled pork. And, of course, there was the bat that Greg ordered. Yes, they have farm raised fruit bat on the menu. How can you pass that up? They raise the bats right there. It is one of their gimmick dishes - along with the 15 pound cheeseburger and the 1 ½ pound cheeseburger. (I really wanted a cheeseburger. But my query of "Do you have any normal sized burgers?" was met with laughter. And a quick "No.") So how was it? The pulled pork was absolutely amazing, with a delicious vinegar sauce - as it should be. The turkey legs looked like they actually were from a pterodactyl. The sweet potatoes were enormous. Everything was really really REALLY good. And the bat? Well, it tasted like chicken. No, seriously, it had a mix of ham and dark meat poultry flavor to it. It was good - really good actually. But I wouldn't order it, especially with that dang yummy pork.

So after the incredible concert, we left this morning. Around lunch time we were in Homosassa. We started looking for a local place, to keep our winning streak going. I saw a promising joint on the right - Sub Station. It was kind of strange. Sub Station would seem to be a sub place, but it advertised tons of pizza options. Either way, win win. We went inside and their menu was even more extensive. Fried chicken. Pizza. Calzones. Subs. BBQ. I was having trouble deciding. The owner asked what we wanted and I did the smart thing. "What is your best stuff?" He suggested the pizza, the cheesesteak, and the BBQ - "we make it out in the back." Well, now. That changes everything. I'm always nervous about getting BBQ at a sub place (or a pizza place) because I don't want to just get stuff out of a tub. So I ordered a pork sandwich. Greg got the cheesesteak. And we also got a couple slices of pizza - you know, just to try it all. Man o man. The 12" steak sub was only $6.99. And it was amazing. The pizza was really well done New York style with a light crispy crust. But it wasn't greasy or anything. And the BBQ pork was actually pressed on a Cuban roll - which was just an added twist that made the sandwich even better. Top it all off with really fresh crispy fries and spicy sweet baked beans. Again, the owner and staff treated the customers right. The owner personally walked a pizza out to a group of older people - who were stunned at the size of a Medium pizza. "The large one we have to put on a different table," the owner quipped. It was so good I wanted to find a way to make it back to Homosassa.

So, in addition to the fun I had speaking at ICS and rocking with U2, I also got to have some great local food. Stuff like that makes a trip or vacation go from "really good" to "incredible." Think about it. When you are off on a trip somewhere and you discover a great restaurant, that becomes part of the memory - part of the story. So when you talk about that vacation, you include that small detail as well. It is a flavor enhancer. It adds flavor to your time together and provides a platform for a memory. It makes your story even better. It makes the memory stronger. So next time you are out on the road, try a local place. It may become a great memory - at the worst you helped out some small business owner who can use the help. Either way, it is a tasty way to jazz up your trip. And remember to try the bat.

School Memories

I wrote the other day about needing to make some decisions regarding our kids' education. After looking at a lot of options, doing a lot of research, and praying a LOT, we have decided to go ahead and enroll the kids in our local public school at the end of the 1st quarter (end of October). So Apalachee Elementary School, look out - here come the Staples. You won't know what hit you. Unless it is Natalie, then you'll know it. Cause she hits hard.

Am I nervous? Oh sure. It is never easy to send your babies off into the big bad world. Any parent understands that. We have been blessed that the day when we send them off has been delayed longer than a lot of people - between schools at our church, working at a school, and things like that. But, as with most things, it won't be as bad as we fear or as good as we hope. So the adventure continues.

I've attended both public and private schools. I have worked at both public and private schools. There has been good and bad in every one of those situations. (Well, except ICS. There was only good. Always good. Remember, I have to go back there eventually.) No matter where you go, there is no denying that school brings you some incredible memories. It is funny - as you age you forget all kinds of things. Anniversaries, birthdays, names, addresses, what you were blogging about. But you can still remember the full name of the kid in your kindergarten class that smelled like pee. So in honor of this new opportunity for my kids to establish some great new memories, here are some of my favorites.

AS A STUDENT

• I once got in trouble for punching David Furtado's sandwich. He squished his sandwich every day in lunch. So one day, I did it for him. He told on me. I got in trouble. I still think I got the shaft on that one.
• I rode the bus with Brent Wilburn. He could blow air out of his eyeball. He also taught me how to draw Garfield. But the eyeball thing was way cooler.
• I used to do lots of academic competitions. I played "academic games" from elementary through senior year - you would get together after school with all the other schools and play these different games. Math. English. Social Studies. I always did well, but never was the absolute best. Then in 8th grade I finally won one of them. I was completely numb and blindsided when they called my name. It was the biggest trophy I got in my life. (Go ahead. Laugh. I know you want to. I was a nerd and can't deny it - nor do I want to.)
• In Debate in ninth grade, I went to a competition. I was competing in the extemporaneous division, where you draw a topic and have thirty minutes to write a speech and then go talk about it. Really pompous stuff. And debate is like where all the annoying to-be frat boys start. So there is all this hierarchical garbage. I hated it. Anyway, on this particular day we were being judged by some guys FROM MY SCHOOL. And I decided to open by quoting "God Bless America." Only I accidentally started singing it. They busted out laughing during the speech. Then they came and told everyone on the bus what I did. One of them is dead now. True story.
• In ninth grade my Earth/Space Science teacher hated me. We used to really give him a hard time. I asked him one day what nationality he was, and he responded Polish. I said, "I thought so." He just stared at me. I meant because his last name ended with -ski. We moved school locations mid-year and our class' AC never worked. One day it did and he started class with "Notice anything different today." Alex next to me said, "Your tie matches your socks?" During my first experiment in that new school, I completely violated the rules for using a bunsen burner and struck the flint with the gas going full steam. I was lucky nothing happened. Oh yeah, I also threw up all over him and his desk. He always said he would get us back. Then we all got Incompletes on our report cards. True story.
• My Chemistry class was made up of a bunch of very smart guys - and that is dangerous. I remember they were always pulling junk on the teacher (jumping around when he was writing on the board, ignoring him during experiments, group cheating on tests). Finally one day, he got fed up and yelled at the side of the room where they were messing around during experiments. "YOU ALL ARE A BUNCH OF DISCOURTEOUS NERDS!!!" I was on the other side of the room and I remember all of us just looked at him like, "Uh, what? That's the best you could come up with?" He was so worn out by the end of the year he had a heart attack. True story.

AS A TEACHER

• There are some things that you never ever ever ever imagine yourself saying. I remember actually playing this game with some friends in school - trying to come up with sentences that never had been said. (Already established that I was a nerd, remember?) But as a teacher, there are definitely some things you don't expect. I think my favorite was this one. "HEY! Put your leg back on and stop hitting the other kids with it." No explanation needed.
• Of course, one of my fellow interns topped me in the same week. She was a P.E. teacher. Walking with her students out to the field, she punched out this one. "I'm sorry your eye keeps falling out. Just wipe it off, put it in your pocket, and we'll deal with it after class." The kid had a glass eye and they were getting to the point when they needed a new one, since he was growing. Yup.
• My roommate had a student come up to him and ask, "Mr. Shields. Can I go home early, please? I need to beat the cops to the house." Tim looked at him for a second and said, "Do what you got to do." He told me that he admired the originality of the request - or the truth of it, I guess.
• We watched the O.J. verdict. In my class at Evans High School. I almost had a riot on my hands - a happy riot. Not my brightest moment.
• Last year when I was teaching, one of the students wanted to go get some water. But, we had just been told we weren't allowed to let the freshmen go out to get drinks. It was trying to teach them to use the breaks to get their stuff done. So one kid wants to get a drink. I said no. He said he was going to die of thirst. I said i was sorry to hear that. About two minutes later, he fell over onto the ground. The rest of the class laughed. I had to fight back the laugh - and then I sent him to the office with a referral. He apologized profusely, but I did ask as a bonus question on the next test, "Why did Seth die in class?"

All of that is to say that I look forward to hearing the stories my kids have to tell. Those memories last a lifetime. And I'll make sure they look out for kids with artificial body parts and not sing during speeches.

Trouble in Tally

I wrote this for my fantasy football site after USF humiliated FSU last week. In light of the defeat at the hands of Boston College, I decided to post it on my blog, too. Being up in Tallahassee for this football season, I am paying attention more to the Seminoles. I'm not able to keep up as well with UCF as I wish, so I have to settle for FSU.

And settle really is the right word for it. It really made me wonder what is going on up here. Leading up to the USF/FSU game, there was a lot of smack talk between the USF and FSU camps. It sounded like a little brother mouthing off to big bro - with the older sibling about to drop a Big Stinky Leg Drop on the little punk. But it turned out that the little guy had been doing HGH and Steroid cycles while gone to college and the big guy had been doing keg stands. So there was a beating, but not what anyone expected. The game wasn't even as close as the score indicated. Remember USF missed two field goals and one of FSU's scores was a result of a micro-field.

What made it all even worse - and something echoed by the announcers on ESPN U (where U is for Ubvious Uverstatement) to the point of nausea - was that all of the damage was done by a quarterback who grew up in Tallahassee and idolized FSU. The question that stems from that is something FSU seriously must address - but probably won't. HOW IN THE HECK DID THAT HAPPEN? How did B.J. Daniels end up whipping FSU instead of playing for them? As I kept hearing the announcers mention this fact, I really began to wonder. What caused arguably the most dominant team in college football in the 90s to degrade to this point? This is the same team that went 14 years straight finishing in the top five. Who does that? Now, they can't even string two good games together.

I have a couple of theories (which, honestly don't mean jack crap). First of all, FSU has completely lost its recruiting abilities. I know, they signed five of the ESPN Top 150 last year. But I looked at some stuff over the weekend and found out something interesting. Florida is the best supplier of high school players, period. 25 of the ESPN Top 150 were from Florida. The next closest is Texas (19), Georgia (16), and Kahleefornyuh (15). So it really isn't even close. This has been the case for a LOOOOOOONG time. Florida is chock full of speed and talent. Once upon a time, there were three major Florida schools. They would divide up the best of the Florida booty. Things have changed, though. I went through the rosters of the nine biggest football programs in Florida (UF, FSU, UM, USF, UCF, FIU, FAU, FAMU, BCC). Most of the smaller schools have now pilfered the Florida ranks (except for UCF, who recruits like it is a nationally known school - but it is NOT). Here's what I found:

• USF - 91.7% Florida players
• BCC - 91.6% Florida players
• FAU - 89.5% Florida players
• FIU - 85.8% Florida players
• FAMU - 83.5% Florida players
• UCF - 68.7% Florida players
• UM - 66.7% Florida players
• UF - 63.1% Florida players
• FSU - 52.8% Florida players

Combined, that adds up to 691 players, if you are curious. Do you notice something strange about that chart? I can understand the big difference between the first five and the bottom four. The first five are newer and smaller programs, so they are reduced to pulling from their backyard. That is what happens all over the country. The other four teams (yeah, UCF too) are more nationally known. They have been around longer, have larger campuses, more national coverage. (Remember UCF has had two top 5 Heisman finishers, three bowl appearances, and is the largest school in Florida.) So they can pull from the best of the country. That is why UF, UM, UCF, and FSU have smaller percentages. BUT, once you hit a certain point, doesn't the number start to mean something more? I mean, you are in Florida. You are nationally known with great facilities. You have a legend as a coach. How can you only get 56 state kids? I mean, South Carolina has 22 from Florida. The pool has been depleted, for sure, thanks to the higher number of suitors. (Not to mention Michigan, Georgia, Illinois, Auburn, Ole Miss, Georgia Tech, NC State, Boston College, Notre Dame, Mississippi State, and Ohio State all have between 10 and 20 Florida boys.) I just think that FSU's luster has worn off in-state. There is no reason to be that inept at recruiting in your backyard. That's how B.J. Daniels escapes.

The other main thing is that FSU is killing itself with its refusal to make a coaching change. Everyone knows that Bobby Bowden is not the coach of that team. Jimbo Fisher is the coach. Bobby is a guy in a sun hat and Oakleys wandering on the sideline wondering where his sandwich is. This can't be positive. The players have to be torn. In the Miami game, there was one point where Bowden and Fisher both were trying to talk to one of the players. The youngster looked confused and then went over to Fisher. The only ONLY reason that Bowden is still there is that he wants to beat Paterno. FSU finally got smart and put some "Associate Head Coaches" in place, like Penn State did. But Bowden (and his supporters in the Boosters) still hold too much sway. The game has passed him by - as well as Mickey Andrews and other St. Bobby staff guys. FSU really just needs to gut the coaching staff. They need to fire everyone (Fisher included, who I have not been impressed with at all). Then they need to dangle a truckload of money at some brilliant coach and say, "Here are the keys. Fix it." And not someone out of the "FSU Family." Someone who knows what they are doing.

See, the new coaches like Urban Meyer don't give a rat's tail about who ends up at the top of the all-time win chart. They don't plan on staying anywhere long enough to get a field named after them. They are going to jump into the pros or the broadcasting booth anyway. They are hired guns. Very effective, potent, intelligent guns. They have mastered the new recruiting world (texts, tweets, cell phones). It isn't about sitting in a living room and convincing mama any more. It is impressing and seducing and relentlessly pursuing. I respect FSU's loyalty - it is so rare now in our world. But it is hurting that program. The victory over FSU was huge to USF - they are going to have an even better recruiting edge now, more respect, blah blah blah. But it was huge to FSU because it showed them they aren't the big dog any more. In reality, there is UF in the top tier. FSU, UM, USF are in the next tier. UCF, FAU, and FIU are nipping at their heels. It isn't the Big Three - it is the Big One and the Next Six. FSU had better do something, or they are going to be destined to 7-5 seasons and being home before New Year.

What the Heck is Wrong with Pizza Hut

I remember when I was younger. My mom cooked at home all the time - and she made some really incredible stuff. But there was one food that she never was satisfied with. She never liked her own pizza. None of us had any problems with her pizza. Pizza night was a huge success as far as we were concerned. Our friends loved pizza night. And reheated pizza was awesome too. But my mom NEVER liked her own pizza. She wanted to find a way to duplicate Pizza Hut's Pan Pizza. Since my dad was never going to let her invest in a variety of pans and experiment with crust types, it meant that she was always going to be frustrated. And it meant that there would be days when we ordered Pizza Hut - or even better, went to eat there.

In our house, there was Pizza Hut and that was it. I don't remember ordering pizza from any other places - except an initial attempt as new companies would launch. This would be followed by our assessment that it was horrible and "not as good as Pizza Hut." [Please bear in mind that we are Florida natives and had never even come close to experiencing New York or Chicago pizza.] The thing was, Pizza Hut WAS good. I remember going to eat at Pizza Hut - they would bring those pies out fresh. And it was so much different than if they were delivered. They were amazing. Remember the BBQ pizza? Good night, that thing was phenomenal. Then they added the Lover's Line - with the Cheese Lover's with any two toppings. It had sooo much cheese on it. I never was as taken with the pan crust as my family. I preferred hand-tossed and thin crust.

When I went to college, Pizza Hut was still a huge element of my diet (what a poor choice of words). Remember the Bigfoot pizza? I would order that all the time. My friends and I would get Bigfoots when we were hanging out - they were such a good deal. And that was when I discovered the Pizza Hut Lunch Buffet. Man oh man. I cannot even begin to remember the number of times we destroyed the Buffet. What was better than dropping five bucks and being able to eat as much as you wanted of the amazing pizzas? Once I moved to Tampa, our ministry kept several Pizza Huts in business. We used to hit the Buffets at least once a week. We had a guy in our group who worked at Pizza Hut and would get us discounts on pizzas for our Bible studies. They were always innovating. The cheese stuffed crust. The triple decker pizza. The cheese bread sticks. The Edge pizza. I personally discovered several new flavors - the bacon cheeseburger for example. I never would order Papa John's or Dominos or Little Caesar's. It was Pizza Hut or nothing.

Then something happened. I still don't know what it was. Maybe it was when Pepsico spun off the restaurants. Maybe it was when Pizza Hut decided to become a glorified fast food joint. Whatever it was, the fact is that Pizza Hut just is horrible now. I keep wanting to give it another chance - hoping that they will get their act together. But it just gets worse and worse. They bring out new items. Eventually we try them. Then we regret it.

One of the biggest problems is that the pizza is greasy. The newer items really suffer from this grease problems. The new Panormous individual pizza is like a giant sponge. Then there is the pepperoni rolls. Now, we all know that pepperoni drips more oil than a AMC Gremlin. The only way to avoid this is actually to put the pepperoni on top of the cheese and get it crispy, which locks the oily goodness inside. (It is weird how the only pizza chain who has figured this out is Donato's. Papa John's actually buries it UNDER the cheese.) Well, imagine locking this oil stick INSIDE of a mini calzone. No, not a calzone. That would imply ricotta and, you know, taste. It is like a roll with mozzarella and pepperoni in it - and then rubbed in lard. So it is greasy on the outside and oily on the inside. But, at least it is balanced, I guess. The sauce also has undergone a transformation. I call it the "antacid negator." I can have take a Prilosec, chew a couple Extra Strength Rolaids as an appetizer, and drink Milk of Magnesia in a tall frosted mug. A few hours later, bang!, a volcano erupts in my stomach. Yay!

Then you have the Pizza Mia! This is one of the worst ideas I have ever seen at a restaurant. It is just like a regular Pizza Hut pizza, except they used different crust, sauce, and cheese. Other than that, it is identical. Carbon copy. While the recent degradation in quality at the Hut may actually make it seem like a complete change is a good idea, when you replace the questionable items with downright disgusting, well that is not a good deal. Sure, it is cheap. But most frozen pizzas cost the same or less and are better. And don't even get me started on their wings.

I'm not sure why Pizza Hut decided to become a fast food establishment. But it did. Now you can find the Hut slumming in Target food courts everywhere. All the pizzas are frozen and get tossed into the conveyer belt attached to a space heater. Seven minutes later, WHAM, mediocre pizza sitting in a puddle of grease. Now these pizzas have a half life of about six minutes. This means that after six minutes it is only halfway food. Instead of melted cheese, liquid sauce, and grease saturated bread sponge, it now looks like a toy pizza. There is no way to customize the pizza at all. The same approach is found at the combination Hut/Taco Bell/A&W/Long John Silver's out there. Mmmmm. Multiple iterations of mediocrity. Taste the dullness. Even the old sit down Pizza Huts are being retrofitted. Instead of being helped by a waitress, there is a counter and a serve-your-own drink stand. And lots of prefab pizzas.

So what happened? No clue. I have no idea if this has paid off financially for the company or not. I just know that every time I eat there it feels like I rubbed oil on my face and set a fire in my stomach. THAT's a winning endorsement, people - especially for a guy who thinks pizza may just have been what the Old Testament calls manna. Whatever. I have plenty of other pizza places to enjoy - like Barnaby's and Decent Pizza and, what's it called, oh yeah, Tombstone.

TWOOOOOOOOOO

Gabriel was never even supposed to be here. That's the honest truth. After we had Josiah and Natalie, we had talked a lot about it and really felt that our family was complete. We had one boy and one girl. Heather was finishing school and was planning on going to medical school. Both kids were out of diapers, weened, well on their way to being full fledged children - not preschoolers or toddlers. They were kids. So we decided that we were done.

Of course, that was before we got our souvenir from our cruise. Now, of course, I cannot imagine our family without Gabriel. No one calls him Gabriel. That is reserved for his "getting in trouble name." When he is acting like a wild person (like he was this afternoon), I will yell, "GABRIEL!!! KNOCK IT OFF!" I swear, he doesn't know who I am talking to. He's like, "Who's this cat named Gabriel? At least he's getting in trouble, not me." We all call him Gabe. Or Gabey. Or Gabey Baby. Or Gabers. Or Gabersaurus. Or GooGoo (courtesy of Nat).

The little dude turned two yesterday. Or, as he said it when Heather asked him, "Twooooooo!" I have written about Gabe before back in March. He is just a really unique and funny little guy. Josiah was nine pounds, four ounces when he was born. Natalie was eight pounds, one ounce. Gabe was six pounds, fifteen ounces. We were used to these mongo babies and he was too small to fill out newborn clothes. We didn't even have newborn clothes because the "pass me down" stuff was all so much bigger. Josiah and Gabe celebrate their birthdays two weeks apart. We figured that would be great in using Josiah's old clothes. The seasons and everything should match. Well, we didn't expect such a little dude.

I am not a little person. And my kids seemed destined to be on the upper range of growth charts. Natalie is a full head taller than ever other girl in her gymnastics class. She is only two inches shorter than Josiah. As a baby and toddler, Josiah was at the upper levels on everything. Gabe celebrated his second birthday wearing his twelve month shorts. We just now are able to get into the clothes Josiah wore when he was one. In addition, Gabers is blond with blue/green eyes (depending on the light and what he's wearing). He looks very little like his daddy.

One of the the things about Gabe that is just so awesome is that he is nuts. I mean he is absolutely crazy. He will tear through the house "GO GO GO GO GO GO GO GO!!!!" I have no idea what he is going to (or running from). He has always just assumed that he should do whatever the big kids do. The fact that their is six years between him and Josiah is one thing. Add to it the fact that Gabe is so tiny and it looks like an 18 month old trying to climb into the bunk bed or play with Legos. I think Gabe is such a joyful kid (although the ladies who watch him at church would dispute that). He is always smiling and laughing. He thinks he is so funny. He has come up with a whole bunch of goofy faces that he will do at you to see if you will copy him. The other day I put him down for his nap and I caught him standing on the bed, looking in the mirror making faces at himself and laughing.

Back to the joyful thing... I know that over the last two years, Gabe has made many preschool workers consider changing their area of church service. For a long time, people swore he didn't smile because every picture was him just staring at the camera. Part of his deal is that he simply adores his family - all of it. He thinks his older siblings walk on water. He will follow Josiah anywhere and now has realized Natalie is his crazy play buddy. He loves his grandparents, his aunts and uncles. Sure, he's still not sure about his cousins - but I think it is because he is trying to make sure they aren't getting his attention. One of his favorite people in the world is Heather's dad. This has been true since his birth. "POP POP!!!!" He loves his Pop Pop. Whenever we get to visit, there will be multiple times where Gabe and Pop Pop are seen cuddling somewhere. He loves to cuddle. He naps and sleeps so much better when he is near people. He wants to be hugged and kissed all over. He'll come up to you when he's playing. "Holdchuuu? Holdchuu?" That means, "Hold you?" Which means he wants picked up. Even as I am writing this, he keeps coming over to the couch and climbing up on me just to hug me. He cries just as much when I leave as when Heather leaves. The other night I went out with a couple friends and he just wailed at the door. He wants to go with me to the store and whenever I go out.

That is possibly the most special thing about Gabe - and it maybe isn't even him. I have spent so much more time with him than the other two kids due to working mostly from home his whole life. And I also am so much more comfortable with him, since I have been doing this for so long. As a result, he and I have such a great relationship. He loves to sit with me. He asks for me. "DADDEEEEEE!" When I worked at Apple and ICS, I would walk in the door and he would run down the hall to see me when I came home. Now, he is really getting into sports and balls. He will throw balls to me . . . and at me. He prefers to through them at you, actually. I'm not used to this. Josiah would always take the balls and make solar systems out of them. Today at lunch, Gabe was staring at ESPN watching the football pregame show. He kept yelling, "BALL!!! BALL!!" I remember even when he was little he would sit there and watch basketball and football with us. A lot of people will watch him and say, "Well you got your sports buddy."

Gabe is talking all the time. He is memorizing songs from shows. He plays with blocks and toys like a big boy. He writes and colors all the time. We have gone through dozens of notebooks with his hundreds of circles and scribbles. He absolutely loves chocolate. And he can spot it from across a room. 1 Fresh Stir Fry (one of our favorite restaurant treats) has a big jar of Hershey's Kisses. Gabe remembers this and starts begging before we are in the door.

I absolutely adore my kids. Each of them are so different and so special. And I have completely different relationships with each of them. They bring something so special to our family. I don't love them more or less because of what they bring to the table. Josiah is such a brainy boy - he plays video games, loves Star Wars and Mario Brothers. He runs around making sound effects and acting out whole worlds. Natalie is such a girly girl. She loves dresses and bows and jewelry and falling asleep in my lap. BUT, she is MY girl. So she also will belch and fart and laugh - she's hilarious and can be a total clown. And then Gabe is a sporty, mechanical, crazy, funny boy. It is like he bridges everything and ties us all together. He is smart and wild. He loves little intricate toys and big bouncing balls. He will dance to music or sit and read a book. I am so blessed to have these three little people in my life. And I certainly am glad that God decided not to take our advice on what we thought we wanted for our family. He gave us what we wanted - and needed. He gave us Gabey. Happy birthday little man.