An Officer and a Gentleman

Maxwell got to wear his new JROTC uniform to school for the first time today. Although Maxwell is smiling in this picture, I have 47 photos I took at home where he is scowling and frowning. As Maxwell marched off to school this morning he was grousing that he felt like a total dork and that his gay-looking patent leather shoes were too tight (he was wearing size 10½ which his instructor immediately exchanged for a size 14 - OUCH!!!!). When Max returned home after school, I asked him if the other kids gave him a lot of flack about the uniform and he immediately gave me a coy grin. Evidently, the girls were whistling at him and telling him that he was looking spiffy and that they just loved a man in uniform. Earlier this evening, I caught Maxwell in his bedroom ironing his shirt and polishing those patent leathers and boy-oh-boy did he have a big smile on his face.

(Editors Note: JROTC is fine for now but there ain't a chance in hell I will I let my son enlist in the military)

The Cardio Kids

Cardio isn't much fun but I love it when the boys join me at LA Fitness. Max and Trev love to work out but I also reward their exercise with a little Xbox time. For example, on Saturday the boys took an hour long Pilates class and then knocked out 30 minutes of cardio and another 30 minutes of general exercises including weights, lunges, push-ups, etc. For their efforts, they earned 2 hours on the Xbox and I don't feel guilty when I see them sitting on the sofa killing their friends. I'm quite pleased to admit, they are looking very fit.

All Choked Up

The boys try their handiwork at making short films using their camera phones. They made 6 films in all, pretty much in the same genre, that is Trevor getting smacked around by Big Brother Maxwell. At the end of each film, Trevor gives us the Thumbs-Up to assure us that he is alright.

The Freshman

Maxwell attended Freshman Orientation at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas (MSD) today in preparation for classes which commence next week. When I look at this 6'1", 175 lbs, gauky teenager in his boat-like size 13 shoes, I can't believe that I used to hold him in my hands when he was an infant while he mewed like a kitten and tried to nurse on my fingers. Then I blinked and he turned into a man.

Pump It

Since my boys are totally into physical fitness, I gave them each a session with my personal trainer so they could see how hard their old man works out. My trainer, Cesar Chilmaza, specializes in functional training and can make a 45 minute session seem like eternity. You really work your butt off but it is worth every agonizing second. Here, Cesar helps Trevor pump out an inhumane number of push ups right before he introduces him to the dreaded lunges.

Wiped Out

Let me just say that snorkeling is one of the most exhausting sports there is. Maxwell crashed immediately when he got back on the boat. Trevor found a spot on the bow. Dad stayed awake to enjoy the scenery.

2 Coconuts

Our dear friends the Flanigans invited us to their beach house in The Keys for the weekend. Barry Flanigan took us about 6 miles offshore to do some snorkeling in the lovely turquoise waters. The boys look like a couple of German Shepherd pups with their oversized fuzzy heads.

Guts

When you wrestle, matches are determined by weight class. They don't pair you up by age or strength or physical maturity. For a 165 lbs, almost 6' boy going into the 8th grade, this can be a problem. In Trevor's case, he has to wrestle guys going into their junior or senior year of high school. He doesn't get to wrestle the human-sized boys his own age. However, Trevor keeps going out on the mat. He never complains or shows fear but always gives 100%. "I'm getting good experience Dad," he'll pant after the match. As far as I'm concerned, Trevor wins every match through his demonstration of guts. It makes a father proud. I have to admit though, when I caught up with this punk choking Trevor, I stuck his head in a toilet.

Table for Two

I was digging around in the My Pictures folder when I stumbled across this gem. I think the photo was taken in 1998 which would put Maxwell at 5 and Trevor at 3. The boys didn't even take up the length of the table yet. I wonder why Maxwell found it necessary to wear a wristwatch.

Brotherly Love

So we are at a wrestling tournament last weekend and Max, who is a pretty good wrestler, is down 0-3 and he doesn't like to lose. I'm running a scorer's table when Max gives me his match ticket that includes his name and little brother Trevor's. I look up at Max as he tries to explain with a sheepish grin that this will give Trevor good experience because they have wrestled each other before and blah, blah, blah. I reply, "I know what you're up to and you'd better not break his neck." Max promises and goes to collect Trevor. I smile and prepare my camera.

Upside Down

As a parent you often get caught up in the dailyness of life and don't realize your children growing and maturing and changing. Then your child demonstrates some new ability or talent or quality that turns your perception of them upside down. The other day at wrestling practice Max gives me a hey-Dad-watch-this and demonstrates that he is no longer a little boy but a big strapping young man who is more athletic than his old man ever was or ever will be.

Trevor's Piano Recital

Trevor played "From a Distance" by Bette Midler during his second piano recital and gave a flawless performance after some initial hesitation. Big Brother Maxwell was on hand but resisted the temptation to mock poor little Trevor. Probably because Camera Man Dad was giving him the Don't-you-say-one-word look.

Allergic to North Carolina

Poor Trevor woke up with hives from head to toe. It seems he is allergic to North Carolina. After I brought him back from the doctor, he took a 4 hour nap. Hopefully the medicine helps and he'll be doing better tomorrow. We're just going to hang out at the house and take the day off.

Spelunkers

Today, I'm taking the gang to Morril's Cave near Elizabethton, Tennessee for our very first caving expedition. Shellsea, Max and Trevor are all excited and ready to explore.

One size fits all (Not!)

And I thought the whitewater rafting helmut was small.

Morril's Cave

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Here we are just outside the entrance to Morril's Cave (aka Worley's Cave). High Mountain Expeditions provided two excellent cave guides pictured on the left. Our guides, Max and Jeff (yes, it did cause some confusion), were fanatastic. They made the expedition lots of fun and even kept me from cracking my head open during a very scary fall. Since we were their first expedition of the season, Max and Jeff took us on the special tour and led us through lots of chamber and passages that aren't included in the standard package. Please note, this is the last time you will see us clean.

Into the Abyss

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Our naive little spelunkers are marching off into the abyss. They have a spring in their step and smiles on their face. This is going to be fun! This is going to easy!

Tight Squeeze

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You can't really appreciate this picture without hearing the screams and giggles. The kids are taking a little detour to visit a small chamber called the Egg Room. I tried to follow, but you're required to slither on your belly over 25 feet through this very narrow crevice. Halfway through I felt the grip of claustrophobia for the first time in my life. I decided to back out and let the kids enjoy this on their own.

The Mud Room

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Trevor demonstrates the log roll for everyone in a small cavern known as The Mud Room. There is nothing more enjoyable than rolling around in cold muddy water. I'm not going to try it though. I'll just take their word for it.

Girls are Icky

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Gail and Shellsea are no wimps. They showed us guys a thing or two. In fact, I had trouble keeping up with them.

At the end of my rope

This is where I really start to get tired (Notice the blank, vacant stare). My guide gently encourages me, "We're almost to the halfway point, Jeff. Hang in there."

Cavemen

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I had no idea what I was getting us into. For the last 4½ hours, we have walked, crawled, slipped, climbed, slid, waded, tripped, pulled, and slithered our way through almost 5 miles of passages. At one point when we were wading down a waist-deep, icy-cold creek that runs through the lower level of the cave, I could hear my son Trevor's teeth chattering in the darkness. I asked our guide how far we were below the surface. When he replied somewhere over a mile, I cursed myself (can you say hypothermia?). However, we finally emerged safe and uninjured, although we are a little banged up, very cold, and extremely exhausted. I have to admit though, this expedition has been one of the most unique and profound experiences of my life. As my boys would say, "it was awesome!"

Today's Adventure

We're loading up the horses and going to hit the trails at the DuPont State Park today.

Covered Bridge

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I know I named this post "Covered Bridge," but a more appropriate name would be "Saddle Sore." My backside is singing Ava Maria. What reproductive ability wasn't destroyed by yesterday's too-tight wetsuit was taken care of by my first horseback ride in almost 40 years.

Lake Imaging Trail

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Gail's leading Max off for a scenic ride on the Lake Imaging Trail. Trevor and I followed on foot not knowing what an arduous hike was in store for us.