THE PEANUT GALLERY: Ghosts of Christmas Cards Past

We take pride in our annual Christmas card. It's one of our favorite, if not our favorite, non-traditional traditions. We are not the kind of people who pose for perfect pictures, or would pose our child for a perfect picture, to evoke an image of the perfect family for our friends, colleagues, and loved ones. No. No. No. Family is not perfect. It is most certainly, and wonderfully, imperfect. We must laugh at our imperfections every chance we get. Here is the image and caption from our first-ever family Christmas card, sent the year after we were married:

2003: "Here's hoping the holidays
don't make you NUTS."

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THE PEANUT GALLERY: Adult Swim

"Peanut, why are all of these princesses naked?" 

"Because they're having a swimming party, daddy:"

Now THAT's a party.

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THE PEANUT GALLERY: Play Ball

A couple of years ago, I bought Peanut a tee ball set. It wasn't something she asked for. I just thought it would be fun to smack the ball around the backyard, and to ingrain in her a love, or at least an appreciation, for the national pastime. (And the Yankees.) I had no intention of training her to be a baseball or softball prodigy, and then living vicariously through her. Besides, Peanut's game attire erased any delusions I may have had of her earning a sports scholarship:

3 year-old Peanut, batting in her tutu

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You're My Best Friend

"A single rose can be my garden. A single friend, my world." -Leo Buscaglia

I just knew. I knew the woman whom I now so affectionately refer to as My Director was the one. I knew early on, too. Too early, some might say. My college roommate for one. When I shared with him my epiphany that I thought she was "the one"only two months into our relationship, he warned me. "Be careful," he said. And that's all he said. But I was careful... all of those other times. With every other girl. (I made it sound like there were many. There were not.) I never let them in. Never opened up. Didn't want to.

Even though I knew, I still tread lightly. I was, after all, a second semester senior. She was just a junior. A baby. This could never work. The long distance. A graduate and a student. We had been dating for such a short amount of time. But I felt it. I loved her. I couldn't say THAT though. Way too soon. So how do I convey my feelings without freaking her out?

I know. I'll say the next best thing. So one night, as we sat on the couch in my room in my fraternity house. (Very classy.) Jerry Maguire playing for the umpteenth time. (Very romantic.) I finally opened up. I couldn't hold it in anymore. So I told her.

"You know... you're my best friend."

Wow. I did it. I put some feelings out there. Not THE feeling, mind you. But it was definitely a hint.

Without hesitation, she shot right back with, "My mom's my best friend."

Record screeches. Tray of glasses crashes to the floor. Cuba Gooding pauses his "Show me the money" routine mid-gyration. I sat there in disbelief. In stunned silence.

Really? Her mom is her best friend? What the hell is that? If it was a warning signal, an invitation to exit stage left, I didn't take it. Still to this day I can't believe she said her mom is her best friend. Unreal.

That story has become legend. We continue to laugh about it, especially whenever her mom does something to aggravate one of us. At those times I will say, "So who's your best friend now?" Suffice it to say, she has since elevated and permanently placed me into her best-friend penthouse.

A best friend is someone who sees you at your worst but still judges you by your best. That's what My Director has done with me for the nearly fifteen years we've been together. As I said in our wedding vows, she knows everything there is to know about me but loves me anyway.

For that, I am eternally grateful.

Happy birthday to my best friend.

We clean up nice.

Which came first? The spicy chicken or the deviled egg?

Ain't that America: You and me.

A best friend agrees to dress as "Jersey Shore"
for Halloween one year. (I got a spray tan.)

Last year, a word she uses in her voicemail messages to me inspired her birthday post. Click here to read it.

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THE PEANUT GALLERY: Family Portraits

There may be no better way to immortalize a person than to have their child draw a picture of them. Marble sculpture? Bronze bust? Oil painting? No, sir. Give my 5 year-old a box of Crayolas any day of the week and let her imagination run wild. (Besides, I'm too self-conscious to be painted or sculpted.)

Even better, Peanut is becoming quite the little artist. Unlike her dancing gene, which she obviously gets from me, this love of art comes from My Director's side. My mother-in-law was a stellar art teacher. My Director loves that artsy stuff too. Me? Admittedly, whenever Peanut asks, "Daddy, come color with me," I cringe. A pit forms in my stomach. I immediately try to think of an excuse to get out of it. It's true. I'd rather unload the dishwasher than color with my child. The best I can usually do is a house, a tree, a sun, and some stick figures.

Realizing that's cruel and contrary to everything I believe as a parent, I then try to convince her that something else would be more fun:

"C'mon, Peanut. Instead we can totally eat ice cream and jump on the bed before mommy gets home. She'll never know."

"No, daddy. I just want to color."

"Fine. Have it your way."

Whether I like it or not, Peanut loves to draw. Her favorite subject is our family. Here is the spot-on picture of My Director she recently drew for Mother's Day: 

The glasses. The earrings. The boots. Perfect.

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THE PEANUT GALLERY: Thank You, Steve

In wonderful, awe-inspiring memory of Steve Jobs. Like so many, gone too soon. Thanks for carpe-ing the diem, Steve.

"Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life." - Steve Jobs

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THE PEANUT GALLERY: So Long, Summer 2011

As Peanut and I hunker down to wait out Irene (my wife is working... in the city... making sure the thousands of students she's in charge of are safe), I'm thinking about another amazing summer full of happy memories. Here are the highlights:

Drinking from the sprinkler

Pure joy

The frog exhibit at the Museum of Natural History

Ribbit

Ain't that America? Happy 4th!

Fearless

She digs the beach

We had a slight sand-throwing issue

Vacation = Dora ice pops for lunch

I'm on a boat!

She's tall enough now

Loves the merry-go-round

(In case you were wondering)

That smile makes it all worth it

All by herself

Driving on the right side... very British

Painful and tedious... I mean... a great time

Manicure.

She wiped her mouth on my white linen shirt

Then passed out with Luna standing guard

Spent

Our annual beach tradition (her name's a bit long)

Waiting for high tide in the hole we dug

My wife's favorite picture

A weekend in Vermont wouldn't be complete....

...without some Ben & Jerry's on your face

They had a face painter at daycare this day (annoying)

Loving the tea cups (I was nauseous)

We spent $15 to "win" this and she could care less about it

Going under all by herself

More ice cream...at Great Adventure...on my birthday

She's not a fan of the heat

Big lizard statues are ok though

Summer goes by way too fast, doesn't it? Which was your favorite picture? My favorite memory from summer was the subject of an earlier "Peanut Gallery." Click here to see it.

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