Notes on the Dad Front

First things first: The Kidney Kid shall henceforth be called Arnold. Just doesn't seem right to tag him with a nickname based solely on his disability. Okay, so naming him for a precocious child-actor who came to fame because of his jowliness and his impaired grown due to kidney disease pretty much does the same, but hey...he was funny. Next goal: teaching The Kidne...er, Arnold a catchphrase or two.

Secondly, Arnold turned two yesterday! Have paused to meditate on God's grace throughout those two years a lot over the last few days. When he was 2 weeks old we expected to go in for a major surgery about this time. Mercifully, it's not now (tho' that would give me an excuse for being so far behind in school...ah well, can't have everything, eh?)--sure, it's looming out there somewhere. But when he's older, can be talked to about what's going on, when he's stronger. (For newer readers who have no idea what I'm talking about, scanning this, this, this, this, this, this, this, this, this, this, and (finally!) this, --in order--should help [thank you, Technocrati for finding those for me!]) But he's walking' working on talking' he's got a great personality, a fierce temper that's a walking monument to his father's depravity; he idolizes Frodo, loves the Princess and Samwise; and other than the whole only having .25 kidney thing is very healthy. We had too many dark nights in the beginning, but for the most part now never think of the kidney nonsense and just enjoy him. Truly an act of providence (and God restraining our hearts from panic and paranoia).

Not much to say on the Princess front. She's adorable, she can only speak in giggles (or so it seems), has her Daddy pretty much wrapped around her finger, and is bursting at the seams to try her hand at reading, writing, 'rithmatic, and particle physics.

Samwise is..., well, Samwise. He's addicted as ever to videogames, a little slow on the thinking through things part, loyal to a fault, normally cheerful as all get out, frequently off in his own little world, and a voracious reader.

I actually pulled out the old "if everyone jumped off a cliff, would you want to?" line on Frodo yesterday. He laughed. He thought it was hilarious. Oh my, I have so much work to do with this one. Don't know where to begin :)