Innocence of Kids

I am continually impressed and amazed by my two beautiful girls.  They say the most profound things that really teach me that I need to look at life and the world through a better set of eyes.  There are so many things that we are continually influenced with that make it so that as we get older the world tells us what to think of things.  Not so with my girls.  They think what they want to about the things that they want to think about.   Wish I could do more of that instead of being told what to think by the influences around me.

Yestereday we had a really great time with Paige and Mia as the four of us ventured on a 5k.   Yes, all four of us!  I was running with Mia and Carrie took off with Paige.  Sweet little Mia tried so very hard to run her little heart out.  I have an application on my phone to track our progress.  She full on ran for .75 miles!  Those little legs were just pounding the pavement.  She wanted so badly to keep running but her poor little legs were in so much pain that we ended up walking.  Overall, she ended up walking 2.63 miles.  I'm so proud of her!  Compared to me, that's like walking somewhere around a thousand miles with her little legs.   We had a really great time as we walked along for the hour and a half or so just talking about the world around us and what was going through her mind.

 She was very concerned that her big toe isn't called a foot thumb.  She felt that a foot thumb was a much better use of that description.  She's got me convinced.  Therer were also some old barns and other buildings that had falled down along the running trail from years of abuse from the sun and elements.  Mia asked me if I was around when the tornado came through that tore all the buildings down.  I told her that I didn't think that it was tornadoes but rather time thta had done it but she insisted that it was time.

Paige also did an incredible job on the run.  I'm not certain how the entire thing unfolded on their side, but Carrie said that Paige ran a very large portion of the run and did make the whole length either running or walking.  We're thinking about making it an event to do multiple times during the summer.  A good family event and support some causes.  Gets us out in the sun and exercising.   I might have to bring along the running stroller for Mia - though, she might be getting too big for that.

Tonight we had a family game of soccer.  Wheww, I'm out of shape!   Those little kids are the energizer bunnies.  Wish I could tap into that stuff and power a few small cities.  It was Carrie and Paige versus Mia and me.  Mia ended up being the record keeper so it was a lot more of just me against the other two.  The only way I could get a goal was by throwing Carrie over my shoulder and running that way while distracting Paige.  It opened the goal way up.

I love my family.  We have such an amazing life.  Two perfect daughters and a perfect wife.  I feel so blessed that I have been given as much as I have.  I just pray that I'll be worthy of them being in my life.

Intelligence is Relative?

I really do think that I'm getting dumber as I get older.  This could be because of the severe lack of sleep, the fact that I drank a few poisonous things during my early years (my parents had Poison Control on speed dial and were in the frequent caller program), long term impact of drinking too much Mt Dew year ago, brain damage from a waywardly thrown lawn dart (thanks to a sibling), or just countless other things.

I suppose that intelligence is really a matter of perspective.  I really enjoyed back in the day when I didn't have to worry about retirement or the stock market.  The NASDAQ was something that adults talked about when they were at parties sipping brandy and smoking a Camel.  Even sitting in my Finance classes in college, I'd just kind of zone out when it came to talking about the time value of money or day trading.  Just learned enough to get that C+ I dreamed of.  Well, times have changed and I do have to care now.  Well, I have to care or keep hope in the back of my mind that Paige or Mia are going to strike it rich and support me in my retirement years.  

Carrie and I have been meeting with a few peeps the past few weeks to try and get some direction about how to invest in the future.  The part that I battle within my mind is whether the Mayans really were correct and any money that I put away will be worthless come this December when the end of the world comes.  If that's the case, I should just go out and party the night away with every penny I have spending it on bags of chocolate chips and IBC Root Beer.  Ahhh, that's the life.  I realize that it's very pathetic that I look at a night on the town involving chocolate and carbonated beverages.  I've been off the hard stuff (carbonation) since January and I think that it's having an impact on me.  There was a day that I use to look at a night on the town involving women and fast cars.  And I digress - - - where was I?

Ah yes.  Investing.  I don't have a pension, 401k, or the mob to pay as part of my retirement so it's pretty much up to us to figure out what vehicle we'll use to plan for the days when we ride around on Rascals and yell at the neighbors kids that happen onto our lawn.  Really scary to make these kinds of decisions that could impact whether we can travel when we retire, eating 30 years from now's equivalent of Ramen, or working until the age of dead.  Of course this is all based off the hope that I actually have the funds to invest now - we'll just pretend that I do to make it interesting.

I suppose what the thought that I'm getting around to is that I don't know much about investing and it seems like a very grown up thing to be considering for a 34 year old.  Isn't there suppose to be someone sitting there telling me what to do?  Maybe if I play Solitaire in an open area with some investment strategies minimized on the computer, then when someone comes along to stand behind me and tell me to put the black 7 on the red 8 (as they certainly will) then I can ask them to also tell me what to do with retirement planning.  Probably not a fool proof idea but could it work?

Oh well.  I suppose I'll do my best to research things out and hope for the best.  Dear Lehman Brothers, thanks for the memories.