A Perfect Father's Day! Church, A Smoker/Grill, Steak, Star Wars, and Fireflies

Well, Amelia added me on as a contributor to our family blog (since apparently I don't have the capacity to post on my own "deep theological thoughts" blog very much. SO, here's my first family post:

I had a GREAT Father's Day!
I got up at "butt-early" to tend to the awake children but was soon joined by my lovely wife and my wonderful mother-in-law.
We went to church at the same church we went to last week (St Stephen's). Unbeknownst to us, they had videotaped the kids the week before and apparently one of the kids they taped was Ewan! So, here we are in church watching this tribute Father's Day video which was clever and moving and up pops my son! They asked him, "What do you like that your dad does." He says, "I like the tackles!" =)
Also at church, they had my boys make "hand-print" Father's Day cards and the boys gave them to me and said, "Happy Father's Day" and gave me BIG hugs. Very sweet. (Of course, Isaac's sounded more like "Happy Fawder's Day"...

We went home took a nap and when the boys got up I showed Ewan some of Stars Wars Episode 1. (Amelia already wrote about that.) It was fun to snuggle up in the big recliner together and watch his face light up!
Then went to Lowe's where I got to pick out a new, small grill. Also, my mother-in-law, Janet, got us a smoker, too! (And then she helped us cook on it the next day and MAN! Tasty!!)

Then, we went to eat at Texas Roadhouse where I had a mug of Texas beer (Shiner) and ate and excellent Chicken-Fried Steak! Whoo-hoo!

When we went home, it was late and the sun was starting to go down, and Ewan saw FIREFLIES (for the 2nd time in his life). And THIS time, he wanted to CATCH them! So, I said, OK, and off we went. I got a jar from the basement and put some holes in it and we ran around our huge, joint backyard (there are no fences between us and three of our neighbors) and caught fireflies. Ewan COULD NOT have been more excited and more happy!!

We caught as many as we could; 12 or so, until we couldn't see them any more (except when they blinked). We took them inside and went straight to bed. Ewan wanted to put the fireflies on the nightstand while we read books together. He was still in high heaven!...

He said in super-fast speech: "DadthefireflieswanttoreadPoohbear?" (turning to them) "DoyouwanttoreadPoohbear?Theysaid'yes'TheylikePoohbear.Theywanttoreadwith us.Canwesetthemonthebedwithus?Ormaybeonthenightstand?"
After reading books by "Firefly", I tucked him and explained something:

"Dad, can my fireflies stay in my room tonight?"
"Ewan, if we keep the fireflies in your room, they might be dead in the morning because they haven't gotten to eat what they were eating outside."
[Eyes wide. Stunned. Sadness and Problem-solving brain in high gear.]
"But Dad, I want them in my room and I don't want them to die."
"Well, buddy, you can keep them in your room, but you need to be prepared that they might be dead when you wake up; OR, Daddy, can take them outside and set them free and we can catch them again sometime."
[Eyes smaller. Brow furrowed. Thinking. Feeling his desires out.]
Quieter..."Dad, let the fireflies out." Resigned... "We can catch them another time."
"Okay"
[Apparently my sensitive-heart son is more of a "catch & release" than "eat 'em up" kind of a hunter]

Now, normally, Ewan tries to come up with 50 reasons for me NOT to leave his room. But that night he said:
"Dad! Go! Set them free!"

And when i tried to tuck him in more and pray for him he just said, "Go!!"

So off I went! I forgot to turn on his white-noise-maker!

It was a truly great Father's Day!