Choose Your Own Adventure Day

Our school district had another day off school, so I offered to watch Jack and Synjin for the day (out of the first 82 days of this year, they've gone to school LESS THAN HALF of them). There were a variety of things we could have done, but I really didn't want to decide for them; however, I also didn't want to leave it entirely up to them.

The solution? I created "Choose Your Own Adventure Day." I wrote about 20 possible options on slips of paper, put them in a hat and let the boys draw. Whatever they pulled out, that's what we did next. Here's how our day unfolded:

1. Return our books to the Woodneath Library.

2. Go to the zoo.

3. Sing "I'm a Little Teapot."

4. Go to the observatory on the 29th floor of City Hall.

5. Get ice cream.

Some of the ones the boys didn't pick were:

Buy some food from a food truck (or a Girl Scout).

Go up to a stranger from out of town and say, "Welcome to Kansas City!"

Get Jack's hair cut.

Visit Indigo Wild.

Tour the West Bottoms.

Go to the College Basketball Experience.

“Recruiting” visit

For several months I've been scheduled to speak to Northwest's Knacktive class this afternoon. Just a quick trip up to Maryville, try to impart some wisdom to a group of college students and jet back home. Really simple, right?

But when Jack woke up and came downstairs this morning (well, half woke up — he was laying on the couch and still very groggy), I casually mentioned, "Hey, I'm goin' to Northwest today. Wanna go?" Now, keep in mind that he's usually pretty vocal about voicing his displeasure when we drag him to Northwest events, make him sit through Bearcat sporting events or introduce him to other alums. This time, however, his face lit up and he eagerly said, "Yeah!" That definitely wasn't the reaction I expected. Then I stammered, "Um ... I need to go talk to Mom."

So after shooting a quick email to his teacher simply stating, "Jack won't be at school today," I then turned my attention to: Jack and I are going to Northwest today!

It was FANTASTIC.

I let him turn the radio up in the car louder than usual. We had great conversations for an hour and a half, all the way up there. Jack even did the impromptu math problems I asked him — based on the time, odometer, speedometer and mile markers.

When we got to Wells Hall on campus, the first professor we met had a handlebar mustache and accompanying mustache thumbtacks and the second professor had a chess set in his office. Jack was soaking it up!

For lunch, we walked with Dr. Shadinger to the union and each got to choose our own custom-made entrees at the Mongolian grill station. Dr. Shadinger was extremely kind and patient putting up with all of Jack's brain-teaser puzzles and riddles. Before leaving the union, we ran into a girl we know from church, a couple of Kappa Sigs and looked around the bookstore.

Over in Colden Hall, getting ready for the Knacktive class to start, Jack spotted another girl from church who we talked to and we caught up with a campus minister from the Wesley

Center who was there. Jack did great sitting quietly in the back of the classroom the entire 50 minutes that I spoke. That is, other than getting everyone to erupt in laughter when he piped up out of the blue to call me out on something he disagreed with.

After my official duties were done, we went to the Administration Building, visited the president's office, received a tour from the director of the library on all of the impressive changes that have been made there and topped it off with a stop back in the union at the ice cream bar. The only reason we left was to get back home for an evening event ... or else we could have stayed for days.

* * *

A few days later, I was surprised to see this letter in Jack's backpack after school (his teacher — Mrs. Jellison — is a Northwest grad, too):

Championship Trophy Tour

In celebration of Northwest's undefeated national championship football season, Landon and I went to the fifth and final stop on the Championship Trophy Tour tonight; the series of events culminated at Sporting Park in KCK after visiting St. Louis, Des Moines, Omaha and St. Joseph all within the past week.

Right at the top of the stairs when we arrived was ... Bobby! (This was my very first picture of the night.)

Before the program began with comments from the university president, athletic director and head football coach, I snapped a quick pic of:

• the NCAA Division II national championship trophy,
• the American Football Coaches Association Division II national championship trophy (known as The Coaches' Trophy),
• the MIAA Conference championship trophy,
• the AFCA Division II Coach of the Year trophy, and
• Northwest's three previous national championship trophies, which — eh — were just left on the floor.

In addition, auctioning off the football, helmet and jersey raised $7,000!
 

A throwback to Landon with Dr. J from the last championship trophy tour in Kansas City four years ago.

And a shot of the field before we left, site of the 2014 NCAA Division II national championship football game itself!

The Lego Movie

Action shot:

"Everything is awesome...!"

Pre-K V-Day

Red Hot Night

Super weekend

“This is what it’s all about!”

A quick pic that a fellow TruthSeeker leader texted to me (with the above description) after helping a 4th grader look up a Bible verse tonight at church.

Maui family vacation (day nine)