Everyday I'm Shufflin

Now listen, you can have a dance party at your house if you want to, but it's not really a dance party if Eli and I are not there.

What the...?

Hey Fin, what is that, just a coat and some shoes on the floor by the front door?

Well, it's either that... or the best hiding spot in the history of the world.

Story Time

So here's the thing. I may or may not have told you that Mae just totally one-upped me by literally potty-training herself. Like, on her own, no help from anyone, basically just put a pot in the kitchen and she did her thing. But now when she's waiting for, well, "it," she likes it when I sit and read her a book.

And sometimes if we get through a story I give her the book and show her the pictures. I think this is what they mean by quality time.

Teddy Bear Picnic

Finley, what in the world is this all about?

That's exactly what Mom and Dad asked when they walked into the kitchen to find Mabel and I as busy as bees. So I'll tell you what I told them, we're planning a picnic.

Mae, pants-less, is helping me set up the places for when all our friends arrive.

But, wait, Finley - I'm pretty sure the definition of a picnic emphasizes that the picnic be eaten outdoors...

Do not question my picnic.

Oh, look, Randy just showed up. Always punctual, that Randy.

Not sure what I'm more excited about - the fact that everyone is here for the picnic or that Mae finally has some pants on.

Thankful

So I went to Kansas City for Thanksgiving and we had quite the Thanksgiving weekend.

Spent a lot of time with my cousin, Kameron - first playing Pet Shops and then eating Cake Pops (rhymed that like Wu Tang).

Got into Nonie's makeup a little bit, went Edward Scissorhands on the gang.

Mae posed with Dad, then Mom, then Nonie, then Mom and Dad together, complete with birthday hats.

Speaking of Mabel Jane, she spent 98% of the trip either following the wiener dogs around, talking to the wiener dogs or talking about them. At one point we realized we could probably leave her home alone for 2.5 hours and she and the wiener dogs would be fine.

Trevor even went so far as to read her a book.

Then it was on to shuffleboard. Aunt Erica has a regulation size shuffleboard and it was the main hub of activity for the week. Uncle Jim took Grandpa down and I had winners so I was up next.

I surveyed the board, which was awfully long...

Measured with my internal distance monitor and let her rip...

And this is where it stopped. No joke, this picture is not photoshopped, we did not stage this, this is honestly where my throw stopped. And then I decided I would make like MJ (not my sister and not the "Billie Jean" guy, the other MJ) and retire on top (the 1993 and '98 version).

Anyway, if you ask me what I'm thankful for, I will tell you. There are lots of people and things I'm thankful for, but mostly I'm thankful for my binky. Just bein' honest.

Kitchen Decor

Finley, what is that stuff all over your kitchen cabinets?

Well, I'm glad you asked. Did a little art project with Dad today that ended with a new kitchen design for mom. Get a little closer and you can see what we've got here. Pictures of me, Mom, Dad and Mae, as well as all eight of my cousins.

I started drawing pictures of Mom, Dad and Mae and then we just took it to the house and got everyone in there.

First up are Ian, Keenan and Kameron, who I'm going on a plane tomorrow to see.

There there's Hannah, Luke and Sophie

And then here is Eli and Isaiah. You can tell Isaiah by his curly hair.

And last but not least, here's my little family. I wanted Dad and I on the same cabinet. I think me dwarfing him gave him a bit of an inferiority complex but those are just issues he has to deal with.

"Commit to the Indian"

That's a saying that a Blackhawks coach used a few years back when he was trying to get his guys to play together. Well, we say it in our house (and by "we" I mean dad) when they drop the puck to start every hockey season. After tonight, I gotta say, I've committed to the Indian.

Tonight was date night with Dad, and with this guy we're not talking a night out to see a Disney Princess movie. We're talking pizza and a Blackhawks game - my first Blackhawks game, to boot. Mae was not really invited but somehow she scammed herself into the pre-festivities photo.

Date night started at Giordano's, where I can just eat pizza til I puke. On the way in I saw a random car with a Blackhawks flag. It was clear from the get-go we were not in enemy territory.

Then it was on to the Za. One part I really love is putting the cheese on top of the pizza (why do we put cheese on top of cheese? Because it's awesome). I shake cheese so fast down at Giordano's the waitresses call me "The Blur."

Now some people might've thought it was a bit ambitious to order a large cheese pizza when it was just my dad and me eating it. And by "some people," I mean, people who don't know my dad and me.

Then we headed to the game.

SIDE NOTE: We parked on this random side street a few blocks from the stadium that Dad says is kind of secret parking no one knows about. I'm thinking people actually know about it, they would just never in a million years leave their cars there for three hours. We got out and this dude stumbles over and says, "For three dollaz I'll watch yo car to make sure nuttin happens to it." And Dad says, "Well, what if I don't give you three dollars?" and the guy says, "Then I can't promise nuttin ain't gonna happen to yo car." So Dad says, "That's reasonable, but I got a good feeling you'll take care of my car for two dollars." and the guy says, "Damn straight." Then he takes dad's two dollars and says, "I'm just finna run over to the liquor store and then I'll be right back to watch it fo ya." Nice secret parking spot, Dad, real nice.

Back to the game, we had AMAZING seats, in a luxury box about 25 feet from the ice (my Dad said we had those seats because he knows Oprah but then I found out they were given to us by people he works with).

As if quality hockey was not enough, during the second period this guy walks into our box and says something about a dessert cart having arrived. I'm like, "Wait, WHAT?" So we go out and get to choose from about ten different desserts. Chocolate chip cookies, cheesecake, carrot cake, turtles (not those kind), something called Chocolate Paradise Cake. So I get a piece of Smores Cake that was the size of Manhattan and I make Dad get the ice cream sundae so, naturally, I can eat that, too. And we topped it off with a cup of hot chocolate.

As you can see by my smile the sugar rush kicked in quickly and held a nice buzz til the game was over. All in all it was a great date night with my Dad...

Capped off with a Blackhawks winner. My official Blackhawks record stands at 1-0.

Don't forget to save your ticket stub.