Man of the House

(The following is my TWIRP for the week of Sept. 24-30. Enjoy...)

On Tuesday morning, I had a very strange experience. I know that millions of people all over the world have gone through this numerous times, but...it was a first for me. I was walking through the Columbus, Ohio Airport with my wife and son. When we got to the security checkpoint I could go no further. Danielle and Eldan got in line to be screened by the TSA officials and I stood by the wall watching them. Several weeks ago, my mother-in-law had purchased a ticket for Danielle and Eldan to fly to New Hampshire and visit for 5 days, and now they were leaving. As I mentioned, this was a first for me. In the 2 and a half years that Danielle and I have been married we have been apart only for a day at most. It's nice how that works out--When you're married you get to be together everyday. As I stood there, watching her walk through the metal detector, I wasn't too sure I was going to like this whole idea. I was suddenly overcome by a very powerful thought--The two most important earthly parts of my life were walking away from me so they could board a bus with wings and fly thousands of feet in the air to a destination hundreds of miles away! No, I wasn't too sure about the whole concept, but what could I do? I thought about jumping over the ropes of the security line and trying to catch up to them, but I figured the TSA folks would find very little humor in that, so...I waved goodbye and walked to my car--alone.

Now, before anyone leaves a comment chiding me for being so silly and sentimental or telling me that thousands of couples are apart from each other for much longer than 5 days, let me tell you--I know. I know that military families face a separation and a loneliness that is lightyears away from ours. I know that being apart at times is an inevitable occurrence in a marriage. I know, I know, I know. But...that doesn't mean I have to like it! Don't misunderstand. I am very glad that Danielle was able to visit her family. I know that she has enjoyed herself greatly. But I guess this week has reminded me of how much I love being married and how much I love being at home with my family. That's all I'm trying to say. I have been reminded of those immortal words, "It is not good that the man should be alone." And to that sentiment I give my wholehearted agreement.

So...I have been the man of the house this week...just like I am every week except that no one else is in the house with the man of the house. One of the first things that I did was drag my old dingy recliner out of the garage and into the living room so that I could watch my Civil War DVD's and play XBOX in comfort and ease. I haven't cooked, but I did do a small load of laundry. I was in Finley, Ohio for two nights with our school staff for an educator's convention, so I guess I really haven't been alone all that much. All in all, the week has been okay. One highlight was the arrival of my newest nephew, Liam Edwin Sealy, on Thursday afternoon. This is the fourth and final newborn in our family for the year. We'll see what happens in 2007! It's too bad that Liam couldn't have come a little bit later in October. He might have been the 300 millionth American! Oh well, I guess he will have to settle for being 299,987,348.

Danielle and Eldan return on Sunday (Lord-willing). Until then, I will forge ahead in solitude...until 5 o'clock when I am going to some friends' house for dinner. What can I say? People know I can't cook and they feel sorry for me! Anyway, October is here; fall is coming, and the weekend awaits...

Sincerest Apologies

This post is for anyone who has tried to post a comment on this blog over the last 2 months. I am truly sorry. Not that you tried to post a comment but that you were unsuccessful. I did not realize that I had turned on comment moderation. I assure you that the situation has been remedied, your comments have been published, and you are now free to comment in any fashion you should choose. I will also see to it personally that your comments for my wife are passed on to her. Please afford me the privilege of your forgiveness, and I trust that you will continue to enjoy the wonderful land of Eldansdad.

Thank You,
Andrew D. Doan

Noises in the Night

(This is my TWIRP for the week of Sept. 17-23. Enjoy...)

It has not been a very good week for sleeping in our home. The primary cause of this is Eldan. Please don't misunderstand me. I am not begrudging my son anything. I am simply stating a fact--When Eldan doesn't sleep well, nobody in our house sleeps well. He has developed a habit of waking up in the night and screaming with all the force his little lungs will produce. He works himself into such a frenzy that it takes anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes for him to settle down. We had episodes like this during several nights this week, but the episodes were limited to just one per night...until Friday night. He went through the sleep, scream, settle cycle at least 4 times. He finally knocked off for the last time just after 2 in the morning. Danielle and I were both exhausted. We aren't too overly frustrated by this recent behavior because we know that babies are going to cry at times. I think the biggest frustration is not knowing exactly what is prompting these screaming fits and, consequently, not knowing how to respond to them. We don't want to develop a habit of picking him up every time he wakes up, but we also don't particularly want to hear him scream for half an hour. We think he may wake up suddenly and startle himself, but we really don't know. We are open to any ideas our readers might have. In the meantime, we just take things in stride and know that he won't be screaming like this when he's 13 years old--we sincerely hope.

This week began like the last one--on a somber note. The tragedy in this instance was a little closer to home, however. My wife's aunt gave birth to a baby girl over the weekend--fifteen weeks early. The initial report from the doctors was positive and somewhat amazing. Little Cassidy (only 1 pound 6 ounces) was breathing on her own. By Monday night, however, things had gotten worse. We were very saddened to learn on Tuesday that she died during the night. Although I never got to see Cassidy, I struggled with this news. It is one of those events in life where God's ways seem so puzzling and mysterious. Without going into a lot of details, let it suffice to say that the loss of this baby was especially difficult for Danielle's aunt and uncle. It's hard not to wonder why God chose this particular path for them. In the end, I was reminded of two attributes of God that helped me to keep trusting Him--God's sovereignty and God's goodness. We hope to be a help and support to Danielle's family in anyway we can over the next couple of months.

School is in full swing and we've reached the end of the first three weeks. The changes I have made from last year in my organization and preparation seem to be working well so far. I am busy, but not nearly as busy as I was last year. Debate looks like it is going to be a lot of fun for my Speech II class. I am still searching for a play to use for next spring's production. I have discovered that most of what is coming out today is quite frivolous and crude. I guess I will stick with the classics.

I attended a Men's Retreat at our church this weekend and was reminded of an essential truth of the Christian life--"I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live. Yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. And the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God." We live the Christian life the same way we received it--by faith.

As I type this--my son is crying. I think I'll go see if I can get him to laugh at me. Despite his tears, we are doing well, and the weekend awaits...

A Twirp--The First of Many

(This is a TWIRP--The Week In Review Post. Enjoy...)

The week started on a somber note. The fifth anniversary of 9/11 caught me unaware. I am ashamed to admit that the last several anniversaries of this tragedy had passed me by with nary a blip on my radar screen. As strange as it sounds--I had begun to forget. I hadn't forgotten that it happened, of course. Yet, the feelings of fear, sadness, helplessness, anger, patriotism, and dependence on God that had been so acute five years ago were gone. It's amazing how quickly one can sink back into a rut of complacency. On Sunday night Danielle and I watched the documentary "9/11" on CBS. This is a film about the attacks on the World Trade Center that was accidentally made by two French brothers. I say "accidentally" because the men never imagined that they would film the unthinkable--obviously. They were "embedded" so to speak with a FDNY unit throughout the summer of 2001 and intended to make a film about a rookie fireman. If you have not watched this show, I would recommend it. It is not easy to watch by any means. It will, however, help to reawaken the memory of 9/11, and I think that is important.

We have just finished our second full week of school. This is my fourth year of teaching and I find myself enjoying this profession more and more each year. (And not just because it comes with a three month vacation period in the summer!) I especially love teaching Bible. It is a challenge to draw the attention of teenagers to the truths of God's Word, but it is a challenge that I relish. History is a subject that I always enjoyed when I was a student, and that opinion hasn't changed now that I teach it. I am teaching Speech to the Juniors again this year, and I have the chance to teach a Speech II class to several who took Speech I last year. I am really excited about the class because we are going to get to do several things (like Debate) that I don't have time for in Speech I. I may even prepare a few speeches myself and perform them for my students. It gets kind of old always grading others' performances and never performing yourself.

I paid $2.08 for a gallon of gas yesterday. Well, technically I paid $13.00 for 6.221 gallons of gas yesterday, but you know what I mean. I have to remind myself that 18 months ago I would have complianed about paying $2.08. Funny how relavitve our perspective is at times. I would be very interested to know what the average profit margin is for a gallon of gas. I shudder to think... The good news is that we are logging significantly fewer miles each week now that we live a mere mile from school and I am riding my bike to work most of the time.

Danielle and Eldan are enjoying their days at home. I absolutely love coming home each day. There is just something theraputic about hearing the carefree laughter of a 5 month old. It does my heart good. Danielle and I both decided this week on the dream vacation we each want to take...together, of course. She wants to go to NYC to watch Beauty and the Beast on Broadway and rent a fancy car to get there. I want to spend three days at Gettysburg soaking in as much information as possible. Hopefully we will get to do both someday...In the meantime, it's fun to dream! God's goodness is evident everyday of our lives and we are overwhelmed at His protection and provision. All in all--LIFE IS GOOD and the weekend awaits...

5 Months and Counting

We are having so much fun watching Eldan grow. He is turning into quite the fun-loving guy...

Everybody's Movin'

(Editor's Note - Because of the immense popularity of the videos on this blog, the maximum amount of download usage my web-hosting service allots me each month has been reached. The videos will be available for viewing once again on Saturday, September 9, 2006.)

August has been a busy time for us. We began the month by moving from the house we were renting to a smaller (and more affordable) duplex unit about a mile from the church/school. Not long after the move was completed, I began gearing up for the new school year. I spent the last week of August at our annual High School Retreat. It was an enjoyable time in the woods with the kids from our school. I will try to post some pictures from the retreat soon. In the meantime, I have included our most recent video update for your viewing enjoyment. If you would like to watch the video you can either click here, or you can click the play button twice on the viewer below.