Off and Climbing

I finished Bo Ryan: Another Hill to Climb, the first book in my 2009 version of "52 in 52."

A favorite quote: "He was hungry and committed. He was the bacon in that meal of bacon and eggs. You know what I'm talking about...the difference between being involved and being committed? If you're serving bacon and eggs for breakfast, you know the chicken was involved but when you look at the bacon, you know the pig was committed" (152).

Ryan used this to describe some of his players. Specifically, Mike Wilkinson and Devin Harris. I can see it as an element of parenthood - many of my thoughts revolve around this, of course (my life is all about potty training and I'm not above the M&M bribes to make sure it lands in the right spot).

Last night I had a chicken/pig moment with Evan. I set him up at the dining room table with his box of 64, favorite McQueen coloring books and paper, and let him rip. I promptly sat my ass in a chair in another room and opened a book to read as he sat alone coloring. Ahh, relaxation time.

Chicken - I was involved; I set him up. Pig - scrape my butt out of the chair and hang out with him. So I did. We colored for awhile together and then he started working on his own. Evan must have seen my book because he said, "Here daddy" as he handed me a small piece of notebook paper with black crayon scribbles everywhere and a red, glittery star sticker in the middle. "It's your book mark," he said.

Glad I decided to be the pig.