One big part of the post-Finn era is its hard to actually stop and soak up any particular moment in life, especially on the weekends. Many times the weekends are some of the busiest parts of the week depending on Finn's mood and what we have going on beyond the regular life minimums that have to be knocked out. But this weekend was different, this weekend just everything came together to allow for a best case scenario. Usually I only write these blog pieces years, months or at least weeks after an event so I have time to reflect on it but I want to capture this one while its fresh and I am still basking in the afterglow.
The highlight of the weekend was the Auburn game. Before the season started I picked that game off the schedule for me to attend as I have never been to an Auburn game since the SEC began. When we hit a losing streak during the season I dreaded the game a little, but the team pulled it out and by the time it was time for the game we were both ranked teams and it was the CBS game of the week. The stadium was as loud as I have heard it, it was packed (the second highest attendance in state history), and the experience had been improved greatly to accommodate those going with great food and free refills. We won a defensive struggle of a game which was great, and the defensive scoop and score happened straight in front of us because of where we sat in the stadium. I stayed after the game and left with the crowd for the first time in maybe a decade or more.
But outside the events of the game the whole experience was refreshing for more than one reason. First of all there weren't many signs a pandemic is ongoing, as it was the first time since COVID hit where it felt like the world was normal. But beyond that the experience was completely different than a Big 12 A&M game, as if all the incremental changes of ten years had piled up. From how hard hitting the game was, for the way rap was played instead of country, to the production values of the on-screen moments, in total it felt like our transformation into being a SEC program had been completed. After a summer where I had a little meltdown because I felt the SEC was about to be ruined it was a revaluation in sensory experiences and a good moment for my inner self.
But even if I wouldn't have gone to the game this weekend was great. On Sunday morning my parents drove over and saw Finn and mom got to meet Hilda. It was nice to chat with them and let them see Finn deep in his element running across our yard. It had been a while since I had seen them so it was great to get the time. After they left Finn and myself went to go eat at In-and-Out and it was one of the best meals we have had there. We sat outside in the sun facing the busy street, and the random motorcycles and large trucks that drove in front of us made Finn's day. In that moment he was as happy as he could be with me, and outright said "I love you dada." It made me realize I was sitting in a weekend full of events that years from now I will want to relive: the game, time with my parents, and a young Finn whose day is made when he gets to sit outside and eat a cheeseburger as cars went by.
After the cheeseburger Finn and me went to a park like we usually do, but for some reason I found myself just driving and before I knew it we were close to our old neighborhood. So I decided that we should go to the park that was down the walking path from the neighborhood, as I had been there many times with the dogs but no one who could enjoy the playground equipment there. Usually I play the roll of parent and let him do everything himself with my supervision, but this jungle gym was one of the taller ones I had seen so I climbed up with him and we went down a double slide together. "Dada slide!" Finn screamed as he had never seen me do that before. We then went to the swings and there was a perfect baby swing next to a big kids one. I started to push him and he yelled "Dada swing" which meant he wanted me to sit down and swing too. It took a couple tries but eventually I was able to swing with the same cadence as him, and the excitement in his face and he squealed when we both went forward together isn't something I will forget soon. Afterwards we left the park and started getting into boring errands, but the rest of the day went pretty smoothly and I was even able to update some of my servers without a hitch (which isn't usually the case with updates).
All in all it was a pretty normal weekend, but also a fantastic one. Before the day ended Finn got on the Google Home and started calling out the pictures and who were in them as they went by. One of the pictures was a picture of him trying to get out of his old baby jail exactly half his lifetime ago. "Baby" Finn said when he saw the picture. His emotion in the picture jarred my memory back to the time when I took the picture and I found myself shocked by how much had changed in the last 15 months since it was taken. I recently read a parent on the internet who said that part of why being a parent is so difficult because even though your children outlive you versions of them along the way basically die and never come back again. Baby Finn wearing a helmet has long been gone, but even early toddler Finn who could only crawl and who would get stuck in that baby jail is now far in the rearview mirror. That means today's Finn, my favorite version so far, will soon leave me as well so I am glad I have an opportunity to get good time with him and reflect on a weekend like the one that just passed.
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