We are in the midst of a February snowstorm here in Spokane. Lucky for the kids in the area, this snow is perfect for snowmen and forts. Lucky for your favorite blogger, tonight is the perfect time for a Thursday Rundown. Here we go…

Beau’s Birthday – We are hosting Beau’s birthday party tonight but that didn’t mean we let his actual birthday quietly pass by last night. He opened presents and dug into an enormous slice of cake I picked up for him at Safeway. In fact, it was so gargantuan that everyone in the family got to eat some. The Spider-Man party theme will be in full effect tonight as we have grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins coming over!

Beau with his slice of birthday cake.

Cookie Comic – When I first looked at this comic in Sunday’s paper, I passed it to Sidney. I am just checking, but do you get this? She immediately started laughing, both at the joke itself and my own stupidity. I guess it was pretty obvious. To be fair, I went with my intuition and was able to tell her the comic’s gist (a chocolate chip cookie jumping to the oatmeal raisin cookie stack to avoid being chosen as someone’s snack since no one likes oatmeal raisin cookies).

Perhaps I am not the smartest cookie.

National Chopsticks Day – Time to embarrass myself again. I am really bad with chopsticks. So bad, in fact, that I have no business celebrating National Chopsticks Day (which is today). Thankfully I know how to function with another mainstay at Chinese restaurants—the fortune cookie. I must plug the time that I shamelessly walked into a whole bunch of different Chinese restaurants in Missoula just so I could compare the fortunes inside. Proud moment for sure.

This is the stuff I liked to do in my free time.

Here – For this weekend’s Netflix binge, you might consider “Here.” The film receives an A+ for creativity (or perhaps laziness?) as 99% of it is shot from the exact same spot in the corner of a house. The movie chronicles the happenings of different generations of families who move in/out of the specific home. The unique concept—and the acting of Tom Hanks—kept me engaged. Although I feel bad that my parents actually went to the theater to watch it (who wants to watch such a 1-dimensional film in a theater), I felt “Here” made the perfect Friday night film.

I thought “Here” captured an original idea.

Super Bowl Saturday – It has now been 10 years since I publicly broached this topic with a Don’t Blink post, but I still feel as passionately about it now as I did in 2015. Simply, the Super Bowl should be played on a Saturday. In that blog post, I stated my case (quite convincingly I must say) that people become way too invested in the game to expect them to begin a new work/school week the very next day. Of course my argument goes into much more detail than that so you will just have to check it out. But again—just so we are clear—the Super Bowl has no business being played on a Sunday.

It was a big thrill for me when the Seattle Seahawks won Super Bowl XLVIII. But I wish they would have won it on a Saturday.

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Okay, let’s wrap this thing up. Hope your February is off to a fine start and that you enjoy the Super Bowl this weekend. Time now to party like I am Spider-Man! Don’t Blink.

What an occasion! Today is Beau’s golden birthday and with it comes the freedom to finally hold up all digits on his hand to express his age. Perhaps with both of these things going for him, I was looking for something more profound when I asked him about the day’s significance. But when I asked my son what excited him the most about turning 5, he responded by yelling one word: “CAKE!”

Beau turns 5 today. Oh, how I love this little boy! (photo courtesy of Nicole Lynn Photos).

I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. Beau is a simple little guy who is easy to please and easy to love. And thank goodness for that, because his older sister brings enough sophistication to our family for everyone. But forgive me, Sloan will have her moment next month, so let me focus on Beau.

Beau’s official Pre-K4 school photo.

Like I was saying, Beau is so easy to love. He is sweet, helpful, and sensitive. I know I sound like a prideful parent, but our birthday boy truly is special. Although most people refer to him as “Beau Bear,” I have always called him “little man” since birth. However, I could get away with also calling him my “little buddy” because that is exactly what he is to me. Always there to assist me, sit with me, ride with me, and do whatever he can to impress me, Beau’s love is so genuine and pure.

This little guy has quite the personality

It was such a joy to be around him as a 4-year-old. Even when Beau went through a two-month period where listening dwindled and boundaries were tested, he would always return to his sweet self at the end of the day and want to cuddle with us. Over the past year he played t-ball, attended many birthday parties, dressed up as Spider-Man a million times, managed to stay out of the emergency room (), and became a skilled Lego-builder.

Throughout his time as a 4-year-old, Beau was often dressed (to some degree) as Spider-Man.

As he begins his next chapter as a 5-year-old, we are buckling up. Beau will travel to some amazing places, play sports, start Kindergarten, ask more questions about Jesus, dance his heart out, and much more. I am certain he will do this all with his optimistic and loving spirit.

Beau sitting at his desk ready to start his first day of Pre-K4.

If you know our son, he loves to extend his arms and flash double “thumbs up” to express his approval. Trust us, Beau’s thumbs are waaaaay up for turning 5. Although my thumbs don’t know exactly which direction to go with my little man turning another year old, you better believe my love for him continues to be sky high. Don’t Blink.

Do I wish the height lottery didn’t pass me over? I guess so. To put it simply, people who possess tall stature are more highly regarded. Those blessed with height enjoy more athletic opportunities, stand out among the vertically challenged, and can perform everyday tasks with more ease.

In the same way that my parents held out hope that I would be a prodigy, they also crossed their fingers that I would be gifted with some of the height they were deprived of. My doctor gave false hope. When I was born, he predicted that I would shoot through the six-foot threshold. He tabbed me at 6’2.

I would have been happy with just reaching 5′10.

From middle school and beyond, I was always average when it came to height. I stood in direct contrast to one of my best high school friends, Erik, who is 6’9.

At first, it looked like my doctor knew what he was talking about. Through elementary school I towered over most of my classmates. I walked at the back of the line, stood on the top risers at Christmas programs, and was placed in the back row for class photos. For those years, I knew what it felt like to be tall.

But it is all a distant memory now. I didn’t grow in middle school but my classmates did. They sprouted past me as I was relegated to a person of average height (if not a tad short). When I entered high school and still didn’t grow, I knew I was destined to be 5′9 forever.

I always say that if I had a few more inches…and some speed…and some natural talent…I might have been a decent athlete . Oh well, I did try hard and that actually did get me somewhere in terms of very minor athletic glory. At least the Reser family wasn’t totally cut off from the height gene. My brother stands at the height I hoped to grow to—6′2.

We never received height projections from the doctors on Sloan and Beau. For their sake, I hope they benefit from the decent height of Sid’s dad while also perhaps capturing some of Uncle Glen’s loftiness. However, I wouldn’t bet on it. Don’t Blink.

I had never seen a community so in the dumps. It was seven years ago this month that Myrtle Beach was robbed of a post-Christmas gift that was supposed to turn the Grand Stand into a winter wonderland. Despite a week of promising forecasts and assurances from area meteorologists that 3-5 inches of snow would blanket the city, it turned out to be a “busted forecast.” A snow-deprived region would once again go without. I thought I captured the sentiment well.

This is the extent of the snow we received at our house in 2018 after consistent forecasts promised us 3-5 inches. 

That disappointment from 2018 isn’t as bitter today. Mother Nature finally came through and covered Myrtle Beach with at least five inches of snow in most places. My nephew, who was devastated by the botched forecast from seven years ago, can finally experience the magic that so many of us take for granted.

After the bitter disappointment my nephew experienced back in 2018, I texted him this morning to celebrate the snow that finally came.

It has been pretty cool (and a little surreal) to see some of the recent images from the place I lived for almost six years. From the Coastal Carolina University campus to Carolina Forest to the Boardwalk, I must admit that snow looks pretty good on my former community.

A beautiful snowy scene near the Oceanfront Bar and Grill in Myrtle Beach (photo courtesy of Olivia Thompson).

So bust out the sleds, build that fort, and start a snow ball fight because you deserve this, Myrtle Beach! Oh, did you really have to ask? YES, school and work are canceled!

A snow Myrtle Beach Boardwalk (photo courtesy of the City of Myrtle Beach).

But, in all honesty, I hope everyone in Myrtle Beach and throughout the South also exercises some caution. With the accumulations received, many people will drive for the first time in true winter conditions. Take it slow!

Snow covers the sports complex at Coastal Carolina University (photo courtesy of Lawson Cannon).

As we currently have 0 inches of snow in Spokane, I will live vicariously through my South Carolina family and friends as they enjoy the winter bliss. It is about time! Don’t Blink.