Go Stags!

A few months ago, I declared my undying support for Fairfield women's soccer. Well, I may have to expand that love to include every team at good ol' FU. This past Saturday, Team Tredwell was invited to the second annual Fairfield University Student Athlete Talent show, put on by the school's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (affectionately known as SAAC...yeah, I'm leaving that alone.) It appears the folks at Fairfield have a pretty good grasp on the fact that they're young, intelligent and talented and they want to use those gifts for the powers of good. So they put together some skits, charge a couple bucks and raise some money for a good cause....in this case, that cool kid, Emily Tredwell.

Before I go much further, I should ask...how many of you have gotten a standing ovation? Seriously...a room full of people standing and cheering for you? Ever make a big shot or give a good toast at a wedding or maybe just drop a plate while you were waiting tables? Well, Ems got her first on Saturday night. She's three and a half years old. To start the show, the emcee introduced her as "the real reason for all of us being here." As we walked out, the crowd you see in the top picture EXPLODED. Standing and cheering. Emily? All smiles. Waving. Like a pro. Like this happens all the time. Meanwhile, dad is trying to fight back tears and mom is holding a sleeping three-week old (yes, Paige slept through the whole evening...she needs to store her energy so she can stay awake crying all night. Good times.)

We took our seats and were treated to an evening of dance numbers, creative outfits and even a racy number from the men's soccer team. I won't go into details, but the soundtrack included Tom Jones' "You can leave your hat on." Uh-huh.

In the end, it must be said that the field hockey team's live action version of Super Mario Bros. was extraordinarily creative, but the men's cross country team took home first place with their Justin Bieber routine. HIGH comedy. And we can't talk about Fairfield Athletics without mentioning the women's soccer team who put Emily in an autographed t-shirt, brought her out on stage with them and even let her say hi into the microphone (cue hundreds of college kids saying, "Aaaawwwwww!") They tried to get her to join their dance routine, but a bout of shyness kicked in and she was quickly brought back to mom's waiting arms.

To everyone at Fairfield University...you continue to amaze and inspire. I don't know how much was raised and I'm not even sure I care. You've helped me to remember there is so much good out there, which is something I have been known to forget. My family and I will never be able to thank you enough.

Go Stags.

I told you 2012 would be big!

How do I even begin? It was a big weekend. Huge. I could tell you all about it, but why? Remember Cousin Sarah? She was there when Emily was born. She was there when Emily turned one. And she was there to help us welcome Paige Conquest Tredwell to the team Sunday afternoon. Baby Paige weighed in at 8 lbs 2 oz and just a shade under 22 inches. Oh, you don't feel like reading? Fine. She set it to music as well. Go ahead...watch it without tissues. I dare you.

If that was all that happened, that would be more than enough. But right before the weekend hit, our man Dr. Paley took his game to the next level. That won't help Ems this summer, but I'd wager heavy on the fact that her future in West Palm has taken a dramatic turn for the better.

Ordinarily, I'd use the rest of this space to fulfill my regular quota of fart jokes, but I've got a new baby to play with and you've got a handful of links to follow. Have fun. I know I will!

2012 is going to be big.

It's this time of year when I always think of my friend Joe Smyth and New Year's Day 1997. A number of us had gone to a friend's apartment at Marist College for all the end of year parties and had gotten after it pretty hard. The following morning/afternoon we watched the bowl games while re-hydrating and trying to piece together the events of the previous night. After some extended quiet time, Joe said to no one in particular, "Well...it's 1997...I was supposed to have my shit together by now."

Ahhh, how things change.

Granted, every January 1st, I have that same thought Joey had, but these days it's more about the comic relief. I'm a dad, a husband, a teacher and a coach. I have two dogs, a house in the suburbs and a rider mower. But despite my obvious standing as a pillar in the community (editor's note: HA!), it can be difficult figuring out how, in the blink of an eye, you went from being a 21-year old nursing a wicked hangover to an adult with real world responsibilities.

Nevertheless, spending my days wondering where time went seems somewhat counterproductive. We got things to do, man! My team is taking on the three-time defending state champs on Tuesday. Emily is scheduled for her first lengthening in mid-May but is slightly more concerned with changing the outfits on her many princess dolls right now. My bulldog Moose desperately wants me to play tug-of-war with the new rope Santa brought him. And, unless, Baby Paige busts out early, we'll be inducing Kate a week from today. And what am I doing? Posting on my blog for the first time in two months. Yep. Wasn't I just saying something about counterproductivity? Is that even a word? Shut up.

So...yeah. Camp Sweatpants is just a hub of activity right now. And while I had big plans for this post to be full of witty observations, heartwarming stories and other, general end-of-the-year wisdom, all the stuff going on around me makes me feel like this will quickly spiral into just a stream of curse words. Common decency suggests we can't have that.

But before we wind this down, there are a couple things worth mentioning. Emily's friend Mariel, who is just slightly ahead of us on a similar journey, is down in West Palm Beach right now. Her blog can be found here. Check it out for a taste of what's in our future.

Since this blog is mostly about Emily, we should probably mention that this kid is funny. She's legitimately developing a sense of comedic timing. She'll randomly come up to me and innocently whisper, "Daddy?" before getting a big grin and yelling "GET TO DA CHOPPAH!" It never, ever fails to make me giggle hysterically.

That's a brief glimpse into our little world. Just know that large-type events are afoot. I'll do my very best to keep you up to date with the birth of girl #2, preparations for Emily's first lengthening and all the other things that pop up along the way. In the meantime, have a safe and restful holiday and maybe think about getting your shit together.

Cold weather's coming!

It's 82 in West Palm Beach today. But this is Connecticut. And this kid is prepared.

My new favorite team.

My posts today haven't been all that creative, but they have been plentiful and that should count for something considering I'm working at a diminished capacity. Instead of reinventing the wheel, I'm just going to post the letter I sent to the Fairfield University president and athletic director this morning.

As a middle school teacher and high school basketball coach, I’ve become familiar over the years with how quickly any perceived slight can quickly find its way to the desk of an administrator. Occasionally, good news is passed on, making everyone feel good about themselves and the job they’re doing. Having said that, I thought it necessary to write you in regards to your womens’ soccer program and coach Jim O’Brien.

Coach O’Brien and I became friends when he and I shared time in the Southern Connecticut athletic department. As time has passed, I have been fortunate to maintain this friendship.

My three-year old daughter Emily was born with a rare congenital disorder where her right femur did not fully develop in utero. Over the next 10 years, our family will need to take multiple trips to West Palm Beach, Florida where a doctor who specializes in Emily’s condition has built a limb-lengthening institute. While my wife and I are fortunate to have careers that allow us a certain amount of flexibility, the financial concerns do weigh on us.

When Coach O’Brien heard about Emily, he wanted to know how he could help. Last spring, he helped organize a fundraiser during a scrimmage at Southern where people could make donations. Most recently, he, with the help of Chris O’Connor in sports information, set up a similar fundraiser at the home game against Stony Brook. While the donations were more than generous, the bucket could have been empty and we still could not have been more excited about what took place.

An hour before kick-off, we were greeted at the gate by O’Brien and a handful of his players. Emily was led on to the field where she got to interact with the players during warm-ups. She was named an honorary captain for the game, high-fived each starting player and even got to stand on the sideline, complete with Fairfield soccer apparel, during the match. Even with a spirited three-year old in the mix during a close match, the players displayed genuine enthusiasm and patience with her every inquiry.

While Fairfield came up short that day, I can only hope the players and coaching staff take comfort in knowing how happy they made our daughter.

Your womens’ soccer program is made up of the kind of student-athletes that should make a university very proud, and it is in good hands under the direction of Jim O’Brien.

Go Stags.
Tim Tredwell

This is how far behind I was.

The wife and I just had the following the conversation...

Tim - "Did we ever post anything about Disney or any of the summer trips?"

Kate - "Uh, no."

As I looked at the picture file with over 500 shots in it, I won't say what I actually said because this is a family show, but let's just say it was a long slow exhale that rhymed with "duuuuuuuuck."

Anyway, with trips to Disney World, Sea World, West Palm Beach and the beaches of Rhode Island, there are plenty of great shots. However, with me pausing every sentence or so to try and clear the fluid in my lungs on top of already being a little loopy thanks to the various meds I'm on, I just don't have the patience to thoroughly examine each picture. So if the quality of this post isn't quite up to snuff, feel free to peruse other free blogs with cute kids. You get what you pay for around here!

Entering the Magic Kingdom. In step.

A little quality time with Tigger and Pooh.

Mommy schooling Emily about stingrays.

PFFDers will appreciate the range of motion. Crossfitters see the phenomenal depth in her squat!

Children running through an open field. It's in the dictionary under "Happiness." Look it up.

The Cousins: Allison, Caroline, Sammy, Jane and Emily.

She loves the animals.

These pictures are from a recent trip to Brooksvale park where you're free to walk around and take in the various horses, goats, rabbits and other assorted wildlife. She seems ok with it.

Look at the hands. Such a little girl.

Love this look.

Gram - "She's just such a happy kid!"

Daddy - "Yeah, not all the time."

Really??

Diagnosed with pneumonia yesterday. Pneumonia. Apparently when you have a barking, rattling cough for the better part of three weeks, you just might want to consider checking in with your doctor. At least before the fever spikes. Not that this excuses my six week blog hiatus, but just thought I would put that out there. Plus, it gives me a chance to use this picture.

Anyway, plan on making up for it all right now. Stay tuned.

Happy Birthday, Emily!

Not a lot of time this morning for a sappy, long-winded piece about how this birthday is already infinitely better than last year's simply because you're not strapped into the back of the stationwagon, hurtling south in preparation for reconstructive hip surgery. Just know that I don't recall allowing you to turn three. So have a great day, sweetness. But watch yourself.