My oldest daughter turned 7 on Friday and we had a great time celebrating with Pizza and a huge cupcake. We decided to have it just with our immediate family. We seem to be developing an “every other year” big birthday and that works out pretty well for us. Meanwhile, Bella got a lot of gifts and the next day we wen to Victoria Gardens to meet with my folks for Cheesecake Factory. I’d say we all enjoyed this 2 day birthday. Unfortunately, I left the camera at home for day 2 but I got a lot at the pizza place. Here they are for posterity.

So much has happened in my little girl’s life in the past 7 years. When she was born, she looked like a bald headed cabbage patch doll with pink lips and husky dog eyes. Now she has long hair, beautiful but still husky dog eyes, and a mind like a steel trap. Just to prove it isn’t only me saying that, this year she was promoted to 2nd grade after just a month of 1st grade and recently she scored 100% on a district level ELA test. yes, as a teacher and daddy, you could say I am proud!

Bella fights with her little sister Julianna a lot but as I recall growing up with my brother, that’s par for the course. She is an excellent artist, she sings on pitch, though her diction and inflection need some practice. We took the training wheels off her bike a couple weeks ago and she rides her 2 wheeler like a champ. One of the best parts of being a parent is watching your child grow. The years really do go fast, perhaps that’s why i feel the impetus to blog about them :)

Sounds like the title of a movie huh? Some people might call it a crisis, for me it’s a reboot. Well, that’s how I feel tonight. It’s as if I am find many of my “selves” not the best cages for me. I think we see ourselves clearer later in life and rethinking the goals we strive for is a good idea. Some examples: Since about age 16 I wanted to make it in music. I’m starting to see now at age 42 that is never going to happen. So, now that I know that, what should the extent of my efforts be musically? Should I bother to continue writing songs? What is the return? After all, writing songs is VERY difficult. But I digress.

I started college at age 21 and finished at 28. I wanted to be a college professor of literature. Instead, I got a career as a 4th grade teacher. I’ve been doing that for 13 years. That is my calling, that is my “trade.” I feel I need to kick a CD of my music into a lake as a symbolic act. In December of 2006 I started blogging. I had a hope I would become a famous and appreciated one. Did that happen? Hell no. I count my few friends online as important and special but I am making roughly $150/month doing it. This might be considered a nice chunk but the fact is, I spend tons of time online messing with my blogs.

I feel like “Self 2.0″ is in order. I am NOT a songwriter anymore, I play guitar and I know a few songs. That is no longer my identity. I am NOT an aspiring blogger anymore. I am one who keeps a diary online, writes movie reviews, and writes a weekly-well-thought-out post. I’ll write posts for hire once in a while, but never as much as it was. The hundreds more I made then were not worth the strain and hours put in.

It’s liberating to be able to reboot my goals.

The primary thing I am is a classroom teacher. I am very proud of my job. It took me many years to “master” it and I still work out the knots every day. Maybe that’s why I am so drawn to it, it keeps challenging me.

As Peter Townshend sang all those years ago, “Who are YOU?” If you don’t like it, you can do an identity reboot.