On Tuesday, our family (along with a couple of Mason’s friends) gathered around a television to watch the Yukon class of 2020 graduation ceremony. The online ceremony (streamed on Facebook) was the last of a series of events designed to celebrate this year’s graduating seniors, in a world where celebrations as we knew them have been put on hold.
Celebrations… read entire post
Category Archives: Mason and Morgan
Posts about the kids.
Happy 18th, Mason
Yesterday, Mason turned 18 years old. Let that sink in for a moment. I know it hasn’t quite sunk in for me yet.
Last year on Mason’s birthday, I reminisced about all his previous birthday parties — the ones that took place at inflatable jump houses and arcades and bowling alleys.
This year for Mason’s birthday, our extended families took… read entire post
Bloody Pride
There are many kinds of pride. You can be proud of your country, the things you own, or the things you’ve done, but there’s nothing quite like the pride you feel when your kid does something super awesome.
Since turning sixteen, Mason has been donating blood and platelets at school each time the Oklahoma Blood Institute (OBI) visits. Last week,… read entire post
Happy 14th Birthday, Morgan!
Susan wasn’t the only O’Hara with a birthday last week. Last Friday, Morgan turned 14.
I turned 14 in 1987. Life were different back then, but not that different. When I think back to being 14, I think mostly about wanting to fit in. I don’t mean wanting to be like everybody else, but wanting to find people who were… read entire post
All Clear from the Doctor
Wednesday morning, Susan and I visited OU Children’s Hospital. There were three patients there that we knew: our niece Jessica’s newborn baby, our friend Sarah’s niece, and our son, Mason.
Mason was born with a very minor heart defect. It’s extremely slight and has never caused him any issues, but it’s something the doctor likes to monitor for changes. Over… read entire post
Mason’s 17th Birthday
Mason turned seventeen years old on Wednesday. To celebrate, several of our family members came over for pizza, lasagna, a piece of cookie cake, and some ice cream.
I didn’t sleep well the night before Mason’s party, and woke up Wednesday morning just before 5 a.m. I arrived at the office just before 6 a.m., worked hard on a project… read entire post
Fifteen and a Half
“Dad, do you need to go to 7-11?”
“Dad, do you need to go to the post office?”
“Dad, do you need to go to the store?”
Guess who turned fifteen-and-a-half last week and got his learner’s permit?
(This is a staged photo. Mason will never drive the STI.)
When Mason turned fourteen he got a license to drive a… read entire post
The Criminal Case of the Treacherous Trespasser
In February, Mason made a poor decision and decided to leave his closed campus school for lunch, along with ten of his classmates. (Juniors and seniors are allowed to leave for lunch; freshman, like Mason, and sophomores are not.) When I was in school, kids who left campus usually did so to smoke. Not my kid. My kid got caught… read entire post
A Cloudy 11th Birthday
Sometimes when it rains it pours — both figuratively and literally.
Morgan’s 11th birthday party was last Sunday. The weather report for the past two weeks (and the next 2 months) was “dry and hot.” Literally, our local weatherman said, “It’s going to be hot and dry for the next three months.” So we scheduled a pool party for the… read entire post
Mason’s Basketball Season (2013-2014)
This was Mason’s second year to play basketball for the YMCA. Last year Mason played in the 10-and-under league, and this year he got bumped up to the 12-and-under league. The age cut off was September 1st of 2013, meaning Mason can play 12-and-under ball for one more year.
Mason’s team, which consisted of the same coaches and many of… read entire post