One Good Thing #4: Henry

Allow me to introduce you to the newest member of our household.

His name is Henry.

(Say hello, Henry!)

The boys and I have become very fond of him over the last couple weeks, to the extent where I think it’s fair to say that he’s a member of the family….

We recently celebrated a family holiday, and after eating cake and watching shows and cuddling, I asked the boys what they would like more of in their lives. Because if I knew that, we could work together on getting it.

It was late when I asked, the boys were already in bed and falling asleep with the unstoppable surety of someone falling off a cliff. (I remember falling asleep like that, and I hope to again someday, but I worry it might be the purview of the young.)

But I’m a night-owl, and I need less sleep than they do. So I have an irritating habit of asking them questions just as I’ve tucked them in all snug and warm…

It was only then, standing over them in the dim light from the hallway, that I remembered that I wanted to ask them. (You have to leave the hall light on. Of course you do. I remember what it’s like to be a child.) And even though they were fading fast, I asked them: What would you like more of in your life?

Cutie’s eyes were closed, but without hesitation, yawningly, he said he wanted secret tunnels, showing he is the true child of my heart.

Oot was quiet for a bit, and I thought he’d passed out. When he finally spoke, his voice was blurry. As if he was only dimly able to focus on what I’d said from where he was at bottom of a deep well of sleep.  “Beautiful rich colours,” he said, soft and slow like he was speaking under hypnosis. Then added: “Cosy Flowers,” showing that he too, is the child of my heart.

Since then, we’ve been working on cosy, beautiful, richly coloured flowers. It’s with muted confusion that I realize how oddly domestic I have become. I feel like this should fill me with a yawning terror, like I’m forgetting my true self. The self I’ve been forever. The me who never bothered putting up so much as a poster in so many of the places I lived, let alone go through all the work of planting flowers….

Instead, I find these things to be an untrammeled delight. (Well… *slightly* trammeled. Sometimes. Depending on how careful the boys are about when they place their feet.)

And it’s how Henry has come into our lives…

(Click to Embiggen)

(Also note Oot’s side hussle: promoting True Dungeon like a champ.)

Speaking of which, if you’re interested in seeing more True Dungeon stuff, as well as dozens of other cool geeky products (including some stuff from me) Worldbuilders is having its Geeks-Doing-Good fundraiser next week. (Here’s a link you can use to follow the Indigogo. If you plug in your e-mail there, you can get a notification when everything goes live on the 21st.)

I’ll be doing a bunch of streaming to celebrate and promote it the fundraiser. Games and Q&A and discussions with special guests.

Though *that* reminds me. I don’t think I mentioned it on the blog yet, but if you didn’t already know, I’ve been streaming regularly over on twitch for the last several months. Every Friday from 1:00 – 3:00 CST, as well as other random times.

I’ll be posting the streaming schedule for the charity up here on the blog in the next couple days. As well as descriptions of of some of the kingkiller related prizes. But if you’re prefer to get live updates you can just follow my twitch channel and make sure your notifications to ON. That way, you get a heads-up about *all* the streams I do, even if they’re scheduled last minute, completely spontaneous.

That’s all for now. I’ll see y’all more here in the blog over the next couple weeks.

Until then, I hope your lives are full of rich, warm, beautiful colours.

Later space cowboys,

pat

This entry was posted in Arts and Crafts, Because I Love, cool things, Cutie Snoo, day in the life, One Good Thing, Oot, The Terror of Domesticity. By Pat39 Responses

39 Comments

  1. Lindsay
    Posted June 17, 2021 at 11:42 AM | Permalink

    Henry is delightful! You seem like a fantastic Dad with some super sweet boys, Pat. Happy almost Father’s Day!

    • Posted June 17, 2021 at 3:19 PM | Permalink

      Oh dang. That is right around the corner, isn’t it? I’d been so focused on the upcoming fundraiser I forgot…

  2. Álvaro
    Posted June 17, 2021 at 11:46 AM | Permalink

    Henry looks like a real life version of Bulbasaur but more colorful and I love him.

  3. Stephen
    Posted June 17, 2021 at 11:50 AM | Permalink

    Recently planted some herbs in small pots on my window sill. Having something growing in my apartment really makes it feel like less of a pizza box filled cave.

    • Posted June 17, 2021 at 3:18 PM | Permalink

      Right? This is the year I finally started doing herbs inside like I’ve kinda always wanted to.

      Results have been…. mixed.

      • Alannah
        Posted June 18, 2021 at 1:40 PM | Permalink

        Mixing is the right approach for some herbs. Sprinkling works well for others.

        • Carrieanne
          Posted June 19, 2021 at 6:46 AM | Permalink

          Your devotion to your boys is heartwarming. I love seeing this and te absolute joy you get from them is palpable. I typed, erased and retyped so much more but I’m going to leave it at that. Fantastic job and welcome to Henry!

  4. Jeff Montalvo
    Posted June 17, 2021 at 12:45 PM | Permalink

    Now that you started that when’s the tunneling start?

    • Kate
      Posted June 17, 2021 at 12:48 PM | Permalink

      Shhhhhhh! It’s a secret!

      • Posted June 17, 2021 at 3:18 PM | Permalink

        Exactly. It wouldn’t be a secret if I told y’all *everything* about it….

      • Eric Wrightson
        Posted June 20, 2021 at 3:10 PM | Permalink

        *air high five*

  5. Spike Murray
    Posted June 17, 2021 at 3:13 PM | Permalink

    Henry is def awesome. That yawning expanse of domestic family life, commitments to permanence (plants in pots) that’s an evolution of you. A new facet…life is change :)

  6. Sherri
    Posted June 17, 2021 at 3:52 PM | Permalink

    What a lovely uplifting read! I love kids perspective and the way they see and feel the world. Good luck with your growing- we picked and ate our first homegrown strawberries this evening- it was the highlight of my 9 year olds day- and mine!

    • Posted June 18, 2021 at 10:21 AM | Permalink

      The birds have been eating ours. I guess now I have to eat the birds? Circle of life?

      • Sherri Harber
        Posted June 18, 2021 at 6:55 PM | Permalink

        ? some netting to cover the berries should do the job and let the birds live to see another day!

  7. Sara K.
    Posted June 17, 2021 at 4:35 PM | Permalink

    Huzzah for Henry and his beautiful flowers! We recently replaced a door with a secret bookshelf door, and it’s made life so much more magical. A+ highly recommend

  8. Kaye
    Posted June 17, 2021 at 5:14 PM | Permalink

    Makes me wonder what my answer would have been as a child.

    My adult answer is Dogs.

  9. Faith
    Posted June 17, 2021 at 5:55 PM | Permalink

    This is why I adore you. You write what I feel but have never put into words. As a Mom my kids teach me like your kids are teaching you. Maybe it’s time to put up a few posters or decorate my house. I’ll be staying a while, even if it’s just for them.

  10. StressedStudent
    Posted June 17, 2021 at 8:41 PM | Permalink

    Man, I could really use some warm and beautiful colours right now. Ever since I started with my finals, both the outside world and a healthy, regular sleeping shedule seem like things from the past! Luckily I have a dog to take care of, so the few moments where I get a rest I get to see beautiful, warm colours in my local park!

    Anyway, hope y’all have a great day :)!

  11. Aly Grauer
    Posted June 17, 2021 at 11:34 PM | Permalink

    This was heartwarming! May there be much love and many MANY beautiful rich colours and secret tunnels ahead for us all.

  12. Chris
    Posted June 17, 2021 at 11:59 PM | Permalink

    Hope you have a very happy Father’s Day!

  13. Tarvik
    Posted June 18, 2021 at 12:12 AM | Permalink
    • Tarvik
      Posted June 18, 2021 at 12:13 AM | Permalink

      And apparently my html skills are rusty. I may also be punchy (an expression I learned from you).

  14. Karim
    Posted June 18, 2021 at 5:09 AM | Permalink

    I read this post earlier this morning and tried it on my sleepy five year old cousin. The answer: bubbles. After breakfast, he changed his mind to chocolate. It’s a wonder he didn’t nudge and wink. The cheek!

    I love the frog (toad?) flower pot. I hope Cutie Snoo builds his secret tunnels.

    (P.S.: This isn’t unsolicited advice—just my experience—but I started sleeping easily again when I resumed exercise. Even a 7,000-10,000 step walk made a big difference. A friend said cutting down on sugary stuff like chocolate did wonders for her, too.)

    • Karim
      Posted June 18, 2021 at 8:47 AM | Permalink

      (On reflection, that post-script is presumptuous. Apologies.)

      • Posted June 18, 2021 at 3:32 PM | Permalink

        Thanks for being considerate, but I took it in the spirit it was given. I could tell you were just offering help….

  15. Jay
    Posted June 18, 2021 at 7:12 AM | Permalink

    Miss your regular updates, but good to know that you are on Twitch… are blogs outdated now?…no, it’s the kids who are wrong :D all good to you and your family! Love from Portugal

    • Vlad
      Posted June 18, 2021 at 8:30 AM | Permalink

      He streams on Twitch?? Would be cool to see Big Poppa Patrick Rothfuss playing fantasy games and stuff. I would watch him play Bioshock Infinite for sure, epic story

  16. Vlad
    Posted June 18, 2021 at 8:29 AM | Permalink

    Tunnels? We got this guy named Elon Musk 8)

  17. Alyssa
    Posted June 18, 2021 at 3:24 PM | Permalink

    Cutie’s answer reminded me of the Secret Tunnel song from Avatar: The Last Airbender. It’s a little inane, but absolutely enjoyable for some random inspiration. In case dancing must be done to celebrate said secret tunnels.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-GiYP_4qc0

    Thanks for being a great dad to your kids. It’s heartening to know such parenting is happening in the world.

    • Posted June 18, 2021 at 3:31 PM | Permalink

      It’s been stuck in my head since I wrote this blog….

  18. Ray Dahlia
    Posted June 18, 2021 at 4:44 PM | Permalink

    You seem like a really good dad, Pat. Happy Father’s Day, man.

  19. Marcell
    Posted June 19, 2021 at 4:31 AM | Permalink

    Please tell me “later space cowboys” is a reference to Cowboy Bebop!! If not I recommend you give it a chance!

    • Cynrtst
      Posted June 20, 2021 at 4:10 PM | Permalink

      Pretty sure it is!

  20. Eric Wrightson
    Posted June 20, 2021 at 3:08 PM | Permalink

    Happy Father’s Day, sir.

  21. Cynrtst
    Posted June 20, 2021 at 4:12 PM | Permalink

    Happy Father’s Day! I love the black petunias! So velvety!

  22. Dennis
    Posted June 21, 2021 at 6:40 AM | Permalink

    My family has a Frog that looks similar. He is an umbrella stand and we have called him Destroyer of Worlds or DOW the eternaly hungery for short

  23. Posted July 12, 2021 at 1:01 AM | Permalink

    Newest member indeed lol

  24. Posted February 8, 2023 at 4:01 AM | Permalink

    Thank you so much for sharing this lovely post; I really enjoyed reading it and found it helpful for expanding my knowledge.

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