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Dear Jack: Our New Family Tradition of Saturday Morning Breakfast

11 years, 10 months.

Dear Jack,

I pay a lot of attention to our family dynamics… and I plan our activities accordingly. Sometimes, it’s me taking you and your sister birthday parties, without Mommy. Other times, it’s Mommy taking you both to the zoo, without me.

Similarly, I also look for ways to spend one-on-one time with both you and your sister throughout the week.

But I noticed that for much of the time the four of us are together as a family, it’s in either boring or stressful situations; like trying to get through homework and dinner on a busy school night, or rushing to get to church on time.

Therefore, we are now 3 weeks in for the new tradition I started for us: “Saturday Morning Family Breakfast.”

I now clean all the bathrooms and take care of all the garbage on Friday mornings before work, so that on Saturday mornings, we can all just casually wake up and head to a fun nearby restaurant for breakfast as a family. No stress about having to clean the house when we wake up anymore!

We go to places that have a good family atmosphere where we can enjoy a solid breakfast, but not feel rushed- like the nearby Grecian Bakery or any of the local coffee shops.

Saturday Morning Family Breakfast is a hit!

 

Love,

Daddy

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Dear Holly: Cake for Breakfast on Saturday Mornings?!

6 years, 4 months.

Dear Holly,

This morning I took you for a 7 AM dentist appointment… just your typical check-up and teeth cleaning.

Good news: No cavities!

I told your dentist that I take part of the credit for that because of how thoroughly I brush your teeth every night.

And of course, I have to do a good job scrubbing your teeth:

Mommy always lets you have a “treat” after dinner… which may or may not be leftover Halloween candy from last year. That’s not my department, so I really don’t know for sure…

But I definitely contribute to your sugar intake on Saturday mornings now, since I recently initiated “Saturday Morning Family Breakfast” at 8:30 AM every Saturday.

I choose a fun nearby place to go eat a fun breakfast- and then we start off the weekend right as a family!

Last weekend, we returned to Grecian Pizzeria; which happens to have their own bakery.

The week before, you ordered French Toast, which you loved… But to me, sugar is sugar.

Therefore, this past Saturday, you enjoyed Mint Chocolate cake for breakfast!

Love,

Daddy

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“(Subtitles) I Dare You Not to Fall in Love with Me” – Song 6 – Enneagram 6 Songwriter – Analyzing Lyrics – Themes of Belonging and Security

My 6th song was another one of the four that my wife sang with me. Recorded on November 19th, 2019, I wrote this song as a true duet; which serves as a real-time breakdown of the day we met; on October 5th, 2006.

The lyrics go back and forth between my perspective and my wife’s. It’s rare that I write a “love song”, but this is about as close as it gets to that for me.

It just so happens that both my wife and I happen to be Enneagram 6. Perhaps that’s part of the mutual attraction we saw in each other when we first met, and still experience now, having been married 14 years.

The concept: We saw “stability and security” in each other.

Since Enneagram 6s are known for being overthinkers, I wrote this concept into the song, as the back-and-forth between us addresses what we are both individually thinking. Here are the lyrics:

“Hey pretty girl, whatcha doing the rest of your life? Say the next 50 years or so, starting tonight? I’ll give you the next 5 minutes, all or nothing – When I saw you across the room, you had it coming – This could be interesting, maybe not what I was expecting – I dare you not to fall in love with me – You can’t read my mind right now, you don’t know what I’m thinking – You can’t translate what I say without subtitles at the bottom of the screen – I dare you not to fall in love with me  -Tell me, Mr. Man, what are your plans? Can you charm me, disalarm me, make me laugh? If I couldn’t would you still be standing here? You’re not giving up, that’s pretty clear”

So looking back on this song I wrote nearly 4 years ago, can you see the Enneagram 6? Can you see my longing for security and confirmation of my own existence?

Feel free to leave a comment. I’d love to hear your thoughts!

And now you can listen to the song, below, if you wish:

 

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“The Meaning of Life” – Song 5 – Enneagram 6 Songwriter – Analyzing Lyrics – Themes of Belonging and Security

My wife joins me again in my 5th song, which probably wins the prize for the fewest lyrics of any song I’ve written in my life. More important, though, is the dark tone in the concept of this song.

It may be subtle, but in later songs, I revisit the personal confusion I face here in this song (published on November 6th, 2019) with my own understanding of Christian theology:

To possibly end up in hell, despite never choosing to be born with a sinful nature. For an introspective Enneagram 6 like me, I have always lived in anxiety about how happens to our consciousness after we die.

Even outside of the Christian faith, it is regularly assumed that one’s understanding of and carrying out of the meaning of one’s life is ultimately connected to entry to the afterlife.

Here are the lyrics:

“Is it heaven or hell in the end? Or do we fade to a black screen? It came without warning – I never asked to be born – Time is not on our side as we’re finding the meaning of life – I choose faith and hope but there’s no way of knowing – Until it’s too late if I’m wrong, will I know it?”

So looking back on this song I wrote nearly 4 years ago, can you see the Enneagram 6? Can you see my longing for security and confirmation of my own existence?

Feel free to leave a comment. I’d love to hear your thoughts!

And now you can listen to the song, below, if you wish:

 

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“We’re Gonna Leave in the Morning” – Song 4 – Enneagram 6 Songwriter – Analyzing Lyrics – Themes of Belonging and Security

It takes no stretch of the imagination to understand that my 4th song was written by an Enneagram 6, to an Enneagram 6.

This is the first official entry in my series of songs that I wrote specifically for my wife; as a glimpse into our relationship.

Ultimately, this song serves as a direct sequel to the song I wrote before it: “Fort Payne, Alabama“. It is about us starting over from our failed move to my hometown- and together, coming up with a new vision of our future together.

Apparently, that explains the line, “We won’t get lost, not this time. We’re gonna leave behind the plans we called Plan A.”

As Enneagram 6s, my wife and I both have 7 wings- and I would say that optimism stands out in these lyrics.

This also makes the first song of several in which I was able to convince my wife to sing with me.

Here are the lyrics:

“We’re gonna leave in the morning – We’re gonna hit the ground running – I know just where we’re going – We won’t get lost, not this time – We’re gonna leave behind the life we called Plan A – As follow the dots and lines of the painted interstate – And I don’t care if we’re just running off of fumes – As long as I’m with you – So put on that Speedwagon shirt you like to wear to bed – We’ll wake up about the time the coffee hits our heads – You’ll be the prettiest picture that’s ever been Instagrammed – As long as I’m your man – I will be your captain, you will be my lovely lady – I will take you where you want to go”

So looking back on this song I wrote nearly 4 years ago, can you see the Enneagram 6? Can you see my longing for security and confirmation of my own existence?

Feel free to leave a comment. I’d love to hear your thoughts!

And now you can listen to the song, below, if you wish: