Or that what goes up must come down, as in a skier who leaps from the big jump and lands upright (most of the time).
Or what comes down the pipe, or in Shaun White’s case, the halfpipe, takes some twists and turns.
I don’t have to tell that to daughter-in-law Erica, who I’m SURE was tired of persevering when her due date passed, and thought the kid never would land, and learned that a baby holds on for dear life instead of hitting the slalom on time (or as slickly as the Flying Tomato [I know he doesn’t like the nickname, but he can put it in his halfpipe and smoke it] does with his snowboard).
And I’m sure that son Brendan learned patience as he stood at Erica’s side wondering whether she’d be doing a short program or a long one, as ice skaters do in their quest for gold. (Truth be told, I bet he felt like an Olympic skater’s coach, too, nervously wondering whether labor might make Erica so edgy that she’d cold-cock him in the middle of a triple Lutz, with a toe loop.)
And now, you’re learning patience, waiting for the verdict on whether the entity I previously have called blot because Brendan and Erica (well, Brendan, mostly, but Erica indulged him [as far as anybody knows]) didn’t want to know the gender swept into the world, albeit like a curling rock, as a boy or a girl.
But first the facts, ma’am, and man: 8 pounds, 9.6 ounces and 21.5 inches. No WONDER the infant was late coming through the bobsled run. (For the record, that’s only 19.8 percent of what a curling rock weighs, so what’s the fuss? It’s not like the lad or lassie came out carrying a curling broom, sideways, while also wearing slalom skis.)
Name: Avery. I like the name, and it’s got some cool background, I discovered at http://babynamesworld.parentsconnect.com.
For instance, I never would have guessed that it has both English and French ties. Fortunately, it means the same thing in both: Elf counsel. That seems like an odd meaning, but it’s got this bonus: Elf can be interchangeable with leprechaun, which is Irish, which means the child has Irish blood AND an Irish name. (Hey, this is my blog, and I can make up the rules.)
Bigger bonus is that these Irish eyes are smiling because I can kick the Brits and the Frogs off the island.
Another bonus: Not only are several towns and counties in the United States named Avery but also a crater on the moon sports that moniker. That’s only fitting, because entering the world was one small step for Avery, but one big step for the Tighes.
At any rate, it’s only fitting that the baby arrived during the Olympics, albeit without those ubiquitous, and irritating, cowbells, because you can bet Erica and Brendan will put their firstborn on a podium. I’d wager that Erica and Brendan are glad it’s over, and they’ve got the gold, and ESPECIALLY that babies aren’t in the womb for four whole years.
Of course, that doesn’t mean they can’t start preparing for the next Winter Olympics, in four years. I’ve found that four years between kids is about PERFECT, because they can kind of take care of each other when they’re little, and a guy can take a nap.
Of course, it’s their life …
P.S.: If you’re under the illusion that Avery is a girl, you’re in for the agony of defeat, as the ski jumper experienced in the immortalized video from 1970:
DOH! Avery not only can be EITHER a male or a female name but also is more common as a male. With that, and noting that Avery’s middle name is Michael to acknowledge Brendan’s middle name and that of his late uncle Michael and, well, I guess, MOI, I introduce you to: Sir Avery Michael Tighe. And, of course, his co-stars, Erica and Brendan.
No comments:
Post a Comment