My "life' has been comprised of the tiny moments between parties and silence, between weddings and funerals, between my kids and wife now ... and later.

Each chapter is a separate memory as I've either recorded it ("live", as it were) or recollected.

I only wish I had started sooner ...

I once tasked the 6 y.o. and 5 y.o. with building machines that did something cool.

First, the 6 y.o. brought in a bag clearly filled with some random assortment of toys and a large tennis-ball-shaped toy.

I asked him to demo the machine.

"It makes the ball roll," he declared, as he dropped the bag onto the ball.

And for a second, it did roll.  A little.

Cuteness.

Second, the 5 y.o. brought in a small LEGO creation; a variety of small parts sat atop a hand-sized panel.  Beneath the panel lay two wheel units.

I asked him to demo the machine.

He said "it wolls," and held up his machine proudly.

Caution had been to ensure both wheels were placed flatly under the panel; however, the wheel units were in-line.

I told him it was wonderful and he bounded off.

Cuteness.

The third machine, brought forth by the 6 y.o. involved a music box, a small traffic cone, and a pencil.

When asked, he indicated "it raised and lowered the pencil in and out of the cone."

And when I asked for a demo, he responded "The machine makes me move."

These are somehow beautiful.

I went to check on my 5 y.o.; he had been calling out and I wanted to ensure he was comfortable and was able to get back to sleep quickly.  I had been out for a few hours - which was to be immediately relevant.

"What's up, buddy," I asked.

"I want a dwink wike Mommy made me," he sleepily replied.

I looked around and found a cup with what appeared to be water.

In the dimly-lit room, I checked the water level and noticed an enhancement to the contents of the cup.

An insect of some kind had decided to crawl into the water - and died by the time I picked up the cup.

The thought that my wife had added a form of protein enrichment to his bedtime drink amused me.

And I made my way to the bathroom, proceeding to reset the drink.

And a crisis was averted.