Interview with Wyatt Roberts, Sr.

Inspired by my dear friend at Graceland, I decided to interview a family member for my next blog post. I will interview my husband Wyatt, as he usually is pretty funny, and is the only one awake besides myself. I chose to interview him about Father's Day, since we will be celebrating Father's Day in just a few short weeks.
Here goes:

When you hear the words "Father's Day" what do you think of?

WHR sr: I think of my shirt. (The kids and I made him a shirt with their handprints and footprints on it that reads "Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord...")

Do you remember any gifts/cards that you gave your father as a child?

WHR sr: No.
(Really. That's all he said. And yes he has, and grew up with, a father.)

What has been your favorite Father's day gift thus far?

WHR sr: My ball cap. "Greatest Dad" ball cap.

Describe a perfect Father's Day.

WHR sr: "A day on which I get to take a nap and reflect on how blessed I am to have so many lovely children." (awwwwwe!)

What should people NOT buy their dad's for Father's Day?

WHR sr: "uh... I don't need...anything. I don't need any ties."

So, there you go. Now we know what men think about Father's Day.

At this point I decided to move on to another subject. My husband was working on his novel before we started this interview, so I decided to ask him about books. Here we go:

"Why do you like to read?"

WHR sr: "Because I like to learn. No matter what I am reading, I am deeply engaged in the process of learning. It is very satisfying to read a well written sentence...when an author can cause you to see a setting, or pinpoint a feeling, to understand a certain situation through succint and evocative writing...they can put you in a certain place or time..I learn from that."

You read both fiction and nonfiction. What are your favorite genres in each of these categories?

WHR sr: Suspense (particularly Dean Koontz novels) in the fiction category, theology in non-fiction.

What is the first book you remeber reading as a child?

WHR sr: "It was either Tom Sawyer or Huckleberry Finn..I don't remember which one. I was 9 or 10 years old. I was sitting on a gold couch in Pensacola, Florida. That was in the fourth grade. I read that whole book that summer."

Who are your favorite fictional characters?

WHR sr: Huck Finn and Odd Thomas

Why those two?

WHR sr: Well, as for Huck Finn, I wanted to be like him. I tried my best to do many things that he did, such as build rafts...I spent a good deal of time trying to build rafts. To this day, when I pass over a river, I have this desire to hop on a raft and float down to the ocean."

What about Odd Thomas?

WHR sr: His sense of justice. And he is willing to risk his life to do what is right....And the fact that he likes C.S. Lewis...that we share a love for C.S.Lewis, 24 and The Office.

What is the first essay/poem/narrative you rememeber writing?

WHR sr: (smiles) A poem I wrote in first grade. It goes like this:

"I read my bible everyday.
I love to sing, I love to pray.
I love my sweet, sweet teacher.
I'd go to the moon to see a creature."

I also remember a story ...my dad used to have a typewriter. One summer, somewhere between 6th and 9th grade, I wrote several pages of a sci-fi story. I really wish I had that story...it was about some people who were shrunk down to the size of ants. I remember thinking, "This would be an awesome movie."

How do you find writing?

WHR sr: Painfully slow.

What is your biggest challenge?

WHR sr: Losing momentum. I guess because I am a perfectionist...it is difficult to allow myself to just put thoughts down in anything but their final form.

What makes a good storyteller?

WHR sr: Someone who can surprise you and still be believeable.

If you had to choose only 3 books for your library, what would they be?

WHR sr: The Bible....(sigh...thinking...) Websters Unabridged Dictionary....(more thinking....) The Complete Works of C.S. Lewis.
(so not a real book, but wouldn't it be great?)

Different Friday

This is a different Friday. Not the one I posted about last week. I say that so that every will be clear as to when I last blogged. (sheeesh!) So, I confess....It has been a full week since my last confess...er...blog post.

Anyway, I have to run to town to pick up my son. But when I get back I will have a big, fat, juicy new post for y'all. All 4 or 5 of you that read this. So, sit tight.

Friday

Now, today is Friday. I am still in my pjs because school is over and we have nothing planned until after lunch. Before we ate breakfast, we each packed up what we would be hauling to park day. Or church day, should it rain. At least two, possible three, of my children need a bath today, but I refuse to bathe them until we are back from the park. Why bother? Second-cup-of-coffee time will be a little early today...immediately following lunch...so that I will not yawn without ceasing through homeschool group. Dinner is already planned...whatever meal I had planned this week but never cooked, so now I must cook it before the meat goes bad and the salad wilts. Whatever housework I fail to do today I will do tomorrow while the kids are playing outside, their Daddy mows the lawn and the lil' tots nap. Tonight we watch National Treasure 2 after the kids are in bed. And then read well into the wee hours of the morning, because tomorrow is Saturday! Have a great weekend!

Thursday

Today is NOT Friday. That's why there is no Freebie Friday email in my inbox. That's why we did not rent a movie. Despite what I thought most of today, today is not Friday. It's Thursday. Also, Saturday is not the homeschool end of year party. That's next Saturday. Tomorrow (Friday) is not the last homeschool group park day. That also is next week. This should explanin why some people didn't know what I was talking about all day today.

I know, I know...

I know it's been a while since my last post. I've been planting stuff! I've had the fever and the weather has been perfect for it, so I figured I'd better strike while the iron is hot.
Plus, we are wrapping up the school year, so lots of review and assessments. Come back in a few days!

P.S. By the way, Prince Caspina was great!

Today! Today! Today!

Prince Caspian FINALLY opens today! This is big news for our crew, and quite frankly I'm surprised my husband didn't take the afternoon off and keep our son home from school so we could all go. (It's still not too late!!!)

Nevermind

ok, here's the scoop on the quote.
It is an excerpt from a novel written by Dinah Craik...check it out.