Blue Blue Vs. The Barn

He has been called The Purple Prince Of Peace by Lucy and myself ever since Fred became addicted to him. Since we learned of his ability to calm and engage Fred even during the angriest of temper tantrums, our home has become a virtual clearing house for everything Barney, Baby Bop, and BJ. We've got videos, we've got DVD's,CD's, full sized Baby Bop's, raincoats, coloring books, guitars, chalk boards, house shoes, 6 different Barney stuffed animals, plates, bowls, cars, and trucks all given to Fred by us and others who love to see him smile. And smile he has!! From the Baby Bop Hop to the Barney Pop-Up book, it seemed nobody would ever take the place of The Barn.

Sure Backyardigans and Wonder Pets swoop in every so often and catch his eye for a day or so, but with a wag of his dinosaur tail Barney always wipes out the competition.until this past week when Blue Blue (Blue's Clues) stepped up to the plate. With a handy dandy notebook in tow and a flash of Jazz hands, Blue Blue may just be heralding in the very death of Barney the dinosaur quicker than you can SKIDOO CAUSE BLUE CAN TOO!! Why the sudden shift in idol worship? Simple. His name is Steve!!

See Steve is Blue's owner and it's his job to teach Blue the ways of the world. From backyard adventures in spotting a four leaf clover to finding the perfect pet, Steve is more than just some guy on the TV.he's just also happens to be the Gigi's main squeeze!! That's right we have our very own Steve that comes over every week and waves a big wave (like the television Steve) and says weird things like "Whatcha doing Mister?" and "Golly Gee!!" and "You Silly Goose!!" and even has a short hair like Steve. There's no dinosaur running around our home waving a giant pumpernickel sandwich in the air. There's no baby triceratops in Fred's room looking for her yellow blankie . but there's a Steve that likes to carry him around!!! And that blurring between TV and Real Life may just be enough to bury that last nerve stomping dinosaur for good!!

 

Technorati Tags: blues clues,barney,baby bop,backyardigans,wonder pets,kids tv

A Friend In Morning

We always know that while Jack Bauer is busy being tortured in a Chinese death camp for 24 hours, Keifer Sutherland will be sleeping in a comfortable bed that same night. And while Jack, Kate, and Sawyer try to find their way home without getting LOST. Matthew Fox and his fellow actors will be busy promoting the latest movie they made during the off time. That's the difference between TV and Radio. TV is filled with actors reading someone else's words and pretending to live someone else's life. Radio DJ's.the really special ones at least.let you into their world like a best friend.

I've been listening to Rick and Bubba every morning for over 5 years. During that time they have become a part of the family. At least twice a week, Lucy is poised the question "Did ya hear what Rick did today?" or "Did ya hear what Bubba said?" I no longer need to explain whom I'm talking about. By now they are just as much a part of the family as any cousin or grandparent we never see but talk to on a regular basis. This is why today I am sending out a prayer to not just some morning DJ, but to a friend in need of some extra attention from up above.

This past weekend the 2-year-old son of Rick Burgess, Bronner Burgess passed away after falling into the family swimming pool. This is a nightmare that nobody should have to live through and words fail me as to how to handle such a shock. I do know that the first thing I would do, would be similar to the first thing I did yesterday morning after hearing the news.I'd pray. Regardless if you've never heard of them or change the station every time they come on, please say a prayer for this family in need. Let them know that God is watching over them and through their faith in him better days will come.

From their site:

We ask that you bathe Rick, Sherri, and the entire Burgess family in prayer as they deal with the loss of their youngest son, Bronner Burgess.
We all are grieving together in this terrible loss.
The Burgess's want to give all Honor and Glory to GOD for the many blessings He has given us, especially the life of Bronner Burgess. And while we do not understand, we know who is in charge and His will be done in life and in death.

He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him.
1 Thessalonians 5:10

 

 

Technorati Tags: rick and bubba,family,prayer request,christian life

Training Days

I didn't think I'd find myself circling back around to the subject of potty training so soon, but the next story happened and it demanded to be told.

I'm laying there Saturday watching Green Bay whoop up on Seattle in 3 feet of snow (the messier the field the better the game as far as I'm concerned) when I suddenly do what most men do when it's just them and their loved ones alone at home. I farted. Not some Silent-But-Violent-Where-Did-That-Come-From fart. I shot a pocket of gas out the back of my pants so enormous, Brett Farve lost hold of the ball while trying to cover his nose. It was like a sonic boom going across the room and shaking the foundation of the house seconds later.

Fred is a couple feet away and can't help but look up in the direction the blast came from. Realizing what has just taken place, he puts a plan into action beginning with grabbing me by the hand and saying "Shoo Shoo. Shoo Shoo" "SHOO SHOO SHOO SHOO!!"

He's about to jerk my finger out of socket so I stand up still watching the game while trying to humor him. That's not good enough though. He spins around me with the speed that only a 2-year-old can possess and starts shoving me out of the room. "SHOO SHOO SHOO SHOO!!!"

"Hey!! The game.I didn't.it was." but then I quit fighting it, not to continue humoring him but mainly because all his shouting made me begin to wonder if maybe I had accidentally ejected a crew member. Sure I suppose deep down inside I knew that wasn't the case, but the kid is a 4 foot Sam Waterston. He may as well have been screaming "Guilty Guilty Guilty"

He shoves me all the way to the bathroom and sits down on his potty. I'm thinking "This is cool. Maybe he has to go and it's all a coincidence." That's when he reached over, started banging on the toilet, and explained "Shoo Shoo Daddy" smack the toilet "Shoo Shoo Daddy" smack the toilet. Apparently the student had become the teacher.

I'm Such A Potty Mouth

Everyone seems to be talking potty training lately. Weird Girl has been trying for some time now with mixed results:

"Wednesday - almost all day successful tinkling in the pot when I took him in.  I think there was a turning point when, at one point, he started to go on the floor and he shut that valve off and walked to the potty instead! Yeah, baby!  However, I did/do have to remind him to go.  He wouldn't tell me when he had to pee."

It's no secret that after 22 months of changing dirty diapers, I still can't stand the smell and regularly pull my shirt over my nose choosing the smell of my own BO over what I'm about to be wrist deep in. This is such a predictable habit that if I don't do it Fred starts pulling my shirt up to my face for me. Still even though diapers aren't cheap and supposedly it's every parents dream come true the first time they make it out of Target without having to fork over $30 bucks for them, I think I may prefer diapers when compared to the alternative.

Lucy bought Fred a potty (or poop bucket as I like to call it) for Christmas for a number of reasons. The first being that he now can be seen entering a room with a fresh diaper in hand saying "My boot. My boot." on a regular basis. The second reason is he's moved up at the Hill and his new teacher insists he'll be potty trained in 6 months. Now they did say this was an option, but everyone else is learning and we can't very well expect him to use a potty at school and a diaper at home just because we don't want to clean out the bucket. I have a cat, which means I already have one poop bucket to clean and I think 2 may be over my "Poop-Buckets-To-Clean" quota.

Another thing that has got me stumped is how are we supposed to know when he has to go? Let's face it, I forget to go sometimes and I've been practicing for 30 years. That's why I keep that "Cleanest and Most Convenient Bathrooms In Town" map in my head. No matter where we go I always know where a good potty is just in case I have an emergency. It's not like he says "Hey! I'm about to wet myself!!!" Letting us know after the fact is great, but should we just pull his pants off and stake out the potty just in case? And if that's the answer, what if we get the origin of exit wrong?

I can just hear myself discussing the previous nights events with the folks at work the next day:

"Did you see The Biggest Loser last night?"

"Nope"

"That guy almost won a million bucks on Deal or No Deal"

"Missed it"

"What was the score of the game?"

"Didn't see it."

"So I guess ya'll rented movies?"

"Not exactly"

"So what did you do?"

"We spent a cozy night in the bathroom huddled around a plastic toilet looking for signs on Fred's face that could give us a clue as to whether or not he's about to go #1 or #2."

"Oh.um how did that work out for you?"

"Not so great. We are hoping the cat will have better luck teaching him to use the litter box."

About Those New Additions.....

I think the reason I've managed to turn into a pretty decent husband and a great father (that sound you hear is my hand patting my back) is because I took the time to learn. You don't just get out of high school and become a CEO of a billion dollar global enterprise. You go to college, start out on the bottom rung, take your knocks, learn from them, and then try to avoid the pitfalls you fell in when you were an amateur mailroom clerk.

I was a husband in training for about 8 years before Lucy and I decided to take things to the next level (level Fred). During that time I did many a stupid thing (something that still happens, just not as regularly) like forgetting to fill her Christmas stocking, continuously getting her birthday wrong, and then there was that time I bought her a hammock for an anniversary present. Another trick I picked up is not dwelling on past mistakes, so lets move on shall we. My point is that with each new level of life nothing is as easy as the one you just left behind.

Single life is different from married life is different from parenthood is different from grand-parenthood is different from life at the retirement home. Each level of life is an amazing adventure, but each requires your full commitment and the ability to learn, love, and let go. Over the holidays a couple Blockheads took the leap to the next level.

Broccoli and Brookli started dating the same week as Lucy and I. Way back in December of 1997.While Lucy and I were settling into small town life they both had their own paths to follow. Sometimes it meant they were together...sometimes it meant they were thousands of miles apart. And though the path they took was winding leaving many to wondered if it would ever become a two-lane road, they finally ended up together leaving us all to say we knew it was meant to be all along. 10 years to the night of that first date, Broccoli finally begged Brookli to become a Blockhead (which she agreed to in spite of the fact that her future mother-in-law is nuts and her future brother-in-law likes to put everyone's private business on the Internet for the world to see)

Brookli, from the bottom of my heart thank you for ignoring those buck-teeth, those steroid enhanced muscles,  that porn star voice, and for hanging in there as long as you have for no apparent reason that I can thank of other than you've just been really bored for the past 10 years and if anything my brother is always good for a laugh.

Remember the next step will not be easy, will not always be fun, but will be the second most amazing time in your life. The first of course being the creation of a cousin for Fred!! No rush...anytime you guys are ready....just know we are here if you need to tell us anything...or if you need some baby clothes or toys...just keep it in mind...I've always liked the name Charlie haven't you? Or Charlene whichever is fine by me...just throwing some names in the air. So Congrats on the upcoming nuptials and anything else that you might not be telling us at this time.

Rumor Has it

One thing I really like about writing my own blog is that weeks can go by without anybody in my circle of friends commenting on anything I've posted and then just when I think nobody is tuning in everyone freaks out over what basically is me just babbling. Recently this has happened in a big way all because of a post entitled "A New Twist To A Grand Ole Holiday" in which I included the sentence:

We are fortunate to have a large family and even more so that every year it gets larger and larger with new Blockheads being add to the clan every month (more on that in the days to come)

Now looking back I can see where everyone would think that I was hinting at a possible new baby for Lucy and I. Yes there has been some talk and yes plans are being tossed around concerning the:

When's- Spring Summer Fall or Winter

How's -Well I mean we pretty much got the how's figured out obviously we have Fred, what I'm saying is how to afford a new baby and how a quad-Blockhead family will work compared to our current trio status.

Where's -Where will a new baby sleep, where will my second job be at, and where will Gigi keep all her stuff when she moves in to help Lucy.

However, one thing is for sure it won't be until late 2009 or possibly even early 2010. Fred will be starting school by that time and we won't have to mortgage the house just so we can afford daycare.

For those of you that jumped for joy and sang "Hallelujah" from as far away as Michigan, sadly Lucy is not with child (unless you count the two she already has. One of which is writing this blog over a cup of coffee and the Curious George movie playing in the background.) We love you for your concern and excitement and can't wait till each of you decide to have new child as well. When will that be by the way? Are you pregnant now? You guys need another kid. Aren't they great? You're the best parents. You'd be doing the world a service by bringing in another bundle of joy. OMG!! You are pregnant aren't you!!! I knew it!!

A Blockhead Family Christmas

I've got a pretty busy week going on, but I wanted to shoot out this Christmas pics before it got too far past the holiday's. Enjoy and I will try to post again before the end of the week.