Today’s Conversation of Entertainment

Devin: I want to watch a movie.

Daddy: With all these new toys, you want to watch a movie? Maybe next Christmas, we should tell Santa you don’t need any new toys.

Devin: Nooo, but we can give the old toys to babies.

Daddy: Maybe we should give the new ones too!

Devin: But the babies will put them in their mouth and slobber on them.

Talia: The babies will slobber on them!

Daddy: Yeah but at least they…

Talia: I talking first…the babies will slobber on them and that’s yucky!

Devin: Not all babies ’cause they grow up.

Talia: And then the caterpillar becomes a butterfly.

Daddy: Uh yes.

Devin: Well first, it goes into a coccoon and then it becomes a butterfly.

I’m not sure where I lost control of this conversation but the lesson I was trying to teach was definitely lost in the segue way to butterflies.

 

My Main Man

Standing in line at Costco today, I picked Devin up and to my surprise he said “Daddy you’re my main man!” Now I know I’ve said it to him before but I am still amazed at the stuff he picks up on. For that matter the stuff both of them pick up on is slightly crazy.

Talia is turning out be much better at follow directions than Devin was at that age….or is at this age really. She may note be able to engage us in a serious conversation yet but she can generally pick up what we’re putting down. On the flip sidestep, Natalia appears be going through that same transition that Devin went through in that she went from a baby that would eat anything to being sporadic eater at best.

With all that said, I have some pretty awesome kids.

Hard First Day

Many of you who know me through social settings will know what I’m about to reveal.  Most of you who know me professionally have no idea what I’m about to reveal.  Since my early 20’s I have been a smoker.  Not a cigarette smoker as typically defined by the term smoker.  But a Black and Mild smoker, little cigars with pipe tobacco in them.

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For years I didn’t even consider myself a smoker.  After all, I didn’t take smoke breaks.  I never got to the point of having withdrawal symptoms if I didn’t have one.  I smoked because I enjoyed it.  I smoked thinking any time I wanted I could put them down for good and be no worse for wear.

Around five years ago is when I first started thinking that I was probably addicted to the damn things.  I never chain smoked or anything like that. In fact, for most of the years I smoked, it was usually one a day and definitely no more than two. I never took smoke breaks at work.  And for the most part since I’ve been with the ol’ battleaxe, most of my ‘more than one a day’ smokes have come at bars. 

With all that said, on an impulse (though I’d been considering it for awhile), I bought some nicorette yesterday.  I’m starting to feel like the smoking is taking it’s toll on my workouts and don’t like the thought of that at all.  I have virtually stopped going to bars as most of my closest bar buddies have moved or are no longer geographically desirable. But most importantly, I don’t want either of my kids to see me smoking, ever.

Weird thing is I never really thought of myself as having cravings.  I knew I would have my black after the family was asleep out on the patio with a good book.  That was enough to prevent me from smoking or having what I guess would be withdrawal symptoms.  But today, all day, I’ve been thinking about how I’m not going to have that black tonight.  And it’s driving me out of my mind. 

So I guess this is where the Nicorette comes in.  I hope it’s enough but geez I’d love to sit out there with a good book on a beautiful night like tonight.

I Love that Kid pt 2

Daddy:  “Devin, you done?”

Devin:  “Yes daddy but no poopoo…”

Daddy:  “You didn’t go poopoo?”

Devin:  “No, maybe it needs batteries”

Daddy:  “Your poopoo needs batteries?”

Devin:  “Yea I think my poopoo needs batteries.”

I Love That Kid

Devin: “Daddy?”
Daddy: (Silent cuz he’s on a conference call)
Devin: “Daddy, you have candy?”
Daddy: “Why do you think daddy has candy?”
Devin: “There’s no candy”
Daddy: “Does daddy always have candy?”
Devin: “mmmhmm”
Daddy: (Handing over a cherished bottle cap) “Don’t tell mommy…”
Devin: “I’m going to tell”
Daddy: (Taking back a cherished bottle cap) “Shh, don’t tell mommy!”
Devin: “Mommy, can I have candy”
Daddy: “SHHHH! Here take it”
Devin: “Candy”
Daddy: (Fist pump) “Gimme some”
Devin: (Returning the pound) “Davis Man!”

That’s right….

Warmth

My wife and kids went to Florida Sunday for a mini vacation.  Due to work obligations, and the fact that I didn’t want to drive to Florida so I could be stuck in a house working while everyone one else was upping their vitamin D intake, I stayed in Georgia.  I thought I would take advantage of the empty house by living pseudo-bachelor.  Work during the day, drink during the night.  All that I really did was learn that I’m no longer the drinker I once was.

Then came the trip back for Mrs. Xpinionated.  Natalia apparently had had enough of car travels and pitched a holy fit for 70% of the drive by my estimations based on phone calls from a slightly more than exasperated Mrs. Xpinionated.   To ease the situation, I drove out to meet my wife and take the fed up little angel.  As luck would have it, construction forbade us to meet as planned and as she headed north, she passed right on past her knight in slowing traffic.

Anyway, after miles and miles of dashed lines, we make the switch.  And their was this warmth in me.  Just seeing my little girl, then seeing the half smile of recognition on her face melted me.  She could have cried the rest of the way home (she did not) and I wouldn’t have cared a single bit.

F

Later, as I’m taking my son out of the car in the sleepy kid fashion where every body part is virtually dead weight, he barely opens his eyes, smiles, and hugs my neck.  I felt so loved right at that moment.  He then fell asleep on my shoulder with a smile on his face.  I put him to bed and he wouldn’t let go of my neck. . .  and I didn’t want him to….

Kid 2 vs Kid 1

Kid number two is a beautiful little girl with gastrointenstinal issues.  Maybe Devin had the same ‘unable to go but spend every waking moment pushing’ syndrome too but I surely don’t remember it.

Natalia has much more weight on her, real baby fat.  Devin had bones.  Bones and skin.  Of course Devin was an early arrival who had a lot of turbulence  on the trip so not really comparing apples to oranges here.

She’s sleeping three to four hours a stretch so we can only hope that starts to increase.   The first week out of the hospital, after being a model patient, she cried for so long and so hard that we actually called the emergency nurse help line.  As we waited for their call back, Natalia decided to calm down and go to sleep.  Kind of like when you have a car problem and it never happens at the mechanic.

The little princess looks just like her brother, so much so that it’s uncanny.

Joys of Fatherhood

For the past 4 minutes, lil man has been zipping and unzipping his dvd carrying bag thingy. He zips, gets to the end and goes, ‘Heh, heh’. Then he zips it back and goes, ‘Heh, heh’. That, my friends, is how easy a two year old can become preoccupied with the little wonders of the world.

Spending so much time with lately has been a joy, and a frustration, but mostly a joy. I understand him better. I think he listens (and obeys) me a little bit better. He definitely has become attached to me which could pose a problem once I acquire some gainful employment. It’s amazing to me how he seems to treat me and Mrs. Xpinionated differently. He tends to be very needy with her. With me, he could go an hour without noticing me in the room, just playing or watching Dora or reading his books. Maybe it’s because he’s used to seeing so much of me now?

Oddly enough, it hasn’t really hit me yet that I will be a father of two in a week’s time. Natalia Elizabeth is scheduled to arrive around 11:30 am next Wednesday. I know Mrs. Xpinionated thinks that I’m not as into this pregnancy as I was with Devin. I admit that I haven’t been as awed but I think that’s to be expected. I also know that I tend to not get excited about things until the last minute. I’m sure next Wednesday will be just as awe inspiring the second time as it was the first time around.

One of the lessons I’ve learned in daddy daycare is that you don’t give the kid his favorite food first at lunch.  In fact, when he’s most hungry, you catch him with the food he likes least.  He’s hungry enough to give in and eat it.  As he gets through it, then you start showing him the goods.  It’s a win win.  The kid eats and I don’t end up arguing with a two year old, which is worse than arguing with a woman — just because of the lack of a two year old’s vocabulary.  The two year old is still going to be more logical in most cases.  I should shut up now….

Layoff Lessons #2

There is something else that being unemployed has taught me. I have a great family. My wife is doing her best not to lose her mind and has been acting as my personal hype man. If you’re a patient at her dental office, she will be collecting your email and company information. Thanks love.

My son, though a handful, is great. I’ve literally spent a month with him every single day. No eight hour break for work. Just me and him during the day and he definitely makes me smile more often than he makes me scream. It’s almost like he knows that I am busy and he goes and plays by himself. Don’t get me wrong, looking for a job while caring for him has proven to be pretty difficult at times but we’re managing. And I feel like I know him better than I ever have. Mrs. Xpinionated still understand his baby talk a little bit better than I do but he seems to be listening (and obeying) me a little bit more.

He’s a great kid!

Elmo Rips the Mic – No Jive

It’s great when Devin sings the chorus…a two year old yelling ‘No Jive’ is priceless!