Pinterest Discrimination!

I was browsing through Pinterest the other day to pass some time. I was looking for anything interesting to repin, like or post. My attention was drawn to men's fashion to see what was new in the man's world. Most of you know how stylish I am with my hunting T-shirts, worn out cargo pants that are too short and my tennis shoes that never match my outfit.

As I was browsing I saw a lot of Ferragamo shoes, expensive pea coats, Louis Vuitton watches and Gucci sunglasses. For a minute I thought that I was in women's fashion. I double checked to confirm that I was in fact browsing through "Men's Fashion". I thought to myself "What the heck?" Men these days are trying to dress up nicer than women. Where are the Mossy Oak hats, Real Tree shirts, Carhartt coats and Caterpillar boots? Shouldn't these items be in "Men's Fashion". I think so.

As I searched through more posts with the same results I began feeling like I was being discriminated against. Am I the only man in the world that is looking for a new shirt with a majestic White Tail buck on it? I think not. The clothing and accessories that I did see were nice, but you can't make it very long in the woods with a pair of Ferragamos. You might make it for a while with a really sharp Louis Vuitton knife, but your buddies are going to laugh at you.

Sometimes when you don't get what you want in life you have to take matters into your own hands, so that is what I am going to do. I want to make sure that any man that browses through "Men's Fashion" feels comfortable knowing that he will find exactly what he is looking for. Camo clothing and accessories. Stay tuned.

For The Love Of Charlie!

Every morning I wake up to a thump on my back or chest. Someone thinks that because he is up it is time for Daddy to be up. I open one eye to see six little teeth staring in my face. I can't help but smile when I see the glowing face of my child.

Charlie wakes up everyday innocent and happy. I can not think of any better way to begin my morning. Seeing the excitement on his face when I pick him up to give him a hug and kiss is the the best feeling in the world. It is a joy that completely fills your heart to the brim.

I find it hard to sleep at night because I just want to stare at Charlie curled up in his crib, warm and cozy. I want to protect him from the evils in this world and give him everything that I can to make his life as enjoyable as possible. I hope that he wakes up everyday through out his life as happy as he does now.

A child does not have to say "I love you" for you to know that they do. The way that they look at you or cling to your shirt when you hold them or in Charlie's case, when he head butts you (that is his way of giving kisses) is enough to understand the bond.

Children are a product of their environment and I do my best to create happy and loving surroundings. I hope that Charlie grows up knowing the love and happiness that I grew up with. There is definitely not a shortage of love for this child since he is currently the only grandchild for all of our parents.

I pray everyday that The Lord protects him and keeps him healthy. That he be blessed with great talent and a kind heart. At the rate he is growing I hope that he has enough talent for professional sports! That might be a little greedy, but I want the best for my child.

I will support him in anything that he chooses to do, especially football, wrestling, hunting and fishing. Don't worry, I am not going to force him into sports. I am just going to highly suggest the above activities.

I never knew that you could love someone so much that it almost makes you cry tears of joy, until the day that I met my son. Hold your children close, tell them everyday that you love them and give them every opportunity to do something great.

Macaroni Spa!

We have been introducing new foods to Charlie lately. The kid, like his father, will eat anything. He really enjoys very messy food. He has learned how to feed himself mashed potatoes pretty well. Most of it ends up on his face, arms and hands, but he occasionally gets a bite or two.

Yesterday Charlie was introduced to macaroni and cheese. The joy of the flavor must have overtaken him because he decided that he would try to absorb the cheese through, well...see for yourself.

I am glad that this was not my mess to clean up. Mommy was the culprit of this debacle. Charlie seems to be enjoying himself, but I know in his head that he is thinking "Hahaha...I am going to destroy this place before I am one year old!"This innocent looking child is the spawn of a California earthquake and hurricane Sandy. I can't help, but love him.

I may try to sell the "Macaroni Exfoliation" to a few spas. Who knows, it may be the next big thing. Good thinking Charlie! You are a genius!

Mr. Destructo!

Many changes have happened with Charlie over the past few weeks, He has begun to walk on his own. He will take a few steps here and there, but does not quite have the confidence to run around completely on his own. He can climb a couch or your leg like a Chimpanzee. He grabs your hand and looks up at you as if to say, "Come on. Let's walk."

Tonight he took about 12 steps on his own. Some went forward, some went backward and a few went sideways. His balance is incredible. He can sit from a standing position and catch himself when he falls. If his feet were not twice the normal size for his age, walking might be a bit easier. The boy is almost 11 months old and wears a size 6! Is that normal?

Mr. Destructo is in to everything that he can reach. If he can not reach it he will do everything that he can to get to it. He climbs, tip-toes or just pushes the blockade over to get into mischief. The poor child has bumps and bruises from falling, flipping and just being outright reckless. He has pulled the palm rest off of my desk and turned it in to a jousting sword.

I have baby proofed the kitchen cabinets, but Smarty Pants has almost figured out how to bypass the security measures that are in place. He might even end up being a record breaking mountain climber with the speed and grace that he has applied to scaling the steps. One good thing is that climbing the stairs wears him out. I just ordered baby mountain climbing equipment so that we can just rig him to the steps and let him go. Okay, I'm just kidding, he is tough and does not need climbing equipment to protect him. Alright, just kidding again. He is not allowed to scale the steps without supervision.

A lot of changes are happening and at an incredible rate. Babies grow way too fast. It does not seem like he should be turning one in a month. We have begun our Christmas and Birthday shopping for Charlie. Both days are one in the same so budgeting is a nightmare for December. Charlie is the only child, only grandchild and only nephew. The kid is spoiled and we already buy him everything that he reaches for. I hope that we can keep our spending under control this year. I may have to add on to the house to make room for the toys. We already bought him a ball pit that is going to take up half of the living room, but I know that he will love it.

Gladys Is Gone!

Ever since bearing our child, Charlie, Jamie has had frequent heartburn. So we thought. A few weeks ago Jamie was complaining of incredible pain in her chest. She tried to tough it out, following remedies that had worked in the past, but she was getting no relief. Jamie swore that she was having a heart attack. My medical training gave me confidence that she was not having a heart attack, but there was no convincing her. It was her last day on Earth.

I called 911 and requested an ambulance. I then called the mother-in-law to come stay with Charlie. We made our way to the hospital and Jamie was still having constant pain with no relief. She is very reluctant to take pain medication fearing that she would become addicted and have a reaction like she did when taking percocet after her c-section.

The doctor poked and prodded Jamie's abdomen. She cringed and yelled at every touch. The nurse brought in a concoction that sounded like it was chalk mixed with sour cream and orajel. "Yum! Drink up Babe." She drank this disgusting looking ectoplasm mixture like a champ. It numbed her mouth and esophagus, but it did not alleviate the pain.

The nurse administered a mild pain medicine through Jamie's IV and everything changed. It was like Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde. We got to see the softer side of Jamie. Her nurse was a pretty lady that looked a little like Sarah Palin on a good day. Jamie must have been dreaming of princesses because the nurse was the most beautiful woman in the world according to the gospel of Jamie from the book of "Narcotic Pain Killers". The nurse was very flattered and I was trying to not laugh. Jamie's tone was that of a three year old girl at the Magic Kingdom.

The medical team ruled that the pain was from a gigantic stone in Jamie's gallbladder. 1.8cm to be exact. No not millimeters, Centimeters! The situation just got serious. If this stone was a gold nugget we would be rich. We finalized our ER visit and headed home. Jamie contacted her primary physician and made all of the necessary arrangements to see the specialist.

We made the appointment for the specialist, but we made the appointment with the wrong doctor. Apparently two doctors can have very similar names and work within just a mile of each other. What the heck! Now Jamie was going to have to wait another week or longer to have the problem taken care of. Jamie was very upset that she would have to keep walking on eggshells with her diet in order to prevent a flare up and avoid the horrific pain.

We walked to the lobby and immediately called the correct doctor to schedule an appointment. God was looking out for us this day. We were able to see the doctor in 35 minutes that day! This is unheard of! We get to the doctor's office, go right back and spend about 15 minutes with the nurse giving her all of the information. There was concern about the size of the stone and we decided to move forward with surgery to remove the gallbladder. Jamie was again dreading how long she would have to walk on eggshells awaiting the surgery. The nurse said "How about tomorrow?" Everyone in the room, including the doctor looked at her like "Are you serious. We can get in that soon?"

Signed up and ready to go we made arrangements for the baby and the days that would follow the surgery. We went to the hospital for the surgery and promptly named the gallbladder "Gladys". Gladys was about to be removed and could no longer cause pain and discomfort. Jamie and I went back to pre-op to prepare for the procedure. All of a sudden Jamie decided that she did not want to have surgery.

It was not so much the procedure that she feared, but the anesthesia. A few people, including myself may or may not have told her that it is the closest thing to death that you will ever experience. The statement may have caused a bit of anxiety. Oops, who knew? After several breakdowns in the pre-op room the nurse ordered a little "relaxer" for Jamie.

The anesthesiologist sat on the bed next to Jamie as she was saying "I want to go home, I don't want to do this." Unbeknownst to Jamie, she was about to have a change of heart. The nurse was behind Jamie pumping her IV with a little "relaxer". In mid sentence Jamie said "I want to go ho...Let's do this! I'm ready!"

I was unable to witness the fun that followed because she was wheeled to the operating room. I am sure that there were a few funny lines spouted out on the ride down the hall. There were probably princesses and unicorns prancing about.

I was very disappointed by the lack of fun that was to be had after the surgery while Jamie was still under the influence. One funny thing did happen though. I was assisting Jamie with getting dressed and ready to leave when she grabbed my arm and said "Ooh, your arms are so soft. I just want to rub it." Did they give her ecstasy in the OR?

Gladys is now gone and all is well. Hopefully we do not have to make any more trips to the OR for a while. Sorry, Jamie would not let me post the pictures her stupor after the surgery.

The Great Pumpkin!

Yesterday we took Charlie to get a pumpkin. He wasn't in the best mood while we were at the pumpkin patch, but we managed to snap a few pictures to capture the moment.

We sat Charlie on a bale of straw near some pumpkins to capture the "it's autumn" layout. He did not care too much for the feeling of straw poking through his pants and shirt. As Charlie sat on the straw a black cat jumped up next too us and let's just say, Charlie does not like cats.

We relocated to a pile of small pumpkins under a tree where Charlie could sit on the ground that he was familiar with. He seemed to be a little more content, but the cat followed us and Charlie's attention was not on smiling for the camera. He can't be adorable all of the time. We did manage to get a small smile to appear however, he was turned in another direction.

We picked out a few pumpkins and walked around to see a few animals at the farm. Unimpressed Charlie was over the experience very quickly. We loaded up and headed home. Of course it was fun and games time when were back in the car. Never fails.

Next year will be more fun when Charlie can pick out his own pumpkin. I can't wait.

Family Photos!

Sunday we went to the center of the universe to have our family pictures taken. There is a little town named Rabbit Hash that has a population of three. Two of that population are dogs. Though it is a small town, it is a great place to take pictures.

We arrived after a 30 minute drive to find our child asleep in the back seat. They always say "Let sleeping dogs lye." We let Charlie sleep for an additional 15 minutes before awakening the monster. Upon arising from his slumber you could tell that he was not impressed with our idea. We allowed a few minutes for him to adjust to the new surroundings that he found himself in.

When we thought that he was ready to put on his typical smiley face we began posing for the camera. Apparently he was not ready.

We waited a few more minutes and let him become a little more adjusted to what was going on. We took a few shots while holding him and captured several great photos. My mom and cousin looked like a couple of goons trying to make Charlie smile. I think that they woke up most of the town making noises like a couple of chickens that were just hit by a truck, but did not die. The "Boop, boop, boops!" and "Lalalalalalas" had me laughing the most. The noises and jumping around finally started to produce some great smiles.

Our child is such a ham. I think that he was trying to look like a ventriloquist dummy in this picture. I didn't mind because it is an adorable picture of our little family. We only have a few sneak peek pictures right now and we are dying to see all of them. We will receive them one day after my wonderful cousin finishes sorting through all 724 of them.

The Next Berkshire-Hathaway!

Ever since I was a wee lad, I have wanted to be rich. I'm not talking about six figures a year, I mean six figures a month or even a week. I have a million business ideas, but start up capital always seems to be lacking.

I don't want to be "rich" to be flashy, I want to be rich so that I can help others. The first donation after the purchase of a truck and fishing boat would be to my church. I would then buy new cars and houses for my family and just walk around handing out $100 bills. I would help families that needed money for adoptions and fertility treatments. I would buy clothes and school supplies for under privileged children. I would feed the hungry around the world. I would create jobs for the unemployed. I sound like I am running for president. I minored in political science for three days. Does that make me qualified?

As I said before, I always have business ideas, but capital is a problem, until now. My latest idea is to start an investment group. I would gather a group of friends and relatives that are interested in investing in stocks, bonds, mutual funds, real estate, etc...

This would not be a get rich quick idea. It would be an avenue to creating wealth over a period of a few years in order to live comfortably. It is merely an idea at this point. I have found that if you write it down, the odds are better of it coming to fruition. So here it is in writing for all to see.

Now I need to find interested parties to join me. A lot of discussion would need to take place to outline the details of the group. How many investors should be in the group, what backgrounds should they have, how much would the initial investment be? I'm sorry if I am boring the readers that want to hear about Charlie.

If you have any experience in an investment group please let me know some of your ideas. If you are interested in joining an investment group please me know.

Have a great day and dream big!

Writing About Life!

Writing about everyday life is tough when everyday is nearly the same. I wake up, play with Charlie for a few minutes, get dressed, go to work, come home and go to bed.

Exciting right? Who wants to read about that everyday, let alone write about it. I can continue to write about Charlie and his exciting adventures, but, not much has really changed since my lady post.

I need a specific topic to focus on. Kind of like a modern day "Dear Abby" column. I want to share my wisdom and insight or lack there-of. I can find humor in anything. Finding a specific topic that isn't already flooded on the Internet is a challenge.

What do you think? When you jump on to the world wide web, what would make you say, "I need to check blogger today because that information yesterday was excellent"? I guess that is what I need to figure out.

Is it necessarily the topic that you are reading about that interest you or is it the writing style that the author uses to portray the story and facts? A little bit of both, maybe? Hopefully I can find the answer soon so that I can bring you the information that interest you.

I shall ponder this thought for a while and see what transpires.

Mr. GQ!

I know that my opinion is very biased because he is my son, but I have the cutest child in the world. His personality is hilarious. Charlie is going to be a little ham just like his daddy was.

He makes funny faces, does goofy wiggle dances and knows exactly how to evoke laughter from anyone. He is a little ladies man too. He loves to cuddle and hug on the women around him. Maybe I have taught him a little too much for his age.

Jamie took a series of pictures of Charlie today and I am certain that my child was posing. Maybe he will make Mommy and Daddy rich one day when he is modeling for a high-line clothing company.

Keep your daughters locked up if they are in the vicinity of this boy. He may try to make a move. Lord help me keep Charlie under control if he keeps this up.

It's Been A While!

Wow! Life can get very busy sometimes. Since the last time that I wrote a post a lot has happened.

I have changed jobs, Charlie has grown 1 1/2 inches and gained 3 pounds, Jamie turned 27 today and my family has experienced many wonderful blessings. Hard work has paid off and the Lord has shown us favor.

Charlie is growing way too fast. He is the happiest baby in the world and I must say one of the cutest. He is trying with all of his might to crawl. He has almost mastered the army crawl, but he hasn't figured out the hands and knees crawl yet. He can drive his walker like a race car though.

I am going to make an effort to bring you more stories, more often, like old times. I will be back soon. It's good to see you again.

Ankle Crasher!

I am sorry that I have not written a blog in a while. I have been a little busy and on vacation.

While on vacation in Gatlinburg, Charlie learned how to maneuver his walker like a pro. He had a lot of room to race around on the hardwood floors. The mobility made him very happy, but created a nightmare for us. His little arms and hands reached for everything in sight.

We had to run around and get everything out of his reach. It was a close race getting to the items before our little Indy racer found them. He was full steam ahead when he saw you get up out of your seat as if he knew what was going on.

Charlie put up his radar and would lock on to the first beacon that he captured. His eyes lit up, his grin widened and zoom! The Fred Flinstone feet kicked into gear. You could hear the screeching of his quick feet on the floor like tires on a drag racer. It became a game for him.

He would laugh and giggle when you extended your arm and snatched up the keys, soft drink, books or whatever other item he was honed in on. After a few rounds of search and destroy my little tank driver developed a new tactic. I called this tactic "Ankle Crashing".

The new game became running over toes and crashing into your legs. You could see the determination in those innocent looking eyes to take out someone's legs. You couldn't walk anywhere without looking over your shoulder to see if "Charging Charlie" was inbound.

Since our vacation Charlie has learned how to do turn abouts and how to start at the front door and gain enough speed to pop wheelies over the linoleum-carpet thresh hold. I'm not kidding.

Great Smokey Mountains!

We are headed to the Smokey Mountains for a little getaway with the family. I may not have much time to write while we are there, but I should have a lot of good stuff to tell you about when we get back.

We are staying in the same cabin that Jamie and I rented for our honeymoon. We will be sure to have fun and take a lot of pictures.

See you when we get back!

Water Logged!

It was finally hot enough on my day off to take a swim. Charlie, Jamie and I had a fun day of splashing and floating in the crystal clear water. Charlie was not sure what to think at first, but he quickly became accustomed to the giant bath tub. He floated around splashing in the water that came up through his float and spent the rest of the time licking the float as if it was a giant strawberry. I am sure that it did not taste good, but that did not stop his curious tongue.

Charlie would kick and splash, but the water would splash into his face and he did not care for that too much. He would make a face like someone just dropped an ice cube down his back. His little legs are no quite big enough to produce a lot of propulsion in his float yet, but he can make one mean motor boat sound. I think that he may have a power steering issue though because he interjected a occasional squeal into his motor sound.

All of this excitement and physical activity wore Charlie out. He takes great naps after exiting the pool. I think that we may have to swim more often. I can't wait until he figures out how to really get himself moving across the water in the float. It will be hilarious to watch him paddle everywhere he can go.

Secret Sale!

Father's Day!

It is my first official Father's Day! I got a new disc golf bag, several disc, a picture of Charlie holding the letters D-A-D and a wonderful card. Charlie made an attempt to sign his name on the card which was absolutely adorable. He woke me up this morning by head butting me as usual. I was able to spend a few minutes with him before heading off to work.

Charlie may not understand the meaning of Father's Day yet, but I do. It is something that I have waited for, for a long time. I am so proud to be a father to such a wonderful little boy. I can't wait to teach him how to fish, hunt, play sports and support his dreams and goals. He makes everyday the best day of my life. I can have the worst day ever until I see his huge smile and hear his giggle.

I write a lot about mother's and the role that they play in our life, but fathers have a big role too. They teach us about being men. They teach us valuable skills about getting through life as a better person. They give us things that Mom won't let us have and let us attempt the crazy dangerous stunts that moms cringe thinking about. They help us build huge ramps for our bicycles, they protect us when we are scared and fix our toys when they are broken.

Fathers are heros. We look up to them, want to be them and we mimick everything that they do. We say what they say (sometimes not a good thing if they are working on something that is not going well). Fathers play catch with us, rub dirt on our knees when we skin them up and teach us to be tough.

Most fathers will even play tea party with their little girl. They will judge their boyfriends and freak out at the first sight of them holding hands. I hope to have a daughter in the future, but I dread the day that she begins to be into boys. I feel sorry for any of my future daughters future boyfriends. For now I will worry about teaching my little boy to become a man.

Happy Father's Day to all of the fathers out there and to the future fathers. 

Just Crawl Already!

For several weeks now Charlie has been rolling over to his belly. He plays for a little while, but when a toy is out of his reach he gets very upset. He draws his knees up and tries to push himself across the floor like a seal sliding across ice. He has not quite figured out how to use his arms to push his head up. He is a smart boy though. He has figured out that if he pulls on the blanket the toy will move closer to his reach.

The boy wants to touch everything. He is discovering new things everyday. I just wish that he would learn to crawl so that he doesn't throw a fit everytime he wants to move to a new location. It is kind of funny to watch him do a break dancing spin in the floor though. He can roll to his side and use his feet to spin himself around. He does not quite get the resuts that he is looking for, but he does get a change of scenery every once in a while.

We are blessed to have such a happy child, but when he throws a fit, he throws a fit. He grunts and squeals and pushes his two little teeth out. He stiffens up his body and planks very well. He kicks and bangs on the floor as if it is going to help the situation. I think that he gets that from his momma.

I have tried to help him get his elbows in closer to his body instead of out in front of his head like Superman. The poor boy is going to have rug burn on his face if he keeps doing the seal slide. I will say that he is very persistent. He keeps trying and trying so I know that he will eventually figure it out, but for now Daddy and Mommy will just have to keep the toys in range and roll him to his back when he gets mad.

The only bad thing is that Charlie loves to be on his belly and he rolls right back over after you flip him. This child is going to make my hair fall out faster than it already is. That is okay though. I love him more than anything and I understand that it takes time and patience. Please Lord, just let him crawl already! I will deal with the chaos that comes with a mobile child at a later time.  

Soft Serve!

Fatherhood is the most wonderful thing that has ever happened to me. We are so lucky to have such a happy child. He wakes up with a smile, plays all day with a smile and goes to sleep with a smile. He does have a few moments of grumpiness when he is hungry and very tired, but other than that Charlie is a bundle of joy.

Charlie loves to jump in his bouncer and stomp his feet in his step and play piano. Both of these items are very entertaining for him and it is a good way for him to wear himself out. Apparently the upright position and the ability to bounce around and move his legs makes these entertaining items a great place to work out a deuce. Charlie has a very distinct grunt and facial expression when it comes to clearing his bowels. If he is in the bouncer of the step and play and you hear the grunt, you better remove him rapidly because it could get bad.

Charlie woke up bright and early at 7:30 am and I took him down stairs to start the day. I placed him in the step and play and turned on Nick jr. I laid down on the couch to rest for a while he played. As I was laying there I heard the grunt. It only happened once so I did not think too much of it. I laid back down and continued resting my eyes while Charlie squealed and laughed at the TV.

A few minutes later I caught a whif of that unmistakeable odor. I moved in for a rapid extraction, but it was too late. The deed had been done. The problem is that the seat of the bouncer and step and play creates pressure that does not leave any room for the diaper to properly work so everything is pushed out the sides and up the back. This one was not the worst that I have seen, but I had no idea how bad it could get.

I began another toxic clean up and things got out of control. This was definitely not a three-wiper. It was up his back, down his leg, all over his onesie and now on the floor. I didn't panic. I just took a deep breath (bad idea), assessed the situation and methodically went back to work. Well, plan A failed. Charlie ended up covered from head to toe, literally. I ended up with radioactive material on my arm, shirt and I think that I even had a little on my lip. This was worse than "The Blowout". This was mega apocalypse blowout.

What a way to start the morning. Charlie was as happy as could be, but Daddy was not so happy after all of this. I got the situation under control and everything was okay. We ended up having a great day, but it was definitely a rough way to start.

Pulling An All-Nighter!

Now that Charlie is a "Supported Sitter" according to Gerbers definition on the baby food carton, we have been stuffing him full of green beans, squash, carrots, bananas, pears and apples. We don't try to really "stuff" him full, but he will eat every bite that you put in front of his mouth. When he is officially full his head hangs and the last bite of food comes rolling back out. Luckily we only let this happen once.

After a long day of jumping and squirming topped off with a full belly of pureed yummies, Charlie goes down for the evening and does not awake until 1 am when he wants to be flipped over in bed. He starts out on his belly, but wants to be on his back for the second half of his slumber. A quick flip and a re-insertion of his pacifier is all it takes for him to go back to sleep.

Now that Charlie is sleeping much better and longer at night, Mommy and Daddy are also sleeping better. Charlie still wakes up bright eyed and ready to go at 6:30 am, but it beats getting up every three hours throughout the night. Jamie is the primary night watch for Charlie and I have noticed that she is much better rested now that Charlie is sleeping longer and allowing her to catch up on some sleep. A happy Mommy/Wife makes for a much happier household.

Charlie has figured out that he can now use his hands to grab things and he loves shiny stuff and hair. He also knows when you are eating and he is like a little puppy sitting on the floor just waiting for you to drop something. We don't Charlie on the floor under the table. I am just describing his facial expression. Grandma buys into the pitiful "Mommy and Daddy don't feed me look" and gives him icing and mashed potatos. Spoiled kid. Grandma is going to be the one dealing with the upset belly if she keeps feeding him sugar all of the time. I'm talking about all of you Grandmas!

Charlie is growing so fast and learning something new everyday. He makes funny faces to get attention. He has replaced the fake cough with his lip smacking noises. He can pull his knees up, but has not figured out how to get his upper body up. He gets mad that he can not crawl and throws a fit. He is very persisent though. I flip him over to his back and he rolls right back to his stomach and tries again. They grow up way too fast.

Green Bean Monster!

Chrlie has been introduced to baby food and just like his father (Me), he loves anything that you put on his plates. He did not care too much for peas, but if that is the only thing that he won't eat right now, that is fine by me. He really loves green beans. They are pureed of course.

Since the introduction of baby food Charlie has been sleeping very well. With a full belly he doesn't have to wake up every three hours to eat. He still gets up at the crack of dawn, but with a full nights sleep it isn't too bad.

Charlie woke me up this morning by beating on my head with his hammer like fist again. I opened my eyes and he gave me a big smile. We laid in bed for a while until I was fully awake and we made our way down stairs to begin the day. I gave him the stuffed Elmo that I bought for him last night and he attempted to destroy it. Charlie played with Elmo until he realized that he could not him and decided it was time to eat.

I positioned Charlie in his, I think it's called Bumpo seat, and put his bib on him. He knew what was coming. He got excited and prepared his taste buds for the feast. He licks his lips and opens his mouth as wide as he can. You have to be a fast scooper to feed our child. He looks like a little bird waiting in the nest except he grunts instead of chirping.

I began shoveling the food into his mouth and he began sucking it down. He likes to bite the spoon and thinks that it is funny when you can't get it out of his mouth. I think that he might be part dog? The feast continued for several minutes and his face was covered in green beans. The green drool of a teething five month old has the consistency of 5W-30 motor oil. It slowly runs down their chin and dries into a crystalized crust on their face and body. Charlie always insist on chewing on his fingers with a mouth full of food too. That makes even more of a mess.

Between the grunting, the green drool and the love of green beans, I have deemed my child as the green bean monster. I will let the pictures tell the rest of the story.

Paying it Forward!

A few weeks ago I went through a drive-thru to pick up lunch for a co-worker and myself and the nice lady in front of me paid for our order. I was kind of caught off guard that there are still a few nice people left in the world. I was very appreciative of the gesture and even though it was only a few dollars it was a huge deal to me. I am lucky to get a friend to buy my lunch, let alone a complete stranger. Doing good deeds for others will hopefully lead to others doing good deeds for you. I hope that the nice lady that bought my lunch that day has received whatever she was praying for. "Sorry lady if it was a date with me, I'm married."

Today I again went to the drive-thru to pick up lunch and I decided to pay it forward. I drove up to the window and paid for my order and told the cashier that I wanted to pay for the person behind me. She looked out the window at the car behind me, turned back to me and said, "Do you know them?" I replied "No." and the cashier was stunned for a minute. She handed back my card and both receipts and said "Every good deed will come back as a better deed for you." I smiled and said, "I hope so."

As I was pulling up to the delivery window I could hear the cashier telling everyone around her what had just happened. Not only is a good deed recognized by the recipient of the deed, but others around them will be told about what happened and hopefully it will make them think about doing something nice for others. It doesn't take much to make someone have a better day. A little compliment or buying someone lunch can go a long way.

Doing a good deed can also make you feel better about yourself. Not because it is for personal gain, but because you may have somehow altered the battle of good vs. evil in the universe. Trying to stay anonymous is fun because the person that is the recipient of your kindness will start to think if they know you or what they did to deserve the gift. Stay close and watch their face. They may be perplexed for a while until they realize that you were just being nice.

Be nice today, compliment someone or pick up some one's lunch or coffee tab. You may change some one's life or at least put a smile on their face. We usually do nice things for our friends so do something nice for a complete stranger today.

The Hoppy Show: Charlie Chronicles!

If you have not yet, grab a copy of my book. There are several formats that you may choose from when you order. The Hoppy Show: Charlie Chronicles is also available as an ebook on the iphone and ipad.

The Hoppy Show by www.thehoppyshow.blogspot.com | Make Your Own Book

The Demon!

I wrote this a while ago and thought that I would share it. I may publish it in my upcoming book. It is a pretty dark poem, but dark poems made Edgar Allen Poe famous.

Darkness approaches and night sets in,

The evil things lurk attempting to draw you in,

They feed on your heart and feed on your mind,

Leaving your body a tattered peeled rind.

Your thoughts are adrift and your soul is torn,

Beware of this monster or you will be scorned,

The harder you fight, the stonger it grows,

Feeding on your pain, pushing you below.

You can feel its claws deep in your bowels,

You can feel it's teeth piercing your brain,

Why does a demon named Love,

Cause us so much pain?

 

Summertime Safety!

The summer season is officially here. Children are on summer break, pools are open and the temperature is HOT! There has already been a drowning reported in our area. I think that it is time to review some safety tips.

Prevention is the first step to having a safe and fun summer break. Jamie always says that I am over cautious, but my mind works differently than most peoples. I am always in prevention mode.

1. Children need to wear helmets when riding bikes. Bike accidents are very common for children. Protect their melon and slap on a few elbow pads and knee pads while you are at it.
2. No matter what age your child is make sure that you tell them the rules when around a pool or body of water. Be aware of your surroundings. Know where your children are and where the hazards might be.
3. If your child is swimming always swim with them or make sure that you can see them. DO NOT SWIM ALONE!
4. Sunscreen is very important for all ages. We don't want our children to be miserable because they have a sunburn.
5. Take a CPR class. CPR can be taught to anyone. I have taught several children CPR and most of the time they pay more attention and retain more information than the adults. CPR saves lives. Be ready for anything.
6. Do not spend extended periods of time in the heat. Stay hydrated and cool. Heat emergencies can be avoided by limiting time in extreme temperatures. Drink a lot of water.

Keep your children safe, have fun and enjoy the season. Let me know if you can think of any other ideas to keep us safe.

Please submit links in the comments to fun summer activities in your area.

Just Looking!

I had a few customers that came in today that were "just looking" that left in a new vehicle. What makes us say we are "just looking" when we are shopping? Are we afraid that the salesperson is going to talk us into something that we don't want or are we afraid that he or she is going to take all of our money for the product that we have every intention of buying? Even as a salesperson I find myself saying that I am "just looking" when the sales person approaches. I think to myself "I am just like any other customer."

I wish that poeple would just come in and say "I want a 2012 Camry XLE with Entune." I would say "Great! I have several. Which one do you want?" and we would be done. Wishful thinking. Customers are terrified of sales people. They talk fast, use a lot of fancy jargon and are usually very convincing. (Insert smile and wink!) Sales people, especially Toyota sales people, are full of knoweledge about the product or products that you are "just looking" at. They are very willing to let you know everything about their products. Just ask a simple question and you will become a Toyota expert in minutes.

Most people come to the lot, say that they are "just looking" when you introduce yourself and 2 seconds later ask you a question. I find this hilarious. We feel like we have to put up a wall, but we are going to peek out through the little hole and ask you a question. Slowly the wall comes down and everything rolls along smoothly then comes the question. (Whispers behind you from the wife) "Honey...Honey, he is going to ask us if we want to buy this car! I thought that we were just looking?"  The husband, "Uh, Sir, we are not buying anything today, but we would like to see the numbers." 2 hours later wife thanks husband for new car. (Insert wink and smile!)  

Next time you go shopping pay attention to the first thing that you say when a salesperson approaches you. If you do not say "I'm just looking", you might catch the saleperson off guard and screw up his whole day. "They didn't say just looking? What do I do now?"

Frisbee/ Disc Golf!

My brother-in-law and I have been playing some serious frisbee golf this year. We try to make it to the courses in the area as often as we can. Frisbee also known as disc golf, is a great game that is inexpensive and a lot of fun. Anyone in any age group can enjoy this sport that is rapidly growing in popularity.

Lately mine and Lonnie's (brother-in-law) better halves have been complaining because we play too much. We try to come up with sneaky ways to get them to go with us, but it rarely works. We have tried the "Let's take Charlie to the park" scheme. It worked pretty well the first time, but has not been a great success recently. Our tactic yesterday was the "lets get snow cones and go to the park". That was a fail.

We decided to respect the wishes of our women and spent most of the day with them and our family. Lonnie and I had a major itch to throw frisbees so we went into the back yard to practice our throwing techniques. Lonnie launched a disc that landed behind the shed. While I was retrieveing the disc I discovered several small poles that would be great for targets to aim at. We set up one pole and took a few shots at it when the greatest idea in history came to us!

We decided to setup a full disc golf course in the back yard. We started with three holes and after adding a few tiki torches to the mix, we ended up with a full 9 hole course. Brilliant! We can spend time with our women and play some intermittent disc golf all in the same place. The course is much shorter and less difficult than a regulation course however, the pool and several large trees add a few hazards that we have to avoid. The women were very excited that we had come up with a solution to their problem. Atleast they acted like they were excited and happy that we had thought about their "feelings".

Lonnie and I were discing it up for several hours in the back yard last night. We almost made it through hole 7 when I had to put Charlie to bed. No problem. The convenience of our new course allowed us to be available for requests that we were summonsed for. We didn't have to carry a cooler for drinks, we didn't have worry about our shoes getting sticky in a run down porta potty and in a few days if we get hot we can jump in the pool. It is going to be a great summer.

Will someone please remind me to pull the poles out of the yard before my father-in-law mows? He may not be happy when he sees what we created in his backyard. Don't tell him that we ordered flood lights.

Writing Contest!

When I was in school, writing was an important part of our curriculum. I have been out of school for some time now and do not have a child in school so I was wondering if writing is still a major focus in the curriculum. Writing is a great way to let your imagination grow and share your thoughts with other people. Who knows, you may write the next New York Times Bestseller.

I am proposing a writing contest. Here are the rules and entry guidelines.

1. Entries will be grouped by age groups. The groups will be age 5-12 years old, 13-18 years old, 18 and up. Please include your first name, last initial and age with your entry.
2. There will be one winner from each age group. I will post the entries on the Contest page on my blog and the readers will vote on the entries to determine the winners.
3. Entries must be original. No plagiarism! Please give credit if you use a quote or passage from someone elses writing.
4. Please limit your entry to 1,000 words or less. You may include a picture.
5. Stories and posts will be reviewed for content before being posted. No profanity or adult content will be accepted.
6. PARENTS DO NOT HELP WRITE YOUR CHILDS STORY! You may assist with spelling and grammar, but let them write what they want to write.
7. The contest starts 5/24/12 and entries will be accepted until 6/7/12. Voting will begin on 6/8/12 and continue until 6/14/12
8. Entries should be submitted to thscontest@insightbb.com.
9. Good Luck and have fun.

The prize for this contest is an item of unspeakable value!

Appreciation!

Appreciation: gratitude, recognition, the act of estimating the qualities of things and giving them their proper value.

What is the value of the non-concrete things in your life? What is the value of your family to you? How about your friends? Do you appreciate the things that people do for you?

We sometimes forget to let people know that we appreciate the role that they play in our life or the things that they do for us. I am here to announce to the world the appreciation that I have for my wife. She sometimes thinks that I do not appreciate what she does for Charlie and I, but I do. I may not always remember to stop for a second and say, "Hey, thank you for all that you do Babe.", but I am right now.

Humans are needy. They need feedback. They need to know that they are appreciated. I make sure that Jamie notices when I empty the dishwasher so that I can elicit a response of appreciation. We need to know that our actions have a value to someone else even if they are simple things that we should do on a regular basis without being told or asked to do.

Appreciation is a small thing that can make a huge difference. A simple thank you can mean the world to someone. It does not have to have a dollar value to be noticed. I work a lot of hours to earn the income that my family needs. A simple thank you from Jamie means a lot to me. It lets me know that she understands that I am doing everything that I can to keep her at home with Charlie. Jamie cleans the house and does the laundry on top of taking care of Charlie. I am sure that a simple thank you from me has the same effect on her.

Take a second to think of someone that has done something for you recently or everyday to make your life better. Call them up or send them a card and let them know that you appreciate their effort. We take a lot for granted and become complacent. We often overlook the everyday activities that people do to help us out or make our day a little better.

One day the world maybe a better place if everyone shows a little more appreciation.

My First Book!

The Hoppy Show by www.thehoppyshow.blogspot.com | Make Your Own Book

Check out my first book! It is a compilation of some of my most popular blogs. I hope that you enjoy it.

Hopefully this is just the beginning of my writing career!

How do I get more views on my blog?

I have been blogging for a few months now and I have published 78 posts. I have noticed an increase in traffic since the beginning of 2012 however, I would like to reach more readers. My goal for the next 3 months is to triple my views and followers.

Do you enjoy reading my posts? If, so, feel free to share them on facebook, twitter, Google + or any other social media outlet. Can you relate to my posts? Please let me know. Feedback is appreciated. Do you know someone else that may relate to my posts or get a good laugh out of some of them? Direct them to the site.

Hypothetical question: If I combined my most popular posts into a book that you could sit on your coffee table for a conversation piece, would you buy it? Would you atleast put it in your bathroom reading section? I would love to go to someone's house and see my book on their coffee table.

One of the best parts about this blog is that it is absolutely free to you. Would I like to be paid for the work that I put in to managing my blog? Ofcourse I would. Who doesn't want to earn money for their efforts? Volunteering in your community for the greater good does not count. Most of us have a heart and are willing to share it. Followers are as good as currency to me. More exposure equals more readers, more readers should equal more followers and more followers equals a big smile on my face.

It only takes a few minutes to create a Google account and follow The Hoppy Show. Most of my traffic currently comes from The Hoppy Show page on Facebook. It only takes a second to click like and share. You never know when I might post a give away! There might just be a giveaway for the celebration of my 100th post?

What should I giveaway? Gift cards, books, gym memberships....? Let me know what you would like to win.

Thank you to everyone for your support of The Hoppy Show.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Baby Dedication!

Sunday is Baby Dedication day at our church. Charlie will be prayed over and blessed by the congregation. It will be a wonderful day in the life of our child. He may not understand what is happening, but I am sure that he will enjoy all of the attention that he will receive.

As we raise our child and dedicate his life to Christ and ask for his blessing over Charlie I hope that I can hold up my end of the deal to raise him as a Godly man. I hope that he understands the power of prayer and uses it to get through any troubles that may arise in his life. I hope that he learns that with God, anything is possible. I have been praying that Charlie's teeth will come in so that we can get through this rough patch of decreased sleeping and increased fussiness.

I hope that Charlie looks up to me and that I set the proper example for him to be a good person. I am sure that there will be times that he will be a smart a** know it all, but that comes with every teen boy. I just hope that throughout his life he remembers the little lessons that will be taught. How to love and respect others, using his manners like a gentleman and how to find a rich wife to take care of him.

Fatherhood so far has been a blast. I wouldn't trade it for anything. I could go for about 4 or 5 more children. I hear that boys are pretty easy, but girls on the other hand...sheesh! I am almost afraid to imagine the terror that they bring when they are 13 going on 30. I would still like to have a "Daddy's Girl". Charlie has been pretty easy and I hope that he stays that way. Hopefully he is not like I was when I was in my teens. I am surprised that I am still alive from all of the sarcastic remarks I made and the attitude that I carried.

I will do my best to make sure that Charlie is very polite, chivalrous, respectful and loving. I hope that he is honorable and full of integrity. I pray that he does great things in his life and one day becomes President of the United States.

As we dedicate and bless Charlie on Sunday I will be praying for the wisdom to guide him in the right direction that will give him the best opportunity to do anything that he wants in his life. Hopefully he goes pro in the NFL and Daddy can get some season tickets!

Taking a Break!

I started to write a post today and as I was reading through it I realized that it was a bunch of negative crap. I don't want to be another news station blasting all of the negative stuff in the world. I want to bring you fun and inspiration that helps get you through the negative times. Most of the negative stuff was about working too much and not having enough time to just relax. Today I am going to take a break and collect my thoughts. I'm sorry that I don't have any funny stories for you today.

Take a few minutes to enjoy your family and friends and reflect on your hopes and dreams. 

Blog Poll!

I have posted a poll titled "What do you like to read about...". Please take a second and let me know what your favorite topic is.

Charlie the Drummer!

I woke up yesterday morning to a cute little smiling face laying next to me in bed. It looked innocent and very happy to see me. I was happy to see him too, but it was way too early to be as excited as Charlie was. Atleast he knows that morning time is quiet time. He will sing a soft song all morning long until you take him downstairs then it is game on with the loud echoing of newly discovered screeching and growling.

As I laid in bed waking up to start the day Charlie laid next to me telling me all about his dreams. As his stories continued I drifted in and out of twilight. I guess that he was not happy that I was not getting up to play with him because he started beating on my chest like I was a drum. He made a tight fist and used it like a sledge hammer. "Bam, Bam, Bam!" He was relentless. I should have called to report parent abuse. He must have enjoyed beating up Daddy because he was laughing away. What a bully.

There was no going back to sleep now. I got up and took Charlie down to his swing and I laid back down on the couch. The old sleeper spell had worn off. Charlie was ready to get the day rocking. He did not want to sleep and he did not want Daddy to sleep either. The screeching and growling started. You would have thought that a hawk was swooping through the living room attacking a bear. Ecstatic about his new found sound effects, Charlie would chuckle after a few minutes of noise making. The process was repeated several times throughout the morning.

Finally Charlie had wore himself out performing his show and his growls turned into low rumbles which is an indication that he is about to fall asleep. He has been fighting his sleep lately and wants to be cuddled due to his teeth coming in. I got him out of the swing and laid with him on the couch. He must have thought that it was drummer time again. "Bam, Bam, Bam!" I am surprised that I do not have bruises on my arm and chest from him beating on me. He is incredibly strong for a 5 month old. The beating continued for about five minutes and he finally fell asleep. Daddy was not far behind. We took a good 45 minute nap.

"Bam, Bam, Bam!" I am awake Daddy! Well, atleast he let me get a nap.

Nivea Lotion!

For Mother's Day Jamie received a basket of goodies from my mom. The basket included several items, razors lotion and what not. Jamie brought the basket into the living room to see all of the items that were in the basket and decided to apply some of her new lotion. Lonnie and Kylie were with us and they too wanted some lotion for their dry skin.

I turned down the offer of lotion for my skin because I am a man and I like rough skin. All three of them took a turn to smell the lotion and were amazed at the wonderful smell. They each took a generous amount of lotion in their hand and began to apply it to them selves. They just could not get over the very aromatic fragrance. I thought it smelled good and I usually do not care for lotions and fragrances.

The three Lotioneers were having a ball rubbing the lotion on their arms, legs and neck. "This is very smooth and moisturizing!" exclaimed Jamie. Kylie agreed and they continued their lotion party. I started to feel very unmanly with this female ritual taking place around me. I started to think to myself, "Should I get some lotion too? Lonnie is using it. Nah, lotion feels weird on my skin."

Everyone was all lotioned up and Lonnie and I were about to continue our death and destruction on Call of Duty when all three of the Lotioneers got a weird look on their face. They looked at their skin and it started to feel very sticky. Lonnie said, "This is some weird lotion." Jamie grabbed the bottle and noticed that it was body wash. All three of them ran to the sink to wash off this "wonderful lotion". I almost peed myself laughing and thanked them for another wonderful blog idea.

Don't judge your lotion by the scent. Read the label and follow the instructions on the bottle.  

Happy Mother's Day!

Today is a day to celebrate the mothers in the world. Most of us will show our appreciation to our biological mother, some will show their appreciation to their mother-in-law, others will show their appreciation to the mother figure in their life. I have one of every kind so I have a lot of appreciating to do.

It doesn't matter if a woman gave birth to you for her to be called your mother. My definition of a mother is a woman that you share a bond with that makes you feel like she could or should be called your mother. You could have another family member that raised you or you spent a lot of time with throughout your life. Maybe you stayed with a family friend as a child and that person is like a mother figure to you.

The bottom line is that we should show our appreciation for what they all do in our lives. Mothers show us love, answer our difficult questions, fix our boo-boos and mend our broken hearts. They bake us cookies, cover us in lipstick and hug us just a little too tight sometimes. They read us stories before we went to bed, taught us how to pray and always listened to our imaginative stories. They keep us safe, support our dreams and would defend us to the death.

Give your mother a hug, give her a kiss, even if she is wearing too much lipstick and tell her that you love her and appreciate her. She still might bake you some cookies even though it is her day. If she doesn't, just ask Grandma.

The Birds!

My wife is terrified of birds. I don't know if she had a bad childhood experience with a trained attack falcon or what, but it is funny to watch her freakout when a bird is near. She thinks that they are all out to get her and that they will get stuck in her hair and eat her brains or something crazy like that.

Last night she began telling me a story about the birds that have taken up residency in our grill on the back patio. She said that the bird landed on the grill and started doing something wierd. She began demonstarting the birds actions and I just about peed my pants watching her. Let me see if I can paint this picture for you. Even if you do not have the exact picture I am sure that it will still be funy.

The bird began making a motion with its neck that looked like it was about to vomit. Its beak was wide open and all of a sudden one of the birds wings stretched out slowly. Jamie thought that the bird was seizing. Now imagine your significant other acting out this dramatic re-creation of a bird sitting on a perch with their mouth wide open, neck going all crazy like they are about to vomit and their arm sticking out to their side like a wing. Make sure the elbow is slightly bent and the wrist is contorted. I am still laughing.

Jamie suddenly stops the performance and says, "What do you think it was doing?" My response was, "Regurgitating to feed the babies." She said, "I am glad that I don't have to go through all of that to feed Charlie." I thought "Me too. He would probably freak out if he had to watch the performance that you just acted out."

She continued the story and a second bird had arrived to join the first bird. The second bird began the regurgitating dance. Jamie again acted out the actions of the second bird. It was very similar to the first performance, but may have been a bit more dramatic.

Jamie was inside the house while watching the birds do thier thing, but the screen door was not enough protection from these small harmless birds. She thought to herself, "Those birds are carrying STDs, and are about to peck their way through the screen door and attack me and Charlie." After a long period of laughing I finally caught my breath. I was about to ask how the birds caught the STDs, but I just let it go. That would just start a whole other conversation.

The story continued. After the thoughts of the birds coming in to the house through the screen door and attacking her and Charlie, she had convinced herself that it was about to happen. The birds were still doing the regurgitation dance and minding their own business trying to feed their babies. Jamie ran to the door and tapped on the glass sliding door and scared the birds away. The poor baby birds are now starving.

If at first...!

This will give you an idea of the random thoughts that spin around in my head.

1-If at first you don't succeed, dust yourself off and try again.

2-If at first SHE doesn't hear you, please repeat yourself in a loving voice. An elevated voice will make her think that you are mad and she will get mad at you for no reason.

3-If at first HE doesn't hear you, he heard you, but is acting like he didn't hoping that you will be distracted within the next few seconds and forget that you asked him to do something.

4-If at first you can't remember, just wait a few hours. It will come to you when you no longer need the information.

5-If at first you call her Princess, just wait a few years. She will start to believe that she really is a princess of your enchanted house and you will become nothing more than her servant.

6-If at first you call him Stud Muffin, he will instantly be convinced that he is built like Arnold Schwarzenegger and that every woman sees him as a stud muffin. This will continue until death and he will be sure to remind you everyday that he is the sexiest man on the face of the planet. (Warning: Women may use this tactic to their advantage. Please reference point #3.)

7-If at first it looks like fun, wait until the instructor says, "Please connect all five harness points."

8-If at first you think that you can still play sports like you did when you were in High School, just wait until tomorrow. Your body will remind you that it still has muscles. They will be sore and stiff.

9-If at first your old suit does not fit, do not force it. (Gentleman, please reference #6.)

10-If at first you did not share this blog with someone, please do it now.

Money Saving Tips!

I asked Jamie to write a guest blog to follow up with some more money saving tips. Depending on the response I may start a second blog that is strictly for financial and money saving tips. Here is what she has to say.

My husband asked me to be a “guest” on his blog!! I had so many thoughts race through my head. What on earth am I going to blog about? I can’t blog as well as Michael! What do people want to hear from a stay at home mom?

Hopefully everyone enjoys this blog, so…. Here it goes!

MONEY SAVING TIPS!!!! Exciting right?!?! Where to start…. My new “job”, is staying at home with our adorable baby boy and keeping our household together. Many sacrifices had to be made to make this possible. Number 1 on the list was SAVING MONEY and living a somewhat frugal lifestyle. Is it worth staying at home with our child? You better believe it!! How long can we make this work? We don’t know! I never take a day at home with my little man for granted.

When shopping for ANYTHING, I am always looking for a deal. Paying full price, makes my stomach hurt. It becomes a game. I can find it cheaper somewhere else! I have a coupon for that!

Having a child CAN be expensive!! Charlie is on formula. That stuff is 25 bucks a can, but my baby needs it. We found out quick that we can get double the formula for the same cost at Sam’s. When Charlie is 6 months old, we can start baby food. I am going to be making it myself. We received a Baby Bullet as a shower gift! SCORE!!! I get to feed our baby fresh and organic fruits and veggies! We don’t use name brand diapers or wipes. I don’t care what brand it is, as long as it holds the mess and cleans it up nicely, I’m happy☺ I am also not a fan of the diaper genies. They add on more expense and boy do they stink. We use good old Kroger bags. I love getting the 20% of coupons from Babies R Us! I hold on to them like a golden ticket. I usually use them for the bigger items.

Groceries!!! You gotta eat!! We meal plan. It works wonders for us. I plan out every single meal and always check the kitchen stock before just rushing off to the store. What do I have? What meals can I make with what I already have? STOP WASTING FOOD PEOPLE!!! I’m sure you have 146 cans of veggies in your kitchen now. Why? Start using them and only buy them, when you need them. Look for sales on meat. You can get great deals on just about any kind. Portion it out and FREEZE it! You like to eat fresh veggies and fruit? Fine! Just plan it in your meal plan. Every two weeks we sit down in the kitchen with our coupons, list and calendar . I write down what we are eating everyday!! Now…. Of course we need to stop in the store every now and then to get some things. We are saving so much money now. It works for us!!! YAY!!!! Saving money at the grocery store is fun and….. you earn FUEL points!!! Saving on gas too??? No!?!? YES!

This blog is getting long. My goal is to stay at home with our child as long as possible. Watching what you spend and planning what you want to spend, is HUGE! We don’t go on spending sprees on the weekends, eat out much and find FREE and fun things to do. The park is such a fun place to go with your family and IT IS FREE. We still don’t “go without” and still live a comfortable lifestyle. It can be hard…. Lets be real! Honestly, if it is your hearts desire, it can work.

We are open to any other suggestions!!! Please share!

Life is too short to always keep with the Jones’!!!

Fifty Shades of Freakout!

The Wife has been reading "Fifty Shades of Gray" and informed me that she would soon be finished with the first book and that she needed the second book. She used her "sweet, pretty please voice" which she often reverts to when she wants me to buy her something. I kept telling her to wait until Mother's Day and Charlie might get it for her. She swiftly changed to the "pouty, disappointed" voice after that statement. Why do I let this woman work me like that.

I left work and of course stopped at the store. I thought about buying the book and hiding it until Sunday. The problem is that you can not hide anything from Miss Snoopy. She would smell the newly bound pages and find the books anywhere that I hid them. As I was leaving the store I received my "It's past 9:20pm. Where are you call." I played it off as if I had to stop at the store to buy a new can of chew. The ploy worked and I made my way home.

Now I had to get into the house carrying a Kroger bag with a large rectangular shaped object in it. I had already given in to not being able to hide the book until Sunday. I pulled up to the house and of course "Miss Neighborhood Watch" was sitting in the window. I wiped the "I'm up to something" smirk off of my face, quietly closed the car door, army crawled up to the front door and slipped into the house. I proceeded directly to the kitchen and placed the bag on the table.

I took two steps into the living room and heard. "What's in the bag?" I replied, "Brownies! Why don't you go make them?" "I don't feel like it." Jamie replied in a stretched out tired voice.

Lonnie and Kylie were at the house to hang out for the evening. (Jamie's brother and his girlfriend) They sat up like little puppies about to receive a treat when thay heard the word brownies. It took everything that I had to not laugh at the vision of their soon to be disappointed faces.

I kept asking Jamie to make the "brownies", but she would not go in the kitchen. I finally went into the kitchen to make my dinner knowing that she would follow. She opened the bag to find the second book in the series. You would have thought that she was six years old and just got a pony for Christmas. She jumped around and squealed and ran in to the living to show Lonnie and Kylie what I had bought for her. Finally I had pulled off a very unexpected surprise on "Miss You Can't Surprise Me." After Jamie calmed down from her frantic skipping and prancing she returned to the kitchen to get the brownie mix out of the bag. TA-DA! Another book! I went ahead and bought her the third book in the series. She again performed her "skippy, prancy" dance about the room and showed off her new books to Lonnie and Kylie. I had finally pulled off a great surprise.

I returned to the living room with my taco bowl and sat at my desk to eat. The room was quiet other than Jamie still ranting and raving about how happy she was. Lonnie and Kylie sat on the couch like two little kids that had their lollipops taken away. Jamie asked Kylie, "What's wrong?" Kylie replied, "I'm guessing that there are no brownies in the bag?" I apologized for the false excitement that I had created with the brownie ploy.

Coopins!

Thank you to the power of couponing, Jamie can stay home with our baby. I am sure that all of you have seen or heard about these extreme couponers. Extreme couponing is almost a full time job in itself. Most people that are serious couponers spend up to 40 hours a week collecting, clipping and planning their shopping trips. Is it worth it? If you can save what you could have made by working it is.

We get excited when we save $20 for our bi-weekly grocery shopping trip. We have started planning our nightly meals and the new system seems to be working great. We know what we need to buy, we can match up appropriate coupons and we  know what the budget is. This system makes for a seamless shopping trip and you have to use less brain cells deciding what you want for supper.

Jamie is very thrifty and always spots good deals. She has rubbed off on me a little and I find myself searching when shopping also. If you can find something on sale, have a store coupon and a manufacturers coupon, you could end up paying next to nothing for the item or find yourself with a store credit. Recently Kroger sent out a packet of coupons that are taylored to your shopping habits. We received some great coupons for items that we always buy. Thank you Kroger! Mix these with a few other coupons and you could save some big money.

When we go shopping without coupons I almost feel guilty knowing that there is no reason we should pay retail price for the items that we are buying. You can spend $1.75 on a sunday paper, visit coupons.com, add coupons to your Kroger plus card, spend an hour planning meals and clipping coupons and save 20-50% at the grocery. That money can add up quickly. With the price of gas going up we need a little extra money for our tanks.

The next time that you go to the grocery and the cashier says, "Do you have any coopins?" be prepared and say, "Why, yes I do."

Charlie's Twin!

I am sorry that I never mentioned it, but Charlie has a twin. Not really, but he thinks that he does. He loves to look in the mirror and laugh at the little boy looking back at him. He may not quite understand who he sees in the mirror, but he knows that he is funny.

The boy in the mirror makes a funny face and they both start laughing hysterically. Charlie waves and the boy in the mirror waves too. Sometimes Charlie does something and realizes that the boy in the mirror does the same thing. He gets a confused look on his face like "Hey, I just did that."

I wish that I knew what was going through his mind when he looks in the mirror and sees Mommy and Daddy holding another baby. He doesn't seem jealous. Is it possible that a four month old knows his own reflection or does he think that it is another baby? I guess that it doesn't really matter if he is having fun.

I found out last night that Charlie also likes to listen to Rush. "Fly by Night" was on a show or commercial, I don't remember, so it was stuck in my head. I was roaming around the house singing it and Charlie was cracking up at my high pitched Geddy Lee impersonation. Charlie started fussing so I played some Rush on my phone and he started laughing. Who needs Brahms lullaby when you have "Tom Sawyer" and "Fly by Night"?

Mother's Day!

Mother's Day is right around the corner. Charlie has been talking about what he wants to get for Mommy. Charlie's voice sounds just like Jamie's and he has this amazing ability to talk with his mouth closed. We have not narrowed down exactly what we are going to surprise her with, but I am sure that she will be happy since it is her first official Mother's Day. We might let Mommy sleep in for a while, or maybe make her breakfast in bed, but most likely not. Daddy has to work that day.

Mother's Day in the United States was officially created by Anna Jarvis. Anna wanted a day to honor our mothers. The holiday became very commercialized and soon became known as a "Hallmark Holiday". Anna even called it a "Hallmark Holiday". Anna was not happy with what had become of Mother's Day and even began to oppose the day.

We should honor our mothers every day, but it is nice to declare a day that puts more focus on our mothers and reminds us that they brought us in to the world and they can take us out. Moms are typically pretty easy to please when it comes to gifts from their child. I could probably give Charlie a marker and let him scribble random lines on a homemade card and Jamie would be ecstatic. I need to keep those ideas to myself. That would have been a good one.

Charlie, in his ventriloquist like voice, told me that we should get Mommy a necklace with his name and birthday on it. He even pulled up the website to show me exactly what it was. My child is a prodigy. I am absolutely amazed at how advanced he is for a four month old. Daddy liked the necklace, but Daddy is cheap and thinks the homemade scribble card is a much better idea. It is from the heart and that is what really matters. I am just kidding. Mommy gets just about anything she wants.

It's not about the gifts. The gifts are just concrete items that represent our appreciation. It is about the hugs and kisses that moms love to receive from their babies. I am well into my 20's and my mom still considers me her baby. No matter how old or young you are, show your mom some love on Sunday. Happy Mother's Day to all of you new moms, soon-to-be moms and future moms.

Gentleman, Father's Day comes after Mother's Day for a reason. If you want cool new toys, treat Momma right on Sunday.