Check out Tsu!

I just came across the new social media site Tsu. Tsu is putting a new twist on social media by sharing the ad revenue with the users. How would you like to own your post and information along with generating some additional cash? This is not a signup and get rich plan however, it would be nice to put a few extra cents in your pocket everyday while you are feeding your addiction to social media. I know that my wife will be rich by the end of next week if you get paid by the hour.


Tsu generates revenue from ads just like all of the other sites. Tsu keeps 10% of the revenue and distributes the other 90% to the users based on activity and an algorithm that they have generated. You can connect Tsu with Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You do not have to enter any bank information to receive your funds however, you do have to be at the minimum of $100 to cash out your royalties. Once you are ready to cash out you enter your address and they send you a check.


The layout is very similar to Facebook. The site is very basic, easy to use and looks very clean. They just launched publicly on Tuesday so I am sure that many changes will come with the capital that was generated.


Signup and start posting here http://tsu.co/HoppsTackle. Use HoppsTackle as the "short code" for your referral.


Happy posting!

No Scare Backs!

At the end of the day I like to relax on the couch and enjoy a light snack. I really love to chop off a hunk of cheddar cheese and enjoy the mild flavor melting in my mouth. This evening, like many other evenings, I prepared my command station in the living room then made my way to the kitchen.

I opened the fridge, retrieved the cheese block and cut off a 3/4 inch by 2 inch chunk. I then evenly sliced the chunk into symmetrical blocks. I placed the knife in the sink, the cheese block in the fridge and turned to make my way to "command central".

I just stepped to the doorway and placed a block of cheese in my mouth. The hallway was dark and my sense of taste was heightened due to the lack of my visual sensory. The first cheese block was perfect. My sense of hearing was also elevated due to the darkness. I was in the cheese zone when out of the darkness I heard a demonic voice say "Heeeeyyyy!"

Needless to say I nearly s@&t my pants and jumped a mile. I'm pretty sure my head hit the ceiling. Luckily I did not drop my cheese. My natural instinct caused me to reply with a demonic sounding "whaaaaatttt?" Apparently the demon that was stalking me was not expecting me to reply and especially not expecting me to be so close. 

I heard some startled rustling on the stairs followed by laughter. It turns out that the demonic voice was coming from my wife. In her attempt to quietly summons me from the steps her whisper came out quite raspy. She was also unaware that I was right at the bottom of the steps. She startled me and in return my reply startled her. I was obviously not as scared of her as she was of me because I did not drop to the ground in the fetal position like Jamie did.

From now on we will just stick to our signature whistles and clicks. Demonic whispers in the dark are not a good idea. 

No Diego No!

I was keeping my Betta fish in a small aquarium while I tried to cure it of fin rot. I changed the water regularly and cleaned the tank often. I used a large syringe because it was a great way to get the waste off of the bottom.

I was cleaning the aquarium tonight as I normally do, but the syringe was not functioning normally. I believe the stopper was damaged or it became deformed in the dishwasher. It was very hard to draw the syringe back to suck up the water. I was trying to be very gentle yet use a lot of strength to continue the process. Charlie was "helping" me and trying to feed Diego (the Betta) while I was changing the water.

On the first draw of water I pulled back the syringe and BAM! Water went everywhere. Charlie had a look on his face like "What the heck just happened?" I was covered in water. I was in shock for a moment while I processed what just happened. I put the syringe in the sink and grabbed some paper towels. I turned to clean up the mess and could not believe what I saw.

I look at Diego and realized that his body was no longer attached to the face that was looking back at me. I somehow beheaded Diego. Poor Charlie was still trying to feed the fish as I tried to convince him that Diego had to go to the ocean with Nemo. Luckily he did not understand the tragic event that just took place. 

I showed Jamie what I just did and Charlie chimed in with "Fish is sick." We gave Diego the highest honor funeral a fish can have. We sent him to the local water treatment plant via a beautiful white porcelain throne flushing ceremony.

She was looking at me!

Jamie and I dropped Charlie off at Maw Maw's house and headed to the big city to do some shopping. Jamie wanted jeans and I wanted an airbrush. It sounds pretty random, but it's not. I've started a fishing tackle company. You can check it out at www.hoppstackle.com. Back to the main subject. Jamie needed jeans.

We pulled up to Old Navy, I locked and loaded the stroller, unloaded the new kid and we skipped into the store. Oh the joys of having a few hours without someone saying "Daddy, Daddy, Daddy..." You hear the birds chirping, rainbows appear and golden warrior unicorns surround you as if you are a Roman Emperor. No, we did not have possession of or use recreational or prescribed narcotics. Your mind just becomes very clear when your two year old is at Maw Maw's house. You know he is safe, being fed and driving her insane.

We walked through the door of Old Navy and were immediately met by a very nice lady that knew a lot about Old Navy jeans. I found it quite ironic that she was wearing jeans, but they were not Old Navy. She gave Jamie the rundown on skinny does not mean waist and legs, it means ankle, these are flirty, these are someone's boyfriends jeans, boot cut, hip cut, short cut, wide, narrow, cotton, leather, made by elves, on and on. 

Jamie selected two styles and headed to the dressing room. I picked up Ella so that she could look in the mirror at herself. That is when I started to notice the lights dim, the music slow and the breeze begin to pickup. The wife was out of sight and the ladies were on the prowl. 

One lady looked at me, did a little finger wave while her hair flowed in the breeze and said "How cute.." Another girl must have been really shy because she kept covering her eyes with her hands and then opening them while blowing kisses. She kept saying "Hey Boo." I thought it was a little early for pet names. Then there was what I like to call a peripheral flirt. The shy girl that wants an eye full, but does not want to get caught looking because if she looks into your eyes she will fall under your spell and stalk you. She would peek and smile and quickly turn away when I looked in her direction.

I was honest with Jamie about all of the women that were looking at me. She said that they were probably just looking at Ella. I brushed that off as an absolutely incorrect assumption. Maybe the shy lady whispering "Hey boo" with her hands over her eyes was interested in Ella, but peripheral flirt girl was definitely into me. 

"Whatever Dad"

Oh Brother!

Ella is becoming more and more aware of her surroundings everyday. She is discovering new objects to stare at and responds to familiar voices. She gets very excited when she hears Charlie's voice. Surprisingly, she can sleep through the incredible amount of noise that is produced by her big brother.

Charlie wakes up every morning and the first thing he does is find his "El" and says "Good morning El." He gives her a kiss on the head then turns his attention to a busy day of playing.

Now that Ella is more alert and is beginning to identify faces and voices, she must be thinking "Here comes that boy again." Between the constant train sounds and elephant noises, a person can go mad pretty quickly.

Just take a look at this picture. Charlie is belting out one of his train whistle sounds. Ella appears to be saying "Oh Brother."

These two kiddos already have an incredible bond. I hope that it continues. Hopefully Ella does not go insane from the noise and craziness that a two year old boy produces.

Catching Our Breath

Wednesday will mark Ella's fourth week of life. It has been a crazy, wonderful and trying four weeks. The first two weeks after Ella's birth were filled with illness and complications. Ella has been perfectly healthy, but Jamie and Charlie experienced a few rough days.

Jamie had a c-section on Wednesday, stomach virus on Saturday and developed mastitis the following weekend. Charlie experienced a few days of virus like symptoms. I was doing my best to play nurse, Daddy and taking on motherly task. Administering medicine to Jamie, playing with Charlie, loving on Ella and keeping up with the house was challenging. Breast feeding was rough, but I got the hang of it after a few tries.

Charlie has been great however, he had a few meltdowns. It is a big deal when you bring a new baby home. The attention now has to be split and two year olds do not quite understand what is going on. Everything has settled down now and Charlie is an excellent big brother. Watching him interact with Ella is the sweetest thing ever. Ella loves Charlie just as much as he loves her. She lights up when she hears his voice. Charlie runs to the rescue when he hears Ella cry.

Charlie is talking and talking and talking. The boy talks all day long about everything. He knows the alphabet, he can count to 16 and he still loves trains. Watching him observe everything around him reminds me of my childhood. I wanted to know how everything worked and why. I am waiting for that word to start popping up on a regular basis. Why this and why that? 

Ella is growing however, she is still an itty, bitty lady bug. The poor girl looks just like her daddy. I think that her hair is going to be the color of her Mommy's. Maybe one day she will break seven pounds.

Adjusting to two children has been pretty easy. We have settled into a routine and we can actually load up and get out of the door relatively quickly. It is amazing how your heart has enough room to love two human beings so much. I think that I am ready to add a third.

Big Brother!

We brought our beautiful new baby girl home yesterday. We were so excited for Charlie to meet her in our own environment. He did not pay attention to her in the hospital, but he soon realized she was here to stay. 

After loving on Mommy and Daddy he started to check out his new little sister. Once it clicked that he was the big brother he transformed into a whole new person. He wanted to hold her, carry her, put her in the swing and make sure everything was perfect.

As soon as you say "We need to change Ella's diaper." He runs and grabs a diaper, the wipes and Desitin. He brings us her blankets and makes funny faces at her. She loves to hear Charlie's voice. Charlie bought Ella a little stuffed lamb for her birthday. He makes sure that she has it at all times.

Our parents came to welcome us home and Charlie was proud to show off his "El". He watched her like a hawk. When some one picked her up and held her he kept his eyes on them. No one was going to take his "El". If she whimpered he jumped up and checked out the situation. He made sure that she had her binky and she was not being hurt.

Charlie wanted to feed Ella, but we had to explain that fruit snacks are not in her diet. When we told him she drank milk he went to the refrigerator and grabbed the gallon of milk and his sippy cup. He is trying to help and it is adorable. If he loses sight of Ella he flips. "Where El?!? Where El?!?" You better show him where El is or he will hunt her down. I don't think that I will have to worry about boys. 

I took Charlie up to bed and he had a meltdown. He patted on the bed and said "Ellllll!" I asked if he wanted Ella to sleep with him and he nodded yes with his pouty lip and a tear in his eye. I had to explain that Ella has to stay with Mommy and he settled down. 

I laid with him since we had not been together in two days. He wrapped his arms around my neck and shoved his head into my shoulder as tight as he could. He was so glad to have me back home. 

The transition has been pretty good. He has had a few breakdowns which I have attributed to jealousy and exhaustion. I sat him down and had a talk with him. I don't know if a two year old really comprehends how Mommy and Daddy can love two children, but he has been fine since then. It is amazing to see how Charlie's big brother instincts kicked right in. 

God has blessed me/ us, with a beautiful family. We have a great support system, great parents, grandparents, siblings and aunts and uncles. Thank you to everyone for all of your help and gifts.

In Six Days!

In six short days my baby girl will be secure in my arms. She will look up at me and my heart will melt. She will be the princess of my kingdom and the most precious flower in my garden. She will do-no-wrong in my eyes and her every wish will be granted.

In six short days I will become a nervous wreck. I will look at every male as if he is a predator trying to prey on my daughter. I will clean my guns regularly while wearing full camouflage. I will have a look in my eye that can steal a soul. I may even dress in full Spartan warrior attire just in case little Johnny gets too close to my Ella on the playground.

Charlie already has me wrapped around his finger. I come home with a new toy for him every time I go to Kroger. What am I going to do when my baby girl says "Daddy, I want..."? I am going to be broke! 

Other than being a protector and a walking ATM I fear that I may have to learn a few other trades. A few of those trades being a hairdresser, a tea maker, a florist and a cosmetologist. How much blush is too much? Are pig tails okay everyday? 

In six days I will become Prince Charming, a super hero and most importantly, a father. I guess that the best and most important thing that I can do for my baby girl is love her, teach her how valuable she is and show her how a woman should be treated. 

Wish me luck.

I'm just going to close the door!

Jamie has been experiencing some abdominal pain and at 34 weeks pregnant that is a bit concerning. We spent three hours at the hospital this morning 4am-7am to be sent home with 0 findings or diagnostics. We are back again tonight, well, this morning for an MRI. The baby is fine, but we suspect that Jamie may have appendicitis.

As usual I try to lighten the mood by being a smarta#% or making jokes. I embarrassed my poor wife when the nurse was asking about metallic objects in or on her body prior to going in the MRI machine.

The nurse asked "Do you have a rectal thermometer in your bottom?" 

I could not pass up this perfect opportunity to make everyone in the room pee their pants. I quickly blurted out "No, but she keeps a few batteries up there." 

I thought Jamie was going to die. The nurse burst into laughter and the poor paramedic student did not know wether to laugh or leave the room then laugh. Success! Another audience pleased by my performance.

Jamie went back for the scan and the nurse asked if I needed anything. Several things came to mind. 

1. Wifi connection

2. Some Reese's Cups

3. A chocolate milk

4. Sleep

I replied with number 3, chocolate milk. She said the cafeteria would not be open for another one and a half hours. I said "S#%t! i love the hospitals chocolate milk." I settled for a Coke and returned to the room to wait on Jamie. As I was walking back I heard "The baby is falling out again!" Another perfect setup that I could not let slip away. I told myself to just keep walking, but I could not let it go. I blurted out "Get a plunger and push it back up!" Another audience pleased. This time I got the clerk, the security guard, a doctor and a patient. Her baby almost fell out from laughing so hard.

With nothing else to do to pass the time I decided to test out the functions of the hospital bed. I spread out the stirrups and set my feet. I began to pretend that I was in the space shuttle preparing for take-off. People were walking by, but no one paid attention to the random guy in the birthing triage room by himself. 

I continued to explore the other tools and monitors in the room. Still, no one paid any attention. It was not until I was laid back with my feet in the stirrups and the fetal monitors on my stomach that anyone said anything. 

The nurse poked her head in and said "I'm just going to close the door." Score for me! Another satisfied client of the "what in the H-E-double hockey sticks is this guy doing" club.

I love the hospital. The people here see all kinds of crazy things that they do not even ask questions. They just close the doors.

Crock and Cabin!

Today is the grand opening for Crockandcabin.com. It is a home decor site that is currently building an inventory of primitives, signs and some handmade wardrobe accessories.

Crock and Cabin is offering a 10% discount when you enter the promo code "Facebook" at checkout.

Like their page on Facebook.

Post by Crock and Cabin.

Follow them on twitter.

We are now open! Take advantage of our grand opening sale by entering promo code "Facebook" at checkout.
— Crock and Cabin (@CrockandCabin) February 27, 2014

Follow Crock and Cabin on Pinterest.

Visit Crock and Cabin's profile on Pinterest.

 

Spend a few minutes checking out the site and sign up for their newsletter. They will be adding new items quite often. You will also receive coupon and promo code alerts as they become available.

 

Vote For Charlie!

Charlie has been entered into the "Cutest Kid" contest with one of our local news stations. Please take a minute and vote for him.

Vote for Charlie Here.

Time To Go Out!

Charlie loves to be outside. When we go to the car Charlie walks as slow as he can to maximize his time outdoors. I can't wait to take him on adventures in the woods.

Cabin fever has set in for the entire family. Charlie would be elated to be playing outside even if it meant that he was shoulder deep in snow. It is so difficult to explain to a two year old why you can not stay outside very long when the temperature is -7. 

A few days ago I heard some rustling in the kitchen. It was not unusual for Charlie to be in the kitchen playing with his refrigerator animal magnets or sliding something across the smooth floor. After a few minutes of grunting and rustling I heard the "thud, thud, thud" of his little boots coming closer to the hallway. I was not expecting to see this turn the corner.

Charlie was ready to go outside. He may have been lacking a few important articles of clothing, but he did not seem to mind. Nothing could stop the determination that he had in his soul. Not even cold...well, you know.

It broke my heart to tell him that we could not go outside. He insisted on leaving the coat and hat on. I hope that Spring shows up soon. This child needs to run free.

Ruffle Scarf Giveaway!

I have found a supplier for many hand-made items and trinkets. The items range from small ornaments and primitives to scarves. I am considering placing a large order due to the available pricing. I will be able to offer the products at the best available prices and special orders can be made.

I have attached a new page simply titled "Shop" at the top of the screen. Please visit the "Shop" to check out the ruffle scarf or you can click here. These scarves are very popular and fashionable. They are great accessories for upscale attire or casual apparel.

Do you currently own a ruffle scarf? How many compliments have you received on your scarf? Would you like to increase your variety?

I am accepting pre-orders for $7.99 plus $2.49 for shipping.

If you would like to reserve your scarf or scarves at the introductory price of $7.99, please subscribe to our blog on the right and email us at hoppyshow@gmail.com. Let me know how many and which color you would like. I will run the pre-order special price until February 14th.

On February 14th I will randomly choose a subscriber to receive a free scarf. Don't miss out on our first giveaway! There may be more to come!

Your feedback is appreciated.

Always On My Back!

My in-laws enlisted me to assist them with some flooring. My mother-in-law is a pretty good cook so I agreed to help. She lured me to their house today with some roast and mashed potatoes. I did not have to do the majority of the work, but I was tasked with the tedious geometric cutting. It was a job that required patience and since my father-in-law barely has enough patience to open a pop can I was the best candidate for this part of the project.

I enjoy my side job as a handy man, but everywhere I go the new employee follows. I used to be self-employed, but I needed some help. My new assistant is a hard worker, but he gets side tracked sometimes. Every time he hears an airplane he looks to the sky and points. I have to remind him to focus on the work. He can operate most of the tools however, he can be dangerous with his short attention span. 

Most of the time my helper just hangs out and watches what I am doing. I prefer to do most of the work myself. I just need someone to bring the tools to me. I get uncomfortable when someone is standing there looking over my shoulder, but I can tolerate this guy. I know that he is eager to learn.

I was in the zone today cutting tile in a tight spot around a toilet. I had to measure several angles and make a lot of cuts. Everything was going great when my helper climbed on my back to get a better view. 

Does he think that he is the boss now? He is always on my back trying to make me work faster and harder. He always yells "Help, Daddy!" How is sitting on my back while I am cutting tile helping?

Charlie is pretty good with the snow shovel and he did a good job helping set the tile. If this is how he learns then I guess that I will deal with it. 

Thank you for your hard work Buddy. I hope that your observation helps you learn the skills that my dad taught me.

Somersault Fail!

Charlie tries to do a somersault, but ends up on his face. He performs a nice bridge which will come in handy for wrestling.

http://youtu.be/x1L4y8B-vJs

The Ghost Inside My Child!

There is not really a ghost inside my child, even though he does stare down the hallway and talks to someone that is not seen by Jamie or I, but he thinks that he is a ghost. Charlie has to be the funniest and most clumsy ghost that I have ever seen.

Fragrance Free!

In an effort to make our house smell like fresh linen blowing in the breeze on a vanilla coconut beach covered in pumpkin and spice with a hint of Alaskan waves my wife has strategically placed candles and plug-ins throughout our house. The candles have been ban due to the fire hazard however, plug-ins have still been permitted. Until now.

I face-timed Jamie this evening so that I could tell Charlie good night. I could tell by the look on Jamie's face that something had gone wrong. She was frantically wiping down the dresser and wall where a plug-in had been sitting. In her frustrated voice she said "I just spilled a bottle of plug-in oil." My first thought was "Awesome!"

She continued to tell me how strong the fragrance was and how it made her nauseas. She also described how it made her feel like she had indigestion. I am glad that she finally understood how I felt from a minor whiff of the scent. I did feel bad she had to feel that way while being pregnant.

I continued to talk to Charlie to distract him while Jamie continued cleaning up the mess. Scented oil is not very easy to clean. You can remove the oil, but pressed wood soaks up liquid faster than a sponge. I offered some suggestions for eliminating the scent, but Jamie had other plans. She was just going to quarantine the room for the night.

She sent me a picture of her and Charlie camped out in the living room. 

I am sure that Charlie thought it was fun to have a little bed in the living room, Jamie, not so much. I know that the couch is quite a comfy place to sleep, but Prego might not feel the same way. 

I came home to find Charlie sawing logs on his "Big Boy Bed" mattress in the living room and Jamie in a cocoon on the couch. I could smell the scent of a mixed citrus orchard as soon as I opened the door. I could only imagine how bad the scent was going to be in our room. Jamie had tried her best to absorb the oil with some white powdery substance and left a window open for ventilation.

I entered our room and the scent was not as bad as I thought it would be. Luckily it was not cinnamon. I would have suffered asphyxiation immediately. I changed my clothes and hung in our room for a while to test the air quality. After a few minutes of trying to enjoy the comfort of our bed alone I was over taken by the fragrance. I am going to find a comfortable place in the living room.

If she wants our house to smell like fresh linen, Jamie needs to sniff the laundry. Fresh citrus, slice some fruit. Vanilla coconut, eat a Mounds. No more artificial scents. We are a fragrance free house!

No Crying in Hobby Lobby!

About two weeks ago Jamie, Charlie and I went to Hobby Lobby to look for a coat rack to hang in the hallway. With the weather changing every fifteen minutes we have a lot of coats at the ready. We found several different items that we liked however, in typical Hobby Lobby fashion, everything cost an arm, leg or first born child. Everything in the store was marked as 50% off except for the items that we wanted. 

As we searched through aisles for treasures Jamie came across a canvas painting that would be perfect for Ella's room. Of course it cost a leg, two fingers and a toe. 

Jamie wanted to buy the picture no matter what the price was. I had to deny the purchase due to the ridiculous price that was tagged on the painting. We left the store empty handed, but I know that picture stayed in Jamie's mind.

Everyday I hear about what we are going to do to Ella's room and how we are going to paint. When a pregnant woman says "we" to her husband it actually means "you". Mixed in to these plans is the picture at Hobby Lobby and how perfect it is for the room. I liked the picture too, but it was more than I could allow myself to spend on such a painting.

Jamie made her best effort to keep reminding me of the picture.

Today I received a text that said "It's 50% off." The text caught me off guard because it lacked vital details and came out of the blue. Shortly after the text came a picture. The picture was the one posted above. Two seconds later my phone rang. My wife has so much patience.

I answered the phone and the baby talk pleading began. (Pouty lip voice) "It's 50% off. Can I get it?" I agreed to the purchase and Jamie said "Really?" "Uh, yeah." I could hear a sniff and tell that Jamie was crying. She acted like I just gave her a million dollars. I asked why she was crying. She said "I thought that you would say no." 

For the record, I never tell my wife no to anything unless it is completely ridiculous or expensive like I mentioned above. If I do say no it is usually just a stall tactic. 

I could not help, but laugh. I could see Jamie in Hobby Lobby crying in the middle of the aisle while staring at a painting of a pink tree. It might be funnier in my mind because I was there. Charlie probably even looked at her like "What is your deal woman? There is no crying allowed in Hobby Lobby."

She blamed it on the extra hormones of carrying a female child. I am glad that she is happy, but is there really a need to cry about it? Maybe I just don't understand.

The funniest part is that I received a text later in the day that Jamie started crying about the picture again when she was talking to her mom. What is it going to be like when Ella is born and she is rocking her in the nursery looking at the picture? There will probably be tears and snot dripping in Ella's face. (Sobbing voice) "Your daddy bought that, (sniff), picture for you, (sniff), before...you...were...boorrnn."

My wife is an emotional one. God love her. Thank goodness she is not high maintenance. 

Testing Daddy!

Charlie has been quite defiant lately. I have written it off to the "terrible twos" however, he does not seem to act up unless I am around. I am obviously the "fun one", but that is no reason for my son to think that everything is a game. It is like he wants to get into trouble. Do I have a juvenile delinquent son?

I have tried sitting Charlie in the corner, standing him in the corner, keeping calm and explaining why he can not do something, raising my voice to get the point across and patting him on the butt. He just thinks that it is a game and laughs at me. His favorite thing to do is sneak over to the television stand and sit on the glass shelf. I have told him not to do that atleast 764 times this week. He thinks that it is hilarious. He loves seeing me get mad. What am I supposed to do?

Why is he acting like this? It is not like the child is lacking attention from me. We play, draw, wrestle, drive trains, trucks and just act silly. Can he sense that Ella will be here soon and wants every second of my attention that he can get? Is he tired of being indoors all winter and is looking something exciting to do? I need some help with this one.

Charlie is good all day for Jamie. He does not act up when we are around grandparents. It is only when I am home. Parents out there, have you or are you currently dealing with a defiant two year old? Please lend me your advice. 

Don't let the face fool you. 

Charlie's First Haircut!

Charlie's hair has been growing out of control for a while. We have been hesitant to chop off his curls, but something had to be done. It looked like he had a really bad comb over.

It has been very cold in our area for the past several days, sub zero cold, but we bundled up and braved the elements. We took Charlie to a place called Kiddie Kastle. They specialize in child hair care. They have seats that are cars and horses. They have movies and toys to occupy the children. Most importantly, they have lollipops to pacify your child while he or she is in the barbers chair.

We walked into the building and noticed that the temperature was not much warmer than it was outside. Everyone in the building was wearing their coats including the lady cutting hair. She was very apologetic about it being so cold. They were having issues with the HVAC unit. Charlie did not seem to mind as he was enamored by new toys.

There were several people in line ahead of us so we sat and waited patiently. Charlie played and ran around with no complaints, but his cheeks were blushing and his hands were cold. It was just our luck.

Charlie heard the hair clippers turn on and immediately ran over to see what was going. We asked if he could watch the boy get his haircut so that he would know what to expect. The mother and stylist agreed to let Charlie observe and the haircut began. The little boy felt the clippers touch his neck and started screaming, shaking and cowering away from the stylist. The mother of the little boy felt so bad as Charlie's eyes were as wide as the moon. Watching that little boy was probably not the best idea.

Charlie was very concerned about the little boy and did not know what to do. He just ran to me to pick him up. I held Charlie and we continued to watch the horrific scene of a child getting his hair cut. Charlie was excited about getting his hair cut until he saw this. How in the world was I going to convince him to sit in Sweeney Todd's chair now?

I felt bad watching the mother of the boy trying to console him. She told him to count to 10 and when he reached 10 he would be finished. I have never heard a 2 year old count to 10 so fast. As clear as day and as fast as an auctioneer that little boy rambled off every number. Unfortunately, he was not done. I said "You might have to learn a few more numbers before you use that trick again."

She laughed and told the boy to say his ABCs, asked him old he was, what his favorite book was and many other questions to distract him. He was not having it. A few short seconds later the boy was finished.

It was now Charlie's turn. I sat him in the chair and the stylist tried to put the cape on him. He wanted nothing to do with it. He just watched a terrifying scene. I gave Charlie a lollipop and he stoop up in the car and clung to my arm. We told the lady to go ahead and start. She cut off the first few curls and put them in a bag for us. Charlie kept one hand on his lollipop stick and one arm around me. He did not move a muscle. He was statuesque through the entire haircut. She only used scissors so Charlie was not as scared.

The stylist started combing Charlie's hair and he began to relax a little. It was weird to watch the transformation from a baby with curls to a boy with a proper hair style. Snip by snip the soft baby hair began to fall to the floor. I was surprised at how well he did with the whole process. Thank God he did not freak out. I am very pleased with Charlie's new look and I am sure that he is too. No more hair touching his ears and neck.

Happy Flipping New Year!

2013 was a fun and exciting year, but I was very excited for what 2014 had in store. Ella will be here in April, the Bengals are going to win the Super Bowl and good things are happening at work. I have a great feeling about this year.

I have been a bit under the weather for the past few days. The stomach bug has been going around, the air is cold and dry and the Cincinnati air is not the cleanest in the world. I have awaken every morning to a scratchy throat and my head feels like a water balloon.

On the morning of New Year's Eve I felt like death. We had plans to ring in the new year with some friends and I considered just staying home. I knew that the girls had already purchased snacks for our get together so I manned up and went to the party. I use the word "party" loosely. When you are 31 and have children "party" usually means sitting around watching the kids play.

The kids played forever, non-stop and we all ate some great food. Sausage balls, cream cheese and hot sauce, chicken nuggets shaped like dinosaurs and many other treats. The boys finally calmed down around 11:30pm. We were all exhausted, but I encouraged everyone to stay up until midnight. 

The ball dropped and my eyelids were not far behind. We stayed at our friend's house so I was not sleeping very soundly. Through the night I heard Charlie coughing. It was loud and clear since his face was snuggled into the side of my head. All of a sudden the coughing turned to the sound of a waterfall. The room was pitch black so I reached over and my hand landed right into a pile of fruit snacks and milk. Awesome!

The fruit snacks were just the first layer. They were followed by Dino nuggets, crackers, more milk and cookies. I think that I saw a full un-chewed Dino nugget head on my pillow. What a great start to the new year. 

Jamie was yelling "Turn on the light! Turn on the light!" She must think that I am a magician because she expects me to do everything instantly. I was in an unfamiliar room in complete darkness at 2:30 in the morning. Hold your horses woman! I stumbled around the room looking for the nearest light. The scene that was revealed looked like the St. Valentine's Day massacre.

We stripped the bed and Charlie and began cleaning everything up. Jamie, who I remind you, is five months pregnant, was gagging at the smell. I was praying that she did not toss her cookies too. I think that I would have stroked out if I had to do a double duty on cleanup.

We decontaminated the area and our child then packed up and made our way home. We all finally fell asleep around 6am. Needless to say, the new year was not starting out very happy. New Years Day began with lazy lounging on the couch until about 2pm. We finally had to get up and get ready to go to my birthday dinner.

I went upstairs to brush my teeth and there was a shaving razor in the sink. I set it on the vanity out of my way. I brushed my teeth and went to the bedroom to get dressed. I saw a spot on the bed that looked like paint. I touched the spot and it was wet. I immediately knew it was blood. I looked at Charlie and his little hands were covered in blood. He never made a sound, an ouch or acted like anything was wrong.

At some point while brushing my teeth he snagged the razor and cut the tip of his finger. Luckily it was just a little nick that was bleeding a lot. It looked a lot worse than it really was. 

Maybe 2014 is not going to be as great as I hoped. Happy flipping new year to the Hoppys.