Thumb Sucker!

I woke up this morning to Charlie crying really loud. The poor guy has been trying for weeks to suck his thumb, but he can't quite figure out how to separate it from the rest of his fingers. He makes an attempt to get his thumb and ends up with half of his hand in his mouth. With no teeth to protect his gums, he usually ends up stabbing himself with his little fingernails.

He will suck on his "hand/thumb" pull it away from his face and look at it like "Yummy!" and shove it right back in for more. The noises he makes are hilarious. I have to keep checking to make sure that all of his fingers are still intact. He is going to bite them off when he starts cutting teeth.

He is growing fast and is a very happy baby, between 7:30am and 6pm, he gets a little grumpy when it is close to bed time. My big boy rolled over from his tummy to his back the other day! It was partially assisted by the weight of his head, but he was twisting his torso and leg as if he wanted to move to his back.

My little thumb sucker is going to be a back talking teen before I know it. I try to enjoy everyday with him while he still likes to cuddle.

Mr. Entrepreneur!

I am always thinking of new ideas for small businesses and ways to make some extra money, but I rarely act on most of them. If I had tried most of my ideas I would surely be a millionaire by now.

Building a business requires time and money that I think that I have, but it usually turns out that I do not. I have attempted ventures in making fishing lures, which requires a lot of time and is not very cost effective for one person. The wife has ventured in making candles and I backed her idea 100%, but again, too much time for 1 person that is taking care of a baby at home.

I have a ton of ideas for small startup businesses, but don't have the resources to put them into place. Maybe I should become a small business consultant or put together a team that can make these businesses come to life. Anyone interested?

"Big Hop Enterprises", I like the sound of that. "We do a little bit of everything." It will be the next Walmart! Get your hair done, eat lunch, file your taxes and buy a new fishin' pole all in one place.

Okay, okay. I am getting a little carried away at this point. I have always desired to be my own boss and live the "American Dream". The point is that it can be a big risk to take when you are the only one providing income for your family. The initial investment can place a strain on your budget and the time can place a strain on your life. Is it worth it if your business becomes successful?

Fourth Generation!

We had dinner at my Dad's house on Sunday, it was delicious. My grandparents and siblings were all gathered together to enjoy in the feast. As I looked around at my family I began to realize how dominant the Hoppy genes are. I could see my past, present and future all in one place. Just look at the picture.

Charlie looks just like I did at his age, I am going to look just like my dad and he looks just like my grandpa. It's amazing how our DNA is transferred to our offspring. There is no mistaking a Hoppy male and his offspring. A customer came in to work a few weeks ago and said, "You look like a Hoppy." He used my real last name in place of Hoppy and it kind of caught me off guard.

Some times I wonder what my earliest relatives looked like. I don't think that are genes have deviated much. There has been some Italian, Irish and a bit of Native American that has attempted to dominate the Hoppy genes, but they have fallen to the blonde hair and blue eyes.

I can't wait to see whose traits our next child takes on. Hopefully it will be a little girl that looks just like my beautiful wife!