Ate Cookie, Nipped Makers (see background)

Atticus made a cookie for Santa. It was huge. Apparently he thinks we are the only house feeding the fat man.

Words of Wisdom

Atticus has been dropping knowledge again, and darn if it isn't funny stuff. Here are just a few of the gems he's laid on us lately:

*Blue is my favorite color because I have blue shirts.

*I can't write because I'm not an artist. That's why I'm not a grow-up yet.

*Do you want a beer?

*I made a shopping list, eggs, macaroni and cheese, cookies, and wine-ade. I sure wish we had more chicken.

*Where the hell is the phone?

*I was a cookie, but now I'm pie. I can change.

*Daddy get mad, just like Donald Duck.

*May I please open a present now?

*Soda is for breakfast.

*I drawed in my belly button.

*Papa has sand in his ears.

*That made me scream like a little girl.

*I'm made of bones, brains, skin and farts. So is Zane. And Mickey Mouse.

There's more- stay tuned!

Beautiful Boys:

Zane turned 10 months old today. Here are some pics of him and his big brother.

Brothers In Arms

Simple Pleasures

Snowfalls

Beauty Blocks Age


Night Night With TT

A New Look

As you can see, I am messing around with a new look. What do you think? I'm having a little trouble getting some of the add-ons I had before, like a favicon or haloscan, to work. Hence, my changing this blog before the big one.

So what's the verdict?

'Tis the Season

I've come to terms with the fact that I am by far the ugliest member of my family. I'm actually okay with this, because it means that my wife and kids are extremely attractive.

Here we are the day after Black Friday, so Grey Saturday I guess, getting ready to do a little shopping and have a drink or two.

Double Time

Zane has officially doubled the amount of time that we've known of his pending and official existence. He turned 9 months old yesterday. As his father I felt it my duty to buy him his first beer.

Cheers Zane!

Honeaween @ Disneyland Resort

We spent Halloween at Disneyland. We'll be back. It was safe and fun. And tiring.
Click here for more photos!

The Frog, Mad Hatter & Alice

ABC's by Atticus

Park Action

Boys @ The Park

Nosey Neighbors

8 Months

See, I told you it goes fast. 8 months and counting. The boy is growing like a weed.

For Kim

Kim was concerned that a day in a chicken costume might scar a young boy. Nonsense. A little imagination never hurt anyone.


Nobody here but us chickens.

Nana Pop-Ins

Nana came for a visit this past weekend. It was great having her here. I actually slept past 6:30- it was like a dream. Thanks Mom

Babysitter in a Box

Thank you television.

You have graced our home with periods of quiet and moments of freedom that no other avenue has alloted us. You have taught our boys things that would require time and effort from us. You encourage them to think for themselves, read books and respect others. They know how to turn you on and off, change your channels, pause your tivo (thank you to tivo also), and hook videogames into you. They love you.

I miss you television.
xoxo

Atticus the Philosopher

I'm beginning to think that Atticus knows something I don't. He has been dropping bits of knowledge around here faster than the Raiders can drop passes.

Here are but a few of the gems I've heard this week:

-Daddy, you're a genius! (said as he walked behind me, apparently amazed at how I stacked more grocery bags than advisable into my arms so as not to necessitate a second trip to the car)

-I wish I was a Cowboy (said out of the blue while riding in the car, I asked him why, and he replied)so I can say yippie-ky-yay, like the song.

-I want a corn on the cob with two sticks, so I can eat it like this (shows how he would eat corn), and a corn dog with just one stick, because I only need to hold it with one hand. And no sticks in my lemonade. (his order to waiter at dinner tonight)

-I need someone's help (talking to me and Anthony as he came out of the computer room). My game is messing up. (what's it doing we asked, to which he replied) It's freaking me out.

-If you need help just let me know. That's my job.(to Tricia when she needed light to see the laptop screen)

-My dream is to eat pizza...and play games...and ride rides...at Disneyland. And don't forget about winning tickets. (when asked what he might dream about)

-I want my own milk, yours has germs in it already. (to Tricia when she tried to convince him to dip his oreo in her glass)

-Babies sing their own song, don't you know that Daddy? (when I asked him if Zane's "singing" was the same song that he was making up in the car)

-(whenever he pretends to be something or somebody else and you ask him if he is that person or thing he gets very serious)No, it's me. Atticus.

The Science of Sleeping & Bouncing

The Last 3 Days in Photos

I'm not sure if Atticus is a Ninja or an oak tree, but he's having fun.

We tend to hide in the dark whenever the Steelers lose.


Yep, that's the dog's toy.

Loch Ness? Bigfoot? Everyday stuff. Zane asleep in his crib? Had to take a picture.

Somebody & Somebody Else (I feel like Family Circus) found some ice cream.

Filling Up the Bandwagon

Anthony came over to join me and Atticus in cheering on the Steelers. Everything was going swimmingly until Pittsburgh self-destructed.

Now they are 1-2. They have a bye next week. The season starts fresh then. It better.

Things Boys Do While Waiting For Momma

Standing Room Only

Atticus & The Great Pumpkin

Atticus was a good boy, as usual, in Target the other day so he got a treat. Two treats actually.

The one that isn't important to this story was a scoop of ice cream at 31 Flavors, although this one was more like 8 Flavors. He chose some brightly colored play-dough looking stuff. I asked him what it tasted like, and he replied, "Colors."

The treat that is the basis of this post was a Mr. Potato Head Pirate kit for pumpkins. We thought that there was a toy pumpkin, ala the potato, in the box. There wasn't. It required a real pumpkin. It was late and we were in for the night, so I promised him that I would get a pumpkin on my way home from work the next day. I did.

I placed the pumpkin in the flower bed, yes I have a flower bed, so what? I then had Atticus find the newly grown pumpkin. He did, and we "picked" it and took it inside and the rest as they say is history.

Just Another Morning

Is it wrong that I let Zane sleep standing upright in his bouncer? It's not that I get any sort of satisfaction from it, other than the bliss of 20 minutes of quiet. It's just that the kid won't sleep and I figure a power nap standing up is better than no nap at all. Hell, I'd take it.

We have a routine that starts shortly after 6am (every other day, we rotate our getting up in the night and sleeping-in shifts) where I spend about 40 minutes trying to convince him that he should go back to sleep. Then I give up and let him play on the floor with various toys, dogs, and empty beer bottles from the night before. At some point he eats. At some point he poops.

About the time that I decide I can no longer put off my morning coffee (I wait in hopes he might actually heed my pleas and return to bed) I put him in the bouncer and declare myself awake for the day. He usually goes to sleep shortly after that.

He'll bounce and laugh and I'll be reading blogs and the various sport sites when I'll notice that he has done it again. That is where the dilemma kicks in. He needs to sleep. It is obvious to all but him. Common sense would suggest that I take his little sleeping body and put him back in his crib. Common sense does not know Zane very well. If he is so much as touched while sleeping in his bouncer (or carseat for that matter) he is up and at it. No holds barred. He does not like to be disturbed.

Which brings me back to my original question. Is it wrong to let him sleep there? Probably, but I'm okay with it. And I'm awake.

I felt guilty after writing this and actually managed to successfully pull "the switch" and take him from bouncer to crib sans incident. It happens. Sometimes.

7 Months

Today Zane turns 7 months. It seems like just yesterday he was turning 6 months. The day before that it was 5.

Time has a funny way of running away from you like that. Other times it stands still. I spend 8 hours a day pouring drinks and it feels like sixteen, then I wake up in the morning to find my son is another month older. I have a cup of coffee and he's older still.

Time has a funny way of running away from you, hope you're up for the race. I know I am.

A Fun Afternoon & The Bath That Followed

The Many Moods of Poop

According to Atticus there is a new mood ring in town. Unlike the rings of days gone by, this new monitor of feeling is kept not on your finger (hopefully), but rather in a bowl of water. Black, white, brown, green and yellow, these are the hues that radiate our temperament, and thanks to the sun (so I'm told) they can fade and blend amongst themselves. The downside of course, is that regardless of the shade, your mood is pretty much guaranteed to be crappy. I just didn't have the heart to explain that one.

A Song to Dance to

Out for a drive on a windy day, Atticus asked me to turn down the music so that he could sing me a song. With apologies to 50 Cent I obliged. This was the song that Atticus sang:

the sky dances, the trees dance, the leaves and the bushes dance
the car dances, trucks, vans and planes
everything dances
houses and horses dance,
everything dances...
except the dirt and mailboxes

I asked, "they don't dance?", and he thought a moment then continued:

the dirt and the mailboxes, they do dance
the gates dance too
everything dances
Daddy dances and Atticus dances
we all are dancing,
except Zane. Zane can't dance.

Other than having Zane and me confused, he was right. It was a windy day, and everything danced.

L.A. Style

I always figured that my kids would be hipper than me. I just didn't think it would happen at three.

Growing, Crawling & Chillin'

As you may have guessed, the boys are big and getting bigger. Zane is starting to crawl and has been working his way around the house, spending most of his time with the dogs and various power chords. He is already a thrill seeker.

Atticus is still an excellent big brother, splitting his time between doting on Zane and playing games on the computer. I can't wait until it cools down outside so we can all go out in the yard a little more and play out there. I don't want Atticus to become some computer geek. Next thing you know he'll be blogging.

Six Months for One, or Half-Year of the Other

Today Zane turns 6 months old. For a baby that is a milestone akin to a teen turning 16 and getting their license or a college kid turning twenty-one and getting their first beer. It's that big. Being six months is big business for a baby. Congrats Zane!

Zzzzzane

Zane does not care for sleep. He sees it as a sign of weakness. Getting Zane to go to bed is like getting Mel Gibson to quit drinking. Except Zane is not anti-Semitic. Still, he throws a fit and says things that he should regret. It is an exercise in frustration.

Atticus is no better at accepting an induced sleep, but he will allow himself to succumb to it when it shows up uninvited. Unlike Zane, Atticus does not have a set bedtime. Rather, he sits on the couch, watching TV and eating pizza until he passes out. Basically he has already mastered the skills that will guide him far into manhood.

As for myself, I have no such qualms concerning a good slumber. I can sleep anywhere at anytime. I can sleep for hours. My problem is I'm not allowed the chance.

There are two little obstacles on my long and winding road, and exhausting as they may be, they make the ride all the more enjoyable.

Even Bunnies Can Be Scary

Zane has a mobile above his bed that was at one time decorated with various "cuddly" animals. Over the coarse of his time in lock-down they have mysteriously vanished. I had assumed that they had come loose and managed to fall under the crib and/or been raked into a pile of other cuddly things. I'm not saying that didn't happen, but I'm starting to develop another theory.

I suspect the rabbit. He is the lone survivor. He just hangs there, silent and stoic, guarding the entrance to Zane's crib. It reminds me of Fatal Attraction. He shows no sign of remorse or loss. I fear that he is mocking me.

Zane does not seem to care one way or the other. He does not care for conspiracy theories. He has a rabbit guarding his crib, and that's okay with him.

I Get Around

Zane is almost 6 months and he is a scootin' little rascal. A moment on the floor and he is rolling, pulling and wiggling himself into all sorts of places. The lastest was under the ottoman. He was stuck, but being the good sport that he is he posed for some pictures and shared a laugh before demanding his removal.

Monster House & the Potential for Nightmares

We saw the movie. It was very good. It was also very scary. Atticus had to leave for a while mid-movie. Zane just laughed. Atticus will tell you all about it: The house, THE HOUSE, is a MONSTER! It walks on two branches. It's a BAD house.

He's right. It is a bad house. I recommend the film, but I suggest strongly that you prepare your children for some very strong and dark images.

It's a bad house.

Waiting for TT

Atticus fell asleep on me while sitting outside waiting for Tiffany's arrival. I had to put him down (I left him standing) so that I could hobble my way through the house to check on a crying Zane. I returned to find him curled up on the lawn furniture, out cold.

Forgive the poor picture quality, it's the camera phone in the dark.

The Boy That Bounced Himself Asleep

Zane bounces. He is Tigger in a diaper. There are few things that bring him joy, or us a moment of freedom, than time spent in the jumper. See for yourself:

bounce the baby

I suppose, like all good things, there can be too much. Zane has found his limit. He is a boy that laughs at sleep and mocks all that encourage him to succumb to it. However, he is no match for the riggers of bouncing and the tiring effect that it places upon his little sparkplug body.

The jumper is a bully. It toys with the excitement and energy of the unsuspecting. The jumper has no mercy. It takes everything a boy has and demands more still. The jumper goes quiet only when the last bounce has bounced. It respects those it has beaten, and will cradle them softly until they bounce again.

So You Want to Know About the Shirts?

We've had a lot of comments on the shirts we made for the Atticus Disneyland Birthday Bash. We made them online at Disney. Just go into the shopping area and there will be a link for creating your own stuff; shirts, mugs, stamps, whatever. There are hundreds of images available.
Tricia, Atticus and I picked a character for everyone and placed them on the front of the shirt. On the back they all said "Atticus" across the top like a sports jersey with the number "3" centered below.
They garnered much attention, and as one parent told us, "you just earned a bunch of parent points." I hope so, they weren't cheap!