The Mohawk

Ok, so I get home from work and the night's agenda was to make two stops to prepare everyone for tomorrow and come home. So we get through the first stop without incident and then we get to stop number two. My daughter (so you know I am not reporting on anything I view as good since I just called her my daughter) is a social butterfly. No matter where she is, she seems to feel the need to communicate with anyone who will listen. On the way into Walmart she began to converse with this woman who spoke very poor English. I turned and smiled but kept pushing the cart. Then we are in an aisle and she reaches out and touches this lady and said, "Hi!" I am glad the lady was not rude and she replied. I apologized for my kid touching her and kept it moving.

The previous actions were not what turned my stomach. While in the baby aisle this kid who looked about two or three is rolled into CJ's vision. He told his mother, "That there goes another baby girl." So that meant he was looking, that is problem number one. The second problem comes when CJ initiates a 2 minute conversation with this kid. All the while I am looking at the kid shaking my head and thinking that this is what I have to look forward to. The final strike was that the kid at two or three had a Mohawk! I was like, "Of all the little boys to converse with, you choose the biker boy." I said I guess I will continue in my quest to marry her off because at one year old, she is looking at the wrong types already, lol. I can see it now. "Daddy, meet Ox, Ox meet my Daddy." I would respond, "Boy what is your name and where is the rest of your hair?"

I am just playing people. Ok bits may be true but I was sick to my stomach at what I saw. Why does she have to be so social? So you all know what the prayer will be tonight so start sending them up. Daddy needs help and we all know that prayer, that changes people, things, and situations can handle that! Trust I will chat with my little socialite. Together we will grow to find well-groomed young men. Twenty-five years from now, lol!

NOTE TO CJ: PLEASE NO MOHAWKS!

Only 5 Minutes

So this will be quick. I left the house this morning and CJ was asleep. I even slept later because I knew I would be at work late tonight and she did not budge. So I said a prayer, kissed her and Mommy, and went about my business.

I did not even get a chance to call home today due to my busy schedule at work. I did manage to read a text Mommy sent which prompted me to call home briefly but I had to speak quick because I was off to another function.

When I returned home after making a few stops for CJ, a baby has to have milk and pampers, I saw that she was still awake. She was in the crib though. So I asked Mommy if she would mind (terribly) me picking her up. Between her teeth, she said no(I know she wanted to tell me Yes!). So I picked her up and kissed and hugged her. She did not even let off a smile. Mommy said it was a rough day and I think she was too tired to respond in her normal CJ way.

So I gave her back to Mommy and completed all my nightly duties before laying down. Prayerfully we get more than 5 minutes together tomorrow. I missed her today and I was around a lot of people who asked about her which always makes it worse. So as I finish up, pray my headache goes away, and pray for CJ and Daddy to get more father/daughter time. We all know prayer changes things, people, and situations.

One Step At A Time

Well I am glad to report that Princess CJ took her first step today. Now you must know it was just one step and then she dropped to crawl but it was a step nonetheless. So that is one small step for CJ and notice to the world to watch out because a freight train is about to pull off.

Today we woke up a little later than usual for a Saturday. I prepared CJ and well balanced meal. Waffles, fruit, and milk was the her morning feast. We then spent the rest of the day hanging out. Well Daddy attempted to clean up a little and CJ decided that she would go behind them and mess everything Daddy had done up. Daddy spent a lot of time saying, "Stay out the trash CJ, move form over there, and I'm gonna hurt you little girl!" It was a back and forth chess match and both of us were up for the challenge.

Daddy went to spend some time with his co-workers this evening so when he left home he told CJ that he did not want her to see him tonight. that translates into, CJ, you better be sleep when I get home. When I returned home a short while ago she indeed was sleep but she left her trail of terror. I saw Mommy and asked if she lost the fight tonight and she informed me that she gave up. I could kick that girls butt for messing up all the laundry I folded today. Mark this day in history. CJ WILL fold all this laundry that she mess up when she is older and I mean that wholeheartedly. She will learn that when you mess up you clean up and I will recall this day to her when she is old enough to recollect.

So for now it is time to call it a day and get close to the bed. It has been a great day granted by GOD! So you all remember to pray tonight. We all know that prayer changes things, people, and situations. I do not know about you but I can put a prayer up that fits all three areas. Be blessed!

NOTE TO CJ: With regard to personal space, always know you want people to draw the line. If they get to close or invade your space handle them properly. Today the living room was Daddy's space. You invaded it by messing it up, so now we have to talk about how Daddy will handle you properly. It will be in a loving manner, different from how you will handle others but you will have to be dealt with accordingly. I love you Princess!

The Week In Review

Short work week. Long day. Will dollow up with you in the AM.

Cut and Dry

Today was a basic day for CJ and Daddy. I woke up and prepared for work. Before I departed I paused to pray with my girls as they slept. I called home once to see how CJ's day was going and the report was good. When I came home I greeted CJ and Mommy and then began dinner. The one conclusion Mommy and I made today was that CJ is a nut!

So today was cut and dry. I am getting ready for bed and CJ is sleep. You all remember to pray, prayer changes things, people,and situations. Until tomorrow goodnight.

CJ, Meet Fork and Spoon

So today Daddy introduced CJ to a fork and spoon. We decided to work with the spoon first. So I handed her the spoon and she explored it for a bit. I will add that I did demonstrate what she should do with the utensil first. So she took the spoon and at least put it in her plate. At least she got that part straight, it was down hill from there. CJ decided that her hands were much better to use. So Daddy decided to feed her a few spoon fulls to show her again. After that Daddy decided that if she just held the spoon it would be an accomplishment. She did manage to get two attempts in the mouth. Mommy and Daddy applauded her efforts.

The first day back to work was rough. Daddy really desired to be home. He made it through the day and is already set for the remainder of the week. When I arrived home today she smiled and made her way to me. She wanted to be held so of course her Daddy obliged. We sat for a few then we resumed our cat and mouse game from yesterday.

All in all it was a good day and a great evening since I was with my Princess. You all continue to pray for us as we transition back into the old routine. This time as we transition it is a little different because CJ is more cognisant of the fact that she is being left so we will see how it all goes. We all know prayer changes things, people, and situations. It also makes things right and gives us serenity. Until next time you all have a great evening.

Back To Work

I am sitting here making myself get geared up for work. I am going to miss relaxation a whole lot. I am going to miss waking up with CJ and feeding her. The fussing with her as she gets into everything she is not supposed to get into. I am going to miss rushing Mommy to get ready so we can go out and hang during the day. I am going to miss sleeping late and then deciding that doing that constitutes a great day!

Unfortunately for Daddy he must leave the nest and get back to the wild air out there. He knew it would be rough but not this rough. I spoke with CJ briefly tonight and told her that I would see her when I arrived home from work. Now I have to go throughout the day wondering if and when I come home she will walk to me. I do not want Mommy to call me either. I want to experience it for myself. I have a feeling it will happen soon so I am anxious. I want to be here but I have a feeling that I will see the second attempt at it.

Today CJ and I fussed a lot. We are really trying to get her to know boundaries and that means discipline. We all know that no King wants to reprimand his Princess but we have to. She looks up at me and then pouts sometimes but other times she is not bothered at all for some reason and continues to do what she was doing. I will get that straight sooner than later.

So I will leave her to fuss with her mother and I will come home and save the day! Until next time folks, you all remember to pray (and please pray that I have a smooth transition back into the work world because I am really uneasy about the whole thing). We know prayer changes things, people, and situations!

Where Did I Leave Off?

Before I get to talking too much I want to thank God for blessing me with a beautiful wife and daughter. Also with granting us the ability to take a vacation. He has blessed us with careers and gives us the ability to understand that we need a break from them from time to time. I love my girls and enjoy every moment with them and every moment I think about them when we are apart. This recent vacation Daddy really needed to unwind. I read a little, (and I will finish the book I got halfway through) talked with Mommy a little and chased CJ around a lot. Everything helped to shed some light on different areas of my life and I felt much more closer to the both of them after being away from them for an entire month. So again I praise God and magnify him for all he is and all he does in my life.

There are many questions you may have since the last time I blogged. There is also so much I want to share with you since I last communicated with you.

How was the Birthday BBQ?
How was CJ's first airplane ride?
How was the family vacation?
What did CJ do in Vegas?
The ultimate question everyone has now that she is one year old seems to be, is CJ walking yet?

Well by the end of this blog I hope to have provided you with a full account of how the past few weeks have been and what we have to look forward to. Before I forget, I will be back on my daily grind of blogging. I guess since I will be returning to work Wednesday, I will need the opportunity to unwind once I get home and blogging about my Princess always brings a smile to my face.

So here we go. For you who have not caught on yet, Princess CJ has turned one year old. We decided to do a small family gathering to lessen the number of people we had to invite and to keep things more intimate. Today I mentioned to Mommy that I wanted our children to lead a low profile life. As I said to her, Daddy is a socialite, he is out and about and into everything he can be. Therefore he knows a lot of people, gets invited to numerous functions throughout the year, many of which he has to attend just because. He would rather not have to go, but for political and proper social etiquette, he must attend. So with that said, he has a lot of friends and friends always care about family and want to celebrate momentous events. So once Daddy calculated the number of people who had voiced interest in attending and those he had to invite, he realized that we would need a banquet facility to hold all the people. Then he talked with Mommy and was reminded and had to remind her that the birthday was about CJ. Also that CJ would not recall any of the events that went along with it anyway so we could do something a bit more meaningful. That is when we decided to keep the birthday gathering to the immediate family, which in our case still meant a decent number of people. One thing I must add is that people should realize what is important in life and throwing a large shing-dig for people to enjoy is not what a child's first birthday is about. It is about celebrating a blessing that God has bestowed upon the parents and family.

So we had great food, more than we needed, but it was good. That bbq was better than most buffets on the the East Coast. The children had fun with each other and and most importantly, the Princess enjoyed her day. At one point she sported her shades and was all smiles for anyone who wanted to take a picture. The colors of the day were purple and turquoise. CJ wore a Ralph Lauren Polo Dress (Purple) and some bright white Shell Toe Adidas. She was so cute. Of course Daddy chose to compliment his Princess and wore a turquoise polo!

CJ received many nice presents; money, jewelry, clothes, toys, a children's Bible (thanks Great-Grandma) and the gift of the day was Daddy's beautiful Rocking Horse! We were in a store one day and we saw it. CJ smiled and petted it, so right then and there, I decided that that was the gift she was to have.

The clean up was cool, and we were home in good time for Daddy to get some rest. He needed it because the next morning he had to preach and then we needed to get back home to pack for vacation.

So now we were on our way to Vegas for family vacation. We bought CJ some ear plugs for the ride and actually had them in for a second or two. She took one out and began to take the other one out before we taxied the runway. So then Mommy held her and she dozed off to sleep. She slept for the first two and a half hours of the flight, and when she woke up, she behaved nicely on the plane. To be honest I would give her an A+ for her first time. She took the rocky landing better than Daddy.

Vegas was great! Though many people questioned taking the baby with us to Vegas, I do not regret it at all. It turned what I have defined as a Black Hole for most into a place for family fun. We toured both the old and new strips, saw live bands, dined with maternal relatives, bowled, swam, lounged, got lost, walked four miles, shopped, took pictures with live statues and much more...and boy did we eat! To sum things up, we enjoyed the time away and we are already brainstorming where we will go next year.

Now to answer the ultimate CJ Question...no CJ is not walking yet. When God and CJ are ready to walk it will happen. I used to get annoyed when people would ask that question. I wanted to respond to them in a very negative manner but thank God for patience and the ability to have restraint. Now I just listen and say in my head let's think about all the things you can not do, and laugh. Might not be the best way to handle things but it is what I do. So there you have it all the information I promised you. You are all caught up now.

Now for a few things you might not have asked. CJ is now drinking whole milk and juice. (I must have you know that she only gets one serving of juice a day, as Mommy puts it, she must have healthy drinking habits) She is doing fine with the milk so we said goodbye to the formula! She is also using cups with regularity now. We threw all but three of the bottles away just in case she relapses. She has ended the baby food too. CJ is eating from the table. Pancakes, muffins, grits, potatoes, chicken, spaghetti, vegetables, and more. She even had tofu tonight and ate most of it. Now you best believe Daddy has given her a few sweet treats as well. I do it in moderation because we want her to be healthy. CJ is doing fine with feeding herself too. We bought her a fork and spoon to begin with today, so the messes will be coming shortly. These will be the days Mommy and Daddy will fuss because of the mess CJ will make. I am sure you will read the stories of that soon.

CJ is also coming along health wise. She is still a tall girl and has the lungs of an opera singer. I almost forgot to tell you that she had her first boo boo. Of course she was someplace she was not supposed to be and she scraped her nose. She is OK. It is a noticable scrape but Mommy is treating it properly and we are praying for a clean healing process.

So now I am done for real and we are all on the same page. I will be back to blogging daily. I also will be trying to figure out how I can blog on my phone. That way when I am away from a PC, I will be able to get a blog in when I am supposed to. So as I leave tonight I leave you like I always do. Always remember to pray...prayer changes things, people, and situations.

NOTE TO CJ: Always remember to give GOD the praise for everything! You are a blessing and God continues to bless you daily! Daddy loves you!

Viva las Vegas

I have a week full of updates for you. Just got back so you have to wait until the morning.

More Like Tweeting

I promise you that this tweet like blogging will end. These past few nights have been hectic but I called down to the resort and they have a computer center and I promise to catch you all up as soon as possible. The following are some points I will highlight:

Packing for vacation is always difficult. One day I will have enough just to get on a plane and buy everything I need once I get to my destination.

CJ went to the doctor and she is doing well.

I hate plane rides, OK its not the ride but the baggage stuff has taken the enjoyment out of getting ready for vacation. I just told Mrs. Johnson that I guess once I get to Vegas I will be happy because just considering all the fees attached to flying have drained me.

I will be updating you from the west coast this upcoming week. Pray for us, prayer changes things, people, and situations.

Bites A Plenty

So a day after the barbecue Daddy has noticed that the Deep Woods OFF he brought wore off at some point yesterday. Today was interesting. We were up and out on time. We arrived to Worship service after jamming in the car prepping to get there. (I will catch you up later with more details.)

The 1st Birthday Celebration

It came, it saw, it conquered. I will add more tomorrow. I will say this, it was a long day.

364 Days

With little more than a hour and a half left until CJ turns one year old, I can only say this...preparing for a simple family observation of the day can really get you tired. I will recall that I wanted to be away for CJ's birthday. That way we did not have to worry about any of this birthday barbecue stuff or people questioning whether or not we would be doing something or not.

There is a lot that needs to be dispelled about all the hoopla of a 1st birthday celebration. The first is, that there has to be a celebration at all. I want to remind everyone that the baby will not remember anything from the day. The second is that one must go all out. Why does one need to entertain a bunch of adults? None of the children will recall anything. They will not be able to play games as they are all barely walking. They will not even get the words to Happy Birthday out. There are many more but I will sum things up by saying this. 1st birthday celebrations seem to be all about the parents and their egos and pride. They have nothing to do with the child. They do not even have an extensive card selection in Hallmark for 1st birthdays. The next kid will get a muffin and we will call it a day. I know everyone is going to jump on me and say if you did it for the first child, you have to do it for the second. All of you can go jump in a river and make sure it's without a life jacket, lol!

So CJ is resting now. I guess she needed to be well rested for her day. Even though it has been a lot of hard work, when I look at this girl, everything was well worth it. She had added so much joy to an already joyful life. One may say that she is a bit spoiled but CJ benefits from an outpouring of love from her proud Daddy! So we have completed all we need to complete for the night and now it is time to pray and get some rest for the long weekend ahead. You all pray for us, make sure we have God in front and us in the caboose. We know prayer changes things, people, and situations.

To Top It Off

So a lot was accomplished today. CJ went to the baby sitter, Mommy and Daddy completed some more tasks for Saturday, CJ's birthday outfit was completed and she will be trying some new pampers out. Daddy would give the productivity of the day an A+. CJ even ordered from the kids menu for the first time. After a long day Mommy wanted to go out and eat so we went to our new favorite quick eat spot, Applebee's. Here is where, after a bomb of a number two pamper was ignited, CJ topped off the day.

After CJ finished what she wanted of the macaroni and cheese, she became very fidgety. So as Mommy finished up her meal and Daddy waited for his Sizzln' Apple Crisp, he decided to take CJ out of the high chair. Mommy said, "Why did you do that?" and Daddy responded, "Because she is sleepy." Daddy should have known better. He thought that he had moved everything out of her way and was good to go but CJ is a very determined child. All of a sudden Daddy was sitting on ice. CJ, like a snake after a midnight snack, grabbed Daddy's drink and spilled it all over the table and Daddy's shorts. Mommy laughed and Daddy just shook his head and proceeded to clean up the mess his child created.

So CJ made a name for herself in Applebee's as she does anyplace she finds herself. She has quite the personality and the interesting thing is that it is still budding. So for now I will say goodnight but you all do not forget to get those prayers up. Prayer changes things, people, and situations!

CJ and Daddy in the Morning

Ok, so I did not get up with her at 3:18am. I knew she woke up but once I opened my eye and saw that Mommy had her I rolled back over and then dozed back off. I guess subconsciously, I said, "No need for us both to lose sleep." So this morning I woke up around 8:00am, which is good for me. Daddy decided to take vacation early and he wants to get as much rest as he possibly can.

So the good thing about the morning is that CJ gets up on Daddy type time. So when I wiped the cold out my eye, (OK that was a shameless Biggie plug, I saw the movie Notorious for the umpteenth time the other night) I looked up and my girl was standing up waiting to get out the crib. So I picked her up and brought her into the living room with me. I then figured since we were up we might as well eat and prepared us both breakfast. CJ had oatmeal and Daddy had Fruity Pebbles and toast. In keeping with Daddy's mode of being home next it was bath time for CJ. Even though Thursday is usually our bath day but their was no problem with us doing things a day early. Since Daddy is home now CJ might develop a slightly different pattern. It will be Daddy trying to help out.

What Daddy and CJ have to work out is the TV schedule. Daddy usually watched Maury when he is home. The problem is that CJ needs to watch educational television to help with her development. Daddy is all for it but now he has to watch Maury some other way. Or he can set her up on the computer and he can take the television. What I think might be best is that we find some family television or some life skills like shows, i.e., cooking or home repair that will be beneficial to us both. Daddy was even thinking about using that time to talk with CJ and read to her. (Ok, the reading thing might be quick though, music might be better for us)

So now the day is done and night time is upon us. CJ is sleeping and daddy is soon to join her. We have a long day tomorrow, so I want to make sure we are well rested. So as always you all keep praying. Prayer changes things, people, and situations.

A Loaded Diaper

So today CJ#1 came over to play with CJ#2. This was early in the day. The report from the mommies was that they played well together. So tonight when they were back at it again the dad's got to witness the play. Now you must understand that #1 is a bit older than #2 and that #1 is a boy and #2 is a girl. So of course the mommies want the play to be nice and pleasant and they want #1 to be nice to #2. On the contrary Daddy (me) says to #1, you keep being rough and toughen her up. The funny thing is that #2 welcomes the rough play. She might get hit on the head but she will look up and laugh. Even when #1 tries to pick her up she goes along for the ride. Tonight he even fell on her and she bounced back up and went about her business. So of course I am smiling at this but mommy had a little worry on her face, lol!

The strange thing is that CJ did this will a loaded diaper. I stepped out to get dinner real quick and she was fuming then. The only reason I did not change her was because I knew she was getting in the tub. When I got back we had company so the bath had to wait. It did not seem to interrupt her play or bother her play partner. I was able to stand it a bit but sooner than later the aroma became more and more potent. Daddy could not stand it any longer so I changed her. I didn't look to see if her earring back was in the turd though, lol! I forgot to mention that I think she swallowed it earlier this evening.

Well, now that she smells good we have put her down for the night. Tonight it was without to much drama. So now I am going to rest up a bit, we just finished the favors for her party so they are out the way. Step by step and day by day we will get through this without stress. I am promising myself that. so you all pray for and with me. We all know that prayer changes things, people, and situations.

Calling It A Summer

The one problem that occurs when you are staring a lengthy vacation in the face is that every day becomes long. That is how today was. The ride to work though quick in time seemed long. The morning at work though filled with a lot of work and a large tour presentation seemed long. (I did get an email from a prospective student that mad it all worth my while though) That afternoon went by like a hourglass with a clog which equals, long. The ride home was long. Now as I sit alone and watch television the evening is long too.

So earlier I began the process to leave work for vacation a day early. I was going to try and make the week out but I never got any time to relax after my program ended so I am going to exit much sooner. This way I am well rested for vacation and CJ and I can make the most out of the time we have with each other for 24 hours a day.

While I was at work today I received an exclamatory text from Mommy. I saw a picture of CJ drinking from her cup! Now you have to understand this has been something a long time in the making. Mommy has brought many cups. All types, all colors, all brands, and all styles. Up until today CJ wanted nothing to have with any of them. So as I told Mommy, when she woke up today with the goal of finally drinking out of her cup I bet she knew how excited her Mommy would be. So when I received the picture, all I could do was let out a sly chuckle in excitement of her accomplishment.

So now that my actual summer is coming to an end I have to begin the vacation process. Finalizing this barbecue is first on the agenda. Then I need to finish the sermon for Sunday. After Sunday comes, the rushed packing process will begin. Relaxing will come soon but I will pace myself as I go about doing all i set out to do. So for tonight, when you pray, please pray for my students. Some of them are really going through some stuff that only God can fix. I am a believer that prayer changes things, people and ALL situations!

The Weekend That Was!

This was a great weekend for CJ and Daddy. We will define a great weekend as one that CJ and Daddy spend the majority of it together. For the past few months we have not enjoyed this type of weekend at all. It was Daddy's fault. He always had something to do or someplace to go. Then, on every Sunday in July, it was back to Ewing for work. This all ended on this past Thursday with the end of his program. So this weekend began with a relaxation day on Friday. Then on Saturday, Daddy and CJ dawned the same colors and went to a BBQ. Mommy did not hang...instead she attended a church function. She had a nice time and we both missed her.

So CJ and Daddy together is always an interesting situation. Yesterday, Daddy picked out her outfit to make sure they went along nicely. When we get to the barbecue all was well until another kid came in with CJ's sneakers on. Daddy was instantly pissed. He almost went to change his Princess but realized that all the outfits in the bag were meant to match the sneakers of the day. So he just had to deal with it. Luckily the other kid, for some reason, needed to change. Of course I went over to her guardian for the day and said, " I am glad you changed your kid because I was going to change mine but could not." Call me shallow but I never like to see someone with something that I have on in the same place. CJ ate herself into a nice long nap. She was pooped because she ate everything her Daddy ate. All except the hot dogs as she is not ready for those yet.

Today we went to a Jazz Brunch. I saw all my hard work in action today. When the musician was playing my Princess stood at attention. She even clapped at all the right moments. She really made herself known today because she was the loudest person in the room. She met a lot of Daddy's mentors, colleagues, students, and friends today. She was on her best behavior and friendly, too. This was different from yesterday when she did not want to be bothered by anyone. It was a great afternoon with CJ and Mommy. I really look forward to our time together in Las Vegas.

So CJ is down for the night and Daddy is going to chill with Mommy for a bit. He is the only one that has a destination in the morning, and that place is work. He is still due in and even has to present admissions info. Mommy and CJ get to sleep in as they have been doing for the duration of the summer. Yes, I am a hater but I will get over it. So for the night, do not forget to pray. Prayer changes things, people, and situations.