On A Rainy Sunday Afternoon

For the first time in a long time we came home right after church today. My grandmother is sick and we did not want to risk getting C.J. sick again. The only problem with that was that we ended up eating Dominos Pizza for dinner. Ode to Joy, how I longed for the savory taste of southern cuisine.

Well, anyway, today was a long Sunday. We left the house at 7:30am for the 8:00am service, stayed for Sunday School at 9:30am and then 11:00am Worship. The good thing is that again, C.J. pays attention to what is going on. She got to hear her grandfather preach today, too.

So once we arrived home we were able to do something we rarely do, relax. I was on the floor. Mommy on the couch and C.J. took to her chair. We all dozed off for a bit but Mommy went fast to sleep. You have to understand that we are really enjoying the relaxation we are getting these days.

So today was really uneventful. We got our Worship on and came home to relax as a family. One thing I do want to mention that C.J. and I are very glad about...the Cowgirls lost today, lol!

You all pray because prayer changes things and people! Have a great evening and all of you, including Mommy and C.J., who do not have to get up and work, I wish it were me.

1st Time to TCNJ

Today Operation: Daddy stay home was in full swing and I will give myself an A. Toward the end of last year I realized I ran around too much on the weekends and wanted to spend more time at home with my leading ladies. I made a pact with myself that on weekends the bulk of the day will be spent with them. So this morning I remained in bed until I was physically tired of laying there. I got out of bed and prepared my breakfast then relaxed some more. Usually I am up so early I bypass breakfast and keep it moving. (Which I know is wrong for me to do especially with my health condition.)

No, today was different folks and I must say I enjoyed every bit of it. Early in the week Mommy expressed to me that she wanted to clean the house, that is when I came up with the perfect plan. To give Mommy a break from the hustle and bustle of motherhood, changing diapers, cleaning bottles and aiding C.J. when she needs to be tended to, I decided to take C.J. to her first basketball game. You got it folks Daddy and C.J. were going to hang out and have fun!

Once we arrived to the games C.J. was so good. She sat still, was not fussy, only needed to eat once and the best thing of all she did not need to be changed. If you all could have seen how focused she was watching the games. I mean her eyes were fixed in on the players. When she got excited it seemed to be at the right moments. Two of my kids (students) came by the game to meet C.J. for the first time. She smiled and giggled and even talked to them for a minute. The funny thing was that when the action started back up my girl placed her attention back on the court. So her first basketball experience was good. She saw a girls' game and a boys' game. The best part of it all was that Daddy's school won both games!

So a lot of firsts today. Daddy and C.J. shared their first basketball game. C.J. visited TCNJ for the first time. C.J. met two of her older sisters, Angelika and Shakia; and Daddy and CJ allowed Mommy to have a day off. (Hopefully when we do this again Mommy will be able to go out and pamper herself or have some fun of her own. As long as she does not spend all of Daddy's money, lol! I wrote this because I know Mommy will read this) So I had a GREAT day today and now I must get some rest. Have an early rise in the morning. You all remember to pray because prayer changes things.

NOTE TO C.J.: Today was only the beginning of us hanging out and having fun together. As long as you are a well behaved little girl and respectful of yourself and others Daddy will have no problem treating you like the Princess you are. Our bond is a tight one that only we will understand. We will be the greatest Father/Daughter combo the world has ever seen!!!

What Do Sneakers Do?

OK America, (In my Bernie Mac voice) tonight we went out to pick up a few things for C.J. For those of you who do not know, babies grow rapidly and you will find yourself shopping for things that fit all the time. Finding the clothing items was not a problem. We got what she needed and kept it moving. On the list tonight was shoes also. I found out something interesting tonight. Did any of you know that a baby's feet can be two different sizes? Again no one ever told me so I found out on my own tonight. We have to make sure she gets the good shoes from Stride Rite to help her feet develop properly and support her arches and ankles at the same time.

All of that went over well. It was when we could not find her any dress shoes to go along with the casual walkers, we made the decision to get her some sneakers. Now this is right down Daddy's alley because he was once labeled "The Last of the Sneaker Wearers" by his friends. Yes folks in the time of Timberland boot, Construct, Beef and Broccoli, Single sole or Double you all remember the lingo. Instead I chose to dedicate myself to finding the most exotic and throwback sneakers I could. This was before all this retro stuff of the early millennium. I did it first people and did it well.

So we are in the store and of course Daddy likes all the basketball style sneakers and some of the running kicks. The only thing is that he despises pink and has vowed to do all he can to never ever buy anything with girly pink in it. Hot pink is OK. However Mommy rest her eyes on a nice pair of Nike's but the swoosh is pink. Daddy is like no, lets get some Jordan's. After we go back and forth we leave without sneakers. While in the mall Daddy tells Mommy that this time he will yield to her and she can pick the sneakers. Mommy is skeptical but goes along with it. I am glad to report that the sneakers she wanted did not come in C.J.'s size. So then we saw two pair that we liked and we held them up in front of C.J. C.J. looked for a second and then began to grab at the sneaker she wanted, which was the Lebron James sneaker. The funny thing about that is, Daddy hates Lebron James!

What is good is that C.J. was able to make a thought out decision. Go ahead and call me nuts but the girl looked and she processed. Then she evaluated and made her decision. My girl is on her way. Who knew that even in a shoe store you could help develop her young mind by challenging her to make a decision? This Daddy gig is getting better and better as the days go by.

Today is Friday and C.J. can stay up as late as she wants. Mommy tried to put her to bed but Daddy reminded her of what she had already told our kid. I reminded her that we want to always tell the truth and keep our word. I just hope this one does not come back to kick me in the butt. You all remember to pray because we know that prayer changes things!

Load Lifted

I pray daily for C.J. and I to have a great relationship as father and daughter. This week that prayer became all so real as one of my students had to wait to see if his mother had survived the earthquake in Haiti. I spoke with him briefly and let him know I was praying for him and his family. The only thing was that I could not imagine how he was feeling.

As I wake up in the morning and go to bed at night, the crib and bed are too far apart for me and C.J. So me being countries apart would devastate me. I could not put myself in his shoes. I did not know what else I could do. All I could do was kiss my princess and hug her tightly.

This is something I want to do daily until she gets too old and then is embarrassed by her dear old dad. Go figure, C.J. better not do that to me. It would be that embrace and that kiss that will give us both assurance that we are complete, that the fire inside of us is still healthy and strong.

I will tell you this...a load was lifted when I spoke to my student just a few minutes ago and he informed me that his mother was alive along with his brother. I immediately told him, "Look at God working!" and entered into Praise. Point blank, God is Awesome!

Today was Daddy bath day and it went well. I have to give myself a B+ only because Mommy was standing there so I made her assist. Other than that we prayed, played video games and she fell asleep in record time. I love that kid!

So as we part tonight, always remember to pray because as the testimony of my student shows us, prayer changes things, situations and people. He deserves and receives all my PRAISE!!

Made My Day

As I drove the entire way home the only thing going through my head was that I had not seem my princess since this morning. I wondered what I would write in tonight's blog? I spoke with Mommy earlier and all was well with her so I was cool. I had to stay at work today to complete some task and catch a basketball game. TCNJ won so it was well worth it. One thing that I am thankful for is a wife that supports me as I support the students that I work with daily. I always tell Mommy that CJ has so many brothers and sisters who love her to pieces.

So when I arrived home tonight I was expecting to tip toe into the room and kiss my ladies on the forehead as I always do. When I came to bedside I kissed Mommy and then CJ's eyes opened. My heart melted! I gave her a kiss and of course picked her up. I hugged her and told her that she had made her Daddy's day and that now that she had seen him she could go to sleep. I can not begin to tell you how filled I am at this very moment. CJ waited to see her Daddy and she helped cap off a fantastic day!

I am on cloud nine now and fully awake. All because of my Princess CJ. So now as I go to lay down, please remember to pray because prayer changes things. Also, please continue to pray for the world we live in. Pray that those hearts of stone can be softened to view everyone as a brother or sister.

CJ Get on Your Belly

Ok, so C.J. and this belly time thing will not be easy. She has the spirit of her mother and father in her. Which in most cases would be a good thing but for this we have a struggle on our hands. Now we are taking things slowly but we want her to at least make attempts. Today the sitter said C.J. was not having any of that belly time. So when we arrived home Mommy (who would not be as nice about it) attempted and she had some success. With assistance, C.J rolled over a bit.

When Daddy got hungry we had to change spots so you know the time would be different. We had her on her activity mat and she pulls the toys from above so I moved them over to make her roll. BINGO!...we had some success. So much so that after a bit C.J. got comfortable on her side, stuck her thumb in her mouth and the next thing I knew, she was napping.

Even though Mommy and Daddy go about it two different ways we both are on the same page. We want C.J. to get the proper time she needs. So we both have made the decision to change the way we end the evening. We just want to make sure our Princess is getting all the attention she needs.

Today C.J. and I listened to Mommy sing. I will not tell you how C. J. frowned a few times when her mother sang. The funny thing was that she was singing, Giving You The Best That I Got by Anita Baker. Clearly C.J. and Daddy did not share that sentiment. We even chuckled a bit to some of her riffs and octave jumps. Mommy does her best but she should let Daddy handle the singing obligations for now. We love her nonetheless though.

So I will let you go for now. I just ask that you remember to pray because prayer changes things.

NOTE TO C.J.: Today in history there was a catastrophic tragedy in the country of Haiti. A 7.0 earthquake hit and sent chaos throughout the city. Your daddy knows a lot of Haitians and has a lot of Haitian students. When you pray at night always remember that we are all brothers and sisters and to always pray for peace around the world. Haiti will never be the same. Even today it is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. When you go to school learn about the true history of the country. The real stuff will not always be in the textbooks you learn from but no one can hide the truth from you...go out and search for the truth.

Off to the Doctor

Well these visits come once a month but they feel like they are always one right after the other. The great thing is that all of the visits have been positive. C.J. is really beginning to warm up to the thought of needles and the doctor. He even stated that fact today in the office. He said that she is really growing up temperament wise.

Again we are so grateful to have found a great doctor for her that has hours conducive to those that work. We realized today that C.J. has to step her tummy time up. Over the break we noticed her getting a little lazy. I guess she said I have Mommy and Daddy here, and that means I will milk them for all it is worth. Funny thing is that Daddy gave in and the spoiling was mutual between the two. So Daddy assured Mommy today that he would spend more of his time with C.J., belly down.

C.J. is really growing up right before her daddy's eyes. She is talking, ok babbling. She likes shiny things. She is very alert and her grip is strong. She is growing to be quite independent too. Which of course Daddy loves. Pretty soon she will be doing push ups and dribbling drills, lol.

So today was another routine day. The sad thing is that there is no football on tonight to watch together. So we will now go sit down and chill out for a few so we are recharged up for tomorrow. As we go,(because C.J. is right in my lap limiting my typing to one hand), you all remember to pray because prayer changes things!