Friday, January 30, 2009

Ahhhh... Electrical Outlets


Somehow, Brown found the electrical outlet much more interesting than my dad wearing a purple boa, his granddaughters knit hat, and holding the cuddly teddy bear out to Brown to get his attention. Oh well...he tried.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Sunday, January 18, 2009

If I could go back in time...

... then I would have stopped cutting his hair after the first mistake.

Instead, while he was in the bath and moving around quite a bit, I kept trying to correct my mistakes. Brown's hair seems to be growing at different rates. Therefore, he'll have one area of hair that is super long, and then the rest is normal length. It's like little maverick mullets that keep appearing. So I decided to tackle the problem yesterday. While he was in the bath, I would wait for him to stop splashing and playing, and then I would make my move. Very sudden and quick. Not a lot of calculation going on. I didn't have any blunt scissors... only the super sharp kind with an inevitable ER visit waiting to happen. So I had to be quick because I didn't want to cut him. I figured that his safety was a priority over an actual "good" haircut. Well... after seeing this picture, you might disagree.

Lessons learned:
1.) I will not use these death scissors again, EVEN THOUGH I DID NOT CUT HIM (this time)
2.) I will either buy children's hair cutting scissors or use the shears
3.) I will... sheeesh... I don't know... I just won't do this to him again.

And to answer your question, NO! I have not fixed it. This is still what his hair looks like. Definitely better looking when it's dry, but still... poor guy. Just don't stare at it too long if you happen to see him soon. He doesn't know about this. He thinks I was just playing a game and tickling the back of his head with a sharp, pointy object. He doesn't know I was actually cutting his mullet. So please... no comments to his face. Just let it grow and smile politely if you see him.

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Lots to learn

Well, the Brown is cruising along these days, making strides (well not literally) and learning new skills each day. Did I mention that he learned how to clap a couple of weeks ago? He had been “clapping” our hands for quite sometime, but could never make the mental leap to understand that his hands would clap as well. But the other day while taking a break from putting corn in his hair, he just started clapping. For several days, he would only clap when sitting down for a meal, but he is so brilliant, he now can clap even when not eating. Is there any other kid on the planet who can clap in multiple settings? I don’t think so.

My grandfather is fond of commenting that Brown has so much to learn. He really does. It is mind boggling to think of all the facts, skills, and maneuvers that he has yet to master. He has yet to walk. He will have to learn to drink out of a cup. He will have to learn to share. Multiplication tables. The stove is hot. Scissors are sharp. People can be mean. Girls are pretty. Girls can break your heart. Cakes taste good. Cakes cost money. Money is important. Money is unimportant. Money is important. ? Swimming. Driving. Cars can be dangerous. Ice is slick. Friends are great. Some friends are for life. Felt board Jesus is not the same as Jesus. How to ride a bike. How to build a kite. Love is important. Warm sun on a early spring day feels great on your face. …. As I reach midlife, I feel like there is so much that I have yet to learn. But my grandfather is right, Brown has a lot to learn. Some of this we can help him with, some he has to get on his own. There is only so much Chris or I can do. Prayer and community are important. I hope you will help us as we try to teach him the important lessons of life. If we can pass on some items that have been valuable to us, we may be able to allow him to avoid some pitfalls that we were unable to avoid. Oh yeah, that is another thing, he has to learn there will be pitfalls and that how we react to these downturns probably says more about our character and who we believe in than during the good times.

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Bath Time Drummer



We all end up getting a bit wet during his bath time. He loves splashing.

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Brown's First Year of Life

This is a video I made for Curt for Christmas. If you have 11 minutes to kill, enjoy.

The second song is by Al Green and I love the line that says, " Baby, I'm so glad you're here. Why did it take so long? It only made my love grow strong. Baby, I'm so glad you're mine."


Tuesday, January 6, 2009