3 Longnecks

Bennett's first Halloween

Can you see us?

There's some nice tail!

Eating your young???

We've gotta STOP!

This is a unreal speech . . . a great perspective for Dads and everyone

The Tao of Laughter

• I was just revisiting a book (that I had started and not finished a few months ago), "The Parents Tao Te Ching".  In the forward, Dan Millman (author of The Way of the Peaceful Warrior) makes an impactful statement about the power and responsibility of being a parent:

Few things in this world are as important as raising children.  In every age, every era, every time and place, children are our treasures, our future, our immortality -- the vital link in the chain of humanity.  What better form of service?  What better charity to whom we might give of our wealth, our hands, and our hearts?  Children remind us of who we were and who we may yet become.  They are our innocence, our purity, our potential. 

• Somebody's ticklish (who needs elmo?):

long drives and longhorns

• We logged over 1200 miles this weekend . . . drove from here to Lexington on Thursday and from Lexington to Lincoln on Friday . . . and all the way home yesterday.  Bennett (and Brux) does quite well in the car.
• I was able to have Mom's home cooking for lunch and Grandma's home cooking for dinner (killer coconut cream pie!!!) on my birthday Friday.  Karah and I saw lots of friends and family while in Lincoln and had a great time despite the "L" to the Longhorns. 

• Bennett got to spend 2 nights on the farm without his parents (Freedom!).  It's probably the first time in 30 years Joe and Linda had to watch a baby overnight(s).  It was also the first time Karah had been away from Bennett overnight.  All parties (grandparents, parents, and child) survived without injury. 




Bennett and his Gido


• Brux had a hell of a good time at the Bar Ten Kennel while we were in Lincoln.  As a side note, Bruxy has a surgery tomorrow to remove a mass from his chest (he's also getting his teeth cleaned - attack the plaque!  I'd do it myself if I could get him to sit still for a millisecond).  We are hoping no exciting news comes back with the pathology report. 
• Karah has had exclusive rights to Bennett baths . . . until tonight.  I got him all cleaned up while K and Brux ran errands.  The kid loves the water! 
• Bennett is getting this jumping thing down now: 



Anger Management, Dudesday, and Thumbs up

• I brag quite a bit about how happy and content Bennett is.  Glaring exception:  LAST NIGHT.  Karah and I took turns trying to appease a screaming baby from 7 pm to 10 pm.  It just wasn't his night (kind of like Favre . . . nice pick 6 in the 4th quarter, Brett).  We tried everything - singing, dancing, the curious george video, feeding, more feeding (even white wine and beer - for us not him, of course).  Finally, Karah defeated the angry monster after 3 hours and put him to bed.  Dad went to bed licking his wounds. 
• Professor Karah has been teaching at Colorado Mountain College on Tuesdays.  That leaves Bennett, Brux, and I at home.  We affectionately call it "Dudesday". 
• Karah busted Bennett sucking his thumb today . . . just like his dear old dad would have been doing 35 years ago:

Chip off the old block

Gimme 5

- As I write this, it's almost 10:10 AM on 10/10/10 . . . but we are going to talk about 5.  Bennett was born on 5/5 and therefore turned 5 months old last week (on the 5th . . . obviously (Karah, I hope you appreciate that I worked a Ricky Gervais reference into this blog)).  Milestones this month:
•Your baby is able to reach accurately for an object.
•He can hold his head steady when sitting upright.
•Baby can raise his chest with arm support while lying on his stomach.
•He can roll over in one direction.
•Baby can grasp a rattle.
•He pays attention to very small objects.
•Baby squeals with delight.
•He spontaneously smiles.
•Baby mimics sounds and gestures.
•He turns towards the source of a sound or voice.
•Baby gets attention by babbling.
•He makes different sounds for different needs.

- Speaking of 5 . . . Nebraska is 5-0 and very well could be #5 in the polls today (and has an explosive offense with #5 on the bench).  This week, we are driving over 500 miles to Lincoln to watch the Huskers vs. the Longhorns.  I digress. 

- A second attempt (yesterday) at quasi-solid food went much better than the 1st:

- It kind of reminds me of a TV commercial from my youth:



Take me to the river

It wasn't the Jordan River (thank goodness, because it's contaminated with sewage I hear) . . . but it was a spectacular setting for Bennett's baptism.  Outside Beaver Creek Chapel is a stream (one would assume called Beaver Creek).  I thought it would be appropriate for a baptism to take place in the natural charm of this area (Pastor thought I was joking).  Yesterday was a perfect autumn day with the relaxing sound of the creek passing over the rocks and the golden trees as the backdrop (and Bennett didn't  even mind the snow melt being poured on his head). 

   
Bennett was surrounded with those that love him most (and coincidentally decided he would fight sleep for the better part of 4 days).