Happy Birthday Gido!

Today is my Grandad's birthday.  Guess how old he is. 

I love you, Gido!

- Bennett

The Cape

One of my fatherhood goals . . . to teach Bennett to "trust his cape"

"He did not know he could not fly and so he did"

Sippin on Gin and Juice

• Again, we packed up the kid and dog (and accompanying accessories) in the family truckster and headed east (Just like Smokey and the Bandit . . . Eastbound and down, loaded up and truckin' ).  This time to St. Francis, USA (as good as it gets). 

• Ever been to the Cheyenne County fair (a.k.a. Fair)?  I have . . . and the parade too.  Jealous?



Fair



Parade
Thanks to Lampe Hardware, Inc for a little shade.

• The St. Francis Amusement Authority consists of 10 board members. Their goal is to provide a fun and safe environment for families at the Cheyenne County fair. Volunteers are always welcomed.
• Amusement Authority . . . is that like mandatory fun?
• What happened at Fair? . . . Karah chatted (and played nickles and chatted), Bennett slept, and I maintained the stroller.  A special thanks to the other "extra", Bennett's cousin Wil (he played the teenager who's "grown since the last time I saw you."). 
• Brux had reservations at the Holidog Inn on Saturday.
• Bennett met his other Great Grandma, Meta, this weekend:

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  Karah celebrated her 36th on Sunday:

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  I love my son:

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  Karah had a United Way board meeting this morning . . . sooo, I got to take Bennett to work with me.  Super fun!
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  Snoop (D-O-Double G, ya see) is a wise dad (a.k.a wizzle dizzle):

Religulous

•  Turns out Bennett is a pretty gassy baby.  I'm hoping his first words are "excuse me". 
• Bennett has been to 3 Lutheran church services and never made a peep.  Sunday he went to his first Orthodox service and he couldn't be settled.  I'm not sure how to decipher that message.  Was he feeling the Spirit at the Orthodox service (or asphyxiating from the incense)?  Is he bored by Lutheranism (or is he lying down in green pastures and being lead to the still waters per the 23 Psalm)?
• Speaking of church . . . I've never understood the classic bedtime prayer: "Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep; if I die before I wake, I pray for God my soul to take."  IF I DIE?  Seriously?!   No wonder parents have trouble getting their kids to go to bed.




Bennett in the same bassinet I slept in 35 years ago

• Bennett took his first trip to Nebraska last weekend.  Bennett likes the farm (and Brux was in heaven).  They both traveled well.   The only exception was that Bennett was screaming as we started climbing the mountain.  It's unbearable to see a baby suffer as the pressure changes put a hurting on their ear drums (I won't take him scuba diving this year).
• Bennett always struggles the day after being around extended family (I think he forgets what his crib feels like).  He may OD on love and attention one day.  He got to meet lots of "Greats" in Nebraska. . . Great Grandma Rosie and lots of Great Aunts and Uncles.

• He's starting to really smile and laugh . . . there's nothing better!  (Of course, smiles are my business).

• If you know me well, you know I'm no fan of cats.  Sadly (sarcasm), this cat was bullied by my dog (and his canine cousin Winston).  The dogs took over his house (the garage) and made him sleep in a tree.  I've never seen Brux run so fast as when he was in hot pursuit of this cat.  Likewise, I've never seen a cat make it to the top branches of a tree faster than when they're being chased by a crazed boxer.  Talk about terrorism. 
• Now, for the PG-13 portion of this blog . . .I saw this truck in Ogalala (Nebraska's cowboy capital) . . . highly sophisticated:

Livin' strong

   Hi everybody.  Mr. Bennett on the keybored again.  Mom and Dad are doing dental stuff (what a joke!  I have no teeth and I'm getting along just fine.  Who needs teeth?).  Anyway, here's an update from my view. 
   Pop and Grandma Cinda (does your Grandmas' names rhyme?)spent the weekend with me. They just left in a car.  They live in Cansus.
   I just realized that I love Bob Marley music.  Sometimes when I'm really upset Dad will start singing some Marley (or some weak variation thereof).  When I hear those sweet reggae sounds, I don't have to cry anymore.  I had him singing Buffalo Soldier, Is this Love?, and No Bennett No Cry.
   I've been watching the Tour de France with my Mom.  Lance Armstrong isn't going to win this year.  But, I think 7 is enough.
   Speaking of Lance Armstrong . . . check out my Livestrong band.

I'm wearing it for my Grandma Linda.  Mom and Dad told me she has kanser.  I don't really understand kanser . . . but it sounds stupid.  It makes me want to spit up.  I pray every night (I hope you will too) for Grandma to get rid of that stupid kanser. 
   Livestrong Grandma L!  I can't wait to see you next weekend.  Don't make any baked goodies . . . Mom won't let me have any.  Ask Gido if I can bring my puppy.

Van down by the river

• Karah is trying to integrate the gDiaper into our poop & pee riddance regimen.  They are advertised as earth friendly . . . but there is no mention of Dad friendly (I won't go into details)

Dog Tired
• A seasoned dad would have known better . . . Karah had a meeting on Wednesday.  So, it was Bennett, the dog, and me at home.  Brux (our dog) has a good buddy in the neighborhood -- a bulldog named Humphrey.  Humphrey turned 4 on Wednesday (That's 28 in man years) and there was a birthday party for him at a local park.  I wake Bennett up from his slumber, put him in the stroller, and roll on down to a local park so Brux can hang with his posse.  Bad Idea!  You see, Brux (a good ole boy, never meanin' no harm) can turn the most tranquil of situations into chaos.  Humphrey "gets" Brux, but a lot of other dogs (and owners) don't.  So, Brux shows up only to go full speed up, over, and around every bench and piece of playground available.  He has dogs growling at him and chasing him (just as he would want it).  He breaks into the gifts and the treats long before their time.  I liken it to a bunch of 5 year old boys playing peacefully in the park when the neighborhood punk shows up on his motor bike sand starts spinning out, throwing sand everywhere and creating mayhem.  That's about when the baby starts screaming.  Time to exit stage left . . . but how do you slow down the freight train named Brux while you man the stroller and an upset little boy?  I managed to escape without any irreversible damage to the park, guests, or my psyche.  There will be two parents there the next time Brux goes "John Belushi" (1 of 2 SNL references in this post) at a party.   
• Bennett's is back at the impersonations again.  This week it's Matt Foley (a motivational speaker):

What'choo talkin' 'bout, Willis?

More impersonations from Bennett.  Arnold Jackson (Gary Coleman's character on Different Strokes):