A Little Off The Top

We finally did it! Some (Aunt Nguyen) argued that he didn't really need it. However, I thought his baby locks were starting to resemble a mullet, and for me, that was enough to warrant a trip to the salon.

The BeforeDuring

He was surprisingly well behaved. I don't think he's ever sat still that long in his life. Of course, his stylist was holding sharp instruments. Maybe he was scared? Confused is probably a better description.His mouth is full of goldfish crackers because Baylor had more hair than we thought, and therefore, the cut took a little longer than we anticipated. Hence, the snack to take his mind off the fact that he was confined to the chair and being forced to sit still.

The After - Enjoying His Lollipop

Baylor really was very patient and well mannered throughout the whole process. Honestly, I'm shocked. I thought we'd have to pin him down, and that he would probably end up with a lopsided haircut. Thank goodness, I was wrong!

Repeat After Me

This week, both of our boys seem eager to learn a new language. While Jax suddenly has an extreme interest in speaking Vietnamese, Baylor is finally starting to show some interest in learning to say something beyond baby babble.

We have always made efforts to expose the boys to both English and Vietnamese. That's part of why I think Baylor isn't really talking. Jax's language was a little delayed too, and the pediatrician said it was because he's being exposed to 2 languages. Actually, for a while there, Jax was pretty much tri-lingual, speaking English, Vietnamese, and Spanish. That was quite impressive! Sadly, Spanish lessons are not a part of the curriculum at Jax's current school, and he's now pretty much back to being bi-lingual.

Although Jax has always understood Vietnamese, he showed very little interest in learning to speak Vietnamese. For example, if Ba Ba or Aunt Nguyen say something to him in Vietnamese, Jax always responds in English. Only if they prompt him, will the response be in Vietnamese.

Now, we're seeing real interest in learning the language. On Sunday, Jax told Anh, "Daddy, I want to learn Vietnamese like you." Since then, Jax has asked Anh to say everything in Vietnamese. Plus, Jax asks Anh how to respond in Vietnamese. I'm pretty sure Jax now knows more Vietnamese than Uncle Al! That's a good thing though. He can be my little interpreter at family dinners. I won't have to rely on Anh to bring me up to speed anymore.

Baylor's progress comes in the form of one word, "two." Up until now, the only words that I've heard Baylor say are: yes and thank you. "Yes!" was shouted one day with Grandma as a witness when I asked Baylor, "Do you want a chicken nugget?" while holding the nugget up in front of his face. "Thank you," was muttered one day when I gave him one of his stuffed babies. We always say thank you when he hands us something. So, obviously that was a learned response.

Yesterday, "two," was spoken simultaneously with me while I was rattling off the "You're in Big Trouble Count to Three." Clearly, I've been counting with Baylor a lot lately! Maybe he'll learn "one" and "three" by the end of the week.

Cancelled

Well, today, I had hoped to blog about Jaxon's first day of swimming lessons, but our day did not play out as planned. Jax woke up bright and early this morning, clearly excited that we were finally going to the classes I have been telling him about for weeks.

We left the house a little early because I had intended to check Baylor into the gym's daycare program during the swim lesson. That way, I could devote all my attention to documenting Jax's performance, even if his performance was sinking to the bottom of the pool. Well, Baylor was not happy about little part of the plan. He threw the biggest tantrum ever when we left him. Even the bottle of milk that we left as a bribe didn't do the trick. So, Baylor was promptly kicked out of daycare for the 2nd time. Yes, he's earning quite the reputation at the clubhouse.

Little did I know, the plan would continue to unravel. As we waited poolside, I was surprised that we were the only ones there. Sure, we were a little early, but I was amazed we were the first ones to arrive. As it turns out, Jax was the only child enrolled in the class! The instructor broke the news to us, and my first thought was, "Great! It will be like having private lessons." Then, the instructor said she was cancelling the class. Ummmmm...What?!

Gee, thanks for the courtesy call last week, giving me a heads up that this might happen. Thanks for letting me build up this activity to my kid all weekend, only to then crush him with disappointment on what would have been the first day of fun! What's that? Oh, I'll be receiving a full refund. Well, I certainly hope so! Thanks for your generosity!

So, if I seem a little annoyed, that's because I am. People really should be more considerate, especially when children are involved.

Smart Boy

It may be time for me to stop ranting & raving that "Obama is stealing all our money!" Jaxon hid his piggy bank yesterday, and his response when I questioned him about it was, "I don't want Obama to take it." I didn't have the heart to tell him that Congress has already tapped into his future. Sorry, Son!

*This is a true story, and yes, I do plan to limit my comments from here on out...at least in front of the kids.

Good-Bye

That's what we said to Daddy today as he drove off into the sunset on a last minute trip to Georgia and North Carolina. It was a spontaneous decision made at the very last minute. Hence, wife and children were left behind. We just aren't that spontaneous anymore, what with school, activities, and well...Baylor's need to sleep in his crib and only in his crib for approximately 16 hours a day.

So, I wish I could blame my lack of blog posts on Daddy's departure, but that would be misplaced blame. The real culprit is my brand-spankin' new iPhone. It has pretty much dominated my life since it was first placed in my hand Monday afternoon. I have to admit, it must be THE invention of the century. Sadly, I can tell that I will need a 12-step program should I ever have to return to the dark ages. What a sad life that would be? What ever would I do with all that free time?

Escape From the City

Aunt Kelly decided to abandon the city for a weekend at the beach. She said she wanted to enjoy summer before it slips away, but I think it was just an excuse to come visit her family that she misses incredibly. Right, Aunt Kelly? We did our best to show her a good time, but Mother Nature was less than cooperative. She completely rained us out of our pool plans on Friday. On Saturday, Mother Nature was a little nicer. We were able to enjoy about an hour on the beach before she sent a pretty intense afternoon thunderstorm barreling towards us. Oh well! Aunt Kelly didn't seem to disappointed with the back-up plan, shopping at the outlet mall.It was nice to have Kelly home, even if it was just for a few days. She's quite the city slicker now though and not very comfortable when surrounded by nature. I had to laugh at her as we walked along our neighborhood boardwalk. The sights and sounds of nature had her more than a little stressed out. She didn't like watching the crabs scurry around in the marsh grass, and she seemed rather unsettled by the sight of large heron and cranes.

It's okay though. On Sunday, she headed back to The Big Apple where she was among more familiar surroundings and "normal" creatures like rats and pigeons!

Pee Wee to Pro

Friday was graduation day at Pee Wee Golf Camp, and the boys made the most of their last day together on the course.First, they warmed up with a round of Snag Golf, a game that involved hitting a target with over-sized velcro golf balls.Then, the boys moved on to the real deal, the driving range. Jax developed his own system where he'd line up several balls to hit. The instructor was quite impressed by his resourcefulness. Evidently, Jax's method is a drill the instructors actually use with older kids. Maybe my boy is a natural?!

Jax also took the golf cart for a little spin on his last day. It looks like I may have an ally now in my argument for purchasing a family golf cart. However, I may also have competition for the driver's seat.The boys also had a chance to tour the groundskeepers' garage. Climbing on the equipment equals BIG excitement!The day ended with a small ceremony acknowledging the boys' accomplishments. Each of them received souvenir golf balls, a camp t-shirt, and their very own bobble-head trophy. Luckily, Jax won't have to wait a whole year for more lessons. We discovered the club offers mini clinics every Saturday morning for kids. Watch out, Tiger, my kid may be your future competition!

Fore

Today, Jax started Pee Wee Golf Camp. It's a 3-day crash course offered within our community for kids ages 4 - 7. The goal is to teach the kids the fundamentals of game, but the instructors quickly discovered that all 9 of their pupils are already somewhat experienced golfers thanks to overly eager fathers that dream of producing the next Tiger Woods. The kids, however, were just there to have some fun.

Jax took a seat front & center when the class was called to order. I can only hope that he'll show the same enthusiasm when it comes to math & science classes!

First, they went over safety and etiquette. Makes sense to me. Nine little boys swinging golf clubs with all their might just screams trouble. Then, they briefly discussed the rules before moving on to their first skills lesson: putting & chipping. This was when the boys got excited. It was time to actually play golf!
As with any sport, the kids displayed different levels of dedication. Some, like Jax, were intensely focused. Others were more interested in playing with the sand in the bunkers. I think their parents should probably accept the fact that their kid won't be wearing a green jacket. At least not the one that matters.

Although, the fun and games did come to an abrupt end when the instructors announced the day would conclude with a putting competition. All the kids snapped to attention at that point! Sadly, our children live in politically correct world. There was no winner! They were all winners! Say it with me now...BS!

Breaking Point

Breathe, Grandfather! Breathe! For the rest of you that may not understand the significance of the photo above, let me explain. This activity table and the floor surrounding it are usually COVERED in Disney Cars toys, but yesterday, I reached my breaking point.

I walked into a complete disaster. Actually, disaster doesn't even come close to accurately describing the mess. There were Cars EVERYWHERE! It wasn't the sort of mess than occurs because the toys are being played with either. It was just a mess made for the sole purpose of making a mess to see your parents' heads spin around while they breathe fire.

Jax has been warned about this sort of behavior before. In fact, he was warned less than 3 days ago about what would happen if he ever made a mess like that again. Well, I don't make empty threats. Every single vehicle was packed into a storage bin & placed in the closet. Did you finally take that breath, Grandfather? You thought they were in the trash, didn't you? I wouldn't do that to you...Jax? Maybe, but not you.

Maybe, and that's a big maybe, the Cars will be unpacked in time for your visit. We'll have to see how the rest of the week goes.

Photo Craziness From the Weekend

This weekend, we went photo crazy! I think it's safe to blame our behavior on a good friend, Farid. He flew down for a quick visit this weekend ,and that pretty much sent us into tourist mode with the camera. Actually, it's nice when that happens. Not only do we end up with new family photos, we are forced to take a break from our usual routine and enjoy our little beach town. Too often we get caught up in same ol' day-to-day activities.

On Saturday, Anh and Jax treated Farid to a whirlwind tour of the sights around town. Then that night, we met up with Jay, Lisa, and the kids to celebrate Jay's birthday. It was nice. We ate at a popular seafood restaurant on the Intercoastal that we had all been wanting to try, and I now understand why it's such a big hit with the locals. We had driven past several times, but were scared off by the ridiculously packed parking lot. Factor in a less than impressive exterior, and we just didn't see what all the fuss was about.

Well, behind that shabby exterior is a lovely outdoor patio, shaded by a beautiful canopy of old oak trees, overlooking the Intercoastal. There's even a section of beach complete with a tire swing. Turns out, the food is yummy too. I think it's safe to say that we'll become regulars, along with the rest of the city!Sunday morning, we decided to treat ourselves to another nice meal and headed up to our clubhouse for brunch. After all, it just wouldn't be right to send Farid off to the airport on an empty stomach. Afterwards, we lingered on the lawn overlooking the golf course and once again the cameras were brought out to document the lovely surroundings. I can't believe we didn't do this sooner, considering that we live here.I don't know whether Anh was determined to give Farid the complete neighborhood tour or whether they just wanted to walk off a little of our very filling brunch, but that afternoon, the boys took a stroll along the boardwalk. We joked with Farid throughout the visit about him being the "location scout" for his wife and the kids. If he reports back favorably, then they will book a trip for the entire family. Hopefully, we receive high marks, and we'll see them all again soon. It was so nice having a chance to catch up.

I Knew This Day Was Coming

I've learned to dread the school newsletter. If they aren't announcing some new fundraiser that is going to cost me a fortune, they are sharing news of some illness that is being passed around. Usually there's a description of the symptoms that the sick children are displaying and a reminder that sick children are to be kept at home.

I've actually become somewhat indifferent to the notices because Jax (thankfully) has a decent immune system and manages to avoid contamination. (I just knocked on some wood, by the way.) This week, however, I got the newsletter I've been dreading. Moms, you know the one I'm talking about...head lice! No, not my kid, but someone in his class has head lice, and now, we're all to be on alert. Great! Just what we all need!

Lord, Help Us

Baylor has mastered climbing the stairs and now is working on the descent. And I thought watching him go up was stressful!

TPC

I'm quite jealous of my husband. Yesterday, Anh had the opportunity to play golf at TPC Sawgrass. The outing was in honor of Jay's birthday, and let's just say there's no better motivator to improve your game than hearing about your husband's awesome experience at a top-notch golf course. Seriously though, it sounds like the guys had a great time.

However, the experience may spoil any future golf outings that don't involve a caddy. Sounds like a luxury one quickly gets used to. Factor in the beautiful landscaping & facilities, and it seems like an extremely tough act to follow. Of course, it does come with a hefty price tag. Maybe that's the competitors' saving grace.

Daddy's Shadow

Yesterday, Jaxon "shadowed" Anh. It wasn't planned, but when Anh realized he had a relatively light day scheduled at the office, he offered to take Jax with him to work. Jax, of course, jumped at the chance to go with Daddy. As they headed out the door, I heard Jax say, "Look, Dad, I have a bag just like you!" I looked over, and he was wearing his little red messenger bag that Aunt Glenda gave him. Inside was his toy laptop. Indeed, Jax was just like Dad. At that moment, I knew Anh would come home with some funny stories to share.

That night at dinner, I heard all about their father & son day at the hospital. After stopping by the office briefly, Jax went with Anh to round on a few patients. Jax hung out with the nurses' at their work station while Anh was in with his patients, but occasionally, Jax would linger in the doorways "observing." The patients all seemed amused by his presence, and the nurses were equally entertained by the little doctor. Oops! I meant surgeon.

After visiting with the patients, Anh took Jax up to the doctor's lounge for lunch, but Jax could hardly focus on eating thanks to a rather intense ping pong match that was underway. I know. You're thinking, ping pong? I guess they consider that a form of stress relief or something. Well, Jax told Anh, "Daddy, when I grow up, I want to be a doctor so I can play ping pong." I'm quite sure Anh is completely happy to let Jax go on believing that it takes a medical degree to play ping pong.

They spent the afternoon back at the office. While Anh made some calls and took care of some charting, Jax kicked back on the waiting room couch watching tv. Boy does he have a completely distorted view of a typical day in Daddy's life! Wait...or does he?

Independence Day

Goodness! This entry has taken me forever. Typing without your index finger sure does take a lot longer. Just kidding! I'm happy to report that everyone survived the 4th with their fingers intact and without 1st, 2nd, or 3rd degree burns. Success! There were a couple of scary moments, but mostly just a lot of fun with our friends.

As one would expect, it was ridiculously hot Saturday afternoon. I'm pretty sure the entire neighborhood was at the pool, but we had other plans. We decided to force (I mean pass along) memories from our childhoods onto our children by setting up a sprinkler and Slip 'n Slide. Yeah, I'd say we definitely add a touch of class to the neighborhood. We're just keepin' it real!

The kids seemed to enjoy the retro toys. The Slip 'n Slide was a big hit with Hayden, but Jax had some trouble mastering his technique. I know, you're thinking, technique? What technique? You run & then throw yourself down a wet strip of plastic. There is no technique. Well...somebody explain that to my kid! He would run, stop short, do some sort of skip/hop, and then belly flop onto the Slip 'n Slide.Baylor just stood off to the side watching the spectacle with an expression that could only be interpreted as, "What the heck are you people doing now?!" I asked Anh to show Baylor how to go down the slide which basically led to midget bowling. Anh picked Baylor up and hurled him down the Slip 'n Slide. Baylor definitely didn't know what to think of that experience, but we all had a good laugh at his expense.

Hudson, you better watch out! You may have been spared this year, but next year I doubt you'll be so lucky.Baylor wasn't too fond of the sprinkler either. He started to cry as soon as we turned it on. How are you scared of a spinning Spiderman that spits water and blows bubbles? Maybe Baylor is a little more traumatized than I thought from our day at the baby pool. Oops! I guess I'll add "fear of water" to my list of credits.

The sun started to set, and that meant we could move on to the main event, FIREWORKS! We had a nice assortment of explosives: little gunpowder-powered tanks and cars, exploding airplanes and ladybugs, roman candles (oh yeah!), never-ending sparklers (and I mean never-ending!), and of course, the big daddy mortar bombs courtesy of Jay.

Coincidentally, we forgot to tell Jay and Lisa about our neighborhood's ban on fireworks. When they pulled up to our gate and saw the "Fireworks Not Permitted" sign, I'm sure they thought, "Great! What are we going to do with our trunk full of explosives?"

Luckily, Anh sought out the real scoop from our neighborhood security guards earlier in the week when they first put up the ban signs. They said that the ban was not actually enforced. It was merely a "suggestion" from the neighborhood association who worries about the neighborhood being burned to the ground. Well, given that we've had excessive rain over the past few weeks, we decided to go ahead and light the fuse on our fireworks fun.

We quickly learned that you should not judge fireworks on their appearance. The little tanks and cars that were oh so impressive looking turned out to be complete duds. They smoked and sparked, but that was about it thanks to their wimpy cardboard wheels.

However, the planes and flying saucers made up for it. Their only drawback was actually physics. What goes up must come down! Occasionally, they not only came plummeting back to Earth at a high rate of speed, they also seemed to have a boomerang effect that sent them hurdling right towards us! Let's just say there was a bit of screaming whenever that happened. Maybe it was actually a good thing that we put Hudson and Baylor to bed. At least, we didn't have to worry about scarring them for life!

All that was really just warm-up for the mortar bombs though. Jay broke out his stash, and you could feel the excitement level rachet up a notch. Or was it really the moms' stress level rising as the dads maturity level sank to new lows? Probably a combination of both. Yes, definitely a good thing that the babies were safely tucked in their beds. In the beginning, safety was the primary concern. Lisa and I instructed the kids to stay back away from the launchpad, as Jay and Anh loaded the first rounds.

Whoosh! BOOM! POW!

Ahhhh, the smell of smoke and gun powder filled the air. Suddenly, headlights rounded the bend, and we realized we had attracted security. That was quick! Jax sat up straight in his lawn chair and muttered, "Uh oh!" That's bad, right? My kid sees "the police" and immediately thinks "uh oh!"

The security officer pulled up, rolled down his window and asked, "Is this where I'll find the best fireworks show in the neighborhood?" Standing there beside our launchpad with fireworks in our hands, we shook our heads, and responded with a smile, "Nope, not here! No fireworks here! I think it might have been the neighbors." Good lesson for the kids, always lie to the police and blame someone else. The officer laughed and said, "Shoot! I was hoping to see a good show, and I heard this was where I'd find one." Clearly, word travels fast in our neighborhood.

The officer watched for a few minutes as we resumed our fun, but then had to return to duty or seek out a better show. After that, we sort of let our guard down. The kids started to accompany Jay and Anh up to light the fuses, and then before Lisa and I knew it, Anh and Jay were actually letting them light the fuses! Yet another example of the difference in moms' and dads' parenting styles.

It should come as no surprise that the kids loved the element of danger. As soon as the fuse was lit, Jax and Hayden would scream, "RUN!" and then bolt back to the relative safety of the driveway. Then, Aunt Nguyen decided to get in on the fun, and as luck would have it, she ended up with credit for the first "misfire" of the evening. Her bomb only traveled about 20 feet up into the air before exploding. It was just low enough to startle us and elicit a few screams, but not close enough to cause any real panic.

After a few more rounds as a spectator, Aunt Nguyen decided to get back in on the action. This time, however, her bomb didn't even leave the mortar tube before exploding at ground level, right in front of us! You know the scene from Star Wars where they jump to warp speed (or was it light speed)? Well, that's what it looked like! We were smackdab in the middle of the explosion. Again, a bit of screaming...actually, a lot of screaming! Oh, and the mortar was toast!

Did that stop us? No, of course not. We still had 2 other mortars. Aunt Nguyen was determined to successfully launch a bomb. Before her third attempt, she asked, "You load it like this, right?" while holding the bomb up in the air, demonstrating how she had been dropping it into the tube. That's when we discovered her 2 previous bombs weren't "misfires." They were "misloaded"! She had been loading the rounds upside down. Nice! No wonder they weren't launching into the air.

With the proper technique mastered, the gang set out to load the grand finale bringing the festivities to a close. The final rounds exploded overhead, and we headed inside to relax in some desperately needed air conditioning. Yes, July 4th, 2009 was indeed a success. It sets the bar pretty high for next year. Let the countdown begin!