JT’s little runny nose has turned into green blobs, not to mention his Mammy’s sick as well. So we’re taking the safe route and let his Mammy, Aunt and cousins know that it’s not worth coming down for the trip to the aquarium we had planned for tomorrow… no sense getting everyone sick. Hopefully we can use the tickets for another day.

Uncle Kevin will still be here tomorrow, he already had his flight planned a long time ago. Hee Heee, maybe uncle kevin needs some good’ole one-on-one time with JT, his little boy is set to enter this world come February, so we’re sure he needs to get some “practice” in - hmmm, what movies are playing in theatres??? 

It’s been one eventful year!! We got lots planned for you today and tomorrow (uncle kevin’s coming into town, Mammy and Aunt Michelle and 4 of your cousins will be coming too!), so we’ll be very busy - but we will write you a letter by the end of the weekend and post lots of pictures and give all your family and friends the play by play (especially Pap, since he’ll be ‘trucking’ and unable to make it)… but for now… we gotta get this place cleaned up - company’s coming!!!!

If you know anyone that has no kids but want some, let them know that we are renting JT out. He is a handfull. That is the most underrated sentence in the English language. JT is a handfull and then some. I love the little guy and look forward to everyday I can spend with him but I should have had kids earlier. It is a lot of work. A whole lot of work. I may complain about it but I thank God for that little turd head. He is the best thing that has happened to me. He makes me appreciate my parents more and makes me realize the size of the shoes I have to fill are enormous. He watches me more now and pushes me more now and it is hard. Hard to walk that line of setting the example and enforcing the standard. He tests his boundries on a regular basis but as a father, you must stick to rules. Hell, he ain’t even one yet and I am learning more from him about myself and about my own raising than I even thought possiable. Granted, I think I had the best Mom and Dad in the world. Who taught me morales, faith and most of all patience, they did more than that. They taught me that you can learn through example, as well as teach more effectively than fussin at them ever could. With that said, fussing at JT is pointless to some extent. JT is learning by example and through correction(i.e. smackin a hand or a well padded diapered butt). He understands “NO” and “AT-AT” and his favorite “UH-OH”. He is learning and we are doing the best to teach. His car noises are getting some better after watching a movie. The movie is “Bullet” with Steve McQueen. We don’t watch the whole movie but I go to the scene where the greatest car chase on film takes place. Thank God for DVD. You know, the scene where Steve notices that he is being tailed by two dudes in a Dodge Charger and then goes after them in his Ford Mustang Fast Back? Anyway, he chases them through the streets of San Francisco at break neck speed, power shifting and squealing tires until the bad guys try shooting at Stev-o and he rams them off the road and they die in a big firey crash. One of the greatest car chases ever. Anyway, I put this on, JT stops and sits with his mouth open. Never moving a muscle, nothing, until the end where the bad guys kick the bucket and then JT goes “UH-OH”. That had to be the funniest thing to happen to me in a long, long time. We started it again and he watched it all the way to the end again. After that, JT starts making squealing sounds and good race car noises. I feel proud. Also, I bought a 1968 International Scout. It is in suprisingly good condition and will become my new project whenever I finish some of the projects I have around the house first. We have got a lot of things we are doing and want to do but I will post a pic of my project soon!!!!

… and LAST that we PAY for a picture of!!!!  They’re making a killing …

JT took his first steps today… will give more details later, but lookout world - HE’S WALKING!!!!!

Lately, me and the boy have made a special bond.  He and I hang out and play together.  We play cars, we wrestle, we giggle, we explore.  He and I ride the 4-wheeler whenever the weather is warmer.  So he is like my little tag along.  Whenever I am working in the house with tools of any kind, he is there trying  to “help”.

I play cars with him, I make a car noise.  Jt plays with cars, he makes car noises as well.  When Jt plays with his plastic cowboy and indians, he makes car noises for them too.  We are still working on that.  This last Saturday, he and I both had a cold and felt like crap.  I had tried rocking him and nothing would stop him from crying and screaming.  I found a show on TV where they were working on 4×4, raising them and changing out grills and such.  I turned it on there and he stopped crying, just like a faucet.  Turned it off, just like that.  He likes to watch stuff like that.  He also likes shows where they do motorcycle jumps and motorcycle racing.  We want to get him a DVD of monster trucks and stuff.  Might be a Santa gift!!!   Pap is afraid that he will become a mechanic or worse a truck driver cause he stills like wheels.  I just want him to be happy and to live life to its fullest.  Life’s journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well perserved body, but rather skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting “HOLY SHIT …. WHAT A RIDE!!” Amen.