Fatherly thoughts: 'Bug' and the last bottle

You killed your first bug today.

Daddy was so proud … mommy nearly cried. Well, Ok, it wasn’t a “bug.”

It was a worm … not exactly a bug. But close enough. It’s creepy and crawly and everything a bug should be.

You and I were hanging out on the porch this afternoon, and I spotted it crawling around in the grass. I immediately did what every good father would do – I picked it up and handed it to you.

You seemed to think it was pretty cool with all of your ooohs and ahhs. You quickly began to squash it between your fingers. I told you to be gentle – at least at first. I didn’t want all the fun ending too quickly.

But, since you're still working on your English skills, you really don't have a clue what gentle means. The next thing I know ... you hand me half of the worm. Last time I checked, the worm was on life support. It didn’t look good for the poor fella.

So anyway, your mom called and I gave an update on how your day had gone so far. I gave her the morning nap report: you slept a couple hours. I gave her the lunch report: you ate a grilled cheese sandwich and some applesauce. And then I just casually mentioned that you were playing with a worm outside … I didn’t even mention that you pulled it apart yet … and your mother immediately became alarmed. “Shawn, she’s a girl. She’s not supposed to play with worms.” And I guess this makes sense, since your mom declares something is dirty if it has a spot the size of a pinhead on it. And since I seem to have a spot or two on about every shirt and pair of pants I own, I’m always wearing “dirty clothes.”

I eventually mentioned the pulling apart element of the story, and your mother started asking over and over if I washed your hands. And at that point, she sounded a little teary ... maybe not ... but it sounds more dramatic that way. "Have I washed her hands?" I thought.

“Stephanie, it’s a worm … not Cobra or a disease-infested rat. It’s a worm!”

So maybe you got a little extra protein today. Big whoop. I’m definitely learning about your mother's fear that you will become a Tom Boy ... or fall in love with ultimate fighting. She’s all about dance and gymnastic lessons and whatever else little girls do. Of course I can’t help but hold out a little hope of seeing a little black-haired ponytail blowing in the breeze as you chase down a soccer ball. I mean, come on, you're Colombian. There has to be some soccer genes in there somewhere. Well, Laura, whatever you decide to do mommy and daddy will be proud of you.

Last week, you took the big step of officially moving from a bottle to a sippy cup. I have to admit I had your mother take a picture of the last bottle. A little corny, I know, but I'm glad I did. It seemed like I looked away for just a second, and you had already finished it.

It made me a little sad – but not as sad as that worm. May he rest in peace ... or pieces.

Shawn's Family Visits

In early June Shawn's family came down to the lake for the weekend. We were thrilled to see everyone...especially since Shawn's brother and his family will be returning to Kenya in August. We spent most of the time on the water. Everyone was able to water ski and lounge around on rafts next to the boat. We had a great time learning how to play a card game called Foot and Mouth, though I have totally forgotten now how it goes...hopefully Jan can teach us again next week when we all get together in Texas! Here are the pics:

Big brothers always tell little brothers how to do everything!

The Hendricks Family (minus Rex) enjoying the water.

MeMa enjoying a sunset cruise.

Laura and me enjoying the breeze.

Our lovely niece Tiffany.

Steph and Titus saying 'cheese' for the camera!

We are all caught up now with our blogging. Check back in a day or two for Shawn's latest Fatherly Thoughts. Hope you are all having a good summer!

My Family Visits

In mid-June my grandparents and aunt were able to come out from Missouri for a visit. They just couldn't wait to see more of Laura and spend some time with us at home and at the lake. We had a great time the whole week they were here. Shawn was out of town, so Laura and I were able to spend an extra-long weekend at the lake to enjoy the weather and water. Here are some of the pics from our week...

Aunt Mary and Laura having a tea party at our house.

Great-grandma and Great-grandpa helping Laura play with the seashells on the beach.

Laura leading me around in the water. On a side note, she is getting very close to walking. She takes a few steps at a time and has great balance. We are expecting her to take off any day now.

Laura doing some reading on the deck...I guess she is ready to do some shopping!

Be sure to check back in a day or two for pictures of Shawn's family visit!

New York, New York

A few weekends ago Shawn, Laura and I joined my parents in a trip to Long Island to visit family. I had one cousin graduating from college and the other cousin graduating from high school. They were having a joint party so we were excited to attend as well as let my dad's side of the family meet Laura. Somehow I didn't end up with any pictures of the entire family - but needless to say - we had a great time visiting with everyone.

On Friday morning, my mom and I thought it would be fun to take the Staten Island ferry to Manhattan, have lunch, and then drive back to Long Island. I mean it is only a 40 mile drive, how long could it take? We packed up the car and hit the road with mom, dad, Shawn, Laura, Aunt Heidi, cousin Jenny, and me at about 10:00am. It took about 90 minutes to get to the ferry -- not bad, we thought. We all really enjoyed the ride and the views that it offered. We had a nice lunch in Battery Park and then took the ferry back to Staten Island. This time we had a wonderful view of the Statue of Liberty. We got to the car at around 2:00 and started to head home. Not long into our trip we realized that we were in for a looooooong ride. At just about 5:40 we pulled into our destination on Long Island -- almost 4 hours to go 40 miles!!! Laura had run out of food and entertainment several hours earlier and all of our ears were ringing from her cries. The fun of the ferry ride was almost forgotten due to the never-ending drive home...but it will always give us something fun to talk about!

We are looking forward to seeing everyone again next summer as we celebrate Grandma's 80th birthday!!

Check back in a few days to see pictures of my grandparents and aunt's visit in June.