Baby Beat Box

This is hilarious. Wanna see what looks like a Jewish rabbi and a baby doing beat box?

Just click here.

The older of the two is a Christian thinker. Yes, he is really doing that with just his mouth and maybe a bit of spit. The younger of the two is his son and apprentice. I can't wait until the young apprentice is about fifteen.

Stay tuned in about fourteen years for that post.

April 15th....

You have a huge deadline coming and yet, you can wait--yet you can't.

You're so excited!

What is it? Tax day? Schmax day!

The season premiere of "Deadliest Catch" on the Discovery Channel!

What is even cooler? The Discovery Channel is putting on marathons of past season's shows. Honestly, if you have never watched this show, I recommend it. King Crab fishing in the Bering Sea of Alaska is the deadliest job on this planet. There is a 100% injury rate. During crab season, an average of one fisherman per week will perish. I know, that is horrible--it's the deadliest job on earth for a reason. Watching these guys work in the most incredible conditions is amazing. They are the toughest breed around.

One of my favorite ships highlighted is the "Northwestern". The brothers who own and operate that ship are the funniest guys. Plus, they come from a long family line of Norwegian fishermen. It's in their blood, and you can see it while they work. It's fascinating.

Last season we got to see one of the highlighted fishing vessels rescue a man who had fallen off of a boat. We also got to see the Coast Guard rescue a man as well. Keep in mind, if you end up in the frigid waters of the Bering Sea, you have moments to live.

Plus, there is levity. The humor of fishermen is right up there with truckers and biker chicks. It's pretty funny. Click here for Discovery Channel's official website. You can also see mini clips from last seasons as well.

So, if you want to see why I am so hooked on it, take a gander at some of past season's shows. It will prime your pump for the fast approaching day.....April 15th.


Can you feel the excitement in the air?

UPDATE: Click here for an article regarding a ship that sank during crab season in the Bering Sea. This is an incredible tragedy and my heart goes out to the men who tried to rescue this man, his family and fellow crew members. This ship was not a part of Discovery Channel's ships they follow.

I want to clarify, I don't watch this show so I can watch tragedy. I watch it to see how amazingly hard these men work, the incredible power of nature in the Bering Sea, and the guts of the men who do this kind of work. It is the most dangerous job on earth and tragedy does happen.

I do hope that from the tragedy above, there are improvements done for the men's "safety suits". They are a type of thermal suit that they can slip on if they realize the boat is sinking. Survival rates increase dramatically if they can be in the water with one of those on. Men have been rescued 24+ hours after falling in the water with those on.

Blast From the Past....Lookie What I Found!

Old pictures! This is JM when he was about one or so. He's wearing shorts, so he must be like 15-18 months old. He's trying on my shoes. What is so funny, when we showed this to BH this morning the conversation went like this:

Dad: BH, who is that?
BH: That is me.
Dad: No, that is JM.
BH: No, that is me.
Dad: No, that is JM.
BH: No, that is me.
Dad: No, that is JM.
BH: No, that is me.

You get the point.

Who are those young people? Hubbie and I about choked when he found this. We showed it to the kids, here is how that went with JM:

Dad: JM, who is that?
JM: That is you and Mom.
Dad: That was a long time ago (specifically 1991 for our readers out there).
JM: Daddy, that was before you had a mustache on your chin.

Adoption Updates

That time of year has arrived. For BH's birthparents, we are contractually required to send updates about him.

I don't like to say it that way. I honestly wish I could do this for JM's birthparents, but they didn't want updates, and their story is completely different.

But BH's does. I really enjoy doing this. I feel like we are putting together a care package for them, and I try to make it as special as possible. We are required to send a letter that contains developmental updates, medical updates, and general well being. I am also required to send at least a dozen photographs that are high quality and even portrait quality. Again, I use the word "require" to describe the reality of it, but it's pure joy to do it. I would do it even if were just asked of me. I would do it if I knew that the person would receive it.

What do I actually do? I send a two page letter updating them from the previous letter. I write the letter as if I am writing to a close family member. Why? Because these people are, maybe not in the most traditional sense, but they are family in the adoption sense. All new things BH has been doing including all medical updates. As he gets older those are not such a focus. He has had some minor medical issues since birth and we always address any updates regarding that.

Pictures? I send at least two dozen and put dates on the backs of all of them. The one that was done above was a portrait we had done of the boys in December, and I love it. We had some more traditional ones done but I love this because it shows their skin so beautifully. I know, it's a little artsy and not everyone likes them, but I sure do! In other words, I tend to go way overboard of what I am required to do.

I honestly enjoy doing this. Why? Because if I were a birthparent, I would want this. I also want to do this because it is yet another opportunity to thank birthparents for their gift.

I say this because I do talk to people who think open adoption means having all these visits, talking on the phone, emailing, etc. Yes, there are plenty of open adoptions like that. But those are relationships that have been nurtured and have come to a point of familiarity where that is comfortable for them. I encourage anyone considering adoption to not discount those kinds of open adoptions. It is a relationship that requires nurturing.

Our relationship with BH's birthparents was agreed to be on paper. Many many open adoptions are like this. It may seem easier than the above scenario, but I do miss one thing tremendously. I would love to hug both of my son's birth moms hard. I would want to whisper in their ear while hugging them what a brave and courageous person I think they are. I have never had that opportunity with either child's birthmoms. However, I try as hard as I can to do it every time it is picture time.

It is the least I can do. I wish I could do more.

As I am prepping myself to do this next package, something nice has come up. I was talking to JM about how we need to do this, and think of nice things to say and send. Of course, he started asking about his birthmom, and I did the run down of the answers. What is her name, what was she like, how old is she, who is my birth father, etc. I also explained that her life is a bit complicated and having contact would have made things difficult for her. But hopefully someday we can meet her and talk to her.

JM asked if he could write a letter to her. I explained to him that he could, but we may not be able to mail it right away, but we would hang onto it for her. At that moment, I had a "duh!" Many many adoption resources I have speak to this very thing. Having kids write letters at different ages to their birthparents, to hopefully be given to them at a later date. If anything to have those special letters to look back on. Of course!

So we talked about how he could write a letter to his birthmom and we would save it for her. I also asked if he would like to write a letter to BH's birthparents telling them how much he loves having his little brother, how much fun he is, etc. JM says he wants to do this but, "I need to think about it." So he's thinking about it. I think he's thinking about how annoying his little brother is.

We are having this conversation in the car on the way to school. Whenever we have a bit of a "deep" conversation about adoption, I let his teacher know. He usually continues to talk about it in class, and she is great in making sure he isn't inadvertently opening himself up to being teased and making sure it's a teaching moment. So as I am talking to her, of course, the tears begin. Anytime I have this kind of a talk with JM or anyone, the tears begin. Why? Two women out there gave me children from their womb to raise. How incredible is that? That is a gift I can never repay, and it humbles me to tears. It makes me cry every time.

I hope JM does write the letter to BH's birthparents. How special would that be for BH's birthparents to receive that? Also I am hoping this also helps JM work through that he doesn't have that kind of contact with his birth mom. I am anticipating that conversation someday too. I really do think that someday we will meet her.

Anyway, it's a special season. Care packages are being assembled. Pictures are being ordered and assembled. Letters are being written. I am looking forward to this particular season as JM comprehends his adoption story even more.

I need to find a tissue....

April Fool's for 1st Graders

We didn't do much for April Fool's when I was growing up mainly because my stalker's birthday is the same day. It hasn't been until I have been a grown up that I have come to appreciate a good prank on this day.

But the best one was my son's teacher. She sent a note home on March 31st explaining the prank she would pull on the class. Families normally provide a sack lunch for kids, but this day the school would. But would we parents still provide a lunch? But be creative. Make it something yucky. Or nothing at all. Something that will surprise the kids.

I stood over my son's lunch box this morning wondering what to do. He was directly behind me in the dining room but not watching me closely. I had to make it look like I was doing my morning routine.

I really wanted to do something but didn't. When he starts moaning and groaning and complaining "I am hungry, what's for dinner?" "I am bored, what are we doing today?" "What is for dessert?" But in that whiny drawn out exasperated way, sound familiar? My normal humorous answer is something like this, "We're eating dirt for dinner." "We are getting shovels and digging up worms to eat with our dirt." "For dessert we're having a little touch of compost." What I really wanted to do was make a sandwich with dirt. I couldn't because if I went outside with a shovel for dirt, he would have asked what I was doing. Oh well.

But my creativity was still good. I put in a baggie of uncooked pasta. A baggie of dried lentils. Two pieces of bread with no filling, just bread. A wrapper from a granola bar. A jar of baby food that BH has outgrown. And a fork. He'll need a fork somehow I am sure. I did put in his standard can of lemonade. One cool thing, it had the same weight to it a normal lunch has, so he didn't think a thing of it.

When I picked him up from school all the parents were giggling. One grandmother put in dog biscuits! That was a great idea! Anyway, the kids were definitely fooled. They all joked around with us. It was the whole, "I can't believe my parents are that funny!" thing.

What I thought odd, the things that came back from his lunch. The jar of baby food, the bread and the fork are missing.

I have no idea.