Happy Birthday, Buddy...

On Tenzin's first birthday, I would love nothing more than to wax poetic about the last year of his life - and I'm sure all of you would expect me to do nothing less. But contrary to what the date says, my son is not one.

Come Sunday, post-Staurday's Oktoberfiestapalooza (much cooler than a Mutant Ninja Turtle Bash...we have brats and salsa...seriously, this is the theme), I will be more than happy to write a nice long post about fatherhood/childhood/parenthood, reflecting deeeeeeeeply on all attributes therein. But until then, here I am: a confused man wondering what in the hell happened to 365 days of my life.

While part of me is relieved that, for once, this confusion is not beer-related (oh how I miss you, 1998), I am profoundly stumped by my father's block. Father's block is like writer's block only the father doesn't understand what creative barrier is blocking his ability to describe the 365 days of human life he helped to create.

This should be easy. This should flow. This should evoke emotion - both reflective for those with children and optimistic for those without.

Basically, this should be natural.

Yet.

Father's block.

Why?

It's easy.

Because in my mind,

there is no difference between this:



And this:


Happy Birthday, piglet.

Your only 17 years away from these pictures embarassing you at your high school graduation.

Seriously, though...Dad has no idea where the time went.

Bacon ages so fast.

Boo.

OK, my office is officially certifiable.

This is a video of my morning walk to my desk. Usually I don't need to dodge cobwebs and moaning skeletons, but it is almost Halloween. My office goes nuts this time of year decorating, bringing in kids for trick or treating, pranking (my podmate is deathly afraid of spiders), and drinking scary cocktails (scary=stronger than usual).

Enjoy:

Taking time to be a dad...

I thought that some of you might be interested to know that Time Magazine has an interesting article up on being a father.

Enjoy.
Fatherhood 2.0
Time Magazine
Thursday, Oct. 04, 2007
By LISA TAKEUCHI CULLEN, LEV GROSSMAN

Does being more of a father make you less of a man? To a group of committed dads assembled one night in a New Jersey diner, the answer is obvious. Sort of. Paul Haley, 38, a father of two, says women look at him when he walks down the street with his kids. "I think it's admiration," he says. Adam Wolff, also 38--with two kids and one on the way--ponders what it means to be a man. "Is my man-ness about being the breadwinner or being a good father to my kids or something else?" Michael Gerber, 36, father of a 7-month-old, asks, "Do you mean, Do we feel whipped?"

"I'm probably a little whipped," shrugs Lee Roberts, 45. He's a part-time copy editor, married to a full-time journalist, who has stayed home for nine years to raise their two children. "There are definitely some guys who look at me and think, 'What's up with him?' Do I care? Well, I guess I do a little because I just mentioned it," he says. Haley speaks up to reassure him: "Kids remember, man. All that matters is that you're there. Being there is being a man."

But what does it mean, exactly, to be a man these days?

Read more here.

Legos...

I'm really digging the new Lego campaign, "Through the eyes of a child."

See, not all marketing folk are idiots...

Meow.

I've spoken before about our previous dilemma: bed-sleeping with Tenzin. While those days are long behind us and he is now a crib-happy slumberer, I found a video that best describes my "old mornings." Although the video shows an ornery cat, Tenzin could easily be his stand-in.

Another Toy Recall

It doesn't hurt as bad as going down head first...

Mount Clintonville

Oh, and another thing...

Tenzin made it up eight (supervised) steps today when Rachel got home. Does that mean it's time to put up a baby gate?

Probably not (yet)...I think we're OK. We thought they were too expensive, so we stacked up all my old heavy textbooks from college, tied them together with loose electrical wire, supported them with a reinforced batch of poinsettias (on sale early this year), all of which are protected by our adorable new pet, a baby lion.

It also turns out to be a great storage unit for all of our out-dated prescription medications.

Hey, if you're going to Photoshop a picture, you might as well pimp out your house.

Lazy Picture Update

Conducting an imaginary orchestra or throwing up gang signs? You be the judge.

This is one of my all-time favorites...our little long-haired hippie.

Somebody thinks he's older than he is...

Checking to see if we're watching so he can dine on some grass...

I'm just glad the obedience training is paying off...

Now if we could just get him to do his "business" outside.

Tenzin's Halloween Costume

What do you think?

I've got to give credit to whatever genius designed this costume.

How not to dress my child.

With Halloween fast-approaching, I can't help but be scared...

the Clowns are coming.

Rachel sent this to me with a VAST understanding of my fear of clowns. If I saw this on my front porch, I might have to shoot it.

The hairs are standing up on the back of my neck.

Of course if you want a really bad costume, you could always dress your child up as a toilet. For some reason this thing is listed under: HOME > KIDS COSTUME > FUNNY COSTUMES.

"Funny" or tragic? (only $49.99!!! sheesh!)