The Great Haircut Debate

So, I'm in need of advice from other parents out there.

When, exactly, do you cut your child's hair for the first time? Jenny was told yesterday that you "Don't do it before their first birthday pictures because they'll look like a big boy and not like a baby..."

What do we do about the over-the-ears fringe?

What about the mullet-like hair in the back?

The kid's definitely going to have thick hair. He doesn't stand a chance for thin or even average-thickness hair with either of our genes.

The birthday is 6 weeks away. Photos will be in a couple of weeks.

What to do, what to do...

Questions to Ponder...

So yesterday morning, I wondered and wondered about the gift that Michelle Obama gave Laura Bush. What does one give a former first lady?

I'm impressed to know today that she gave her a pen and journal (to use, according to ABC News, in writing her memoirs). So, that question is answered. Nice gift. Simple, classic, and a bit charming. Southern Accents could do a bit on the top 10 timeless gifts to give an outgoing first lady. Surely a journal and pen would make the cut.

But what about George's note to Barack? The one he left in the famous Resolute Desk? What did it say?

I'm hoping that it showed George's sense of humor and absolute joy at finally being off the hook. I'm hoping it said something like, "That toilet in the oval office bathroom over there has a sticky handle. Jiggle when you flush."

TB

Baby Harper

I'll just say, the amount of people who are friends of friends or have other connections with this family is insane.

I've never seen so many emails, text messages, phone calls, and blog posts criss-cross through so many lives at one time. What an amazing testament to how many people still believe in the power of prayer.

Thought for Tuesday

So I have to thank Fisher-Price for taking the time to add the disclaimer to the front of Ben's high chair tray: "Dishwasher-Safe Tray."

Really? Dishwasher safe? 

Could someone please show me a dishwasher that it would fit inside of in the first place?

Happy 10 Months, Little Man

In honor of our son's 10 month birthday, I've decided to post my favorite picture of him (thanks to Hillary's amazing wedding location...) and list my 10 favorite things about being Benjamin's Dad.

10. Watching him splash in the tub

9. Hearing "Da-Da" and "Bye-Bye"

8. Random people stopping us in public to admire him

7. When he is sitting in his high chair eating, and gets tickled for no apparent reason. Much like his mother does...

6. Rocking him to sleep

5. Seeing him share his Cheerios with the two dogs

4. Pulling in the driveway to see him standing at the front door with both hands on the glass.

3. Hearing the "mmmmmmm" sound he makes when he gets a bite of real food

2. His baby face when he has his passy in

1. Knowing that the high point of his day is when we finally tire of hearing him laugh and play, and we walk into his room to get him up and out of bed in the mornings. He grins from ear to ear, bounces up and down, and we know that - whatever happens today - everything we do and every decision we make is done in order to make his life a little better.

Recent Days...

Just thought we'd follow up with a few After-Christmas pics...Jenny and I decided not to get each other presents this year, but just do stockings. Of course, I went over the $20.00 stocking limit and stuffed Jenny's with a new camera, since mine is so large and she can never take it anywhere. 

These were taken before we learned how to use it, so excuse the graininess. 

Here we have Benjamin playing with his new Jungle Ball activity center from Grammy and Granddad. He's all about the monkey dropping the ball into the chute. 

And here we have the teething little monster working on some 

linkey-doos that his Pippi gave him. 

After Christmas, but before we had returned to Little Rock, Aunt Bee Bee 

decided to lay out all of his toys at Pippi and Poppa's. 

A little over-stimulating, one might say. Check out the busy poppin' balls toy

in the bottom right corner of the pic. It TERRIFIES him. Sounds like a 

hair dryer. Freaks him completely out!

A rare shot of the bottom two teeth. 

The two Bunch Grandbabies...Abby Lynn, age 4, and Benjamin. 

Benjamin, during the Cotton Bowl, rocking out with Granddad Bunch.

Woo hoo! Grammy finally bought a high chair for her house!

Hardwoods have nothing on this kid's sock feet. He cruised right

through the house....no shoes.

Cruisin through Grammy's kitchen. 

What we neglected to get was Benjamin walking all the way through St. Bernard's Village, the retirement home where Poppy B (his Great-Grandfather) lives. We took the walker to show PaPa how he is walking, but we were unaware that he had undergone a test at the hospital that morning and was apparently radioactive, so we didn't get to go in and see him! 

Who knew!!!???!!!

A couple of random senior gals at the home were most amused by his walker. Ben's walker, not PaPa's. 

For My Fellow Hogfans...

So for just over two hours tonight, I sat, but not in amazement, and listened to yet another pair of commentators fall all over themselves every time our opponent did anything slightly above mediocre. 

Why is it? Why is every nationally-televised Arkansas game - regardless the sport, or of our ranking - subjected to the "Poor, Inbred Arkansas" phenomenon. We can't do anything right in their eyes. 

It's been this way my whole life. I've always been bothered by it.

And I won't even begin to talk about the ridiculous calls against us by the referees. I hope they had escorts to their cars tonight. 

Nor will I mention the fact that if I heard the phrase "Butt Post" one more time I was going to either vomit or throw the remote through the television.

All that matters is this: We won. Go Hogs, Go!