You might wonder why this particular skill warrants its own entire post as Daniel and I tackle necessary advice topics for Baby Park...
Let me just say that it's waaaaaaay easier to jump and do flips and cartwheels before you're born. Out here in the real world it takes a lot more skill, class and sheer velocity (when you're a tike of my size) to accomplish the same feat.
I thought I'd share a few pointers for Baby Park to practice. You know, next time right after Mom has eaten and she's trying to take a nap or sleep in the middle of the night - your typical gym time.
Maybe it has something to do with the weight displacement to my midsection...
Sound effects really do help....distract your audience from an embarrassing belly flop.
I'll keep working on this and get back to you and Baby Park.
In this second installment of my sage advice for baby Park Daniel and I tackle a beloved topic: Music.
We all know Baby Park is going to be expected to be a musical prodigy. I mean Mozart began composing music at the age of 4 or 5? Pheesh. With our help, Baby Park is going to blow past those record holders.
Let me share a few catchy favorites so that Baby Park will be jamming with all the right hand motions even before he's out of the womb!
1. My God is so Great.
2. Deep and Wide. (This one is really difficult for the directionally challenged! I can never remember when exactly to motion up and when to motion to the side...)
3. Classical Music. I've already written extensively about the highly technical challenge and musical refinement one must attain before you begin writing your own musical pieces. I would refer you to Daniel's past composition for that.
4. Lastly - pretty much every night sometimes Daniel or I wake up in the night and this is a great song to sing as a goodnight lullaby.
Perhaps we will be able to have some Park-Trombly musical collaboration in the future!?!
So apparently there is going to be a new baby in the family. Contrary to popular belief (mainly held by Daniel) that baby is NOT going to be able to live at our house.
Way to kill some great news, with depressing details right?!
I realized that as Uncle Eric and Auntie Kristina get ready for this little one to come they would really appreciate some tips as to how to be prepared.
First installment: Daniel and my registry picks.
1. Blankets.
So Baby Park doesn't have to steal his parent's bedding when he wants to make a fort or wear a cape. Oh and I hear it snows where he lives... could be nice for keeping warm too.
2. A smallish big boy chair.
This small tool is really vital for the engineering type, which we can all assume Baby Park has no choice but to become. Turning on and off lights and opening locked doors are all a cinch with this item!
3. Pals.
At night some of us really prefer to have a few teddy bears and other friends to squash while we sleep on top of the pile cuddle. They're really fun to practice your utensil skills with as well.
4. Truck Books - I personally recommend at least 20.
Perfect for ideas on what baby's first five words should be: Truck, Excavator, dirt, Tractor, Wow.
5. Salad Tongs.
When imitating aforementioned vehicles it's always nice to have several different options for your "claw" to pick up bark, rocks, dirt etc.
6. Credit Cards.
If Uncle Eric is anything like you, Dad, he'll know just where to find these treasured items. They're great for stuffing in your cash register and behind your dresser!
Some final notes:
- So many people register for items that simply aren't necessary! I personally see most clothing as optional - running around with or without a diaper is really the way to go. I would just register for a few outfits for church so baby Park can dress up like his Dad.
- Whatever you do, do NOT register for a snot-sucking device. It's a torture implement from mid century China. I'm serious. I read that it's made in China.
- Tools for chopping solid food are also totally overpriced and not needed. I created a short tutorial on how simple duplo blocks will more than suffice.
That wraps up this segment of advice for Baby Park!
Today I woke up with tingling sensations in my body and overwhelming excitement. There was even a distinctive scent in the air and a coolness that was palpable in every room in the house..
It felt like Christmas.
Can you guess why?
Here are some clues:
Everything outside had curious decorative crystals on them:
When our "brothers" Elisha and Micah showed up they had awesome special coats us just like us!
Elisha had even donned some special footwear to celebrate...
After some serious splashing around Mom even topped it off with a visit to the Mechanic!!!
She seemed less than thrilled to have the car "smogged" but to us it was the cherry on top for this one-of-a-kind fantastic day!
Some people assign names to their pets as a sign of their affection and ownership. Others even name their cars! In Davis, you name your bike, or in our case, bike trailer. It's a growing trend.
So, let me introduce you to Bluebonnet.
She's a really nice trailer that spaciously accommodates us while Mom carts us around on terrific adventures.
I haven't asked an official policeman yet but I'm pretty sure we have nearly broken the designated speed limits a few times already - Mom rides so fast! 3 miles an hour is pretty fast. It feels downright spine tingling dangerous when the wind is blowing in your face at the same time!
Another advantage of having a bike trailer is an instant popularity boost with friends. They are bound to cast many admiring glances your way despite the fact that the headgear required to ride in Bluebonnet does make you look like an animate bobble-head.
Bluebonnet has skillfully glided us to our weekly milk pick up in Village Homes where we got to hop out, open all the coolers in search for our jugs and then help stash them in the Bluebonnet's trunk. While past frolics in the creek have more than qualified us as sufficiently hippy-esque to travel through such parts it does seem as though we blend in even more when we travel by bike trailer instead of car. Perhaps if we played kumbaya on the didgeridoo we'd be fully assimilated...
At times we have even made the perilous journey to the local grocery store and locked precious Bluebonnet outside while we shopped.
The best adventure yet though was when we traveled home from church one day - we saw some local geese with their babies walking down the street!
I was convinced they were sticking their thumbs up in hopes we might give them a lift but Mom wasn't sure they were the best hitchhikers... maybe next time.
I hear we are headed to an event called the Retreat this weekend. While my buddy Jonathan and I will be sleeping in something called a cabin during the night we have heard plenty of stories about the "camping" environment which we will have to weather during the day.
Don't worry Daddy. We practiced being tough mountaineering men.
Well. Pretty tough.
Tough as in withstanding abundant kisses from our friend Sophia and the usual antics of our overweening siblings with their high velocity soccer kicks and rough hugs. We also practiced laying outside and facing the elements. Mrs. Spencer put out a double padded, hand crocheted blanket for us and situated us under a state-of-the-art jungle gym with fancy toys dangling within our reach. We basked in the early morning sun and enjoyed a light breeze.
I suppose you could say it was more of a "glamping" than camping environment.
That's pretty much what camping at the retreat will be like right?
I'll write more about my misconceptions from last year regarding glamping camping at the Retreat tomorrow but I wanted to tell you that this year I really lived up to the true outdoorsman experience.
Like, I really should have earned our groups' annual "Dirtiest Child" award... if only Isaiah's parents had bathed him too a mere hour before the judges conferred their verdict...
And to think I even helped dump dirt on him with my dump truck in benevolent friendship! Next year I'm totally giving him wet wipes while I keep all the dirt to myself.
Aside from that bittersweet element I overall heartily enjoyed the time. Here's a recap:
1. Apparently there's a tradition of going to a "camping house" with the Tauzers and Spencers every year. I guess I was present last year... but I'm pretty sure this year was the craziest now that all the younger siblings were able to tackle the stairs, push over impeding baby gates and throw breakfast foods on the ground.
Such a blast. (Except the jury is still out for Johnny... I guess he got a little tired by the end of it all).
2. Dirt.
3. Dirt + Friends.
4. Dirt + Water or Lemonade.
5. Dirt + Marshmallow Goo.
6. Dirt + Precipitous ledges for jumping.
7. Dirt + Dreams.
It was a really great time! Did I mention I loved the dirt the most? Next year can we just agree to skip all baths so I can take home the coveted title?
