The Little Chap That Follows Me

A careful man I must always be;
A little fellow follows me.
I know I dare not go astray
For fear he’ll go the self same way.
I cannot once escape his eyes,
Whate’er he sees me do, he tries.
Like me he says he’s going to be;
The little chap who follows me.

He thinks that I am good and fine,
Believes in every word of mine.
The base in me he must not see;
The little chap who follows me.
I must be careful as I go
Through summer’s sun and winter’s snow,
Because I’m building for the years to be;
This little chap who follows me.

Father and Son Making Music

Father and Son making music together on a street in the Claremont Village on the Friday after Thanksgiving 2008. It was poetry set to music. Music made for the sheer joy of it. I was privileged enough to catch this special moment with my own son, asleep in his stroller. Two sets of fathers and sons, each father in love with his son.

Father and Son Making Music

Wingtips

These are my son’s first wingtip shoes. I thought he looked very good when he wore them. He wore them for Navidad/Christmas and just plain everyday. Unfortunately, he outgrew these  shoes already. I have saved them for him in his keepsakes.

Infant Wingtip Shoes

My Dream Car: VW Bus

I don’t know why I am so fascinated by old VW Buses. My wife thinks I am crazy for liking that old hippie van. This was my favorite automobile at the Westlake Village Car Show. This is a gorgeous VW Bus, restored to original condition. Pretty much perfection in my eyes, lovingly restored. I can see myself taking long road trips up and down the coast of California in a Bus like this with my wife and son. This would be heaven.

Cool Red VW Bus

I love the pop-out front windshield. The original air conditioner.

Large MTA bus-like steering wheel is almost parallel to the ground just like in a full-sized bus. Spartan dashboard, just a speedometer and fuel gauge. Plenty of front leg room, too.

Love the big shiny chrome “eyelids” on the headlights. Adds personality to the automobile.

Another view of this beauty. Oh well, maybe someday. It costs nothing to dream.

Scooby Doo Where Are You?

That is what I thought when I saw this old van at the Westlake Village Car Show. Scooby Doo Where are You? I did not take notes that day and now its a couple of months later that I am going through some old photos on my computer. I think its a 1964 Chevrolet Corvair Greenbrier Deluxe van. This is the original American minivan.

Scooby Doo Van

A Healthy Baby Makes a Happy Daddy

 

Good News. Just got back from Big Boy’s 6-month physical and he passed with flying colors. He is in perfect health so far and developing normally. 19lbs, 7 oz and 27 inches long. I am very happy and blessed because of his good health. Tonight we celebrate by staring Big Boy on his first solid food!! Sorry, I know this is not big news, but to me it is and I just wanted to share it on the blog.

Big Boy also got a flu shot. He did very good and didn’t even cry. Daddy did a diversionary tactic by putting his chupon in his mouth and bringing out a toy to get Big Boy’s attention, all while the nurse was giving the shot. It worked this time around. Lets see what happens next time.

The First Ball

I am thoroughly enjoying all the “FIRSTS” that my son is experiencing. Today after work I went to Target to pick up some Huggies. I went over to the toy section to search for a ball of the right size and texture. I ended up buying a miniature basketball for $4.19.  It was Big Boy’s first ball. When I got home, as I burst through the door and exclaimed “Hi Papa!!!” my son was grinning ear to ear. “Mijo, look what Daddy brought for you. Una pelota.” He got really happy and I couldn’t tell if it was for the ball or for seeing me.  We sat on the floor and played ball for half an hour. Big Boy sat up all by himself without any support, smiling from ear to ear as he tried to stuff the entire mini basketball into his mouth. Of course, Daddy got it on videotape.

Running at Night

I went for a run tonight. I started at 9:00 p.m. It was not my intent to start that late, but my son would not go to sleep. By the time he went to sleep and I got ready and loosened up, it was 9:00 p.m.

Running at night was different. I was able to focus on the bright moon tonight a bit. One interesting thing I heard as I ran past a small creek was hundreds of toad chirping “Ribet, Ribet”. It was quite loud actually and surprised me because I had run past there many times during the day and never heard a thing. It reminded me of a scene from Platoon where the soldiers are waiting in silence in the middle of the jungle and it is so loud with insect and animal noises.

I enjoyed running under the moonlight. It was different change of pace. However, I think I still prefer running early in the morning before the sun rises.

Focus for 2009

Seems like the New Year always brings people to make resolutions. I am no different. My resolution this year is to post to my blog more often than last year. 2008 was great in that my son was born in July. With the new baby came new responsibilities and new demands on my time. I thought it best for me to focus on my son and my wife. So I put blogging time on the back burner. Truth is, for the first 2 months after the baby was born I had no energy to blog or to do anything else for that matter. After that, I just decided to stay quiet and really enjoy these months with my  newborn son. After all, he will only be an infant once and when its gone, its gone.

Baby M is now 6 months old! and he is such a good baby. I am so proud of him and proud to be a Daddy! I feel ready to come back to the blog now having passed the 6-month milestone as a new dad. I have a new found energy, a new focus, and I feel more complete now.  Only time will tell what 2009 will bring. Hopefully new adventures in parenting, patience and lots of smiles from me and my baby.

Pensamientos en Enero del Dos Mil Nueve

First post of January 2009. Feliz Año Nuevo! Another year, 2009, is now here. Talking to my best friend on the telephone last night felt really good. Nothing like talking to an old friend even if it is about jack caca or the same retread topics over and over. I don’t get tired of it at all. It feels good to my soul. Gracias, hermano.

Lots of things to be thankful for as we close the door on 2008. Most of all for me was the birth of my son in July which has changed my life for the better, given it new meaning, and gave me a feeling that my life is more “complete” now. Don’t know how else to say it, but yes, it is more *complete*. Watching my little guy every day do the littlest things brings me great joy and a feeling of thankfulness at how great God is for blessing me with a child of my own. I think I have kissed my son more than a million times already.

So I wish to start off 2009 by sending my best friends some very positive vibrations and a big BEAR HUG to let you guys know that I love you and am thinking about you, and that I value your friendship. Lets hope and pray that 2009 is a good year for all of us, and that its brings us lots of happiness and peacefulness.