sara loves kenny (and vice versa)

kenny takes his act out to the driveway

kenneth matthew, male model

kenny bonds with aunt amy

kenny hangs out in the bouncy seat

You mind? I'm trying to enjoy some calming vibrations here!


That's better.

overboard and evenkeel get a few hours sans kenny

While we love spending as much time with the boy as possible, it's nice to get a reprieve from being "a parent" every once in a while. Grammy Shirley and Aunt Amy offered to look after Mr. K for a few hours on Saturday night, so we went over to see Shoes and Heather at their condo's block party.

A little beer, brats and burgers was just what we needed.

Here in the midwest, there's a new fad that's sweeping the bar scene: cornhole. Yes, I know what you're thinking, and you're wrong. We're not talking some sort of freaky business, it's a game involving bean bags and what is basically a skee ball target. The idea is to toss the four bags towards the hole and try to get them in, or as close as possible. Simple and addictive. Grant and I played a few rounds, then Overboard took over.

At this point, Shoes looked at me and commented that Grant was looking a little peeved, as Overboard began to play better and better. "Well, I wouldn't marry anyone who didn't have that competitive edge," I replied.

"YOU? Competitive? Never," said the Shoes.


Check out Overboard's fantastic form.


The happy Cornholer (bet you never thought you'd see that in print).


Shoes in his natural habitat.


Gotta love the self portraits.


Heather takes in the scene and wonders how her life got to this point.

kenny and his women

sadie's new friend sara

Sara had a grand time playing with Sadie while here in town, and I'm pretty sure that the pooch was happy for the extra attention. Now, I know Sadie would have liked it better had Sara been a messy and generous eater, but what can you do? Uncle Evenkeel doesn't smile upon handouts for begging canines, no matter how adorable they may be.

What was cute was seeing Sara not only get down on the floor to play with Sadie, but "encouraging" her to go downstairs, upstairs, outside, and wherever Sara wanted to go (often whether Sadie wanted to or not).

grammy shirley brings aunt amy and cousin sara to meet mr. kenny

This past weekend, we had a great visit from Grammy Shirley and Aunt Amy and Cousin Sara (which, if you read the title to this post, you already know, but I still feel it necessary to point out the major players anyway...so there). While the majority of the activities centered around the homestead and watching Mr. K, everyone had a good time.

Even though Sara still has some issues with the rules of Charades, she loves to play, and we had a number of rousing rounds. The most entertaining was held on Friday night, as we seemed to have problems coming up with the correct response whenever someone was doing some sort of incredibly embarrassing mime routine. Funny how that works. Personally, I felt the need to honor the late-great Bruno Kirby with repeated blurtings of "Baby Fish Mouth!" That being said, I did pretty well, and it's not just because the cards were designed for younger players. Maybe.


The answer was "banana split"


I don't remember what the answer was, we just wanted to see Amy do more somersaults.


Sara tried to collect herself and act out clues in between giggle fits.


Grammy Shirley tries to figure out her plan of attack.


How the %$#@ am I supposed to act out "discombobulated?"

i love lamp!

Kenny, much like Brick Tamland in "Anchorman," loves lamp. Yes, he is absolutely fascinated by the standing halogen lamps in the living room. When looking around the room, Kenny will focus in on the lamp and start smiling. We have no idea why it is so amusing, and it doesn't appear to matter whether or not the lamp is even on. Yes, the poor ceiling fan is being supplanted these days by the lamp. How will it respond? Spin faster? Create a better breeze? Put a hit out on the competition? Only time will tell.

i'm not just the president, i'm also a client

Like many children his age, Kenny suffers from IPB (Infant Pattern Baldness). The area on the back of his head has been slowly shedding hair as he spends so much time on his back. Now, we know that the hair will grow back, but for now, he's got some follicle deficiencies he's not really that comfortable with. You can imagine the grief he thinks he's gonna get when he starts daycare next month. The other unfortunate situation is that toupees just don't come in extra-extra-extra small sizes. Of course, maybe there's a market for that. Imagine all of the babies who don't have any hair at all!

Lucky for Kenny, his mommy (and daddy) love him no matter how hirsute he may be.

kenny discovers his hand, but his thumb still eludes him

As Kenny's control over his limbs improves, he's a bit less spastic and more deliberate in what he does. With this in mind, he's begun to discover his hand, and how it tastes fantastic. In lieu of a pacifier, Kenny often tries to suck on a knuckle, or perhaps the whole fist at once. When he takes the next step forward and begins to separate his thumb from his fist by uncurling it, we're in for some serious thumb sucking.

I'm not a fan of Kenny being a thumb sucker, as I was one for many YEARS. Yes, dear readers, I admit that not only was I an unabashed thumb sucker, but future orthodonture be damned, I kept doing it well past the point of social acceptance. Being a parent who wants his child to learn from his past mistakes, I can't fathom letting Kenny get a taste for that forbidden digit. Besides, when he's trying to impress the high school ladies while flashing a mouth full of metal (or sheer plastic, or fiber optic cable, or whatever they're using by then), he'll wish I had intervened. In fact, I'm sure he'll wander the halls of his school telling anyone that will listen that, "My dad's a freakin' genius for coming between me and my thumb when I was but a wee lad of three months old." And he'll say it exactly like that, mark my words.

In the meantime, I dive bomb the boy with his pasi when I see him working on the hand. Until I can come up with a better long term plan, it'll have to do.

diapering is an art form

Overboard and I have different skills we bring to the table. While she is the master of clipping tiny little fingernails, I am the master at diapering. I can get the boy out of a dirty diaper, cleaned, and into a new one in the blink of an eye. In order to catch up, Overboard has been practicing her skills, and I'm proud to say that I only have to perform triage on her diapering attempts every other time instead of all the time.*


*this may be a slight exaggeration...but it also may not be.

bath time means lots of smiles

the many faces of kenny

Yes, ladies, there's plenty o' Kenny to go around.

Interesting proposition, but I'm just not sure I'm ready for my own sitcom right now.

I'm sorry, you're gonna put what in my what what?

more visitors!

Sadie informs Linsey that, "I will not be ignored!"

So Linsey obliges.

Jen's all smiles for the paparazzi who constantly trail Kenny.

Overboard and Kenny got a nice visit from Linsey and Jen last week. There was much "ooooohing" and "aaaaaaaahing" involved and everyone had a lovely time. Of course, Sadie got a bit jealous of the attention Kenny was getting, but Linsey showed her remarkable prowess for multi-tasking.

kenny, you are so money and you don't even know it

Our good friend Grant moved back to Chicago the other week after an extended "sabbatical" in North Carolina. He came over to the homestead for a nice meal and a free microwave for his new apartment, and explained to Mr. Kenny the finer points of enjoying college basketball. Yesterday, Grant went to the Cubs game with Cousin Mitch and I, and while sitting in the bleachers before the game started, looked at me and commented, "Now I feel like I'm back."

kenny's version of the little piggies

Overboard changed the script a little for the boy.

kenny loves the braves

Well, okay, Daddy loves the Braves (even if they're falling apart this season). In the meantime, before Kenny is old enough to decide if he's a Braves, Cubs or Sox (White or Red) fan, he'll just have to be content with Daddy projecting his own sports allegiances on him.

evenkeel gets in a "gas off" with the boy

Okay, so yesterday I was really hungry, but didn't have a chance to eat, since I was taking care of the boy while Overboard was out. The only way I could get something was to put Kenny in the baby bjorn and snack on something. I saw that Overboard had a new box of cereal on top of the fridge, so I grabbed it and started munching. The cereal in question was "Go Lean Crunch" which is sort of a healthier version than the old "Honey Clusters Of Oats." It was tasty and easy to eat while holding the boy, so I kept going. Next thing I know, I've eaten half the box. Did I mention that this cereal is of the ultra-healthy variety? And that is contains an obscene amount of protein and fiber? Oh yeah.

When Kenny is in your arms, you tend to hear all kinds of noises. There are coos, cries, sneezes, coughs, burps, and of course poops and "poots." A "poot" is another term for a fart, and though similar in sound to "poop" definitely different. In conversation, you may hear Overboard or I say:

"Did he poop?"
"No, he's just pootin'*."
"Oh."

Well, yesterday, after consuming the cereal, Daddy was the one doing the pooting...and how. I think I expelled more gas in one day than I have all year. Why do I tell you this? Because it became a comedy routine that ceaselessly entertained both Overboard and the boy (especially Overboard).

It was days like yesterday that made me glad it was the weekend and I had the chance to simply hang out at home with the family unit (and poot). The lesson learned? Stay the hell away from that freakin' cereal. Sure, but Overboard says I just need to resist eating half a box at a time. She's so smart.

*For the politically minded, this rhymes with "Putin"

kenny the flower child

This morning, Overboard took Kenny and went out with her friends Sarah and Jennifer to the Chicago Botanical Garden. They had a great time and Kenny once again lived up to his new nickname: LL Cool K (Ladies Love Cool Kenny).


Sarah and Jennifer at the CBG


Overboard and Kenny take time to stop and smell the flowers.


Sarah and Kenny


Jennifer gets to know Mr. K

play dates!

Overboard arranged a number of play dates the other week with a few of her friends and their little ones. Until Kenny's a bit more mobile, the play dates are really more for her than him, as she gets all kinds of insider tips, advice and, best of all, compliments. "What an adorable boy!"


M-J's former co-worker, Jen and her daughter Parker.


Tracey and her daughter Molly. Tracey is one of our major maternity and baby suppliers.


Molly asks Kenny if he's free in about sixteen years to take her to the prom.


Lisa and Paul's youngest son, Ethan. Lisa is another of our major suppliers...

father and son

Incredible how this can make your whole day...

got shmutz?

"Eye boogers - the great social equalizer." --Bloom County

Kenny's tear ducts tend to clog up a bit, especially in his left eye. The doctor has assured us that he will outgrow this, but in the meantime, we're on a constant struggle to keep his eyes clear of shmutz. You can see a bit of irritation around the edges of his eyes, where we have to keep gently cleaning. Kenny gets a little irritated himself from time to time when we divebomb him for the upteenth time in a day, but for the most part, I think he appreciates being able to see clearly.

we may lean to the left, but we're no hippies

Grandma Jackie got Kenny this outfit, which sort of screams, "My parents love the Grateful Dead!" (which, for the record, we don't -- never really got into those guys). Actually, GJ said that the shirt reminded her of when I was a teenager and would occasionally make tie-dyes with my friends. Oh, the things we would do in our youth.


So, this one time in college, I actually went to a Phish concert. Yeah, it was kinda odd for those of us who were sober...

parental badge of honor

You know, there's a reason why you're supposed to put a burp cloth on your shoulder. Whenever we don't, the spud makes us pay the price. I suppose he's got to have his fun somehow. Actually, as I type this, Kenny just spit up all over Overboard after some successful tummy time. He may be a comic yet, the kid's got amazing timing...

a visit from the new hampshire lipmans

Overboard's brother Henry, his wife Melissa, and our nieces Haley and Bessie Margaret came to visit this past week. We hadn't seen the girls in quite some time, so it was wild to see how much they've grown.

Haley just celebrated her seventh birthday, and as a special gift, she got to go to the American Girl Place store and get a brand new doll. Meanwhile, Bessie Margaret is hysterical, as she's on the move, and loves to make a bee line for things that are bad for her. Upon first entering our house, she waddled her way straight to the cabinet under the sink and tried to explore the chemical cleaning products. Did I mention that we haven't really child-proofed our house just yet?


Melissa and Haley with her new "American Girl"


Bessie Margaret, the fearless explorer


Haley the rockstar

Since the Lipmans stayed downtown, we met up a few times for dinner, and Overboard even took them to the pool on Friday afternoon (though Haley opted not to go in once they got there).

We're looking forward to seeing everyone again at Thanksgiving!

a mother can be objective about her son, can't she?

As parents, you think that your child is the most beautiful child the world has ever seen. That's normal, and honestly, to be expected. I still had to laugh, however, when Overboard started talking about the baby class she was taking.

"I looked around, and I'm telling you, Kenny was the cutest kid in the room by far!"

I proffered forth the theory that quite possibly every other mother in the room was thinking the same thing, but it fell on deaf ears.

"The could say that, but they'd be wrong. No, seriously, there were a few other cute kids in there, but none of them were as beautiful as Kenny."

I think it's wonderful how objectivity has no place in parenthood. Let's be honest, if parents were required to be objective as part of the job description, there would be a long line of out-of-work parents in the world.

Given the alternative, I'm glad we're both in love with the boy. Could you imagine if Overboard had come home and announced: "On the way home I picked up this fascinating brochure on infant cosmetic surgery."

a little shiatsu, mr. kenny?

Overboard just finished up a series of infant massage classes at the hospital, and she thoroughly enjoyed it. That being said, I think Kenny may have enjoyed it even more, as he was the beneficiary of all the training. I tried to get a taste of the new techniques, but Overboard informed that the class was called, "Infant Massage," not, "Nice Try, Husband O' Mine Massage."

Yes, my wife gave me the equivalent of, "Silly Rabbit, shiatsu is for kids..."

battle of the belch

Our esteemed Mr. Mellow has begun sleeping for longer stretches of time, and as a result, eating more when he wakes up. Lately, Kenny has been chowing down on six ounces of formula (up from four), and when he's ready to eat, he is ready to EAT. He doesn't take kindly to breaks in the action, and has been putting up a big ol' fuss when it comes to burp breaks.

It used to be that we would simply pause every ounce or two, lean him forward, and get a nice burp out of him. Now, Kenny has no interest in leaning forward (or stopping to, for that matter) and is prone to screaming bloody murder when you try to induce a belly-clearing belch or two. Going over the shoulder tends to be the better technique, which of course leads to a number of stained t-shirt shoulders when you forget to put the burp cloth in place. Ah, Spitty McGee, we know him well.

We're hoping that this is just a phase, but just in case, I'm researching new ways to encourage burping. You know, repeated viewing of "Animal House," and maybe some tutoring from Kenny's "Uncle" Jarrod, who was known to burp the alphabet back in his younger, more gaseous days...