Memory lane...

Our pediatrician's office called today. The big corporate conglomerate HMO building including the Ped's waiting room is being remodelled. They're looking for some pictures for the new space. When Gracie was born I started a tradition of taking a picture of her with our favorite pediatrician at each landmark visit. The office asked if I'd send them the pictures for possible display. I had fun taking a trip down memory lane gathering these together. I thought you might enjoy them, too.

Gracie - 1 week

Gracie - three months

Gracie - six months

Gracie - nine months

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Gracie - One Year

Gracie - Fifteen Months

Gracie - Two Years

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Gracie - Three Years

Danny - One Year

Danny - Eighteen Months

The State of the Union...

For all enquiring minds: yes we are still married. Fortunately hair does grow back and with a little tapering, a little mascara, one can hardly tell the carnage that occurred last week.

I must say that the increased readership of my blog, the number of comments and e-mails seemed like a bit of an undeserved reward. While I truly feel bad about wrecking Gordon’s hair, the attention I received has me pondering what royal screw-up I could broadcast next with similar results. But rest assured there will be no malice aforethought. I am perfectly capable of making unplanned mistakes on a regular basis.

As Gordon joked, his ordeal was actually a public service. It appears that quite a few spouses (mostly wives) cut their significant other’s hair. Many dread just the mistake I made and one couple has actually implemented precautionary measures. These steps, which bear repeating, are to have the cuttee oil the blades and affix the proper blade attachment. Then and only then does the cutter begin the haircut.

The State of the Family

Aside from battling colds which were no doubt picked up on our little get-away to the Wisconsin Dells, we’re doing well.

We took a trip after a great visit with the International Adoption Clinic. The Doctor was very impressed with Danny’s new found shyness. During the previous visit three months ago Danny was approaching all the doctors in the room and engaging them. This time as soon as the team entered the exam room Danny crawled into my lap and hugged me like a baby koala bear. He peered cautiously at the newcomers and never let go of me. Our doctor declared him a changed kid.

This change has only occurred recently. I’d say that over the last couple of months Danny has begun to relate to us as his family. He no longer seems to be shopping for a new family. Mind you this does not mean that he doesn’t engage others. He knows how to play the cute card and as long as someone keeps his or her distance Danny will flirt shamelessly. But when someone he doesn’t know approaches him he looks at them like they’re crazy and without taking his eyes off of them, he slowly backs up toward Gordon or my legs and hangs on tight.
We have gone almost nowhere during our first six months as a family. We’ve clung religiously to our routine. Finally during our visit to the clinic we were given the green light to stretch our wings.

So we got outta Dodge. We packed up and headed to the Great Wolf Lodge for some water fun and relaxation. We all had a blast. On our doctor’s recommendation we still adhered rigidly to our schedule and took along familiar food and books. I think this paid off. Danny was relaxed during our entire trip. I was worried that staying in a hotel and sleeping in a pack-n-play like he did in Guatemala might make him anxious. But he was just fine.

State of the State

Our part of the world is slowly thawing out. This past week the kids headed out in the puddles for some fresh air. We weren’t outside long as the water was freezing and the cold went right through our puddle boots. But spring is in the air – sort of anyway.

My Bad...

OK – you’re going to see this coming as soon as I start to tell the story. I’ll begin by saying that I’ve tried to spin this numerous ways in my head and I can’t come up with anything that can possibly exonerate me.

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Let me run them past you just in case: both kids were screaming. Danny was hanging on my legs like a ball and chain. Gracie was bouncing off the walls banging into everyone. The entire family was in the bathroom. And this whole thing was Gordon’s idea to begin with. Nope. These aren’t going to cut it.

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So here’s the deal: Last summer, to save money we invested in a home razor kit. Gordon wanted me to start cutting his hair as he was sick of paying salon prices for a very basic haircut with a razor. So for the price of about two haircuts, we invested in a razor complete with the little apron thingy, an instructional video and even a free comb as a bonus!

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I have experience in entrusting my hair to someone else. A dear friend colors my hair. Before she slathered the first dose of 5N on my roots we made a pact that any mistakes or disasters would have no bearing on our friendship. Fortunately because of this precedent, Gordon and I entered into the same pact.

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So Sunday afternoon Gordon sat down in the bathroom with the little apron thingy draped over his shoulders. We reviewed the length of the blade attachment that I would be using: 5/8”. Then I proceeded to give him one of the best haircuts I’ve given him to date.

Except…yes there is an “except”…for the first pass up the back of his head. Did I mention that both kids were screaming and Danny was dragging on one of my legs? After the first pass I commented that his hair must have gotten really long because the razor cut off a lot of hair. Then I stared at the razor in horror realizing that I had forgotten to clip on the blade attachment. I had basically cut a swath of hair down to the scalp right up the middle of Gordon’s head. At first it was funny, and then it wasn’t funny at all. Perhaps when the hair grows back it will be funny again.

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I told Gordon that from now on I’d have a check-list to make sure everything was in order. He jokingly commented that there would only be one item on the check-list. I Googled “How to fix a bad haircut.” There was talk of returning to the person who cut it in the first place and also one listing for proceeding with a lawsuit.

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Luckily, Gordon is a very good sport and he’s still living with us. Or more appropriately I should say, I’m still living with him!

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He now owns two hoodie sweatshirts and will be wearing them regularly for the next week or so.

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So there you have it – unless any of you can bail me out...my bad – really, really, really bad!