They make me more proud everyday...

I didn't really hear "I'm proud of you" growing up, especially from my Dad. My boys hear it so often JC makes fun of me and says "no dad, I'm proud of you more". I want them to know constantly, no matter how small the feat that I love them and that I am proud of everything they accomplish.

As in every situation and family, I have two very different unique boys to deal with daily. JC is a fiery 5 year old that's never met a stranger. They call him the Mayor in pre-school. He runs the class, helps the other kids and never shuts his mouth. He is a great brother, always looks out for a lil man and keeps me laughing because he has jokes for days. I'm proud of JC tonight because he didn't want to take a bath.... said big boys take showers. I've been swimming and got less wet than I did helping him get a shower tonight. But we did add loofah and body wash to his vocabulary. Good times. proud of you and I love you JC.

Jack on the other hand is my lil angel. He has been diagnosed with Autism for a couple years now. He has been receiving speech, occupational and Autism therapy since he was 2 and has made huge strides, especially the last 4 months. Jack doesn't speak much so we communicate mostly by touch or him showing me what he wants or needs. He has as sweet as an angel, smile lights up in the room and I nearly have to pry him away from his teachers at school. They just can't get enough of loving on some Jackson. In the last week I have received two firsts; an open arm hug and he told me Good Night. I know these are little things, but not for me and not for my lil homie. Proud of you and love you Jack.

I am a proud daddy. I can't talk to people about Jack without getting a tear in my eye. I am so proud of his progress, how hard he works everyday and what a sweet baby boy he is. I am so excited about the things to come and all that his life has in store for him.

If JC becomes anymore of a spitting image of me... hang on world. He doesn't let me out of his sight and I see myself in him more everyday. He always keeps me on my toes and always know just what to say or do to make everything right in my world.

I love you boys, thanks for being so different and yet exactly the same.

Super Bowl Meltdown...

So as do most red blooded american men, I was looking forward to a great night with friends watching the Super Bowl, eating some great food and drinking a couplefew frosty adult beverages. The boys weren't feeling great but they weren't feeling like death either... good enough for them to stay at home and play and go to bed at a normal time.

As halftime nears, my phone rings. Conversationwith 5 year old follows:

Me: Hello
JC: Hey (whimper) Daddy
Me: Why are you crying, what's wrong buddy?
JC: Nothing..... just am. (more whimpering)
Me: Well there is no reason to cry. Tell me why you are upset.
JC: I miss you daddy. (Note: I had been gone for approx 2 hours)
Me: Well I miss you too lil homie. No reason to be sad though. I will be home soon, just watching the football game. I don't want you to be upset.
JC: I just love you daddy, that's all. (This is about the point where I felt like world's worst dad)
Me: I love you too very much and how bout we go to store tomm and find you a new book or something for being such a good boy this weekend.
JC: We gonna go to the bookstore?! Awww yeah, ok. bye daddy! (Click)

Part of me hangs up the phone thinking I have the best kid in the world and he loves me so much. Then the reality sunk in that he used me like a high school girl and her teenage boyfriend to get what she wants. Lil sucker.... crafty lil salesman... just like his dad. Love'em to death!

Operation Nanny.. failed

So things didn't work out the way I envisioned. Got 12 responses on CraigsList. 2 people sounded pretty normal and qualified. Lil phone interview, met at talked over some Chick-Fil-A nuggets with boys and hired to start a few days later. Worked one day, things went great.

Texted me this weekend and told me she took a full time job with a company and she couldn't come back. Well, there ya go. So back to drawing board. Repost on CraigsList and got 6 responses. 3 idiots responded to the last ad and I didn't respond then... freakin crazies. 1 was an ad for a babysitting service and the other was a scam from France somewhere. So I spoke with the one normal one and emailed 5 times today, we'll see how it goes.

As a side note, it was weird getting the boys cleaned up and dressed to go on a sales call with me this morning. I mean what do 4 and 5 year olds wear on a sales call in 2012. We went corduroys and Polo t shirts... I think it worked. Turns out after all that ( getting cleaned up, dressing all of us, me getting work stuff together, getting in car, driving downtown) my customer rescheduled as we were pulling in her parking lot. Oh well, just another experience I guess and at least the boys were ready for school early.

What will the rest of the week have in store....

Maybe I'm over reacting...No, I'm not.

I am looking for a new nanny to watch the boys. Someone that can be on time, treat them right, play and entertain them, and clean up after yourself. Not too much to ask for the something that means more to me than anything in the world. One of the girls that I have working now.. just not getting it done. Bad vibes, won't be back.

So I have had great luck on Craigslist. I post a little ad, get a dozen responses or so over the next few days. Lil phone interview, meet at the park with the boys and play a lil bit, and they come to the house and show how things work. Easy program.

If you can not respond with a semi professional and courteous email in response to a job opening... you can't possibly be surprised when you don't receive a response. If I see you can't communicate like an adult, why in the hell would I allow you to be a caregiver for my children?!? People are crazy, luckily we have a girl the boys adore until she goes back to school (hey Brit) and meeting a potential on Monday ( one of the 2 responses that didn't sound completely koo-koo). And P.S., if your online photos make Snooki look normal, it's just not gonna work out.

The things I go thru for you boys.... daddy loves you.

Christmas is done..

Well Christmas 2011 is now officially complete. After visiting 2 grandma's and opening presents at home, the boys racked up more toys and STUFF than I know what to do with. I purged their bedrooms but I didn't come anywhere close to get getting rid of enough to break even.

I took the boys to have their first Waffle House experience on Christmas Eve. Surprisingly there wasn't a crowd. Jack loved his waffle and and JC had a blast stealing my hash browns and flirting with the waitress. Oddly enough she was young and half way normal looking. (Ever wonder what leads a person to work at Waffle House, especially a younger person).

I did feel awful this year, my mom had to spend Christmas weekend alone in Georgia. Due to wonderful technology though, I was able to set up the laptop and let her watch the boys open their presents. It was awesome seeing how excited they both got talking to each other and the boys showing off their gifts. It was nice being able to include her a little bit, she misses a lot of the boys growing up.

It's just fun and exciting to see the boys get old enough to understand and appreciate Christmas and Birthdays. I love you boys and I'm proud of you. Can't wait for our next great adventure.

Entry #1.... Road trippin

So I have actually been thinking about this for a while. I feel like I am pretty lucky to have 2 boys that make me so proud and mean so much to me. They make me laugh, cry and smile with all the daily hi jinks and accomplishments. I wanted a forum to collect thoughts and document observations on the boys daily life and interactions as they grow. A place they can look back in 10 or 20 years and be able to relive all the things I felt while watching them fall, learn, smile and succeed.

We just got back from a 7 hour road trip to visit grandma and a man gets a lot of time to think to himself ya know. JC has been a road warrior with me before but this was Jack's first time so far away from home. Hell, even the first time in his 4 year's he has slept somewhere other than his own bed. Jack is living with Autism and has some challenges here and there but he was an absolute trooper the entire trip. I couldn't have been more proud of him. Other than how he treated me while we were trying to share a bed together... I have no idea where all those legs and feet came from.

Thanks for reading all the way through... hilarity and smiles to ensue as real life continues.