Hapy Birfday Gammy!

It is my mother's birthday today, August 26th (by the time you read this). She has never been super into gifts, so I am teaching Benjamin the art of playing to people's Love Languages.

When I think about it the most vocal people about their childhoods are the ones that didn't have a very good one or maybe it's the mental scars that don't let them forget their not so rosy formative years. And it seems that people who had a great childhood don't really think about it until they get stuck in a conversation with someone who didn't - this makes them realize how lucky they were to have a drama-free experience.

I fall into the category of what my mind tells me was a great childhood. Was it Ward & June Cleaver where the grass is green and the toast is perfect? No. But my parents did a good job of figuring out what the right amount of attention should be. Too much, you get a brat. Too little, you get a belltower sniper. Looking back I never really got into trouble, I enjoyed playing with others, I could keep myself company and I actually enjoyed schoolwork. Perfect kid? Perhaps. Humble? Definitely.

Whatever crazy mix of parenting my Mom and Dad cobbled together seemed to turn out well and will undoubtedly be a beacon for me to harken back to with Benjamin in the years to come. To dote on my Mom on her birthday, I will single out one of the many special things I remember her doing for me as a kid - playing games.

I love games - board, video, role-playing. You name it, I'll play it (except Russian Roulette). I don't know how many times my Mom and I squared off against each other with the classic kiddie board games, eventually graduating to the founding fathers of Parker Bros. - Monopoly, CLUE, Battleship, Life. I love the challenge, I loved learning strategy, I loved that she didn't just let me win because I was kid. If she had, I would have lost interest in the games and her as an adversary. "Hey lady, you're like super old and stuff, but I kill you at Connect Four. What gives?!"

To this day I love to put my skills to the test against others in a friendly competition and I attribute a majority of that to my Mom and her willingness to take the time to teach me, play me, beat me, then allow me to beat her fair and square. The art of gaming also allowed for a nice hand off of the baton to my Dad in the world of competitive sports, but that's an entirely different subject and entry.

Happy birthday Mom! Maybe this weekend we can show Benjamin the basics of gaming. You know start him off with something lite like Risk®.

Cereal Killer

Man, is it me or does it seem like life never takes a break? Weekdays and weekends have smushed together into one long day called Montuesatunday. August has been particularly heinous for me at work - either shooting or preparing to shoot a TV spot everyday of the month (except Labor Day, which I plan to do no labor).

Since my last update Benjamin has started riding a bike and speaking fluently with a British accent - I kid. He has, however, shifted from ye olde Mother's Milk to the exciting world of mono-ingredient cereal. Everyone's advice is to start with Rice Cereal. I tried to help the kid out by slipping him some Cocoa-Krispies®, but was told that it didn't count as rice. As you can tell from the picture, rice cereal really didn't give him that "kiss the cook" feeling.

Emily was the server while I video taped the feast, another tape that would bore you to tears but I would fistfight you if you tried to erase it. It was one of those quintessential parent moments seeing your baby make a big evolutionary step in what they are capable of doing. The first spoonful went into his mouth and created the same reaction we get with Pepto-Bismol® or Milk of Magnesia®. He emoted, "Oh gack! What is this? Why is it so thick? Guys, this milk is spoiled or something, it's all chunky and stuff!"

It made me consider what his eating existence has been - the same thing, +6 times a day, for 5.5 months. I love Hot n Sour soup, but if I had to eat it 6 times in a week I would stage a formal hunger strike.

So this "cereal" we're feeding Benjamin has an entirely different taste profile, texture and smell so it gives him total eating confusion. PLUS, the whole swallowing thing has been pretty much involuntary until now. After he reacts to the weird taste, he finally swallows it but the look on his face reminds me of a movie scene where someone is forced to swallow a key.

Rice served its purpose for a week and then we moved on to the greatness of oatmeal. I love oatmeal. I love oatmeal cookies. I love oatmeal soap - my fondness for oatmeal has passed on to my progeny. Benjamin loves the stuff. Give him one spoonful and he gives you the "what the ?!" reaction, but then the taste kicks in and his eyes light up. Next thing you know his mouth opens up wide like a Bonobo monkey, yearning for another sweet taste of the staple grain.

My plan now is to stir in some whey protein and bulk Benjamin up to 50lbs of pure lean muscle before his 1st birthday. That way he can stay on track to make the Chinese Men's Olympic gymnastic team by the 2016 games.