I is a poet and I dun't even nose it!

It's been quite some time since I posted so I guess I'll throw this little poem into the mix. Didn't really want to, but whatever. Grace and I were just chillin' a couple of weeks before I was to return to work and I felt the urge to start writing. This is what came out. Here goes.

To stay at home and be with my baby.

Dani says yes, yet I say maybe.

To be rich and not worry of a thing,

That would cushion the painful sting.

The sting of work,

The sting of loneliness;

Why leave now and feel depressed?

She cries,

She eats,

While I just giggle;

I love to watch her sit, lay, and wiggle.

Such a treasure,

Such total bliss.

I cannot wait when she knows of a kiss.

To know of love,

Of family, and God.

She makes my world better,

Since she is my job.

Kauai or bust

6 months

Just to recapp our trip a few weeks ago to Kauai. It was great. All those concerns of the flight were put to rest. Grace was just amazing. If she wasn't sleeping she was completely adorable. The only issue was her sleep pattern, as well as ours. Up at 3am and alseep by 6pm made for interesting days. The sun was another rival with mommy lubing up the baby every spare moment... even in the shade! Better safe than sorry. What is cuter than a baby in a swimsuit?


A baby swimming in the said swimsuit. Hilarious. Little thunder thighs kicking around and small fingers and little toes grabbing at the water. Then, she began to fall asleep. The next time we went swimming was in the ocean and she was less than exited about the surf hitting her toes. Hilarious as well. With Kauai's abundance of water falls, mountains, and several other natural wonders I couldn't help but think of when we return so Gracie can really appreciate it. This time she was more amazed with mommies hair or that strap blowing in the breeze. Still a sight to behold.

At 5-6 months of learning, Grace has become quite stable sitting up on her own and even stops herself from tipping over... sometimes. Tummy time has been getting more exciting at this point due to her ability to lift herself up and even putting her butt up (once now). I keep expecting to see her crawling around and actually, as scary as it sounds, I am looking forward to it.

Huh, imagine that?

Well, I received word from LaForce that they expect me back a week prior to what was discussed, regardless of what was approved or not. Even after a year and a half of service they won't give me any leeway. Surprising because I really did try to make it work there. I would have thought that even after a minor discrepancy in time, they would attempt to work it out with me but they tell me if I do not return a week prior (on time in their eyes) I will officially have resigned from my position as production coordinator at LaForce. It just mind boggles me how they are willing to let all of it go and start over to prove a point. Maybe that is why this company is where it's at after all these years. It seems to me that loyalty no longer exists. I have yet to ever see it and even when I catch a glimpse of it I get totally screwed over. Even after asking for acceptance they refused to negotiate. I am convinced this scenario was preconceived and that they as well as I needed change. I hope they fail. They are not good people. They and there policies should burn and rot in hell. Not only did they doop me out of my CDL, but also out of an actual position that supervises a shop instead of being the shop. Liars. Cheats. Thieves. Bastards. I hope they fail... badly. I have never wished damage on anyone but this company cares only of numbers and not of people. Wrong. Just dead wrong. They deserve to fail. Karma some call it. Well, I hated my job there and now they (or someone else) gave me a reason to leave. I will most definitely not ditch my family vacation for that shit hole... pardon my french. Some people have priorities... mine... family, friends... not LaForce! Looks like I got what I wanted. Scary. So, long story short, it looks like I am a stay at home dad after all : ) Time for a walk Gracie.

It's The Final Countdown

Grace has gone down to nap and only for a half hour I'm sure, so we'll see how much gets accomplished here. We are at a tad over 5 months and she is growing and learning so fast. It seems she is starting to get a little personality and becoming more ticklish as well. How is it that something so cute become cuter and why does the house no longer smell of just dog but of baby pee? Even after cleaning. We had that caramel coffee that smelled of poo, so is there coffee which smells of pee somewhere? Did I misplace a diaper along the way?

Camping for the first time seemed easier than most had thought. I was looking forward to it since day one and I received so many bewildered looks when even speaking of the idea. Not bad at all... but then again... we have super baby. I was somewhat concerned of the smoke but it proved to not phase her; and mosquito's, not one in sight. I should try my hand at gabbling due to the simple fact that I struck gold with my awesome wife and again with a halfway decent puppy and yet again with Gracie. Huh? Maybe. Anyhoo, to watch Grace absorb the trees, the breeze, the leaves (I'll stop there cuz it's beginning to rhyme) is just hilarious. Left, right, left again, then up. She is all over just taking it in. Big eyes.

Watching her with toys is too funny. Staring then eating, at least attempting to. Scary when she gags. Whether it be her fist or her finger. Still hasn't figured that one out. And she got a little carried away with a teething toy earlier. Just scary. Hasn't figured out she can't eat the puppie's nose either. She almost got it a few times now. It seems that chewing on something tends to calm her but that may change when she does finally get a hold of Nyla's nose.

I have two weeks until I am to return to work and as I mentioned before (in so many words), I am kinda lost. This is by far the best job I have ever had... and quite possibly, ever will. Thankfully we will have a few days basking in the island sun as a family. Less Nyla of course. I am amped out to see how Grace will react to our upcoming Hawaiian vacation. How will she like the feel of sand in between her little toes and fingers? The sounds of waves splashing and birds calling? Sounds of palm fronds rustling? The warmth of the sun being cooled by an ocean breeze, with it's distinctive scent as it passes over her round nose? Waking to the sound of flying roosters? Damn those roosters. I hope the flights don't take a toll on her and pray her ears don't cause her pain. Just like camping, this too will be a learning experience. Well, it is that time as my little buddy is calling. Aloha!

There's No Place Like Home

Well crap, three weeks and counting. Where did the time go. It was most definitely worth it. Just thinking of going back to "work" has me doing job searches for something new and has me thinking of how we could make this stay home dad thing work for the long haul. I have tried making cash with stock photos, building corn hole games, selling my junk, doing side jobs, and hooking on the corner, but only selling my junk has paid off. Actual junk that is, not my personal "junk" (get it)? Anyhoo, I am beginning to get bummed and fear that during our upcoming vacation the week before my leave ends, will be drowned with thoughts of sorrow as I leave my sweet little baby to make money : (


I now wonder if I would hold up to a late night part time job after Dani gets home. I kinda doubt it as I just want to crawl into bed around 10pm anymore. Might be an idea though. What if I did my own gig and made my own hours? Kinda tried that this past 12 weeks and look where it got me. Huh? Think.?. I'm drawing blanks. Maybe stuffing envelopes? Riiiight. It's not that I hate working, I just don't want to miss all the things Grace will go through. Watching her now as we walk through the parks and preserves... so aware. Sitting up, throwing up, discovering toys, sleepy eyes, sleepy cries, being a lap baby, overflowing Target diapers, new food. Target diapers suck... for me.

Show Me The Money!

Forty count pack of diapers, $11. Five pack refill of wipes, $11 . Watching your newborn grow before your eyes, priceless.

So, is the American dream owning a home or spending time with your child. Maybe both? All I know is that I'm diggin' this little venture thus far. One problem. It doesn't pay that well... or anything. I have been attempting to find a way to make some "diaper cash" while tending to our little one and have yet to discover the best way.

I have tried a few things, but to no avail have yet to make any revenue. While cleaning out the garage one weekend I came across some items I new I should just part with and decided to take some pics and put 'em online. This is frustrating, especially for myself, because I tend to hate people. That's right. Truth be told. I can't stand getting a call from a foreigner, only to run in circles trying to figure out what is being said and what is being understood... I just have to hang up at a certain point. Then you have the jerks that call for the details on an item they saw an ad for. Huh! Read the ad and find those details. But, worse yet is the character who calls to set a time for a visit and never shows or even answers when called upon to see what is going on. It gets worse yet. It has only happened once, but this ass actually showed up, made an offer, which we agreed upon and said he would return the next day at this time with this person la la la. So, when that time came and he was AWOL, I called and got this long story and he rescheduled to the next day... and did the same exact thing. Sorry loser. Onto the next guy. People are ridiculous and have absolutely no consideration of others. The bright side is that sometimes the good person does follow through and it all works out. I just hate the B.S. along the way.


In the past month and a half I have found a few ways to make some cash and still have the ability to chill with Grace. With some of these ideas I am still waiting for results. I have seen magazines saying "make thousands working from home". If you look into that you'll be hard pressed to find any ideas of how to work from home with a little one strapped to you. These ideas will take that into account.

• Sell your junk or unneeded items, as mentioned above, whether it be a garage sale or classified ad or even a grocery store flier.



• Cash in all your loose pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters. Sure you're not making money, but at least it's in a more spendable form. It adds up quick.



• Cash for cans. Scrap metal in general can be had for free. Some people will even pay to have it removed. Do you have beer drinking friends? Give 'em a pale for their cans. Look for junk ovens and other appliances in classifieds and take it away. Now, I'm not saying to be one of those dirtbags "stealing" peoples gutters and riffling through dumpsters but that's your call.

• Sell Avon. I have a friend who does it. I know nothing about it. Really... it's a friend!

• Do you have a camera? Sell stock photos. I could go in depth on this but there is so much material out there so just google it. I have been using istockphoto and it hasn't really paid off. Kinda a pain in the butt. I have learned a few things though. Give it a shot. Maybe it will pay off for you.

Crafts. From birdhouses to knitting. What's your hobby? Sell framed photos if you like playing with your camera. Make wind chimes. Knit scarves. Some crafts are fun to do with the kids given they are at that age. Enter a crafts show to show it off.

• Write. Build a book, write an article, or even blog. You never know what it may turn into.

• Turn your past occupation into a gig if it will fit. You may have to work after hours. If you did accounting you could do something I'm sure. If you did something not possible to do around a baby you could always do it when mama gets home or even on the weekends... if you have the time.

• Do you have a green thumb? If your garden is getting too large, if that's possible, divide your plants up and sell them at a fraction of the cost a garden center would.

• Try throwing a bake sale. Never done it. Except in church. May work though... and I'm sure the kids would have fun too considering thet're old enough.

Regardless how limited you are, there are still opportunities out there. Again... something is better than nothing.

On a slightly different note, today is/was the 7th anniversary of the attacks against the USA. My hats off to you... all of you. R.I.P.

What'd I Get Myself Into?

Just over 4 months old.

Well, I am about fed up with Comcast's internet service as well as their customer service. Grr!Besides that, all is well and I am really beginning to worry about what's to come. Our little munchkin has taken my glasses off, pinched me repeatedly, and is grabbing things at random. Sure she doesn't know, but that's what worries me. What happens when she realizes how to throw things?

So, now that things are progressing as they should, I can't help but think of the stairs, knives, table corners, tools laying around (all Dani's of course), and the dreaded skull and cross bones under the sink. Baby proofing, less naps, and way more activity (from the baby that is). Too much to watch out for, yet I honestly cannot wait. A little person wobbling around on her own, speaking crazy talk more than she does already, eating rocks (trying), more and more giggles, ticklish toes, food... the real thing... or one step closer. As messy as it will be I am really looking forward to "helicopters" and "airplanes" and the swatting them away as they're landing. Too funny. At least the first few times.

Grace had her 4 month checkup a few days ago and we got the news we were so excited to hear. Onto cereal and then baby foods. Cool. Too bad the doc said I must wait a bit lonfer for my pilot's liscence. Upon Dani's arrival home from getting the cereal, I found that my lovely wife was way more excited about baby food than I was as she had grabbed two of everything. Two sweet potatoes, two beans, two of this and two of that. We can't even give her that stuff for a month or so. Were the floods coming... Armageddon maybe? I thought she jumped the guns a little until the rains came for four days straight. Just nature tough.

The first feeding was very interesting. The look alone said a million. I don't believe that she was too impressed as the looks of wonder and confusion quickly turned to disgust and distaste. Then came the liquid vitamin. Woe! Not good at all. In goes the spoon at out comes the mixture. I'd say maybe 50% of what went in made it own the hatch. She took it well for the most part and actually began to figure it out the next time around.