Inaugural Christmas

While I had a good idea of how this day was going to go, I didn't have a good grasp on how it was going to feel. This marked the first Christmas that Ashleigh and I did not wake up in Ashland on Christmas morning.

Not waking up under the roofs of either of our parents homes, was foreign to us. Who would have thought, waking up in your own home would be unfamiliar, it was. Not walking down my parent's hallway, or Ash's parent's hallway, not seeing my Mama's Christmas tree or my other Mama preparing some kind of Christmas morning treat was unusual. It was definitely one of those mile markers, that I have referenced before.

As we turn the page, we appreciate those times in our lives, and look forward to the unwritten chapters ahead.



Hearing Pierce's morning babble through the monitor is one of my favorite parts of the day. He carries on for 15 or so minutes, talking to himself, hugging and squeezing his Rudolph or rambling a series of dadas or mamas. Today, he woke up with the same excitement that he wakes up with everyday, Christmas or not. However, I woke up with an exhilaration in my heart that is attributed to it being my son's second Christmas.

Mama grabbed the camera while I greeted my little "Christmas, Christmas, Christmas-head". He couldn't grin wider or be more content when I open the door and chant our chant. The chant isn't very creative. Whatever seems to be the object of the week is used as a prefix to "head". Pierce has been a: blueberry-head, kiwi-head, Pumpkin-head, pretty much any fruit or root vegetable. You think he'll find it entertaining when he's 15?

Our normal routine involves a snack trap of Cheerios and a sippy cup full of whole milk. Pierce is partial to his morning snack or any snack for that matter. Six days out of the week, Daddy and Pierce snuggle (under his Aunt Patti's homemade quilt), and have his treat. As Headline news plays, in the glow of the television, and under the influence of three or four sips of French Roast coffee, I watch contently as he shovels his well proportioned hand into his snack trap and pull out a fistful of Cheerios and not a half second later, they're inefficiently crammed in to his mouth.

This day was different. Mama recorded us coming down the stairs and as we rounded the landing on our way to the kitchen, Pierce sensed a different arrangement of furniture in the living room. He chirped and saw his grand prize. He flung his upper torso parallel to the floor (common, anytime he wants down), and as a I obliged, he hustled over to his new Doug and Melissa's Corner Kitchen.

The three hours that followed were the three most pleasurable hours of my life. Watching my son play with his Mama and his new prizes while being artificially amped up on his first taste of authentic Danish Kringle made my insides warm. I know this invokes many of your gag reflexes but I can't help it. I'm writing what I feel and it felt amazing.

After Pierce crashed on his newly opened Moose body pillow, Ash and I watched the 20 plus minutes that I recorded. The above video is one of the shortest and captures how jubilant he was. A visit with family later in the evening involved the traditional appearance from Santa. I know Pierce's amazement with that aspect will grow exponentially over the next few years.

I am going to refer to this December 25th, 2011 as the "Inaugural". This year, we started laying the foundation for new Qualnandez Family traditions. I want to thank everyone involved for their love and kindness.

My experiences are new to me, the lessons learned are probably not new to you. Most of the time, I'm just working out in my head, what the Silver and Black Lining is.

Reach

Tippy toes.
Creased Red Robeez.
PZH standing as tall as his frame will allow.
One fourteen month old nose barely clearing the bathroom vanity.
PZH reaching as far up and across as his arm will extend.
All in an effort to grab the book looking object playing the Christmas music.

It's Sunday morning and I have a mug of coffee in my hand, typically when I get like this it's dark out and I have a a glass of wine in my hand while sitting in a swivel chair with a robe on smoking a cigar and listening to Adele.

I can't tell you when the last time I physically stretched out as far as I could to attain something much less what it was. How about metaphorically? What was my motivation for focusing all of my potential energy to accomplish something. It doesn't matter what it was, it only matters that I shouldn't have had to think as long as I did to remember what it was.

Kids can teach you a lot if you let them. They force you to relearn some important lessons too. All you have to do is pay close attention cause they can be right in front of you.

The lesson that Pierce helped me create today was that while I have goals for us as a family, I should always be able to answer the question "What are your personal short/long term goals?" without hesitation. What are you doing to get better everyday?

It won't be long before Pierce is helping the grandmas grab the baking sheets from the top cabinet. He probably won't be wearing red Robeez but the first time I see him do it, I hope I remember the morning when his nostrils were at their apex, just barely visible over the counter.

Post Script
I was joking about the robe and Adele scenario.

Sunday Morning Wrestling

No need to get wordy. Jumping on the bed set up an exciting day for Pierce and Dad.

Happy Halloween!

One of our several excursions to Babies "R" Us resulted in what I like to call "The Decision". I got in to the habit of strolling down the toy aisle before picking up the neccessary items on the shopping list. I enjoy buying a toy for my son, letting him play with it while we loaded the cart with diapers or fiddlesticks made us both content. He was happy that he had something to play with and I was on the natural high that goes with being a Daddy and buying your son a toy.

I held up two stuffed dolls for him to play with and ultimately decide on which one was going home with us. I quickly thought of Toy Story and all of Woody's supporting cast. I thought that for a little while at least, which ever toy Pierce chose would serve as his favorite.



Big Bird vs. Cookie Monster

Pierce did not immediatley gravitate toward one. He test drove both for a few minutes. He would squeeze them, shake them and poke at them. He picked up one, laid it down and picked up the other and then repeated the process until finally he settled on ......Cookie Monster.

I told Ash that when Pierce grows in to the person that he is supposed to be, I know after witnessing this event that he will not take decisions lightly and that he will attempt to cautiously weigh all circumstances and possible variables before coming to his conclusion.



After making the rounds at our favorite neighbors we hunkered down on our porch, it was a typical fall night. Pierce played in the flower box and walked alongside the steps as we passed out candy. We all had fun!

Pierce probably had the most fun before bath time when Mama put his costume on her head and began talking like Cookie. Pierce chuckled and then Mama kissed Pierce's "cookie tummy" and he chuckled some more. He chuckled for ten or so minutes while we both took turns as Cookie Monster (mom got the bigger laughs cause shes is the bestest.)

We ended the evening the same way we did his first Halloween, by reading Scaredy Cat Splat!

Out of this Stratosphere

One of the advantages of PZH getting older is that he has more energy and is able to stay up longer than he did four months ago. Despite his best efforts though, he still has a "firm"night-night time frame. Those moments that adults get to themselves are fewer and further between. That is not to come across as a complaint, fact is there isn't anything else that I would rather do.

Pierce's fascination with most anything has sky rocketed in to a stratosphere that only children can enter and only parents of children have a chance of interpreting. Do you remember how interesting leaves are? Do you remember how fun mulch could be? Do you remember when playing in the dirt was the best and getting dirty was a necessary part of a fun day? Do you remember how fun pulling a door stop 90 degrees and letting go was? Hearing the door stop boing back and forth tickles the core of a child's' innocence.




What about, the geniusness of a tissue box? Did you know if you pull one tissue out, another identical tissue replaces it? TRY IT, Pierce would say. He has, to the tune of about 27 Kleenex boxes. He gets the biggest tickle out of pulling them out, one after the other until there are no more. When he discovers a new Kleenex box, his eyes sparkle and I can see him open the cockpit of his rocket ship before he blasts off into that stratosphere. He looks at it and thinks to himself, "dang it, who put all those tissues back in the box?" I think he feels like it's his responsibility, neigh, his mission to extract every last one, when he's done, he looks at us with an expression that suggests he's accomplished one of his chores, hopefully he's as dedicated to taking out the trash?




We love exploring wherever we're at but the front yard affords a convenient opportunity. We rip up big leaves like we rip up TP. We judiciously sift through the bark and to find and separate the best pieces. We especially like to twist and pull the pretty white perennials.

Re-experiencing life's inaugurals is an unanticipated residual blessing of parenthood. I would never have guessed how amusing it would be to watch my son: open and shut a door, close a drawer or deliberately move his Dada's socks from one drawer to another with specific intent.




My parents talk about the day I left for college being a tough day, it was for me too. I am not thinking about crossing that bridge yet but I do draw comparisons when I watch Pierce explore never before seen objects. Just like my parents watched the red tail lights of my 1998 Ford Taurus take me to an unfamiliar world, I watch Pierce's red low tops and his unique combination of crawling and walking help him venture out in to his own unknown. It'll be a while before I see his Camry's tail lights, I'm sure we'll need those 27 Kleenex boxes then but for now we'll enjoy these precious moments.

My experiences are new to me, the lessons learned are probably not new to you. Most of the time, I'm just working out in my head what the "Silver and Black Lining" is?

Daddy's Home!

It starts with the opportunity to slide out of work a bit early.
The Single Windsor knot is loosened and the sleeves are rolled up.
Beep, Beep goes the Toyota's key less entry and vroom, vroom when the accelerator is depressed.
An anxious but cautious foot helps get to home base.
As I bounce up my three steps, the feeling of knowing that I am about to completely surprise my family makes my heart warm, my eyes wide and my grin unmistakable.

The lock turns, the door opens and I hear the sound of love and laughter echoing throughout the foyer, down the hall and in to the living room.
I drop to my knees and begin to crawl to the source.
My tie is dragging across the hardwood and as uncomfortable as it was, it was equally fulfilling, (Sir Isaac is so right.)
Mama somehow detects my stealth like movements and begins to ask Pierce "where's Dada?"
Pierce was standing next to the couch and knew something was up.
As I crawled down the hall, I could see his size 12 (mos) Robeez, hastily walking alongside the couch, in an effort to peak his head around the corner to see if indeed Daddy was home?

I lye on my back at the end of the couch, waiting for his three tooth grin.
The moment arrives!
His mouth stretched as far as it can go in every direction making a perfect O, accompanied by a high pitched squeal.
With one hand bracing himself against the couch, he cautiously squats down and grabs my nose (can't blame him, it's the biggest target.)

I scoop him up and squeal just as loud.
I sit him on my chest, he smiles.
I kiss him all over and he giggles (I've described his giggle before, it's one of my most favoritist sounds.)
I give him two deep raspberries on his tummy and neck at which point he leans down with an open mouth and wet lips and gives me his kiss all while his arms wrap around my head.

Daddy's Home!

My experiences are new to me, the lessons learned are probably not new to you. Most of the time, I'm just working out in my head, what the Silver and Black Lining is.

Sandy Imprints

We had everything we needed: beach umbrella check, beach chairs check, cooler filled with yummy necessities check, beach towels, block and sunglasses, check, check and check plus. With our proverbial checklist complete we put the car in gear and headed for Coligny Beach. Pierce was charged with energy provided by the sandy shorelines, the calm breeze, the warm waters and the feel good vibe of the surrounding beach goers.

After I clumsily staked our umbrella and Ashleigh unfolded the chairs, Pierce and I headed for the water. As it turns out, Pierce seems to have a natural affinity for water. He took to his swim "lessons" earlier this year well and I was excited to see his fearlessness applied to this more formidable swimming pool. The only words he says with regularity are Ma and Da but he does have an impressive grasp of the "babble." Pierce babbled as we splashed and kicked our way along the edge of the breaking water. When he got tired of walking or curious at the sand beneath our toes, he sat down and I followed suit.

Pierce sat between my legs for what seemed like an hour but was probably only 15 minutes. We played in the soupy sand, the salt water surged past us momentarily but was pulled back seconds later by the under current, sucking the sand around our legs and thighs. I would reach around and kiss him on his torso and cheeks until he giggled the way only your child can. The most challenging task I found myself dealing with was preventing him from eating the sand.

After we cleaned up and Mamma gave us a snack under a blanket of shade provided by our umbrella, it was time for Ma and P to construct their first sand castle. Pierce carried over his excitement for knocking things over (learned I'm sure from Nana and her block towers), to toppling Ash's walls. If she constructed one, she constructed ten. Two perpendicular walls and a moat (from Pierce) strategically placed inside the two walls were all that was achieved. The three of us walked and played in the serf after Pierce's apprenticeship concluded.

I hope I always remember picking up my one year old Pierce after he licked a palm full of sand and then looking down at the outline of our tookuses just before the ocean covered them up. Like many other families, we left our imprints in the sand today and the waves quickly washed them away. What cannot be washed away is the time that we spent together, the laughs that we shared and the adventures we had on our first family vacation.

My experiences are new to me, the lessons learned are probably not new to you. Most of the time, I'm just working out in my head, what the Silver and Black Lining is.

Savannah

Savannah is a 45 minute drive from Hilton Head and was an unexpected bonus for our trip. The Georgia Highways were lined with beautiful Live Oak Trees accented with Spanish Moss, they served as Savannah's red carpet.

The one "must see/do" on our short list was to experience Lady Paula Dean's restaurant. Lady and Sons offered a glimpse in to fine southern cuisine. We couldn't leave without trying fried green tomatoes which were delicious. Ashleigh ordered a chicken salad sandwich and I enjoyed Paula's crab cakes. The quote of the day had to be "yes, mac n chz is a vegetable.", Pierce loved the "vegetables."

With our bellies full and our arteries a bit more firm we decided to jaunt on over to the newly restored River Walk. You can imagine the history that rests there. Slaves bought and traded and cash crops being exported back to the King. With so many Historical squares and House Museums, it wasn't hard to immerse ourselves into Savannah's roots.

One vehicle that we chose to take advantage of was the home of Isaiah Davenport. A master builder in the 1820s, he left his fingerprint on the architecture of the city and it is still prevalent today.

The tour lasted 30 minutes, Pierce had a bottle to occupy him for the first ten and after that, Ashleigh and I did a good job of taking turns entertaining little P, while not disturbing the other four members of the tour. At one point when it was my turn, we were in the hall while the rest of the group was in one of the bedrooms. I was feeding him yogurt bites and he began to babble loud enough that it echoed which earned him a large laughter. The group went on, Ash and I stole a glimpse of each other and as they went in to the next room, I quickly scooped up what came out of his mouth when he began his babble. The tour ended, the group complimented us on his behavior and I remember thinking, I wouldn't have dreamt of attempting that ten months ago, it's all about adjustments.

We spent a couple more hours in the City Market and the Historical District before grabbing one more Georgia meal and heading back across the Savannah River. When I reminisce about our trip to Savannah, I'll think of three things: how filling the food is (because it's all fried), the 200 year old pine heart floor boards that probably still have Pierce's snacks smashed between and lastly how nice the locals were.

I don't care which restaurant or diner you go to in New York, Chicago or San Francisco, you won't get any member of their staff come up to your kid and have a sincere conversation with him about what he should try on the menu and offer (almost beg) to feed the baby. It was more than a token, generic salutation delivered in high pitch baby speak. It was Southern Hospitality!


My experiences are new to me, the lessons learned are probably not new to you. Most of the time, I'm just working out in my head, what the Silver and Black Lining is.

Helmets. Check!

Adjustment is a term any new parent should get familiar with. Ashleigh and I are good at enough but if there is one thing that we are great at, it's squeezing every last second out of a vacation day. The last time we were in SC was 10 years ago. We walked the shore line of Myrtle Beach just after Ash graduated High School. Fast forward to present day and we're walking a SC shore once again, only this time we're each holding the hand of our one year old blessing.

We knew that this vacation wasn't going to be like previous ones. But we also knew that we would make the necessary adjustments. This trip is where we begin to splice our old modus operandi with our new one. Whether it's an international city or a beach in the low country the goal is always the same. Immerse yourself in to the culture as best as you can using all five of your senses (especially taste), all while having an unforgettable time and not letting your head hit your pillow without a thought of accomplishment floating through your mind as you pass into your dream world.

Today was no different, we get a little later start than we used to but the ideal time to start our adventure is after Pierce's first nap. We checked out our bikes and strapped Pierce in to his baby seat with a five point harness and helmet. A mile later, we were pushing our pedals along the sandy shorelines, watching children play in the early tide and older couples turn the pages of number one best sellers. We soaked it all in for a couple of miles before turning on Lighthouse Rd. Pierce was grabbing at my shirt and making sounds of contentment, this continued for the remaining four miles before we locked up our cycles and grabbed a bite to eat.

The three of us walked down the pier and enjoyed the view that it offered as well as the lighthouse which was the catalyst for this particular bike path. The 2pm nap time approached, so we saddled up and Pierce zonked out. Six miles later we turned in our bikes and headed for the beach. After changing into the appropriate attire, it wasn't long before we were the ones playing in the surf.

Maximizing a day's potential should always be a high priority but as long as you can say you had a good time, "who gives a rip?"

An Hour at The Ocean

So, if we've achieved one thing on our first family vacation it is that Pierce now loathes his car seat. After a cumulative of 13 hours riding in the car we finally arrived to our home for the week in Hilton Head, SC. We considered our first day a "travel" day. Everyone has been there: seven hours of driving, packing, loading, unloading, unpacking. At the end of the day all you want to do is grab a quick bite, some rest and a good night's sleep so that you can hit the ground running the next day.

After unpacking, Daddy took a gamble. I decided that we couldn't come all this way without at least accomplishing putting our toes in the sand on the first day. The only hurdle was strapping our boy back into the car seat. It took both arms from both parents and a foot to cram him in and he wasn't quiet about it. I couldn't blame him. For all he knew, we were buckling in for another few hours.

Ten minutes later (well past Pierce's bedtime,) we were walking down the winding boardwalk. The residual winds from Hurricane Katia and Tropical storm Lee were whipping through Mamma's hair. The water fowl were squawking and gliding across the aforementioned wind, the palm trees' branches were swaying, the salt water smell started to become palatable and the sound of the oceans relentless siege upon the beaches of South Carolina were all coming to a crescendo. The view to the Atlantic was not a straight shot, rather was guarded by several of the boardwalks' bends. With Pierce on my hip and Momma close by, we cut through the anticipation with each step.

Seeing Pierce's dimples as I held him, while standing on the sand, is a moment I hope I don't soon forget. I introduced him to the ocean (it's the subject of one of his favorite pop up books "A Day in The Ocean",) and stood him on his feet. Together we walked toward the Atlantic. He didn't know what to make of the new carpet squishing between his tiny toes or of the water that surged suddenly over top of them for only a moment before receding back into the horizon.

After the initial excitement ran its course, Pierce wanted to walk. We walked along Driesson Beach and I can say that, outside of his Momma and Daddy and grandparents, the atmosphere that I described elicited the most prolonged smile that I have ever seen him wear. I'm looking forward to the rest of our trip. Hopefully we elicit a few more smiles.

5K - 25 minutes

I'm coming for you Marathon!

Picture This

No longer are we content to sit on the floor and play with objects, I say objects and not toys because PZ would just assume fiddle with a travel wipes bag as opposed to any one of his 77 toys.

I like this picture because it outlines Pierce's progression over the past 30 days. Lately, his curiosity o'meter's needle is leaning hard right. About four weeks ago he started walking using his push toy (to the right in this picture.) He's progressed to walking (at a snail's pace,) along the side of furniture and around some of his toy tables.

I've come to appreciate photography on a deeper level over the last seven years. The single biggest reason being, it's the passion of the most beautiful woman on God's Earth and she happens to be my wife. My son is eleven months old today and I have taken 1100 pictures of him, his momma has easily doubled that. Those numbers are not exaggerated for effect.

I bring this up because typically when anyone flips through a series of pictures they pause for a second on each one and move on to the next. Who has time to dissect every detail of a picture? It's not even a question of time, unless it's your own kid, who wants to spend more than a second on a photo?

Just so we're on the same page, the type of photos that I am referring to aren't sailors proposing to nurses in the middle of Times Square or of ash covered first responders. Those carry a different weight and deserve different attention. You look at those pictures and try to imagine what the the scene was like in the moments before the flash and the seconds after.

I have 1100 points in time that I can warp back through, replay the scene and smile 1100 more times. In the above photo, Ash was blow drying her hair off through the door on the left. Little man and I were walking all over the house, pushing the animal farm walker, listening to roosters and cows. Pierce pushed ahead while I watched from behind. He parked his walker and used the wicker hamper to make his way over to the taller more formidable plastic hamper. This all took some time, he is getting more brave but I wouldn't put any money on him in a foot race just yet. He eventually made it to what I assume was his destination. He must have opened and shut the lid 33 times and he must have giggled oh, about.....33 times.

If I had some vino in me, this is the point where I would trail off on a tangent for a couple of paragraphs about the importance of appreciating the here and now and yadda yadda blah blah. Fortunately, I have only an Ale, so all I'll say is, take some pictures people!

My experiences are new to me, the lessons learned are probably not new to you. Most of the time, I'm just working out in my head, what the Silver and Black Lining is.

50 Meters

A while back I promised to write about fun family events, I couldn't think of a more appropriate day to chronicle than our first family trip to the pool.

When I reminisce about going to the pool as a child, I naturally associate it with freedom. Why? Pools open during the summer and you aren't in school in the summer. Sun screen, floaties, and cannon balls are symbolic of the type of fun that we as adults can rarely re-capture and if we do manage to grasp it for a fleeting moment it doesn't come with the child like giggle that strums a parents' heart chords.

After putting on his shorts and rash guard shirt, after applying the block and squeezing his curled toes in to his shark shoes and the hat was pulled down, it was time to venture off in to the giant bath tub. Armed with both apprehension and fascination, Pierce put one foot in front of the other until the water was just above his knees.

When he could no longer put his foot to the bottom of the pool and he became perplexed as to how his leg was floating, he became uneasy and started to vocalize his concerns it was time for Daddy to wrap his arms around his little cub and convey to him, "It's Okay. Daddy's Here."

Bouncing on my knee while in the water elicited not just a smile but a smile accompanied with a little tongue sticking out the edge of his lips, it reminded me of a puppy wagging its tail. Splashing the water and playing with the his strings made for a content little baby.

After lunch under a shady tree and a nap in Daddy's arms it was time for a shot at the big boy pool. In the interest of full disclosure, this wasn't technically our first trip to the pool. Last summer, the pool proved to be a therapeutic time for Momma while Pierce was inside her womb.

Up and down, 50 meters at a time we all three went taking the pressure off Momma's back and thinking about the upcoming summer when we would take Pierce to the pool for the first time. That is what I thought about as Ashleigh floated and kicked her way around the pool with Pierce sitting comfortably on her chest. I like to think that while they were nuzzling noses and kissing and smiling, Pierce felt a familiarity with the experience.

Pierce giggled as I joined them and we continued to chase each other back and forth 50 meters at a time.

Besties

Last week was an exciting time, my best friend was in the area for work which afforded us an opportunity to visit. It was the first time we clinked glasses in three years and I am convinced that we have as close of a relationship that two straight men can have (that's for Debbie in case she's reading.)

There are more than a few advantageous aspects of having a best friend that dates back to your childhood, if I only mentioned a couple I'd say: one is that unlike the trust and experiences that you build with friends in your "adult" life, a different foundation of understanding exists with a childhood bestie, the other is their ability to hold you accountable without passing judgement in a way only your wife or your immediate family are capable of.

The type of accountability that I am referencing isn't the type a man should innately posses. I'm not talking about keeping responsibilities in check or morals aligned.

I'm speaking of not having the luxury of fabricating an excuse for slowly lulling yourself into complacency. You could feed an excuse to a casual pal or acquaintance and they'd either accept it as legit or not care enough to call you out on it.

It's natural to reminisce about younger years while knocking back a few highballs, discussing current bliss and commenting on the road ahead eventually ensue. It's during the reminiscing that old goals/dreams bubble to the surface. Those goals or dreams were no doubt conceived under a blanket of childhood naivety but should it matter?

My better half penned a piece about doing things for your "older self." What would a conversation with your seventeen year old self be like? I think mine would go something like this:

Young G: "So, doesn't look like we'll ever grow a goatee huh?"

Old G: "Smart Ace, nope. We'd have to talk to a much older G to see if our fortune changes in that department."

YG: "We get to marry Ash?" Sweet!

OG: "Yes it is."

YG: "So, how many marathons have we run by age 29? Are we completely fluent in Spanish? How many Broadway productions have we starred in? Did we see the Colosseo yet"

OG: "Zero. No, zero and yes. Now, get back to class and pay attention in English, our punctuation in these posts leave little to be desired."


Motivation is a tricky lady and she can disguise herself in many forms. When the Gran Marnier wore off, the weekend came to a close and the handshake was completed I would describe my current state as revived.

What were some of the goals that you wanted to accomplish 20 years, 10 years, 1 year ago? We've all seen the novelty bumper stickers about having a plan but life getting in the way.

Is it too late to put a check mark next to your marathon? It might be tougher to accomplish with new obligations and responsibilities but we wouldn't tell our younger self to give up would we? Maybe we could revisit some of those goals and strive to accomplish modified versions of them, this time under a different type of blanket.

My experiences are new to me, the lessons learned are probably not new to you. Most of the time, I'm just working out in my head, what the Silver and Black Lining is.

Looking Ahead

In the interest of full disclosure, I'll start off by saying that I am working on my second (generously poured) glass of Fog Head Chardonnay. I've had an amazing day beginning with a fun family breakfast. Pierce savored his whole grain cereal, while Momma, my little sis and I enjoyed pancakes. An eventful day at Keeneland ensued which was shared with friends and that was followed by a pleasant walk in the neighborhood and an appropriate summer dinner.

Maybe it's the wine but I am having a little trouble determining the direction of this entry. Initially I was going to write about best friends and I still plan to but the picture above is the inspiration for me tickling these keys right now. When I saw it, I felt an overwhelming urge to pen the following...

I am sometimes guilty of spending so much time looking at the big picture that I don't give the "smaller image" the appropriate weight. Both of them are important. Both of the following statements are true but are contradicting approaches; If you aren't on top of every detail than the result is something gets by you, If you focus too much on the small stuff than the bigger concept goes right over your head.

Being successful on our journeys requires the correct implementation of both thought processes. A conscious "blend" of the two would be ideal. When I look at the above picture several thoughts come to mind. The first one probably doesn't have much to do with the "bigger picture" but dammit it's a "smaller image" that I care quite a bit about and I want to write about it.

If I didn't pay too much attention to the above photo, I'd say there is a daddy holding his son. If I gave it a bit more thought and tried to over analyze, I would think "there is a Daddy showing his Son something new and in that exchange of information a lesson is being taught, an experience is being shared and a memory conceived."

So, the bigger picture is that we should all enjoy the time spent with those closest to us and the small image is to make sure that we capitalize on the moments during that time spent and maximize their potential.

I think that we would improve our level of satisfaction in life if we started to view these moments with measured perspective from both lenses, big and small. Finding the balance between both is essential. Seeing what is in front of us while enjoying the present and looking ahead at the same time is a skill not easily attained.

I am not out of touch. I know that I could very easily come off as another asshole drinking wine while lecturing all of us on how we should all act or live. Sometimes I fear that these entries come off as pretentious or self serving. I don't worry so much that I lose sleep over it mostly because I know that only nine people on this planet read this thing. All that I am trying to do (besides attain a modicum of pleasure for myself) is highlight my observations.

Today was a grand day. I am thankful for all of them but days like today certainly help define things.

My experiences are new to me, the lessons learned are probably not new to you. Most of the time, I'm just working out in my head, what the Silver and Black Lining is.

Lips, Digits and Eyes

After the subject matter of my last post, I thought I'd write about one of my more favorite subjects. Something that no matter what is going on while this world is whirling around at mach 90, can make me smile.

Take a look at my little man tipping his bottle up all by himself, with a look expressing contentment.

We diagnose the looks that people give us everyday. Most of the time we're accurate but some looks can leave you to ponder their meaning. Whether it is a look from a co-worker, an acquaintance or love interest. If you get a look that puzzles you, it's natural to think to yourself "I wonder what that meant?" Were they mad, did they take that last comment wrong, does she like me?

Diagnosing the expression of an infant is a science and for new parents a quick learning curve is vital.

If you haven't noticed, I can be pretty sappy when it comes to PZH, I can't help it and "do you know what?", I don't want to help it. I want to embrace it and fertilize it.

His look fascinates me in this pic. His lips are tightly wrapped around the bottle's nipple. He's strategically placed his healthy little digits so that they're propping up the bottle, illustrating his desire to get the last drop. I am speculating at the meaning of the look that I was talking about and served as the catalyst for this post. The look we shared, was more than a look, it was a conversation.


Dad: "Hey bud, are you enjoying your breakfast that Momma made for you."

Pierce: "Yes, thank you Dad."

Dad: "I love you bud."

Pierce: "Love you too Dad."


We'll see how far off base my diagnosis is when we start to have actual conversations. When we do, I can assure you that there will be more funny, laugh out loud subject matters but that won't mean that I'll abandon the sappy ones.



My experiences are new to me, the lessons learned are probably not new to you. Most of the time, I'm just working out in my head, what the Silver and Black Lining is.

Mile Marker

Received some news a few days ago that caught me off guard. Our parents were right (that's not the news.) Ten years removed from High School, we don't know those friends that we passed in the halls and sat with through class. Generation Y has always been different, we do keep up through social media but we hardly "know" each other and the emphasis that we placed on each others' opinions is gone.

Prijesh Patel was not my best bud, but at one point in time I could easily describe him as a good friend. We shared more than a handful of laughs and conversations. I remember the first day that I met him. It was the first day of school in 1997. Prijesh was a Freshman and I a Sophomore. He had just moved to Ashland, understanding his role as the new kid from having been in his position exactly one year earlier, I made a point to say hey. He wasn't the new kid for long, his humor and personality were infectious.

My experience with death is limited. I have not dealt with mourning the way a lot of you have and I haven't had to cope with the crippling sadness that comes with losing someone close to you unexpectedly. I'm not saying that this was the case for me when I heard about my old friend but I was upset and bothered.

We all ponder our mortality at one point or another. When you provide for your loved ones and your life affects their well being it's only natural to think or plan in the event that you pass away. I suppose you could describe it as a mile marker on life's road traveled.

There are certainly other events that you focus on more than others. You swim through an ocean of anticipation in the months prior to getting your license or graduate and who could wait to turn 21? Those are markers that we invested more time than we care to admit thinking about. Throw in Marriage, buying your first home and Parenthood and now we're ten years and several markers removed from the night we tossed our caps.

The untimely passing of our classmates is inevitable. Others have passed too soon. While I've written in this space before about the importance of perspective, Prijesh's abrupt and unfortunate passing is a reminder to take heed of life's bigger picture. I don't care to speculate about the details or circumstances surrounding Prijesh's death, rather focus on the time that I knew him and cherish the memories that we made that first day in Biology and beyond.

Rest In Peace Prijesh.

My experiences are new to me, the lessons learned are probably not new to you. Most of the time, I'm just working out in my head, what the Silver and Black Lining is.

Rock-a-Bye Baby

It's 5 am........

I wrote the previous thought about 30 minutes ago and I'm struggling to come to grips with the reality that I have been up for a couple hours and my day has now officially started.

After turning on the idiot box to pass the time while the joe brewed I thought I'd punch this key board a few times to document this window in our young parenting career. Although I am struggling to come up with more than a couple lucid observations.

Who doesn't treasure a good nights sleep? Our definition of a "good" night sleep has changed over the last 15 weeks. Pierce is in bed by 8:00 and I am not embarrassed to say that we follow most nights around 10:13 pm. Pierce refills around 1 and then again about 4, although recently it seems as though the 4 am time slot is at this point more out of habit than need.

While rocking him back to sleep is one of the greater joys of my life, it leaves me awake enough to contemplate the Hernandez Household Headlines of the week and then I end up writing a blog post that makes little sense, has run on sentences, all while a shake weight infomercial is playing in the background.

The coffee is ready!