Happy Birthday Bubba!

Hard to believe -- this time last year, we were welcoming our son to the world!

That's right, Boydee, AKA Bubba, celebrates his first birthday today! Wow, did it get here quick! And, sorry, son... you didn't realize it, but last weekend at Spencer Rockhold's 1st birthday party? That was about as close to a birthday party as you're going to get!

But don't worry... you're still doing better than your Sissy did. According to this post from 2007, Evey spent her first birthday in the emergency room with a fever! So at least you're chilling in your own crib for your big day!

Sonny, you're an awesome little boy. I love your fuzzy hairdo, I like that you seem to enjoy sports on TV (especially football and soccer) but are indifferent to all other shows, I dig your cool super-hero themed wardrobe.

Most of all, you make our family complete -- I have a hard time even remembering what our family was like before you got here. Evey, Momma and me love you so much... You're the piece that completes the Jones family puzzle, and that's just one of the many reasons I love you, son.

HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY TO MY FAVORITE LITTLE BOY IN THE WORLD!

Head for the Cure 2012

I ran a 5K race this Sunday. It was the annual "Head for the Cure" 5K in support of brain cancer research.

Here's a pic of "Team Boyd":

Me, cousin Melissa, Jess and Stacy following the 5K race this Sunday morning.

We had a blast, surprisingly. I was dreading the race, mostly because I'm fat and out of shape. I also planned on being hungover. Fat, out-of-shape and hungover doesn't go well with 5K races.

I was happy to finish the race in 33 minutes, good enough to take 3rd in my age category. Not fast by any means, but I bet it was two or three minutes faster than my time last year. (Note: I ran it in 35:16 last year, so a two-minute improvement. I ran it in 32:29 in 2010, so, whatever.)

They even gave me a medal for third place. I was mildly amused by the whole thing.

Then I came home and showed the medal to Adrianne. Her response: "Oh, did they give everyone a medal this year?"

Thanks, babe.

***

Good news -- Evey's relationship with Parker or whatever his name was, lasted all of one day.

And Evey even announced it that way when she got home. "Good news!" she called out. "I broke up with Parker!"

We asked, what happened? She told us he told her he'd play with her at recess that day, and he did not, so it was OVER.

Plenty of fish in the sea, Evey.

***

If I look giant in that sweatshirt in the photo, it's because it used to be my Dad's. Typically my Dad's clothes are giant on me, but this one is too skinny.

This made my 33-minute 5K even more impressive, that a dude stuffed into a 25-year-old sweatshirt, who recently ate What-a-Burger for three straight meals, could complete the race at all was a victory. For mankind.

***

Boydee likes sitting in the Terror Dome and looking out our front window. He shouts at random things as they pass by, mostly cars. It sounds like he's shouting "I love you!" but I think he really just wants to be heard. It's pretty badass.

Boydee likes to play ball, and is decent at throwing the mini football. He seems to be right-handed.

One thing we can't figure out is that he often will hold the football to his ear before throwing it. I suggested today that a lot of NFL and college quarterbacks will hold the ball up near their ear when they're in the pocket, looking for an open receiver. Perhaps that's where he gets this.

Or maybe he thinks the football is also the phone. I don't know.

Updates from the world of Jones

** I'm running in the "Head for the Cure" 5K this Sunday. It's a fundraiser for brain cancer research. Come out and join us! We've got a team of four of us -- me, my sister, my cousin Melissa, and our friend Stacy are all running on "Team Boyd" in honor of my dad. Click here for details. Also, click through the photos -- you'll see a photo of me and Jess' calves with "In Memory of Dad" written on them, and a photo of my sister holding Evey at the end of the race. Kinda cool!

** Boydee is saying a lot more words now, including "Momma," "Love you," "bye-bye," maybe "thank you" and possibly "abuela," which is what he calls Elvira ("grandma" -- what her actual grandson calls her, so Boyd's latched on to it.) He's doing great... I was in Florida for four days, and he was really happy to see me when I came home, which was cool.

** Here's the big news of the day... Evey has met her future husband, she tells me.

Lately, when I pick her up from school, she comes out the front door holding the same boys' hand. Today they were just both smiling like crazy... and I almost thought this little boy was going to introduce himself to me.

"Who is that boy," I asked Evey once we were in the car. She smiled and said, "That's Jackson. And guess what? I think someday... I'm going to marry him!"

I didn't make a big deal about it. But Evey couldn't hold back. "Don't tell his mom or dad... and don't tell mom... but I think I'm in love with him! I'm in love with him, and... ta-dah! I'm going to marry him."

I told her that she loved me, and that was enough for now.

"But, Dad, I can't marry you -- you're already married," she told me. "Jackson follows me around the playground, and he's really nice. When I fell, he took care of me and made sure I was OK. Daddy, he's so nice!"

I whispered this story to Adro tonight. She laughed pretty hard. And I swore her to secrecy, too.

No one tell Evey's little secret or she'll hate me forever, OK???

my kids

Boydee waiting for Sis

At dance class! We wanna go home and watch Sporting!

Cheers, Dad

It's three years ago today that I lost my Dad. Cheers, dad. Still miss you like crazy! (But I dream of you less than ever... come say hello every once in a while!)

Coach's daughter

Here's a pic of me and the kids on Evey's first day of school. I like using my expanding gut as a shelf for Boydee to sit on. Convenient.

***

I'm coaching Evey's soccer team for the first time. She played in the Happy Feet League in Lawrence the last two years, and that league came with its own coaches.

We have 10 kids on our team, from ages 3 to 5. Evey is one of the older kids on the team, and the second-tallest.

Evey is very proud that her dad is the coach. She thinks it gets her all sorts of cool points. She also thinks I'll play favorites for her, and I told her I wouldn't -- and that made her a little mad. But I've explained it to her a few times that that wouldn't be fair.

At our first practice, I sat all the kids down with all their parents and introduced myself.

"My name is Seth. You can call me Seth, or Coach Seth, or just Coach," I told everyone.

And Evey announced, "And you can call me the Coach's daughter!"

***

We got smoked in our first game. Well, we started off poorly, and then things settled down a bit. I get to run on the field with the kids. A lot of my time is spent encouraging kids to get involved. I have a few kids who would rather chase bugs then chase the ball.

After the game, one of the parents asked me, "How's your voice?"

I told him the voice was fine... but my soul was wounded.

A shitty story

OK, so the shit story...

I was in Milwaukee last week (among other places), so Adro was on solo kid duty (with multiple guest appearances by Grandma Judy). I got an email from Adro, a forward from Evey's kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Paul. Apparently Evey had mismanaged her bathroom time, and had a little accident in her skivvies at school. But major embarrassment was avoided somehow, so everyone was cool.

I was worried that this was a life-altering event in Evey's life... that she would have a new nickname for the next ten years, and she'd earned it in only her second week of kindergarten. I worried that'd she'd come home distraught, and I was out of town.

She came home, and there was no mention of a shitty day at school. At all.

Fast forward to that evening. Adro was preparing to give Evey and Boydee a bath at the same time.

Evey was already in the tub; Boyd was about to join in the fun. Adro lifted up Boydee, and saw something... what is that? a misplaced Cocoa Puff? Oh shit, that's shit!

So Adro looks around and sees that, indeed, she's been shat upon by her favorite little boy in the world. Poop is everywhere. Adro hollers for Grandma Judy, who comes to help out.

Things are cleaned up, and that's when, nonchalantly, Evey tells Mom, "Yeah, mom... it was a bad poop day for me and Bubba."

And that was the first mention Evey had of her accident at school that day.

What a relief that her shitty day wasn't that traumatic...

Bad Poop Day

There's a story here, and it involves the birthday girl (Adro -- happy birthday!) getting shat upon.

Story after this commercial break...

Help me believe in anything. 'Cause I want to be someone who believes... yeah.

Here's Evey, Adro and Boydee on Evey's first day.

I'm back from Denver/New York. Both were good. Exhausting.

***

Evey loved her first week of school. She's excited to get back into it now, for week two. She tells me that I need to come to school for lunch someday. That sounds like awesome fun to me... better do it before she gets to the age where she doesn't want to be seen with me!

***

We painted Evey's room this weekend. Well, Adro did most of the painting. I helped on day one, Evey did too. Then Adro did day two by herself so it would look good.

We painted the room a nice yellow... the room is brighter now. Evey gets a bunk bed this week. Her room is going to be all new soon.

Believe in me.

Evey on her first day of school.

She LOVED it.

More details and photos later this week...

so come dance this silence down through the morning... sha-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la, yeah... uh-huh... yeah-ahhh-ahhh. Cut up, Maria! Show me some of that Spanish dancing... pass me a bottle, Mr. Jones!

As Borat would say... "GREAT SUCCESS!!!"

This weekend we had a garage sale... and we sold almost every "big" item we had, including a fridge, a desk with book case, a bed, a jogging stroller... even an old tube TV (we gave it away.)

Grand total for our stuff we wanted to get rid of? Guess...

Guess again.

Nope, higher.

The answer: $605 made on the garage sale. Holy shit.

I even sold a box of comics for $6. Adro was impressed for about 5 minutes.

It helped that we had beautiful weather, a ton of kid's clothes, and a giant sign at the corner next to ours that read "MOVING SALE." A lot of people came our way, and traffic was good on both Friday and Saturday.

I'm SO happy we sold the old desk/bookcase. I told myself that this was the last time I was ever going to move that piece of furniture, after moving it in and out of the garage about ten times. I'm also happy to have moved that old TV without having to pay to recycle it. I'm also happy we sold the old fridge, because it was creeping me out.

Great job, Jones family!

***

Evey was enjoying the garage sale, and she was encouraging us to sell her stuff. She wanted to see it go away. She even brought things out of her room and would put a sign on them.

Observe, the lower photo.

She decided it was time to sell her Sesame Street alphabet bus.

Take a close look at the sign on top of the bus. See what it reads?

The word "the," then A through Z... and "bus." Apparently for the low, low price of $12.

I was so charmed by Evey's description of her alphabet bus. That little girl spelled out the entire alphabet to describe that bus. So sweet.

We managed to not sell the bus -- we wanted to keep it for Boydee. Evey's outrageous price helped us out.

But her sign gave me perhaps the best laugh of an otherwise stressful garage sale.

***

Tomorrow is a big day. It's Evey's first day of kindergarten.

I'm taking her to school. I'll be sure to document the occasion with a ton of photos, and a full report, here, soon.

with a black-haired flamenco dancer... you know she dances while his father plays... guitar... she's suddenly beautiful... and we all want something beautiful... man, I wish I was beautiful.

Boydee does this move whenever he's fighting sleep... he's laying on his back (like he is above) and he picks up both legs and slams them down, repeatedly.

Sometimes his legs hit Evey in the head... sometimes his legs hit me in the balls. It's never a good time.

So, on behalf of the rest of the Jones family... please, Boydee, stop kicking like this. It's not cool.

***

All of a sudden, Evey is less than a week away from her first day of kindergarten. She's quite excited. We have this paper-chain hanging in the kitchen... each day she gets to pull one link off. We're less 8 links away now. Unbelievable.

Evey gets to meet her new teacher on Thursday (Mrs. Paul.) Then, next Monday, her first day.

Where did the time go?

***

The other day, Adro and Boydee went to bed early (like 7 p.m. early!) Me and Evey stayed up and watched the Olympics.

Evey was playing with this small blanket on the ground, rolling herself up in it like a little churro. I grabbed her and laid her on top of me. The two of us layed there for a while, watching the Olympics together.

"Dad?" Evey said to me. "I'm kind of scared about going to kindergarten," she said to me in the meekest little voice.

"What? I thought you were excited, Evey?" I asked.

"I am! But... I don't know how to tie my shoes yet, Dad..."

"That's OK, Evey, we'll get it figured out..."

"But I try, and, Daddy, every time! -- my brain just can't remember what to do next!"

I told her it would be OK, and that I didn't know how to tie my shoes at her age yet, either. But I wasn't much older when I did learn... and this seemed to comfort her a little.

***

We've been trying to get Evey to sleep on time (8 p.m.) and up on time (7:15 a.m.), as if she was going to school right now. She did OK on going to bed, but she struggles getting up still.

The other day I went in trying to wake up Evey and she told me she just wasn't ready yet...

"Dad! I'm just not ready yet! I woke up with a grumpy attitude!"

Grumpy attitude.

That convinced me to let her sleep for ten more minutes.

Sha-la-la-la-la-la-la-la... oh, uh-huh... I was down up in New Amsterdam... stare'n at this yellow-haired girl, Mr. Jones strikes up a conversation...

Took Evey and Boydee swimming with the cousins, Jess, Mark and Noni today. Evey swims like a fish now. Boydee gets a kick out of being in the water, which is nice. Boyd did a pretty good job at the Johnson's today. He's a charmer. He's a good boy. Everybody loves Boydee.

 ***

Watched Lollapalooza streaming live tonight on YouTube. Jack White melted the stage, but, my friends, he's looking more and more like Robert Smith of the Cure everyday. Not a good thing. 

***

Special thanks to Adro who steam-cleaned all the upstairs carpet tonight. Boydee appreciates that too, as he wants to put anything he can find in his mouth.

***

Felt good to hit one game winner and several threes this morning at pick-up hoops. Also had a great block that got called for a foul, but the ensuing GAME WINNER three I hit made up for it. Karma. Knees feel like crap though.

 ***