Not Corbin

So a number of things have happened that aren't Corbin. Here are some:

We pulled the big, metal, concrete shod clotheslines out of the back yard. I have learned that when you see concrete in your yard - don't touch it. Don't try to remove it. Just accept it. Mel, heedless of my inaction, wanted them gone and her father was on her side. So we tried digging them up. Then we tried pulling them out with a van. Then we tried breaking up the concrete. Then we tried a masonry sawblade in Mel's circ saw. Then we did what we shoulda done all along: we got a cheap angle grinder and cut off the poles, then buried the concrete. Two poles, two holes, two concrete sarcophagi buried in our back yard. De-concreted poles were left in the alley, and promptly snatched by some scrap metal collector (possibly of ill-repute). Finished it up right in time for the 4th of July party.

We also installed a dishwasher. This had been my idea early in our purchase of this house. I had gotten used to the dishwasher from our apartment, so I suggested early that we stash the refrigerator on a different wall, and put a dishwasher in it's place near power and drainage access. This idea was rejected, but now that we have a child we thought that we might tackle a few other jobs with all the free time on our hands. Actually, Mel's father Frank had a large hand in many of the projects accomplished so far this summer. He even wired up an additional circuit for the new refrigerator location. Fantastico! This project was sponsored by Mel's Aunt Irene. Copious thanks to them both.


We've also been working on painting the garage. The siding appears to be made of masonite. I don't know how long it's been there, or when its last paint job was. But it was in serious need of re-sealing against moisture. Some of the lower boards will need to be replaced. At a later date. With something that won't fall apart when it gets wet. Err. I guess we don't have any pictures of this job yet. We've done 3 of the 4 walls... I'll have to document the last one.

And, my friend and former room-mate Joe McMorrow is back from Washington DC, along with his girlfriend of late, now wife. They were married Friday night, we have the photographic evidence. AND! Grant Kjos crashed the party! Who does that guy think he is?


And, some pictures of Corbin. Just 'cause. I don't need a reason.

Month 5

Dear Corbin,

You are five months old today. Every day you are a little bit different. A little bit better at reaching for things. A little bit better at sitting up. A little bit better at eating delicious rice cereal mush. A little bit better at twisting yourself all around while we’re trying to put a clean diaper on you.

You are selective with your smiles these days. We get them when you wake up in the morning, or from your naps, or when we come home from work. But you rarely smile at strangers right now, and the afternoon that we tried to take family pictures, you didn’t smile at all. In fact, any time you see the camera, you instantly become Mr Solemn Face.

We did manage to find you the perfect toy for you right now. We call it your stander bouncer. You sit in a little round chair and there is a bouncy “floor” under your feet, so you feel like you’re standing up. You love the stander bouncer. It might be the best $25 I ever spent on craigslist. You love to stand in it and reach out for the dogs when they walk by. You love to stand in it and watch the fish in the fish tank.

You like to watch anything, really. You open your eyes wide and stare and stare and stare. If we hold you facing over our shoulders, it’s only a few minutes before you’re twisting yourself around. You turn in our direction when you hear our voices, and you look to see where other noises are coming from. You want to see everything, and its fun to watch you watching things.

It’s also fun to watch you do yoga poses. You’ve mastered up-dog, and obviously you’re a natural at happy baby pose. I’ve even seen you do a locust pose. So we’ll have to see which you prefer: going to kung fu with your dad, or going to yoga with your mom. Although if your energy level is anything like I’ve seen in other little boys, you’d better do both, several times a week.

You’ve had some of your fussiest days this month, and I think it’s because you’re starting to have some teething pain. We’re trying to work out some strategies for helping you sleep more, and it seems to be helped by judicious doses of acetaminophen. I’m sure that later we’ll have to switch to something stronger, like whiskey, but this is working for now.

On the surface, it seems like this was an uneventful month. We didn’t travel anywhere, and we didn’t have anyone visiting. We went to work and did the laundry and did yard work and it would be easy to think it was all very tedious. But then I watch you exploring your toys or making a mess out of learning to eat cereal, and tedious is the word that’s farthest from my mind.

Love,

Mom

We did manage to have our annual 4th of July party, during which you went to sleep at 8:30pm and slept all the way through the usual WWIII assault launched by the neighbors across the street. I don't know which was more amazing: you sleeping through it, or them not getting arrested (again).