It’s about 1:30 AM, the day after Thanksgiving. I’m sitting at my parents-in-law’s (that sounds a wee bit weird) dining room table. It’s fiercely cold outside; the wind is beating against the western side of the house, sending needles of icy air into the back of my neck where the windowpane is.
Somewhere, huddled in their cars with the heaters on and trying to not freeze or succumb to carbon-monoxide poising, are hundreds and hundreds of people waiting for the 3am opening of stores to begin Black Friday shopping.
And I really can’t say too much about them, because Mrs. Pinkney is out there among them; camped outside of a Boscov’s.
I am glad I’m inside, though.
I don’t think the idea of Black Friday is going to last. I mean, I don’t think there are many in my generation that are going to continue the tradition. Not if they have a computer.
I’ve done the bulk of my shopping already, and gifts from as far as the UK and Australia are wrapped, padded, and marching along freight routes to my mailbox. I did pretty well too; I know no matter how early I could get up on a brisk Friday morning, I wouldn’t find the deals like the ones I already got. Black Friday is doomed.
Nya is fine, since I know all of you want to know. Almost a month old, she’s learning to drive me and her mother quite nuts; but so far it’s been nothing we can’t handle.
Not to say it hasn’t been tough; believe me. I am now convinced the only reason humans produce more offspring after their first is that there must be some sort of collective hypnotic amnesia that comes from a baby’s coo.
Nya is recognizing us even more than she did before… and my favourite part; I can make her laugh.
I tell you, it was a bit frustrating at first… if the child was changed, fed, and burped and STILL screaming, there really wasn’t anything I could do. That kind of helplessness I think has driven the both Tamika and I to close insanity.
And I consider myself pretty good with kids, too. Since I was a teenager, I always had a ball taking care kids. I had the robot game, the sound game, and fortunately had a kind of mischievous air that makes everything a forbidden adventure (even if it’s just cleaning the kitchen).
But this was different. Nothing I seemed to do affected the child. Nothing. I made funny faces. She screamed. I bonked myself on the head. She screamed. I made raspberries on her tummy. She screamed. There is nothing in the world that makes anyone feel more like dirt than the perceived scorn of a baby.
But now. Now, she knows who I am. She knows my voice, she smiles at me when I honk her nose, she likes it when I sing to her and read “Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel”, and she laughs a really squeaky barely-audible-laugh when I gasp as I change her daiper.
She still screams sometimes. But I love her.
Tamika is doing good too, because that’s your second question. She’s taken on a particularly tough toll with her body changing, her schedule messed up, and not being able to get enough sleep. But she’s been strong, and she’s working really hard. She’s going back to work pretty soon, and trying to prepare herself for that. I’ve been trying to just let her do whatever she wants, and not stay on my schedule. So, she’s been sleeping and eating whenever she wants.
-yawn-
That’s pretty much the update. The job has been awesome, and is still awesome. I’ll post some stuff that I’ve been working on with them later.
Gnight!
Dear Ben, Not all babies cry all the time. My first Jim slept like a top and never gave me a bit of trouble. When Bill came along I was worried it would make Jim jealous if I spent much time with him so he cried. When I went to the baby’s doctor and told her he was a cryer she told me that there was nothing wrong with him. It was me, I should stop worring about what it would do to Jim and give the baby more attention. when I did that everyone was happy. I’m glad Nya is getting easier to handle. She will get sweeter by the day and you will forget that she ever gave you a hard time. we are hoping to see you at Christmas. Love, Babchi
That’s good to know! Sometimes it worries us how much time we should or shouldn’t spend with Nya (our fear is that we’ll spoil her!). I can’t wait for you to meet her.
So did Uncle Jim end up getting jealous, or no? And what was Uncle Dave like?
Love you,
~Benjamin
Hi you! Great update. Been thinking about you guys constantly for a while now, and so I am glad to hear that everyone is adjusting well. My regards to Tamika.
Hi you! Great update. Been thinking about you guys constantly for a while now, and so I am glad to hear that everyone is adjusting well. My regards to Tamika.
Hi you! Great update. Been thinking about you guys constantly for a while now, and so I am glad to hear that everyone is adjusting well. My regards to Tamika.
Thanks, Bibi! What's new with you? Whatchadofur Thanksgiving?
Thanksgiving was really wonderful cuz my favouritest aunty and her family came to visit us all the way from Georgia!! With their 3 kids who are 4, 3 and 3. So fun!! They are the bestest kids in the whole wide world :-)It was low key and fun. I was so scared that my mom would go overboard as usual with preparing 800 dishes, and dragging kicking and screaming me to help out. But surprisingly she didn't, and I was shocked!! Just shocked!! 🙂 lol! It was fun. I see that you had a lovely time too. That's good to hear. Havea great day!!
Thanksgiving was really wonderful cuz my favouritest aunty and her family came to visit us all the way from Georgia!! With their 3 kids who are 4, 3 and 3. So fun!! They are the bestest kids in the whole wide world :-)It was low key and fun. I was so scared that my mom would go overboard as usual with preparing 800 dishes, and dragging kicking and screaming me to help out. But surprisingly she didn't, and I was shocked!! Just shocked!! 🙂 lol! It was fun. I see that you had a lovely time too. That's good to hear. Havea great day!!
Thanksgiving was really wonderful cuz my favouritest aunty and her family came to visit us all the way from Georgia!! With their 3 kids who are 4, 3 and 3. So fun!! They are the bestest kids in the whole wide world :-)It was low key and fun. I was so scared that my mom would go overboard as usual with preparing 800 dishes, and dragging kicking and screaming me to help out. But surprisingly she didn't, and I was shocked!! Just shocked!! 🙂 lol! It was fun. I see that you had a lovely time too. That's good to hear. Havea great day!!