Proud Dad Moment: Spontaneous Beastie Boys

The teacher’s mouth was moving. I assume words were spoken.

All I heard was the sound of the adults in Charlie Brown…wont, wont…wont,wont, wont…wont wont.

Like Neal Armstrong driving the American flag into the surface of the moon (did he do that?), the rap culture was hoisting it’s flag triumphantly in the back of a 4th grade classroom in the (distant) suburbs of Boston, MA.

1986.

The Beastie Boys had (crash) landed.

My friends and I passed the Licensed to Ill cassette tape (!!!) around like it was contraband…Because it was!

Like a scene from an 80’s version of Wonder Years.

Hilarious.

The Beasties are forever misunderstood, but the musical legacy is undeniable.

Changed the face of rap with timeless flow, sick mixes, and a continuously evolving style.

Yesterday, in a proud dad moment, I heard Little Dude (4) spontaneously bust out “You gotta fight for your right to paaaarty!”

Awesome. And to celebrate, the Muppets killing it on So What’cha Want

PS – Want more Beastie info? Check out this awesome Rick Rubin interview. Beasties and so much more.

PPS – Related Beastie Boys Posts:

  1. Sabotage for the Kids – RIP MCA
  2. Beasties + Sesame Street = Awesome
  3. She’s Crafty

Our New Normal {Awesome Mack}

This post has been 1 year, 72 days and two hours in the making. Hands down the hardest post anything I’ve ever had to write. But it feels good. Cathartic.

Mrs. Dude already shared some thoughts on her fabulous blog. To offer a preface to this post, many similarities below. That post was a bit of a collaboration – Mrs. Dude’s words, my editing. No need to recreate the wheel.

The Mrs. has received some amazing comments and messages from her post – heartfelt, inspiring and loving. Awesome.

But the best message – impeccable timing, but completely unrelated to the post – came from our own house. Princess penned the below gem today in her daily journal…

Awesome Mack

I love our little Mack. He is so nice, kind and sweet. One day I think Mack is going to grow a long mustache and plant flowers. And do yoga.

Nailed it! Future Mack seems super rad. The Dude is going to dig that cool cat.

Yes, that awesome picture did accompany the journal entry.

So what’s all the hub bub about Dudeski?

There’s not a lot to say, and at the same time, there’s so much to say.

His first birthday was perfect. No walking, no talking. But every rug-rat develops at their own pace.

Then the stress kicked in.

We began to question things when the party was over. We heard concerns from both Grandmas:

“Does he say any words? None?”

“He’s not using his fingers at all…still raking.”

“Notice his right foot? It drags when you help him walk.”

We started to consult Google. 12 month milestones. Yeah, not hitting many…any?!

We missed our 9 month appointment. Life moves fast with three! But, thinking back Jazzy Mack hit milestones up to 6-8 months. Then the milestones started to slow down.

Still in denial, the Mrs. and I countered with:

“He’s a quiet kid.”

“He has his sister and brother to do everything he needs.”

“Some kids just develop slower.”

Since both Grandmas also happen to be longtime nurses, we decided to listen to their concerns. We made an apt with our pediatrician to get her input. Concerns confirmed. This appointment has now led to many more – hearing test, thyroid test, a developmental specialist…

The first step was a pediatric developmental specialist. I was traveling for work. Yeah, not the best time to be apart, but the appointment came quick. And we had confidence in our handsome boy.

The development specialist is great (so I hear). She spent 2 hours conducting a very thorough exam – playing with Jasper and asking a lot of questions. As the appointment closed, she said the words that are forever locked in my noggin,

 “I think Jasper has cerebral palsy.”

I wasn’t there to hear the words come out, but I sure did feel them on the other end of a phone.

The Mrs. called me on the way out to tell me the news. We talk (I cursed…a lot), some tears are shed, and we just sit on the phone in silence. Hearts breaking. And we can’t even hug.

What just happened!?!?

As the days march on, we continue with more appointments – an MRI and a neurology consult.

The neurologist shows us Jasper’s MRI for the first time. It’s abnormal.

“There is white matter on the grey matter. I see lesions on the right and left side and additional spots in the back. Was Jasper premature?”

Jasper Mack was born at home, 42 weeks pregnant. No trauma, typical everything. Big & beautiful. 9.2 lbs of total babe.

“This is deeper then what I would expect with a typical CP child.”

She mentions this could have been caused from a stroke in utero. It could be metabolic or maybe a genetic disorder.

Heads spinning.

She gives us an order for physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech pathology, and a leg brace for the right leg that drags.

“I’m not convinced this is cerebral palsy, I’m not ruling it out though. I want therapy, more testing, and then we’ll have the geneticist see him.”

We leave her office, more confused than when we entered.

After weeks of research, we had almost become used to the idea that Jas has a mild form of CP…even grateful that’s all it was.

We headed directly to the hospital for x-rays of his hips and legs, blood work and urine cultures. Genetic blood tests came a couple weeks later – but results are two months out.

Now we wait.

We’re getting good at patience.

In the mean time, we’re working hard. More importantly, Mack is working hard!

We have therapy sessions four times a week, and the little man is getting used to the new leg brace.

In four short weeks we’ve gone from no unsupported steps and no words, to a lot of new sounds (maybe even words!), some sign language, and walking…as many as 25 steps…on his own!

I LOOOOOVE this guy! With every bit of my heart.

Jasper is almost 17 months old, and as much as I want to hear him say a word – a real word – walk on his own, or use his two cute little fingers to pick up food, I really just want him to keep smiling.

If you’ve met Jas, then you know he can light up a room with his smile. He is the happiest person I know, and that happiness is contagious to anyone in the same room.

With so many unanswered questions and endless unknowns, we are doing our best to live in the present, work with Jasper as much as possible, and remember how lucky we are.

Keep smiling Jasper Mack. We love you to the moon and back.

This is our new normal. Awesome Mack.

Ware Wolves & the Hamster Undertaker

An early morning exchange to start the day at the Dude casa…

Princess: “Lilly died.”

Little Dude: “Was she killed by ware-wolves?”

Good question.

The tiny rodent that made a home in the corner of Princess’ room has moved on to the big hamster in  the sky.

The world works in mysterious ways, although, it’s safe to say ware-wolves were not involved.

And apparently undies, Chucks, and a lumberjack coat are proper funeral attire for a hamster undertaker. Good to know.

Via con dios Lilly.

PS – Is Princess praying for a bunny?

Double PS – I’m not sure that hole will keep Mama Kitty away from the sweet taste rodent remains.

Jazzy’s Numero Uno

I think I say this quite a bit, but….

Dang, life moves quick!

The Littlest Dude crossed the numero uno threshold this week.

No teeth, and not walking yet. But the Man Cub eats like a bear! 90th percentile in length needs the fuel.

It was a pretty awesome numero uno b-day party with the extended fam.

Happy birthday Littlest Dude.

Little Dude’s First Ninja Class

We’ve reached the ninja stage at the Dude Casa.

Ninjago is all the rage with Little Dude, and Teen Age Mutant Ninja Turtles are enjoying a resurgence.

It’s a good stage.

Turns out the local Tae Kwan Do class is accepting little ninjas.

The little man is a bit under the age limit, but we tested the scene with good success.

The newest ninja at his first class…

Littlest Dude’s First Trim

The Littlest Dude (aka – the boy with too many names) is 9 days short of the numero uno! Crazy.

And this dude needed a haircut, something fierce.

His self-created mullet lasted longer than his older bro, who scored his first buzz cut week 15, but it needed to go.

With buzzers in hand, we knocked that toupee-looking coif down to a awfully handsome shaved melon.

Lookin’ good for that 1st b-day!

 

Happy 4th Anniversary Mrs. Dude – Love The Dude…and Old Gregg

The Mrs. and I celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary yesterday. Amazing. How does time move so quickly?

Remember when a school day seemed long? And a school year?! Insanely long.

Now, life is moving at a lightning pace. 4 years! Awesome.

Thanks for being you.

And thanks for introducing me to Old Gregg.

When the Mrs. and I began our courtship (You like that old-timey choice of words? I’m retro.), she introduced me to the most amazingly bizarre, creepy, and hilariously funny video – Old Gregg.

Old Gregg is one of the creepiest, yet amazingly funny videos I’ve come across. It’s an instant classic.

To celebrate our 4th anniversary, I give you the scaly man fish – Old Gregg…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIInySnQe4I[/youtube]

Little Dude’s First Haircut. What Were We Thinking?!

We experienced Little Dude’s first “real” haircut today.

As you may recall, we’ve shaved that melon a couple times, but it has been almost exactly two years since we’ve touched that glorious coif.

As you can probably tell from my choice of adjectives, this has been a stressful day.

Mrs. Dude rolled out a fantastic blog post recapping Little Dude’s first haircut (yes, apparently we have blogging wars in our house. :)), so I won’t recreate the wheel. But I will make a few points and send you along to my lovely bride’s fantastic site.

  1. I need to start by saying how much we absolutely without a doubt whole-heartedly adored the Little Man’s hair. For real. Loved it! Look at that before shot…

    Little Dude - Before THE Haircut

    Little Dude – Before THE Haircut

  2. Little Dude hated every minute of this experience. Refer to Mrs. D’s post for photographic reference.
  3. The Dude’s dome is desolate when it comes to hair follicles.  Why would anyone let me sit in a barber’s chair (literally have not been in one in 10 years), hold my son while he screams and cries,  and then ask me for direction about my two year old’s mane?!
  4. I’ve given Mrs. Dude direction about this haircut for six months…”just an inch, no more, just an inch.” Why did I choke under pressure? Mrs. Dude reminds me that I uttered the words, “we’re not worried about the length, just make it look natural.” What?! Length is ALL we were worried about! Who am I, Vidal Sassoon?! Natural?! I shave my head with a bic razor that I sharpen on my jeans. What do I know about “natural?” Just trim that shit! How hard is that?!

I’ll preface this by saying that he’s our son, he will ALWAYS be amazingly handsome to us. HOWEVER, who is that dude? And where did his hair go.

Little Dude - After

Little Dude – After

Can’t put the toothpaste back in the tube.

How could a haircut be this stressful?

Geesh! Maybe bald is beautiful.

Check out Mrs. Dude’s post…she’s pretty great. 🙂

Little Dude Turns Two!

Aaapy Bertday!

Aaapy Bertday!

El Duderino pequeno es dos!

Aaapy bertday!

A few notes:

  • Boring to 99% of the population? Possibly. But he’s my Boy! I can’t think of a better way to spend 1:30 of my day.
  • You’ll have to suffer through some not-so-great singing, but the reaction of a two year old figuring out the birthday traditions is pretty classic.
  • I’m biased, but his “Aaapy bertday!” is pretty darn adorable.
  • I never expected him to be so excited about his birthday at two, but he dug it big time.
  • You won’t see the balance bike that we got him because his feet can’t touch the ground. It’s the thought that counts. Save it for next year! 🙂
  • Last but not least, four years of Spanish and all I can muster is misspelled Spanglish. Although, I still believe that Spanglish saved our lives on the honeymoon in Costa Rica. On the other hand, Mrs. Dude thinks I just told a woman her baby looked like a fish. We may both be right.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgQ0GBKFgNQ[/youtube]