Davey’s First Haircut

Sandy Mama wanted the boys’ first haircuts held off until after their first birthday, but Daddy Dave thought Trey Davey was way too shaggy to wait. Unlike Benji who lost all his birth hair, Davey still had some of his originals and after 11 months, they were getting very long.

We scheduled his inaugural trim a few weeks ago, but then had to postpone due to scheduling conflicts. At that time both our friends Myrna and Roger Smith were booked, so we asked Kim Haire if she would do the honors. Kim’s mother Ellen had worked along side Daddy Dave for five years back in the 80’s and holds a kindred relationship with us.

Traditionally, boys accompanied their fathers to barbers for haircuts. Granddaddy claims he took me for my first trim at 6 months old and the barber said I was the youngest he’d ever done, but Grandma says I was older. I don’t remember that first cut, but I remember going to the barber later and receiving crew cuts. I suppose the decline of the barber shop came in the 1970’s when men began wearing longer hair. I began going to a hair stylist near our family business when I started high school. That’s also about the time I met Myrna, who bought a school newspaper ad from me for her new salon. Her husband Roger started cutting my hair 16 years ago and Myrna began cutting Sandy’s hair 4 years ago.

We thought we’d scheduled a slow time, but the salon was full. Instantly however, the boys became the center of attention. Our chests filled with pride as Davey sat up straight and happily allowed Kim to cut his first hair lock and place it in an envelope. His tendency to look around the room observing everything required mama to occasionally hold his head straight. Not to be forgotten, Benji boy sat in Melissa’s (another stylist) lap and charmed the crowd with jabbering and big smiles.

Car Crazy Boys

Like most boys, I was a car crazy maniac for many years. It was something I shared with my Dad, uncles, and male cousins. We could easily identify the make, model and year of most automobiles, sometimes from great distances. I collected toy cars, built model cars and drew fast cars all over my school notebooks. My first earnings were saved for a car, and most of my money afterwards went to auto fuel, insurance and repairs. This automotive obsession diminished substantially over time until the ultrasound told us we were expecting twin boys. Suddenly, I was overwhelmed again with the desire to buy toy cars. With each temptation, Sandy calmly suggested that I wait and then only purchase age-appropriate cars. Finally the boys are showing real interest in their cars and Daddy Dave can go wild.

Looks like I’ve Been Foiled Again

Out-smarting these twins is a chore and just when you think you’ve blocked their path to tomfoolery, they find a backdoor entrance. For example, in a room filled with toys our little rascals prefer to play with the dangerous cable TV wire and the lamp cord. Accordingly, we purchased locking rubber floor mats and concealed these wires underneath. Then we rearranged the furniture to block the boys’ access around the end table. I then routed the lamp cord down behind the end table and under the rubber mat. Upon returning from a quick trip to the bathroom yesterday I discovered our heroes had simply climbed through the end table to gain their desired access behind it where the lamp cord was hidden.

Peek-A-Boo Aunt Sue

Sandy and Susan were not twins, but they were very close in age with Susan just 17 months older. While quite different people, I have observed the closeness between these two sisters despite the 1,700 miles between their homes. Sandy adores Susan’s children, Christine 19 and Tyler 11, and has delighted in her visits and vacations with them. I saw this sisterly bond progress to another level last year through Sandy’s pregnancy and the twins’ birth. Susan was truly excited for Sandy when she learned her sister’s longtime maternal dream finally coming true. Davey and Benji’s birth made Susan an aunt for the first time, and when she visited our home in April, you could see the role filled her with joy. Happy Birthday Aunt Susan. We look forward to seeing you and the rest of the family after Christmas.

What’s for Breakfast Daddy?

The boys have always been very curious. Now that they’re more mobile, they constantly move around the room exploring every change with inquisitiveness. One of the learning games we play is running description. In this game the adult creates a running commentary, like a sports radio announcer describing a basketball game. This helps the children associate words with objects and actions expanding their vocabulary. One ritual the twins enjoy is inspecting our food. They love seeing what we eat and stare at it in amazement. In fact, rather than play on the floor, the boys prefer to sit with us at dinner and watch us eat. Each morning they come over and want to see inside our cereal bowl, which they find fascinating. I hope they never grow out of this cheap entertainment stage.

Happy Birthday Dawn!

Caroline, age 5, spilled the beans. She excitedly told her Aunt Dawn that Davey and Benji were coming to her house on Sunday. From this information Dawn Beckgerd uncovered her sister Andrea’s plans for a surprise birthday party. Dawn is Sandy’s best friend and was her maid-of-honor for our wedding. Surprise or not, she was delighted to have about 20 friends and family gather to celebrate her birthday at Andrea’s Newburg, Indiana home. The featured entertainment was Dawn’s (and Daddy Dave’s) favorite team, the Chicago Bears playing the undefeated Tennessee Titans. While the Bears played well, they unfortunately failed to win one for Dawny B. For attendees less interested in football, Davey and Benji were passed around and offered smiles and contagious joy.

Rummaging Around

We have spent several Saturday mornings this summer toy shopping at garage sales. This morning we attended the 39th Annual Junior League of Owensboro Rummage Sale. This was Benji and Davey’s first official visit. Sandy was very pregnant when we attended last year and several ladies who remembered seeing us approached to meet the boys. Grandmother Ondra belonged to the Junior League for many years. In the 1970’s while most members were stay-at-home mothers driving wood sided station wagons; grandma maverick had a full-time career and drove a t-bird coupe. She would pick our house clean of all our good old stuff each year and donate it to the Junior League whose huge rummage sale filled the Sportscenter Arena and attracted thousands of shoppers. Local children’s charities have greatly benefited from the Junior League’s efforts.