a restless night

Last night was a rough one. All were restless in the house, but especially Z-Dub. The reason, we believe, is Halloween.

Yesterday we did a little shopping at Target, picking up some new Halloween decor for the front of the house. The shelves were lined with mechanical ghosts, goblins, skeletons, witches and more. As we browsed the items, Z-Dub expressed his desire to go home. We sensed his fear and encouraged him that it all was not real. Going home, playing with his friend and watching Finding Nemo on DVD did little to erase his mind of the season's goulishness.

The result was cries in the night and the need of comfort from his sleepy parents.

Of course, the night was rough for us too. In addition to Z-Dub's night fright, HotMomma's pregnant belly offered a lot of discomfort. She's finding it harder and harder to get a good night of sleep. The constant trips to the bathroom don't help either.

As for me, this work week will be a stressful one. It made me sleepless. My extremely busy schedule and workload will culminate Friday. While I've been dreading the pressure of this week, I'm looking forward to getting it overwith. It's been on my calendar for months. My working the entire weekend didin't help me relax enough in preparation for all that needs to be done, which totally sucks. But my upcoming birthday weekend (Oct. 11) I've made into a four-day weekend. It's something to look forward to.

sunday morning training

Despite the help of Winnie the Pooh on television, a controlled defecation was not achieved this morning. But at least he tried.

He gave up about 10 minutes after this photo was captured. Five minutes later me soiled his pull-up diaper.

Baby steps...

*I sincerely apologize to Z-Dub for embarrassing him by posting a pooping picture, but I had nothing else to share this morning. We'll laugh about it later.

our toddler is not a morning person

Perhaps it's the darker mornings. Or maybe he wakes up in the middle of the night and parties without us knowing. Who really knows? One thing is certain though -- Z-Dub isn't a morning person.

I always thought it was normal that toddlers wake up smiling at the butt crack of dawn, demanding food and cartoons from groggy parents. Z-Dub is different. He's like a teenager who likes to sleep in. He'd be happy to wake up at 9 a.m. or later.

Let me share with you this morning's wake up call. It was much the same as the previous few mornings.

It's 6:45 a..m. and I open the door to Z-Dubs dark room. The sound of the fan and his snores fill the air. I pull back the dark blue curtains and open the blinds, letting in the morning light.

I call out, "Z-Dub, it's time to get up."

A couple of seconds later I say, "Come on buddy, we have to get ready to see your friends at school."

A minute passes as I pull a pair of shorts, pull-up, t-shirt and socks from his dresser.

"Z-Dub, wake up," I call out, again.

I go over and sit on the edge of his bed. I touch his shoulder and repeat my plea for him to wake up. He rolls from his side to his back and stretches. After he rolls back over to his side without ever opening his eyes.

"Come on buddy. We have to get ready for school. You want to eat," I ask.

He ignores me.

While he still sleeps I proceed to change him from his pajamas into his school clothes. I get to the shirt and he lets out a yell, "Daddy nooooo. I not awake."

I continue changing his shirt. "Nooooooo Daddddyyyyy. I sleeping. Go away," he says.

I ignore it and continue. Once I'm done he lays back down on his side in an attempt to go back to sleep. I walk away to discard his soiled diaper and he flips out.

"Noooo Daddy. I want you," he says.

I pick him up and we head down stairs for breakfast.

"Do you want some yogurt," I ask.

He doesn't reply. As I sit him down to watch his morning cartoons, he has a fit. Later he calms down and I inquire again, "You want some yogurt?"

"No Daddy. We go to SeaWorld," he replies with tears in his eyes.

Apparently I've interrupted a dream of whales, fish and dolphins too. It made for a grumpy morning.


On a side note, I think we may have to make a trip to Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay this weekend and just tell him it's SeaWorld.

here comes the leper

The pain emanating from my severly sunburnt noggin had subsided. In fact, the redness did as well.

That is until this morning.

As I showered large blobs of skin started accumulating on the floor near the drain. My head was peeling like a molting snake. As I observed (and felt) what was going on I began to dread what I might look like when I glance in the mirror after emerging from my cool and relaxing chamber of wetness.

To help the peeling along I came up with a brilliant idiotic plan to use some of HotMomma's expoliating facial cleanser. You know the kind. It has microbeads or something that makes it feel like you're washing with sand. Well that was a really f%#ked up idea. The sting was extremely painful and I think it pissed off my skin.

Now I have large areas of my skin peeled away, revealing still-burnt and pissed off pink skin. To make matters worse, the freshly exposed skins hurts. BAD.

I'm wearing a ball cap today at work. If I reveal my peeling noggin I'm sure to be sent to leper colony.

*And, no I will not be posting any pictures!

---------------------------------------------

In other news....Z-Dub has been SeaWorld obsessed ever since the weekend. Everytime we go to leave the house he asks, "We go to SeaWorld?" When the answer is no, there's hell to pay.

putting on a life preserver

From the high paid CEOs of Wall Street to the ordinary folks on Main Street who are living beyond their means, to the current Administration as well as the previous one, to the "do nothings" of both parties in Congress, many are to blame for this financial mess. The prosperity we've enjoyed for the past two decades has been nothing more than a facade.

One thing is for certain...this Vegas family will not go down with the ship. Monies will be moved, spending will be curtailed and we will continue to spend CASH ONLY. We've batten down the hatches. We will be safe and sound.

Suze Orman was right all along.

burnt to a crisp

I failed to wear a hat or apply sunscreen while at SeaWorld on Saturday in San Diego and at a family party at a park in Oceanside on Sunday. They were two long days outdoors in the California sun. Needless to say, I'm paying for my mistake now. I don't think I've ever been burnt this bad before. To say I'm in pain is an understatement. My noggin is even starting to blister.

I'm also embarrassed to say that I look absolutely ridiculous. My shiny red head looks like some kind of warning beacon that can be seen from miles away. I might as well be turned into a bouy.

Don't believe me?

Check it out...

Oh, to make matters worse, I have raccoon eyes.

weekend in pictures

We're back from our weekend adventure in Southern California. While it was a blast, it's good to be home to sleep in our own beds. Hopefully I'll be able to sleep despite my severly sunburnt noggin. It's late and I'm too tired for a play by play of the entire weekend, so instead I thought I'd post a photo montage of Saturday at Seaworld and Sunday at a birthday party for Z-Dub's cousin Belle and friend T. Enjoy!

Z-Dub and his cousins JP and Sukita* at the entrance to Seaworld

Z-Dub checks out some stingrays, but he wimped out in touching them.

Checking out the sea otters.

Sukita and Z-Dub wait for the family to decide what to see next. Nice belly.

HotMomma, Z-Dub and VegasDad.

Z-Dub talks to his cousin Belle about the fishies.

Z-Dub, Sukita and Belle.

Z-Dub loves polar bears.

Z-Dub and Sukita get nice and worn out in the play area.

Z-Dub shows off his mad skillz.

And on Sunday...

Z-Dub and his cousins get painted in preparation for the big shindig.

Check out his gator.

Z-Dub and his cousin RR.

Sister-in-law SR and her baby 3.0.

Nephew (who never wants his picture taken) actually smiles for the camera.

Bubbas shows off his Spiderman.

The birthday girls ride a pony, which turned out to be a horse.

Nephew M.R. rides a horse too.

VegasDad and his brothers.

Most of the family (VegasDad's side).

HotMomma and her cousin Jenny O.

Bubbas' daddy and mommy.

Z-Dub and his uncles.

Belle and T make a wish.

CR, little RR and BigBro.

HotMomma's sister G-Pi paints some kids.

There you have it. A weekend in photos.

*Derived from the word "suka," which means "vomit" in Tagalog. Sukita vomits in the most random locations. She now has a new nickname. Previously I referred to her as B.S.

a desert trek

This weekend we'll pack up the Highlander and embark on a great journey across the Mojave Desert and into the Los Angeles Basin as we travel to San Diego for a weekend getaway.

Am I looking forward to going to San Diego? Yes, of course. Am I looking forward to driving to our destination? Hell frickin' no. I can't remember the last time we made our way to Southern California in a car. We're airplane people. I really prefer the 48 minute flight over the five hour drive. It's long, boring and exhausting.

To make matters worse, it's not very scenic. There's brown mountains and harsh, empty desert as far as the eye can see. Of course, there is the World's Tallest Thermometer in the crap hole town of Baker, about 100 south of Las Vegas. You also pass an occasional trailer or shanty home surrounded by a chain linked fence and a yard full of old, rusty cars. Seriously, why do rural desert people collect junk? And where do they get all of it? Obviously, I'm not going to stop and inquire. I've seen too many horror flicks to know what might happen.


View Larger Map

We're heading to San Diego to visit HotMomma's sister's family. It's our niece's birthday celebration. Also, HotMomma's sister borrowed much of our "baby stuff" after she gave birth to our niece. Now, obviously, we need all of it back, hence the reason for driving instead of flying.

Since we'll be in San Diego, on Saturday we are going to take Z-Dub to SeaWorld for the first time. He loves marine life, so we can't wait to see his reaction to Shamu and all the animals. It's going to be exciting and make the trip totally worth the drive.

random act of posting

First and foremost, I would like to apologize to all my friends in bloggerland for not being a good friend and visiting your blogs over the past few days. My work was insanely busy last week and continues like that this week. I anticipate the craziness to last until the end of the month. Hopefully I won't crack.

For those of you interested in knowing what the surprise was on Saturday for HotMomma's birthday, I took her to see Cirque du Soleil's O at Bellagio. We had prime seats. It was an awesome show.

I also lost her license that night, so she has to go to the dreaded DMV today to get a new one. And, yes, I'm catching a lot of flack for it.

HotMomma hits the 30 week mark this week. We're in the home stretch. Despite the fast approaching due date, we've done absolutely nothing to prepare. We haven't pre-registered at the hospital. We haven't bought even one baby item. Don't get me wrong, we're equally excited about arrival of The Fetus as we were with Z-Dub, but I think it's just different the second time around. There isn't that eager anticipation and anxiety that comes with expecting the first born. Besides, we don't have much to get because we have all of Z-Dub's stuff. That's the advantage of having another boy.

Speaking of The Fetus, he has a real name now. For the blog it will be Z-Jay. If you want to know it, just let me know in a comment and I'll e-mail you.

Completely changing the subject...I really wish Southern Nevada had better resources for recycling. We try to recycle whatever we can, but they only pick up every other week and their containers are small. We'd like to recycle EVERYTHING that's recyclable, but they prevent us from doing so.

HotMomma would like everyone to help out with this. She's very passionate about stopping pervs.

And here's the speed round:

....Z-Dub still hasn't pottied in the toilet at home...We're going to San Diego this weekend...I'm going to Salt Lake City on Oct. 6...I should stop typing now and leave for work.

a weekend in photos

Z-Dub and Chi-Lo watching some television.

Z-Dub tries on his new bike helmet.

Putting his helmet to work.

Z-Dub and his Grandma at a fountain in front of Bellagio.

In awe.

Grandma and Z-Dub ride the gondola at the Venetian.

Out after an eventful day. Chi-Lo was tired too, even though she stayed home all day.

I got an infection (I think pink eye) in my left eye. I can't wear my contacts and I'm literally blind without them. The strength of my glasses is so strong that I can't even function in them. Don't believe me? Take a look for yourself.

a cool concept?

Grab a parka and gloves and get ready to freeze your 'nads off while shivering your way through a cocktail or two. At least that's what may happen if you become a patron of Minus 5 Bar, a truly unique bar/lounge experience that undoubted falls in the category of "only in Vegas," although it got its start Down Under. Those Kiwis are crazy.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal described the concept in an article on Thursday. To sum up, it's a bar completely made of ice. It's kept at 23 degrees Fahrenheit and guest pay $30 to rent parkas and gloves. This is to prevent hypothermia I surmise. It's touted as the "coolest place to hang out in the desert!" I'm intrigued. But here are a couple of thoughts:

1. Extreme cold can cause some serious shrinkage of certain male body parts, so it may cause some embarrasment for guys looking to score (i.e. "Don't laugh! It's cold!").
2. How can single guys and girls check out each other if they're covered in bulky parkas?
3. Hot chicks + cold weather = high beams. But, again, too bad they'll be covered up with the parkas.
4. Going to and from 23 degrees Fahrenheit and 110 can cause quite a shock to the body. Be prepared for post-party illness in addition to a hangover.
5. Remember the flagpole scene from "A Christmas Story." I triple dog dare you. For reals.

Despite these, I still think we'll check it out. It sounds "cool."

look daddy, i go pee pee

Like many parents of toddlers, we're in the middle of the dreaded potty training. It's an important time of transition for a child who must learn to "hold it in" for the porcelain throne rather than letting loose in a secure and ultra-absorbent diaper.

Despite Z-Dub's verbal desire to "go potty" in a toilet, when it comes to actually doing it, we've had very little success over the past couple of months. We've even bought and used regular underwear on the weekends and he just pees in them, resulting in a shower of urine that forms into a puddle on the floor.

Last night while I undressed him for his shower, Z-Dub stood there squirming. Suddenly he proclaimed, "Daddy, I have to pee pee."

I got very excited. He actually said he had to go before actually going. Unfortunately, there was no time to make our way downstairs to his training potty, so I hurried and helped him onto the regular sized toilet.  He sat there for about 30 seconds as I repeated "Okay. Go pee pee."

Nothing happened.

"Okay. Push it out. Go pee pee," I said in an encouraging tone.

He followed that with a grunting noise like he was about to deliver a big load of number two. Another thirty seconds or so passed and nothing still.

"Do you still have to go pee pee," I asked.

He placed is tongue against the back of his teeth and made a "ssssssssssssssssssssssssssss" noise to copy the flow of pee. But he didn't actually pee.

Then I remembered that his book, "It's Potty Time," had illustrations and read "I stand up to go pee pee. I sit down to go poo poo." So, I took him off the toilet and propped him up on my knees so he was at the right height and position to pee like a "big boy." But after a minute or so, still no flow. We simply gave up.

I helped him into the shower. As soon as his feet hit the wet floor the peeing commenced.

"Look daddy. I pee pee," he said with pride.

"Nice," I replied in defeat.

reflection

Yesterday was a special day. Despite people's views of what happened, who's responsible and how our country has responded, today is a day to reflect and to memorialize all those innocent people who lost their lives during the attacks of 9/11/2001.

a special day

It's 12:01 am on Sept. 10, marking the start of a very special day. A day that should be celebrated across the globe with impromptu parades, parties and ceremonies that unite all the pomp and circumstance befitting such a special ocassion.

What is today, you may ask?

Well, today is HotMomma's birthday.

Happy Birthday Baby! You, me and a surprise this Saturday night. I can't wait.

wake up

What's up with alarm clocks that randomly don't sound in the  morning? It happens on ocassion; this morning is not an isolated case. I set the alarm before going to sleep. I actually always double check to make sure it's set at the correct time and that it's on. It's an evening ritual.

Fast forward to morning. The sun slowly rises over Sunrise Mountain (I'm not messing with you. That's what it's called) to the east of the Las Vegas Valley. I'm in a deep sleep and dreaming about adventure and riches that are probably unattainable when I'm awake. Suddenly I jolt up and notice that the room is brighter than usual. I glance at the clock and it's almost 7 a.m. I usually wake at 6:00, but actually 6:09 because of my single hit of the snooze button.

On days like these, what happens is always the same. I start my morning rushed and I feel like I continue like that until the day ends. I'm so not looking forward to today.

As for the clock -- I checked it. It was set. Does it have a mind of it's own? Sometimes when I'm really tired I'll turn it off when it starts making noise and not even realize I did that. However, today HotMomma didn't hear it either. I seriously think it wanted me to sleep. Perhaps it knows something.

random act of posting

Random thoughts on a Monday morning:

Z-Dub has discovered superheroes. Goodbye Pablo and the Backyardigans and hello Spiderman. Of course he's a little confused because he calls all superheroes, even Superman, Spiderman. He was going to be a pirate for Halloween, but we're thinking of dressing him up as everyone's favorite tight-wearing, arachnid superhero. Hopefully we can find a costume in his size. And thankfully a diaper will prevent male camel toe.

Jury selection for the the O.J. Simpson robbery/kidnapping trial here in Las Vegas begins today. A ridiculous circus of media trucks from all over the country has convened in front the Regional Justice Center. Does anyone outside of the media even care about this guy? I don't.

When are the f#%king triple digit temperatures going to go away. I'm ready for winter already.

I definitely think she did it. Her parents are delusional.

Did anyone watch the MTV VMAs? We didn't. We must be getting old. Although we did DVR it for later viewing. Perhaps we're not that old afterall.

Instead of watching the VMAs, HotMomma and I watched Pan's Labyrinth. In Spanish. Second thought, we may actually be old.

Happy (or not-so-Happy, depending on how you see it) 10th Birthday to Google.

I guess there's no point in writing a will, or even preparing. If this happens, we'll all have to kiss our asses goodbye. And hopefully our demise will be swift and painless.

And, finally, I spent a lot of time on my knees this weekend and they hurt. Feel free to insert joke here.

a few photos

There's not too much going on here this weekend -- just rest and relaxation. Therefore, there really isn't much for me to say. To make up for it, here are some photos.

Z-Dub eats lunch.

Despite the way she personally feels, at seven months pregnant, HotMomma is as HOT as ever.

he walked, he inspired

While many of us concentrate on our daily lives, laboring through work and making sure our families fed, clothed, sheltered and loved, while also regularly updating our blogs, of course, there are others that answer a higher calling and set out on an extraordinary feat with the goal of helping others.

It takes an amazing amount of sheer tenacity for those who take on a cause. In some cases its as simple as volunteering their time with an organization of interest. In other cases its designing a new and grand initiative that will have an immediate and profound impact on the lives of others. Sometimes it requires a person to overcome physical challenges and other adversities, and dedicate countless hours in planning and implementation. These include no easy tasks.

For those who take on these challenges, I've taken the time to develop a new blogger award. It doesn't have a super fancy name. It's simply stated as the "International Blogger of Distinction Award." It's international because the blogging community spans the globe. We are all connected through the internet, bringing people together from many countries and regions. And it's an award of distinction because it's meant to recognize somebody who's worthy of special honor or recognition.

The creation of this award was inspired by an individual who this summer set out on a grueling journey with his mates and conquered his goal to raise money for a noble cause. This individual is Dan Hughes from All That Comes With It.

Dan and his mates trudged along with sore and blistered feet, exhaustion and occasional over-priced Diet Coke to complete the 78-mile Dales Walk in just six days. Their purpose was to raise money for the Joseph Salmon Trust, a small charity whose aim is to offer financial assistance to people living in the Huddersfield, UK area, whose child has died. In promoting this endeavor on his blog and through his local media, Dan appealed to people around the world, including your's truly, who contributed money to the cause and, as a result, helped Dan and his mates raise more than $7,800. It's an astounding accomplishment.

As you can see, Dan is definitely a man of distinction. In chronicling his quest, with humor I might add, he's taught us all a valuable lesson in human strength and kindness. His family must be beaming with pride.

I'm sure Dan and his mates would accept additional donations, if you're feeling inspired. It'd be cool if donations surpass the $8,000 mark. Or even $10,000.

As with any blogger award, I encourage others to pass it along to a noble peer and recognize them for their remarkable acts of selflessness.

going platinum

I clinched the microphone tightly in my hand as sweat began to accumulate on my brow. The butterflies in my stomach fluttered uncontrollably. I focused on the eyes staring back at me. "Don't crack, you can do this," I thought. "Think of them as cardboard cutouts. They're not real people."

The music began and I cleared my throat one last time.

The words began to pour out of my mouth.

"Honey why you calling me so late?
It's kinda hard to talk right now.
Honey why are you crying? Is everything okay?
I gotta whisper 'cause I can't be too loud..."

The crowd cheered and the nervousness faded.

There's been a concert in our house all weekend. The living room is the stage, the flat panel television the high-def stage backdrop and the family as the audience. And everyone is a star. Some shining brighter than others, but all stars nonetheless.

This weekend we purchased American Idol Encore for the Wii. It's been music and mayhem ever since as we all try to one-up each other to impress a virtual Randy, Paula and Simon. I'm completely tone deaf and was a reluctant contestant, but I still managed to please the judges with one song. It was Hinder's Lips of an Angel. Simon thought it was brilliant. Randy thought it was "cool dawg." Paula was like the real Paula. Her comments were jibberish.

Despite my grammy worthy performance, the surprise star was our teenage nephew who was visiting over the long holiday weekend. Even with a cracking voice, he wowed the judges and scored exceptionally high with every song he sang. He was amazing.

I hope I can take him down in a final round to be your next American Idol. Then you all have to buy my album.

VegasDad out!

sometimes people can be nice

Every night before bed it's reading time. And each night when asked what Z-Dub wants to ready first, his reply is "The Fellings Book by Todd Parr." I'm not kidding. That's how he says it. Title and author.

HotMomma purchased the colorful boardbook from a Borders Books several months ago and it has been a favorite ever since. Authored by a accomplished artist, the book combines color, whimsical illustrations and simple messages that help children learn about emotions. It includes such lines as "sometimes I feel like celebrating my birthday, even though it's not today," "sometimes I feel cranky" and "sometimes I feel like camping with my dog." Z-Dub has the entire book memorized from cover to cover, but still enjoys reading it every night.

It's clear we need more books just like it.

So, as you can imagine, we were a little bummed out when we started on a quest to find more of Todd Parr's charming children's books and had trouble finding many of his boardbooks with titles such as "The Okay Book,"  "Underwear Do's and Don'ts Book" and others. We tried stores and online. Stores had none of the boardbooks and online only had a few used. Eventually I decided to go straight to the man himself, Todd Parr. He quickly responded to my e-mail inquiry and informed me that most of the boardbooks I inquired about were published eight to ten years ago and are out of print, although he had many other great books currently in print, with some new titles on the way. But learning how much Z-Dub is a fan of his one and only Todd Parr book, the gracious author offered to send him some copies of his out-of-print titles.

On Saturday Z-Dub and I walked to the mailbox, opened it up and found a package addressed to Z-Dub. Opening it up like a holiday present, Z-Dub found three autographed Todd Parr books. He was so excited. Thanks to the generosity of Todd Parr, Z-Dub is one happy kid.

If you have a Toddler, check out his books. Your child will undoubtedly enjoy them.