Cha-Cha-Changes

So the one thing I've really noticed about Jack is that he's not crazy about changing what he's doing, even if what he's about to do is something I know he really likes. In the morning or early afternoon when I take him to day care he's very upset but when he gets there and sees his playmate, Jay, he's super excited. In fact, I can't get him to say good bye.

Later, when I pick him up I don't even get so much as a "Hi, Dada." I have to drag him out of there. Poor guy; he's just about being in the moment, I guess. Still, he's beginning to comprehend the concept of time or at least now and later. Because I'll be home for most of November on paid leave, his former schedule of getting to day care early has changed. He now knows that I take him to day care "later." He'll even say, "We go day care later," nodding his head up and down. Of course, when "later" does come around he's still not excited about it.

"What a great time!"

Several times since coming home, Jack has surprised me with a pithy phrase appropriate to the situation at hand. On several occasions he's said he needed something, like a different toy, and said, "I'll be riiiiiight back!"

Yesterday at the park we stayed longer than usual. When I said it was time to head back I put him in the stroller and he said, "What a great time!"

Where does he get this material?

El Kabong

Because I'm a technology nerd, Jack has his very own Tivo (well, it was our pre-kid Tivo which migrated upstairs just before Jack was born). My attractive wife and I use it to record all manner of kid's shows. Poor Jack will never understand the concept of waiting to see a show when it actually airs. He thinks all shows are on demand.

We have the suggestions feature turned on and the Tivo thought Jack might like the Pink Pather cartoons which originally aired back in the late 1960s. At the end of the show, which we recorded off Cartoon Network, there was an animated short called, "El Kabong Rides Again," which Jack and I really liked.

El Kabong is the alter ego of Quck Draw McGraw, a horse sherrif character from Hanna Barbera which debuted in 1959. Occasionally, he dresses up as Zorro and fights villains in the southwestern town of El Pueblo using a guitar as a club. Once I saw an example of the original Hanna Barbera cartoons on YouTube I remembered him completely.

The Cartoon Network short from Wild Brain, Inc., features El Kabong (El Hero de Los Todos de Cartoonistas*) and his trusty sidekick Babalouie, riding into a southwestern town populated by Mexican Day of the Dead inhabitants. The townsfolk are tormented by a ruthless blue-eyed villain, "El Honcho Macho" and his Mexican wrestler gang who hang out at "El Cantina de Bad Guy." (I can't help but wonder if the blue-eyed villain is homage to Robert Rodgriguez's villain from "El Mariachi.") There is no dialog, just a wonderful soundtrack, a tune called, "Minas de Cobre," (iTunes link) from the indie group, Calexico.



Jack wanted to see it again and again by saying, "Honcho Moncho Bad GUY!" I tried to get him to say "El Kabong" but he liked the bad guy better, I'm afraid. The animated short and its music are great. Check it out.

*Yes, this is incredibly incorrect Spanish. It's a cartoon after all...

Back to Being a Dad

I'm back at home after spending a year in Baghdad, Iraq with the US Navy (I am a reservist and was called up for a tour of duty). Aside from being generally apprehensive about headed to a combat zone, I was doubly concerned about how being away would affect my son, Jack, and my relationship with him. When I left he was nearly two and now that I have returned he's nearly three. How would he adjust? How would I adjust? Would he even remember me?

I expressed these concerns to my attractive wife who told me I was worrying too much. Still, these concerns continually nagged at me during my deployment.

At the seven month mark -- last May -- I got to take two weeks' leave. My son recognized me at the airport well enough and transitioned well to my presence at home. It made going back when it was over that much harder.

Now I'm back for good and Jack seems very comfortable with me in his life. I'm looking forward to being a dad again.

Coming Soon

Check back in November when I return from Iraq. I'll be writing about raising my three year old son, Jack.