What's Happenin'

I gotta tell ya, this parenting thing is a real snap for me. I never thought it would be this- Not Hard. I won't say easy, because it hasn't been. Easy is a bit too strong a way of putting it. I have gotten pretty good at anticipating when the kid is gonna get upset, and off I go to a musical source, donning my dancing shoes while en route, and I can get the kid to calm down/sleep in a heartbeat. Bob Marley's "Simmer Down" is a favorite, as well as a couple of ska tunes by Hepcat from the album "Right On Time". The boy is really surprising me with his musical appreciation. If he likes a song, he's all about it. His eyes dart to and fro as he concentrates on whatever is playing. If he's not too keen on a tune, look out! He lets loose with the waterworks accompanied by a loud, raspy series of screams. Nothing sets him off faster than Freddie Hubbard's "Red Clay". (Pity)
I have also mastered the art of swaddling. If the kid is fidgety, or upset, and I don't feel like dancing, I can wrap him up in a blanket so nice and tight, the kid looks like a mummy, and we won't hear from him again in AT LEAST 1-2 hours. My guess is that the warmth, and constriction feels like he's back in the womb. It's a pretty effective technique, but I sometimes think the lovely wife thinks my wraps are a bit too tight...
The final sprout news for the evening is, he is now sleeping 4+ hours at a time!!! That may not seem like much to people who DON'T have kids, but that can be compared to having two Christmases a year (just the getting gifts part), finding $50 and then having no one claim it- even when you ask about 20 people if they've lost some dough. (I Never tell the the dollar amount-I may be a good samaritan, but I'm no Dummy), and having breakfast for dinner. The fact that he's sleeping that long is giving us more sleep time during the night, thus creating less dark circles under the eyes, and less grumpiness. He does, sometimes throw a monkey wrench into the works at times, and will wake up after just an hour to keep the lovely wife on her toes. I feel bad about not getting up in the middle of the night to help with feeding, because it's rough on the wife. But as she says, "What can you do? and besides, you have to work in the morning." I feel guilty each time I give a sigh of relief that SHE'S the one on maternity leave...
Last night I watched the Grammy awards with the wife. It was our intent to see the Police perform, but we tuned in too late. But we DID get to see an inspired performance by the ever so talented Justin Timberlake! (Can you see the thick, black tar-like sarcasm dripping from my lips?) We were so lucky to see him plink a loop of about 8 or 9 notes on his little piano, and then subject us to a hand held camera focusing in with an extreme close up on his wonderful face (The bile spewing from my mouth is a bit more than I can handle, so I'll move on.
Mary J. Blige has always been a favorite of mine, and her performance was great. Her heart in it y'all! It's a beautiful thing to see a Hip-Hop artist expand beyond the expected parameters of that genre and create a sound that is bold and new. That is why Hip-Hop, in the right hands will never, ever die. Another example of that level of creativity was Gnarls Barkley. Cee-Lo Green is an incredible performer, and singer, evidenced early on with his work within Goodie Mob, and on his two solo projects. Last night though, he far surpassed anything I've heard him do live. He seemed to breathe new life into a song that I've LONG considered a dead horse (Crazy), and the use of a full back up orchestra, and a choir was tight. BUT the home audience couldn't get the full effect of the performance. Cee-Lo and Danger Mouse, Gnarls Barkley's beat producer/D.J. Were both dressed in Airline gear. Cee-lo had on a navy blue commercial Pilot's uniform, and Danger Mouse wore a co-pilot's uniform. (White short-sleeved shirt with black and gold epaulets, and a black tie) The rest of the musicians wore airline inspired gear as well. Some wore airline attendant uniforms, some wore old school pilot uniforms, and some wore maintenance worker gear. The camera ONLY focused on Cee-Lo, and not the costumes worn, and the wall of sound that was behind him.
Ah well, it wouldn't be the Grammy's if there wasn't something that pissed me off.
PEACE.