change is good

My son got a haircut today. It was his idea entirely. He does things when he's ready. That's how he rolls, and it's working for him so far. When he was ready to ride a bike, he did it, When he was ready to love broccoli he did that too. Some sick little boy or girl is going to get some beautiful hair, until their own beautiful hair grows back. His karma will stay with them forever though. My son is my hero.

I won't lie. I will miss my son's long beautiful hair. It was his "thing," one of his unique traits that set him apart from others. But his hair alone isn't what makes him unique. He's my son, my only child and his actions often humble me. His ability, willingness, and desire to do kind things without the imposed filters and prejudices that can come with age may be his greatest quality. The hair can always grow back if he wants it.  

A former student wrote these wonderful words about him. 

"A former professor of mine (yes Professor Mr. S.) has a very noble son that just donated his hair to make wigs for cancer patients. He did this out of the kindness of his soul. As an adult you don't always get to see that side of society. It's sad. Kids see the world for what it is. Its not black and white, but more of a gray tone."

Our kids teach us stuff all the time, slow down and pay attention.

AM feeding

In case you haven't noticed, food is a common topic here. To do all the stuff they need to do (and that they want to do,) your child needs to eat. Not once a day, not in a moving car, (though there are exceptions, the occasional Donutville USA en route to school is an exception), and not when you feel like it. Kids have gas tanks like everyone else. When it's empty, they break down and don't go. Fill the tanks with cheap ass gas ALL the time, or let it run too low consistently and performance will suffer.

Breakfast is key for a variety of reasons in this west side bachelor pad, and it's key for both of us. 1) It gets fuel in us. 2) We have some "top of the morning" face time (I don't see my son for 3-4 days at times, so every second is precious to me and, I hope him.) 3) Gets some order going and shakes off that sleep residue so BOTH of us are ready to hit it.

Simple stuff really. Eggs are great. We like omelets. I've always liked omelets. You can put stuff in them. I don't care for the parts of an egg on their own: The yolk is too concentrated, and the whites are weak. One world, one egg.  If the omelet breaks down, it's scrambled eggs. So what. Get some fruit in your kids too. Berries, bananas, kiwi, whatever. Cut it up if you have to. Mix it up if you want. My son likes fruit cold. Kids go in and out of likes and dislikes, so stay on top of this. ASK THEM. Cereal is timeless. We favor the classics here. Rice Krispies, Cheerios, Life, etc. None of that sugar bomb bullshit. None of that crap with monsters pimping it. The real Dracula impaled people, and the mythical character drinks your blood until you die. The Frankenstein-ish fellow is made up of parts of other dead people. Yummy. Sometimes we use the ready to go crescent roll stuff. Don't judge me. I make biscotti. You can wrap things with this. Stuff like sausages, cheese, bacon, etc. The sausages and bacon can be cooked ahead and stored in the fridge until needed. This stuff also comes pre-cooked in the store.

I try to make the plate funny when I can, but that's just how we roll in our house. Faces are easy. There are lots of web sources that show simple illustrated expressions. Working personality into these faces is challenging but not impossible. Eyebrows are devices for conveying attitude and mood. Mouths that contain teeth indicate, depending on the number and color, what area of Appalachia the breakfast character is from. Or, if they're from the U.K. When Finn gets older I may tackle the likenesses of famous literary giants like Joyce, or Tolstoy, or even Vonnegut. But for now it's good ol' Mr. raspberry eyes, sharing  his croissant grin. Even though he's quite resentful and dissatisfied on the inside, and dreads the idea that his destiny is in a little boy's tummy.