Buzz Cuts - Part 7

It's been a while since I posted anything about my son David. He and I have become really good buddies and I absolutely love spending time with him.

One of my favorite things about David is his willingness to try new things. You can usually get him to take a bite of just about any food or try any new activity at least once.

Since starting this Buzz Cuts series, the one thing I have had trouble convincing David to do is actually get a buzz cut. Well, that changed this past weekend. I sort of had to trick him into it, though. Katie had to run to the store, so I told David we should give ourselves mohawks to trick her and then we'd just trim the mohawks down to buzz cuts. He jumped at the chance to play a trick on his mommy.

We ended up with mohawks, but Katie took longer at the store than we thought and David was getting itchy so we finished up his buzz cut before she got home. I kept the mohawk until she got back and she was less than impressed.

Anyway, here is the latest edition of Buzz Cuts:

Buzz Cuts - Part 6

My neighbor Neal Yoder told me once about fishing contests he sometimes has with his son Reid. They go out to the end of their pier and see who can catch more fish in a given amount of time - sometimes they each have a pole, sometimes they have to take turns using the same pole.

One of the first things I heard about Reid when I first moved to the lake was that he was probably the best fisherman on the lake. Then I heard it again, and again. So, I don't know this for sure, but I'm guessing Neal has been handed several defeats by his son.

Last night David and I finished up our mowing and had some time to kill before the girls got home from an excursion of their own so we decided to do some fishing. I don't usually let the kids have real hooks when we're all out fishing together because of the obvious safety risks. Since it was just David and me last night, I rigged his little pole up with a real hook, a sinker and a bobber. I baited the hook and did the casting of his line, but then he took over.

We were fishing off the pier where I knew plenty of small bluegill would be swimming and he would likely catch one. What I didn't know was that David's first catch was going to be this:

Yep, this 12-14 inch largemouth bass is the first fish David has ever caught by himself. He did ask for help reeling it in when the fish swam to the other side of the pier, but it was David's catch, fair and square.

In all, David caught seven fish in the time we were out there. I didn't really count mine, but I know I didn't catch that many.

We didn't set out to have a competition, but it reminded me of Neal and Reid. I know the day is coming when David will routinely beat me in competition, but I'd like to think I can hold him off for a while longer!

Buzz Cuts - Part 5

My wife and daughter went to a Mother-Daughter Banquet last night, so David and I got to have some great Father-Son time.

We started out by mowing grass. David fell asleep on me for about 20 minutes and then it started to rain, so we went inside for supper. David thought it would be cool if we sat on the stools and ate at the counter instead of the table, so we did. Then we tried to do some more mowing but it started raining again. We decided to just head into town and go through the drive through at Dairy Queen. When we got back home we had an awesome time building a train track and playing trains until bedtime.

As the night went on, a simple lesson kept presenting itself to me: Just take an interest in what he finds interesting.

That's pretty simple to understand, but not always that simple to do.

David likes to steer the lawn mower, but he doesn't steer in a way that allows you to mow the grass. He likes to do big circles and nearly run into things before making sharp turns to avoid disaster. But if I am willing to allow him to have some turns steering the lawn mower, he loves riding with me.

David's suggestion to sit at the counter for dinner was something he thought up all on his own. There was a part of me that thought about saying no and making him sit at the table, like normal. But, what was the harm? I said yes and he thought it was incredible that he got to make that decision all on his own.

David loves to build train tracks. I enjoy it too, but not to the same extent that he does. There comes a point when I've had enough and he could keep going all night. When that point comes, I normally sit back and just watch him play, which is fun. But he always begs me to keep playing. Last night I obliged and went back to playing. He loved it.

Taking an interest in what he finds interesting is sometimes an exercise in forcing yourself to do something that doesn't come naturally. It's not always easy and it's not always fun but it's worth it. It communicates how important David is to me and I always want him to know that I think he's special.

Right now, David's interests mostly revolve around playing trains and other toys. He's not into sports, like I want him to be. But, he's only 3 and he will eventually take an interest in those things. Even if he doesn't, I'm always going to be interested in whatever he's interested in. It's worth it!

Buzz Cuts - Part 4

The new camera for the church arrived Monday. I took it home last night to get some practice in and ran across this scene on our front deck:


I love that because it let me know David has been playing hard all day. He loves to get dirty, make truck noises, smash into things and hit stuff. (I'm working to correct that last one!)

Buzz Cuts - Part 3

I wasn't able to talk David into getting an actual buzz cut, but he did sit still long enough for a trim. So, he and I are both sporting new haircuts this morning.

As you can see, David didn't trust me with the clippers so he thought he should wear his safety goggles.

Buzz Cuts - Part 2

I haven't been able to talk David into the buzz cuts yet. He keeps saying, "Tomorrow." I don't know where he gets that from.

I've also got some opposition to the cuts because my wife doesn't want a couple of shaved heads in our next family picture, which we plan on having taken in the next few weeks. So, for now, actually getting buzz cuts is postponed.

Don't worry though, that doesn't mean I can't think of other fun stuff to do with David - which, by the way, is the point of this series.

If we get the chance this weekend, maybe even tonight, David and I are going to mow some grass together. He loves to ride on the tractor. He usually falls asleep if I let him ride too long and then I'm stuck trying to steer with one hand and hold him upright with the other. He's only 3 but the kid is getting heavy so my arm usually falls asleep then I have to stop and carry him inside.

I know it sounds like it could be kind of a hassle, but I love it! It's the best way I know of to mow grass.

Buzz Cuts

Here's another series I'd like to start. It's called Buzz Cuts because one of the things my son, David, and I do together is get buzz cuts each spring, as seen above.

I'm having a little trouble talking him into it this year - I think he wants to keep his hair longer. Usually, it's just a one-time thing where we cut our hair once in the spring and then let it grow out again. I just need to figure out how to convince him that his hair will grow back quickly.

David is 3 years old. He was born on October 9, 2004, and our lives have never been the same.

His older sister Hanah, who will turn 6 on May 30, had to make the biggest adjustment upon his arrival, but we all have had to restructure our lives to accommodate this little guy. I don't mean this in a bad way because I would never want to go back to life without him.

David is very impulsive, very outspoken, very enthusiastic and very fun to be with.

In the past few months I have decided and made an effort to try to do more things with him, just the two of us. We've done some fishing and worked on some projects together, but I want to keep it up.

So, I'm going to try to use this series as a way of sharing our experiences, but also as a way of reminding me to think of things I can do with my son.