Whew.

This just in. A follow-up to yesterday’s post about Reed’s haircut…..

After breakfast, Reed was perusing the new SI for Kids. He comes running to me, all excited. Look, mom. Check this out. With my new haircut, I look just like Dave Mirra.

I can hardly tell them apart.

He shoots. He scores.

Our little basketball star #5, Max “Alan Iverson” Scherer on the court. Click here for footage from his last game. (Okay, it was his first basket in a real game ever, but we are so proud!)

Video courtesy of E.E. – one of the other moms!

Be careful what you wish for….

The boys decided to let their hair grow. Long hair seems to be in again, I guess. Well, to me, it’s just hair. So whatever. Let it grow. Reed declared last week that he was not happy with the new look. He wanted a haircut. That is not something most mothers hear from their sons. I promise.

So today, Andrew took him to the barber. Before they left, Reed asked me if he could get a buzzcut. This isn’t the first time he’s asked. I reminded him that it’s winter. The fact that today was 65 degrees made that a bit less convincing of an argument, but…. So I said fine. It’s just hair.

So imagine my surprise when he came home crying. Andrew was speechless. I told him about all the unhappy haircuts I’ve had in my life and that it grows. At least no one will confuse him with either of his brothers now.

Horns.

When our friends asked us to meet them at a pool hall/bar to see a band, I was skeptical. Though I really like these people, what sounds fun about standing in a smoky bar listening to music when I could be comfy in my new down-stuffed chaise? We had plans to take the kids to religious services and the second-grade dinner beforehand. Since Andrew wanted to go, we got a sitter for after services, invited another couple who also was going to the dinner and the plan was set.

We walked into the Golden Sports Bar in Ellicott City – in a strip mall with my favorite Korean bbq restuarant, a Thai restaurant, and the big Asian supermarket. My expectations were somewhat low, as you can imagine. The bar didn’t disappoint me. It was not quite as nice and sweet-smelling as the shit-holes I hung out in during my college years. But I digress.

The band, The Texas Chainsaw Horns, was unbelievable. Really. There were 6 guys in black with horns – a sax, a couple trumpets, etc. There was this odd drummer – dressed as a cow. The lead male singer – with a long gray ponytail and a black hat (circa 1985) and the lead female singer in a glitzy, cleavage-revealing cocktail dress and big hair. And there were a couple other guys that I am forgetting. Amazing how a couple of neat Jack Daniels affect the memory.

Sounds great, huh? Well it was. This band was totally together. Professional. Clean. Funny. And really excellent. At first, I was thinking that the horn players were fortunate to find a rock & roll job. But as the night progessed, I realized that this group of musicians were meant to play together. The “groupies” were having a blast dancing up front – and we couldn’t stop tapping our feet. By the end of the evening, we were all dancing (and burning off the JD calories, I might add!)….

If they come to a town near you, check them out and see for yourself. If not, you’ll just have to trust me.

Kristin posted a great article today. About a door-to-door tattoo salesman. Check it out.

POV

Sometimes I wonder what women with very lifestyles very different from mine think about. Like the Amish. Or very Orthodox Jews. Or single women with no kids. I wonder if they have the same thoughts as me. Or not. If you’ve ever wondered, here are two blogs worth a read.
Fancy Schmancy Anxiety Maven and Bad Girls’ Guide. The former is an orthodox woman who is really funny (IMHO) and the latter is a 20-something single woman with amazing insight (with some sex-stuff in there – don’t look if you embarrass too easily!).

Four things.

Now it’s my turn.

4 jobs that you have had in your lifetime
bartender
advertising account supervisor
counter-girl at Gino’s
sales for magnet company

4 movies that you could watch over and over
Mr. Mom
Breakfast at Tiffany’s
Groundhog Day
The Princess Bride

4 places that you have lived (in order, omitting most current places of residence)
Baltimore County, MD
Richmond, VA
Baltimore City, MD
Omaha, NE

4 TV shows that you love to watch
Survivor
House
Desperate Housewives
Beauty & the Geek

4 places that you have been on vacation
Quebec City (with the kids)
Spain (with my sister)
Cabo San Lucas (with Andrew)
Jamaica (alone!)

4 websites that you visit daily
Steakbellie’s blog (and quite a few other blogs!)
New York Times
Drudge Report
Washington Post

4 of your favorite foods
Spaghetti
Steamed Crabs
Beef Tenderloin
Mashed potatoes

4 places that you would rather be right now
Reading to the kids on the sofa
Cabo San Lucas
In bed
In Omaha (if it was just a little warmer there!)

Lola.

We just got back from the Arena Stage with the kids where we saw a great production of Damn Yankees. We have been listening to the music for a couple weeks and the boys had memorized almost all the songs. We had discussed the storyline. So imagine my surprise – when Lola started stripping down from her flaminco outfit down to the teddy – and the boys all were shocked. Max said he’d never be in a play where he had to take his clothes off. Reed giggled. Davis wanted to know why she took her clothes off. He knew Lola’s job was to distract Joe but didn’t “get” why she’d take her clothes off to do that. He knew the song was “whatever Lola wants, Lola gets” but I guess he didn’t understand what exactly Lola wanted. That was an awkward moment.

I remember when we were kids and my parents would go out and leave us with a babysitter. We would sit by the turntable and play records. We’d play Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris and play the song Timid Frieda over and over. We thought it was just hysterical that our parents had a record that said “fuck you” in it. I’m sure we wore a deep groove into that one. And we’d play Man of LaMancha (weren’t we just really out there?) and Herb Alpert (why was that woman in shaving cream anyway?)… The first time I actually saw Man of LaMancha, I was amazed that Dulcinea had arms – I always thought she had only none — since she sang – One pair of arms is like another….

Anyway, I guess my point is that some music, some shows, some movies that seem innocuous enough really aren’t. Questions come up. Being prepared to answer (or evade) is helpful. All I know is that my boys are dancing around the house imitating Lola – and that Davis keeps saying (with a perfect rolled r, I might add) “Oh, Joe. You are so sexy when you say that. It makes me shiver all over to hear you say…Lola.”

It’s going to take a while to live this one down.

Party on!

My brother came to town this week. And lo and behold, he was bearing a gift. Now, I have my very own bottle of Allen’s Coffee Brandy. Party at my house!

Vagoomba.

Today is my father’s 74th birthday. Some say he is a little odd. Some say more than a little. I think he’s terrific. (and perhaps a little odd, too.) My father makes music with the rim of wine glasses at the dinner table. He puts his napkin on his head to amuse my kids. He honks his horn intermittently to keep the elephants off the road. (And it appears to be working, I might add.)

I had a very fun childhood. Thanks to my father. I’m not saying my mother isn’t fun (well, sorta saying that) but when we were young she was the one to make sure we didn’t mess things up and did the right thing and, well, you know the gig. Not the fun job. All parents understand these things. We can’t be fun all the time. But my father…he was fun most all the time.

I remember every day my dad came home from work, he’d open the door and announce “I’m home to you!” I loved that.