Neighborhood Spirit

Saturday was Clarendon Day! Live music, kettlecorn, and hotdogs (all a stone's throw from the front porch). It was a perfect way to spend the day.

There were clearly three categories of people in attendance:
1. Those with Dogs
2. Those with Babies
3. Those in the Beer Line

How I know I'm not Adopted...

Because it just can't be a coincidence that my cousin Jared and I have the same natural ability to verbally agitate, mock and jab while appearing to be joking :)

On a recent trip down to South Carolina, I wasn't even in the door 5 minutes before I had been jabbed about not returning phone calls, when I was getting married, and of course about the time I was 6 and bratty and got him and my other cousin Misite in trouble because they viciously knocked me down with a wet towel.

So, now that I've had some time to think of a few comebacks...I'll have to poke a bit of fun at Jared's newborn's identity crisis. Again, it's difficult to transition to thinking of Jared as a parent and not as my cousin...who refused to wear anything but Chaps and Polo, had to have the stitching in his jeans had to be a certain pattern and color...or who led the scheming for how to get us alcohol on a family cruise (apparently even when you are in international waters, the drinking age still applies on the ship).

Anyway, Jared is all grown up now, married to crazy Kay Kay and is the new parent of an adorable son (really, he's cute. I am not one to give out cute baby comments like candy). During Kay's pregnancy I heard some of the brainstorming of names and thought we had all settled on Barkley Black (Jared's middle name). I have to say that I was happy with that decision.

So as the due date rolled around, I gave Jared a ring to check in, and he is probably the only guy I know who would answer the phone while his wife was in labor (that makes my not-answering-the-phone-excuses seem pretty lame). Jared and Kay had decided to change the name to Jared Barkley Black Jr.!!!! And the name had shifted again when I got the birth announcement to Jared Barkley Black Jr. "JB".

Now every time I talk to my Aunt and she mentions "Jared", I assume she's talking about my cousin, not the baby...but by the time she gets to crying or pooping part, I figure it out (most of the time), but it's confusing!

So when I got down south, I was at a loss for what to call the little guy. I secretly had decided to try and sway the family back to "Barkley". As a designated family agitator, I opened up the can of worms (within the first 5 minutes of my arrival of course) and asked what I should call him..ha!

All jabbing aside, I was really impressed with how natural parenting is forJared and Kay Kay. They are going to be really great parents to...Little JB..err Jared Jr...uhh Barkley!

Waterworks

I am incapable of watching an episode of Extreme Makeover - Home Edition without crying! There is something about reality TV because I also get choked up with Amazing Race (usually when the token old couple is climbing a mountain or talking about how they've been best friends for 40 years). Sniff....