The Crooked Cucumber says,

"As long as you depend on something special, something it is assumed you should depend on, you are not strong enough to go on by yourself.  You cannot find your way.  So first of all, know yourself and be strong enough to live without any sign, without any information - that is the most important point.  There is truth, you say, but there can be various truths.  The question is not which way you should go.  If you only try to go in one direction, or if you always depend on signs, you will not find your own way.  The best thing is to have eyes to read various signs."
                                                                       -Shunryu Suzuki

Recently, I have been reading a book entitled: Crooked Cucumber:  The Life and Zen Teachings of Shunryu Suzuki.  The passage above really resonated with me.

Snow Day Dud!

What a disappointment!  Here we are, having a late season Winter Storm and it sucks!  Here in Annapolis it's not even snowing yet.  There's rain, and some wind but no Winter Storm.  Then why are schools closed in the area?  Why is my daughter home and not in daycare?  Daycare is closed for the winter weather but it's only raining!

I hope everyone up in Pennsylvania and western Maryland are enjoying the snow.   Our store has inventory tomorrow night and I am supposed to spend today in the store preparing for it.  Instead I am at home, missing work, looking out at the drizzle and wondering what the hell is wrong with this state?  We get surprised by storms all the time, roads ice over, drivers panic, and the state shuts down.  We over-prepare for storms, it rains and the state shuts down. 

Oh well, I guess I could have had a worse snow day companion! 

It's A Sign

Yesterday I left work and met Evie Sue at Sara's work for a free play session.  Evie Sue wore me out; of course, I had been up since 2:15 that morning.  Anyway, Evie Sue and all the other kids were running around the gym, bouncing on trampolines, rolling on mats, and having a blast.  Suddenly, Evie Sue spotted a young baby asleep in his seat.  She pointed to the child, folded her arms in front of her and rocked her arms as if cradling a baby.  That's the sign language for BABY!  Pretty awesome, right. 

We watch these sign language videos, and try to use some signs at home but I often wonder if it's sinking in.  Then she spontaneously signs BABY.  She also independently signs MORE, MILK, BALL, DOG, and has been know to hold her thumb to her forehead in an effort to say DADDY!  As you may be able to tell I am proud of her. 

Yesterday Morning

When Evie Sue goes off to college I am sure I will be proud, and I hope on that day I look back and remember yesterday fondly.  Yesterday was Evie Sue's 1st full day of daycare.  Sara started a full time job with semi-regular hours, and we have signed up our little Button for childcare.  This is a big step for us.  No longer will she be home all day every day with one of her parents.  No longer will her main social outlet be playing peekaboo with Mommy, and watching Signing Times with Daddy.  She will meet, and play with other children.  She will interact and rely on other adults when she has a need, or is upset.  She will spend most of her weekday hours away from the two people who love her most. 

Now I know to some this may not seem like that big a deal.  There are families who are able to put their kids in daycare a few months after the birth.  There are families with multiple siblings in daycare.  We were not that family.  Sara was able to stay home with the baby for over a year while I worked and tried to support the family as best I could.  Now, with Button getting older, finances getting tighter, and time marching on it was time for a change.  An opportunity came Sara's way and she could not pass it up. 

So now we are both working full-time jobs, with semi-irregular hours and trusting our amazing little one into the care of others during the day.  This is not easy.  Sara would tell you that she was the one having the hardest time adjusting to the idea, and she'd be right but I, too, have anxiety about this latest turn of events.  It was easier for me to drive up to the north side of Baltimore everyday and work that far away knowing that my daughter was home with one of the two people in the world that loves her the most.  Now she spends her days with people who we call Ms. This and Miss That.  People who don't know Evie Sue as well as we do, or know her cries like we do, or how to make her giggle like we do.  Will they take care of her they way they should?

Of course they will, silly.  That's their job!.  I'm sure that they have helped watch hundred, thousand and/or millions of children over the years and know what they are doing.  Evie Sue, to her credit has hit the ground running.  She doesn't seem to have a problem staying at the center, has made the rounds in her curiosity and seems to be very popular with the staff.  She will be fine.  Everyone seems to love her... just not like her mother and I.
 

It Walks Among Us!

Evie Sue with her VD balloon.

My daughter, that is!  Evie Sue is a walker!  A few weeks ago Grandma Linda came into town and suddenly Evie Sue's few scatter steps turned into full on walking.  She walks down the hall, through the kitchen, up the hall, around the living room, to the front door and back again.  She's so proud of herself and get's super excited when you chase her.  I see this turning into an issue out in public but for right now it's just fun.

Evie Sue is over 14 months now, and next week will start daycare 4 or 5 days a week so Sara can go back to work.  This is a big transition for us.  Both parents will be working full-time jobs, and the baby will be spending time in a new environment, hopefully, having fun and socializing with other young ones.  It's exciting and scary all at the same time.  I'm not sure how it wall play out but I am sure of one thing; childcare is EXPENSIVE!  We'll be spending more a month on the daycare than on our rent.  In what kind of world does that makes sense?

Pancake Dinner

In other news, Evie Sue and I attended the Annual Sue Cobb Memorial Scholarship Pancake Dinner this past Fat Tuesday with Grandpa, Reb, and Savannah.  The dinner is one way in which my Mom's church helps raise money to give to female students in need.  We ate some pancakes, socialized with acquaintances and chased the baby all around the room.  (Did I mention she's walking.)  It is always strange yet wonderful to be in a room with so many people who want to tell me about how wonderful my Mother was.  Sue Cobb's granddaughter was the bell of the ball!

Cold and Slow!

Brrrr.  Winter is finally here.  It is cold outside!  Of course, this is the day the landlords arranged to have our sliding glass doors replaced.  2 days ago I was driving home with my windows open!  Couldn't have done it then, huh?  Guess not.  Has to be done however.  The doors when they were installed were put in reverse.  The screen doors are on the inside and there's a horrible draft.  In the past we bought some insulated curtains and it's helped some but not enough.  Our apartment's always cold.

In other news, I am not making much headway on the book Sara gave me to read on New Years.  I don't seem to have a lot of book time lately.  Between work, the commute, the baby, and sleep there doesn't  seem to be enough time.  Oh well, it'll either happen or it won't. 

Let's Do This!

Happy New Year!  It's 2013 and this guy is trying to turn over a new leaf.  Not a big change mind you, but maybe I could stand to be a little positive.

Cobb-Descending, the title, came about, I may have mentioned, from Sara not liking my tone of voice one time when I wasn't being very understanding.  She told me to stop being so, "Cobb-Descending."  I can be sarcastic.  I can be negative.  I definitely can condescend when I am in the mood.  Thus the blog's title.

Nowadays, I feel the need to, maybe, make an effort to be more positive.  I have good things going on in my life, love in my family, and hope for the future so maybe I should choose to focus on those things.  I think I'll give this blog a New Year's makeover.   A new look?  A new name and, hopefully, a new outlook.  Admittedly, I have not been the most active blogger in the last year or more and I can't guarantee that this will change.  I will try to make monthly, at the very least, entries to update the growth and continuing adventures of the Cobbs Cubed!  Cobb3, you might say.  From here on out is blog will be dubbed Cobbs To The Third Power!  (I think my math works.)

The pile of memories from 2012

In a completely different but not unrelated note, Sara and I have started off the New Year by starting new traditions for our  family.  This past year we have filled a jar with handwritten down notes about favorite memories, and monumental moments in our lives and placed it up on the mantle.  We started today out by reading these memories and remembering the year past.  We plan to continue this into 2013. 

We also exchanged books for the New Year.  Often we will suggest a book to each other and then, more often than not, the recommendation is ignored.  I came up with the idea of finding a book for the other to read, and promising to follow through with the task.  It was interesting to see which books we chose. 

Our New Year Books

 I offered J.R.R Tolkien's The Hobbit; not because the 1st part is in theaters now but because it is one of my favorite books.  I read in back in school, drew a mural as part of a school assignment, watch the animated movie religiously, and reread the book several times.  It is just, in my opinion a wonderful book that I think should be experienced.  Sara chose for me a book entitled: Practical Genius:  The Real Smarts You Need to Get Your Talents and Passions Working for You by Gina Amaro Rudan.  How's that for a title?  The name actually speaks for itself.  Sara hopes that I will be able to draw some creative, and positive influences from the book and incorporate my artistic side into my everyday life.  I'm game.   2013 is going to be a great year!
 

The End Is Nigh!

Now that we all realize the Mayans were full of shit, I'd like to acknowledge the end of 2012 - it's a coming folks!  In less than a week we will all be living in 2013; unless of course you die in that time! 
What a year? 
What a year?
2012 has been quite a year in the Cobb World! 
Sara and I have grown as parents.  Evie Sue has grown into a fun little spitfire of a toddler!  I became a Mate!  There have been so many monumental moments in my life this year that I could not possibly record them all!  I am excited to start 2013 with my family.  

Twas The Night Before The Night Before Christmas!

One more day until Christmas!  One more early morning and one more trip around the Baltimore Beltway!  
I'm ready for a little Xmas cheer!

HOLY SHIT!

Button Is One Year Old!  Today my daughter has been in our lives for 365 days!  That boggles my mind.  How can we have been parents for a year?  How can I have been someone's father for a whole year?   I can't even understand it.  Where did the last year go?  (I'm sorry that the title of this post is so crass but it best sums up the wonder and awe I am feeling at this moment.)

To be honest I've been working on this blog post ever since the day before Evie Sue's birthday.  I just couldn't come up with anything else to write.  Maybe it was the pressure of such a monumental day.  Maybe I've gotten rusty and just don't have the motivation to blog anymore.  I've also been overwhelmed with work and finances lately, so maybe that's contributed to my lack of posting.

Then today, the day after the birthday, I heard a song on the radio that summed it up better than I was able to do.  To borrow a page out of Sara's book, I would like to quote a song as part of this post.

In 'Love Will Do That'  Darius Rucker sings:

The second I saw you  
What was important wasn't important no more 
Love will do that 
Love will do that
Made the ole moon burn brighter, 
led to all-nighters  
Made sleeping a thing of the past 
Love will do that 
Love will do that
It changes everything  
Makes the angels sing  
Puts the past in the past
It'll drive you crazy  
Sometimes it just makes you laugh  
Yeah, love will do that

Okay, so maybe the song was meant to be a love song but every time I hear it I think about how my daughter has changed my life.   I think about how I love her much more than I ever knew I could, and I think about how my life will never be the same.  Happy Birthday, Button!}  

 *Just a fun fact, apparently this is not the 1st time I have quoted a country song on this blog and I was never a country music fan!