Tech Support (Email Notifications)

We here at Chaney Kid World Headquarters have recently received reports that some of our blog subscribers have been removed from the e-mail distribution list.  CKWH takes quality control quite seriously, and our crack web development team immediately took the case.

When this blog was started, e-mail subscriptions were handled by a 3rd-party company called "Blog Alerts."  It appears that Blog Alerts are, shall we say, somewhat less than reliable.  Sometimes the e-mails don't go out for several days, and sometimes people get dropped from the list for no reason.

Fortunately, in the interim, Google has begun running their own e-mail subscription service powered by FeedBurner.  Starting today, we are switching over to the Google/Feedburner service.  You'll find a subscription sign-up box in the right-hand sidebar.  If you'd like to receive e-mail notices when this blog is updated, just enter your address in the box and follow the instructions.

If you used to get notifications from Blog Alert and you sign up for FeedBurner, you will probably receive two e-mails every time we update this blog.  To correct this problem, just unsubscribe from Blog Alert.  There is an unsubscribe link in every Blog Alert e-mail.

Call or e-mail us if you have any problems with the new system.

Sincerely,

Chaney Kid Technical Support

Jumping Jack

It's All About Looking Good

Denise is singing in the church band this morning, and as much fun as it would be to play the role of "guy alone in church with a screaming baby," Jackson and I have elected to stay home this morning. We're listening to Glenn Miller, eating our bananas, and watching it snow.

When I'm home alone with Jackson, there are these rare moments when Jackson is changed, fed, not too sleepy, doesn't have gas, and everything is smooth sailing. These moments are relatively rare and generally short-lived. I find myself trying to time these moments so that we're right in the middle of one when Denise walks in the door.

I think to myself, sure, Jackson is screaming right now because he's hungry. And I could feed him right now and make him stop. But Denise will be home in 30 minutes, and if I wait 15 minutes to feed Jackson, we'll be right in the middle of full-belly happy-time when Denise gets home. I don't do this so that Denise will come home to a peaceful house. It's so that when Denise comes home, Jackson will be sitting happily in his swing, and I'll be relaxing in the rocking chair by the fire, sipping a cup of coffee.

"Oh, hello dearest," I'll say, "I didn't even hear you come in. I was so involved in this article in The Economist. How was Jackson, you ask? Oh, just a delight..."

If I'm going to pull off this con, it's important that I hide all the evidence of the disaster that actually occurred in Denise's absence. The mashed-up bananas must be swept under the rug or given to Beans. The banana-puke covered bibs must be shoved under Jackson's bed. Of course, I could actually clean the kitchen and do the laundry, but then Denise might walk in during the process and the jig would be up. If you're going to pull off the illusion of perfect, effortless parenting, any actual parenting is out of the question.

Someday Jackson will recount all of this to his therapist. His various neuroses will all trace back to the fact that I determined his feeding schedule based on how good it would make me look in front of his mother. Fortunately, I will be drooling in a nursing home by then, and Jackson can time my feeding based on how good it makes him look in front of the nurses. These things have a way of working out in the end.

It's the circle of life.

Malnourished

I'm so hungry I could eat a horse!

Or maybe a pig!

Cow and pig fight!

These are almost as much fun as my feet!

Buying in Bulk

Children are cheaper when you buy them by the sack.

A Discovery

Hey guys!  Look at these awesome toys I just found!

It was a very exciting moment this week when Jackson discovered his feet.  Jackson loves feet.  They're just like hands, only a lot harder to get into your mouth.  He's working on that, though.

Jackson & Tiffany

When Q and Jessica came to help us move last weekend, they brought their daughter and Jackson's future partner-in-crime, Tiffany.

Jackson thinks Tiffany is the coolest. She is an older woman, after all.

Why You Haven't Heard Much From Us Lately

We bought a house. It's pretty sweet.

Here's a few pictures. You can kind of see what it looks like, but mostly you can just see the hurricane-path that is our life right now.

I'd post some pictures of the outside, but they would mostly just be a roof sticking out of giant snow pile.  Most of Pagosa is just roofs sticking out of snow piles right now.

Many, many thanks to Jack, Betty, Q, and Jessica for coming out this weekend to paint, clean, and move.  They toted furniture and slept on the floor in return for cold pizza and warm beer.  Next time, guys, we'll have more fun.

Actually, that's not true.  I think Jack and Betty are coming back this weekend, and we'll just put them back to work again.

Poor, neglected Beans has become just another piece of furniture:

Baby Giggles

"That's the most beautiful sound I ever heard!"

-Denise

Mmmm......I Want More!

Jackson had his first solid food tonight, rice cereal with lots of milk.

It was a big hit....once he got used to the idea.

"Your feeding me what?

"Hmmm......"

"Oh, I get it.....this is pretty tasty!"

"More please!!!!!"