Right before lunch today, I took my daughter, Bailey (3 1/2 yrs old), and my two nephews (6 and 4 years) to the park at the end of the block – more like a patch of grass with a play gym on it. We had been there a few minutes when my nephews called me over to look at what they found. Bailey followed me over, and we saw a rattlesnake crawling along the wall at the side of the park.

Ah, the joys of living in the New Mexico. It really was not surprising to find the snake there, the park is right next to a stretch of open desert. It was obvious how the snake got there.

Being the good father/protector that I am, I told the kids to keep their distance. But being the free-range kids advocate that I am, I also took the opportunity to use this as a teaching moment. I explained how dangerous rattlesnakes are, pointed out the rattle, and told them how the snake uses it to make noise to warn people or other animals away when it feels threatened, but sometimes they will bite without rattling first. All the while I repeatedly warned them to stay away from rattlesnakes.

I managed to get a picture before it crawled away and out of the park.

The danger abated, we played a bit more before heading back to the house. My wife was there when we got back, and we told her about our encounter. My wife asked if the kids tried to play with it with that worried mom tone. “Of course not,” I said and gave Bailey an impromptu quiz to show the valuable life lesson she learned.

“Bailey, what do you do when you see a rattlesnake?”

My daughter furrowed her brow for a few seconds while she pondered the question. Her face lit up and I knew she figured out the answer. My fatherly pride kicked up another notch.

So what do you do when you see a rattlesnake?

“You take a picture!” Bailey announced excitedly. My wife burst into laughter.

Sigh. It easy to forget that what you do is more of an example for you kids than what you say.

So for the time being, we are involuntarily separated. The good news is that they came down for a visit and will be here for a week and half, through Labor Day. Last night I got to put my daughter to bed for the first time in 3 weeks, and today I came home at lunch to eat with them.

Me: "Do you know how much I love you?" - Bailey: "So much."

I think Honeybun summed it up best when she told me last week, “You got the perfect job in the wrong state.”

I quit my job! I had been a supervisor in a call center for that last 7+ years and had been looking for a career change, especially since last year when I finished grad school. That career change happened when I was offered a job with a school district managing their data. That school district is in another state.

So I have moved from beautiful Colorado to hot New Mexico. So that’s the news.

This afternoon the weather was great so we had our doors open when we heard the passing of the ice cream truck. A moment later we heard “ice cream man…ice cream man…” Honeybun and I both looked out the screen door at the same time to see the 7-year old neighbor girl from a couple houses down running past. “Ice cream man! Ice cream man!” She had her little hand in the air waiving a dollar bill and running as fast as her little legs would carry her. A moment later her mother passes by…”Don’t run into the street.”

I was thinking, “no way she’s catching that guy.” It was almost heartbreaking, “Ice cream man…Ice cream man!” little legs pumping, money waiving.

I guess he must have heard her when he stopped at the end of the block to turn the corner. A few minutes later we saw her walking back toward her house, Popsicle in hand, mom walking behind. Mission accomplished and all was right with the world.

But I bet that strange ice cream man will drive by again at 30 mph tomorrow. He truly is someone I would say is not in it for the money.

Started just hanging around the house. One of our bushes plays host to a number of ladybugs. Bailey loves catching them. Afterwards she was giggling over how they tickle her fingers.

"I caught a ladybug!"

We had been looking forward to taking Bailey to see fireworks for the first time. The weather wasn’t wanting to cooperate though. The day had been mostly cloudy and rain storms were passing over. I decided to take Bailey to the park anyway. Honeybun met us there later and brought extra clothes (Bailey already went through one change for getting wet) and the canopy.

The rain began again about a half hour before the fireworks were to start and the temperature was going down. We lowered the canopy as far as it would go. It was 54 degrees and we were bundled up under blankets and a tarp to keep the rain off. We could see other fireworks in the distance so we were hopeful the show we were at would not be rained out. But start time came and went with no fireworks. The rain was still coming down and just when I thought it wasn’t going to happen, flash…”boom!”

It was cold and wet, but there were fireworks.

Coldest 4th of July I ever remember, but totally worth it.

Today she asked to go higher and I told her that she would have to pull herself up if she wanted to go higher, which she promptly did.

Bailey climbing the gym rope-climb

I was cheering like it was overtime in the Super Bowl.

For some perspective, the rope below her feet is about 8 feet above the floor. She figured out how to bring her feet up and put them on the ball then stand while pulling with her arms. Then she was able to hold on to lift her legs around the next ball that she is grabbing with her legs in the picture. Maybe next week I’ll get some video.

Funny thing to me is that she is the only one in her class that will go higher than the knot at the bottom of the rope. Don’t little boys like to climb anymore?

Merlin Mann – Who Moved My Brain?