Oliver Jeffers

Not too long ago, I was reading the blog of one of our friends, Brian DeWagner, and he mentioned an author by the name of Oliver Jeffers. I had never heard of him so I then was on a MISSION to find one of his books, read it and then decide if Harmon would like it.

At our local Barnes & Noble (the one “down the mountain” with the ESCALATOR, per Harmon), I found a copy of the Incredible Book Eating Boy and I loved it! I read it to Harmon and he loved it too so we bought it. I’ve probably read it to him at least 1,000 times – I’m not kidding. Unfortunately, this was the only Oliver Jeffers book available at Barnes & Noble or any of our local Borders stores so I had to take my search underground – to a LOCALLY OWNED bookstore (imagine THAT). At Nicola’s Books, on the west side of Ann Arbor, I found exactly what I was looking for. I found copies of How to Catch a Star, Lost and Found, The Great Paper Caper and The Way Back Home and Harmon got ALL OF THEM from the Easter Bunny. We read four books to him every night before bed and not a night goes by without an Oliver Jeffers’ book in the rotation.

So, thank you Brian, thank you Nicola’s and, most of all, thank you Oliver Jeffers for writing some great books that further strengthen my oldest son’s love affair with reading. Good things!

Harmon at 41 months

Since Harmon’s month all run together in a sea of cars, cartoons, Disney movies and trips to the park, it’s getting harder and harder to do a monthly update. So, once he turns 3 ½ (on May 12), I will cease to do an update on the 12th of every month. I’ll instead just write about things as they happen. And, this LATE monthly update really isn’t an update at all. It’s just going to some funny crap that Harmon has said (and done) recently. The kid is hilarious!

On a Tuesday afternoon:
Kevin: We can go to Toys R Us OR Chuck E. Cheese.
Harmon: We can go to Toys R Us AND Chuck E. Cheese!

On that same afternoon, he also must have had a dream about Chick Hicks during his nap because, when he woke up, he had a serious case of full-on Chick Hicks’ obsession. I happened to be out running work errands that day so I got it for him and all was perfect in his world (for five minutes).

One day recently, he was in the bathroom going #2. When I walked by the bathroom door he said “It stunks in here, turn the fan on!” I died.

On our way home from a recent grocery shopping trip: “Mommy, you can park cars with me. Daddy, you can make dinner!” Love that role reversal.

When asked what he wanted to do one weekend: “We can go to Target and get Lightning McQueen stuff!”

On another Tuesday, as Kevin was heading out to Chuck E. Cheese, he asked Harmon if Isabel could come. Harmon’s response: “No, she’ll poop on everything!”

Last weekend, he wore shorts and a baseball cap for the first time this year. He had this to say: I’m wearing shorts (a hat); I’m a cool man!”

He calls his fleece a SLEEF – weirdo!

Also, he loves the fine music of Wesley Willis (especially "Rock and Roll McDonald’s" – ROCK ON CHICAGO – and "Cut the Mullet") and would give his right arm if he could listen to ANY freecreditreport.com TV commercial.