It's About Time

So after days, weeks, and even months of being hounded on nearly a daily basis about how our son looks homeless... how he looks like we just pulled him out of a dumpster... how he's sporting a Redneck mullet... and how we could mop our floors if we turned him upside down, I finally caved in and agreed to go with Jei to take Allen Jess to get his very first haircut!

Naturally, before leaving that day for the monumental occasion...

Jei & I decided to have a little fun with the rat's nest!

With 14 months of growth...

there was plenty of hair to do as we pleased!

And with a tray full of yummy snacks...

Allen definitely was a good sport about it.

I like to call this one the Wave!

Yes, my 14-month-old son had a pony-tail...

how sad!

If your 14-month-old son has a mullet/ponytail...

you might be a Redneck!

The silly over-exagerated Dracula look.

The ever-so-popular Justin Bieber do.

Then there was the Alfalfa,

minus the few strands sticking up in the back.

"Mom, Dad... Seriously???"

And then for the final shot, we decided to keep it normal... or at least how we've been styling it, in a desperate attempt to mask the obvious white trash aura our child's hair presented on a daily basis!

I can't say for sure why I held out for so long... maybe I was afraid he'd lose that baby look? But after noticing small birds making themselves feel right at home in his hair... not to mention the fact that Allen was suddenly interested in watching NASCAR all the time, I knew it was finally time to give that boy a trim! 

A short ride to Cool Cuts 4 Kids...

where Allen hailed a cab and was ready for the sheers!

We were a bit worried about how he would behave with someone messing with his hair, but all I have to say is thank God he's an Etheridge... for once 'Nemo' was playing on the television, Allen was sucked in and hardly noticed massive chunks of hair were being chopped off.

"Lady... I said just a tad off the sides!"

Between sitting & steering the car, watching his favorite movie, and of course his binky, Allen was a very good little boy... and made the hairdresser's job so much easier!

That's one proud & happy Momma...

watching her hobo-baby boy shed that nasty mullet!

We tried putting on the little white thingy that goes around the neck... as well as the big plastic cape that covers the body and catches all the fallen hair, but not surprisingly, Allen wanted absolutely nothing to do with those and refused to wear them. So bareback it was as she snipped and buzzed away!  

And after the dust (hair) had settled and the weed-wacker was put away... suddenly, out of nowhere... a very handsome little boy appeared!

Not to mention his neck magically appearing as well!

With all that hair covering it, we hadn't seen that thing in forever! 

Awwwwwwwwwe...
And the clouds parted as angelic light rays beamed down
as if to say, "Hey-Zeus approves!"   

New haircut - same ole' Allen...

completely sucked into the television!

I don't even think he knew he was getting his haircut! World War III could've started behind him and he wouldn't have known! (Just so you know, Jei & I were practically screaming his name, dancing around and anything else we could think of to get his attention so that he would look at the camera! Obviously, nothing worked!)

Of couse after seeing the little guy with his new do, I was so kicking myself for not having gotten it done any sooner... cause he looked so adorable and even more so than he did with his long locks! Needless to say, Jeilene and I were super happy with Allen's new look and were so proud of him for being so well behaved... which made it such a fun experience!

Let's Race

We found ourselves at the Fire & Police Motocross races once again back in mid September... and with only about a week or so before his first birthday, we were hoping Allen would start walking by then, but that obviously didn't happen... so Allen was stuck crawling in the dirt! (Something tells me he knows exactly what he's doing!)

"Bye Allen... I'm off to go racing again. Wish me luck!"

"Oh no... Daddy's in a tight race... I can't watch!"

September in Southern California means some pretty warm weather. Fortunately for us, one of our friends brought a portable A/C unit... in the form of a blow-up pool, which seemed like a fantastic idea at the time. 

"Mom says Daddy's out there somewhere...

but I just don't see him. They all look alike to me!"

Allen & I going over some racing strategy together

as we watch the bikes go round & round.

Mommy & Allen had some pretty good seats to watch all the action.

I may not ride very well... but at least I look good doing it!

"I just don't see what the big deal is...

it really doesn't look all that hard to me!"

Did I mention it was hot?! Allen had the right idea...

shirt off and in the shade!

"Come on Dad... you gettin' in or not?!"

"Holy moly... that's frickin' cold!"

"Okay Dad... you first! Water feels great!"

If you ride dirt-bikes... it's pretty much automatic that you're not very bright! Case-in-point... we decided to set up the pool and fill it up underneath all the shade. Of course that's great if you don't want the sun hitting you... but not so great if you want the water to be anywhere near luke warm! Needless to say, the water was freezing... but it still felt good at the end of a long race.

Nap time! With Mr. Giraffe of course.

"Hellooooo... bottle anyone?!?!"

This kid sure does have it rough, doesn't he?!

After the second race... I just couldn't resist! And although I tried my best to convince Allen to get in with me, he wasn't having any part of that cold water!

Allen & I hanging out watching Finding Nemo, as we wait for Mommy to finish slaving away in the kitchen preparing our dinner.

Day two brought more sunshine, warm weather, and a lot more racing!

"I believe I can fly..."

"Come on Daddy! Last place is for losers!!!"

Hmmm... first place or last.

I'll let you decide.

Allen keeping a sharp eye out...

waiting for his Daddy to return from racing.

Another fun & successful camping trip at the races!

Fast forward two months... and we're back at it again for the final races of the year. Not much has changed in two months... but the one thing that did was the weather! Instead of scorching hot afternoons, we got cool comfortable breezy ones which were very much welcomed!

With cooler temperatures out...

Allen preferred to eat his lunch inside.

"You're not in trouble Allen...

just tell us where you hid Daddy's goggles please!"

On the starting line and ready to rock n' roll... praying I don't stall my bike when the gates drop! (That's the worst!)

"Good luck Dad! And whatever you do... don't stall it on the line!"

Meanwhile... Allen pretends he's racing too!

All that walking around and pushing sure does build up an appetite!

After a long day and a big meal...

Allen & I relax a little and watch a movie before bedtime.

"Hey! Ya mind?! Enough with the flash already...

you're killing my movie here!"

The next day Allen was all about exploring...

He had his two feet, his trusty walker, and a smile on his face.

Just as happy as could be!

So we just left him alone.

"Allen? ...Allen! ...Hello? ...come back child!"

"Sorry Dad... can't stop for any pics... gotta keep on movin'!"

Allen was a great cheerleader and did a good job cheering me on!

"I don't know Dad... I really think you can go faster than that!"

Until of course Mommy brought out a bag of chips...

and then it was all about the munchies.

No broken bones, a new trailer, and even a few first place finishes... if you ask me, it certainly was a great year of racing! But as much fun as it was, it wouldn't nearly be as fun if I didn't have my two favorite people with me... cheering me on and sharing in my triumphs and in my defeats. Riding and racing dirt-bikes is amazingly fun, but spending time with my son, playing with him at all the different races, and especially getting to watch him grow so fast right before my eyes is truly amazing... and  it's what makes it all worth while!

Race 1

Race 8