They should know that she’s one of the most loving little girls in the whole wide world. She doesn’t know a stranger,” Diena Thompson said of her daughter, Somer. “And if somebody has her, please just bring her home. Read More…

As a father I could not stop thinking about what happened and somehow I knew they would find her but it would be too late. Just 5 days before she was taken another abduction attempt was made in the same neighborhood but luckily the little girl got away safely. I feel so terrible for Diena Thompson (Somer’s Mother), she didn’t do anything wrong she dotted all the I’s and crossed all the T’s but her little girl was taken nevertheless. I imagine how powerless she must feel, how angry at herself and the world. Who can blame her? The world just took her little girl and no one has yet been held responsible, but even if someone was it won’t change the fact that Somer is gone.

Yesterday while I was freaking out over this, I continued to think that perhaps if there had been a way to locate Somer at all times this would have not happened. I went on the Internet to find out of such a thing existed and I ran across several options which I think would be great (in theory)

The one that I found to be most useful is https://www.amberalertgps.com/ 

Introducing the new Amber Alert GPS 2G.  The world’s smallest, most powerful GPS tracking device.  Tracking your child is as easy as placing a call or sending a text.  Simply place this device in a pocket, purse, backpack or car, or attach to a wrist, ankle, or belt.  Call or text the AAGPS device, and within seconds you’ll receive a detailed map and address of their exact location right on your web-enabled phone.  You can also track one or more devices from your computer.

This device provides all the capabilities I would want while being relatively affordable.

The only problem I find is that it is a removable device, that is the predator can remove it from the child at any time and then it becomes obsolete. Over the past few years I have continually advocated for GPS implants being made available for kids, the technology exists and in my opinion it would make a lot of parents sleep better at night. Unfortunately there is a great deal of people out there that oppose this method citing several factors like privacy and security.

The main argument is that by doing something like that you would be infringing in the privacy of your child because now you are able to know exactly where they are at all times, I am sorry but can someone tell me what in the world is wrong with that? He is my child I provide for him, I am responsible for him and his well-being I find it completely reasonable that I be allowed to monitor where he is in order to keep him safe. Once he has reached adulthood he is free to walk into a clinic and have the chip removed.

I believe that this technology would greatly improve the odds of kidnap victims being found and rescued in time, I would dare to argue that if Somer had something like this with her she would have perhaps been found in time. We have lost several children and there is no need to loose any more. We can find a way to make something like this work so that we can all lead healthy lives while being able to provide and take care of our children. I don’t know about you but if this technology ever becomes approved I will save every dime I have to ensure my child has it.

The first time we went Quincy was 1 year old and just sat around and fell asleep on my head while walking

it was an enjoyable trip for Annie and I but it felt  like Quincy was bored and didn’t really understand what was happening

We took him there several more times since with a similar result, sometimes he enjoyed himself for a while, but for the most part he would cry and act annoyed.

Yesterday when we awoke the day was gorgeous and the temperature was just right, so we decided to give it another try. We got up, got dressed and headed out to the Zoo; the whole time Quincy was screaming, so excited about our trip. He would said “I wan go the zoo!!!!!!” .

This came as a surprise for us since he never cared about it before. We got there sat him on the stroller and started our long walk around. I expected him to get annoyed or cry as soon as he got bored, but to my surprise he was very attentive, even asked to be taken out of the stroller so that he could see better and literally spent the whole trip on my shoulders.

We saw the Elephants, Zebras and Giraffes; Quincy knew all the names and pointed them out, he would call out “Hewo Elephant” or “I wove you Giraffe!”  It was a very exciting trip and it showed me just how much out baby has learned over the last year.

He now talks a lot, his vocabulary has expanded exponentially and has even learned to conjugate verbs and use tenses correctly. He is growing so fast! It is hard for me to fathom that only a year ago he couldn’t talk or communicate with us, and now he is at the Zoo calling out animals and having “adult” conversations with us. I look forward to taking him to the Zoo more often  and I hope that he continues developing the interest he showed for the animals and for learning.

Annie was holding Quincy and then the song “Listen to your heart” performed by Kelly Clarkson started playing. I joined them as they danced and for the whole time the music was playing we just stared at each other. The baby leaned his head on my chest as we hugged and danced.

This was the sweetest moment we’ve had in a while, the three of us cuddled up danced away through the night. For those short 3 minutes there were no problems, no fights, and no stress. Everything was perfect, no one interrupted us with a request, no one required attention. We danced and stared, we kissed and snugled.

Sitting here I wonder how in the world I lived before? What was Annie doing before I met her? How did I get around without them? And Quincy such a little defenseless creature, how can something so small cause you so much happiness and joy? So many questions without answer… but who needs them. I’ve got them, they are mine; mine for ever! I don’t care what happens or where life takes us I will never leave them, they need me and more importantly, I need them.

It is not flesh and blood but the heart which makes us fathers and sons.  ~Johann Schiller

Quincy is advancing a lot in potty training, he now asks to go to the potty (sometimes) and other times he goes and grabs the potty himself. The other day I was playing with him in the room and all of the sudden he disappeared. I set out look for him and found him potty on hand at the bathroom door.  It is so amazing to see him grow and become so independent.

Over the last few weeks his vocabulary has expanded tremendously, he now fully understands almost everything you tell him and most of the time is able to reply. Although I must make note that his reply 90% percent of the time is “NO”. He is adorable, you can ask him pretty much any question whether it is positive or negative the answer is always the same.

                Quincy do you want juice? “No”

                Quincy do you love me? “No”

For some reason he hasn’t gotten that concept down yet, some people have told me that maybe we tell him no way too often, but what can we do. He is 2 years old and runs around the house like a crazy person getting into and touching everything. Sometimes I get so scared that he may get hurt.

Last week was particularly hot and in order to survive the heat we brought in an old stand up fan and set it up on the living room. Well, last night I had to frantically yell “NO QUINCY NO!” as he was inching towards the fan with his little fingers to touch the blade.

Work has been pretty good although because I was sick I had to miss 2 days, this week is short to begin with because of the 4^th so I only get to work 2 days. I would say it’s a perk but since the first 2 days of the week I was sick I don’t think it’s much of an advantage.

Oh and I can’t leave this post without making mention that on Thursday June 25^th 2009 we lost of the greatest performers of all times.  

Michael Jackson

On June 25, 2009, Jackson collapsed at his rented mansion at 100 North Carolwood Drive in the Holmby Hills area of Los Angeles. Attempts at resuscitating him by his personal physician were unsuccessful.^[161] Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics received a 911 call at 12:22 p.m. (PDT), arriving three minutes and seventeen seconds later at Jackson’s location.^[162][163] He was reportedly not breathing and CPR was performed.^[164] Resuscitation efforts continued both en route to the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, and for an hour further after arriving at approximately 1:13 p.m. (20:13 UTC).^[161] He was noted to have been in cardiac arrest by the paramedics who attended him at his house.^[164] Jackson was pronounced dead at approximately 2:25 p.m. local time (21:25 UTC).^[165][166] Rumors and news of Jackson’s death broke web records, triggering a cyberspace traffic jam^[167] and creating severe traffic spikes to websites such as Google,^[168] Facebook,^[169], Twitter^[170] and Wikipedia.^[171] Vigils were held by members of the general public after the death.^[172]

More…

2nd Birthday Party

Today we celebrated Quincy’s second birthday. As I think back on the last year it’s hard to imagine all of the things that have happened since his first birthday. He’s started walking, even running. He’s cut 12 teeth (each one accompanied by their very own sleepless night). He’s gained about 8 pounds this year alone, which is drastically different from the first year’s 14 pound weight gain. Last year this time we were taking him off the bottle and now this year we are trying to transition from the sippy cup to the regular cup. Over the last 6 months he has had a vocabulary explosion and is just recently beginning to form complete sentences. For instance before we went into the grocery store yesterday he told me “Mommy, my name is Quincy.” And just recently we embarked on the potty training adventure. Wow, it’s amazing how quickly they grow in just one year.

Today at his party, all he wanted to do was play on the swing. He was not interested in party hats, balloons, cake, or presents. Once he was more interested in eating a hot dog but for the most part he just wanted to swing. I thought back to him as a newborn and how much he loved the swing until he simply outgrew it. It makes me just a tad bit sad that he can’t just swing in our living room like he used to do. Everything is passing too quickly. I want to savor every moment but the day-to-day tasks seem to prevent that from happening as often as I’d like.

1st Birthday Party

He looks like a two year old. His unruly curls have been replaced by a little boy haircut and he wears little boy clothes. He used to wear clothes and shoes that said things like “Little Prince” and now “Cars” characters and Sketchers adorn his feet. His room last year was decorated with jungle animals in soft pastels and now it’s “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse” in vibrant colors. I want to hang on to this time but it slips away from me. I’m excited for the new things in life to come but I’m nervous for a time when I will not be able to control what he does. Will I trust him enough to allow him to make the mistakes he needs to learn? How will I cope when he begs me not to kiss him in front of his friends? Will I be sad when he leaves us to start his own family? And when will the time come that he doesn’t let me hold him anymore?

So tonight I held him just a little bit longer and kissed him just a few more times than usual. And for now I pray that God protects him and gives me the strength I need to nurture him into the man he will someday be.

Last night after sitting on the potty for a few minutes, he started to pee. He was confused and amused, it was the first step in the right direction. Today we had an awesome day, we went to the park and hung out with Q, uncle Jim and Paula. We got home a few minutes ago and we put Quincy in the potty, to our surprise after a few minutes he was done. He had pooped in the potty. We are well on our way to potty training! YEY for parenting!