Can not stop watching this.

Wanted to save this here for prosperity.

Business in the front … nothing in the back.

I guess it really is true, the second kid gets to do everything before the first one did. For Reef, that meant that yesterday he got his first haircut. Even though it's almost six months before Park succumbed to the dreaded shears and squirt bottle, we can honestly say that we waited as long as we possibly could.

You see, Reef—like Park—was born with a full head of hair and—like Park—he lost most of it. Most of it … except for one tuft at the front of his head. It didn't fall out, it just kept growing … and growing … and growing until it was basically just some sort of weird, reverse baby comb over. However, like most bad comb overs, it wasn't very believable, a good stiff wind or a little accidental disheveling and it would flop down and cover his eyes, making him look like Tim Conway from some old Dorf on Golf sketch. To make matters worse, it started developing a nice little curl and he was more and more being referred to by strangers as "she."

That was the final straw.

Luckily Park needed a trim up too, so we got a two for one.

Here is mom and Reef before.

Mid cut.

 Of course big brother was there to "help."

And it's all fun and games until someone loses an ear.

Luckily everyone made it through unscathed.

Home on the range.

The last nine months in our new house have been really great, but the thing we've probably enjoyed the most is watching the seemingly endless parade of wildlife that passes by our back door each and every day. It's been fun for Carrie and I to both see it for ourselves and to see it through the eyes of Park (the dogs however are unimpressed and frankly couldn't care less).

So far at least one of us has seen the following.

• Cattle Egrets

• Blue Herons

• A Yellow-crowned Night Heron

• Ducks, Geese (even some babies this summer)

• An owl

• Woodpeckers

• Some sort of water snake

• Turtles

• A lizard

• A couple of huge frogs (we're talking 16-18" long with their legs extended)

• Crayfish

• Lots of fish

• Hawks

• An endless supply of creepy crawly things for Park to pick up and torture Carrie with 

• A bunch of birds we've never seen before and have yet to identify—even with the aid of the Peterson Field Guide to Birds

Today, we had our biggest visitor yet. We were all sitting in the front room when Carrie looked out the window and let out a screech (the sound, not Dustin Diamond). We all hopped up and saw this moseying through the lawn across the street, munching on a few shrubs along the way.

If it was lost, it didn't seem to mind, because honestly, it didn't appear to have a care in the world. Eventually I even went outside and followed it for a bit as it turned the corner and casually strolled down the street. 

It was pretty cool.

Can't wait to see what stops by to say hi next.

One Night in July