Granddaddy Jerry got Sullivan a Captain Hook doll for Christmas but Sullivan found it last week and just had to open it early. He was staying with Grandmommy and Granddaddy and was told he had to wait until Mommy and Daddy came the next day to open it which apparently caused much frustration and emotion. By the time we got there he was about ready to burst with anticipation of opening of this doll.
Now the doll has become THE toy of the house with his own special carry case and has provides us with just the right threat to encourage good behavior. Sullivan has been very careful with him even as Hook gets into scrapes with Smee and Peter Pan.

Tonight was a very special night because for the first time Sullivan got to be a participant during one of the Biscuit Brothers songs at a live show. I mean this child has had a unique experience with this show like no other child. He has been a part of the shows before he entered this world, listening to the music, hearing his mother sing and feeling the rhythm of the dances while inside my belly. He has been on the television show since he was days old and yet up until tonight has been too little to actually engage in the back and forth dialogue with the characters during our live shows. I mean he has danced during the live shows and clapped and bounced to the music but has never been ready to participate in our audience particiaption portion. Now we have reenacted the Old MacDonald audience particiaption scene where Dusty asks a child their name and what animal might we find on old Mac’s farm for over a year now but tonight he was finally ready to volunteer during a show for this bit. We had practiced in the car ride over to the show and he decided he wanted to choose a pig to be on the farm when asked and had practiced it soo many times that when Dusty asked him what his name was he said Pig.

Now what surprised me so much about this whole exchange was how giddy I felt. For a moment I was not Buttermilk Biscuit, an actor who has performed this routine what seems like a thousand times over 5 years, but a mom who was experiencing it for the first time and was so thoroughly excited that her son had been called out by one of the Biscuit Brother characters that she almost forgot what she was doing onstage. I mean I see this reaction by dozens of parents at every show. A proud parent excited that their child was called out to do something with the cast nearly starstruck themselves at the scene playing out, taking pictures and clapping and cheering….and that was ME. Like I didn’t see Buford and Dusty ever day and wasn’t a part of the show but for the first time a part of the audience. It was truly a special sweet moment for both Damon and I and something I know will help us continue to connect with the parents and families who love this program as much as we do.

Mommy and Daddy have decided to start a new family business…..Face to the Sky, a video production company. Mommy is the sole proprietor and will take the business lead in marketing, promotions, and management while Daddy creates the product. This picture was taken down at the county clerks office on Tuesday June 23rd when I registered the business name. Here is to a new adventure as the Brown household turns to face the sky of new possibilities.

We are doing all sorts of things to stay cool this week. We’ve hit record highs the past several days and we’ve been shut in the house for most of the day. Some days Sullivan has taken 4 baths just to play in the water. And of course we are still potty training so there is lots of naked time.

And no heat wave is complete without some cool treats throughout the day.

We took Sullivan to the San Antonio Zoo this past Monday. We are in the midst of an early heat wave here in Austin this June so it was pretty hot but we had been planning the trip for several weeks and decided to go anyway.

Grandmommy Judy joined us for the trip and we had a blast. The SA Zoo is a really great zoo with lots of neat things for kids under 5 to enjoy. They had a butterfly exhibit and some of Sullivans favorites animals… crocodiles, snakes, and elephants. We also saw lions, tigers, bears, and a bald eagle as well as fed some Lories who landed on my shoulder and hand and tore a hole in my shirt. We rented a big red wagon and rolled Sullivan around while he casually took in all the sights. There was an indoor play exhibit for young kids that we explored for a few hours which allowed us to escape the 100 degree heat for a little bit. Then Damon and Judy took Sullivan on a train ride at the very end before we drove back to Austin. We’ll have to take Crawpaw Kerry down to this zoo to show him the big giant snakes.