No Kid-Bombs

As I tug closer and closer to my fertilization-free lifestyle, I can’t help but worry about something – that last chance for a cruel surprise. No matter how careful the wife and I have been before, we must now be extra-super, double-secret-probation careful. No unfettered flurries of frenzied frolicking. No Barry White and tequila shots.

Plus, given our propensity for high-potency procreation, we know not to even come close to the slightest scosche of a scrotal indiscretion. Many of our friends have stories – ridiculously unfortunate bundles-of-joy stories. (Note: The names below have been changed to protect the less-than-innocent.)

EXHIBIT A: Marcus & Holly
Marcus and Holly had already made the decision to the get the procedure done. In fact, the vasectomy had been on the books and scheduled for weeks. A bottle of wine and Fifty Shades of Grey later, they’ve got a positive pee-pee test and I’m a godfather.

EXHIBIT B: Steve & Natalie
Steve had already gone through the surgery. The scary part was over. They found out after the snip-and-clip that they had screwed up beforehand. Turns out there was a sale on Tanqueray and warming gel that weekend.

EXHIBIT Q: Michael & Laura
Michael made the decision, had the surgery, went through the recovery and then waited the entire ten-week period before cracking open the Four Loko. But, he never brought in a sample to the lab for the little teste test. Oops. Time to go diaper shopping.

So the word now is, “caution.” There’s no need to take any unnecessary risks.

worst-idea-ever-1069-1243187745-2What could possibly go wrong?

It’s dangerous, because I kinda dig my wife. And her parts. One inadvertently sexy sweep-of-the-floor or flossing-of-teeth could result in intimacy. And potentially both financial and emotional ruin for the entire family. We’ve had to take precautionary measures. New rules have been implemented:

Rule #1: Don’t say crap like, “What could possibly go wrong?”*
*Any comment which might be construed as a potential jinx must be counter-balanced with a comment of acknowledgement of said potential jinx in order to un-jinx the jinx.

Banned Actions & Items:
– No tempting of the fates, the gods, Murphy or the kharma bus.
– Do not reach for anything on the bottom shelf of the fridge.
– Do not stand near the fridge.
– No Game of Thrones
– No stretching.
– No trampolines.
– No hot dogs.
– No deodorant.
– Nor showering, flossing, brushing nor bathing of any kind.

Banned Vernacular:
– Jiggle
– Squeeze
– Handy
– Waggle
– Pianist
– Kumquat
– Bangkok
– Dick Butkus
– Sofia Vergara

As long as we adhere to these basic rules and regulations, we should be able to avoid any coital catastrophes. It won’t be easy. But as long as we have the support of each other and our dear friends, we know we can remain steadfast in our restraint to reach the greater goal of hanky-panky freedom.

But if you see us on the street, you may want to keep your distance. We don’t smell so great.

Advantage: Children

The wife and I have two kids, putting us on the precarious cusp of being outnumbered. And since we’re already scrambling as it is, I had the vasectomy to nip that bud in the buds.

Over the past few years, I’ve learned that my kids hold an unfair advantage. They come from a place of pure helplessness and innocent ignorance. And therefore, as a relatively reasonable, rutting earthling breeder, I’m obligated to expect absolutely nothing from them. To make matters worse, I feel overwhelmingly compelled to love them and feed them and ultimately keep them from chewing on rusty nails and dying. Even rats and roaches feel this.

Oh, how I wish I still had somebody to unequivocally fawn and dote all over me. My parents, of course, used to do this. But then I had kids, giving them grandkids. And FOOM! Suddenly all those cuddles and kisses and Little Debbie Snack Cakes got instantly diverted. My wife used to mother me, too.

Kyle has the flu. Before kids.
“Aw, honey-poo. Here’s some soupy soup and a cool towel for your forehead. You just relax and watch the Bob Barker girls.”

Kyle has the flu. Since kids.
“How long are you gonna milk this? I’ll leave the dishes in the sink for when you have enough strength to stop being such a pussy.”

appendectomy0Don’t worry about me, babe. I got this.

Meanwhile, my daughter gets a cookie for flushing the toilet.

The sickest part is that since kids function primarily on instinct, they are actually pretty intuitive. More so than us pea-brained grownups. My kids have developed this basic, simple approach and now use it to slap me around.

Me:  What’re you doing?
Girl:  Hopping on one foot.
Me:  Why?
Girl:  Practicing.
Me:  Practicing for what?
Girl:  Hopping on one foot.
Me:  …
Girl:  (giggles)

It’s like she’s just toying with me. See how masterfully she can lead me to befuddled silence? I never see it coming.

“Children are smarter than any of us. Know how I know that?
I don’t know one child with a full time job and children.”
– Bill Hicks

Now, it’s not that I want to be a kid again. Far from it. I like driving my truck and being able to appreciate things like beer and broccoli and boobies.

Michael+Jackson+amor+de+Peter+PanHow do you do, fellow kids?

To be honest, I’m just jealous. I’m jealous of all those things I once enjoyed but was forced to bequeath the moment my kids were born. I miss the free time. I miss the gold stars. I miss falling on my face and having someone pick me back up. I know my wife misses that stuff, too. But now it’s our job to hand out the gold stars and peel clumsy people off the concrete.

You know, I guess if I have anything to learn from this, it’s that I need to remember to treat my wife as a child.

I need to pick her up when she’s down. I need to give her cuddles and kisses when she’s feeling alone. I need give her love and soupy soup and Little Debbie Snack Cakes. And I need to make sure that my kids see it all happen, too. They may be the center of our universe, but they must understand that they’re not the only things in the universe. Their Mommy just so happens to be a big big part of my universe – and she has been since before they were even accidentally born.

And besides, she’s got boobies. So, chalk one up for Mommy.

The People vs. More Stupid Kids

There are many reasons I shelled out the forty bucks to get vasecomized and have my baby valve shut off. Money, time, noise, vomit, etc. But one of the biggest reasons is simple:

Fear.

Fear for the future. Fear for my future. Fear for his or her future. Fear for your future. Fear for the future of the entire world.

First: my future. I don’t want to go to prison. Dr. SJ Zuravin of NCBI has found in his studies that the rates of childhood abuse and neglect increase as the size of the family increases. Currently, I only experience burning red visions and livid hallucinations of punting my little angels onto the interstate. I don’t do it, however. Because I have will-power. But just barely.

Secondly, and more importantly – the poor, forgotten shadow-child might also end up in prison as well. Or worse.

Let’s look at a few adorable youngsters quietly passed over in their family brood.

Hitler-in-Shorts-in-The-Late-1920s-3Not those shorts. Not in my house.

Adolf Hitler – 4th of 6 – Tyrant, genocidal maniac, murderer of millions to promote a standard to which he, himself could not satisfy. Mustache enthusiast.

Osama bin Laden – 17th of 53 – Terrorist, extremist, convincer of troubled youths to sacrifice themselves in order to murder a bunch of strangers on the other side of the world. Infrequent showerer.

Stephen Baldwin – 4th of 4 – BioDome, Slap Shot 2, Hannah Montana tattoo. (The Usual Suspects was pretty good.)

Sure, the only thing certain about the future is that it is uncertain. I might very well find it within myself to churn up enough time and energy and love to nurture the next Gandhi or Jim Henson or Sebastian Janikoswki. But I have a secret. I can give you a glancing glimpse into that uncertain future. I found a little something in my time machine.

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF YOUNG TRE JONES

6:30 am  ::  Awaken to the peaceful chirps of birds tittering a playful morning melody
6:45 am  ::  Murder birds
7:00 am  ::  Consume 8 cups of vodka coffee
7:45 am  ::  Arrive at 3rd grade class
8:00 am  ::  Vomit
8:01 am  ::  Sleep
1:00 pm  ::  Wake up screaming
1:15 pm  ::  Leave school
1:30 pm  ::  Barbituates
1:45 pm  ::  Eat at Taco Bell/gas station
2:00 pm  ::  Listen to Toby Keith
2:30 pm  ::  Punch hooker
3:00 pm  ::  Vomit
3:01 pm  ::  Sleep
5:30 pm  ::  Wake up screaming
6:00 pm  ::  Microwave kitten
6:30 pm  ::  Watch Zack & Cody
7:00 pm  ::  Laugh at Larry-The-Cable-Guy commercial
8:00 pm  ::  Finish laughing at Larry-The-Cable-Guy commercial
8:30 pm  ::  Forget to shower
8:45 pm  ::  Quaaludes
9:00 pm  ::  Tweet rant about albino Muslims who recycle
9:30 pm  ::  Quote Scarface
9:45 pm  ::  Hug daddy night-night
1:00 am  ::  Vomit
1:01 am  ::  Sleep

In other words – you’re welcome. I don’t want this powder-keg walking around, and neither do you. I have shorn and severed myself to save us all. I have studied and deduced the limitations of man and surmised the horrific and deplorable outcome of creating one more squandered soul to fester among us. And I have taken it upon myself to muster up the courage and claim the responsibility of ensuring a greater, calmer, more peaceful existence for all the good beings of planet earth.

Or maybe I’m just cheap and lazy.

Childhood Sterility Advocates

As I wallow in the lag between vasectomy surgery and the big test to see if everything went according to plan, my mind has been want to wander. And of course, those meandering thoughts have drifted into doubt – second guessing whether or not this whole kick in the manhood is all worthwhile.

sad_keanuDude, like – did I take the bogus pill?

Lucky for me, I have the unwavering support of not only my smokin’ hot wife, but my two precious kiddos are looking out for me as well. It’s as if they can sense their daddy is conflicted and deeply troubled, so they swoop in to offer their adorably poignant, yet delicately subtle, nudges of reinforcement.

Like yesterday. The wife and I were in the kitchen. I was supposed to be helping her stir up some dinner, but I was lost in a spiral of sad virile uncertainty – gazing off into space. Suddenly, the 9-year-old boy pipes up.

“I don’t know what you’re cooking, but I hate it. It stinks, and it’s making me gag. I’m not eating it.”
– Turd Jones

Ah thanks, buddy. You know how to put daddy at ease. Here’s a butter knife – be a champ and go tighten up the electrical outlets.

And then there was this delightful little conversation about an hour later:

The Wife:                 Where did you put your dress?
The 6-Year-Old:     I don’t know.
The Wife:                 Then I don’t know if it’ll get washed.
The 6-Year-Old:     What if I don’t want my clothes where you want my clothes?
The Wife:                 Y’know, I’m just trying to do your laundry.
The 6-Year-Old:     I don’t care.

Masterfully done, sweet-pea. Daddy won’t forget this. Could you take this flashlight and go check the dog for worms?

They really have it down to a science. Their timing is in perfect step. Their delivery, Shakespearean. And their creative little minds produce truly surprising and remarkably varied methods of treatment. Notice how the two examples above managed to deftly co-mingle insulting obstinance with a household chore that neither the wife nor I wanted to do in the first place. It’s like telling the janitor he’s an idiot for not scrubbing the toilet with the right brush.

syringe-needle-jabbed-into-a-mandarin-sami-sarkisSo I chose this. And I feel good about it.

And then, just before bedtime, I’m assaulted with one last little perfect act of diabolical cruelty. The six-year-old crawls up onto my lap and curls herself into a warm, gushy ball of fragile affection.

“I love you, Daddy.”
– I love you too, sweetie.
“I made up a song for you, Daddy.”
– Really? That’s wonderful.
“It’s called, ‘I Love Daddy.'”

That’s when I bury my nose into the top of her head and breathe in as deeply as I can. And honest to God, there is nothing else in the world that smells anything like this. My olfactory nerves somehow delve beyond the stench of sweat and dirt and selfishness and insensitivity, and it locks-on to a faint, distant essence of unconditional love and undeniable comfort. It’s like a tractor beam of tenderness that pulls me in and washes away any sour memories lingering from the day. Eventually, we start to breathe in unison.

Her soft, raspy voice lets out a small hum as she begins to sing.

Turns out it’s a song about daddy’s farts.

Talking to your kids about your balls.

As I recover from my vasectomy, an interesting dilemma has unzipped and presented itself. The kids want to know why Daddy can’t wrastle. The kids want to know why they can’t sit on Daddy’s lap. The kids want to know why Daddy is walking so funny.

Ministry_of_Silly_Walks_by_chaplin007Anti-Baby Steps

My daughter is six and my son is nine. The younger one has been easy. As soon as I said the word, ‘testicles’ she started giggling and quickly moved on. Although, now she feels she has license to say, ‘testicles’ whenever she wants. So, she does. And then giggles.

“You want a hug, Daddy? Don’t worry, I won’t hurt your testicles.”
“Be nice to Daddy. He’s got sore testicles.”
“Good morning, Daddy. How are the testicles?”
“Hey, Daddy. Testicles. I just said, ‘testicles.'”

The nine year old boy is a little different. You see, he has testicles. And questions.

“Was there something wrong with your testicles?”
– No.
“Then what was the testicle surgery for?”
– Don’t end your sentence with a preposition, son.

So, how do I tell the kids that I love them more than anything in the world, but there’s no way in hell I would ever want another one of those loud, obnoxious, expensive, dirty, stupid little angels?

“Daddy, why don’t you and Mommy want another baby?”

A. You kids are relentless. You wear me out. You’re lucky I haven’t gotten rid of you already.
B. I love you so, so very much that I don’t want to share that love with anyone else. Except the dogs.
C. Do you really want to share the t.v. with another person? Gimme the remote.
D. Well, if we did have another one, then either you or your sister would have to go.

“But Daddy, only mommies have babies. What do your testicles have to do with it?

A. It’s called sex, boy. Duh.
B. You see, it takes two to Tango. And when you Tango naked, you make babies.
C. Well there’s this thing called puberty – that’s when you get hairy armpits. And when you get hairy armpits, you make babies.
D. Really, son? I don’t think you’ve been using the internet correctly.

“So you would rather have somebody cut into your testicles than have another one of me?”

A. Y’see. It’s not so hard to understand.
B. Well you don’t have to put it that way. They really only cut the scrotum and the vas deferens. Not the actual testicles.
C. It’s not like that. The third one wouldn’t be another you. That would be even worse.
D. No, no – of course not. There’s just no way the next one could be as amazing as you are. You’ve got a booger in your hair.

So, the conversation wasn’t that bad. And I think my kids will be better off for it. And now, I can focus my energy on helping them be the best they can be. And that makes me feel good.

funny-science-fair-131My kids are gonna be geniuses.

In the end, I gave him a quick run-down of some puberty basics. It’s the part of life when you get smelly and covered in zits. And then you want girls to like you. We talked about how there’s a difference between being a kid and being a grownup. And that it’s more than just a driver’s license and a beard. But, when it came to the actual procreating and consummating and gettin’ it on with a little bump ‘n grind-ating, I told him that nine years old was simply too young and innocent for that sorta conversation. He sighed, nodded and said that he understood.

Then we played the new Grand Theft Auto.

 

[If you’re interested, the entire snipping story starts here.]