Freelance Father

Summer's Here!

2009-04-28T04:31:00.000-07:00

Well, it may as well be. The temperature in the past few days has gone from the high-50's/low-60's to the mid-/high-90's. To say that the difference between the relatively cool weather and the relatively warm weather is dramatic is an understatement. There was no warning, no tentative increase over the space of a couple of weeks, to herald the approach of summer.

My car is covered in a thick coating of pollen. Normally blue, it is now a yellowish-green. Carpenter bees buzz as they fly clumsily around the patio, the stairs outside, and over the crowns of the verdant bushes along the walkway to the parking lot. The only thing missing is the cicadas, but I figure they're coming. Any day now, just wait.

March saw Stephen turn four years old. He's turned into such a big kid, it's amazing to me that he was ever as small as Madeline. Not to mention that Maddy is growing and growing and growing, too. She's huge! And the terrible twos? Let's just say that they've been a lot more interesting with Madeline (and not in a particularly good way) than they ever were with Stephen.

Welcome to Tantrum City, population: Us.

With that preamble out of the way, I suppose I'll post a few pictures for the fans out there (with appropriate commentary, of course). Sit back, relax, and witness the new faces of my pride and joy.

Stephen and Madeline at the Aerospace Museum
For Stephen's birthday, I took him and his sister to the Aerospace Museum to see the planes. They were both relatively well-behaved, but they ran me ragged. Literally. Video below to prove it:

Later on in the evening, we celebrated Stephen's special day with ice cream cake from Baskin Robbins.

Stephen blows out his candle. I wonder what his wish was?
Since Stephen's birthday, we've been out a few times. I've taken the kids hiking at a nearby park. With one of them, it's manageable. With both of them, let's just say it's like herding cats. Madeline would rather play with dirt, and Stephen likes to fill his pockets with rocks. See below for a glimpse of our last expedition:

The kids, hiking. Me, behind the camera, saying, "Come on, guys!"
So that's our world in a nutshell. I'll try to get a picture of my pollen-laden car, because it's unreal. There's so much pollen on my car that it reduces my mileage. Well, not really. But still, it's disturbing.

Photo Update

2009-03-03T05:00:00.000-08:00

A quick photo update!

Maddy's Birthday (Ice Cream) Cake
Maddy blows out her candles (with a little help from Stephen)
She really enjoyed her cake...
...and so did Stephen!

Two Years Ago, Today

2009-02-26T04:24:00.000-08:00

Two years ago this morning, Amy and I were sitting in a hospital room waiting for Madeline to show up. I took a quick video, and here it is. You can hear Maddy's heart beating through the machinery that's hooked up to Amy's belly. Don't worry about what we're saying, it's not all that important.

After she finally arrived, Madeline did her best to keep us worried. Puffy and obviously uncomfortable, she had trouble breathing. They put her under an oxygen hood and I sat with her while the doctors fixed Amy up.

Later that day, Amy and Madeline got a formal introduction. Maddy was tired, and so was Amy. Amy also had a headache from her spinal anesthesia, and wasn't feeling real hot.

By the time we bundled Maddy up and took her home, we were all ready to kiss the hospital goodbye. It was a rough few days, but having Maddy home at last was worth the wait.

Today, Madeline's a very precocious two-year old. She's very much about what is hers and, more importantly, what isn't everyone else's. She has a temper, and she doesn't care who knows it. But much of the time, she's very sweet and I feel that I'm a very lucky father. After all, she's got a wonderful personality, she's beautiful, and she never fails to make me smile with her singing and dancing.

Happy Birthday, little girl.

Wow

2008-10-25T05:11:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time since I've posted here. No excuses.

Everyone is doing well. Virginia is moving on towards winter, and you can feel it in the chilly morning air. Stephen often asks to go down to the playground, but once he feels how cold it is outside he begs to come back inside.

Madeline is in her fuss mode a lot lately. We figure it's just that age; Amy seems to remember that Stephen was fussy around this time, too, but I'm not so sure. Maybe it's just one of those things I choose not to remember. It doesn't help that we're weening her off of pacifiers, a crutch that Stephen never bothered to pick up.

Oh, the humanity!

Yesterday was the annual Mythic Halloween party (for the kids). Employees with small children brought them in for games and trick or treating. Last year, Stephen was terrified of dressing up. This year, he's gung ho about free candy.

Here's a picture or two of the little guy in his Jedi costume!

Bring on the Sith!
At least he believes me when I say, "I am your father!"
More later, when we have the real Halloween!

Stephen's First Movie

2008-07-06T10:36:00.000-07:00

Fourth of July was hot and rainy. We were invited over to my co-worker Amber's house for fireworks and a BBQ. Only thing was, Amy had developed an earache, and wasn't really up to it. In the end, Stephen and I went and Amy stayed home with Maddy.

The BBQ was a nice social occasion. Amber's husband, Craig, and some of his co-workers set off some smaller fireworks while Stephen watched. When it was dark enough, they started setting off the larger fountains. While the little ones were fine with Stephen, the volume of the larger ones (the bangs, pops, and whistles) hurt his ears. In the end, we decided to go home.

Our arrival home was just in time: seated on our sofa, looking out the sliding glass door, we could see a large fireworks display over the apartment buildings across the way. It had been going strong for nearly twenty minutes, and didn't end for another fifteen.

The next day, Saturday, was a milestone for Stephen. He'd been doing such a good job with the potty training that he earned a trip to the movies to see WALL-E. He was originally going to go with his mommy, but he decided that he'd rather go see it with me. It seems that, lately, he's in a pro-daddy mode.

The movie experience was new for him, and he enjoyed it. He was very serious about being quiet, so much so that he peered around at the other (noisier) kids with no small amount of disdain. It was almost a solemn affair for him. He watched everything, from the pre-show features, to the previews, to the film itself very attentively. He ate popcorn by the handful, and helped himself to nearly an entire soft drink during the film.

As might be expected, he had to pee when the movie was over. Only thing was, he didn't mention it until we were out of the theater and on our way to the car. I asked him if he could hold it until we got home, and he said he could. I even told him he could go in his pull-up if he wanted to, but he replied that he could hold it until we got home.

It was a very quiet, ten-minute drive. He concentrated on not peeing the whole way home. When we did finally get home, he ran to the bathroom and took care of business. He didn't pee one drop in his pull-up. He's turning into such a big boy!

Stephen Loves Lemonade
Today, I bought a bag of lemons at CostCo and Stephen and I made lemonade. Ever since I juiced limes for ceviche a few weeks ago, I've been telling Stephen that we could make lemonade. It came down to eight cups of water to one cup of fresh lemon juice to one cup of simple syrup, and it's very good. Just ask him.

Long Overdue

2008-05-09T09:58:00.001-07:00

It started just before tax day, and it's been going strong ever since. It seems that the typical 24 hour day had been truncated. Some days, it was only 18 hours long. Others, it was 22 hours in length. On average, it seemed to last about 20 hours, give or take fifteen minutes one way or the other.

I can't understand it. What caused it? Who do I blame? Could it be an alien plot? A result of nearly eight years of Bush administration rule? Faulty immigration laws? An Illuminati-driven conspiracy? Or, perhaps, some sinister drug pumped into the Fairfax County water supply? Maybe it's just a side effect of springtime?

I'm still not sure. I don't know if I'll ever find out.

The symptoms came on gradually, and seemed unrelated at first. Bananas seemed to ripen faster than they used to. My beard growth increased. The children's clothes weren't fitting. If a task at work used to take two days to finish, it was suddenly taking three days to complete.

The simple fact of the matter is that I didn't have as much time as I needed anymore. I'd be lucky to see my children for two hours a night before I had to usher them off to bed.

It's something I've had to come to grips with, and despite all the half-cocked theories I've thrown around, I've come to the conclusion that I know what is causing this loss of temporal mass: age. The older I get, the faster time seems to pass me by.

That said, I'm sure that many of you would rather look at pictures of my offspring than hear about my loss of sanity. So I'll bring you up to date on Stephen and Maddy.

Last weekend was the Mythic employee picnic. It took place at the National Zoo in DC. We were given frisbees, fed well, hydrated, and then sent out to look at the animals. The kids were really well-behaved, despite the long bus rides to and from the zoo. It was a sunny, breezy day, despite a weather forecast that called for thunderstorms.

Stephen got his face painted. There was some debate as to what he would have painted on his cheeks: a cat? A bird? A lizard? He wanted a butterfly. I didn't have any problem with that. He's three! It might not be the most stereotypically masculine animal on the planet, but butterflies are boys, too.

Madeline enjoyed the fresh air, too, in her cute little ball cap. She didn't seem to care that we were at the zoo. For all she cared, we could've been at a funeral, and she would have been just as satisfied.

We didn't see much in the way of animals. Elephants, tigers, lions, lots of turtles, bald eagles, seal lions, antelopes. Between you and I, the National Zoo isn't really all that impressive. I've been spoiled rotten by the San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park. Nothing can really outdo either of those places for sheer style and substance.

Developmental milestones: Stephen is practically potty trained. There was that one incident I reported a while back, but that was very much an isolated event (despite our hope that it would continue). Two weeks ago, Amy decided that she was going to put the boy through "potty bootcamp," and she put him in underwear instead of a diaper. The first couple of days were hit and miss, but once Stephen got the idea, he was quick to insist on doing his business in the bathroom.

Madeline is going to be talking pretty soon. She says things that sound like words, and other things that definitely are words ("Go! Go! Go!") or expressions ("Uh-oh!). She's very expressive. Her hair is growing out. She likes to point at just about everything.

As for Amy and I, we actually we able to get out and see a movie recently. Mythic sent the whole company to the opening showing of Ironman, and Karen babysat for us. It was the first movie we've seen in Virginia since we arrived here last July, and the second movie we've seen since the movie (the first being No Country for Old Men, which we saw in CA over Christmas).

My freelance life has been busy. It doesn't help that I'm completely drained of life by the time I get out of work. It should ease up soon, though, once the current projects are put to bed, and then I can rest.

I've even been looking at joining a local Civil War unit, but it would mean buying all new uniforms and gear -- there aren't any Union cavalry units in my area. They're all CSA. Go figure!

Stephen is Three

2008-03-25T04:31:00.000-07:00

Stephen turned three years old on Friday. He was fairly excited about it, and he seemed to enjoy all the attention. He even went so far as to tell his mother, "I'm three, mommy. I don't need to take a nap."

He's fallen into a pattern of behavior in the past few weeks that seems to be standard three year-old: screaming. It seems to be based on frustration, because it tends to occur when it's time to shift gears, go to bed, eat ... well, anything, really.

Example: Last night, he and I were playing with his Lincoln Logs, building a little house. It was time for his bath, and I told him so, to which he stood up, screamed, and ran into the corner, all sorts of angry. Nothing really placated him; he was mad because I was making him stop playing with his logs.

Well, we made it into the bathroom (him kicking and struggling the whole way), got him into the tub, and then he was fine. Of course, when it was time to get out of the tub, we had more fussing and screaming. Suddenly, the kid who didn't want to take a bath didn't want to stop taking a bath.

Just about everything is a struggle. I can only assume he's trying to establish some kind of control over his life. We give him lots of choices, and it's not like he gets away with murder. Hopefully, it will pass after a time. Seems that it's a pretty common trope among three year-old kids.

I still love him, of course, and he's good more often than he's rotten. I feel sorry for him, because he's at a point where he's on an emotional roller coaster. He can't control his emotions very well, and that's got to be pretty rough.

Maddy, of course, continues to be cute as a button. She says, "Uh-oh," now, which is pretty hilarious.

She like playing with the Lincoln Logs, too!

Quick News

2008-03-14T13:50:00.001-07:00

I have it on good authority that today, March 14th, 2008, is the day that Stephen used the potty for the first time!

::insert fanfare here::

Hopefully, this will become a normal part of his life. Diapers, as they say, are crappy.

The Weekend

2008-03-09T20:09:00.000-07:00

I took Stephen to the mall to get a haircut yesterday. He was a good kid, and only complained once we'd left and he realized he'd been denied a lollipop. Far be it from me to deny my son a reward for being such a good boy, but I had to endure about twenty minutes of, "I wanna open it! Open it, daddy! Open it!" at the store once we'd picked out a suitable sucker.

Today, we went down to the playground and horsed around. There's not much new on that front. It was very sunny, but also very windy, and cold! On our way back to the car, we discovered a puddle left over from yesterday's rain with a thin layer of ice on top of it. That will show you how cold it was.

Stephen was so impressed with the ice, that he went to a nearby puddle (which was actually a small lake, when compared to him) and jumped into it -- right up to his ankles, getting his shoes and pants very, very wet. He wasn't too happy when I informed him that we'd have to go back in and get him into some different clothes and shoes before leaving, but he wouldn't have it. By the time we got to the apartment, he was in no condition for a drive, and ended up taking a much-needed nap, instead.

And let's not forget the obligatory Maddy picture!

Two Days Off - in a ROW, Even!

2008-03-02T16:40:00.000-08:00

I actually got to take the whole weekend off (though it's a temporary reprieve, at best), and I just sort of lounged around and did very little of any importance. I ran some errands, but that was about it. I've got freelance projects that need tending to, but I'm so darn tired right now that I'd do more harm than good if I tried to do any serious writing.

Today was a bright and sunny, mildly chilly day. Temperatures in the 50's, I'd say. Stephen and I went down to the playground so that he could run around and do little boy things.

Speaking of little boy things, see Stephen run. Run, Stephen, Run!

There are four slides out there, and he seems to like them all. I managed to squeeze this shot off as he looked down at me from the top.

I also took Stephen out and tried to teach him the intricacies of peddling his tricycle. He doesn't quite get it; plus, I think his legs are about an inch too short yet. The concept of steering also eludes him. He's not quite 3 yet, so I can give him some slack, especially since he knows his ABC's and 123's.

After playing at the playground, we drove to Target to pick up some diapers. It was a nice drive. Stephen was less than enthusiastic about having his picture taken in the car, so I snapped this one of him in the rear view mirror when he wasn't paying me any mind.

As for Maddy, little Miss Newly-Turned-One is just as happy and chipper as always. Amy swears she said "mom-ma" the other day (in imitation of Stephen), and we've often heard her say what sounds like "hi" when we say hello to her. She waves goodbye now, and uses the baby sign for more (the same hand to mouth gesture that Stephen used when he was her age).

She communicates by babbling, and, as seen here, she also likes to dance.

Madeline: Year One Retrospective

2008-02-27T05:18:00.000-08:00

Seeing as I did one of these for my boy on his first birthday, I reckon it's only fair to do one for my little girl. The only thing lacking are sonograms of Maddy, which we never had scanned.

Enjoy!

Ten Minutes OldMaddy didn't spring whole from her mother's womb, perfect and happy the way that Stephen had. No, sir. They had trouble getting her to breathe at first, and she spent a good time under an oxygen hood (pictured). She was puffy and generally unhappy, and I was worried sick.

One Day OldIt turned out well enough. Maddy was a lot fussier than Stephen, and Amy wasn't feeling so hot after the surgery. I was very much attached to my little girl right from the start, though.

One Month OldMaddy continued to be fussy, but I don't recall it being terrible. Getting used to another baby in the house wasn't as big a transition this time around. After Stephen, we could do anything. It was all old hat.

Two Months OldThis is when Maddy started to smile, when she started to get a personality of her own instead of being just another demanding, crying, screaming, diaper-filling machine.

3 Months OldI'm pretty sure she started getting happier around the 3-4 month mark. Less fussiness, more character. There were times, of course, when she'd just cry and cry (like at our going-away party at Frank & Lisa's), but you could usually attribute that to her being tired, overstimulated, or both.

4 Months OldShe was just about four months old when we moved to Virginia. I remember long stretches of road where she would cry because she was hungry, or (more likely) because she was tired of being in the car seat.

5 Months OldMaddy in our new apartment in Virginia. This is probably the only home she remembers, given how young she was when we left California. She's definitely queen of the roost now. She walks around like she owns the place.

6 Months OldMy happy girl!

7 Months OldThanks to our friends and family, we had a lot of clothes for Maddy to wear. The older she gets, the more I realize that baby girls' fashions are incredibly silly. Butt ruffles are everywhere (though not on this little dress, which is one of her more fashionable outfits).

8 Months OldEight months was pre-crawling. She did a lot of rolling around, and was content to sit on our laps while we ate, or watched TV, or played computer games. Once she learned to move under her own power, those days were history.

9 Months OldFully into the crawling mode now. This picture was taken on Thanksgiving, prior to us driving to visit Amy's grandparents in Pennsylvania.

10 Months OldMaddy's first Christmas. We flew to California and saw most of our friends and loved ones. Maddy was her usual cheerful self. I think she was more or less oblivious to the holiday, but she enjoyed the attention. The plane ride, on the other hand, was quite the adventure. Never again will I fly with a child on my lap, even one as cute as my daughter.

11 Months OldHappy New Year! Unfortunately, photo taking went by the wayside in January 2008. As in, I think I've got two or three pictures of the kids in January, and this is one of them. It's a companion piece to the SS Sterilite photo I posted a week or so ago. By the tint of her rosy cheeks, I think Maddy was suffering from her first bona fide cold at the time. Poor baby!

1 Year OldEnter the now. She's a year old, and she's got an agenda. She walks, she babbles constantly, she's into everything she can get her hands on. She follows Stephen around. He manhandles her, but she gives as good as she gets. The two kids get along pretty well, though he doesn't always know his own strength. Despite the occasional intersibling violence, Maddy has no fear of her brother. At all.

That's my girl's first year in a nutshell.

Happy Birthday to Maddy!

2008-02-26T20:27:00.000-08:00

Today was Madeline's first birthday. She's officially one year old!

We celebrated by baking and frosting a cake (see above; yes, I know the "1" is backwards in the picture).

Maddy was intrigued by all the fuss, but she wasn't quite sure what we were up to.

While I cut the cake, Stephen helped himself to the frosting at the base of the candle. Surprisingly, he didn't eat any of the wax in his enthusiasm.

Her first taste of the chocolate decadence that had been placed before her ...

... and the sudden realization that, golly, this stuff tastes GREAT!

Touchdown! Maddy shows her appreciation for the sweets! While the cake itself wasn't a huge hit, the frosting was. She thought that stuff was the bomb.

While Madeline took her post-cake bath, Stephen and I horsed around in a futile attempt to work off a portion of his sugar rush.

As I told my little girl when I put her down for bed this evening, "I love you. It's been a great year since you came into our lives."

2008-02-21T18:29:00.000-08:00

Yes, yes. It's been far too long.

Despite my exhaustion, I'm going out on a limb and posting some pictures of the kids. Not only that, I've got a special movie that is for Grandma and Grandpa's eyes only! So the rest of you, don't watch it!

(Well, I can't stop you from watching it, so go ahead ... just ignore me calling the camera a phone, and we'll get along fine!)

Also, a couple pics of the kids ...

Madeline, TV & French Fry JunkieShe eats solids these days. She's so used to eating what we eat, that she won't deign to eat baby food any longer. Maddy is such a snob.

The Kids, Out for a CruiseThis is just prior to their three hour cruise on the SS Sterilite. Which one is the Skipper, and which one is Gilligan? You decide!

Stephen (Maddy for Scale)Stephen has always been a camera hog. Maddy doesn't seem to care for them. She'd rather watch whatever trash is on the TV (which is, thankfully, off-camera). To tell the truth, we rarely have the television on. I understand that there are a couple of shows the kids watch regularly (Teletubbies, Blues Clues, Comfy Couch). Next time I have an impromptu photo shoot, there will be no TV, and there will be no French fries!

My Son, the HamboneI'm not sure where he inherited his fixation on cameras, considering Amy and I hate having our pictures taken. Maybe when he's old and fat, he'll feel the same way.

More later!

Photos Coming Soon

2008-02-20T05:07:00.000-08:00

Sorry for being so quiet around here. Work has ramped up on a number of fronts, and so I tend to neglect things (like this blog) that I would normally try to keep up-to-date. I'll see about getting some pics up this week, but I haven't touched the camera since Christmas!

The kids are doing fine. Stephen is working on learning to read, while Maddy is perfecting her walking skills.

More later!

Ladies and Gentlemen ... I Present Madeline!

2007-12-13T18:30:00.000-08:00

Yes, the amazing baby and her kissy face! What a marvel!

Madeline is full of holiday cheer

Christmas Tree 2007
This year, we've got an artificial tree! Gasp! I've probably said it a million times: "I'm never going to buy an artificial tree."

Well, we needed some holiday cheer around the apartment, and since we'll be out of town for a bit, I didn't want to worry about watering (or otherwise caring for) a half-dead zombie Christmas tree, like in years past. Consider it a temporary concession.

Stephen's Menagerie

2007-12-09T06:44:00.000-08:00

Stephen has a small collection of stuffed kitties that he shares his bed with each and every night. Here there are, all together:

Top Row, L to R:
Grumpy Kitty, Scoopers, HaHa Kitty, and Huntington
Bottom Row, L to R:
Merlin Kitty, Teega, Murphy Kitty, Hodges, and Paws
He named most of them by himself, though Huntington is one of Amy's old toys (named after the city he was purchased in, Huntington Beach). It's pretty funny to hear Stephen recite all their names. I admit, he has a better memory than I do.

"Where's the snow?"
Unfortunately, the snow is gone. It's gotten a little bit warmer over the past couple of days, but I have no doubt that we'll see more snow by the end of the year. Stephen enjoyed playing in the snow, and here he is bundled up and ready for a snowball fight.

It's Snowing

2007-12-05T07:06:00.000-08:00

We've had our first snowfall, as you can see:

Stephen was hyped! He woke right up and wanted to go outside. Amy will take him out later and let him make snow angels and whatever else.

I drove to work this morning, my first time driving in snow. To see the other folks on the road, you'd think it was their first time, too. It could've been worse. I suppose it will get worse as winter goes on.

Also, some pics of the kids from Thanksgiving. We took these before we left, but the battery in the camera was dying, so we weren't able to take any more.

Maddie in her Thanksgiving best.
Stephen and His Kitty Want Cranberries!
Can't say much now, gotta get to work!

Goodbye, Taarna

2007-11-13T15:58:00.000-08:00

Someone I once knew died last night. She was the daughter of my friends Brant and Katrina. She shared my birthday. I haven't seen her in years, so I'll always remember her as a young teenager with dark hair, an easy smile, and freckles. She must have turned into quite a vibrant young woman. The world is at a loss without her.

The news was quite unexpected, like a surprise gut shot or a slap in the face. Brant wrote to me and a few others to let us know. There's a news story here. I'm sure there are others, but I haven't got the nerve to seek them out just now.

Being a parent gives me a different perspective on the loss of children. I routinely grow irate when I read news stories about child abuse and neglect, because I can look at my own kids and imagine them in such a bad situation. Likewise, hearing about children who have died upsets me. Learning that Taarna is gone has got me more than a little bit tore up inside. However tenuous my connection to her in recent years, I still have many memories of her in my braincase.

I'm sad, and not a little bit angry. This sort of thing shouldn't happen. I keep thinking that it can't be true, but I suppose there's no denying it.

I don't guess I have much more to say about it right now. It's pretty close to the surface at the moment. I think I need some time to reflect and come to grips with it.

Sad News From Home

2007-11-10T16:09:00.000-08:00

I learned yesterday that my stepdad's father passed away on Thursday. As a result, I've been keeping my mom and stepdad in my thoughts for the past couple of days. I wish it were a simple matter to drive over and visit them as a show of support, but we've got the entire country between us. It stinks.

As for us: Amy's come down with a cold, and she's napping at the moment. She probably caught it from Maddie. Stephen is celebrating a renewed interest in Thomas the Tank Engine. As for me, I'm trying my hand at cooking lasagna (quite an adventure). We'll see how it turns out in about 45 minutes.

All for now...

Latest Snaps

2007-11-06T16:31:00.000-08:00

So here it is, November already. Sheesh. This year is zipping by.

The news: Maddie crawls, she has nigh on ten teeth, and she likes to stand up. She'll be walking by Thanksgiving, or Christmas at the latest.

Stephen has entered an entirely new phase of not wanting to eat. It's a nightly struggle just to get him to eat something, anything.

His new favorite phrase? "I don't like that." He's specific, too, such as saying, "I don't like eating," or "I don't like going to bed."

Amy seems to be getting along fine. I, on the other hand, am suffering from some back pain. Feels like a nerve to me, but then again, I'm not precisely a doctor. I spent today on my back, trying to give it all some rest. If I'm not feeling better by this weekend, I am definitely going to see how good EA's medical insurance is.

For the time being, here are some new pictures of the kids. Enjoy!

Stephen & Daddy Watch TVI don't remember what we were watching. Amy took this picture when I wasn't paying attention. It's the last time I trust the woman with a camera.

Maddie in the JumperWe bought this jumper thing, sort of a bungee cord with a seat, for Stephen around the time he was learning to walk. He hated it. Maddie, on the other hand, thinks it's the best thing since soy formula.

Stephen on the Trail: "What's that?"Stephen and I went hiking again. He tends to point and ask, "What's that?" a lot.

Maddie Meets the Great PumpkinHalloween came and went with a whimper. Stephen, too terrified of his Halloween costume (a Jedi, no less), refused to wear it. No tricks or treats were to be had. Maybe he'll be more in the spirit next year.

Stephen at Helen & Paul'sWe took a drive to visit Helen & Paul a couple of weeks ago. We took a lot of pictures, but here's one of Stephen, quite at home. He loves Helen and Paul, and he likes running around their house (both inside and outside). We're heading up there for Thanksgiving this year. I only hope he'll eat something.

Until next time...

You Want Pictures..? Have Some!

2007-10-18T16:55:00.000-07:00

Okay, kid fans. You've been wanting pictures of the kids, so I'm posting some. These are in rough chronological order, so bear with me.

Grandma & Stephen Appraise One Another at LunchAmy captured this moment between my son and my mother while we had lunch at the Museum of Natural History in DC. I'm not sure what sort of communication was occurring, and neither of them would tell me what they were planning.

Grandma & Maddie Get Re-AcquaintedBetween the time we left California, and my mom's visit, Maddie had grown quite a bit. My mom and Maddie got acquainted once more. In the end, Maddie approved of her grandma.

Maddie, Ready for a Sunny DayMaddie was dressed to impress when we went to Washington with Grampa Lee. Here she is, the very picture of cuteness and innocence, all rolled up into a chubby little package.

Stephen Decides That He'd Rather Get Off the CarouselGrampa Lee spotted a merry-go-round across the mall, and he and Stephen went for a ride. After about the first twenty or so revolutions, Stephen decided that he was done. The operator had different plans, considering he was giving his girlfriend (the girl with her back to you, behind Grampa Lee) an extra long ride.

Stephen is Ready To Hit the TrailLast weekend, I took Stephen to the Ellanor C. Lawrence Park to explore the grounds. When we got there, Stephen was dubious. He whined a bit because he didn't want to go, but once we were moving he changed his mind. We decided to take a brief hike, which we both enjoyed.

In the end, Stephen didn't want to leave, and he made sure that I was aware of his protests. It looks like we'll go back to the park soon, especially considering that his new favorite word is "hike."

Maddie Sits Up Like A ProMaddie sits up like a big girl. On top of that, she just started crawling this week. Every day, she gets a little bit better at it. No cat is safe. Amy calls her "the Terminator," because she "absolutely will not stop, ever," until she gets the crayons she wants and eats them.

Stephen Is Quickly Learning to ComputeAs for Stephen, his latest skill is using either a mouse or touchpad in order to make computers do what he wants them to do. Whether this is putting together a picture online, or deleting Amy's latest literary masterpiece, depends on the circumstances.

I hope you've enjoyed this update, and that it will suffice for a little while.

Yes, Yes, Yes...

2007-10-15T13:43:00.000-07:00

Yes, Stephen is back.

Yes, I've not posted in a while.

Yes, I will post pictures just as soon as I find a spare moment.

Between two kids and work, I'm finding it hard to work up the time or energy to keep this blog up to date. All I can say is that I'll get to it when I get to it.

We discovered yesterday that Maddie snuck two more teeth in on the top, so she's got a total of six very white and very sharp incisors now. She's also very close to crawling, and will probably be completely mobile within a week. She's got the idea down, she just needs to synchronize her brain with her body.

Stephen is fine, too, getting back into the swing of things after three weeks in California. We're making plans to visit in December.

All for now. Like I said, I'll try to get some photos up soon.

Stephen Has Left the Building

2007-09-11T11:31:00.001-07:00

Stephen's grandma arrived on Saturday evening. We spent Sunday in DC, and she and my boy boarded a Southwest flight on Monday morning.

We've got some pictures of the weekend -- I'll have to post them later -- as well as some good memories. The ride on the Metro was interesting, and not necessarily in a bad way. Both Stephen and Maddie behaved themselves well, even given the exhausting nature of the trip for such small children.

Amy and I were both sad to see Stephen go, even for such a short period of time. He's our son, and we've rarely been apart from him for more than a couple of days at a time ever since he was born. I'm going to miss opening the front door after work each day and hearing my boy announce, "Hi, Daddy!" His spontaneous hugs and smiling "I love you!"'s are also sorely missed.

I know he is in good hands, so I won't worry about him. The apartment is very quiet now, even with the low roar that Maddie generates.

Grandma is Coming

2007-09-07T07:45:00.000-07:00

A quick update.

GRANDMA IS COMING!!

Yes, my mom is flying out to visit us this weekend, staying a day, and then flying back to California with Stephen.

I'm happy to be seeing my mom again; it's been over two months, after all. We'll be heading out to DC to see some of the museums, and I plan to take her out to dinner on Sunday night. I just wish she could stay little bit longer.

The flip side of the coin is that she's taking my son back to California for a three week visit. Amy and I are going to miss him terribly. Given that (outside of work) we only know two people in our area, our kids are an important part of our social network. Maddie will be with us, and I'm sure we will lavish her with attention during Stephen's absence, but I'm still sad to know that I won't see the boy again until October.

So that's the update.

As to not posting more frequently: well, it's busy. Sometimes it's tough to work up the energy to play WoW, much less post meaningful prose on my weblog. The time passes so quickly that I can hardly keep track of it most weeks.

Aerospace Museum & Playground Pics

2007-08-26T14:25:00.000-07:00

Stephen, Chuck, and I went to the National Air & Space Museum (Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center) yesterday. It's about a ten minute drive from our apartment, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to get out with the guys. Admission is free, but parking costs $12 (ouch). Still, it was worth it to see all the stuff they had on display.

Stephen Poses in Front of a Pod RacerOkay, so it's not really a "pod racer," but it was the first thing that came to Stephen's mind when he saw it. It does look a little bit like a pod from Quadinaro's racer from Episode I. Unfortunately, he's a little washed-out in this picture, but I thought it was funny.

Stephen & his CameraStephen enjoys taking pictures with our digital camera so much, that we bought him his own. It's a Fisher-Price camera with a built-in LCD screen. The picture quality is grainy at best (see below), but it's pretty sturdy and he loves to take pictures all day long.

Maddie, Through Stephen's EyesAs an example of Stephen's camera's capabilities, here's a picture he took of Madeline. It doesn't handle movement well, so both the person taking the picture and the target of the picture need to be relatively still. As a result, most of Stephen's pictures end up as unrecognizable blurs.

Chuck & Stephen Posing by a Black WidowChuck and is wife Karen are expecting a son next month (September). Stephen's two and a half years old, but I'm sure it gives Chuck some idea what he's got to look forward to. A little hands-on never hurt anyone.

Stephen Enjoys McNuggets and BBQ SauceWhen Stephen gets fussy, it's a sure sign that he's either tired or hungry. We decided to go to the McDonald's in the museum, and he consumed fries, McNuggets, and Diet Coke (his favorite). He was still a little bit edgy after lunch, but the food took the edge off.

Space Shuttle EnterpriseIt's pretty neat that they've got the Enterprise at the museum. I told Stephen it was a space ship, but he wasn't real impressed.

The New Playground
Our balcony overlooks one of our apartment complex's "tot lots." When we moved in, the equipment was serviceable, but run-down. Last week, they tore out the old stuff and installed a bunch of brand new equipment: slides, teeter totter, swings. Stephen has been wanting to go play on this stuff ever since they started installing it, but it's been way too hot. I took him out this afternoon and let him take the new stuff for a spin.

"I'm on top of the world!!"It was hot and humid out, but not nearly as bad as it has been. There was a nice breeze that would kick up every so often. Stephen doesn't seem to mind the heat, even though he turns red and sweats just like his parents do.

Stephen Tries a New SlideStephen loves slides. He's loved them since as far back as I can remember, when we used to take him to the little playground at our complex in Vista, and (especially) when we'd go to Stage Coach Park in Encinitas.

Stephen Swings!Stephen wanted to go on the swings, so I loaded him up and pushed him a few times. The novelty wore off pretty quickly, and he wanted to get down so he could go dig in the dirt a little bit. My gosh, does he need a haircut.

Maddie Is Working Up to CrawlingI don't want to leave Maddie out. She's doing real well. No more teeth yet, but she is working on developing some mobility. At the moment, she rolls around and scoots along like an inch worm, but I can tell she wants to go faster. Who wouldn't?

That's all for now. More in a while!