.Mac page updated

Updated the webpage with a few recent photos, in case you want to go have a look.
(click the title of this post to go there now)

News Flash!! Bryce's first steps!

Yes, Aidan's 11-month old brother, Bryce, took his first steps tonight!
Mama and Daddy are working to capture it on video... but both boys are fading fast tonight... so it may have to wait until tomorrow.

Martha, get the bucket!

We're taking a timeout for a few days while Aidan recuperates from the stomach bug he came down with yesterday. It's been about 36 hours now and he's been able to eat a few bites today (and keep them down)-- unlike yesterday when poor Aidan was literally carrying a bucket around during the afternoon.

We seem to be over the worst of it, but we're still watching him very closely.

Aidan's Favorite Beatles Song

As discussed over breakfast this morning:
"I Want to Hold Your Hand"

Aidan: "Mama, what's this song about?"
Mama: "What do you think it's about?"
Aidan: "It's about..... holding hands."

Look at all these pumkins!

After dinner tonight, Aidan took Mama's hand and led her into his imaginary pumpkin patch in the living room.
"Oooh, look at all these pumkins!"
He collected six pumkins and brought them to me.
"Put these pumkins in your gold car, Daddy."
Then he spent time with Mama carving a pumkin and then showing off his handy-work-- "See the ghost, Daddy? Ooh, a ghost!"

Time to call in sick!

Aidan was chipper this morning until he caught sight of me getting ready for work..

"It's Friday, Daddy doesn't have to go to work today..."
No, Daddy has to go to work on Fridays. Tomorrow is Saturday and I'll be home all day.

"I don't want Daddy to go to work."
I know, Aidan, but I have to go.
"Daddy, don't go to work."

I did go to work today, but I had to resist a serious urge to call in sick!

I want a pancake

Cracker Barrell Server: "Hi folks. My name's Chris. I'll be your server this evening--"

Aidan: "Yes, I would like a pancake."

Cracker Barrell Server: "Oh! You'd like a pancake?"

Aidan: "Yes. With syrup."

"I need a new house"

We have been scanning listings, thinking about buying a new house.
This morning, Mama was looking at the online listing of a house we're going to go see this afternoon. Aidan came up behind her and said "I need a new house."

Mama asked him if he liked the house she was looking at.

"Yeah. I want that house... Let's get it!"

Then he turned to me, "Let's go get it, Daddy... I'll get my trucks, and we'll go get the new house!"

"Aidan turn the Wheel!"

Have you seen Dora the Explorer? If you've missed it, you should come by the house sometime and catch an episode or twelve. Aidan loves it.

In an episode we saw a week or two ago, a collection of characters aboard a sailboat doomed to crash on the rocks implore Isa, a smallish, Kimoto Dragon lizard-looking character who just happens to be standing at the wheel of the boat, to "Turn the wheel, Isa!"

Isa manages to avert disaster no fewer than three times in this manner-- each time, waiting for her friends to complete two full verses of their repetitive (and thoroughly catchy) little ditty before turning the wheel and steering the ship clear of the rocks (and very scary looking waterfall!), all the while singing her minimalist responsorial "I'm turning the wheel! I'm turning the wheel!"

Fast forward to today, when Mama overheard Aidan singing

"Aidan turn the wheel,
Turn the wheel, Aidan!
Aidan turn the wheel,
Turn the wheel, Aidan!"

Genius.

What did you do at School today?

"I was a purple Tiger."

The kids drew on the walkways outside Aidan's pre-school today-- they played hopscotch (or something that looked like hopscotch) and Ms. Flora drew "Tiger" whiskers on Aidan's cheeks with the purple chalk.