Winter Trip Part III: Return to the Mountains

For the final part of our little trip to Colorado, we spent some time with Ashley's family. Her brother (David), his wife (Kathy), and their son (Teddy) live in Denver. Frank and JoAnne (Ashley's parents) came up from Florida, and we all spent some time together in a Condo in Breckenridge. Bode and Teddy enjoyed themselves with the assortment of toys we brought, not to mention the nice open area where they could roll around.
Of course, it wasn't all fun and games. There had to be some book-learning going on. Here's Granddad and Bode reading.
The weather was beautiful--a bit chilly (a high of 9 one day). Here's a shot of Bode all bundled up in his stroller. We should have outfitted that thing with snow-tires and chains.Although it was quite cold, the sun shone brilliantly and the mountains beckoned. Thus, the grandparents and Aunt Kathy were kind enough to baby sit while Dave, Ashley, and I hit the slopes. Here are some shots of us just as the lifts were opening.

As you can see, Dave looks the part of a real-life snow-boarder, while (because of our extended time in Ohio), Ashley and I look like nothing more than a couple gapers. Alas, we were able to remember how to successfully make it down the mountain without hurting ourselves--although we each did fall once or twice (but certainly not thrice). Anyways, if, for some reason, you ever doubted the beauty of Colorado, this photo should help convince you of its majesty.
Since we were in Breckenridge, we decided to check up on our house, which we affectionately call the mountain palace (and by palace we mean dumpy--but cozy--little house in the woods). Another name is the snow-hole because it gets a ton of snow. Notice how deep the snow is, and it's only the middle of December...Sadly, like all things, our vacation came to an end. We spent our final night at Kathy and Dave's house in Denver. Teddy got some early practice at being a big brother (Kathy is expecting, due in February). He was kind enough to let Bode play with some of his toys. In his words, "Bode can have one lego..." I'd show more pictures, but everytime I went for the camera, it seemed that Teddy was taking his pants off. David explained it's one of the joys of potty training, something Ashley and I will get to experience (maybe) in 2009. Merry New Year to all.

A Visit to (and from) Santa

While we were on our vacation to Colorado, we took Bode to see Santa. We told this to one of Bode's cousin's (not sure which, but we think it was Teddy), and he responded, "Santa Claus?" Are there really a lot of Santas in the world where a last name needs to be given? Anyways, rather than make some smart-a*s comment to a two-year old, I simply responded, "Yes, Santa Claus." Here's a picture of Bode on Santa (Claus's) lap. Ok, let's fast forward a bit to the present--don't worry, I'll add one more post about our trip to Colorado, but right now, I'll give a quick Christmas update. Santa did find our house and brought us all sorts of Christmas loot. As usual, Auburn was assigned guard duty to keep me from snooping.
Now you might be asking, "What, no Christmas tree?" We did put up a tree, but we put it in the sun room because (as many of you know) small children are quite enthralled with Christmas trees (the glowing lights, the hanging ornaments, all just sooo tempting). We can seal off the sun room, so we are able to see the tree but also keep Bode away from it. Needless to say, he spent many hours just banging on the glass staring at the tree. If only he could figure out a sliding glass door...

Bode received an amazing number of presents (spoiled). Thanks to everyone (Santa) that gave him something. What's funny is out of all the cool toys with their brilliant colors and exciting noises, Bode's favorite seems to be the lid for the container of some toy blocks. Here he is playing with it.
He was also quite fascinated with the toy rope "Dog Santa" (aka my Aunt Geri) sent Auburn and Dudley. Here he is trying to take it from Mommy.
We had a wonderful Christmas. Today, we might venture to the mall, not to do any real shopping, but just to move around some to burn off some of those holiday treats. A Belated Merry Christmas to Everyone, and to all, a pleasant day.

Winter Trip Part II: The North Pole

From the title, you can probably figure out that we went to the north pole. I don't know what all the fuss was about in the early 1900's--we didn't even need dog sleds, just a 4x4 vehicle with some car seats :-) Here's a picture of the four kids at the north pole. Boy, global warming is really taking its toll on the ice, isn't it? :-)Before anyone gets too confused (Nebraska readers), let me point out we didn't go to earth's north pole. Rather, we went to a little amusement park situated in the shadow of Pike's Peak called the North Pole. There were little rides and shops, plus it's quite hilly so the kids had to expend a lot of energy just going from point A to point B. I think we all can agree that tired children are sometimes the best children. The two older kids really enjoyed the rides (Devin and Bode were too young to ride them). Of course, Aunt Dana and Uncle Pat also got into the spirit; here they are going down the slide.
The rides were a lot like carnival rides (but safer). Dana, Brenna, and Sean went on this ride that just went around and around in a circle, and then when you thought you were done, they reversed and went backwards. Ashley nor I was brave enough to join them on this little adventure.
Here's a cute shot of the two Moms and their little babies. You probably can't tell, but Bode is wearing pink gloves (yes, he'll be scarred for life). Pat and Dana were kind enough to loan us some of Devin's mittens because somehow, we lost the pair we brought for Bode (I blame mitten-gnomes). Note also Pat and I were "nice" enough to let Dana and Ashley push the strollers (those hills are real doosies!).
Probably the highlight of the trip was feeding the baby animals. We were able to get pretty close to some little deer and goats. Bode seemed real excited, although he could have just been enjoying shaking the aluminum fence...We all had a great time at the North Pole, but we passed on visiting Santa (there was a 90-minute wait). However, as luck would have it, Santa was also at the mall. Tune in next time to see pictures of Bode and old St. Nick! Pleasant day.

Winter Trip Part I

Happy Holidays to everyone. Sorry we've been away for awhile--well, I'm not really sorry we were gone on vacation, nor do I really feel all that bad about not posting sooner...it just felt like the right thing to say :-) We were in Colorado from 10-17 December, visiting friends and relatives while enjoying some time in the mountains. Like our summer trip, I'll have two or three posts which discuss the various events of our winter vacation.

We left early on the morning of 10 December. It was pouring rain in Dayton--fortunately, it wasn't a freezing rain, but it certainly wasn't a warm tropical shower a la the Cayman Islands. Bode didn't seem to mind the early wake-up call, although Ashley and I were a bit cranky. The trip to the airport was easy (no traffic at 0530) and we made it to the terminal without any major mishaps. I did step in a huge puddle which necessitated changing socks before checking bags, but otherwise, we were off without a hitch.

Like all parents, we were worried Bode would have a melt down on the plane, so we packed all sorts of toys and goodies to keep him occupied. As luck would have it, the plane was empty (you'd think more people would be trying to get out of Dayton, wouldn't you?) so even though we didn't pay for a seat for Bode, he was able to sit between us, a good thing considering the boy's weight. He was quite well behaved and didn't even mind when we strapped his seat belt on. Here's a shot of the little dude with his favorite stuffed animal--we just call him piggy (the animal, not Bode).Bode looked so cute sitting in his seat, legs barely hanging over the edge. He seemed to enjoy take-off and didn't experience any problems with his ears, as is common to some kids. After awhile, he decided he needed a nap, and there's no better place to sleep than on Mommy (we got to do a better job covering up that stomach).
You'd think Ashley would be a little more cheerful, seeing that we are on vacation, huh? Well, the remainder of the flight was great. Bode slept most of the time, and when he woke up, we gave him his breakfast. He ate (messily--sorry about that, Frontier airlines), and then entertained himself with his piggy. The flight attendants were amazed at what a good kid he was (as were Mom and Dad). We landed in Denver, rented a car, and headed to my Mom's house, arriving just after 9 am. Since it was a two-hour time difference, Ashley and I were demanding lunch around 10 :-)

For the weekend, my brother (Pat), his wife (Dana), and their three kids (Brenna, Sean, and Devin) drove up from Albuquerque (thankfully they made that left turn and didn't get lost). It was great to see the four cousins playing together, although getting them to sit still for a picture was like Auburn trying to win a football game (i.e. it rarely happened). Here are some shots of the four McGuirk cousins. Little Seany is quite the climber, while Brenna barely moved from shot to shot.

Here's a picture of the two male heirs to the McGuirk Fortunes. It's scary to think these two will be ruling the McGuirk Empire in thirty or so years. Note the lack of toys--good thing they're not spoiled. Also note Bode is showing off that belly again. I guess I'd be proud to show off my "keg-abs."Finally, a relaxing photo of Bode-man and Daddy. Vacations are so hard.Next time on the McGuirk Blog: We journey to the North Pole! Stay tuned, and pleasant day.

What a Onederful Day

Bode is now a 1-year old. I told him it's all downhill from this point...nothing but reading glasses and Viagra to look forward to...maybe I should get him started on HGH to keep him feeling young.

His birthday was great. We did...well, gosh, nothing too exciting. This year, his birthday was the day after Thanksgiving, so we thought about introducing him to Black Friday. However, before doing that, we had a family portrait taken. The pictures aren't up yet on the photographers website...rest assured, I will post the link the second they make their way to cyberspace. We hope the pictures turn out well. Unfortunately, Bode was a little fussy, so we can only hope digital effects can somehow make it look like Bode wasn't screaming (evidently he had some premonition about the Auburn-Alabama game :-)

After the photo-shoot, we went by the mall. The lot was full, packed with cars. You'd think the government was there, giving out free money (oh wait, they only do that for banks that have made poor decisions...). We opted against the mall on Friday--no sense fighting the crowds (we did go to the mall on Saturday--much more civilized). So we just went home and played with Bode. He opened his presents--some cool toys and clothes and books. He had quite a hall. His favorite? The wrapping paper (go figure, huh?). His favorite actual toy was a Thomas the Train set from his Uncle David and Aunt Kathy. Here's a movie of him watching the train go round and round.

We tried giving Bode some cake. This seems to be the one food he doesn't like. Therefore, we gave him some ice cream, which he loves. He seems to know when Daddy is getting some to eat because he always shows up when I'm dishing some it up. It would seem Auburn has taught him a thing or two about kitchen noises.

Ok, now for some photos. We did take some home-portraits of Bode on his birthday. Here's a good one of me and the kid hanging out in the hallway.
Next, we have Bode playing with one of his toys. Note how he's sitting--he can hold his butt off the ground for quite a long time. I tried mimicking his posture...sadly, this old body can't contort itself into such a position.Finally, we have Bode sitting in a big chair. He really seemed to enjoy sitting there. I think I'll have to explain to him that the boss of the family sits at the head of the table (and by boss, I, of course, mean Ashley).Well, that about wraps up year one in the life of Bode Jackson McGuirk. I told him now that he's a big-boy, he'll have to start doing some chores around the house. The forecast is for snow tonight, so I showed him where the shovel is and that I expect the driveway cleared by the time I leave for work. He looked at me and said, in his best Homer Simpson voice, "Doh."

Pleasant day.

Happy Vet's Day

Hopefully everyone is enjoying the holiday. I say this in jest because most of you don't get Veteran's Day off. Of course, being on a Tuesday this year it's sort of a waste...not that I'm complaining. Daycare is closed, so Bode had to stay home. Evidently Ashley didn't trust me with Bode alone...something about a recent bike crash...so she took the day off. We slept in until 0700, got up, fed the piglets (Auburn, Dudley, and Bode), and then went out to run some errands. We tried to do some Christmas shopping but didn't have much luck, although Bode was fascinated by some of the cool items in Toys R Us. We told him Santa might bring him what he wants IFF (if and only if for you math types) he behaves himself.

We came back around lunch time, ate, and now Bode is napping. Ashley headed back out to run some more errands while I'm in monitoring mode. In case we didn't tell you, we did some tile work this past weekend. We took out the carpet in our foyer and replaced it with ceramic tile. It turned out pretty nice. Due to Ashley's broken finger, she was unable to do a lot of the work...lucky me. We did have a friend over at the house that helped us with some of the finer points. Plus, having a third-party expert really eliminated any possible arguments between the two of us because when in doubt, we did what Clay said. Here is a picture of the finished product.We are also taking down the wall-paper to the right of the stairs. We hope to finish that this week and paint some time in the near future. Home improvement projects never end, do they?

We've been having lots of fun with the little man. Here's Bode jamming out on the keyboard.Bode likes to mash on the keys, and the beauty of the electronic keyboard is the volume control. Sometimes Bode is more interested in the control settings, probably due to the LED's that change whenever he presses a button. He's not really playing music yet, although he does seem to like it when Ashley and I play songs on the piano. His favorite: the Star Wars theme (of course). After all that keyboarding, Bode gets sleepy. Here he is curled up with Mommy on his little blanket.
Hug a Vet today.

Belated Halloween

Sorry this post is out of sequential order, but I had to wait until I had copies of the pictures. For Halloween, we did not take Bode trick-or-treating. Yes, we are bad, awful parents. However, please allow me to explain. First, let me say the state of Ohio is somewhat weird (but in a good way). You see, trick-or-treating doesn't necessarily occur on Halloween. They have something called Beggar's Night. I'm not sure of the origins, but some years, Beggar's Night and Halloween are on the same day; other years, they are not. For example, this year, Halloween was on Friday, 31 October, while Beggar's Night was on Thursday, 30 October. I'm not sure what days Beggar's Night and Halloween would fall on the same day, but I did read that if Halloween is on a Friday, Beggar's Night is on the Thursday before it because the state did not want to jeopardize attendance at high-school football games. Thus, in Ohio, football takes precedence over Halloween. Gotta love a state that has its priorities in order :-)

On Halloween, daycare asked that parents dress their kids in what they want to be when they grow up (as if they already know; I'm still trying to figure that out for myself). We remembered this the morning we were dressing Bode. Thus, we put him in a nice outfit with a cool jacket, slicked his hair, and said, "He's going to be a model." A bit of a stretch (especially if you think Bode looks like me), but at least it was something. Now here's the odd part. All the other kids in Bode's daycare room came dressed as animals (I didn't realize one had this career option). To make Bode fit in with the animals, they put a little farmer's outfit on Bode and had a farm theme going.Evidently Bode thought he was still dressed as a model and was showing off "Blue Steele" (if you haven't seen Zoolander you won't get this joke). Here's a close up of Farmer Bode with a hint of a smile.
We didn't take Bode trick-or-treating because we thought, since he's still pretty young, that we'd be just asking people for candy for us. Yes, a lame excuse. Rest assured, next year the Little Dude will be all decked out. Costume planning begins next week. Any idea where I can get a light-saber?

Pleasant Saturday.

The Walking Dude**

It had to happen sooner or later. Bode, that little seven pound bundle we brought home from the hospital less than a year ago, has started stumbling, err, walking. I say stumbling because his gait really isn't that fluid smooth movement one associates with the great running backs like Gale Sayers or Walter Payton. No, Bode's movement is like that of a man whose been sitting in a bar for many hours pounding beer after beer on an empty stomach who suddenly decides to stand up and walk. Perhaps a video would best explain what I mean.

In the video, he doesn't make it very far before falling. Thus, it wasn't his best effort. He's probably walked 20-30 feet continuously without falling, although he sometimes has to pause and reassess his balance. What terrifies me is when I watch a little boy in his day care class running. Good heavens those little guys can move fast! I can only hope Bode's girth will slow him down...

Here's a good shot of Bode walking to Mommy. The shot really isn't that good of a picture of Bode. What I like is the sheer joy on Ashley's face seeing her little man walk to her. She didn't even get that excited when I got her diamond earrings last Christmas :-)We had our first accident this past weekend. The result was a broken finger, a smashed knee, some road-rash on a shoulder, and a sore jaw. Before you panic, I'm fine (only kidding). Bode, the one you really care about, is also fine. The aforementioned injuries were inflicted on Miss Ashley...and it sort of was my fault. We went for a bike ride on Sunday. I was pulling Bode in his trailer while Ashley was riding behind us. I probably was going too fast (although too fast is relative because it really was quite slow, but evidently not slow enough). One of the driveways up onto the sidewalk was somewhat of a diagonal, so the trailer went over uneven ground, which resulted in it flipping onto its side. I didn't notice what was happening until Ashley started screaming. I look down and see the trailer overturning, so I hit the brake. Fortunately, I intentionally have my front-brake very loose in case such an occurrence happens, thereby preventing me from flying over the handle bars. Unfortunately, because I stopped so suddenly, Ashley had to stop suddenly. Alas, her front brake is rather tight, so I got to see her fly over her handle-bars and smack onto the ground. Being the good husband but bad father, I first went to Ashley, forgetting about the overturned trailer (yes, I"ll be paying for that one for awhile) when Ashley (in intense pain) screams, "Check him!" Bode was crying, but really not hurt because he was strapped in. I consoled him and in a few minutes, he was fine. Not so for Ashley, whose fingers were bent backwards rather severely, her knee and shoulder badly scraped, and a very sore chin. It could have been much worse. We managed to get home and her knee really swelled up, as did her fingers. We didn't go to the emergency room, but she did get X-rays the next day and was told her ring finger was broken. Fortunately she had the good sense to remove her rings right after the wreck and before the swelling set in...We've had a fun week. Bode's new mobility seems to make him a lot more tired at night. He's been going to bed around 7:30 every night. This may sound great, but it's sort of sad for us because we don't see him that much during the day and wish we had more time with him. I guess we'll just have to double the fun on weekends!Here are a few things worth your time. We've been watching True Blood on HBO--pretty good show so far. Also, if you have never watched The Last Lecture on youtube, it is definitely worth the time (just google "last lecture" and you'll find a link to the video). Finally, the episode of South Park on Wednesday was hilarious (well, the way they portrayed McCain and Obama supporters was funny; the Ocean's Eleven/Thirteen parody was so-so).

Pleasant Friday to all.

** For you Stephen King enthusiasts, I realize 'the Walking Dude' was one of the aliases of Randall Flagg from The Stand. For those that haven't read The Stand (shame on you), Randall Flagg is the instrument of evil, perhaps even the devil himself. In fact, in many of King's books, Flagg or some version of him is always "the bad guy." Using the name here to describe Bode is just a coincidence.

Eleven Months and Counting

This week, Bode will turn 11-months old. It was about this time one year ago that we began this little blog. It's turned out better than we expected because 1) it gives family and friends the opportunity to see pictures of the Bode-man frequently (a big plus); 2) I've been able to convert the blog to a .pdf file, which means this blog has become our electronic scrap-book of Bode's first year (also a big plus); and 3) the blog allows me the opportunity to share all my thoughts and insights with you, our dear readers (a plus for me, probably a big minus for you).

Well I'm sure you can guess the mood in the McGuirk household. Auburn was thorougly whipped Thursday night by West Virginia, bringing their record to an unimpressive 4-4. P.U. With upcoming games against Georgia and Alabama, Auburn will be lucky to finish .500. Here's hoping. The mighty Pittsburgh Steelers lost to the Giants, the Buckeyes also lost, the Bengals are in the toilet, and my suggestion to do away with the Congress and give the power of the purse to me has been largely ignored by the masses. Weather is forecast to be in the 30's this week with the possibility of snow. Thus, you're probably guessing we are somewhat depressed. Quite the contrary, we are constantly finding that silver lining in the omnipresent clouds in the Dayton area (although Ashley seems to have more trouble doing that than me).

Here's some good news. A dear friend of ours (Eric Hallam) wrote a children's book, and has asked for some free publicity (note to self: as a man, don't refer to some other dude as "a dear friend." Yes, it's the 00's but calling another guy "a dear friend" just sounds wrong). Knowing the reading audience of our blog is in the tens of millions on a daily basis, he asked that we put out a not-so-discrete advertisement. His book is called Big Dreams, and you can visit his website at Dreamseedbooks.com. Here's a picture of the book's cover--the artwork is really cool and Eric does a great job putting into rhyme what we all dreamed as small kids.Bode had another great week. We continue to thank God, Allah, and anyone else within shouting distance that Bode is not a discriminating eater. Anything we put in front of him quickly disappears. A friend of ours has a son who is over a year old that only eats pureed food. This week, Bode ate spaghetti, Mexican casserole, cheese quesadillas, a grilled ham and cheese sandwich, pancakes, scrambled eggs, and a whole produce store of fruit (bananas, honey-dew, blackberries, carrots, green-beans, apples, oranges, peaches, and strawberries). Here's shot of Bode after he ate...quite the carnage.All that eating requires Bode to do lots of exercise; otherwise, he'll get fat(ter). Here he is doing laps around the house. He hasn't quite walked yet. He's taken two or three steps between support structures but can't quite seem to be able to sustain an upright posture...we think his belly is causing him to topple forward :-) Note also the Nebraska Cornhusker attire. Because of the aforementioned poor performance of Ashley's team, Bode has switched allegiances...note also it appears Bode can only wear one sock at a time. He's this generation's Michael Jackson (oh God, please no!) We also had to rename the dog. Here's a shot of "Nebraska" waiting for some scraps--not sure if you can make out the thin line of drool hanging from her mouth.Bode started doing something really cute today. Ashely was holding him and started breathing real fast in and out of her nose. Bode thought this was hilarious. What was funnier was he would imitate you doing it. Here is a movie.

Not much on tap for tonight. No football on TV--well, I think Tulsa is playing one of the directional Floridas on the ocho (ESPN2--watch Dodgeball if you don't get the joke). I might try to read some. I've put World Without End on hold. I got about 100 pages into it--very good, but I really have to focus on it. I picked up The Eight by Katherine Neville and started reading it and got sucked in. Pretty good story so far--promises to be DaVinci Code-esque on the book cover; we'll see.

Pleasant week to everybody and have a great All Saint's Eve!

Bode the Bully

The other day, Ashley went to day care to pick up Bode. Usually Bode gets very excited to see either of us when we go get him. It's actually quite sweet. He'll see us and sort of laugh/smile. Then, he'll crawl as fast as he can over to us, and pull himself up and stand in front of us. If we don't pick him up then and there, he'll start to wail. Ashley was expecting a similar reaction--she's gotten used to being greeted with such enthusiasm. However, this day was different. Ashley had arrived during snack time. Bode was seated at the little table and chairs with a fig newton in each hand. Bode sort of glared at Mommy, sensing she might try to take away his cookies. He quickly started gnawing on the cookie in one hand, shoving as much as he could into his mouth before moving on to the next. Ashely sort of laughed and proceeded to the sign-out log. She made some small talk with one of the ladies in the room until she heard a kid start screaming. Ashley looked over to see that Bode had finished his cookies, gotten up from the table, and stolen another kid's cookies--he'd taken them right out of the kid's hand. Evidently, the little Bode-man is a cookie freak...I wonder where he gets that from?

Here's a quick movie of Bode doing the assisted-walking thing while listening to some crazy techno music.

Bode's hair has gotten quite long, and we think we might have to get it trimmed. I told Ashley I could take him to the base barber, point at my hair, and say, "Put this do on that kid's head." Well Ashley doesn't really want to torture the kid because, for some reason, she really doesn't like my hair cut. There's a place down the street that cuts kid's hair, so we might try that later. Here's a shot of Bode shortly after waking up...he's got kind of a Dr. Emmet Brown (Back to the Future) thing going .Note the tongue sticking out. He seems to be doing this quite a lot, especially when he's thinking. Either that or he's been spending too much time with Dudley and Auburn. The weather is starting to get a little cooler, so Bode is having to abandon his t-shirt, shorts, and bare-feet look for the long-sleeves and pants. Here he is all decked after a nice breakfast of fruit and pancakes-a-la-Daddy. Doesn't his hair look "slick?" Note also the ubiquitous tongue...Here are some book ideas if you're into the reading thing. I finished reading The Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. It was good--the last book was somewhat disappointing, and I didn't like how it ended. However, these four books held positions 1,2,3, and 5 on USA Today's top selling books of the summer quarter, so the masses seem to enjoy them. I also read Third Degree by Greg Iles (very good). If you are too happy and need to become depressed, Cormac McCarthy will do the trick. I read No Country for Old Men (see the movie if you don't like to read) and also The Road. I guess they're very good from a literary stand point, but, like I said, not real pick-me-ups. I'm currently reading World Without End (good so far) and Ashley is reading The Count of Monte Cristo (a classical masterpiece). If you're really really bored, go here: http://www.opticsinfobase.org. You'll be thrilled :-)

No big plans for today. We'll probably do some work around the house (Ashley wants to take down some wall paper), and then watch the Steelers-Bungles (Bengals) game.

Pleasant Sunday.

Happy (Belated) Fiscal New Year

Ok, ok, yes, I know it’s been two weeks-plus since I’ve posted; I apologize. But believe me, I have plenty of reasons (lame excuses) for not having published anything about the exciting lives of A., J., and B. McGuirk. First, in the most recent post (recent is a relative term), I mentioned that I returned from Spain having brought home “a little reminder” of Europe. Said flu wiped me out for four days. The beauty (horror) of this was Ashley had to travel to Colorado for work for the entire week, so I was charged with taking care of the Bode-man solo. Fortunately, daycare looked after Bode during the days. The only issue was getting Bode there “safely,” and by safely I will simply say that it is always dangerous to travel too far from one’s home port when one has the flu. Fortunately, I was able to get him to and from daycare without any incidents, although I was a tad nervous on one occasion (thank heavens we bought the Beamer, as the Probe wouldn’t have been able to handle the speed…) The evenings were fine, albeit not very productive. Bode and I played and had fun, and as soon as Bode went to bed, I followed immediately thereafter; hence, no blogging that week. Ashley returned on Friday to a messy house and a tired husband. The weekend was fine, except for Auburn’s (the football team) loss to Vanderbilt, the first time they’ve lost to the Commodores in our life-times (I think it was 1958, but I’m too lazy to use google to find out for sure). Following the defeat, I wasn’t my usual happy self, so I couldn’t really blog. Plus, our computer is acting a bit strange—it will simply lock up without warning. CTRL-ALT-DEL does nothing to help, and the only way to solve the problem is to perform a hard shut-down. Thus, anytime we do something on the computer, it is a race to get things done, and we’re constantly saving things as we go just in case something happens. Top all this off with a 3-day trip to Boston (I had a conference), and well, you get the picture.

That being said, blogs should resume on their normal weekly schedule from this point forward. We’re all doing fine, although Ashley is a bit bummed about Auburn losing to Arkansas. She’s just about written off the season and is really getting into the NHL (of course that’s a joke). Bode is doing great. He had a 10-month doctor’s appointment where he weighed in at 23 pounds, 4 ounces. I’m not sure how tall (long) he was, but I do know he’s in the 75th percentile for height and 75th percentile for weight, thus, like his father, he is perfectly proportioned (yes, perfect proportions do involve having a little spare tire around the midsection, so no wise-a*s comments).

A month ago, we had some nine-month old pictures taken, so if you want to see some professional photographs, go to http://www.markgarber.com and click on Portrait Gallery and then Clients. Password is Bode. Ashley had him all duded out in a Sean-John shirt, so he looks pretty slick (except for that hair—gonna have to see a stylist about that). Now for some pictures. First, I’m including a couple shots of me in Pamplona. Here’s me standing in a section where the Running of the Bulls takes place.

I can't imagine running with the bulls. The roads are quite narrow, so if a bull has you in his sights, you are doomed. Next, here’s me at some castle. Not really sure of the history of the castle, but it was quite impressive.

Ok, enough pictures of me. You probably want to see little Bode-man. Here’s the little guy with his best buddy, Auburn. She’s quite tolerant of him, as she lets him crawl all over her. She never gets upset which is good because even though Bode is getting bigger, I don’t think he could yet take on Auburn.

Here’s a shot of Bode rearranging the furniture in the sun room. He loves to push the chairs around. Unfortunately, we live in a house with walls, and when the chair hits the wall, it no longer moves, much to Bode’s displeasure.

We discovered Bode loves ice cream. He will even do what we ask if we bribe him with a lick--we ask him to say, "Da da," and he does, after which he gets a little ice cream. We then say, "Bode, say Ma ma," and he does. Pavlov would be so proud...

Here’s a shot of Bode “mowing the lawn.” I tell him this is great practice for when he's a little older...

Bode is just about walking—every now and then, he’ll realize he’s not holding on to anything and fall down. A couple times we’ve seen him take some steps between objects without holding onto anything, so we imagine he’ll be running around the house on his first birthday, which is only 45 short days away—has it really been that long??

Pleasant day, and Happy Fiscal New Year!!!