We all decided to go for a walk a couple of weeks ago - the sun was out but the temperature was still pretty cold, hovering around 34. So we bundled Will up, hopefully for the last time this season, and were preparing to head out. The clip tells the rest of the story...

Will has some problems! (3mb)

Which leads me to our latest experience: the technicolor poo. To save you the suspense, turns out that if a 1 year old (could happen at other ages, but we're not there yet) eats enough blueberries, his poo will turn blue. Same theory holds true for oranges and green beans. Haven't been able to verify strawberries, but will let you know how that one turns out. So you can imagine our initial reaction to blue poo. Granted, funny thoughts of smurfs and such ran through our heads, but they were quickly replaced with "DID YOU SEE THAT? IS THAT NORMAL?" ...in a slightly emphatic tone, followed by a slightly uncomfortable smile - okay, so the smile was still lingering from the smurf thoughts, but it sounds good. My first reaction was to scour the Internet for reference material, but I have been barred from self-diagnosis so I steered clear of that option. Then the most amazing thing happened: I stopped worrying about it and sort of enjoyed it. And it has since become almost a game to me, kinda like the "license plate game" (you know, when you see who can spot different states' license plates on a trip) - "Guest what honey, I saw an orange one today!" Just how fun is that? Of course the look on Will's face as I gleefully congratulate him on a nice "green one" translates into something like "DID YOU SEE THAT? IS THAT NORMAL?" ...as if I am the strange thing he is observing that defies logical or normalcy.

Will is little more than a year old now and becoming more little-boy-like each day. He giggles when snuck-up-upon, he plays peek-a-boo behind anything, and oftentimes (much to the dismay of mom and dad) enjoys just making noise. Let me clarify that last part a bit: he enjoys making noise simply and purely for the benefit of noise itself. Now that is being a kid!

To assist Will in his daily adventures, I have no choice but to step up to the plate, put on my responsible-dad cap, and play right along with him (come on, why should he get to have all of the fun). And do you know what? It is soooo much fun that I sometimes can't see straight (that or my aging brain lacks the oxygen from my aging heart and can't process images very quickly). So each day that Will and I play and dance and read and lay around and just basically be, I can't help but feel as though I am being a kid again and that is one of the best parts of this whole parenting deal. Sure you have to be responsible, work, pay bills, say "no," clean the house (though I am not-so-good on this one), and all of the other myriad duties that define being a married, adult, home-owning parent. BUT... you also finally get to taste the sweetness of youth a second time around. And when you cut through all of the layers of being a grown-up, blurred and bruised fun is still there, waiting to get out and roll around a bit.

Anyway.... my mom, sister, and two nieces came up to visit for a long weekend. We all hadn't seen each other in nearly 7 months and it was wonderful to see everyone again! Isabel, Maggie, and Will were adorable and we can't wait until the Summer!

All in all, it has been an unbelievable year and it is even more unbelievable to look back over the past 12 months and see how much Will has grown from a tiny 7+ pound, completely dependent baby into an awefully cute, 24 pound, 2-tooth, sort-of-walking, thinks-he's-independent little man!

I will say that I have gained much more confidence in my role as a "dad" over these past 12 months. I was so full of worry in the early months that I might not be a good dad and would somehow ruin Will. Well, I can now confidently proclaim that while I might still somehow ruin Will, he and I are going to have a lot of fun getting there together! And that's what it is about, right? Make the best of every situation; don't sweat the small stuff; a hug can't fix everything but it can sometimes make you feel a little better. Basically, just always be there. And after experiencing nights that I thought may never end, diapers that couldn't possibly get dirtier, laughs that couldn't sound any more pure, I have absolutely no doubt that I will always be there. No matter what. Happy Birthday Will.

A couple of quick notes on his birthday bash... we had a small celebration with Jess' parents and Roger's mom (Will's great grandma), Jess made his cake completely from scratch and adorned it with Will's favorite items: blueberries, green beans, and a gorilla! After Will dutifully picked off and ate all of the blueberries and green beans, we proceeded to pound the cake with the gorilla! That's our boy! Also... the last 2 pictures are of him eating Goulash all by himself. I figured he was 1 now, he could do that. What a mess!

In defense of this practice, I would like to point out that it was borne from a need to keep an eye on Will and neither of us want to watch him while taking care of business. I could go into much more detail here, but I will spare you the trauma. Point is, as a parent you do things that you didn't used to do... but you also don't consciously make the choice to do them. They just subtly happen and you roll right along with them without thinking twice. Unless, of course, you have to use the restroom. Then you pause long enough to tell your wife where you are going.

A few notes on the pictures: Will recently got his very first real haircut and he looks adorable! Also check out the series of him in his green shirt: he is trying to put shapes into a container and gets VERY frustrated!

Will was born and he grew alot!
It is amazing to look at pictures of Will when he was born and at Christmas time and see the difference that 10 months makes. He has brought endless joy to our house and 2006 will be even better!

My Gorgeous Wife
She gets more beautiful(inside and out) with each passing year.

I caught more fish fly fishing
Actually, about 6 of them (to be exact). And though they were all on the smallish side, I am still quite proud that I can be called a fly fisherman... in some circles... very small ones... with people that don't know much about fly fishing... and can't see very well either...

I continued rocking out
I use that term very loosely, but I enjoy it nonetheless!

click links below for movie clips
Will and the Train 1 (1.1mb)
Will and the Train 2 (.5mb)
Will and the Train 3 (1.2mb)
Just the Train (1.2mb)

A houseful of warmth,
laughter, comfort, and cheer,
My life has been blessed
beyond meaning this year.

My beautiful wife Jessica,
not a complaint can I say
She grows ever so gorgeous
and lovely each day.

She always has a smile,
or a quick wit and laugh,
And on many days she has been
my rock and my staff.

And then there is Will,
he’s a product of love,
Something so dear and so precious,
a gift from above.

Always ready with a giggle,
a smile, or a snuggle,
Sometimes I am so amazed
that holding back tears is struggle.

Not a day passes by
without realizing how thankful I am,
for giving me such a wonderful family;
my muse and my lamb.

So a Christmas wish this year
I have none to ask of thee,
You see I have everything I need,
My wonderful family of three.

On a not-so-thankful note, I have been quite disappointed with Desperate Housewives. I think the writers from the now-defunct Ed somehow slipped in the doors of Wisteria Lane and are causing more problems than Edie Britt after she has kicked back a few! (side note: given my proclivity to witty phrases and the ability to so effortlessly use the word proclivity, maybe Marc Cherry should give me a call)

Anyway.... it was a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday with our little family and I am looking forward to so many more! And on a related note, we were able to hang out with some friends of ours Saturday night - Jim, Lindsay, and Hayden Nagy. Not only is Hayden adorable, he has 2 teeth and can do card tricks. And if that weren't enough, Jim brought along his Super Bowl ring for all to admire (he's a scout for the Patriots)... there are a couple of pics of Kay showing it off.

I also have to add that Jess is hovering over my shoulder as I write this and commenting on my proclivity (he he) to use too many exclamations. Something to add to the not-so-thankful list!!!

So why is it happening and what am I going to do about it? I don't know. But I do know this: most of my being late is to hang out with Will just a little bit longer and if that means that I'll be a little bit late, well... chances are good that I will be posting my Merry Christmas wishes sometimes next March.

Happy Halloween!

author's note: statements made above are the expressed opinions of the author and do not represent those of others

another author's note: okay, so the ingeniously insightful or extremely witty statements are opinions, but the kid is still pretty darned cute

[Bill]Hi, my name is Bill. I eat things.
[everyone]Hi, Bill!
[Bill]No, I mean I eat things that shouldn't be eaten. Which is why I eat them.
[person1]Is it because you were denied food as a child?
[Bill]Huh?
[person2]Maybe you don't know what you are doing. It could be a disease, you know...
[person3]Yeah. It's the disease, man. You gotta let go and give yourself over to another power.
[Bill]I think I already have, which is why I eat things.
[person1]That's good, Bill. Open up. Get it out. Free yourself. Open the lid and let if fly away. Open the windows and feel the...
[Bill -interrupting person1]No, no, no. I do it for my son. I am protecting him.
[person1]What types of things do you eat, Bill?
[Bill]Every kind of baby food that my son eats, I taste first. Except broccoli and chicken. He's on his own there.
[person1]But you said you ate things that shouldn't be eaten.
[Bill]Have you ever tasted some of that stuff?
[person1]Actually, I have been known to enjoy the occasional Hawaiian Delight every now and then.
[Bill]I have also tasted a photograph, a coffee table, the sofa, and shoes.
[person5]I feel your pain, Bill. I feeeeeeeeeeeeeeel it!
[Bill]Huh?
[person5]Do you renounce your past misdeads? Do you want to cleanse yourself in the waters of healing?
[Bill]No. But I would like some water to wash down this meeting pamphlet. Will has been eyeing it for a few minutes and I wanted to make sure it was okay first. Little dry though...