Misc

Katie samples a little refreshment from the Lil' Tykes lagoon, demonstrates her fearlessness for any and all playground equipment, and receives enthusiastic adulation from her secret admirer, Milo.

Katie Greets You

Soulmate got a fancy MacBook for her birthday, and Katie doesn't know it has a built-in camera. The paparazzi triumph over the diva again!

Katie Up Nort'

Half the family went to the BWCA yesterday for 5 days of canoeing and portaging, but the smart half stayed at the lake: Grandma, Katie, Soulmate, and yours truly. I finally got out on the MTB today to start the payback on a lot of good eating. We do not starve here--it's one of the most important camp rules at the cabin. In fact, it's the only rule, and the corollary is written on a sign on Grandma's kitchen: "Free Food: Fix it Yourself".

Which directive I take seriously. While waiting for the girls who were shopping at the Jenny Shop in the metrop (Grand Rapids), I scored a copy of "A Man, A Can, and A Grill", the sequel to the scintillating "A Man, A Can, and a Plan". These are serious reads for serious (male) foodies, written by Mens' Health mag. "MCP" was a best seller for good reason: lots of pix, simple and simply delicious recipes, and no putzy purees, hollandaise, bernaise, or any other -aise (except mayonaise, of course).

"MCG" is at least as good, and since it's summer, even more apropos, since no self-respecting Y chromosome wants to spend a minute more indoors than necessary, and a grill hearkens back to the days of men with spears taking down the mastodon and banging rocks together to start the bonfire.

Last night I grilled up some pollo mole, which was delicious in spite of my substituting chocolate chips for cocoa powder, which my nephew had used up making a yummy cooked pudding (male cooking seems to run in the family). Maybe it was delicious BECAUSE I had to use the choco chips...

Tonight I grilled up pretty much the best burgers I've ever had, using my Mom's sloppy joe sauce, tabasco, green chilis, diced cooked tomatoes, an egg, and 1 lb of ground beef. Patted 'em up into 5 burgers, grilled 'em to medium, toasted the buns, and slathered more manly sauce onto the steaming patties, and got all hotted up inside. Mmmmmm.

Tomorrow, who knows? But it'll be grilled. Maybe "Poultry with Polenta Pucks". Good thing the 4 wheelers have been busy around here--I've got a lot of MTB payback to go.

Speaking of 4 wheelers, here's Katie at the end of her first ride. It was pretty tame, so I skipped the whole helmet thing. Can't recommend it, never miss it on the bike, but there it is--caught on tape. Kids: do as I say, not as I do.

Soulmate has a Birthday

I won't tell you which one, since they're all just anniversaries of her 29th birthday anyway. Katie and I took her to the megamall last Sunday, and while the two of us (me & Katie) whooped it up on the Nickelodeon rides, SM hit the Apple store to pick out her sparkly new MacBookPro. Good thing she teaches the MC kids at our church, since they threw me a bone and gave her the educator's discount (and a free iTouch for Katie and I to boot!). She loves her first ever Mac (she's a graphic designer and has lusted after a Mac for years, but has always had to put up with my castoff office PCs).

Katie is Two

Katie had a big party at Riverside Park with her playgroup friends this morning, then Grandpa, Grandma, Aunt Sue, Uncle Jeff, Cousins Jenny and Josh, and friends and neighbors descended upon us for cake and ice cream this evening.

Katie got lots of stuff, but liked Daddy's present best: a combined water and sand box for the deck, which of course I had to stay up late into the night assembling last night. The video shows that it was certainly worth the effort.

All in all, it was a wonderful day. The whole birthday concept is just beginning to dawn on Katie, so I'm sure next year will be a whole different experience. For now, the innocent and ignorant approach is just fine.

1st Adoption Anniversary

Katie, you came to us a year ago yesterday in Nanning, China ("Gotcha Day"), and became ours a year ago today. Happy 1st adoption anniversary, sweetheart. You have so changed, and so changed us in a single year, that we cannot remember life before you. When we do vaguely recall some previous activity or pleasure, we wonder why we thought it was important or rich or substantial.

Now I hurry home from work, which isn't easy right now, hoping I haven't missed too much of the fun. Your bedtime comes much too soon, and when you decide to sleep in, or I have an especially early morning start, I feel like there's something wrong all day long.

Tonight we celebrated by dressing you in your Chinese silk dress and going to our favorite little Chinese restaurant, The Golden Dragon. The two couples who run the restaurant doted on you as always, saying funny little things to you in Cantonese and Mandarin, and laughed as you showed off and strutted around. Then we came home and watched all the videos we took of your first and second days with us a year ago. You laughed, pointed, and snuggled with us as if to say, "I remember that, and I'm so glad I came home with you."

Here's that very first look we got of you on that wonderful day a year ago when we became a real family. You came home a little baby; now you're a little girl. Either way, you're our real live China Doll.

Lame Update

Worked my butt off the past couple of weeks. I set some records for stuff that I really never thought anyone would keep track of, but they do. All it means is that I've been at the office longer than I should be and not doing everything else as much as I'd like. For instance:

I ate supper somewhere other than my house every night this past week until Saturday, and even then, dinner started at around 9pm. Katie was really cranky all week because she didn't get her "comfort object" (me) much at all.

I sat on my road bike for the first time since I got knocked into the ditch 2 weeks ago in the East Union circuit race. Big Jim took me for our 4 hour, 6 hill hammerfest, and we did 82 miles and 4000 feet of climbing in 3:58. Today I didn't feel like riding at all.

I feel like my margin is all used up right now, but things are changing for the better. We have a new partner coming for the office, so schedules should be better by August. I don't plan to set any more records for the rest of my working life.

Katie is a joy and a challenge, but much more joy than challenge. She's been in "swimming school" as Soulmate calls it (Katie loves anything associated with "school") Mon-Thur last week, and 4 days this coming week as well. I took her to the pool yesterday so she could show Daddy how she was doing, and she was ecstatic to be there. We paddled around and played with an Ariel beach ball until she was shivering almost uncontrollably, and even then she cried her eyes out when I announced our imminent departure.

Today was hot enough that we went to the local splash pad to get wet. Katie was quite excited until the moment came to actually get wet, and then she lost her nerve. She finally managed to get somewhat wet, but we bailed and went on the swings and slides instead. Oh, and she hung out in the "fire truck" previously mentioned, but someone had ripped the steering wheels out so she was disappointed not to be able to steer it.

Next week I hope to eat a couple dinners at home, get wet at the splash pad, and race a road race. Then it's my first official Father's Day with Katie (last year we were still waiting to fly to China). I wonder what she'll give me...