Apparently...

...there's a family resemblance. I can't see it myself.

Dissimilar legumes

Cultural assimilation

So that up there is where we live. Not actually on that bench, but you know... down the path from there. The past week has been top-notch for large-tire-bicycle action and I've been able to get out for more guilt free skidding and corner cutting, and quite a lot of crashing. On last night's ride we came upon the tracks of something pretty big, and pretty agile given how it had been nonchalantly walking along precipitous ledges on the cliff below the viewpoint, and last week I interrupted a very big bird eating a deer. These things remind us that it's a wild place out there.

A couple of months ago we embraced our new wild place surroundings by buying a large and aggressive vehicle with which to crush the unspoiled wilderness. Just kidding. However, we did buy "Big Stupid", the Blue Elephant's successor, to do all the things the Elephant was so good at but with three of us and on the much nastier roads we have around these parts. Our criteria were to find a big 4x4 truck which fits lots of people and gear and uses as little fuel as possible, and which we could afford. That left one option, and there was a nice used one in town, so that was pleasingly simple.

As the licence plate suggests, the radio can receive both kinds of music - Country, and Western

"Big Stupid" - rampant upon the driveway.

Then just for balance, here's Tav's new winter-crushing vehicle. We're hoping the next few winters will hold some fun family adventures with this contraption.

The Tavmobile, rampant upon the back yard.

And finally... I did some garage upgrades to accommodate our expanding family - of watercraft. We bought a canoe. I feel so Canadian. We're hoping that this contraption will be the key to fun family adventures in the summer. Oh... and how does it get up there you're wondering? Well, all I can say is that involves pulling a few strings.

And finally finally - child development news. This week's triumph has been Tav's first bottle feeding. I went into this with high hopes given that Tav will suck on just about anything with great enthusiasm (his thumb, his whole hand, my finger... and on one occasion, my chin). Luckily my hunch was right and Tav remains a hungerous beast whatever vessel the milk comes from.

Tav - visualizing sucking on things.

Tav life

Off the road again

Warning: this post does not contain any cute babies. If you're looking for one of those, you'll just have to wait for another moment of fatherly pride to overcome me. My sincerest apologies for your disappointment.

"Well, if you were directly above him, how could you see him?" "Because I was inverted."

Today, at lunchtime, I went for a dad-ride. This is a great milestone, much like yesterday being the first time Tav went to Costco. I think I got the better deal.

It's been too deep and fluffy to ride bikes in the snow lately, so I've been running in it. Logical folks out there might point out that I should be going skiing - but I can't do that immediately from our house (though who knows the way the snow is building), so I haven't. So there. However, last night brought in some heavy, wet snow that compacted all the fluff and resulted in my most exhilarating fat bike ride to date. I have the following notes to share:

1. The rut is my friend - as are all the dogs in Vernon who encourage their owners to go for walks and pack down the trail.
2. I am able to live out my fantasies of drifting all over the place like a silent Ken Block, without the obnoxious car and energy drinks.
3. I am able to do all the things grown-up mountain bikers don't do, without guilt. For example, today I did an infinite number of flamboyant skids and rode off the trail all over the place for fun. All evidence will be erased forever with the next snow. Like magic.
4. I can try things I don't have the guts for on a real bike... like full-speed (about 2 km/h in the snow) drifts into corners with my feet clipped in.

So there you have it. Fat bikes - they're good for something.

Wait...

I feel a strange new emotion coming over me...

What can this be....

Oh right, that one.

Tav says Hi, or at least he would if he was awake.

Inquiring minds wanted to know

Other than meaning "Peacock" (not sure how I feel about that exactly), here's what his name means and where it comes from. The where is more important that the what in this case.

Ref: Navarro Y. First Name Reverse Dictionary: Given Names Listed by Meaning. 2nd ed. Jefferson, NC: McFarland; 1993.

Oh, now what's this? That's right... it's another baby picture.

Tav showing signs of a strong work ethic. Seriously, he did this all by himself.

I am the daddy

So here I am, a father. I can't pretend that any of my thoughts on that topic are very informed as my fatherly role has lasted a grand sum of four days to-date. I do have some thoughts though. I've interspersed those thought with baby pictures, because they're always a crowd-pleaser I don't have any of cute kittens.

This is Tav's first attempt at "tummy time". He fell asleep.

I've learned that one of my greatest responsibilities as a father is making sure all the things that need to happen but my son doesn't necessarily like, still happen. Changing clothes, having a wash, lying on his front... all the things that elicit the "angry man" response. More on that later.

Tav's pretty keen on sleeping, when he's not eating. 

He calls this style "sideways bear-head blanket pose".

As the days go by, the moments between eating and sleeping where we're able to interact with him a little get longer. I'm looking forward to the days when this will involve going outside and exploring the world with him, but for now grabbing my finger is good enough.

Proof that babies love flannel.

All in all, things seem surprisingly normal around the house. This really is surprising given that I don't remember that getting up at 3 am to grapple a wriggly baby into his clothes was something I did much of before. I've got a feeling that our brains are programmed to enjoy otherwise un-enjoyable things when they're for the benefit of our offspring. Either that or I've totally overlooked the entertainment value in soggy diapers all these years.

Tav helping out with administrative duties. He must be a prodigy.

We've got a lot to learn, and will need to start figuring out how to re-integrate some normal pre-baby activities into our lives. But, we have the rest of our lives ahead of us to figure that out, and the most important thing feels like it should be to enjoy the ride rather than worry about where we're going.

Look into those eyes. You know he's deciphering the mysteries of the universe in his  giant brain.
Or maybe he just pooped.

Whilst of course Tav is the most attractive, intelligent, talented, and well behaved child that has ever existed (I think I'm obliged to make those claims), he has a dark side. I've named this "Angry Man Face". I can't help but seeing Henry Rollins...





And on that note, I just felt a disturbance in the force that is asleep on my lap - I think it's time to visit the changing table.