Next comes baby...

GIDEON IS TWO YEARS OLD!

Gideon is two! We won't pretend it's all been easy, but most of it's been wonderful. Some highlights from the life of Gid:

A big year for sure, but, like your brother before you there's surely some things you have not done, right? Let's compare:

What hadn't Felix ever done at age two, and Gideon by comparison?

* Flown in a helicopter (though you sure do talk about it often enough): Gid is more into fire trucks. Hasn't ridden one yet.
* Said your middle name: ditto.
* Had a haircut: not so! Gideon has had some subtle trimming here and there.
* Attended an inauguration in person (though you did watch simulcast): Not your fault, no inaugurations to attend, yet.
* Gone to any Dutch island other than Schiermonnikoog or Terschelling: How sad, you've been to none of them, but at least you'll get to visit the Netherlands for the first time ever in a week or so!
* Felt regret: Huh, that's an interesting one. I can't quite put my finger on it, but somehow I think you may have felt this. You certainly don't let it stop you though.
* Had a sibling: Oh yes you have!
* Eaten a steak (though you have had chorizo!): Wow, that's a difference, you've eaten a TON of steak. In fact, you've had chicken, pork, fish, shrimp, crab, oysters, goat, lamb, and buffalo.
* Contemplated anything: True dat.
* Gone poo poo in the toilet without freaking out: Or, for that matter, at all.
* Scratched yourself: Nope, never done it.
* Let us sleep in: You have, Gideon, though not recently, hint hint.

Happy, happy birthday, Gideon, WE LOVE YOU!

2500

Reminds me how rarely we get a shot with us all in it.

Grandpa's visit

We had a visit from Grandpa. This produced, in addition to the Wild Things reading, a visit to the Autodesk Gallery (if you haven't been let me know and I'll give you a personal tour), pictured here (along with another nice shot or two):

The second shot there is of Grandpa holding Felix up so he could use the 3D photo booth, which contraption produced this:

Movie: Where the Wild Things are

Is he really afraid? Does he even know the meaning of the word? I guess he kind of is and does, which is ironic, because Gid, you are truly the wildest thing of them all.

Ah hah! It's the reader, not the content, that scares him.

Movie: Pasta fasta

Note the total absence of chewing.

Movie: Gideon rides on

I don't usually think of Gideon as mysterious, but there's something mysterious about how he just rides on here.

Movie: Gideon rides

This one comes with a story, and don't stop me if I've told you it. Felix, as you may recall, was quite the speed demon on his walkabike, but truth is he didn't take to it right away: the bike showed up on his second birthday, a gift from saba and safta, but he hardly touched it until about half a year later. Good thing: by then he was tall enough for it, and, as important, had learned to stop when you told him to.

Gideon is taller than Felix was at that age, and even more independent, which is really saying something. In fact, he's so independent that he decided to go and get himself a bike. I was walking downtown with him a couple of months ago and he suddenly took a left up an alley. I followed and found him in front of the door to a tiny bike shop (really, how many does Fairfax need?). He knocked on the window, the proprietor came around, and before I could advise him not to let the bull into his shop he opened the door and said "Hi Gideon!" Gideon, taking this as his due, walked right in, pulled a helmet off the wall, and got onto a walkabike sitting there next to the counter. He then walked it out of the shop. After the fourth time this happened I gave up and bought it for him. And now, not yet two, he rides:

It's not much of a movie, but it's a clear sign of things to come. And that's the problem: he definitely cannot be relied upon to stop when you tell him to, and he will soon be able to bike fast enough to get himself into real trouble. This is the sort of thing I mean when I say he's a more challenging child than his brother.

Movie: Knock knock

Who's there? Gideon, that's who!

Snout

Felix, from the top of the slide: "Go stand by the snout of the slide."
Dada, from near the bottom: "How do you know the bottom of the slide is called the 'snout'?"
Felix: "Because a slide is like a glacier."

Tough negotiator

At last night's Seder, Felix traded the afikomen for parsley.

Many of you won't get this, but for those who do it's hilarious.

Movie: Felix gets belted

And he definitely deserved it.

The Boys and the Girl

Gentlemen, meet your newest niece, Seneca:

Phew, what a lovefest that was! Felix even tried to sing her to sleep.

Seneca, you've got some very sweet cousins there. Lucky girl, lucky boys.

Movie: Gideon and the gusher

I love sump pumps: a boy can play with the outlet hose as long as the rain lasts, no fear of the water running out or waste in this dry land. All Gideon knows is that the water comes, the water goes, the water comes, the water goes....

Bad idea

Wow.

Even for you this is a bad idea, Gideon.

Nice try

Mama's version: Gideon dragged the step stool from the bathroom after his bath to the front door himself...

Dada's version: Gideon, instead of waiting to get dried off while I fished out the bath toys and emptied the tub, took this chance to steal the step stool and try to escape. Nice try.