It's Been a While Since the Last GMG

It's been a while since the last GMG, but this morning is a classic "Good Morning Gavin".

Project "Little Fuzz"

You may have noticed that we have been very silent here at Fish in the Tank. And we have a very good reason because we have been busy. Yes, we indeed have a new Fish in the Tank codenamed "Little Fuzz". Without further ado, onto the Little Fuzz FAQ.

When is the kid due?
December 6th.

How far along is the pregnancy?
Just finished the first trimester.

Is it a boy or a girl?
Your guess is as good as ours. We will let you know on December 6th, or thereabouts.

How is Mom doing?
The first trimester was rough in terms of morning sickness and fatigue, but she is in good spirits and is excited.

How is Dad doing?
He is wondering how the hell he will manage two kids on Daddy Weekends.

How is Gavin doing?
He is mostly oblivious although he has twice indicated he would like a baby sister when asked which sibling he would like to have.

Still Getting Used to Snow

In the first three months of this year, we have received little snow and Gavin has had little exposure to our favorite form of water. In the few sparse snowfalls we had, Gavin was very timid and even exclaimed "Oh no, snow!" one day when I opened the garage door.

Suddenly, the weather pattern has changed. We have received three snow storms totaling something in the ballpark of three feet in the past ten days. While Kiersten and I are happy to finally be living in a winter wonderland landscape, Gavin is still decidedly against trouncing around in several inches of snow.

Our Little Helper

Last month, Gavin hit the 22 month old mark. He has transitioned from a baby into a true toddler walking and talking all over the place. While new words begin to turn in sentences, one of the more dramatic changes is Gavin's desire to help around the house with various chores and activities.

He first discovered laundry. I believe the initial allure was the noise the washing machine makes and the musical tunes both machines make when pressing buttons. However, Gavin quickly went from spectator to loader/unloader. Since he is literally the perfect fit at the perfect height and able to crawl in to get those stubborn clothes in the back of the washer and dryer, who can argue with him wanting to help?

We discovered next that Gavin likes to help out in the kitchen. After getting tired of lifting him up and attempting to perform cooking while balancing him on a hip, I decided to setup Gavin on a chair and give him some tasks. He turned out to be a master colander loader (I think we see a pattern emerging). Any kitchen helper must be skillful with the measuring cup and spoon. Gavin has demonstrated this necessary skill as well pouring spices into the pot.

I am most proud of Gavin setting up the coffee maker to brew a fresh pot for me!

Can You Say...?

Have you played this game with your kid? Gavin can repeat or attempt to repeat anything we say. In this installment, we asked Gavin to say several different names: Casey, Zoe, Addie, Grammy, and Grandpa.

Master of Paper Shredding

I am never amazed at the different forms of entertainment that Gavin finds to amuse himself with. His latest discovery is shredding paper products.

Gavin has achieved a level of proficiency in shredding paper that I thought was only the realm of household pets such as cats and hamsters. He is very happy to receive a paper towel, tissue, or coffee filter and render it into tiny scraps. Occasionally, he is considerate and picks up several of the pieces and deposits them in the garbage can.

The interesting fact is that are instances when it is not appropriate to shred. For example, after washing his hands he is given a paper towel to dry his hands. After finishing the drying task, Gavin heads straight to the garbage can and throws out the paper towel without any shredding (yes, how EC of us...).

Debut Stage Performance

Gavin made his stage debut this evening. Some of the early reviews rumored to hit the press in the coming days are: "Riveting...", "Captivating...", and "Born to entertain, destined to touch your heart..."

You did not know it would happen so soon and, frankly, neither did we. As a result I managed to get this 70's-quality example of what one would find looking for early childhood pictures of mom and dad. No 8,000 megapixel image that Grammy can plaster on her classroom wall at school or cool movie to stick on Youtube. Gavin was heard mumbling, "Way to go, Dad."

So what's the backstory? We attended the 5th Annual Weekcreekers Holiday Gala -- an annual fundraising event for Weecreekers, Gavin's daycare. We did expect to participate in a silent auction and dinner. By the way, how do you know you live in the mountains? When you bid on a cord of firewood at a silent auction. Anyway, following the dinner, the various classes of children performed skits for their classmates and parents. In true Weecreeker fashion, even Gavin's toddler class, the Turtles, had a turn on stage. Before we knew it, his teachers rounded up the class and gathered the kids on stage. They managed to "hold the line" and shook bells while everyone sang "Jiggle Bell Rock". It was quite cute and thankfully I had taken my cell phone even though I knew I would no signal at the event.