Boys Names Ending in "N"

On the week my oldest son's fifth birthday, this animated chart is of particular interest. Unknowingly we went with a popular one the first time around. We picked Kaden because we wanted something that worked in English and Arabic. Kinda sorta, well it didn't exactly shake out that way, but we're cool. More recently we picked a name that peeked in 1890 and we're cool with that too.

Sauce: The meteoric rise of boys' names ending in 'n'

Kaden Turns Four

He technically turns four this week, but we had his party and did a bunch of other stuff in honor of the birthday boy. Outside the standard weekend review of media, we packed our Saturday and Sunday to the ceiling with activities.

Run
Saturday started with an 8 am run for me, the final advanced team tempo run before this coming weekends race. It was 8 miles in full, all on the race course, 6 miles of tempo in the middle and 1 mile on the front and back to warm up and cool down. I think I am ready to put in a personal record, how much of a PR I won't know until I hit the 3.1 mile turn around and have to pour it on.

Soccer
Post run I rushed home, showered, re-clothed and took Kaden to his second soccer game of the season. He played last Fall for the first time in a 3 yr old division. It was a building process. The first game was mix of kids whining and crying their way through a thirty minutes of parenting hell. Over the course of the season Kaden slowly got it. Don't take the ball from your teammates, be aggressive on defense and score dem goals. This year there has been no transition. He is still in the 3 yr old division and there are still plenty of kids clinging to their Dad's leg the whole game, but he is out for blood having tons of fun.

Pool Party
Following the game we jumped in the car and zipped out to the Goochland YMCA for Kaden's 4th birthday party. We passed three YMCA's and drove 30 minutes out to "the country" for his party because they have an awesome pool set up. It is an outdoor pool covered and heated in the Winter by a huge bubble. Inside there is a massive (30'x30' maybe?) area that gradual goes from 1' to 3' deep. It is the perfect setup to allow kids to play, while lightly attended (they provide a life guard) and the adults chat pool side (I got in with Ward). An hour in the pool and an hour in a large party room with pizza and presents. All for a cheap-ish price tag. All the kids and the adults had a great time.

Sunday
Saturday was busy and Sunday was no day to catch up on rest. We made a big family trip to Panera for lunch and then to Toys R Us for the birthday boy. We got him a new bike and helmet (he out grew the old ones), booster seats for both of our cars (die in a fire toddler car seats!) and a new Lego set. We spent the afternoon at home assembling seats, the bike and Lego. By the end of the weekend my back was shot, so I went out for Habanero (dat beef tongue!) and spent the rest of the night Advil-ed up and stretching.

Weekend Review: Jan 26th & 27th

Every weekend there are new sights, sounds, and taste to consume. There are other sensory inputs that tickle my brain too, but saying there is stuff to feel sounds creepy. This is a weekly journal of my weekend endeavors. Enjoy!

Pot Roast
Saturday was my second go round with the dutch oven I got for Christmas and my second on the recipe linked above. It was easy prep, 20 minutes at the most and then 4 hours of unattended cooking. Ding and you get beef that is falling apart delicious. Twice now I have made the mistake of dropping the carrots and onions in at the start of the cook time. What you get are over cooked carrots, an almost mashed potato consistency.  Dropping veggies in at the midway point is the answer.

UFC on Fox 6
The fights Saturday night were good for the most part. The main card lead up to the headliner was great. I still think flyweight fights are too quick and lack the power to be truly interesting. I'd love to see the stats, but it feels like the majority of them end in decision. Also, I know it is great that there are more and more free fights on every year. The Fox deal will mean 4 free events in the first quarter of this year alone. When those fights air on the big network though they take ages to get started. I counted 4 commercial breaks before the first fight kicked off. Nearly 30 minutes into the two hour broadcast.

Sledding
At 3 years old Kaden is right in the sweet spot to learn to and enjoy sledding. Friday my office closed early because of the precipitation and I got to come home to prime sledding hours. The neighbors next door are 7 and 8 year old girls who love to come over and see if Kaden can play. He joined them for an hour plus, walking up the hill and sliding back down again. He had a blast. Crystal went out Sunday and picked him up a sled of his own. We are waiting with crossed fingers and toes for the next Richmond style blizzard (read: 1-2 inches).

Weekend Review: Sept 29th & 30th

Every weekend there are new sights, sounds, and taste to consume. There are other sensory inputs that tickle my brain too, but saying there is stuff to feel sounds creepy. This is a weekly journal of my weekend endeavors. Enjoy!

Ward Adam Tabib
This weekend was pretty wild. Friday night date night out at black sheep. Saturday morning soccer game. Saturday night Ward came! He was born at 8:05p and was 7.2 lbs and 19.5 inches. He did not want to wait around either. Crystal spent three hours with minor contractions at home and we decided to head to the hospital just in case at 7p. When we got there things progressed rapidly and he was born an hour later. Everyone is now home, safe and sound. Kaden loves his little brother and wants to hold him all the time. It is pretty amazing!

Get Jiro!
Before babies were popping off and stealing my birthday thunder. Ethan was nice enough to give me a birthday comic. Anthony Bourdain's Get Jiro! An alternate future LA where chefs control everything. They play of mob bosses that battle for the city. Jiro is a new sushi chef in town that is highly skilled and both major factions in the city want him on their side. It is a bit silly, but I think it is meant to be. Bourdain's take on future tech made me roll my eyes a few times, but over all it is a fun story.

New Girl
Unlike last time I got to come home from the hospital Sunday night to take care of Kaden and sleep in a for real bed. I spent the night half awake watching shows on OnDemand. Two episodes of Parks & Rec and two of New Girl. I write off most sitcoms these days. To be honest I'd rather be playing video games,  but New Girl is pretty great. Zooey Deschanel is hot, adorable and funny. The rest of the cast and the writing bring it too. I slept on this for too long. Now I might add it to the slim list of shows we make sure to watch every week.

Weekend Review: July 14th & 15th

Every weekend there are new sights, sounds, and taste to consume. There are other sensory inputs that tickle my brain too, but saying there is stuff to feel sounds creepy. This is a journal of my weekend endeavors. Enjoy!

Northlanders
Brian Wood's work on DMZ and Demo made me a fan of his long ago. I started Northlanders this week and chewed through volumes one, two and most of three up through the weekend. Vikings and modern-ish dialogue mashed up to produce some great historical fiction. I dig it.

Ikea
It has been ages since we went to northern Virginia for affordable Swedish furniture. Our first two apartments were filled with their goods. On Saturday we went for a massive bookshelf (6'x6') to split Kaden and his soon to be baby brother's room. A wire installation to hang art in the playroom and a shelf system for my office desk, to elevate the monitors. All in all a successful trip, plus Swedish meatballs on the cheap for lunch.

CodeAcademy
Looking for creative outlets for my free time is a hobby in and of itself. My latest is learning JavaScript. An extension of my work life of sorts. CodeAcademy is a site developed to make learning to code more interactive and fun. So far the achievements associated with completing lessons have me coming back again and again. No clue what I'll do with it ultimately, but at the very least it is another item for my resume.

Aces Speed
Card games are decidedly not my jam. Something that royally bums out my wife. An admitted card fiend. So when she introduced me to Aces Speed on the iPad it felt like a trick. We have been playing it pretty regularly since. It is just Spit/Speed, but something about it being on a retina display and touch enabled makes me love it. I don't get it.

Aesop Rock - Skelethon
I've spinning loads of new hip hop over the past year thanks to my shared interest with Mike. In that time I fell off with a few of my old favorites. Namely Aesop Rock who I've listened to probably more than any other artist in my life (see: Wu Tang in high school). It was not that his flow or style got old for me, but he hadn't put out anything new in a while (2007). Skelethon is his latest release and I've listened to it on repeat since it dropped. I heart it.

Downcast
Podcast are the life blood of my daily commute. Managing them with iTunes was always a pain, but it was the price of admission. Then Ethan recommended Downcast a few weeks ago and the whole process changed. No more syncing to my desktop for new content 3-4 times a week. No more iTunes forgetting to downloaded the newest release. It is simple and requires no manual work from me. The way it should be honestly. That and the new Apple podcast app is a complete piece of shit.

Weekend Review: July 7th & 8th

Every weekend there are new sights, sounds, and taste to consume. There are other sensory inputs that tickle my brain too, but saying there is stuff to feel sounds creepy. This is a journal of my weekend endeavors. Enjoy!

Discover the Dinosaurs
Friday night we went to the Richmond Raceway for a dinosaur event Crystal heard about on the radio. They boasted a laundry list of activities for kids (e.g. face painting, moon bounce, etc). It seemed like a decent way to spend an evening. The fifteen dollars a person tickets was steep, but if we spent a few hours there and we could get our moneys worth. The first half of our time was spent with a mixed bag of animatronic dinosaurs. Some looked new, others had tears in their rubber hides or did not operate upon button press.

The second half was the activities and to our surprise, was not included in the $40 we had already paid. Eight dollars for face painting, six dollars for 10 minutes in the moon bounce and a gift shop.We spent a $40 to look at shitty dinosaurs for 20 minutes and then waited in line for 15 minutes so our son could jump in the moon bounce for 10 minutes at an additional cost. Blue Star Productions set the perfect money trap for parents. The cost of the activities post "museum" quality dinosaurs was not visible at the exterior ticket booth or talked about on the radio. It felt dirty. We won't be going back and we will spread the word to friends and family to avoid it as well.

Spec Ops: The Line
After this game was in production for what felt like a decade I was surprised to see that it had finally came out. I had no intention of playing it until favorable comments on the Giant Bombcast swayed me mid week. I started it up Friday night and I am near close to done with it already. The story and voice acting are pretty good, but take a while to get going. The game looks good, but the game play got tedious really quickly. Worth it to slog through for the story alone, but I don't know that I would recommended it to others.

Hogshead Cafe
After a stellar review on our lunch review bee log and many tasty return trips, Hogshead continues to delight. It is a go to lunch and dinner spot that is conveniently located and that we can usually get a table at. The food is outstanding and we always leave happy.

Big Boy Bed
We picked up a full size mattress for Kaden this weekend. He choose Avenger sheets for it and has not stopped talking about it since. The whole family can now read books before bedtime all piled into his bed and we are one step closer to getting the house ready for baby number two.

Spotify
I started a two day free trial on Saturday. Kaden liked hearing new music on their hardcore station (Bad Brains, Black Flag, Misfits, etc), but I didn't see anything worth switching from Pandora ($3/mo) for. At $5 to $10 a month, I need more than a custom playlist I can share with friends, when my music library is already overflowing.

Kaden's New Bike

What started two weeks ago as a helmet purchase for his push motorcycle, turned into a full on bike purchase last week. We talk about bikes a lot in our house. Two to four bicycles have been present in his playroom since he was born. He knows not to touch to chains. He likes to see me ride out in the street and he has been talking about getting his own for a month. So on a whim Crystal picked up his first bike on Wednesday last week.

It was late by the time it got to the house and also unassembled. So we sent him off to bed and I attempted to put it together. At minute ten I realized that the fork was bent so badly that no man power was going to set it straight. So I boxed it back up and went to bed. Crystal returned the next day with an assembled bike and a story about the manufacturer packing their bikes poorly.

That evening we went on a bike ride in the neighborhood. I on my bike, Kaden on his and Crystal keeping him straight and offering the occasional push. He pedals surprisingly well. He lacks the leg strength to push through if he stops at an odd angle, but he can string together 5-6 good strokes with regularity. After his first 1/4 mile lap we stopped at the house to raise his seat. That involved pliers and a wrench. He watched vigilantly as I adjust the post to his little height and we were on our way for another quarter.

The next morning Crystal came down stairs to find him in our sun room (his playroom) with his Fisher Price tool set splayed out on the floor. Pliers and wrench in hand, mock adjusting his seat post height.

Return to the Zoo

The rest of the zoo pics

Last year when we hit the Richmond Zoo it was wicked hot and Kaden was too young to walk around on his own. For our return trip in 2011 he is a walking, talking, ball of unending energy. He wanted to see every animal, shout a hello to them, attempt to replicate their call, bark or squawk and run to the next pen. The weather was great and the animals were out in force.

He enjoyed the giraffe feeding the most (as seen above), kept wanting to go back the crocodiles "Chomp!" and danced for and with the penguins. The low or high point of the day, depending on what kind of human being you are, was when a camel stole his cup. He instantly broke in to uncontrollable sobs. Out of fear or anger I don't know, but I found myself laughing. I know, I am horrible person. A trip to the crocodiles and loop on the train got him back in a happy mood though.

Pizza and subs, post zoo was in order. Our party of 7 filled up on meats and marinara and then broke up to drive home and nap. It was another successful and enjoyable expedition to our local zoo. Until he does not require a mid day nap we will be skipping the national zoo and I'm just fine with that.

Egg Hunt 2011

Kaden and Crystal attended an Easter egg hunt last weekend in south side. I was on that side of town too, but on my bike instead. They had an awesome time and brought the camera along for the trip. The rest is in the pictures.

Two Years Old

Kaden turned the big number two earlier this month and we celebrated with a party at the park. We invited friends and family once again, but not the hundred plus from his first birthday party. Lots more kids his age at this one and it was sports themed because it is all he wants to talk about. We laughed, played and munched on cupcakes. It was a great time.

He has grown from an unmoving  lump on the ground to a walking, talking and creative little boy in the blink of an eye. Everyday is better than the last as he learns and becomes more curious about the world around him. If the internet will never truly go away as privacy worriers and tin foil hat aficionados claim, then let this be a record. At two years old he:

• can count to 10,
• knows all of the colors in the rainbow,
• can identify a handful of letters,
• can sing his ABCs,
• can sing roughly 7-8 other songs in their entirety,
• can identify a handful of shapes,
• is in the 96% for height,
• runs, jumps and climbs without fear,
• repeats most everything you say (good and bad)
• can perform basic functions on our iPhones

The rest is in the pictures.

Kaden's New Hat

We have been hunting for a new hat for Kaden for the better part of two months now. He out grew his old one a while ago and finding a cool hat to fit his massive head (he gets it from me, sorry son) has been difficult. Saturday evening we went up to Stony Point to eat dinner and play in the fountain. Needing to kill time before dinner, we walked around the mall and into the Baby Gap. Where we found the hat seen above and even better here.

It is smaller than a panama hat, but made of straw and has notes of a fedora, but not quite. I'll call it a Lombardi in straw. Naming aside, I'm sure the hipsters of downtown RVA would be proud. He looks slick and it will protect his little bald head from the sun this summer. Mission accomplished.

Pittsburgh Pool Party

The rest of the pool pics

Last Saturday after the Strawberry Jim-Jam we went home for a nap to beat the heat and then awoke to go to a pool party and beat it further. We didn't put a solid six hours in the car to get their either. When I say "Pittsburgh" party I'm referring to the network of friends my Dad has accumulated over the years. All football and hockey season they get together for every game and watch them rain or shine outside by a pool. The very same pool that we went to swim in Saturday.

The last time Kaden went swimming was at 4 months and that was at a time when as long as you were holding him he would do pretty much anything with out a fuss. Ten months later he has a little personality and is starting to make decisions on what he like and doesn't. So swimming now was up in the air. Thankfully he took to it like a fish. Splashing, jumping to Crystal and even going solo in a float. It looks like I might be going back on my "all sports, but swim team" stance. Damn it!

Ashland Strawberry Faire

The rest of the strawberry pics

Saturday morning we took a ride out to Hanover to attend the Ashland Strawberry Faire. Apparently it was an event I went to as a child, but those memories has since faded. In any case we had a ton of fun. There was music, crafts, games and even the occasional strawberry. Kaden got a ballon (a big deal for him) and eat his first corn dog, which he loved. Despite the heat we ending up having a great time and plan to attend next year.

Richmond Zoo

The rest of the Zoo pics

We decided to hang around Richmond for Memorial Day weekend this year and do stuff around town. Monday morning we made the trek out to the Metro Richmond Zoo in Chesterfield. From the stories I had heard it was nothing to write home about, but DC is far away with a one year old in tow. Plus Kaden loves animals, a significant portion of his day is spent pointing at dogs, cats, birds and other neighborhood beast. He had a great time at Maymont on his birthday weekend, so why not the zoo?

Beside the long drive the zoo turned out to be a very pleasant surprise. There were tons of animals, nearly all of them were out and visible and there were plenty that we could feed. Feeding the giraffes and camels was a ton of fun for Kaden and constantly cleaning their saliva off of his hands was a job in and of itself. The small bird cage where he got to feed them seed on a stick was probably the biggest highlight. The birds flew right up to him and he was laughing the whole time.

By the end of our trip he was beat, Monday also happened to be the day we switched him to one nap. He was supposed to go down at 1pm, but ended up falling asleep for a bit on the way to lunch at 12:15pm. By the time we got him home he conked out in his crib for a solid 2 hours. All in I was impressed with our local zoo and would take him back without hesitation.

Kidfest

The rest of the Kidfest pics

We have been proactively seeking out activities around town for Kaden since last of the snow melted from this winter. In that vein we made our way out to Kidfest in the middle of May at Deep Run Park. Being the slacker that I am the pictures just happened to sit on the camera for two weeks. Enjoy!

Mothers Day 2010

The rest of the Mothers Day pics

This year was Crystal's second Mothers Day as a mother and I guess the 29th such day for each of our respective Moms. Long story short, celebration was in order. We started the day with a trip out to Crystal's grandparents for a family get together and cookout. The men of the family were responsible for the food, so we grilled hamburgers and hot dogs and even washed the dishes. After lunch Kaden went down for a nap as did some of the adults. Nap complete, we packed up and headed down the road to my parent's house.

From there it was a brief pause before we were on the road again to Deep Run Park. We packed up a picnic lunch and lounged around the lake with Crystal's parents and my own. Chicken salad, chocolate covered strawberries and hummus were the highlights of the meal. After lunch we made our way to the playground, where Kaden got to swing and slide till he was ready to pass out.

All in it was a good day, Kaden got Crystal a gift card at Anne Taylor Loft and a new CD.

Manbaby

In the spirit of Manbabies.com my friend Mehtul sent me this last week. I laughed till there were tears in my eyes and then I passed it along to a ton of people.

Kaden's First

The past year feels as quick as the turning of a page. As fast of a passage of time that I have ever experienced. Kaden is growing like a weed and Crystal and I pretty much have a handle on this whole parenting thing, for now at least. Saturday (4/10/10) was our little boys first birthday. Crystal and I both had the week off so we spent it running around town with him getting ready for his party and having fun. Two days of yard work and a day of house work later and we had a head count of 46 at our house over the weekend. He got more gifts than he knows what to do with and we were happy to host a large crowd of family and friends. The rest in in the pictures...

"Ball, Ball, Ball"

Last Thursday evening we attended the Faculty vs. Student basketball game at Crystal's school. Kaden was shy for all of five minutes before he started shouting "ball" and trying to run on to the court mid game. Before he could get trampled though, one of the gym teachers got him his own ball from the equipment closet. He spent the rest of the game running up and down the side of the court, basketball in hands.

Kaden's New Hobby

Step one, empty the snack drawer
Step two, walk away like it never happened