Talk about a great day. The Newport Aquarium in Newport, KY, just across the river from Cincinnati, is amazing. It’s a great medium-sized aquarium with some really wonderful exhibits. Sharks, rays, turtles, frogs, penguins, lorikeets. An aquarium with penguins and lorikeets! Wow!
There was so much to do Liam could barely focus on one exhibit before racing to the next. But I think if he had to choose, shark petting would be his favorite exhibit. Shark petting? Let me say that again. SHARK PETTING! I’m telling you man, these aquarium folk are nuts. I mean, how many fingers should you lose before you decide this particular exhibit may not be the best of ideas? But boy did he love it. Danger is, after all, his middle name.
Afterwards we waited in line for a balloon animal from a guy who looked a lot like Mark Twain. His appearance was apt, as he told stories about the animals as he created them. This guy could make amazingly intricate creations from a little latex and air. I saw a seal bouncing a ball on its nose, a palm tree home to a monkey eating a banana. He even made a seagull with a fish in its mouth. Like, inside the balloon mouth. All of that amazing talent and what does Liam want? A butterfly. I mean, it was a great butterfly and all but come on, kid, lets challenge the guy. At least ask for a space butterfly with rocket ship and cosmic death ray. Not just a plain ol’ Lepidoptera Rhopalocera. (Yeah, I looked that one up. Sue me.) Whatever makes you happy, son. Check out the set on the Pictures page from our adventure.

…I hear banjo music.
Today was a fun day. I can’t imagine a much better time than paddling the Elkhorn Creek with your beautiful wife, your best buddy from high school and his wife. 4 people, 2 canoes, and the open air. Yessir. Not much better. Well, maybe if the creek had WATER in it! No rain in 3 weeks had caused the creek to drop from its already low summer state an additional 7 inches last week. That made for a lot of portaging and scraped knees, but it was still a great trip, one we’ll definitely repeat once the water level rises. Even got a couple t-shirts before we left.
Jump on over to the Pictures page for a few pics from the trip. Tomorrow’s adventure: taking Liam to the Newport Aquarium! Stay tuned.

Liam and I played out in the Water Wiggle on Sunday afternoon. Sometimes we need to be reminded why we became parents. This should do the trick.

Enjoy your day, Mom’s. You deserve much more than a single day for all that you do. I know that without his Mommy, Liam would always be dressed in ragged, food-stained, unmatching outfits, enjoying hearty dinners of Gummy Krabby Patties, Candy Corn, and Coco Wowa. (Coca-Cola for those of you without 2 year olds.) So thanks, Moms. We Dads may mow the yard and grill the burgers and squish the spiders and believe we share chores equally (Ha!), but the universe is run by Mommies. So raise your sippies, ye sons and daughters. Three cheers for Mommy! Hip hip hooray! Hip hip hooray! Hip hip HOORAY!

So, honey…. What’s for dinner?

Liam and I had some fun playing in the snow today. He sure loved having Daddy pull him around the neighborhood yards all afternoon. And he got to make his first ever snowman, albeit a teency weency one. The pics are on the photo site. And I finally got around to uploading last Christmas and his birthday. Enjoy.