take what you want from it...

The winds of change are upon us. Although we Americans are in denial, we must be prepared to relinquish our position as the world's superpower. At least that's what the keynote speaker said at a conference I recently attended in Chicago.

I won't bore you with all of the details of his fast-paced, straight-forward and informative presentation, because frankly, it was too much information to share. I will tell you though that he scared the shit out of everyone in the room when he talked about our prospects of regaining American's prosperity in the next five to 20 years. Let's just say the world is changing at an extraordinary fast pace and because of mistakes made by our leaders, we're now lagging behind with very little chance in catching up with the rest of the developed and developing world. But at least the presenter was kind enough to offer some advice that will allow us to take action on an individual level to ensure our children will prosper, whether in America or some other country on the globe. I definitely took notes, and here are some highlights I'd like to share with you:

1. We MUST ensure our children are taught in home and throughout their education the importance of personal financial responsibility and security. A good FICO score is becoming increasingly important as employers are now starting to include it in their judging criteria in the hiring process. A low score may prevent them from landing a good, well-paying job.
2. In addition to English, our children MUST be fluent in one of the following languages: Mandarin, Arabic, Hindi and Japanese. Currently, 70 percent of the world's purchasing power is in countries where English is not the primary language and this rate is growing. Did you know that Dubai is poised to become the financial capital world in the next few years? The new mantra in New York and London is "Dubai, Mumbai, Shanghai or goodbye." In our local newspaper today there was an article about how Nevada lost 10,700 jobs to China between 2001 and 2007. America as a whole lost 2.3 million.
3. We should encourage our children to seek career opportunities in industries that are recession-proof, such as healthcare, security, education and energy. On the flipside, the industries most vulnerable to economic instability are manufacturing, finance, retail, technology, airline and luxury goods (we're seeing this now).
4. Our children MUST be taught the Metric System. It is now the global measurement standard with the U.S. as the only major hold out in making the switch. This is ridiculous!

Here's some other interesting things I learned from the presentation as it relates to the Internets and us bloggers (some of this you may already know):

• Every day 100,000 new blogs are created and 1.3 million posts are made.
• Postings intensify around significant events such as the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. This indicates that blogging plays a critical role in debates about the important issues of our time. The impact bloggers have on our cultures and democracies is increasingly dramatic.
• The audience for podcasts in the U.S. will increase to 25 million by the end of this year, and 50 million by 2010.
• By 2010, 70 percent of internet content will be created by individuals as opposed to publishers and brands.
• The Internet is doubling in size every 120 days; more than 80 percent of sites that will exist a year from now, don’t exist today.
  

And finally, as it relates to how much information we must absorb, here's some interesting facts:

• It took approximately 50,000 years for humanity to acquire one unit of knowledge. It took 1,500 years to double that first knowledge base. By the early 1970s mankind was doubling knowledge every 6 years. Human knowledge is expected to be doubling every year by the year 2012.
• In 2006 technical information doubled every two weeks. By 2010 technical information is expected to double every 72 hours.
• By 2015, the power of an off-the-shelf computer will exceed the intelligence of a human being.
• In the year 2025, in a single week we will face the equivalent of all the milestones of the 20th century – world wars, creation of the automobile, sequencing of DNA, rise of the Internet, etc.

The presenter sited many experts when he presented these facts. Some of them seem a little far-fetched, while others seem very likely. Regardless of whether these come true or not, we're going to prepare Z-Dub so he doesn't get left behind in the Brave New World. His ass is going to college for sure!!! Also, I wonder how much an apartment in Dubai cost?

stylin' nemo style

Thank you Grandma Chris for my Nemo beachwear!

perfecting his toddlerness

We've been fortunate when it comes to experiencing notorious toddler behavior. At nearly two and a half years old, Z-Dub has never really acted out in extreme defiance, with kicking and screaming meltdowns. That is until now. It seems as though Z-Dub has finally discovered and embraced true toddlerness. Simply put, lately he's become a brat. Sometimes a brat of epic proportions.

Our days of pride of our well-mannered two-year-old have turned into embarrassing public temper tantrums, because HE doesn't want to go where we need to go or HE wants what HE wants and nothing else. He's a stubborn little one and when he doesn't get his way the result is high-pitched screams, flailing arms and legs, and defiant language. When this happens in public we can do nothing more than go with the flow and try to make a quick exit as stares from strangers make us feel like parenting failures. I don't care about that though because I'm pretty confident in my assumption that this behavior is common among kids Z-Dub's age. We just have to deal with it the best way we know how. Right now it's the time out. We've actually resorted to having to enforce time outs in public in addition to home. We just find a secluded chair or bench. The juries out on whether it works or not. Again, it's all new to us.

Another thing Z-Dub has suddenly embraced is the early wake up. Until recently the boy would sleep in until we actually went to his room and woke him up. He's always been that way. Now, of course, he likes to wake up at first light, or sometimes before. This week, for example:

Monday: 5:42 a.m.
Tuesday: 5:42 a.m.
Wednesday: 5:38 a.m.

We don't appreciate being woken up before our alarms even go off. It's also hard to get ready in the morning when you have to entertain a toddler. Unfortunately, it's our new reality.

I know...I know...welcome to the club!

z-dub can read

...well kind of. It's more like story telling based on the pictures and his memory of the hundreds of times HotMomma and I have read him the same story. Sorry, the audio is poor.


Z-Dub Reads from VegasDad on Vimeo.

the art of non-verbal discipline

On Sunday HotMomma has to work in the morning. While in a miserable and sickly state, I was responsible for Z-Dub for five hours, during which time I learned a few things about the art of non-verbal discipline.

Here are four ways to discipline a toddler when you have absolutely no voice due to extreme case of laryngitis:

1. THE LOOK - You know the one -- when your relatively attractive face becomes distorted out of anger and resembles a morphing monster. Eyes bulg, jaw clinches and skin turns red. It's enough to scare the crap out of any two-year-old with mischief on his mind.
2. THE MONSTER GRUNT - I couldn't talk, so why not make some awful sounding monster grunts to express my disapproval of toys being thrown at or near the expensive flat screen HDTV.
3. THE POINTING FINGER - I used it in conjuction with THE LOOK and THE MONSTER GRUNT to order Z-Dub to "come here right now!" or "Stay!"
4. THE PICK UP AND DROP - It's sounds worse than it is. Basically, it was physically picking Z-Dub up and placing him in timeout. Enforcing his several short sentences to solitary confinement also required all of the other tactics listed above.

As much as I enjoyed non-verbal discipline, I can't wait to get my voice back. It's just easier.

summertime sick

Headache, aching body, sinus congestion, sore throat, extreme laryngitis and a cloudy head make for a crappy weekend. I hate summertime colds.

fill 'er up friday: 7.25.08

I can't frickin' believe it. The price of gasoline has dropped dramatically over this past week. It's amazing!

Look:

You're not hallucinating. I actually paid only $3.97 a gallon at the same gas station where I filled up for $4.15 per gallon last week. I hope this trend continues.

For the record, now we're $0.07 lower than when I started this in early June. I never thought that I'd see prices below $4.00 gallon again anytime this summer. Cool!

it's time to play "name that kid"

With the due date of The Fetus fast approaching, again we find ourselves in the position of researching, debating and settling on a name for an unborn child. Of course, we don't take this important job lightly. A name will be forever attached to this child. We need to come up with something that works well and is not weird like that nine-year-old girl "Tuala that does the Hula from Hawaii" (yep, that's her name) that won a court battle in New Zealand yesterday that will allow her to change her name to something less ridiculous.

We love Z-Dub's name. Those of you that read this blog's predecessor know his real name. It's a cool name that fits him perfectly. HotMomma is steadfast in her desire to have The Fetus's name start with the letter "Z" as well. This is because on the off chance that we finally conceive a girl she already has a name selected for her that starts with the often ignored final letter of the English alphabet.

HotMomma would actually like all of our kids' names to start with "Z" like Zoe's Dad. I actually offered the suggestion of selecting a name for The Fetus that starts with the letter on the opposite side of the alphabet spectrum, an "A." Our family will be eerily similar to those Honea boys, but I would never copy, of course. Although Atticus is a bad ass name. But it doesn't matter anyways because the suggestion was shot down for a reason that's quite obvious. This second child could potentially end up being a "middle child," which for many kids is challenging in itself. To give him a name that's different from his siblings could make him feel like an outsider or black sheep.

We're toying with a couple of name ideas. Feel free to post some ideas of boy "Z" names, keeping in mind that we do not like Zachary or Zack. Also, if you're interested in knowing and giving your two cents on the names we're deliberating, please feel free to let me know via comment and I'll e-mail you. Remember to fill in the e-mail box when you comment.

adding it to the list

All this time I've been worried about getting cancer in my naughty bits by carrying my cell phone in my pocket, but according to this news report I need to also be concerned about my brain. It's just one more of thousands of things to worry about I suppose.

Now everytime I get a headache I'm going to wonder. And perhaps cell phone use explains my forgetfulness.

it's a love thing

Yesterday was Z-Dub's first day in the Toddler II class at his school. Instead of hanging with one to two year olds, he's now with two to three year olds. He was supposed to move into the class a week or two ago, but the move was delayed due to vacation schedules.

When we sat at the dinning room table last night for dinner, I inquired about his first day.

Me - "How was school today? Did you have fun?"

Z-Dub - "No hit Taylor! Be nice to Taylor!" (while pointing his finger up in scolding fashion.)

His response was quite revealing. Apparently his new propensity to hit is happening at school too. Not exactly a great first impression if you ask me. Hopefully he doesn't get himself expelled.

I think I know why he's hitting Taylor. She's a cute little blond girl that used to be in his Toddler I class. He used to always talk about her. I think he loves her. Toddlers tend to use violence to show their affection.

the night lurker

A small creature stirs in the dark and quiet halls of the house. It lurks with precision as it explores areas off limits during the day. To get caught would mean an unhappy ending to a moonlit adventure.

What is this fearless creature?

It's not a mouse.

It's not a bug.

It's Z-Dub, of course. He has absolutely no fear of the dark. Instead of calling for Mommy and Daddy when he wakes up in the late night and early morning hours, he now embarks on nighttime home safaris. His small stature allows him to wander about from room to room without creating audible foot steps to be detected by parental ears. However, on occasion he does slip up in his stealth quests. He still has amateur status in the area of lurking.

Last night at around 11 p.m. he quietly crept out of bed and made his way through the dark hallway to the upstairs loft. There a mini-refrigerator was his target. Living in a dry desert, access to cold water is essential and the refrigerator is fully stocked with water bottles. As HotMomma and I lay in bed, we heard a peculiar sound coming from the loft outside of our room.

"What was that," asked HotMomma as she nudged me.

"I don't know, but I think it was the dog," I said as I got up to investigate. Chi-Lo rustling about was an obvious assumption on my part as she sleeps in a dog carrier in the loft.

I made my way into the loft to find a shadowy Z-Dub working diligently in the dark to open the child safety latch on the mini-refrigerator.

"What are you doing," I asked.

"I want drink," he proclaimed.

"Okay, I'll get you something to drink. Go get in your bed," I commanded. I filled his sippy cup, he drank and quickly drifted off to sleep again.

Later, at exactly 3:15 a.m., HotMomma woke suddenly after feeling something tap her arm. She was startled to find Z-Dub standing beside our bed.

"I eat waffles," he demanded.

"It's the middle of the night. We'll eat waffles when it's time to wake up," she said camly as she got up and escorted him to his bedroom where toys were scattered about. Obviously he had a little fun before coming to our room to place an order for his favorite breakfast meal. I joined them in his room as HotMomma got him some milk. It took 22 minutes to get him back to sleep.

This night wandering thing is new to us. And I doubt it will end. Given that we already find him hunting for "cookies" and "chocolate" in the kitchen pantry during the day, he'll probably be targeting it at night very soon. When he first learned to walk we bought those plastic knob covers for some of the doors in the house. However, being a clever problem solver, Z-Dub learned how to use them when he was a little more than one year old. He can open any door equipped with the device.

Even more of a concern is the front door. This weekend I'll be purchasing another deadbolt to be installed high on the door, as Z-Dub recently discovered how to unlock and open it with little effort. The last thing we need is for him to decide he wants to go outside to play in the middle of the night. Although, currently we find comfort in the fact that we have an alarm system to alert us of his escape.

toddler speak

Z-Dub - "Daddy, the lion eat the ninocersaurus!"

Me - "You mean the lion is eating the rhinocerus?"

Z-Dub - "No Daddy, it's a ninocersaurus."

lost...

Last night I had a brilliant idea in my head about what I was going to write today. Unfortunately, I don't remember what it was. This happens often. If I don't write it down right away it gets lost somewhere in the deep confines of my seemingly malfunctioning brain. Perhaps I've run out of room in there. Too much time absorbing the words of other bloggers, fatherhood and work stuff, of course, have taken their toll.

After suddenly coming up with this idea, whatever it was, we went for a family walk around the neighborhood, showered Z-Dub, played a little, read some kiddie books, tucked Z-Dub in for the night, watched The Closer and finally capped the evening off with some local news. Sometime during this three hour time frame the idea got misplaced.

I certainly hope the idea will resurface soon. I'd hate to miss out in sharing what potentially could be an award-winning post. Perhaps it would have been so extraordinary that it'd propel me into blog stardom, resulting in book, television and movie deals. Wishful thinking I suppose. One can dream.

kung-fu toddler

I wonder if there are Karate, Taekwondo or Krav Maga studios that have classes for two year olds? If so, sign us up! We need to channel some of Z-Dub's mischief.

This past week, for reasons we don't know, Z-Dub has become a hitter. Oh wait, maybe he learned it from Kung-Fu Panda. Whatever the reason, he now likes to hit HotMomma and me as well as other little kids in the playground. Sometimes he does it when he's mad. Other times he just walks up and whacks his victim for no reason whatsoever. It's a little disconcerting because he's never been one to hit. Perhaps martial arts classes will teach him some discipline when it comes to knowing when to and when not to swing his little fists. We want him to be ready to defend himself (and his chick), but not be an aggressor.

Especially if he goes to school in the Clark County School District, he'll need to know how to disable an armed student. Them kids carry guns, yo!

a sunday morning

It's 10 a.m. on Sunday and I'm sitting at the dinning table, enjoying a much needed cup of coffee. Z-Dub is watching Disney Playhouse programs and playing with his miniature Air Canada airplane we picked up for him in Montreal. HotMomma is working a four hour shift this morning and is due home just after noon. Z-Dub and I woke up less than an hour ago after an extremely rough night.  Fighting off a stomach illness, Z-Dub refused to sleep last night. We finally caved at around 1:30 a.m. and brought him into our bed where he finally fell into a deep sleep at around 2 a.m.

In contrast with yesterday's scorching 108F temperature, this morning the sky is gray with thunderstorm clouds. The wind is lashing the trees outside our windows in advance of the impending rain. Often the dry air prevents it from ever arriving. This time I hope it materializes and comes heavy. Our desert is in desperate need of some thirst-quenching water.

Though I don't feel like dealing with it all, on the agenda today is house cleaning and laundry. I'm sure after last night's sleep deprivation, HotMomma won't be in the mood for it either.  But we need clean underwear this week, so we'll have to overcome our laziness.

We're supposed to take Z-Dub to see Wall-E with some friends today. I don't think that's going to happen. He may be contagious.

Crap (literally), I have to go now. I hear Z-Dub's butt squirting AGAIN. Ugggg, I can smell it now!

a muddied weekend

POOP. Yep, I wrote it. This post is about poop. Actually, diarrhea is a more accurate term, but not as fun to say. I know I'm teetering in the area of "too much information," but who cares.

HotMomma and Z-Dub returned home from San Diego yesterday just before I returned from Chicago. Unfortunately, they both caught some kind of nasty stomach flu during their trip. Just in time for the weekend, today they both are suddenly dealing with some fast-flowing unpleasantries originating from their back ends. I hope to avoid the same infliction. But as parents, we all know too well how incredibly contagious these types of illnesses are. I'm not at all looking forward to being tethered to the porcelain throne this weekend or, worse yet, early next week when I have to return to work and a full agenda of meetings and projects. If there are "mudslides" I'll have to miss work and end up even more behind than I already am.

*My tummy is already feeling a little weird. I hope it's just psychological.

Along with the illness, Z-Dub is in a "crappy" mood. And, as you can imagine, with HotMomma 22 weeks pregnant and having to deal with this type of illness, she's in a very, very "shitty" mood. I'm sure if I was in her shoes, I'd have the same demeanor. Actually, I'd probably be worse, because I don't handle illness quite as adult like.

fill 'er up friday: 7.18.08

Yayyyyy!!!! The price of gas dropped this week. Wait a minute....why am I so excited? It's still over $4.00 a gallon. It's Fill 'er Up Friday and the cost per gallon I paid for gasoline this morning was:

This price reflects a $0.06 drop over last week, but it's still $0.09 more than the cost per gallon when I started this in early June. The price of oil has dropped this week, so hopefully this downward trend will continue and provide us some relief at the pump.

definitely not a dry heat

In Vegas it's hot in the summer. Actually, a more accurate description would be sizzling. It's like that all summer long and as residents we deal with it. Though sometimes when it's 110 or more it's a bit unbearable. That's why I was surprise yesterday as I was wandering around Chicago in the afternoon and hearing people complain that it was hot. Sure it was a little warm, but it wasn't really hot. I thought the people were a bunch of wimps. That is until today.

I have a couple of hours until my next relevant breakout session at the conference I'm attending, so I decided to head back to the hotel for some rest since I didn't get much sleep again last night, for this reason. I was sweating like a pig during my eight-block walk back to the hotel. I had sweat running down my back and into my butt crack. It was so uncomfortable. It's 90+ degrees and HUMID! I haven't felt humid air like this since New Orleans four years ago and it's something I'm definitely not used to. In fact, I've become so accustomed to super dry air that even Southern California feels humid to me. I feel it as soon as we drive over the Cajon Pass or our airplane lands.

I didn't pack any summertime clothing for this trip. Only business-type clothing. So before going into the hotel I hit the Old Navy across the street for a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. Both are definitely needed. So was the shower I just took.

among the skyscrapers

Despite my interrupted sleep last night, I love being in Chicago. I'm a city type person. I love being in the middle of a huge metropolis. I love walking everywhere among the throngs of people and having easy access to city amenities, such as restaurants, bars and theaters.

I purposely stayed at a hotel eight blocks from the Hyatt Regency Chicago where the conference is taking place, so I can enjoy some walking. It's not something I get to do back home in Las Vegas. Even though we live in a "new urbanism" community in the suburbs, it's not even close to being in a big city with busy streets lined with skyscrapers.

There's no better place than a city, except for the beach, of course.

I sure wish Z-Dub and HotMomma were here with me to enjoy it.

inhospitable chicago

It's a little after midnight in Chicago and I sit here wide awake. Not because I'm not sleepy, but because the city decided tonight was a good night to tear a giant gaping whole in the street right outside my second floor hotel room window and do some very loud underground work. There's banging, clanking, grinding, engines, beeping and loud chatter (picture shows the bright and unfortunate view from my window).

I called the front desk to inquire about the construction and they said that it's possible that'll go on all night. Also, they don't have any other rooms to move me to tonight. They didn't seem too apologetic either. So, let's just say I'm f**ked. I'm not the type of person that can sleep through this shit. I'll have to attend my conference tomorrow as a walking zombie with bloodshot eyes surrounded by dark circles. I'll probably be in anti-social and in a bad mood too. That's what sleep deprivation does to me.

By the way, I'm staying at one of Kimpton's boutique hotels. It's the Hotel Burnham at 1 West Washington Street (at State Street) in Downtown. I don't recommend it at all. It's nice and all, but the fact that they didn't warn me of such activities and also placed me in a second floor room directly in front of the construction gives them extremely poor marks. The fact that they weren't sympathetic to my current noisy predicament only put salt on my sleepy wounds.

I'm pissed off and tired!

on top again

It's a Monday morning and it's a good one for a change. Mondays generally suck as I head back into the office for another week of relentless work. This morning is different though. I was notified last night that I've been relisted on the Dads list at Alltop.com, which makes me extremely happy.

For those of your who aren't schooled in all things Alltop, the site is awesome. It's somewhat of an online "magazine rack," featuring a collection of the best of the best stories on the Internets. Led by the genius Guy Kawasaki, the folks at Alltop have grouped these collections into a buttload of Alltop sites based on topics such as environment, photography, science, Muslim, celebrity gossip, military, fashion, gaming, sports, politics, automobiles, and Dads, of course, among others. At each Alltop site, they display the headlines of the latest stories from dozens of really cool sites and blogs. My blog is now one of them. Yeah me!

Seriously though, I'd like to extend a very genuine thanks to L.P. "Neenz" Faleafine from getting me relisted. I greatly appreciate it.

Now, I head to the airport for yet another trip. Hopefully it'll be my last for a while. I'm off to Chicago for a conference until Thursday. HotMomma and Z-Dub are off to San Diego for the remainder of the week. They're visiting family rather than staying home alone.

I'll have the computer with me, so posts will be coming. You can also follow me on Twitter. In the meantime, have a great Monday.

sunday confessions

Some of us like to think of ourselves as super dads or moms. We're fully devoted to raising, along with our spouses/partners, smart, happy and confident children. Only problem is we're humans. We're not perfect by any stretch of the imagination. Luckily, most of us recognize this and learn from our mistakes. It's part of the learning experience that comes with the job of dad, or mom.

To repent my parenting sins, I bring you Sunday Confessions. What did I do this week that could have potential screwed up my kid? What did I do to remedy it, if at all? What did I learn from it? Some are minor infractions. Some are major. Either way, I'm laying them all out for you, the readers. We're not really church-going people anymore, so this will have to do.

*I'm stepping into the confessional booth (actually, I'm sitting in a chair and Disney Playhouse is playing on the television, but it'll work).

 Forgive me bloggers for I have sinned...

On Wednesday, Z-Dub's first day back to school after a long vacation, I woke up and rushed to get us ready and out of the house on schedule. Just as we were heading out of the door I realized that I forgot to brush Z-Dub's teeth. I paused a moment and quickly contemplated whether I should take him upstairs to brush his teeth or skip it altogether. Since this is a confession, you can probably guess what I did. Yep, I skipped it. I dropped Z-Dub off at school with stinky breath and unclean teeth. It didn't set a very good example for him and I regret it. Also, he'll never get a girlfriend with rancid breath. The ladies don't like that. To make brushing his teeth during a rush more convenient in the future, I'm going to get another toothbrush and toothpaste and put it in the downstairs bathroom.

Yesterday Z-Dub was in a foul mood in the afternoon after his nap. We couldn't figure out why. But he was clingy, whiny and defiant in everything he did. After dinner I was trying to clean up and take care of a few things and he kept latching onto my leg. I was getting fed up, so after numerous times of having to pry his freakishly strong arms off my leg, I decided to ingore him and walk wherever I needed to go. His little body was flung all over the place until he finally lost his grip and fell to the floor. Don't worry, he wasn't injured. I probably could of handled it a different way, but after hours of his ridiculous behavior, my patience was gone. It was mean, I will try not to do it again in the future.

Also yesterday, in the midst of Z-Dub's foulness, under my breath I said he's acting like a "little prick." That was just uncalled for and cruel. At least he didn't hear me though.

Now it's your turn. What parenting sin did you committ this week that you'd like to confess? Come on, get it off your chest.

pointless post

I've got nothing today. Really. There's not much happening. It's thunderstorming today, finally. A little rain is great for our thirsty desert. Instead of being 110 F or more it's supposed to be 97 F, but with humidity. Yuck! HotMomma is a work this morning, so it's just Z-Dub and me. We might go out and do something, despite the weather. It's different, so we might as well take advantage of it.

The only important thing I have on my agenda is going to the dreaded Department of Motor Vehicles. The car's registration renewal is due and I need to change my address on my driver's license. Since my birthday is only a couple of months away and it's scheduled to expire, I'm going to renew it as well.

Boring, right? Thought so.

You should just go over to Discovering Dad and read his Spotlight on Dads featuring Whit Honea.

fill 'er up friday: 7.11.08

It's Fill 'er Up Friday again. You may remember that last week I was fortunate to not have to fill up on account of being on vacation and taking advantage of far superior public transportation than what's available here in the City of Sin. So we were back this week and driving all over town, burning what's turned into liquid gold these days. Fortunately, the price per gallon this week was:

That's an $.08 drop in price when compared to the $4.29 per gallon price I paid two weeks ago. I actually could have paid $4.17 per gallon at the gas station across the street, but they had ran out. A lot of lucky drivers beat me to the pumps. Regardless, a drop is a drop.

Although, despite the drop in price, overall it's still $.15 per gallon more than what I paid when I started this a month ago. It's the price I have to pay for having to drive.

But you know who won't be doing any driving soon? Dan Hughes from All That Comes With It is who. On July 23 he and his mates will embarq on The Dales Walk to raise money for the Joseph Salmon Trust, an organization aimed at helping families that have lost a child.

Their endeavor is a grueling one, which requires every bit of their physical (and mental) strength and endurance to walk 78 miles in just six days. I admire their enthusiastic willingness to take on such a tremendous challenge for such a great cause. They're still seeking donations, so if you have the means, please feel free to give a little, or a lot. They're doing all the work. Perhaps you can give up a gallon (or litre) or two of gasoline (ride a bike or something) in exchange for helping them reach their fundraising goal.

graduation

The time has finally arrived. The time in which Z-Dub will graduate from the Toddler I classroom to the much more advanced Toddler II classroom at his school. He's been visiting the class for several weeks and seems to be fitting in just fine. The school left the decision up to us, and we enthusiastically said "hell yes."

Z-Dub's matriculation into the new class provides a greater variety of activities and at a faster pace. Frankly, we think he's bored in the class with one to two-year-olds and will be more intellectually stimulated in a class with two to three-year-olds. A big bonus is the fact that it's a potty training class. If he sees his classmates peeing and pooping in a potty, he may be more encouraged to try it more himself. No pressure though, of course.

So Friday will be his last day with the little minions. Come Wednesday of next week, he's hangin' with the big boys (and girls).

On a side note, Z-Dub does very well with older kids. Some that are even much older. He looks up to them and copies their more advanced actions. A great example is our trip to Town Square Las Vegas over the weekend. We were on the green listening to a live band when a group of Asian teens came over and started breakdancing. They actually attracted quite a crowd of onlookers admiring their mad acrobatic skills. Z-Dub was completely mesmerize by the group of older kids. So much so that he suddenly darted into the middle of their area, got on his hands and feet and tried to replicate their moves. It was absolutely hilarious. The teens got a kick out of it too.

He has no fear!

Hey, you know what? He should totally do some breakdancing moves on his first day in the new classroom. First impressions are very important.

the fetus: a boy, or a girl?

When HotMomma was first pregnant with Z-Dub way back in 2005, she dreamt of having a little girl. A little princess to care for and nurture. Instead we were blessed with a little boy, and despite the fact that HotMomma wept when she found out he was a boy, both she and I couldn't be any happier with our little man.

Once again we're pregnant and the big question of whether The Fetus is a boy or a girl is upon us. HotMomma was convinced that the child growing in her womb is another boy. She didn't want to set herself up for disappointment. Deep inside she's been longing for a little girl. I, on the other hand, would be happy with either. And I have had no feelings or father's intuition telling me which sex the baby will be. Yes, a girl will certainly be a blessing in my family of mostly boys. She certainly would be spoiled. But a little boy would be a perfect companion for Z-Dub. As an added bonus, a little boy would cost must less because we already have a ton of baby boy goods that were hardly used when Z-Dub came along. I guess you always over-buy the for the first kid.

Today was a pivotal day in the pregnancy. Not only has HotMomma passed the half way point, she had the much anticipated ultrasound to tell us the sex of The Fetus.

I bet you're dying to know. Right?

Well, the results say....

That's right. We're having another boy! Z-Dub will no longer be the single prince of the house.

steer clear of the pervs

Back in February we moved into our new house in a brand new neighborhood in the hills high above Las Vegas. It's far from any of the hard streets of the city. It's a peaceful, family-oriented development. An urban oasis, if you will.

Prompted by a conversation with the neighbors the other day I decided to log onto Family Watchdog, a national registry of sex offenders to see if any baby rapists are living in the 'hood. The result of my search was shocking to say the least. We are very lucky that only one registered offender is living in our entire development. Unfortunately, he lives on our street. Actually, he lives just a few houses down from ours.

*HotMomma is freaking out!

According to the site, the offender has two convictions, including Forced Oral Copulation with a minor 14 years or younger.

*Seriously, this is some serious shit!

Luckily, I have his name, address and photo. He better steer clear of our house and those of our neighbors that have children. I hate having to be so over-vigilant, but as we see time and again in the media, you can never be too careful. There are some sick f**kers out there.

toddler speak

Scene: It was Sunday. We were at a local department store and HotMomma was shopping for maternity shorts. Z-Dub and I were waiting for her to come out of the fitting room. He grabs a pair of shorts off a rack and holds them up to his body.

Z-Dub: "Wow, this is cute!"

Me: "What the hell is your mommy teaching you?"

Scene: Later in the day, we were all in Z-Dub's bedroom getting ready for his bedtime. HotMomma showed him his new Montreal Biodome t-shirt. He grabs it from her and holds it up to his body.

Z-Dub: "This is cute."

Me: "Okay, seriously, don't say that. How about 'this is cool' or something like that?"

I think he's been spending a little too much time shopping with mommy. Or perhaps it was a week with his girl cousins in California that did it. All I know is that I need to take him out to buy some power tools or something.

time to be a big boy

Thanks to Mr. Lady and Busy Dad for their advice for breaking Z-Dub's parent-dependent sleeping habits on the site Stark Raving Dads. It's something we've been challenged with for months. Now that Z-Dub is two years old he really needs to start falling asleep on his own. There's no reason why HotMomma or I (mostly I) should have to lay down with him for up to an hour or more until he falls asleep. It prevents other things from getting done.

Last night was our first opportunity to employ new tactics. We tucked him in, gave him a little pep talk and ingored the cries and pleas that followed. It took about 30 minutes for him to fall asleep, but he did it. I was tough, but HotMomma and I were steadfast in our new resolution to get him to the next level in big boyness. We'll have to see how it goes tonight as well.

By the way, Z-Dub ignored the letter, so we didn't return from vacation to a potty trained kid. Darn. I was really hoping for a miracle.

montreal in photos (day two)

Yesterday I posted pictures of day one in Montreal. Today I bring you photos from day two of our vacation. On this day we visited the Le Biodôme de Montréal and Jardin botanique de Montréal, both located at the vast Parc Olympique.

The visit to the Biodome was crazy because of all of the kids visiting with their daycamps. There were literally hundreds. Walking through the vast structure featuring plants and animals we felt bad that Z-Dub wasn't there to see it. We've already decided that a return visit is in order. Next time he'll come with us.

The Biodome structure as seen from the Metro station Viau. The facility features a variety of climates, including South American Jungle and North American Forest. Also below are a variety of animal shots.

Here's a bonus video of the penguins.

Biodome de Montreal from VegasDad on Vimeo.

Immediately after visiting the Biodome, we hitched a ride on the Parc Olympique shuttle over to the nearby botanical gardens. The place is huge, the second largest in the world. We visited the Japanese and Chinese Gardens. I was even taught a Japanese purification ceremony in the Japanese Tea Garden. Here are some photos.

After we went souvenir shopping in Vieux Montreal, followed by a quick stroll through Chinatown.

That's it. Of course we have hundreds more photos, but two days of posts capture the essence of our vacation. Hope you enjoyed them.

montreal in photos (day one)

We're home...finally.

As promised, here are some photos from our trip to Montreal, Quebec last week. Today's photos are from our first full day in the city. The weather was absolutely amazing, with little to no humidity and nice warm temperatures. Thunderstorms were in the forecast, but we never experienced any dark clouds or rain. Even the evenings were mild and pleasant.

We didn't realize when we booked our trip that Tuesday, July 1 was Canada Day, so most people had the day off and festivities were in full swing, especially in the Vieux Montreal, the historic Old Montreal. So not only did we experience Montreal Frenchness, we also got to experience some good ol' Canadian patriotism. It was impressive.

We started our day with a quick Metro trip from our hotel from Centre Ville (downtown) to the famed La basilique Notre-Dame de Montréal, across from the equally famous Place d' Arms. A fan of architectual marvels, I was amazed. Apparently the basilica is even more awesome at night, but we never made it over there after dark, so our daytime view and pictures will have to do. Visit the link above (after you look at the rest of the photos) to see some nightime photos.

Statue at the Place d' Arms.

Approaching the basilica.

Looking up at the huge structure.

The most extraordinary interior.

Cool stained-glassed windows.

After the visit to the basilica, we headed over to Vieux Montreal for the Canada Day festivities and a horse carriage ride through the streets.

Buildings along Rue de la Commune, fronting the old port.  Apparently the residences above the shops start at about $500k for a small space. I guess I can't afford to live there anytime soon. Although it would be cool.

Entering the Place Jacques-Cartier, the main street in Vieux Montreal.

View of the crowd on the quai, with the Marche Bonsecours in the background.

The Chappelle Notre Dame de Bonsecours.

Taking a break from our walking.

Montreal City Hall, adjacent to Place Jacques-Cartier.

Our carriage pilot takes us down the historic streets, unfortunately with heavy traffic on account of the holiday.

Posing in the carriage.

A street performer. He swallowed a balloon.

Posing in front of the fountains at the top of the Place Jacques-Cartier.

The top had a view of the city.

Later we headed over to the Place des Arts for the world-famous Montreal International Jazz Festival. It was packed. We were able to catch a couple of free live performances before leaving in exhaustion.

Entering the festival at Rue Saint Urbaine.

The crowd in front of the main stage.

Festivities in front of the Musee d' Art Contemporain.

The children's pavilion. We wished Z-Dub was there to enjoy it.

Looking down on the crowd. It was actually much bigger after sundown, although we didn't stay. Too tired.

We listened to the Mike Goudreau Band here.

Here's a video of the band playing.

Mike Goudreau Band at Montreal Jazz Festival from VegasDad on Vimeo.

That basically wraps up photos for day one. I'll post some photos from day two tomorrow, which includes trips to the Biodome and Botanical Gardens.

Day two photos can be found here.