An Eclectic Visual Bouquet? Of What?!

Anecdote #1

Shelley: "Braden - what's your name?"
Braden: "Baden."
S: "How old are you?"
B: "Two." (Holds up several fingers.)
S: "Did you know your whole name is Braden James Horst?"
B: Silence.
S: "Can you say Braden James Horst?"
B: (Storm passing across his face.) "Dub duh uh Ma-ee duh ub truh-bull."
S: "What?"
B: "Dub duh uh dub Ma-ee duh ub dub uh truh-bull."
S: "Oh no baby - just because Mommy uses your full name doesn't mean you're in trouble!"

Anecdote #2

Not one, but two #2's today from our (dare I say it) potty-trained [past tense] 2 year old. [Note to self: buy lottery ticket with as many 2's as possible.] Sheila has stepped out on faith and boxed up all his diapers to give to charity. Austin continues to use the potty exclusively, except for campouts and the occasional urgent circumstance on the golf course. That makes 2 potty trained children, though I don't mean to 2-t our own horn (not 2 much)!

Anecdote #3

Austin completed assembly on his pinewood derby car today. I took all the parts to work this morning to weigh on our postal scales. "The Flying A" weighs in at a trim 4.8 ounces, below the 5 ounce limit but not too far below. (Remember, the car is shaped like the letter "A" when looking down at it.) He and Shelley voted for the name "The Flying A" over my preferences "The A Bomb" and "Kicking A", which was never even really given a chance. I hope to post a picture (my first) of his car -- ideally beside a trophy of some sort -- this weekend.

Finally

I am preparing my longest post ever: an end-of-the-month roundup of your reactions to previous posts, short rants and other tidbits which did not make the cut for a prior post. It should be up by Monday night, so please mark your date books for Tuesday morning! Current topics include Secretary of State Condi Rice, Sponge Bob and Patrick Star, an ode to Mssrs. Strunk and White, and Valentine's day place mats.

In other words, an eclectic visual bouquet of miscellany and whatnot. Woo-hoo!