...is the NORAD Santa Tracker. 

He's almost here!!!

They say you can't truly know your parents until you become one yourself...

I read an article this weekend which stated that YouTube gets 10 hours of new video uploaded to it...per minute!

I'm proud to do my part - here are a couple different clips from Pace's first time on skates (well, bob skates anyhow) at public skating tonight.  Extra funny - the person who was supposed to work the wicket at the rink didn't show up (probably watching the Grey Cup) so we got in for free!

When you combine them, you get...pro wrestling?

(I think it's extra funny that he says "no, no, no" right before he jumps each time, as if he knows he shouldn't be doing it!)

I'll give you the punchline - "the dash don't be silent" - and I bet you'll still have to read this a couple times to get it! (For bonus fun, make sure to read the comments.  "Actually, it's a hyphen so...") 

Shea's mom had a couple days off so Shea and Pace headed down to Weyburn on Sunday for a brief visit, returning tomorrow.

It's been good timing as that's allowed me to pluck away on the new Mac for a couple days without interruption - I mean, I love Pace more than anything in the world but there are times when I miss my former life too - being able to watch movies uninterrupted, sleep uninterrupted, put something on the floor without worrying about it being ripped apart, being able to get into a cupboard or go downstairs without navigating the baby-proofing safety devices we have in place.

On the flip side, I had the whole city in front of me after work today so what did I do? Go to a movie? Go to a "no kids allowed" bar for supper? Sit in the dark and do shots of whiskey until I blacked out? (Okay, I'm reaching for things you can't do once you have a baby but you get the idea.) Anyhow, I grabbed a couple movies when I left RPL and having watched "Requiem For A Dream" and am debating re-watching "The Aristrocrats". That's it - that's my "nobody here but me, myself and I" adventure. Although both movies fall in the "disturbing and profane" category, I have to admit - I'm officially boring. An adult. A dad.

I'm not complaining though - because she's practicing extended breastfeeding, Shea hasn't been away from Pace for more than I think six hours EVER. And I'm stretching there because that was in those few short weeks when he might sleep six hours straight without waking up for a slurp. I think it may be four hours if you count how long's she's ever physically been away from him.

On the other hand, I've had a couple chances to be away from Pace for a night or two - the odd time when I was called to go to a community near Indian Head for work, I'd go to my parents' house the night before to shorten my drive the next day. When I was doing training in the far reaches of our region, I stayed in a hotel for a couple nights (that was in the far NE corner. At the far SE corner, I was able to stay with Shea's aunt and uncle so Shea and Pace came with me.) And in the one that I still regret, the night Pace was born, we weren't able to get into a private room and the nurse was adamant that there could be no one else staying in a shared room. I probably didn't put up nearly the fight I should have and ended up going home at 4am after nearly 16 straight hours at the hospital. (Luckily I did go home - all four grandparents had gotten into our liquor cabinet and were celebrating - but that's a whole other story!) I ended up having one drink with them then crashing for, oh, maybe three hours before going back to the hospital.

Anyhow, I was going to put a YouTube clip of Pace up because I haven't done that for awhile. But YouTube's not cooperating so maybe another day...