She'll hold up a bit of whatever she's got, I'll lean over and she stuffs the food in my mouth.

Yesterday morning, we're doing our usual weekend daddy-daughter breakfast, and she holds up a couple of her Cheerios for me. I lean across the tray and open my mouth... and the little snot pulls her hand back, shaking her head "no" and laughing at me.

I have no idea where she got the idea to do that, but I laughed myself sick.

to check out the Ghostbusters video game, but make sure you play it on the Wii.

That is all.

And I mean I just found out, about two minutes ago: C's definitely got his parole, it'll be 30-45 days for processing, and then my long-lost South African stepbrother will be HOME.

Thanks to everybody for keeping the faith, and for being just as outraged as I was.

Tia, I was writing this as a reply to your comment from the other day, but I had to share this with everybody. Too awesome.

And some not-so-awesome news that came in while I was giving D the good news: she found out from the doc that the kid's still having sinus/ear/tonsil trouble and she may have another surgery in her future. Just antibiotics for now, let's hope they kick some ass.

Yes, there's lots happening at home every day and no, I haven't been posting about it.

I should post about Maya a lot more than I do, but the truth is I've gotten a bit gun shy about posting in my own damn journal, and that's just pretty wrong. Things have been pretty quiet just lately, so here I am sticking a hat on a stick up over the edge of the trench.

But great news all around lately... Maya is doing awesome. She trips me out daily. She loves monkeys, pork chops, and Disney's Imagination Movers.

Sigh. My little girl, enamored with musicians. I hope it's a phase.

We have a tenant downstairs for the moment, maybe until the end of June, maybe longer (Speed: if you're still looking for a place around that time, e-mail me, I'm close to your work).

Some of the best non-kid news lately: C may just be getting out and coming home. His shrink went to C's parole hearing, told them that he'd checked out the case going all the way back, and that in his opinion, C doesn't belong in prison. They haven't said yes, but nearly a month after the hearing, they haven't said no, either.

Wow. What a year.

But I'm not gonna get all Parenting magazine and talk about milestones or Harry Chapin or any of that stuff. I want to say how thankful I am for how happy, healthy, and beautiful our girl is, and how grateful I am to D for helping me out when I've been completely lost.

It's seemed like every day has been something new. Every day I've spent looking forward to what she'll surprise me with tomorrow; every day I'm surprised at how much more I love her than I did yesterday.

Okay, okay. So maybe a little bit of Parenting.

The birthday party was Saturday, and it was a huge success all around. Dad was here. Pictures? Oh yeah, lots. Video too. To be posted soon. D's sister and her little son are staying with us a couple days, so tonight we'll have leftover cake and put on some leftover party hats. She's going to come to expect it. Hey, why hasn't my dinner got a candle in it? It did last week...

I went home at lunch, and my birthday girl was very happy to see me. If that's the reaction I get, I must be doing something right.

Since I have a nose for trouble, I'm gonna have to say Jake Gittes.

I think I have that seasonal whatchacallit disorder, because holy shit. I haven't felt like this since I can't remember when... sometime last year, anyway. I've been concentrating on making it through, and I've neglected posting, even the cool stuff that's been going on.

So here: cool stuff I haven't talked about.

Maya is whip-smart. Yes, every parent says that (and every parent says "every parent says that") but in addition to gearing up to walk for her first birthday, which will be the HOLY CRAP WHERE DOES TIME GO subject of an upcoming post, the girl loves story time. We read every night, after dinner and bathtime. Or any other time she comes up to me with a book, which is often (and awesome). Her favorites: Hop on Pop, Goodnight Moon, and a couple by Sandra Boynton, Moo Baa La La La and But Not the Hippopotamus (one of daddy's favorites, because it's fun to say "hippopotamus". If you don't think it's fun to say "hippopotamus", there's something wrong with you). In the past week, Maya has started turning the pages for me, and pointing out things in the book, the way I do when I read to her. Pretty cool. That's next on daddy's ever-growing "to film" list. Good thing she's getting a pile of Dr. Seuss for her birthday.

She loves hummus, probably because it formed such a large part of D's pregnancy diet. If we can't get her to eat something, we smear it in hummus. Works every time. It's not like she needs nothing but soft food, she has teeth. And holy smoke are they sharp.

I saw Watchmen yesterday. I don't know if it's ever come up what a huge nerd-on I have for the book, but, well... I have a huge nerd-on for the book. Like a twenty-plus year nerd-on. I first read the book when it was being released, monthly. I caught on around issue three and by issue eight I was hanging around Barry's shop off the Orange Circle like a goddamn junkie. "It's not here yet!" Barry would yell at me between blasts from an icy garden hose. "You're gonna have to wait like everyone else! Get off my sidewalk, you lousy fiend!" I posted a thing, where else? Overall I really did like it. It didn't seem like almost three hours, and I could have sat through more.

More soon.