Our house is starting to look like a jailhouse.  Elias is mobile enough now he’s getting into more things (trouble).  So we’ve picked up 3 more gates this week.  2 are very inexpensive (2 for $20) that aren’t permanent.  We’ve been using them on the doorways to the kitchen for now and they’re great because they go up fast (when we need them) but also can be taken down once Elias is asleep…  They’re also much shorter so they’re easy to step over.  The third gate is actually the same model as the one at the top of our stairs, but it’s between our living room and our kitchen/B+W room.  We needed that model because it’s the only one wide enough for that space (72″).  That went up today finally.  Now, we’ll be able to use the gray “cage” around the fireplace so we can start to burn some wood to keep the house warm.  That’s getting important since it’s been in the 20s for a few days now.

Last weekend we managed to get down to my parents with Elias one last time before they headed south.  We had an awesome steak dinner and Elias had a great time bombing around their much bigger and softer (carpeted) floors!  Mom and Dad left with avalanche Wednesday afternoon and are headed to Antigua now.


This weekend has been busy as well.  Yesterday Nikki and I both got out and exercised (in the 22º weather with 15~25kt winds).  I rode my bike ~14 miles and had a great time honestly.  Nikki went for a longer run.  Then we had a party at a friends house in CT.  It was a great time.  You can see Elias being entertained by Lars in some of the shots below.  Yes Lars, the shots did come out in a dark barn with few lights… :huh:  Then today was off to the Stintons in Portsmouth for Nikki’s, Uncle Russel’s, and Aunt Pat’s Bday party (ages withheld to protect the old farts!).  We had a great time enjoying some awesome food (as always) and watching the pats squish the fish (and the Jets beat the previously undefeated Titans, take that J!).