But, you know what they say: "Better late than never!" At this point, I'm so far behind in updating my site that it's difficult for me to know where to start. I can't believe that it's been nearly three months since my last post. Furthermore, I can't believe that summer 2008 is nearing it's end! The Autumnal Equinox is a mere three weeks away from today. As I always ask, where does the time go?

I'm in a bit of a time crunch this afternoon, as we are preparing for an evening family outing, but I will try to hit the major highlights of the past couple of months. I'll start with the youngest and work my way up.

Aidan is now crawling -- EVERYWHERE!!! That boy is into simply everything these days, and loving every minute of it. At the time of my last post I was expecting him to start crawling any day, but it actually took about another month or so before he took off on his own. And he hasn't stopped since! I now have reason to believe that walking is just around the corner, although I'm sure we're still a couple of months away from that as well. The boy's favorite place to visit right now is the doggie's water dish. Last week while I was in the bathroom getting Abby ready for the day, I had set Aidan down on the bathroom floor to play and crawl around. As anyone with kids will tell you, it doesn't take more than a wink of the eye to loose track of a little one like Aidan. Well, I looked down at the floor where I had last seen Aidan and he was no where to be found. Next, I heard the pitter-patter of little hands and knees racing across the hall and into the dining room. By the time I got out of the bathroom and over to where he had crawled, it was too late! My nearly 11-month-old son had managed to dump and splash the majority of the water in the dog's bowl all over the walls, the floor, and moreover, himself. I now had to dry, re-diaper, and change the clothes of my younger monkey. Ay de mi! Despite his affinity for the small pools of water his mother and I leave lying about the house, the boy is still one of the happiest and easiest going babies on the planet (at least this this humble author's opinion!).

Abigail, having mastered the art of self-ambulation a few years ago, is still up and running, strong as ever. This past weekend marked the unofficial celebration of her 4th birthday, with Aunt Jenny, Uncle Dave, Sidney, and of course, Grandpa Steve all in attendance. In typical birthday fashion, Abby was spoiled nicely by all the family, bringing home, among other goodies, a new "kitchen" (complete with all the pots, pans, and dishes), the majority of a new fall / winter wardrobe, and of course, a new purse and some jewelry. We celebrated the occasion in the presence of monkey's, as the theme of our gathering this year was more-or-less Curious George. I only say "more-or-less" because, as it turns out, it is remarkably difficult to locate the usual host of party favors that are Curious George themed. So we made due with a wide variety of monkey-related party goods, including a WAY cool Martha Stewart party kit that Aunt Jenny found and brought up from Indianapolis. We capped off the long weekend with a gathering at Steph's Aunt's house, where we had yet another birthday celebration with Aunt Nancy & Uncle Greg (and kids!), Uncle Jim & Aunt Diane, and Great-Grandpa Jim. All I can say is that I hope we can get together and have some of that yummy Tequila-Lime Chicken Nancy and Greg grilled for all of us. Wow! I'm getting hungry just thinking of it! As always, Abby had terrific fun playing with her cousin and getting spoiled by everyone. Thanks to all the above named family, as well as Aunt Angie and Grandma Jeannie & Grandpa Bill (all in FL) for helping Abigail have another memorable birthday celebration!

As for Tarzan and Jane, we continue to gather and hunt (in Y2K fashion, of course!) and we stay plenty busy juggling the many responsibilities of working-class parents. I'm proud to share the exciting news of a promotion that Stephanie received at her job a little over a month ago. It was nice to see her receive a little recognition for all the hard work she does. Way to go, honey!

As I mentioned earlier in the post, we are planning for a family outing this evening. Some time by the lake, a small campfire, and all the fixin's for S'mores is in order! There's nothing like getting your two little one's covered in beach sand before bed to cap off an otherwise perfect weekend!