Reflections... Looking back on another holiday weekend, as things really set in for the mayhem that becomes and continues to be, Christmastime.

This year was particularly quieter than it seems to have been in years' past. We did the annual trek to South Jersey and back on Turkey Day. This year, we brought with us happy news of the healthy arrival of the Wagner Twins (see photo below), instead of Kim's special recipe Cranberry Sauce (please note, that contrary to popular belief and request, her version most certainly does NOT include the ring impressions from the inside of the can).

We made it up in record time for the third Thursday, and without event. Harry was elated to see everyone at each of his stops, regardless of the fact he had seen most if not all of them just 2 weeks prior for Dom'nic's birthday bowling bash. Only 3 stops in total (4 if you count going back to pick up Bailey), and we were home again that evening with time to spare for ourselves.

I still think the quote of the trip was:

"... Harry please don't hit Bailey with your potato."

Quality time spent together for he remainder of the weekend; a jaunt to Ikea for some new shelving to get the new playroom together, a sunny afternoon hike on a new trail that'd been under our noses this entire time, and even story time at the bookstore with Lance.

Reflections of a different sort this evening. We're in the process of migrating the home computer from an old Dell PC o a new shiny iMac. One of the greater tasks and intended uses will be compiling the multimedia efforts that are doing so well documenting Harry's existence... and by default our own.

Imported the photos from the year so far, and it's amazing. When they get pulled in, they each flash up on the screen for abut a half a second each, in something vaguely representing chronological order. It's increadible to see this pass in front of you so quickly. In the course of about 15 minutes, I vividly was able to re-live his year so far.

I had this happen once before, when I pulled my own pictures from the recesses of the Dell, which at that point had been comprised of the 2 laptops worth of photos accumulated while still with the Capitals, and anything else I had come up with at home over the last 4 years. That was one thing. Those weren't really that important... lots of hockey & BMW pictures culled from the web... but interesting nonetheless.

These were important. These were the memories, however fresh, that even for a fleeting second, were right at the front of the brain. I could immediately recall waht was going on in the background when I took that picture, where I was standing when Kim did, or what I was likely doing while she was out with the camera.

Things that seem so long ago, like swimming lessons at the Rec Center. Things that seem like they lasted forever, like Harry's cast, that went flashing by in a matter of a minute or so. These are the things from my own childhood that I can't for the life of me recall.

Kim's always been on me for not being able to remember anything about being a kid in my family. I don't really know why I don't recall as much as she does, because we do have pictures to prove that I indeed was once a kid... it's just that the peripheral memory has never been there, so to have it thrust upon you, even if it's only images of the last 11+ months, it's an incredible feeling.

It'll be even more interesting when I get some time to load the previous years' pics...