The Incredibly Irritating Invasion of Captain Underpants

Captain Underpants has invaded our home.

Nico first discovered the Dav Pilkey series of "epic novels" one day when browsing at Mac's Backs. He was immediately hooked. He can read these books for hours at a stretch and is now even making his own abridged versions of these comic books.

One of my friends, a grade school teacher, detests these stories. I wasn't sure what the big deal was until I actually read one. Nico is constantly spouting nonsense about wedgies, talking toilets, poop and diapers.

*sigh*

I wonder how long this phase will last.

Wedding and work anniversaries

What a week of milestones!

In addition to Nolan and Vic's birthdays, I just celebrated both my wedding and work anniversaries. Vic and I have been married for seven years now, and I've been working at Case Western Reserve University for five years.

When I started working at the university, I thought it would be funny to choose my wedding anniversary as my start date. Little did I know how prophetic that would be - the work-life balance has been a constant challenge for me. I've blurred my home and work lives completely.

On the bright side, Vic and I went on a very nice date to celebrate - we went to Lola for dinner, a restaurant we had been meaning to check out, especially ever since Chef Michael Symon won the competition to become the latest Iron Chef. It was great!

Birthday weekend

Nolan and Vic celebrated their birthdays this past weekend. It was Nolan's first!

It's hard to believe that Nolan has only been a part of our lives for one year. His birth was such a special day, as he was surrounded by so many people who love him. A year later, he was again surrounded by family and friends. He is - and we are - so lucky.

Wait 'til next year

Wait 'til next year
Originally uploaded by Chiubacca

Nolan isn't even a year old, yet he is wise beyond his months. Check out his amused expression in this photo as he models his first (and last?) Browns outfit. He seems to be saying, "You expect me to wear this with a straight face? I think not."