Patch Alex

Don't worry - there's nothing wrong with our little boy. For the past few months we've noticed that Alex has a delay in his left eye. We figured he didn't want you to know if he was coming or going, but it's gotten to the point that we needed to take action. Alex went to an ophthalmologist about a week ago and the test showed that he had a mild case of Amblyopia or lazy eye. To avoid wearing glasses or having surgery the simple solution is to have Alex wear a patch to strengthen the weak eye. We were worried that he wouldn't wear the patch, but he seems to be okay with everything. So, for the next six weeks Alex will "patch it up" for two hours a day. We just tell everyone that he wants to be a pirate - Arrgh Matey!!

Meet Mr. Richmond

There's no better way to celebrate Cinco de Mayo than with a new arrival to our family. Baby Boy Richmond was born at 5:05 am this morning and everyone is doing fine. Alicia went into labor last night and, even if it took a few hours, the baby is happy and healthy and incredibly cute. They even look good without any sleep!

My sister has usually had fairly quick deliveries, so the whole family went up to the hospital last night. Everyone was waiting on pins and needles for their new little brother. As the night passed into morning though the boys lost steam and were ready to head home. It didn't hurt that Liam had an accident while he was sitting on my dad's lap. When someone pees, it's always time to leave. Chloe made it through the night and was in the room as her little brother entered the world. She was hoping he'd be a she, but science won out this time and the baby was not the little sister she'd wanted to meet.

You may notice from the pictures that Baby Boy Richmond has a cleft lip (and a cleft palate). Like Coleton, this little guy will need to have a few surgeries to fix the clefts, but he'll be good as new in no time. The only real problem for my nephew is that he doesn't have a name yet. Alicia and Evan couldn't decide on a moniker for the little guy and now it's up to you. Here are the possiblities for Baby Boy Richmond:

• Finn


• Hudson


• Beckett


• Quinn

??? Richmond

The Empire Strikes Barack

Another great video that I had to share. In this installment, Barack is fighting the evil Darth Clinton. Will he switch to the dark side? Does he have the force? Can he learn the ways of the Jedi Master? Watch and find out...

Soccer Girl

Kennedy has now accomplished something athletically that neither Tara nor I ever did. She has played in her first youth sports league at 3 years old. Tara started tee ball at 6 and I played soccer at 5, but Kennedy has set the pace for sports in the family. Now, I'm not saying she is a burgeoning Mia Hamm or any such thing. In fact, she isn't even sure what it means to play soccer. Still, she likes to run around on the field with the other kids and that's enough for a 3 year old.

Earlier this week Dede's team played their first game. I have no idea what the score was, or who played the most minutes. None of that stuff matters. It was fun to watch Kennedy and her teammates run up and down the field, when they weren't crying that is. I guess 3 year olds don't like soccer much the first time they play. Every one of the girls had a moment where tears came on and they chose not to play. Kennedy didn't even want to go on the field until Tara went with her. Even then she didn't last too long.

Then we discovered our secret weapon. Kennedy knew that the kids would be getting treats at breaks, and she wanted a treat (I'm sure you couldn't have guessed that one). So, like any good parents, we committed extortion and wouldn't let her get a treat unless she played. "Treats are only for players, not for watchers" became our mantra for the day. Suddenly, her interest level in the game increased and she played for about 1/3 of the game.

It was a fun day and a good chance for Dede to get some new experiences. Who knows maybe she'll actually like playing next time...

No Way it's May

How can it really be May 1st when you look out your window and see....