The other day I was looking through my Facebook albums, more than aware that everyone else has albums entitled things like ‘Las Vegas 2010′ or ‘Mallorca 2007′ whilst mine consist of ‘Cov City vs Notts Forest’ and ‘Grandparents’ 50th Wedding Anniversary’. After glumly clicking through photo after photo of aged relative, I came across an album containing photos of my second son, Noah, when he’d just been born.

And then it struck me. All – sorry, most – newborn babies are ugly.

I mean, look at this. 

Man the guns, the aliens have invaded…

At the time I thought he was the most gorgeous thing ever. I sent this photo to friends and family, for crying out loud; who, when they received the above image on their phones, must have given a small audible shriek, covered their mouth with their free hand and held their mobile at arms length pinched between thumb and forefinger.

I know, I should give the kid a break. At the time this photo was taken he was barely an hour old, and had just been squeezed through a birth canal. I can imagine my face wouldn’t look too peachy if I’d just forced myself through a drainpipe. But, in the cold light of day, it’s not a great photo. I guess love really is blind.

Fortunately, he grew into his face, and now he’s the most gorgeous 2 year-old I’ve ever seen. That is, until I write a blog post in another two years.

Disclaimer: This is in no way directed at two of my close friends who have just become parents for the second time. I haven’t seen their baby yet, but know he’ll be gorgeous.

You think you’re doing a good job as a parent, and then you see THIS…

I want to find the person responsible for this architectural masterpiece, stuff his pockets with all of my money and then pray to him every day for making my life better.

It’s not often you can find a house that is:

A. Stylish - These colors are post-modern, shabby chic AWESOME.
B. Nostalgic - Imagine living inside your favorite play activity. And then bounce in it.
C. Sturdy - I dare the elements to try to kick this house in its metaphorical junk.
D. Safe - It’s totally childproofed from top to bottom. Imagine your kid falls down the stairs. They’d probably bounce back up them.

We live in a three story condo. Finn learned to walk about a month after we moved here. So, you can imagine the loss of hair, the color of aforementioned hair and remnant sanity that comes from watching him climb the stairs every day.

I feel like this house is the answer to all of my problems. This house would suit my toddler’s gymnastic, death-defying life choreography. I need to make a pilgrimage.

Have a rambunctious weekend!

Love and Airtime,

Charlie

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With the new “PEN mini” series, Olympus is bringing the concepts of ultracompactness, simplicity and stylishness to SLR photography. Aimed directly at first-time interchangeable lens digital camera users.

The first in this new line of new generation system cameras, the OLYMPUS PEN mini E-PM1 is an interchangeable lens type digital camera that conforms to the Micro Four Thirds System, which is targeted at the fashion-sensitive younger generation.

The E-PM1 represents the culmination of Olympus’s quest to maximize the size/weight reduction advantages of the Micro Four Thirds System standard. The ultra compact and light interchangeable-lens type camera, the camera body alone weighs just 217 grams, while the total in actual usage (with the standard zoom lens, flash, memory card and rechargeable battery) is still the world’s lightest at 401 grams. Available in a choice of six different colors, this model will appeal to a wide range of users with many different needs and requirements.

This camera also boasts sequential shooting performance of 5 fps and image quality built on the same advanced technology that powers the E-P3, the just announced new flagship of the PEN series, continuing with Olympus’s policy of “providing the maximum image quality performance to all PEN models”. Better-than-ever image quality is made possible by the new 12.3-megapixel High Speed Live MOS Sensor with 1080i HD movie compatibility and the new TruePic VI image processing engine. High-sensitivity shooting at ISO12800 is also possible.

This camera also features the Art Filters well acclaimed with other Olympus cameras so that anyone can easily enjoy photographic expressions that used to require complicated image processing. The E-PM1 incorporates six of the most popular Art Filters, allowing users to express their unique creative vision with both still images and movies.

Another example of Olympus’s commitment to relentlessly enhancing and advancing its line of new generation system cameras, this new camera is certain to expand today’s fast growing market for lens interchangeable type digital cameras.

Other Features

• New control system for easier operation
• Ultrafast autofocus using new FAST AF system inherited from the E-P3
• 35-area multiple AF with group area selection
• High-performance 5.5 fps* sequential shooting
• High image quality inherited from the E-P3
  - New 12.3-megapixel High-Speed Live MOS Sensor with full HD movie compatibility
  - New TruePic VI image processing engine
• Advanced movie recording
  - Incorporates full HD movie shooting (AVCHD)
  - Built-in stereo microphones
• Built-in sensor-shift type image stabilization plus electronic movie image stabilization using the multimotion-compatible movie IS system
• High capability removable flash
• Tone control for individual variations of the tones of bright and dark sections
• One-push digital teleconverter function
• Menu Guide to clarify menu items
• New scene mode: 3D Photo Shooting
• Proven, reliable dust reduction system

The boys are home sick today. One is legit. One is an opportunist. The sick one is actually feeling much better (UPDATED: Now the fever has turned into a bunch of snot and a hacking cough, which is awesome), but the school won’t allow him to return until he goes 24 hours without a fever (Pringle lovers excluded). The opportunist played the right card at the right time, and seeing as the dealer was fighting his own fits of fever, he took the hand. I’m the dealer in this scenario (see, fever-induced ramblings). Stay off drugs, kids.

Basically, we’re going into extended weekend mode, indoor version. Put Flood on repeat. Release the Legos.

An aside — This literally just happened as the song Istanbul was ending:

Z: If they leave why can’t they go back?

A: Because Istanbul changed its name.

Z: To what?

A: I don’t know. New York maybe.

Stay in school, kids!

When I was at the Dad 2.0 Summit in Austin (my recap, DadCentric recap, and the one where I was quoted) I had the rare opportunity to meet a LEGO Master Builder named Chris, a second-generation Master Builder no less (there are only seven people holding that rank). He told me about his passion for building with Legos when he was a kid and, I’m totally paraphrasing here, how his dad was so supportive that he went out and became a Master Builder himself (Chris followed when he was older). That is so much more refreshing than the stereotypical parent response about being practical and the confines of reality. It was downright inspiring.

He told me about a new Lego website called Build Together which has all kinds of activities for parents and children to do together. And then we did them. Apparently Chris has Jedi-like powers.

Our favorite part of BuildTogether.com is that it gives instructions on additional items that can be built from existing sets. That is, if you own a LEGO set that builds A, they give you instructions on how that same set can also build B. My only suggestion to LEGO is that they list items by set required than additional items created as we kept clicking on things that looked cool only to realize that we didn’t have the set needed. If we could click on the sets we know we have and then see the additional items that would save a lot of apologies and heavy sighs.

I do like that LEGO is featuring fathers in a non-doofus role, which is something of a hot topic these days, rightfully so. However, I feel that I must go on record as saying that my wife does a lot more of the actual LEGO building than I do. That is, she’s more of an analytical type and helps the boys with items straight from the box. I’m more of a “hey, let’s make random stuff out of whatever bricks happen to be in front of me” kind of guy. It takes all kinds.

And we’re the kind that build together. Which is a good place to stop writing and get back to the fun.

Disclosure: Would you believe this post is not paid for or sponsored by LEGO? Sure, I told them I would write about BuildTogether.com, and we do have some very awesome things planned together, but this post was all me — and the kids. True story.