08.28.11 - No more Maddies jumpin' on the bed!

Spending the night in Manhattan means gettiing a little creative on sleeping arrangements. We employ no less than two air beds and two pack-n-plays when we're there. On this trip, Maddie slept on a twin bed in Cayden's room. I really didn't think I'd have to worry about her sharing a boy's room for several more years. They held hands the next day while shopping at Target which gave her daddy another panic attack. At least I know Cayden's folks will keep him in line so I really shouldn't have anything to worry about. And Uncle Brian is her godfather, too, so there's that.


Cayden and his dad get doughnuts from "Grandma Dillons" every Sunday morning. Maddie's never had one but when he asked her what kind she wanted, she said, "Chocolate!" It must just be in a girl's DNA.


She wanted sprinkles, too.


We hit City Park before lunch where Maddie had a blast on the playground. That playground alone could get us to move back to Manhattan.

12.06.09 - Monkey See, Monkey Do

Maddie loves to play peek-a-boo and Cayden loves to mimic. Should get interesting when his little brother arrives early next year.

12.05.09 - "da godfaaathuh III"

We're in Manhattan this weekend to have our annual holiday dinner with Brian, Emily and Travis. We've all been friends since college and it's so wild to think that Christmas now includes reading How The Grinch Stole Christmas to our little ones! Next year, the number of kids will be doubled! Oh, boy! Oh, boy!

10.11.09 - "da godfaaathuh"

We made a quick trip to Manhattan today for Cayden's second birthday party. For some reason, we missed his first birthday last year. Before we left, Maddie spent some quality time with Uncle Brian, "da godfaaathuh."

07.12.09 - Cayden

Brian and Emily's son Cayden shares one of his toys with Maddie this morning before we hit the road back home. If there's one thing we miss about living in Manhattan (or Topeka, for that matter) it's the Swearingens. Brian is Maddie's godfather and we don't see them nearly often enough. Thanks for hosting us, guys, on Maddie's first trip to Manhattan!

07.11.09 - Anderson Hall

We're in Manhattan this weekend visiting our good friends Brian and Emily and their son Cayden. We ate at a couple of our favorite Aggieville establishments and made a quick trip through campus, where Maddie posed with her new pal Willie Duck, whom we found reasonably overpriced at Varney's but adopted anyway, in front of Anderson Hall, K-State's iconic administration building. In all my time at K-State, I don't think I ever made a feature of anything happening - disc golf, students studying or relaxing, on Anderson lawn. Not too bad that my first Anderson lawn feature is of my very own Maddie girl, who is and will be a Wildcat!

Fight, you K-State Wildcats,
For alma mater fight, fight, fight!
Glory in the combat
For the purple and the white.
Faithful to our colors
We will ever be
Fighting, ever fighting
For a Wildcat victory. Go State!