Technology...

...so easy, an infant can figure it out.

Maybe one day, his luddite parents will catch up to him. Maybe.

Mosh pit, here we come

Emmett's dad can't, for the life of him, figure out where Emmett picked up his new 'rockin out' pose.


Then, while going over some photos from last year's Olympics, he finds a clue.

Seems pretty obvious which parent will join Emmett in the third row at the Lady GaGa concert, and which one will wait in the car.

The shovel is mightier than the fork

At his third birthday party this weekend, Emmett's friend Wyatt throws down a chocolate cake-eating performance that scores high marks for both technical merit and artistic impression.

The gauntlet having been thrown down, Emmett focuses his training regimen on his own third birthday... or when cake-eating gains full medal status at the Olympics. Whichever comes first.

These boots were made for walkin'

With his new found mobility, Emmett goes trollin' for slimmies along 4th Street...

Irreversible damage

After a few days of barely being able to lift his head off the couch, Emmett seems to emerge victorious from his first illness of 2011.

Emmett's dad, however, notices some not-so-subtle changes to Emmett's response time while playing 'ball'. Dad reviews film from earlier in Emmett's career, and the effects of the seemingly routine daycare cold are obvious: Where once Emmett boasted an impressive save percentage, he can now only muster bloopers for the highlight reel.

(Grampa, it turns out, saw this coming... and outfitted Emmett for a sport that has no net.)

Another good yield from the viral driftnet

One otherwise quiet night this week, Emmett's parents listen to the heart-wrenching sounds of a dying kudu that has just been taken down by a pride of lions out on the savanna.

Crikey, that's no kudu. It's a pathetic Emmettilius stranmccannii who brought home the first malady of 2011. And moaned for hours about it.

Twenty-four hours later, not even a luxurious bubble bath can break his malaise. Woe is Emmett.

Old man sweater

Definition: a cardigan, typically knit from wool or polyester blend, with a full frontal zipper. In some unique cases, the old man sweater may have buttons, but most old men prefer zippers, as they are easier to do up.

In honour of his Grampa and his Great Uncle Sandy, Emmett dons his new 'old man' sweater, as the temperatures dip to -29.

Oops...where did that come from? Wrong image, but now you get the idea. Let's try that again...

(And special thanks to Gramma for knitting Emmett a new 'old man' sweater. Now he is stylin' and profilin', just like his Grampa).

Stand up, baby stand up

Emmett displays his new found prowess at standing unassisted, and introduces the world to his newest word.

Freedom: Gone. Baby: Everywhere.

Under the guise of "babysitting" while Emmett's parents take off for an overnight in the mountains, Auntie Clare kicks off BabyWalk Bootcamp 2011. Thirty hours in a pair of iron boots, a few dozen laps around the building, and Emmett 2.0 launches mere seconds after his parents return.

Rugby player in the making?

Emmett gets ready to hit the scrum, play a tackle, and maul a flanker while wearing his new rugby shirt from Grampa and Nana.

(Unfortunately, though Emmett's mom grew up beside a rugby pitch, she still has no idea how the game is actually played. Sorry Grampa).

Chairman of the Board

Emmett was a hotbed of developmental change over the holidays. He uttered his first words (including, but not limited to daddy, doggy, mama, no, and ngu). He stood, unassisted, for 40 seconds (his dad timed it). He climbed the ladder into the loft at Gramma and Poppa's house. He mastered kissing (albeit slobbery, disgusting, and french-like). And if all that wasn't enough, he found a new use for a piece of furniture that Great Aunt Betty handcrafted for his dad several years ago.

2011 Awesome Idea #1: Celebrate the occasion by bestowing upon Emmett the nickname "Stool".

Happy New Year

The morning after the night before...

(Emmett partied hard with the University of Alberta women's hockey team aboard a WestJet flight on New Years Eve.) They kept him thoroughly entertained from Winnipeg to Calgary, while the WestJetter flight attendants made sure his sippy cup was always full. It took him most of New Year's Day to recover, but by supper time, he was able to enjoy a huge pasta feast.

Happy New Year from StranMcCann.