At about 9 months of age my son Ethan decided he was ready to learn the delicate craft of vertical stance and forward propagation. His new adventure began with the simple task of being vertical on two legs for periods of five to ten seconds, ending with a clumsy step forward and a tumbling move back down to the cold hard earth better known as shag carpet. Of course both Ecih and I had been hand holding and training Ethan's little legs and mind since early on, however, this was different, Ethan was on his own. Ethan was showing us he was ready to leap from the nest, spread his wings and feel the air flow through his feathers. I try to imagine how Ethan must feel and I liken it to how I felt when I turned sixteen and my father handed me the keys to my first 4x4 truck. I rallied that wimpy truck at the Dimond sand pits like I was a super star in a monster truck. I had a ball, pushing the boundaries of my world. One month after Ethan recieved the keys to his own two feet, he's now burning rubber all throughout the house! Ethan does laps around the couch. Ethan has a collection of toys and objects that he stores in the grated metal bins by our living room window. Ethan plays games with us, chasing us around the couch, then running away when we chase him. When we go to the mall and I park Ethan upright on the white marble floor in an open area, he enjoys the new smooth and predictable surface for practicing his turns and only stops when he finds shiny brass outlet coverings that look like they might taste good. The other day Ethan climbed on top of a 6 inch step stool and stood tall for a moment, with no hands, as if he'd reached the summit of Everest. When Ethan realized he hadn't planned his descent, he showed me a look of fear and I caught him before he tumbled off the cliff. This last month has been a whole lotta fun and laughs. I can't wait to teach Ethan how to ride a bike and catch fish. Good times ahead my friends!