Bedtime story

Zach was too excited to fall asleep tonight. After finishing his homework and taking his bike out, he successfully rode it up and down the street in front of our house. For anyone who knows where we live, he cruised from the mailbox to our driveway - about 6 houses worth.

He still has a bit of work to do on steering, but he'll get there.

After he came back into the house, he went upstairs to get ready for bed. While he was changing, he called down to my wife, proudly telling her he had "Daddy's after-bike smell." I'm going to hope he means that fresh-air-through-the-clothes scent, and not the God-awful grunge of a ride home on a blisteringly hot day. Over time, he'll come to appreciate everything about his newfound mode of transport. He's already off to a great, happy start.

We watched the Soyuz Expedition 11 launch while getting ready for bed. As I tucked him in, I propped the laptop on his desk and we watched the craft finish its burn and settle into orbit. The screen cast an ethereal glow over his darkened room as he wrapped himself in his blanket and watched the otherworldly scene unfold. He asked what seemed like a million questions about the craft, the mission, and the peope onboard. I love his curiosity about his world.

Finally, the coverage ended and I shut the laptop down as I gave him a last kiss goodnight; the end to a momentous day filled with what I hope will be lifetime memories for him.