As I've mentioned here previously, Stockstock has returned (finally). We've made a big change to the festival this year: it's entirely online. You download the footage online (instead of getting a videotape in the mail), you post your film online (instead of sending us a tape), and we present the films online (instead of doing a live show). Oh, and there are no entry fees this year. (People can donate online, but it's not required.) It's a bit of an experiment, and we're not entirely sure how it's going to turn out. We think this will help us reach more people, though, and we think it's a little better suited to the current state of the Internet. We're excited about it.

I shouldn't say that the festival is *entirely* online, however. Since we don't have our normal sources of revenue, we are planning to have a party/event thing as a fundraiser. We're still working out the details - I'll have more on that later.

If any of you out there would like to take part in Stockstock, we would love to have you. Just go to our web site: www.stockstock.org to get started. If you have any questions or need some technical help, I would be glad to assist. Oh, and if you would like to help us spread the word about the festival, it would be a huge help. You could mention us in your blog, or print out one of these cool Stockstock posters and hang it in your place of business, your local coffee shop, or anywhere else you think it might be seen. Thanks!

  For Christmas we went to visit my mom in Indiana for 10 days. I think we all had a very good time. Sofia loved all of the attention. At any given moment there were several family members that she could order around and play with. (She's turning in to quite the bossy little girl. "Sit! Book!" That will stop soon, right?)

I think that her Nana also enjoyed the 24/7 Sofia exposure. Nicole and I even left Sofia there for a few days while we went up to Chicago for a mini vacation. By all accounts, Sofia was an angel the entire time. Can we get a little bit of that behavior at home?

Our trip to Chicago was fun. I went to school there (Northwestern University - go Cats!), but I haven't been back in probably seven years. It's quite a nice city. We did some shopping, went to the King Tut exhibit at the Field museum, went to a movie, and enjoyed setting our own schedules for meals and bedtime. Nic and I have both recently developed an interest in the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, so on the way out of town Nicole and I visited a couple of the last remaining sites from the original fair. (See the Chicago photo gallery for a few shots: the Wooded Island at Jackson Park, Museum of Science and Industry, and a reproduction of the statue "Republic": close-up, silhouette.)

Christmas morning was pretty fun. Sofia still didn't quite understand what was going on. She knows who Santa is, but she didn't quite understand the whole present angle. However, she did understand that there were lots of presents that were mostly for her. Once she woke up and had her milk, she was very excited. I think next year we're in for a very fun Christmas.

Speaking of presents, man did Sofia get a lot. They came in about six different waves over a period of about two weeks. We had to go through her old toys and cull the herd just to make room for the new ones. Next year I think she is going to be asking for savings bonds.

Sofia also took her first picture on Christmas Day, making me a very proud papa. She was fussing around a little, so to distract her I showed her how to use my SLR. She didn't quite have the hang of aiming the camera, but she did push the button. Here is her work: Picture 1 and Picture 2. December 25, 2006 - a date to remember.

I hope your holidays were happy and safe. Thanks for reading Fishsuit in 2006 - it means a lot to me to know you guys are out there. I look forward to keeping you semi-entertained throughout 2007.