Happy Fall! - Posted by Lisa

Not much to say, just some photos of some cute kids enjoying the season. Note: These pictures were taken on 3 different days (all within the past week) that ranged from summery to cool to downright chilly. This should explain the variations in clothing. :)

Why I support Barack Obama - Posted by Lisa

For a long time, I have been wanting to say something even a fraction as eloquent as this New Yorker editorial. It explains in great detail so many of the reasons that I will be voting for Barack Obama on November 4th, and so many reasons that I couldn't find the words for.

I doubt that it will change the minds of staunch supporters of John McCain, but that's okay. I am very passionate about this election, and just feel the need to explain why. No matter who you plan to vote for, though I do hope it's for Mr. Obama :), please VOTE! Michiganders, remember that you must be registered by TODAY, October 6th, in order to vote in this crucial election!

http://www.newyorker.com/talk/comment/2008/10/13/081013taco_talk_editors

(My name is Lisa, and I approve this message)

Supporting a good cause - Posted by Lisa

Today marked Christopher's first time (of many, I am sure) to collect money for a cause at school. This one being St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital via their Trike-a-Thon. A worthy cause, to be sure. The St. Jude website says it best:

"St. Jude is unlike any other pediatric treatment and research facility anywhere. Discoveries made here have completely changed how the world treats children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases.

We are where some of today's most gifted researchers are able to do more science, more quickly. Where doctors across the world send their toughest cases and most vulnerable patients. Where no one pays for treatment beyond what is covered by insurance, and those without insurance are never asked to pay. We've built America's 3rd-largest health-care charity, with a model that keeps the costs down and the funds flowing, so the science never stops.

All patients accepted for treatment at St. Jude are treated without regard to the family's ability to pay."

As for Christopher (and his school's) participation in the trike-a-thon; though I don't know how much money was raised in total, I would still have to call it a success. The day was sunny, a little cool and breezy, and just perfect for biking. The kids looked so proud riding their bikes around the school grounds, and the parents & teachers looked even prouder. I was particularly proud, as this was only the second "real" time that Christopher has ridden his new bike since he got in for his fourth birthday in December. He did great on the bike (saying to me "I fell once, but I didn't get hurt!"), and is so proud of his 22 punches on his card (a punch for each lap completed).

After the biking was finished, all the kids were treated to a pizza lunch, along with watermelon, potato chips, cookies, and juice. Altogether, I'd say we spent about 3 hours out in the sun today between the trike-a-thon itself, playtime on the playground, and lunch outside. Quite tiring, but still a good day.

Thanks to everyone who contributed to make this day a success!

Row the Boat - Posted by Chris

After the success of our first release Flight Lessions, Pricekids Studios proudly presents...

First Concerts - Redux - Posted by Lisa

In August of '05, I recorded for posterity the details of our oldest son Christopher's first concert experience. That concert was of the Wiggles at the Palace of Auburn Hills, and he was 20 months old. Though he seemed to enjoy it at the time, I'm sure he has no recollection of it now.

Today, on a much, MUCH colder day in February (our car's thermometer showed 3 degrees F), 21 month old Ian had his first concert experience. This time, the show was Sesame Street Live: Elmo Makes Music and the venue was the beautiful Fox Theater in Detroit.

After breakfast at McDonald's (not enough time for a "real" restaurant, but we needed to go inside since the boys ate pancakes), we drove down to the Fox, parked in their garage (I wanted to take a thermos of hot chocolate to the parking garage employees today...bless them!), and rushed across the street into the theater. As a former volunteer usher at the Fox, I already knew this to be true, but everyone there was SO very kind and helpful. From the paid ushers at the door, to the volunteers, to the woman behind the snack counter, and the guy whose job I don't know...there were smiles everywhere. I remember thoroughly enjoying when I ushered the Sesame Street shows, so that could be the reason, but either way, we were impressed.

We sat in the mezzanine (ahem, though our tickets read Gallery C, i.e. "nosebleed"). We got to our seats just as the house lights went down, and had a perfect view of everyone onstage.

Ian took a little while to warm up to the idea of what was going on (though not as long as Christopher took with the Wiggles a couple years back). Once he did, he clapped his hands above his head, bopped his head to the music, and jumped up and down. He was mesmerized the entire time!

Christopher was slightly more reserved. He wouldn't sing, though I did catch him singing a little phrase here and there. He did, however, clap, slap his hands on his lap, stomp his feet, and pretty much any thing "required" during the show. He tried to fight it, but I did see him crack a smile a few times. :)

After the show, we wanted to have lunch at Johnny Rockets, which is located next to the Fox. However, we got there about 2 minutes too late, as any usable seat in the restaurant had already been filled by other families leaving the theater at the same time. There were 2 person booths along the perimeter, and seats at the counter, but with our family of four (one of whom is a young toddler), none of those options worked for us. On a warmer day, we would have driven around the city for other options, but today there was no prying us out of our warm car again until we arrived home.

All in all, I'd have to say today could be considered another successful "first concert" experience.

The Cow Says... - Posted by Chris

Tonight Ian picked the book, Fisher Price My Little People Farm, to "read" for his bedtime story. The Little People Farm book is a "Lift the Flap" book which means not much reading; just Ian pointing at animals and Mom or Dad naming them.

While reading the book, Ian opened the "door" to the barn and pointed at an animal. I said, "Cow". He pointed again and made his sound to indicate he wanted me to name the animal. I said, "Cow". This exchange continued for several rounds before I took a closer look and said, "Oh I guess that's a goat!".

Satified, Ian moved on to the next animal.

Pound of Dirt - Posted by Chris

Nanny always said you have to eat a pound of dirt before you die...

...but she didn't say you have to like it!

Mortality Check courtesy Cedar Point - Posted by Lisa

Alternate title: You know you're an old fart when...

Yesterday, Chris and I took advantage of a kid-free day (Christopher is camping with Chris' parents, and my parents took Ian for 24 hours) to drive down to Cedar Point (aka, "America's Roller Coast") to satisfy our need for speed. Both Chris and I have each been roller coaster freaks, if you will, for most of our lives. We, however, had never had the opportunity to ride them together. Previously, the only time we had been to CP as a couple (or any amusement park for that matter), was the year I was pregnant with Christopher...so no thrill rides for me.

But this time was different. A last minute deposit of the kids with the grandparents, coupled with a non-pregnant me, meant we could ride until we puked (if we wanted to, anyway). I was so excited!

So yesterday morning, we awoke around 7:00 (already later than we probably would have done in our youth when we would have wanted to be there as the gates opened. By the time we showered & dressed, gathered our things (because we're so last minute), got the little guy up and freshly diapered, bought our tickets at Meijer (again with the last minute thing), dropped said little guy off at the parents', drove the 3ish hours to Ohio, checked into dumpy hotel, realize that wasn't the hotel we really wanted, drive back to dumpy hotel and get refund, drive back to budget-hotel-of-our-dreams (or at least one that wouldn't give us nightmares), then drive to the park...it was about 2:00pm.

Even though we didn't arrive quite as early as we would have hoped, we still had 8 hours until the park closed, so that left us with plenty of time to satisfy the thrill-seeker in us. So we started with the Raptor. Approximately a 45+ minute wait, manageable, but still a little discouraging considering it was only our first ride. It was a thrill though, made even weirder for me since I had to sit on my flip-flops and leave my bare feet hanging in the breeze.

Next, mostly because of location and also for the nostalgia, was the Blue Streak. This coaster is so tame in terms of height and speed, but sure can whip a body around! I still love it, even though I'm always surprised to see it still standing each time I visit.

After a quick lunch, we walked somewhat aimlessly (already a big departure from our younger, "on to the next coaster" mentality) and wound up at the Power Tower where we were shot straight up 240 feet and then free-fell/bounced back to earth. Whee!

Next, we took another trip down memory lane to the Gemini. This one is not quite as old as the Blue Streak, but both Chris and I remember its inaugural year of 1978, when it was (if I remember correctly) the tallest, fastest wooden roller coaster in the world. That title was given up long ago, but it is still a wild ride, and riders are given the chance to pick either the red or blue train which "race" against each other. Our blue train won, btw. ;-)

We then strolled through Frontiertown (old west section of the park) where the newest ride, the Maverick, is located. Unfortunately, as is usually the case during a ride's first year or so, it was not running. We then sat for a while as we ate some frozen custard, then took a soaking (or at least a partial one), on Thunder Canyon.

Next, we came upon Millenium Force, a coaster which was introduced in 2000 (hence, the name). For some reason, in my mind, I had this coaster confused with the Magnum, which I had ridden back in the late 90's. So I somewhat merrily "enjoyed" the hour+ wait in line (even had the pleasant surprise of "Jessie's Girl" being played by the park deejay), thinking the entire time that I had "been there, done that" so it would easy! I even mentioned how I had "psyched myself up for the Top Thrill Dragster." Chris was in a bit more somber mood. When we were about to step on the platform to board the ride, I realized why. "I don't think I've ever ridden this one before," I said to Chris. "No, you haven't" he said, mumbling something about "that first hill." Uh...yeah. :)

So, we sit ourselves into the seat, belt ourselves in, and lower the seemingly puny lap bar when I realize "I don't have anything to hold onto!" Me. The girl who prides herself on keeping her hands up through every ride, wants to hang onto something. I settle for the sides of the lap bar, and realize just how open the car really is. I feel like there is nothing around me. Only now that I see pictures of the ride do I realize there really is a support behind my head. The train starts its ascent up the first 310 foot high hill, with dizzying views of Lake Erie below and no railings to give even the slightest illusion of enclosure. I begin to chant what will become my mantra throughout the entire ride..."ohmygod,ohmygod,ohmygod,ohmygod..."

Mercifully, the trip up the first hill is quicker than most, but the plunge down seems to take forever! Forget my throat, my stomach feels like it has left my body. We then fly at speeds of around 92 mph on two steel pipes for track, are hurdled up and around bends and curves, over hills, and through tunnels. There is no moment that Chris is not yelling, and I am not repeating "ohmygod,ohmygod,ohmygod." After 2 minutes and 20 seconds of this, we finish the ride with wobbly legs. I say "I've been cured of wanting to ride the Dragster."

It took a little while to come down off the adrenaline rush of the Millenium Force, but once we did, we decided to ride the Wicked Twister, which has a lovely view of the beach btw. It was quite tame compared to the Millenium Force, but a thrill anyway. But when that ride was done, and with the sun beginning to set, we decided we had done enough. We left the park after only 5 hours, old farts that we are!

As we enjoyed the park yesterday, Chris and I both realized something about ourselves. Though we are far from giving up on roller coasters and thrill rides, we have gotten to the point in our lives that it's not all about trying to squeeze in as many of them as possible anymore. When we were younger, we were "invincible" (or so we thought), and didn't have anyone to depend on us. Now, we are suddenly aware that our bodies do have limits, and we have two little boys (aside from other members of our family) who need us around for a long time. It was this realization that kept us from pushing ourselves yesterday.

This is not to say that we won't go back on those rides. I fully intend to ride the Millenium Force again (masochist that I am ;-), and even brave the Dragster. But yesterday gave us enough of a thrill for now.

Facing your own mortality can be a bitch. But it can also open your eyes to the truly important things in your life.

I Don't Know - Posted by Chris

Conversation between Christopher and I just two minutes ago...

Me: Five more minutes and then its bedtime.
Christopher: ...silent...
Me: Are you listening to me?
Christopher: Yes
Me: How many minutes until bedtime?
Christopher: I don't know.

Monster Spray - Posted by Chris

On occasion Christopher is plagued by monsters that infest his room. Try as we might we have not been able to rid his bedroom of this menace. Not long ago Lisa found a temporary yet effective solution; Monster Spray.

As you may know, monsters do not like things that smell nice. So Lisa sprayed a little bit of Monster Spray (some may refer to this product as air freshener) in Christopher's room and the monsters are gone for the night. Monster Spray eventually wears off and in our house it is not necessary every night, but it has become an invaluable tool for warding off things that go bump in the night.

Chicken Curry (aka - "The best dinner in the whole town"*) - Posted by Lisa

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 green onions with tops, finely chopped
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon salt
dash pepper
rice (I made 2 cups)

Cut chicken into small pieces; place in crock pot. Add all remaining ingredients except rice. Cover and cook on high 2 1/2 to 4 hours or on low 6 to 8 hours. Serve over hot rice. Serves 4.

The recipe also calls for 1/4 cup dry sherry, but as we have no sherry in our house, dry or otherwise, I just went without. I served it with a side of peeled and sliced cucumbers, and crescent rolls.

(modified recipe from Rival Crock-Pot Slow Cooker Cuisine)

* Disclaimer - Please note that the giver of this title is only 3 years old and also thinks that instant oatmeal and chicken nuggets are gourmet fare. The adults in the household however, seemed to enjoy the meal. The jury is still out for the one-year-old.

One of the best parts of our New York trip - Posted by Chris

Perhaps one of the nicest parts of our trip to New York City was the city-wide smoking ban in restaurants and bars. I have long been a proponent of a similar law being passed in Michigan, however I didn't realize just how great it would be until we visited NYC.

No walking through a cloud of smoke to get to non-smoking or having a table so close to the smoking section that I might as well be smoking myself. Believe it or not, all of the establishments that we visited were very busy. Guess the smokers decided they could make it though dinner without a fix after all.

The sooner we get this bill passed in Michigan the better.

I'm sure there is one, but I can't come up with a witty title for this - Posted by Lisa

Overheard just a few moments ago, as Christopher was busy playing with his Lightning McQueen, Sally, and Mack.

Lightning: "Come with me to the big race, Sally. It's really racy there."

Day 3 - Part 2 - Posted by Lisa

Because my Day 3 post was getting longer and longer, and was also getting emotionally difficult to write, I decided to break it into 2 parts. Please go here if you haven't read any of the Day 3 post yet, or go here to start from the beginning of our trip.

After visiting the WTC site, we thought we might visit Little Italy for some pizza. So again, Chris' plan was to walk up Broadway to get us there. An online map makes it look like about 10 blocks, but I'm not so sure. ;) Maybe it was the 90-something degree heat, maybe it was the fact that we had already walked a good 2-3 miles (that's a wild guess) from our hotel to the Empire State Building (please see the previous Day 3 post), but that walked seemed much longer than 10 blocks.

Anyway, in Little Italy, we sat indoors at a little sidewalk cafe. Remember the 90 degree heat? Sitting "inside" gave us the combination of a/c inside with wide open windows. Inefficient, but really nice! We had a delicious pizza dinner, complete with strolling street musicians singing traditional Italian songs...it was like being in a movie!

Refreshed but not willing to walk much farther, we found the nearest subway station and rode back to 42nd Street. Trust me, we could not have walked that distance, or at least not at that point. I don't even know how far it is, but it probably took 5-10 minutes by train. We rested and freshened up in our room for a little bit, then headed back down to Broadway/7th Ave area to do some shopping before retiring for the night.

More pics (again, mixed in with the whole trip) here.

Day 3 - Loooong and emotional - Posted by Lisa

In our last installment, Chris and I were about to take a tour of lower Manhattan on Sunday morning. Instead of boarding the bus anywhere nearby our hotel, however, Chris suggested we walk down Broadway (approximately 10 blocks?) to the Empire State Building to avoid the long lines for the bus in Times Square. The idea was to go to the observation deck there, then board the bus afterward. Great idea. Of course, it might have worked out better if his wife (ahem) didn't suddenly see the "Empire State Building" about a mile to the left somewhere around 42nd St, deciding "hey, why don't we just go this way?!"

Several loooong blocks, a stop at the ATM machine, a street fair, and an unplanned visit to Grand Central Station later...we suddenly lost said "Empire State Building" since the closer you get to a building in New York, the easier it gets lost behind the canyon of other tall buildings directly around you. Of course, then Chris pointed out another tall building with a spire on top and says "there it is," to which I say, "noooo, that's not it." Ummm, yes. It was. The building I had seen, and led us on a wild goose chase of, was the Chrysler Building!

So anyway, we finally make it to our destination, and take the one escalator, and two elevator rides to the 86th floor observation deck. Really cool. It definitely gave me a bit of vertigo, especially when I took this shot, but was definitely worth the trip. If you go, make sure you get your observation deck tickets before getting there though. In our case, our tickets were included with our bus tour package. It was nice to just go directly to the line for the elevator rather than getting in line for tickets first.

We then boarded the bus downtown that took us through the neighborhoods of (among others) Greenwich Village, Soho, Chinatown, Tribeca, then to the World Financial District and Battery Park, which sits at the southernmost tip of the island and looks out on the Statue of Liberty. We got off at the park, took a few pictures, and got some ice cream since it was getting quite hot. As I said yesterday, tourists cannot go up into the Statue of Liberty, so we did not bother with the boat trip over there. Bummer, since it was also closed in 1986, the last time I visited New York.

Per our tour guide's suggestion, we headed north on foot from Battery Park to the World Trade Center site. It was only a matter of a few blocks and took us through the financial district, probably one of (if not the) greatest concentrations of wealth in the world.

The absence of the two towers is noticeable even from a distance because of the impact they had on the New York skyline, but it was starting from about a block away that I personally felt the greatest sense of their loss. The nearby area is sunny now, and the midday heat was oppressive. A block away in front of St. Paul's Chapel, which still stands across the street from where the towers stood, I couldn't help but notice the backdrop of sun and sky behind the church. It's hard not to imagine the shadows those huge buildings must have cast, and how they must have towered over that church. Regardless of how one felt about the presence of those towers, the fact that they are missing now is such a ("sad" is such an inadequate word here) reminder of the unthinkable loss of precious lives that day.

Visiting the site itself (which is hard to see much of because of the fencing that is draped in most areas with fabric or fine mesh) was not quite as emotional for me as I had thought it would be, but moved me almost to tears nonetheless. I did in fact, wipe away tears as we walked away, but more than that I just felt quiet, reflective, and reverent. To me, that felt appropriate at the time. We took other pictures, but I personally made sure to take a picture of the name of the one person I (kind of) knew personally in those towers. Her name was Marni Pont O'Doherty, and I only "knew" her online, through her posts to a Rick Springfield fan bulletin board that I frequented. We never met personally, but she was clever, creative, and so funny in her posts. Her last post to the board was minutes before the first plane hit the north tower. She worked in the south tower, the second to be hit, first to fall. She had contacted family after the first plane hit to say that they were told to stay put, the tower was secure. She was never heard from again.

Second Day, Second Row!! - Posted by Lisa

Yesterday (Saturday) was spent partly waiting for, and on, one of those "hop on/hop off" double-decker tour buses. The wait to get on the bus in the first place seemed to take forever, but actually took about 30 minutes. So once we got on...we didn't get off until close to the end of the circuit. Hey, we didn't want to lose our seats on the top off the bus! :)

The tour yesterday took us uptown, which included the neighborhoods on the upper west side, Harlem, the museum district, and generally around Central Park. It was a pleasant ride on which we got plenty of sunshine, and got to see a slightly less congested part of the city. It the was the type of area that we could see ourselves living there if we had met sometime in our twenties and had time to see the world before having kids. Very cool.

We decided to get off the bus at Central Park (after having gone entirely around it on the bus). We got some lunch from a street vendor (though he didn't sell hot dogs). Chris had a burger, and I had a Mexican dish of some sort...can't remember what it was called right now! Sort of like a meat pastie, but spicier and with chicken. We then took a carriage ride through the park (or through one corner of it anyway), and walked on our own. While there, we caught an inning or so of a league softball game and almost got beaned with a popped up foul ball! :)

After that, we walked the 15-20 blocks back to our hotel to get ready for dinner and the show (Les Miserables). The restaurant we went to was a bit more expensive than we expected, but we considered it our splurge on ourselves (as if the trip wasn't enough). Chris had steak, and I had North Atlantic Lobster. Delicious meal! We then headed over to the theater for a Broadway production of Les Miz! I was so excited for this, as I have seen it several times at the Fisher Theater in Detroit, and it has ALWAYS brought me to tears. This time was no different.

There was a little snafu with our tickets, which Chris had ordered through an online service that I will not yet name (we'll see first if they refund our money). There were NO tickets held in our name! The man at the ticket booth said that he could sell us two more tickets (which I originally did not want to do), but we bought them anyway. SECOND ROW CENTER!! Let's just say that we were nearly spit on many times by Jean Valjean. Hehe. Unbelievable. Amazing. I felt many times that the actors were looking and singing right to me, and Chris says he felt the same. I have never cried sooner in this show than I did last night.

I will say though, that while it was the most amazing overall experience I have had while seeing that show, the touring companies that come to Detroit put on a show of equivalent quality, emotion, and even set design as on Broadway. I was very pleasantly surprised to find this out. Mom, Dad, and Karen...I'm sure you'll be happy to know this too. :)

After the show, I had a monster headache, so we came back to the room, took Tylenol, and crashed. We are now about to go out for our second day of tours...this time downtown, to the Statue of Liberty (or rather, near it...you can't go up right now), the Empire State Building, the World Trade Center site, among others. Looking forward to all of it!

"Talk" to you all again soon! Home tomorrow! We miss everyone, but especially our boys. Big hugs. By the way, more pics lumped in with the ones from yesterday's post.

NYC - Day 1 - Posted by Lisa

Chris and I are in New York City right now to celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary, while the boys are busy making memories at home with Grandma, Grandpa, and cousin Sarah. :)

Yesterday morning we made it to Detroit Metro airport in seemingly record time with plenty of time to spare waiting for the plane. The plane, however, was a tad delayed. It arrived to our gate in time for boarding (just in time). But with 1/2 hour delays into LaGuardia, our plane had to sit on the tarmack in Detroit for close to an hour just waiting to take off. Frustrating, but nothing like some of the horror stories we've heard of.

The flight itself was blessedly uneventful though, and we arrived in NY around 2:00, and the shuttle dropped us off at our hotel around 3:40. It seems like we've chosen a good hotel with helpful concierge service, and great location. You can look out our window to see a glimpse into the Times Square area (or close to it, anyway). Once arriving at our room, the long day caught up with us, and we napped until dinnertime!

Around 6:00, we freshened up and left our room. The concierge recommended a few favorite restaurants, and we chose Pongrsi (sp?) Thai from the list. YUMMY! We then walked around the Times Square area, browsed in the M&M's World store, a souvenir shop or two, and snapped pictures like the tourists we are. Before returning for the night to our room, we shared a decadent chocolate and ice cream dessert at Applebee's.

We took advantage of the opportunity to sleep in this morning, and did just that! Ah! We'll be leaving the room right after I post this to get breakfast and go on our bus tour.

Click here for pictures from our trip so far, and click here for some recent pictures of some cute boys!

La, La, La - Posted by Chris

Today at lunch Christopher said the following as Lisa and I sang one of the many goofy made-up songs that we sing:

"Stop singing, I'm trying to eat."

Kite Day 2007 - Posted by Chris

We went to the Washington Township Kite Day today.
Click here to see all the pictures from Kite Day.

Happy Birthday, Ian! - Posted by Chris

Absence + Bear Pic - Posted by Chris

Sorry I haven't posted in quite a while. A lot has happened over the past few weeks. We're getting the household back to normal and I'll try and post the story this week. In the meantime here's Ian's 11 month Bear Pic. Enjoy.

Bang a Drum

Circle of Cars

Tastes like chicken - Posted by Lisa

As Christopher lay in bed last night, delaying sleep at all costs trying to fall asleep, I could see from his darkened profile that he was apparently ‘digging for gold.’

Me: Christopher, don’t pick your nose. Do you need a kleenex?
Christopher: No, but…I got some chicken in there.

Mmmmm, McNuggets anyone?

Bad Hair Day? - Posted by Chris

Nope, not me!

Official Bear Pic - Ian - 9 Months Old - Posted by Chris

One might think that we take perfect Bear Pics on the first try. This is far from from case. If you'd like to see a "Bear Pic - Behind the scenes" click here.

Catching Bugs - In January - Posted by Chris

I'm sure there are many places in the world that you can catch bugs in January however Michigan isn't one of them.

Our "baby" starts school tomorrow! - Posted by Lisa

Well, not school really...

Tomorrow morning, Christopher starts in the child care program at the local elementary school (where he'll go to kindergarten in '09). He'll be going approx 8-4:30 on Mondays and Wednesdays. (sob!)

I've been wanting to get him in this program for the longest time, but he had to be 2.5 and potty trained. So that turned out to be the big motivator for learning to use the potty. At the beginning he'd ask "I go to school?" every time he took a pee! Chris and I decided that once Christopher held up his end of the bargain, we certainly couldn't let him down.

I have to admit that I'm a little emotional and nervous tonight about it. I'm scared that he'll be really homesick and won't want to go back. I'm even scared he won't eat anything substantial from the lunch I packed him! I was planning on starting him with just half days, but the teacher recommended diving right in with the full day. I hope that's the right thing to do!

So I've got his lunch packed, clothes laid out, his pillow, blanket, change of clothes (in case of an accident), and outerwear all ready to go (as well as Ian's since he'll be along for the drive over). I just need to finish up his paperwork (almost done), and get myself showered tonight so we can all be ready to go in the morning.

Any last minute bits of advice?

Flight Lessons - Posted by Chris

First official movie release from Pricekids Studios

The Negotiator - Posted by Chris

A common discussion in our household.

Lisa: "Christopher, what do you want for lunch?"
Christopher: "Hmmm, how 'bout oatmeal?"
Lisa: "How 'bout pizza, or spaghetti, or mac and cheese?"
Christopher: "How 'bout oatmeal?"

What a Smile! - Posted by Chris

Kids say the darnest things - Posted by Chris

Here are a few gems from our household...
"Don't be mad Mom, be happy."

"Mom, you the best girl I have!"

As Christopher and I descend the stairs after bath time, "Hi Mom, Hi Enon (Ian), this is my daddy".

Point to Ian and saying; “Look a baby” as if he hasn’t seen him almost every day for the past seven months.

“I popped a poop”

Ian's Official Seven Month Bear Pic - Posted by Chris

Cookies: Lessons Learned - Posted by Chris

Tonight, Christopher and I worked on a project that I've been planning for some time now. We baked chocolate chip cookies (from scratch)! The cookies came out delicious and the activity was a great opportunity for Christopher and I to share some one-on-one time.

Here are a few of the lessons I learned.

Be Prepared

When working on a project as easy as baking cookies, its easy to fall into old habits. I'm sure most good cooks will recommend getting all your ingredients ready before you start, however I tend to get things out as I need them. This method works when your baking by yourself or with another adult, however with a toddler its difficult to keep him on track and scramble for eggs, flour and butter.

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff

This title should be the mantra for all parents with small children. Being a engineer by trade, its difficult for me to overlook some of the seemingly unimportant details of a project. During our cookie baking, Christopher was determined to spill as much of the flour as possible. After a few minutes I managed to get my brain under control and decided that an eighth of a cup of missing flour wouldn't ruin the cookies

Give Yourself Plenty of Time

When we started our project I figured an hour was plenty of time to mix and bake a least one sheet of chocolate chip cookies (we had to try some before bedtime). In the end we did have enough time however we bumped into bedtime a little bit. While I believe this activity was worth a later bedtime, its now an hour past Christopher's regular bedtime and he is still not asleep.

Don't Forget to Have Fun

Our cookie baking project was lots of fun and I'm looking forward to planning something similar as the holiday season nears (maybe gingerbread men!) As parents we often forget that activities that we view as work can be great fun for our children. Christopher loves to help out around the house and having him help with baking cookies was fun for both of us.

Just when you thought Halloween was over... - Posted by Chris

Happy Halloween - Posted by Chris

Click here for more Halloween Pictures

Very Cute - Posted by Chris

Last night at bedtime:

Christopher: "Hey Mommy, you a girl right?"
Lisa: "Yep"
Christopher: "You beautiful"
Lisa (tearfully): "Thank you, kiddo"

Birthdays are Bad - Posted by Chris

The following conversation occurred at our house this weekend:

Christopher: "Birthdays are bad."
Lisa: "Birthdays aren't bad, they're good. On your birthday you get to open presents, eat cake and ice cream and sometimes play games."
Christopher: "Oh"

A few moments later...
Christopher: "Hey Daddy, birthdays are good!"

There's no crying in baseball! - Posted by Chris

Besides the Tigers won tonight!

I'm a Hammer! - Posted by Chris

Tonight, as is the case every night, we headed upstairs for our nightly bedtime ritual. After brushing teeth and changing into warmer 'jammies', Christopher asked, "Where's Turner and Pat the Hammer?".

If you haven't seen Disney's Handy Manny then you are probably not familiar with these two characters from the show. Pat is a lovable but not too bright hammer (pictured) and Turner is a rather grumpy screwdriver. Christopher has a toy plastic hammer and screwdriver that he religiously takes to bed with him and which are now named appropriately Turner and Pat the Hammer. After quickly finding Turner in Christopher's bed, I began the search for Pat while Lisa tried to get Christopher to focus on stories.

I looked in Christopher's bed, closet, dresser, our room, Ian's room, downstairs (twice) and both upstairs bathrooms with no luck. I began to get desperate as it became evident that Christopher was not going to go to bed without Pat. "I need Pat the Hammer" he said tearfully. Finally after searching high and low, I decided to check Christopher's bed one last time. This time I removed everything and sure enough Pat was there, hidden under Lightning McQueen (yet another incarnation brought to us via Disney).

With stories finished and Pat and Turner in hand, Christopher crawled into bed (after I convinced him that there weren't any scary noises in his room). Christopher, Pat and Turner are now sound asleep.

Sweet Potatoes are Yummy! - Posted by Chris

Ian's Official Five Month Bear Pic - Posted by Chris

We thought this one was too cute not to share also

Gee your hair smells terrific! - Posted by Chris

After several days of traumatic bath times (screaming and refusing to take a bath), Lisa and I decided that something more than the "Terrible Twos" must be wrong. Our guess was that something had happened during a previous hair washing (since hair washing seem to be at the center of the rebellion) and now Christopher was afraid to get his hair washed.

Armed with this knowledge, I decided to take a different approach for tonight's bath time activities. After succeeding in getting Christopher to get in the tub he told me, "I not get my hair washed". I replied, “Lets get everything else washed first and then we'll talk about washing your hair.”

When it came time to wash his hair, Christopher was very reluctant. I asked him if he was afraid to wash his hair because it had hurt his eyes before, he said "Yes". I told him that we had some "special" shampoo that wouldn’t hurt his eyes and that we would wash his hair in a special way. Actually we always use baby shampoo but we guessed that maybe he had got some regular bar soap on his hands and then rubbed his eyes during a hair washing. I had him tilt his head way back so that soap and water wouldn’t run down his face. Success, after a few minutes we had the hair washed with no screaming.

After his bath, I told Christopher how proud I was that he had been very brave. He then declared, "My beautiful hair is clean!”

2006 Detroit Zoo Trip - Posted by Chris

Today we took our third annual Detroit Zoo Trip. The trip was a big hit and a success for everyone envolved.

Ian didn't actually get too much out of the being at the zoo (we could have been strolling around neighborhood for all he cared). He did do very well though and even took a couple of short naps in the stroller.

Christopher, as expected, got a lot more out of the zoo this year than previous visits. For the first thirty minutes he was constantly asking to see the monkeys and "jaffers" (giraffes) but was soon getting excited about most all of the animals at the park.


We took lots of good pictures and had a great time but after four hours, Mom, Dad and both boys were ready to head home. On our way home we stopped and got some dinner at Buddy's Pizza which was quite yummy.

Click here, if you like to see more pictures of our trip.

Houston, we have a tooth! - Posted by Chris

Yes its official, at just shy of four months Ian has his first tooth (beating his big brother by more that half a month, let the rivalry begin).

We had been thinking that we was cutting a tooth for a while now. He constantly chews on his hands and the drooling has be increasing everyday. Yesterday I discover the tooth not yet through and today the tooth had erupted.

Laughing Baby - Posted by Chris

Enjoy



Baby Laugh on Vimeo

New Bear Pic - Posted by Chris

Ian's 3 Month Bear Pic

Sacked Out - Posted by Chris

Both boys asleep in the van, part 2
Originally uploaded by Chris1970.

Both boys fell a sleep on the way home today.

Click here to see the entire series.

Two Brothers - Posted by Chris

Christopher - 3 Months Old
(Taken 2004)














Ian - 3 Months Old

(Taken 2006)

Dinner Conversation - Posted by Chris

Christopher: (something unintelligable)
Lisa and I: "What?"
Christopher: (something more unintelligable)
Lisa and I: (Silent. Looks of confusion)
Christopher: "I AM LITTLE TEAPOT!"

(Laughter ensues)

The Great Purge of Aught-Six - Posted by Chris

Okay I stole that line from LOD but its so good that I had to use it.

Lisa and I have managed to collect an inordinately large amount of "stuff". No we are not those people that you see on TV that have so much stuff that they haven't seen their telephone in twelve years (though we did lose a hand set for quite a long time), but we do have more stuff than we need.

The majority of our excess stuff resides in our basement and as of yesterday we began the long and tedious journey to rid ourselves of this menace. So begins the Great Purge.

Our goal is simple, cut down the amount of stuff, so that what we are keeping will fit in the storage portion of our basement. So far the Purge is going well, we ended up working for three hours and have sorted almost a third of the boxes. Still a long way to go but I'm confident that if we "Stay on Task" we will eventually succeed.

*Note this post has been sanitized for your reading pleasure. The word "stuff" has been used in place of a more profane word originally chosen by the author.

2 Months Old Bear Pic - Posted by Chris

Ian's two month bear pic.

We did take a one month bear pic but I didn't post it until just now. You can check out all of Ian's bear pics with this link.

Happy Father's Day - Posted by Lisa

I'd like to dedicate this to my Dad Dave; my father-in-law Denny; and to Chris, the father of my two boys.

Dad, I couldn't have asked for a better Dad growing up. Even though you grew up in a different era, that didn't stop you from showing me in your own way that you loved me. Whether it was as a "doctor that just puts on bandaids" (as I believed you were until a mean teacher told me otherwise), when you played catch with me so I could practice for softball, your help with all things car-related, the time you said you were proud after my senior awards banquet in high school, or the way you held my hand on my wedding day...I always knew how you felt even if you couldn't say the words. And even though you spoil my boys completely (or maybe because of that reason), you are the best "Papa" in the world too!

Denny, I'm so glad to have you as a second "Dad" in my life. Your strong yet gentle ways are part of the reason that Chris is the wonderful husband and Dad he is today. Your generosity with your time and talents has meant so much to us, even if we sometimes forget to say so. You've made me feel like a daughter, instead of just a daughter-in-law. And I hope you know just how much our boys love their "Pa!" Just like my Dad, you are the best.

Chris, how do I put into words the gratitude I feel to have a man such as you in my life? The day I turned 30, I no longer believed I would meet you, and yet here you are. You're my rock, my love, my best friend, my soul mate...and the best Dad I could have imagined for our two boys. As a mother, it's my job to worry about them, and I do. But I don't worry about the men they will become. With you and their two grandfathers as role models, I already have a good idea of what they will be like.

I love you all! Happy Father's Day!

Long time, no blog... - Posted by Chris

Ok, I admit I've been bad. I've been try to placate you with pictures and video, while using my two children as an excuse for my lack of real posts. So here you go a real live post!

Some random happenings around our house.

• Ian slept (mostly) through the night, the last two nights; five and six hours straight to be precise. Needless to say this has been a welcome development and we are praying for at least a few more nights.
• Lisa, Christopher and I went to see the movie Cars last Saturday. It was a great movie, if you've enjoyed any of Pixar's past movies you'll probably like this one as well. Christopher did great, this being his first time at the movie theater.
• Ian recently had his two month checkup; he weighed 13lbs 9 oz and was 23 1/2 inches long. He is a very healthy little boy.

Ok, I hope that was a good enough post to make up for my recent absence, but just in case it was a bit lacking here's a smiling baby picture:

Detroit Basketball - Posted by Chris

Go Pistons


Detroit Basketball

And then there were two... - Posted by Chris

Christopher and Ian
Originally uploaded by Chris1970.

Sorry we haven't posted much lately. Here are two reasons...

Tivo Generation - Posted by Chris

A couple of things stand out about television when I was young. The first is that my family had two televisions; one was a large color console TV (the kind that sits on the floor) and the second was a small black and white. We could watch three channels with decent quality and a couple more that we’d still watch but whose quality would be unacceptable today. The second thing that I remember is that for a kid there wasn’t much on TV. Apart from Saturday morning cartoons, only a few scattered half hours of programming existed that appealed to children. The idea of recording television to watch later, wouldn’t come to our household for many years.

Fast forward thirty years, my family today has three TVs (all color), we record television shows on computer hard drives and we can pause and rewind live TV. We have Disney, Nick and Cartoon Network just to name a few. My sons will never know a time when it was not possible to replay a funny commercial, rewind a show to hear a missed line of dialog or play your favorite episode with the press of a button. I often wonder how this “convenience” will affect my children. Will it be harder to get them to watch less TV? Will it be easier to get them to do chores (i.e. pause the show and say ‘you can finish watching after you’ve taken out the garbage’)? But most of all, I wonder what my sons will write about thirty years from now? How will life have changed for them?

First Official Bear Pic - Ian - 8 Days Old - Posted by Chris

Ian's First Bear Pic - 8 Days Old

For those who don't know the story behind Bear Pics, hear's the scoop. When both Christopher and Ian were born, my sister bought a big stuff bear for each (something I had done for her children). Lisa and I decided to take a picture of Christopher with his bear each of his first twelve months and then at eighteen months and two years. The picture above is the first of Ian's Bear Pics.

You can see the complete set of Christopher's Bear Pics here.

Ian William - Posted by Chris

Lisa and I would like to announce the birth of our second son, Ian William.

Ian came into our world weighing 8 lbs 6 oz and was 19 inches long. Both Mom and Baby are healthy and now happily at home.

Christopher is already showing that he is a wonderful big brother.

Tired - Posted by Chris

Listen closely for the snoring!

The Negotiator - Posted by Chris

The following conversation happened today shortly after I arrived home from work.

Christopher: "Yang Yang?" (translates to "Little Einsteins")
Me: "You want to watch Little Einsteins? That's up to Mama." (She knew how much TV he had already watched).
Lisa: "Maybe just one."
Christopher: "Kite one?" ("Dragon Kite" - one of his favorite episodes)
Me: "Ok, but you can only watch one show."
Christopher (all business): "No, two."

This Old Box - Toddler Edition - Posted by Chris

Ever Wonder... - Posted by Chris

...what two rolls of toilet paper would look like in your toilet?











-Brought to you by Toddler Research, Inc.

Sticky Hands - Posted by Chris

Stickum™ is a trademark adhesive promoted for used in athletic applications. In 1981 the NFL banned it's use because it gave receivers an unfair advantage.

For my son, sticky hands is not an advantage. Any time he has the slightest bit of crumbs or stickiness on his hands he'll say, "Hands" or "Sticky Hands" which translates to "I need something to wipe my hands" or "Help my hands are sticky!"

My wife and I often comment on how we've never seen a kid his age who is so particular about the cleanliness of his hands. Its a rare meal that he makes it though with wiping his hands at sometime during the meal. I'm not complaining it just kind of funny to see a two year old fret about some spaghetti sauce on his hands.

124 days late... - Posted by Chris

See "The Unwilling Trick-or-Treater" for the other half of this story.
http://pricekids.blogspot.com/2005_10_01_pricekids_archive.html

Cat - Posted by Chris

Luckily Christopher does not (yet) suffer from the extreme allergy to cats that I do.

If I were to do what he's doing in the picture, I would probably win a quick trip to the emergency room! In fact the last time I barely touched a cat (let along hugged a cat) I broke out with hives, had a severe asthma attack and spent the rest of the night in a Benadryl induced coma.

If you haven't already guessed our household will probably never have pets (at least not ones with fur!)

Ava Claire D. - Posted by Lisa

Chris and I would like to send out the warmest and most heartfelt congratulations to our friends Ruthie & Tom on the birth of their long-awaited little girl Ava Claire!

Little Ava came into our world wailing this morning at 7:50am. She weighed 7 lbs 14 oz and was 19 1/2 inches long (I hope I got this right!). Both Mom & Baby are healthy and doing fine.

Welcome to the world, Ava. You hit the jackpot when it came to parents. And welcome to the world of parenting, Tom & Ruthie. Your lives have been profoundly changed now & forever...and in the best way imaginable!

Odds & Ends - Posted by Chris

I haven't posted for about a week so I thought I'd better.

Cold
Christopher has had a cold for a few days. In the past any illness would mean, "if Christopher doesn't feel good everyone else in the house suffers." However this time round its been a bit different. Instead of waking Lisa and I up every few hours Christopher has been sleeping pretty well (with the exception of the first night.) What's different is that he's really been showing his "terrible twos" side. When Christopher gets tired he starts getting into trouble. Its as if his need for sleep causes his brain to forget how to behave. Now that he's sick and he gets tired faster, he seems to be causing more havoc earlier in the day.

Cold, part two
Christopher said the word, 'cold' today. This event is big because as long as he's been talking his word for 'cold' has been 'poe'. Lisa and I always know what he's saying but no one else. We went out, to eat and to stop at the store, and when we first got in the car he said, 'Cold!'. Of course by the time we returned home he was back to 'poe'.

Bedtime Battles
A few weeks ago I wrote about how well Christopher had transitioned to his toddler bed. I guess all "good things" come to those who wait. Since that post we've make a 180 and have begun nightly battles regarding bedtime. Mostly Christopher just enploys delaying tactics and we have to constantly put him back in bed until he finally falls a sleep. I just keep telling myself, "This too shall past" and probably be replaced by something equally as frustrating.

Stay-at-home Dad? - Posted by Chris

I've recently been reading some posts of bloggers who are SAHDs (Stay-at-home Dads); blogs like A Family Runs Through It. These bloggers have me thinking about whether or not I have to mettle to be a SAHD or not.

Occasionally I play this role when my wife has to work on Saturday or Sunday. I think I do a pretty good job. My son makes it though the day mostly unscathed (he's a boy, bumps and bruises are his life). He gets breakfast, lunch, a nap and we even make trips to the Tool Store (Home Depot) sometimes.

What makes me question if I could be a Stay-at-home Dad full time is that sometimes after a day or two of "practice", I find it hard to imagine doing it every day. I love my son and I love spending time with him but I'm not sure that I'm cut out to be the primary caregiver. I tend to be a no-nonsense parent (I probably get this from my Dad) and while I believe there is a place for my style of parenting, I also think that young children more often need the patience and understanding that my wife shows my son.

Pick-Pick and the Grilled Cheese Challenge - Posted by Chris

Christopher spent the last few days with “Pa” and “Ma” (Grandpa and Grandma) and during his stay; Grandma stumbled upon something Christopher thought was just short of genius.  While fixing Christopher’s lunch she decided to cut up his hot dog and put toothpicks in each piece.  Since then he has asked for toothpicks (or pick-picks as he calls them) at just about every meal.

Now Christopher has always been a pretty good eater.  He eats lots of food that other kids wouldn’t even try; olives, salad, pickles, mushrooms and even Raisin Nut Bran cereal.  Despite this he is still a toddler and getting him to even try some foods can be challenging; hence the Grilled Cheese Challenge.

For some time now Christopher has refused to even try a grilled cheese sandwich, even though he has had them in the past.  Yesterday Lisa decided to try once again however this time she cut the sandwich in to little squares and put “pick-picks” in each piece.  Christopher gobbled them up; his aversion to cheese sandwiches is no more.

Hello. My name is Lisa, and I'm a geeky parent. - Posted by Lisa

Remember when you were growing up and came to the realization that your parents were a bit weird...a little embarassing...geeky even? Come on, you know you do. And remember how you swore that when you were older and had kids of your own, that you'd NEVER subject your own children to the embarassment of having a dork for a parent? You were going to be the "cool" parent.

Well in the past two years since our son was born, I (and to be fair, Chris as well) have officially become geeks.

I say this, not as a bad thing. I'm actually pretty proud of my dorkiness as a mom. After all, I think (at least while Christopher is little) that this is one of the things that makes Chris and I good parents to our son. It's the willingness to take ourselves lightly, and to make Christopher laugh, without fear of appearing too weird to others. It's kind of freeing really, not to worry all that much what others think when you're making a fool of yourself.

So, in the interest of full disclosure, I decided to list the reasons that Christopher thinks (right now) Chris & I are the coolest parents alive, and yet in the future will think we are the biggest nerds on the planet. This is by far not an exhaustive list. I'm sure Chris could easily chime in with some more (and I welcome him to do so). But it's what I can come up with right now, so here goes:

1. While helping him into his pajamas before bedtime, we occasionally like to break into "song." Our favorite? A rather (ahem) brilliant rendition of "U Can't Touch This (Hammer Time)" by M.C. Hammer...except in our version, it's "Jammie Time."
2. Since I'm on the subject of annihilating rap lyrics...while changing his diaper, in order for him to help me gain better access to his backside ;) I'll start chanting "put your butt in the air, and wave it around like ya just don't care!" Imagine me dragging out the "air" and "care" as "ay-ah" and "cay-ah." I can't imagine I would ever do this in public!
3. Singing or dancing to any song on the radio. Sure, Christopher loves this now. But just wait a few years...my habit of singing in the car will have to be broken.

At the moment, these are the only things I can come up with, though I'm sure there's more. Anyone else care to comment on their own dorky parenting techniques (past or present)? Not only would you make me feel just a little less weird, but it would also be a great way for someone to de-lurk in our comments section (which I know there are some of you out there). :)

Car Bed, One Week Later - Posted by Chris

Several individuals have inquired as to how Christopher is doing in his new bed; the answer is 'Surprisingly good!'

Despite all of the horror stories and the Super Nanny shows about kids who won't stay in bed, Christopher has exceeded our expectations. The first two days, Christopher took no nap and bedtime on the first night was a challenge but the second night he went to bed with minimal protest. Tonight was really the only other night that we have had difficulties getting Christopher to stay in bed and we really didn't have that much trouble.

I'm still unwilling to declare victory (call me superstitious) but each night that Christopher sleeps in his car bed I get a little more confident that we've successfully completed the transition.

Car Bed - Posted by Chris

Well, we've made the leap from crib to toddler bed. The first day has been, well let's say, not perfect.

You might ask why we are making this change now, since we really weren't having any problems with Christopher sleeping in his crib. We had considered borrowing a crib from Lisa's parents, however when Ian arrives Lisa will most likely have another C-section and after his birth she will not be able to lift Christopher into and out of his crib. Moving him into his car bed was our only option (short of hiring a nanny). Starting now, 3 months before Ian's birth, seems like the best time.

Christopher could not find any reason to take a nap in this new bed today, despite the fact that he was quite excited about moving his Little Tikes car bed into his room. We tried without success for over an hour but the longest he stayed in bed was about 10 minutes. Nap time ended with Christopher running around the upstairs free from the crib walls that used to hold him.

Bedtime brought on even more challenges as a very tired Christopher cried at the top of the stairs (stair gate in place) and called for 'Mama'. After an unsuccessful attempt by me to get him to stay in bed (usually I'm pretty successful at getting him to lay down and fall asleep), Lisa ended up sitting in the glider as Christopher drifted off in his bed. Christopher has been asleep for about 30 minutes. Lisa and I are holding our collective breath and hoping for the best.

Fo Found - Posted by Chris

This just in, after an "extensive" search of two locations, Scoop was found behind Nanny's computer desk. We are still uncertain as to how he got there (wink wink) however initial reports indicate that a little boy may have been involved in his disappearance. Christopher's reaction was lukewarm at best however a reunion is set for this Friday.

Stay tuned for more breaking news.

SU-uh-da - Posted by Chris

Listening to your child learn to speak has to be one of the greatest thrills of parenthood. It ranks right up there with watching him first learn to walk. Words can not describe the joy in discovering that your toddler can (almost) communicate with the world.

Christopher’s speech is growing in leaps and bounds. One big improvement is that he is now trying to repeat words even if he’s unsure of how to pronounce them. Until recently, he only had a few words and wouldn’t try anything new.

While Christopher is learning to speak, Lisa and I are learning how to understand what he is saying. If you are a parent or even if you’ve watched small children communicate with their parents, you’ll understand that there is a language that is unique between parent and child. I used to be amazed at how my sister would instantly understand what my niece or nephew was saying while their words were foreign to me. Now I understand.

Tonight while reading bedtime stories, I asked Christopher what book he wanted me to read. He replied, “SU-uh-da.” I was a bit confused at first, but with Lisa’s help we discovered that he was saying “Super Grover” (Grover’s superhero personality on Sesame Street). We don’t have any books about Super Grover though we do have some with regular Grover. As I read the Sesame Street book, Christopher pointed out every time he found “Su-uh-da” on the page. He was happy because he was able to tell us what he wanted and we were happy because our little boy is learning to talk.

As Lisa laid him in his crib, Christopher rolled to his side and repeated “SU-uh-da, SU-uh-da” to himself over and over while she descended the stairs.

Lost Fo - Posted by Chris

Today Christopher spent the day at Nanny and Papa's house as he does every day that both Mom and Dad have to work. He took along his "Bob Guys" which travel with him almost every trip. "Bob Guys" are die-cast versions of the Bob the Builder machines. Christopher absolutely loves these little vehicles.

When it came time to go home, we discovered that two Bob Guys were missing; Scoop and Scrambler. Nanny, Papa, Mama and Daddy all searched the house but with no luck, the Guys were lost. We decided we would have to go home and hope for the best.

On the trip home, Christopher would say, "Fo" (his word for Scoop) every few minutes. Lisa explained to him that we couldn't find Scoop but Nanny and Papa would look for him tomorrow. Christopher never cried but for most of the trip home he asked for "Fo" and from the tone of his voice we could tell that he was concerned.

We are pretty confident that Fo, I mean Scoop, will turn up and if he doesn't we can always buy a new one. Meanwhile Christopher is asleep probably dreaming about playing with his Bob Guys especially Fo.