That special booth at Chevy's

I just realized... we were sitting in the same booth today where I finally told Steve 8 years ago about my plan to *finally, really, I mean it this time* lose weight (I eventually lost 55 pounds). And today, Allen got up from that booth and... used the potty away from home! For the first time! It's the resolution and evolution booth! I think we may ask to sit there next time, too.

Allen, behind the lens

So, Allen got a try with my camera at the airport... Call it his "Cone Series"... He did a good job, once I explained to him that he should wait until he sees what he wants to take a picture of before he presses the button... Hope you enjoy this look at what a 3-year-old sees!

Liberty Belle and Ballwin Days "carnible"

The weather breaks! It felt absolutely gorgeous today, after nine days straight in the 90s.

Let's head out to the tarmac at Spirit airport, then, to see the B-17 Liberty Belle, on tour for rides and general public admiring. (A few years ago, Daddy paid $400 to ride in Aluminum Overcast, another B-17... so we decided to forgo a ride on this one. But a boy can still dream...)

We took some video of its engines running up, and of it taking off, and some pictures of the beautiful bomber flying over the mini-malls of the Chesterfield Valley... to see those and more, click here.

Allen also took a turn behind the camera... I'll put a slideshow of his work in another post.

After that, Daddy dropped us off at the "carnible" to ride the rides and eat some foods that are bad for us...


Allen is a perfect speaker... except for those words he finds funnier to misprounounce. "Tormado" is one. So is "carnible." So, today Daddy asked, "What would happen if a tormado hit the carnible?" Allen thinks this is a laff riot.

Big props to Emilyn for doing such a good job on the walk home... 2 miles! It was cool, but deceptively so, because we were still walking home in the high sun of late June. Still, we are very glad for an end to the heat.

Ballwin Days parade

Got to get out before it gets too hot... Was supposed to be 100 on Saturday, but the Ballwin Days parade stepped off promptly at 9 a.m., so that wasn't too bad.

I tried to keep Allen in my shadow so he wouldn't get too hot... One of the floats came by handing out freezer pops, so that was ideal... Emilyn raked in a haul of candy, coupons and other free stuff.

It must be the only parade in the world with a Falun Gong group, a giant shopping cart, a walking toner cartridge and Shriners on cooler cars.

To see it all, from the ridiculous to the sublime, click here.

Steve's off-road rash

Steve took a short roll down a long hill today while mountain biking at Castlewood State Park... Then he rode all the way home! He scrubbed the heck out of his leg, then woke me up, gently, from my nap and asked me, nicely, to go to Walgreens for him and get him major first aid supplies for this major off-road rash!



We used a whole roll of tape on this first dressing... Gotta go back and get more if we're going to wrap it again tomorrow!

Busy (and hot) summer

Well, our days since vacation have been pretty packed... Allen is using the potty, kind of! He has been, anyway, for five days now, but just a few times a day. He still likes the devil-may-care safety of his diaper... but he is keeping it dry much of the time while he's awake. So, we are very encouraged.

Emilyn is busy in summer school with her art class. Today she walked out in this excellent Mexican ensemble that she made...


She has a pool party coming up for Scouts, and then Parkway arts camp and strings camp. First day of school, Aug. 17, will be comin' around before you know it!

Father's Day was... interesting. I had to work, and Allen picked that day to be truly impossible to deal with. Not the best present for Daddy. But we did get him great presents... a rechargeable flashlight (mostly from Allen, who runs all the other lights out of batteries) and a two-burner skillet for making pancakes (mostly from Emilyn, who prefers them to waffles). Yummm!

All this, as Mommy tries to get some exercise in this punishing heat! The high temperature in St. Louis, as recorded for the last 7 days... Starting with today and going backward: 96, 97, 94, 92, 95, 94, 93. Ewwwww. No end in sight.

As always, it's good to be home

Well, it was a long drive from Columbus to St. Louis, but we made it. We recovered Tiger and Flicky from Sarah W.'s house, and gave the Wandersees treats from Hershey for taking care of our crawfish for 10 days.

We celebrated Daddy's birthday with lots and lots of meat at Bacana Brasil. (Cool video if you click.) He even got a free banana pudding for dessert.

And it's back to work, back to the routine. But I do hope you enjoy the chronicles of our latest big adventure... This one was marked, in particular, by many visits with many wonderful people we hadn't seen in many years. Also AshFest, Flight 93 site... Definitely some sort of theme there. Saying goodbye, saying hello again... Who knows? But, to each and every one of you who made this trip a special one, thank you.

To see all of our posts about the trip, use the "Vacation: June 2009" tag on the left side of the page, or click here.

A truly American tale: Flight 93, then an indoor water park

So, we were motoring west on the Pennsylvania Turnpike... Not liking the exorbitant tolls, but surely appreciating how much nicer it is to ride across southern PA rather than northern... I glanced at the map and said to Steve: "You'll never guess what's right over there." I pointed north. "Shanksville."

That's how it starts for us Critchlows... A little pink dot on the map. This one said, "Flight 93 National Memorial Site." Pretty close to the turnpike, as the crow flies, but about 20 miles over back roads to get there.

So, we asked the toll attendant when we got off the 'pike, and I guess we weren't the first, because he handed us a pre-printed pamphlet with directions. And off we went, not knowing what to expect.

Well, heading over a rise, you see some of the most breathtaking scenery southern Pennsylvania has to offer. Miles of rolling hills in every direction. And a little shack. And a row of porta-potties. And a gravel parking area, filled with cars and lots of motorcycles.

And memorials... Some makeshift, some more formal. Granite markers. A towering wooden cross. Little wooden angels, all in a row, representing each of the passengers and crew. And, on a chain-link and wooden fence, dozens and hundreds of flags, caps, toys, coins, hair ties... You name it. Whatever's in people's pockets, they feel compelled to leave behind, in tribute.

And it's a real national park now, so there's a real ranger there. She gave a talk about Sept. 11 in general, and Flight 93 in particular, which is gut-wrenching to hear. It affected all of us, especially Emilyn, who was struck by the horror of the passengers' last moments. Allen, of course, didn't understand why all this cool stuff was just lying around, and he couldn't touch any of it!


We left behind a few things of our own... Emilyn had made a red, white and blue bracelet, and she tied it to the fence... Someone had left a Springfield Cardinals baseball cap, so we attached one of Grammy's piggy pins to it. She would have liked that, I think.

So, yeah, now it's just a shack, some benches and a few porta-potties. But the permanent memorial they have planned sounds absolutely beautiful. You will have to walk quite a distance to get to the site, following the final flight path of the plane, and there will be a tall tower with wind chimes, one for each of the passengers and crew. The chimes are meant to represent their voices. The crash site is their final resting place... The county coroner felt very strongly that the crater should just be filled in and marked forever as a mass grave. We will definitely go back when the permanent memorial is complete... And, hey, I think all of you should, too!

Well, that was enough angst for one day... I turned to my family and said, "Let's go enjoy some good ol' American freedom." And what says that better than driving hundreds of miles to... and indoor water park!

Next stop, Fort Rapids resort in Columbus, Ohio. Daddy had stayed here for an air show a few years ago, and he thought it would be a good treat and a nice stop on the way home.


I'll say! Just look at that place! Daddy even braved the giant water slides that wind their way outside the building and then back in. No thanks, Mommy said! Emilyn and Daddy stood under the giant bucket, which warns you it's going to tip by sounding a giant, water-powered bell. Emilyn and Allen got to sleep in rustic little bunk beds right in the room.

In all, a busy, grueling, moving, fun day. For all the pictures from Shanksville and Fort Rapids, click here.

The sweetest place on Earth (or, in which the Trap meets the Gang)

Ooooohh. A dream come true for me: Hershey, Pa.!

Because we wanted to meet up with my friend Stacy and her family, and give the kids a treat (wink-wink, OK, me), we made plans to stay Friday in Hershey, "The Sweetest Place on Earth."

Whoa, it is way cool. From the Kisses streetlights (some wrapped, some unwrapped), to the twin tall smokestacks... And that something in the air... We went on the Chocolate World virtual factory tour, drooled over the Reese's display, bought way too much candy in the gift shop, got real Hershey's chocolate milk and cookies...

Then we rode the trolley and thrilled to the tale of Milton Hershey (gotta go back and see his new museum!).

The trolley ride was fun... a whole tale on its own. To see our pictures from the day (and read the captions), click here.

So, some of you know the story... Out of the blue a few years ago, I got an e-mail from an old friend... in the Canary Islands, of all places!

Babies and websites and e-mails have followed... Even tech-support phone calls to her husband in Germany! We've gotten close all over again. But Friday, Stacy and I saw each other again for the first time since ninth grade... 23 years... and it was truly great. Again, it seemed like no time had passed. And, yes, we showed up wearing the same exact shoes!



Trevor is a total doll, too... but Allen's worst nightmare! The gleefully extroverted meets the staunchly anti-social! Hilarity ensues! They did OK in the end, though... And baby Sarah was as sweet as a dream.

It was so great to see all of them. We thank the Garbo Gang for delicious pizza dinner (in hot and sunny Mr. Sorrento's) and for driving all that way to see us... Maybe another meet-up in Hershey next time?

Catching up with some Crabbes

On Thursday, we visited with Steve's Uncle Fred and Aunt Sandy in Englewood, N.J., a great little town just north of the George Washington Bridge. Fred and Sandy live right in the center of it all... Imagine a little mini-city, where everything you need is just steps from your door.

We walked down the street to lunch at the Blue Moon Mexican Cafe, where I had the most wonderful steak and avocado wrap. They had the best item ever on the kids menu... Noodles with butter! Allen was pleased.

Then, another little stroll to the gelato shop... Of course, in fine Crabbe fashion, Fred and Sandy know every proprietor by name and make everyone feel warm and welcome! I had a delicious mix of maple-ginger snap and hazelnut gelato... Very tasty and lots of fun.

Then, another short walk to the toy store, where a very friendly little girl clamped on to Allen... I managed to restrain myself from buying a Playmobil shark cage... Allen got Rheneas, a narrow-gauge engine from the Thomas world, and Emilyn got stickers and bracelets. Thanks, Fred and Sandy, for lunch, treats, gifts and a truly wonderful visit. It was so good to see you both!

After an interlude of Czech food (Zlata Praha sauerbraten, direct from Astoria!) and birthday angel food cake for Daddy, we ran off in a pouring rain to rendezvous with Steve's Uncle Bill and cousin Caitlin. Again, we haven't seen them since Emilyn was a baby! As Allen slurped jelly from little packets and Caitlin tried to down a chocolate shake and a huge piece of cake, we reminisced a little -- over Emilyn's sniffles. She was sick and Allen was tired, so we had to cut it short. But it was a great visit.

Facebook lunch, and Ellen's pool

So, I've been wasting time on Facebook for a few years now... Virtual gardens, virtual bookshelves, word game after word game... But was it really wasted time? Because I got back in touch with so many good friends from high school.

The trip back to Pearl River afforded the perfect opportunity to get together with some of them for lunch -- as many as could make it. Thanks so much to Kathy for volunteering to host, Eileen for driving all the way from Orange County, Sarah for whipping up some tasty treats, and Linda for rushing to get there, even after an emergency trip to the dentist! As Kathy said, it truly felt like no time had passed... except there were all these cute children running around! Surely, they had to be somebody's... but ours?!? Not possible!

I guess we must be moms, because we all shared childbirth stories, potty training stories... And, gosh, we have 13 kids between the five of us!!! Seriously, it was really great to see the girls, and I can't wait to do it again. I just wish everyone would come to St. Louis next time!!

Kathy's house is right around the corner from Ellen's, so Allen and I zipped over there after lunch (immediately followed by dinner... Did I mention how much I ate on this trip?!?).

A little cold and cloudy, but the kids would not be deterred: Pool! Of course, Aunt Ellen had to get the best shot of Farah and Allen together... We've been taking one every summer since they were babies. Here's the latest:



Click here to see Allen and Farah over the years.

So many good pictures, but here are the best of the best... For all the rest, click here.

Leaving Pymatuning

So, it was time to say farewell to our house on Winding Way... and its many antlers... and head across Pennsylvania to Steve's grandparents' house. That long, long drive on I-80 is always a joy. Not. We texted back and forth to Laurie to track each other's progress (she got to stop at a quilt store to break up the monotony)... and we finally rolled into the New York metro area around 4:30 p.m. Great ride on I-287 brought us close to Grammy's old stomping grounds... (and those of the Jonas Brothers).

For other pictures in and around the Winding Way cottage, click here.

Uncle Train, and assorted other creatures

Sunday morning, more yummy breakfast, and the decision was made (mostly for the benefit of Uncle Train and Allen) to head down to Greenville, Pa., to see the big steam engine that the Critchlows and Waddells spied on the way up to the lake.

Darn, the place wasn't open, but we were free to scramble around and on the train cars... and take plenty of pictures.

Then, much hemming and hawing about what to do next, but the choice was made to pile into the cars and head to the Pymatuning Deer Park, another roadside attraction of the kind that's always worth a Critchlow look!

Well, it was pretty neat! Lots of feeding and petting opportunities for the little (and not so little) ones... and, of course, a train ride!

It was nearing time to close the book on AshFest and say goodbye to Lake Pymatuning... And, once again, lots of pictures were taken! We came from every corner of the Eastern U.S., and we never know when we'll all be in the same place at the same time again!

Here's one last look at our trip to Pymatuning:

The famous Spillway, and AshFest '09

Saturday morning dawned at Lake Pymatuning, and we all converged on Chase Drive for a famous Waddell pancake extravaganza. Aunt Laurie promised Allen a train pancake, and shoot if she didn't deliver!

The next logical step was piling everyone into the cars and heading to the Linesville Spillway, "where the ducks walk on the fish's backs." (You may remember, three years ago, when the Crabbes first visited.) This was the place that Mom and Dad had wanted us to see... the reason we'd decided to spread their ashes in the lake here. (No, we did not feed them to the fish!)

Here's a slideshow of the best images (from four different cameras!) from the Spillway:



After a break and some rest (and a trip to Sparkle for some essential supplies), it was time for the main event: AshFest. (Here's what I needed to get at Sparkle... wine, root beer, a cooler, ice, Bugles, french onion dip, bumpy donuts... just some of Mom and Dad's favorite snacks and drinks!)

I also was preparing my remarks for the event... I'm in charge of words, you know. My "eulogy" went a little something like this:

"I guess it's safe to say we're all here because of love. Larry and Betty Lou gave us life and then showed us how to live it: Fueled by curiosity, fun, good humor and love.

We're here in this out-of-the-way place, at the corner of two pink highways, on the crack of the map. Most people would be perfectly happy to live and die and never see a place like this. But Mom and Dad couldn't stand the thought of us missing it.

They're gone now, but we feel them with us every day: In all the little things we do. In their grandkids and great-grandkids. And when we happen upon places like this.

So here is where we leave them, and we hope that, wherever they are, they're laughing their asses off.

Thanks for everything, Mom and Dad."

There we all were, in our rented pontoon boats, in the lee of a nice little island, feeling generally silly and hoping no one could see us... And we opened those boxes that had been on Laurie's shelf for three years... and we scattered the ashes in the water, followed by wine, root beer, spare change, Bugles and wildflowers. And we whooped it up to the strains of Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass.

And I think they probably were laughing their asses off.

Here's a slideshow of all the best images from AshFest:

Get to Pymatuning, however you can

It was a long day of driving for the Crabbes, but we rolled into Andover, Ohio, right around 2 p.m. -- 2 hours early for our meet-up with Laurie and Bill and our check-in at Pymatuning Cottages. So, we sat down for a little lunch at perennial Daddy favorite, Covered Bridge Pizza. He got a new blue T-shirt to replace his over-chlorinated green one.

Cell phone reception is spotty, at best, in this corner of northeast Ohio, but we gathered from Laurie, between the static, that the Waddells were all present and accounted for, half-hour away or so, in Greenville, Pa. Bill and the rest of the Critchlows, however, were AWOL.

So, the Crabbes and Waddells met up on schedule at Winding Way, admittedly a tough place to find... Much Critchlow-style hilarity ensued, culminating with Derek on the phone with Bill and me running into the street to flag them down.

It all ended fine, also the Critchlow way, and we gathered for dinner at Chase Drive, Laurie's cottage... Derek barbecues a mean hamburger. The houses were all neat, and Laurie's was perfect for gathering... with its lake views and giant deck. There was lots of laughter, so-cute kids of every size and hugs all around. And toe paint-jobs were compared....

And man, pictures were taken! For all of the Waddells' photos of the day, click here. For mine, click here.

All the Wright stuff

Our first stop on vacation was that ol' standby, Dayton, Ohio. We are frequent guests of the new Comfort Suites, right across from the Air Force Museum. At the museum, we saw the experimental hangar and the collection of presidential aircraft, including the Air Force One jet that carried JFK's body home from Dallas, and on which LBJ was sworn in as president. Here, Steve is thinking big thoughts with President Eisenhower:

This year, we did a lot of other cool stuff in Dayton, too... Like the Wright Cycle Shop and the Huffman Prairie Flying Field interpretive center, where Emilyn and Steve got to try a Wright Flyer simulator! Cool!

A new tradition (now in its second year): European food at the Amber Rose in an old Dayton neighborhood... I had chicken paprikash over tons and tons of yummy spaetzel... MMMM! Just thinking about it makes me drool...

To see all the pictures from our time in Dayton, click here.

Grammy would be proud

Have to clean the house before we head out on vacation... Just hate coming home to a dirty house! So depressing!

Emilyn got in on the act... Tackling the sink with a toothbrush! Grammy would be so proud...