We're going to look at a house!

I've been getting e-mails on every house that's gone on the market in our elementary school attendance area, but this one is the first one that I've felt compelled to go and check out. It's bigger. It's on a cul-de-sac. It's got a nice yard, from what I can see from the street. And the price is dropping rapidly. So, we're going to look at it Friday afternoon. I'll keep everyone posted!

Who's this big guy?

He's been a little sick the past couple of days. And now Daddy and Emilyn have it too. Being the only healthy one is fun! I've got to keep snarking down Cold-Eze. But he sure looks cute, doesn't he? And I actually got him to look at the camera!

Name that vine

When we got back from our vacation, we found this strange visitor in our flower bed. And soon, it will take over completely. What do you think? Pumpkin? That would make sense, since we often carve our jack o'lanterns in the front yard... Watermelon? I'm holding out hope for cucumber.

DropShots down, being rebuilt

I'm not too nervous... yet. But you will notice that all my DropShots photos are gone, for the time being. Many of you out there who have gone the DropShots route will notice this, too. They say, on their blog, that they're updating with many brand new features... and it does look really cool! I'm just hoping everything will still be there when it comes back. Keep your fingers crossed!

My second effort

I made a montage of our trip to the Statue of Liberty, to post on Laurie's blog... Everyone else can get a look at it here: (Clicking the picture will bring you to a full-size version of the movie...)


Lady Liberty

No stopping me now!

I'm a montage producer! I'm mad with creative power! This is the most fun I've had since Media Design at SLU. And man, that was a long time ago, with some seriously outdated technology. Hope you all enjoy this! I think there may be many more to come!

Taking it to the next level

My friend just did a musical montage of her son, who just turned 1. It was the sweetest thing... And I want to do it too! So, stay tuned for what comes after I play around with that for a while!

Allen's wish list

Coolest thing, and you can do it on amazon.com... I created a "wish list" for Allen's birthday. So anyone can take a look at it and see the kinds of things he's into... It all started because I wanted to go and look up two of his favorite library books so we can add them to our permanent collection. So, they're on this list, along with a few other things we think he'll like... More to come, maybe, as we keep browsing. Anyway, to get there, just click on the button:

Purple, plastic... and perfect!

Our new kiddie pool is hitting the spot with these kiddies. We got it at Target. It's from a company called Summer Escapes, and it's made right here in the U.S.A.!

To play with, we've got squirting duckies, cups for filling and spilling, and a wind-up lobster! Emilyn had tons of fun pretending she was the top doc on "Lobster Rescue 911." Ask her what she does when it's "powerless."

In our new pool

Markers, au naturel

The boy has been beaten down lately. Henpecked by two parents AND one big sister. "No, Allen." "Put that down, Allen." "Don't throw that, Allen!"

One thing he's always wanted to do is play with Emilyn's markers. But, just as he has about so much else, all he's heard is "No, no, NO!" So Mommy decided to give the beleaguered boy a break, strip him down to his diaper, plop him in the back yard and let him go hog wild with markers.

I first considered a rule: Put the cap back on each marker and put it back when you're done. Then I thought, NO! The poor boy can't hack all these rules! Just let him go. And so he did. And later, in the tub, all the marker came clean, except for a few stubborn smudges of purple.

Free expression

All aboard!

Anyone with little kids should know about the Wabash, Frisco & Pacific, a scale railroad in Glencoe that runs through the woods along the Meramec River. It's just the coolest thing. We've been there several times since Emilyn was little, but this was a first for Allen. And we brought along another train fan, Wyatt, who invited his mom and dad and baby brother, Will. Steve rode his bike to meet us there. Wyatt had the train whistle, and we choo-choo'd our way through a great afternoon!

Take a ride on the Wabash, Frisco & Pacific

Who's-a so big?

And sticky?

"Eat peanuts!"

Allen's first sentence. And, just for Aunt Laurie, he can now say "M&Ms." That one didn't take him any time at all, really!

Rockin' on the river

Bruce Hornsby, live on the levee! Under the Arch and under the stars. And all free.

As you may know, Bruce sometimes takes requests from fliers and signs people put up on stage. So Emilyn and I each made one. But the show was really short, and he didn't play our songs. Rats. We even got down to the front row for a few songs! We met some nice guys who were waiting to hear "Fortunate Son." They got their wish!

The fireworks were quite a show, too. On our way out, we climbed to the top of the levee -- twice! And traffic was a total mess, but luckily, park rangers on Trek bikes with flashing lights were there to save the day.



Awesome show! A great mother-daughter night on the riverfront.

Bruce Hornsby, under the Arch