The Great Critchlow Road Trip rolls into town

My brother and sister are here!

I knew for a while that Bill would be coming... his narrow-gauge railroad convention is in town this year. I got several days off in a row for the occasion. When I found out that he was coming by himself, I dropped the suggestion that Laurie should come with him.

Well, because Laurie was scheduled to be in South Fork the weekend before, it really worked out just right. Bill, who had spent a week traveling in DC, Maryland and Pennsylvania, picked up Laurie in South Fork, in his brand new Subaru, and the pair of them headed here -- straight through! Stopping to shop for quilts and candles, of course...

Festival of Nations

Daddy had technical difficulties with his bike, so we decided to head down to Tower Grove for the Festival of Nations, a celebration held every year by the International Institute of St. Louis.

They have dancers and storytellers and musical acts and crafts from dozens of countries, but the really big attraction is the food. Food booths featuring the cuisine of some 40 different countries.

We had dishes from Africa, the Philippines, India... Sweet empanadas from Mexico... You name it. Senegal, I think, had the longest line! We had some great chicken from there. Allen really loved the mango juice we got from an Indian booth. Here, of course, he is pictured enjoying a good ol' American lollipop, provided by Boeing.

The park was totally packed, making for some memorable shuttle rides! But everything was really delicious, and we had a lot of fun. Let's hear it for exploring the flavors of the world!

Swimmy goes to school

It's Allen's favorite day of the year! Stuffed Animal Day!

He gets really excited about Swimmy getting to go to school. This year, a few days before, he asked me if I knew how it felt to be so happy about something that you felt like crying. Yes, I do, buddy. "That's how I feel about Stuffed Animal Day," he said.

Many of the boys in Allen's class had Build-A-Dinos from the Science Center... But none of those were quite as huggable, in my humble opinion, as that floppy little shark. Love you, Swimmy! Hope you had a fun day at school!

Makin' it and bakin' it

When we went to Hobby Lobby, I decided to check and see whether they still made Makit and Bakit, the challenging craft from our childhood where you pour tiny plastic crystals into a metal suncatcher, then bake it in the oven until the crystals melt.

Well, sure, they still make them! And Allen and Emilyn had a good time with their creations... Much less frustration than I remember!

Allen got a planet (of course), and Emilyn got a butterfly with flowers. Technology has advanced since I was a kid... Emilyn's crystals had sparkles, and Allen's glowed in the dark! Coooool!

They were pretty proud of their finished products!

Grasshopper PDAs

Sorry, but I just can't resist a good nature shot... And they let me get so close!

Hey, if they wanted privacy, they shouldn't have been doing it on top of the air conditioner at Spirit of St. Louis Airport!

Last hurrah at Manchester pool

Last day before school starts... The weather is simply perfect. Let's go to the pool!

Trouble is, the Ballwin pool has already gone to their school-year hours. Bah! So we headed to the Manchester pool instead. For a few dollars more (nonresident rate), it was well worth it to have one last hurrah of summer.

We were there for about three hours... plenty of time for Emilyn to get a very pink face (she forgot to sunscreen it!). Allen just has red blotches on his face where he wiggled when I applied sunscreen. Aloe gel all around!

It really was a perfect day. Emilyn and Sarah spent much time going down the slides... Allen and Daddy played "crab" and "barnacle" -- and Daddy, wearing his Blue Angels shirt, with another Blue Angels shirt dry in the bag waiting to change into, actually saw the real Blue Angels flying over the pool. Sounds about right!

The future sixth-graders got their pick of a late lunch... McDonald's, of course!

School starts tomorrow. It really was one amazing summer.

Friends - new and old - at preschool

Preschool open house was Friday morning... It was great to see our teachers and some old friends: Ava, Seda, Aditi and some others are making the return this year with Allen.

But we met some new friends, too! And Nick (pictured above), I must say, shows great promise. He likes the science center, and was wearing dino Silly Bandz! He's a good talker and a good sharer... And, it appears that he just might get his hair cut at the same place as Allen! (heeheehee)

Allen found his new cubby, a few down and over from the old one, and saw that Ms. Kim had given him some graham cracker snacks and a bottle of bubbles. Of course, the bean table made its appearance... No place like the sensory table for breaking the ice among preschoolers. Allen also reacquainted himself with the reading and writing centers...


There are 18 in the red class this year. An early concern: A couple new, really little kids. I get the feeling they'll be making quite the scene as they try to get adjusted to classroom life. I have no doubt we'll be hearing many stories about those guys and girls!

When it was time to go, I told Allen to go give Ms. Kim and Ms. Marlene hugs... and he actually did it! Wow. You could tell they realized what a rare and special moment that was!

First day of preschool is Wednesday.

Getting to know Southwest

It's been a busy week, getting ready for school. On Thursday night, we attended the open house for parents of incoming sixth-graders.

Emilyn and Allen came along, of course. We heard the principal and the PTO give their spiels. Then we went off to spend a (very) few minutes in each of Emilyn's classes with each of her teachers.

The cavernous Commons area at Southwest Middle.
It doubles as an auditorium and a cafeteria.
Mr. Bradley seems like a good guy... and very funny. He talked about the Advisory program, which is time at the beginning of the day in a small group (Emilyn's is 11 kids) where he kind of mentors them one-on-one in all their subjects, and they talk about whatever character/growing up issues happen to be on the kids' minds. It seems like a great idea -- and a really good way to ease into a day that, let's face it, starts way too early. Emilyn's school day is 7:05 a.m. to 2:16 p.m. Yes, you read that right!

First period starts about 7:45, with Mr. Bradley and math. Next up is science, with Mrs. Cerutti. Then two periods of language arts, one reading and one writing, with yet another rookie teacher, Ms. Lautenschlager. World geography with Mrs. Brauss... Health and PE with Ms. Stricklin... Future Pathways class is a rotation of business, home economics, visual arts, drama, technology... Emilyn starts off with business. And then orchestra, with Ms. Lueken, rounds out the day.

You can get a good look at all the Explorers teachers here. (And check up on Emilyn's homework for the week!)

Then, on Friday, Emilyn went back for a morning of orientation, which included her first bus ride to Southwest. The stop is all the way down at the bottom of our hill. I was not allowed down there, but I did lurk halfway up the hill, behind a tree.



Pretty! Stylish! Smart! Confident!
Normally, the bus will be coming at 6:56. Eeeek! The route takes them up Cleta and out to pick up some former Oak Brook kids. She met her Advisory classmates and got her locker... No. 37!

She's ready to go. Tuesday is the big day!

Mommy's favorite words

I guess it all started with me gasping with joy, telling my children how much I love the word "OK." I told them it was my very favorite word. It means they listened to me and are prepared to do what I said, with no argument whatsoever!

But Allen is obsessed with ranking things, and so he wants to know what my second-favorite word is. And so on. The other day, he even asked what my 10th-favorite word is! Sheesh! Anyway, the Top 5 is something like this:

1. OK
2. Love
3. Mommy
4. Beach
5. Chocolate

Now the funnest thing we do is make sentences out of these five words. "OK, I love you, chocolate beach Mommy!" "Have some chocolate at the beach, Mommy! OK? I love you!" Emilyn tried this: "You're OK, Mommy, but I love the beach! And chocolate!" Now wait a minute... We decided quickly that, because "but" is my least favorite word, that it immediately poisons any sentence, even with my favorite words. No but!

Emilyn is an Explorer !

Emilyn got her class schedule today, for sixth grade, and she's been assigned to the Explorer team, with Mr. Bradley, the Explorers' math teacher, as her "adviser," or home room teacher.

The parents' open house is this Thursday, and Emilyn's orientation is Friday from 8:30 to 9:45 a.m. They do everything they can to make sure the kids are not overwhelmed by all the newness on the first day.

She's stocked up on school supplies and fancy (clearance) clothes, and ready to go! And, she's playing with marbles! (Don't ask me. This is just a picture she wanted me to take... She is, though, wearing in this picture the same shirt she wants to wear on the first day of school. Coming Aug. 17!)

Here is another excellent photo of Emilyn... She also wanted a trip to the Magic House, another place Allen and I visited on our Staycation. I didn't take many pictures that day, but I did take this very nice one of Emilyn in the garden swing, under the big tree.

Some shots of Allen being Allen

If you've ever had a conversation with Allen, you know that it's almost always a full-face, full-body performance. The expressions go from impish to pensive to downright amused. And if he's got enough room, there's sure to be some arm-waving, leg kicks and maybe a couple of pirouettes thrown in.

This was in the confines of the car, but you can get at least part of the idea!

Emilyn's trip to Johnson's Shut Ins

One of the trips that Allen and I took on our "Staycation" particularly rankled Emilyn... She hadn't been to Johnson's Shut-Ins since before Allen was born. That's because in December 2005, the AmerenUE reservoir at Taum Sauk mountain breached, sending billions of gallons of water and trees and boulders scouring down the hillside. The park was closed for a while, but just got a revamp and reopened fully this year.

So, on one of two Mondays I have scheduled off work this month, we all piled in the car and headed south on Highway 21. First stop, Elephant Rocks State Park, for a quick climb on the granite boulders. But it was quite hot in the sun, so we headed over to the Shut-Ins.

After a little exploring of the river, we found a cool nook in the rocks by a waterfall, which I dubbed "Crabbe Spa." I could have sat there allll day. Emilyn netted a fish and a tadpole, and Allen and I spied the tiniest little frog! Allen collected a bunch of new rocks with crystals. I only fell twice, once forward and once backward, so I was pretty proud of myself! And Daddy had some well-deserved fun, too! No chigger bites, and minimal sunburn.

For more photos from Emilyn's special trip south, click here.

Sunset at Eugene's Custard

After Mommy worked the day shift, and didn't break the website, it was decided that we could all use a treat. So, we went out to dinner and then to try Eugene's Custard, which has opened next to Whole Foods.

The night was nice, and quite a crowd was gathered at the outside-ordering window... We went inside (jukebox! Daddy played "Wipeout" and then "Fins" for Allen!) and got the flavor of the place. And lots of flavors there were! But the team there has serious workflow issues. Something like chickens with their heads cut off.

Anyway, when Mommy goes off her diet, she goes waaaaayyy off. I had a hot fudge, peanut butter and Reese's concrete. Mmmmm. Allen had vanilla custard with gummy bears. Daddy had a Heath Bar malt. And Emilyn wrestled with a chocolate-dipped cone that was coming apart faster than she could eat it.

Then we went outside just in time to catch a beautiful sunset (goose poop notwithstanding). It's a time of day I rarely get to enjoy! Great evening with my awesome family.

The Pillars of Critchlowism

Turns out there are eight. Who'da thunk it?

Laurie and I had a productive Facebook chat about this today, and we managed to distill our tenets down to these few. Now, of course, these extend to Critchlow spouses as well. As I said in the previous posting, we choose our spouses carefully.

First Pillar: We make things to impress people -- and almost always give them away. (Ask Laurie about our theory of the ape with the grape.)

Second Pillar: We see having kids as a fun experiment.

Third Pillar: We get jazzed by museums and other questionable roadside attractions.

Fourth Pillar: We strive to never be beholden to anyone. (This nicely folds in Caurie's point about the reluctance to ask for or accept help.)

Fifth Pillar: We see jobs as a necessary inconvenience. (This one deftly explains the total lack of career ambition that is rife in this family.)

Sixth Pillar: We believe there is always a bright side. We find it and feel better. If that doesn't work, we try gedunks.

Seventh Pillar: We pick the brains of people around us, then discard them after their initial usefulness. (Ha! This one is pretty antisocial. But it certainly accounts for the ravenous curiosity that is a Critchlow hallmark.)

Eighth Pillar: We eschew authority, because those #$%&*%$ are probably not as smart as us anyway.

It's strange blend of arrogance and a glaring lack of self-esteem, huh? Surely we'd be a boon for therapists everywhere. Except we self-medicate with gedunks and hot baths. And the occasional glass of wine. Take that, psychiatric establishment!

Finished projects !

Well, we went back to the pottery studio today, and Allen's moon was ready to take home. Hooray! He was bouncing with excitement, so it's a good thing we got it. He says it's the best thing he's ever made.

It occured to me that "making stuff to impress people" is one of the Four Pillars of Critchlowism. As I looked at the Waddells' vacation photos, I realized that "getting jazzed by museums and other questionable roadside attractions" would be another. On their paths to enlightenment, Critchlows eventually realize that not everyone is like them. But we marry carefully, so it's OK!

Anybody got any other ideas for Pillars of Critchlowism? It's possible there are more than four. Islam, for instance, has five. Why shouldn't we?

A visit to Bee Tree Park

After a quick stop at the pottery studio, we made an impulse decision to head down Telegraph to Bee Tree Park. It's a beautiful place that has great views of the Mississippi River.

We went down to the Chubb overlook and saw a towboat pushing a barge downriver... Then we headed up to the mansion. The land that is now the park was owned by Southwestern Bell Telephone Company founder, Eugene Nims, who built the mansion in 1929 and used it as a weekend retreat.

Nice fountain, nice rock patio... A beautiful spot to take pictures! Allen even took one of me and Emilyn! (We used the timer to take one, too.) Emilyn cooled her feet off in the fountain. Is it technically "wading" if you don't stand up? I hope not, because the fountain was clearly marked.

For more of our photos from Bee Tree Park, click here.

Projects !

A few days ago, Emilyn was inspired to paint, so we headed south to Glazed and Confused, a pottery studio on Telegraph Road in South County. Fun place; we highly recommend it!

Emilyn chose a dish to paint, and Allen wanted to make a mosaic. Emilyn's dish was glazed and fired and came out great! We have to go back tomorrow to pick up Allen's finished, grouted product.

Consider us honorary Parrotheads

When we say Jimmy Buffett is from L.A., we mean Lower Alabama.

Recently, the singer gave a much-needed shot in the arm to our beloved Alabama Gulf Coast by holding a free concert on the beach in Gulf Shores. Tens of thousands of "Parrotheads" attended. The basic points were to get some warm bodies down there spending money, and to show the world what the beaches really look like after the BP oil spill.

Full disclosure: Jimmy's sister Lucy runs a landmark restaurant in Gulf Shores. No doubt, her business has been hurting. But so have hundreds of other businesses, and at least this celebrity is doing something about the problem. What other celebrity has lifted a finger to help?

Anyway, CMT broadcast an hour and a half of the show, but Jimmy and his friends went and played for four hours. He was backed by a star-studded group of local musicians, young and old, who wanted to express their love of the Gulf Coast and their dismay at this lost season -- both for the fishermen and the tourist trade.

The CMT show wrapped up with this song, which Jimmy retooled for the BP disaster. Not a dry eye on the beach after this, nor in the millions of homes where people were watching. Give a listen. We're all waiting for that day when the coast is clear. (And we're waiting for our One Love One Ocean shirts to come in the mail!)

A sad end for Stander and Kbely

Well, that was fast. I cleaned the tank on Sunday, switched out about half the water... The guppies were happy as heck, but the frogs stopped eating -- and today they both died. So sad!! I really liked those little buggers.

So, back to Petco we go tomorrow to see if we can cash in on the 15-day guarantee... They'll test our water to see if they can blame us, or maybe they'll be nice and give us two new frogs.

And next time, I'll be sure to age that new water at least two days! I guess treating it with tap water conditioner just isn't enough to get rid of the chlorine. Sigh.

A splashin' good time

Tuesday seemed like the perfect day for the pool... A little on the cloudy side, but plenty warm enough, that's for sure! Emilyn asked Sarah to come along, so Allen and I were pool pals this time around. He had his hammerhead shark, and we played Barnacle, "where I attach myself to Mommy's leg."

Emilyn and Sarah spent a lot of time on the slides and in the lazy river. All that fun, and minimal sunburn!

For more pictures from the pool, click here.