Cheers!

All the best to you in the new year!

And to All a Good Night

 I had a pretty awesome day.

 I got exactly what I asked for: bongos!

 Ben made a cameo appearance.

 Near the end of the day, I asked, "Do we have more presents to open?"

The answer was no, to which I responded, "Good, 'cause I'm tired."  I'm told these are words that have never before been spoken by a child on Christmas.  In the event, I shall fall asleep in my new tent.  Good night!

A Couple of Grinches

I ran up behind the Grinch at our local farmers market on Sunday.  That guy had no idea I was there, mocking his one-thumb suck with my two-finger one.

Parkin' It

                                                                                                                         photos courtesy of Uncle Scott

We took Uncle Scott to a park we'd never been to before, just in case he tried to embarrass us in some way. 

It turned out he acted kind of normal, we had a blast, and we discovered a new place to add to our list of favorites.

That Special Time of Year

 Yep, Santa's been making the rounds, promoting gift-getting and candy-eating.  Ben didn't really care for this photo-op business, but I did OK.  And I dropped off some canned goods for the local food bank.

I asked Santa for bongo drums because I've been pretty good all year.  I hope he was paying attention.

All Ben asked for was to get off Santa's lap.

Dance Fever

 So, the other day, I put on my dancing socks and busted some moves when nobody was around.

If you've got it, flaunt it, is what I say.  Actually, I was running a temperature and could barely stand to have any clothes on.

 Truth be told, I prefer a highland jig and my sister's Disney princesses water bottle.  

A man can work up a mighty thirst out on the dance floor.  

(I'm sure one day I'll look back at these photos and laugh ... and laugh ... and laugh.)

Happy Thanksgiving!

 I'm thankful for my laundry hamper.

 It's my go-to place when I need to get away from the hectic demands of the outside world.

 Sometimes I find there's a big, old, scary monster inside, so I try to keep my distance.

Otherwise, it's just my happy place.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Earning My Keep

 Sometimes I can be a real helper around the house.  I don't get an allowance; I just do it because it makes me feel good.

 One of my specialties is sorting the laundry.

 No more dirty clothes in here.  My work is done.

 When I'm finished cleaning my room, I like to climb on stuff to get a better view of my handiwork.

I know some people get nervous when I do that sort of thing, so I do it when nobody's looking.  Hah!

Cleaning Up

Today, I went to a party celebrating my friend Daniel's first birthday.  It was awesome.  The festivities were in the backyard, but we found all these cool toys in the side alley.

We'd never seen anything like these toys before, and there was at least one for each kid.

We played a game that was kind of like hockey, but there was no puck.

Instead, the goal was to push any leaves or dirt that we found on the ground into piles to be picked up later and put in the trash.  It was wild!

 And totally worth it, 'cause we got to hang out with our friends and eat cupcakes all morning.

Places to Go, People to See

"Houston, we have a problem."

Runaway Train

 I got this sweet set of wheels for my birthday.

 I've been motoring all over the house.  Come aboard!

But watch out!  The way I drive, you might fall off.

Best Day of the Year

 It doesn't get any better than Halloween.  Dressing in costume.  Hanging with friends.  Eating candy.

Yep. Nothing better.

So, I headed over to Big Zoe's part of town for some good, old-fashioned trick-or-treating.  Zoe dressed as Sofia the First, and I was Angelina Ballerina.  Later, I traded my mouse ears for a tiara and became Amber, Sofia's step-sister.

Zoe's little brother was Clark Kent, Man of Steel.  He was spot on.

Zoe and I had the run of the neighborhood, free of the encumbrance of parents.

We had to move fast to collect as much candy as possible before bedtime arrived.

Ben did his share of running, too.

Dinosaur down! Don't worry, he was fine.

Best day ever!  How soon 'til next Halloween?

Winners Winning!

 I know it looks like I'm trying to sell you a television, but I was really excited to watch the Red Sox play the Cardinals in game six of the World Series tonight.  I mean really excited.  If I could just tear myself away from that movie about ponies I was watching on Netflix....

 Ben adjusted the rabbit ears, so we wouldn't miss a moment of the game.  He's really good at fiddling with things.

 I got nervous being so close to my favorite player, Big Poopie, even though he was actually 3000 miles away.  I always want him to get a hit.  And most times he does!  ("M-V-P! M-V-P!")

 Ben felt bad for the Cards' starting pitcher, Michael Wacha, who had a rough night.  That was a lot of pressure to put on a kid.

Ben was asleep by the time the game was over, but he celebrated during dinner, knowing in his heart that the Red Sox would be World Champions when he awoke the next morning.  Sweet dreams, little buddy.

A Walk in the Park

 Can I get anyone a cocktail?  

Oh, I kid.  I can't serve you alcohol in a public park!