Bill Watterson

Via Slate.com:
"On his cartoon blog Zen Pencils, Gavin Aung Than turns inspirational quotes into comic strips. For his newest strip, he illustrated a quote from Bill Watterson’s 1990 speech at Kenyon College in the style of Calvin and Hobbes, which Than considers “the greatest comic strip of all time.” The comic strip below “is basically the story of my life,” Than writes, “except I’m a stay-at-home-dad to two dogs.” You can read more at Zen Pencils, where this comic originally appeared."

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Popsicle Party

     Ru's school had a welcome back popsicle party this morning. All of Ru's classmates were there and they got a good chance to get reacquainted and spend a little time on the playground. She also got to see her new classroom. I went to the same preschool when I was a kid so it was kind of surreal. She is in the same room with the same teacher I had. Seeing it all again jogged my memory and made me relive things I had not thought about in quite some time.
     Sailor will also be attending this year. We are happy that the girls will both be going to the same school. Sailor will only be going 2 days a week for three hours per day but the socialization will be good for her. In an interesting twist, this will give me a couple weekdays where I have a few hours to myself. The lack of socialization for those hours will be really good for me.

Dogs

     There are a handful of dog, or puppy as the girls always say, stuffed animals in the house right now. They are on loan from GG but I fear the day she takes them back. These guys, which carry names from pets we had in the home I grew up in, have become pretty consistent companions and playmates for the girls. They don't always get called by the names GG gave them, sometimes being referred to as "Hooney" and "Booney" or other times as "Mommy" and "Daddy Puppy." They get roped into all sorts of play or sometimes just get to be a nap buddy. I wish I had a nickel for every time I heard the phrase "where's my puppy."
     Its crazy, the attachments children can build with things like this. Whether it is a stuffed animal or a blanket or a plastic toy, these girls seem to really connect emotionally to some of their things. I guess I shouldn't be surprised considering my childhood blanket and favorite bear are both still under my roof. To add to the attachment part, I'm still a little weary of letting the girls play with the latter unsupervised.

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Me too!

     So we are toying with the idea of changing Sailor's name to "Me Too" since approximately 99% of what comes out of her mouth is that phrase. It doesn't matter who is doing something or what they are doing. You are certain to hear quietly thunderous footsteps, see an excited smile and hear "Me too, me too." We usually accommodate her but there are some things, like taking medicine or drinking a beer, that she can't partake in. Occasionally it makes for a little dust up but nothing major. She is a great kid and you can tell she just doesn't want to miss out on anything. I hope she keeps this excitement and passion. I think too many of us forget how to feel this way.

Custom Harley

     Earlier this week before nap time, Ru wanted a new book to read. I asked her if she would like one of daddy's. Contrary to popular belief, I don't have many books that are just pictures but there are a few. I've let her read this one before but thankfully she didn't remember. Funnily enough, the bikes on the cover are all stock but the contents are about some of the older, well known custom bike builders.
     Before I had even left the room, Ru decided when she woke up she would draw a motorcycle and put it into the book for me. Chalking this up to the pre-nap grandiose ramblings of a groggy 4 year old, I honestly didn't think much about it. I finished tucking them in and I left the room.
     When I got back later in the evening, I saw the book on my desk. Thinking maybe she got bored with it and didn't know where to return it to, I grabbed it to put back on the shelf. That was when I noticed the paper peeking out from the cover. Apparently, Ru had enlisted olivia's help to do exactly what she had said she would. According to the wife, she did all the work, taping included. I'm a lucky man with an awesome family. Hopefully her interest in bikes will continue.

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Passing the Buck Failure

     This story is coming through second hand so forgive me if I butcher the details. Ru and Sailor are really into coloring right now and especially markers. They will find a coloring book, choose a page, ask us to rip it out and then spend a little time coloring in whatever is on the page.
      Occasionally, the marker will get on other things. Nothing major, just the couch, the walls, skin, food, etc. My how far we have come. Anyways, olivia was home with them when she noticed a pair of yellow rain boots had received the marker treatment. It was pretty clear to see who the culprit was.
     olivia got onto Ruby and told her to keep the coloring on the paper. Her quick response was that Sailor had done it, not her. Unless we missed a quick advance in Sailor's writing skills and her ability to spell her sister's name, I feel there must be a little fibbing here. I guess its never to early to learn that if you are going to do something against the rules, make sure you don't leave a trace that it was you. At least she has someone to blame things on. As an only child, there were only so many times I could blame the dog before my folks got wise.
 

Mall Carounsel-Final Update and First Look

     Well, much later than the 90 days I was told but better late than never, the Galleria's Carousel has made it back to the mall and is set to open this weekend. Most noticeably and disappointing to me is the lack of base and traditional top. The base that the carousel sat on gave it a greater presence and stature. Without it, the carousel looks smaller. It also gave a better view for non-riding parents to see their children. At floor level, it just seems less grand. And the top? Well this is certainly a different look, exposing the inner-workings may not have been the desire effect but that is what it does and while I guess it looks more modern, is modern really a look you would pair with a carousel? Rides are free all this weekend if you want to go check it out, as we will be.

     The elevators are gone, moved to the recess to the left of the walls shielding she Von Maur facade construction. There is nothing to the elevators now. They are concealed in a wall, a stark contrast to the open, fun and visually appealing nature of the old glass elevators. On my last visit, the new railing was welded up but not painted. Judging by the orange cones, I would guess the day I visited that the paint was still wet.It doesn't look terrible, just very, very different.

     The other thing I noticed on my visit was the addition of these fabric sails and some new lighting. There wasn't much to see on this day but from what I have read online, these are designed to display changing lighting and projections. The article I read on al.com (which I can't find today or I would link) mentioned that they would be used a lot during holidays and football season. In my mind, this means things like virtual snowflakes falling or football games being displayed on them but who knows how close I am to being right. In either case, I am eager to see their intended use.
     It seems the renovations are almost complete so I won't update about this again. Soon, Forever 21 will move out of the food court to the old bottom floor of the old McRae's. Sometime before Black Friday, Old Navy will take that spot and in the same time frame (presumably) Von Maur will open. There are still parts of the mall that are dirty looking, even with new paint and facades applied. My hope is that they are waiting until all the construction is done to give it a good shine and polish. I might be looking a little closer than most but there are some places that really, really need it. 

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Cut me a little slack, I've been on vacation.

Happy Birthday Babe!

 

Happy Birthday Babe!

Mom was kind enough (thank you!!!) to take the kids last night so we started early with dinner at Ruth Chris', dessert at Steak and Shake and beer and DVDs at the house. 

Today she'll get to unwrap her gifts and get a breakfast at IHOP. 

If she ever wakes up that is...