The Crayola Factory

We took an impromptu trip to the Crayola Crayon factory today. The factory is located in Easton, PA, which is located along the New Jersey border not far from "The Northeast Extention" (A PA tollway that runs north and south, connecting I-76 - central and southern PA to I-80 - northern PA and the Poconos).

I have to admit that it was a bit overrated, especially since it was an 1 1/2 hour drive for us to get there along very windy, slow-moving highways, but the kids seemed to enjoy it. We thought that a visit to the Crayola factory would include a tour of the plant...or at least parts of it...followed by activities for the kids and the obligatory "gift shop" where people who are excited about the things they saw and caught up in the ambiance of the whole situation. We couldn't have been more wrong. There was no tour or display of the manufacturing of the famous crayons, only 10-15 different "activity centers" where the visitors could use Crayola products to create their own exhibits to bring home. Crayola provided the materials and the visitors used the materials to create to their hearts' content. There were some very cool activity centers, such as one that featured glow in the dark temporary markers (visitors used the lighted - yes, the tips of the markers were actually aglow - markers to draw on a white-board...the pictures they drew remained visible for approximately 30-seconds, then disappeared for the child to create anew.) and another that used laser-technology inside a generously-sized enclosure to create very cool laser-light-show-esque images along a huge screen (the images that were displayed in the vast arrays of designs and colors along the screen were actual silhouettes of the visitors who were running, dancing, standing, acting silly within the enclosure).

Other than those two, there wasn't anything there that couldn't have been done at my dining room table or patio...well, except for hundreds of kids running around and fighting (while not actually throwing blows) for sitting spots at these activity centers. It was crazy. But, aside from 2 Time Outs, Christopher seemed to have a good time. Given that, I suppose it was worth the trip.

Below is the link to the website that describes the exhibits.....

http://www.crayola.com/factory/exhibits.cfm

Christopher and I snuck off from the group and took a much needed break from all the festivities at the adjoined McDonalds...great bonding time.

Christmas Day

Christmas Day at the Kane house.

We were all pretty excited about how Christopher would respond to his third Christmas morning with this being the first Christmas morning where he actually got the whole Santa Claus concept. It was as good as we expected it would be...

Christopher is a very sound sleeper, and very difficult to rouse in the morning (already, right?). Christmas morning was no different. He had to be roused from bed and was told that Santa Claus had come to the house and left presents. Skeptical of the whole situation, he begrudgingly drug himself from the bed, blanket in toe, and groggy. He was able to drag himself from the bed, down the hallway, and into the kitchen...where he wrapped himself back in his blanket and lay on the floor to attempt to get back to sleep...

...After a few moments, we let him get his mental bearings about him and reminded him that Santa had come and left presents. He was a bit more appropriately responsive to the concept this time and perked up replying, "Santa?" We reaffirmed what we had claimed , using the mostly eaten dessert treat and mostly empty glass of milk (which we had left for Santa the night prior) as proof positive of Santa's coming and leaving gifts. Christopher was very satisfied with the proof Santa left on the table...

...and ran into the living room. He remembered the evening before, when our tree was bare of presents...only offering a dazzling decorative design and light display. When he ran from his "new" table (where Santa had consumed his Christmas treats) to the tree only to find that Santa had left presents a plenty for not only him, but for Matthew, Mommy, and Daddy as well. I would have to say that we were all happy with the results from the day...and given the bittersweet circumstances.

Hilariousness...

This was made by Colleen's cousin Emily and features Christopher, Matthew, and her nieces and nephews, Benjamin, Camryn, and Darrien...

The Kids with Santa

We learned from Colleen's cousin, Jacqueline, that a local burger-and-malt called "Knuckleheads" was hosting a "sit-with-Santa." Rather than driving 40-minutes to a place where I would have had to take the picture myself (not very likely to go down due to Christopher's lack of ability to focus on anything for very long and being an inherently easily-frightened little boy) or pay incredible amounts of money and stand in line for hours (at least seemingly so) just to have the whole photo-op not go down. This place is just around the corner from us, its small and somewhat inconspicuous, they took the pictures themselves, and, best of all, the photo-op was free to the customers. Knuckleheads called it "Breakfast with Santa". We scheduled with her family to meet at 11:00 for breakfast and to give it a go. Obviously, Matthew sitting with Santa wasn't a problem as he's relatively oblivious to his environment. Christopher, however, was having absolutely NO part of this sitting-with-Santa business. I had to play "Tigger" (a game I put on my iPod for him to play) my iPod touch as a bribe to get him to sit on the bench with Santa. He was compliant, although very shortly, and they were able to get a decent picture of him. I also took a video.

(don't mind the part where the camera movement, jagged and all over the place, makes it seem as if there was a scuffle of some kind. That was not the case at all...I was lifting him to the bench as that was the only way we could get him up there.)

These were pictures taken from the video clip above...

Fire Engines and Santa

Every Holiday season the local fire departments (I believe it to be a joint municipality-thing between Falls and Bristol Townships, but I could very well be wrong) drive throughout every neighborhood in Levittown and the adjoining townships they serve with a special treat for the kids. They drive down every street with their lights flashing, horns blowing, and, best of all, towing a huge, red sleigh (trailer) adorned with Christmas lights, elves, and, best of all, Santa Claus himself! Candy is thrown from the sleigh to the children who, either led by or followed by their parent(s)/guardian(s) (have to be p.c. nowadays!), flock to the streets or gaze out their windows to see this spectacular display of the Christmas season. They give little warning as to which day they will parade through each neighborhood, but signal their coming with blaring horns and beaconing lights...it really is a fantastic scene and it seems that the neighborhood children really enjoy the spectacle.

Last nightDaddy was cooking dinner and Matthew was having his dinner with Mommy when the horns bellowed. Christopher, who had just been awakened from a nap, heard the sirens and Daddy intensely asking, "Christopher! You want to see Santa Claus?", ran from his room barely clothed. We threw on jeans and a coat and ran outside...he was amazed. I didn't have much warning, so I couldn't get a good picture of Christopher, but it was fun to see him so excited. I tried to get some pictures, but my camera doesn't take very good pictures in the dark and I had little warning to grab the video camera (which would have been preferable)...I just reached to our little "electronic nook" and grabbed the first camera-esque thing I could get my hands on.

...then...

After seeing Santa and dinner, we started decorating the Christmas tree. Christopher had a little trouble getting the concept of hanging the hooks on the branches, but he did his best. The result was two piles of ornaments in two different, but close, locations on the tree...stacked deep within and resting on the branches. We did this for about 1/2 hour, then had some cookies and hot coco before bed time. It was fun...it wasn't as much fun for Daddy after bedtime when Daddy had to fish out the ornaments are re-hang them, but it was well worth it to see the boy so elated.

Mother-in-Law's Birthday

Just some quick photos from our visit to my mother-in-law, Marianne's, birthday gala....

well, maybe not as much of a gala, maybe more of a quick family get-together for presents and cake...and a picture of Christopher with Uncle Patrick after going to Wassail Night at Peddler's Village. Uncle Patrick and Nana took him this year...it was much too cold to bring Matthew out and I hate a night out in Princeton with some friends. It was very nice for Uncle Patrick to take care of bringing Christopher out...and both reportedly had a good time.

Christopher prepped for bedtime before we left, looks like he's either up to something or already did something and possibly got away with it...not that it never happens, right?

Matthew prepped for the cold...

Someone got this Charlie Brown Christmas tree for someone else...good stuff...

Uncle Patrick with Christopher at Red Robin after Wassail Night.

Me and the Boys during my time off (this one's a big one)

We are now completing our 4th week of Paternity Time. Alone time with Daddy is fleeting away very quickly...almost too quickly. I'm very much enjoying spending all this time with my boys. I've taken pictures when I've been able to do so, but, as anyone can imagine, when you've got 2 kids under the age of 3, extra time not doing anything is, fair to say, nonexistent. We've had many adventures, going outside to play, going to the grocery store, Christmas shopping, and surprising Nana for her birthday....just to name a few. I thought that I would share the photos I've taken thus far and, for lack of a better term, document the times we've had thus far.

Good pictures of the boys...

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Christopher and Uncle Pat, "Hmmmmm.......let me think." (a slight alteration to Christopher and my rubbing our chins and saying, "Hmmmmm....let's see." but equally as cute.)

Christopher being forced to wear a stupid Christmas hat...its become a tradition of sorts....

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Christopher at the last Notre Dame game...rocking the kelly green jersey...well, sir, they're not quite number 1, but they did make a bowl...somehow...

Our earnings from Black Friday shopping. Its something I'm not proud of, but Colleen really enjoys it because she hangs out with her family. They really have a good time and that is fun to be a part of it. Seeing Colleen have a good time makes it all worth the b.s. (I'm usually Colleen's "safety buffer"...keeping the crazy people at a safe distance while she's walking through the stores.) The actual shopping part of it is...well, dare I say, bonus.

Matthew showing off his goodies...he was laughing up a storm at everything all evening and we decided to get it in pictures...

Nana Marianne with the Matt-Man...I'm not sure if he's trying to get away or he's just trying to watch whats on t.v....well, he could also be keeping a beat on Christopher who painfully adores him...and I mean that literally...

Most kids go to bed with toys of some kind...stuffed animals...cars...balls. Christopher? Nope, books. I don't have the heart to tell him that he can't take books to bed. Why would I discourage a good thing, right? "Daddy? You go bye-bye now?" Love it.

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Some of "Bug's" antics....

1.) Running...which is all he ever does when he's awake and not otherwise consumed with eating or drinking

2.) Finding places for random objects....such as a beer bottle cap he found on the table at my mother-in-law's house that needed a place to stay. He found that Uncle Patrick's birthday cake was a perfect place for the bottle cap to roost...and elegantly modeled by cousin Emily.

3.) He got a package of random mini-baseball helmets from Aunt Christine...so they're always being placed on someone's head...he loves wearing them...

Matt-Man...

1.) Cradle-Cap...Matthew has Cradle-Cap pretty bad. One of the remedies for cradle-cap is to rub olive oil into the scalp, let it sit for 15 minutes, brush the scalp firmly (but not too firm obviously), then wash it out. We, and by "we" I mean "me", decided to take advantage of the opportunity to make funny hairstyles out of the hot mess on his head...this one was our favorite.

2.) Christopher looks like he's about to give Matt-Man bunny ears...he probably is...

3.) Matthew post bath-time with Daddy...

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"You see, Dad, its actually quite elementary. If you're going to continually attempt to constrain me within the dark bowels of my bedroom at nap-time, then you really must evaluate the environment within the said, "bowels", if you will. Planning and initiating my plan of escape was quite simple, the escape itself gave me a fantastic and...dare I say...[snidely] quite amazing rush...[evil laughter] MWAHA-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! YOU CANNOT KEEP ME IMPRISONED WITHIN THE DARK CHASMS OF MY BEDROOM!!!!! YOU CANNOT DEFEAT ME!!!!! [more evil laughter] MWAHA-HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!"

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"I love my Bumbo-Seat,..."



"but I can't stand my parents..."

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Surprising Nana Marianne at work for her 60th birthday. We brought her flowers and took her out to lunch. These were the best pictures I could get as I had my hands a bit full! Christopher, as you can tell, wasn't as interested in surprising Nana as he was getting to her office to play with the toy busses! But she was elated nonetheless. It was a great time for all of us.

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The Boys:

"Matt-Man" and "Bug"