Halloween '09

Our original idea was to make a convict costume for Christopher -- you know, the old black and white stripes, ball and chain hook-up on the ankle, and the prisoner number (we were going to use his birth date as his prison number). The problem with the concept came twofold. We couldn't find a costume online or at any local stores his size (although we did find a ball and chain at a local Halloween store). Nor could we locate any solid white or black sweatshirt/t-shirt/pants combination to make the costume. We searched high and low...ending up at K-Mart (sorry -- Big K) where we found this cute hippo costume and put it on him thinking to ourselves, "boy, this is going to be completely rediculous." We were wrong...it ended up being a better idea than the convict/prisoner idea. Here are the photos we got of him in his costume. Enjoy.

Just Cute Pictures

Cute pictures while Daddy was vacuuming the living room....



More cute pictures of Christopher and Pook hanging out playing the piano...

For the record, I can't stand that cat, but we've grown to tolerate one another so as not to destruct our symbiotic and semi-well functioning nuclear family.

Christopher in Trouble

The other night, Christopher wanted to call "Pop-Pop"...so we obliged the lad (who are we to deny him actually asking for something where we can actually verbally understand?) and allowed him to call Pop-Pop Bob. Pop-Pop Bob answers and Christopher says "Pop-Pop? [mumble-jumble-ooo-oooohh-blah-blah-wassaaaaaat(?)-blah-blah-bye-eeeeeeeee", then gives the phone to Mommy so that he can go and play. Soon after Colleen hung the phone up after a brief conversation with her father, Christopher came over to us and swiped the phone, then ran into his "hiding place" (which is also the place where he goes to drop a duece in his diaper) thinking he's invisible. Got caught and got in trouble...here is the story by picture. Enjoy. (And, for the record, I didn't lay a finger on the boy!)

Soulive: The Note: West Chester, PA 10/14/2009

Went to West Chester, PA, to watch Soulive with some friends (even some new friends I just met last night). Great show, allbeit a short one (the show was over by midnight), but it was a great, great show. We all had a blast of a time. After their set they came down from the stage and chilled out with their fans at the bar. I got a chance to talk to all of them. They were amazingly approachable and didn't show any hint of ego or diva syndrome. It was actually very cool talking to them.

(Alan Evans: Drums, Neal Evans: Organ, Eric Krasno: Guitar)

Soulive drummer Alan Evans with The Three Mikes


A very short vid of the ending of a cover of The Beatles' "Get Back". I would have gotten more video, but I ran out of disk space and I didn't feel like trying to go back through it and delete stuff at the time....you might call it laziness, I call it too many PBR's (which, by the way, are not good.)

2nd Annual Snipes Pumpkin Patch/Apple Orchard Trip

Today was our 2nd Annual trip to the Snipes Pumpkin Patch and Apple Orchard in Morrisville, PA (literally like 2 minutes from my front door...what is the amazing phenomenon of Bucks County, PA). We hung out with Col's cousin Jacqueline and her son (Ben), sister (Emily), and mother (Aunt Bet). Times were fun, if only for the hour or so it took for the fun to fizzle away into the Autumn abyss.

The scarecrow at the entrance and the obligatory family shot. Christopher and Ben posing with pumpkins (apparently the fun had already begun to fizzle). Nana Marianne and Christopher on the hay ride.


Nana Marianne helping Christopher select a pumpkin. Christopher wearing Daddy's cap. Christopher actually pushing the pumkin away....not a fan.


Christopher with a flower that Ben had given him while at the apple orchard. Then Christopher attempting to eat said flower.


Christopher hanging out with Dad on their way back to the car post fizzled fun.

Our Latest Nuggets of Entertainment. @ the Expense of Our Child

4 of Christopher's latest verbal anecdotes and/or quirks...actually, we just get him to do and say these things to entertain us...I'll be honest.

Christopher raising the roof


Christopher counting to 3...with assist


Christopher's "wassssaaaaaaaaa?"


a photo of Christopher growling as he's running towards me to tackle me. This has become a daily ritual for us...growling/wrestling...good, clean fun.

Christopher's Cubs PJ's

One of the last Chicago/South Bend articles of clothing we got for Christopher while we were in northern Indiana. The Cubs pajamas...still a little too big, but cute nonetheless. If you can't tell, we're doing our usual bedtime routine (previously posted)...so I had to get the cuteness of that again...this time with "stills".