Sunday, April 15, 2007

sobre la barriga de Papa


playing with a bookmark
Originally uploaded by kentropic.
Y'know, that new "pantxa" that Papa carries around these days makes a perfect easy-chair for a little girl...

pensive little girl


penny for your thoughts?
Originally uploaded by kentropic.
We recently watched the old Bogey classic, "The Big Sleep." Papa thinks that Clara looks like Lauren Bacall may have looked at two years old -- only time will tell....

make a wish


coins in the fountain
Originally uploaded by kentropic.
One highlight of Xisca's visits to the mall with Clara during bad weather is a stop at the fountain to toss in a few coins and wishes.

Giddyup, horsey!


"arri, caballo!"
Originally uploaded by kentropic.
I think they stopped making these cool spring-loaded rocking horses 20 or 30 years ago, no doubt thanks to a few accidental dismounts and the development of personal injury liability law. But anyone of a certain age will surely remember cranking away many happy hours on one of these things.

Luckily, BC still has his (along with a treasure trove of vintage toys for Chloe and friends), and this shot gives some idea of the fun still to be had on ol' Spring-biscuit....

stocking up on anti-freeze


BC and Ken
Originally uploaded by kentropic.
The back of BC's lot is a beautiful wooded valley that runs down to a driving range, way at the bottom of the hill. A bit of scouting in the woods quickly yields a bucketful of range balls, which can then be re-launched back over the trees to the range with a decent fairway shot from the backyard.

Of course, if you want to do this in a snowstorm like we had the Saturday before Easter, proper equipment and preparation are essential. Here we are, demonstrating correct warm-up form....

wheeee...!


the swing's the thing
Originally uploaded by kentropic.
Never too cold for a ride on the swing....

What's this?

Many thanks to Brian and Stacy for hosting an Easter egg hunt at their home, despite below-freezing temperatures. Lots of fun had by all.

green pajamas

Here's a growth-marketing opportunity: how about some adult-sized footy-pajamas for cold weather?

in the studio with Mama & Clara


painting is serious business
Originally uploaded by kentropic.
Xisca is such an amazing Mama: she finds time every day to whip up some creative play activities for Clara. The paint box is especially popular these days....

Friday, April 13, 2007

bicycle kick or can-can?


Rockette practice
Originally uploaded by kentropic.
At two years old, it's anyone's guess -- especially as Clara likes to dance as much as she likes to play with her little soccer ball.

a favorite bedtime book

Day or night, "Goodnight Moon" is always a favorite. If anyone knows of a place to get girls' toddler clothes in any color besides a zillion shades of pink, please let us know.

life is good


two beautiful girls
Originally uploaded by kentropic.
Papa's two favorite smiles in the whole world.

"Open the pod bay doors, Hal."


playing with light
Originally uploaded by kentropic.
Hey! It's a giant version of the old "Lite-Brite" toy! Papa's not afraid to admit that he spent more time playing with this thing than almost any of the kids in the room.

Retailing: it runs in the family


"How much do I owe?"
Originally uploaded by kentropic.
Clara gets some expert training in "Customer Service 101" from a long-time veteran of the retail trenches. The prestige value of this kind of work may be zero, but there's no better way to see an unfiltered, unmediated cross-section of the society we live in....

the Mini Cooper is just a little too big....


vroom vroom!
Originally uploaded by kentropic.
Another stop at the Children's Museum: the mechanical room, which includes a door-less car for the kids to play in. She's a little short to reach the clutch pedal, but she loved to work the manual shifter -- a very good sign. If Papa gets to give the driving lessons, she'll be a good parallel-parker, too....

"It's not AGGRESSIVE driving, it's DECISIVE driving...." Another favorite: "The faster we drive, the sooner we'll be off the road...."