From Max to Robin while waiting on Santa to arrive...

Max: Mom, what do you want for Christmas?
Robin: I think a pretty pillow would be nice.
Max: Ok. I will get you a new purse, a pillow pet, and a saw. The saw is so you can cut down trees.

On our way to Gabriels 6th birthday party...

Cooper: Dad, what does it mean in the movies when someone says, "I guess my orthodontist was right. I shouldn't keep a dragon in a leather cage?"

This comment from Cooper during church Sunday...

"I always have the hardest time remembering the difference between a Cockatrice and a Manticore..."

I think Cooper was hearing a different sermon than I was.

This is what happens...

...when you take little boys shopping for bicycle helmets. 

Cooper examines sandwitch molecules

Lillian's Really Odd Cheetah Report

Lillian had to write an endangered species report for her GT class and had to supplement that report with a visual of some sort. She decided she wanted to make her visual aid a filmed "Cheetah Safari." She also insisted the characters in this movie be stark white, undecorated folded paper faces... go figure.

She had to make this during the same evening Cooper was tied up at baseball, so I had the honor of being her surreal paper-faced costar.

Text from Robin #7

"Cooper is sweet.  While I was talking with you he got Max some bandaids and put them on his hands where he fell.  He even got him some character ones. Now they are putting a dead lizard in a jar :)"

Text from Robin #6

"I have got to look up how to build a worm farm. Max is ELATED that I found a bunch while digging up weeds near the dog lot and in the depths of despair that they are crawling away"

Text from Robin #5

"Our son."

Text from Robin #4

"So, I'm in the bathroom figuring out how I'm going to get toilet paper since the kids used it all and hear a crash.  Georgia broke my water glass all over the floor.  Max is attacking Cooper upstairs.  I really am very glad you could get away.  It can be a nut house!"

Text from Robin #3

"Cooper's take on relationships, 'you have to feel the 'zing' more than once.'--why?--"because your wife might ditch you so you've got to feel it again."  -- he's planning ahead."

Text From Robin #2

"Bad news: max pooped in the bath.  Good news: He's learning his letters.  He said it looked like an 'M'.  I personally didn't see  that shape, but whatever works."

Text from Robin #1

I was out of town all weekend. The next several posts are going to be text messages Robin sent to me while I was away. It's a charming window into our Norman Rockwell-ish lives. Here's the first one:

"This is what Cooper wants to wear to Jake's party. Instead I am encouraging his baseball uniform."

Its been almost 30 years since I did this...

Pinewood Derby races.

I recall fondly working with my Dad and Grandad in the basement workshop in Double Springs. Though as I recall, my designs were always more focused on the visual impact than the actual engineering, those are really fond memories of my childhood.

This year I started leading Cooper's cub-scout den. This Monday, the wooden "blanks" were distributed to all the kids and Cooper and I have been discussing what he wants to make to race at the end of the month.

We've looked at several possibilities, but the one he's decided he wants to pursue is pretty ambitious. I'm not sure how well it will race, but the basic idea is pretty sound. He wants the body cut really thin, he wants to gather most of the weight over the rear wheels. From all I've read, that kind of thing should perform pretty well.

The difference is, instead of a narrow wedge (the way most cub-scouts seem to address 'skinny in the front - heavy in the back) problem, Cooper wants to make his look like a skeleton. Here's the basic idea. Yes, I helped with the drawing, but he'll be doing as much of the carving as he can.

What's kinda cool about this is we plan to cut out that bit between the "arms." That will pull even more weight off the front axle. We shall see. Regardless, I think his design will certainly turn some heads - and should be a hoot to make together.

Lillian also wants to make one. She may or may not get a chance to race it, but it sounds as if they regularly do a "siblings race" after the cub-scouts are done with the derby. I'm really hoping hers is glittery pink animal print. It will make a nice contrast to the skeleton on race day!

More photos very likely to follow...

(One month later)
Some photos documenting our progress...

 

Fun time had by all.