Caught: Sleeping on the job!

Those of you who speak with me on a regular basis know why I'm comatose in these pictures. I had my first lesson in daycare calling to say, "Amy has a fever....". Last time I checked a temp, it was with a glass/mercury thermometer. I had to learn how to take a temperature with a digital thermometer. We bought 3: a blue and white one, a yellow sponge bob one, and Don got an ear one, just to learn that the first one worked. I now know what the number means in terms of treating the baby, and what the number means in terms of daycare. All of that on top of keeping the work tasks rolling. Next time I'm hit with this, I'm ready, but this one really challenged me.

Which draws a stranger crowd: Viva Elvis at the Oceanfront or the Monster Truck Weekend????

Amy and I started the day with our normal stop at Starbuck's. We then were treated to a photo op with ex-HPT employee, current Policewoman, Dionne. (If I've mispelled her name, please let me know and I'll change it). The nice policeman with her gave Amy a "Junior Policeman" sticker, which she is sporting. We enjoyed seeing all of the people dressed up as Elvis. The guy posing with Amy had won the "recliner race". These Elvis impersonators each bring a uniquely decorated Barco-lounger mounted on wheels and race in it on the boardwalk. Too bad I missed it, but at least I met one of the competitors! At 5:00 they will have Elvis impersonators jumping out of an airplane, landing at the oceanfront. I am sorry we'll miss this, but we are both wiped out. We ended out morning jaunt with our typical lunch at Terra Nova, and I was shocked to see Mena Suvari, the gorgeous actress from American Beauty, in the table next to ours. I kept thinking the young girl in the restaurant looked just like "that actress". When I turned up my radar, I heard sound bytes like, "my house", "my lawyer", "100,000", "L.A.", and so on. When I asked the staff, they confirmed that she has relatives in the area and likes to come to TN and be inconspicuous. This is why I offer no photo of her with Amy.

Boardwalk Art Show Weekend

Blogster won't let me edit the previous post. Finicky service - but free, so who's complaining?

Linda, we missed you at the Art Show.

The boating pictures include the fun family of Lovely Liz, Dashing Don, Enchanting Ellie, and Darling Donna. These folks know how to have a good time, and the girls like going fast on the boat.

The art show took care of my need to exercise, giving me an excuse to walk 4 miles with Amy in the stroller. Don actually joined us for the entire walk. Before Amy, he had no stamina for walking (just too slow), and less stamina for Boardwalk Art Show. This baby is changing him. He ran 10 miles and then walked the whole art show with Amy and I. You can see how interested she was in the jewelry.

Two other cute shots:

1. Amy scaling the high chair. This chick is a climber...
2. Amy doing padahastasana on the beach ("standing head to feet pose" in yoga)

Happy fathers day to all the daddies reading this.

Have you seen the Diet Coke and Mentos experiments? (See link in upper right hand corner-have volume up for music). These kooks spent an awful lot of time putting mentos in liters of Diet Coke, resulting in a hilarious fountain-like show. Thanks, Tehan, for enlightening me to this website!!!

Boardwalk Art Show Weekend

Red Egg and Ginger Party and the funniest picture of Don

Did you ever think you'd catch Don swinging a Hello Kitty backpack over his shoulder? Hee hee ha ha ha ha ha ha, I love it!

This is John, super-Michelle and the adorable Amy at Michelle's Red Egg and Ginger party. What is a Red Egg and Ginger party?

From the book, Good Luck Life by Rosemary Gong, "A baby's full month is celebrated with dyed-red hard-boiled eggs and pickled gingerroot. Eggs are an auspicious symbol of fertility, birth, and life, and the color red is a symbol of happiness and luck. Pickled ginger represents a family's strong, deep roots that their granchildren perpetuate."

Michele is way more than a month old, so the tradition was adapted to celebrate Michele's first month in America. Welcome to America Michele, and thank god you are a father John, so you can stop borrowing Amy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Tee hee...

More professional pix and Buru Buru

We viewed the professional photo enlargements today, and our lovely photographer came to the framers with us to assist us in picking out frames and mats. What a joy it was. These are the only material things I own, that are truly valuable to me. (Oops! Well, other than my Donald Pliner cowboy boots.)

Here are two photos which are being enlarged and framed. The girly girl one is also being entered by yours truly to the First Annual Adoptive Families Magazine Photo Contest. I think she'll take first place, don't you?

Lastly, here is Buru Buru dog, another one of my favorite asian animation characters. Don't you love him? Thanks for coming to the blog site. We appreciate your interest like you wouldn't believe.

Beijing Olympics Mascots

I'm really into Asian animated characters. First I fell in love with Sanrio (Hello Kitty and Cinnamoroll), then I found San-X (Buru Buru and Hello Panda). I remember that China developed mascot characters for the upcoming Olympics in Beijing in 2008. Here are the adorable animated mascots and some words from the Beijing Olympics website.

" Like the Five Olympic Rings from which they draw their color and inspiration, Fuwa will serve as the Official Mascots of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, carrying a message of friendship and peace--and blessings from China--to children all over the world.

Designed to express the playful qualities of five little children who form an intimate circle of friends, Fuwa also embody the natural characteristics of four of China's most popular animals--the Fish, the Panda, the Tibetan Antelope, the Swallow--and the Olympic Flame."

Okay, we have to start redecorating Amy's room!

I was a huge Hello Kitty fan, but now I've found Cinnamon Roll. I'm sorry Don, but we're going to have to start the nursery over. Check this other Sanrio character out. Is Cinnamon Roll not the bomb?

Today we planned to meet Auntie Louise, Uncle John and Michelle at the Hampton Roads Families with Children from China Kite Festival. I even purchased the below-pictured alien kite for the occasion. The rain changed our plans and we tried to see DaVinci code during nap time. Amy made it through the previews, but wasn't enamored with the movie, so Dad stayed and Amy and I suffered for 2 and a half hours in MacArthur Mall. How awful...

Ladies, I've found the perfect way to shop with a 17 month old. Every time she'd get restless, another Cinnamon Roll sticker would come out. Every time we passed a mirror in a store, I'd show Amy her face decorated with the stickers. She liked it so well, we could have shopped a lot longer.

Just about the time the movie was over, Auntie Louise, Uncle John and Michele met us, and we all went out to Cogan's for draft beer and pizza.