Tag Archives: Calvin

January 27th, 2019

Eleanor is shocked to find out there’s another trip to the water park after breakfast.

After seemingly panning splash pads this past summer, she spent a surprising amount of time here- flittering from one to the next to wash her hands, and those of whoever else is near

Des is just tall enough to grab a firm pull on the lever…

…wonder if the first time he knew what it’d do?

Sister gets in on the big splash action too

Wash all the hands

Team llama looking (surprisingly) in the same general direction

Then someone was merciful and offered to take a picture

Des for one last trip down the big slide (which is apparently constructed in such a manner that it is mathematically impossible for kids to careen down and arrive in a jumble of no fewer than two)

Well-rested after a long nap, making the most of the opportunity to gather for one last pizza dinner. Ella and grandma in the mermaid blanket-

Story time with grandma, for a repeat reading of Car’s “Tractor Trouble”

Looks like Eleanor had fun at the water park

The boys construct a fairly ambitious car track, though a few actually made it all the way

January 26th, 2019

Waking up to fresh powder

Eleanor learning fifth position in her first dance class

Lunch with (great-)(aunt) Molly at Lalibela Ethiopian

Napping with all of her friends- Margaret, Blue Bear, assorted animals and, clutched guardedly in hand- beloved monkey.

Now officially a tradition: dad’s birthday weekend celebrated with an overnight hotel stay, swim and pizza party. Des is just as excited as dad-

Eleanor wastes no time finding the nearest slide, dashing down with only mild hesitation

Desmond fearlessly conquering the two-story waterslide

All washed up after the pool, the pizza arrives! The pixar gods shone down on everyone with a quick find on the cable (re-explaining that concept to Des for the fourth time) with Finding Dory

Ella snacking with some of aunt Molly’s candied pecans (so yum!)

Snuggles and Nemo- the best birthday present

While Eleanor takes quite some time to fall asleep, Des and dad build a fort in the corner with a laptop viewing of The Empire Strikes Back (or with all the pause-and-explain-the-plot-details breaks, up until meeting Yoda on Dagobah)

January 25th, 2019

Ella just kicking back with grandma for dad’s birthday dinner

Great-aunt Molly (!) imparts some of her famously skillful coloring wisdom with Des

Possibly Ella’s favorite dish- mom made dal!

Opening Ella’s masterfully-signed birthday card to dad

Everyone four-and-under is excited about dad’s vinyl gift of a unknown Omaha songwriter covered by an even less known Omaha guitarist (woohoo!)

Cousin hugs are the best hugs

The first birthday dad has spent with the entire family in years, let alone with great-aunt Molly was truly, and tearfully, a special night.

December 22nd, 2018

Daniel Tiger and friends laying some early morning mind grapes on healthy expression of frustration and problem solving. And the kids just think they’re watching cartoons…

Oddly enough, Des thinks the frog blanket is his (Ella got it at pa’s union hall when she was an infant and Des annexed it). The construction truck blanket actually was Desmond’s, but Eleanor has clearly claimed it as “her” blanket. A surprising symbiosis has emerged, possibly their first successful trade.

The good kind of buttons to push…

Ella, pizza artist

Des and Cal busy as beavers building damns

“Beep beep!” (as all tractors go?)

Ella getting in on the water play action, getting only slightly drenched

Pushing the button to talk, Cal respectively asks “Please give me some of your money.”

She’s definitely got part the bottle part down…

…giving medicine is a different story.

Likewise, the boys nailed their blood pressure testing

Slide! She sprinted back to go again about a dozen times.

Ella doing her signature dance move with mom

He’ll play with legos with a mouse, in a house. Or on the floor or a wall-

The crayon equivalent of dumpster diving

After Des is done assembling his creation with wood, nails and tape, Calvin quietly turns to suggest, “Uh, but it doesn’t look like an AT-AT walker” That’s ok.

“Game on!”

As he grows taller beyond the toddler days, a real Mavs hockey jersey puts it all in perspective

Game face.

Some kids like to kick around the soccer ball. Others enjoy collecting and stacking field cones 🙂

Excited to stop in and see aunt Kelli and uncle Mike at the restaurant

New favorite past time

A spaceport crane, naturally

Movie night: How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Rest well, little pretzel dough balls

November 17th, 2018

Des helping dad fix mom’s new office lounge chair in grandpa’s garage

If an object has wheels, it will be ridden

Grandpa showing Des how flutes are made

Ella surveys the fresh falling snow, baguette in hand

Early Thanksgiving dinner at grandma’s house, Ella has found her legos

At age two, Eleanor has already perfected her perplexed-reading-instructions face

And of course dinner breaks out into a verse or six of “Baby Shark”

She found a minion!

Everyone humoring dad/brother/uncle for a family photo

That’s a cute cousin set

A Very Butterfly Birthday

Eleanor riding the birthday whale into her second birthday

Up close and personal with SO many butterflies, it was a magical birthday morning

Birthday hugs…

…followed by mom’s famous (birthday) blueberry muffins

Yeah, they’re that good.

Naturally.

It wouldn’t surprise anyone that she got up there all by herself.

Can you say “birthday envy?”

Aptly making a cake for sister

Exchanging family gifts, Des’ card

Pure joy upon opening her own Margaret Tiger stuffy

Combining two of her current passions- Margaret Tiger and putting any object to sleep with a blanket

She pretty much has stethoscopes figured out

New Daniel Tiger story book, and brother isn’t complaining

Let the wild, pink-spangled butterfly rumpus begin!

Reading with ma

…followed by asking grandma to read the exact same book again.

Grandma cheerleading taking bites with the slow/distracted eating crew

Weeks candle-blowing training comes down to one moment…

Nailed it!

Cake!

Saying good-bye to Ol’ Monkey Butt

The many faces of cake euphoria (during)

After cake, as you’d expect

All clean

Silly goose [mouseover/tap]

“Oh look,” the monsters shout. “It’s 6:08! Your present opening cannot wait!”

Cookie baking as a companion set to the much beloved tea set

Ella takes the same creative liberties to opening cards as she does bucking convention while eating sandwiches layer-wise

The birthday Hug of Thanks tour starting with grandpa

Kisses with ma

Cousin Cal, one of the finest huggers known east of 72nd st.

Dr. Des and Dr. Cal checking up on the llama patient

“It’s ok, her throat beat is strong!”

Halloween 2018

Pregaming before Halloween trick-or-treating with the traditional bowl of chili…

…and the ceremonial viewing of It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

Ellasaurus and Dinosaur Scientist ready to go out and capture some candy

Ready!

Ella checking the inner workings of the illuminated Baby Cat pumpkin

Little dinosaur walking to the first house, neighbors John and Lisa

Pretty much the evenings speed- Des and Cal, with Ella following shortly behind

A stunningly perfect autumn evening and sunset 

She gradually started picking up speed as she got into the rhythm of trick-or-treating

Pit stop for a quick candy break on the porch before bedtime

Spooktacular 2018

After pa’s retirement breakfast, the kids are over the moon with their balloons

Exploring the terrain outside of the Joslyn 

Desmond’s portraits lean more abstract than purely technical

These digital art easels are really engaging, especially with the virtual viscosity of the paint, where you can manipulate and smudge around globs of paint

More “stop(ped working)” than “stop motion,” mom takes a single snapshot

Magnetic doll activity Ella seemed to enjoy (and spark a Christmas gift idea- though a magnetic woman with various career uniforms)

Des saw some train tracks and got to work straight away

The many expressions of Eleanor- all attitude and silly goose

Got to position the new cat friend just right…

Ok, perfect

About sums it up- Des and mom look at the video installation, Ella goofing around towards brother

Stop #2 at family friend Bill Hoover’s gallery open house. These two do a surprisingly good job of avoiding touching any work, though snacks help

Des modeling all the Halloween rings from yesterday’s grab bag

Slime!

Heading to the zoo in costume for Spooktacular has been a fun family tradition, ever since Des’ first trip to the zoo.

Not sure why Des posed with the whistle, was he going for “here dinosaur, dinosaur!?”

The cousin squad in full regalia

Snuggling with grandma

Unlike her brother’s trepidation at this age of all non-human characters, Eleanor was all about the new faces. Also clearly long past her issues with stranger danger, she has absolutely no problem giving a stormtrooper a high-five

Negotiating holding a hand, holding her bucket and having a spare hand to grab candy was an ongoing challenge

The key to Spooktacular is to go right on time and start with the trick-or-treating

Of course you’ve got to stop for the various entertainment along the way (drum line)

Ella was also enamored by large costumes, like this high school mascot

Buckets full of candy, it’s time to enjoy the zoo in reverse- the desert basement is lit and the jungle is dark.

Up close and personal with one of the bats

Des nervously checks his gear after entering a massive bubble pit

Dinosaur Scientist at the Disco

Des and Cal fraternizing with the dark side of force

Eleanor has apparently been sufficiently immersed in Star Wars recently that she felt so compelled as to run up to Darth Vader and give him a hug. For weeks following, she would tell anyone that would listen, “I hug Darth Vader!”

And then there was this for months to come-

Dad: “So what did you dream about last night, Eleanor?”

Eleanor: “I dream about Darth Vader!”

Mom and dad are only mildly worried, though think now she’s playing everyone for the response 🙂