Day Trip to Sis!

Of all the many things I could say about how awesome Chimpy and Sis are, I want to tell you I don't know of any two kids who play so well together. Despite anticipating their day together with great enthusiasm–a sure recipe for hyperactivity or disappointment–when they woke up and saw each other they picked up more or less where they left off.

Sis: Hi, Isabel.
Chimpy: Hi, Vera.
Sis: I'm wearing my pajamas.
Chimpy: Yeah, these pajamas have fancy bottoms.

And then it was off to the kitchen to make pancakes.

We spent the entire day together, breaking only for a nap, and had only one flare-up when Chimpy hit Sis on the head with a drumstick (Sis did hit Chimpy first, but she knows how to pull her punches). Sis cried because she had a lump on her head and Chimpy cried because she had hurt her best friend. But even that passed quickly and they played until it was time to put their fancy bottomed pajamas on again and say so long until next time.

~ ~ ~

Playground

Matching band-aids

Fruit leather snack on the beach

Pumpkin patch hay ride

Apple picking

Sis's roller skate academy

~ ~ ~

Oh yes, Jojo was there too.

Whee.

Week of Pictures: Day 1

This happens every few months. I have pictures I mean to post, but don't. Then suddenly I have a backlog of photos with diminishing relevance. We have to catch up on a visit to Sis, Easter, Jojo's teeth, kite flying, a trip to the museum and lots of general cuteness. So let's catch up:

Visit with Sis
3.28.09 - We drove down to visit Chimpy's BFF, Sis. It's a long ride for an excited kid, but the novelty of a rental car helped pass the time.



We get there and as usual Chimpy and Sis pick up exactly where they left off. This time, they have a new toy to share. Jojo's face says it all.

Sis: Let's put him on a skateboard!
Chimpy: Let's dress him up first!

Besides brother bugging there was beach hugging:



And breakfast with the BFFs:





All too soon it was time to go.



The trip home was harder than the trip down, but we did find some comfort in a mall in the form of a corn dog and merry-go-round ride.





See you soon, Sis.

Wednesday Moment of Zen

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Four Picture Friday: Reunited... and It Feels So Good

Four Picture Friday: BFF

Chimpy met Sis when her Daddy (Chimpy's daddy) was outside doing a rare bit of lawn care. Sis was out for a walk with her parents when Chimpy's daddy, figuring they were the same age, intercepted, accosted and invited them in to meet the family. Eager to humor the strange, dusty man with weeds in his hands, they came in and cautiously exchanged numbers. Soon we set up a play date. Here are Chimpy and Sis at one of their first plays together:

Hey, who are these little boys?

And here they are seven months later:



Chimpy and Sis are best friends. When Sis comes for a visit she gets the smile usually reserved for dogs and garbage trucks.



Chimpy and Sis see a lot of each other. We have dinner together two or three times a week which didn't seem like a lot until I typed it out just now.

Then

Now

"The books" say kids don't really develop friendships until they are 3 years old or older. You would never know that by Chimpy and Sis. They ask after each other almost every day (Sis says "Abba" and Chimpy has a sign for "Sis"). If our drives or walks take us past each other's houses without stopping, we hear about it. Although they usually play side-by-side to each other, they do play with each other from time to time which always makes their parents' days.








Well, Sis' parents have decided they want to be closer to the ocean so they are packing up and moving south to San Luis Obispo. The days are numbered and I guess it won't be long before we have to say good-bye. Here's Chimpy outside Sis' house making her sign asking for her friend.


Sis: Sorry my parents are making me move.
Chimpy: Sorry doesn't fix my broken heart.

Well, SLO isn't so far away and it will make for a fun weekend to drive down there. We'll see them often enough, they are BFFs after all. And we have to make sure we stay in touch long enough that we can embarrass them with pictures like this one:

Four Picture Friday: Lil' Contractor

Plumber Chimpy: It's a good thing you called me in. Whoever started this project didn't know the first thing about drains.

Plumber Chimpy: Let me just tighten a few of these nuts and you'll be set for the inspector.

Inspector Kitty Cat: The sink mount looks good, but I'm going to have to get my colleague before signing off on that bathtub.

Inspector Kitty Cat: What do you think?
Inspector Sis: Needs more rubber duckies.

Four Picture Friday: Baby Doesn't Love Disco

We checked out Baby Loves Disco last week. It's advertised as a baby dance party and we thought it'd be fun to check out.

At best I figured it'd be a babypalooza with playpens, ball pits, etc. At worst, I thought it'd be a bunch of clubbers and hipsters trying to prove they could be both parents and cool.

It turned out to be an uncomfortable mix of the two. The real problem, though, was it was way too loud for little ones (it welcomes kids 6mos to 7 years, but should really be for 4 year olds and up) and a little hyperstimulating, too. It didn't take long for the scene to wear thin, so the papas suggested we move the party to Foley's Irish Pub around the corner. Twenty minutes and two pints later our nerves were much restored.

Chimpy: Is that mom wearing a gold halter top with leopard-print platform shoes?

Sis: Get your mom's BART tickets and we'll blow this joint.

Final verdict... Baby Loves Disco: thumbs down, Hanging out with Sis: thumbs up!