When Pollock Met Van Gogh

It's been a long time coming, but this post is the (long awaited, much anticipated?) update to a poll that ran awhile back regarding art and how it is best served. The choices were fairly simple and it was about as close to a yes/no answer as a poll can get: do you prefer your art on paper or on the face?

And much like our last poll, it was another landslide victory:

Let's take a moment to check in with the winning candidate to see how (or if) knowing the results swayed his artistic stylings in any way. 

– I not sure I agrees with you lone voter, even though
I mostly tries it your way 'dis time.

– Seriously though, does 'dis look like I is having fun?

This round might have turned out with a little less art on the face. By the time all was said and done, I'd say it affected things about 7%. 

So good on you lone voter*! We are officially making a little bit more art on paper thanks to you. 

The last time we got messy with paints and I finally got a little weary of paintings of "alligators" after the 57th one, I put on my thinking cap and asked the boys if they could paint pictures of each other and Mommy and Daddy too. Seth was a little more on board with this exercise at first, but by the end Nate got into it and did a full family portrait.

I found the results far more telling than I anticipated when I came up with a simple suggestion just so I wouldn't have to look at alligators anymore.

For what it's worth, this is an alligator (WARNING! It's possibly a blood thirsty one and might not be appropriate for sensitive viewers): 

"Alligator" by Nate.

My boys are very much into alligators and things that look like alligators or even things that don't look like alligators but they call alligators anyway. I'm sure you get the idea.

So the rest of our gallery was pretty amazing all things considered. The titles are from the artists themselves.

"Mommy and Seth" by Seth.

"Blast Off" by Nate.

"Seth" by Seth.

"Nate" by Seth.

"Mommy, Daddy, Seth and Nate" by Nate. (clockwise from top left)

- L.

*I would have sworn up and down that Gamma Rita was the hold-out for art on paper, but she's flatly denied it and I believe her. At this point in time, I have no other likely suspects. Really though lone voter, you voted for paper over this? 

PS. I must not have looked back far enough through the post-pending archives last night for a happy post, because this would have been much better choice.

A Day At The Park: Two Ways

My boys agree on most things when it comes to play at home, but the park is a whole different ballgame (which is why it's impossible to take them to the park when flying solo). 

I took my point-and-shoot camera along on a recent trip with Gamma Rita and the only two pictures I managed to get of the boys together were pre-park over an incredibly nutritious lunch:

– Turns out we is still lovin' it™, everyone!

And pretty much right before we left where they were miraculously smitten with the same aspect of the park at the same time. Lovely shot of the back of their heads, but you get the idea.

Welcome to a typical day at the park OP style! 

• • • • • • •

This is how the "Nate Way" typically unfolds – and by the way, this is not the same slide featured in the previous picture. This is the "Really Big Slide!" (just so you know): 

– "Really Big Slide" is what I imagine Heaven look like everyone!

I need to caveat this post right now by saying that although I spent an equal share of time with both of my boys at the park there are far less photos of Nate mainly due to the fact that we spent 90% of our time together in the exact same location.

And there's only so many photos you can take of a boy doing exactly this: 

– I could do 'dis all day. And usually I does!

Over and over and over again. What can I say? Nate really likes that slide!

Despite the park resembling an uninhabited wasteland* in all my photos for some reason, things were fairly hopping (busy park on a busy weekend) – and even though both of my boys are quite good at waiting their turn, I won't insult you by pretending they necessarily enjoy it. 

– I is waiting turn which I doesn't really mind that much, but I throws in 'dis
tragic look for effect anyway in case it endear someone to let me through
to front of line.

The other 5% of the time with Nate was spent dashing around trying out anything that could be climbed on: 

– Please note everything around me in focus. Is just me that is blur
for some reason.

Or anything worth riding: 

– Big or small, I rides them all!

And even though the general consensus has been that swings are stinkeroo since Seth lost interest (and anything your brother doesn't want to do is typically not worth doing of course), Gamma Rita managed to coax Nate back onto a swing:

After which it was game-on!** 

– OK. I admits it. Swing is fun.

• • • • • • •

The second half of our day at the park was spent doing things the "Seth Way" and it's probably best if I just let Seth narrate this: 

– Oh hi everyone. Is me, Seth. We is at park today and Nate doing it all wrong
so I shows you how it done right instead. There is a lot to see and do here and
I see and do all kinds of stuff, but everyone know first priority at park is to
impress the cuties. Right now I is gathering ingredients to make one of my
signature dishes. Everyone know the cuties dig a guy who know own way
around a kitchen.

– I has a few recipes I likes to make at park. Macaroni and cheese, grilled
cheese sandwiches and caesar salad are my go-to favorites. Today
we is making macaroni and cheese.

– I start by combining ingredients in handy bowl-type thing hidden under
play equipment. Is especially handy because 'dis secret recipe!

– So secret in fact that it important to take look around from time to time
to make sure no one peeking...

– ... before I add super-secret final touch. Turns out, rocks and twigs are what really
make 'dis recipe.

– And BAM! Is all done.

– I take moment to bask in own success but is fleeting. It take more than a
winning recipe and good looks to impress the cuties after all.

Mommy note: it doesn't take more than that smile and those baby blues to impress me. I could get lost in those eyes (and sometimes do). And yes, they really are that blue.

– Good thing I also has skills at vehicle maintenance. Oh sure, it obvious that
missing wheel is real problem, but taking time to look under hood anyway
make it seem like you really know what you is doing.

– Next I head over to "Really Big Slide" to see what all the fuss about.
I start to climb up to slide 'dis way but discover pretty quick there
no cuties over here so I cuts it short.

– I end up finding more cutie-friendly way to top of slide but when I arrive
it turn out I only find Nate and some big kids and exactly zero cuties.
"Really Big Slide" turn out to be stinkeroo!

– Thank goodness regular slide has plenty of cuties and even though you
not see any evidence of that here, me and my bucket was big hit!

You probably wondering about my bucket right now and why it such big hit
so I give you hint.

– Is not big hit because I using it to make more recipes.

– And it not big hit because I pose here and there to casually show off
a little leg (although 'dis big crowd pleaser also).

– Is big hit because it turn out caring about environment also popular
with the cuties!****

– To be perfectly honest though, I do 'dis part even if no cuties is looking.
Is just fun!

- L. 

*I have no idea how I managed to take pictures of my boys at an extremely popular park on a weekend afternoon and make it look like we were the sole inhabitants. It wasn't especially deliberate, but really... wow!

**I had Seth in hand when I took the swing pics of Nate. It was pretty close to leaving time and I had approximately 500 pics of Seth and a half dozen of Nate. Also, enjoying a swing is a rare beast ever since Seth declared swings stinkeroo*** and Nate took his word for it.

***In all fairness, Seth unexpectedly got sick on a swing last summer and hasn't been on one since.

****Actually, it's not. The part about the recipes/kitchen play, car maintenance and the "regular" slide all being popular with the cuties is quite true, but Seth is definitely on his own with park maintenance. Hunting for "little treasures" is an intrinsic part of going to the park with him however, and the highlight is definitely the trip to the respective bins where we sort things into "garbage" and "recycling".

• • • • • • • 

PS. In case you thought this was fresh material and wondered why the weather was so nice and everyone was looking so spry, these pics are actually from a couple or more weeks ago when the weather was still good and we were between summer colds.

Oh Captain, My Captain(s)!

The laundry basket is not used so much these days for laundry as it is for setting sail. 

Unfortunately my boys don't fit in it quite as well as they once did. 

Which generally means someone ends up jumping ship (or in a less voluntary way is sometimes sent off to walk the plank). 

Looks like Captain Seth won this round.

- L.

PS. This post would not be complete without a video, so here it is. In keeping with our strict "no singing!" policy, there is no singing – but if you've ever yearned to hear "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" barked out in semi-army-sergeant-style fashion, then you're in luck. Enjoy!

Make-Up

Although I'm mostly pointing the finger at everyone who voted in the infamous "Stalemate" poll and declared it a good thing, you all aren't entirely to blame.

95% to blame, yes – because as we all know the boys not only read this blog, but post polls in their spare time (polls that are easily swayed by readers who appreciate hijinks, I might add).

*ahem*

The other 5% I'll take credit for, as follows:

• My boys are aware that Mommy wears "make-up". 
• They are also aware that Mommy sometimes makes "hair-do". 
• They aren't especially aware of the difference between the two, but I'll admit I do encourage moments like these by taking pictures because it's too funny not to share. 

And now my boys putting on their "make-up" over dinner the other night...

While it's evident they were actually making "hair-do", they kept saying "Make-up! Make-up!" while giggling up a storm and any attempts to correct them were summarily ignored. Seth is looking rather proud of himself here, but he always was one for a bit of flair when it comes to "foodstuffs in the hair":

No, that's not a barrette by the way – it's a carrot.

Nate also had a fine time applying his "make-up!":

And since he has a lot more hair than his brother at this point, I nearly missed one of the tomatoes he had stuck in there:

Seth's hair was also pretty much a disaster zone by the time all was said and done:

I picked out what I could and did my best to wipe off the rest (the rest mainly being salad dressing) since it had been a long and weary day and I just didn't have the energy to throw them in the bath like I should have.*

I told them they both smelled like salad bar as I tucked them in to bed that night, which strangely enough pleased them to no end.**

And just in case you were wondering if a meal at the OP is ever complete without some of whatever this is:

... the answer is still a resounding "no".

We still love this game very, very much as it turns out. And yes, that would be Nate once again attempting the under-the-shirt feeding manoeuvre.

Equally popular? A good old-fashioned "Fore-stains!" of course:

"FORE-STAINS!"

I really wish those sippies hadn't been in the way while my boys were busy hamming it up, but I think you get the idea.

- L.

*No worries – a very thorough scrubbing ensued the next morning. 

**I figure if Seth can comment on my scabby elbows with such candor, the least I can do is return the favor occasionally.

Pretend You Are Two

Because there isn't anything quite like the imaginative properties of a toddler.

Despite my role as a parent to teach my children about the world around them, I find myself getting schooled more often than not.

On the surface, this looks like my boys have managed to climb into an ordinary laundry basket:

Except it's actually a boat!

Of course, that was kind of an easy one.

Want to guess what we're doing here? 

We're making hats ("AAATS!") out of ordinary cloth wipes*, of course.

Is because we still doesn't have enough hats, everyone.

And having a blast doing it:

AAATS!

Of course, nothing trumped the after-dinner special where ordinary raisins became airplanes:

Truth be told, I am loving this new phase of make-believe as much as my sons are.

- L.

*The ordinary cloth wipes are less ordinary than they would appear, since they are well known around these parts as "tse-tse cloths" and are liberally referred to as such in the video I just posted on our YouTube™ channel featuring our cloth AAATS! and raisins that are up high in the sky.

PS. The Great Tse-Tse Capers posts are coming. The caper involving the cloths was but one of them and early on at that. Still, the cloths have been known henceforce (and likely forevermore) as "tse-tse cloths". I thought I'd mention that in case you are wondering what all the "tse-tse" business in the video is about.