Category Archives: Treasures from the Archives

Chloe and Her Cousin Lucy the Dog

My brother found this photo of a young Chloe playing with her cousin Lucy, the yellow lab.  Evidently, Chloe was none too happy with her canine cousin, probably because Lucy stole the ball from her, started to chew on it, got it all goopy with her dog saliva and wouldn’t give it back.

Chloe has always been impatient.  Those puffed-out 3-year old cheeks signify her complete and utter exasperation with a playmate who can’t talk to her and who hasn’t really mastered the art of sharing.

It’s an expression she still employs from time to time.  She’s lost all of her toddler fat and her hair is a lot longer, but she’s still her.  Still the Chloe who doesn’t like to cede control, even if it’s just of a ball.

Sophie Channels the Letter ‘S’

Sophie had her first school play today, a contemporary version of “Charlotte’s Web” called “Charlotte’s Web Site.”  Apparently, Charlotte the spider is now a very savvy social media wizard.  I won’t bother to get into the specifics because the story didn’t make much sense.  About the only thing I understood was that Charlotte retired to the beach instead of kicking the proverbial bucket.

No matter.  Sophie and her class danced to the “Alphabet Boogie.”  She was very proud to portray the letter ‘S’ like her name. By the way, Chloe astutely pointed out that the hats the kids wore represented computer mice.

Sort of a Sophie Weekend

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I spent some serious quality time with my little Sophie this weekend.  Going on nausea-inducing rides with her yesterday at the boardwalk, taking her to see “Kung Fu Panda 2” on Saturday and to the diner for pancakes this afternoon, playing “Cut the Rope” on the iPad and pushing her on the swing.  Lots of one-on-one Sophie moments.

Continue reading Sort of a Sophie Weekend

The Boardwalk!

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Fun House Hall of Mirrors Pre-Crash

We made our annual trek to Point Pleasant today.  Sophie was in her one-track mind mode, wanting to play the “claw” game at the arcade, the one where the player tries to direct a metal claw to grab a toy.  Last year, by some freak occurrence, Chloe actually won a huge stuffed cow in this manner, and the girls were convinced that they could win again.

Continue reading The Boardwalk!

Friday Date Night

I truly don’t remember the last time my husband and I went out on a date, let alone a date on a Friday night.  Dinner and a movie.  Miraculous.  And not just any movie.  An R-rated movie.  With not one second of animation.  But with a lot of cursing and raunchy humor.  “Bridesmaids.”  What a treat!  The theater was packed (no surprise to those who habitually go to the movies on a Friday night, but a big surprise to me).  We were also among the oldest people there.  That was a little depressing.

But hey, I’m not complaining.  The truth is, I’m getting old.  I filled a new eyeglasses prescription today.  Progressive lenses because I can’t see anymore.  Seriously.  When I read, the book essentially needs to touch my nose.  To compensate for this all-too-common sympton of post-40s aging, I purchased a new set of funky frames.  My funkiest frames yet, by an eyewear company called Volte Face.  They’ll be ready next week.  Crappy eyes be damned!

Chloe the Time Traveler

Chloe apparently has a secret that she’s not willing to share.  She’s a time traveler.  She has a capsule hidden somewhere in her room and she uses it late at night to go back to the 1970s.

During her last adventure she came back with a souvenir that she tried to keep a secret.  But keeping secrets is a difficult thing, no matter the era you live in or visit.  In this photo, Chloe decided to check out her great-aunt and great-uncle during their pre-kids, happy-go-lucky hippie days.  Let’s face it – she really, really wanted to see what her great-uncle looked like with long hair, a ponytail and a bushy beard.

What is she looking at?  She seems intrigued by the heavy camera facing her.  All she knows from her short, third millennium life are tiny digital cameras that produce color photos, not black and white masterpieces.  On the other hand, she’s probably simply be wondering what the hell she’s doing wearing bell bottoms.