A Photo Journal

Here are some photos from my last few trips to Kentucky, where Dante is now a solid 4'9" and god knows how much he weighs, but apparently not so much that he can't still climb on Mommy.

Dante is out in the yard, taking advantage of the really mild late fall weather Kentucky had.



And, of course, ruining the picture for Mom with a what we call a "mucked-up" face. Just like Calvin. A sight every mother wants to see--falling asleep with a book, apparently in midturn of the page! He's reading Calvin & Hobbes, his favorite, although we're trying to also get him hooked on Bone this spring. He has his own version of Hobbes in the bed with him.

Just before a huge family dinner in Harlan, Kentucky.

The after dinner football game--a first in the family's history. It was boys against girls. While the boys won, the girls made the play of the day, by running around the hedges in the property to score points, as the boundaries were not defined before the game.

Brilliant strategizing by the boys' side. We're pretty sure the girls lost only because they did not have the proper footwear.

Dante comes back from Florida to yet another Christmas. This was his third present opening session, lucky boy. He deserved every bit of it. He's done such a good job this year, and I'm impressed with his fortitude.

The major theme of this present session was Wrestling. He was thrilled. Here you get to see two of his favorite wrestlers: Booker T. and the Boogie Man. The Boogie Man is really gross because he actually eats worms on stage. Eww!! We watch part of Monday Night Raw together. And Smackdown, if we're able. It may not be to every parent's taste, but we have a good time.

What would a wrestling match be without a ladder for them to bang each other up with and climb up for belts? He got a breakaway table as well, which now has masking tape on it, because, well, it broke one too many times.

And, of course, we may be a Very Big Boy, but that doesn't stop us (and everything else in the house) from climbing onto Mommy's lap. That's OK. He's a monster to hold, but I'm sure it probably won't last much longer. On the other hand, I can equally imagine having a photo of a 16 year old sprawled out on the chair, and me peeking out behind him. The toy poodle in the chair is Sugar Pie, and she is desperately in need of the Dog Whisperer.

-- Virgil