Category Archives: Griffin

Griffin, Maggie, Photo

Griffin’s 5th Birthday

Gallery Leave a comment

It’s been a rather extended celebration this year. We began on Griffin’s actual birthday, April 8, with cinnamon rolls for breakfast and family presents at dinner. Then he was honored at both of his preschools.

Maggie with pinkeye
Maggie with pinkeye

Then Sarah baked a spectacular cake for his party on Saturday, but the kids both woke up with pink eye and we had to cancel the party! (Noooooo! But we ate the cake, which made it ok.) We rescheduled the party for the following weekend and this time everything worked out, including an even more magnificent cake. (Six layer rainbow cake with all natural ingredients? No problem.) And grandma and grandpa presented a new bike. Woohoo!

Click on the pics for larger versions.

A new, bigger bike!
It has a kickstand.
It has a hand brake.
It is awesome.
Sarah’s masterpiece.
I want it. Now.
Hug for the birthday boy.
Happy guest.
More happy guests!
Everyone is singing for me!
Big breath!
Five candles.
First slice.
Six all-natural layers of joy (no food coloring!)
Hard work
Yummy!

What has Griffin learned? Birthdays last for three weeks and include numerous celebrations, multiple cakes, magic bunnies that hide eggs, lots of chocolate, and special trips to the ice cream shop (those last tidbits were for Easter and my birthday, but the distinctions may not mean much to him). We’re setting ourselves up for success here. 🙂

Griffin

Heavy Breakfast

Leave a comment

Just another Sunday breakfast at the Stocco Roy’s where we discussed slavery, the civil war, armor, and guns.

[Slavery came up because Griffin wanted to know what the song “Jimmy Crack Corn” is all about. (Good question!) This led to the civil war, but interest waned before we could delve into the rise of the KKK and Jim Crow, the Great Migration, civil rights, the war on drugs, white privilege, and the glorious post-racial utopia which we’ve created for him. (Also didn’t get to the dangers of wearing hoodies.) Instead, Griffin examined his medieval-themed placemat and asked if armor was “real.” This prompted a detailed discussion about the history of armor. Cool stuff, which led, eventually, to kevlar. At which point we had to talk about guns and what to do if he ever comes across one. It was quite a breakfast!]

Griffin

Griffin Attitude

Quote Leave a comment

After dinner:

Sarah: “Whoa, whoa, your plate needs to go to the kitchen.”
Griffin: “Aw, man. I HATE bringing my plate.”
Sarah: “Let’s try that again.”
Griffin: “Okay. I GUESS I’ll bring my plate to the kitchen.”
Sarah: “Let’s try that again.”
Griffin: <HUGEST EYE ROLL EVER> “Okay, I LOVE bringing my plate to the kitchen!!”

Griffin, Maggie, Photo

Flat Raven

Gallery Leave a comment

Dear Raven,

Original letter from Raven
Original letter from Raven

A couple of weeks ago I got a letter from you. Inside the letter was Flat Raven! We took pictures of Flat Raven. It was so fun. We can’t wait to share them with you.

The first place we went with you was Hidden Falls Park on the east bank of the Mississippi River. It’s so fun because the roots of the trees are pulled up and we can climb in them and slide down them sometimes. We even hide in them while playing hide-and-seek. Did you know that the Mississippi River starts in Minnesota? It starts at a place called Lake Itasca, but it goes by not far from our house. We ride our bikes to the river sometimes.

Flat Raven climbs on driftwood on the east bank of the Mississippi River.
Flat Raven found a comfortable cave to hang out in.
So many cool nooks in the wood by the river!
Mississippi River Map
Source of the Mississippi river at Lake Itasca, MN.

Next we went to play with Richard, a friend of mine. We played at his preschool which is very close to my preschool, the Dodge Nature Center. Both schools have animals and lots of nature. We play outside a lot. We played a game called Grumpy Old Troll which is the same as Tag.

Climbing on a play structure.
What a cool swing!

After we got home, we decided to walk to a Thai restaurant for dinner. This Thai restaurant is on a street called Grand Avenue not far from our house, just like the Thai restaurant we used to eat at with you in Oakland on Grand Avenue! On our way to the restaurant we found a cool purple chair beside someone’s house. My favorite Thai food is Pad Si Yew. It has big brown wide noodles. It’s so yummy!

A very purple chair.
Thai food. Yum!

On Thursday night we had a really big snow storm. Some places got more than a foot of snow, but we only got about six inches. Whenever it snows, we like to sled to my preschool. We took you along for a ride in Maggie’s sled. We know that it doesn’t snow very much where you live, so we thought you would enjoy this fun part of winter.

Sledding to preschool.

Love,

Griffin

 

Griffin, Maggie, Photo

Winter Wrap-up Gallery

Gallery Leave a comment

Clearing out a backlog of winter photos. Click for larger versions.

Maggie at the Saint Paul Winter Carnival
Seated on the ice throne at the Saint Paul Winter Carnival
“Neigh Neigh Ride” at the Saint Paul Winter Carnival
The Luminary Loppet on the Lake of the Isles, February 1
Gelato at the Midtown Global Market
Snowman Closeup
Fun in the back yard. Note Maggie’s snow boots.
Riproaring fun on the bench swing at Mattocks
Griffin, Photo

Poppies at Sunset

2 Comments

We were learning about Claude Monet. He’s an artist. All the people who saw his art just laughed at it and made fun of it and even thrown it in the garbage because he just did blobs but that was his way. Impressionism. We looked at lots of paintings. I liked the one with the flowers and the pink house.

This one painting is about his house is covered in green. I made his house yellow. You can barely see the yellow because it is his house and it is covered with grass. The red spots are poppies and sun. The name is Poppies at Sunset.

Poppies at Sunset (February 2014)
Poppies at Sunset (February, 2014)

 

Griffin

Mama 4 Daddy 0

Leave a comment

“Daddy, how is mama going to use this to make soap?”

“That’s a good question, Griffin. I have no idea. Your mama is better at lots of things than I am, and making soap is one of those things.”

“Are you better at some things?”

“Yes, of course!”

“Are you better at craft projects?”

“No.”

“Are you better at soccer?”

“No, mama’s better at all sports.”

“Are you better at singing?”

“No…  It’s bedtime! Get moving buster.”

Phew.

Griffin

I’m Part Selkie

Leave a comment

[This is the first post that Griffin has authored himself. I’m just following his instructions. – Andrew]

Today I learned about selkies at preschool. Selkies are magic seals. Selkies can turn into humans and when it’s nighttime they can take off their skin. I am part selkie because of the twinkle in my eye and also I like to swim. Selkies live in Ireland. They like eating sushi and swimming. They eat fish also.  Selkies are so silly and funny. I like learning about selkies. This is my first day of learning about selkies. Bye bye!

Selkie (in seal form)
Selkie (in seal form)