Tornado Time

Did you know that the National Weather Service made a small but significant change to the way they report weather information? In order to achieve greater consistency they have decided to start naming earthquakes and tornados, just like they name hurricanes (you know- Katrina, Andrew, etc...). They feel that this will help them add a more human touch to the ravages of mother nature.

And speaking of Tornados, we were a little concerned before we moved to Iowa because we were told this area is part of "tornado alley". Well, we've been here for 3 years now and we haven't experienced any tornados yet so we thought we we're gonna escape without any funnel clouds of doom. But then yesterday happened...

We usually watch the news to stay up on the weather but somehow this one snuck up on us. And on top of that, it seems that this tornado managed only to damage the inside of one lowly little house. And as luck would have it- that lowly little house was our house. Have a look. And by some miraculous chance, what name do you think the National Weather Service issued this tornado???

Tornado Connor, of course!

Life's A Toy

Boring old miniature ironing board??? I think not!!

Modern Art

People have got it all wrong these days. How the world can recognize junk like this as art is beyond me. Seriously, the world in general has lost its marbles and wouldn't know quality art if it flew down from the sky and hit people in the head. My dog could do better than this (metaphorically speaking because we don't currently have a dog, but if we did I assure you he would do better. And if he didn't, we'd probably get rid of him)
Art should be something realistic, something that has meaning in your everyday life. For example, Jax made a cake for a baby shower last week and it turned out great. Look at the attention to detail, the flowers around the edges, and the blocks offering a visually stunning 3-D display. And on top of that, it tasted good too. Now that, is art! Imagine how much more fun it'd be to visit a museum where you got to eat everything afterwards instead of just staring at boring old pictures! Am I right, or am I right??

Personally, I don't consider myself much of an artist, but that doesn't mean I can't make a contribution to this world and help make it a better place. Therefore, my artistic legacy is a non-traditional piece I like to call the "Man Sandwich". Here it is below, pictured in all it's glory. 3 full pieces of bread donated themselves to this worthy cause, as well as some home-made strawberry jam and creamy peanut butter. The best part of this exhibit is found in the PB&J to bread ratio. A normal PB&J has a measely 2 slices of bread with one part PB and one part making a 1:1 ratio. But this monster has 3 slices of bread and 2.5 parts PB and 2.5 parts jelly creating an astounding 5:3 ratio with an 66% boost in flavor. Now that's taste-tastic!! Top it off with a frosty mug of ice-cold milk and you are having a great day, my friend!

Not to be overdone, Little Man has also interested himself in the arts. He says he's not ready to create just yet (besides in his diapers, but that's a whole different story) so he's happy just appreciating art right now. When we asked him what his favorite art medium was he immediately ran over without hesitation and grabbed his latest and greatest modern art magazine...

He spends hours everyday pouring over the latest and greatest details coming out of art factories all across the world: Italy, Japan, Germany to name a few. No detail escapes his well-trained eye as he satisfies his thirst for beautiful machines.

So what's his first collector's piece going to be??? The beautiful and stylish, yet sophisticated, Ferrari California. It's a wonderful Italian masterpeice that rivals the Sistine Chapel in it's hisorical importance!!

A Kodak Moment

They say a picture is worth a thousand words.... this one might even be worth 2000!!

Labor Day Thoughts

"You know, I've been thinkin' about this whole Labor Day thing recently. The success of today's working world has been attributed to efforts of labor unions' efforts to implement minimum wage standards, paid vacations, and being able to check Facebook and other social networking sites when the boss isn't looking. It's a wonderful David and Goliath success story of a group of like minded people gathering together to fight against those that would keep them down. Recently it has come to my attention that there are still under priviledged and under represented groups in our society. Yeah, that's right... I'm talking about me!! Did you know that less than 1% of children under 3 years old registered to vote in last year's election?? I know, it's shocking, but just look it up on the internet (preferably with Wikipedia) and you'll see that it's true. Just because we're smaller than everyone else doesn't mean we're any less important. So I've decided to organize to get to the word out and let our voices be heard. Our membership is a little small right now, but our numbers have increased dramatically since we've stop holding meetings during naptime.

I still don't understand why people are trying to keep the Little Man down. We are just as talented as the rest of the world... just look at the balance it takes to pull a maneuver as technical as this.

I know what you're thinking, he's way to small to have chopped down an entire tree and start a fire all by himself. Guess what? Believe it buddy!

Heck, I'm even tall enough to see out the window now!

Sure I'm inexperienced in today's global economy. Sure my resume is only one line long. And sure I like to take baths with a rubber ducky. Let's not focus on what I can't do, but on what I CAN do instead. And I CAN fit an entire banana in my mouth...

... Can you do that???

I rest my case."

The Dark Side

Lately we've been noticing that hints of certain aspects of Connor's personality have started to shine through and he's been showing his true self. After much discussion and paying extra close attention to these subleties we have finally figured him out. Just as every coin has 2 sides, so does our Little Man: Defender of truth and liberty during the day...
...and magical wizard at night!!

This is his "I just casted a spell and turned you into a newt" diabolical grin. Perhaps we should stop reading him Harry Potter bedtime stories.

Check It

I am crazy cat,

you can tell by my grin.

People be comin' to me,

when their life's goin' dim.

I got what it takes,

just ask all the chicks

who be chillin wit' me

and it ain't just for kicks.

When you got it they know,

I can put on a show.

Just ask mom and dad,
I be rollin in the dough.

So watch your back,

and stay outta the way

I'm on the scene now

and ready to play.

MC Hammer, Vanilla,

DMX and the Dre...

Don't wan't a piece of this

cuz I'm here to stay!!

Kids are so impressionable these days. Although, who can blame them with all of the crazy messages being flashed in their faces non stop, day in and day out. Without anyone to guide them and help them decipher a safe pathway to follow its easy for them to fall prey to the alternative themes and ideals being promoted by this modern day world of ours. For example, the other day Connor grabbed the remote and decided to watch "Antiques Roadshow" on PBS. Sure enough, next thing we know he's doing his hair like this and looking up pocket protectors online through Amazon... Later that evening Little Man spent some time watching our neighbors across the street and their 1985 Buick with 20" chrome wheels and a 5000 watt stereo system blasting Busta Rhymes. Of course wouldn't you know Connor started dancing to the music and suddenly he's dressed like this...

Finally, mom stepped in and put a stop to all the madness. With the help of some good ol' fashioned Legos she had Little Man back to himself in no time at all.

THE END

*Note- No children, moms, TV shows or Legos were harmed in the making of this blogpost. All opinions expressed belong solely to Connor and his entourage. All characters are non fictional and any likeness resembling fictional characters and or noisy neighbors across the street are purely intentional and should be regarded as such.*

WT Club

BREAKING NEWS- The following is a public safety announcement to any and all parents out there... This is what happens when you let children become NASCAR fans

Riddle Time

Oh me, oh my... have we got a riddle for you!!

Can you figure it out?

then give a shout,

and show us what you can do.

Here's your chance,

do a little dance,

as you read your first clue...

It's small and cuddly and practically brand new

What now is one, will soon become two!

Days become weeks,and weeks to months, until Feb when we're due.

Round one lives on,

but the bell has rung,

we're ready for round two!

Garden Delight

For a fun little family outing we decided to try out this new place. It's a portrait studio where they can digitally advance your age to determine what you'll look like in 50 years. I must say, I was a little surprised at the result.... I guess Iowa is wearing off on us more than we thought. Since Connor seems to grow pretty well and we usually remember to feed and water him we decided to branch out a little bit and see if we can get other things to grow. So we planted a garden, that so far hasn't done much other than keep the wild animals well fed... stupid rabbits!! But today when we checked on it we had some nice surprises.

Here is a small sampling of the fruits, or should I say veggies, of our labor!

"I can eat this zuchini in one bite!!!"

"Unless this thing tastes like pizza or icecream I don't want anything to do with it!!!!"

Gun Show

Life is difficult these days, there's no doubt about it. Between the economy, Iran, North Korea, Obama, 90210 reruns, Michael Jackson mania, and the size of ice cream cartons getting smaller while they still continue to charge the same OR MORE- it's easy to get discouraged. At least for most people it is, but not me......Not when you've got guns like these two .50 caliber bad boys!!

Freedom Fighter

After witnessing all of the unrest and difficulties occuring down in Honduras Little Man decided he just couldn't stand on the sidelines any longer. It's time for him to broaden his horizons and spread his influence across international borders. His plan is to join the Honduras National Futbol Team....take them to the World Cup finals against Brazil... score the game winning goal... become a local and international futbol superstar overnight... become more than famous- INFAMOUS... use his notoriety to become elected President of Honduras... and finally unite the country as one!!

Wherever there is injustice, you will find me!

Wherever there is suffering, I'll be there!

Wherever liberty is threatened, you will find...

The Uno Amigo!!

Honduras Trip

Sorry about the delay in blog posts... I was busy being almost held captive in Honduras in their little coup d'etat. But besides the whole overthrowing the government thing- the trip was great!! Here's some of the photo highlights...

Ahoy, Me Mates!!

After watching Pirates of the Carribean three times in a row, Little Man decided being a pirate isn't too bad of a way to earn a living. Learn some basic sailing skills, get an eye patch or a wooden leg, and find a parrot that only says "Pieces of eight, pieces of eight!" and you're set to go. With his mind made up he decided to hit the water and begin his pirate training. Of course, it was a little embarassing to have your mom come with you on your first pirate training adventure... but he needed a driver's license and some cash to rent a sea worthy vessel so he was forced to bring her along.

Partway through the training exercise, Connor was sure he spotted some buried treasure from an ancient shipwreck. With the price of gold these days he wasn't gonna hold back!

Murphy's Law teaches to always be ready for the unexpected. Here Little Man is simulating what he would do if the engine failed. No problemo, when you've got feet this fast and powerful.

Overall, it was a good experience (even with the parental units tagging along). Next time he goes out alone and under the cover of night.

Aboriginal Man

Recently, Little Man has learned how to decipher the intricate controls of the most important device ever invented- the TV remote control. With his newfound knowledge he quickly and easily chooses the programs he wants to watch, no matter what or who opposes him. It seems that he has taken a liking to the Natural Geographic channel. After viewing a program on Australia's aboriginal people we later found him like this...

It appears he has decided to give up his former life in an effort to become one with nature.

With his new identity and freedom, he is also able to explore previously unknown caverns.

He has also been sighted preparing weapons of war in case any neighboring tribes try to take over his territory.

These new tools also enhance his ability to locomote over difficult and uneven terrain.

With a few more back 'n' forth motions this stick will be as sharp and straight as an arrow.

After an extensive study of his surroundings along with his GPS-like brain, Connor is able to use his sensational navigation skills to determine which direction to proceed.

For his final show of force, Little Man shows how to best defend your territory when invaders are spotted. Using his pattented aerial ambush attack he surprises the enemy and unleashes a D-Day like assault against enemy positions.