Conservative Papa

X-Ray pictures, originally uploaded by Michael Sallmen.

Esther Joy is pretending to take X-ray pictures of Andrew.

Since we would be living in our minivan for the next couple weeks, we had to at least start out with it being clean. So, 2 days before the Big Day of Departure, Andrew and I gave it a bath.

Andrew washing minivan before our big trip

Andrew said he was washing the minivan's nose.

This is me, originally uploaded by Michael Sallmen.

Last night, Andrew asked me to draw him a picture on his Magna Doodle. First he said it looked like a pumpkin, then he said it looked like me. Thanks a lot, kid! You’re welcome, he told me.

Family Walk, originally uploaded by Michael Sallmen.

Here are Andrew and Esther Joy walking with Mama. We took a family walk yesterday evening. Today I finally got the photo upload from my phone to this blog via Flickr to work properly. It helps to get the special Flickr email address typed in properly!

A year ago today, we brought home the second member of our automotive family: a 2006 Toyota Sienna. Carolyn chose this one because it has eight seats for future family expansion and few gadgets (no power doors, navigation, DVD, etc.) From the moment we saw it on the dealer’s lot, I dubed the color “pea soup.” Somehow, Carolyn liked it anyway — in spite of me, I think. (Toyota calls the color “silver pine mica.”)

We all love our mini-van, even though we put less than 8,000 miles on it this year. My, how much Andrew and Esther have changed since these pictures were taken last January!

After participating in previous recalls, I received an email from Learning Curve, subsidiary of RC2 Corporation and maker of Thomas & Friends™ Wooden Railway toys. The email referred me to a recent ABC interview with the RC2 CEO concerning the safety of Chinese-made toys. Watch the video here.

Above, Andrew and Esther Joy are opening the package from RC2 that contained the replacements for the toys we sent back for the first recall. Ironically, the extra toy RC2 included as a gift to appease us for our trouble is one of the toys included in the second recall!

Don’t get me wrong, we still love Thomas and we’re buying more for Christmas — largely because I believe the lead threat is overrated. All the same, we discourage the children from chewing on the toys, just in case!

We had some friends over Saturday, including Matt Sample, who is a professional illustrator. He showed us how he “paints” with oils using his MacBook and Wacon tablet. Very interesting. This is a quick sketch of Andrew’s monkey that he threw together in a few minutes with Andrew’s “help.” Matt showed us several examples of the portraits he does in about 90 minutes. Those are beautiful!

Carolyn usually says goodbye when I leave for work with the words, “drive safely.” Andrew has picked up the phrase and uses it as a mantra to the extent that I wonder whether I might be going to work as a crash dummy!

Today, after a “drive safely” admonition, Andrew reminded me that I should ask a policeman if I have any questions. Also, he assured me, a tow truck would tow my car away should I happen to get into an accident.

Last week, I was trying to watch the children while their mother grabbed a few much-deserved Z’s. Isaac became fussy, probably wanting to eat, I reasoned. Trying to delay the inevitable waking of Mama, the Maker of Food, I set him up in the baby swing. No dice. Isaac kept fussing.

Andrew and Esther knew what to do. They covered him with their ample supply of McDonald’s Beanie Baby bears. Before I knew it, Isaac was asleep!

Tonight, Andrew said he couldn’t get ready for bed because his bedroom was “full of dark.”