Conservative Papa

Chick-fil-A, originally uploaded by Michael Sallmen.

We ate and played while Mama and Opal rested.

X-Ray pictures, originally uploaded by Michael Sallmen.

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

Race car cart, originally uploaded by Michael Sallmen.

All three children love the race car carts at Lowe’s, but there is only room for two. Obviously, the reason for going to Lowe’s is to push the cart around as fast as possible so they can drive. If I forget and pause to shop, they will remind me to go!

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!

Children can be rather challenging to photograph. When I squatted down to get a better angle, Esther Joy thought it would be a good idea to copy me.

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!

Carolyn placed Isaac atop pillows in a laundry basket and the older children had a great time pushing him around the house. Isaac will never want for entertainment! This time, however, he did his best to sleep through it.