Quality time

Dreaming

Last night I dreamed all the kids at school went on a field trip to Abiyoyo.
Isn't Abiyoyo a person? Or a monster?
Abiyoyo is a person with really stinky, old, messed-up clothes.
So how did they go on a field trip to Abiyoyo?
All the kids did.
I know. But Abiyoyo's a person. You take a field trip to a place.
Abiyoyo's a monster.
OK, but how do you take a field trip to a monster? Don't you take a field trip to a place?
I dreamed it.

Thinking

inside the box

How we roll, II

How we roll

Pick a lap

So where's Daisy been all this time?

Oh.

Photos by Buster

The artist:

Photo by Dad. And cropped, unlike Buster's.

4

New coat, party hat. And yes, we do still have a daughter. Why do you ask?

Please, Lord

... make Grandma take off the pimp hat. Actually, I think Buster's just blinking while watching "The Wizard of Oz" with Grandma in the middle of his own birthday party.

Birthday party

Regular candles. Buster decided he wanted it to be a costume party, so he's Buzz Lightyear. Matthew and A.J. are in costume too, I think as various sports figures.

Some grandfatherly costume action. Masks and hats were big this year.

Pre-birthday party

The old trick candles never fail to amuse. Rob and Amy agree.

Big ol' stuffed Curious George. That's a home run.

See? This was not posed at all. He's asleep.

At the dinner table

Dad: Who's funnier, Daisy or you?
Buster: Daisy's funny, and I'm funny, and you're funny, and Mommy's funny.
Dad: Mommy's not funny.
Mom/Buster: Yes I am!/Yes she is!
Dad: No. Mommy's not funny.
Buster: She is.
Dad: One time Mommy told a joke like this. What did the bear say to the horse?
Mom: I never told a joke about a bear.
Buster: Mommy is funny.
Dad: And the answer was "Hi, horse."
Mom: I did not tell that joke.
Dad: She's all, "Get it? Hi horse?"
Mom: I was not.
Buster: No, she didn't. She's funny. And Daisy's funny.
Dad: Daisy's not funny.
Mom: How is Daisy funny?
Buster: She's just ... funny!
Dad: Daisy, are you funny?
Daisy: [Looks up and farts]

OK, yeah. Daisy's funny.

Leopard theme

continues.

That leopard

gets around.

In the car

Buster hasn't really liked the Mexican restaurant. Didn't want anything to eat there, and was angry that we hadn't brought anything to eat from home. We would have, but at the time when we would have asked him if he wanted to bring anything, he'd been having a tantrum.

So Buster, did you like that restaurant?
Yeah.
You did?
Yeah.
I gotta say, it didn't seem like it. You didn't eat anything and you acted all grumpy. What did you like about it?
I don't know. I don't really know that much about restaurants.

Leopard

meets leopard.

Col. Daisy Sanders

Size 4

At the mall

Buster and Dad, waiting for Mom and Daisy to catch up, have stopped in front of a Mrs. Fields display featuring an enORMous cookie-cake.

Dad?
Yes, Buster.
I love you.
Oh. I love you too.
[Points to Brobdingnagian cookie] Did you think I was going to say can we have this?
Yes, I did.

[Pause]

Can we?