Belle vs. Bunny Bandit

 

Holly Belle: So, what do you think of my idea?

Meghan: I don't know, Holly Belle.  It seems a bit extreme.

Holly Belle: It's all about empowerment!

We're taking control of the narrative!

Meghan: Yes! Empowerment!

Holly Belle: Come on, let's get started.

Holly Belle: Noah Conrad, we need to use the workshop for a little while.

Noah Conrad: Well, uh, what are you going to do?  Do you know how to use tools?

You're not going to make a mess or get everything in disarray, are you?

Holly Belle: Don't you have some sheep to chase down?

Noah: >grumble, grumble< Okay, well, I can give you an hour. >mutter, mutter<

Logan: Good grief, have you two lost your minds?!?

What are you doing to those chocolate bunnies?

Holly Belle: Every year Frank eats the ears off of all of our chocolate Easter bunnies.  Meghan

and I have accepted the fact that we'll never get a bunny with intact ears in our Easter baskets, 

but we refuse to give him the satisfaction of actually doing the misdeed.

Logan: I guess I can get behind that.  Besides, I know better than to argue

with a woman holding a saw.  Rock on, then!

Come Easter morning...

Frank: What?!? Is this a dream or a nightmare?

Allen: What are you chuntering on about?

Later on...

Frank: >Chomp, chomp< Oh, it's undeniably more convenient,

but it does take some of the sport out of it.

Harriet: Do you want us to take them away?

Frank: There's no need to do anything extreme.

A Spring In Our Step

 Daddy Steve:  This past Wednesday was the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere.  It's a day that we always look forward to here in Gregoropolis.  Truthfully, this past winter could barely be called a winter; it was the mildest one I can ever remember.

Kurt: And Daddy Steve can remember waaaaaay far back.

Paul: Back to the last ice age, I would imagine.

And yet, even a mild winter is still winter.  You just don't have the same sense of freedom that comes with warm days.

James: Yeah, just like the world's tastiest broccoli isn't the same as chocolate ice cream.

Randall: I can't argue with that.

Lately, the kids have been doing a lot of dreaming and planning about springtime.

Lulu et Lottie: 𝅘𝅥𝅮𝅘𝅥𝅮 Printemps, Printemps, Printemps, la-de-da-de-da! 𝅘𝅥𝅮𝅘𝅥𝅮

Emile: You realize eet ees ztill too early to plant things outzide.

Lulu: If you are ze expert on growing things, zen why are you zo short?

Meghan: We're going through our summer clothes...

Holly Belle: ...and we just realized something.

Both: We have nothing to wear!

Nathan: Oh, good grief.

Ravi: We're planning our nature observations and experiments of the summer.

Patrick: We want to wake people up to the growing climate change crisis.

Ann Marie: I'd say you've got your work cut out for you.

Mikko and Tyler: Outdoors here we come!

Anthony: Hey, come back here!  You still need to wear your coats!

Katie: It may not seem much like spring yet, but this is actually the best spot to be in.

It's all stretching out ahead of us!

Sasha: Right.  It's like we just started reading the introduction of the best story ever!

Kitchen Additions

 Daddy Steve: Uli does so much cooking here at Gregoropolis that we're always looking for ways to help her out.

Uli: But not too much help because only I know how to do things the right vay.

A little while ago, Aunties Sue and Michelli found this handy little grater.

Uli: Ja! Das ist exactly vat I need.  Now I can make the potato pankakes!

Recently, we became acquainted with some ¼-scale vintage toy kitchen appliances from the 1950s (because we spend way too much time on the internet).

They're all metal and modeled after real General Electric kitchen units of the era.

The entire 9-piece set would have cost a whopping $60.00 in the late 1950s -- a lot of money for a toy.  

Old Alice was able to add a bit of context for us...

Old Alice: Well, dearie, you see people really started spoiling their kids back then.

In an earlier time, they would have just sent them outside to find a stick to play with!

We were able to find the ovens and dishwasher on eBay for a reasonable price.  Uli thinks the ovens are a sensible addition.

Uli: Now I can bake even more things at one time.

However, she's not quite sure about the dishwasher (which actually did work originally--batteries not included).

Uli: Nein.  Vhy do I need this?  I already haff dishwashers.

>CRASH!<

Luke: Whoops!

Uli: >Sigh< On the second thought...

Having a dishwasher inevitably leads to a range of differing opinions on how to load it.

Holly Belle: No, no.  You need to turn the plates the other way!

Nathan: I think they need to go on the bottom rack.

Uli: Okay.  All ov you out ov kitchen!  I must make the potato pankakes!

Cake Panther

Rhoda: >Sigh< Laundry is finally finished.

Jack: I think it's break time.  Tea and cake?

Rhoda: Kid, I like the way you think.

Natalie: Sorry to trouble you, but have either of you by chance seen my striped, pink dress?

I can't seem to locate it anywhere.

Jack: Um, aren't you wearing it?

Natalie: Oh dear, so I am!  I just never seem to know what's going anymore.  >Tee-Hee<

Jack: You know, Natalie's a nice girl and all, but she's a bit...clueless?

Befuddled, maybe?

Rhoda: Oh yeah, that girl definitely doesn't have both oars in the water sometimes.

Rhoda: Except when it comes to food.  Then she's like a panther stalking a rabbit.

Jack: I find that hard to believe.

Rhoda: Trust me; it's completely true.

Natalie: Oh, there you two are.

You know, I couldn't find my pink striped dress anywhere and guess what.

I was wearing it the entire time!  Isn't that something?

Jack: But I said --

Rhoda: --That's wild Natalie.  Glad you got it all sorted out.

Natalie: Oh, me too!

Natalie: Well, enjoy your tea and, um...yes, tea.  See you later!  >Tee-hee<

Jack: Wow.  So. Clueless.

Jack: HEY!  What happened to our cake?!?!

Rhoda: I told you she was good.

Two Sportsballs Separated By A Common Language

Nicholas Sahara: I say, what are you chaps up to?

BR: It's nice outside, so we're going to swing the bat around.

Pete Dakota: Wanna come play with us?

Nicholas: Smashing! Give me a mo' to grab my bat and don my whites.

Shan't be a tick!

BR: What are his 'whites'?

Pete: He has his own bat?

Nicholas: Ready, lads!

BR: Good grief, what are you wearing?!

Pete: And that's a bat?

Nicholas: These are my cricket whites, of course.  You said we were to swing the bat around.

Surely you recognize this as a bat?!

BR: I meant this bat! Swing the old ash!

Nicholas: Swing the Ashes! Are you mad? Sacrilege!

Pete: Wait, what?!?

Pete: Uh, um, is that a cricket ball?

Nicholas: Indeed!  I won my first half-century with this ball.

If I do say so myself, I'm an excellent dibbly-dobbler and am well known for my googlies!

BR: What?

BR: Well, I'm the ace of the team!  I can put tons of pepper on my throws

and am known for my cheese. 

Nicholas: What? I thought we were playing, not eating!

BR: Oooh, that's it! Chin music for you!

Nicholas: What? I'll give you a Yorker, mate! You'll earn a duck!

BR: What?

Pete: Okay, okay, let's calm down guys.

Um, why don't we ask Scot-Michael and Stephen Orange to play with us?

Nicholas: Feh, while Scout is a great mate, he's a pie chucker and 

shells a dolly every time.

BR: Bah.  Stephen Orange's got a tin glove.

He's a banana stalk; a real Punch & Judy hitter.

Pete: AAAHHH!!! What is everybody saying?!?!

BR: How about a game of soccer, instead?

Nicholas: I think you mean footie.

Pete: >Sigh<