Prepping For Cincinnati (Pete Dakota)

Uh-oh, what's going on here?

Pete Dakota: >mutter mutter, grumble, grumble<

Nicholas: Great Richard the III's ghost!  Has a hurricane come through?

Pete: BLEAH!

Nicholas: Peter! Whatever is the matter?

Pete: Daddies John and Steve got festival confirmation!  We have to decide what to pack!

Nicholas: Isn't Benjamin Roy going with you?  Surely he can help?

Pete: Feh...He said he'd help, but he's too busy working on his new motorcycle!

Nicholas: Peter, you mustn't carry on so; the festival is still ages away.  Come along, I'll make us a smashing cup of tea and you can tell me all about it.

Pete: Okay....

Nicholas: Then we'll come back and tidy up.

Pete: >mutter, mutter, grumble, grumble<

Ah, Magnolia

Daddy Steve: Bowie and Valerie took a stroll around the backyard.  The magnolia tree is budding, so they are convinced spring has finally arrived.

Easter Aftermath

Frank: >burp<  >snort<

Frank: >Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz<

Meghan: Tsk, tsk

Kaveh: Definitely a bunny ear coma.  He'll come to in a couple hours.

Easter Activity

Daddy Steve:  It's been a parade of activity at Gregoropolis as we prepare for Easter.  Everyone is excited!  Of course, the kids love the chocolate eggs, bunnies, and baskets; but beyond that Easter is a time of renewal and rebirth--really the true start of spring.  After the long winter we've had, it's most welcome indeed.

Our Easter preparations have included:

Coloring Easter eggs

Daisy: I'm glad we got the jumbo-sized eggs.

Baking

Gino: These buns may be cross, but they make me happy!

Putting up the Easter tree

Holly Belle: Everything must be just so, because we all know that a happy Easter Bunny is a a generous Easter Bunny.

Oliver: Is that how it works?

Nathan: You do realize that Daddy John and Daddy Steve are the Easter Bunny?

Holly Belle: Now, Nathan, let's not start this again!

Some general decorating

Robin: Nothing says springtime like green plants.

Trying on their Easter outfits

Anthony: I don't know.  I've never thought of myself as a bunny sort of person.

Frederick: Trust me, it's you.

And making up Easter baskets.

John Martin: So is this where the old saying 'Don't put all your eggs in one basket' comes from?

Ann Marie: Yeah, I think it was said by someone like us--someone with lots of brothers and sisters!

James: I'll never get this bow tied.

And, in the midst of the hubbub, one kid has been very quiet...

Sasha: Has he moved at all?

Miguel: No.  I think he's hypnotized.

Frank: So. Much. Earsssssssss...

HAPPY EASTER 2019 FROM GREGOROPOLIS!

Sympathy Pains

Daddy John: Looks to be a quiet week in Gregoropolis.  I am off to National Harbor, Maryland for a work conference while Daddy Steve is recovering from a wisdom tooth extraction.  I hope Daddy Steve and right-hand-man Anthony can keep the usual suspects in line while I'm away.

Speaking of which, we came across a moaning Wyatt...

Wyatt: Oooooh...my tooth hurts.  I need to eat soft foods, too.  May I have some pudding?

What Are Götz Girls Made Of?

Daddy Steve:  It's been a little over a year since girls have started moving into Gregoropolis, and, for the most part, it's been a smooth transition.  The boys are all quite fond of the girls, probably even more so than they're willing to admit.  I think it helps that they outnumber the girls by a comfortable margin.

Kaveh: I like the girls.

Giancarlo: Me too!  They're very posh and stylish, especially Daphne.

Wesley: Rhoda's a lot of fun...she's almost like a boy!

Nathan: Hmmph.  Holly Belle is too bossy.

At the beginning of the 'invasion', Paul and Rolf remained a tad smug about the whole thing.

Paul: Of course, we'll never be bothered by Götz girls.

Rolf: Ja.

Blake: Why is that?

Paul: Everyone knows that there isn't any such thing.  There are only Götz boys.

Rolf: Ja, only boys.

Blake: How can that be?  That doesn't make any sense.

Paul: I don't know, but that's just the way it is.

Rolf: Ja, just the vay it is.

We all know that there are far more Götz girls than boys, and yet these two persisted in their noodle-headed belief.  Until one day...

Louisette: Bonjour!

Paul & Rolf: >Gasp!< Ein Götz Mädchen!

Louisette: Oui.  'Oo were you eczpecting? La fille Bleuette?

Louisette was soon followed by Ulrike, and then Alice.

Ulrike: Guten Tag!

Alice: Hello!

As soon as the shock wore off, Paul and Rolf began to think of ways to make this turn of events work in their favor.

Paul: Perhaps we can get them to bake for us.

Rolf: Ja, cookies and cakes...and strudel!

Paul & Rolf: Mmmmmmmmmmm, strudel.

Sebastian: You guys do know it's not 1950 any more, right?

The boys presented their request to Louisette and Alice.

Louisette: Baking?  What ees thees?

Alice: I think you can make food come out of this thing.

Louisette: Zut alors!  And 'ow ees thees accomplished?

Alice: Perhaps by turning and pressing that array of knobs and buttons?

Louisette:  Non.  Zat ees far too tedious and complicated.

Alice: And probably dangerous, too.

Louisette: Oui, oui.  C'est très dangereux.  Come my dear, let us get ze cappucino.

Sebastian: Wow, that sure didn't work out for you!

If there's a lesson in all of this, it's that with a little luck even the most hare-brained schemes can, in fact, succeed.  The third time is, as they say, the charm as it turns out Ulrike is very maternal and loves to bake.

Ulrike: Vould my meine lieben like me to make some apfelstrudel?

Rolf: Ja, ja!  Bitte!

Paul: Götz girls are the best!