Wrap Party, Part 2

Daddy Steve:  The wrap party for our recently completed redecoration project is in full swing.  Come join us!

Kurt: We should redecorate more often it means we get to have fondue!

Gavin: I agree!

Everyone is impressed with the new look.

Robin: What a lovely paint color.

Daphne: We were going for a fresh but sophisticated look.

Holly Belle: I think the wallpaper has a very 'William Morris' vibe, don't you?

Meghan: Oh yes, definitely.

Ulli: Ja, ja, very Villiam Maus.

Luke: It's so smooth...

Ulli, Meghan, and Holly Belle: LUKE!  DON'T TOUCH THE WALL!

The old family photos proved to be very popular.

Daisy: Here I am with Sasha M.  I look so good in pink.  It's really my color.

Nathan: But it's a black and white photo?!?

Daisy: Well, yes, but still...

I don't know about your family, but every time we look at old photos it inevitably leads to debates over who is actually in them.

Tyler: There I am, next to the plain girl.

Charles: That's actually me.  You were misbehaving that day, and Sara made you go sit in the corner.

Valerie: >Hee-hee< Some things never change.

Duncan: That's me there.

Angelo: I'm afraid you're mistaken.  That's definitely me.  I still have that sweater.

Miguel: Los sientos, mis hermanos, but it's really me.  The moths, they ate the sweater a long time ago but I still have the jeans.

Holly Belle: John Martin, how about laying some floor tile?  I really think we could do that...

John Martin: Hmmm, uh, you know, my joints have been feeling rather stiff lately.  I might have to go down to Dr. Pat's spa for a while.

Daphne: Frank, what do you think of the new decor?

Frank: >chomp, smack, chomp, nom, nom<  Tasty! Very tasty!

Boy In The Garden 1

Benjamin Roy carefully monitors the progress of Daddy Steve's new project.

Wrap Party, Part 1

Daddy Steve: If you've ever watched the TV program This Old House, you know that at the end of every renovation project there's a 'wrap party.' 

Holly Belle has decided to throw a wrap party to celebrate the recent redecoration efforts here at Gregoropolis.  She wanted to thank all who helped, especially John Martin.

Holly Belle: You know, I did sort of boss him around a bit.

Kaveh: Perhaps just a little...

Giancarlo, Angelo, and Gino offered to help with the food and refreshments.

Giancarlo: Si!  Naturalmente, signorina, we would love to help!

Angelo: Uomini italiani are very good in the kitchen.

Gino: È vero! It's true! Look at Chef Boyardee.

Holly Belle then decided to bake a special cake.

Giancarlo:  >ahem<   You are going to follow a recipe this time?

Holly Belle: Oh yes, of course.  Although that does stifle my creativity.

After much hustling and bustling in the kitchen...

Holly Belle: Well!  This all looks very delicious!  And, my cake is finished.  Would you like to see it?

Giancarlo: Wow!  That's the most impressive cake I have ever seen.  

Angelo: A true masterpiece!

Gino: Brava, signorina!

Frank: Did somebody say cake?

Holly Belle: Yes, Frank, but you can't have any until the party.

Frank: What are we waiting for?!  Let's get this party started!

More Decorating

Frederick: Hey John Martin! You better run!

John Martin: Huh? Why?

Holly Belle (from the other room): Oh, John Martin!  ♫ Where are you? ♫

John Martin: Oh no!

Frederick: Gotta go.  Good luck!

Holly Belle: Ah, here you are.  I just can't wait to tell you about the absolutely brilliant idea I have.  Would you like to hear it?

John Martin: Well, I , uh...

Holly Belle: It's a new decorating project!  You and I are going to wallpaper the activity room.

John Martin: Wallpaper?!? Isn't that kind of difficult?

Holly Belle: Nonsense; it's the easiest thing in the world.  Why, it's so easy even a child could do it.

Holly Belle: And just look at the paper I've picked out.  Isn't the patterb beautiful?  Oh, I just can't wait to get started!

John Martin: Ugh...

Holly Belle: Luke and Ezra will move the furniture for us.  Right, boys?

Luke: What do we gotta do?

Holly Belle: You'll need to move these bookcases out of the room.

Ezra: Why?

Holly Belle: Because we can't hang the wallpaper if they're in the way!  Honestly!

Harriet: Wait!  We have to take all these things off the shelves first.

Ulli: Und ve must dust!

Ezra: Good grief, no one said this was going to be so complicated.

And so, a little while later...

Holly Belle: You have to press it up against the wall!

John Martin: That's what I'm trying to do!

Quite a while later...

Holly Belle: It's finished!

John Martin: And so am I...

Holly Belle: You did a wonderful job.  Just rest; I'll get the boys to move the furniture back in.

Ezra: But we just moved it all out!

Holly Belle: And now you need to move it all back in!  Honestly!

Ezra & Luke:  >mutter, mutter, grumble, grumble<

Harriet: Oh, it's just lovely!

Ulli: Ja, das ist sehr hübsch!

Holly Belle: Now, see boys, wasn't it worth all the trouble?  Boys? Where did they go?

A Fine Summer Day

Daddy Steve: It's a picture perfect summer day here in Gregoropolis; the kind of day we would like to last forever.  In May, the season seemed to stretch on ahead of us with no end in sight.  However, it's now August already and we're all beginning to feel that the summer is starting to slip away.

Blake, Mikko, and Tyler woke up this morning determined that they were going to really make this day count...

Blake: You guys, I can't believe how fast the summer is going.

Mikko: Before you know it, it will be over.

Tyler: We have to seize the moment and do something!

Blake: Something amazing!

Mikko: Something epic!

Tyler: But what?

The boys decided to find out what some of the other Gregoropolis residents were getting up to.

Patrick: We're going to the art museum.

Ravi: And then we're going to write a paper on the things we saw.

Tyler: A paper?!  But school hasn't even started yet!

Patrick: We know; we just like to write papers.

Ravi: Would you care to join us?

Mikko: Thanks, but I think we'll pass.

Mikko: I really like those guys, but they're so weird!

Tyler: It's just a phase; they'll grow out of it.

James: We're going bird watching!

Ann Marie: That's why we're dressed like this.

Blake: What kind of birds?  Ostriches? Emus? Cassowaries?

Ann Marie:  No; robins, cardinals, and blue jays.

James: And if we're lucky, maybe orioles!

Anthony: We're taking the dogs to the dog park.

Tyler: What do you do there?

Uli: Ve stand around und talk to der people vhile der dogs run around.

Mikko: What do you talk about?

Anthony: Mostly about the dogs.

Sebastian: And sometimes the dogs talk about us.

Tyler: Hmmm, there's certainly not much 'epic' going on around here.

Blake: I think sometimes it's not what you do, but how you do it.

Mikko: And who you do it with.

Sometimes the best way to make the most of the day is by not doing much of anything at all.

Girl In The Garden 9

Rhoda:  Trimmings all done, Daddy Steve!

You didn't really think she would just lounge around under a parasol, did you?

Belly Rubs!

Daddy John: Across a crowded floor at the recent Cincinnati Sasha Festival, their eyes met and it was ❤ at first sight...

Pete Dakota swore up & down he wouldn't need anything else from the Festival if would I just please please oh please let him adopt this husky puppy.  

Who could resist those big puppy eyes (both dog and boy?)

BR may be a little jealous of the attention the new family member is getting...

BR: Hey, where's Pete?  I'm making lunch.

Nicholas: I believe Peter is outside, trying to teach the puppy some new tricks.

BR: Oh! He spends all of his time now with that dog!

Nicholas: Well, they adore each other and it's lovely to see Peter working so hard to train her. I seem to recall someone spending all of his time on a new motorcycle...

BR: Oh, hush. Eat your sandwich.

Denali, Pete Dakota's new puppy, is a smart pup, but maybe not quite grasping "Fetch."

Pete: C'mon girl, the stick's right in front of you.

Denali:  Erf?

Pete: Such a good girl!  Belly rubs!  Rub belly, rub belly!

Denali: Arf! Arf! Arf! Arf!

Enough training for today.  Time to relax and watch the world go by.