Separate Corners!

Daddy John:  Someone certainly put a quarter in each of the boys today--running around, squabbling, and shrieking like banshees.

Pete Dakota wanted to know what everybody else was doing and pestered the others with questions; Stephen Orange wanted time to himself for some sort of project (he wasn't being very forthcoming about it); and Benjamin Roy just seemed to be everywhere and into everything.  Even Annabelle was pacing and snuffling around restlessly.

Time for Daddy to step in.  I banished them to different parts of the house and after an hour's quiet, checked up on them.

Blake has been trying get Pete Dakota to read the Harry Potter series for some time now, and I found him reading upstairs.  He was ready to take a break, so we tried on a new shirt that recently arrived.

Pete: Help!  I'm lost!

Pete: How do I look?

I found Stephen squirreled away in a corner, typing furiously on the laptop.

Daddy John: What are you working on there, buddy?

Stephen:  I'm writing an article on the hammerhead shark for a science journal, Daddy.  I'm on a tight deadline and don't have time for any foolishness right now.  

Daddy John:  Okay, boss, back to work!

BR had taken Annabelle outside for a walk and to admire the last of the autumn leaves.

Lonely Little Flower

Daddy Steve:  For the second year in a row, a lone Morning Glory blossom has bloomed late in the season.

We didn't even plant it this year; it came up all by itself.  Luke had a look at this lonely little flower the other day and pronounced it "quite pretty."  He also noticed that there were lots of tiny buds around it, although we doubt there's enough time left in the season for them to mature.  Still we're thankful for the one that opened up.

Wine Thief?

Daddy Steve:  Here at Gregoropolis, we have a little wine room in the basement.  It's not as posh as it sounds (Daddy John: He's being too modest--Daddy Steve built it himself and it's amazing!); just a little room where we keep (and sometimes drink) our wine stash.

The other day I was doing laundry when I heard the pitter-patter of little Gregor feet.  I spied Giancarlo sneaking into the wine room.  Now, what could he be up to?

He seemed rather furtive about the whole thing.  Normally, the boys don't venture down to the basement.  Sasha insists Bigfoot lives down there, and while the others don't really believe him, they figure why chance it?

Staying out of sight, I could see Giancarlo peering around the corner and studying the wine racks intently.  This is a bit out of character for him--it's much more like something Mikko and Tyler would be up to.  

He then climbed on a step-stool and began examining the bottles.  He seemed to be looking for one in particular...the Chianti, perhaps?  What does Giancarlo even know about wine?

Hmmm...very curious, indeed.  To be continued!

Seizing The Day

Daddy Steve: The weather here in Gregoropolis has been overcast and rainy lately.  So, when we did get a clear and sunny day last weekend, Blake was determined to make the most of it.

Blake: Hey Robin, it finally cleared up.  Let's go outside and enjoy the fine autumn day.

Robin:  Great idea!  Let me just grab a jacket.  Hmm, on second thought, maybe I should change clothes, too.

Robin: And I should also check my email first.  Should I bring a book along...or maybe the radio?

Blake: Did you know that Jane Austen once said "Why not seize the pleasure at once?  How often is happiness destroyed by preparation, foolish preparation!"

Robin: Hmmm...you're right.  Come on, let's go!

Robin: This is nice.

Blake: Yes, it certainly is.

A Frog Story

Daddy Steve:  We have a new pet here at Gregoropolis, and it's not of the furry canine variety!  Before elaborating, I need to introduce a new boy.  He has actually been living here for a while now, but he has just not appeared in the blog.

Meet Charles; Tyler's twin brother.  Although they look similar, they are not strictly identical (because, of course, no two Sasha-Gregors ever are).  Charles has a narrower face and lighter hair.  I think he has a slightly perplexed expression.

Not-quite-identical twins, Tyler (left) and Charles (right)

Temperamentally, the brothers are not alike at all.  We've previously featured Tyler's wild exploits with his buddy, Mikko.  Charles, by contrast, is the sensible one; or as Tyler would say, the 'boring' one.  Charles wants to be an accountant when he grows up.

Charles:  The world needs accountants!  Who would figure out your taxes?

Tyler:  I'm a kid.  I don't pay taxes!

When Marti Murphy made Rolf's school boy outfit, we asked her to also make some cargo shorts with nice, deep pockets.  They turned out beautifully.  However, when Charles tried his new shorts on, he discovered a little extra something in one of the pockets!

Sasha: There's something wiggling in your pocket.

Charles: Huh?

Turns out that Marti's boys included a little amphibious surprise...

Charles: Hey, it's a frog!

Having a pet frog immediately conferred a degree of coolness on nerdy Charles.

Blake: Ooooh!

Mikko: Neat!

Giancarlo: Can I hold him?

Of course, the next thing was to create a suitable abode for the frog, or, as the boys have taken to calling it, a 'frogarrarium.'  

Patrick and Ravi are big advocates of the scientific method.  They were happy to help Charles do research on the ideal frog habitat.

Ravi: We have to figure out what species of frog he is.

Patrick:  That will determine the design of his habitat.

Eventually the boys created a nice little home for him.

Kaveh: He seems quite happy.

Charles: I think so, too.

And what did Charles name his new pet?  Hopalong, of course!

Duel or Duet?

Daddy Steve: Our young rocker Bowie has been spending a lot of time lately practicing and writing music.

Bowie: Maybe I need to try a different chord.

As always, he looks to his beautiful muse, Rebel, for inspiration.

Bowie: Even though we're thousands of miles apart, our hearts are one.

Although the separation is difficult, Bowie believes that it actually improves his music.

Bowie: Every artist needs some angst and torment to produce great work.

Tyler, rolling his eyes:  Yeah, whatever, dude.

Of course Bowie is not the only musical member of the family.  Sebastian is quite a musician as well.  His style is much more folky, in the vein of John Denver.  We think he even looks a bit like a young John Denver; we just need to find him some wire-rimmed glasses!

Sebastian: Take me home, country roads...

Could the boys' vastly different styles lead to a musical showdown?  Beatland vs. Ballad Isle?

Fortunately, Bowie and Sebastian are the best of friends.

They have frequent jam sessions together.

Bowie: All right, mate.  Just no Donovan songs.

Sebastian: Deal.

International Day of Peace

Today, September 21, has been declared International Day of Peace by the UN General Assembly.  It's a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace; both within and among all nations and peoples.   The boys of Gregoropolis invite you to join them in observing it.

This year's focus is on the acceptance, support, and non-discrimination of refugees and migrants.  As UN Secretary-General António Guterres observed:

In times of insecurity, communities that look different become convenient scapegoats.  We must resist cynical efforts to divide communities and portray neighbors as 'the other.'  Discrimination diminishes us all.  It prevents people-and societies-from achieving their full potential.  Together, let us stand up against bigotry and for human rights.  Together, let us build bridges.  Together, let us transform fear into hope.

In preparing for this post, we searched the internet for quotes on peace.  This is one of the more striking ones that we found:

We don't have to agree on anything to be kind to one another.   

--Unknown

I must admit that at first the sentiment struck us as a bit unambitious.  What about mutual respect and finding common ground?  However, the more we thought about it, the more we realized that every journey must begin with a first, tentative step.  If we can just all show each other the kindness and respect that we all deserve, then that's a tremendously big step.