A SUPER Easter!

Easter did not happen as we'd planned. We had every intention of going to church, partaking in the proverbial egg hunt, and having a nice dinner at home with some guests. Let's just say that we were 0 for 3 in the intentions category. But despite this, it was a Super Easter.

Sam as you can see had a bountiful basket of goodies which made for a fun time for an obviously cool dude.
As for the rest of Easter, the frigid temps (20 degrees) cancelled the egg hunt. A rough night with little sleep for Sir Hugh and his parents cancelled the church plans. As for the dinner with guests, no one seemed to want to share our company so we ended up going out. Hence the 0 for 3. You must be thinking that Easter was a bust, but that just isn't the case. We spent the day together just mom, dad, and Sam. It was nice. We watched some DVDs (Little Einsteins, Higglytown Heroes), read books, played, and then repeated steps 1 - 3.

Oh, is it just me or is this kid going to be a southpaw?

Of course I know what you are thinking. Did anything go as planned for Easter? Where are all of the sweet pics of Sam? Never fear. I always aim to please. We had this picture taken for Easter and I think it turned out great. Although, there is a little story that accompanies.

You see, this is the second bunny that Sam got to "pose" with for his pictures. The first was, well, let's just say could not continue due to stress. The photographer made the mistake of placing a cute, cuddly creature into the lap of a not-quite-two-year-old, instead of placing the hippity hop off to the side. Being Sam, (and having practiced the maneuver with the cats) he picked Peter Cottontail up for a "big hug!" The bunny went berserk and had to be relieved by a stand-in although I think stunt double is a more appropriate term. The photographer did show adaptability in her thinking for this picture. (That's a fake butterfly.)

Happy Easter Sam!

Saturday Night's Alright For....Grillin'!?!

That’s right! With the temperature outside a balmy 33○ F and an afternoon that had seen intermittent snow showers, what better time to crank up the grill for the first time of the year?! It all started when Tiffy purchased some steaks from Omaha Steaks back in February. We had been kicking around the idea of uncovering the grill and trying them out.
Today was to be the day. So I got up this morning and went to get the gas tank refilled. Amazingly enough, the lady that helped me wasn’t smoking this time as she had back in the summer. Even now, I can’t imagine why she can’t see that handling propane and feeding her nicotine addiction are a conflict of interests. But I digress. The evening was picturesque as you can see, just a little on the cold side to be outside. But if you know me, you understand that few things come between me and a well prepared steak. So in blatant disregard for the weather, I assumed again my title of Grillmaster Extraordinaire.All of this food prep was taking place while Sir Hugh was enjoying some Higglytown Heroes. I’d say that the kid is obsessed, but he’s not the one outside grilling steak in near freezing temps.

Dinner was delicious, the company was great and Sam was more than entertaining. There was only one thing left to do to make the experience complete. Mission accomplished.

End Of An Era

For the past 3 years, I have been in the middle of what some might call a mid-life crisis. I was enjoying life in the fast lanes in my Infiniti G35 Coupe. We got this car the summer after my injury when Tiffy had received a promotion at work. It was a totally frivolous move on our part as this car was never meant to be a "family" car. At that point, it was just the two of us and we both were intrigued by the possibility of owning a sports car.

And not just any sports car, I mean let's face it. This is a killer ride. The car is unbelievable to drive on the open road. It comes with all of the performance (280 horses, not counting the one in the background) you would want in a 2 door coupe with the ammenities (heated/power seats, premium Bose sound, comfortable interior) of a luxury car. Tiffy really put it best when she said that the car begs to be driven at 80 mph. I hate to see anyone or thing beg, so I was more than willing to oblige.

But alas, things change. Fast forward 3 years and we are no longer living in the city. We now reside at Rancho Duttonero in the lovely Blugrass Region of Kentucky. We are blessed with the addition of Sir Hugh to our family. This along with frequent precipitation (some frozen) pointed to the decision to join the common folk by having a vehicle with 4 doors. Now I know what you are thinking, "Doesn't Tiffy drive a land yacht?" The answer would be yes. Her Ascender is 7 passenger, which is large enough to double as a landing strip in a pinch. But it was another aspect of Tiffy's ride that I was envious of recently.

You see, not only was the G35 missing 2 doors, it also lacked a very important letter from its name...an X. If you are not familiar with Infiniti, an X after any model name means ALL WHEEL DRIVE. It was this crucial omision that ultimately led to the demise of the Coupe.

About 2 weeks ago, I got caught at school in the G35 during snowy weather. Now as anyone who has ever driven a rear-wheel drive vehicle can tell you, if it isn't a big truck, you are in trouble in the snow. This is especially true if that vehicle is a 2 ton "hockey puck" (that phrase was coined in reference to the car by my buddy Kyle who aided in the Great Duttonian Exodus from NoVA by driving the G behind a moving truck through snowy WV a year ago.) I was needless to say out of luck. I attempted to drive home but found that I was doing more lateral movement than forward progress. To put it simply, I was "fishtailing" so bad that other cars backed off so they would not be taken down with me. Fortunately, I was able to wait long enough that a salt truck drove by. I was able to fall in behind him and follow him most of the way home. That little incident was the proverbial nail in the coffin for the sports car. I was sad but by no means shocked. We had been talking about making a move for some time. With Sam in the mix now, it was time to ignore the intrigue of being sporty.... meaning endgame for the Coupe. Enter the G35x Sedan.

If you know me, you know I had been researching cars as soon as the first mention of a change. I checked out the Chrysler 300, the Audi A4, Nissan Maxima, etc. I feel more than confident in our choice to stay with Infiniti. This is the redesigned G35x sedan.Complete with 306 horses and all of the comfort to which we've grown accustomed. It even comes with a Bluetooth option to use along with a mobile phone (Tiffy's favorite part.) It's all there. All-Wheel-Drive for me, 4 doors for Tiffy, & and carseat for Sam (which was purchased right after leaving the dealer.)

Doctor Me (Someone Please!) & The Women

This weekend, Rancho Duttonero was descended upon by the majority of the matriarchy of Tiffy's family. Her mother, grandmother, and two of her aunts, came for a visit to see the house and area we now occupy. It was the first time that 3 of them (Grandma Bonnie, Aunt Pam, and Aunt Nancy) had visited us since the great Duttonian Exodus from NoVA.

Needless to say, there was fun, food (Tiffy made chicken tortilla soup), far-fetched tales, and for Sam, a great deal of freedom. Afterall, he was now in a house with 4 grandmas who just ooohed and aaahed as he put on quite a show. The kid was "on" with all of his ABCs and even his 123s. He was dancing and grinning.

Notice that he has borrowed Aunt Pam's shoes for this particular part of the show. But don't be alarmed, the 9 o'clock show was completely different from the 7:30 show.

Sam was living it up with all of the attention and who could blame him. He was glad to see everyone and knew they were glad to see him. In this pic, he is spending some time with Great Grandma Bonnie.

It was a treat to get to visit with everyone. With the weather outside (snow) and the atmosphere inside, it made for quite the warm, comfy little evening. The ladies sat around and chatted for most of the night until Sir Hugh of Dutton was ready to go to bed. Everyone sort of followed suit.

Sam's New "Do"

This year for the Super Bowl....uh, I mean "the big game", we invited some friends over to watch the game and devour some football food. Mmmm....barbecue! Anyway, Tiffy thought that it would be fun to give Sammy a stylin' new mohawk just for kicks. The following pics tell the tale. We began the evening with a nice tall spike.

I suppose that it is plain to see that Sam doesn't mind posing for the camera. But with hair like this, you should expect some paparazzi.

Of course, we have to have a profile shot to really appreciate the look of this awesome hair. We used to give baby Sam a similar hairstyle because at one point, he didn't have much hair.

After the game was over and the crowd had subsided we see the aftermath of the night and the effect of bedhead on a mohawk. We also see that it did not affect Sam's ability to watch Playhouse Disney. Wiggles, Higglys, & Einsteins...OH MY!

Christmas For The Duttons

Just in time for the Holidays....well, let's just say that I am very early for this year. I thought I would post some pics to show how Christmas was celebrated Sammy-style. We started with the tree. We waited for the little dude to go to sleep and erected our Target-bought pre-lit tree with back-to-basics red decorations. I think it turned out nicely and Sam definitely liked the ornaments and bright lights. With this step out of the way...we actually started with Christmas which came in four phases this year. Christmas 1.0 came the weekend before Christmas when my family came to Rancho Duttonero for some food, fun, and presents.

Sam loved all the attention from his Grandma Linda, Grandpa Charlie, Aunt Regina, Uncle Stevie, and Aunt Rebecca. He made sure to spread the wealth when opening presents.

He would tear a piece of wrapping paper and carry it to one of us before tearing off another piece. Needless to say, it took some time for Sam to get to the point of opening each package.

But sure enough, he eventually did figure it out. REMOVE PAPER...RECEIVE GIFT...simple process really.

Christmas 2.0 came on the 23rd of Duttonember (Festivus) and what a day it was. We all opened gifts. Tiffy opened gifts, I opened gifts, and Sam opened gifts. Sam fell in love with his Sesame Street Workbench. This tool bench is so cool. They definitely didn't have toys like this when I was a kid. What's even better is that now Sam uses his tools instead of trying to use mine.

The kid loves tools like screwdrivers and drills...but they don't make the safest toys.

Christmas 3.0 came on Christmas EVE in WV where Tiffy's entire family gathered for an evening of holiday festivities and making an appearance at the event was the Claus himself. Poor Old Saint Nick...he wore his traditional red instead of the camo...what was he thinking?...don't ask!!

Christmas 4.0 came...well...on Christmas at the Meadow's. Grandma Karen and Grandpa Calvin welcomed Duttons (The, Tiffy, Sammy) and Meadows (Chuck, Marlena, David, and the new bundle of joy Alana) to their house Christmas morning for presents and waffles....mmm....waffles. You just don't mess with traditions. For you see, the simplest things in life are the best. Like family, food, fun, and gag gifts!

This is Sam's Uncle Chuck. He is the same Chuck who once wrapped up the pieces of my tail lights when Tiffy got rear-ended in my car. A brilliant standard for holiday mischief...until I returned the favor a few years later when Chucky, his Grand Vitara, some icy roads, and a telephone pole were the ingredients in quite an eventful trip to work. Turn-about is fair play.

All in all, Christmas was good this year. I even found myself referring to it less as Giftmas (my non-religous oriented, all-inclusive, winter holiday) this time around. Perhaps it is the softening that is happening in my old age or perhaps there is another reason why Christmas seemed to mean so much more this year...I wonder what that could be?!

Pictures Worth Thousands Of Words.

Obviously, I haven't been cranking out the posts lately. I even missed that whole month called November. Suffice it to say, we have had some distraction, but enough of that. WE understand that the text of these posts play the second fiddle to the real reason why people view them. So I thought I would just give the people what they want...pics of Sam.

This is a pic of the little slugger on his way to trick or treat. He went this year as a baseball player.


Next, we have Sam "inspecting" his new little cousin Alana as she sat on Auntie Marlena's lap. This was taken during Thanksgiving when Tiffy's family came to eat turkey at Rancho Duttonero.

Finally, we have Sir Hugh of Dutton in the famous "Thinker" pose as he ponders his next adventure.
We hope everyone has a safe and happy Holiday Season this Duttonember...and to the people at CSMS...Happy Festivus!

You're Gonna Need A Bigger Boat!

This past weekend we took a little trip down to Gatlinburg, TN (aka Tennessee Tourist Trap # 3, I figure that Memphis would have to be # 1 and then Nashville). We arrived Saturday morning/afternoon and to our surpise, found more people than you could shake a stick at...just a little Southern saying for you there. The 160 mile trip to the outskirts of the place took about 2.5 - 3 hours. The 10 mile trek into the actual area took about 1.5 hours because of the traffic build-up!!! We both thought that somehow we had been magically transported back to Northern VA. I had to call upon my bumper-to-bumper traffic skills that had been lying dormant since June. Anyway, we got there and checked into the hotel around noon. We decided to rest for a few moments and then decided (Sam dictated to us) that it was lunch time. We hopped into the car and began what was the first episode in the recurring theme of the weekend...sitting in traffic on our way to eat. Things were so bad that we ate a SHONEY'S not once but twice while we were there because it was just easier. To most, that would ruin a weekend. After battling traffic in the greater DC area for 8 years, it was a mere inconvenience. The Great Smoky Mountains were beautiful and...well...they were smoky. No surprises there. Tiffy and I couldn't get that song "Smoky Mountain Rain" out of our heads and it is still kinda stuck there now. For the rest of Saturday, we just chilled...including a collective 3 hour nap, Sam included! Possibly the best vacation nap ever!
On Sunday, we got up bright and early and went for some breakfast. We had heard so much about the local aquarium that we just had to go. We knew it would be an attraction that Sam would enjoy. We were right. The little dude loved it and loved it and loved it some more. He was so into the fish that his only disappointment was that he couldn't actually touch the fish...but he sure did try!In addition to all of the exhibits, one portion of the aquarium was a moving sidewalk that carried you though a tunnel while the fish (sharks, rays, eels, etc. It was cool!) swam above you. I liked it even though I am not the marine biologist that some of the people I know are. Sam really got into that part. He even learned a new trick during the tour of the aquarium. This shot was not staged at all, but he is doing the pucker face naturally. The kid is a genius!

At the end of the aquarium visit, Sir Hugh of Dutton was exhausted. He decided that he needed to recharge his batteries before moving on to the second event of the day...Outlet Shopping!!!



Let's just say that he didn't enjoy that quite as much, but his mother and father sure did. We concluded the day with dinner despite the traffic. Monday morning we got up early and got on the road back to Kentucky. All in all, it was a great little get-away weekend vacation. Sam was more amicable on this trip than on any we have taken him on...perhaps it was the fish?!

My Son...The College Student!?

Last week, Sam completed his first college course! I know what you are thinking...is this kid a genius? You may also be thinking that his old man is off his rocker...well...that's true. However, I am not lying about it and here is the proof.
So there...take that! Yes, it is true. Sam for the past 4 weeks has been part of the Tiny Tots Swim Class at Eastern Kentucky University and man did he love it! He and Tiffy went twice a week to class where they would practice jumping into the water, sing songs, play games in the pool, etc. It was quite an adventure. Here we see Sam diving into the pool into the arms of mom who I think enjoyed this "class" as much as her son. Remember, she should have been born with gills. I do apologize for the pic quality...it was too humid and dark to get any good snapshots. Just know that in all of the other very dark photos, you can definitely almost make out two very large smiles. I would have joined in on the fun...but alas, I forgot my trunks. Maybe next class?!

Can You Say BUSTED?

Hey, long time no blog. I know. But then I saw this picture and thought that I just had to share this little bit of hilarity with everyone. So Tiffy and Sam were at home and Sam had finished his breakfast. Well, Tiffy got up from the table, started the clean up process and released Sam from the high chair. Typically, the next portion of the morning involves playing with Sam's toys in the living room. This morning was no different when Sam, as he does, got up to "hide" from Tiffy in the kitchen. This is where I need to fill in the backstory. About 3 or 4 days prior, Tiffy and Sam had gone to the local Kroger for the weekly shopping. While strolling through the aisles, they happened upon a lady giving away samples of a Kroger brand cereal (the one pictured above.) Sam had not one, but two samples and fell in love with it. So Tiffy picked up a box for the whopping price of $1.25. A good deal for everyone. So back to the story. As Tiffy was getting up to "chase" Sam, she heard the remaining portion of the box of cereal unceremoniously fall to the ground. She ran to survey the scene and fortunately the camera was sitting nearby. The picture above tells the rest of the story. Sam, caught marshmellow-handed refused all attempts for an interview by the media. Word from his camp is that he happened upon the cereal in that state and was trying to help cleanup. Sounds like he has a good PR team.

An Evening with Sam and Dave!

Last weekend, we loaded up the land yacht and headed for those wonderful hills of WV. We decided to meet Tiffy's family for dinner. We were talking to Chucky (Tif's brother) via the telephone and I made the suggestion of meeting in Huntington at the mall at the Outback. Being Chucky who is as much of a steak lover as me, he thought this was a good idea. He spoke to Marlena (his boss) and it became a date. We even wrangled Karen (Tif's mom) into making the trip. We were all about to spend the evening togther with Sammy and David Lee (that would be Dutton and Meadows, not Hagar and Roth!!)
We chose Huntington because there is a decent-sized mall there and plenty of eating spots. Also, Huntington is only about a 2-3 hour drive for us and is basically half-way between Rancho Duttonero and Beckley (Tif's hometown.) We (the Duttons) arrived first and decided to stroll through the mall to take a look at the sights. We were hoping to find a kiddy play area so that Sir Hugh of Dutton could stretch his legs. We had no such luck, but we did find the kiddy version of Las Vegas...well at least it had lots of bright lights. Here we see Sammy and Tiffy enjoying the carousel.
Tif was almost too short to hold Sam on the horse once the whole thing got going. It was comical to watch. Sammy thought that this brightly lit spinning thing was made just for his enjoyment and enjoy it he did. He took several rides and smiled the entire time. From here we did some more window shopping until we wound up at the Disney Store. Again, Sam thought this place was just plain awesome. He refused to be held or hoisted onto my shoulders. Instead, he insisted on walking through the store occasionally stopping to handle the brightly colored merchandise. I am shocked that they didn't ask us to leave, but I suppose that it is the Disney Store and they are sort of use to it. After all, Sammy is in their targeted age group.
We were just about to check out the other side of the mall when Chucky called to say that the other half of our act had arrived. We raced over to the Outback to meet the family. It was cool seeing everyone again. The only person missing was Tif's Dad who was at work. Of course, since he converted to Vegetarianism, the Outback isn't quite his cup of tea. I made sure to eat an extra large hunk of beef...just for him. We had fun, the food was good, the company was inviting, but I think that Karen was the one who enjoyed the visit the most because of moments like this...

After dinner, we all decided to take a stroll around the mall together. We spent the evening just having a good time and enjoying the boys. It was a great time and I figure that we will be meeting in Huntington very soon so that we can all have another evening with Sam and Dave.

SuperSam Returns!

Look up in the air! It's a bird! It's a plane! No, it's SuperSam! He's back after a lengthy absence. An absence caused by the evil villain, the Time Thief who uses his diabolical weapon of school starting to capture teachers like SuperSam's earth father and steal their blogging time.
We find our hero coming to the rescue of his earth mother in the living room of Rancho Duttonero. He swoops in with his red cape waving to save the day. Never fear, mom! SuperSam is here!

It seems that someone had disorganized all of the toys in the living room. Strange that mild mannered toddler (yes, note the bipedalism on that kid) Samuel Hugh isn't around to see SuperSam. I wonder.....no, it couldn't be.

SuperSam quickly makes use of his super speed to arrange all of the toys where they should be according to his super decorative skills. Whewww! That was close! But with this crisis averted, he is off to the next adventure!