Simon and Frederick went to ForMar to walk off their Big Feast bloat.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Walking in a Winter Wonderland
Simon and Frederick went to ForMar to walk off their Big Feast bloat.
Thanksgiving
The first snow of the year, on Thanksgiving day. Thomas relates that, as he lay in bed that morning, he mused that this year would be the first Thanksgiving day without snow. And lo and behold--it had snowed in the night! Here we are traipsing to grandma's house for the Big Feast. Thomas led the parade on the three wheeler with the vegetable torte, mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce in the bike basket. I followed with beverages and Frederick followed, choosing to carry nothing. I had hoped to take several pictures of everyone but after this picture of Frederick, the batteries died. You'll just have to take my word for it that the food and company was excellent.
Monday, November 19, 2007
Biking To Grandma's
Last weekend Thomas's grandma relocated to a house about 300 yards from ours. Now that she is on our side of Court Street, a very busy and unsafe road, we gave Thomas permission to bike there as often as he wishes (and grandma can handle). Since then, Thomas has shuttled back and forth, delivering power tools, extension cords, blankets, inflatable mattresses and more while grandma unpacks and gets herself and (uncle) John settled in. And here's Thomas, heading down our driveway, to demonstrate just how quick and easy it is to bike to Grandma's house. [Note really cool three-wheeler that Thomas favors. Still not comfortable on a two-wheeler, Thomas unashamedly rides this every chance he gets.]
...and then...
After leaving our driveway, Thomas turns left and heads towards our neighbor, Family Video.
...and then...
Thomas cuts through the Family Video parking lot near the doors to avoid being run over by angry pickup truck drivers hell bent on renting XXX movies.
...and Here We Are
There it is, the white house with the small columns in front. Thomas pulls in the driveway and delivers the goods.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Proprioceptor Enhancement (Or: A Really Fun Time on the Trampoline)
Last year one of Frederick's play consultants recommended that we get a trampoline for Frederick so that his proprioception would improve. After almost 18 months of therapeutic lingo, I'm still not sure what proprioceptive sensation is (and how, exactly, it is distinct from vestibular sensation) but I do know that Frederick loves that trampoline! And I'm pretty sure that Simon is having a good time with him, here, too.
My Annoying Brother 2 - the sequel!
If you are not familiar with the original, or have forgotten what might be important facts, you should probably (re-)acquaint yourself with it. The same rules apply - everything here is fiction (thankfully - well, except maybe that hot tub), apart from the names... So, without further ado, I give you the second installment of Thomas's continuing epic.
Then my mom walked up the stairs. “What’s going on?” she asked.
“This” I said pointing to the bucket and the paint splotch.
“Well, Thomas, I wish I could punish him, but ever since he made that secret room, I haven’t been able to find him,” replied my mom.
“Yes, well, better get to my homework,” I said. So, my mom went back downstairs.
You’re probably wondering what Frederick’s secret room is, aren’t you? Well, as I said, that kit is as big as a classroom, so he has to put it in a place, secret. First, he put it in the yard. Then one day, it disappeared. The entrance is probably from his room.
Anyway, I went into my room to do homework. I finished my homework and went to bed with only one problem. My pillow suddenly grew metal legs, got up and walked away! I was too tired to chase it.
I came home with a question to ask my mom. “Hi, Dad,” I called as I ran past him. He looked like he wanted to tell me something and looked depressed at the same time. “I wonder what’s going on?” I thought.
I just started climbing the stairs, when I slipped. “Ow! What’s a bar of wet soap doing on the stairs?” I cried, even though we all knew. I kept climbing the stairs to look where my mom usually was, in her bedroom. But, she wasn’t there.
Maybe Dad would know,” I thought. So I went back down the stairs, avoiding the soap. “Hey, Dad. Where’s Mom?” I asked.
“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you,” Dad replied. “She sat in an electric chair.”
“SHE GOT KILLED?!” I yelled.
“No, no, she’s just in the hospital,” Dad replied.
“I hate Frederick!” I muttered as I climbed the stairs. “Someday I’m going to find that secret room and catch him and it will be someday soon!” I vowed.
I woke up in the middle of the night. “Tonight is the night I will find the secret room!” I thought. I got out of bed and walked to my door. It was open. “I hope Frederick hasn’t been in here,” I thought.
Just then I heard two female voices from downstairs. I listened more closely to hear their names. “Bobina and Bobindee!?” I thought.
I crept downstairs and looked through a small arch window that divided the stairs and the living room. Two weird looking women were in the living room. They were holding glasses of whiskey and watching ABC News. Just then I heard myself saying, “Get out of our house!”
They looked startled for a second and then asked, “What makes you think that we are going to do that?”
Just then, Martha, one of our cats, jumped out of nowhere onto Bobindee. “Eeeek!” she screeched. Then something amazing happened. Bobina and Bobindee disappeared. Yes! That’s right, disappeared! D-I-S-A-P-P-E-A-R-E-D, disappeared! Disappeared, vanished into thin air. DISAPPEARED!!!!!!!!! All right, I think I’ve made my point now. Anyway, as I was saying, Bobina and Bobindee disappeared along with the whiskey and the TV turned off.
Before I could say anything, Frederick came trotting down the stairs. “What ah you doin’ heya?” he asked.
“I was just getting a drink of water. What are you doing down here?” I asked. I noticed that there was a small, strange gun-thingy clenched by his greasy hands.
Just then, Martha growled and jumped onto Frederick. “Oweey! You controw dat ca ah your!” Frederick cried.
I decided that now was a good chance to get into Frederick’s secret room since Frederick was in the bathroom getting a bandaid. So I climbed the stairs.
Just when I was about to enter Frederick’s room, a better idea popped into my head. Here it is. I could wait until Frederick goes to bed. Then I could go into his room without the danger of Frederick coming into his room and catching me. Then I could find his secret room.
So I walked into my room. Then I slipped on 10 tennis balls. So that’s why my door was open earlier.
I waited for about one hour. Then I got out of bed. I quietly opened my door and snuck across the hallway. Then I opened Frederick’s door. “Wow!” I thought.
Frederick’s room wasn’t quite the same. It was crammed with prank junk. But still, his room is smaller than the box.
The path that was carved into the prank equipment only lead to two places, Frederick’s big chair and his bed. “What’s so special about that chair?” I thought. Frederick never even sat in it. I still looked around for a secret entrance. No sign of one.
Just then I saw an antennae poking out from under Frederick’s pillow. I pulled it out to reveal some sort of control thingy. I pressed a button on it. There was a soft groaning as the big chair moved aside revealing a trap door! I opened it up and climbed down the ladder under it.
“Wow!” I thought. Along with lots of prank stuff, Frederick’s secret room had a Bounce House, merry-go-round, massage chair by a desk and even a hot tub! “Isn’t Frederick too young for that?” I thought.
Anyway, I looked on the desk. I saw the small gun thingy. It was labeled ‘Illusion Gun’.
“So, that explains Bobina and Bobindee,” I breathed. “Well, I’d better leave. We know where his secret room is,” I thought. I picked up the remote control, left the secret room and went to bed.
I woke up the next day and told Dad about Frederick’s secret room. He went up there immediately and got Frederick grounded for three years.
Well, I guess this adventure wasn’t a complete failure. I mean, we got a hot tub and lots of stuff.
“Won’t Mom be happy when she gets home?” I thought.
My Annoying Brother 2
By Thomas Cushing
By Thomas Cushing
Prologue
Well, you thought Frederick stopped being naughty. Well, think again. Do you know what he spent that $100,000,000.22 on? Well, the $.22 on “The Horrible Prankster’s Guide” (yeah, that’s him) which is about as big as the unabridged dictionary and the rest of his money on this kit that goes with it, which is about as big as a classroom. Now, let me tell you how he used them.Chapter 1
(EXTREME) Action Replay of Frederick
Well, as you know, Frederick is about as annoying as annoying gets and it gets even more extreme with his prank kit. For example, he might glue a silver dollar to the sidewalk or dig a ditch and cover it with sticks, then leaves, then put a nickel on it. But let’s get to the story. Well, I was walking toward my room to do my homework when I noticed a bucket on my door. “Great!” I thought. So I opened the door just a bit and then pulled my hand out of the way. The bucket fell. I expected to see water come barreling out, but instead I saw… “Oh my god! It’s paint!” I watched as our beautiful carpet was ruined.(EXTREME) Action Replay of Frederick
Then my mom walked up the stairs. “What’s going on?” she asked.
“This” I said pointing to the bucket and the paint splotch.
“Well, Thomas, I wish I could punish him, but ever since he made that secret room, I haven’t been able to find him,” replied my mom.
“Yes, well, better get to my homework,” I said. So, my mom went back downstairs.
You’re probably wondering what Frederick’s secret room is, aren’t you? Well, as I said, that kit is as big as a classroom, so he has to put it in a place, secret. First, he put it in the yard. Then one day, it disappeared. The entrance is probably from his room.
Anyway, I went into my room to do homework. I finished my homework and went to bed with only one problem. My pillow suddenly grew metal legs, got up and walked away! I was too tired to chase it.
Chapter 2
Frederick’s Big Attack
I woke up and ate breakfast (corn flakes with milk that tasted a lot like beaten toothpaste with water) and left for school with a backpack that gave me an electric shock. ************************************************Frederick’s Big Attack
I came home with a question to ask my mom. “Hi, Dad,” I called as I ran past him. He looked like he wanted to tell me something and looked depressed at the same time. “I wonder what’s going on?” I thought.
I just started climbing the stairs, when I slipped. “Ow! What’s a bar of wet soap doing on the stairs?” I cried, even though we all knew. I kept climbing the stairs to look where my mom usually was, in her bedroom. But, she wasn’t there.
Maybe Dad would know,” I thought. So I went back down the stairs, avoiding the soap. “Hey, Dad. Where’s Mom?” I asked.
“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you,” Dad replied. “She sat in an electric chair.”
“SHE GOT KILLED?!” I yelled.
“No, no, she’s just in the hospital,” Dad replied.
“I hate Frederick!” I muttered as I climbed the stairs. “Someday I’m going to find that secret room and catch him and it will be someday soon!” I vowed.
Chapter 3
The Illusions
The Illusions
I woke up in the middle of the night. “Tonight is the night I will find the secret room!” I thought. I got out of bed and walked to my door. It was open. “I hope Frederick hasn’t been in here,” I thought.
Just then I heard two female voices from downstairs. I listened more closely to hear their names. “Bobina and Bobindee!?” I thought.
I crept downstairs and looked through a small arch window that divided the stairs and the living room. Two weird looking women were in the living room. They were holding glasses of whiskey and watching ABC News. Just then I heard myself saying, “Get out of our house!”
They looked startled for a second and then asked, “What makes you think that we are going to do that?”
Just then, Martha, one of our cats, jumped out of nowhere onto Bobindee. “Eeeek!” she screeched. Then something amazing happened. Bobina and Bobindee disappeared. Yes! That’s right, disappeared! D-I-S-A-P-P-E-A-R-E-D, disappeared! Disappeared, vanished into thin air. DISAPPEARED!!!!!!!!! All right, I think I’ve made my point now. Anyway, as I was saying, Bobina and Bobindee disappeared along with the whiskey and the TV turned off.
Before I could say anything, Frederick came trotting down the stairs. “What ah you doin’ heya?” he asked.
“I was just getting a drink of water. What are you doing down here?” I asked. I noticed that there was a small, strange gun-thingy clenched by his greasy hands.
Just then, Martha growled and jumped onto Frederick. “Oweey! You controw dat ca ah your!” Frederick cried.
I decided that now was a good chance to get into Frederick’s secret room since Frederick was in the bathroom getting a bandaid. So I climbed the stairs.
Just when I was about to enter Frederick’s room, a better idea popped into my head. Here it is. I could wait until Frederick goes to bed. Then I could go into his room without the danger of Frederick coming into his room and catching me. Then I could find his secret room.
So I walked into my room. Then I slipped on 10 tennis balls. So that’s why my door was open earlier.
Chapter 4
The Secret Room
The Secret Room
I waited for about one hour. Then I got out of bed. I quietly opened my door and snuck across the hallway. Then I opened Frederick’s door. “Wow!” I thought.
Frederick’s room wasn’t quite the same. It was crammed with prank junk. But still, his room is smaller than the box.
The path that was carved into the prank equipment only lead to two places, Frederick’s big chair and his bed. “What’s so special about that chair?” I thought. Frederick never even sat in it. I still looked around for a secret entrance. No sign of one.
Just then I saw an antennae poking out from under Frederick’s pillow. I pulled it out to reveal some sort of control thingy. I pressed a button on it. There was a soft groaning as the big chair moved aside revealing a trap door! I opened it up and climbed down the ladder under it.
“Wow!” I thought. Along with lots of prank stuff, Frederick’s secret room had a Bounce House, merry-go-round, massage chair by a desk and even a hot tub! “Isn’t Frederick too young for that?” I thought.
Anyway, I looked on the desk. I saw the small gun thingy. It was labeled ‘Illusion Gun’.
“So, that explains Bobina and Bobindee,” I breathed. “Well, I’d better leave. We know where his secret room is,” I thought. I picked up the remote control, left the secret room and went to bed.
Chapter 5
Winding It Up
Winding It Up
I woke up the next day and told Dad about Frederick’s secret room. He went up there immediately and got Frederick grounded for three years.
Well, I guess this adventure wasn’t a complete failure. I mean, we got a hot tub and lots of stuff.
“Won’t Mom be happy when she gets home?” I thought.
Friday, November 2, 2007
Autumn Almanac
Yesterday, on the way home from Ann Arbor, Simon and Frederick stopped off Five Finger Lake. Fall, after taking so long to begin, is almost over.
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Halloween
Here they are, modeling the constumes I made. Frederick's Thing 2 costume was easy to make--the hat I knitted looked really good on him but, not too surprisingly, he wouldn't keep it on for long. Making Thomas's C3PO costume, on the other hand, was HELL ON EARTH. Never again will I agree to anything so difficult. The pieces weren't difficult to create--they are pieces of cardboard spray painted gold, but cutting them to fit his body, linking them together and then making sure that he could move, see and not be in too much pain was just about impossible. The head piece was quite ingenious, if I say so myself, as I got two cardboard pieces wet, molded them to a mannequin head (which I just happened to have lying about, as one does), painted it with white glue so that it would dry shiny and stiff, and then, once it was dry, cut the eye and mouth holes to fit. The head was hinged to divide the front and back and I held the two pieces together with buttons (gold, of course) and bits of elastic. So, for all you who crave your own custom made android mask, now you know. But be warned, Thomas says that wearing them causes ear pain. Never mind that only five people guessed that Thomas was dressed as C3Po--one guy guessed a cyberman, another a tin man (?) and three thought he was R2D2 (!?!). In the bottom picture, Simon sports the scariest costume of all--the fully employed parent of two suffering from sleep deprivation for over four years. Everyone guessed his costume.
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