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SAM AT THE ZOO AND OTHER MISCELLANEOUS OUTINGS AND ADVENTURES (INCLUDING THANKSGIVING)....................



Sam is hard to keep up with sometimes. I do my best to share his American adventures with the world, but the sheer massive volume of these little jaunts of his keeps me from having the time to post them. I am pleased that Aunt Deb has put some of her Sam-adventure photos up. Mom and Dad are so busy with the boy that they barely have time to view his blog, much less post anything. However, I expect daily blog updates during Sam's Christmas Brit adventures! Consider this fair warning.

So for now, here's a few recent photos from a few recent expeditions. Hey, is this a vanity site or what! You realize, of course, that Sam is going to kill us all when he enters his teenage years and realizes that the entire world has had practically instantaneous access to his toddler years. I was talking with his Uncle John about this yesterday, and what a long way we've come. From cameras to videos to Blogs.... You know, supposedly I can put video on these things. Haven't started down that road, because if I do I'm doomed...

I mean, it's bad enough that Sam has successfully lured his Yank grandma and grandpa into getting an apartment in his building...(one floor down. We expect him to visit us. Lots)...

On another note: today we're having our first snowstorm of the winter. Sam looked out the window, pointed at the snowflakes, and said, very clearly: "Bubbles!"

A few weeks ago Grandma took Sam to the Central Park Zoo. The photo above (my current desktop background, and a great candidate for the 'best of' series) was taken of Sam happily pointing out the ducks. The word 'ducks' is one of Sam's favorites, and thus that particular animal makes him smile. Goats are cool, too. Here he's getting goat food. Here he's inspecting a goat. Note: despite what seems a great distance between small boy and very large goat, Sam was absolutely fearless with this particular beast; unfortunately Grandma didn't get any photos of their intense and close interaction because getting the camera that close to this goat would have risked camera-loss-down-goat-gullet. So here's a simple photo of Sam looking good.

And then there was the excellent Thanksgiving spent at the Connecticut home of Sonja's Aunt and Uncle (what does that make them to Sam? Great Aunt/Uncle? I can't figure out this geneaology stuff), Theodore and Barbara. Sam came bearing a lovely gift. He was joined by Mom, and by Dad, and the rest of his immediate clan. At the groaningly laden table, our small tyrant king of course sat at the head (I can't believe I didn't move that wine bottle! It would have been a classic photo..... ah well, I'm getting far too fussy). Another member of Theo and Barbara's household, Dutch, decided that the only way he was going to get any of the Thanksgiving food was to get it from Sam's face. We all had a great time.

The brilliant Patrick, Theo and Barbara's son, was there. He's still riding high on the fashion accolades he's been getting. Check out his most recent collection. I think he's a genius. Even Sam loves his stuff.

Don't ask me explain this next Thanksgiving photo: boys showing off their toys perhaps?

A family expedition on the day following the turkey, to the Wadsworth Atheneum in nearby Hartford, curated by Sam, went quite well. As you can see here, Sam's relaxed style of art appreciation has strongly influenced his father. Sam enjoyed showing his Mom around, explaining the finer points of various paintings for her. He also had no hesitation in interrupting his viewing for some liquid refreshment.

Finally, as a goodbye to Thanksgiving, here's a photo that shows most of the T'giving gang, and a good photo, if I do say so myself, of Patrick's sister Annick.

Sam has been spending some quality time with his Uncle John and Aunt Desiree lately. One day they made a deli stop. Here's Sam's lust for John's pizza. And here's lovely pics of Sam with the beautiful Desiree.

On a recent gallery trip, to see some new works by a fellow named Howard Hodgkins (Sam thought them quite restful), one patron turned to another and said, pointing to Sam, "there's the best work of art you'll see in a long time." I was sorry, however, that he slept. I think he would have liked the pictures as much as his grandpa did (photos don't do them justice: the paintings are luscious and, as one reviewer noted, eminently lickable).

Sam was awake during a visit to the Children's Museum, though. It was hard to get good photos of the boy that day; he was moving way too fast

And hey, if we're (that's a euphemism for grandpa) going to embarrass the lad, we might as well go all the way. Ah, the joys of diaper changing in Bryant Park, NYC. Sam is completely unconcerned. For now at least.

And we end today's grab bag of photo-ventures with a nice shot of Sam with his Uncle John in Times Square.