Monkeybusiness (Halloween 2007)

Last year Sammy was a chicken for Halloween. This year he graduated to being a primate. Earlier today his daycare had a parade of costumes which Sammy participated in. It was quite the event. Scores of children, tons of parents, and more fairy princesses than you could imagine. They took them on a parade around the grounds as cameras flashed, children smiled, some cried...all the pageantry that you could imagine and then some more.

Sammy's costume was not as nearly big of a hit as one of his accessories...a banana that was attached to his costume. For some reason all the children were fascinated by it...especially a friendly bumblebee.

We also got to see Erica and Vad. Their beautiful daughter Mattea was a mermaid.

Erica holds Mattea...

Michele and monkey Sammy...

The bumblebee buzzes around Sammy's banana...

The bumblebee confronts Sammy about the banana...

Sammy observes some of the drama of the parade...
...in the background lurks the black and yellow strips of the bumblebee...

Sammy tells the sheep it's better to be a wolf...

The bumblebee plots to get the banana...

Sammy ready to go...
...he was successful in keeping the much coveted banana...
...in the background a defeated bumblebee flies off...

Our little monkey...

March of the Sammies

Inspired by the movie "March of the Penguins" and a fondness for dressing Sammy in costumes he loves, we thought we had an idea for a Christmas picture. Here's some out-takes from the"photo shoot"...

Our little penguin Sammy...

Even without ice he has trouble sitting up in his costume...

Who invited Veto?

Uh...Veto...can you get out of the picture?

Artic friends, penguin and cat...side by side...

Our little Penguin...

Number One Son

Similar to a Charlie Chan movie, Sammy is our #1 son. And speaking of Charlie Chan, when Michele went to San Francisco for a conference, she bought Sammy a Chinese outfit. So just a short while after Halloween, it was picture time again!

Hong Kong Sammy...number one super guy!

Sammy follows the Hong Kong Book of Kung Fu

Always appreciative of his mother's costume choices for him,
Sammy expressses his satisfaction.

Sammy's First Halloween

As fall descended on us, so too did little Sammy's first Halloween. We bought his costume (made partially from "Performance Fleece") from Old Navy a few weeks ago. So on October 31st, Michele dressed our little bundle of feathers and then took him out trick-or-treating. Since it was windy and chilly 28F outside, she took him to trick-or-treat Johanna's house. Later on after the sun set and a spooky chill overtook the barren frozen tundra of our lawn, Sammy was excited to see the few brave souls who swept up on our doorstep for candy. Here are some pics from the day of our little Henery Hawk.

Michele helping Sammy into his costume...

Sammy appears happy with his costume...

Our fine-feathered friend...

He's as light as a feather...

"I'm not a chicken, I'm a chicken hawk!!"

Sammy's first trick-or-treat ever...at Johanna's house!

Czar Sammy!

While visiting his Aunt Annie, little Sammy showed that he has a little Russian royalty in him. His Aunt Diane took and placed one of his toys (a kind of cloth bucket) over his head, and suddenly we had Cossack Czar Sammy! And where would our little Russian emporer be without having a comrade of his own to accompany him on the barren steppes of Aunt Annie's berber carpet....

Одежда красит человека
(Clothes make the man!)

Легко досталось, легко и промоталось.
(Easy come, easy go!)

По одёжке встречают.
(Good clothes open all doors!)

Друзья познаются в беде.
(A friend in need is a friend indeed!)

Для милого дружка и серёжку из ушка.
(Among friends, all things are common!)