Happy Holidays!

Greetings and good wishes to all my friends and family this holiday season. 

I hope I get to see you all again in the new year.

Adventures in Suburbia: Fabricated Snow

Greetings readers! I hope you are all staying warm and toasty in the winter season. Of course, it is a little easier to stay warm and toasty when you live in H-town. I only just started wearing my puffy coat to school! And this weekend it was so warm outside that I only needed a sweater and a hat on our usual Saturday morning playtime in the park. I was ready to swing and slide my heart out, as usual, but when we got to the park it was totally different. The hills were covered in snow! Apparently, snow isn't very frequent in H-town, so to help celebrate the holidays the nice people at the neighborhood association went out and bought some snow for the local kids. And there were tons of kids! Mostly they were older than me and running around, and slipping and sliding, and crafting big balls of snow that they were launching at one another. I was kind of stunned and just stood there taking it all in for a long time. 

But with Mom and Dad flanking me, I made it through, even when some snowball shrapnel hit me in the face. Did I cry? Absolutely not. Did I even budge? Not even. Eventually I mustered enough courage and made it to the swings. Good times. Then we ate some catered holiday sandwiches. Very good times. I got really tired and freaked out when Mom tried to put me on some random guy's lap. I mean, he had on a pretty stylin' red velvet suit, but come on Mom, I don't know this guy from Adam. We started home, but on the way I got distracted by some super cool bikes. Can you say vroom, vroom?

Special thanks to Grandma and Grandpa for my matching hat and mittens. I got lots of complements from the moms.

From the Archie Archive

Mom rediscovered this video tidbit from a couple months ago when we were in the midst of moving madness. Sharing it with you is just my way of saying Happy December!



Special thanks to my Auntie Nora, who gave me the Orioles onesie featured in this dance number.

Adventures in Suburbia: Pinecones

Pinecones from Archie on Vimeo.

Gobble Gobble

Happy belated Thanksgiving everyone! I had a pretty great day yesterday. Even though it wasn't technically my first Thanksgiving, it sure felt like it. In the morning I watched some of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, and I think we were all a little surprised by how much I loved those Broadway dance numbers. The outfits, the choreography, the music! It sure put me in a celebratory mood. Then Dad and I went to the park for some play time while Mom set up shop in the kitchen. There were kids everywhere, and I climbed up a jungle gym and slid down the twisty slide all by myself! After my nap, Mom put me in my fancy shirt and off we went to meet up with old friends, make new ones, and give thanks to our good fortune by stuffing our faces. 


To all my friends and family, you are my fortune. I give thanks for you.

Green bean casserole? Mmmm, casserole!

Mmmm, toys and new friends!

Farewell, Sweet Friend

Along with feeding, clothing, cleaning, and snuggling me, Mom and Dad have taken it upon themselves to teach me life skills. Take for example the apparently important skill of Knowing When to Leave a Party. (Given some of the stories I've overheard, I'm not entirely convinced that this is a skill they themselves have mastered, but I digress.) 


On Thursday Mom and Dad made a tough call. After several months of extra pets and keeping a careful watch, they decided it was time for Nikki Kitty to leave the party. I know they hope that this difficult decision has saved our friend from additional pain. We, on the other hand, are left to feel that the house is a little more empty and has a little less love in it since she's gone. 


Thank you, Nikki Kitty, for being my companion and helping to take care of me even before I was born because you loved my Mom. Thanks for teaching me the joy that a pet can bring into someone's life, and that animals deserve to be cherished as well as respected. I'll miss you.

The Five Stages of Moving

Can you believe it is November already? Where did October go exactly? I guess mom packed it up with all the other odds and ends and forgot about it. The transition to our new house has certainly kept us busy, but we're finally moved in. All these changes have been a lot to cope with for a young lad like myself. I've heard the adults call what I'm going through "an emotional roller coaster." Let's take a closer look, shall we:


First off, we've got bargaining, which is then promptly followed by a touch of despair.

But don't worry readers, that sadness is then channeled into high-pitched elation. (Check out my teeth, by the way. There are seven of them in there!) And then I mellow out into a state of acceptance.

Finally, we have what some may deem the most crucial state of all; hunger. It's pretty much what all my emotions eventually resolve into.

Anyone out there want to share their cheese stick?