I know it's been too long, but I really have to lay this at dad's feet. I had this thing written up weeks ago, and all I wanted was a little proofreading. But dad kept saying, "As soon as I'm done researching this, as soon as I'm done reviewing that." Meanwhile, I had to keep adding more and more pictures, and eventually it became a vicious cycle. Luckily, I caught Dad in a down week, so here we are. First, I wanted to lead off with some adorable pictures of the most important lady in my life (apologies to my new best friend and next door neighbor Cathy... she's cute, but not Evelyn-cute:

Daddy should really be home by now.


Suitable for framing.


No chance of sleeping in on your weekends, Daddy.


The death-defying double airplane-- do not try this at... work.

Thanks to global warming, summer has lasted extra long. That means more time to mow the lawn...


...and go to local street fairs. After years of coaxing, I finally bent to parental pressure and got my face painted. I had very specific instructions for the painter:

I need the Earth on one side, the moon on the other, and a rocket going in between.

Voila!

With the (sort-of) arrival of fall, it's time for the annual Kaplowitz apple-pick. This time, we had the benefit of family fruit afficionado Aunt Val:

Almost as good as Grandma Lisa at 123-whee. It's almost as if her and Grandma are related...

The apples in Pennsylvania were just as crunchy:

Cheers, mates.

I've been expanding my artistic horizons lately as well. Here's the portrait of my faithful animal companion, Boo:

Oh, and the people-eaters have made a comeback into my oeuvre:


It's more of a people-buffet, if you will.

I found more inspiration when dad took me to the Philadelphia Art Museum this past weekend. I'd show you some pictures, but the guards gave me a dirty look when I tried to capture Monet on camera. My favorite was the abstract stuff-- I'm pretty sure I could do a Jackson Pollock if you gave me enough finger paint.

The biggest news, of course, is that I just started at my new school:

It's actually bigger than just this sign. There's more in the building behind me.

Here's me with some of my new classmates. The guy to the right of me is a little strange. That big stupid grin makes me want to bash his head in or something.

Here's the whole gang on our field trip to the pumpkin patch. For some reason, I'm the smallest in this class too.

Now, usually I don't do this, but I'm going to break off a little preview of the Halloween costumes:

Just to keep things balanced, Boo is dressing up as me this year.

Monty is less than delighted with his costume:


We also made a scarecrow for our front yard. I think dad has some issues:


That's it for now. I'll try not to be so delinquent in the future, but I can't really control daddy's work schedule. If any of his bosses are reading this, they should give him less stuff to do.

Eli

I have a lot of new pictures to share, particularly regarding my new school and Evie's sudden mobility. However, those will have to take a back seat as I bring you another edition of: What Did Monty Eat Now>

This edition comes courtesy of Marge, who has finally discovered her hunting instinct at this late point in her life. Mommy and I spotted her batting around a mouse in our back yard. Mommy went out to try to rescue the poor thing, and Monty followed behind. Monty, apparently thinking Marge was eating food, ran over and stole the mouse from her. When Mommy went to chase him, he swallowed it. Whole. With a slight crunch. It was the most grotesque thing I've seen in my life, and bear in mind I've lived with Monty for over four and a half years.

The perp:


The victim (artist's rendering)


The hermit crabs are on notice.