Sea Creatures: Live on Broadway

My 2 and a half year old son likes playing with his sea creature toys. Especially his sharks. He has a toy great white shark and a couple dolphins he employs as stand-ins. These understudies get to play “mapo” sharks and “hammahead” sharks and “tigah” sharks. The great white even plays a barracuda from time to time. The kid has an ever-growing imagination. Something I have tried to take inspiration from. I mean, we tend to like keeping our thoughts between walls and on straight lanes as we get older. Kids don’t care about being rational ...or correct, for that matter. Just yesterday the stingray was a pelican and a robin played a pterodactyl.

My wife and I are constantly wondering whether or not to give him the other Mako shark toy we have in a bag in the basement. Yes, he would love it. But, the more he has, we fear, the less he will allow the walrus to become–of all things– the downy woodpecker (yes, he’s also big into birds and unless you are a birdwatcher he knows more birds than you).

In the mornings he has me going down to the computer to search for shark pictures on the internet. And this is no easy task. its difficult to avoid images of great whites leaping 8 feet out of the water whilst squishing a seal like a tomato in a vice. But, I’ve learned to veer us towards nurse sharks and whale sharks, which are harmless to just about everything and, thus, G-rated.

We also look at starfish and the giant octopus and turtles and he just soaks up information and spews it back out into play scenes with birds and cars and sea creatures. They all interlink to him. He sees no boundary between land and sea and sky. Dolphins swim and fly. As do sea lions and turtles. You know, the turtle might make a nice spaceship or maybe a hot rod.

I think maybe the key is forgetting about being right. And doing with what you got. It would be wise advice from 2 and 3 year olds to we, the adults inside our boxes.

Big Big Ocean Things

My 2 and a half year old son is really into his "sea creatures" right now. especially the shark. He has a great white shark toy and a couple dolphins he employs as stand-ins. these understudies get to play any number of other sharks, such as the "mapo" shark, the "hammohead" shark or the "tigah" shark. that being said, the great white shark often gets to play a barracuda. my son is not too particular about who plays what role. a breath of fresh air, i'd say, in this age of type-casting and flat out wrong-casting. he looks past mere appearance and really lets the animals assume different functions.

Just last week his stingray was a pelican. and a robin got to play a pteradactyl.

in the mornings he likes to look at sharks on the computer. which is no easy task considering that its not easy to find a picture of a great white shark that isn't leaping 8 feet out of the water whilst squishing a seal like a tomato in a vice. many times i just type in nurse shark and whale shark, which are harmless to almost everything and make for a much more g-rated image search.

tall tease solved

About a week ago we posted a picture of matt standing on my desk. And I know you've just had sleepless nights wondering what the answer could possibly be. Well grab your blanket and snuggle down because the answer is C. obtaining new blog fodder.

About my second or third week working here I happened to peer up and notice a few stiff, black, but rather cute, eyes peering back down on me- A row of blue and yellow peeps shared the edge of the lighting fixture with peep snowmen.

regan wood, whose desk I'm preserving, was back doing some freelance while both chelsie and jackie were out and explained it all me. Since I could never be as thorough as someone that has nearly a decade of Mckinney under their belt, we'll save that story for later time. Until then, enjoy these pictures!

Wade has actually added peep ghosts to the line up since this picture.

Nice shot, matt, via jackie's camera.

Please note the dust crowning the heads of these sugary angles.

Go ahead and watch this so you can get your stuff done.

Appropriate for monday.
Check out Lev Yilmaz's website and other you tube videos.

When I grow up...

I want to be like Wade. Which is why this past weekend I had to try to make Wade's famous sugar cookies. You can already deduce that of course, they were not nearly as delicious as his. But, I had to try. First off, I couldn't use his tried-and-true Kroger brand mix. Blame Clayton for not having any Krogers in town. So, I had to settle for Betty Crocker.
Second, I couldn't remember ever buying cookie sticks, so I had to roll out my dough without them. - which resulted in too-thin, uneven dough. Now I understand the need for the cookie sticks! Funny thing is, when I went in my baking drawer to retrieve my decorating supplies while the cookies baked in the oven, look what I discovered:


Cookie. Sticks. Sigh... If I had only known that my Mom had bought these in... October 1989???


Back when Michaels was actually "MJDesigns". I guess when she let me borrow her assortment of cake decorating tips, she also threw in this package of cookie sticks. Next time.

After baking it was time for the decorating. Which tip do I use?

My laziness at washing my one Wilton-brand reusable bag 3 times for my three piping colors left me creating my own piping bags out of Wilton's parchment triangles. Word of caution, if you do not roll the top of the bag down properly, icing will ooze out the top, down your hand and then all over your freshly decorated cookies. I had to learn the hard way.

The end result. Carolina Tarheel cookies for tailgating at the UNC-Virginia Tech game.


The cookies seemed to be a hit with our tailgating buddies. Though, they have never had real Wade-Lewis sugar cookies, so it's probably an unfair conclusion on the success of my cookies. I think Wade should continue to be McKinney's official cookie-baker. But know that perhaps you too can be successful recreating these tasty treats for your unknowing family and friends!

dear santa,

love,
the studio

banana doodle

For all the times I was told not to play with my food.