Pass the Popcorn…(sniffle)

  Movie night. God, I love it. The darkened room, the flickering light, the music of the show all holding us, transfixed across the gap of screen to couch. Will we recite familiar dialogue? Will we fly alongside familiar heroes or cry at the loss of a favorite character? Or is tonight something new, the

Pizza, Hot Dog, Pretzel, and One Big Apple

Some kids are just made for the city. Don’t get me wrong, millions of kids enjoy the city every year. They don cute little outfits to see a show on Broadway, or skate at Rockefeller Plaza. They window shop at Macy’s and marvel at the electricity of Times Square. They see the sights and wonder

I Love You Big Brother

  I go where you go. I do what you do. I love you. You knock me down. You pick me up. You brush me off. You squeeze me too tight, but it’s ok.    I miss you when you’re gone. When you play with your friends I feel forgotten. I yell for your attention.

Huzzah!

The sound of pounding hooves reverberates through the earth. Two champions race towards each other, each led by the point of a lance. The horses beneath them charge with muscles rippling and nostrils wide. Their fear replaced with a duty for destruction. A glint of sun from steel armor pierces through the shade of the

Tin and Aluminum

“Tin.” “Tin?” “Yes tin. Or aluminum.” “Sigh.” So begins my search for the perfect tenth anniversary gift.  I am not sure who determines which materials are representative of specific anniversaries, but tin and aluminum seem weird. “Happy tenth honey! We’re getting new siding!” Hours later I find myself at an antique store. It smells like

A Flatbed Towed My Dreams Away… and Other Country Song Lyrics

Nine years ago it was wood-working. Seven years ago it was boat fever. Five years ago is was flying. For the past three years it has been cars. These hobbies start as a passing interest, an ember in my heart that travels to my brain and finally into my hands (and wallet).  Hundreds of hours

Connecticut Children’s Medical Center-Thank You!

  Yesterday was awesome! I got to spend the day with some amazing kids at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center (CCMC) in Hartford, CT. We read some pages of my new book Zagg and the Planetary Defenders, did some drawing, and talked about the power of imagination, writing and art. Nothing is more inspiring to me than

The Aftermath…of a Birthday Party

The side door to the garage opens with a “Bang!”. The guests turn to watch as a kid-sized tractor squeezes through the frame. The front wheels drop to the ground and the driver floors it. “Here comes Benny!” he yells. The whine of the battery powered wheels slices through the sounds of small-talk and crunching

Yes in My Backyard (YIMBY)

The burning in my chest seems different than in the past. The burning in my legs is shocking to me. Confusion and doubt cloud my mind. It’s only been two laps. The course I created with my boys can only be described as small. Four corners form a square in the backyard marked by a

9-11 and the Butterfly Cycle

  I was working in  New York City on September 11, 2001.  Seventeen years later I still find myself crying involuntarily throughout the day, I’m crying now as I write this. I avoid television so I don’t have to be exposed to that horrific image of the towers on fire, and I’m not sure I