I Say Armadillo...He Says Tatou

Though Alexander was born in the United States, he has grown up in Europe and speaks French like a Parisian. He sounds like an American teen when he speaks English, but don't be fooled by his lack of an accent, as he's really a French teen. So the Americanization of Alexander continues. First there were the driving lessons in the fourth largest city in the United States, then learning about your homeland through your grandparents' eyes...

grandparents who are Texans with weird ideas about what being a North American is,

who take Alexander to eat barbecue, then to see kitsch such as a giant armadillo, uhr...tatou, with red glowing eyes.

And to a Beer Can House only a redneck mother could love...above is Alexandre, Alexander to us...with his back up against a wall of more beer bottles and cans than you would like to know exist.

Above is said Beer Can House...burp!

Well, I think the tatou and the Beer Can House are both what we refer to as road kill in Texas...so horrible you can't take your eyes off them. It's on to the shooting range next!

Teens and Other Puppies

Alexander and Scooter are calmly waiting for the driving instructor and the first driving lesson.

Alexander is off for his first lesson. He has never been behind the wheel.

Skipper wakes from a nap with Scooter.

Scooter is demonstrating the fine skills required for shredding...

...and rearranging the landscape!

Happily, our family has recently grown. Alexander, our oldest grandson, arrived from Europe. He seems like an American teen, but his best language is French and that is the culture he knows. Besides Paris, he has also lived in Brussels, Madrid, and Moscow. So, there is some Americanization going on. Then, there is the little foundling pup, whom we named Skipper. We think he is part black Lab and part Cocker Spaniel. Skipper's training is being accomplished in large part by Scooter, our one-year-old Maltipoo.