Circa August, 2001

September, 2001: Christopher demonstrates his phenomenal engineering skills (left), constructing miniature cities out of blocks and train tracks; is just being cool (center); and hangs out with his buddy Adam in our back yard.

Mark's brother Nicholas and Aunt Zulma had a baby, Nicolette, a little ahead of schedule in October, 2001.  (Unfortunately, she is at high risk of becoming a Notre Dame fan.) 

Halloween, 2001: Christopher was all set to be a train when he realized a.) you can't really BE a train; and b.) what he really wanted to be was a fireman, complete with FDNY on his hat (the fact that Mark was able to throw together this outfit with things we already had helped also). Isabella was a "witch duck"; half duck, half witch (the hat and green paint came shortly after these shots were taken.

October, 2001:  Christopher and Isabella rough-house with Uncle Peter on a visit to New York for Mark's 15th West Point reunion.

Christopher at West Point, standing on North Area, a place where his Daddy stood in formation and sweated out plebe year 19 years earlier.  Christopher was very fascinated with "where Daddy lived" (at one point, just to his rear through the sallyport and to the left).

Christopher and Daddy in the West Point library, just in front of the ring collection donated by our class.   Rings dating back to the 19th century of former grads are encased there, as well as those of a few of our lost classmates.

Christopher almost got adopted by the family of Mark's one-time roommate and fellow Brigade-staffer, Dave Desroches (now Colonel, who was a Marshall Scholar and White House Fellow, among other things).

Christopher having a grand old time drinking all the Sprite he can handle.  Here he stands on the same poop deck where General Douglas MacArthur gave his famous final address to the Corps (and where Daddy once ate dinner with President Ford, but that's another story altogether...).

  Christopher with New York's finest in Grand Central Station.  About a month after the attacks on the World Trade Center, the atmosphere was still noticeably different - people were actually friendly and helped us get back to Queens.  It was way past his bed time, but Christopher didn't care.  He was too revved up on all the stimulation of a taxi ride to a train station, a train from Garrison to Grand Central, a subway ride to Queens, then ANOTHER taxi ride home to Grandma.  It doesn't get any better than this!

Thanksgiving, 2001:  The Fernbank Kindergartners dressed up as Indians and had a great feast.  We joined Christopher and brought Isabella, who thought it was a big treat to eat in her big brother's school.

A word from our sponsor - let's not forget how these children all began... Susan & Mark, on our wedding day, October, 1993, New York City.