Goodbye, Flat Jack!

It's time for Flat Jack to go home. He was a pleasure to have around and an ideal guest. He didn't eat much, never made a mess, and was always polite and well-behaved. In fact, he spend most of his time hanging out by the refrigerator. Ok, make that hanging on the refrigerator. We'll miss you Flat Jack! Come back and see us again next year!

Yesterday, as a special treat, I took Flat Jack into Philadelphia to see the sights. Grandma Joan came along to lend a helping hand (literally) and to see her flattened grandson. Here are some of the fun things we saw and did.

While we were in the visitor's center, Flat Jack ran into Flat Julia from California. The two stopped to compare notes and then had their picture taken. It's always nice to make a new friend. 

Flat Jack just had to see the Liberty Bell. He agreed it was all that it was cracked up to be.

Christ Church Burial Ground was established in 1719. It is the final resting place to many famous people from colonial times. 

Benjamin Franklin, a famous scientist, inventor, and signer of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, is buried there.

Here's a statue of Benjamin Franklin.

Next stop was a visit to the home of Betsy Ross, a flag maker from colonial times.

Flat Jack posed next to a reproduction of a United States flag from 1777. Each star represents a state. How many states were there back then?

Betsy Ross is buried a few yards from her house. 

This pretty cat woke up from its nap long enough to pose for us.

Elfreth's Alley is our nation's oldest residential street. That means people have lived and worked there since the early 1700s. People still live in the houses today.

The streets are made of cobblestone.

Here's Flat Jack on the shoulder of Phillie Phanatic, the mascot of the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team. Lookin' good, Flat Jack!

Take Flat Jack to Work Day

On Monday Uncle Karl took Flat Jack to work with him so that FJ could see what office life is all about. Here is Uncle Karl's report--with pictures. Thanks Uncle Karl!

Flat Jack went to work with me. The people there were all very nice to him, and took him to lunch when he got hungry. Flat Jack also got to attend a meeting where they talked about some things that he didn't understand. There were lots of conversations and phone calls, and Flat Jack spent most of the day watching me typing on the computer and sending email messages to people all over the world. But by the end of the day Flat Jack was ready to go home. Being an adult and having to go to work isn't nearly as fun as going to school and playing with his friends. 
 

Flat Jack Takes to the Road

Saturday was bright and sunny here in PA so what better thing to do than hop on a motorcycle and go for a spin. Flat Jack couldn't wait to climb aboard. But Uncle Karl is a safety nut, so first on the agenda was to put on a helmet. Then Flat Jack tested out the padded passenger seat on the BMW. Comfy!

There was no way for Flat Jack to view the scenery sitting behind Uncle Karl. He wisely decided to share the back seat with Kermit. The little frog goes everywhere on the BMW. Although technically this is Kermit Two. (Kermit One was lost on a lonely highway, and will be remembered always.)

And off they sped on a tour of the neighborhood. Happy trails, guys!

Flat Jack Makes a Friend

Flat Jack is already making himself at home in our house. Here he is cuddling with Pablo, our pampered pug. The real 3-D Jack is just the tiniest bit afraid of Pablo and tries his best to avoid him when visiting. Luckily, Flat Jack doesn't seem to have that problem.

Look What Came in the Mail!

My nephew Jack is seven years old and in first grade. His class is taking part in The Flat Stanley Project. The students are reading Flat Stanley, a book by Jeff Brown about a boy flattened like a pancake when a bulletin board falls on top of him. He goes on to have some amazing adventures in his 2-D state, including being flown like a kite and being put in an envelope and mailed to his friends, before he's inflated and reverts to his old self.

Jack and his classmates each made a flat version of themselves and mailed the little mini-mes to friends and relatives. I was honored to be Jack's chosen host, and received Flat Jack in yesterday's mail. A letter from the teacher instructs me to treat the flat as if Jack were really visiting me. "You are encouraged to take the flat places, take pictures with it and write to the child about the adventures you share..."  Jack also included his own letter, and I quote it verbatim:

Dear Ant Cathy,

Thank you for ugrieing to take care of me. Let me watch a-lot of TV and eat lots of frute snacks.

Love,
Jack

So welcome Flat Jack to The Cath in the Hat, where I'll be blogging about our adventures.

Flat Jack