Basic Stats
- Age: 37
- Height: 5-foot-9
- Weight: 165 pounds
- Family: Abbie, wife of seven years; daughters Betty, 3, and Ona, 3 months
- Job: Head butcher and owner of Bolyard’s Meat & Provisions in Maplewood
Being Present
Discover fun things to do with the family
Subscribe to the St. Louis Family newsletter for family-friendly things to do and news for local parents, sent every Monday.
With his demanding work schedule, Chris capitalizes on each moment at home. “Betty’s at such a fun age. There’s going to come a time when she doesn’t want to spend every waking moment with me, so I try to keep that in mind when I come home tired. I never turn down playing with her.”
Chris’ Principles
“An important lesson is teaching respect. Betty’s 3 years old, and she can be very defiant, so lately it’s been a challenge to teach her boundaries. Respect is something my parents instilled in me.”
Play Date
“Betty loves to play make-believe. Since she spends some time at the shop, she pretends that I’m a customer and that we’re at the grocery store. At home, she’ll use the iPad as her own cash register.”
Memorable Make-Believe
“The most bizarre scenario was probably Tiger and Zookeeper,” Abbie says. “Chris hangs in there—he plays those scenarios a lot longer than I could stand!”
Getting Outdoors
The family occasionally goes hunting for mushrooms in the woods. Chris and Betty enjoy finding hidden trails and making s’mores on a fire pit at home.
Chicken Coop
Chris and Betty often feed the family chickens together. “Chris has passed on his love of animals to her,” Abbie says. “He calmly gets a chicken out of the pen, and Betty takes notice.”
Daddy’s Girl
“Since Abbie spends a lot more time with Betty, I’m more apt to give her a cookie at the store because I don’t have as many chances to spoil her. It’s hard for me to say no; she’s got me wrapped around her finger.”