We had a friend over helping us with some networking issues.  As he and I were working (‘working’ passive verb, meaning to hand tools to the person who is actually working) Mo’ decided she REALLY needed to cook!

After much persistence I relented and gave her some basic ingredients for a party mix; nuts, sunflower seeds, goldfish, etc.

After a bit she came up with a huge bowl and was proud to say that she had made it healthier and tastier.

Her mix also included (which she had gotten on her own) Carrots, Raisins, tiny marshmallows, and those thin 100 calorie packs of cookie-crisps.

While I didn’t find it particularly appealing, it was gone by night’s end.

Monday night at dinner I asked the kids what they learned in school.  I always make a bit of a show of asking Mo’ as she occasionally felt a little overshadowed by Brody’s.

Maura immediately asked me if I knew what day it was. 

“Monday!”  Duh! (I actually knew, we had an event at work, but I was surprised that she might know).

She did.  She said it was MLK day and then in a very indignant voice asked “Did you know white people were really mean to black people in the old days?....’  She then went on to describe white only stores and public transit system seating.

I can’t recount the conversation in detail, but it was great.  I officiated as each child would get annoyed if the other got too much airplay…not so much because they were jealous, but because they both wanted to show how much they knew.

Brody would add to what Mo said and so forth. 

What was most refreshing about the whole conversation was how incredibly silly it sounds to them to be mean to someone who is different.  Even though we’re in a pretty WASP’y area, there is still diversity in their schools and the mall playplace looks like the utopian melting pot for which this country has always strived.

…when all the trash is out on time because we didn’t remember Monday was MLK day and collection would be delayed!

There’s really no reason to post this link on You Tube.  I just stumbled across it and found it very interesting.  It was like NPR with pictures!

As young boys mature into men, it is necessary that they learn valuable, survival lessons.  Sometimes these lessons come from elder male members of the tribe (a Father, Grandfather, Uncle or the guy down the street that is really good with computers); sometimes, and more often than not, wisdom offered is not heeded, and the cubs must learn difficult lessons on their own.

Today was such  a day for Brody.

He learned that when it’s nine degrees outside, with a wind chill below zero, and you were just finishing a cold milk in the car with no gloves on…using a urinal can be quite uncomfortable with those cold fingers.

Now he knows, and knowing is half the battle!

Yo’ Joe!

‘They grow up so fast’ is a bit of a cliché’.  I also suspect that our parents said the same about us and so on.

(I also think three or four generations ago when five year olds were helping work the farm and marrying at 15, they didn’t say that, but that’s another tangent I won’t wander tonight.  Though it makes you wonder if ‘growing up ‘faster’’ is all bad…I mean, look at all the 30 year olds in their parents basement, it’s as if they’ve been forced into an extended childhood.  Wait.  I said I wasn’t going that way.  Sorry, I’m getting older so fast these days!)

Brody is very self-conscious about appearing ‘age appropriate’.  I’ve mentioned before he won’t let kids up to his room as he stills has his nursery wallpaper up (though, to his utter enjoyment, it’s coming down Wednesday) and he is reluctant to wear certain characters that he once adored.

The was again evident as he prepared for a ‘read in’ at his school.  They were to bring books, a blanket, pillow and/or stuffed animal and then they would be reading for an extended time in school.  I offered Brody his Buzz Lightyear blanket, which he really likes, but he said he’d be called a baby.  We reviewed a couple other options, all were rejected for some perceived juvenile quality.  Thankfully we found the Jedi fleece; knot blanket G’ma B had given him…this passed muster.

What surprised me, a pleasant surprise at that, was that he insisted on bringing this pillow he has on his bed.  It’s of the ‘country’ variety and was quilted by my Grandma from Tennessee.  She gave it to him long ago and he knows it is from her.   I thought that was cool.

We’re back!

I know all (four) of you have been dying to read of our latest exploits and have endured out absence begrudgingly.  For that I thank you and apologize.

After many years of reflection, we have finally decided to get rid of our land line.  I don’t think it’s a unique decision; many have done so long ago.  But why pay for a land line when you have a couple cell phones?  You use the cell for long distance, for local long distance…the land line was only good for a local call (which today is defined by how far you can see from your porch) and even then, I’d use the cell because that is where the numbers are saved.  So forty or fifty bucks a month to receive campaign calls from Mitt Romney..think not!

Alas, to ‘cut the cord’ we had to interrupt our DSL so I fear I was unable to regal you with humorous anecdotes and Dayna was unable to send you all pixie poster potatoes for her facebook compadres.

Rest assured I will now be able to bore you endlessly with Mo’s most recent mispronunciation, Brody’s anxiety and Dayna will be able to do whatever it is those young ‘uns do on Facebook.

Dayna arrived at pre-school to find the kids dancing and exercising.  Maura was out of breath and her cheeks were completely flushed.

Maura asked Dayna if that is what she feels like when she goes to the gym.

Dayna agreed, and added that she smells bad too!

Maura said ‘So do I.  I smell like graham crackers now!’

We were going through the kids toys, looking for toys that were no longer age appropriate for donation (and of course to make room for the new ones).   Brody feared we would get rid of his wooden Thomas set (something he adored for the first several years of his life).

We informed him that it was too special (and expensive) to get rid of and would save it for his kids to use someday. 

Well he’s totally latched on to that.  Now, whenever Dad (me) get’s that ‘git me my trash bag, that’s outta here’ look; he immediately retorts that he wants to save (item here: which may include, but is not limited to: stuffed animals, action figures, shirts, blocks or underwear) them for his kids.

Maura regularly complains about the boys at her school.  Such that Brody thinks she is a complete man-hater and gets upset the way she ‘profiles’ all boys as ‘bad’; and so much so, that Mo has more than once asked to go to an all girls school.

Usually it’s one boy in particular who offends her, but often other boys are also accused of nefarious deeds which represent the entire gender as evil.

So it was with some surprise today that she shared with us about her new ‘boyfriend’.  His name is Luke and he is a Kindergartener (an older man!).  Today she shared how during a movie (don’t what about, they’re learning about mice and polar bears right now...btw, she’s very disappointed in polar bears for eating seals) that Luke sat back and she ‘played with his hair, brushing if out of his eyes.’

MMMMM, don’t know what I think about that.

She later indicated that she was going to marry him; I followed up about Gavin (another young man whom she claims as a ‘boyfriend’) and she stated she’d marry him two.  If she had two husbands she’d have two babies.

Mo-lawner: (n) A device used by a Maura (abbrev. “Mo’”) to bring the unruly lawn into line.

Looks like we may have a future fashion designer (not to be confused with a future farmer of America), or at minimum a ‘girlie-girl’ in the house: we took the kids to Target to get some additional clothing (Mo is in some serious need of jeans) for the rest of winter.  Once Mo was out of the gravitational pull of the toy section (a section where she wanted to want something, but even trying hard, she couldn’t find something she was lacking) she found the clothing section and was in all her glory.

She was like Stacy and Clinton of What Not To Wear (on TLC) all rolled up into one!   She would go from rack to rack, pick a top, then a bottom (pants or skirts), lay them out on the floor to ensure they ‘matched’ and then would show them to you.

Not surprisingly, she has a good eye for what matches and picked out some pretty cute outfits. 

As we were leaving Dayna noted some cool leggings/pants that were black with silver skulls/crossbones on them.   Dayna joking said she should ask if I would buy them for her…

Well DUH!  Of course!

So Avril LaBritton went to school the next day in her punk pants, a black turtleneck with a pink sweater and her tall, black motorcycle boots.