Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Well, At Least She's Well Hydrated

Daughter: I need to pee.
Me, incredulous: Again?
Daughter: Yep. It's what I was born to do.

Daughter, watching me serve up dinner: Yum. I think I'm drooling. Hey, mom! I'm actually drooling!

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Work It, Baby

Last weekend's lemonade stand was such a success (home made! hand squeezed! made with simple syrup! best in town...) that the kids decided to reprise. Bigger. Better. Three times the number of lemons! They were assisted in this by friendly neighbor having yard sale who invited them to set up in her yard.

The kids have had lots of teachable moments. They are now investment savvy and profit addicted. They understand much about selling consumables (eg: don't pick your nose while making. Absolutely don't pick your nose while selling).

I'd say, based on these two comments, they are now cresting the learning curve.

Me, to Son: Can you get the other pitcher?
Son: Could you? I need to be here, looking cute.

Customer, to Daughter: Here. And keep the change!
Daughter: Oh, we will.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

I'm A Believer

Daughter has a knack for bringing about coincidences. Maybe she heard something in the distance, or smelled sugar on the breeze, but as we were walking home today, she produced.

Daughter: I wish I had an ice-cream truck. I mean, it's not like I can snap my fingers [snap] and have one here. [Chimes in the distance. Unmistakeable sound of ice-cream truck. Son's jaw drops open.]

Sunday, August 22, 2010

The Real Deal

Son had Girl over for another playdate. Son, who usually sprints to any table to grab the biggest slice of whatever's on offer, was overheard thus: You take this one. It's bigger, and it has more chocolate on it.

Daughter, skyping with her girlfriend, now living in Korea: Life is weird without you in it.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Little House Fever Continues

So, Daughter has made her way, wide-eyed and asking many questions, through Little House on the Prairie (the book). On the way, we survived [spoiler alert]: the lake, the swollen creek, meeting Indians (the word "massacre" appears several times), prairie fire, buffalo wolves, a panther, cholera, an Indian council of war, and several "waiting for Pa, who should have been home by now" moments. Not to mention being put off the land and walking away from the glass windows at the end of the book. It was gripping.

We have acquired the other 8 books in the series as a going back to school present.

We have done Film Adaptation 101 watching the TV series pilot, in which there were several inconsistencies. Between the two Melissas playing Mary and Laura in the series and the drawings in the book we already have confusion, and Daughter doesn't realize she hasn't actually seen the real Laura Ingalls in either of those two places.

We plan visits to the nearby houses later this Fall with visiting Australian grandma, so three generations can take them in at once.

But along the way, we have also had these fairly amusing epiphanies:

  • Daughter, watching smoothie being made in bookstore by woman tamping ice cubes down into the blender: Hey look! It's like she's churning butter!
  • Daughter, watching Ma pluck the Christmas turkey Pa just shot: Hey! What is she doing now? ... Ohhh. Well why isn't he helping?
  • Daughter, on being told that she has just met a Native American: Hey! Why is she wearing so many clothes?
  • Daughter, now with a keen eye for period detail: And there's the potty at the new house!
  • Son, on hearing the Little House TV music for the umpteenth time: I'm gonna be downright murderous if I have to keep hearing that music.

Friday, August 13, 2010

In Which I Am Demoted

Hubby: Mom made you bacon for breakfast?
Son: Yep.
Hubby: She’s a goddess.
Son: Yep. Which one?
Hubby: Athene?
Son: Umm… Who’s the minor god of food?

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Big Dog Has His First Eighth Birthday

At the tail end of summer, earlier “late” bedtimes have become much, much later bedtimes… Monday night, Daughter wandered out of her bedroom at 10.35 pm:

Daughter: I just need a glue stick. And scissors.
Us: ---? It’s long past your bedtime!
Daughter, getting tearful: But I just realized it’s Big Dog’s *birthday tomorrow! [*stuffed animal.] And I have to make him a card!
Us, in soothing tones: That’s great. You can make him a card in the morning.
Daughter: But he’s going to be eight!

Daughter could only be mollified and sent back to bed if Hubby wrote “Big Dog’s B/day” on his hand (because neither child trusts to our memory, wisely). As a result, Big Dog scored: a homemade cake, frosted and with his name on it, candles, cards, and song. Daughter made an elaborate birthday hat for BD.

Her first words to me this morning: Hooray! Now it's Blankie's birthday today!

Monday, August 9, 2010

The Best Excuses

Two weeks ago we babysat three adorable wee girlies while their parents went on a (much needed) overnight vacation. Wee girly #2, a four year old, made this fab excuse, as she and I together surveyed her lap full of spaghetti: "Oh! I'm not a messy eater. I just got bad spaghetti."

I was reminded of it yesterday, when Son knocked over something on the kitchen counter, and blurted: "Wow. My elbow just got a growth spurt. No really!"

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Back in Biz

Hi all! Hope your Julys were fun/productive. I hoped to be back blogging a week ago but instead went on a writing retreat to a friend's cabin on the far, far side of Missouri, with no internet connection. So my "unplugged" extended an extra week, and just as well! I am now 25K words into my YA dystopian novel. (Pause for self-congratulations here.)

In case you're wondering/jealous, here is how the writing retreat(s) work. I team up with a colleague from work who also likes to write, mostly academically. We go about once a year. The last time we took an entire week and drove to her sister's cabin on the far, far side of Missouri was over two years ago, and I spent it editing my academic book (bleuch!). If we "only" have a 3-day weekend, we instead rent a cabin much closer (but still in Missouri, because it's purdy).

We split the meal plans, and shop for extravagant foodstuffs. We go for a walk every day that weather permits. We get straight to our respective work right after breakfast, break for lunch, and then continue to work until 6pm. Then, we have a glass of wine, compare notes about our day's work/frustrations, make a gourmet feast, and settle in for a movie. My favorite movie of this trip was re-watching Whale Rider, in case you were wondering.

On the way there and back we passed Mansfield, the later life home of Laura Ingalls Wilder, about whom I wrote earlier. We resisted going to visit, because my mother is visiting from the Antipodes later this year, and I would like to see the Ingalls houses for the first time with her and my daughter. Daughter has become entranced by the experience of reading Little House with me this month, and I have the TV pilot for the series awaiting the end of the first book.

I look forward to reading your blogs over the next day or two, and resuming the writing and parenting business as usual!