This Halloween we had all three kids. Terra was little red riding hood (befitting), Madeline was a Pink Pirate, and Jack was a Elmo. It was a great Halloween. We remembered the best houses. On one cul-de-sac, a guy decided to grow some gourds. I have no idea why, but somehow, he managed to get a 147 lbs. pumpkin out of the ground. That's heavier than my wife.
My favorite story from this Halloween starts with our neighbor. Prior to leaving on our adventure, our neighbors' kids stopped by, dressed as a pink pirate and a kitty cat. The dad (Dave), arrives wearing a Grim Reaper tunic, carrying the scythe, and painted on his hands are white lines pointing to metacarpals and phalanges.
His youngest daughter is very proud of the costume. "Look at my dad's bones," she exclaims, holding her dad's hands. "He's a boner! Dave the boner!!" she repeats, laughing at her joke, oblivious to any other meaning. I laughed hysterically.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Awards
Kids can be the sweetest thing. Sometimes I am reminded that isn't true, but not tonight.
Waiting for me on my pillow was a pink envelope with some writing, what looked like a candy wrapped in a bright yellow wrapper, and a ribbon. The ribbon says "Awarded to Dad, for: the best dad in the world." The candy wrapper is yellow paper with little smiling lady bugs all over, carefully drawn and colored. Wrapped in the yellow paper is a worn, smooth rock for a lucky charm. The pink envelope has three screws in it with a note inside, "For working on something" and on the outside of the envelope it says, "To: Dad, from: madeline."
I think there's a couple little things that make this so tender and beautiful. First, the red ink on Madeline's hand when she came in and gave me a huge bear hug, and told me how much she loved me. There were little ink blotches on her fingers, and I could picture her coloring the little lady bugs studiously. She later told me she worked especially hard on the lady bugs. One of them almost looks like it has three dimensions.
The screws are sweet, because I've been doing some work out in the garage and she of course knew I could use them. These are just some random screws she picked up from somewhere. It couldn't have been my garage, my garage is immaculate (I do have a Ridgid 6HP, 16Gallon Shop-vac/blower). She's thinking of me when she sees something as simple as a wood screw melts my heart.
But the real tender side comes from yesterday. As a "punishment" for not listening, I had her help me in the garage sanding a few things down, and I had her use some citrus cleaner to wipe dried glue from some clamps with a wire brush. She was so mad at first, but she really worked hard. I had to go inside once and she asked when I would be back. By the end of both chores she was completely into it, and I dare say even liked it.
So a couple things are coming out of this bright spot in my evening. One, Madeline and I are going to Dunkin Donuts tomorrow morning for breakfast before school, and two, I've got to stop cursing all these "lady bug" beetles that are everywhere in the Midwest. At least in front of Madeline, I'm going to stop cursing those things. I can't stand the @!#$* beetles. I squish them every chance I get.
Waiting for me on my pillow was a pink envelope with some writing, what looked like a candy wrapped in a bright yellow wrapper, and a ribbon. The ribbon says "Awarded to Dad, for: the best dad in the world." The candy wrapper is yellow paper with little smiling lady bugs all over, carefully drawn and colored. Wrapped in the yellow paper is a worn, smooth rock for a lucky charm. The pink envelope has three screws in it with a note inside, "For working on something" and on the outside of the envelope it says, "To: Dad, from: madeline."
I think there's a couple little things that make this so tender and beautiful. First, the red ink on Madeline's hand when she came in and gave me a huge bear hug, and told me how much she loved me. There were little ink blotches on her fingers, and I could picture her coloring the little lady bugs studiously. She later told me she worked especially hard on the lady bugs. One of them almost looks like it has three dimensions.
The screws are sweet, because I've been doing some work out in the garage and she of course knew I could use them. These are just some random screws she picked up from somewhere. It couldn't have been my garage, my garage is immaculate (I do have a Ridgid 6HP, 16Gallon Shop-vac/blower). She's thinking of me when she sees something as simple as a wood screw melts my heart.
But the real tender side comes from yesterday. As a "punishment" for not listening, I had her help me in the garage sanding a few things down, and I had her use some citrus cleaner to wipe dried glue from some clamps with a wire brush. She was so mad at first, but she really worked hard. I had to go inside once and she asked when I would be back. By the end of both chores she was completely into it, and I dare say even liked it.
So a couple things are coming out of this bright spot in my evening. One, Madeline and I are going to Dunkin Donuts tomorrow morning for breakfast before school, and two, I've got to stop cursing all these "lady bug" beetles that are everywhere in the Midwest. At least in front of Madeline, I'm going to stop cursing those things. I can't stand the @!#$* beetles. I squish them every chance I get.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Funny words
Two funny stories about Jack with words.
After dinner one night this weekend we played a game. We went around the table and tried to get Jack to repeat the word. I started, "Jack, say 'Daddy.'" Slam dunk, Jack says daddy all the time. Then it was Mom's turn, "Jack, say 'Mommy.'" Another slam dunk, of course Jack says "Mommy" all the time. Madeline goes next, then Terra and back to Dad. We started with Jack's favorite words, Cookie, truck, fire truck, train, airplane. Jack is eating up the attention and we are laughing hysterically. Jack's into it now, he's rolling. More words come out, airplane, apple juice, rain, tree, cracker, milk, everyone's scoring and the game is tied.
Eventually it got back to Mom, and she pauses. "C'mon Mom," Madeline says and Mom replies, "I'm thinking..." As if on cue, Jack comes right back, "I'm thinking!" Everyone laughed so loud. Jack loved it, everyone did.
Then on Sunday night we were playing Uno with our neighbors. I was down to my second to last card, played it, and Mom gets me, "You didn't say UNO!!" Ohh, I was so aggravated, I picked up my two card penalty and repeated "UNO, UNO, UNO" several times. Then Jack screams out, "UNO!"
After dinner one night this weekend we played a game. We went around the table and tried to get Jack to repeat the word. I started, "Jack, say 'Daddy.'" Slam dunk, Jack says daddy all the time. Then it was Mom's turn, "Jack, say 'Mommy.'" Another slam dunk, of course Jack says "Mommy" all the time. Madeline goes next, then Terra and back to Dad. We started with Jack's favorite words, Cookie, truck, fire truck, train, airplane. Jack is eating up the attention and we are laughing hysterically. Jack's into it now, he's rolling. More words come out, airplane, apple juice, rain, tree, cracker, milk, everyone's scoring and the game is tied.
Eventually it got back to Mom, and she pauses. "C'mon Mom," Madeline says and Mom replies, "I'm thinking..." As if on cue, Jack comes right back, "I'm thinking!" Everyone laughed so loud. Jack loved it, everyone did.
Then on Sunday night we were playing Uno with our neighbors. I was down to my second to last card, played it, and Mom gets me, "You didn't say UNO!!" Ohh, I was so aggravated, I picked up my two card penalty and repeated "UNO, UNO, UNO" several times. Then Jack screams out, "UNO!"
Monday, October 5, 2009
Teeth News
Madeline had some braces for orthodontia (I spelled that write the first time!) work and we are looking at the results right now. Her teeth are so straight.
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