just a sample ten seconds of my day

In the car Phee and I are talking about adulthood and periods and my son listens for a bit, then says,

“I’m glad I’m a boy.”

Then he corrects himself, “Actually I’m not. Men and boys face all kinds of dangers -”

(I’m nodding, thinking suicide, homicide…)

“- like MAN-eating sharks! Why don’t they eat women?”

Phoenix immediately catches the spirit and chimes in: “The race of MANkind is doomed!”, she bleats in a sonorous, scary voice. Then, acting as a “woman”, performs a little victory fist punch, smirks.

Nels, now outraged: ” – and we have USELESS NIPPLES!”

Phoenix: “Mom. Did you know that 50% of the word ‘Canada’ is the letter ‘A’?”

Nels, without missing a beat: “Along with ‘banana’.” [ takes a satisfied slurp of his milkshake ]

There’s not enough rest, food, and coffee for me to keep up with their brains.

I don’t need too much / Just need somebody to love

You’ll probably never see me again as one of my Christmas gifts from Ralph was a nice phone – and because he’s all S-M-R-T it came completely set up with my tweeter and texting and chat and contacts and music service and every single thing I could ever want besides another human life and heartbeat – and this development is concomitant with a hardcore case of BIEBER FEVER* (yeah, I know I am late to the game on that one) so I’m mostly located in the kitchen making bread or washing dishes and listening with very perky pop at volume 11. Bieber gave way to some New Wave about the time I was rolling out some pumpernickel bread while the kids ran through the lights-out house playing hide and seek – donning caving lights on their heads. Of course.

I have been out and about a little bit.

Amore In Aberdeen

The darkness means photo-opportunities have been slight. And since this is my first ever mobile phone (seriously… I’m like a frikken corny commercial here) I’ve taken pictures of my own finger and all that, blah blah, oh well.

Here’s Ralph this morning. He recieved several gifts from my mother and I that were entirely PNw-clothing related, a lined flannel and handknit hat and neoprene boots and such. He accused us of exploiting his new beard and trying to dress him all sexy-lumberjack. I am SO GLAD I did not opt for those Carhartts with the buttcheeks cut out!

My Husband The Stoic Lumberjack

Not everyone’s too thrilled with my new gadgetry (Phoenix has intuited the awesomeness of my phone but Nels is mentally comparing it to an iPad and finding it lacking).

Post Sleep Marathon

However, despite the grouchy mien, some people are thrilled with their Christmas robe. We’re past 24 hours wearing it.

Christmas was incredible and beautiful but also exhausting. Oddly enough I need a break. Fortunately I’m getting one soon; a day with just the kiddos and I, tomorrow, when our sleepover guest goes home.

Gadgets, gadgets, more gadgets.

Post-Christmas Computer

* Here