Spellbound

Recently Jane told me, 'C and K have the same sound.'

'Yes,' I said, 'but C also has the soft C sound, and K doesn't.'

Jane pondered this a moment, and then said, 'I know a sound that K makes that C doesn't! Silent K!'

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Yesterday she was digging out magnet letters from under the fridge. 'I got the U!' she announced.

'You got the U, and I got the I,' I told her. Ha, ha! She thought that was hilarious. It's great to be such superstars to our kids.

Small fry

For a while, it was pretty easy to talk over the children's heads. They were oblivious to all but the most obvious key words, and when all else failed, we'd spell crucial tidbits of classified info. Then Jane learned to spell, and we had to rely on more elaborate forms of code. This worked for a time, but Jane quickly adapted and began cracking our evolving code-speak. 'Big one,' 'Middlest,' '1.0,' etc. were all laid bare to her quick mind. Sometimes we'd even catch her calling Ella 'Middle One.'

Recently Michael took to calling them Wynken, Blynken, and Nod, which is pretty effective at obscuring intent, if a little outdated. Now he proposes Eeny, Meeny, and Miny, which doesn't seem quite as charming, but it gets the job done.

Now that we've started showing the girls a few (older) Disney movies, we are on the receiving end of an everlasting flood of impenetrable questions. I am reminded of the quote from Drink To Yesterday:

They call her Diana the Wise.

Why?

Because she asks such an awful lot of them.

Why-? Oh, I see.

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Michael is one of the brothers in our church's production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, a fun musical which I'd never seen but the lyrics of which are quite clever. ('Being told we're also-rans Does not make us Joseph's fans.') Opening night is two weeks from yesterday, and we're in the final grueling stretch of rehearsals, which means lots of very long days. In a month or so, we hope life will return to normal.

Back, again

We're back home after almost two weeks in Oregon. I had a good life in Virginia, and I feel happily settled in Georgia, but when I travel westward I'm convinced that Oregon is in my blood. The cool weather (such a welcome relief in July!), the lush green moss and ferns, the scent of fresh fruit wafting through the air from countless roadside stands and abundant wild trees and bushes, all struck such a familiar chord with me. And the smell of the air! I used to spend a week just breathing!

We had a great time visiting family, eating feasts at different relatives' houses every day. I miss my extended family, and hope my children can grow up with something close to what I experienced as a child. Right now, though, I'm just trying to catch up on the laundry.

Summer Solstice

Today is the first official day of summer, though it's been hot enough this fortnight. At least frequent thunderstorms have removed the necessity of watering the garden. We've gotten two pickings of green beans, two salads' worth of chard, and about six tomatoes so far. Very heartening. Too bad we're going to leave it all to the birds and the drought when we leave town next month (leaving the house sufficiently staffed with ferocious guard dogs, of course).

This week I hope to take the tots on a blueberry-picking expedition. I think Jane and Ella might be old enough to contribute to the general bucket, and if we leave early enough it might not be too hot. Meanwhile we lie about indoors under ceiling fans, trying to move as few muscles as possible and coming up with recipes for cold soup. And then Michael, who is not nearly such a martyr to frugality, comes home and rescues us by turning up the A/C. I do not relish the thought of three more months of this.

Very quickly, now

Blogger has been most annoying lately. (Or maybe it's been going on for a long time, and I just haven't posted much lately...) It seems all I have time for these days is the occasional picture post with quick captions, but I give that up all too easily whenever Blogger has conniptions. Hence few posts. It is a pity, because as Lord Goring observed, I am quite full up of information and feel like the latest edition of something-or-other, only there is no one in the house to talk to. Except, as it happens, that is hardly the case, as Jane and Ella provide ample conversation these days. Alas that baby books run out of room after about the first year.

Jane: Why does my car seat have arm rests?
Me: To rest your arms.
Jane: Or maybe to rest your elbow, when you're untangling a tangle.

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Ella: Please hold me! Jane is being Ursula!
Me: Ursula is just pretend, and Jane is not mean.
Ella (to Jane): Ursula, you are not mean.

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So we went to a tax day tea party at the state Capitol last Thursday. It was important to go, and the train ride downtown was an adventure for the girls. In truth, I've fallen under a deep cloud for the last month re: healthcare, and it's hard for me to see how any good can come of the breakdown of our economy and the dissolution of our country. Of course I always knew that America wouldn't be around for the end times, since it doesn't merit a mention in Revelation, but I never expected to be there to see it. Have I mentioned that I've been feeling rather bleak lately? Not at all related to turning thirty next week, which doesn't depress me in the least, because I'm mathematically savvy enough to realise that I entered my thirtieth year last birthday.

These are my children

Eating chocolate cake batter for breakfast:






















Stepping on each other in the snow:

















Picking bugs up off the floor:

















Sticking scissors in the mouth:

Happy Easter!

Happy Pi Day!

Bother, once again I forgot to bake a pie. Next year I shall plan better, quotha.

Now We Are Three

Behind the times

Merry Christmas y'all.