First Snow

 

Body by Pete

What are you going to be when you grow up?

Heather thinks that nobody will ever read this because they don't know this website still exists, given my patchy posting behavior in the past year. We'll show her, right?.... Anybody?.... Hello...?

For the longest time, Pete, when asked the above question, would only answer, "A Daddy." There will never come a time when I don't melt on hearing such an answer. If you tried to compromise and say, for example, "Okay, and what else do you want to do?" he would not budge, answering, "I just want to be a Daddy."

He has since learned that many daddies do something else for a job too, and has opened up his speculation a little bit, but he will not accept any occupation that isn't compatible with daddyness. Last week, he told me, in a state near tears, that he had wanted to be a firefighter, but then he learned at school that firefighters have beds at the fire station.

Me: So why does that make you not want to be a firefighter anymore?
Pete (crying): Because they sleep at the firestation and can't be daddies!

I tried to explain how it works and that many firefighters are daddies too, but he didn't really trust my explanation. I think that the idea of a daddy that doesn't sleep in the home was logically dissonant for him. It didn't make any sense.

Tonight, I was reading a Dora the Explorer book entitled "When I Grow Up" to Nora, and Pete came in uninvited to share what he wants to be when he grows up. First, he sat down and asked, "Can doctors be daddies?" I told him yes, and he said that he wants to be a doctor because he wants to help people feel better.

Conversation in the car:

Picture the scene. The kids are eating their fishstick dinner in the car because they are running late.

Pete: I'm gonna tell you where fishsticks come from, okay Nora?
Nora: OK, Peebee.
Pete: Well, OK. God makes the fishsticks, only not the whole thing. He only makes the outside. FISHermen make the inside. They cut fish, and then they roll it up in the outside. OK Nora?
Nora: Yeayy!!! Thanks, God!!!

Fine line between an expert and a know-it-all

Kids have "things." You know, that phrase, or interest (obsession), or joke, or facial expression that they do all the time. Like it's in the front of their mind all the time.

Right now, Pete's "thing" is that he's an expert. As in, "the mountains are really far away, but I can see them because I'm an expert!"

Elephant

Today, as part of some kind of GOP event, there was an elephant in downtown Co Springs. Heather says that the adults were as ga-ga about nand-feeding it as the kids, with one grandmother rightly telling her 3 year old granddaughter that "this is the only time in your whole life that you'll get this chance!"

Happy Birthday Nora

Scombridae

This anchorwoman should get a bonus check:

Scene: backyard

Pete: Now what are you doing?
Aaron: Well, this is fertilizer, it'll help our lawn grow better.
Pete: But then we'd have to mow it again!
Aaron: ...

Kissy Face

When we were visiting Oregon earlier this month (I can't believe June is almost over already), we had lunch at the Rogue Brewery. That's some seriously tasty beer.

While we were waiting for our food, Pete and Nora went over to the side of the room to play with a Lego table that was set up there. As soon as they arrived at the table, a little boy who was already there grabbed Nora and sat her down next to him. They sat down beside each other for a little bit, and when Nora tried to stand up, he'd grab her arm and keep her from leaving. Then he started hugging her. And then, he started kissing her.

He was definitely not creating a scene for the sake of his parents or so people would laugh or notice him. He just wanted to sit down and do some kissing. And Nora was completely into it. Then she was leaning over and giving him kisses and not letting him leave.

I was a little bit dumbstruck as a Dad. I thought it was completely harmless and cute, but I did feel a little bit protective, in a way that made no rational sense to my mind. There was no danger. They were just two toddlers showing affection in the manner that they're accustomed to. I guess I thought I'd get to ease into the experience of other humans showing affection for my humans.

There are more pictures in the web album.

Ditch

We just got back from a two-week vacation to Oregon. Seeing the beach, doing fun activities with the kids (such as the Rose Festival above), and getting back in touch with old friends was great, but overall, the vacation was not relaxing. But so it goes with kids, who must be entertained.

New pictures from the trip available in the album to the right.

Despite the fun we had on the trip, the two stories I'm going to share are from the car ride home from the Denver Airport on Wednesday evening.

1. Pete was playing with a doll in the back seat, giving a commentary on what he was doing, putting the baby to sleep, getting the baby up, and changing the baby's diaper. It was at this point that we heard him say to himself, "And now I wipe out the baby's ditch".

2. Later, Pete told me that he'd seen the billboard that features Bethany Hamilton, the surfer who lost her arm to a shark. It looks something like this:



I explained that she was brave for going back to surfing despite her accident, and asked whether Pete could be that brave, and he answered, "Yeah, I would go back in, but what if a shark came along and chomped off my other arm?!"

Me, quietly: Well, that might be the time to quit surfing...

Pete: If a shark ate my other arm, I would go back in, but what if another shark came along and ate up my head?!

It proceeded like this, until both arms, both legs, and his head had been eaten up, but Pete continued his surfing ways until finally his body got gulped up.

P.S. I was gently scolded 3 or 4 times on the trip for neglecting this blog, so I'm going to make a stronger effort to do my job and keep the updates coming. I understand that for the 2 people still reading it, it's a valuable way to keep in touch with our goings-on.

P.P.S Huge congratulations to Jennie and Jeremy and new baby Ryan. Better get some pics online, pronto.

What? A new post?

Don't be too shocked, it's not like it's something original from my own brain. Only a funny series of pictures I came across on BoingBoing.


Click here for the Flickr series

And also this

What kids hear:

An excerpt from a hilarious New Yorker piece about what kids imagine a grownup conversation to be like:

MOM: I had a lot of wine, and now I’m crazy!

GRANDFATHER: Hey, do you guys know what God looks like?

ALL: Yes.

GRANDFATHER: Don’t tell the kids.

Also, how college students imagine a conversation between the president and an advisor:

—Apparently, young people hate the war so much they’re willing to participate in a musical sex festival as a protest against it.

—Oh, my God. They must really be serious about this whole thing.

Link to the full article
Via Boing Boing

Headless Dad

I know it's a pretty widespread phenomenon, but we have never had the kids sleep in bed with us for any significant amount of time. Maybe half an hour once or twice. Maybe I'm selfish about my bed-space, but I could never wrap my mind around how having a little fidgety monkey in bed with you would lead to an improvement in the quality of your sleep. This photoset is a great illustration of why co-sleeping never made any sense to me.
Click here to see the full night's "sleep"

Peekaboo

We're leaving for a Vegas vacation this morning. If anything interesting happens, you'll see it here first.

He dresses himself

Tonight, Pete chose his pajamas and put them on himself:

This transpired:

Pete: (chew chew chew)
Aaron: What are you eating?
Pete: Well, there was a cranberry on the floor over there, and Mom forgot to sweep it up!
Aaron: And you ate it up?
Pete: Yeah.
Aaron: (pause, considering my response, since the cranberry was already swallowed) Well, what if someone stepped on it. Yuk.
Pete: Well, I certainly got a hair in my mouth! What if someone put a hair on it?!