Obviously

"Mom? You know how I bought lunch at school today and everything?"

"I do."

"There was a pancake and a potato thing that looked like a latke and a sausage patty-thing and an orange.  You know what that means? There was a theme."

"Yeah, it sounds like the theme was 'breakfast.'"

"No. I think the theme was 'circles.'"

The Move: Settling In, Sort Of

I don't know, but this was what was happening when I walked into the new bedroom. (By the end of the day, Teddy had a real bed to sit on so he stopped pacing the top of the box-spring.)

Moving: It's Here

The move is upon us. We're packed, mostly. We're boxed up, pretty much. We're sort of kind of ready as we'll ever be. Our address changes today.

Moving: The Teddy

"Mom? Do you think Teddy knows we're moving?"

"I think he definitely knows something is up."

"Do you think he'll like the new house?"

"Yep. His favorite people will be there and there's a nice backyard."

"That's why I'm going to like it too."

Moving: The Kitchen

"Mom? Why did you use a bad word before?"

"I'm sorry, Bob. I shouldn't have done that. I was having a problem putting in the shelf paper."

"What are you doing now?"

"Alphabetizing the spices."

"Should I expect the swearing to happen when you do that too?"

Smacksy Sunday Links

About grief: A question filled with pain, an answer filled with grace.

Yuja Wang plays piano inside the Steinway factory. Impossibly beautiful.

And an unlikely pair of best friends.

Happy Sunday.

Smacksy Saturday Photo: My Godfather

This photo was taken in 1964 on the day of my christening. The very young couple on the left are my parents. The one holding me is my dad's sister, my Godmother, Aunt Sophie. Next to her is my Godfather, Uncle Daryl. My uncle passed away yesterday at the age of eighty-eight. He will be missed.

Stay In the Game

"Mom? You remember how a couple weeks ago I said I wanted to quit basketball?"

"I do."

"But then you remember last Saturday and how I made my first basket ever in a game in all two seasons? Like, Troy just passed the ball to me and I just shot it and it went in the hoop and everything?"

"Yes, I do."

"Well, it's so weird. You know what happened? I don't want to quit anymore!"

"That's great, Baby."

"Yep. It's like magic or something."

Lyrics

"Mom? What are the words in this song?"

"'I see a red door and I want to paint it black...'"

"Why paint it black?"

"Those are the words the Rolling Stones wrote."

"I wouldn't paint it black. I would paint it blue. Blue's my favorite color, you know."

Wound Up

"Mom? Where is my basketball? I left it on the front porch. Do you think someone stole it? Do you? Maybe someone did. That would be weird. I'll get the mail. Here mom. Is there anything for me? Is there? Mom? What's that catalog? Is it all lady underpants? Teddy's licking his arm a lot. Do you want me to check it? Do you think something's wrong with it, like it might be infected or something? Or do you think he's just licking it randomly for no reason? Can you help me find this Lego piece? It's under the piano somewhere. It's part of the blaster thingy. Mom?'

"Bob, Honey? I think you need to settle down and relax a little."

"Mom, I can't relax. I'm a kid."

Change of Heart

"Mom? I changed my mind. I don't want to move."

"I'm sorry, Honey."

"Can we just stay in the house we're in now?"

"No, Babe. We're moving next week, but we'll all be together in the new place. And you know what makes a house a home?"

"What?"

"The love and people inside the walls."

"Well, I would love the people to stay inside the old walls."

All That's Left Behind

The following is a list of unwanted items we found left behind by the previous owners of our new house:

Jar of Pumpkin Butter
Navy Blue Bathrobe
5 Loose Cipro Antibiotic Tablets Labeled With a Post-It
Drawer Filled With Silverware
Tupperware Lid Filled with Cherry Tomatoes
Chambray Shirt with Bird Scene Embroidery on the Yoke
4 Wire Hangers
Half a Package of Rolos
Small Framed Print of a Parisian Street Scene
Pink Seashell Nightlight
Blue Toothbrush
Nail Clippers With a Leopard Pattern on the Side
Broken Table Lamp
Jeweled Fridge Magnet in the Shape of a Flower
... And One Frozen Bean and Cheese Burrito

Welcome Home

Smacksy Sunday Links

This is an exhaustive list of ways to simplify your life and with our upcoming move I need all of the downsizing help I can get.

A genius is still a genius, even when sort of phoning it in.

I love everything about this dog/squirrel situation.

Happy Sunday.

Smacksy Saturday Photo: The Measuring Wall

This is the part of the house that I will miss most when we move at the end of the month.

Where Would That Be On the Map?

"Mom? You know how some people are Jewish?"

"I do."

"Well there's a kid at my school who's gibberish."

"That's not a thing you can be."

"Well, the teacher said the kid was speaking gibberish."

"Okay..."

"So at least I know he has a gibberish accent."

What These Guys Said

"Mom? I  heard these guys talking and they kept saying, 'YOLO.' Is that a bad word?"

"No. It's an acronym for You Only Live Once."

"Oh, I get it. I know why they say that."

"Do you?"

"Yeah, because it's really true. Hey, Mom?'

"Yeah, Bob?'

"Can I have more of that ice cream with the peanut butter cups in it? Because YOLO!"

If Only It Were That Easy

"Mom? What are you going to write on your blog tonight?'

"I don't know. Do you have any ideas?"

"Yeah. Just be normal."

"What does that mean?"

"Like you probably shouldn't say 'butts' as much as you do in real life."

"That would be normal?"

 "Isn't there just like a normal  button you can push or something?"

Maybe Not the Look I Was Going For

"Mom? I have to tell you your hair looks sort of... wrinkled."

Smacksy Sunday Links

Good words on doing a thing.

Especially since we're getting ready to move, I really like this: 10 ways to enjoy your home to its fullest.

And this Loris loves eating rice balls.

Happy Sunday.

Smacksy Saturday Photo: Retro Bob

Hi.

Oh.

"Hey, Mom? You know, I think Dad would make a good math teacher."

"Yeah? Why do you think so?"

"He's really good at numbers and adding them up."

"That's true."

"Mom, I think you would be a good writing teacher."

"Thanks, Bob. That means a lot to me."

"For sure, because you're good at making letters."

"Oh."

"Especially cursives."

It's Going Around

"Mom? So, Dad's staying home sick today?'

"Yeah."

"And Felix's dad is sick?'

"Yep."

"And Desmond's little brother is sick too?"

"Yeah."

"I guess I'm going to have to run pret-ty fast to stay ahead of this germ."

A Good Boy

"Bob, what's going on? Are you throwing pencils at the wall? Don't do that, please. Look at that. Now I have to clean the wall."

"Sorry, Mom. Does that mean I'm a bad boy?"

"Of course not. You're a good boy who had a little bad behavior."

"What if I am bad? Me. Bad boy trademark."

The Birthday List

You had me at "berftay."

But the Flashlight Makes It Awesome

"Hey, Mom! Get under the covers! I've got a flashlight!"

"Hey! Nice fort."

"I know. It's really cozy."

"Sure is."

"And if there was an earthquake we could hide out under here for safety."

"You think that would work, Bob?"

"No. Not really. Not at all."

Smacksy Sunday Links

50 things to let go of before your next birthday.

This highs school student took photos of himself dressed as every president.

And this golden retriever adopted an orphaned kitten.

Happy Sunday.

Smacksy Saturday Photo: Retro Bob

Bob, 5 months old, October 2006

(He still gives me this look.)