Secret Translator

"Mom? Mom?"

"Yes, Bob. Why are we whispering?"

"Because I'm talking about the people at the next table."

"What about them?"

"They are speaking Spanish."

"Yes, they are."

"I heard him say 'queso.' That means cheese, Mom."

Report

"... and so your teacher had all of those good things to say at your parent teacher conference. I'm so proud of you."

"Thanks, Mom. I'm proud of you too."

"Thanks. Now the things she's thinking you could use a little improvement on are listening more and not vocally disagreeing when she's talking, especially without raising your hand."

"What do you mean?"

"We've talked about this before. I mean like backtalk."

"I don't do backtalk."

"You do."

"Do not."

"You're doing it now"

"Am not."

"Are."

"Nope."

Say What What?

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"Popco-heh. Popco-heh. Popco-heh."

 

"Bob, what is that? What are you saying?" -

 

"That's how you say popcorn with a Spanish accent." 

 

"Gotcha."

 

"You're the best mom ever, Mom." 

 

"Thanks for telling me that today. I kind of feel like I've been dropping the ball lately." 

 

"That's okay. I've been dropping the ball too."

 

"You have?'

 

"Yeah, except I don't really know what that means."

A Solid Offer

"Mom? Dad? Hey you guys? Who wants a piece of my rainbow? You guys?! Is anyone listening? I have a rainbow cut in pieces here! Hey! Is anyone listening to me? IS ANYONE LISTENING? HELLO? WHO WANTS A PIECE OF MY RAINBOW???"

Light My Way

Mr. Rosenberg's band, Lavender Diamond, has released a new video.
Go ahead, get up and dance.

Smacksy Sunday Links

This is Stella, she belongs to some friends. We got to pet sit her this weekend.

Gorgeous photos of gathering storms.

56 Things to do instead of spending money - there are  good things here, but some of the suggestions remind me of when I was a kid and complained that I was bored, my mom would say, "How can you be bored when your closet is so messy? Go clean your closet."

And a slow loris eating a rice ball.

Happy Sunday.

Smacksy Saturday Photo: Players

Post-Thanksgiving, our version of The Big Game.

Working It

"Mom, can I just have the marshmallows off the top of the sweet potatoes?"

"No."

"Can I just have the skin part off the top of the turkey?"

"No."

"Can I just have the whipped cream off the top of the pie?"

"Yes."

"Did you change your mind about the marshmallows?"

"No."

Today

On Thanksgiving I get to wear my special apron with the embroidered turkey on it. I get to hug on friends and family and decide the best way to make acorn squash. I get to eat pie and hear Bob sing the An Indian Wears a Buckskin Suit song. I get to look around and feel grateful, yes for the food but mostly for the relationships - including the ones I have with you guys. Yes, lots of grateful over here.

Happy Thanksgiving.

The Regulars

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There is a restaurant in our neighborhood that we find ourselves in a couple of times a week. It's an old school coffee shop with booths and a counter and a glass case filled with pies and cakes. They serve breakfast all day and the music they play is always pre-80's. (Winchester Cathedral, Horse With No Name, Standing in the Shadows of Love) I think of it as an extension of our house. When Bob was younger, sometimes he would lay down in the booth with his head in my lap and fall asleep. Now he goes up to the cashier to pay the check on his own. My order, however, stays the same.

Name Game

 
"... so then I got the ball from Breast-ton."

"Breast-ton? I think you mean Preston."

"No, Mom. His name's Breast-ton, he told me."

"I'm pretty sure it's Preston."

"Press-ton? What kind of name is that?"

Good Morning

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"It's time to get up, Bob."

"Mom, I want to sleep."

"It's Monday morning!"

"It feels like a thousand Fridays."

Smacksy Sunday Links

 
One of my favorites, Anne Lamott, talks about counting our blessings.

Ideas - 101 Random Acts of Kindness.

And amazing animal portraits.

Happy Sunday.

Smacksy Saturday Photo: Retro Bob

Small Jammie Bob.

Good Argument

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"Ryder, can I play with your airplane?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"It's mine, Bob."

"But sharing is caring, Man."

He Has a Point. As Usual.

"Mom, guess what? When Edward in my class started school he thought the first day of school was the same as Turkey Day."

"Why did he think that?"

"I don't know. Your thoughts are your thoughts, Mom."

Talking Turkey

"Mom! I forgot to sing the five fat turkeys song to Dad before he left and he won't be here for the Kindergarten Thanksgiving Pageant so I need to call him in Tokyo Japan and sing it for him! Right now! Hurry!"

Sayonara

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"But Mom, why does Dad have to go to Tokyo Japan?"

"He's going for work, Honey."

"But, Mom! Why?"

"He loves us and takes care of us by going to work and this is one of the things he does for his job."

"But, Mom! It's making me so sad that he's going to Tokyo Japan and I miss him so much, so much!"

"I'm sorry, Bob. We can see him on the computer and talk to him while he's gone. The week will go by really fast...  Do you want to practice singing one of your songs for the Kindergarten Thanksgiving Pageant?"

"Yeah, but first I'm going to cry a little bit because of the Sad-Tokyo-Japan-Dad thing. Then we can sing."

Creamed

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Bob's soccer team, The Red Fire Dragons, had a game on Saturday. The team's most "competitive" player was out of town with his family. The opposing team was a little older, a little more experienced. Regarding players this age, the league encourages us not to keep score but I couldn't help but notice that we scored exactly one. The other team scored one approximately every forty seconds. Some highlights from our team:

Bob got smacked in the side of the head with the ball and referred to it as "good defense."

It was Dylan's turn to throw in the ball. He held the ball over his head but before he would throw it,  he ran to his mom on the sidelines to give her a kiss.

 Cody was kicking the ball from the sidelines into the field and missed. He landed on his backside with the ball underneath him.

Bob scored a goal... for the other team.

The referee took our guys into a huddle and gave them a pep talk.

Dylan got a ball in the face, breaking his glasses and sending them flying in two different directions.

The other team's coach had actual plays drawn out on a clipboard. On our side, the parents reminded the players which way to run by pointing.

Bob got nailed in the chest with the ball and referred to it as "good defense."

Out on the field, Bob had words with one of the players from the other team. "I told him that having fun was the most important thing and he said it wasn't but I know it is."

I love The Red Fire Dragons.

Smacksy Sunday Links

 
A great idea. Spreading fun for kids in poor countries.

If you're a Nina Simone fan (and why wouldn't you be?) you need this. Watch all the way to the end. Via my friend Tedd.

This grandma and her cat - a beautiful photo essay.

Happy Sunday.

Smacksy Saturday Photo: Bales of Happy

On top of the world.

Empty Lap

As I've been sitting down this week to write for my NaNoWriMo project, I keep thinking how much Vi would have loved it. She was a lap sitter. Me, sitting at the computer for hours would have been very all right with her. And her co-piloting my writing would have made me happy. I miss Violet, you guys. 

Those Dudes

"Mom? Are you still wearing the crown we gave you? You're the evil princess. We're going to come attack you but it's going to be a sneak attack, so don't look. No really, stop looking. Wait, Mom! Teddy's trying to get in the fort with me and Desmond!"

Civic Duties

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 "I still don't understand why I can't vote."

"You have to be eighteen-years-old, Bob."

"Are you sure? I heard 'every vote counts.' Doesn't that include mine?"

"Not yet. It will in twelve years."

"Can I go with you and watch you vote?"

"Always."

Night Moves

10:15pm  The guys are spread out across the bed, Teddy is asleep with his head on my pillow.

10:20pm  I finally get Teddy to move to the foot of the bed so I can go to sleep.

1:15am  Jeff gets up to let Daisy outside.

1:17am  They return, Bob has rolled over and is taking up Jeff's spot. Jeff moves his 6'4" self into the twin bed in Bob's bedroom.

3:20am  Bob wakes up and misses Jeff and moves into the twin bed with him.

4:40am  The dogs wake up and join the guys in the twin bed, leaving me alone to enjoy the king bed.

Sweet Dreams.

Write On

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You guys? I like writing and I'm about to find out how much. There's this thing that goes down every November called National Novel Writing Month or NaNoWriMo. The goal is to write a 50,000 word novel by November 30th. It's not a contest, just a challenge. I'm taking the challenge. My plan is to write 2,300 words a day, five days a week. I'm armed with an outline and a lot of coffee.

Smacksy Sunday Links

 
Have you given to the Red Cross for Sandy relief yet?

Twenty-two things you're doing wrong.

And a fox named Cropper is a man's best friend.

Happy Sunday.

Smacksy Saturday Photo: Retro Bob

Hi.

Like a Boss

"Bob, it's time to go. We've got to get home for dinner."

"Give me five more minutes, Mom. I just need to organize my guys."

Treats or Treat

The Ninja and his family had an excellent Halloween. Much trick or treat ground was covered. The candy was sorted into piles: the good stuff and the other stuff. The other stuff will be left out for the Switch Witch tomorrow. The Switch Witch will come in the night and switch out the "other" candy for something else. The something else could possibly be an Angry Birds Star Wars Jenga Death Star. The Switch Witch has heard those are cool. Or so I'm told.