March 2006 Archives

A few snippets in a blog that's been woefully ignored:

Yesterday, Ellen sent Kim an email with the following message:

> Dear Mommy
> let Ellen stay home today or we will destroy your planet.
>
> From the igana men

To which Kim replied:

Dear Ellen,

I do not respond well to such strong threats--even when they are given by
someone named "iguana men."

Sorry--but it is off to school for you!

Love,

Mommy

So, at least that's cleared up...

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Our next stop is a piece of artwork of Ellen's. They did Jackson Pollock day in art class, with all the kids doing the traditional odd little splatter painting. Ellen's was the same, but had an interesting title:

"A Shattered Rainbow: Where rainbows go to get repaired"

I liked that.

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Our third byte comes from Katie, who got her self portrait into the same art fair as Miss Ellen did last year (or 2 years ago--I forget). The picture is (or, will be) here:

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Lastly, there's something nice about giving kids email, because you never know what you're going to get. As above, Ellen took it upon herself to just send out an email, this time to me. However, this one was a bit less threatening:

> Dear Daddy
> I just wanted to let you know that I love you
>
> Love ???

I don't know why there's a ??? but the sentiment is nice...I think.

Today was the day. The Bahamas. Me. Kim. NO KIDS. Just the two of us heading away for the first time in 14 years, since our honeymoon in Paris. Bliss!

And then, the winds came to Newark. Delayed. 50 minutes. More. Get into Dulles and we've missed our flight to the Bahamas. Wait in line.

Now, we're sitting, waiting to fly to Fort Lauderdale. And then to the Bahamas! Bliss!

Maybe.

Ellen's been dying to try out her new telescope, so I came down after exercising to find her staring through it at the fireplace (unlit). So I suggested we put it at the window, so she could look out. Ok, so now it's about 3 feet off the ground at the window, pointing up, and she's on her knees looking through the eyepiece. So, I suggest raising the tripod so that she doesn't have to kneel and so that it will point out the top of the window where it's not all painted with kids drawings. We raise it, but now she needs a step stool to look into the eyepiece. So, I show her how to twist the eyepiece sideways so that she can just stand upright and look through it. Her response:

"Oooh...what genius invented this!"

My response:

"Galileo, I think."

Never to be left out, I just heard Ellen yell to Kim:

E: "Mom, what's 12 times 12?"
K: "144"
E: "so that means that 12 is the square root of 144?"
K: "...um...yes."

She's in 2nd grade.

I know, it's been ages. I've been busy.

But I was just sitting in my room and hear Katie grunting something out.

"one. ugh. Twooo."

and I'm sitting thinking, "what's wrong?"

and then she picks up pace a bit, "buckle my...shoe"

and I wait.

now, faster, and with a beat, "three...four...open. the. door."

I listen more, smiling.

now, she starts scatting it, "five, uh ,six, uh, pick up da stix."

"and seven and eight, dont you be late."

She's suddenly Louis Armstrong, improvising lyrics and timing.

Where she gets this from, I have no idea. But it was cute.