Here in North Carolina, we’ve had a couple of cold days — we’ve even had an ice storm of a sort (though storm is an awfully strong word for the shimmery slickery coating our trees got last Monday). But for the most part, we’re living proof of that deceptively happy-sounding trend called Global Warming. I mean, what could be warmer than making sand angels in January?
The Scene: Dinnertime chez UpsideUp Zoe: “Mama? Did you marry Uncle Mike?” Me: “No sweetie. Uncle Mike is my brother.” Lucy: “That’s right. Mama married Papa.” Me: “Right.” Bob: “And she made the right choice.” Me: “Except Uncle Mike has a nicer car than Papa.” Zoe: “Yeah. But Uncle Mike doesn’t look where he’s going.” + + + I hate to tie sandbags to the spontaneity of that exchange, but I feel it important and relevant to disclose that Uncle Mike has not ever been in an accident that he caused. We have no idea what Zoe is talking about….
I was first introduced to family Christmas traditions in the 10th grade when I was invited to my best friend Joy’s house to help her family trim their tree — insisted upon by her father, who was dismayed when he found out I had never trimmed a tree before. It was everything I expected and hoped it would be — warm, loving, nostalgic and full of sweetness. My family growing up had plenty of our own special traditions for different holidays (and now that I’m an adult with a family of my own, I treasure them all, and work to…
My pal Shelly, appreciator of all things small, unusual and cute, sent me this link this morning. She suggested it as a companion piece to the message beans I wrote about before and I tell ya — I agree with her. The Plant-Me Pet is a biodegradable latex doll with plant seeds for eyes. You can play with them or bury them head first in soil to sprout into edible pumpkin, melon, or tomato plants. I love their talking bubbles and I love their shapes and their colors and the way their seedy eyes augment their different personalities. The only…
LUCY: “Mama. You remember that book we read? With the boat?” ME: “The Magic Treehouse book? About the Vikings?” LUCY: “No not the Vikings. The one with the people in the boat. They rowed. In a river. With the man who told them what to do. With the war.” ME: “Ohhhh. Revolutionary War on Wednesday.” LUCY (holding up a nickel): “Yes! Look Mama. This looks like that man. George Washington.”
Anyone got any ideas how to explain voting to a 4 year old? Lucy wants to know why we’re all wearing these “stamps?”
Mozzarella — Cinderella. Brought to you by the mind of a 4-yr-old.
Upside Up Index for Halloween 2006. Number of Little Mermaids: 2 Number of pumpkins carved: 4 Number of economy-sized bags of candy purchased: 10 Hours it took to dispense entirety of economy-sized bags of candy: 2 Number of handfuls of candy I stole from Zoe and Lucy to put back in our dispensing bowl: 4 Number of times our doorbell rang after we turned out the lights because our candy was gone: 3 Number of kids in the first half hour to come to our door without a costume: 6 Number of parents who, along with their kids, held out…
We were finishing up at the library. The girls had selected a new batch of Magic Tree House books and a couple of videos, and I was kneeling down, putting it all in a plastic bag in my backpack to keep them dry since Zoe had talked me into walking to the library despite the pouring rain outside (it was warm that day and I was having a moment where I didn’t want to be the kind of Mom who categorically refuses to walk somewhere in the rain just because we might get wet). I was kneeling next to the…
