Takes One to Know One

Tizzy: Children are short people who don't drink coffee.

Little Boys!

A yard of boys, roughly the same size, wearing jeans with blown knees, competing t-shirts—race cars, robots, trains and super heros.

They descend on one another in a cloud of dust, forming a nucleus at the base of the play structure. They growl, they hiss, they start to howl. Three run up the steps and down the slide, tumbling one on top of the other and landing in a heap.

"P-chew-chew!" 

"Pow- chook-chook-chook"

The mass of boys huddle close, cock their heads, raise their fists, until there is no distinguishing one from the other. They are a massive tussle, fists flying, tiny bodies piling up.

"Ugh – Oof – Hah!'

Their bodies start to fall a part, mothers / teachers intervene, prying open little hands, tufts of hair released... little boys, recently babies, sobbing from this sudden change of fate.

Time outs are held, apologies commanded, truces formed and promises of friendship executed – some denied.

Surprised by their power, shocked by their strength, they pair off and spread out across the yard. 

Their whispers and dialogue fill the play ground:

"That was scary!"

"He was sad."

"The boy with the robot shirt won't be my friend."

"Yeah - It happens."

"Come ON! Let's GO!"

Of Mythical Creatures and Mystical Beings

This is the Oakasaurus that greets us mid-way round our 3 mile walk. Can you see him? If you listen closely you can hear his thunderous footsteps.

I'm embracing Wordless Wednesday this week, (please ignore the fact that the scheduled posting is not working and it says Tuesday up above and that I've thoroughly filled your feed readers, I'm going to bed.) assuring you I'm still here. I do, however, have more words. I promise you they're coming soon.

California Dreaming

Spring has Arrived!

They'll Brighten Your Eyesight!

At dinner tonight:

Me: Tizzy, eat two more carrots and you can be excused.

Tizzy: Just two?

Me: Or as many as you'll eat.

Tizzy: I will eat JUST one.

Brad: Ho-Ho! You walked RIGHT into that one!

We'll Weather the Whether, Whatever the Weather, Whether We Like It Or Not!

When I was a teen, my mom knew exactly when the weather aired on the news each night. She'd stop whatever she was doing, run into the room, and, for the few minutes during the forcast, she just glowed. 

"Mawhm," I'd moan. "We live in California! Why can't you just look out the window?"

"Because, I just LOVE the weather!" She'd reply breathlessly. "I should have been a meteorologist!"

Brad and I started dating when I was 23, so I only had a few years before meeting the second most significant loved one in my life, who "just LOVED the weather."

It's one of the things my mother and husband bonded on.

This is a screenshot of his desktop widgets:

With just a click of the mouse, I can find out both how cold it is and exactly what time the rain will hit, or not, since we're experiencing a drought, as well as who's being struck by thunder and lightning in the Midwest.

The obsession must course through their blood.

Upon discovering that the VCR that we'd thought was permanently broken was actually just jammed with a AA battery (Zip!), the boys suddenly had twice as many videos to watch. 

Tizzy found this:

After watching it a few dozen times, Tizzy turned to Brad and said, "I just LOVE the Weather!"

Jazz Hands & All That Jazz

Brad has long held that this child can wear anything and look great!

He's choreographing an avant-garde Fosse revival in our backyard as I type!

K-I-S-S-I-N-G!

The boys were in dance class and I was sitting in the waiting room visiting with one of the grandmothers. I glanced up at the t.v. monitor that allows us to spy on our dancers and saw Tizzy embracing the woman's granddaughter. At the time I didn't think much of it and we resumed our conversation.

After class, the children came out and started putting on their shoes. While pulling on his socks, Tizzy looked over at the little girl, then back at me and said, "Mama, I love her."

"Aha. I noticed you hugging her during class." I replied.

"Yes," he said dreamily.

His teacher looked up from her computer at the front desk and said, "Those two were having quite the lovefest. They were hugging and kissing... I finally had to break them up to keep them from distracting the rest of the class."

With that, the two stood up, met in the middle of the room and gently caressed each other's shoulders.

Head tilted to one side, she whispered sweetly into T's ear, "I really like you."

He leaned tenderly back toward her and replied, "I really like you too." and kissed her cheek.

At lunch that afternoon I said, "So, it seems that you and that little girl in class really  like each other."

"Oh Mama." Tizzy cried, "I love her!  –  What's her name?"

"Her name is Gigi."

"Gigi." he repeated, "Mama, she had on a shirt that said LOVE."

"Apparently he's quite impressionable." Brad concluded when I was telling him about it later that day.

The following week when we arrived at class the grandmother pulled me aside. 

"I have something funny to tell you." She said. "Last week, after class, Gigi's brother greeted her with a hug and a kiss. 'Oh, you don't have to do that.' Gigi told him. 'My boyfriend already hugged and kissed me today."

A Dog Named Cinco

T singing in the back seat of the car:

Oh, I knew a farmer and he had a dog and Cinco was his name- O,

T-I-H-K-R,

T-I-H-K-R,

T-I-H-K-R,

And Cinco was his name-O!!!

Repeat a dozen and a half times.