Indiana Idylls

It's been a long time since I've laughed as hard as I did at dinner tonight. First, Alex was bouncing around the living room listing the directions to gramma and grampa's. It was mostly nonsense, so I paraphrase: "Go two blocks and turn left. The fourth turn is at the tree. [half to himself] Say it LOUD! EXCLAMATION POINT! Turn #4 to the playground...." He and Paul had just been reading one of Alex's learn-to-read books from the Starfall people. Guess what punctuation mark and accompanying inflection came up? -------------------- A short while later, Alex was sitting at the table and asking us for help remembering the name of a toy. Alex: What's that weapon I use to hit things with? [wild gesturing, to demonstrate the swinging motion] It's got a green handle and purple up here and yellow at the end? Mom: Your lightsabre?" [which is striped] Alex: No. ... [shaking his head] No, no, no, no. That's totally wrong. It's got a green handle a...

Alex: What are you working on? Me: An experimental software architecture. I am building it so that I can understand it. Alex: Is it red or green? Me: It   doesn't really have a color. Alex: Is it white? Me: No, it doesn't have a color. It just is . Alex: It just is  white.

Since Paul was home to man the fort, I was able to bike over to Bracken Library with Alex for the health insurance q/a session. On our way home, I noticed some irises that I hadn't seen before. Alex: Irises? Me: Yes, it's a kind of flower. I will point them out next time we pass some. Alex: I know about irises from the St. Patrick's Day book. Me: What? Irises don't have anything to do with St. Patri.... do you mean "Irish"? Alex: Yes. Irishes. Me: That's a good connection, but irises are a kind of flower, and the Irish are people who live in Ireland. Irises don't have anything to with St. Patrick's Day. They're just in bloom now. But if you add an "h" at the end, it spells Irish. You're a smart cookie. Alex: Yeah. I know.

We had Fr. John over for lunch today, as he's being reassigned after 19 years at St. Francis. He's good company, and an intriguing character -- an artist of many media. He's also a kid at heart, so he happily joined Alex at his coloring book. I don't remember the specific exchange, but in the course of conversation Alex used "whom" correctly when asking a question, and us three adults cracked up. I still laugh thinking about it. (In an earlier instance today, also vaguely remembered, I used "whom" when speaking with Alex and I noted that he noted that I had said "whom". I think he repeated it. I didn't go into explanation but went about my business.)

Alex cut these pieces out all by himself.

Alex, bewildered: Why is the whole house tipping? Mom: The house is fine. I think you mean you're dizzy.

All through dinner we had been trying to get sleepy Leo to actually stay asleep. When he cried out after our last apparent success, Paul and I were worn out Alex had already been excused from the table. Paul jokingly suggested that Alex go get him and Alex ran off upstairs. Accepting defeat, I finished chewing and started up to Leo's room, eclipsing Alex on the steps. "No! I'm going to get Leo! Dad told ME to get Leo!" Alex screamed, apparently not realizing the limits of his own responsibility in these matters. Alex very sincerely and earnestly thought that he was given permission to go get his brother and many tears of wounded pride flowed until an eventual compromise was reached: Alex could sing Leo a lullaby. The three boys sat in the chair in Leo's room and Leo went right out in the middle of the second song. Perhaps Paul remembers what Alex sang. Two variations on Twinkle, Twinkle, if I recall.