Indiana Idylls

I heard about this cargo bike via Noelle. Apparently, there are two seats in the bucket, with seatbelts... but why aren't the kids wearing helmets?

Some folks are here looking at the chimney, since some pieces of the clay lining fell down earlier this year. By the time Alex joined us, the chimney folks had gone outside to look at the chimney. Leo was standing, holding on to my fingers, so I was a little distracted and don't know exactly how he phrased it. Alex: Where are they? Me: They had to go outside to look in the chimney. Alex: They're INSIDE the chimney?! Me: No, no, just looking inside. Not inside like Santa Claus. Alex: Santa Claus is just pretend, isn't he? Me (without realizing the turn in the conversation): Yes. Alex, laughing: He's just made up. Santa Claus isn't real . After a moment of what-have-I-done horror, I'm actually quite relieved. Then we talked about the real reason for Christmas. Clarification: No, there was no trauma -- on either of our parts. Honestly, we don't talk very much about Santa Claus except for his part in books and movies, so it was a little awkwa...

Alex and I were in my office listening to Clannad's Legend album and doing some creative work. He told me that he liked the music, and I told him it was from an old TV show I used to watch when I was a kid. He asked what the show was about, and I told him "Robin Hood." "Oh!" he responded excitedly, "Like the story of Little Red Robin Hood!" (Now that I write this out, it looks like a Family Circus comic.)

I am trying to respond to an important email, and Alex is interrupting to ask me about his glitter glue sticks. Weary, I remind him that he used them up a long time ago, but that I won't get any new ones out until we figure out a way for he and I to share this space without creating such a mess (there are paper shards and hole punches and papers and punches and crayons all over my floor). Alex: Mom, I could use the finger paints instead. You know, the paint you do with your fingers? Me: Alex, I need to finish this email and then I will be able to give you my full attention. Alex: Mom.... Me: Alex, please. I need a little more patience. Alex: How many do you need?

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.