The Ethan Update: Baseball Jesus Edition

Recently, our family was all in one room and the kids were playing baseball on the Wii. Rome and I were talking to each other but (as you parents know) we always keep half an an ear tuned into the kids, so we can preempt any plans to condition the cats' fur with peanut butter, experiment with gravity by jumping off the roof, repaint the bathroom with Sharpies, etc. So Rome and I were talking about dinner plans and this comment from Ethan floated by: "Jesus wasn't very good at baseball." We stopped talking, gave each other the "Hmmmm..." look, and decided to inquire. Ethan explained that he was assigned a Mii in the game named Jesus and Jesus' batting was not up to standards, so he switched to another Mii. (We suspect the Mii was intended to have the Spanish pronunciation but our Sunday school-attending son read it the Anglo way). Sorry, Jesus. Walking on water, healing people, water into wine...just not enough. More heavenly batting practice for you!

The Katie Chronicles: Gunny Boo Boo Edition

In the South, target shooting is a somewhat common recreational activity and Katie's Alabama-raised grandpa is a gun collector. On a trip to visit him, Ethan spied a BB gun in the house....and thus commenced the begging, despite my admonition that he'd shoot his eye out. (It was a Red Ryder BB gun and Christmas time, so I was contractually obligated to say it). After some tutoring, Ethan took his turn aiming for a box-target and it turns out he's a good shot. Katie took her turn (with Daddy's assistance) and did pretty well, too. After she finished, Katie got very excited and ran to me shouting, "I SHOT A BOO BOO GUN! I SHOT A BOO BOO GUN!!

The Katie Chronicles: Working From Home Edition

I've just been informed that the kids' bathroom is now Katie's office. Given that she then asked me to make a sign for the door indicating as much, I'm guessing I'm now part of her staff, so here goes: Ms. Brown appreciates your call but she is currently unavailable. May I take a message? She told me that she has a phone call and a meeting later but she will get back to you after.

It's the Small Things

I like the big moments in life as much as anyone, I guess, but the small things are where my happiness truly lies. Here are some from today.
1. Things that make me smile #1: going into the master bath and seeing a random tiara left there. I guess princesses have to potty on the go, too.
2.  While I like a few of the newer holiday songs, I'm really a seasonal traditionalist. It's not really Christmas music to me unless it includes Nat and Bing.
3. Things that make me smile #2: Watching two kids dressed (for no good reason) as Harry Potter and Princess Jasmine decorate the Christmas tree.
4. I love NPR, and on a short trip to return library books it taught me that 10% of a dog's brain is dedicated to smelling. Ethan believes that 50% is dedicated to eating.
5. Neither nail polish remover nor lacquer thinner gets Super Glue off your hands. On the upside, I've had so many toxic chemicals on my skin today that I think I have a great excuse for any questionable behavior in the next week or two.
6. When you forget to buy candy for the kids' Advent calendar, that collection of Halloween candy leftovers goes from being a giant bag 'o tooth decay to a blessing that prevents one more trip to the store.
7. Jerome has had to correct Katie's pronunciation multiple times today...but I secretly like "ormanents" better.
8. Ethan is learning to cook a meal all by himself and has committed to cooking one night per week. Seeing the kids learn new skills makes me feel satisfaction on a level I never knew existed.
9. We have a color theme for our Christmas tree but it's largely a sentimental collection of ornaments. It reflects our lives, I think: some organization and forethought and a whole lot of holding onto what we love.