Skiing!

M and A went skiing. They had a lot of fun. I'm not sure if there are any pictures, A says there are and I'll have to convince M to send them over.

M says that A waved and said, "HI!" to everyone while they were on the ski lift and that for all ten-plus runs that they did, A sang Jingle Bells at the top of his voice.

M says A has good balance.

"...And Wisdom to Hide the Bodies."

J is struggling through breakfast waiting for the caffeine to kick in. A has awoken in a flash and is energetically running around the house possessed by the Spirit of Bright Eyed And Bushy Tailed.

A (bounding up to the breakfast table with toys): "J, you want to see a pirate prayer?"

J (dutifully eating some oatmeal): "Um..."

A: "It's not about killing." (Tries to hide toy cannon.)

J (reaching for some fortifying tea): "Okay..."

A: "So first you take the pirate (takes plastic pirate figure) and you put him in a box (puts hapless pirate into a small treasure chest).... (suddenly remembering that the pirate has to die non-violently) he's very sick, and he dies."(closes the chest over the pirate). His friends are very sad. They scoop out his soul... and they scoop out his brains...

(J resists a smile at this Egyptian cross-over)

... and they take his soul and put it into a cannon ball (positions cannon at dead pirate in a chest) and they fire! (sweeps the dead pirate off the breakfast table) and fire him into the sea!"

J (genuinely confused): "That's the prayer?"

A: "Yeah. Because, J, they had to take the soul out of the pirate and kill him and put him into the water -- but no one would know one of the pirates was dead because he was at the bottom of the sea."

J (less confused): "So, that's the prayer? That no one will find the dead pirate?"

A: "Yeah." (Runs off to rip up pirate treasure maps into teeny tiny shreds...)

Graveyard Photos

It's Rainy and Dreary...

M: "So, A; what do you want to do today?"

A: "I want to see a graveyard and a castle."

So we did. We went to the local pioneer graveyard. After about a half-hour of taking photographs, we drove to a nearby winery. Through a lucky series of events, we got to climb up into the tower! And the winery has its very own pioneer graveyard, too; so mortuarial perambulations were the order of the day.

...and as the Fox in the School Play...

A's class put on a play last Friday. The parts were assigned randomly by "The Sticks of Destiny!" (which explains some utterances at home). Friday, the Sticks of Destiny said that A would be the Fox.

Firework Rewards

Scene: early evening. A has been relatively good all afternoon, so M has promised to bring out the fireworks. Strangely enough, the conversation had been a review of when and when not to call 911.

(M goes into the garage and returns with explosives.)

A (to the house in general): "Fireworks fill my heart with joy!"

(J & M smile.)

A: "J! J! If I had a cannon ..."

J (to M): "If I had a cannon..."

M (singing): "If I had a cannon..."

J (also singing): "I'd fire it in the mor-or-or-nig / I'd fire it in the evening / all over this land / I'd fire out justice! -"

A: "J!"

J: "- I'd fire out freedom! -"

A: "J! J! You're being too loud!"

M and A head out the front door.

M: "J, would you get the salad tongs so I can pick up the used fireworks?"

J gets the salad tongs from the kitchen and steps out onto the front porch.

J: "I'll stand here so I can call 911."

M: "That's what cell phones are for. A, do you want the Butterflies, or the spinning Wheel of Death?"

A: "Spinning Wheel of Death!"

Happy Holidays