The end of another school year is upon us, rather suddenly. The Girl Child graduates from pre-school tomorrow. I plan to attend. I will try not to cry too much. I will probably fail in that. But that's tomorrow. Yesterday was the last day of school for the Boy Child. He's finished his 2's program, his first year of school. I'm not sure that he grasps the idea that he won't have "Toni Class" any more. I am told that Toni, his teacher, was a mess yesterday, crying all over the place. The Boy Child was her favorite, or so she told us when she told us that, "you know, we're are not allowed to have favorites, ahem."

I had the kids on my bed last night for story reading, just the three of us. We often do that. After we finished reading, I gathered the Boy Child into my arms and spoke to him. I told him that I was so proud of him for finishing his first year of school. He asked me why so I elaborated. I told him that he learned so much, that he came to school barely speaking and now he speaks so beautifully, that he went to school in diapers and now wears underpants, that he learned how to play with others, how to do arts and crafts, how to sit for story time, how to celebrate Shabbot, and how to be his own little guy. The Girl Child then said that I would be prouder of her when she graduates and I gently told her that right now we were talking about the Boy Child and how much we loved him and how we were proud of him and she agreed that she was proud of him, too. Tomorrow, I told her, would be her day, and she was ok with that.

I then told him that he learned to be more independent. That when he started, he used to get so sad and cry and have to go out on the playground so the Girl Child could give him a hug and I asked him if he remembered this? He did and so did the Girl Child. And now, I told him, he doesn't have to do that and that in and of itself was a nice big change. He liked hearing about that and he and I and the Girl Child talked about it for a little bit.

He is such a beautiful little boy and when I told him that I loved him and that I was so proud of him, he glowed so bright he was practically incandescent. The Girl Child and I sat there and cuddled with him and basked in his happiness.

I still feel it now, so I decided to write about it.

Posted by: Random Penseur at 10:56 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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I think that we've probably lost something in terms of the elegance of expression as English has grown to include alternate forms of the language. As Rap has crossed over from sub-culture to main stream, as the language of the street is heard practically everywhere.

We were listening a lot to Kiss me Kate this weekend. One line from one song has been repeating itself over and over again. First, remember, Cole Porter wrote this in the 1940's. Let me give it to you here to illustrate my point.

"He may have hair upon his chest but, sister, so ___ Lassie."

What do you think goes in the blank?

I suspect you would put "does". Am I right?

Cole wrote it as "has". Sister, so has Lassie.

Do you see? The have takes has later in the sentence, not does. The two verbs repeat, correctly. And the effect is rather elegant. More so than if we slotted "does" in that blank.

When did we lose that elegance of expression? When did we start dumbing down the language?

How do we get it back?

Posted by: Random Penseur at 10:24 AM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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1 i aint got no idea what u talkin bout

Posted by: TeaFizz at May 31, 2006 10:58 PM (z2/GK)

2 Interesting post. The progress of any language has always been fluid throughout history. It wasn't until the first "lexicon" (by Noah Webster?) that the English language sought to be static. I also expected the word to be "does". But, obviously, "has" is correct. Does that mean that I am wrong, or might it simply mean that I am "illiterate"? Does the "illiteracy" of "proper" language make one illiterate? Or does the ignorance of a lexicon make one illiterate> So long as the meaning is understood, there is no right or wrong way to speak a language. Granted, in your Porter example, "has" is much more correct than "does". But, as long as the meaning is understood, the language hasn't failed. The meaning is still communicated. Is this a "dumbing down" of English? Prolly it is. But, in this ever more complicated world we live in, maybe agonizing over usage is the least of the concerns of displaced 40-plus former press operaters who know how to string a sentence together but don't know how to re-train in another field on $200 a week. Umm.... Sorry...?

Posted by: Tuning Spork at June 01, 2006 08:26 PM (N7Cgg)

3 Hmm. I would use "does" automatically, and would still tend to do so, given the option of "has." "Has Lassie hair on his chest?" "Has Lassie got hair on his chest?" "Does Lassie have hair on his chest?" Time to look at some old grammar books.

Posted by: owlish at June 06, 2006 05:31 PM (aUBbY)

4 And does anybody know whey there are two nn's in questionnaire and only one in millionaire?

Posted by: Sharon Hayles at August 03, 2006 10:06 AM (PWO/b)

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I may be reading too much into this, but, with that caveat at the forefront, let me jump right in.

I have often thought commuting by train from the suburbs of NYC to Manhattan was, for a certain type of person, a kind of death. It is a suspension from reality, it is time away from work, fun, family. It is a time spent, for most, in avoiding human contact as they pretend no one is sitting next to them and they nurse their silent resentment of the inch or so extra that their seatmate requires. These kinds of commuters, let's call them ghouls, shall we? These ghouls have sold their souls to live where they live. Well, since we all have mortgages out there, I suppose we all have to a certain extent. But it weighs more heavily on some than on others.

For instance, last night, I had a chance to observe one such ghoul. He was dressed in some kind of dockers-like pants, old ones or ones that had missed the last wash day, a button down shirt against which his paunch strained and in the chest pocket of which he had a pack of smokes and some pens. He wore metal framed glasses of no discernable style. They did not flatter the planes of his face. His skin was grayish in tone -- probably because of the cigarette smoking. At his feet, 3 empty Coors light tall boys -- the equivalent of 4 beers in an hour. One beer every 15 minutes. That's a lot of beer, it seems to me. I hope he wasn't driving home. I hope someone was picking him up. But a beer every 15 minutes, by yourself, that is not an expression of joy and happiness. It smacks of desperation and sadness -- like he was trying to dull the pain of his day or even his life.

I hope not to become one of these people. I worry sometimes that I could be well on my way to doing so. There are days I hate my job and days I worry that my daily life (read: work life) is so crushing that I could easily find myself destroyed by it. And then I too would be one of those gray people, sucking hard on a beer. Well, I hope I would at least have the good taste to make it a Scotch. I mean, a girl has to have her standards, you know.

What is it about people that they allow themselves to get caught up entirely in prisons of their own making? This is a serious question. I have been applying it to myself and not in a very coherent manner so this may not make sense. I sometimes look at these other people on the train and wonder if they are tied down by lines only they can see. Maybe its a failure of imagination, that they cannot articulate a solution so they cannot envision a path to accomplish it. Maybe its all about me, there. But the ties that hold you down, I think, are self imposed limits. Maybe you can do whatever you want, if you are prepared to take a risk.

Maybe not.

Maybe this makes no sense and I will cut it off here.

If this made any sense at all, or if you think I am totally full of it, feel free to say so.

Posted by: Random Penseur at 10:18 AM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
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1 No, you are not totally full of it, it's there, and I was there for almost 3 years, working a shit job for terrible bosses. A nobody, not listened to.I fortunately came out of it, took a chance and found another job, then got my old boss fired. Sometimes there's such a lack of hope that you just continue slogging away in the rut that is your situation. I've fallen in to that rut too many damn times mostly because of debt and/or unemployment. That ghouls self-medication is just making it worse too, your diet and exercise make a huge impact on your perspective and mood, a beer every 15 minutes is not the way to improve your situation although it may make you feel better temporarily. When hope is lost, soon so is life.

Posted by: Oorgo at May 31, 2006 12:30 PM (2uqyw)

2 You're talking about me, aren't you?

Posted by: Jennifer at May 31, 2006 01:06 PM (jl9h0)

3 The difference between those who make prisons out of their lives and those who don't, are people who are willing to change. I understand completely about how scary it is to do that, and how many people can't muster up the courage. My own personal thought on it is that people who refuse to look after themselves---the ones who are never prepared for the knife that inevitably gets stuck in their back because they're such an easy target---are these same people who create their own prisons. They think that by making their lives smaller, that by lessening the chance they'll come up against someone who means them harm, there's less chance of being hurt. This is their defense mechanism and it's just sad because it doesn't lead to a richer, more fulfilling life but rather to a very small, contained one that's bound to be a disappointment. But I could be full of it

Posted by: Kathy at May 31, 2006 02:25 PM (D4iZS)

4 Good people find themselves in hell when they can't forgive themselves. I lived that above sentence for a very, very long time. The profession you are in is changing, but I used to know quite a few folks who drank to excess. Even the ethical ones.

Posted by: Margi at May 31, 2006 06:44 PM (BRtaN)

5 ...a beer every 15 minutes is not the way to improve your situation..." That's true. To improve your situation, you need a beer every 10 minutes. In all seriousness, I agree with all of the above. Many people live in prisons of their own making. Although some may not even attempt to get out for whatever reason, the saddest are those who don't even [fully] realize that they're in a prison to begin with.

Posted by: TeaFizz at May 31, 2006 11:09 PM (z2/GK)

6 It is sad isn't it. I commute for 1 hour and 15 minutes from Kent countryside every day to London. I have made some very nice train buddy friends but equally have witnessed the same people every day who are totally and utterly miserable. I think they cocoon themselves on the train journey home, they always look resentful of having to share their journey with other people. There are people too that make me smile, they don't know it, but they do.

Posted by: Sharon Hayles at July 14, 2006 04:07 AM (TaW0T)

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It really does feel like an old fashioned log jam. I've had soooo many things I've been wanting to write about, to record, to memorialize, to sound off on, but have had absolutely no time. So, the pressure builds. And I deal with the pressure, I think, by forgetting about some of the things I wanted to write about. So I am left with the pressure, the memory of the urgency, but not really the reason for the urgency. Odd, no?

Example of time pressure. The annoying partner, he who I have sometimes referred to as "Stinky", in times past, came into my office on Friday morning demanding to see my research file and draft complaint on a new case. I had a very sketchy 5 page draft and no real research to speak of. I was still trying to wrap my mind around the facts. After I understand the facts, I do my research. He made me print out my draft, over strenuous objection from me, read it and then excoriated me for it. I love that kind of shit. Really. So, I buckled down for the next 6.5 hours and gave him a new draft, now some 20 pages, with 7 well pleaded causes of action, and a thick pile of research to support my efforts. My reward? I was told he felt a lot better now and did understand why I didn't want to print out what I had earlier. Well, since I'm all about making him feel better, I'd say my reward more than compensated me for his being a total putz. No, really.

Butthead.

Anyway, that's kind of where things have been lately. No time for anything fun.

Hope you all, anyone still reading me, that is, are doing better!

Posted by: Random Penseur at 10:37 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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The Boy Child does not like to be stampeded into a decision. He has begun to request information. He wants to gather all the facts before he's pushed into making a choice and the more important the choice, the more facts he wants. When asked what he wants for dinner, he now responds, in the spirit of diligent inquiry: "What mine options are?"

Imagine what he's like when the stakes are raised on a dessert question.

Posted by: Random Penseur at 10:02 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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She can't take it anymore, that much is clear. The baby is having gas pains and it makes him cry very hard and with great gusto, a lot. Of course, we all feel for the little guy. Sometimes, say, at 2:30 a.m., it is more of a struggle to winch up a little water from the well of sympathy.

Normally, the Girl Child sleeps like a rock. Impossible to wake and, if woken before her self appointed hour, not the most gracious human I have ever seen. Falling asleep for her can take hours, but once asleep, she's good for a very long stretch.

Last night, I bathed the kids and put them to bed. The Viking Bride was feeding the baby in his room. All was quiet, all was calm. Then the crying started. That's when the Girl Child registered the following complaint with the management:

[arms up, hands out in front of her waving around for emphasis through the whole speech]
Mamma, you know I can't sleep when the baby's crying.

It keeps me up and I wake up in the morning exhausted. I don't know what you were thinking when you decided to have another baby. The first I knew of it was when you were in the hospital and Pappa told me. I am perfectly good with the brother I have. I don't need another brother on the other side.

I knew I was going to be exhausted in the morning. I don't know what you were thinking having another baby. And his crying keeps me up all night.

Clearly, the pressure is getting to her and she just cracked.

Posted by: Random Penseur at 07:42 AM | Comments (9) | Add Comment
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1 Too young to have these fissures. Does she take good naps? Hang in there Family RP!

Posted by: Wicked H at May 25, 2006 08:06 AM (iqFar)

2 How funny.. exactly how old is girl child... she way beyond her years....

Posted by: Kiddoc at May 25, 2006 10:11 AM (De/e6)

3 Man the gas pains are horrid, of course the missus hates when I ease the pains. She'd rather I suffer. She still thinks its cute when the phinlet relieves the pressure. 'tis a double standard I say and I'll be having none of that in my house hold (so long as the missus doesn't read these comments).

Posted by: phin at May 25, 2006 02:48 PM (79dMt)

4 You could tell the Girl Child that she used to cry alot, too, when she was a baby and that it's a phase that all newborns go through as they get used to eating through their mouth instead of a tube in their tummy. She might understand that and find some more patience. It's just gas. It'll pass.

Posted by: Tuning Spork at May 25, 2006 03:50 PM (fs1yQ)

5 Oh, no, that's barely a chink in her armor. She's good to go. ; )

Posted by: Christina at May 25, 2006 07:24 PM (zJsUT)

6 Oh my goodness. And so...mature in her delivery. This girl is going to rule the world one of these days. I've very little doubt.

Posted by: Jennifer at May 26, 2006 04:02 PM (y4DOI)

7 I love the stories of your children so much, RP. :-) I've told both stories today, of the GC and the BC to everyone I've talked to on the phone and the consensus is..."Awwww!" :-)

Posted by: Amber at May 26, 2006 04:44 PM (zQE5D)

8 Too much!!! LOL

Posted by: Mark at May 26, 2006 09:07 PM (jPkqe)

9 Oh, we should ALL have this child's common sense! Sleep is so very important. Hang in there, love. This too, shall pass. (I know that little pun's been done before, but I'm incapable of stopping it.)

Posted by: Margi at May 28, 2006 02:56 AM (BRtaN)

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The West Point Combatting Terrorism Center has a fascinating publication out on the web: The Islamic Imagery Project: Visual Motifs in Jihadi Internet Propaganda. It is an analysis of over one hundred of the images the terrorists use to make their case and build support. It is an important and fascinating study.

Posted by: Random Penseur at 08:39 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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I feel a little as if I were underwater, moving just a bit more languidly than the rest of you. It is the result of sleep deprivation. The baby was up at around 3 this morning and I could not get back to sleep. So I move more slowly than the rest of you today. The lethargy creeps up on me and takes me unaware. This post will thus be yet another in my long series of disconnected thoughts and random observations. I simply lack the mental acuity to tune it up into anything else.

* * *

Why does Darien, CT, need a store called Bob's Unfinished Furniture and Gun Exchange? Do people come in looking for a little pine night table and go out with a shotgun? I mean, can you picture the impulse buying?

* * *

The Fugees do nothing for my five year old daughter. Or so she told me in the car yesterday: "Pappa, this song does nothing for me, can you change it?" I hastened to oblige. Besides, it wasn't doing anything for me, either.

* * *

Scurvy, the scourge of the fleet, will not be a problem in my house. Fresh limes, squeezed into a pitcher and combined with copious amounts of to-kill-ya and triple sec, have put paid to that problem. I have perfected the recipe. Simplicity. Eliminate the ice and blender part, quadruple the liquor called for, and you still get the same number of servings as the original recipe -- 6.

* * *

A good read: Cities of Gold: A Journey Across the American Southwest, by Douglas Preston. Enjoyed it very much, even if I did not really agree with all of his political views. The man, a total greenhorn, rode a horse through the desert for over a thousand miles, trying to follow the trail of Coronado as he searched for the mythical cities of gold. A very well written book, indeed.

* * *

I am happy to put this weekend behind me. I have been way too much on edge of late -- for reasons I am not inclined to rehash right here, right now (too darn tired, frankly) -- and not been good company. Too quick to anger, too slow on the patience thing. Not that there weren't some very nice moments. Just, on balance, I'd prefer to not have had the low moments. I need a break and some quality sleep.

* * *

We lost a beautiful apple tree. Sad. It just missed taking out part of the house. Happy. Very happy. Deliriously happy. I have to call the insurance agent and see if we can make a claim.

* * *

You know that the appellate opinion has already been written when you answer the calendar call for oral argument and are allotted only 2 minutes by the panel. 2 minutes. I thought I mis-heard and actually had to ask the presiding justice to repeat himself. I guess, after argument, that the panel wasn't too pleased that we had convinced the trial court to impose a $200,000 sanction on opposing counsel and his client, jointly and severally.

* * *

I was pulled out, unexpectedly, last week to attend a funeral for the grandmother of my college room-mate's wife. She was a lovley woman. When my grandfather died, my friend and his wife took the day off from work and attended my grandfather's funeral and their support was wonderful. It was the least I could do to drop everything and get out there to New Jersey and do the same, offer whatever comfort I could. And so I did.

Standing in the cemetery, I let my attention wander at one point and I looked at the surrounding tombstones. At that point, I realized, yet again, that America has been a wonderful place for Jews. So many of these tombstones were of people who died in advanced old age -- mostly their 90's. I reflected that it was a wonderful thing that they lived in a place where they were able to live so long. Yes, America has been very good for the Jews. I think we have been good for America. It was gratifying to see so many American flags next to so many other tombstones.

* * *

The Viking Bride and I attended a cocktail party on Saturday night. It was our first night out without the baby. It was awfully nice to be a grownup again. Mostly we were seeing people from our old building in Manhattan. I was on the Board of the building and have remained friendly with a number of people. So often, conversation among Manhattanites turns to real estate. I had forgotten. Still, less controversial than politics, I suppose. We didn't get home until very late.

* * *

The Boy Child and I dropped the Girl Child off at a birthday party on Sunday morning and headed off to do what boys do -- we went shopping for sports equipment. We bought 4 mini lacrosse sticks. It was such a great pleasure to hold a lacrosse stick in my hands again, even such a little one as the kid sized ones we bought. I had somehow forgotten how much fun it is. We all spent about half an hour in the bright sunlight on the front lawn trying to learn how to catch and throw and how to scoop the ball up off the ground. My one disappointment is my continued failure to find a left handed throwing baseball glove for the Boy Child. The kid needs a glove.

* * *

I shopped at Walmart for the first time. I was hoping they would have the baseball glove I was looking for. Instead, I bought some whole wheat fig newtons for the kids. What a horrible place. I hope never to return.

* * *

Well, that wraps it up here. I have people to sue and really ought to be off doing that.

Posted by: Random Penseur at 08:32 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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Not really a void. When I go home tonight, I expect that my quality of life will have improved dramatically. Why? Because by the time I arrive home, SAS will be winging my mother in law back to Norway.

The visit is over and, really, not a moment too soon. She was a big help to my wife but a difficult woman to be around. I am a little overdrawn at the nice bank, having pulled out a lot of my emotional reserves to make sure that I was welcoming, pleasant, accommodating, and making her feel comfortable.

I cannot wait to go home today.

And I go home, as we say in my office, with my shield and not on it. I had a huge victory today, after arguing for 75 minutes, I convinced a judge to award judgment to my client today on default in the face of strong opposition. It was a great day for my client. Of course, it may have screwed up vacation plans for the month of June -- going to Norway -- since the judge has scheduled the inquest for damages for then, but, still, when the judge gives you everything you've been asking for you don't tell her that the date she picked is not convenient. You just can't do that, especially when you've been urging speed. Next move, a motion to hold the defendant in contempt. I would not be shocked to see this play out so that the defendant spends a night or two in jail at the end of the case. A civil case, mind you. I bet he's sorry that he (the defendant) called me an asshole. Nothing like a little motivation, you know?

Posted by: Random Penseur at 03:34 PM | Comments (8) | Add Comment
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1 Wow... I wish I could get people put in jail for calling ME an asshole! Lucky! And I do mean that on all counts, hooray for surviving the last few weeks! all the best to you and yours--hope you get to reschedule a nice long vacation soon.

Posted by: Mandalei at May 16, 2006 04:41 PM (LcyhB)

2 Most Excellent!! On all counts. ; )

Posted by: Christina at May 16, 2006 05:55 PM (zJsUT)

3 congrats, RP! enjoy your new found freedom. i completely understand what that's like!

Posted by: femme_despoir at May 17, 2006 10:43 AM (Vghhg)

4 Hooray for the win and the freedom! It was a lovely day all around, I imagine.

Posted by: Jordana at May 17, 2006 04:43 PM (J3aON)

5 Hoo hoo hoooo! Is this the brief you were working on that. . .aww nevermind. YOU ROCK! And welcome back to your home.

Posted by: Margi at May 17, 2006 06:53 PM (BRtaN)

6 Go RP!

Posted by: zya at May 17, 2006 08:02 PM (o19Kc)

7 So I have to ask, RP, would you have done half so well in this case without that bit of edginess that gave you the right approach to face down the opposition. Would it have happened without the visit from your wife's Mother? Should you maybe invite her whenever the prospects of you winning a case look particularly bleak?

Posted by: Roberta S at May 18, 2006 05:49 PM (M9oyW)

8 I have no idea why, exactly, but this post makes me laugh out loud every time I read it. :-)

Posted by: Jennifer at May 19, 2006 09:25 AM (jl9h0)

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You have to instill certain values in your children. I subscribe to the unpopular view that children are essentially savages, people who have no self control, no ability to separate desire from action, people who will take the shortest distance between wish and fulfillment, even if that means trampling all over someone else. I know that conflicts with the widely held belief that children are innocents, fuzzy little creatures of inherent goodness as glimpsed from afar through a pastel, impressionist like lens. Phooey. Because I believe the Lord of the Flies was probably a lot closer to truth than to fiction, I have (as I believe I have mentioned before) tried to raise my little ones to hit back and to hit in defense of each other. Simplicity itself, really.

If someone hits the Girl Child, she hits back. If she sees someone hit her brother, her obligation is to get her butt over there and defend her brother with her fists. These two concepts are so very useful. First, they are simple to understand. Second, it makes the Girl Child empowered -- she is responsible for defending her little brother (who, of course, is supposed to do the same thing for his sister) and there is no "I'm a girl" garbage and I can't hit. My little girl will learn to defend herself, will learn how to solve her own problems, and not rely on the kindness of strangers to either defend or protect her. In essence, I am trying to make her self-reliant.

It may be working.

We were at brunch with my parents and my mother in law yesterday for Mothers' Day. We took them to our little beach club and after lunch the kids played on the lawn with some of their Summer friends, the kids they only see at the beach during the Summer. The Boy Child was amusing himself with a purple frisbee when some older child tried to snatch it out of his hands. The older child did not take no for an answer and hit my son. The Girl Child practically flew across the lawn, after witnessing the altercation, and smacked the kid. The kid then hit my daughter who, immediately, smacked him back much harder and the kid retreated from the field.

Telling you that I was bursting with pride would understate my feelings. She stood up for herself, she made it clear that she would not accept being hit or being a target, and she protected her brother.

They both came running over to tell me about it, not knowing, I suppose, that I had seen the whole thing. My son was all for saddling up and heading off in hot pursuit of "that stupid boy", but I gently dissuaded him, trying to let him down gently that the moment for hitting back in his own defense had passed now that the "stupid boy" had run away.

They acted just the way I had hoped they would. Without hesitation, to protect each other.

I guess they do listen.

On a different topic, I thought that the Boy Child said something very charmingly profound this weekend.

Boy Child: Pappa, are you an grownup?

Me: Yes, I am. Are you a grownup?

BC: No, I are not an grownup. I are an someone.

Indeed.

Posted by: Random Penseur at 10:50 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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1 That's a great story, thanks for sharing RP. I wholeheartedly agree with you about the self defense, kids like that boy see prey, kids they can pick on and pounce. Kids have to stand up for themselves and their siblings to drive off the little pricks, just like your daughter did. It's a difficult concept to a peace-loving kid like my son, he just gets upset when other kids take his toys etc. Although I HAVE seen him push other kids back and retaliate, many times he picks the more peaceful route because something else interests him more. He's coming up on kindergarten years soon, and I've seen the kids in my neighbourhood so yeah, I'm going to teach him how to punch too.

Posted by: Oorgo at May 15, 2006 03:17 PM (lM0qs)

2 I love it. I had nothing to do with it and I'M proud of them. I can only try to imagine your experience at the time.

Posted by: Tuning Spork at May 15, 2006 07:24 PM (uE4xA)

3 And that is a great quote from the BC. Out of the mouths of babes, indeed...

Posted by: MCNS at May 16, 2006 01:13 PM (pbCqD)

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My daughter has discovered that she can use the phone by herself now if someone reads her the number off the wall. Life is over.

She wished to have a playdate with friend A. She called friend A, I'm told, spoke to the mother, took our home calendar down, and proposed a free date to friend's mother. Mother said she'd call her back. The Girl Child did not wait patiently and at 5 minute intervals proposed calling back. I demurred. So, flushed with the joy of success from her first solo phone venture, she requested a playdate with friend B. I consented and handed her the phone. This time I got to listen and even take part.

Girl Child: Hello, this is Girl Child. I'm calling to arrange a play date with Friend. I'm free on Friday, is that good for her? [pause] Ok, I'll put my father on.

[Now, just so you know, I really like this woman]

Mother: Hi, she did that so nicely but Friday's not going to work, how about next week?

Me: That would be fine. Yeah, I was really pleased with her phone manners, actually.

Mother: How's your wife?

Me: My wife? She's a good wife. No, really. I mean, no, she's a really good wife. Why? What have you heard? What are people saying?

[silence]

Mother: I meant, I mean, didn't she just have a baby?

Me: Oh yeah. That. Yeah, she's a little whiny but otherwise doing great. Thanks for asking!

See why my daughter wants to cut me out of the play date making process?

I'm going to be such an embarrassment to her when she's older. No question about it.

Posted by: Random Penseur at 09:01 AM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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1 cute! when my girl child was 3 a friend of mine told her she could call her anytime if she ever needed anything. well, girl child took this literally and began waking up at 2 a.m. to call my friend. after four nights of this, my friend told me, "i'm not supposed to tell you, but..." and told me the whole story. of course, it was hilarious, but i had NO idea she knew how to do that on her own. watch out! thanks for stopping by my site. cheers!

Posted by: femme despoir at May 12, 2006 09:18 AM (hyET4)

2 I have a little man (4 yrs) in Australia who just worked out that Auntie Mia (in Hong Kong) is on speed dial. We've been having great chats.....

Posted by: Mia at May 12, 2006 06:26 PM (bSCmv)

3 "She's a little whiny. . ." BWAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!!! In the immortal words of Maude: God'll get you for that, Walter. LMFAOO You nut!

Posted by: Margi at May 13, 2006 01:56 AM (BRtaN)

4 that is so cute at least she hasn't asked for the car keys! (yet)

Posted by: zya at May 13, 2006 04:30 AM (3zyD3)

5 I was laughing so hard at that one I droppped the phone and nearly fell off my chair retrieving it while chucking.

Posted by: michele at May 16, 2006 12:31 PM (gOmeT)

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Hence the silence. No shortage of things to say, mind you, just a huge shortage of time to do write them all up. So, let me memorialize one very sweet moment before I forget about it entirely.

Monday night, I was sitting at the kitchen table, waiting for dinner to finish cooking. The Boy Child came over to me and, without a word, climbed up onto my lap. He sat himself down on my right leg and leaned across my body to snuggle his blond little head into my left chest and collar bone. Into his mouth went his thumb and my head came down against his back and neck and I closed my eyes. And we sat there. Just the two of us for what seemed like a really long time. If any of you have direct experience with three year old boys, you know that getting them to sit still for anything is worthy of comment in and of itself but to be gifted with a cuddle was lovely beyond compare.

And then it got better.

His sister came over and they exchanged the following words:

Girl Child: Why are you two sitting there and cuddling?

Boy Child: [Removes thumb from mouth with audible pop] Because Pappa loves me.

Sublime.

Which does not mean under the lime, you know. Because if it did, we'd also probably have to have a word like sublemon and we don't, ok?

Posted by: Random Penseur at 10:34 AM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
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1 Very sweet!

Posted by: Wicked H at May 10, 2006 12:54 PM (iqFar)

2 Ha! What about all those "sublemonal" messages Madison Avenue is always sneaking into its advertising?

Posted by: Robert the Llama Butcher at May 10, 2006 04:37 PM (IkTb7)

3 Oh thats beautiful. Your children make me want to have children!

Posted by: zya at May 10, 2006 08:28 PM (o19Kc)

4 such blissful loving silent connectedness is rare. its wonderful that you were able to write about it and record it for you to share w/them later.

Posted by: michele at May 11, 2006 10:57 PM (q/XbX)

5 those moments are indeed sublime. thanks for putting a smile on my face.

Posted by: femme_d'espoir at May 12, 2006 01:02 AM (hyET4)

6 Sublemon. I'ma use that from now on. I just love it when you're whimsical.

Posted by: Margi at May 13, 2006 01:57 AM (BRtaN)

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Just clearing my throat a little. Seems like it has been a long time since I last wrote anything on my blog. Dear Diary, so much has happened! She looked at me today! No, that doesn't feel quite like my style, whatever style that may be. So, perhaps I will just talk a little bit.

I've been running a bit on empty of late. Burning the candle at both ends and sometimes in the middle, too. Lots of work, little of which jazzes me, although I am preparing for an appellate oral argument for a very important client of the firm. That's kind of fun. You read the briefs, especially the reply brief, and you try to find that logical flaw, the one the other attorney has spent a lot of time glossing over or pretending doesn't exist. You look for this thing like it was a loose thread on a cotton shirt because you know that when you find it, you can start asking questions: well, does A really follow from B or can you get to C without having had to pass through B? And when you tug on it, you can watch the whole thing unravel. There is always something; you just have to look hard enough, ask the right questions, and be creative enough to construct the right argument when you've finished. It is intellectually satisfying, in a good way.

One of my non-profit boards is in a huge uproar over a very significant governance issue. I can't say more other than it has become a huge time suck, taking up hours every day with phone calls, consultations with our attorney, lunches with disgruntled directors, etc. If it wasn't so important, I'd resign, too. Actually, I may resign anyway as soon as the issue is resolved. It wouldn't be fair to step down now.

My mother in law is staying with us. This means that there really isn't any private time, any quiet time, any time I can just veg for a half an hour after the kids go to bed and before I go to bed. 30 minutes. Not very much time but I am a little bit taken aback by the void it leaves.

Don't go into business with a family member, if you can avoid it. It is kind of hard to tell your uncle he's an idiot, no matter how stupid he's being. Like, for instance, unilaterally changing the law that applies to the shareholders' agreement to a state in which the attorneys who drafted said agreement are neither admitted nor competent to advise on. Little things, like that.

This post is turning whiny. Or has already turned whiny. Maybe I should go back to the Dear Diary thing. No, on second thought, I shall slog on and see what transpires.

The newest little one has his days and nights mixed up. Otherwise he is gorgeous and I suspect has a lot going on. When awake, he looks around very intently, very much in deep concentration. I am beginning to suspect he will be bright and potentially even more of a pain in the butt than the other two put together.

The Girl Child, if she behaves, will receive her first baseball glove tonight. I went into the sporting goods store next to Grand Central to replace my weight lifting gloves and found gloves for kids on sale. A no-brainer. I just wish they had gloves for left handed kids -- I'm pretty sure that the Boy Child is a lefty. I can't wait to give it to her. I sure hope she was good enough to merit a present.

What else made me happy recently? Ah, yes. Shopping for new suits. Getting into shape can be expensive. When you in-grow (what else could the opposite of out-grow be?) your suits because you have been so assiduous in your fitness center attendance and you need to wear suits to go to court, you have to buy new ones. My wife is very understanding, which is nice.

Spring is making me deliriously happy. I cannot wait for the beach weather to be upon us but I am enjoying seeing every tree in my yard burst into glorious flower.

Well, my logic games are calling so return to the salt mine I must.

Thanks for reading. Nice to stretch the fingers again.

Posted by: Random Penseur at 04:00 PM | Comments (8) | Add Comment
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1 RP! We missed you... this post sounds melancholic. You hang in there! try to find the 30 minutes somewhere else outside the house if you can't find it within? Have a quiet coffee in a random cafe and people watch... Then come back here and write about what you saw! (Just one idea of a million... depends which appeals to you). Here in Australia it is starting to become Winter... but in 5 weeks I will trade my winter for your Summer. I'm looking forward to that.

Posted by: Zya at May 03, 2006 04:20 PM (VHfMp)

2 Ah, honey, you are living life, one breath at a time. Lovely to *see* you. I hope the Girl Child was good enough to merit a present, too. They do make gloves for left-handed children. You may have to shop on-line, though. I have no doubt the small one is exceptionally bright. It's in the genes. Hang in there. I heard a rumor today an announcement may come as soon as next week; however, it was a *rumor*. I will let you know, of course, if it comes to pass. Oh, good on you with the suits. Yay!

Posted by: Christina at May 03, 2006 08:49 PM (zJsUT)

3 When I get careless, I get even thinner. I don't understand you people.

Posted by: Tuning Spork at May 03, 2006 09:39 PM (jer28)

4 first time to visit. the ambiance is quite nice. i'd like to visit again. cheers! p.s. hooray for the leftie.

Posted by: femmedespoir at May 03, 2006 10:29 PM (YTr/g)

5 The problem with family that lives far away is that they stay with you when they come to visit and they stay a long time. With everything else going on, that can become very, very stressful. However, I suspect that you and the Viking Bride will muddle through just fine. Congratulations on losing weight and needing new suits.

Posted by: Jordana at May 04, 2006 09:12 AM (6ycHu)

6 There can be no surer sign of beach weather's approach than a girl's first ball glove. I remember my own, all these years later, and the care my father took to condition it, slip a softball into its webbing, wrap it tightly in rubber bands, and tuck it beneath my mattress. "Seven nights," he said. It was magic.

Posted by: Jennifer at May 04, 2006 10:45 AM (jl9h0)

7 Bettie Page has been running amok in my brain and spilled out all over my blog this week. Boy, are you missing out!

Posted by: Mark at May 04, 2006 10:18 PM (xl+N0)

8 After reading your post I came to offer my small bit of comfort. Part one of what I wanted to tell you reaffirms Christina's comment. Yes, they do sell left-handed gloves. And Part two is to definitely concur with your thought about business and relatives. Don't do it. And Part three is third child will indeed have their own speciality - might be quickness or some other surprisingly wonderful thing. So chin up, RP, life is gooder than good.

Posted by: Roberta S at May 07, 2006 09:51 PM (tjX5+)

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After the night before last, during which I believe almost no sleep was obtained, and only twenty two days after giving birth to our new son, my wife went twenty one minutes on the elliptical trainer machine.

So tough. She laughed, almost spitting her tooth paste out, when I told her that she totally shaved off 3, maybe 4, ounces.

Did I mention how beautiful she is, too?

She's gonna need every ounce of that tough, by the way, since her mother arrives today for a three week visit.

Posted by: Random Penseur at 09:44 AM | Comments (8) | Add Comment
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I am certain that I am not the only person out there who is actively engaged in a conversation with himself. It isn't out loud, mind you. It is sort of a quiet undertone kind of thing inside my head as I "talk" to myself about observations and the world around me. Calling it a conversation gives it too much gravitas, actually. Its more like a stream of consciousness babble that I only sort of pay attention to. Kind of like just not being able to turn my brain off. It gets more active the more tired I am. I have been tired for some time now, of course.

Here's one observation I thought I'd share it with you here. I was walking through one of the secondary passageways in Grand Central, on the way to my train and observed to myself that when the gentle smell of feces wafts its way into your nose, the following thought sotto voce intrudes into your babbling dialogue: "Please let that smell be from a dog and not a person. Please."

Thus proving that I have been in this city for too long.

Posted by: Random Penseur at 09:03 AM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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1 Ew. TMI. Thanks for sharing....

Posted by: Wicked H at April 27, 2006 10:40 AM (iqFar)

2 While certainly not the voice of absolute reason, that inner voice has assisted me in avoiding many a manslaughter charge... It's that voice of a kindler, gentler, far more forgiving wannabe me. ; )

Posted by: Christina at April 27, 2006 12:19 PM (z2S93)

3 I'd be thinking the same of you, RP. But also thinking, "Let it be on someone else's shoe, not mine!" But, of course, I'm from the country.

Posted by: Roberta S at April 27, 2006 02:11 PM (SKpFW)

4 Oh no, is this what I have to look forward to? Have you any idea how CLEAN Australia is? And at worst, how clean and beautiful Canberra is? *grins* Its nothing I did not expect. Oh what an adventure...

Posted by: Zya at April 27, 2006 10:33 PM (o19Kc)

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. . . because it is your alarm clock and you have to get out of bed now. Right now. No screwing around. Get up!!!

Or not.

I am a creature of routine and habit, at least in the morning. That alarm goes off every weekday at 4:40 and I take the 5:17 train into the city. From there, I head straight to the gym for about an hour and a half to two hours of exercise and then to the office. This is my regular morning thing. I am like the milkman's horse. I just get up and go. I have it down to the point where it is more difficult not to go to the gym than it is to go to the gym.

But not today. Today, that alarm clock went off and I turned it off and went back to sleep for another hour and a half. About the same amount of time as a workout, come to think of it.

The baby is having bad and painful gas. He was up, I think, a lot last night. All I know for sure is that the Viking Bride never returned to the marital bed last night. That's not to say that I slept all alone, because I didn't; the Boy Child came in sometime in the middle of the night to cuddle and sleep with me. I escorted him back to his own bed after a lovely cuddle. He believes that the rule is that if our door is open, he can come into bed with us. And he's basically right.

The baby's gas pains were somehow soothed for little while after I picked him up and, holding him to my chest, began kissing him on his neck and collar bone. Three quick little kisses without taking my face from his neck. He stopped crying, seemed to really like it, and feel asleep on my chest for a bit until the internal pain woke him again.

We are all very tired and I have been burning the candle at both ends. Getting up at 4:40 all week and not going to bed until 11:40 -- filling the intervening period with court appearances and oral arguments, contentious board meetings and rancorous and difficult phone consultations regarding the same, hosting a dinner for 90 at which I had to speak (at three different points during the event), and otherwise just trying to stay on top of things generally.

So when that bell called this morning for this fighter to step into the ring, he did the only thing he could do -- he turned it off.

May I ask for your kind thoughts, by the way? My mother in law arrives for a three week visit tomorrow. Any good energy / nice thoughts you can send my way would be fine.

Posted by: Random Penseur at 08:13 AM | Comments (9) | Add Comment
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1 The phinlet had gas going for a while and damn is rough. Will keep sending happy thoughts and saying prayers.

Posted by: phin at April 27, 2006 08:35 AM (Xvpen)

2 You got it!! Every good thought is being sent your way. (call us if necessary, if even only for a drink).

Posted by: Mandalei at April 27, 2006 09:23 AM (LcyhB)

3 The Lawd preserve us from MIL hell. I'm with you, bro'.

Posted by: Robert the Llama Butcher at April 27, 2006 09:57 AM (IkTb7)

4 Stop beating yourself up for sleeping in. You can take one morning off from ruling the world (and having extra bufflicious abs ). Good luck with the MIL. Happy thoughts for an unventful visit are on the way.

Posted by: Kathy at April 27, 2006 10:28 AM (cipZl)

5 Motion for Mother-in-law to pull the 6 pm to 6 am baby duty shift. Do I hear a second? ; )

Posted by: Christina at April 27, 2006 12:21 PM (z2S93)

6 Second! She'll probably insist on it anyway. Grammas are like that. And how the heck do you do what you do all week on five hours of sleep a night? Crikey, My eyes are still burning tired if I get up after six or even seven hours.

Posted by: Tuning Spork at April 27, 2006 02:33 PM (/EYHx)

7 Happy thoughts I have are going your way! Good luck

Posted by: Zya at April 27, 2006 10:31 PM (o19Kc)

8 Good luck with it all. The thing I dread most when I think about a new baby is the lack of sleep in the beginning. And at least I get to stay in my pjs for a month or so, if I want to.

Posted by: Jordana at April 28, 2006 09:08 AM (KEY2r)

9 It won't be forever, this gas and problems... soon you'll be able to sleep normally again! I'm sure you'll manage to pull through.

Posted by: Hannah at May 02, 2006 04:54 AM (ImQx2)

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I had a bit this weekend. I looked deep into the abyss that is my dark heart and realized that I am not a hitter. I am not going to hit my children. I will not spank them. I am not going to do that bullshit thing that my dad did. You know, the "this is going to hurt me more than it will you" thing. I always used to tell him, that if that was true, why didn't we just skip it? I'd still get spanked. I didn't get spanked a lot, mind you, but I did get it from time to time. I am absolutely 100% certain that I deserved each and every one of those smacks, too. But, I don't think I will be doing that to my kids.

I threatened them with it on Sunday, though. I told them, after they continued to run around the house and after I told them to stop. I told them that since they had just broken the crystal bowl I was given from my much beloved, now dead, grandmother, that I would spank them if they didn't listen to me and if I had to tell them something again twice.

But, here's the thing. I can't do it. I won't do it; not over this. I might give them a swat in the parking lot if they tried to get away from me and thus scared the living hell out of me. But to just whack 'em for not obeying?

No. I can't do it. I won't have my children look at me fearfully. I told them, too, that I was changing my mind, that I wouldn't spank them for not listening to me, at least, not automatically. I do want to leave a small area of doubt. But when I sat back and thought about it, I realized that I can not just cold bloodedly, at this stage, put them over my lap and hit them. Laps are for cuddling. Laps are for hugging and for squeezing and sometimes for tickling. Laps are not for hitting. Cold blooded, by the way, because I never, ever want to be the person who physically corrects his kids in anger -- that's a disaster waiting to happen.

I don't know how my dad managed to make himself do it. I don't mind at all that he spanked me since, like I said, I bet I drove him to it. I was a bit of a terror and had a mighty smart mouth on me. But I just can't see myself doing it.

Especially to my daughter. I don't want her to EVER think that any man has the right to put his hands on her violently. EVER. End of discussion there.

So, where does that leave me? Where I started -- enforcing discipline through a consistent application of the rules so that the kids know where the limits are, where the boundary markers lay, what my very, very clear expectations are for their behavior. I don't want to force adherence to the rules out of fear, no matter how badly I want them to adhere. Some things may just not be worth it, some avenues are too likely to transform all of us in ways I am just not comfortable with.

So, I put the hand back in my pocket. You see, the next time I take my hand from my pocket, I don't want my kids to flinch when I go to stroke their hair, which I do a lot.

All bets are off when they get to be teenagers, of course. Although, by that time, its probably way too late.

And by the way, I reserve the right to change my mind as circumstances require. After all, grand pronouncements of parenting rarely, if ever, survive contact with a real, live child.

Hope some small part of that above ramble made sense.

Posted by: Random Penseur at 09:37 AM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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1 Yes, it made total sense. :-) I was spanked two times by my dad when I was fairly little. Once around 4 or 5, I think and the other time I think I was 8. This was in the sixties and there simply weren't any dads around that didn't spank. I felt fortunate that that's all I had ever gotten compared to most of my friends. Each time was formal and I'd "deserved" it. And as you say, yes, it did make me fear my dad but it didn't stop me from doing the behavior. (The first one was mouthing off to my mom when she was telling me it was time to get out of the tub, I think I threw a tantrum and the acoustics were very very loud and my dad was tired from work, you know the drill... and the other time I'd gone to the forbidden river not far from our home after having told the family I was too sick to go to church (cough cough) and gotten caught by Dad in the family car coming back from church. Ouch. It was dangerous down there and strictly forbidden. Yeah, I was resigned to my fate on that one. hehehehe) Now, my ex and I never spanked our kids, except for a swat here and there as you say. To get their attention so I could tell them to "go to their rooms" or whatever the discipline was. And that was the absolute limit of my patience, if I resorted to the swat. Yet, they grew up to be lovely human beings, honest taxpayers, good citizens and all that good stuff. :-) Despite never giving them corporal punishments. There are ways other than hitting. Basically, when the kids misbehaved, it fell into two large categories. They were choosing to do something wrong even though they knew it was wrong, or they were tired/sick/worried/upset/feeling misunderstood. In the "choosing" to do something wrong, it made much more sense to sit them down and talk about *why* it was wrong and get them to see the logic. But that's when they were older, of course, although your GC is old enough for that. When they are little, it's almost always because they are tired/upset/whatever. So you solve that situation and then almost magically, the "misbehavior" stops. Sometimes they just need to be alone for awhile. I think kids easily get sensory overload and it's up to the parents to step in and make them take a break so their little brains calm down. And yes, once they are teenagers, all bets are off; by then you want to strangle them. hehehe...And of course, this whole corporal punishment thing is undoable by that time. Little hellions. ;-P You're such a good Dad, RP. You have your head screwed on straight. Loved reading this. :-) (sorry for my "War and Peace" comment, but this touched me. :-)

Posted by: Amber at April 25, 2006 11:14 AM (zQE5D)

2 This whole post proves that you're a thoughtful, caring, loving father. This part? And by the way, I reserve the right to change my mind as circumstances require. After all, grand pronouncements of parenting rarely, if ever, survive contact with a real, live child. Proves that you live in the real world. I've no doubt that your children will grow "straight" and fine and that there will be no fear involved.

Posted by: Margi at April 25, 2006 03:08 PM (BRtaN)

3 RP, I am so moved by what you have written here. I honor you for a wisdom born out of love that far surpasses that of any child expert.

Posted by: Roberta S at April 26, 2006 02:45 AM (L8ijd)

4 Well put, sir! I personally don't think there is one easy plan for all kids as they are all different. Sticking to your guns is the biggest thing, absolutely no backing down. I find my oldest behaves the best when you get down to his level, look him in the eye and explain things. And then if he's done something towards somebody we ask him to apologize. Surprisingly he goes back to being the nice kid that we know for a good chunk of time after that. Only in extreme times have we ever had to give him a slight swat on the butt, that's when all else fails and even timeouts and the other tactics aren't working. It's really more show than anything.

Posted by: Oorgo at April 26, 2006 02:20 PM (lM0qs)

5 Ya know, I read this post earlier today and I wasn't going to comment, because the whole "If thou don't have kiddos, thoust shouldn't comment about the raising of other people's kids" thing raised its ugly head. But I saw this same situation today as I walked past the local playground... I might give them a swat in the parking lot if they tried to get away from me and thus scared the living hell out of me.But to just whack 'em for not obeying? ...and I knew I had to comment, lack of parenthood be damned. For what it's worth, better the latter, and not the former, because with the former you're punishing your children primarily for how they made YOU feel, not for their behavior, when it's the latter, it's simply because of what they did, which, if one thinks about it is more just---if there is such a thing as "kiddie justice." All I can really ask is that you please, please PLEASE do not make your children responsible for YOUR emotions. I have a mother in law who did this to her son, the husband, REPEATEDLY, and it's a cause of much grief in his life. The first incident of this in is life was when he was four, he was taking a nap and his friends called him to come outside and play. Only problem with this scenario was that the husband's bedroom was on the second floor of their house. The husband was halfway out his bedroom window and onto the garage roof when his mother caught him. What did she say to him when she chastised him? "Don't ever do that again! You scared me to death!" She took a wooden spoon to him as well to reinforce the message. She never once said, "You could have hurt yourself" "You weren't supposed to be up from your nap" or whatever the rational reasoning was. She was paralyzed by her fear of losing her child---which was rational---but in the process she made her child responsible for her, an adult's, emotions, which is not rational. This is where his anxiety issues started, and the anxiety is what led him to self-medicate with alcohol, which, when you're an alcoholic, isn't such a great thing. I can't tell you how many checks I've written to pay therapy bills. Now, obviously, no everything your parents do causes you to go into therapy and I'm not saying for an instant that you would do this, RP, I'm just saying, well, I've seen how that plays out when it comes to adulthood, and it ain't good. Take it for what it's worth.

Posted by: Kathy at April 27, 2006 03:59 PM (cipZl)

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Today I am two years old. It almost slipped past me actually. But as of today, I have been blogging for two whole years now. In that time, I have had around 70,000 visitors, according to the not terribly accurate sitemeter. I have posted over 1000 entries. I have received, since moving to MuNu, over 4100 comments.

I set out, with my first post, to do the following:

My goal here is to create an outlet where I can comment on the things that piss me off, interest me, amuse me, or will do any of those three things to my readers. In short, this will be a general interest blog for catholic (with a small c) interests. I welcome your participation in my little experiment. I will be adding more later, including email contact information.

I think I have mostly succeeded in doing that. But what has made it all worthwhile is the comments I have received and the friendships that I have been fortunate enough to form with some of you.

Thanks for sticking with me these last two years! I'm off to have a long lunch and a short afternoon!

Pax tibi!

Posted by: Random Penseur at 10:15 AM | Comments (10) | Add Comment
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1 ( to the tune of " They Say It's Your B-Day") They say it's your blogs b-day Happy Blogiversary to you! It is entirely our pleasure RP.

Posted by: Wicked H at April 21, 2006 10:50 AM (iqFar)

2 Time flies when you're mingling with golden folk. Ditto Wicked's comment. Our pleasure, indeed.

Posted by: Jennifer at April 21, 2006 11:39 AM (jl9h0)

3 Oooh! Happy Twosday! You get to wear the blogging equivalent of Pull-ups now!! And that would be waaaay more clever if I know whatinhell that equivalency would be. Heh. Happy happy, honey. You're a delight and I look forward to anything you publish into the ether that is a/k/a IntarwebNetAOL.

Posted by: Margi at April 21, 2006 12:22 PM (BRtaN)

4 Woo Hoo! Happy Blogiversary! Here comes the terrible twos...mwheh

Posted by: Tuning Spork at April 21, 2006 03:44 PM (LmDCV)

5 Happy Day! Terrible twos eh? I'm a quakin' in me space boots.

Posted by: Oorgo at April 22, 2006 12:30 AM (1JIkb)

6 I'm late, but congratulations darlin'!

Posted by: Kathy at April 22, 2006 02:12 PM (cipZl)

7 Happy anniversary Sweetie. Let's see-two years, three kids, one trip where we had Lebanese food...yup, so far so good!

Posted by: Helen at April 23, 2006 02:02 PM (3c/UQ)

8 Happy belated! Keep up the good work.

Posted by: JohnL at April 24, 2006 09:18 PM (dYzx6)

9 As usual I'm a day late (or four) and a dollar short. Happy belated and many happy returns.

Posted by: phin at April 25, 2006 03:30 PM (Xvpen)

10 Happy B day!!

Posted by: Zya at April 27, 2006 10:22 PM (o19Kc)

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One of the great things about living in New England is the sense that history is just around every corner. I took a picture of the oldest house I've been able to find, so far. It is in Fairfield, CT and I think it is absolutely charming:

Want to guess how old it is?

Yup, about 1690. Fascinating, isn't it?

Posted by: Random Penseur at 08:28 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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In Michigan, a few days ago, a minor league baseball team did a cash drop to drum up attendance. They chucked $1000 out of a helicopter onto the field and let everybody run around to collect as much as their sticky little hands could hold. The problem was that two small children were injured. Not seriously injured -- a split lip on one and some bruising on the other. But the bruised one had to do to the hospital. Asked for a comment, the team PR flack said:

"It's for fun and games," spokeswoman Katie Kroft said. "This is why we have everybody sign a waiver."

I have to remember this bit of learning for the next birthday party. All kids have to sign waivers before they play "duck, duck, goose".

Seriously, isn't that a ridiculous comment?

Posted by: Random Penseur at 11:37 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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