Attempts at learning

BoopaLoop has pre-school three days a week for 3 hours. On the other two days, she hangs out with me. We do some errands. We do some cleaning. We do some playing. We rarely do some teaching.

She is too similar to me in personality, so we get too easily distracted with being silly to dedicate a lot of time to serious learning. However, that does not mean I don't make the odd attempt here or there. Today was such an attempt.

I pulled out an old pre-school book that once belong to LittleMan.

Me - "Okay honey, this is a maze. Do you know what a maze is?"

BoopaLoop - Shakes her head no.

Me - "Okay, you need to find a way to get from the rabbit to the carrot at the end."

BoopaLoop - Starts drawing a straight line from the rabbit to the carrot going through all the walls.

Me - "Yeah, that's the idea, but you have to stay in the walls."

BoopaLoop - Stops drawing to listen to me.

Me - "See the walls? You have to stay in the walls and find a way to the carrot."

BoopaLoop - Starts drawing a straight line to the carrot again - through the walls.

Me - "Honey..."

BoopaLoop - Interrupts me, "I'm flying to the carrot."

Laughter

End Lesson

Tennis Tomorrow

I have a tennis match tomorrow, so I'll drink lots of fluids and gets lots of rest...

Is it a coinsidence that this is the same prescription for when you are ill?

The Usual Suspects

For those of you unfamiliar with one of the best movies ever, The Usual Suspects, I suggest you go rent it right now, and read this blog afterwards. Otherwise, this blog will mean nothing to you.

Today BoopaLoop and I were singing silly songs like, "My daughter has a turnip head - oooooohh turrrrrrrrrrnip head." Well, it was my daughter's turn to come up with a silly song, so she began:

"My mommy has a bunch of letters... and aaaaaaaa cup... aaaaannnnnddddd... aaaaaa... uh..."

What is she talking about? Letters? Cup?! Where is she getting these references? As she is struggling to come up with other nouns for her song, I notice that she is paying close attention to my shirt. I am wearing an Ireland shirt All Things BD bought me. My daughter was trying to make sense of the LETTERS that spell "Ireland" and various Irish symbols on my shirt - like a mug or CUP of ale. I gave her a hug and told her she did a great silly song, but then it struck me...

BoopaLoop is Kyser Soze.

Dead Zone

Whoa... what happened there?!

(cricket noises)

I haven't posted for a over a week, and that is not like me. I am gonna try to come up with a litany of excuses.

First, I was in Austin, TX from the 10th - 14th. Granted, I had Internet access, but All Things BD has a wonderous chaise and a half that reduced my brain to mush. For those of you inexperienced in art of the chaise, you are missing out. Call your friends and find one who owns a chaise chair, invite yourself over, and find a way to get your booty into it. It will change your world for the better.

Second, it was my birthday, and I turned 36... I think.  Let me count: 1971-2007... uh... 30, 31, 32, 33... yup, 36! Automatically, I should be forgiven anything for that fact alone.

Third, I returned home to my beautiful, sweet family (they look better when you have been away a while), but I had to leave half of my family back in Austin. My spirit mourned, and I was not in the best place these last three days.

Uh... that's it. So please forgive my lapse in writing. Cause if you don't... well, there is not really anything you can do about it.

Delaying tactics

For those of you with young children, you know that getting the children to go to sleep at night can be an event all on its own. Oh sure, you have read the books about keeping night-time to a regular schedule. You have gotten their pajamas on, you have read the books, brushed their teeth, said prayers with them, and maybe even gave them a bath or sang a song with them, but still the children have to go potty again or ask for a refill on their water cups.

LittleMan hit upon a most brilliant sleep-delay tactic last night with my Mukor. Our boy asked his father if God was dead. Being an intellectual and Christian, my Mukor was taken aback by the question. Not because it was offensive (oh, please) or unfounded, but because my Mukor couldn't believe LittleMan would ask such an insightful question.

A 1/2 hour later, my Mukor emerged from the kids' room smiling to himself. He then explained to me that eventhough he knew LittleMan had asked a question to delay sleep, the nature of the question gave my Mukor a glimpse of what the future might hold. Our children will challenge our beliefs, ask us whys and hows and cans, and my Mukor is really looking forward to these discussions.

My Mukor walked right into the sleep delay trap my son laid out, and I don't think my Mukor minded getting caught.

I didn't complain. LittleMan was out cold immediately after that.