From the absurd to thought provoking...quotes by Little b

Mama, why can people say "Shut the door," and they can say "Go up the stairs," but if I put shut and up together it is a bad word?

Followed by...

And Mama, if you take part of shut and the new word I learned today, it, you can make another even more terrible word?  That's what Abdul told me.

And you love the word fun, mama, and you love the sun but you really don't love the word (he spells this part of course) G.U.N.  Why mama?

****  Theme change****Same commute****will this 35 minutes NEVER end?

Mama, you took me to nounou Lien (the orphanage nanny) and left me there.  Didn't you mama.  My Vietnam mom and dad didn't.  you did.

Me: No sweetie.  I didn't.  Why do you think that.

In my blue book mama.  I'm up on the balcony and you are waving goodbye to me.  You left me there.

Me, lightbulb moment:  Oh sweetie!  I got to meet you for the very first time on (what day of the week was that again?) but Nounou Lien needed a bit more time to cuddle you and tickle you and love you so I had to leave you there for one more night.  I waved goodbye to you.  And then, on (whatever the next days name was) I hurried back to nounou Lien, we dressed you up nice and warm and very handsome, just like Nounou Lien wanted, and you came with me forever and ever.

Oh!  I get it now!

***Theme change***Again***

Mama, I've been wondering.  What happens when two tornados morph together?  Can a double power tornado pick up a cow?  And a truck?  And a house?  All at the same time?

And can we move to a place near a big sea so I can see a hurricane?  A super sized one?  I think that would be so interesting.

Acutally, mama, I'd like to see a tornado, a hurricane and the eruption of a gigantic lava flowing volcano all at the same time.  Can a double sized tornado pick up molton lava?  Will the hurricane make the lava turn to rock faster?

***at this point I put on the music.  Loud.  Really, really loud***With his permission of course***

Yikes! Nearly a month!

And the best I can do is a photo post.

From the Halloween self created "taped crusader"
to Diwali dressed to the nines by Aunti Sumi
and a pre-christmas visit with Santa
(an Baby Eva...the love of Ben's life).

Wow!  Busy!  No wonder I have no time to post!

Enjoy

October? We owe you NOTHING!

October has been a tad challenging.

Not in the usual ways...
first off I've been sick-ish.
Better since mid month but not completely well.
Coughing through the night, tired during the day.
Sort of "Eh"

Then there is the whole being a teacher in Ontario right now...
"Eh"

Then last week the biggie...
Auntie Sumi, caregiver extrodinaire, took an emergency trip to India.
You know the babysitter who has not been unwell for one single day in 3 full years?
The Auntie that, if she was unwell,
would make her husband take the day off to help out
but would never ever cancel?

Yeah.
India.
But ben and I made it through 6 Sumi-less days
due to the kindness of others...
dude was with me in the mornings until the bell
(oh hour and fourty five minutes of quiet planning time how I have missed you)
and then at 11:30 each day
one saviour or another came rushing to our aid
to provide afternoon care.
Tammy, Bill, Carol, Kristen and Dre.

Something different and somewhat unpredictable
every.single.day?
Dude was off a bit.  Such is life.

Thursday night we stayed over
at Baby Eva's house...cuteness extraordinaire.

And then yesterday dude took the day off school
and went out and about
with Auntie Kristen, Dre and baby Eva
to investigate aboriginals.

His only response to "So, what did you learn?"
Mama, I am sooooo glad I live now
and not in ancient times!
I would NOT want to sleep on DEAD animals...
night after night after night.
Sooooo, gross.

And then?
Mama weekend.
Always starts with popcorn and hot chocolate
and then lots of storybooks in bed on Friday evening.
The one night each week that dude gets to cuddle sleep with mama
(and mama in turn gets to go to sleep at 8 ;)
Love it!

Today was wonderful in a cold windy rainy nasty weather sort of way.
An early morning goodbye to Auntie Carol and Uncle Bill
who are at this moment driving straight into a hurricane
on their way to Myrtle Beach.
16 Ben chosen books in bed
interspersed with energetic pillow fighting.

A light breakfast.
A bit of tidying.
Some structure building by the fire.
A bit of an art moment.

An impromptu trip to a local town for a pirate show at the library.

A lovely lunch out.

A couple of hours at the bookstore.
A Starbucks chai tea for mama
and a cold white kids milk for the wee one.
And TV...lots and lots of "boy shows"
4 x 30 minute shows in a row...he was THRILLED!
And finally the announcement that
"This was the very best mama day ever!"

Almost time for bed.
and I've decided not to ruin this day with report card writing...
even though I should.

Tomorrow?
More of the same.
And a Birthday Costume Party invite!

so sick...

I was...soooo sick.
13 days of horrible.
Seems to be over now.
Dude seems all set to start
his own version of the plague.

Down but not out...
We enjoyed a shortened visit up north for thanksgiving.

Mama just could not get warm.
At all.
Morning til night.
I spent some time searching for sunshine.

But I still got a few lovely shots.

Ben still had some cousin fun.

Mostly I sat and drank neocitran.

This weekend we spent a couple of nights visiting sweet Macy and her mama Ellie.
A rainy cold Pumpkin Fest.
Or Candyfest as Ben calls it.

Two 4 year olds that play together so well
with each of them wanting to make all of the decisions for the other.
All. The. Time.

Fun to watch actually.

A busy couple of weeks coming up.
Then November.

Yikes!  Where has fall gone already?

Mama, I love you.

In the morning,

in the afternoon,

in the evening

and 

even when you are

so sick

and so cranky.

I love you always mama.

Awww, sweet boy.

I love you too!

Mid Autumn Moon

Tomorrow night we head out for a bit of
Mid Autumn Moon Fun
Part 2.
And I have not even posted about part one yet!

We were invited out to the local Island by ferry
to celebrate under the moon 2 weeks ago.

Friends,

fun,
parachutes

and lanterns...

or "rainbow fishing".

Ferry rides,

lake views
and lovely company.

More photos from Part 2

coming your way soon...

If you die...

My sweet sweet boy.
So full of questions, morning til night, day after day.
here is a sample from the last few weeks...

Mama, if there is a black line on the globe showing the equator
why isn't there a black line painted right on the earth?

Mama, when people drive cars in South America
why don't they fall out of their cars?

followed closely by a long conversation and then ...

Do you think Ms. P in the library has books about gravity?
Will the pictures to help me understand?
Gravity is tricky because it is invisible.

Mama, what do you think Auntie Carol does at home all the time?
Do you think she is lonely and misses us?

Followed closely by a long conversation and then ...

Mama, I think I'm done Kindergarten now.
Can I retire?

Mama, when I looked in the water at the cottage with my eyes open
I didn't see any chains.
Why do scientists say the lakes are full of chains?
Why don't they just say the lakes are full of hungry herbivores and carnivores?
And predators and prey?
That makes more sense.

And yesterday in the car?
A doozy.

Mama, if you die who will I ask the big questions?

(Just saying...playing in the barn is NOT good for mama's eyes.  or nose.  or breathing.  or apparently, her hair.)