In reverse order, the removal of the Movember Beard Experiment

Does it work with just the soul patch? Uhm... that'd be No.

And this? Get. That. Off. Your. Face. Now.

The full beard was pretty cute, I have to say. But it itched til it drove the poor man mad. Movember, move on please. The cause goes on; the facial hair must go.

I'm listening... with my giant pink ears.

I asked Audrey if that was a pink bow in my hair and she said, "No. Those are your hairy ears."

!!

Overheard, from the guy in the cast...

Pa Skip (my dad) to Audrey: "So, who broke the poles on your tent?"
Audrey (roll of the eyes, points with thumb ruefully): "The guy in the cast."


Calvin, after long excited speech from Audrey about the possibility of the TOOTH FAIRY visiting us sometime in the next year:  "And is the Leg Fairy going to bring me a new leg?"

Calvin turns 3 (Piñatas after dark)

Never let sunset stop you from taking your family out into the yard, standing in a small circle in the dark and swinging wildly at a moving object with a baseball bat. It's an especially good idea if one of you is wearing a body cast.

This seemed the perfect party activity for Calvin. He needed help scooping the candy off the grass (and even the three kids doing that were aided by flashlights) but we found joy in the simple pleasures: a foam baseball bat, a paper mache fire-engine, and the pent up frustrations of three weeks in a spica cast to expend.

Followed by pizza, cake, loud singing, and a long Hot Wheels car race, rigged so Calvin could win.  Pa Skip and Nanu, Uncle Hank, Auntie Rebecca and the girls were all here to help celebrate. And Calvin presided happily from chair (secured by cargo strap) and bean-bag. Low Lord of the Manor.

Happy birthday my ferocious and willful and dear little son! We love you.

Saoirse and Audrey at Hanuman's Munj

These delightful young women are attending the Munj (thread ceremony) of Saoirse's older brother, Han, whom we've known basically all his life-- I think Scott was officially the first visitor who burst in on Han's parents at Mt Auburn after Han was born.

We were very pleased indeed to be at the event with Han's family and friends from all over-- Toronto! California! Greater Arlington! And it was one of Calvin's first trips out of the house after The Scootering Event so just breathing air outside my own living room was good.

If you don't know what a Munj is about, as I didn't until Han's came about, you can read more here.  It's kind of like a Hindi bar mitzvah? That's culturally cloddish of me to say, I know-- but we WASPS don't have a tradition to compare. I wish we did.

Spiderman and Hello Kitty hit the road for Halloween 2012

Hello Kitty make-up by mom. Thank you very much; I know, it *does* look really professional. And the costume department took scissors to the Spiderman union suit and made it a kind of tunic, which worked out fine. Spidey will be back in rehearsals soon. The SHOW MUST GO ON.

Audrey reviewing the haul.


Tip for parents: to save time and collect lots of sympathy from the neighborhood, bundle your smallest Trick-or-Treater in a body cast AND a costume, then have him call weakly "trick or treat..." from the bottom of the steps and explain that he can't climb up the stairs due to his injuries.  Your candy haul will increase 10 fold!

Overheard, Calvin, upon opening candy bar:
"ooooooohhhhhhhhhyeeeeeeeaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh...."

Overheard, Audrey, after several candy bars eaten between houses:
"Hey, Mom! I threw up but nothing came out of my mouth!"