Talia playing with balloons

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Today's updates:

• 14:28 4-yr-old epistemology: "Some people don't believe in Rudolph. I DO believe in Rudolph, but I CAN'T believe he has a red nose."

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Today's updates:

• 19:29 Zeke: "I don't believe Santa lives at the North Pole. How could he live in an igloo, with so many toys, a sleigh, and REINDEER?"

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Today's updates:

• 23:04 Zeke told me: "Daddy, my stocking is so nice and clean, Santa wouldn't want to put dirty coal in it." He's genuinely concerned. #fb

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Spotted in the playground at Zeke's school. He has the makings of a tagger

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Zeke shows off some moves

I don't think this really requires much explanation.

Today's updates:

• 07:23 Zeke (4) channels Erving Goffman: "Daddy! Pretend you're you, I'm me, and Talia's her." But then: "And pretend we didn't poop on you."

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Today's updates:

• 19:50 Zeke (4), holding a toy: "If I swung this at you and hit you, you would die. But I usually don't swing it at my parents or friends."

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A photo of Talia playing outside

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Zeke and his friend tackle a dilemma

A few days ago, I overheard the following discussion between Zeke and his best friend K. We were all in the car.

K.: I wish I could have my sister's bed. I want to have my own room and sleep in my own bed. But I also want my mommy to be there with me so I can hug her in the night.
Z.: Hm. Well, you could dream something up. You could (pause) ... you could build a ramp. And if in the night you felt like you wanted a hug, you could (pause) ... you could walk on the ramp and go into your mommy's room and get a hug.
K. Hm.

If you could climb into your head

Tonight Zeke was asking me about why some big trucks have bunks above their cabs. I explained that it was so the drivers could sleep if they were taking long trips. He then wanted to know how the trucks kept driving while their drivers slept. I explained that they didn't. He was, it seems, thinking about the image of a driver climbing up into a bunk above the cab of his truck and looking out those little windows. He thought for a minute and then remarked:

Daddy -- wouldn't it be funny if there was a window in your head, and you could climb up into your head and look out the window? And then your head would be bouncing around with you in it.

A little pre-Hallowe'en test run

Talia hasn't really gotten into it much yet.

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The kids' first day of school

This photo is a little out of date -- from last Monday -- but here it is.

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What Zeke said at bedtime tonight

Zeke was in fine form at bedtime tonight. He asked me a series of questions, more or less as follows:

1. What color is your brain? Is it light red? (I said "Gray," and his response was, "Ew!")
2. Why does your brain have so many cracks in it?
   
3. What would happen if I stuck my finger in my brain? Ew.
   
4. Why do we need a skull?
   
5. How old are these (holding his two favorite stuffed animals)? Not like, "one, two, three, four," but like, "old and shaggy." They're new to me.
6. Is a dream like a little movie in your head? It's like I have a computer set in my head.
   
7. In Greek myths, why does it say that the Earth had babies and they turned into one-eyed Cyclops and Zeus didn't like them?
   

Also, his favorite bedtime song has changed. It used to be a lullaby ("Hush, Little Baby, Don't Say a Word"). Now it's "Summertime."

Today's updates:

• 19:42 Zeke, getting out of the bath: "Daddy! I didn't wash my hair. But I DID get out all the toe jam!"

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Zeke told a "scary story" in the car tonight

We were driving home after nightfall, and I made some comment about
how we were driving through the dark and it was kind of spooky. Zeke
asked if we wanted him to tell a scary story. Talia and I said yes.
His voice got really low and he began reciting a long, incantatory,
ex tempore poem. All I remember is this:

 

Storm clouds! Skeletons! And ghost deers!

Point a rock and throw you dead.
Broke you to a flaming
wheel.

Bash.
Crash.
Bam.
Broke.

 That's it.

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Talia showing off the magic-marker manicure her brother gave her

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ice cream

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Zeke playing with Mr Potato Head

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Today's updates:

• 17:43 Zeke says his favorite car is a "Jeepie S." (i.e., a GPS) because they go so fast

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