Jack and I spent some quality afternoon time together earlier this week.  We got him a much-needed (and very hip) haircut and then stopped by Soup Peddler to see what we might find delicious for dinner.

We ended up eating a super early dinner there, because Jack was adamant about having a grilled cheese sandwich IMMEDIATELY.  I respect the urgency with which we sometimes need a grilled cheese, you know? (I also wasn't going to argue because they had mulligatawny that day.  SCORE!)

He was a little pensive.  Apparently, when you are almost six, you get pensive.  A few weeks ago, it was about the devastating fact that he IS NOT YET SIX.  This was a cataclysm.  I had the unfortunate responsibility to explain that we cannot fix that.  We just have to tough it out, day by day, until the glorious sixth year begins.

We were also pensive about Nutella this morning.  Jack is allowed to have "chocolate toast," (aka, wheat toast with Nutella) one morning a week.  He had it on Monday.  He knew it.  Durel knew it.  I knew it.  

He demanded chocolate toast.  He whined.  He pointed to the pantry emphatically.  He went to the pantry and handed me the Nutella.  (I put it back, but on the top shelf, with the booze.  Touche.)  

Sometimes, you have to stay strong.  We stayed strong.  We hoped that the five bites of Cheerios he grudgingly ate would hold him over until morning snack time.

The struggle is real, you know?

Really though, the pensive moods are pretty quick and infrequent.  They are vastly overshadowed by the ten gazillion things that we are REALLY PSYCHED about.  These things include:  kindergarten, soccer, Sawyer, Star Wars, the new beanbag chairs that Durel bought, chocolate toast (it's really important, you guys), learning to read, and math. 

For instance, this happened:  

Jack:  Mom.  What's 900 + 200?

Me:    Eleven hundred.

Jack:  Nooooo!  That's not a real number!  Ha ha ha!

Me:   Right, OK.  900 + 200 equals one thousand, one hundred.  But sometimes, you can also call that number eleven hundred.  It's like a nickname for one thousand one hundred.

Jack:   [eyes wide; mind blown]  Oh...

Three days later, every picture Jack drew at home was of eleven hundred.  The pictures are folded up like secret notes from middle school, taped with washi tape, and solemnly handed to their intended recipients.

Eleven hundred, you guys. 

Hope the clouds pass quickly and the realizations are momentous.

Talk soon,

Heather

chippy the christmas elf

Well, I did it.  It's the last day of 2014, and we STILL don't have an Elf on the Shelf.  

Jack requested one this year.  He was pretty cute about it (as he is), but I stayed strong.

Jack:  "Mom.  We need an elf on the shelf, to watch us!"

Me:    "No, we don't.  Santa is watching.  We're covered."

Jack:   "But, Mom!  I've already named him!  His name is Chippy!"

I'm sorry for you, Chippy.  I hope you find a nice home somewhere.  I hope you entertain other kids with G-rated holiday antics involving candy canes and powdered sugar and whatever else you get into.  

Editor's Note:  I specify "G-rated" antics not because I have a devious mind (at least, not in this context), but because I can't not think of the Inappropriate Elf contest held by Baby Rabies in years past, which is full of gems such as:

(Image credit)
Because if I can't do this, I'm not doing it at all.

As luck would have it, Jack has decided that the Christmas pajamas I got him (Sawyer has a matching set, natch) are his "elf suit."

And so I ask you, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, if I have a real life elf, why do I need a fake one named Chippy?

My elf is much cooler, anyway.

Elf Jack accompanied Uncle James and Durel to Central Market for some holiday fixings.
En route, they enjoyed a leisurely holiday lunch at Red's Porch.
These pjs are street style.

Elf Jack listened to some block rockin' beats on Eli's iPad.
These pjs mix.

Elf Jack posed on his new skateboard from Santa,
right next to Durel's new skateboard from Santa.
These pjs don't bail.

Elf Jack likes taun tauns, Green Lantern Legos, and skateboards.
These pjs are ALL BOY.

Hope your street style dazzles someone today.

Talk soon.  Like next year.  

Heather

we've apparently lost our minds

This just happened.

I will now attempt to answer what I imagine your questions to be.

1.  Did you just give Jack a set of drums? 

     Yes.  You are very observant.

2.  Like, at your house?  

     Yes.

3.  Like, six weeks before Christmas?  

Um, yes.  We purchased them as a Christmas gift, initially.  However, the Davies family is genetically incapable of holding onto gifts for very long.  This ailment is apparently contagious, because it was Durel's idea to give the drums early.

4.  Aren't they loud?  

Yes, they are.  Particularly because four year old drummers don't have a lot of, shall we say, percussive nuance.  He just beats the shit out of those things.  Which means that yes, it is quite loud.

5.  DON'T YOU HAVE A BABY?  

Yes, we do.  We have the coolest baby on the planet, and the drums don't bother him.  Even when he's in bed.

6.  Oh, Jack's room is far away from Sawyer's room?  

No.  They share a wall.

7.  Have you lost your minds?  

Probably.

8.  What on earth are you thinking?

Drums are fun.  Childhood is far too fast, and you only get to do it once.

9.  Can your friends come over and play these drums?

Yes. You should bring wine.

10.  So, is it possible that you guys aren't crazy after all?

I knew I liked you.  Don't forget the wine.

Hope you carpe the hell out of that diem.

Talk soon,

Heather

everything looks like jello

One of the things I love about the boys' school is that they Really Celebrate Halloween.  

Durel and I recklessly missed the (amazing) Fall Festival this year because we chose to go to ACL and wear our "grown-ups" costumes (see what I did there?).  So, there was no collective family costume this year.  

Don't worry, we're already discussing what we will be next year.  Jack's current suggestion is that Durel should be a hot dog, I should be a cookie, he is a french fry, and Sawyer is a piece of popcorn.  

(We'll see how negotiations go.  We have a good ten months before I have to begin construction.)

Anyway, their school has a costume parade on Halloween.  Bless the infant teachers, who wrestle all their adorable little babies into their costumes and take pictures of them.

Bless the pre-K teachers for harnessing the collective energy of more than a dozen 4 year olds who are in costume and ABOUT TO EAT ALL THE CANDY.

Here's how this panned out:

Of course, we took it to the streets that evening.  More on that to come.

In the meantime, ponder Jack's statement that, with his Darth Vader mask on, "Everything looks like Jello."

Hope you have a gelatinous view today.

Talk soon,

Heather

hey, durel...

In 2001, I met a handsome guy named Durel with a really sweet Southern accent.  I got a crush on him.  Our first date involved beer, some dude with a TV show on public access cable, and his friend the rabbi who wouldn't answer his phone.  We've never been boring.

Today is Durel's birthday.

He's been my best friend for more than a decade, my husband for almost a decade, an amazing dad for five years, and Coach D to the formidable DC Dragons four year old soccer team for a month or so.

He's great.  And given the amount of ink I spill about Jack's birthdays, I had to take a moment and thoroughly embarrass Durel by spilling a little ink in his honor.

Hope you get some well-deserved props today.

Talk soon,
Heather

brussel sprouts and grandiose aspirations

Before you have children, you have grandiose aspirations of what your parenting style will be.  

Those grandiose aspirations are also TOTAL BULLSHIT.  

This is because they are concocted, in large part, as you sip a nice Chilean Malbec at a nice restaurant while you pretend that you are not judging the nice family across the dining room.  You are, in fact, judging them, and you should not be.  First of all, because it's not nice to judge people.  Second of all, you should be applauding them because if they are at the same nice restaurant as you, they are doing a lot of things right.

As a matter of fact, that family might be mine.  So you should definitely be sending over a dessert to congratulate us for doing such a good job.  OK?

*     *     *     *     *

I, for example, was certain that my children would not be the ones eating food while at the grocery store.

[Hang on; let me stop laughing AT MYSELF.]  

Right.  Anyway.  I also was certain that my kids would not be the ones who refused to eat anything but chicken nuggets and french fries.

As for Jack, I will say that much is true.  He isn't that kid.  He will eat almost anything.  However, the route we took to get there and how I feel about it are VERY different than my naive pre-children self would have imagined.

We have always offered Jack bits of what we were eating.  And he happened to like most of it.  We are really, ridonkulously lucky.  End of story.

*     *     *     *     *

Here is Jack the Gourmand through the ages (so far).

*     *     *     *     *

Here's the latest addition to the gallery.

Seaweed salad, with a side of HAM.

Hope you crave something salty and silly today.

Talk soon,

Heather

what say ye, Scots?

It's an historic day in Scotland.  Voters will go to the polls to decide if Scotland should be an independent country.

Granted, new countries form.  It's a done thing.  But it's not a done thing in the United Kingdom.  The ceremony was televised when Hong Kong was handed back to China in 1997.  I watched intently.  I was a newly-minted college graduate living in a studio apartment in Baltimore at the time.  Ick.  But, I digress.  

I was nerdily fascinated to watch an ancient contract expire (perhaps a nod to my future law career) and to watch the United Kingdom change (as I am an unabashed Anglophile).

I also used to live in Ireland -- the Republic of Ireland, that is.  To be there is to learn by osmosis of the history and pride of their hard-earned independence from Great Britain.  It's also nice to be in a packed pub in Galway and announce that your grandmother was a Kelly -- and to have the entire pub cheer and raise their glasses to you.  (That happened.)

And so, it's on my mind that I am proudly part Scottish.  My mom's grandmother was a Scot -- a MacDonald, in fact.

In other words, I can't wait to see what the results are.

Sawyer wants to know, too.

Hoping that you feel interested and independent today.

Talk soon,
Heather

in honor of ryan gosling

Sawyer wanted me to share this meme.  He couldn't wait until Monday.

He says, "In twenty years, it's ON, Ryan Gosling."

Not sure there is much else to say.

Hope your day is full of materials you like.

Talk soon,
Heather

jack on music

We have had Jack in music classes for a while.  He is in the "starter" class offered by the School of Rock.  

Truth:  I like saying that Jack is in the School of Rock.  

But also, Durel and I really appreciate music and understand that it's an awesome thing to teach to and foster in children.  Music is enriching and beautiful.  And fun.

Since four year olds are pretty taciturn, we don't hear stories about music class, as much as we try to cajole them out of him.

However, the evening after class this week, I heard him quietly singing:

"I'd like to be ... under the sea ... in an octopus's garden... in the shade..."

I did not control my excitement well, which is a rookie mistake.  He did not sing another word for me that evening.  BUT at least I know that my love of the Beatles is hereditary.

As if to punctuate that point, the school then sent me this:

Music to my ears.

Hope you get to drive someone's car today.

Talk soon,

Heather

the one with robot dinosaurs

In our previous forays to Duke City, Durel and I had focused on things like eating green chiles by the truckload, smelling the burning pinon with rapture, and trying to be tourists without looking like tourists.

Four year olds are not widely known for their ability to eat spicy food by the truckload or smell things as a finite activity.  (Well, maybe the latter isn't true, but if they can do that, we are choosing to smell different things.)

So, we broadened our scope.  As it turns out, Albuquerque is home to the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science.  They have lots of cool dinosaur stuff there, on the regular. 

But, wait for it, when we were there, they also had a traveling exhibit of ROBOT DINOSAURS.  

I'll let Jack's face do the talking here.

Sawyer didn't really care.  But the rest of us thought it was pretty cool.

hanging out

When Jack says "hang out," he pronounces it with a hard "G."

So, Jack doesn't hang out.  He hanGs out.

I guess Jack sees Durel and I enough that time spent with us doesn't qualify as "hanGing out."  However,  it's quite the opposite with Aunt Kiki and Uncle Dagwood.

See?

I hope you get to spend some time hanging out (hard G or not) with someone you totally dig today.

Talk soon,
Heather

a lyrical genius?

Jack takes music classes at school once a week.  Since he's 4 going on 14, we don't always hear the details of how music class was, but he drops clues that it's going well.

-- Walking around the house, singing, "Hello.  I love you won't you tell me your name?  Hello.  I love you let me jumpintoyourgame."

-- Observing on TV:  "Mom.  That's just an ACOUSTIC guitar."

Apparently his burgeoning music career has also made him listen more critically to the radio when we are in the car.  Specifically, he isn't sure that most songs are named the right, or most logical, thing.

Jack:    Mom, what is this song called?
Me:      Magic.
Jack:    [listens]  It should be called "I Don't Know."

Jack:     Mom, what is this song called?
Me:       Pompeii.
Jack:     [listens]  It should be called "If You Close Your Eyes."





The one song he hasn't bothered to rename, because we are both far too busy singing it, is La La La.  Don't judge.  It's catchy.

(Editor's Note:  The real video is cool, but seeing Sam Smith live is better.  And then David Letterman comes out at the end and is delightfully awkward.)



So, in the wake of becoming a big brother, that's what Jack's been up to lately.

Hope you rock out today.

Talk soon,
Heather

BatChristmas, 2013

I hope you had a fantastic holiday.

We did.  In no particular order, I will remember this Christmas as the one with a lot of homemade candy, turkey, and Batman.

(Note:  I hadn't actually made fudge before.  I made it on Christmas Eve. I didn't broadcast that it was my first attempt in life at making fudge.  I attempted to vibe out an air of expertise on the matter, actually.  And it must have worked because apparently, it was quite good.  Because, compliments aside, it was eaten.)

(Note:  I am a stalwart defender of the baked turkey.  Aside from the obvious issue that fried turkey gives me flashbacks to my Torts exam in law school, which are certain to last forever in something which may or may not resemble emotional distress, I just don't see the point in the extra calories.  But you couldn't have told me that as we gobbled (intended) the fried turkey as soon as it came out of the fryer.  A point which Durel hastened to make.  I think I actually growled at him.)

As for the Batman stuff, well...

This photo has, starting at the top and going clockwise:  insane Christmas morning hair, Superman Underoos, the BatBoat, Ironman sneakers, and the Gotham City prison.  This is serious, people.

This one has, clockwise from the top:  the BatBoat, Gotham City prison, (partially obscured) BatCave, and in the center, the BatStare.

This one features Tow Mater pajamas (soon to become hopelessly uncool, I suspect), and the BatBook (which I will soon have memorized).

And, to round it out, we have the BatSmile and the BatJammies.

Also, despite the fact that Jack has never seen the Adam West Batman show, he's learned that the right thing to say when you race around your grandparents' house with the BatBoat is:  "Nananananananana nananananananana BATMAN!"

Because, how can you not?

Hope your new shoes make you feel like a superhero today.

Talk soon,
Heather

what we've been up to

I got a text from one of my besties the other day, requesting that I send her some new pictures of Jack.  In that way that only besties can, she told me frankly that I'd been far too quiet on the blog for her liking.

a) Besties are awesome.  b) I totally did flake out for a while.  Sorry!  c)  Work has been kicking my ass lately.  But I've been kicking back, so it's fine.

Anyway, Jack's New Big Thing is building tents.  

There was some cardboard, you see.

And then there was a great idea.  

Add some tools, some creative juices, and BAM!  A tent like you've never seen graced our dining room.

It was a cozy place to share stories from our respective busy days as LawDog and Dolphin.

We were both quite tickled with it, as you can see.

So, you know.  Tents rule.

Hope you've been building fun things lately, too.

Talk soon,
Heather

friends in texas

I am not a big fan of getting older.  (Every birthday I have, I pretend I don't care about the number, but that's really because I've spent the last 6 months "trying on" that age in my head, so by the time it rolls around, I'm almost used to it.)  (Also, I am very Type A.)

I am a big fan of realizing that you've been friends with someone for over ten years.  

I am an even bigger fan of realizing that their spouse, whom you have not met before, is like totally your best friend separated from birth.

Enter:  Kristin and Brandon.

Brandon and I went to law school together.  We were in the same section, so OBVS we're close and have stayed friends.  (Just kidding; it doesn't really work that way.  Our section was just really cool.  But, I digress.)  He married Kristin a few years ago in a stunning wedding that Durel and I could not attend because Jack was a baby and we were exhausted and broke.

They recently came to Austin for a few days.  It was super duper fun.  Super.  Duper.  Fun.

Here's some of what we experienced.

We also experienced 100+ degree temperatures, hours of awesome conversation, lots of wine, and lots of pettings, as demanded by Pablo and Lucy.

Suffice it to say, carnivorous, wine-drinking, intelligent, fun friends who you've either known for a decade or feel like you have, well, I like those.

Hope you have some laughs and some brisket today.

Talk soon,
Heather

turning japanese I really think so

I could go on and on about all of the cool things that Jack likes to eat.  But that would be ridiculously annoying.  So, here's the list of what he does not like to eat:  

• macaroni and cheese
• eggs

Other than the fact that if the laws of quantum mechanics and nutrition were inverted, that's pretty much ALL I would eat, um, that's just weird.

Last night, Mom and Dad and Jack and I went out for sushi.  Mom is on a low sodium diet, per her doctors' orders.  It's a challenge.  (Salt is delicious.)

Anyway, Mom really wanted a cheeseburger, and Dad was pretty much on board.  (Cheeseburgers are delicious.)  (See also:  Cheeseburgers are salty.)

So, I chose a moderately risky roulette game to decide the matter of food.  Trying to be a good influence and all.  It shook down like this:

Me:      Jack, what would you like to have for dinner?  Sushi or a cheeseburger?

Jack:    SUSHI!!!

Mom:   Oh...OK, then.  Sushi it is.

Dad:     Wow!  OK.  Sushi then?

Me:      YES.

We had a great time.  Mom and Dad were happy with the choice, in that way that you know you've made the healthy choice and then it rocks.

And as for Jack?  

He got lost in a fog of miso seaweed deliciousness.

Not so lost, however, that he couldn't DEMOLISH a ridiculous amount of them.

He ate that entire bowl of seaweed salad.  And half the soup.

On the way out, I took him over to the sushi bar and taught him to say "arigato" to the sushi chefs.  It was so cute that my heart may or may not have splintered into a quadrillion pieces.

Hope you have a day low in sodium and high in satisfaction.

Talk soon,

Heather

joining the ranks of greatness

What do these people have in common?

Sir Paul McCartney

Sir Winston Churchill

Charlie Chaplin

Jimi Hendrix

Babe Ruth

Jack

Yup.  They're all left-handed.

Which is clearly a sign that Jack is a genius who is destined for greatness.   We just have to wait and see if it's with a baseball bat, guitar, diplomacy, or a bowler hat and humor.

Hope you dream great things today.

Talk soon,

Heather (also left-handed)