Ditto

We were playing school. This is a very popular game along the lines of "Follow the Leader." Maddie, apparently tired of my continuing to claim it was time to lay out my nap mat, suggested a new game.

"Daddy, now we're playing Nana's house and I'm Nana."

She cradled my head. "You'll always be my grand-daughter," she told me. "Love you forever."

The Kids

Hunter and hunted

Pillows and blankets were piled all around creating a formidable obstacle course. Maddie was working her way over a particularly bumpy patch. Caleb crouched atop the highest point ready to pounce. With the timing of a cheetah after his prey, he lept.

The tackle, for a football fan, was a thing of beauty: head in front of his target, wrap up, drive the legs through the point of contact. This kid has a future.

Decisions

"Caleb, do you want to watch Cars?"
"Ya"
"Or do you want to watch Nemo?"
"Ya"
"Cars?"
"Ya"
"Which one buddy. Cars or Nemo?"
"Ummm...Ne-Cars."

Princess Presto

"Daddy, the princess needs to go to the ball."
"OK"
"Well...she can't go to the ball without her gloves."
"Oh, right." I fetch the gloves.
"Well...she can't go to the ball without her wand, Silly Daddy."
"Of course. Silly, indeed." I fetch the wand.
"Daddy, she can't go to the ball without her purse."
"Clearly." I fetch the purse. "Is that everything."
"Yes...but she can't go to the ball without her daddy."
My pleasure.

Caleb-ese

Cah = car, clock, croc (as in the shoe), Lightning McQueen, also used to express general excitement
Ah (hard "h") = off, on (context is clearly important here)
Goga/Kaka = dog
Nah = Nana
choo-choo = train, Thomas
Gode-nee = Gordon
Moo = cow, animals generally
Pss = please
Moo pss = more please; specifically in reference to scones, lollipops, and Cheez-Its
Mee-mo = Nemo, Elmo
Anonie = another
I do, I do = responding to our asking Maddie if she wants to do something

Mommy was mastered long ago, usually pronounced Mah-MEE accompanied by a "come here" gesture. We're still waiting for "daddy," who is generally hailed with "cah."

The Flying Bench

We went to Sugarbush, Vermont over the weekend to ski. It was Maddie's and Caleb's first time on the mountain. Maddie got skis and Caleb got a sled. This was not well received by Caleb.

Maddie, for her part, was in heaven riding the "magic carpet," a conveyor belt to move kids up the bunny hill (a vast improvement over the burn-inducing rope tow of my day), and then riding down with Katie. I took Caleb home quite early due to his inability to cope with not doing everything his sister did.

After a few hours back at the ski house, Papa J showed up with Maddie. "Daddy, the bench flewed," she told me with grand gesticulation. "It went around and around and then it flied us up the hill."

Kaka

Uncle Mikey (that's what the kids call him) brought his dog, Samson, up from South Carolina for the holidays. He and Caleb became fast friends chasing each other up and down Martha's hallway.

Caleb stands at one end and yells, "Kaka!" (his version of "dog"). Samson, a Rottweiler of considerable heft, responds by sprinting from the other end and skidding to a stop inches before trampling the poor kid. They kiss...yes, on the mouth, exchange toys and repeat.

Maddie eventually warmed up to Samson as well and the game transformed into a three-way chase around the dining room table with joyful screaming all the while.

Bright Horizons

Periodically, the kids ride the train (the "T" in Boston vernacular) with me to work and I drop them off at the Bright Horizons Day Care center across the street from my office. Today was such a day. We traversed the snow to the T stop and boarded. Caleb, for his part, could not stop yelling "Choo-choo" at the top of his lungs for the duration of the 20 minute ride in crowded quarters.

After a switch to a bus for the final leg and ascending with much fanfair three escalators ("exeluters" in Maddie speak) we arrived at the Center. "Daddie, I love Bright Horizons," Maddie declared. "But you can't bring me every day, only on special days. OK?" OK.

Morning Routine

5:00 a.m.--Caleb moans, not softly. I ignore, not easily. Moans continue.
5:15 a.m.--I go to Caleb's room. "Car," he says pointing to the door. I take him into our bed and he falls into a restless sleep on my chest.
5:45 a.m.--Caleb sits in our bed. "Car," he yells pointing to the door.
5:50 a.m.--Caleb watches Cars and enjoys his one-minute microwaved milk. I doze on the couch.

Repeat daily.

Santa's House

We went for a Christmas light drive last Saturday and found on Jamaica Plain Way a home to rival the Griswold's. I was curious as to the carbon footprint of the place. Maddie and Caleb were, of course, fully absorbed. Candles, candy canes, trains, Winnie the Pooh, and on top, Santa Clause. "Is this Santa's house?" Maddie asked. "Yes."