Tuesday, September 29, 2009

She's no Lelaina Pierce

Tonight, when Celeste started to wipe some Coritzone-10 on the PoƤng in Quinn's room (Quinn had a patch of eczema on her knee and Celeste wanted to feel the cream), I said: "Thanks for wiping your hand on the chair."

Without missing a beat, Celeste said: "You're being ironic."

Monday, September 28, 2009

The Porch

Many of the houses in our neighborhood have front porches. Some are well used, others underused. There are a few with couches on them, and one, up the street from us, used to have a piano on it. For the past few years, our porch has been more eyesore than retreat. We've needed to repair some of the boards and repaint, and it's been a parking place for kids' toys and our stroller collection.

Earlier this summer, I finally gave up on the illusion that I was ever going to manage the repairs myself. Between a lack of time, a lack of tools and a bit of trepidation about how I'd prop up the roof to repair/replace the columns, I got a bid from a guy who did a good job fixing a neighbor's porch.

Weather delays and a gradual creep in how extensively we wanted things done meant it about two and a half weeks before the carpentry was done. The painting was done by another chap (a friend of the carpenter who gave us a fairly low price and an assurance that it would be done quickly) over the next weekend.

On Saturday, I touched up the paint on the metal work and rehung the transmitter for the weather station (we're still deciding whether or not we to change the house numbers and whether or not to move the flag pole). We also rehung the swing.

About two years ago, the swing was banished to beneath the porch because we needed a place for the jogging stroller and the big double stroller — our old between-the-wars house has no garage, or driveway for that matter, nor a shed. Now the double stroller is slated for Craigslist or the thrift store and the jogging stroller has been given an accessible-but-not-so-visible home beneath the porch, and the swing is back in its rightful place.

It needs a coat of paint (Evelin is thinking purple), but even in its shabby-chic state, we're all enjoying its presence. Tonight, as I pulled up in front of the house, there were the girls, swinging away ...

The PorchThe PorchThe Porch


Swing!

Sunday, September 06, 2009

I Blame The Princess Bride

After dinner, as Quinn was running around outside, she ran over to the imaginary pet store to get a cocker spaniel. However, she was only calling it a "cocker" (which is the name of one of Celeste's toy dogs, a cocker spaniel).

I said something about a "cocker spaniel" and she corrected me, "No, daddy. Cockers are dogs. Spaniels are people."

It took me a few moments, but then I asked her if she thought I was talking about "Spaniards." Turns out that's what it was ... although while she agrees Spaniards are people, she doesn't quite buy that spaniels are dogs ...

Friday, September 04, 2009

Lordy, Lordy, Look Who's Five!


Birthday Cereal
Originally uploaded by T Carter
She's not getting a candle on every bit of food, but for a five-year-old's first meal of the day ... why not!

Wednesday, September 02, 2009

An Editor's Child

This morning Celeste noted that "ex-cit-ed" had three syllables, which meant two hyphens ... and I quote, "Hyphens. I love those guys."