Lately

Sushi by candlelight.


You never know when you'll have to go into battle.


I think it's pretty cool that long past their days of watching Toy Story, my two boys saw these Lego sets and revisited their love of these characters. I am constantly surprised at how they revisit and repurpose toys that I would have thought they had outgrown. That's why we have kept almost everything (on the few occasions we have made a toy purge, we've regretted it, remembering some toy that would be perfect for some new idea). It does get a bit cluttered sometimes, but I love to see how they mix and match to create something fabulous.


I'm not sure why anyone still uses styrofoam packing peanuts, but I am sure that the shredding of them against a trash can and the subsequent distribution of said shreds throughout the house is a good way to release some of the mad that built up inside one little boy. It is positively amazing how this stuff sticks to everything.


Showdown.

Acute Observation

Max just said to me, "I think unusual is the opposite of popular." (That has definitely been my experience!)

Super Taster

Max, after taking a sip from a glass of water that was sitting on the kitchen table:
"Ugh, it tastes like old jeans from 1978."

Conversation with Otto

Otto: What's the book we used to read?
Me: Um, what was it about?
Otto: I don't know...just...remember?
Me: Was it about baking?
(We were making cookies at the time, so that seemed logical.)
Otto: No!!! We used to read it a long time ago.
Me: Um...was it a Dr. Seuss book?
Otto: I don't know. Remember?
Me: Can you remember any part of it? That would help me guess.
Otto: Ugh, don't you remember?!
Me: Should we look at our bookshelves and see if we can find it?
Otto: (exasperated expression)
Me: (stalling) Um....

To Give a Vacuum a Cupcake

Tonight, to our utter amazement, Max vacuumed up a cupcake in its entirety. And by "vacuumed it up," I am not making a clever euphemism for "enthusiastically ate the fluffy sweet goodness with speed and determination." No, he actually sucked it up with our cute little yellow vacuum cleaner, and Miele (for that's her name) digested that cupcake with such speed that we wondered if she had been waiting for such a treat for her entire life. It's no surprise, really, since her usual treats consist of small Lego bits and action figure accessories.

Two Days of Sledding

We had beautiful sunny weather on Tuesday and Wednesday, and it warmed up to a balmy 35, so it felt downright tropical to be out there. We took advantage of the combination of sun and snow and took to the slopes (I always wanted to say that!) at Horner Park. The hills in Chicago are almost nonexistent, and this one is pretty modest, but it was fun, nonetheless. Max and Otto declared them to be two of the best days ever.

Observation of the Day

Otto: I feel like germs are camping out on my tongue.

Station Surfing

Otto searched the radio for some music, and he landed on a smooth jazz station and said, "I like this!" And now he's listening to Hall and Oates.

Whatever Keeps Them Warm

Max and Otto put their Lego minifugures to sleep next to us in the bed, using the "cape" from them as a blanket, only they decided it was a Snuggie.