Flash-forwards I'm Not Ready to Deal With

A month or two ago my good friend Ray pulled me aside and said, "Hey, tell your girl to keep her hands off my boy." I was stunned and appalled by the affront to my daughter's modesty. But time has apparently borne Ray out. Ever since L got that Li'l Nurse's Kit, things have taken a turn for the parentally problematic. I'd love to say it's all that no-good John boy, but I'm beginning to suspect I have a Delilah on my hands.

It seemed to start off innocent enough: marginally romantic picnics in the backyard, some carefree flirting in the gardening.




Next thing I know, she's chatting up his sister Ruth (obviously trying to get an in), and attempting to sneak in a hug at any op.

And then there's the ever-so-subtle "Hey, mister knight-in-shining-armor, my car seems to be acting funny" ploy. (Don't I know that one well, being one of the more successful weapons in Stacy's arsenal.)

And my future life flew before my eyes.

I would like to think that the last two pictures represent N's attempt to break up the lovey-dovey pair, pull John aside, and give him the "touch my sister and die" speech, but I sadly know in my heart of hearts he was really only trying to get their attention so he could point out a particularly interesting piece of cat poop in Daddy's garden.

Totally Hoopless

He may be getting his height from his mother, but it looks like N gets his coordination squarely from his father.

Girl(talk) Interrupted

L is in our bed way too early this morning, jabbering away incessantly, recounting some extremely important event of days past. As she's verbally gushing she suddenly gets that universally recognized facial paralysis associated irrevocably with an on-coming sneeze. She struggles mightily with the continuance of her story, fighting monumentally to avoid the inevitable. But inevitable it is:

"Ahhhhhhh--KERRCHOOOOO!"

As she wipes the snot from her nose she launches right back into her diatribe, pausing only to mention to Stacy and I, "That was hard to say because a 'bless you' came out."

She Sees Dead People

Evidently L has developed an imaginary friend. This caught Stacy and I rather by surprise. Stacy never had any imaginary friends growing up and neither did I, though it is certainly arguable that I didn't have too many non-imaginary friends either...

L's friend is named "Kiki". Kiki is a little girl, except for the times when he's a boy. She is 3 years old -- except for when he's a baby, or all grown up (that is, over 5). So far Kiki hasn't caused too much trouble. L has yet to announce that the juice on the carpet was Kiki's or that it was really Kiki who pushed her brother N off his chair. So as long as Kiki is well behaved, he/she/it is reluctantly tolerated in the family. But the minute I start suspecting we're in the opening scenes of a Steven King or M. Night Shyamalan movie, I'm calling a psychiatrist and an exorcist, not necessarily in that order.

Red Carpet Ready

What with the Oscars® tonight and all, Grandma Lynne felt it necessary to get the Hollywood hair treatment from two of L.A.'s hottest coiffeurs.

And the Oscar for best hair accoutrements goes to...

C.S.I. Harbor City

L's favorite toys at the moment are her tiny little "Polly Pocket" dolls she got from Aunt Karla. Unfortunately tiny little dolls and tiny little girls do not always good bedfellows make.

Stacy commented that cleaning up her room lately reminds her of certain beach scenes in Jaws...

What Motivated Us to Win the War

Stacy and I have been going through some old photos of her Grandma Bunny and Grandpa Lefty, scanning them and organizing them and trying to identify people and places. It's been a lot of fun, more so because Bunny and Lefty like the fact that she’s doing it and are eager to provide the stories and backgrounds of each. (We greatly regret that we never had the chance to talk with her maternal grandmother Ann before she passed away – there are so many pictures we have of that side of the family that we can’t identify or place.)

One of the things we’ve noticed in going through Bunny and Lefty’s photos is what a babe she was, and what a stud he was! Stacy comes of good stock. Good news for L and N, because they’re not going to get a lot of help from Daddy’s side!

Lefty (on the left, of course) and a friend during the war.


Bunny, who should have been a pin-up girl.


No, really, a pin-up girl...


Beauties and the Booze: Bunny (left) and her friends making sailors across the country recommit themselves to the fight.



Lefty (center) and more navy buddies.


Wow! How did Hollywood miss these two?