This note from the girlchild greeted me on the dining table when I walked in the door last night, just after sunset. I was gone four days and three nights, far far away.
“I LOVE YOO BABA AND I OLSO WIHC YOO WR HER.” Or, to the trained eye: “I love you Baba and I also [...]

A cameraphone pic of the big sister helping the little brother as they romp around on the hay bales near The Edible Schoolyard’s tool shed and chicken coop.
When the going gets tough, the tough (read: me and the kiddles) go to either Little Farm, or The Edible Schoolyard.  Clearly there’s some  kinda search for the [...]

Girl child: Baba, [name of little brother] just poked me with his finger.
Baba: Well, punkin, what might you want to say to him?
Girl child (turning carefully to address her little brother): [name of boy child], I don’t like it when you poke me with your finger. Next time, when you’re angry or frustrated, I want [...]

Baba [to the lil' monkey, following a lengthy parental disqusition about something or another, after which, crickets]: I get the feeling you’re not reallly listening to me.
Pause.
Lil’ monkey: What did you just say?

…I give you, lil’ monkey’s second first day of school. See the image at right, from yesterday’s post, for a glimpse of the stalwart toughie, her first first day.  
Note above, by stark contrast, the relaxed demeanor on this year’s model.  What a difference a year of loving community-building can do.  
Note the lack of [...]

This week, the lil’ monkey’s preschool is on vacation. As evidenced by the yawning gaps between posts, I find myself with a bit more childcare on my hands. In between our many trips to the zoo, the arboretum, the natural history museum, the botanical garden, the planetarium, and the Museum of Modern Art, [...]

Who’s having more fun: kid, or babysitter? You be the judge.
 
One of the lil’ monkey’s two childcare-for-voice lessons caregivers cared for her for the last time today. Most likely. She’s a recently graduated high school senior, virtually matriculated college freshman. She’s off to Boston any day now.
They had spent the morning together [...]

This evening the lil’ monkey took umbrage at being interrupted to come to dinner.  She had been spelling her name out over and over, along with sundry other words and non-words.
Baba: Why in the Sam Hill did you just whack Mama?!
Lil’ Monkey: Because I wanted to find some harassing way to get her to let [...]