Blessing for a Dead Ladybug

My 6-year-old daughter (who is a cat as well as a human) discovered a dead ladybug in the house the other day and said this impromptu blessing:

"By the great Cat Lord may you be blessed in the underworld. Our great Lord Hades will bless you as his very companion. And you will be so ever-on blessed, until your soul floats up into the sky to join the other souls. Amen."

Fergus Does Montreal, April 2009

Montreal, April 2009

Montreal, April 2009
Originally uploaded by baseballpajamas

Norah in Montreal, April 2009

Montreal, April 2009
Originally uploaded by baseballpajamas

Montreal, April 2009
Originally uploaded by baseballpajamas

Montreal, April 2009
Originally uploaded by baseballpajamas

Pirates of Penzance, Montpelier VT 2009

Blurry, but as you can tell, the boy has some kind of Theater Joy going on.

Did someone mention PIRATES?

Norah as Anne.

"Father, we were ever so worried!"

"When the foeman bears his steel--Taran Tarah...!"

The Sargeant Before Showtime

Fergus and Norah were in their first stage play ever this weekend: two performances of the "Pirates of Penzance." Here, the boy waits for showtime at performance number two. They were both splendid, and had a great time, despite an intense couple of days leading up to the shows.

He's very focused before a show. THE METHOD, you know.

Gymnasticobirthdaygirl

Party Day (Edit)
(Thanks Jennifer!)

Even though her birthday isn't for more than a week, Norah had her birthday party this weekend at a local gymnastics gym, joined by friends from baby playgroup, her public-school preschool class, the homeschooling community, Maple Hill Farmschool, the Vermont childhood leukemia community, and her new friends at River Rock School. It was fun!

Father Son Chat

Nine-year-old boy: "Do you know what I do to make the girls at school laugh?"

His father: "No, what?"

Boy: "Well, so far it hasn't worked."

Father: "Okay, but what do you do?"

Boy: "I fall down on the floor and I say, 'I meant to do that!'"

Father: "And what do the girls do?"

Boy: "They just look at me. And then they go back to talking."

The Kind of Item One Likes to Find Around the House

(by Norah)

Day After Day After V-Day Post

Today the boy worked on yet another valentine for the 9-year-old apple of his eye. This one he's sending in the mail, a heart-shaped piece of white paper with the words...

"Dear -----,
I don't know if
I can tell you this,
but, I might. OK, I will.
I think you're nice,
you're pretty, and you're
great.

---Fergus"

Valentines Day Notes

Overheard at the end of the school day yesterday (February 13th):

Nine-year-old Boy: "Do you love anyone at this school?"
Eight-year-old Boy: (blank look) "Uh, No."
Nine-year-old Boy: "I do. I love (name redacted)." A simple statement of fact.
Eight-year-old Boy: "Oh." (Puts on coat and goes to find boots) (He might as well have heard, "I like peanut butter.")

...This same 9-year-old boy told me that he gave THREE valentines to the girl in question. I asked him if she gave any to him and he said, "Yes, one, and when she gave me her valentine I crumpled down into myself with shyness." And he smiled and looked off into the distance as if this was a delicious thing to even remember.

So, to state the obvious lesson for parents: do not let your three-year-old's dressup habits lead you down the garden path of Making Assumptions. Then again, he DOES look fabulous in a tutu, so anything is possible in the future.... :-)

(Fergus at Three) (Roxbury VT Playgroup)

13th Annual Father/Daughter Valentines Dance

13th Annual Father/Daughter Valentines Dance
Originally uploaded by baseballpajamas

N and I ready to leave for Montpelier's Father/Daughter dance--our first time. I was nervous! She had wet fingernails!