Aiden was playing Pacman on the Playstation today and said incredulously,
"Mom, it's AMAZING! These games were made in the 1990s. . . and they're still fun!"
Remarkable!
Other randomness. . . Morgan has been nesting lately. She found my stash of Easter eggs and has been building little nests of blankets and pillows all over the house. I found her watching t.v. the other day perched atop one of her nests, and she gave me a little peek at the colorful assortment of eggs she was incubating. Then a little while later she came soaring through the kitchen, flapping her arms, and said, "I'm teaching my little ones how to fly." My little ones. Ha, ha!
Setting: Dinner table. Family discussing events of the day, which includes something naughty done by Morgan. Morgan appears increasingly upset by conversation.
Morgan: This is the part where I cry!
Sobbing ensues. Exit Morgan. Door slams. Dog barks.
End scene.
In other news, we succeeded in making the most fantastically perfect ebelskivers tonight. I think bragging is appropriate for the occasion. It's only taken us 15 1/2 years to figure them out. I think my favorite part of the meal, though, was Morgan calling them "apple skeeters." It just hit my funny bone.
I love to read, and I don't doubt I spend more than my fair share of time doing it. I suppose I could use my time more effectively. My house could be cleaner. I could plan my shopping trips and coupon strategies more thoroughly. I could help Morgan dress up her Polly Pocket princesses [actually, I can read and do that]. On the other hand, I could while away the hours playing Angry Birds or posting complaints on Facebook.
I find repose in a good book. My book club makes me happy. I savor beautifully crafted words. For my personal record, these are the books on my "Reads and Rereads" sidebar from last year. I just have to note my favorite find of the year was Leif Enger. I thought his use of words was masterful. If you're looking for authentic characters and language to relish, you should check him out.
- Daughters in My Kingdom by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- The Long Walk by Slavomir Rawicz
- A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
- The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
- A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
- Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare
- The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
- Beyonders: A World Without Heroes by Brandon Mull
- So Brave, Young and Handsome by Leif Enger
- The Tragedy of Pudd'nhead Wilson by Mark Twain
- At Home in Mitford by Jan Karon
- Peace Like a River by Leif Enger
- Loud and Clear by Anna Quindlen
- Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie
- When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
- The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
- The Last Olympian (Percy Jackson #5) by Rick Riordan
- The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan
- Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy
- The Battle of the Labyrinth (Percy Jackson #4) by Rick Riordan
- The Brothers Karamozov by Fyodor Dostoevsky
- The Titan's Curse (Percy Jackson #3) by Rick Riordan
- The Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson #2) by Rick Riordan
- The Princess and the Hound by Mette Ivie Harrison
- The Grass Harp by Truman Capote
- Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens
I want to know where the fly on our wall is hiding. This was pretty much how our new year played out. Even down to the time on the alarm clock. [I kid you not -- although I am a little ashamed to admit it.]
**sigh**
Marissa received a very thoughtful gift from Caleb for Christmas: a goldfish, which she rather unfortunately named "Bucket". This morning, Bucket ... um ... well, kicked the bucket. We went to the pet store earlier this evening in search of a worthy replacement. Our conversation during the drive home gave me a good guffaw.
Marissa: Why do fish flop around when they get on land?
Me: Well, I think it's just their instinct in order to move back into the water.
Marissa: Oh, that makes sense. But people don't flop around in the water to get back on land.
Ha, ha, ha! That's pretty much the best visual ever.
We've had a challenge lately with energy conservation -- or in other words, turning lights out. I got tired of reminding Aiden in particular to turn off his lights, so I started threatening that we'd remove his light bulbs if he kept leaving the lights on. I guess he's used to empty threats, cause it didn't seem to make a difference.
So we followed through the other day. Morgan watched Jeremy taking the light bulbs out and was just dying to tell Aiden all about it. Jeremy told her to be quiet and let Aiden find out for himself. This was more than Morgan could handle. She showed us just how smart she is by going to Aiden and saying, "Can you help me turn on your light?"
Aiden earned his light bulb privileges back, and it has been like magic. He's come to me several times just to let me know his lights are off. Brilliant! And if it doesn't last, I suppose we can always try this . . .
