Apropos of Nothing

In the middle of dinner tonight, after a brief silence, Acorn spoke up.
“I like living lots,” he informed us.
Confused, we agreed that that was good. He continued:
“Because when the dinosaurs were stepping on cars they ate a lots of people. I’m glad I didn’t get eated by a dinosaur.”
So are we all, darling [...]

Filed under: The Wild Rumpus

Earworm

A few nights ago, Acorn requested “silly songs” as we drove home. I thought “18 Wheels on a Big Rig” might amuse him.
I was rewarded with the purest of laughter, a new way to delight my boy, and an earworm that just won’t die. The part where you count in Roman numerals is [...]

Filed under: The Wild Rumpus, Tidbits

Just as the Sun Was Rising

A camera couldn’t have captured the image: a small person, huddled just inside the door of a dim bedroom under a red flannel sheet. Sound asleep.
“Mommy?” he says when he wakes. Then his face crumples as he remembers. “Mommy, it was too late.”
I know what this means: time to clean the [...]

Filed under: Ordinary Everyday, The Wild Rumpus

Civics 101

I chose to vote early specifically so that Acorn could go with me: I thought it would be a good chance to talk with him about how our government works. “We’re going to go vote for who we want to run our government,” I told him.
“Who will win?” he asked.
“We don’t know who will [...]

Filed under: Ordinary Everyday, The Wild Rumpus, Tidbits

The Sun Sets on Daewoo

One of Acorn’s favourite sights around town.

Filed under: Ordinary Everyday, The Wild Rumpus

Dog Days

You’d think the dog days of summer would be long past us, now that the end of October is approaching. You’d have to live in a different climate, of course: We didn’t put away our shorts until last week. Until that point, it could still be hot enough to be uncomfortable without them.
And [...]

Filed under: The Wild Rumpus

Beyond the Piggy Bank: Starting Financial Education Early

Coins shimmered and clanged on the table as they rolled from the piggy bank. The family friend who was sorting the coins as I helped Acorn count them told him he was very lucky to have all that money.
“He earned a lot of it,” I said.
She watched as he showed off with a somersault [...]

Filed under: Soapbox, The Wild Rumpus

Threat of the Day

“Acorn, if you don’t settle down and go to sleep, I’m going to come in there and take every single book out of your room.”

Filed under: The Wild Rumpus

Honor System

Acorn’s been having a right proper childhood illness, these past few days. He’ll spike a fever and not feel like doing much, including eating or playing; when we get the fever down, he’s up and about like nothing’s wrong.
Friday morning, he wasn’t feeling well and — wanting to stay cuddled up with Mommy for [...]

Filed under: The Wild Rumpus

Baby’s First Pun

This actually occurred some months ago, perhaps as long ago as late last summer or early fall.
Acorn is playing with some of his pretend food, feeding me bites of “peas” and “chicken,” which I am dutifully “eating” with appropriate yummy-food noises. Suddenly he holds up a plastic cup. “You want some tea?” he [...]

Filed under: Get Thee to a Punnery, The Wild Rumpus, Whimsy, ,