accidents by any other name...

On our way home last night, stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic on the bridge, I'm explaining to them that the reason we can't go any faster is because there's an accident up ahead.

"Who had an accident?" asks Saia.
"I don't know, baby," I reply. "A car maybe."
"The car didn't make it to the potty on time?" she surmises.
"Well, no, sweetheart, it's not that kind of accident," I reply with a smile. "It looks like a car hit a truck."
And then Chago concludes, "Maybe the car should go in timeout now."

WE'RE BACK!!!

But I'm honestly nowhere near ready to begin relaying stories. Haven't even gotten the pics developed (yes, developed -- didn't even take digital pics this time around). Am trying to find a way to upload some video footage 'cause, truthfully, it's priceless, but it may be another day or so before the jetlag wears off and the kids stop waking up at 3am bright-eyed and bushy tailed.

HAPPY TURKEY DAY!!!

Well, we're practically living like Quakers out here in Cromer. No TV, no cable, no internet, barely a phone line. But the resort is wonderful and we've had a great time. Lots of great stories to share, but plenty of time once we get home to do so.

We just wanted to say Happy Thanksgiving to you all. We're so sorry we couldn't be with you today, but have thought of you all and hope you're having a wonderfully relaxing holiday.

We're off to London tomorrow and then home on Saturday (with any luck, as there appears to be the beginnings of a blizzard hot on our tail -- yes, a BLIZZARD!)

Have a great weekend and we'll talk to you all soon!!

All our love,

A, J, S & S

ON OUR WAY TO EUROPE

So, we'll be gone for two weeks. We leave tomorrow evening. It's a 10-hour flight. That alone should give me plenty of fodder for the blog.

I'll try to log-in now and then to give you a few updates, but I wouldn't count it. It's our first vacation EVER. And I for one am desperately looking forward to being completely disconnected from the rest of the world for a while. (Our cell phones will not work while we're away either.)

So, we hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving. And we'll be in touch here and there.

Love,
S, S, A & J

TWINTALK

"Santiago?" she calls across the aisle of the backseat.

"Yes, Saia, what is it?" he replies. [they're in particularly good moods this morning, obviously]

"What are you talking about?" she asks, referring to his incessant mumblings since we left the house this morning.

"I'm talking about the bat, Saia," he replies, and proceeds to relay the scene in The Rescuers where Evanrude the dragonfly zips into a glass bottle to escape the bats that are chasing him.

"Oh, okay," she says. "Santiago?"

"Yes, what is it, Saia?" he replies, sounding a little more exasperated this time.

"Tell another story," she demands.

"Okay," he says, and proceeds to relay a scene in The Rescuers where Ellie Mae and the other swamp folk come running to the aid of Bernard and Bianca as they leap from their air transportation, Orville the Albatross.

"The end," he firmly concludes, no doubt hoping to get back to his own musings sometime this morning.

"Thank you," she replies. "Santiago?"

"Yes, Saia, what is it NOW?"

1ST PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES

And they weren't too terribly painful, actually. Spent a little more time with Chago's teacher than Saia's [surprise, surprise], but overall I thought it went fairly well. At least I didn't walk away feeling like my children had 8 of the 10 traits of a sociopath. I think that's a good start.

NEITHER, NOR, EITHER, OR

"Mama?"
"Yes, Saia?"
"There is a stranger," she says pointing out her window to the car next to us.
"Yes, sweetheart, and do we talk to strangers?"
"Yes."
"WHAT?!?!?"
"No."
"That's right, baby, we NEVER talk to strangers. We ignore them and run and tell Mama or Mommy or Teacher that a stranger is talking to you, right?"
"Yes, I will nor them. They will try to talk to me and I will nor them. And I will nor and nor and nor them until they go away."

[cut to Mama desperately trying to control her hysterical laughter]

OVERHEARD

On the way to school this morning, having finished his oatmeal before his sister (a feat in an of itself), he busily munches on a handful of animal crackers when Saia very politely asks him if she can have one.

"Okay [this is his new thing]," he replies, "Would you like the lion or the zebra, Waia [which he's taken to calling her these days]?" But before she can answer, he qualifies his offer saying, "Welllll...the lion has no tail, but the zebra has no head. Which one do you like more?" he says as he holds them up to demonstrate his point. "The zebra," she says nonchalantly [as it's never really mattered to her which end she starts to chomp on]. "Okay," he replies, "here you go."

And I can see him in the rearview mirror handing over the decapitated zebra and her stretching across the way with her sticky [because they're ALWAYS sticky] oatmeal encrusted hands. "Thank you, Santiago [which she's taken to calling him because they call him by his full name at school]." "You're welcome, Waia," he replies as he shoves the remaining tail-less lion into his mouth. And they munch quietly and happily the rest of the way to school.

Hard to believe that just 45 minutes ago I was prying her off of him as she shoved his head into the carpet while he yanked on her hair and screamed bloody murder, isn't it?

AFRAID OF THE DARK?

Not OUR boy.

Walking up the sidewalk last night, I overhear Chago asking Mommy if it's dark, which it is, of course -- pitch black since 6pm and it's now 6:45.

"The dark is mean?" he continues. "No, son," she says, "the dark isn't mean." "It's nice." he surmises, "It hugs me."

"What hugs you, son?" she asks with a grin. "The dark hugs me," he says smiling. And we just look at each other -- speechless -- AGAIN -- because this is just another one of those moments when we particularly begin to worry that we can't possibly be doing enough to stimulate this astounding little mind.

SELF FLAGELLATION

Apparently you don't even have to raise a child Catholic in order to instill in him the overwhelming need to punish himself.

After a VERY VERY VERY bad day at school (3 timeouts for hitting, scratching and choking), we talked all the way home about how he was going to have to lose 3 of his favorite animals.

Twenty seconds after walking into the house, he had climbed in and out of his crib, and was lugging down the hallway all 4 of his tigers. And, of course, being the sensible and environmentally conscious child that he is, he appropriately recycled them instead of just chucking them in the garbage (see photo above).

THE "HAIR"APIST

Mommy was talking about getting her hair cut when Saia decided she had just a couple of cents she'd like to add to the conversation.

"Mommy, you have to cut it here," she says, reaching up to tug at a few of Mommy's stragglers.

"Why right there, Sweetheart?" asks Mommy.

"Because," surmises Saia, "your head is too heavy on this side."

Well, I'm certainly not gonna argue with that one.

ONE...TWO...

"Alright, Bubba," says Mommy, "give me a kiss and hug goodnight." [SMACK] "Okay, now you, Beauty Queen," she says to Saia. [SMACK] "Now, who's going to count to three so that I can turn out the light?" she prompts.

"OneTwoThree!!!" yells Saia. "Great job, baby. Now you, son."

"Santiago, come on..."

"Oooooooone..." he begins.

"Twooooooo..." he says with a big grin.

"FOUR!!!"

Such a little smart ass.