Fancy Thanksgiving

Hazel and Aaron went suit shopping a few weeks before Thanksgiving. Unbeknownst to the rest of us, there was a single unexpected tux at the consignment store they visited. She hopefully took the tux into the dressing room, muttering a request to the universe, "Please let it fit. Please let it fit. Please let it fit."

She kept it a secret till Thanksgiving morning and was delighted to come out from her bedroom for the grand reveal in tux and tails.

At the table

"Juniper, please sit correctly in your chair" is a common refrain in our dining room. Right now, I look at this picture and feel exasperated by the wiggling and the perching and the crumbs that are inevitably falling onto the floor. I suspect my future self will look at this picture and see only a beautiful image of Juniper exactly as she was at a particular point in time.

In N.K. Jemison's terrific Inheritance trilogy, the god of childhood is irresistibly drawn to kids who are wiggly and bratty, playful and smart, self-absorbed and innocent, defiant of adult rules and absolutely true to their childish nature. As I read about his attraction to these mortal children, I couldn't help thinking how much he would adore Juniper.

A well-worn collection

A small milestone in our family: Hazel finished reading the last Harry Potter book this evening.

That's love

Sometimes it's fun to be put in a box

The darndest things...

Hazel: Mom, you're off from work tomorrow? Why? Is it veterinarian's day?


Juniper: Mom? Dad wants you, for some inscrutable grown up reason.


Hazel (describing what it's like to have a sister): Sometimes you think she's so stupid it's like her brains have been scooped out with a spoon and you just want her to go away, but sometimes you love her so much and you just want to put your head in her jacket to be close to her.


Juniper: Siri is the iPad thing. Alexa is the one that plays music and does 20 questions. Google Home does everything Alexa does plus turns on and off the lights.


Hazel (indignant at being separated from her cousin after they crawled under a long row of chairs to the other side of the sanctuary during a church service): But you never told us not to!
Sally: I also never told you not to throw the hymnals at people.
Hazel: But that's a social norm!


Juniper (on poetry): It is toothpaste and farts and donkeys eating burritos!
With thanks to US Poet Laureate Juan Felipe Herrera for his book Jabberwalking. 


Hazel: Have you ever eaten your eye boogers? (pause) They're pretty good.

Cold mornings

Fall came late this year, but now that it's here the bus stop is cold in the mornings.

You've got to be kidding me

Dragon*Con 2018

Medusa, Perseus, and Squirrel Girl

Gap tooth smile